Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 173 Aunt Chu, what kind of service are you talking about?

How could Chu Yuqin not know what Lu Chen was thinking? This little rascal just wanted her body. Luckily, she regained her senses at the crucial moment, otherwise they might have done something outrageous in the study.

Seeing Chu Yuqin's embarrassed and angry expression, Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh and say, "Aunt Chu, I haven't even said where I feel uncomfortable yet, how did you know I was going to say where I feel uncomfortable?"

Chu Yuqin ignored Lu Chen's words and said with a blush, "Anyway, Auntie has already helped you. Come to me again when you have problems with your cultivation."

"I'll head back now."

At this point, Chu Yuqin wanted to break free from Lu Chen's embrace and leave.

However, she currently has no internal energy, and coupled with the fact that Lu Chen had just rendered her weak, it wouldn't be easy for her to break free from Lu Chen's arms.

Chu Yuqin twisted her waist, but Lu Chen still held her tightly. Chu Yuqin was forced to look up into Lu Chen's eyes, and then said, "Chen'er, can you let your aunt go if you're alright? If Qing Li comes on patrol later, she might find out."

Lu Chen said nonchalantly, "So what if she found out? We didn't do anything shameful. You were just helping me improve my health. What can she say?"

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Chu Yuqin pouted.

Why does she feel like they're doing something shady right now?

She's a widow, and she came to Lu Chen's study and hugged him. What kind of respectable thing could that be?

Lu Chen said, "Aunt Chu, I think you care too much about what others think. Are other people's opinions really that important? In my opinion, even if we were to have sex, let alone hug and kiss, no one can say anything about us. Anyway, your husband is already dead."

Lu Chen decided to continue to instill some ideological foundations in Chu Yuqin so that she could accept him as soon as possible, and say things that she couldn't say before.

Otherwise, if this drags on, who knows when he will be able to win over Chu Yuqin.

Upon hearing Chu Yuqin's words, Chu Yuqin was immediately stunned.

She hadn't expected Lu Chen to be so bold as to say such things today. If Lu Chen was just playing around, it wouldn't be a big deal, even if he took advantage of her. But if others heard these words, it would directly affect him.

Chu Yuqin quickly said sternly, "Chen'er, I won't allow you to say such things. I'm your aunt, how could you have such thoughts!"

Lu Chen said nonchalantly, "Anyway, we're not related by blood. You and my mother aren't related by blood at all."

Chu Yuqin continued, "Even if we're not related, you can't have such thoughts. I'm a widow. How can you have such thoughts about a widow? You're going to be the emperor someday; you can't have any stain on your reputation."

"Chen'er, you can't ruin your reputation because of your aunt."

Hearing Chu Yuqin's words, Lu Chen gazed at her beautiful face and asked with a smile, "Aunt Chu, I've noticed that every time you avoid me, you're on my side. You seem very afraid that I'll ruin my reputation because of you."

"So if I didn't care about my reputation, would I be able to do that kind of thing to you?"

Lu Chen's words startled Chu Yuqin, and she suddenly panicked. Indeed, she had never thought of rejecting Lu Chen from her own perspective.

Every time, he would talk to Lu Chen about the consequences of his actions, but he never thought about the consequences for himself.

In Lu Chen's view, he was completely indifferent to his reputation. If Lu Chen himself didn't care about his reputation, then wouldn't the two of them also be indifferent to their reputations?

Since neither of them cares about their reputation, what wouldn't they do?

Just as Chu Yuqin was about to say something, Lu Chen continued, "Aunt Chu, I have never thought that marrying a widow is a stain. Moreover, since ancient times, few emperors have had particularly good private morals. Some emperors even snatched their own brothers' wives and daughters-in-law, and that was while their husbands were still alive."

"Aunt Chu, your husband has been dead for so long. Isn't it normal to find another man? There are many widows who remarry in the countryside, and the people don't say anything. Are you going to remain a widow for the rest of your life for a husband you've never even met?"

"And even if the common people say something, at most they'll think I have bad personal morals, which doesn't really concern them."

"The people of Daxia know that I am a womanizer. Even if I take your body, it will be a perfectly normal thing in their eyes."

"Since the people can accept it, Aunt Chu, what else do you have to worry about?"

At this point, Lu Chen raised his hand and brushed Chu Yuqin's hair to one side of her face.

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Chu Yuqin panicked completely. She realized that what Lu Chen said made a lot of sense. Lu Chen's reputation was not very good to begin with, but the battle in Wanning Valley had barely salvaged it.

However, some ordinary people still believe that Lu Chen is a lecher, but in their eyes, this is not a big deal; being lecherous is not a stain at all.

That man wasn't a womanizer.

In the eyes of ordinary people, Lu Chen's actions exemplify the true nature of a hero.

Therefore, even if Lu Chen really married a widow, the people were still very tolerant of him.

Lu Chen married the Queen Consort of the Heavenly Wolf King, and the people of Beijun and Daxia didn't say anything. What's wrong with marrying a widow?

However, no matter what, she was, after all, the widow of a hero who fought against the barbarians. If Lu Chen forced her to marry, it would inevitably bring some negative consequences.

