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

It was a very light, soft, and clumsy kiss.

With a hint of probing, and boundless appreciation.

Xiao Jingshi's lips were slightly cool, while Ye An'an's were warm, soft, and carried a hint of the sweetness of the milk tea she had just drunk.

In that instant, Ye An'an felt her mind go completely blank.

It was as if countless dazzling fireworks exploded all at once in her mind with a "bang".

So this is what kissing feels like.

So this is what his kiss tastes like.

It's sweet, like milk tea.

It's addictive, addictive, and impossible to resist.

The kiss didn't last long.

Xiao Jingshi seemed just as bewildered as she was by this sudden intimate contact. He only made a brief attempt before quickly withdrawing.

The distance between the two widened once again.

But the scent in the air, a mixture of the sweet aroma of milk tea and an ambiguous atmosphere, grew stronger and stronger, almost suffocating people.

Ye An'an's heart was still pounding wildly. She didn't even dare to look up at him. She could only lower her head, look at her toes, and feel her cheeks burning hot enough to fry an egg.

I... I actually closed my eyes on my own?

Am I asking for a kiss?

Good heavens, Ye An'an, you're so unreserved!

The little voice inside her was frantically pounding on the wall.

Xiao Jingshi was in no better shape.

He stood there, his body taut like a stone. His hands, which were always steady when holding a pen, were now clenched into fists, his palms sweaty.

His mind was also completely blank.

All he remembered was the softness of her lips and the sweet, milky scent that stirred his heart.

He had lived for twenty-one years and this was the first time he had ever known what a girl's lips tasted like.

It was more unforgettable than any delicacy or exquisite pastry he had ever tasted.

He thought, let's do it again.

This thought, like an out-of-control seed, took root and sprouted wildly in his mind.

"that……"

In the end, it was Ye An'an who couldn't bear the suffocating silence and spoke first.

"It's getting late, I... I should go and rest."

After she finished speaking, she fled back to her dormitory without looking back, just like a startled rabbit, and slammed the door shut.

Xiao Jingshi was left alone, disheveled in the evening breeze.

He reached out and gently rubbed his lips with his fingertips.

Her scent seemed to linger on it.

He stared at the closed door, and an uncontrollable, silly yet incredibly satisfied smile crept onto his lips.

That night, Xiao Jingshi couldn't sleep.

I'm completely sleepless.

He lay on his large, cold bed in his bedroom, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Whenever he closes his eyes, all he can see in his mind is Ye An'an's face.

The soft touch of her when she threw herself into my arms today.

When she looked at herself, her eyes were watery and sparkling.

And... her soft, warm lips, which smelled sweet like milk tea.

The feeling of that kiss played on repeat in his mind, over and over again.

Each recollection made his heart race uncontrollably, and his body grew hot.

He sat up in bed in agitation, picked up the cold tea on the table, and gulped down a large mouthful.

The icy tea slid down his throat, but it did nothing to extinguish the fire in his heart.

He felt like he was sick.

I contracted a disease called "Leafy Eucalyptus".

Moreover, he was quite ill.

He had never felt this way before.

He had never been interested in women. In his eyes, the palace maids who were carefully selected to serve him were no different from wooden stakes.

He had also seen the concubines in his father's harem, who used every trick in the book to win the emperor's favor. He only felt annoyed and bored.

He always thought that this was probably how his life would be.

Marry a crown princess of similar family background and virtuous character, and live in harmony and mutual respect, together maintaining the dignity and honor of the royal family.

As for love and affection, what is that? Can you eat it?

But now, he knows.

Love and affection are not something you can consume.

However, it is more delicious than any other food, making people crave it and unable to stop.

He looked at the moonlight outside the window, his mind a jumbled mess.

He remembered the first time he saw her. She was confronting the Princess Consort of Jing in the street over a cook, and her fearless and brash demeanor struck him as vulgar and laughable.

He remembered the first time she cooked for him, bringing out a pot of "stinky" braised offal and forcing him to eat it. At that moment, he really wanted to throw her out, pot and all.

But then, at what point did things start to change?

It all started with that bowl of soup noodles that warmed his entire stomach on a cold night.

Let's start with that epidemic prevention manual that saved countless lives during the plague.

Or perhaps it's the sparkle in her eyes whenever she sees delicious food? Or the smug little face she wears when her plans succeed?

he does not know.

All he knew was that he seemed to be falling step by step into the trap she had woven for him with delicious food and the warmth of home, a trap called "home".

Moreover, they do it willingly and enjoy it.

"well……"

He sighed deeply and lay back down on the bed.

He covered his head with the blanket, forcing himself not to think about anything and to go to sleep as soon as possible.

There's an early morning court session tomorrow.

There's also a mountain of government affairs that can't be dealt with.

But the more he thought about it, the clearer his mind became.

That milk tea-flavored kiss, like a spell, lingered in his mind.

Frustrated, he rolled over again.

No, he had to go find her when it got light.

He had to ask her what that kiss from yesterday really meant.

Did she, like him, have even a little bit of different feelings for him?

With this question troubling him, our Crown Prince spent the entire night in bed, pacing back and forth.

He drifted off to sleep as the sky began to lighten.