I woke up as the Villainous Empress

After checking herself in the full-length mirror one last time, Yang Ning made her way over to her bed to get some rest.

  As she glanced towards the door, she couldn\'t help but furrow her eyebrows and ask, "Is Zheng Liang not coming to sleep here tonight either?" Her frown deepened as she realized that she hasn\'t seen him for almost a week now.

It had been a week since Zheng Liang last slept in the chamber, and Yang Ning had heard from the maids that he had been incredibly occupied with royal court affairs. As a result, he had been sleeping in his study room, working late into the night, and getting very little rest.

"If this continues, I\'m concerned that he might fall ill," she sighed, expressing her worry.

Taking a deep breath, she decided not to dwell on it any longer. Considering the complicated affairs taking place at the palace, it was only natural for him to be occupied. After all, he held the esteemed position of Crown Prince.

Despite His Majesty\'s improved condition, he was still not sufficiently recovered to resume his royal court activities. As the Crown Prince, it fell upon him to fulfill his duties and responsibilities.

As she settled onto the bed, she covered her legs with a cozy and plush blanket. Just as she was preparing to lie down and drift off to sleep, her attention was caught by the door slowly swinging open, revealing Zheng Liang entering the chamber.

"Your Highness!" she exclaimed in surprise, not expecting him to visit the chamber that night. However, upon seeing him return, a strange sense of joy washed over her.

"You came tonight," she remarked, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and delight.

Zheng Liang\'s weary face brightened with a faint smile as he glanced at Yang Ning, who was still awake. Despite expecting her to have already fallen asleep, he expressed a nonchalant "Hmm" in response to her presence.

As Zheng Liang entered the chamber, Yang Ning sat on the bed with a hint of awkwardness. She watched silently as he proceeded to change into his night clothes, feeling a mix of emotions in the air.

She nervously bit her lower lip and quickly averted her gaze as he unexpectedly started undoing the string of his upper robe, preparing to undress right in front of her. Her eyes widened in astonishment, and she couldn\'t contain her surprise as she blurted out, "Shouldn\'t you be changing behind the wooden partition?"

Zheng Liang glanced at her, a faint smile playing on his lips as he shook his head. "It\'s too much of a hassle. I\'m too weary to go through the trouble."

"But it\'s right there," Yang Ning responded, her voice tinged with awkwardness.

"Alright, fine. If it bothers you, I\'ll step outside," Yang Ning relented, acknowledging his tiredness and deciding to compromise.

Zheng Liang frowned as he watched her prepare to leave and swiftly called her back. "Wait. Stay and assist me in removing this robe."

Yang Ning turned to face him, her brows furrowed. "You want me to help you? It\'s just a robe. Can\'t you manage on your own?" she questioned, slightly taken aback.

"I am exhausted. My hand is in pain," he responded flatly, letting his arms drop without fully removing the robe.

Yang Ning glared at him, her frustration evident. "Fine. I\'ll arrange for someone else to come and assist you. Just wait here," she said firmly before turning to leave the chamber.

Yang Ning couldn\'t help but wonder why Zheng Liang would ask her, a woman, to assist him in removing his robe and dressing up. A sense of shyness and sadness enveloped Yang Ning as she realized that Zheng Liang didn\'t see her as a woman. Amidst her inner turmoil and uncertain emotions, Yang Ning couldn\'t shake off a slight sadness. The fact that she and Zheng Liang remained strangers, even while sharing the same chamber, weighed on her. However, as she considered the reality that this was not her world and that someday she would inevitably return to her own, she began to question whether she should feel bad at all. In a way, she pondered whether she should be relieved that there was no deeper connection between them. Lost in her thoughts and on the verge of opening the chamber door to seek assistance, Yang Ning was startled by the sharpness in Zheng Liang\'s voice. His words pierced through the air, "Do you think anyone is permitted to touch my body?" The sudden outburst caught her off guard, leaving her momentarily frozen, uncertain of how to respond.

"You\'re my wife. Only you have the privilege to come close to me and touch me. So come here and assist me," he declared unabashedly, maintaining a serious expression.

Yang Ning blinked, surprised by his sudden change in stance. She couldn\'t help but wonder how he had allowed the maids to help him change in the past. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she reluctantly walked towards him. "Fine. I\'ll help you change."

As Yang Ning reluctantly accepted his request and approached to assist him, a smug smile flickered across Zheng Liang\'s face. "Good. You should have done that sooner," "Fang Li, don\'t panic," she whispered to herself, trying to calm her racing heart. \'Just think of it as doing a good deed and count sheep from 1 to 100. You\'ll be fine,\' she repeated in her mind, seeking to find a sense of composure. With a deep breath, she focused on her breathing, attempting to steady herself and bring a sense of tranquility to the situation.

___

As Yang Ning assisted Zheng Liang in removing his upper robe, she could feel his meaningful smile lingering upon her. The atmosphere seemed to hold a certain weight as she proceeded to help him remove his thin, white undershirt, revealing his bare skin.

  Despite her internal struggles, she maintained her composure and focused on the task at hand, endeavoring to complete it with diligence.

As Yang Ning unintentionally exposed Zheng Liang\'s bare skin, her face turned a deep shade of scarlet. She couldn\'t help but be captivated by the sight of his well-defined, muscular abs. However, her gaze shifted to sadness when she noticed the presence of scars, marring the otherwise sculpted surface. The mix of desire and compassion within her stirred a complex range of emotions, leaving her both mesmerized and empathetic.

Those scars bore witness to the battles he had valiantly fought in the past, defending the Empire and earning the pride of His Majesty and all who knew of his remarkable bravery and leadership.

Although the scars were physical, Yang Ning couldn\'t help but feel a strange ache in her heart. Her hands moved instinctively, unknowingly caressing those faded marks as if trying to soothe the pain they represented.

  At that moment, a mixture of admiration and empathy welled up within her, deepening her connection to Zheng Liang and the sacrifices he had made.

Zheng Liang raised an eyebrow, noticing the sadness in Yang Ning\'s eyes. With a gentle tone, he reassured her, "It doesn\'t hurt anymore." "Huh?" Yang Ning was startled out of her daze by his words, her realization dawning upon her that her hand had unintentionally come into contact with his abdomen muscles. With a mix of surprise and embarrassment, she quickly withdrew her hand, uttering, "Oh! Ah, I didn\'t mean to."

However, to her surprise, Zheng Liang took hold of her hand and gently guided it back to his abdomen muscles, specifically over the scars. His voice lowered as he asked, "Don\'t you think they\'re ugly?" He led her hand to touch his bare skin while asking a question to divert her random thoughts. Yang Ning blinked awkwardly, her face flushing with embarrassment as she found herself drawn closer to Zheng Liang. Nonetheless, she answered his question with sincerity, shaking her head gently. "How can they be ugly? They are the trophies of your battles, like medals of honor," she whispered, recalling her own experiences of getting hurt while practicing for competitions. To her, those scars represented the result of his hard work and dedication. They held beauty and significance that went beyond mere physical appearance.

Zheng Liang noticed her genuine sentiments and smiled meaningfully. "Hmm, is that so?" he replied, his grip on her hand tightening as he pulled her closer, ensuring that their connection remained unbroken while she touched his abdominal muscles, their proximity fostering an intimate moment between them.

As Yang Ning felt the intensity of the moment growing, a nervous gulp escaped her throat. The rising temperature in the room seemed to mirror the heat that was building within her. Her mind raced, questioning whether things were moving too swiftly. Should she surrender to her emotions so readily? The complexities of the situation weighed heavily on her, leaving her uncertain about how to proceed.