Chapter 1931: [Let Me, Let Me] (Part 2)

Qiqi gazed at this shameless fellow, annoyed, that itchy kind of annoyance.

Hu Xiaotian continued to size her up, clicking his tongue in praise: "A woman dresses to please the one she likes; though your outfit today is mismatched, one can tell you put thought into it. If I remember correctly, you wore exactly this getup when we first met, down to the hair ribbon." He reached out and lightly tugged at Qiqi's Lan-colored hair ribbon.

Qiqi glared at him, this guy's memory is really too good, so boring, no fun; even if he pretended not to remember, just going through the motions, he couldn't even let her vanity be satisfied a little, couldn't he just let her have her way! She snorted coldly, displeased: "Smart people often don't live long! Heaven envies talent!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Heaven likes beauties even less; heaven envies red faces! What's going on today? As soon as we meet, we're already cursing each other—could it be we want to be a pair of short-lived ghosts?"

Qiqi said: "How can someone as low as you bear to die?"

Hu Xiaotian, scolded by her, was not angry but delighted, bursting into laughter.

Qiqi also couldn't help laughing, her pretty face showing a hint of gentle charm, she asked concernedly: "Are you tired?"

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought, still not bad that this girl has Conscience; I've traveled dusty and weary from afar, at least you know to greet me. He nodded and said: "You saying that really makes me feel a bit tired; eager to see you, truly my heart is like an arrow, I haven't had a chance to rest along the way."

Qiqi took the initiative to link her arm with his, saying: "Sit first, let's talk slowly; after all, we have plenty of time."

Hu Xiaotian, supported by her, came to the side of the dragon throne; Qiqi said: "Sit!"

Hu Xiaotian knew this girl wouldn't suddenly change her nature; such a spacious Hall of Diligent Governance has only one chair, and that chair is the dragon throne—letting me sit is clearly testing me, wanting to see if I have the guts and ambition. Hu Xiaotian wouldn't fall for that so easily; he cleared his throat and said: "This chair is too hard, it hurts my butt; I'd rather stand, it's more comfortable."

Qiqi let go of him, sat down herself, and deliberately said: "I don't feel that at all."

"That's because your butt has lots of meat!"

"Pah! You don't want to live?"

Hu Xiaotian gave a hehe smile, his gaze habitually fell on the airfield; looking at its scale, one could imagine that Qiqi's flesh somewhere is also not much lacking; though he had unintentionally touched it before, its elasticity was not bad, and it was quite full.

Qiqi shifted her delicate body to one side, patted the spacious empty part of the dragon throne, and softly said: "Come on, sit; this chair is big enough to hold both of us."

Hu Xiaotian said: "After sitting all the way, standing is still more comfortable; besides, sitting too long is bad for the waist, and if a man's waist is bad, trouble can be big."

Qiqi giggled, then gave him a disdainful glance and said: "Looks like you're still used to standing off to the side, like a eunuch!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "That's wrong; even when a eunuch stands, he's head down, belly in, bowing and scraping; I hold my head high, chest out, stand straight and upright—though both are standing, the bearing is completely different."

Qiqi sighed: "Some people actually lack courage, yet insist on putting gold on their faces; not daring to sit is just not daring to sit—what's the point of all that nonsense?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "In your heart, which is more important—this chair or me a bit more?"

Qiqi said: "How can a person be compared to a thing? You're not a thing!"

Hu Xiaotian naturally heard her indirectly scolding him; he smiled, approached Qiqi, suddenly dropped to one knee; Qiqi was startled by his sudden move, but saw Hu Xiaotian produce, as if by magic, a fiery red rose, and presented it to her.

Qiqi bit her cherry lips, gazing at the red rose; her heart seemed dyed red by the flame's color, then she felt her heart uncontrollably thumping wildly; she whispered: "What are you doing?" Though she asked, she still took the rose.

Hu Xiaotian then produced an exquisite small box, opening it to reveal a large diamond ring inside; though such a thing isn't fashionable in this era, this diamond was obtained by Hu Xiaotian by chance; he entrusted Zong Tang to cut and polish it according to his wishes; if it were in his previous life, this ring would be the size of a pigeon's egg; although Qiqi is well-traveled and knowledgeable, she still showed some surprise before the diamond's dazzling brilliance; Hu Xiaotian said: "Marry me!" His voice low and full of deep affection, making him irresistibly charming.

Qiqi clearly knew this guy was using all his wits to deceive her; earlier she had even considered this possibility, thinking she could withstand his attacks and had prepared countermeasures, but faced with reality, her prior preparations had been completely forgotten by her; gazing at the diamond that made one dizzy and entranced, her beautiful eyes actually grew moist. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.

