202: Chapter 202 Mo Han's Envy: I Also Want a Home

As the night deepened, the clamor within the Imperial Palace finally began to subside.

Inside the side hall, the two newly born little ancestors finally fell into a deep sleep after being fed by their wet nurses.

Mo Han and Hua Jieyu were currently sitting on the steps outside the side hall, staring blankly at the bright, clear moon overhead.

"Hey, Assassin."

Hua Jieyu nudged Mo Han with her elbow, playing with a piece of foxtail grass she had picked up from somewhere. "What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought."

Mo Han didn't look back, her gaze still fixed on the moon. In those dead-fish eyes that were usually devoid of any emotion, a rare trace of confusion had appeared.

"I was thinking... about that little fellow."

Mo Han's voice was very soft, like a gentle breeze. "When I held him just now, he grabbed my finger. That feeling... was very strange."

"Strange?"

Hua Jieyu raised an eyebrow and let out a scoff. "What's so strange about that? He's just a baby; his grip is weak, so it doesn't hurt. If it were a Quasi-Saint grabbing you, you'd have drawn your blade long ago."

"It's not a matter of whether it hurts or not."

Mo Han shook her head; she didn't know how to describe that sensation.

As a top-tier assassin who had been groomed since childhood, her training dictated: trust no one except the blade in your hand; touch nothing except your target.

Her world was cold, black and white, and devoid of warmth.

But just now, that soft and squishy little life had used a tiny hand—one that couldn't even hold a dagger—to tightly grasp her finger.

In that instant, she felt a warm current flow from her fingertip straight into her long-numbed heart.

It was a... temperature she had never experienced before.

"Tell me..."

Mo Han suddenly turned her head to look at Hua Jieyu, her eyes filled with an incredibly earnest desire for knowledge.

"If one day I stop killing people, could I also be like the Young Master—have a home and give birth to two children?"

*Pfft—*

Hua Jieyu nearly choked on her own saliva.

Her eyes widened as she stared at Mo Han as if looking at a monster. "You? Give birth? My god, has this wooden block of yours actually started yearning for love?"

"Yearning for love?"

Mo Han frowned, seemingly confused by the term. "I just feel that... this sensation is ten thousand times better than the pleasure of completing an assassination mission."

"And..."

She lowered her head, glancing at her hand—a hand accustomed to gripping a dagger, now somewhat rough. "I also want to try and see what else this hand can do when it's not holding a blade."

Looking at the assassin girl before her who was speaking such foolish words with a serious face, the playful smile on Hua Jieyu's face gradually faded.

She sighed and reached out to wrap an arm around Mo Han's shoulder.

"Silly girl, if you want to have children, you first need a man."

"A man?"

Mo Han blinked. Almost subconsciously, a face surfaced in her mind—a face that always wore a mischievous smirk, liked to pinch her cheeks, and had even tricked her into wearing this shameful maid outfit.

"Someone like the Young Master?"

Mo Han blurted out.

"..."

Hua Jieyu rolled her eyes. "I knew it."

"However..." She glanced toward the still brightly lit Bedchamber of the Demon Empress, her tone carrying a hint of envy. "A man like the Young Master... there probably isn't a second one like him in this world."

Not only was he good-looking with a background that reached the heavens, but most importantly... he was truly good to his women, down to his very bones.

That kind of dominance and tenderness—giving away Imperial Weapons to children like toys and pampering the Demon Empress like a young girl—would make any woman's heart flutter.

*Ahem.*

Just as the two women were lost in their respective fantasies, a light cough suddenly sounded from behind them.

"Not sleeping in the middle of the night, but here gossiping about your master?"

Xu Chen had walked over at some point, arms crossed, looking at the two maids sitting on the steps with a half-smile.

“Young... Young Master!”

The two girls were startled and hurriedly stood up to salute.

Especially Mo Han; the moment she thought about the idea that had just popped into her head, her face instantly turned red to the tips of her ears. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Xu Chen at all.

"What's this? Your face is so red, do you have a fever?"

Xu Chen stepped forward and habitually reached out, pressing his hand against Mo Han's forehead to check.

As his cool fingertips touched her burning skin, Mo Han's body gave a violent shudder. Yet, for the first time, she didn't dodge. Instead, like a startled little beast, she obediently allowed him to touch her.

"No... no fever."

Mo Han's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"It's good that you don't have a fever."

Xu Chen withdrew his hand. Looking at Mo Han's flickering eyes, he seemed to see through the thoughts in her heart.

He didn't expose her. Instead, he turned around and sat down on the steps as well, patting the spot beside him.

"Sit. Chat with me for a bit."

The two girls exchanged a glance and cautiously sat down beside him.

"What were you talking about just now? I think I heard words like 'children' and 'home'?"

Xu Chen asked casually.

"No... it's nothing!"

Mo Han hurriedly denied it, her head shaking like a rattle drum.

"Young Master, Mo Han is envious of you."

Hua Jieyu was bolder; she covered her mouth and giggled. "She said she also wants to have a home and doesn't want to live a life of bloodshed anymore."

"Oh?"

Xu Chen turned to look at Mo Han, his gaze softening slightly.

He knew Mo Han's background. Adopted by an assassin organization since she was a child, she was raised as a tool with no name, only a code. In her world, there was only killing and survival; the concept of 'home' had never existed.

"Mo Han."

Xu Chen called out softly.

"Your subordinate is here."

"This place is your home."

Xu Chen looked at her. Though his tone was calm, it carried an indisputable certainty. "From the moment you stepped through the gates of the Xu Family, you were no longer an assassin of the Shadow Kill Pavilion."

"You are Mo Han, and you are my, Xu Chen's, person."

"As long as I don't drive you away, this Xu Family... will always have a room and a meal for you."

"As for children..."

Xu Chen gave a mischievous grin, looking her up and down. "That will depend on your future performance. If you serve me well, this Young Master might consider giving you a chance."

*Boom!*

At this point, Mo Han felt as if her head had completely exploded.

Young Master said... give me a chance?

Does... does he mean that?

Seeing Mo Han's dazed expression and her face so red it looked like it was about to drip blood, Xu Chen couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you."

Xu Chen stood up and stretched. "You two are tired tonight as well, so go get some rest early. Tomorrow... there will likely be a good show to watch."

After saying that, he waved his hand and turned to walk toward the Bedchamber.

Watching Xu Chen's departing back, Mo Han remained sitting in place, her hand unconsciously moving to her chest.

Her heart was beating so fast.

"Home..."

She murmured to herself. At some point, her lips had actually curved into a faint, unprecedented smile.

So, this is what it feels like to be cared for?