Who understands? The aloof female ruler always flirts without even realizing it.

When the last wave of congratulatory guests finally departed and the palace returned to the tranquility of the night, Shen Yan felt so exhausted that even his bones were screaming.

The solemnity of the coronation ceremony, the maneuvering at the subsequent banquet, and the various subtle tests that the regent had to deal with.

The entire process nearly exhausted all the energy of this delicate and pampered male.

Upon returning to his bedchamber, he threw all his remaining restraint to the winds and lunged forward, tumbling onto the soft, wide bed.

He let out a long and genuine sigh.

"Ugh... I can't take it anymore, I'm so exhausted..."

He buried his face in the sun-scented bedding, his voice muffled, even the tip of his tail hook sounded weak and listless.

"I'm like a wrung-out sponge... I can't move..."

Karandal stood by the bed, having already deftly unbuttoned the top few buttons of her dress, revealing her well-defined collarbone.

Such occasions were easy for the Imperial Generals, who were already accustomed to all kinds of formal ceremonies, to handle, so they did not show much fatigue.

Seeing his lord's adorable, completely resigned appearance, a helpless smile flashed across his icy blue eyes.

He walked a few steps to the bedside, bent down, and reached out to help Shen Yan take off his obviously wrinkled coat.

"My lord, please take off your coat. You've been running around outside all day, and you're all dirty."

Shen Yan felt his approach and instinctively closed his eyes, reaching out his arm to softly drape it over Kalandel's neck, half-hanging himself on the other's body, whimpering and starting to act spoiled:

"Ugh... I'm out of energy... Wife, please help me... not only take off my clothes, but also help me take a bath... otherwise I won't get up..."

Startled by this practiced act of staged injury, the female ruler immediately caught him firmly and expertly unbuckled his belt, her tone one of indulgence reserved only for a male ruler:

"It's always the same. We agreed to just shower together, but you always get restless while we're showering."

The male immediately became displeased upon hearing this, opening one eye with a look of injustice and accusation, while tightening his grip on Kalandel's neck.

"You really don't love me anymore!"

"It worked before, but not today! They're just tired of me! It's true what they say, things that are too easily obtained are not cherished!!"

"I am the male son of the Good Insect family. I have given you my body and even borne you a son. You can't do this to me."

He presented his fallacies with such conviction that it made it seem as if Calander had truly become a heartless man.

Karandal was both amused and exasperated by his unreasonable behavior, but his hands didn't stop. He continued to remove the jingling accessories from the man's body one by one.

He sighed, his voice low and gentle, carrying a resigned indulgence:

"I didn't say it couldn't be done today."

This sentence is like pressing a switch.

Shen Yan, who had just looked like he was on the verge of death, suddenly brightened up, and his cheeky attitude instantly transformed into a kind of cunning vitality.

He sat up abruptly and quickly slid out of Calander's arms.

You couldn't tell at all that he had just been complaining about being tired; now he was full of energy and vitality.

Reaching out of the bedside table, he precisely pulled out a small, square, exquisitely packaged box and quickly stuffed it into his pocket.

The small box gleamed with a certain ambiguous luster under the warm indoor light.

The boy looked up, his face showing no sign of fatigue, only a bright, expectant smile. He wrapped his arms around Karandel's neck again, nuzzled his cheek, and spoke in a voice so sweet it could drip honey:

"Honey, let's go take a shower!"

"Wash together, save time and water!"

The female ruler's gaze fell on the tools he was carrying in his arms, and when she met Shen Yan's malicious eyes, she understood immediately.

What do you mean by being exhausted? It's clearly been planned for a long time, just waiting for this moment!

A blush uncontrollably crept up her cheeks, and her ears also felt hot.

"You..."

"No wonder you insisted on having An'an carried by the male and female fathers earlier."

"So that's where you were waiting for me."

He murmured softly, his tone filled with boundless doting affection.

Instead of exposing the lord's adorable little thoughts, she gently lifted him up while Shen Yan was hugging her, turned around, and walked steadily toward the bathroom, which was filled with warm yellow light and steam.

The bathroom door closed gently, and the faint sounds of water and Shen Yan's triumphant chuckle could be heard. Soon, only indistinct, fragmented sounds remained.