A flicker of suspicion flashed in Reg’s eyes. He immediately pressed her, "Right, His Majesty kept you behind. What did you two do?" His tone was urgent and anxious as he stared straight at Su Yaoyao, as if trying to read the answer in her gaze.

’This is bad,’ Su Yaoyao thought. Biting her lower lip, she gave an awkward smile and quickly explained, "He had me soak in the Spiritual Spring to recover. He was worried I’d be cold coming back at night, so he lent me this cloak to wear."

She spoke in a rush, as if trying to dispel their doubts as quickly as possible. "I was exhausted when I got back, so I just flopped onto the bed. The cloak must have gotten tangled in the blankets by accident." After explaining, she scrambled up, grabbed the cloak, and hurriedly hung it in the wardrobe.

The three men exchanged a look, their eyes filled with suspicion.

Their instincts told them that something unusual had definitely happened between Su Yaoyao and His Majesty.

Reg had always been hot-headed, and now he could no longer suppress his suspicions.

His eyes sharpened. He suddenly swept Su Yaoyao into his arms—his movements urgent, yet tinged with a hint of care—and gently tossed her onto the bed, pressing his body down on top of hers.

"Reg, what are you doing?" Su Yaoyao was completely startled by his sudden move. Her voice trembled, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

Reg stared at her, his gaze burning, his tone laced with dominance and possessiveness. "I’m going to inspect you. If there are any marks on you, Yaoyao, then I’ll just cover them with my own, but harder."

His eyes burned with intense emotion—a mixture of deep affection for Su Yaoyao and the fear of potentially losing her.

Su Yaoyao’s heart leaped into her throat. Her face turned as red as a ripe apple, and her pulse began to race uncontrollably.

She looked frantically at Reg, then over at Bai Lian and Pani.

Pani’s expression was complicated. He bit his lip and said nothing, but his eyes clearly showed his concern about what might have happened between Su Yaoyao and Augustine, along with his own possessiveness toward her.

Bai Lian, however, let out a soft sigh. He walked slowly to the side of the bed, his gaze tender and full of affection as he looked at Su Yaoyao. "Yaoyao," he said softly, "let’s savor our last night together before we leave."

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly ambiguous and complex. On the eve of their departure, waves of emotion swelled in everyone’s heart.

...

The next morning, sunlight streamed gently through the gaps in the curtains, spilling onto the bed.

Su Yaoyao slowly opened her eyes. The three men beside her were still fast asleep, their faces appearing exceptionally soft in the morning light.

She gazed at them quietly, her heart filled with reluctance to let them go. Each familiar face held countless wonderful memories.

Bai Lian was the first to stir. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze instantly locking onto Su Yaoyao, filled with morning grogginess and deep affection.

"Awake?" Su Yaoyao asked softly, her voice a little hoarse and filled with reluctance.

Bai Lian nodded, sat up, and looked at Su Yaoyao, letting out a soft "Mhm."

Just then, Reg and Pani also woke up one after another. All three men fixed their gazes on Su Yaoyao, and a thick sense of sorrow at their impending separation filled the room.

After quickly washing up, the four of them walked out of the bedchambers together.

On the path from the Imperial Palace to the landing pad, the neatly trimmed greenery on both sides swayed gently in the breeze, as if mourning the coming departure.

Su Yaoyao stayed close by their sides. No one spoke the entire way; only the soft echo of their footsteps on the stone path could be heard.

Arriving at the landing pad, they saw the Flying Ship that would carry them away parked quietly. Its silver-gray hull glinted coldly in the sunlight, a stark contrast to the fervent and heavy hearts of the group.

At that moment, His Majesty Augustine and Noah also arrived at the landing pad.

Augustine was dressed in magnificent and stately attire, highlighting his supreme status.

Noah, on the other hand, stood to the side, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile, his eyes fixed on Su Yaoyao.

Bai Lian was the first to turn and pull Su Yaoyao into his arms. "Yaoyao, while we’re not with you, you have to take good care of yourself." His voice was deep and gentle, as if he were pouring all his worries into that single sentence.

Su Yaoyao’s eyes reddened as she nodded forcefully. "I will. You all need to be careful, too. Come back soon." Her voice trembled slightly as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to overflow.

Reg stepped forward and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from Su Yaoyao’s forehead. "If anyone dares to bully you, you have to tell us." His eyes showed determination and concern, along with a hint of worry he couldn’t hide.

Pani tightly gripped Su Yaoyao’s hand and said reluctantly, "Yaoyao, we’ll finish our business as quickly as possible and come back to you." Tears welled in his eyes, his pink irises full of deep affection for Su Yaoyao.

As Su Yaoyao looked at them, her tears finally broke free. "I’ll wait for you." She clung to their hands, her heart aching with the pain of parting.

The three men boarded the Flying Ship one by one. Standing at the hatch, they looked back at Su Yaoyao one last time, their eyes filled with love and reluctance.

As the hatch slowly closed, Su Yaoyao felt as if her heart had been squeezed tightly.

The Flying Ship started up. A tremendous roar sounded as it slowly began to ascend.

Su Yaoyao stood on the landing pad, her gaze fixed on the Flying Ship as tears blurred her vision. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She waved nonstop until the Flying Ship disappeared over the horizon, leaving only the fading roar echoing in her ears.

Seeing Su Yaoyao crying so heartbrokenly, Augustine’s heart ached.

He walked up and gently pulled Su Yaoyao into his arms, comforting her softly. "Don’t be so sad. They’ve only left for a little while. They’ll be back soon." His embrace was warm and solid, as if it could shelter Su Yaoyao from any storm.

Su Yaoyao leaned into Augustine’s embrace, her heart a tangle of complicated emotions.

On one hand, she was immersed in the pain of parting with her Beast Husbands; on the other, she felt a trace of warmth from Augustine’s comfort. But at the same time, she remembered their intimate contact in the Spiritual Spring, and her heart couldn’t help but flutter in a panic.

Seeing this from the side, Noah’s heart tightened slightly, and he silently cursed himself for being a step too slow.

’Still, I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll let it slide.’

’Her Beast Husbands are all gone. Doesn’t that mean my chance to pursue her has finally arrived?’

He secretly clenched his fists, a flash of determination in his eyes, as if he had already made some kind of decision.

As Augustine held Su Yaoyao, his gaze inadvertently swept over Noah and caught the strange glint in his eyes.

A thought flickered through Augustine’s mind; he seemed to have guessed what Noah was thinking.

He frowned slightly and tightened his hold on Su Yaoyao, as if declaring his claim on her to Noah.

Noah’s lips curled into a smile. ’Declaring his claim? Oh, Your Majesty, neither of us is Yaoyao’s Beast Husband yet. It’s still up in the air who will become her fifth.’

And Su Yaoyao, immersed in this complex mix of emotions and atmosphere, was completely oblivious to the silent undercurrents swirling between the two men beside her.