Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 541 A Satisfying Deal

Northern Desert.

The Empire of Flames.

The Imperial Palace.

The Flame Empress, who had returned via teleportation array, was sitting in front of her dressing table in her bedchamber, removing her makeup in front of a bronze mirror.

The bronze mirror was polished to a high shine, reflecting a person's image. The candlelight danced on it, casting a bewitching face.

The phoenix crown was taken off and placed on the table. It was golden and shimmered in the candlelight. The rubies on it looked like congealed blood or red stars.

Her long hair cascaded down to her waist, as black as ink and as smooth as silk.

The Flame Empress picked up a comb and slowly combed her hair, stroke by stroke, very slowly and gently.

She sat in front of the dressing table removing her makeup, not really removing it, but trying to slow down the passage of time.

The face of the Flame Empress was reflected in the bronze mirror. Her makeup was still on, and the eyeliner at the corners of her eyes was slightly upturned, like a scimitar or the eyes of a fox.

The rouge on her lips was as red as fire, as if she had just drunk blood.

The Flame Empress looked at herself in the mirror, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up. She was confident that she was no less capable than that woman named Zhao Lingyang.

But she knew that being pretty wasn't enough; there were too many beautiful women out there, and Lin Chen had no shortage of them.

She had to make Lin Chen remember her, not just her face and person, but also her value.

The Flame Empire, the largest country in the Northern Desert, spans thousands of miles, has a population of billions, and is rich in spirit stone mines and spiritual herb resources.

This is her bargaining chip, and also her source of confidence.

The comb glides slowly through the hair, from the roots to the ends, and from the ends to the roots.

The Flame Empress recalled the moment she sent a telepathic message to Lin Chen at the banquet.

Lin Chen paused for a moment while holding the wine glass; that pause was the opportunity.

She gambled that Lin Chen would come, not only because she was betting on his womanizing ways, but also because she was betting on potential profits.

Lin Chen is a smart man, and a smart man will not refuse a woman who is useful to him.

What the Flame Empress didn't know was that Lin Chen didn't value profit; he was simply lustful.

Just then, the void cracked open.

Lin Chen emerged from the crack, wearing a moon-white robe, his hair tied up, a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and a faint smile on his lips.

The Flame Empress's heart skipped a beat.

It wasn't nervousness, it was excitement; the prey had taken the bait.

But her expression remained unchanged. Looking at Lin Chen in the bronze mirror, the corners of her lips slowly curled up, and she calmly said:

"You're here?"

Lin Chen didn't say anything, but sat down next to the Flame Empress, took the comb from her hand, and combed her hair.

When the fingers touched the back of the Flame Empress's hand, the Flame Empress's fingers trembled slightly.

It felt like being struck by an electric current, a tingling, numb sensation that traveled from my fingertips to my wrist, and from my wrist to my shoulder.

Lin Chen combed his hair at a moderate pace, one strand at a time, very carefully, as if he were doing something serious.

Even though he's out looking for fun, there has to be a process; don't make it seem like he's in a rush.

The Flame Empress looked at Lin Chen in the bronze mirror, a slight smile playing on her lips, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes.

Tearing through space—this is an ability that even a True Monarch might not be able to master.

This made the Flame Empress even more determined to make Lin Chen never forget her and never forget the Flame Empire.

Lin Chen combed his hair for a while, then put it down.

The two people's eyes met in the bronze mirror, like two knives clashing, sparking invisible flames.

The Flame Empress turned around and looked at Lin Chen face to face, so close that she could smell his scent.

A faint scent of soapberry, mixed with a hint of alcohol, and an indescribable aroma—the scent of a strong person.

The Flame Empress reached out and gently stroked Lin Chen's face, from his cheekbone to his jaw, and from his jaw to his lips, and said softly:

"Young Master Lin, I need a child, the heir to the Flame Empire, who must possess the strongest bloodline."

You are the greatest person in the world, and your bloodline is the best choice.

The Flame Empress paused, looking into Lin Chen's eyes.

"The child will take my surname and inherit the throne of the Flame Empire. He will not cause you any trouble."

"Tell me what you want: spirit stones, elixirs, spirit ores, women—take whatever the Flame Empire has."

