Qin Wei shrugged slightly, deciding to be thick-skinned since the situation had come to this, anyway. "I was trying my best to hold myself back. Truly. But you're the one who woke the dragon in me. Did you forget how we spent those five days here?"

Thea froze.

Heat crept up her neck as memories surged forward… their five days spent here were spent like sexually starved beasts…

Her cheeks reddened despite her attempts to hold her composure.

Qin Wei watched her reaction and added quietly, "If you feed a man meat every single day and then suddenly tell him to eat nothing but vegetables… do you really think he can just adjust himself?"

Thea's heart skipped, and embarrassment warred with anger inside her chest.

Seeing that he gained complete control over the conversation, Qin Wei then leaned back slightly in the bath, folding his arms as if gathering a portion of confidence he had not possessed months ago. His eyes met hers steadily, ignoring the steam drifting between them. "Anyway," he began, his tone quieter but firm, "It is useless now to argue about what if and what could have happened. Things happened in your absence, and I already promised Luna that I would officially make her a concubine after your return. So if you give me permission, I will report the change of her status to your father."

Thea's expression shifted, a brief flicker of disbelief appearing before settling into something unreadable.

Qin Wei went on, his voice calm and strangely grounded. "But don't worry that things have changed or something. Luna and I already shared a bond long before any of this. Her status won't change our dynamic; it only makes things official. Honestly, I didn't expect her to return from Blossom Tower as a rank seven and still choose to stay by my side even after I lost everything. That loyalty is rare." His gaze softened, though only slightly. "As for us, you and I… we never spent enough time together. Honestly, we spent more on mating than simply talking about little and big things about what's happening our lives. Maybe spending real time together is what we need to form a bond of our own."

For a long moment, Thea said nothing.

Her eyes stayed locked on him, blinking slowly as she tried to reconcile the man before her with the man she had left behind three months ago. "You seem… different, husband," she finally said.

Qin Wei let out a slow breath that felt heavier than the steam rising around them. "Maybe I am," he answered. "I never earned anything on my own before. But now I earn every coin myself. I never knew how to fight; now I do. And I never took life seriously or thought about goals. Now… I have things I want to protect. Things I want to achieve."

His words hung in the air with a weight Thea had not expected. It made her chest tighten, not unpleasantly, but with an unfamiliar warmth.

Qin Wei watched her quietly, then his lips curved into a smile that wasn't arrogant or mocking—just a touch playful, a touch challenging. He lifted his hand from the bath and extended it toward her. "So..." he said lightly, "do you plan to be the domineering wife who tries to suppress me and everything I do and try to shape it in your way, or will you accept the reality in front of you and then shape it better together with me?"

He paused, then added with theatrical boldness, "The choice is yours, my dear wife."

He didn't say it out of heartfelt romance; in truth, the line was stolen from a novel he wrote back in his past life. It had fit the moment too perfectly to resist.

But the result was unexpectedly effective.

Thea's eyes widened just a hair before she stepped closer, reached out, and took his hand firmly. Her fingers tightened around his as a slow, steady fire kindled in her gaze.

"Husband," she said, her voice rich with restrained emotion, "it seems I was gone for too long." She lifted her chin slightly, regaining the poise she was known for. "But it's fine. I will accept the reality before me. However, I hope you do not forget this—no matter how many women you touch, no matter who shares your bed…"

She leaned closer, bringing her face level with his, her breath brushing his cheek like a whisper of heat.

"Your heart can only belong to me."

Qin Wei let out a quiet breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Relief loosened his shoulders, and the tension that had wrapped around his spine finally eased.

For the first time since Thea walked through the door, he felt as if a disaster had slipped past him instead of landing squarely on his head. That small victory stirred something bold inside him—an impulsive spark he didn't bother suppressing.

He tightened his hold on her hand and gave a sudden tug.

Thea stumbled forward with a faint gasp, though she stopped herself a breath away from his chest.

The moment hung between them for half a heartbeat before Qin Wei rose from the bath, water sliding down the lines of his body.

He didn't look like the fragile young master she once knew. His skin held a warm, healthy bronze, and the shape of his torso had sharpened over the months into firm, defined lines that spoke of relentless training.

"Husband..."

Thea's composure wavered as her eyes moved over him. A rush of warmth slid up her neck, the steam doing little to hide the faint blush blooming across her cheeks.

Qin Wei's hand came up again. This time, he didn't give her a chance to regain distance.

He guided her closer, his palm settling at her waist, pulling her into the circle of heat that radiated from his body.

Her heartbeat stumbled, then raced. His other hand rose, fingers brushing lightly against the back of her head as he leaned near.

A soft inhale escaped him.

"You smell nice," he murmured against her ear. "Did you bathe before coming?"

Thea swallowed, her voice unsteady. "Yes… after my breakthrough. It was a herbal soak."

"Then," Qin Wei whispered, lowering his forehead to hers, "why not wash again. With me... Right now?"

Her breath caught—just a small, fragile hitch. Her eyelashes trembled, feeling his breath on her.

Thea parted her lips to give a response, but the words didn't come out. Qin Wei closed the remaining distance and kissed her—slow at first, then deeper as she yielded and shut them.

Slowly, her robes fell to the floor.

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