Nan Zhiyun, nestled in Yu Jingchen's embrace, her eyes teary but no longer crying, though they were severely red.
Her delicate frame was curled up in Yu Jingchen's arms, looking pitiful. Yu Jingchen gently patted Nan Zhiyun's back, as if comforting his own daughter, and occasionally wiped away her tears.
"It hurts~" Nan Zhiyun reached out and pushed away Yu Jingchen's hand wiping her tears. Her skin was tender, and it had already turned a little red from being rubbed.
"Yes, my fault, I hurt our little Yun'er." Yu Jingchen smiled indulgently.
Nan Zhiyun shifted her body, finding a comfortable position to lean against him obediently. They remained silent. Nan Zhiyun was leaning against Yu Jingchen's chest, and his shallow breaths caused a rhythmic rise and fall.
Nan Zhiyun, perhaps out of boredom, became captivated by this, observing it intently.
Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun in his arms, so quiet, her eyes slightly wide open, not even blinking, as if she were focusing on something. Seeing this, Yu Jingchen raised an eyebrow slightly. What was this girl doing?
Nan Zhiyun was truly bored. Following the rise and fall of Yu Jingchen's chest could entertain her for a long time, as if she were searching for a pattern. Moreover, the silence in the room allowed her to hear Yu Jingchen's heartbeat, a magical feeling.
Yu Jingchen saw her engrossed and her emotions seemed to have calmed down, so he let her be. It didn't matter what she was doing, as long as she wasn't sad and was safe in his arms, it was fine.
However... this thing was not only magical but also... well, hypnotic. As Nan Zhiyun played, her eyelids grew heavy, and by the time Yu Jingchen noticed, she had already fallen asleep.
Yu Jingchen: "..."
He felt a little helpless. He pulled the quilt over her again and tucked her in, not rushing to put her down. Yu Jingchen lifted his arm; Nan Zhiyun, asleep, had no strength, her head tilted to one side. Yu Jingchen adjusted her position. After doing this, he quietly watched her, a smile uncontainable on his lips.
It was already very late. This girl had said she wanted to watch fireworks later, but now she was already asleep.
"She's sleeping quite comfortably." Yu Jingchen gently pinched Nan Zhiyun's cheek. Putting aside everything else, she truly looked like a daughter. Was he holding an infant?
He couldn't understand why Nan Zhiyun had become so fond of sleeping these days, sleeping anytime and anywhere. She could sleep until noon every day, take a nap in the afternoon, and then fall asleep again immediately at night. This was truly not something an ordinary person could do. She was probably a bear transformed, ready for hibernation in winter.
Yu Jingchen shook his head gently. Forget it, let it be. If she liked sleeping, she could sleep. It didn't bother him. Snuggled in his arms or on the bed, warm and soft, she was quite adorable.
He held Nan Zhiyun like this, his heart gradually filling up, and the emptiness he felt at the banquet that day slowly dissipated.
However... thinking about Nan Zhiyun's reaction after hearing the story today... Yu Jingchen's heart clenched. If possible, he truly wished Nan Zhiyun would never remember those experiences. Just being a listener had affected her like that; if she knew those things had happened to her firsthand, she would be in immense pain.
At this moment, Yu Jingchen deeply regretted his past actions. If he had been more rational, if he had awakened sooner, perhaps none of this would have happened, and the harm she suffered would have been less and less.
As Yu Jingchen was lost in his thoughts, midnight struck. Fireworks instantly shot up into the sky and exploded, brilliant and dazzling.
The sound of the fireworks outside was loud and sudden. Nan Zhiyun, who had been sound asleep, jolted awake with a shiver, clutching Yu Jingchen's clothes tightly.
Yu Jingchen held her close and quickly comforted her, "Don't be scared, it's okay, it's okay."
See, wasn't it like coaxing his own daughter?
Nan Zhiyun was awake now, her eyes filled with bewilderment.
"Good girl, it's nothing. They're setting off fireworks outside. Little Yun'er, happy New Year," Yu Jingchen said with a smile to Nan Zhiyun.
The New Year had arrived, so... could they start anew? The point of a broken mirror reuniting is the reunion...
Nan Zhiyun was stunned. It took her a while after Yu Jingchen said "Happy New Year" to react.
"Won't Yun'er say Happy New Year to me?" Yu Jingchen asked Nan Zhiyun.
"...Happy New Year, Your Majesty," Nan Zhiyun said after some hesitation.
"Hmm? What did you call me?" Yu Jingchen asked, not entirely satisfied with that address.
"Your Majesty," Nan Zhiyun said.
"You shouldn't call me Your Majesty. Yun'er, think carefully, what should you call me?" Yu Jingchen guided her.
"Your Majesty," Nan Zhiyun either genuinely didn't know or was pretending not to know.
"Last chance, what do you call me?" Yu Jingchen raised an eyebrow slightly. Nan Zhiyun suddenly dared not speak like that again, so... she might as well keep quiet.
Seeing this, Yu Jingchen directly hooked Nan Zhiyun's chin and kissed her. Nan Zhiyun's eyes widened.
"What do you call me? If you get it wrong, it proves you still want me to kiss you," Yu Jingchen continued.
Nan Zhiyun: "!!!"
"So, what do you call me?" Yu Jingchen pressed closer.
"Your Maj... " Nan Zhiyun was about to speak when she realized she would get it wrong again and immediately stopped herself.
"Hmm?" Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun with a hint of pressure.
"How should I call you..." Nan Zhiyun pretended to be clueless.
"Failed at pretending to be silly, do you want me to remind you?" Yu Jingchen said, his gaze drifting back to Nan Zhiyun's lips. Nan Zhiyun immediately became vigilant.
"Your subject wishes to see the fireworks," Nan Zhiyun changed the subject.
"If you say it correctly, I'll take you out," Yu Jingchen didn't fall for it.
"They'll be over soon," Nan Zhiyun tried to be playful.
"So Yun'er needs to say it quickly," Yu Jingchen, that old fox.
Nan Zhiyun: "..."
"It seems Yun'er prefers kissing more," he said, and then kissed her again. This time, Yu Jingchen's kiss was not a light peck but gradually deepened.
Nan Zhiyun had been pushing him away, but Yu Jingchen held her hands. It wasn't until Nan Zhiyun felt like she could no longer breathe that Yu Jingchen released her.
"How come you still don't know how to breathe?" Yu Jingchen sighed helplessly, but it wasn't her fault. After all, Nan Zhiyun, from birth until now, had never kissed someone on the lips... this was the first time. Nan Zhiyun's face was burning red. How could His Majesty be so casual?
Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun's flushed little face and found it amusing. Such a shy girl.