I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

Late at night.

The candlelight in Tinglan Pavilion swayed gently in the evening breeze outside the window, casting long, ambiguous shadows on the window paper of the two intertwined figures.

Ye An'an felt like her heart was about to jump out of her throat.

The pounding of my heart mingled with Xiao Jingshi's rapid breathing beside me, making my ears burn.

Even though it wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed, the atmosphere tonight was completely different from any other time.

Just now, after the banquet, Xiao Jingshi dismissed all the servants and took her for a walk in the courtyard.

He asked her why she was so bold as to take on such a risky task as hosting the state banquet that day.

She said half-jokingly, "Because I know that even if I make a huge mess of things, His Highness will definitely fix it for me."

He was stunned when he heard that.

He looked at her for a long, long time, and in his eyes, which were always as clear and cold as an ancient well, there surged complex emotions that she could not understand.

Then, he slowly asked her, word by word, "An'an, in your heart, is this the kind of person I am?"

"Yes." She nodded without hesitation.

At that moment, she saw the ice and snow in his eyes melt away instantly, turning into a vast ocean of deep affection that could drown a person.

And then...

Then, he pulled her into the bedroom.

"Your Highness..." Ye An'an's palms were sweating with nervousness. She looked at Xiao Jingshi, who was sitting silently on the edge of the bed, and felt like her tongue was about to tie itself in knots. "You...you're...staying here tonight?"

As soon as she asked the question, she wanted to slap herself. Wasn't that a pointless question? She was already sitting there; where else could she go?

"Hmm." Xiao Jingshi nodded, but his expression looked unnatural, and his eyes were even somewhat unfocused, as he dared not look at her.

In his twenty-one years of life, this was the first time he had ever been so clearly aware of his desire for a woman.

Just now, the moment she said "yes," the floodgates that had been pressing down on him for so long collapsed.

He wanted to have her.

This thought was raging wildly in his mind.

But when it really came to this, his pride and joy in composure seemed to have completely vanished.

He was nervous too.

I was so nervous that I didn't know where to put my hands.

Looking at his innocent and adorable appearance, Ye An'an's nervousness suddenly dissipated, replaced by an urge to laugh.

It turns out he was even more nervous than I was.

She walked to the dressing table, dawdled as she removed the hairpins and ornaments from her head, and changed into a loose and comfortable mauve nightgown.

Then, she took a deep breath and walked to the bedside.

She carefully lifted the covers and lay down on the innermost side of the bed, with a space between her and him large enough for another person to lie down.

Two people were lying on the bed.

No one spoke.

They could only hear each other's clearly audible, increasingly rapid heartbeats.

"Um..." After a long while, it was Xiao Jingshi who broke the suffocating silence first.

"An An."

"Hmm?" Ye An'an responded softly.

"May I...may I be a little closer to you?" he asked cautiously, with a hint of pleading that he himself didn't even realize.

Ye An'an felt her face instantly burn up.

She didn't say anything, but moved further into the bed, bringing the two of them closer together.

With her tacit approval, Xiao Jingshi finally felt relieved.

He followed suit and moved a little further in.

Until, his arm accidentally touched her back.

The soft, warm touch, transmitted through the thin nightgown, instantly tensed his entire body.

"An An," he called again, his voice hoarse beyond belief.

"Um."

"I... love you."

He said those four words very softly.

But it was like the heaviest stone, crashing heavily onto Ye An'an's heart, stirring up towering waves.

She turned around abruptly, meeting his eyes, which shone brilliantly in the darkness.

"I know." She looked at him, her voice trembling slightly.

"Then...and what about you?" he pressed, eager to know her answer.

Ye An'an looked at him, at his handsome face, which was incredibly vivid with nervousness and anticipation.

She did not speak.

She simply reached out slowly and took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck.

Then, she pressed her lips to it.

This action is like a switch.

In an instant, all of Xiao Jingshi's long-suppressed reason and emotions were ignited.

He took the initiative, holding the back of her head and deepening the kiss.

It's no longer a tentative, half-hearted attempt.

Instead, it was a surging, scorching, frenzied plunder that seemed to want to devour her whole.

