With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

Her voice was soft, like a lover's whisper, "Didn't Your Highness accept Nian'er's lantern for the Qixi Festival?"

She saw the fleeting glint in his eyes, and her smile became even sweeter and more captivating.

"Nian'er naturally understands the prince's intentions."

Qin Jiuchen gazed at her, a certain emotion stirring within him.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his eyes were as deep as night.

Just then, from the adjacent street, came two clear and muffled night watchman's calls, "Bang—bang—".

Accompanied by the night watchman's drawn-out time announcement: "The weather is dry, be careful with fire—"

Qin Jiuchen reacted quickly, and the arm around Yun Nian's waist suddenly exerted force, making her spin around lightly half a circle.

Yun Nian felt dizzy and before she could even cry out, her back was already pressed against the cold, rough wall.

Qin Jiuchen's tall figure immediately loomed over her, completely blocking her from the wall and the view from the alley entrance.

Yun Nian was trapped between him and the wall, and could clearly feel the rise and fall of his chest and his burning body temperature, and could smell his scent even more clearly.

Her heart was pounding like a drum.

The sounds of the night watchman's footsteps and clapper gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into another street.

After her initial shock, Yun Nian relaxed.

She tilted her head back, her red lips brushing against his chin, and whispered softly in his ear.

"Your Highness, it seems you also enjoy this forbidden feeling?"

Qin Jiuchen chuckled softly after she saw through his words.

"It's all thanks to Nian'er's good guidance."

He readily admitted, his voice also very low, his breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe.

Yun Nian looked up at him.

The moonlight slanted down from directly overhead, casting a cool, silvery glow on his handsome face.

With sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly pursed thin lips, he had shed his usual coldness and aloofness.

Under the hazy moonlight, he possessed a breathtakingly handsome appearance, like a god walking in the night, with a fatal attraction that made people fall for him.

And he was looking at her too.

The moonlight also shone upon her.

Her upturned face was as white as jade, tinged with a faint blush from the tension of the moment and the ambiguity of the present, like peach blossoms in March.

Her eyes were shimmering and crystal clear, reflecting the moonlight, making her incredibly beautiful, like an elf who had strayed into the mortal world, both innocent and enchanting.

Their eyes met, and it seemed as if invisible sparks were crackling in the air.

Their breaths mingled, and the temperature quietly rose.

Something was slowly settling in his deep, dark eyes, while something else was quietly burning.

Then, under Yun Nian's breathless gaze, he slowly bent down.

She closed her eyes.

The next moment, a cool, soft touch gently covered her lips.

The moonlight is silent, and the alley is quiet.

The moment their cool lips touched, it was as if a long-suppressed flame was ignited.

Yun Nian could feel the slight coolness on his lips.

Her heart pounded to its peak, and her ears rang.

He held her waist tightly with one hand, while his other hand quietly moved up to hold the back of her head, pressing her even closer to him.

"Well……"

Yun Nian unconsciously let out a soft moan.

Yun Nian was initially a little stiff and at a loss. This was a kiss that truly connected her heart and soul in both of her lifetimes.

In her previous life, she and Qin Senyao were merely respectful guests, and had never had such intimate contact.

But soon, under his domineering yet gentle guidance, she gradually relaxed and began to try to respond.

This subtle gesture instantly shattered Qin Jiuchen's last shred of restraint.

He let out a muffled groan, then kissed her deeper, harder, and more passionately.

Their breaths mingled, their lips and tongues danced together.

In the quiet alley, only their increasingly heavy breathing remained.

Moonlight filtered through the mottled wall, falling on the two people who were tightly embracing, merging their overlapping figures into one.

A night breeze swept by, carrying the faint chirping of insects from afar, but it couldn't dispel the ever-increasing scorching temperature in this small space.

Yun Nian felt as if all the air in her lungs had been plundered by him. Just when she was about to suffocate, Qin Jiuchen finally reluctantly released her lips.

Their foreheads touched gently, their breaths still hot and mingling.

Yun Nian slightly parted her lips, which were swollen and moist from being kissed, and breathed heavily, her chest heaving violently, her cheeks flushed like the sunset.

Her shimmering eyes were filled with lingering emotions and a hazy, dreamlike mist.

Qin Jiuchen's breathing was also a little unsteady, his eyes were darker than the night, and he was staring intently at her charming and beautiful appearance. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down a few times.

He raised his hand and gently stroked her slightly swollen lower lip with his fingertips.

His voice was so deep and hoarse it was unbelievable.

"Nian'er has finally been honest for once."

Upon hearing this, Yun Nian's already burning cheeks burned even more intensely.

She blushed deeply and instinctively tried to turn her face away, but he cupped her cheeks and gently turned her back.

When she met his smiling eyes, she felt her heart tremble.

She simply buried her burning cheeks in his firm, warm chest.

Listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, she felt a sense of peace she had never felt before.

With him by your side, all the storms seem less frightening, and all the scheming can be temporarily set aside.

Qin Jiuchen wrapped his arms around her and embraced her silently.

The moonlight flowed quietly, and the alley returned to silence.

After a long while, Qin Jiuchen gently patted her back, his voice returning to its usual calm and steady tone.

"Let's go home."

"Um."

Yun Nian responded softly in his arms.

Qin Jiuchen then released her, took her hand, intertwined their fingers, and led her along the path they had come from, slowly walking towards the Ningxiang Prince's Mansion.

-

That night, Yun Nian slept exceptionally soundly and sweetly.

I slept without a dream until the sun was high in the sky.

However, she was unaware that the events at the Marquis of Ruyang's residence last night had spread throughout the capital overnight.

The Prince Ningxiang's mansion was instantly thrust into the spotlight, with all sorts of rumors and gossip spreading like wildfire.

"Have you heard? The Crown Prince of Ningxiang is having an affair with that adopted daughter!"

"That's not all! I heard he was caught in bed with her, his clothes disheveled!"

"My God! This is too much... What about Prime Minister Yun's adopted daughter?"

"Miss Yun? She's truly pitiful! I heard she cried her heart out on the spot and wanted to break off the engagement!"

"An annulment of the engagement? Can an imperial decree annul a marriage?"

"Others might not be able to, but Prince Ningxiang can! You haven't heard, but the prince declared the engagement null and void on the spot. He even disregarded the imperial decree for Miss Yun's sake!"

"Really? Is the prince acting rashly for the sake of a beautiful woman?"

"Tsk tsk, this is going to be quite a show! A dramatic ethical drama unfolding in the Prince's mansion!"

"I think Miss Yun is no pushover either, that's why the Prince favors her so much."

Various versions of the story spread rapidly in teahouses, taverns, and secluded courtyards, embellished and exaggerated, becoming more and more outrageous with each retelling.