Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Xiao Luochen leaned down and gently brushed away the wet hair clinging to her cheek with his fingertips.

The touch was as delicate as silk, mixed with the coolness of ice water and sweat, yet it burned his fingertips until they tingled slightly.

He gazed at her furrowed brows, her rosy lips, and the tear stains still wet in her eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing silently.

He understood once again why Xiao Hanxing was so devoted to her.

This strong and pure woman is like a plum blossom in the snow, possessing both the heroic spirit to point her sword to the ends of the earth and the tenderness hidden in her heart.

But at this moment, the plum tree is being scorched by flames, and he is the only one who can extinguish the fire.

"Brother, I'm sorry..."

Xiao Luochen's voice was so low that it was almost drowned out by the sound of the wind outside the window.

His fingertips hovered above her brow, carrying the unique restraint of an emperor and a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

He raised his hand and removed his outer robe, the bright yellow dragon robe slipping to the ground, followed by his bright yellow inner robe...

When his fingertips touched Liu Yunshu's burning shoulder, he paused, then seemed to have made up his mind.

His lips slowly covered her forehead, the tender kiss carrying a rare gentleness from an emperor, as if to soothe the burning heat little by little.

Liu Yunshu let out a soft moan unconsciously, her eyelashes trembling slightly like the wings of a dying butterfly, "Hanxing..."

Xiao Luochen paused slightly, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes, along with a jealousy that even he himself couldn't detect.

His gaze lingered on those lips, so red they were almost burning, and a dryness rose in his throat.

"I am not him."

Xiao Luochen murmured softly, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness that he himself was unaware of.

He leaned down, his warm breath brushing against her ear, "Liu Yunshu, remember, it's me now."

He then kissed her bright red lips, and the moment their lips touched, it was like ice and fire colliding.

Her lips were incredibly hot, carrying the scent of medicine and the unique sweetness of a young girl, so hot that it made his tongue tingle.

His lips had a slightly cool temperature, like a drop of sweet rain falling in a parched desert.

In her dazed state, Liu Yunshu subconsciously parted her lips slightly and let out a soft moan.

Xiao Luochen paused, his eyes growing even deeper.

He could clearly feel the softness of her lips, and her unconscious response; the string of "restraint" in his heart almost snapped.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

Liu Yunshu's consciousness was still on the verge of chaos, her lips becoming even redder from the kiss.

Her hot breath sprayed onto Xiao Luochen's neck, carrying an unconscious dependence and a soft, gentle warmth.

Xiao Luochen's fingertips touched her lips, his eyes as deep as a cold pool, and his Adam's apple bobbed more and more frequently.

He could clearly feel her rapid heartbeat beneath his palm, and feel the medicinal properties surging within her like magma.

Each pulse burned her veins and his reason.

"Liu Yunshu, who is she now?"

Xiao Luochen's voice was low and deliberately hoarse, and his warm breath brushed against her sweaty forehead.

"It's...it's Hanxing..."

Liu Yunshu's almond-shaped eyes were veiled with a thick, impenetrable mist of tears, her consciousness oscillating between the effects of the medicine and her instincts.

That murmur, filled with broken dependence, was like a dull knife, gently cutting into Xiao Luochen's heart.

His eyes suddenly darkened, his fingers clenched so tightly they turned white, and the burning heat of her skin beneath his palms almost scorched him.

The emperor's pride and restraint collapsed at this moment, leaving only an indescribable bitterness and a hint of obsessive possessiveness.

"Wrong."

His voice was low and husky, and his warm breath brushed against her sweaty temples.

He gently pinched her chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look at him.

"Look again, who is saving you?"

Liu Yunshu's vision was blurred, and she could only see the distinct features of the person in front of her, who looked exactly like Xiao Hanxing.

Her almond-shaped eyes welled up with tears of grievance. "Hanxing, what's wrong? I'm so hot... I feel so uncomfortable..."

Xiao Luochen pinched her chin with his fingertips, the force not heavy but carrying an irresistible authority.

He gazed at the thick, unyielding tears in her eyes, at her dependence on him, mistaking him for her brother, and a sudden surge of bitterness welled up in his heart.

"Wrong!"

His voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded, and his warm breath brushed against her sweaty temples, carrying a hint of obsessive stubbornness.

He moved closer to her, coaxing, "Yun Shu, be good, look at me. I'm Xiao Luochen, call me Luochen."

"Falling...dust..."

Liu Yunshu's voice was broken like a candle flickering in the wind, with a heavy nasal tone and an unconscious softness.

Xiao Luochen's heart tightened suddenly, and the pressure on her chin unconsciously eased.

That soft, sweet "Luochen" was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, stirring up ripples in his heart.

Even that obsessive possessiveness was tinged with a tenderness that was hard to define.

"Good girl." He said in a low, husky voice, his warm breath brushing against her sweaty neck.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers once more.

His tongue gently pried open her lips and teeth, touching her burning tongue tip. The interplay of coolness and heat sent a shiver down his spine.

Liu Yunshu unconsciously responded, her hands clinging tightly to his shoulders as if they had found support.

Fingertips dug deep into his flesh, a dependence born of extreme pain.

