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"Go on. What happened between you and my Little Jing?"

"... and the Young Master..." The words she could think of evaporated completely as her face burned with embarrassment. She could only look helplessly at His Your Majesty, swallowing hard a few times. She muttered softly, "... Is it wrong? Me and the Young Master..."

"..." He raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback. He was quite interested in her bold admission without offering any explanation, and even the faint smile on his lips unconsciously widened.

"I know His Your Majesty values Young Master very much, and I... I really am not good enough for him, but—now that I have made up my mind, from today onwards, I will try my best to be good to the Young Master."

Hey, don't talk to him like you're marrying off your daughter. Isn't that just showing off?

"Even if you two are both men?" He raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down in his scholar's Confucian Robe.

"Young Master doesn't mind, why should I?"

"In short, you two are officially announcing to me that you two... are Cut Sleeve, that's all?"

"It's not about Cut Sleeve! It's just someone I like--"

"He just happens to be a man." He interrupted her, adding, "That's what Cut Sleeve always say."

Your Majesty, please don't act like you're an expert on Cut Sleeve.

Stroking his Imperial Noble Consort's fur, the Your Majesty lowered his head in thought, seemingly pondering how to deal with her and the Young Master, these two rebellious and treacherous individuals. Admitting to having Longyang tendencies before Your Majesty, especially with the Young Master Your Majesty values most, her audacity was truly growing.

"What if Xiao Xiaojing regains his memory?" Your Majesty's words, spoken casually, left a lingering shock in her heart. "He'll remember sooner or later, remember who he is, remember me, remember that he's not familiar with you, remember... Rongrong."

"..."

"Pig Kid, aren't you afraid? Staying with someone like Xiaojing will only lead to losing her one day."

"That's precisely why we need to get together quickly." This frank, naive, and charming Young Master could disappear one day, turning back into the cold and aloof Grand Secretary Li, who had nothing to do with her. Therefore, "If we don't get together now, I'll regret it when he's gone."

Suddenly, a heavy weight pressed down on her head; it was His Your Majesty's hand, gently rubbing her head as if comforting Imperial Noble Consort.

"When that time comes, if you are sad, come and cry to me."

"... Why is a man crying?" She pouted and complained, her head lowered as His Majesty patted Your Majesty. Suddenly, she remembered that this wasn't the time to be a docile kitten being soothed and comforted by His Your Majesty. She had something very important to explain to His Your Majesty. "Speaking of crying, Your Majesty really wants me to cry, doesn't he? What's going on with the Minister of Works? Why was I appointed as the Minister of Works?"

"Because I want to make that Pig Kid my person."

In an instant, Zhu Bafu's hand slid down from above her head, landing on her waist. With a gentle pull, the man lifted her from the chair opposite him, as if embracing a woman. His Your Majesty supported her waist and pulled her onto his lap. This action startled her, and she struggled, almost falling off His Your Majesty's lap.

He leaned down slightly and pulled her back into his arms, his cool fingertips cupping her chin. "Shh—don't move. Pig Kid. Sit properly on my lap and let me take a good look at you."

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, this is really inappropriate. Please help me up—"

"Otherwise, how can I see clearly what's most important on your body, Pig Kid?" His words, like thorny vines, drifted from the Your Majesty's moist lips, entwining around her. "If Pig Kid feel uncomfortable sitting on me, then kneel. Kneel on me."

As if he had discovered something, he deliberately lifted her waist, making her kneel on his lap, getting closer and closer. He lifted her chin as if he were teasing a woman's chin. Zhu Bafu was completely frightened and hurriedly reached out to protect his chin.

"Let go."

"..."

"Let go, Pig Kid. Let me see you—"

"..."

"I order you to let go! This is Imperial Decree!"

His hands slowly lowered from her chin, and His Your Majesty tilted his head back, his warm breath close to her chin, carefully examining every inch of it. Small, vermilion tattoos appeared on Zhu Bafu's chin—tattoos only found on criminals, etched on the face as proof of their criminality.

"Zhu Ba," the eighth member of the Zhu Household to Criminal.

"So you really are Family Member Lord Zhu's family... Zhu Bafu? A pseudonym, right? Little... Ba?" He narrowed his eyes, a hint of coldness in them.

"Your Majesty... please forgive me." She tried to get off His Your Majesty's lap and kneel on the ground, but her chin and waist were firmly held by His Your Majesty. He was looking at her with a questioning gaze, as if waiting for her explanation, but more like teasing a kitten.

"As the son of a disgraced official, instead of properly receiving your punishment in your place of exile, you actually sneaked into the Capital and even infiltrated the Dongxu Mansion, using the pretext of getting close to the Prime Minister's Son to get close to me. Pig Kid, you've planned every step of the way, and every move you've made is quite sophisticated."

In an instant, he abandoned his usual easygoing and playful attitude, adopting a haughty demeanor. Every word he uttered was sharp and cutting, a humiliation worse than being stripped naked. His pupils suddenly darkened, and Zhu Bafu bit his lip, trembling. "Concealing your identity as a descendant of a disgraced official, infiltrating the Dongxu Mansion, and disrespecting His Your Majesty —I admit to all of these. But I absolutely had no intention of using you, Young Master, to get close to His Your Majesty!"

"Oh? What does that Pig Kid think of the charges I handed down against your father, Lord Zhu?"