Hu Xiaotian also wasn't in a rush, quietly waiting; after a while he heard Qiqi say: "Hu Xiaotian, don't think I don't know what scheme you're hatching."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Here it's just you and me; say what you have to say, no problem, but please keep it short—men have gold under their knees, you can't let me keep kneeling like this."

Qiqi slowly opened her eyes, fixed her gaze on Hu Xiaotian's eyes, and said: "What you truly want in your heart is Dakang's realm, not me!"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "What does Dakang's realm have to do with me? What's good about being emperor? If you want to be emperor, I won't contend with you; compared to Dakang's realm, my interest in you is greater."

"You're lying!"

"A man willing to lie to you at least shows you hold an important place in his heart; if a man is willing to lie to you for a lifetime, then I think you should hurry and marry him, otherwise you might never meet such a caring, patient good man again."

Qiqi said: "How would I know you'll stay with me for life?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Everything in this world carries risk; roses are beautiful, but picking them risks being pricked by thorns. I took the Blue Domain State not because, as rumors say, I intended to use it as a betrothal gift to propose to you, but to prove to you that even without your power, without your realm, I can still conquer a vast world; I just don't have much interest in such things—between realm and beauty, I still love the latter more."

Qiqi said: "You have far too many women around you; you're already a married man."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If you feel you're at a loss, you can simply reject me; look across Dakang, there are countless good men; if you're willing, you can pick as many as you like."

"You bastard, do you think I'm as promiscuous as you?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "That means you like me; after all, feelings are fundamentally a matter of mutual affection—come together if compatible, part if not. If you marry me and feel you're at a loss, you can later divorce me with a single repudiation letter; we'll part amicably, I won't cling and cause trouble, hindering your prospects; you can still pursue your own happiness."

Qiqi stared at the diamond ring, evidently still hesitating: "But... I still feel I'm at a loss..."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If you truly hold that view, then just pretend I never said or did anything today; I'll take back this diamond ring, you keep the rose as a memento of our acquaintance; I'll now lead my men back and never set foot in Kangdu again." He made a motion to rise.

Seeing him like that, Qiqi actually panicked a bit: "Make you kneel for me, and no one said they wouldn't agree..."

Hu Xiaotian secretly chuckled: "No matter how clever and elusive you little girl are, on the field of love we truly aren't opponents of the same level."

Qiqi still didn't reach for the ring, softly asking: "What exactly do you like about me?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Chest!"

Qiqi instinctively drew in her chest: "Nonsense!" She herself couldn't consider this an advantage.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Broad-minded!"

Qiqi then realized she had misunderstood his meaning, her pretty face flushed crimson: "Still nonsense..." In this regard she still had self-awareness; her breadth of mind was not broad, and she often harbored jealousy; otherwise there wouldn't be so many twists and turns between them.

Hu Xiaotian lowered his voice: "There's a secret..." Then, at the crucial moment, he deliberately paused.

Qiqi, somewhat impatient, asked: "What? Don't hem and haw."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I'm very curious; as shrewd as we two are, how formidable will our future child be?"

Qiqi blushed: "Who wants to have a child with you?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If you're still worried I'm scheming for your realm, we can simply make a gentleman's agreement: I will not interfere in your court affairs; when you eventually conceive my flesh and blood, just hand over the imperial authority to him—what do you think?"

Qiqi sighed: "Hu Xiaotian, Hu Xiaotian, you clearly have me pegged." This guy not only wants the realm, but also wants me to bear him a son, and after having a son, to inherit the imperial throne and become emperor; he didn't say he wants to be emperor himself, he wants to be the father of the emperor.

Hu Xiaotian said: "If you truly feel you're at a loss, you can refuse."

Qiqi snatched the ring from his hand, put it on, raised her hand to examine it closely, the corner of her mouth revealing an undisguisable hint of joy, she whispered: "Even if we have a son, he must take my surname!"

Hu Xiaotian thought: You don't even know what your own surname is, do you? Chu Yuanhai is your real father; you have no connection to the Dragon family whatsoever. He nodded repeatedly: "All right, then the eldest son will take your surname, but the second and third sons must take mine; otherwise I'd have wasted my effort."

Qiqi gave him a white-eye look: "You're never willing to be at a loss."

Hu Xiaotian stood up and suddenly grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up; Qiqi let out a startled cry, frightened, she clung to his neck—unexpectedly, this rascal turned and sat on the dragon throne, holding her horizontally in his arms, and lowered his head to give her a deep, lingering, tender kiss.