The night wind danced around them, carrying the faint fragrance of spiritual herbs that bloomed only under moonlight. The grass swayed gently, and the world seemed wrapped in an unearthly stillness where only the sound of two heartbeats could be heard.
Ren Zu still held her by the waist, his warm hand a stark contrast against the cool silk of her dress, as though his touch were the sole point of warmth in that silent realm. For a moment, neither spoke; they simply looked at each other. For the first time in ages, there was no "revenge," no "duty," no "forced circumstances" between them.
There was only this moment.
In that instant, the Little Demon Empress (she whose mere presence could silence and terrify every hero beneath the heavens, whose single glance could humble the proudest) felt, for the first time in far too long, an emotion so deep it defied mere words. The air around her, always thick with a chilling, murderous aura, wavered and weakened, as if it had lost its reason to exist. Her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, and a soft, almost imperceptible sigh escaped her lips, a sound far too fragile for someone like her.
"…You truly have no shame," she murmured at last, her voice softer than she intended.
Ren Zu let out a short, low, tranquil laugh.
"Shame? I see no reason for it. My wife looks breathtaking tonight."
The faint blush that rose to her cheeks was nearly invisible, but Ren Zu noticed—of course he did. Her usually unwavering gaze darted away at once, and for a brief moment she looked like an ordinary girl trying to hide her shyness.
"You… talk too much," she replied, attempting to reclaim her composure.
"I'm only being honest," Ren Zu said, that calm smile of his slowly melting the rigidity she wore like armor.
The silence that followed was light, almost comfortable.
Ren Zu gazed at the beautiful woman before him: moonlight kissed her skin that was as white as fresh snow and delicate as a newborn's; it looked like flawless jade, pure and smooth, without a single blemish. Her long lashes framed eyes that made her seem like a porcelain doll. Yet something beyond her appearance was drawing him in…
"Caiyi…" he called after a while.
"…What is it?"
"You still haven't answered me. Why did you come here tonight?"
The Little Demon Empress fell silent for several seconds. Her small, exquisitely delicate face (ten thousand times more refined than any doll) remained expressionless. Her eyes grew focused, deep and infinite pools through which no one could guess her thoughts.
"This empress…" she began, her face as impassive as ever, though the tips of her ears betrayed a faint flush, "…came to think about something. Since this empress's life was supposed to end in three years, I decided it would be wise to leave behind an heir to the Imperial bloodline before then. A descendant who could rule the Illusory Demon Realm after I depart."
Ren Zu gazed at her in silence. There was no surprise in his eyes; he had foreseen those words long before they were spoken. The moment he learned the Little Demon Empress had only three years left and that her vengeance was complete, he understood what her next decision would be: to secure the continuation of the Imperial bloodline. For her, the dignity and glory of the Imperial Family had always stood above everything—even her own life.
A soft sigh slipped from his lips.
"You really are an idiot, Caiyi."
The words fell like a thin blade.
She whipped her head toward him, eyes cold as steel, voice tinged with irritation.
"What did you say?"
Ren Zu rose slowly, his gaze calm yet carrying unshakable resolve.
"I said you're an idiot," he murmured, voice low but cutting. "Did you truly think I'd just stand by and watch you plan your own death? That I'd accept it as if it were inevitable?"
He took a step closer, eyes locked on hers, every word heavy with conviction.
"You should have trusted me more. I told you I'd find a solution… and I just did, didn't I?"
The Little Demon Empress felt the urge to grind her teeth in frustration; her chest rose and fell with a mix of anger and something harder to name.
"Don't speak as if you know what this empress felt back then!" she shot back, her voice rising with the authority of one accustomed to being feared, yet trembling faintly at the end, betraying the emotion she tried to cage. "This empress is grateful for the pill you refined and for resolving that problem…"
She drew a deep breath.
"But do you think it's that simple? That wanting it is enough to change a fate sealed by the Golden Crow Divine God Himself?!" Her voice wavered for a heartbeat before regaining its steel. "It's not that I didn't want to believe you… I simply chose not to delude myself. I accepted it long ago—"
Before she could finish, he moved.
Ren Zu pulled her firmly against him, her body colliding with his. The touch was strong, yet there was hidden tenderness in it, as though he feared she might shatter at the slightest excess.
"As long as I'm alive…" he murmured against the silken strands of her hair, voice low but leaving no room for doubt, "you will not die."
He held her a little tighter, his tone softening into something almost a whisper that carried both promise and gentle reproach.
"Didn't I tell you that? Next time, trust your husband a little more…" A brief pause, his warm breath brushing her skin. "That's why I called you an idiot."
The Little Demon Empress stood motionless for several seconds. Her heart raced. She felt the warmth of his chest, the steady rhythm of his breathing, and a strange sensation—as if the world had suddenly become too small to contain everything she felt.
She opened her mouth, ready to retort sharply, but no words came. They died before they were born.
She simply closed her eyes and let the embrace envelop her completely.
Ren Zu held her long enough for the faint tremor in her shoulders to cease and for her racing heart to calm. His warm breath grazed her neck; the faint scent of burning herbs mingled with the natural fragrance of her skin…
Then, slowly, he drew back just enough to look at her. His hands remained at her waist, and his deep, moonlit-lake eyes fixed on hers.
"Caiyi…" he murmured, the tone low, almost too tender for the way he usually faced the world.
Before she could answer, he leaned in and kissed her again.
Her fingers tightened slightly against his chest, and for a moment she returned the kiss as though trying to etch it into her very soul. When they finally parted, both were breathing unevenly, the air between them warm and heavy with something indescribable.
