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

When Xiao Chenyuan carried her out of the Buddhist hall, it was already late at night.

Su Yaoyao nestled in his arms, able to hear his still-beating heart and feel the muscles in his arms trembling slightly from restraint.

The collar of his plain white undergarment was slightly disheveled from her tugging, revealing a small patch of his lean chest, where scratch marks from her earlier passion remained.

She looked at the mark and suddenly smiled silently.

It wasn't smugness, nor mockery, but a kind of almost satiated pleasure.

Having spent so many years in the world of fame and fortune in my past life, what kind of men haven't I seen?

She navigated the situation with ease, whether it was someone trying to curry favor, someone using manipulative tactics, or someone feigning deep affection, as if watching a series of clumsy performances.

They spent lavishly on her, fought over her like wild beasts chasing their prey.

But no one has ever been like Xiao Chenyuan.

This man, outwardly aloof and ascetic, yet inwardly proud to the extreme; this crown prince whom even the empress and emperor feared; this Buddhist disciple who had practiced Buddhism for ten years and whose heart was as still as water—

Just now in the Buddhist hall, I lost control to that extent because of her.

He was already burning with desire, he was on the verge of losing control...

His breath was hot, his kisses were forceful, and the desire surging in his eyes was naked and undisguised.

Every reaction of his body was telling her:

He wanted her, he was obsessed with her.

But at the very last moment, he stopped, abruptly halting.

How much willpower does that require?

It wasn't that he couldn't, but that he couldn't bear to.

The look in his eyes when he said, "You are my precious treasure, you shouldn't be treated like this,"

Su Yaoyao will never forget it in her life—there was struggle, pain, and a wild beast that almost broke free of its cage, but there was also a deeper, almost devout, sense of cherishing.

He would rather endure that almost self-destructive torment himself than take her in that place, in that situation, he didn't want to be so hasty, he didn't want to... wrong her.

Su Yaoyao closed her eyes and buried her face even deeper into the crook of his neck.

It's very satisfying to see a man with top-notch self-control lose control for you.

But seeing a man lose control for you, and then actively restrain himself for you—

This man's heart, his desires, his struggles, his restraint... at this moment, all belong to her.

This feeling of being cherished and carefully placed in someone's heart brings her more satisfaction than mere physical conquest.

-----

Inside Jingyu Pavilion.

Chun Tao and Jing Zhe, who were originally guarding outside the door, were both stunned when they saw the Crown Prince carrying the young lady back. They quickly lowered their heads and stepped aside.

Xiao Chenyuan walked straight into the inner room and gently placed Su Yaoyao on the bed.

Su Yaoyao was still wrapped in his outer robe, the wide robe making her look exceptionally slender.

The red gauze dress was still disheveled, revealing the ambiguous red marks on her neck and collarbone, which were dazzlingly alluring in the candlelight.

Xiao Chenyuan glanced at it only once before quickly looking away, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Get some rest." His voice was still a little hoarse as he turned to leave.

"Your Highness." Su Yaoyao suddenly reached out and grabbed the hem of his robe.

Xiao Chenyuan paused and turned to look at her.

Su Yaoyao sat up, her outer garment slipping off her shoulder. She didn't try to pull it back, but instead looked up at him, her voice soft and gentle, carrying just the right amount of dependence:

"Your Highness...would you like to sleep with me tonight?"

Xiao Chenyuan's breath hitched.

Su Yaoyao seemed oblivious to his sudden tension and continued in that innocent and soft tone:

"Just go to sleep. I promise, I won't do anything."

She even held up three fingers, making a vow gesture, her eyes curving into crescents:

"real."

Xiao Chenyuan stared at her for a long time.

The person in front of me had slightly disheveled long hair, shimmering eyes, and a sly smile on their lips.

Her red veil was half-undone, revealing her snow-white skin and red marks; she looked exactly like a fox that had just cultivated itself into a spirit, dedicated to seducing people's souls.

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with helplessness and a kind of resigned indulgence.

"Slender and graceful..."

He walked up to her, bent down, and braced his hands on the edge of the bed beside her, trapping her in a small space. His voice was low and husky:

"Aren't you overestimating my composure?"

He was on the verge of collapse just now in the Buddhist hall.

If they were to share a bed and be intimate, he couldn't guarantee he could still resist.

Su Yaoyao loosened his clothes, put her hands behind her back, and leaned back slightly to look at him.

This position caused the outer garment wrapped around her to slip off a little more, and the moonlight shone on her snow-white shoulders and neck, making the marks on them glaringly clear.

"Your Highness's composure," she tilted her head, a sly smile on her face, "wasn't it just proven in the Buddhist hall?"

Xiao Chenyuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he suddenly sighed, "That's a Buddhist hall."

"This is my bedroom, not a Buddhist shrine." Su Yaoyao tilted her head. "Didn't Your Highness say that I am a treasure? A treasure will be scared to sleep alone."

As she said this, her eyes and brows were full of sly smiles, showing no sign of fear whatsoever.

Xiao Chenyuan sat down on the edge of the bed, reached out to straighten her clothes, and paused almost imperceptibly when his fingertips brushed against the marks on her collarbone.

"I'm going to take a bath first." His voice was still hoarse. "You... go to sleep first."

"Your Highness is running away?" Su Yaoyao raised an eyebrow.

"...It's not about running away." Xiao Chenyuan closed his eyes briefly. "It's about calming down."

After he finished speaking, he got up to leave, but she gently tugged at his sleeve.

"After Your Highness finishes bathing... will you come again?"

The moonlight fell on her face, illuminating clearly the cunning and anticipation in her eyes.

Xiao Chenyuan's breath hitched.

After a long pause, he finally gave a soft "hmm," his ears turning noticeably red in the moonlight.

"……Come."

"Then this humble woman will wait for Your Highness." Su Yaoyao released her hand, lay down with a smile, pulled the brocade quilt over herself, and only revealed a pair of bright eyes looking at him.

Xiao Chenyuan turned around and walked out quickly, his back view giving the impression of fleeing in panic.

As Su Yaoyao listened to his receding footsteps, the smile on her lips deepened.

She rolled over in bed, grabbed her pillow, buried her face in it, and laughed silently.

This person...

He had already broken his vows for her to this extent...

So cute.

-----

When Xiao Chenyuan returned, half an hour had already passed.

He changed into a clean, plain white undergarment. His hair was still damp, and the cool sandalwood scent on his body was slightly diluted by the soapy fragrance after his bath, but it still smelled pleasant.

Su Yaoyao had already changed into her nightgown and was sitting on the bed, wrapped in the blanket, playing with her sandalwood prayer beads in her hand.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up at him, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "Your Highness, you've been bathing for so long, the water must be getting cold by now?"

Xiao Chenyuan paused, but didn't reply. He simply walked to the bedside, lifted a corner of the blanket, and lay down.