Chu Yuqin blushed and said in a flustered voice, "Chen'er, please stop! I'm your aunt, I won't allow you to have such thoughts!"

Feeling the intense gaze in Lu Chen's eyes, Chu Yuqin knew that Lu Chen truly had designs on her body.

No matter what, I must stick to my bottom line, I cannot make mistakes, and I cannot let Lu Chen cross the line.

Chu Yuqin continued, "Let go of Auntie! If you don't let go of Auntie, Auntie will get angry."

Chu Yuqin sensed that something was off. In the past, although Lu Chen had thoughts about her body, he would never say it directly. Now that he had said it directly, it meant that Lu Chen wanted to take the next step.

What's next? Is there even a question? It'll definitely be taking over her body.

If things continue like this, Lu Chen might really ruin her reputation.

Unlike last time, Lu Chen did not let go this time; his arms remained firmly around Chu Yuqin's weak and delicate body.

Chu Yuqin raised her jade-like hand and pushed Lu Chen's broad chest, trying to push him away, but no matter how she pushed, it was all in vain.

Lu Chen glanced at Chu Yuqin's favorability rating, which remained at 99, showing no sign of decline.

Lu Chen knew that Chu Yuqin still had a hurdle in her heart, and as long as she couldn't overcome it, she wouldn't be able to accept becoming his woman.

He had been trying to help Chu Yuqin overcome her sensitivity by gradually getting her to accept him through a salami-slicing method, but Chu Yuqin would always suddenly snap out of it at crucial moments.

Seeing that Lu Chen hadn't let go of her, Chu Yuqin started twisting her waist again, trying to avoid Lu Chen and keep her distance.

But no matter how much she struggled, she couldn't break free. At this moment, Chu Yuqin looked up and stared into Lu Chen's eyes.

Her eyes were misty, and her face was flushed, making her even more captivating.

Chu Yuqin said in a low voice, "Chen'er, you already have so many women, please let your aunt go?"

Lu Chen remained silent, but a raging fire seemed to burn in his eyes. Seeing the pitiful sight of the beautiful woman before him, Lu Chen's inner turmoil had reached the point of being uncontrollable.

Without thinking twice, Lu Chen leaned down again, wanting to kiss Chu Yuqin. When Chu Yuqin saw this, she quickly turned her head to avoid it, but Lu Chen held her body still and easily kissed her.

As he kissed her, his restless hands roamed over Chu Yuqin's voluptuous body.

Chu Yuqin felt her mind go blank. She tried to struggle, but she was completely powerless and could only let Lu Chen do as he pleased.

Chu Yuqin had only one thought in her mind: It's over, I'm going to be completely taken over by this little rascal.

Lu Chen didn't know how long the two had been kissing when he suddenly noticed something. He reluctantly ended the kiss, only to find that Chu Yuqin's tears were streaming down her face.

Upon seeing this, Lu Chen's mind instantly cleared, and the restlessness in his heart was immediately calmed down.

Chu Yuqin started sobbing at this moment.

Lu Chen was dumbfounded; he had absolutely no idea how to comfort Chu Yuqin.

Lu Chen felt like a child who had done something wrong. He quickly said, "Aunt Chu, it's my fault. I shouldn't have said those things to you. Please don't cry, okay?"

Chu Yuqin sobbed as she said, "Waaah, you still remember to treat me like your aunt? How can you bully me like this?"

"I'm your mother's sworn sister, how could you have such thoughts about me? What kind of person do you take me for? Waaaaah..."

"I……"

Lu Chen held Chu Yuqin's soft waist, unsure of what to say.

After an unknown amount of time, Chu Yuqin finally calmed down. She wiped away her tears and noticed Lu Chen staring at her innocently. She then said, "Chen'er, I'll pretend nothing happened today. Please let Auntie go. We really can't do that kind of thing."

Lu Chen sighed softly, then said, "Yuqin, do you really not like me?"

Chu Yuqin was taken aback when she heard Lu Chen's question.

Lu Chen stopped calling her Aunt Chu and started calling her by her name, instantly bringing the two of them much closer.

Seeing Lu Chen's melancholy expression, Chu Yuqin fell silent.

She didn't know how to answer Lu Chen's question.

To say she doesn't like him would be going against her own feelings. Lately, she has been dreaming about Lu Chen every night, and even has some inappropriate thoughts popping into her head from time to time.

For example, she had fantasized about what happened in the study today more than once, but those were just fantasies. She always kept her identity firmly in mind and didn't allow herself to have such thoughts.

But if we're talking about liking someone, given her relationship with Lu Chen, they're destined never to have that kind of thing happen between them.

She simply couldn't get over that hurdle in her heart. If she really did it, if she really made a mistake, and if it affected Lu Chen's great cause, she might regret it for the rest of her life and feel guilty for the rest of her life.

Lu Chen gazed into Chu Yuqin's beautiful eyes and continued, "Yuqin, I admit it, I just want your body."

"But my love for you is not just because I like your beauty. I have liked you since I was a child. Do you remember what my mother once said? She said that when I grew up, she would marry you to me and make you my woman to take care of me for the rest of my life. From that moment on, I have always regarded you as my wife."