The Flame Empress spoke frankly and openly, without any attempt to conceal anything.

Dealing with smart people, especially strong ones, doesn't require beating around the bush.

He knows what you want, and you know what he's after. When it comes to business, once everything is clear, you both get what you need.

Lin Chen looked at the Flame Empress and smiled.

That smile contained no tenderness, no emotion, no excitement; it only held the look of someone eyeing prey.

Then, Lin Chen lowered his head and kissed the Flame Empress.

It wasn't a gentle kiss, but a domineering and aggressive one, like a beast pouncing on its prey, like a knife being sheathed.

The Flame Empress closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around Lin Chen's neck, and dug her nails into the skin of his nape, leaving shallow crescent-shaped marks.

Her body trembled slightly—she had lived for hundreds of years, but this was the first time she had ever experienced anything like this.

Lin Chen's kiss moved from his lips to his neck, and from his neck to his collarbone.

The actions were quick and direct, without any unnecessary tenderness or the usual sweet talk used to coax young girls.

Lin Chen pulled the Flame Empress up from the dressing table and pushed her onto the bed, his movements rough, like throwing a sack of potatoes.

The Flame Empress lay on her back, staring at the top of the tent, her breathing rapid and her heart pounding.

The curtains were red, embroidered with golden phoenixes. The phoenixes' eyes were two rubies, gleaming in the candlelight, as if they were looking at her.

Lin Chen leaned down and, without any preamble or probing, went straight to the point.

The Flame Empress groaned and bit her lip, but she didn't make a sound.

She is the Flame Empress, the strongest woman in the Northern Desert. She can bleed and get injured, but she cannot cry out in pain in front of a man.

Lin Chen has no mercy for women who offer themselves to him.

Cherishing women is something reserved for one's own women, for Liu Ruyan, Qin Shuyan, and Xiao Yulou.

The Flame Empress is not his woman; she has her own agenda. A pleasant cooperation is the best outcome.

The Flame Empress went from initial pain to numbness, and then to... indescribable feelings.

It's a feeling of being conquered, a feeling of being completely crushed and utterly defeated.

It's like a mountain pressing down on you; you can only endure it, you can't resist.

She had never been treated like this by anyone before.

She is the Flame Empress, the number one person in the Northern Desert, whose word is law, and who is above all others.

Everyone who saw her had to bow, pay their respects, and address her as "Your Majesty."

But in front of Lin Chen, she was nothing, just a woman, a woman who needed to rely on a strong person.

As dawn approached, Lin Chen finally stopped, closing his eyes and breathing steadily, as if nothing had happened.

The Flame Empress lay on her side, looking at Lin Chen.

He was covered in sweat, and his hair was wet and stuck to his face in strands.

His body was covered in red marks, from pinching, biting, and bumping.

She reached out and touched Lin Chen's face. Lin Chen didn't move, his breathing rising and falling, his eyelashes trembling slightly.

Flame stared at Lin Chen for a long time, his expression very complicated!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Lin Chen stayed in the Flame Empire for one day and two nights.

When he left, the Flame Empress escorted Lin Chen to the entrance of his palace. She was wearing a red nightgown, and her long hair was loose, fluttering in the morning breeze.

The robe was so thin that you could see the outline of what was underneath, but she didn't care, since there were no outsiders in the palace anyway.

"When will you come again?" the Flame Empress asked.

Lin Chen chuckled and said, "Come whenever you have time."

The Flame Empress smiled, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Lin Chen on the cheek.

"I will always wait for you."

Lin Chen raised his hand, tore through the void, and stepped inside.

The Flame Empress stared at the closing crack for a long time.

A morning breeze blew by, making her nightgown flutter and her long hair dance in the wind.

She reached out and touched her stomach. Whether she was pregnant or not, she would know in a few days.

Turning around, she walked back to her palace, her steps becoming lighter.

A smile played on her lips, a smile that contained satisfaction, pride, and a touch of melancholy she herself was unaware of.

Although all she initially wanted was a child and a one-night stand with Lin Chen.

But after two days and nights of contact, Lin Chen left.

She suddenly felt that the palace was too big, too quiet, and too cold.