After being reborn, the aloof prime minister was once again forced by a tyrant.

The night deepened the heaviness of the crabapple blossoms in Tingxuexuan, and the iron eaves and railings fell silent. Only a slender figure was reflected on the window paper, stretched long by the candlelight.

Xie Qinglan had just pushed open the wooden door to the bathroom and was wiping the water droplets from her forehead when she suddenly heard three very soft knocks coming from the palace gate. They were unlike the usual etiquette of Gao'an and instead carried a sense of urgency and panic.

"Who?"

His voice still carried a slight hoarseness from his bath, like jade soaked in warm water, clear and gentle with a touch of softness.

There was a moment's pause outside the door, followed by Xiao Jingyuan's slightly deep voice, still carrying a hint of lingering anger: "It is I."

Xie Qinglan paused slightly, the cotton handkerchief he was holding between his fingers resting on his forehead. He walked to the door, turned to the side and pulled open the bolt. The wooden door creaked softly, and the evening breeze, carrying the scent of crabapple blossoms, wafted out.

Xiao Jingyuan was standing outside the door with his fists clenched, his jealousy burning like a blazing ember, just waiting to push the door open and confront him.

But the moment the door opened, all the anger was extinguished as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, with a "sizzle" sound, leaving not even a spark.

The black cloak in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud," but he was completely unaware of it. His eyes were fixed on Xie Qinglan, and he even forgot to breathe.

Xie Qinglan stood inside the door wearing a moon-white bathrobe. The sash was not tied properly and was loosely gathered, revealing a small patch of her fair collarbone.

Her long hair was not tied up, but lay wetly on her shoulders, with water still dripping from the ends. Water droplets slid down her neck and disappeared into the collar of her bathrobe.

His face was flushed from the heat, and his usually clear and cold eyes were now misty with a hint of water, the corners of his eyes slightly red, as if someone had gently rubbed them with their fingers.

Standing in the dim candlelight, she resembled a piece of cold jade that had been moistened by warm water, exuding an indescribable and vibrant beauty amidst her cool demeanor.

The wind carried his fragrance over, a faint scent of soapberry mixed with the sweetness of crabapple, and a touch of his unique, refreshing body fragrance, like a soft hook gently tugging at Xiao Jingyuan's heart.

Xiao Jingyuan stood at the doorway, frozen in place as if under a spell. The turmoil of jealousy he had felt in the imperial study, and the fierce interrogation he had anticipated on the palace path, all vanished without a trace. He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Xie Qinglan glanced at him, raising an eyebrow slightly: "What brings Your Majesty here so late at night?"

Xiao Jingyuan snapped back to his senses, his eyes darting around in a panic before landing on his still-dripping hair. In a moment of impulsiveness, he blurted out, "I...I'll dry your hair for you."

Xie Qinglan was slightly taken aback, then lowered her eyes and wiped the water droplets from the ends of her hair with a handkerchief: "No need, it will dry in a moment."

"No way!" Xiao Jingyuan immediately retorted, his voice trembling with urgency. "It's cool at night. If you don't dry yourself off, you'll catch a cold and get a headache."

As he spoke, before Xie Qinglan could refuse again, he bent down to pick up the cloak from the ground and casually threw it under the eaves. He strode into the hall, closed the door behind him, and shut out the night from the entire courtyard.

"Once you were angry with me and refused to let me dry your hair. You caught a cold and became delirious. You were so upset that you complained about the bitterness of the medicine and refused to drink it no matter how I tried to persuade you."

"I'll dry you off."

Xie Qinglan looked at him, a faint hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, which were exceptionally clear due to the mist. After a moment of silence, he turned around, sat down in front of the dressing table, and handed the towel for drying his hair behind his back.

"Then I will trouble Your Majesty."

Xiao Jingyuan took the handkerchief and stood behind Xie Qinglan. He carefully picked up a strand of wet hair, wrapped it in the handkerchief, and slowly wiped it from the roots to the ends.

He wiped the hair with extremely gentle movements, running his fingers down the strands again and again, absorbing the water droplets from the ends. The wet hair felt soft and smooth, like the finest silk, slipping through his fingers.

