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

As night deepened, only a small lamp remained lit in Jingyuxuan.

Su Yaoyao, dressed in a thin nightgown, lay on the bed with her two white feet swinging behind her. She held a stack of brand-new silver notes in her hand and was counting them one by one with a beaming smile.

"...Adding to the silk shop we took back the other day, and then there's the interest on the loans that Aunt Liu 'offered'..."

She was so focused on counting that she didn't even notice someone pushing the door open.

She only looked up abruptly when the bedside dipped slightly and a familiar sandalwood scent, mixed with the coolness of the night, enveloped her.

Xiao Chenyuan was already sitting on the edge of the bed at some point, looking down at her with a faint helplessness and... an unconcealable smile in his eyes.

"So happy?" His voice was low and sounded especially pleasant in the quiet night.

Su Yaoyao's eyes lit up, but she deliberately put on a stern face again: "Why is Your Highness here? Didn't you say you weren't coming tonight?"

She put down the silver note, sat up, leaned closer to him, and winked: "Aren't you afraid my brother will break my legs?"

Xiao Chenyuan's ears turned slightly red, but his expression remained unchanged: "So I... came secretly."

He paused, then added, "They climbed in through the back window."

Su Yaoyao chuckled, her eyes darting around before she suddenly shrank back, clutching her chest with her hands in a terrified expression.

"Oh! So it's a womanizer!"

Her voice was soft and delicate, with a long, drawn-out ending:

"Don't come any closer... If you come any closer, I'm going to scream—"

That's what she said, but she was actually using both hands and feet to burrow into Xiao Chenyuan's arms.

Her hands were still restlessly touching his firm chest.

After she finished "calling," she was already firmly hanging on him.

Xiao Chenyuan was taken aback by her smooth and seamless actions, and then smiled helplessly.

He reached out and put his arm around her waist to prevent her from falling. Looking down at his disheveled clothes and the small hand touching his abs, he raised an eyebrow:

"Yaoyao, between us... who's the womanizer?"

Su Yaoyao tilted her head back, speaking with righteous indignation: "Of course it's His Highness! Breaking into a room through a window in the dead of night, what else could it be but a flower thief?"

As she spoke, she gently poked his chest with her fingertip:

"They even picked flowers from the Crown Prince's palace. They're really bold."

Xiao Chenyuan caught her mischievous fingers and held them in his palm.

Her hands were small and soft, with slightly cool fingertips, but they warmed up quickly when enveloped in his warm palm.

"Hmm," he looked down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, "So what if I picked them?"

Su Yaoyao blinked, then suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered softly:

"So...Young Master Flower Thief, how...do you plan to pick flowers tonight?"

A warm breath brushed against her ear, carrying the faint scent of plum blossoms. Xiao Chenyuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his arms tightened involuntarily, pulling her even closer into his embrace.

"What do you think?" His voice lowered and his eyes darkened.

Su Yaoyao suddenly broke free from his embrace, rolled over and lay back on the bed, pulling the quilt over herself and wrapping herself up like a silkworm cocoon, leaving only her bright eyes peeking out as she looked at him:

"I'm not giving it to you anymore! The flowers need to sleep!"

Xiao Chenyuan: "..."

He looked at the "silkworm" on the bed, wrapped up tightly with only its head sticking out and its eyes blinking at him, and for a moment he didn't know whether to be angry or laugh.

"Su Yaoyao," he reached out to pull at her blanket, "are you playing games with me?"

"No way!" Su Yaoyao clutched the corner of the blanket tightly, laughing like a cat that had just stolen some cream. "His Highness said it himself. Tonight was just a 'sneak visit,' he didn't say anything else."

Xiao Chenyuan paused.

It seems... he really did say it himself.

Looking at her sly smile, he suddenly leaned down and hugged her, blanket and all, and chuckled softly.

"Okay, that's all."

Su Yaoyao cried out "Oh dear!" and hurriedly went to protect the silver notes on the bed, saying, "Don't cover my silver notes! I just counted them!"

Xiao Chenyuan obediently moved aside, watching her frantically salvage the crumpled silver note and carefully smooth it out, his smile deepening.

"You like money that much?"

"I like it." Su Yaoyao nodded without hesitation, answering confidently.

She really likes it.

In her past life, the despair she felt watching her brother at his bedside as he racked up numbers on the medical bills, and the helplessness she felt later as she struggled in the entertainment industry, desperately trying to save money but still unable to maintain her health... Money was never just money to her.

It's a sense of security, dignity, and the confidence to never have to bow down to anyone again.

Xiao Chenyuan felt a pang of sadness when he saw the fleeting sadness in her eyes.

He thought it was a shadow left by the years of mistreatment she had suffered in the Marquis's mansion, and he felt extremely heartbroken.

After a moment of silence, he took an ebony token from his waist and gently placed it on the pile of silver notes beside her.

"for you."

Su Yaoyao looked down.

The pair of tiles is small, made of ebony, with edges wrapped in red gold, and the front is engraved with intricate dragon patterns.

