Lu Liangwei’s face lit up with delight. “My mother’s here?”

“Yes. She’s been waiting for you.” Zhu Yu nodded with a smile.

Hearing this, Lu Liangwei released Long Yang’s hand and walked ahead briskly.

Alarmed, Long Yang caught up with her in a few strides, grabbed her arm, and scolded her, “What’s the hurry?”

Unfazed, Lu Liangwei looked at him and said happily, “Mother must have come to give us information on the guiding herb. That means that you’ll be cured of the parasitic venom soon, and then your memory will finally be restored.”

Not long ago, Mother had already received a letter from Southern Xinjiang saying that the guiding herb had been found.

An imperceptible frown creased Long Yang’s forehead. Was restoring his memory really that important?

He was content with the current situation, so he was not anxious to get his memories back.

However, instead of dampening Lu Liangwei’s enthusiasm, he simply swept her up into his arms.

Lu Liangwei glanced at him suspiciously.

Long Yang explained, “Aren’t you anxious to see your mother? It’s faster this way.”

His answer left Lu Liangwei at a loss for words.

Ling Lihua was sipping tea in the room, and she stood up when she saw them enter.

Seeing her mother look over at them, Lu Liangwei tugged at Long Yang’s sleeve, motioning for him to put her down.

However, Long Yang ignored her and carried her straight to a chair.

Lu Liangwei was a little embarrassed. After all, Mother was here, and it was not like she could not walk on her own.

Ling Lihua was not bothered by it at all, though. In fact, she was glad to see the Emperor being so considerate of Weiwei.

“Mother, is there any news about the guiding herb?” Lu Liangwei asked eagerly the moment she sat down.

Ling Lihua smiled and nodded. “Yes. I received the guiding herb yesterday.”

At her words, Lu Liangwei grabbed Long Yang’s hand, unable to contain the excitement on her face. “Your Majesty, you can finally be cured of the venom.”

Long Yang was not as delighted as she was, but he still said to Ling Lihua, “Thank you for doing all this for me, Madam.”

Ling Lihua shook her head. “Don’t mention it, Your Majesty.”

Before coming to the palace, she had already produced the antidote for the parasitic venom and made it into a pill.

Therefore, after speaking, she promptly fished out a porcelain bottle from under her dress and handed it to Lu Liangwei. “This is the antidote for the parasitic venom. His Majesty can consume it directly.”

Lu Liangwei grasped the porcelain bottle in her palm. “Thank you, Mother.”

“No need to thank me, silly girl.”

As his mother-in-law rarely visited, Long Yang was sensible enough to let the mother and daughter spend some alone time while he headed off to handle state affairs in the imperial study.

Ling Lihua stayed in the palace until evening before finally taking her leave.

After dinner, Lu Liangwei brought out the antidote and gave it to Long Yang. “Your Majesty, hurry up and take the antidote.”

Long Yang took the porcelain bottle from her and looked at it briefly before tipping the pill out.

He held the transparent pill between his fingers and examined it for a moment.

He was a little hesitant, but when he met the girl’s expectant gaze, he eventually popped the pill into his mouth.

Lu Liangwei kept staring at him with bated breath, and when she spotted the slight bob of his Adam’s apple, she finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Nothing abnormal happened to Long Yang after he took the antidote, and he behaved the same as usual.

However, when they went to bed later at night, he would not stop holding Lu Liangwei’s hand.

Thinking that he was worried about the effectiveness of the pill, Lu Liangwei reassured him, “Don’t worry. My mother made this antidote herself. It’s absolutely foolproof.”

“I know.” His reply came, low and quiet in the dark night. He turned his head to look at the girl nestling against him, and all of a sudden, a flicker of reluctance crossed his heart.

It had emerged for no apparent reason.

He would still be himself after being cured of the parasitic venom, only that his memories would be more complete. However, he could not help feeling that was not the case.

It was as if his current self would be replaced by another person, and this other person would be the one accompanying Lu Liangwei from then on.

Thinking of this, he reached out and pulled Lu Liangwei into a tight embrace.

Lu Liangwei could sense his unease, and thinking that he was concerned about the pill’s effectiveness, she pressed her face against his chest to soothe him. “Mother said that this antidote has milder properties, so you won’t feel any discomfort after taking it. Just get some sleep, and you’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Long Yang did not reply. He was not worried about the pill’s effects at all.

Lowering his head, he planted a kiss on her forehead, then moved down to capture her lips.

With a whimper, Lu Liangwei wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss softly. However, when she noticed that his breathing was starting to get ragged, she quickly seized his hand. “I’m too far along to…” She trailed off, unable to utter the words “make love”.