Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 362 Extra Chapter: First Encounter 5
He then smiled smugly and turned to run away.

Unexpectedly, the wet floor tiles were extremely slippery. Song Yi was running in a hurry, her foot slipped, and with a cry of "Ouch!" she fell to the side.

An arm suddenly reached out, precisely wrapped around her waist, and steadily pulled her back.

Still in shock, Song Yi stumbled into a firm, warm embrace, his nose instantly filled with the cool, refreshing scent unique to him.

She subconsciously looked up and met Jiang Lanye's gaze as he looked down at her.

His arms were still tightly wrapped around her waist, their bodies pressed close together, their breaths almost touching.

Jiang Lanye seemed to be taken aback for a moment, clearly not expecting to react so quickly on his own.

He frowned slightly, looking at Song Yi in his arms, whose eyes were wide open in fright and whose cheeks were flushed. The annoyance he felt from the wet droplets seemed to be dispelled by this unexpected contact.

The surroundings fell silent instantly, leaving only the slightly disordered heartbeats and shallow breathing of each other.

Immediately afterward, Jiang Lanye realized what was happening and released her.

The two of them tacitly looked away.

into the night.

As a night owl, Song Yi wasn't sleepy at all. After Jiang Lanye closed his book and went to take a bath, she casually wandered around the Golden Palace for a while, looking at the things placed inside and curiously reaching out to touch them.

When he returned from his shower, he was wearing a nightgown, the ties of which were slightly loose, revealing a section of his collarbone and below that a small patch of his chest.

Song Yi couldn't help but glance at it a few more times, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Putting everything else aside, Jiang Lanye does indeed have a great figure.

Jiang Lanye walked in and looked at Song Yi: "You can go back and rest now."

".oh."

She walked out slowly, thinking that nighttime was the best time to deepen their relationship, and since she had to complete her mission, she couldn't let go of such a rare opportunity.

So, Song Yi went back to her room to take a bath.

She changed her clothes, her long, wet hair cascading down her shoulders, and quietly approached the Golden Palace.

The palace servants on night watch saw it was her and did not stop her from going in.

Song Yi lightened her steps and saw that Jiang Lanye was already lying on the dragon bed. The palace was extremely dark, with only the moonlight illuminating the entire room.

She walked over cautiously and stood beside the dragon bed, looking at Jiang Lanye.

Jiang Lanye wasn't asleep. He opened his eyes and looked at her, asking, "What are you doing?"

"It's so late, why isn't Your Majesty asleep yet?"

"I have always been like this."

He's gotten used to it after all these years.

Song Yi assumed it was due to poor sleep quality and didn't think much of it, so she took the initiative to say:
"Or should I sleep with you?"

Jiang Lanye paused, his gaze towards her deepening.

"Do you know what you're talking about?"

Having just finished bathing, she exuded a faint fragrance, and her fair cheeks were flushed pink from the steam.

Song Yi quickly replied, "When I said 'sleep,' I meant simply 'sleep.'"

She sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "Your Majesty, think about it. When you're eating, if someone is sitting next to you and you're enjoying your food, your appetite will be affected. The same goes for sleeping. I've always been a very heavy sleeper."

Jiang Lanye remained silent for a long time.

He actually thought Song Yi was talking nonsense, but when he recalled seeing her eating today, his brow twitched slightly, and he actually agreed: "Come on up, but don't move around."

Song Yi was delighted and unceremoniously pulled back the covers: "No, this servant sleeps very soundly. I'll sleep on the outside and won't bother Your Majesty." As she moved closer, her sweet fragrance became even more pronounced.

This was Jiang Lanye's first time sleeping with a woman. Feeling the constant warmth emanating from her and listening to her soft breathing, he felt uncomfortable all over.

And Song Yi was right; she did sleep very well and fell asleep soon after closing her eyes.

Jiang Lanye couldn't help but feel agitated.

What was wrong with him just now? Why did he agree to let her sleep in his dragon bed?
Before he could think about it carefully, a leg suddenly draped around his waist.

Jiang Lanye: "."

He turned to look at Song Yi, who was sleeping sweetly with her lips slightly parted and her thick eyelashes obediently hanging down, casting a small shadow on her cheek.

Immediately afterwards, Song Yi leaned in and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Jiang Lanye simply gave up on himself. He closed his eyes and pulled Song Yi into his arms.

The next morning, when Song Yi woke up, she found herself nestled in Jiang Lanye's arms.

She opened her eyes suddenly.

She had never been in a relationship before, and sleeping so intimately with a man was a first for her. The main reason was that there was a large pillow on her bed at home, and she liked to hug it and rest her head on it when she slept.

No wonder she snuggled into Jiang Lanye's arms.

Recalling the scenery of the Imperial Garden she had seen yesterday, an idea arose in her mind. She carefully slipped out of his arms, tiptoed to put on her clothes, and went outside.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the door opened, Eunuch Cao happened to walk over. He had gone to rest last night, and when he saw Song Yi actually walking out of the Golden Palace, his eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Shh-"

Song Yi quickly gestured for him to be quiet.

Eunuch Cao lowered his voice: "You...you and His Majesty, last night...?"

Song Yi reached out and patted his shoulder with a serious expression: "It's exactly what you think."

".ah?!"

Song Yi is a person who loves life. She has bought several unique vases for her home. She likes to buy fresh flowers and put them in the vases, which makes her home look more vibrant.

That's why she has a pretty good eye for flower arranging.

She went to the flower shop, found a pair of scissors, went to the Imperial Garden to cut off several different varieties of flowers, and then cut some green branches to mix in, making a small bouquet. She looked at it from left to right for a while and was quite satisfied. She immediately took the flowers and ran back.

Judging by the time, it should be about time for Jiang Lanye to go to court.

She pushed open the door and ran inside.

Jiang Lanye was awakened by the noise and just opened his eyes.

A bouquet of fresh, vibrant, and colorful flowers was suddenly thrust in front of him, almost touching his nose.

A rich floral fragrance wafted over instantly.

In the morning light, Song Yi smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling, as she presented the carefully arranged bouquet of flowers like a precious treasure: "Your Majesty, look! Isn't it beautiful? I made it especially for you!"

Her hair was still damp with morning dew, her cheeks were flushed from running, and she was full of youthful vigor.

Jiang Lanye was stunned.

He looked at the flowers in front of him, then at Song Yi.

Song Yi was still wearing the clothes of a palace maid, a pink dress, which was very pretty.

It's even prettier than this bouquet of flowers.

(End of this chapter)