The Darker the Night, The Brighter the Stars

Zhao Yan awkwardly tried to get away again.

"I hate you. You are a bad person who bullied me. Even now, you are..." Her eyes watered again.

Fu Yanqing placed a hand on her chin, tilting her head upwards so she would look at him.

"Yanyan, I know I was wrong. I'm not asking you to forgive me immediately. What happened before... It won't happen again. I was drugged with a potent aphrodisiac. I exhausted my internal force when I went to find you. My mind was clouded. I know it isn't an excuse but I am here now. I will take responsibility for what I did." He explained.

Zhao Yan met his gaze. His phoenix eyes stared at her intently. Their faces were so close that Zhao Yan could see his amazing facial features. Fine brows and a chiseled jaw. His prominent nose line and smoldering gaze could make the ladies faint upon gazing at it.

It was like he was handcrafted by god himself. His facial features were too perfect. It was the first time she noticed it and the first time she had looked him over. She had always been more focused about his health and busy tending to his wound that she didn't have the time to appreciate his beauty.

Zhao Yan was a little dumbfounded. This kind of man was the same person she saved before...? Was this a joke? A beautiful and handsome man like him was capable of such immoral actions...

"You want to take responsibility...?" She asked.

Fu Yanqing nodded, his gaze never leaving her fair face.

Zhao Yan looked him over. She tried to guess his thoughts and motives, just wondering what he could possibly get from all this.

"Fu Yanqing, I heard you are called Prince Jing. Are you the same Prince Jing of Zhao Country? The current Prince Regent?" She asked boldly, deliberately making herself sound arrogant to deter him. Would he find this attitude repulsive? She hopes it would...

To her surprise, he started stroking her hair, one of his arms pulling her closer to him that she could practically feel the warmth of his body seeping from his clothes. She helplessly placed her hands on his chest to keep a space between them.

"I am indeed Prince Jing and this prince wants to marry you." He admitted way too quickly. His usual cold demeanor was back but his eyes became even more intense.

The contrast in his actions and words made it difficult to guess what he was thinking.

Zhao Yan stared for a few seconds before smiling and shaking her head, her eyes cold and indifferent.

"Your Highness, I am very flattered that you want to marry me but I have no desire to marry you." Zhao Yan stared at him with an indifferent expression. She stood up and kept a distance from him. Luckily, he did not stop her and was mindful of the space between them again.

"Prince Jing, my only request is that you never show yourself in front of me ever again. I am not asking for anything more. I'll even forget what happened. You don't have to marry me, Your Highness. I only ask that you let me live my life in peace." Zhao Yan said in a firm voice while clenching her tiny fists.

Fu Yanqing grabbed her hands and opened them, rubbing the marks left by her nails instead of answering her. His actions made her stiffen. What was he doing?

His eyes stayed on her hands and he blew on them softly before placing a kiss on her right inner palm. Zhao Yan shivered and grabbed her hand back as if she was electrocuted.

He faintly smirked at her action.

"Yanyan, let us get married. You will be my only woman. Do you not want our child to have a complete family when he grows up?"

Zhao Yan made a face. Fu Yanqing poked her small nose out of amusement. She looked at him angrily.

"Your Highness, how are you sure that my baby is a boy?"

Zhao Yan noticed him say 'our child' so she reminded him by firmly saying 'my baby' to emphasize that he was only a sperm donor and that there was no way she was going to hand her child over to him, prince or not.

Fu Yanqing stroked her hair for some time, relishing in its softness before bringing a few strands to his lips. He could smell the slight hibiscus scent.

Zhao Yan's eyes widened.

"Hmm... This prince has never made a mistake. This prince is sure that you are carrying a boy."

So he was only saying it out of arrogance? She pulled her hair away from his hand, huffing. He was being too creepy.

"I am only three months and a half into my pregnancy. It is still too early to determine the child's gender." She reminded him.

He raised a brow. Zhao Yan shrunk under his gaze. She didn't mean to blurt out how far along she was.

Fu Yanqing looked at her belly and reached out to place a hand on it. Zhao Yan froze like a statue when his hand landed on her baby bump.

His large hand was warm as he rubbed her stomach in a slow but gentle manner. The curiosity in his actions was apparent by the focused gaze he was giving her.

"Hm.." He hummed while looking at her stomach.

Zhao Yan wanted to stop him and take his hand away but when she saw his soft expression while looking at her stomach, she could only endure and wait.

Either way, he was still the biological father of her child. She could allow him this kind of touches as long as he kept his hands to himself and only touched her stomach, not any other places on her body.

But... just being this close to him was enough to make her knees tremble from fright. What was really going on in his mind?

Fu Yanqing was very satisfied. This was his child growing inside his little woman's belly. He had never thought of having a wife or children before but he found himself entertaining this idea when he met his little woman.

He had already accepted his feelings for her and has made up his mind to marry her. As for children, that could wait. It was up to her if she wanted children, he would never force her.

Finding out she was pregnant with his child two weeks ago brought an inexplicable warmth in his chest. He had imagined it, what it would be like to have a child with her but he would often scold and remind himself that he hadn't even courted her yet and that she might not accept him.

Yet somehow he was already fantasizing about their future. It was embarrassing just by thinking about it. He could be so childish, only because it was his little woman that he was thinking about.

And now, his fantasy was realized. Not only did he found her but she was pregnant with their child.