As soon as Qin Xin stepped out, she noticed the entire corridor on the top floor of the Imperial Mansion was filled with bodyguards in black.

Lu Jia and all the others were present, standing ready.

They were Nalan Ye Jue’s men.

It turned out that while Nalan Ye Jue seemed so calm and composed in front of Si Moyu, he had in fact deployed such an impeccable force outside.

A sense of inexplicable emotion stirred in Qin Xin’s heart.

This man, as steady as a mountain and as firm as a rock, was also meticulous and profoundly cunning.

To have tracked her here, he must have gone through considerable effort and obstacles.

She took a deep breath, "Thank you."

Nalan Ye Jue held her hand tightly, speaking softly, "I’ve reserved a table at the restaurant and they’ve specially prepared conch bell soup for you. If we’re ten minutes late, we’ll miss the most delicious taste. Let’s go."

Qin Xin: "..."

Lu Jia and the others: "..."

What?

The Young Master made such a grand gesture to come to the hotel and take her away, even getting his brothers in Asia to hack into Si Moyu’s diamond mine, all for Miss Qin’s bowl of conch bell soup???

Watching Mr. Emperor and Miss Qin enter the elevator hand in hand, Lu Jia couldn’t help but wail silently in his heart: Young Master, does this mean you’ll no longer attend morning court because of her? Pfft, does this mean the emperor only holds court for the Empress now?

Inside the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, the curious gazes of the bodyguards were left outside.

For a moment, there was silence between them.

Nalan Ye Jue’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, recalling what the security uncle had earnestly advised: "If it snows, make sure to kiss her, then you’ll be lovers blessed by the gods, together forever."

His lips moved slightly.

Beside him, Qin Xin kept her gaze forward, lost in thought.

Suddenly.

"Clang——!"

The elevator stopped.

Even the lights inside flickered and went out completely.

Qin Xin looked around warily, instinctively reaching for the emergency button.

But the moment her hand touched the elevator control panel, it was captured by the man’s strong hand, and her whole body was lifted into his embrace.

A kiss, gentle at first, then deep and intense.

In the darkness, they couldn’t see each other’s faces, only hear each other’s breaths, light or heavy; feel the temperature of each other’s skin, cool or hot.

The more it was like this, the clearer the entanglement of lips became, heartbreakingly poignant.

Qin Xin initially pushed the man away a few times, but eventually was caught up in his lead, tilting her head back helplessly, like a small boat lost in the vast sea, with no room for resistance.

Uh...

Why is he so strong?

They didn’t know how much time had passed.

The elevator remained in darkness.

Nalan Ye Jue finally released her lips, kissed her forehead, and said, "From now on, set me as your emergency contact. Dial 1 first, okay?"

Though it sounded like a domineering command, the deep concern between the words made Qin Xin nod: "Mm."

No, wait, shouldn’t she be the one asking the questions now?

Why did he kiss her out of the blue?

"You..."

Just as Qin Xin began to speak, Nalan Ye Jue glanced at the glow on his watch, "We’re over ten minutes late. We need to hurry to the restaurant."

He pressed the emergency button.

The elevator lights instantly came back on.

Then with two clicks, it resumed its steady descent.

Qin Xin: "..."

She began to suspect this elevator was operated by a robot.

How could it stop and start so casually without needing an engineer for repairs?

Nalan Ye Jue slightly curled the corners of his lips.

The last time, when he only managed a peck in the elevator for a few seconds, he learned his lesson, so he came prepared this time. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The lights, the stopping—nothing was left to chance.

Otherwise, his shy little wife would definitely push him away with all her might.