Under the dim light, figures overlapped on the brocade couch, their plain clothes and bright yellow undergarments intertwined, weaving a beautiful yet fragile picture.

"Yun Shu, who am I?"

"Falling...dust..."

"Sweetie~ relax, don't be nervous..."

"Luochen, Luochen..."

"I am here……"

The flickering candlelight cast long and short shadows throughout the hall.

The entanglement on the brocade couch gradually subsided, leaving only the overlapping breaths of the two, warmly intertwined.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Liu Family Manor.

As Xiao Hanxing gazed at the bright moon, longing for and worrying about Liu Yunshu, a familiar surge of desire suddenly welled up within him.

He subconsciously lowered his head, tsk~ standing so straight.

Could it be that I miss Yun Shu so much that I can't control myself?

He looked up toward the imperial city. The moonlight, as white as frost, shone on his tall figure, but could not dispel the anxiety and longing between his brows.

"Yun Shu..." he murmured softly.

Then waves surged towards him, and he groaned in discomfort, "Damn it! What's going on?"

He immediately looked down in shock. This...so fast!

It instantly reminded him of that time in the cave, the first time he felt the same way...

"No way! When did I become so weak!" Xiao Hanxing frowned. "I lasted quite well the last few times!"

"Could it be that brat Xiao Luochen?"

Thinking of this, a hint of interest flashed in Xiao Hanxing's eyes, and he raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself.

"Didn't you always say your great cause is unfinished, and that all women are trouble? What kind of woman could possibly have captured this young man's heart?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The morning light, like scattered gold, streamed into the palace through the carved windows.

The red plum blossoms, scattered on the brocade quilt of the canopy bed, made the specks of red plum blossoms on the snow-white painting appear even more vibrant.

Liu Yunshu's eyelashes trembled slightly, as if startled by the warmth, and she slowly opened her eyes.

A hangover-like headache struck, and my bones felt like they had been disassembled and reassembled, leaving me weak and sore.

She stared blankly at the canopy above her, embroidered with lotus scrolls, the faint scent of ambergris mixed with herbs lingering around her nose.

It felt both strange and strangely familiar.

"You're awake?"

Liu Yunshu's eyelashes fluttered suddenly as she realized that she was resting her head on a warm chest.

The voice was deep and warm, with a husky quality unique to early morning. It wasn't Han Xing, whom she longed for day and night, but Xiao Luochen, whose voice made her heart tighten.

She looked up abruptly and met a pair of unfathomable eyes.

Xiao Luochen was not fully awake yet, and a light layer of sleepiness still clung to his eyes.

His usual imperial majesty had softened somewhat, replaced by a rare gentleness.

But this gentleness, when seen by Liu Yunshu, was like a thunderclap, instantly dispelling all her confusion.

Memories of last night came flooding back like a tidal wave.

"You...I...we..."

Liu Yunshu's voice trembled violently, and her fingertips gripped the brocade quilt beneath her tightly, her knuckles turning white as if they were embedded in the fabric.

She could clearly feel the body temperature of the person beside her, and the lingering heat of their bodies pressed tightly together, skin to skin.

That wasn't a dream.

Liu Yunshu struggled to get up, but the soreness in her body caused her to stumble and fall even deeper into Xiao Luochen's arms.

He instinctively reached out and put his arm around her waist, his palm touching her delicate skin and feeling her stiffness and trembling.

"Don't move."

Xiao Luochen's voice was slightly hoarse, and he used his fingertips to steady her.

"You've just recovered from the effects of the medication, and you're still weak."

Liu Yunshu stiffened her body and closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, the panic in them had been covered by a layer of cold calm.

Although the gentle and heroic spirit of the past was pale with the aftermath of a disaster, it had been rekindled in her brows.

She stopped struggling and slowly raised her hand, her fingertips gently pushing open Xiao Luochen's chest through the brocade quilt.

The force was weak, yet it carried an undeniable sense of detachment.

"His Majesty."

Her voice was as calm as deep ice, revealing no emotion whatsoever, except for a slight tremor at the end that betrayed her true feelings.

"What happened last night was Yun Shu's fault for losing her composure. I thank Your Majesty for saving my life, but..."

As she said this, her calm voice became slightly choked with emotion.

"May I humbly request Your Majesty to consider last night's events as an accident, and from now on, as if they never happened?"

"It never happened?"

He repeated it in a low voice, with a hint of barely perceptible bitterness in his tone.

"Are you afraid your brother will find out, or... do you simply not want to admit it?"

Her eyes were lowered, her long eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings, and her pale fingertips gripped the brocade quilt tightly.

"Your Majesty is the Emperor, and Yun Shu is Xiao Hanxing's fiancée. What happened last night was merely an accident caused by the effects of the drug."

"If word gets out, it will damage His Majesty's reputation, tarnish Yun Shu's character, and harm my relationship with Han Xing."

Yes, to her, he was just her fiancé's younger brother; there was no affection between them.

If she hadn't been poisoned by love, perhaps...

A hint of melancholy flashed across Xiao Luochen's eyes.

He gazed at her lowered eyelashes, which trembled like butterfly wings dampened by frost.

"Alright," he finally spoke, his voice calm and even, "I will have my men keep silent about what happened last night."