Tonight, the moonlight is exceptionally bright, flooding the entire courtyard in a silvery glow. The spray from the distant fountain and the ripples in the pond all shimmer with that pure moonlight, gently undulating. Even the lawns and flowers lying quietly on the ground are bathed in moonlight, softly and silently soaking it in.
Every detail in Li Manor is beautiful and elegant, and tonight the moonlight just happens to spill over it all, draping the courtyard in a layer of gauzy mystery.
Right now, the room Ivy Shen is staying in was specially arranged by Yvonne Li. Pink gauze drapes from the ceiling beams, fluttering softly in the breeze—obviously meant to set a romantic mood.
What Ivy really admires is that Yvonne Li somehow gets the whole 21st-century idea of romance. Otherwise, why would this white bed be covered in flower petals? That’s pure modern romantic style! Plus, the room is filled with top-grade incense that just makes you feel super relaxed.
But faced with all this carefully curated romance, Ethan Chu just keeps frowning in silence.
Watching him, Ivy Shen knows for sure—he’s hiding a ton of secrets, and they must be painful ones he doesn’t want to revisit. Otherwise, he wouldn’t act like this.
"Hey, are you going to sleep or not?" Ivy looks at Ethan Chu, who’s standing dazed at the window, staring outside. She’s already sitting on the bed, tucked under the blanket, and pats the empty spot beside her.
Ethan hears her and turns around. Ivy has already taken off her veil, smiling as she calls him over—and just like that, his face turns bright red.
"So, are you planning to sleep standing there all night?" Seeing his blush, Ivy finally feels reassured—at least he’s still a normal guy! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have that kind of reaction.
So Ethan closes the window, blows out all the candles in the room except for a single red one by the bed, and finally walks over and sits down beside Ivy, looking a little embarrassed.
Right now, Ethan Chu has just bathed in the adjoining room, so he’s only wearing a thin white shirt, with his hair casually tied up. It’s simple, but honestly, he looks ridiculously attractive.
Among the seven, Ethan’s looks are just as striking as any of them. It’s just that years of holding back and all the bullying in the palace made him quiet and reserved, sometimes even colder than Adrian Night.
But there’s no denying it—he’s got a pair of truly beautiful eyes. The first time she met him, Ivy hadn’t planned on saving anyone; she was a mess herself, hardly in the mood to rescue someone else. But when she saw those eyes, she blurted out something totally impulsive.
Back then, Ivy had no idea why she said what she did—she just wanted to say it. Now she finally gets it: she was completely drawn in by Ethan’s deep, water-like eyes.
"Is there something on my face?" Ethan asks, seeing Ivy Shen staring so intently at him. He can’t help but reach up and touch his cheek.
"Yep!" Ivy puts both hands on his handsome face and grins. "I’ve never really looked at you closely before, and wow, you’re seriously good-looking. These lips, this nose, these eyes—they’re all gorgeous!" As she talks, her fingers lightly trace the features she’s praising.
Faced with Ivy’s bold move, Ethan Chu barely dares to breathe, just staring at the woman who tugs at his heart.
"Ethan Chu!" Ivy calls softly.
"Huh?"
"If someone else had saved you that day instead of me, would you have fallen in love with her?" As she asks, Ivy suddenly feels a little pang in her chest.
Ethan just laughs and taps her nose. "Silly, what are you saying? That day, it was you and that chubby woman who showed up. If it hadn’t been you—even if it was someone else—I wouldn’t have kept living. I had plenty of chances to end it, but I just couldn’t figure things out. Why did my brother treat me like that? Why didn’t my father save me? My mind was a mess, all tangled up, and I couldn’t die in peace. So time dragged on until that day. Honestly, that was the day I decided to stop living. Thinking about how royal struggles made my brother so cruel—it hurt, so much!"
"Ethan..." Ivy watches him bow his head and clench his fists, clearly still in pain from those memories.
But then Ethan suddenly looks up, and his dull eyes suddenly light up. "But you appeared. You weren’t pretty then, but you had these big, bright eyes. What really drew me in wasn’t your looks—it was what you said. Your words made me decide to live, to live well, and to live happily!"
Hearing that, Ivy nods solemnly. "That’s right. Live well, so your mom can see you happy."
"Xin’er... I’m really grateful I met you," Ethan says, his eyes full of love.
Ivy pouts. "Really? You sure? I’m super jealous, you know! Even if you’re an emperor, I’ll never let another woman share you. Can you handle that?"
He grins. "What do you think? In all this time with you, have I ever slipped? But..." He looks at her, smiling at her seductive side. "Even if I ever couldn’t hold back, it’d only ever be with you!"
"Really?" Ivy narrows her eyes, not quite convinced.
"Besides you, every other woman is just ordinary to me." Ethan smiles, raises his hand, and swears, "I promise."
Satisfied, Ivy kneels up, grabs his face, and plants a big, noisy kiss on his cheek.
"Good boy!" Ivy laughs, looking just like a little kid at that moment.
"Good boy? If I’m so good, then how about a reward?" Ethan says, and with that, he suddenly lunges and pins Ivy beneath him, switching to a classic guy-on-top pose.
Seeing this, Ivy glances up at the impossibly handsome man above her, and her face instantly flushes red.
"Shy again?" Ethan teases, noticing her bashful look, and the heat between them intensifies.
"What, you’re not going to let me be shy?" Ivy protests, blushing even harder. She knows he’s teasing her about how last time, all seven of them got together, so why is she still shy now when it’s just the two of them?
"Xin’er!" Suddenly, Ethan calls out her name seriously, his tone turning solemn.
"Huh?" Ivy looks up, drawn into his beautiful eyes.
"Li Manor is dangerous. Yvonne Li isn’t simple. I haven’t been here long, but... the people locked up in the basement aren’t ordinary. The chains on me were put there by her two right-hand enforcers—one dressed in white, one in black. Their methods are bizarre and ruthless. Down in the dungeon, everyone calls them the 'Black and White Demons.'"
"Black and White Demons?"
"Yeah, it means they’re like the Black and White Impermanence, taking lives. But those two mysterious people—I couldn’t find out who they were after I got out, and I didn’t see them today either. This whole manor is full of secrets, and everything here is just so bizarre. Yvonne Li must have tons of treasures to support all these men; otherwise, she couldn’t keep them all here. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t figure out Yvonne Li’s true identity either. She’s a total mystery!" Ethan says, bracing himself on either side of Ivy.
Ivy nods, feeling relieved that he finally said it. From his serious expression, she knows those two mysterious people and Yvonne Li really worry and trouble him.
"Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Trust me," Ivy says, determined. After last time’s near-death experience, she absolutely refuses to let it happen again.
Hearing this, Ethan looks at her with deep affection. "Don’t worry, I swear I’ll protect you with my life!"
Ivy frowns slightly—she doesn’t like hearing things like that. "What are you saying? That’s such a downer!" She grins, grabs his collar, and pulls him in for a kiss.
But Ethan immediately leans down and kisses her, not giving her a chance to take the lead. He’s the emperor, after all—he has to be in charge of things like this!