The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

Days passed by, and in Qingyi Palace, the sounds of zithers, the fragrance of flowers, the shadows of dancers, and those storybooks became Shen Qingruo's entire daily life.

Shen Wangxi came more and more frequently, but always avoided being seen in public and didn't let Jiaofang Palace know.

The palace servants of Qingyi Palace had already been thoroughly warned by Wu Tian and kept quiet about the matter, only believing that His Majesty was particularly fond of this princess with a troubled past.

On this day, when Shen Wangxi stepped into the palace, the still somewhat immature sound of the zither was ringing out.

He followed the sound and saw Shen Qingruo sitting upright in front of the zither table, her slender fingers clumsily plucking at the strings.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw it was him. Her eyes immediately lit up with a smile as she went to greet him: "Your Majesty, you've arrived."

Shen Wangxi responded, focusing her attention on her and staying with her.

For the first few days, her music was so bad that it scared away even the birds in the trees outside the palace.

He had once offered a few honest comments, but the little girl immediately wilted, blinking her big, watery eyes at him with her lips slightly pursed, looking like she was about to cry, which made him swallow the rest of his words.

He thought helplessly at the time: Oh well, it's just a way to pass the time anyway, let her be.

Now it sounds much better than it did at first; at least there are fewer off-key noises, and you can barely make out that it's a piece of music.

"What did you practice today?" Shen Wangxi asked casually.

"It's a newly learned Jiangnan folk song," Shen Qingruo said softly. "My nanny said this song is melodious and suitable for a young lady to play."

As she spoke, she stretched out her slender white fingers, tugged at his sleeve, and shook it with a hint of coquetry: "Listen to this, I've practiced for so long."

Shen Wangxi sighed inwardly. He really didn't want to listen to such decadent music. Which was more important than political or military affairs?

But seeing the expectation in her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say no.

Following her lead, Shen Wangxi was pulled to sit down on the armchair opposite the zither table.

"Go ahead and play," he said indulgently.

Shen Qingruo immediately beamed with joy, sat up straight, and placed her fingertips on the strings.

At first, if she missed one or two notes, she would secretly glance at him. Seeing that he looked normal and not impatient, she would quietly breathe a sigh of relief and continue playing.

Gradually, the melody became smoother. Although it was far from being a masterpiece of skill, the Jiangnan charm flowing from the girl's fingertips had its own unique flavor.

The sunlight shone warmly, and the air inside the hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, mingling with the subtle scent emanating from her.

Shen Wangxi leaned back in his chair, watching the girl in front of him, who was quietly playing the piano with her head down, and he couldn't take his eyes off her.

As the music ended, Shen Qingruo nervously raised her eyes and asked softly, "Your Majesty, how was it? Did you improve?"

Shen Wangxi looked at her, and the "okay" that was on the tip of her tongue turned into "Hmm, nice to hear."

Shen Qingruo was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect him to exaggerate against his will. Suddenly, she couldn't help but feel a little sour. So this is what it feels like to be favored.

But she remained gentle, saying, "Then I'll practice some more and play an even better one for you next time."

Shen Wangxi looked at her, and her momentary daze and bittersweetness did not escape his eyes.

Thinking about it carefully, it was also his fault. He had praised Ayan many times, but it seemed that he had never praised her.

Then he could praise her more in the future, and he hoped that she could be like Ah Yan, occasionally acting coquettishly towards him, making her more vibrant.

-

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and the two grew closer day by day.

That afternoon, after finishing his official duties, Shen Wangxi strolled to the outside of Qingyi Palace.

He could faintly hear Granny Yan's instructions coming from inside the hall. He gestured for the palace servants to be quiet and went in alone.

Shen Qingruo was practicing her dance with her back to the palace gate, wearing only a light purple waist-cinching dance dress.

Granny Yan whispered from the side, "Your Highness, lower your waist by another three inches, yes, hold, extend your arms, rotate..."

Following her instructions, Shen Qingruo lightly touched the ground with her toes, bent her waist, and then spun around, revealing her round and proud buttocks, which were covered by a thin dance dress, with the movement.

Shen Wangxi's breath hitched. This vivid and sensual scene reminded him of a night he had deliberately forgotten.

Later that night, he became addicted and, holding her waist... that's how it was.

Snow-white skin, slender waist, and perky buttocks.

She was crying hysterically and tried to use the curtains to escape, but he grabbed her slender waist and became even more violent.

She couldn't escape or avoid him, and could only passively allow him to take advantage of her.

He remembered that her voice became hoarse from crying until the very end.

Shen Wangxi stared intently at the waist and hips swaying with the dance steps, and could almost imagine the amazing softness when she covered them again.

Shen Qingruo seemed to notice the gaze behind her, paused in her spinning motion, and turned around.

When she saw Shen Wangxi standing at the palace gate with his frighteningly deep eyes, she was stunned for a moment, then like a fluttering butterfly, she wanted to run towards him: "Your Majesty..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Wangxi suddenly turned around and practically fled.

Shen Qingruo's smile froze, her steps faltered, and she looked at Granny Yan with some helplessness.

Having spent decades in the palace, Granny Yan had long since developed a keen eye for discerning the truth.

Looking at His Majesty's almost hasty retreat, and then at the princess before her who was oblivious to her own alluring figure, she already understood seven or eight parts of the situation.

Granny Yan lowered her eyes and stepped forward respectfully: "Your Highness, let's continue."

Shen Qingruo nodded blankly and readjusted her posture.

At this moment, Shen Wangxi, who was walking briskly on the palace road, was still feeling her heart pounding violently in her chest, and the heat in her heart had not dissipated in the slightest due to the cold wind.

He could patiently listen to her play some tunes, indulge her reading those boring novels, and even calmly deal with her occasional coquettishness.

The only thing I can't stand is her dancing.

Because her dance moves were like the strongest liquor, the most potent drug, easily dragging him back to that night of uncontrolled indulgence, awakening the desire for her within him.