The abstinent prince, practicing Buddhism, is seduced by a voluptuous beauty into breaking his vows.

Su Yaoyao stepped down from the carriage and immediately saw the people standing at the entrance of the East Palace.

He stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a moon-white brocade robe and a jade belt around his waist, exuding a cold and aloof aura.

Even though it was broad daylight, he stood there like a traditional Chinese ink painting—detached, distant, and untouched by the world.

But those eyes never left her from the moment she appeared.

Su Yaoyao paused in her steps.

Oh dear... the vinegar jar has been overturned again.

She slowly walked over to him, stood in front of him, and looked up at him.

"Why is Your Highness standing here? It's windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold."

Xiao Chenyuan withdrew his gaze, his expression calm as still water.

"I'll pick you up."

Just two words.

His tone was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Su Yaoyao blinked and took his hand.

Those hands were cold; I wonder how long they'd been standing there.

"How long has Your Highness been standing there?"

"soon."

Are you cold?

"It's not cold."

Su Yaoyao was secretly amused by his aloof and unyielding demeanor.

Pretending, pretending again.

She deliberately moved closer to him, tilting her head back and smiling sweetly.

"Your Highness, I'm back."

"……Um."

Just one word.

Su Yaoyao raised an eyebrow.

Wow, you're pretty patient.

She gently scratched his palm with her fingers.

"Does Your Highness not miss me?"

Xiao Chenyuan's eyelashes trembled.

"……Um."

It's still just one word.

But the voice was noticeably lower.

Su Yaoyao chuckled inwardly, but her face showed a pitiful expression.

"Then why isn't Your Highness looking at me?"

Xiao Chenyuan finally looked down at her.

In those phoenix eyes, an indescribable emotion surged—longing, jealousy, and a hint of…desire that was being desperately suppressed.

But he still maintained that aloof and indifferent demeanor.

"I saw it," he said.

"Let's go in."

Su Yaoyao was led inside by him, secretly glancing at him as they walked.

That face remained aloof, its features distant, as if it were untouched by worldly affairs.

But when she held his hand, she could feel that it was tighter than usual.

This guy is such a show-off.

She followed, chattering away the whole way.

"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager spoke to me at length today. Would you like to hear it?"

"Um."

"Shen Qinghe is so pitiful. She has marks on her wrists from being strangled. She must have been forced to do it."

"Um."

"Also, Your Highness is aware that I got on the wrong carriage, isn't he?"

Xiao Chenyuan paused in his steps.

"……Know."

Su Yaoyao watched his slightly stiffened back and felt overjoyed.

She walked around to face him and looked up at him.

"Your Highness, aren't you going to ask me what we talked about?"

Xiao Chenyuan looked down at her.

His eyes remained calm, but Su Yaoyao could clearly see something churning within them.

"Not curious." His voice remained indifferent.

Su Yaoyao raised an eyebrow.

"real?"

"Um."

"Isn't Your Highness curious why he sought me out?"

Xiao Chenyuan paused again.

"...I'm not curious."

Su Yaoyao almost burst out laughing.

She deliberately sighed, "Alright, since Your Highness doesn't want to know, then I won't say anything."

Xiao Chenyuan: "..."

Su Yaoyao chuckled, leaned closer to him, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in his ear:

He said he did it willingly.

A crack finally appeared in Xiao Chenyuan's expression.

But he quickly suppressed it, maintaining his aloof demeanor.

"Okay. Let's go in."

Su Yaoyao: "???"

That's it?

Once inside the bedchamber, she deliberately leaned against him.

"Your Highness, I'm tired."

Xiao Chenyuan helped her up and pressed her down to sit on the soft couch.

"Take a break."

Then he sat down at his desk, picked up a folding book, and began to annotate it.

Su Yaoyao: "..."

She lay on the soft couch, watching the man intently annotating the folds of paper.

He truly appeared single-minded, with his eyes lowered, his thin lips slightly pursed, and his aura as aloof as a Buddha statue in a temple.

But Su Yaoyao, with her sharp eyes, noticed that his knuckles were slightly white as he held the pen.

She smiled.

"Your Highness," she called to him, her voice soft and gentle.

Xiao Chenyuan didn't even look up: "Mm."

Come here.

"Records of memorials".

"Your origami is prettier than mine?"

Xiao Chenyuan's hand paused.

"...More obedient than you."

Su Yaoyao was stunned for a moment, then laughed and slowly walked over to him and sat down next to him.

She rested her chin on her hand and looked at him.

Xiao Chenyuan turned a page of the folded book very seriously.

Su Yaoyao moved even closer, almost touching his face.

"Your Highness~" she said softly, "Why are you ignoring me?"

She reached out, snatched the folding book from his hand, and tossed it aside.

“Then Your Highness, look at me,” she said. “I promise I’ll be prettier than folding paper.”

Xiao Chenyuan did not move.

Su Yaoyao leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

Still nothing.

Su Yaoyao raised an eyebrow and reached out to unbutton his shirt.

Xiao Chenyuan took her hand.

"Yaoyao," he said, his voice indifferent, "No, no."

