After her luck was taken away, she fell in love with the woman who traveled through time.

"My knee hurts."

Liang Tan then gave up.

A quarter of an hour later, Cui Ling sat on the bed after a long absence. His outer robe had been untied, and his underwear had been taken off. Only a quilt covered his key parts, revealing a pair of purple and swollen knees. Because he had been kneeling on the brick floor for too long, blood had been coughed up from his knees, which looked shocking.

Liang Tan had prepared himself mentally, but after seeing his knees, he still took a deep breath: "This bastard."

Cui Ling looked at her lively expression due to anger, and the pain in his knee seemed to be relieved a lot.

"It's just a minor injury. It will be fine after a few days of rest." He whispered comfortingly.

Liang Tan's eyes turned red with anger. Hearing this, he said nothing but lowered his head to apply medicine to him. Cui Ling looked at her trembling eyelashes and the slightly messy hair on her temples. After moving his fingers, he couldn't help but lift them up to help her tuck the hair behind her ears.

"……Um."

After applying the medicine, Cui Ling lay down to rest at Liang Tan's order. He wanted to get his own bed on the floor, but she forced him to give up with a look and he could only lie on the bed obediently.

In just one night, the identities of the two people seemed to have been switched. Cui Ling only found it funny but did not dare to laugh in front of her.

He had already told Liang Tan everything that happened in the imperial study today. Liang Tan was frowning as he heard it: "What should we do now? He wants you to go out and dispel the rumors about the couple. It's obvious that he wants to take me into the palace in the future."

"I won't let him succeed." Cui Ling comforted.

Liang Tan, however, did not hold out hope: "He is just trying to show his power now, and you are already injured like this. If you continue to refuse, I am afraid that you will have a harder time in the future."

At this moment, she suddenly regretted her rash appearance yesterday. If she had known this would happen, she should have made herself uglier to avoid being noticed by him.

Cui Ling saw what she was thinking at a glance, and the corners of his lips rose unconsciously: "You are mine. You can hide for a while but not forever. He will see you sooner or later."

He said the words 'You are mine' very naturally, but after saying it he still couldn't help but look at her, wanting to know how she would react. Unfortunately Liang Tan was thinking about other things and didn't pay attention to these words. Cui Ling pursed her thin lips lightly.

"By then he will be old and confused, and will not have any sexual thoughts anymore." Liang Tan looked disgusted whenever he mentioned him, wondering why he was always being thought of by these wretched old men. In the first world, he was the protagonist's father, and now he is an old emperor.

Seeing that she was still worried, Cui Ling spoke a few words to comfort her. However, Liang Tan was still absent-minded. He didn't eat the cakes or read the storybooks. He always stuck to his side and was not at ease no matter what he did.

Cui Ling originally thought that she would get better after a while, but she remained like this until dinner. Seeing that she had only taken a few bites of rice and began to stare at the bowl in a daze, Cui Ling could only put down his chopsticks.

The sound of chopsticks touching bowl drew Liang Tan's attention. Just as he was about to ask why they were only eating this little, he met Cui Ling's calm eyes.

"Liang Tan, believe me." He said slowly.

Liang Tan was silent for a long time and then nodded.

Cui Ling didn't say much, and picked up the chopsticks again to pick up food for her. Liang Tan ate silently, and when he was about to finish, he suddenly asked: "Am I a loser?"

Cui Ling raised her lips: "I'm happy that you're scared."

Liang Tan was stunned, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed after understanding the deeper meaning.

Cui Ling knew that he had said something wrong. He paused and raised his lips: "Eat quickly. You haven't rested all day. You must be sleepy."

"...Okay." Liang Tan lowered her head and used her only remaining hand to pick up the rice. After eating for a long time, she secretly glanced at him, but was caught by him. She was so scared that she quickly lowered her head.

Cui Ling tried to restrain himself several times, but still couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips.

When resting at night, Liang Tan climbed onto the bed first, and then left a large space, the meaning was self-evident.

Cui Ling stood where he was. Just the thought of possibly sleeping in the same bed made every part of his body start to clamor at the same time.

"What are you standing there for? Come here." Liang Tan urged.

Cui Ling's Adam's apple moved, and when he met her clear eyes, he suddenly felt dirty and filthy.

He was a man who rolled around in the mud. Even getting close to him would dirty her shoes. How could he dare to hope to live with her?

"Cui Ling?" Liang Tan frowned.

Cui Ling was silent for a long time, then said, "I'm going to sleep in the side room."

Liang Tan was stunned. Before he could say anything, he had already turned and left. Liang Tan stared at the door that opened and closed, and he didn't say anything for a long time.