Ren Zu kept his gaze on her, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"If you truly want a child…" he began, voice calm yet firm, "I have no objection."
The Little Demon Empress stared at him in surprise, eyes flickering, but he continued before she could react:
"But first… I need more power."
He lifted a hand, gently brushing her cheek with his thumb across her cheek.
"I need enough strength to protect you. And if we are to have a child… then I will protect both of you."
He didn't say it with arrogance. His words were simple and direct, as though stating an immutable fact already decided in his heart long ago. And it was the absolute truth. He would only consider having children once he stood at the absolute pinnacle of this world, when no enemy could threaten him and every problem in the Primal Chaos was resolved. Until then, the very idea of an heir felt absurd—not from lack of desire, but because he could not bear the constant shadow of someone stronger appearing to take everything he loved.
Even villains have families they care about.
The Little Demon Empress looked away, but the blush returned to her ears, visible even under the silver moonlight. Her once-cold, steady hands lightly clutched the sleeves of his robe, as if seeking an anchor amid her own emotions.
"You… say such things so easily," she murmured, trying to hide the faint tremor in her voice.
"Because they're true."
Ren Zu leaned in again, lips almost brushing hers, and whispered:
"And I don't make a habit of lying to my wife."
Her gaze lifted instinctively to meet his.
She sighed, inwardly surrendering, and murmured in reply:
"…Then don't make me wait too long."
Ren Zu smiled—a calm smile filled with silent promise.
"It won't be long. A few years at most," he said quietly, voice steady yet wrapped in reassuring warmth. "We now have all the time in the world. You're no longer bound by those three years, so… there's no need to worry."
The Little Demon Empress fell silent for long seconds after those words, her face gradually returning to the serene, unreadable mask that defined her. The eyes that had wavered with barely-contained emotion grew calm once more—deep, unfathomable, like a lake frozen in eternal winter.
She simply gazed at him, saying nothing. Moonlight spilled over them, and for an instant Ren Zu caught the silver gleam in her eyes, as though the ice had melted for a heartbeat only to refreeze immediately after.
"…Very well, husband," she murmured at last, her tone light, almost emotionless. "You have already proven it. There is no further reason to doubt."
She fell silent and turned her gaze to the sky, where distant stars glimmered like scattered embers.
She didn't know what she felt. Gratitude? Warmth? Something more? Perhaps all of it at once. Her heart felt numb, heavy, as though memories and long-buried sensations were flowing back, reviving emotions she had locked away eons ago.
Her husband truly was… the one who had helped her the most.
Ren Zu watched her silence, that distant look, and simply smiled—a serene smile with a mischievous glint hidden at the corners of his mouth.
"Then we're in agreement," he said softly, tilting his head, voice low and carrying a playful undertone. "But… just because we'll have to wait a little…"
He deliberately let the silence stretch, his dark, calm eyes locking with hers. His smile widened slightly—now more teasing, more mischievously restrained.
"…doesn't mean we can't practice making one until then."
The Little Demon Empress stared at him, eyes flickering between disbelief and exasperation. A furious blush exploded across her face, painting her ears and neck a shade of pink the moonlight only made more vivid.
"Y-you…" she began, but the words dissolved before they could form. Her icy composure, her untouchable majesty—everything shattered for a moment beneath his brazen gaze, especially as she remembered those five hundred times they had already "practiced" over the past few months…
Ren Zu leaned in, voice husky and low, close enough for his warm breath to graze the sensitive skin of her neck.
"Don't look at me like that, Caiyi… You were the one who first mentioned leaving an heir."
She clenched her fists, torn between anger and mortification, unsure which feeling burned stronger. When she finally spoke, her voice was low yet still carried that imperial pride even he couldn't fully erase.
"This empress… did not mean it in that sense!"
Ren Zu only chuckled softly, the sound warm and teasing.
"Of course not," he answered with delicate irony. "But… no need to explain yourself…"
Before she could retort, he simply swept her into his arms, ignoring the startled glare she shot him.
"Husband! Just what do you think you're doing?!" she exclaimed, trying to sound stern, but the tremor in her eyes betrayed her.
"Carrying my wife home," he replied with a lazy smile, eyes half-lidded, as if the teasing came as naturally as breathing. "It's late, and I don't want my empress catching a cold."
"You—"
Whatever protest she had vanished as he carried her through the garden, his footsteps on the grass mingling with the soft rustle of leaves.
He paid no heed anyway.
In moments, he had carried her all the way back to their chambers…
____________
(A/N: Hey, everyone! What did you think about the development between those two in this chapter? Honestly, I'm really satisfied with how it turned out — I think I managed to convey their bond and chemistry in a natural way. It was one of those rare moments when the writing just flows, you know? The scenes practically write themselves, and the dialogues come out so naturally that I even start thinking: "Damn, should I turn this into a romance instead of a harem?" (And that's coming from someone who's a big fan of harems!)
I truly feel like these two have something special. It's not just attraction or a simple couple dynamic; it feels like there's a genuine connection — something that goes beyond the cliché and makes everything more engaging. It's easy to write when the characters feel alive, when their emotions are so real that I end up getting lost in the story along with them. I think that's why this chapter came out so full of emotion — it had a lot more heart than planning behind it.
By the way, this chapter was written specifically to tie up some loose ends and give you all a breather before the next phase. Think of it as a brief moment of calm before the storm — and yes, I'm already preparing what's coming next. Now tell me: would you prefer the next chapter to have a lemon, or should I skip that part and move straight on with the story? I want to hear your opinion before I decide.
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