The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 180: Coming to the door late at night
"My lord, is the water temperature just right?" Xian'er knelt by the pool, her voice as soft as a floating duckweed.

Her undergarments were half-transparent from the moisture, revealing her delicate, creamy breasts. Her slender arms and wrists, holding a ladle, hung in mid-air, while warm water cascaded onto Li Yi's shoulders like a beaded curtain.

"Mmm—" A sigh of relief escaped Li Yi's throat as water droplets slid down his neck, creating ripples on the surface of the water.

On the other side, Zuo Ling'er knelt behind him, her soft hands tracing along his shoulder line, her slender fingers carefully kneading him.

Li Yi smiled slightly, letting the two women serve him.

In the warm steam, he half-closed his eyelids, looking languid and relaxed.

In fact, Li Yi's reluctance to let the maids serve him closely during his bath was not because he was embarrassed to be naked in front of outsiders, nor because he wanted to maintain his independent living ability.

Rather, he knew very well that if he let the maids help him wash, they would inevitably have to wear thin, light gauze clothes, and skin-to-skin contact would be unavoidable.

Even if they bathe together completely naked, and some indescribable scenes occur, it's all up to him to decide.

Just like the description of the maid Bihen serving Jia Baoyu a bath in "Dream of the Red Chamber": "Bihen sent Baoyu to take a bath, which took two or three hours, and no one knew what she was doing. When she finished bathing, she went in to take a look and found that the water on the floor was up to the bed legs, and even the mat was soaked..."

However, Li Yi is not Jia Baoyu; he would not lay a hand on the maids in the mansion... But as a man full of vigor, it is inevitable that he would have a normal physiological reaction in such a sensual scene.

Rather than enduring the discomfort later, it's better to avoid seeing it and enjoy a moment of peace and quiet while taking a bath.

However, Xuan'er and Zuo Ling'er were different. The two women had already been taken into his room and were officially recognized concubines. Li Yi naturally didn't need to worry about anything and could get as close to them as he wanted.

Moreover, having someone help you scrub your back and wash you while taking a bath is indeed an extremely pleasant thing...

After a while, Xian'er took the cypress wood incense box next to her, picked up a pinch of dried herbs mixed with spices with her fingertips, and then gently sprinkled them into the pool.

Amidst the rising steam, the delicate fragrance of herbs wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of a young girl's body, quietly permeating the warm bathroom.

Xian'er then picked up a silk handkerchief, dipped it in some osmanthus soap, and carefully washed Li Yi's back. The soap dissolved on his skin, producing fine white foam and emitting a sweet fragrance.

"Ling'er, why did you stop?" Li Yi suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of lazy laughter.

Zuo Ling'er was staring blankly at Li Yi's profile, which was flushed red from the steam, when she heard this and her hand trembled.

She hurriedly tried to continue kneading, but Li Yi grabbed her soft hand. The girl immediately lowered her head in embarrassment, her ear tips turning as red as if they were about to bleed.

Li Yi opened his eyes and saw that the two women's faces were flushed from the steam—Xuan'er's rouge had smudged a little at the corners of her eyes, and Zuo Ling'er's hair had fallen loose at her temples.

The two girls looked even more endearing in their relaxed and carefree manner than when they were dressed up carefully.

"Let me see if you've gained any weight lately..." Li Yi suddenly put his arm around Zuo Ling'er's slender waist and pulled her into the pool with a little force.

The girl couldn't help but exclaim "Ah!" The splashing water wet the three people by the pool.

But Zuo Ling'er quickly nestled obediently in Li Yi's arms, her soaked tube top clinging to her body, outlining the curves of a young girl's budding beauty.

The budding white skin beneath her collarbone was faintly visible, like a pear blossom in bud in March, carrying a youthful charm.

Li Yi leaned close to the girl's ear and teased, "I still prefer Ling'er's fiery self back then." "Hmph, Ah Lang, you just know how to bully me." Zuo Ling'er immediately rolled her eyes at him and lightly bit his chest.

Although the little girl had been well-trained by Madam Guo, the lively spirit in her eyes remained.

“That’s more like my Ling’er…” Li Yi chuckled, his fingertips gently stroking the girl’s wet hair.

Seeing this, Xian'er smiled slightly, but Li Yi pulled her into the pool. Their two soft bodies were pressed close together, and he could clearly feel their accelerated heartbeats.

"Ah Lang..." The girl's voice trembled slightly, her wet eyelashes like butterfly wings covered in dew.

As the water rippled, Li Yi's hands became restless, and the reflections of the three people swayed with the waves, creating a unique picture.

The distant sound of a wooden clapper outside the window could not disturb the enchanting atmosphere inside the room.

……

After an unknown amount of time, Li Yi let out a long sigh, warm steam rising from his lips with each breath. The fatigue of the past few days seemed to vanish with that breath, even the stiffness in his joints melted away.

Turning her head, she saw that Xian'er's hair had fallen loosely, her black hair cascading down to the water like a waterfall, gently swaying with the ripples.

She rested her head on her left arm, her undergarment half-undone, revealing her fair body and delicate, full figure. A small vermilion mole adorned her collarbone, like a red bean fallen in the snow.

Meanwhile, Zuo Ling'er, who was on the right side, was even more languid and weak, with her almond eyes slightly closed, taking in all the spring scenery and beauty, and a pair of shallow dimples on her waist could be vaguely seen.

In the misty steam, their skin shone with a pearly luster, truly embodying the phrase "smooth as silk from the hot spring water."

Li Yi moved his neck slightly, only to see Xian'er's eyelashes flutter, and she murmured as if half-awake, "Ah Lang..."

That call was drawn out with a thousand turns, carrying three parts sleepiness and seven parts coquettish charm.

Hearing the sound, Zuo Ling'er slightly opened her eyes, her gaze shimmering like the moon's reflection in a pond. Seeing Li Yi looking at her with a half-smile, she immediately buried her head in embarrassment.
Outside the window, the faint sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard, indicating that it was already past midnight.

Li Yi gently patted the two women's shoulders: "We should go now."

As if waking from a dream, Xuan'er opened her eyes. She and Zuo Ling'er exchanged a glance, both of them blushing with embarrassment.

A moment later, the two women helped Li Yi clean himself up and dressed him before they themselves tidied themselves up.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the washroom, followed by a maid's cautious report: "My lord, the Xuanhui Academy has sent someone to see you, saying there is an urgent matter."

"Hmm?" Li Yi frowned slightly. He had hoped to enjoy the pleasure of sleeping together tonight, but it seemed his wish was destined to be dashed.

However, the fact that the Xuanhui Academy sent someone to his door late at night meant that they were most likely acting on Xiang Xun's orders. The fact that they came to see him in such a hurry meant that something big had probably happened.

"You guys go back and rest first, don't wait for me."

Li Yi gave a brief explanation and then strode outside. The maid at the door saw him come out and quickly and carefully draped a thick coat over his shoulders.

(End of this chapter)