Chapter 65: What Are Thermal Pants?

Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)

Heicheng (Black Dragon City)

Censorate (Supervisory Court)

Yuling City (Jade City)

Jingui Town (Golden Turtle Town)

...

This time, Yin Jixue was truly stunned.

Happiness came too fast—is this what it feels like to win at life?!

Lou Zhao looked down at her smugly. "You were sneaking around, so this king had to take matters into his own hands." Finally, I turned the tables.

By the time Lou Zhao led her into the study, Yin Jixue's body temperature had finally cooled down.

Had I known holding hands was this warm, I wouldn't have worn this wool vest—I'm practically boiling!

But taking it off now would be awkward… and so would keeping it on.

Head lowered like a bashful little wife, she murmured, "How… how long are you going to hold my hand?"

Not that I mind. I might just never wash this hand again.

Lou Zhao feigned nonchalance. "You do your work, I'll hold my hand. It doesn't interfere."

Want me to let go? Not a chance.

Outwardly shy but inwardly ecstatic, Yin Jixue struggled to maintain her already-nonexistent composure.

She could only distract herself by discussing official matters:

"I've been to Black Dragon Mouth and drafted reconstruction plans. Do you want to see?"

Lou Zhao's focus, however, was on the fact that she had traveled far.

"How did you get there? Who took you?"

The flying vessel is with me. Whoever escorted her would've had to touch her.

Yin Jixue immediately praised the construction team. "By bus, of course! They worked so fast—finished the road in under two months!"

Lou Zhao idly played with her fingers. "If you weren't so soft on them, it'd have taken just one."

She huffed. "'Soft on them'? They're your citizens! Work-life balance—ever heard of it?!"

Lou Zhao lacked a people-first mindset. To him, the citizens were underworked. His inherited memories told him demons weren't so fragile—no miner had ever dropped dead after a century of labor.

But since his queen cared, he wisely kept that thought to himself.

He rubbed his nose. "I don't get it, but you're always right."

Yin Jixue gasped. He's learned Perfunctory —the art of placating me! "Hmph!"

Why is she mad now? Lou Zhao was baffled.

When she tried to pull away, he tightened his grip on her slender fingers. "You're the one who wanted to hold hands. Why keep trying to let go?"

Yin Jixue doubled down. "Who wanted to?! I was just checking if you were cold! And if you don't let go, what am I supposed to do when it's time to sleep?!"

Silence.

Sharing a bed was out of the question—hand-holding was already lightning-speed progress.

Besides, Lou Zhao, a 300-year-old Demon King, couldn't possibly rush things with his 17-year-old queen (who wasn't even a fraction of his age).

Even Yin Jixue flushed and fell quiet—this topic was too embarrassing.

Lou Zhao softened his voice. "I'll… let go when the time comes."

True to his word, when Feng Xiu entered to help Yin Jixue freshen up, he reluctantly released her hand.

Who knows when the next hand-holding will be?

Then it hit him—This is my lawfully wedded queen. I can hold her hand whenever I want!

Feng Xiu's lips curled into a smile. She'd clearly been in high spirits lately.

The scene of the Demon King and Queen's romantic progress was witnessed in full by a few of us perched on the eaves.

With any luck, a little prince or princess will arrive soon.

As Yin Jixue removed her wool vest, she remembered the thermal pants she'd made for Lou Zhao.

She scrambled out of bed in her pajamas, rummaging through a chest in the corner.

Lou Zhao sat up at the noise. "What are you looking for?"

"You'll see in a sec!"

Success!

She unearthed her treasure—neatly folded thermal pants—and presented them to Lou Zhao with pride.

"Look! I made these from long-haired rabbit fur. They're thermal pants!"

Lou Zhao: "What are 'thermal pants'?"

Yin Jixue pondered. "They're… warm leggings I made so your legs don't get cold."

Feng Xiu: MY SHIP HAS SAILED!