Clothes were scattered without anyone noticing.

Skin pressed tightly together in the darkness.

He kissed her, from her lips to her earlobe, and then to her delicate, fragile collarbone.

"An An... An An..." He called her name again and again, tirelessly, as if he wanted to engrave those two words into his soul.

Ye An'an felt like a lone boat adrift at sea.

And he was the raging wind and the giant waves that completely engulfed her.

She gave up all resistance, letting herself sink completely into this ocean of affection named Xiao Jingshi.

Outside the window, the few crabapple trees that had not received rain for a long time were finally thoroughly irrigated by a sudden downpour that night.

The petals slowly unfurled in the night.

Each piece was covered with glistening water droplets, appearing even more delicate and vibrant under the moonlight.

Around midnight, Ye An'an had already called for water three times.

Xiao Jingshi got up to pour her water, his eyes filled with heartache as he looked at her flushed cheeks.

"Your Highness, please rest." Ye An'an took the water glass, her voice hoarse and filled with obvious shyness.

Xiao Jingshi didn't say anything, but simply pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her back with his hand.

"Am I...am I too much?" Xiao Jingshi's voice was low, tinged with regret.

Ye An'an shook her head and buried her face in Xiao Jingshi's chest. "No."

These two words were spoken very softly, yet they made Xiao Jingshi freeze completely.

"An An..." Xiao Jingshi tightened his grip on her waist, his breathing becoming rapid again.

Ye An'an sensed something was wrong and quickly nudged Xiao Jingshi, "Your Highness, it's really not going to work..."

"Then...then I'll hold you while I sleep." Xiao Jingshi conceded, his tone full of resentment.

"An'an..." Xiao Jingshi's voice was terribly hoarse, "Tell me again, tell me that you love me."

"I love you." Ye An'an bit her lip, her voice so soft it could melt water. "I love Your Highness."

The moment he received a response, Xiao Jingshi was ignited once again.

The kiss landed on Ye An'an's neck, traveling downwards with a burning heat.

"Your Highness!" Ye An'an glared at him.

"I will cherish you." After saying that, Xiao Jingshi leaned down and enveloped Ye An'an completely.

One kiss turned into countless kisses.

Ye An'an felt like she was about to be dragged into that deep sea again.

Ye An'an's breathing became more and more rapid, her fingers gripping Xiao Jingshi's shoulders, leaving faint marks.

"Your Highness..." Ye An'an's voice was choked with sobs.

The crabapple blossoms outside the window swayed in the night breeze, their petals drifting down, landing on the windowsill and on the ground.

The petals were still covered in dew, shimmering softly in the moonlight.

The night is deep, even deeper.

The candles in the bedroom finally burned out, leaving only the moonlight streaming in through the window, illuminating the two figures tightly embracing each other on the bed.

Xiao Jingshi held Ye An'an in his arms, his forehead pressed against Ye An'an's forehead.

"An'an," Xiao Jingshi called out.

"Hmm..." Ye An'an responded weakly.

"In this lifetime, I will only marry you," Xiao Jingshi said solemnly.

Ye An'an smiled and reached out to hook her arm around Xiao Jingshi's neck: "Then Your Highness must keep your word."

"Of course I keep my word." Xiao Jingshi kissed Ye An'an's forehead. "Every word I say is a promise."

Nestled in Xiao Jingshi's arms, listening to his strong heartbeat, Ye An'an felt that the luckiest thing in her life was meeting Xiao Jingshi.

"Your Highness," Ye An'an said softly.

"Um?"

"Me too, I'll only marry you in this lifetime."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingshi hugged Ye An'an even tighter.

The two embraced each other without saying another word.

The crabapple petals outside the window are still falling, one after another, covering the entire courtyard.

As dawn approached, Ye An'an drifted off to sleep.

Xiao Jingshi did not sleep, but simply looked quietly at the person in his arms.

Looking at Ye An'an's unusually docile face due to exhaustion, Xiao Jingshi felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

This is a lonely person now.

Xiao Jingshi silently said in his heart, "From now on, no matter what happens, I will protect you."