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

As you walk towards Tingxue Pavilion, the entire courtyard is silent, except for a solitary candle flickering in the window. The warm yellow light shines through the plain paper, casting a slender and solitary silhouette inside, as still as an ancient painting covered in dust.

Xiao Jingyuan took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock on the door.

"The door isn't closed." Xie Qinglan's voice came from inside the house, clear and melodious, like jade striking each other, exceptionally pleasant to hear.

Xiao Jingyuan gently pushed the door open and entered.

The room was filled with the soft glow of candlelight. Xie Qinglan was dressed in a simple nightgown. The fabric was warm and smooth against his skin, which accentuated his slender waist. His black hair was unbound and cascaded down his shoulders and back like a waterfall, with a few stray hairs sticking to his smooth forehead.

He sat upright on the soft couch by the window, holding a book in his hands. His back was straight, his eyebrows were lowered, and his expression was calm and composed. He had the air of a serene and aloof person, untouched by worldly affairs.

He showed no outward sign, but his fingertips were already gripping the book tightly, and his palms were damp with a thin layer of sweat. His breathing was steady, but his heart was pounding uncontrollably in his chest.

He was the one who took the initiative to invite him. He knew perfectly well what would happen tonight, and he had no way to avoid it, nor did he intend to.

He heard soft footsteps beside him. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the person, and his fingers, which were turning the pages of a book, paused almost imperceptibly.

Tonight, Xiao Jingyuan took off his dragon robe and changed into a moon-white brocade robe with dark dragon patterns. As the candlelight flickered, the dark patterns on the robe were faintly visible. He was noble and reserved, less domineering and violent than usual, and more tender and gentle, reserved only for him.

Xie Qinglan withdrew her gaze, lowering her eyes to the pages of the book, her expression still calm and indifferent. However, she turned the pages much slower, her fingertips frozen on the paper, that page of black text remaining untouched for a long time.

"Qinglan".

Xiao Jingyuan walked slowly closer, his tone rising uncontrollably.

Xie Qinglan didn't raise her head, her gaze seemingly fixed on the pages of the book, but actually wandering aimlessly. She parted her thin lips slightly and gave a faint reply: "Mm."

Xiao Jingyuan stopped beside him, looking down at his taut jawline, his perfectly pursed thin lips, and his long eyelashes that trembled slightly, betraying his emotions.

"You're nervous," Xiao Jingyuan said confidently, his tone carrying a slight smile.

Xie Qinglan's fingertips stiffened slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. His voice was clear and cold, each word precise and clear: "Your subject has not."

Xiao Jingyuan bent down and gently turned the scroll in his hand around with a flick of his finger.

The words on white paper are in black and white, but the entire text is upside down.

He chuckled softly, "You're holding the book upside down, and you still say you don't have it?"

Xie Qinglan's gaze paused, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her fingers, which were resting on her knees, quietly curled up. Just now, her mind was filled with all sorts of distracting thoughts, and she couldn't concentrate on reading at all. She was only pretending to be calm by reading, trying to hide the panic and anticipation surging in her heart.

Seeing Xiao Jingyuan looking at him with a smile, he turned his face away shyly, his ears turning even redder.

Looking at his awkward and restrained appearance, Xiao Jingyuan's heart softened completely.

He used to think that Xie Qinglan's heart was cold and hard, that she only resisted and despised him, but he didn't know that beneath this cold exterior lay the most awkward, the most restrained, and the most passionate feelings.

"Qinglan, I have finished reviewing the memorials." Xiao Jingyuan softened his tone, as if patiently coaxing his beloved, speaking softly word by word.

"Mmm." Xie Qinglan responded very softly, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"I have arrived."

These three simple words, imbued with tenderness and weight, seem to traverse the long years of past and present lives, finally leading to an embrace that could never be fulfilled.

Xie Qinglan's throat tightened slightly, and she could no longer speak, only managing a low, indistinct "...Mmm."

Xiao Jingyuan leaned down, his knuckles gently brushing against Xie Qinglan's burning jawline, his fingertips carrying the lingering scent of his shower. His breath fell on Xie Qinglan's eyelashes, making those long, raven-feather-like lashes tremble.

"Qinglan, may I kiss you?"

Xie Qinglan abruptly closed his eyes, a faint blush spreading across the corners. He turned his head to avoid it, but the delicate skin of his neck brushed against Xiao Jingyuan's lips. He trembled, his voice softening, tinged with a self-deprecating reproach: "Your Majesty, weren't you already... kissing me?"

Before he could finish speaking, someone gently pulled him into an embrace around the waist. Warm breath clung to his lips, carrying an irresistible tenderness, yet pressing closer and closer, stealing all the air from his lungs.