The fragrance emanating from Xie Qinglan lingered around his nose, growing stronger and stronger, making him dizzy and his eyes gradually burning.

He unconsciously leaned forward, his chin almost touching Xie Qinglan's shoulder, his warm breath brushing against Xie Qinglan's neck, stirring a subtle shiver.

"Why did Your Majesty bring your head close to my neck while drying your hair?"

Xie Qinglan's voice tightened slightly, and a faint pink blush rose on the skin of her neck.

Xiao Jingyuan paused for a moment, his eyes flickered, and he said in a serious tone, "This way it's easier to wipe the hair in the front."

As he spoke, he deliberately reached his hand forward, his fingertips brushing against Xie Qinglan's earlobe, causing Xie Qinglan to tremble again.

A moment later, his other hand slid down Xie Qinglan's side and gently rested on his waist. Through the thin bathrobe, his fingertips could clearly feel the warm skin and taut waistline beneath.

Xie Qinglan's breath hitched, and her tone carried a hint of helplessness: "Then why did Your Majesty place your hand on my waist?"

"I'll support you, in case you can't sit still," Xiao Jingyuan said without batting an eye, and even went so far as to gently rub your hand with his fingers.

Xie Qinglan: "..."

Even if a pervert is reborn, he is still a pervert!

He caught a glimpse of Xiao Jingyuan's infatuated expression in the bronze mirror, so he simply stopped talking, relaxed his back slightly, and let him do as he pleased.

The only sounds in the hall were the soft rustling of a handkerchief wiping hair and the overlapping breaths of the two people. An ambiguous atmosphere, like water vapor, permeated the air, so thick it was impossible to separate.

Xiao Jingyuan grew bolder and bolder, tightening his grip around his waist and gently pulling him closer to his chest.

Her nose brushed against the smooth skin on the back of his neck, she greedily inhaled his fragrance, and her gaze fell on his small, reddened earlobe. As if bewitched, she couldn't help but lean in and give it a gentle kiss.

Soft lips pressed against a warm earlobe, carrying a slightly cool dampness.

Xie Qinglan shuddered suddenly, as if she had been burned, and turned her head away instantly.

"lecher."

His voice wasn't loud, with a slightly hoarse nasal tone; it sounded more like a reproach than a reprimand. His ear tips were so red they seemed about to bleed, and even his neck was tinged with a faint blush.

Xiao Jingyuan's heart melted at that look. He licked his lips, still savoring the soft touch from before, his eyes burning as if they could melt him.

Just as he was about to say something more, Xie Qinglan stood up, snatched the handkerchief from his hand, casually wiped her hair a couple of times, and said in a calm but unquestionable tone, "I'm done wiping, Your Majesty, please return."

Xiao Jingyuan naturally didn't want to leave. Suddenly remembering his original purpose for coming, the infatuation on his face instantly turned into grievance and resentment. He pursed his lips and said sullenly, "I hereby seal off Chang Le Palace today."

Xie Qinglan paused abruptly while drying her hair, looked up, and her eyes showed obvious surprise.

He hadn't expected Xiao Jingyuan to find out so quickly that Pei Yuning was the mastermind behind Cuilan's death, and he was secretly surprised that this brute could be so meticulous.

"Does His Majesty know?"

Seeing his reaction, Xiao Jingyuan's jealousy intensified, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Of course I know! You still want to hide it from me?"

Xie Qinglan nodded, her tone carrying a hint of approval: "Your Majesty has become much wiser."

Xiao Jingyuan snorted, turned his head away, and said sourly, "Of course. I came here to tell you that you can forget about seeing Pei Yuning again. Chang Le Palace has been sealed off by me. Not even a fly can get in. Give up on that idea."

Xie Qinglan: "..."

Xie Qinglan's approval vanished instantly. He looked at Xiao Jingyuan, who was practically fuming with jealousy, and couldn't help but twitch his lips.

"I retract my previous statement."

He shouldn't have had any expectations of this tyrant whose mind was filled with nothing but jealousy and lewd thoughts. What do you mean, finding the mastermind? So his sealing off Chang Le Palace was just a fit of jealousy.