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

Warm spring water, misty steam.

Su Yaoyao was in that hazy state, her moon-white bathrobe soaked through, clinging tightly to her body and outlining every curve.

Water droplets rolled down her hair, meandering down her fair neck and disappearing into the depths of her cleavage.

She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears, her lips a vibrant, luscious red.

"Your Highness..." Her voice was soft and sweet.

Why aren't you coming over?

Xiao Chenyuan tried to look away, but his body was out of his control.

Watching her slowly approach in the water, like a mermaid taking lives, her yukata already half-open, revealing a patch of snow-white skin.

As the water ripples, you can see the full curves rising and falling slightly with each breath.

She reached out and gently traced her fingertips across his chest.

Through the soaked fabric, the sensation was terrifyingly clear—slightly cool, soft, and with a hint of teasing.

"Here are your prayer beads..." She raised her other hand, the sandalwood beads on her wrist gleaming warmly in the mist.

"Would you like to... come and pick it up in person?"

As she spoke, she pressed herself against him.

Warm, fragrant, and soft jade embraces me.

Xiao Chenyuan could clearly feel the softness of her body, smell the faint fragrance of her hair, and hear her breathing so close to his.

Her arms encircled his neck, her warm breath brushing against his ear:

"Does Your Highness not like me?"

She asked softly, her hand reaching down, "But here... there's clearly a reaction."

Xiao Chenyuan groaned and tried to back away, but she pulled him closer, her softness rubbing against his chest.

"Don't hide..." Her voice was sweet as honey, almost cloyingly so, "Let me... help you."

He tried to push her away, but his hands involuntarily wrapped around her waist.

Slender, soft, and too delicate to fit in the palm of your hand.

"Su Yaoyao..." He heard his own voice, terribly hoarse, "Do you know what you're doing?"

"I know," she laughed, a bright and unrestrained laugh. "This humble woman is... seducing Your Highness."

Her lips pressed against mine.

Warm, soft, and sweet-smelling.

Xiao Chenyuan turned his head to dodge, but the hand of the person in his arms became increasingly audacious.

"Don't hide... let me... help you."

"Su Yaoyao..." Xiao Chenyuan's voice was terribly hoarse, "Stop..."

"Why did you stop?" She stood on tiptoe, her lips brushing against his earlobe.

"Your Highness was clearly feeling comfortable... Look at you, you're in this state..."

Xiao Chenyuan's breathing... became disordered.

She let out a soft moan, snuggling closer to him like a kitten, her damp hair brushing against his chest. "Your Highness,"

Her voice trembled with an alluring sob, "You...don't want me?"

want to.

This thought spread like wildfire, instantly engulfing all reason.

He suddenly tightened his arms, pulling her firmly into his embrace.

"You asked for this..."

Then he lowered his head, found those two rosy, moist lips, and kissed them fiercely.

It's softer and sweeter than I imagined.

His kisses traveled downwards.

"Your Highness... um..." Her voice was broken and intermittent.

"No...don't bite..."

But he wouldn't listen.

He wanted more.

I want all of her.

He wanted that soft, warm body, the mischievous glint in her eyes, and the sweet, cloying breath from her lips…

Desire is like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins, shattering all the shackles of reason.

He scooped her up in his arms and made her sit...

Xiao Chenyuan suddenly woke up with a start.

In the darkness, he was breathing heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Underwear...

Before me was the familiar bed canopy, and the morning light was faintly visible outside the window. There was no hot spring pool, no soft, fragrant jade.

It was a dream.

It was just a dream.

He raised his hand to cover his eyes, and a suppressed growl escaped his throat.

crazy.

It's crazy.

I can't believe I had such a dream... and...

Ling Feng's cautious voice came from outside the door: "Master? Are you alright?"

Xiao Chenyuan was silent for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, "It's nothing."

"But what you just did..."

"Prepare cold water," Xiao Chenyuan interrupted him. "I want to take a bath."

Ling Feng was taken aback: "Master, you're still ill, this..."

"I told you to go." Xiao Chenyuan interrupted him, his tone unusually irritated.

There was a moment of silence outside the door.

Then Ling Feng said cautiously, "Master, it's almost dawn... Miss Su is coming to take your pulse today. If you soak in cold water, your cold will worsen, and if Miss Su asks..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Xiao Chenyuan remained silent.

The image of those smiling, cunning eyes from my dream resurfaced in my mind.

"...Never mind." He spoke slowly. "Prepare a clean set of clothes."

"Yes!" Ling Feng breathed a sigh of relief. "Then the hot water..."

"I'm going to take a hot spring bath."

Ling Feng dared not say anything more, and his footsteps hurriedly faded into the distance.

Xiao Chenyuan sat up and threw back the covers.

He closed his eyes, a surge of unprecedented irritation and...shame welling up inside him.

That woman... she's like a persistent ghost.

She even haunts him in her dreams.

------

When Su Yaoyao arrived at Tingxue Hall early in the morning with a food box, Xiao Chenyuan was already dressed and sitting by the window reading.

He was dressed in a black casual outfit today, his dark hair was tied up neatly with a jade crown, and his face was still somewhat pale, but his eyes... were even colder than yesterday.

