Xiao Tian was amazed as he walked to the entrance of the Prince's Palace and looked into the distance, utterly speechless.

Two rows of palace maids and two rows of attendants, totaling dozens of people, came in a grand procession, carrying lanterns and forming a long line.

Zi Ruoyan was among them, hands behind her back, walking towards him.

The tall and striking ceremonial maids, holding fans, followed behind.

Unfortunately, in front of Zi Ruoyan, they lost their luster.

Zi Ruoyan, amidst this grand procession, made her way to Xiao Tian with great fanfare.

"Prince, why are you still standing here? Come with me to the palace to rest," Zi Ruoyan glanced at Xiao Tian, entered the palace on her own, and said to those behind her, "You may all leave now."

"Yes!"

The entourage behind her all bowed, and after rising, they sneaked glances at Xiao Tian.

Then, they turned away, snickering among themselves.

"This is a bit too much, isn't it?" Xiao Tian muttered, rubbing his forehead as he returned to the Prince's Palace.

As Zi Ruoyan's former residence, she was even more familiar with the layout of the Prince's Palace than Xiao Tian.

Xiao Tian followed her inside, only to find Zi Ruoyan standing at the entrance of the sleeping quarters, gazing at the ground in the front courtyard.

The shattered space had long since healed, leaving no trace, except for the sweat stains on the ground that had yet to dry.

"Others think you're just about having fun, but they don't see the hard work you put in behind the scenes," Zi Ruoyan murmured, looking at Xiao Tian. "So, do you have a way to cultivate?"

Clearly, Zi Ruoyan misunderstood, thinking that the one who had been sweating from rigorous training was Xiao Tian.

Her gaze softened as she looked at Xiao Tian, her tone carrying a hint of concern.

"Ahem, still no way to cultivate, just moving around a bit to strengthen my body," Xiao Tian casually waved his arms, going along with the misunderstanding.

There was no choice; his body was too strong, still absorbing the world's energy to strengthen itself, making cultivation impossible.

Xiao Tian himself didn't know when his body would finish strengthening and allow him to start cultivating.

He couldn't even fathom it; without cultivation, he was already absurdly strong.

What would happen once he could start cultivating?

"Take it slow, no need to rush," Zi Ruoyan said after a moment of silence, turning to enter the sleeping quarters. "I'm here."

Goodness!

Xiao Tian couldn't help but exclaim inwardly. Did Zi Ruoyan max out her charm stat or something?

Pondering this, he followed her into the palace, noticing that Zi Ruoyan was now only wearing a loose inner garment, lying sideways on the bed.

In her hand, she held an old book, its text obscure and difficult to understand, yet she was engrossed in it.

"What are you standing there for? Aren't you going to rest?" Zi Ruoyan asked after a while, noticing Xiao Tian standing not far away, motionless.

Xiao Tian awkwardly coughed twice, removed his outer robe, and obediently lay down on the bed.

Zi Ruoyan, reading her book, glanced at Xiao Tian from the corner of her eye, noticing his tense and obedient demeanor, her red lips curling slightly.

She found him rather interesting.

Not long after, Zi Ruoyan waved her hand, extinguishing the candlelight in the room. She placed the book aside and lay down to rest as well.

In the dimly lit, spacious sleeping quarters, only the moonlight from outside the window illuminated the room.

The two lay side by side, yet there was a considerable distance between them, as if a boundary separated them, neither crossing it.

"Don't be so tense. To dispel any outside doubts, I'll often come to stay overnight," Zi Ruoyan's voice echoed in the darkness. "You act like I'm going to eat you."

"It's not that, it's just my second time sharing a bed with a girl, a bit nervous," Xiao Tian replied, still awkward.

On Earth, his adoptive father had taught him from a young age.

Women would only slow him down.

Thus, Xiao Tian had never been involved with a woman.

No one on Earth could imagine that the formidable King of Hell, a grandmaster inside and out, the world's strongest.

Was actually a pure-hearted young man.

"Second time?" Zi Ruoyan's voice came from beside him. "Who was the first?"

Xiao Tian sensed a chill in Zi Ruoyan's tone, as if it had grown cold.

Turning his head, he saw Zi Ruoyan staring at him, her eyes in the dim light glowing with a sharp ice-blue.

"The first time was also with Your Majesty, before the Northern Frontier expedition," Xiao Tian quickly explained.

"..." Zi Ruoyan withdrew her sharp gaze, and after a moment, said, "Making a fuss over nothing, my first and second times were also with you."

"You're the one making a fuss," Xiao Tian muttered inwardly, pursing his lips. "And your words are so strange, easily misunderstood."

For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense and silent again.

After a while, Zi Ruoyan's voice once more echoed in the darkness.

"I want to know why you want to go to court and face the ministers. If you don't want to, I won't force you."

Xiao Tian remained silent, only speaking after a long pause, "Loneliness."

"Hmm?" Zi Ruoyan frowned, turning her head to look at Xiao Tian.

"Before being summoned, I was often alone," Xiao Tian said, gazing at the ornate ceiling of the sleeping quarters. "I don't know when it started, but I was always alone..."

His talent was too great!

None of his adoptive siblings could keep up with him, and gradually, he cultivated alone.

His strength was too overwhelming!

No one could be his partner, and he completed missions solo.

Even on the eve of his summoning, when he was surrounded and attacked, he was alone, isolated, and without support.

Not to mention, to this world, he was a stranger from another land.

Double the loneliness!

After all, Zi Ruoyan never imagined that her summoning talisman would malfunction, bringing someone from an ultra-high dimensional plane to this world.

"Alone..." Zi Ruoyan chuckled softly at Xiao Tian's musings, realizing it was indeed the case.

Though Zhong Lishuang and the others were close confidants, there was still a distinction between ruler and subject.

"Though it happened unexpectedly, we became husband and wife, perhaps not entirely in name, but..." Xiao Tian's voice sounded again in the darkness.

Xiao Tian turned to face Zi Ruoyan, meeting her gaze. "In a way, I have a family now, and that's you."

In the dimness, Zi Ruoyan's eyes widened, her hands involuntarily clenching.

Xiao Tian continued, "At the very least, we're no longer alone."

"In the past, you always sat alone on that cold throne, facing complex situations."

"Now, even if I can't help, there's one thing I can do."

Xiao Tian paused, his words like brilliant fireworks exploding in Zi Ruoyan's heart.

"You're no longer alone; I'm here to face it all with you."

Zi Ruoyan looked up at the ceiling, silent.

After a while, she turned over, lying on her side, her eyes shining with a different light, once again meeting Xiao Tian's gaze.

"Hello, my name is Zi Ruoyan," she said softly, her words drifting towards Xiao Tian.

Xiao Tian was momentarily stunned, then squinted his eyes and grinned.

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"Hello, my name is Xiao Tian!"