After Cui Ling left, the already quiet room became even quieter. Liang Tan blew out the light, turned over and lay down on the bed. He felt that the room seemed much bigger than before. The decorations and green plants that looked pleasing to the eye before were now baring their fangs and claws in the darkness, like ferocious evil spirits, taking advantage of Cui Ling's absence and wanting to eat her alive.

It was really strange. Cui Ling had stayed out all night before, but this was the first time she felt this way. Liang Tan quietly huddled in the quilt, closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

On the other side, Cui Ling went to the side room that had not been occupied for a long time, took out the musty bedding from the cabinet and threw it on the bed, then lay down. After applying the blood circulation and blood stasis medicine on her knee, the pain was not so severe, but there was no ground heating in the side room, and the quilt was damp, so after lying down for a while, her knee began to hurt like a needle again.

He lay quietly, as if the pain in his knee had nothing to do with him, his mind full of Liang Tan sitting on the bed, looking at him softly.

Unable to think anymore, he closed his eyes with restraint, but he didn't feel sleepy at all.

The musty smell on the quilt and the dust in the air were all pervasive. After a long while, he finally opened his eyes and looked at the dark ceiling quietly. After a while, he said to himself with a self-deprecating tone: "You are used to a good life, so you can't even bear this little bit of hardship?"

Although he said this, he knew in his heart that the good days he talked about did not refer to a warm house and soft quilts.

Time passed little by little, and he finally felt sleepy. He sighed and was about to rest when suddenly there was a noise at the door of the room and he opened his eyes again.

It was definitely not an assassin. An assassin could not enter the Imperial Household Department, nor would he dare to enter through the main gate, let alone make such a big noise. It was also not the servants in the Imperial Household Department. It was late at night, and they did not dare to disturb his rest.

The answer was self-evident. Cui Ling raised his lips and asked when she quietly walked over: "What's wrong?"

"You haven't slept yet?" Liang Tan was surprised.

Cui Ling sat up: "What's the matter?"

"It's okay, it's okay. I just came over to take a look." Liang Tan waved his hands quickly.

Cui Ling didn't believe it and waited quietly for her next words.

Sure enough, she said again in embarrassment: "I can't sleep alone, can I sleep here with you for one night?"

Cui Ling's smile deepened, but he did not answer her question.

Liang Tan quickly assured: "I promise not to move around and will never disturb you. If it really doesn't work... I can also sleep on the floor."

"You know very well that I won't let you sleep on the floor." Cui Ling's smile still showed through his voice.

Liang Tan wanted to pretend to be pitiful, but couldn't help laughing when he heard this: "Yes, so you have to give me half of the bed."

After saying that, he didn't wait for Cui Ling's consent and was about to climb onto the bed. Cui Ling quickly stopped him: "No."

"Are you going to chase me away?" Liang Tan couldn't believe it.

Cui Ling was helpless: "The bedding here is too damp, and the floor heating is not warm enough, let's go back to sleep."

Liang Tan: “…”

A quarter of an hour later, the two of them lay side by side on the bed in the master bedroom.

Liang Tan sighed: "So why are you doing nothing? Why don't you just rest early?"

Cui Ling chuckled and didn't explain.

With him by her side, Liang Tan quickly became sleepy and fell asleep soon. She slept quite well and didn't move around as she said she would. There was a full distance of two people between them. Cui Ling stared at her for a long time before he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep to the sound of her breathing.

Liang Tan tossed and turned for a long night and woke up at noon the next day. After opening his eyes, he realized something was wrong. He turned his head and saw Cui Ling still sitting on the bed.

"You didn't go to work?" She was a little surprised.

"My knee is injured and I can't walk." Cui Ling replied.

Liang Tan glanced at his knee and frowned: "Indeed, it needs to be taken care of after such an injury."

Cui Ling nodded seriously and really didn't go to work. Not only did he not go that day, but he also didn't go the next day and the day after that. For a while, people outside said that Cui Ling had lost the emperor's favor and that it wouldn't be long before he would be the seal holder. At first, no one believed these words, but many officials who came in and out of the imperial study that day saw him kneeling down as punishment by the emperor.

With the officials' testimony, the rumors seemed more true.

Liang Tan was a little worried at first, but when he saw Cui Ling was as calm as before, he quickly figured out the reason and stopped thinking about it. Both of them are now injured, one is nursing his hands and the other is nursing his legs. They spend the whole day together reading novels and eating cakes. Their life is becoming more and more stable and peaceful. Sometimes Liang Tan even thinks that it would be nice if it could always be like this.

