Chapter 279: Eternity of Companionship
Chapter 279: Eternity of Companionship
"What are you doing here?" Xiang Ling asked as she walked out into the open courtyard and made her way toward Zhe Yuan. She had long dismissed him from his punishment of kneeling when she sent Fu Xiao to deliver him dinner. Little did she expect to see him at the same place even this late at night.
"I’m just wondering why the sky is so sad tonight." He replied while he kept his gaze fixed on the sky.
Xiang Ling also turned her gaze at the sky and found just how similar it appeared to her current mood. "Maybe it’s not feeling too good tonight?" She provided while trying to search for any trace of a star in the vast sky, but there was none.
Zhe Yuan finally pulled his attention away from the sky and turned his face to look at her. "Are you talking about the sky or yourself?"
The unexpected question made her look at the Mer Crown Prince and she found him gazing at her with such soft and warm eyes that she felt her strong facade faltering. But what really did the job were his next words.
"You are actually strong, Lingling. One of the strongest people I have met in my life, and I’m not talking about powers. Having thousands of years of divine powers isn’t the only thing that makes someone weak or powerful, nor does having immense physical strength. What really makes someone powerful is the strength of their mind and their heart, and your are indeed the strongest one when it comes to those two."
He took a step closer, removing all the possible space between them. "In the past eleven months, I have seen with my very own eyes just how single-handedly you have changed everything. It’s not you who needs others, but it’s the rest of the world that needs you."
He ran his index finger from her temple to her jaw before cupping her cheek in his palm. "So, my love, it’s perfectly alright if there’s a moment where you want to let your guard down. It’s perfectly alright if you want to stop being so strong for a moment or two, and it’s completely alright if you want to be taken care of. You will always have me by your side."
Xiang Ling stared into his deep purple eyes while she struggled to keep her tears from falling. "Are you promising me an eternity of your companionship, Your Highness?" She asked.
The man smiled softly at her question before he answered, "That’s right. I’m promising you an eternity of my companionship, of my love and support, Xiang Ling. Will you accept it?"
There was no holding back the tears that rolled down her cheeks at his confession and proposal. She quickly nodded her head and answered, "I’m accepting it. You better marry me as soon as I’m done with this life tribulation."
Zhe Yuan chuckled at the threat in her tone and nodded his head in agreement. "I promise." He sealed his promise with a kiss that melted the woman against him.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss which she eagerly accepted. His other hand slipped from her cheek and into her hair, pressing her face against his as he moved his lips over hers in perfect motions.
His tongue licked her lower lips, making her gasp which allowed him to slip his tongue into her mouth and chase her tongue. She moaned into the kiss as their tongues danced together in sync. Every cell in his body was enjoying the warmth that she was making him feel.
When they finally pulled apart, she was gasping for air and her lips were swollen from all the kissing. He smiled at her before he almost made her scream in panic as he lifted her up in his arms.
"What are you doing? Put me down!" She demanded, but he completely ignored it and headed in the direction of her room. "I’m giving you a free ride to your room." He told her which made her chuckle.
He felt happy to see her genuinely smiling, and what made him feel even better was knowing the fact that he was the one who put that smile on her lips.
He pushed open the door of her room and entered before making his way to the bed. He gently placed her on the edge of bed, helping her in a sitting position. "Want me to stay here and hold you in my arms?" He asked while crounching on the floor so that she wouldn’t need to crane her head to look up at him.
"Only sleeping?" She asked with suspicion filled eyes and it almost made Zhe Yuan chuckle. He shook his head at the implication behind her question and answered, "Only sleeping... unless you say otherwise."
Xiang Ling appeared thoughtful for a moment before she slowly nodded her head in approval. "That sounds good enough to me." She said with a smile which made Zhe Yuan smile as well.
The two of them quickly changed their clothes before they climbed into the bed and slipped under the thick blankets. Zhe Yuan clicked his fingers and the curtains flew open, covering the bed from all four directions.
"I’m still feeling cold." He mumbled as he started snuggling closer to Xiang Ling and snaked his arm under her head, pulling her into his arms.
"You said we will only be sleeping and no funny business." Xiang Ling reminded him when she felt his other hand coming to rest over her belly.
Zhe Yuan snuggled his face into her hair as he answered, "I also spoke of holding you in my arms, love. I’m doing just that."
Xiang Ling smiled, feeling warmth surrounding her from inside out when she heard him calling her love once again. Letting out a small sigh, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the sweet moment in the arms of her fifth husband. Just like that, the two of them fell asleep that night with a promise of eternal love.