Su Yaoyao was taken aback: "Why?"

Xiao Chenyuan looked at her and spoke in a serious tone.

"I'm going to show some backbone today!"

Su Yaoyao: "...What?"

Xiao Chenyuan spoke each word clearly:

"I can't let you control me like this."

Su Yaoyao was stunned for three seconds.

Then she laughed so hard she almost fell over, and her whole body shook as she leaned on his shoulder.

"Your Highness!" She laughed until tears almost streamed down her face. "You...you're so adorable!"

Xiao Chenyuan sat there expressionless, letting her laugh.

"What are you laughing at?"

Su Yaoyao finished laughing, got up, and slowly walked to him.

She leaned down, placed her hands on his knees, and looked up at him.

Those eyes were bright and sparkling, with a sly smile.

"Your Highness," she said softly, "I have something to tell you."

Xiao Chenyuan looked at her face so close to his own, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"What?"

Su Yaoyao leaned close to his ear, her breath sweet as orchids:

"My period... is over."

Xiao Chenyuan froze.

He suddenly looked down at her.

In those phoenix eyes, the emotions that had been suppressed for so long could finally be contained—desire, longing, possessiveness, and a hint of grievance that "you're only telling me now."

"Really?" His voice was terribly hoarse.

Su Yaoyao nodded, smiling like a fox.

"real."

As soon as she finished speaking, she was lifted into the air.

Xiao Chenyuan swept her up in his arms and strode out.

"Your Highness!" Su Yaoyao exclaimed in surprise, "Where are you going?"

Xiao Chenyuan looked down at her, his brows furrowed tightly.

"It has a seductive, alluring scent."

"I can't stand the smell."

Su Yaoyao was stunned for a moment, then realized that he was referring to He Qing's effeminate scent.

"I'll wash it for you."

After he finished speaking, he carried her through the corridor and walked deeper into the East Palace.

Su Yaoyao wrapped her arms around his neck.

This person is incredibly jealous.

---

The bathing pool in the Eastern Palace was filled with steam.

Xiao Chenyuan put her down, stood by the pool, and looked down at her.

"Should I take it off myself, or will you let me help you?"

Su Yaoyao snapped out of her daze, looked at him like this, and wanted to laugh again.

Just a moment ago they were pretending to be aloof and magnanimous, but now they're not pretending at all.

She blinked and deliberately took a step back.

"Isn't Your Highness supposed to be successful?"

Xiao Chenyuan stepped forward.

"Promising?" His voice was terribly low and hoarse. "What's that?"

Su Yaoyao laughed out loud, wanting to tease him again, but he pulled her into his arms.

"Don't run away." He lowered his head, brought his voice close to her ear, and said in a low, husky voice, "Let me give you a good wash."

He loosened her sash with his fingers, and her outer robe slipped down.

Undergarments, undershirts, one by one...

He picked up the pink and white dress.

"This one..." he said softly, "I like it."

Then he looked at her intently.

Su Yaoyao's face flushed under his gaze, and she instinctively tried to block him, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Don't block me..."

"It's not like I haven't seen it before."

His gaze slowly moved down her face, inch by inch, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

As soon as Xiao Yi landed, he picked her up and gently placed her into the pool.

The warm water washed over her body, making her sigh softly in comfort.

Xiao Chenyuan wrapped his arms around her from behind.

The water just reached his waist, revealing his lean waist and well-defined abdominal muscles.

Su Yaoyao's gaze involuntarily shifted downwards.

Xiao Chenyuan reached out and lifted her chin.

"What are you looking at?"

Su Yaoyao blinked and said matter-of-factly, "Look at His Highness."

Xiao Chenyuan raised an eyebrow.

"Small?"

"Not small, not small... um... a little scary..."

He chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss her.

The kiss carried the warmth of the pool water, the fragrance of flower petals, and his unique cool sandalwood scent; it was tender and profound.

Su Yaoyao was dizzy from his kisses, and her hands climbed up his shoulders, her fingertips touching the scars left by his old wounds.

Her heart softened, and she gently stroked the scars.

Xiao Chenyuan's body stiffened slightly.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, her voice as soft as a sigh.

Xiao Chenyuan looked at her, his gaze deep.

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

Su Yaoyao knew he didn't want to say more, so she didn't press him.

She simply leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

"From now on, you mustn't let yourself get hurt again."

Xiao Chenyuan's pupils trembled slightly.

He looked at her, at her earnest face, at those clear eyes—

Suddenly he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

"Yaoyao," he called her, his voice muffled.

"Um."

"You are alone."

Su Yaoyao smiled and reached out to wrap her arms around his waist.

"Yes, yes, Your Highness."

The two embraced in the pool, the warm water gently rippling, and the flower petals swaying with the waves.

In the distance, the faint sound of a water clock could be heard.

Xiao Chenyuan lowered his head and whispered in her ear:

"I'll wash it for you."

Su Yaoyao's face flushed: "I can do it myself—"

Before he could finish speaking, his hand had already reached out.

"Your Highness!"

"Um?"

"Where are you washing...?"

"Wash everywhere."

"..."

The pond water rippled, and the petals fluttered.