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

The two turned their heads at the same time.

Xiao Chenyuan stood under the plum tree, his black cloak almost blending into the dark shadows of the branches.

His black hair was neatly tied up with a jade crown, but his face was even colder than the snow outside the pavilion.

Snowflakes fell on his shoulders, but he didn't notice, staring fixedly at the pavilion—

Xie Yu's hand was still resting on Su Yaoyao's cheek.

Su Yaoyao's eyes were slightly red, and her long eyelashes were still wet with tears. She looked pitiful, a sight he had never seen before.

He looked at her wrist.

That string of sandalwood prayer beads.

His Buddhist prayer beads!

"Your Highness..." Xie Yu abruptly withdrew his hand, took a step back, and bowed deeply. "Your subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Xiao Chenyuan didn't look at him, but walked slowly closer, each step making a soft crunching sound on the snow.

But every sound felt like it was stepping on one's heart.

"Your Highness, what brings you here?" Su Yaoyao curtsied, her voice slightly hoarse from crying.

"What," he said, a faint smile playing on his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, "I can't come?"

"This humble woman dares not." Su Yaoyao lowered her eyes, but quietly took half a step toward Xie Yu.

This subtle movement caused Xiao Chenyuan's gaze to suddenly darken.

He walked up to her and raised his hand.

Su Yaoyao subconsciously tilted her head.

His hand paused, stopped at her cheek, and finally... landed on her wrist.

The sandalwood beads were cool, and his fingertips were even cooler.

"The prayer beads are stained with tears," he said softly. "It's bad luck."

Su Yaoyao was stunned.

Xie Yu's expression changed: "Your Highness, Miss Su is just..."

"But what?" Xiao Chenyuan looked at him. "General Xie and Miss Su seem quite close."

He paused, his expression unreadable.

"It is I who have arrived at an inopportune time, and I apologize for disturbing you both."

Xie Yu's face turned pale, and he knelt on one knee: "Your subject dares not, Your subject and Miss Su..."

"Thank you, young general." Xiao Chenyuan interrupted him, "The Southern City Garrison has been neglecting its patrols lately, which has greatly displeased the Emperor. Since you are here, why don't you go and inspect the area for me?"

This is a blatant attempt to divert attention.

Xie Yu pursed his lips and looked up at Xiao Chenyuan.

Their eyes met. The Crown Prince remained aloof, but Xie Yu, being a man himself, could sense something different in the Crown Prince's eyes...

"...Yes." Xie Yu gritted his teeth. "Then I shall take my leave..."

He gave Su Yaoyao a deep look before turning and leaving.

Only two people remained in the pavilion.

Snow falls silently, and the fragrance of plum blossoms wafts in the air.

Xiao Chenyuan still held Su Yaoyao's wrist, his fingertips caressing the string of Buddhist beads he had worn for ten years.

"Your Highness..." Su Yaoyao tried to pull her hand away.

But he gripped it even tighter.

"Why were you crying just now?"

His voice lowered, carrying a suppressed emotion, "Because of Xie Yu?"

"No..." Su Yaoyao looked up at him, "Your Highness, please let me go first."

"Let go?" Xiao Chenyuan not only didn't let go, but instead pulled her closer to him. "Su Yaoyao, have you forgotten... whose thing is that on your wrist?"

The two were very close, so close that Su Yaoyao could smell the crisp sandalwood scent on him and see the dark emotions churning in his eyes.

"This humble woman has not forgotten." She bit her lip. "But what does this have to do with Your Highness?"

"What does this have to do with me?" Xiao Chenyuan laughed in anger.

"You wore my Buddhist prayer beads, yet you were intimate with other men in front of me..."

He slowly leaned down, close to her ear, and said, "Tell me, what does this have to do with me?"

He rushed to the Xie residence after quickly handling urgent official business, not even having time to change out of his court robes, and the two of them were so close...

At that moment, he almost lost control of himself.

"Your Highness," Su Yaoyao took a deep breath, "General Xie is just..."

"Just what?" Xiao Chenyuan interrupted her, suddenly raising his other hand to pinch her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

"Just wiping away your tears? Just being gentle with you?"

"Su Yaoyao," his voice was hoarse, "have I... spoiled you too much?"

With each word he spoke, his voice grew colder.

