After Xinyi and Xie Rouxi left the office, Xie Ming's face turned pale as her body started to feel weaker by every moment. She was feeling tired, not sure whether it was because of exhaustion or the effect of those memories of Xie Ming.

  Grandfather Su told her to take a day rest and go home seeing her condition and said to not worry about her appointments and that he will check up on her patients himself. She has been working without any break in the past few days. She deserves a day's rest at least.

  She agreed and packed up her bag to leave the hospital. What can she say? She is not in the right mind herself.

  ***

  Ji Dynasty.

  After the market visit that day, Ji Cheng was enraged and had gathered all the vendors who were appointed to sell the items made by the consorts. She doesn't know what happened to that vendor who was sent to the dungeon that day because Ji Cheng didn't tell her anything about it.

  And about other vendors, he checked everyone's background and their reputation in the market himself and punished them a great deal who were found selling the items at the higher prices than the prices set by her and Jia Shi.

  The other ministers argued that Zhao Ming's idea of selling the items made by the consorts is useless and only increases the work rather than helping the harem in any way. However, ignoring their wasted opinions, Ji Cheng handled this matter by creating a team who will check the workings of these stalls and will submit a monthly report to Zhao Ming.

  ….

  In the chamber, Zhao Ming was looking at the account book given by Wen Ru. Since she had decided to help him in checking the account books, she checks them from time to time. Although she hasn't started producing items to sell in his shop because of the lack of time she has, she was still helping him to maintain his account books.

  She already had dinner without Ji Cheng since he was working in his study. While checking the documents, she stopped and zoned out while staring at the door.

  So much time has passed but she still couldn't find any clue.

  'Sigh. How could I find that hairpin now? I have checked Zhao Ming's room or everywhere where that hairpin could be. It's nowhere to be found.'

  Just as she was busy in her thoughts, Ji Cheng pushed open the door and entered the chamber. He smiled seeing Zhao Ming looking at him but later realized that she was just staring at the door and didn't even sense his presence in the room.

  He shook his head and walked to her. She was looking at the door and looked like she was thinking about something.

  He pursed her lips and leaned down and gave her a quick peck on her lips.

  " Oh!" Zhao Ming was startled when he gave her a peck which woke her up. She blushed and covered her lips with the back of her hand as she asked, " Ah, what are you doing? When did you come?"

  He raised his brows and sat beside her. He sighed and asked, " What happened? Why are you looking so lost?"

  " Me? Nothing, I was just……a little tired." She replied half-heartedly. She was indeed tired.

  These days, she not only has to manage the harem but also has to focus on her physical training and meditation as well. Along with that, she has to think about that dream, which she hasn't got for more than a month.

  He looked at her and rubbed her hair. " You should take it easy. You're working too hard these days. How can an Empress be so busy more than an Emperor? You should relax and not worry about harem matters so much.".

  "Ask for my help if something is troubling you."

  She smiled hearing his words. How can he say such heart fluttering words with his straight expressions?

  Does he even know how handsome he looked while saying those words nonchalantly?

  She grinned and placed the documents aside and leaned in to give him a peck on his cheeks, but he turned his face and her lips landed on his lips. She was startled but the next moment, she was pulled by him as he made her sit on his lap.

  He held her face between his palms and sealed her lips with his as he deepened the kiss, invading her mouth. She beamed while kissing and wrapped her arms around his neck, to make her balance and let him kiss her to his heart content.

  She giggled when his hands started roaming on her body, feeling her curves.

  " Your Majesty, didn't you ask me to rest a while ago? What are you doing now?" She chuckled as she said against his lips.

  He paused and looked at her seriously. " I asked you to rest. And this is what we should do to relax." He sucked on her wet soft lips causing her to moan.

  Her body started to heat up as he deepened the kiss, and his hands did their work in removing her dress. Her cheeks turned crimson when she felt something poking her from the bottom.

  After the intense kissing session, he moved to her neck and collarbone to mark his territory with his fluttering kisses and sucks on her skin from time to time and admires his artwork.

  " You're beautiful." He whispered against her ear, as he bit her earlobe causing her to tighten her grip on his shoulder. He sucked on her lips while fondling with her breasts over her dress.

  Soon, both were lying on the bed with their naked bodies that were tangled together. Zhao Ming panted as she tapped on his arm, asking him to take a break after their intense workout session on bed.

  She was lying comfortably while using his extended arm as her pillow and hugged his waist with no intention of leaving him. He smiled seeing her acting like this, and hugged her slender waist, pulling her closer.

  He breathed out and closed his eyes to rest for a while.

  Zhao Ming looked at his closed eyes and raised her hand and started touching his eyes, nose, and lips with her finger.

  He chuckled and asked when he couldn't take her teasing anymore, " What are you doing? Aren't you the one who wanted to take a rest?" He held her wrist and asked while looking at her in surprise.

  She smiled and said, " How can you be so beautiful? Your eyelashes are longer than mine. That's unfair."

  He chuckled and said, " Beautiful? The Emperor who is known to be cruel and ruthless among the neighboring countries, you're calling him beautiful?"

  She shook her head and said, " You're not ruthless. You're the most kind and nicest Emperor I have ever seen."

  He let out a throaty laugh and asked, " And how many Emperors have you seen before that you know I am the nicest?"

  She blinked her eyes and nodded. Other than Ji Cheng, she has never seen any other Emperor.

  Wait! She did.

  " Why? Isn't Consort Xiao Li's father also the Emperor of L country? Also, I have seen a few royals at the banquet as well. I am not that clueless." She pouted after saying this.

  " Okay, okay. You're not clueless." He caressed her hair and hugged her tighter.

  While lying in his embrace, she remembered something and asked, " Ji Cheng, do you remember that hairpin which was given to me after I was crowned as the Empress? I was trying to find it but I couldn't."

  Ji Cheng frowned and looked down at her. He raised his brows and asked, " Why are you suddenly trying to find that hairpin?"

  " Of course I have to find it. It was given to me when I became the Empress. To me, it's just like your crown to you. How can I not be worried?" She said while making circles on his chest with her fingers.

  She remembered that Lu shi had told her that it was Ji Cheng who saved her from drowning and jumped into the pond to rescue her himself.

  He didn't say anything and stayed silent for a while. She pursed her lips seeing his reaction and waited for him to say anything.

  " That hairpin….

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