"Your Highness, this humble woman pays her respects." Su Yaoyao curtsied.

"Get up." Xiao Chenyuan glanced at her, then quickly returned his gaze to the pages of his book. "Sit."

The tone was so distant...it was a bit too much.

Su Yaoyao raised an eyebrow, sat down opposite him, and took out the items from the food box one by one: "Today, I brought red date porridge and a few light side dishes. Your Highness is still recovering from your cold, so you should eat something easy to digest."

"Thank you for your trouble." Xiao Chenyuan put down his book, took the bowl of porridge, and moved very properly, without even touching her with his fingertips.

Su Yaoyao blinked.

Not right.

Today, Xiao Chenyuan was unusually cold.

"Did Your Highness sleep well last night?" she asked tentatively.

Xiao Chenyuan paused in his scooping of porridge: "It's acceptable."

"Is your cold any better?" Su Yaoyao stood up and, just like yesterday, reached out to touch his forehead. "Let me take a look..."

"No need." Xiao Chenyuan turned his head to avoid her hand. "I am fine now, there is no need to trouble Miss Su."

His hand moved too quickly, his sleeve brushing against the edge of the table, almost knocking over the bowl of porridge.

Su Yaoyao withdrew her hand, her mind racing with thoughts.

What's wrong?

They were fine yesterday, but suddenly became distant today?

"Then Your Highness, please drink your medicine." She took out the medicine bottle, poured out a pill, and said, "This is today's dose."

Xiao Chenyuan took the medicine and drank it with warm water, his movements swift and efficient.

I didn't look at her once the whole time.

Su Yaoyao looked at his deliberate attempt to keep his distance and suddenly smiled.

"Your Highness," she sat down again, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him, "Are you... avoiding me?"

Xiao Chenyuan put down his water glass, his voice calm: "Why should I avoid you?"

"Because..." Su Yaoyao tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, "Your Highness didn't even glance at me today."

As she spoke, she leaned forward, closing the distance between them:

"Is it because I don't look good today?"

Her collar opened slightly with her movement, revealing a section of her fair skin. The magnolia hairpin in her hair swayed gently, its fragrance faint and elusive.

Xiao Chenyuan's Adam's apple bobbed.

He looked away and picked up the book again: "Miss Su is overthinking it."

"Really?" Su Yaoyao persisted, gently pressing her hand on his hand as he turned the pages of the book. "Then why... are your hands so cold, Your Highness?"

Her palms were warm, pressed against the back of his slightly cool hand.

Xiao Chenyuan's hand trembled almost imperceptibly.

He tried to pull his hand away, but Su Yaoyao held onto his fingertips.

"Your Highness..." Her voice was low, tinged with a hint of ambiguous probing, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Xiao Chenyuan abruptly pulled his hand back.

The force was a bit too strong, and the pages rustled.

"Su Yaoyao," his voice turned cold, "that's enough."

Su Yaoyao looked at his slightly reddened earlobes and the fleeting panic in his eyes, and suddenly understood something.

She slowly curled her lips into a smile, a sly glint in her eyes.

"Your subject obeys."

She stood up, reverting to her obedient demeanor: "Then this humble woman will not disturb Your Highness's rest any longer. I will come again tomorrow..."

After saying this, she curtsied and turned to leave.

As she reached the door, she turned back and glanced at him again:

"If Your Highness still can't sleep well at night... I can prepare some calming incense."

Xiao Chenyuan's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the book.

He only slowly released her hand when her footsteps faded into the distance.

Several deep creases have already been left on the pages.

Ling Feng quietly entered and, seeing his appearance, asked in a low voice, "Master, are you alright?"

Xiao Chenyuan didn't speak, but just looked at the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window.

After a long silence, he asked in a low voice:

"Ling Feng".

"Your subordinate is here."

"You said..." His voice was very soft, as if he were asking himself, "Is there a fragrance in this world... that can ward off evil spirits?"

Ling Feng was taken aback: "Evil spirits? Master, you..."

"Never mind." Xiao Chenyuan closed his eyes, rubbed his temples, and said, "Go down."

Ling Feng was puzzled but dared not ask any further questions, and bowed as he withdrew.

The room returned to silence.

Xiao Chenyuan sat there, looking at the half-eaten bowl of red date porridge on the table and the bottle of medicine she had left behind.

And... the empty space on the wrist.

He slowly raised his hand and pressed it against his left chest.

There, my heart pounded like a drum.

And the warm, soft touch of her body in my dream, the sweet, lingering kiss, and that charming "Your Highness"...

It was even clearer than last night.

Xiao Chenyuan took a deep breath, got up and walked to the window.

A morning breeze carries the fresh scent of bamboo leaves.

But it couldn't dispel the inexplicable heat in my heart.

He closed his eyes and muttered to himself:

"What a...worry."

Meanwhile, Su Yaoyao was carrying a food box on her way back to Lanyue Pavilion, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Chun Tao followed beside her and asked softly, "Miss, what are you laughing at?"

"Laugh..." Su Yaoyao stroked the Buddhist beads on her wrist, "Laugh at some people who say they don't want to."

"Body……"

"But she's very honest."