"But then you got engaged to the Wang family. When I found out you were going to marry someone else, my heart was torn apart. I couldn't eat for a long time. I even thought about sending someone to kidnap you and bring you back."

"Fortunately, you weren't married yet. The man from the Wang family died suddenly for some reason. If he hadn't died, I would have lost you forever."

"I can't imagine what my life would be like without you."

"You finally managed to stay, but because you're a generation older than me, you've always treated me like a child."

"I've had enough of the fact that the person I love is right in front of me, but we can't be together because of a generational gap created by someone else."

"My mother told you in front of you that she would marry you to me when I grew up, and you agreed. You care so much about my mother's words, yet you've completely forgotten them."

Lu Chen's words left Chu Yuqin speechless.

Chu Yuqin recalled a sunny afternoon in the palace, where she held Lu Chen, who was only one or two years old and had just learned to speak.

Seeing that Lu Chen seemed to really enjoy being in her arms, Chu Yue said to him, "Chen'er, since you like Qin'er so much, how about your mother lets her marry you and become your woman, taking care of you for the rest of her life?"

Lu Chen, nestled in Chu Yuqin's arms, exclaimed joyfully, "Okay, okay!"

Chu Yue then looked at Chu Yuqin, "Qin'er, are you willing to marry Chen'er and take care of him for the rest of your life?"

Chu Yuqin replied, "Sister Yue, of course I'm willing. Chen'er is so cute, what woman wouldn't like him?"

At this point, Chu Yuqin leaned down and rubbed her forehead against Lu Chen's, saying, "Little Chenchen, from now on I'm your woman, you can't bully me!"

……

So much time has passed that Chu Yuqin has almost forgotten what she said back then, after all, Lu Chen was only one or two years old at the time.

Moreover, she has always remembered that she had been married before and was not worthy of being Lu Chen's woman, so she forced herself to assume the identity of Lu Chen's elder.

Once you wear the mask for a long time, you can't take it off anymore, and she really has always treated Lu Chen as a junior.

At this moment, both of them fell silent in the study.

After what seemed like an eternity, Chu Yuqin finally spoke, stammering, "Chen...Chen'er, I...I've already been married..."

Lu Chen looked into Chu Yuqin's eyes and said, "I don't care."

Chu Yuqin didn't know what to say, and froze again.

Seeing that Chu Yuqin remained silent, Lu Chen knew that it was about time, so he said, "Aunt Chu, let's leave it at that. I will pretend that none of this happened. From now on, you will still be my aunt, and I will still be your Chen'er."

At this point, Lu Chen released Chu Yuqin.

Suddenly leaving Lu Chen's embrace, Chu Yuqin felt as if she had lost something.

She panicked, even more so than when Lu Chen had done something bad to her earlier, though she herself didn't know why she was panicking.

A wave of guilt instantly overwhelmed her. Chu Yuqin couldn't help but wonder if she was being too selfish. Although she said she was thinking of Lu Chen, she hadn't considered that Lu Chen might actually like her.

She keeps avoiding Lu Chen; isn't that hurting him?

"Chen...Chen'er...I..."

Chu Yuqin hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Lu Chen then said, "Aunt Chu, you don't need to take what I just said to heart. I've thought it through. Everyone has their own choices. If you're not willing, I won't force you. You'll still be my aunt, and I'll continue to treat you as my aunt. Our relationship won't change at all."

Although Lu Chen said that, Chu Yuqin always felt that things could never go back to the way they were, and it seemed that a rift had appeared in her relationship with Lu Chen.

Lu Chen didn't say anything more at this point; he simply turned and left.

Seeing that Lu Chen was about to leave the study, Chu Yuqin's panicked emotions erupted instantly, and she quickly grabbed Lu Chen's hand.

Lu Chen paused for a moment, then turned to look at Chu Yuqin.

At this moment, Chu Yuqin's face was full of confusion, but she still mustered up her courage and said, "Chen'er, give Auntie some time, okay...?"

Hearing this, Lu Chen was taken aback. He had originally planned to cut sausages again, but he cut a little too many this time. He mainly wanted Chu Yuqin to remember the promise he had made to his mother that he would marry him.

Unexpectedly, the shackles in Chu Yuqin's heart were loosened.

Lu Chen asked in surprise, "Aunt Chu, what time are you referring to?"

Chu Yuqin blushed and replied, "Auntie really can't marry you. The Wang family won't let Auntie leave so easily, but Auntie can serve you..."

Chu Yuqin's voice grew softer and softer, and she felt her face getting hotter and hotter. She never expected that she would say such a thing.

Lu Chen was also stunned, not expecting Chu Yuqin to say such a thing.

After a while, Lu Chen finally recovered from his shock and tentatively asked, "Aunt Chu, what kind of service are you referring to?"

Chu Yuqin said with a blushing face, "I'll serve you the same way that Zixuan and the others served you..."

Chu Yuqin felt increasingly like she wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground as she spoke. Finally, she said, "Just stop asking. Give your aunt some time to calm down..."

(End of this chapter)