Su Yaoyao winced in pain, frowned slightly, but still smiled:

"If Your Highness feels that I have overstepped my bounds, you may take back the prayer beads and from now on... ignore me."

As she spoke, she raised her other hand and gently touched the hand that was holding her wrist.

My fingertips slowly moved upwards along the blue veins on the back of his hand.

"But..." she leaned closer to him, her breath brushing against his chin, "Your Highness, are you willing to part with him?"

Xiao Chenyuan's fingers, which were gripping her chin, suddenly tightened.

"Su Yaoyao." His voice was terribly hoarse, "Do you really think... I really won't do anything to you?"

"What can Your Highness do to me?" Su Yaoyao pressed closer, almost touching his chest, instead of retreating. "Kill me? Or..."

She paused, her smile deepening.

"Lock my daughter up, so no one can see her?"

That's a bold and audacious remark.

Xiao Chenyuan's breathing suddenly became heavy.

He looked at the bright and flamboyant face before him, at the undisguised provocation in her eyes, at her slightly parted red lips, moistened with tears, crimson and tempting like red plum blossoms in the snow, inviting to be picked.

Despite having read countless Buddhist scriptures, I couldn't recall a single word at that moment.

Only one thought remained in my mind—

Make her cry.

It wasn't the kind of crying that came from feeling wronged just now, it was... crying because he bullied her.

"Su Yaoyao..." He closed his eyes, his voice filled with suppressed desire, "What kind of curse did you cast on me..."

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "You really think I wouldn't dare touch you?"

"This humble woman is waiting." Her smile deepened.

"How does Your Highness intend to... harm my daughter?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Chenyuan suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips fiercely.

The kiss was intense, urgent, and forceful, carrying a long-suppressed anger and possessiveness.

His lips were cool, but his kiss was burning hot, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Su Yaoyao tried to push him away, but he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her even deeper.

His kisses were haphazard, driven purely by instinct, his teeth brushing against her lips, leaving a delicate sting.

But... his lips were so soft, so unlike him.

Her kissing skills were clumsy, yet they possessed a fatal attraction.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She responded to him.

This realization sent a jolt through Xiao Chenyuan, and he kissed him even deeper.

Her tongue lightly brushed against his lips, like a silent invitation.

Xiao Chenyuan wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace with such force that he almost crushed her.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the air inside the pavilion was thick with the scent of snow.

Lost in passion from his kiss, Su Yaoyao unconsciously let out a soft moan—

Xiao Chenyuan suddenly woke up with a start, and as if he had been burned, he pushed her away.

The moment they parted, a trail of ambiguous saliva stretched between their lips.

Su Yaoyao staggered back two steps before regaining her balance by grabbing onto a pavilion pillar.

She looked up and saw Xiao Chenyuan standing two steps away, his chest heaving, his eyes swirling with complex emotions—annoyance, shock, anger, and... a trace of... bewilderment.

His lips still bore traces of her lipstick, a touch of crimson that accentuated his pale complexion, making him appear both cold and alluring.

Yet it is even more... alluring.

"Your Highness..." Su Yaoyao called him softly, her voice still slightly breathless from passion, "You've hurt me."

Xiao Chenyuan looked into her still alluring eyes,

What is he doing?

He lost control because of a woman, and he became angry because of a woman.

The Buddha said that greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt are the five poisons.

He had worked on it for so many years, but at this moment, all his efforts were in vain.

"Su Yaoyao," he said slowly, his voice tinged with a self-deprecating tone.

"You are truly... my karmic burden."

After saying that, he released her hand and took a step back.

He turned and strode away.

His back was still upright, but his steps were somewhat... hurried.

Su Yaoyao leaned against the pavilion pillar, watching his figure disappear into the depths of the plum grove, and slowly curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

She raised her hand and gently touched her slightly swollen lips, a barely perceptible smile flashing in her eyes.

His hot breath still lingered there.

She saw it.

I saw it a long time ago.

From the moment Xiao Chenyuan stepped into the plum garden, she saw it—

Across the swirling snow and the sparse plum branches, he stood there, like a silent jade sculpture.

So she deliberately didn't dodge Xie Yu's hand.

So she let the tears fall.

Some people appear to be detached from worldly desires, but in reality, their possessiveness is frighteningly strong.

How will we know how much he really cares if we don't provoke him?

Her eyes shone brightly:

"They run really fast..."

"Next time... it won't be so easy."