Heikou (Black Dragon Mouth)
Heicheng (Black Dragon City)
Censorate (Supervisory Court)
Yuling City (Jade City)
Jingui Town (Golden Turtle Town)
...
Lou Zhao, for the first time, stumbled over his words: "I—I'm not cold. You should keep them for yourself."
His heart softened. She's the one who can't stand the demon realm's cold, yet she's worried about me freezing.
He'd heard that in the human world, wives would sew undergarments for their husbands. Who knew my queen would be so… domestic?
Yin Jixue placed the thermal pants beside him. "These are men's—I can't wear them. And you've been wearing the same outfit forever. You should… change and wash more often..."
Lou Zhao: "..."
Does my queen think I never change clothes?!
"What you see as 'one outfit' is transformed from my true form. Bathing is the same as changing."
That sounds weird, but at least it means he's not wearing the same dirty clothes.
Embarrassed, Yin Jixue reached to take the pants back. "So, do you want them or not?"
Lou Zhao snatched them up. "You gave them to me. Of course, I'm keeping them."
That night, Yin Jixue fell asleep blissfully, expecting insomnia but instead waking up with a smile.
Was yesterday a dream? Did we hold hands? Did he tell me his name?
Lou Zhao, who usually vanished at dawn, was still in bed when she peeked out from her blankets.
Huh? Sleeping in today?
She tiptoed behind him—but before she could poke his back, he turned and sat up.
"I was waiting for you to wake up. What were you waiting for?"
Yin Jixue froze. "I thought you were still asleep! I was going to wake you!"
Ugh, I'm still in pajamas. Should've dressed first.
Hearing movement, Ruoshui entered to help Yin Jixue dress and freshen up. Spotting the Demon King still in the bedchamber, she quickly lowered her head.
Feng Xiu was right—we'll have a little prince or princess soon!
After grooming, Yin Jixue headed to the outer chamber for breakfast. Lou Zhao lingered before sitting beside her.
"What exactly are 'thermal pants'? Why are they so… tight?"
Her gaze involuntarily dropped to his legs. The image of this godlike demon king in thermal pants is bizarrely endearing.
"Walk around a bit—you'll get used to it. They're meant to hug your skin for warmth."
Lou Zhao didn't need the warmth, but the thought behind the gift mattered.
"Did you make a pair for yourself?"
"I made a vest and wool sweater to wear under my clothes." She rolled up her sleeve, revealing fabric matching his pants. Lou Zhao's chest swelled with satisfaction.
After breakfast, Lou Zhao led her to an empty room—the palace has no shortage of those.
Rumor was these rooms once stored treasures from past demon kings. Now, they held nothing.
During Lou Zhao's reign, the palace's most valuable item was… his bed.
At the doorway, he finally released her hand. "I brought back materials. See if any are useful."
His storage space, inherited from his lineage, was for his use only.
First, he produced items she'd mentioned—only a few, none of which he recognized. Next came rare materials from the Black Tortoise Clan, though they might not suit her needs.
Yin Jixue asked first: "Do you have the food and furs stored safely?"
"On the flying vessel. Don't worry—it's a symbol of the Black Dragon Clan. Anyone who dares intercept it will answer to me."
Demon realm air routes were secure, avoiding advanced beast territories. Those creatures hid deep in forests, only confronting those who sought them.
As for bandits… who'd be suicidal enough to rob the Black Dragon Clan?
The irony was almost funny.
"Good. Now, the materials."
Without her system's image search, she'd have no clue what most items were.
But two stood out as critical.
The first was rubber—specifically, a demon-realm variant blended with fibers to form a synthetic version. The black, sticky mass looked unappealing.
The second was clay, usable for ceramics and even as a cement substitute.
The palace's tableware has been passed down for generations. I'm not germophobic, but invisible bacteria? No thanks.
New ceramic dishes would be ideal. Before iron pots, everyone used stoneware—time for an upgrade.
"Can we get more of these? We'll take all available." She explained their uses, relying on Lou Zhao's help.
He grinned. "If you want it, I'll strip the land bare for you."
These materials were worthless to Jade Spirit City. Better they serve his queen.
He recalled their source—a border region between Jade Spirit and Black Dragon territories, technically theirs.
Yin Jixue hesitated. "You're not going to steal them, right? Let's not make more enemies."
She trusted his strength but feared schemes.
Lou Zhao waved it off. "They're ours to begin with. Use them freely—we'll have an endless supply."
Yes!
She sent Lou Zhao to the factory with the rubber and clay.
The rubber went to Old Demon for bicycle production. If his apprentices can't handle buses, maybe bikes are easier.
Old Demon recognized the tone—his nephew has rubbed off on her. But when he saw the couple holding hands, his grumbling softened into nostalgia, as if seeing ghosts of the past.
For the clay, the construction team needed training. Mixed with limestone, it would become cement for Black Dragon Mouth's walls.
The team welcomed more materials. Yin Jixue left samples—soon, a dedicated squad would collect more.
For ceramics, she consulted Black Sha, the blacksmith, who recommended three demons skilled at figurine sculpting.
Their crude "toys" weren't impressive, but when they instinctively grabbed dirt to demonstrate, Yin Jixue entrusted them with the ceramic factory—a name without a location yet.
"We won't fail you, Your Highness!"
With clay and simple dish blueprints, their future was in their hands.
Another day, another task was checked off. Yin Jixue stretched.
I didn't do much, but identifying those materials and assigning them to the right craftsmen counts as progress.
(Old Demon was reminiscing about his brother—the previous Demon King. Just an old demon with no grand tale~)