"If you like, I will think of a way to set up a residence directly. After work, I will accompany you to spend such a leisurely life." Cui Ling said with a smile. Now that he has reached his position, it is not difficult for him to set up a residence.

Liang Tan thought about it and thought it was a good idea: "I'll keep a dog at home when the time comes."

"Plant more flowers and trees." Cui Ling also followed the idea.

Liang Tan became interested: "I want to build a beautiful kitchen, so I can make some cakes to pass the time when I have nothing to do."

"The mansion should have more guards, and it would be best if they were as tight as an iron barrel."

The two chatted happily, but the emperor in the imperial study was going crazy because of the mountain of memorials in front of him. He sent people to ask Cui Ling to come over again and again, but each time he refused on the grounds that he was seriously ill.

After several consecutive times, the emperor was busy with state affairs and sulking, and he fell ill.

"We won't mad him to death, will we?" Liang Tan suddenly became worried.

Cui Ling glanced at her: "Is it not good?"

Although it was a happy life to be with Liang Tan every day without having to think about anything, for the sake of long-term considerations, one should not be too addicted. Cui Ling "recovered" for half a month, but on the third day after the emperor fell ill, this carefree time ended.

Early in the morning, Liang Tan was awakened by a slight noise. After struggling to open her eyes, she saw Cui Ling already dressed and ready to go out. She was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but sit up: "Are you going on duty?"

"After resting for so long, it's time to go." Cui Ling lowered his eyes and looked at her.

He got up too early, it was still dark outside and the room was very dark. He didn't want to disturb her rest, so he didn't turn on the light, but he didn't expect to wake her up anyway.

"It's still early, you should sleep a little longer." He spoke very gently in the dim room.

Liang Tan pursed his lips: "How can I sleep?"

During the past half month, the emperor must have been tormented by the affairs of the previous dynasty and the harem. Now that he suddenly goes on duty, the emperor may not dare to do anything to him for the sake of the overall situation, or he may punish him regardless.

Although the latter possibility is not high, this old and confused tyrant never plays by the rules, and she cannot guarantee that Cui Ling will be safe this time.

Even without sufficient light, Cui Ling could clearly see the worry on her face. After a pause, he raised his lips and said, "He dare not do anything to me."

Liang Tan frowned.

"Now, the court officials have begun to ask for the establishment of a crown prince." Although Cui Ling has not been in the imperial court or the harem for a while, he is not completely ignorant of the outside world. As long as he wants, he can have countless eyes and ears.

Liang Tan understood instantly.

This old tyrant started playing with women when he was twelve or thirteen years old, and his body was already depleted from a long time ago. Over the years, he had many concubines and fathered several children. However, the children born from inferior sperm were all weak and sickly, and none of them lived to adulthood. Now, the old tyrant is over seventy years old, but he doesn't even have a child.

If he wanted to appoint a crown prince, he would have to choose one from the royal family. Unfortunately, he became more and more suspicious as he grew older. He was afraid that a child who was not his biological child would take his life for power after becoming the crown prince. Therefore, he would rather hand over the affairs of the court to Cui Ling, a eunuch, than appoint a crown prince to assist him.

After all, no matter how powerful the eunuchs are, they are just slaves in the harem. The prince is different. He is the real master and will be supported by all the ministers.

"So he won't do anything to me," Cui Ling said. Seeing her slightly opened red lips, his fingers suddenly felt a little itchy. However, he did not reach out to touch her. Instead, he twisted his fingers twice calmly and said, "Don't worry, just sleep a little longer."

Liang Tan nodded obediently.

Cui Ling raised his lips, then turned and left.

Liang Tan watched his back disappear, sighed, lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the beams.

"Master, the Master of the Seal sent someone to say that the Emperor is not angry. Please rest assured, Master."

Liang Tan didn't expect that he would specially send someone to inform her. After a pause, she chuckled and murmured, "It's only been a short time. I'm afraid he just arrived." I guess he wanted to reassure her, so he sent someone before he even saw the emperor.

On the other side, in the bedroom.

The emperor lay on the bed, looking at Cui Ling who suddenly appeared, and sneered: "Are you well?"

"In reply to the emperor, I'm fine." Cui Ling looked calm, as if he had really returned from recuperation.

"I didn't know you were so noble before. You only knelt for two hours and then you became ill and couldn't get up." The emperor had been tormented enough these days. He couldn't control his anger when he saw him. "I guess you have been free these days, right?"

"I dare not." Cui Ling lowered his eyes.

He remained unmoved and allowed himself to be mocked and humiliated. After the emperor scolded him for a few times, he felt bored and ordered him to deal with the pile of memorials.

Cui Ling responded, sat down at a table on the side, lowered his head and began to review the books one by one.