"What is this?" She picked up the pair of cards and ran her fingertips along the patterns on them.

"The Crown Prince's storeroom inventory." Xiao Chenyuan's voice was very soft, as if he were stating something utterly ordinary.

"With this token, one can freely withdraw all gold, silver, and jewels from the treasury, and also use all properties under the Crown Prince's name."

Su Yaoyao's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the pair of cards.

She looked up abruptly, her eyes wide: "Your Highness... you just... just gave it to me like that?!"

Xiao Chenyuan raised an eyebrow: "What, you don't want it?"

"Yes! Of course I want it!" Su Yaoyao clutched the pair to her chest, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "This is the Crown Prince's storeroom! There must be so many treasures inside!"

Seeing her greedy appearance, Xiao Chenyuan smiled slightly and deliberately asked:

"Now you're not calling me a womanizer anymore?"

Su Yaoyao gripped the cards tightly, raised her face, and her eyes shone with an astonishing light.

"Your Highness, aren't you afraid... I'll empty your storerooms?"

Xiao Chenyuan's voice was low and gentle:

"I'm not afraid."

Why?

He looked at her, his phoenix eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Because I am entirely yours, let alone a mere warehouse."

Su Yaoyao's heart trembled violently.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but no sound came out.

In the end, all she could do was rush over, hug his neck tightly, and bury her face in the crook of his shoulder.

Xiao Chenyuan was knocked back slightly by her bump, but he caught her steadily and gently patted her back with his palm.

"Your Highness..." her muffled voice came from his shoulder, "If you keep this up... I'll become arrogant and spoiled."

"Then be proud." Xiao Chenyuan lowered his head, his lips close to her ear, his voice tinged with laughter, "I can afford to spoil you."

Su Yaoyao sniffed, then suddenly pulled away from his embrace, carefully tucking the pair of cards into her bosom, and then—

She curled herself up in the blankets again.

Xiao Chenyuan chuckled and tugged at the blanket. "What? You took the money, and you're already turning your back on me?"

Su Yaoyao, buried in the blankets, said in a muffled voice, "I can't take it anymore! Your Highness's way of throwing money around is too elegant. This humble woman doesn't have Your Highness's self-control, I won't be able to resist!"

Xiao Chenyuan's smile deepened. "You've torn my clothes to shreds, you heartless little thing. Did you want me to freeze?"

Su Yaoyao twitched in the blankets and asked softly, "Then what does Your Highness intend to do?"

Xiao Chenyuan looked down at her: "Then will you let me in?"

Go in?

Where to go?

Su Yaoyao's mind went astray...

Her little face flushed, she loosened the corner of the blanket, stretched out a hand from the "cocoon," and patted the spot next to her:

"Come in. But it's a deal, we'll go to sleep. I won't bother you, and Your Highness is not allowed to bother me either."

Xiao Chenyuan chuckled, lifted the covers, and lay down.

As soon as he lay down, a soft, warm body rolled into his arms and wrapped itself around him with its arms and legs.

"Didn't you say you were going to sleep?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah~ I want to hug him even when I sleep." Su Yaoyao said matter-of-factly, burying her face in his chest, "It's warm this way."

Xiao Chenyuan didn't say anything, but simply reached out and hugged her tightly, gently patting her back with his other hand, as if he were coaxing a child.

The room fell silent, with only the occasional crackling of the candlelight.

After a long silence, Su Yaoyao suddenly spoke softly, "Your Highness."

"Um?"

"You gave me the pair...is it because you feel sorry for how hard I suffered in the Marquis's mansion?"

Xiao Chenyuan was silent for a moment, then hugged her even tighter:

Yes and no.

"What is that?"

In the darkness, he gently kissed the top of her head, his voice so low it was almost inaudible:

"It's because... I want you to know that from now on, you will never have to worry about anything again."

"With me here, you can have whatever you want."

Su Yaoyao's nose started to sting again.

She buried her face in his chest and softly hummed in agreement.

After a long while, she finally said in a muffled voice:

"Your Highness..."

"Um?"

"If you do this, I won't be able to bear bullying you."

Xiao Chenyuan chuckled softly, his chest vibrating slightly:

"It's alright. I'm willing to be bullied by you."

Su Yaoyao felt a warmth in her heart and hugged his waist tightly, "Your Highness is so kind~"

"Now you know I'm good?" Xiao Chenyuan raised an eyebrow. "Just now you called me a womanizer."

"Even a flower thief is fine," Su Yaoyao laughed, "As long as it's Your Highness, it's all good. I like Your Highness the most!"

Xiao Chenyuan didn't say anything, but simply hugged her tighter.

The candlelight gradually dimmed and eventually went out.

Moonlight streamed through the window curtains, enveloping the two sleeping lovers in a gentle, silvery glow.

Outside the window, Ling Feng, who was on night watch, silently looked up at the sky.

Your Highness's "sneaking in"...isn't that making a bit too much noise?

He shook his head and quietly retreated a little further away.

Yes, the moonlight is beautiful tonight.