Xie Qinglan gripped Xiao Jingyuan's brocade robe tightly with her fingertips, her knuckles turning white, until she was almost out of breath. Then she turned her head and pressed her face against his shoulder, breathing heavily. Her voice was thin and trembling, as if she were crying: "...Go to the bed."

Xiao Jingyuan's movements suddenly stopped, his breathing became heavy as if he were on fire, and he lowered his head to gently peck Xie Qinglan's reddened earlobe.

"it is good."

He straightened up, picked Xie Qinglan up horizontally, and gently placed her in the center of the bed. Xie Qinglan lay on her back among the bedding, her long hair spread out on the pillow, her moon-white nightgown crumpled and loose, revealing one shoulder and a large expanse of smooth chest.

Xiao Jingyuan leaned down and covered her, his hand slipping under the hem of her nightgown, slowly stroking upwards along her narrow waist. The skin beneath his palm was warm and smooth like jade, delicate as fine mutton fat, yet with a thin layer of muscle, rising and falling slightly with each breath, tugging at his fingertips.

His fingers traced the curve of his ribs one by one, finally stopping next to the pale red mole on his chest, where he gently rubbed it with his thumb.

Xie Qinglan turned his head away, raised his hand to cover his eyes, revealing a section of his reddened chin from below his hand. His lips were pressed tightly together, but the thin layer of red had spread from his ears to his neck, and then from his neck to his chest, making even the pale red mole appear exceptionally vivid, like a drop of cinnabar falling on rice paper.

"...Turn off the lights." His voice was a little hoarse, with a somewhat unnatural stiffness, but the last syllable rose slightly uncontrollably, sounding more like a plea than a command.

Xiao Jingyuan lowered his head, his lips pressed against his collarbone, and uttered two words indistinctly: "No."

"I want to see you."

His fingers deftly untied the sash of Xie Qinglan's nightgown, spreading the moon-white collar to the sides. The candlelight fell on Xie Qinglan's exposed skin, giving it a lustrous sheen, like cold jade bathed in moonlight.

Xiao Jingyuan's gaze slowly slid down from head to toe—from the slender neck to the delicate collarbone, from the slightly rising and falling chest to the taut waist, from the flat abdomen to—his breathing suddenly became heavier.

He leaned down, his lips pressed against Xie Qinglan's lower abdomen, and placed a kiss on that soft skin. Xie Qinglan's abdomen contracted sharply, and a very soft, short groan escaped from deep in her throat. This sound made Xiao Jingyuan's blood boil.

He continued kissing downwards, his lips sliding along the curve of Xie Qinglan's lower abdomen to his hip bone, where he gently bit down on the slightly protruding bone, leaving a shallow tooth mark. Then he raised his hand to grasp Xie Qinglan's knees, gently separating his legs, and placed his large hand on them.

Xiao Jingyuan smiled and leaned closer, his lips brushing against Xie Qinglan's earlobe, his voice low, husky, and hot: "Qinglan, you're so soft."

Xie Qinglan's body trembled violently. He suddenly turned over, facing inward, leaving his back to Xiao Jingyuan. He hunched over, the curve of his back slender and graceful, his nightgown slipping off his shoulders, revealing a large expanse of smooth back.

He buried his face deep in the pillow, his voice muffled, with a barely perceptible tremor: "...That's it."

Xiao Jingyuan's movements suddenly stopped.

It felt like something had stabbed my heart, a sharp, throbbing pain.

It's always like this.

It was exactly the same as every time in my previous life.

In his past life, Xie Qinglan always faced him in this posture. Back to him, silent, burying her face in the pillow, never turning to look at him once. Back then, he thought it was disgust, that she didn't want to see him, that she found even his face repulsive.

In this life, he thought things would be different.

Xie Qinglan took the initiative to invite him to stay overnight, and did not push away his intimacy; in fact, her body responded to him.

But in the end, it's still the same.

A faint bittersweet feeling welled up inside him. He leaned down, pressing his chest against Xie Qinglan's back, and wrapped his arms around Xie Qinglan's waist from behind.

He lay on Xie Qinglan's back, his chin resting on his shoulder, his voice tinged with barely perceptible grievance and hoarseness: "Qinglan, can't you... look at me?"

Xie Qinglan didn't speak, but her shoulders tensed even more, her fingertips gripping the blankets so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Silence is the answer.

Xiao Jingyuan gave a wry smile, ultimately unable to force him.

"Okay." He gently kissed Xie Qinglan's nape, his voice so tender it could melt water. "I'll do whatever you say."

He carefully removed their clothes, his movements gentle and with utmost care.

The moment their skin touched, Xie Qinglan shuddered violently, as if struck by an electric current.

Xiao Jingyuan hugged him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder, and could clearly feel the body of the person in his arms trembling incessantly. It wasn't a trembling of resistance, but an uncontrollable trembling of passion.

His waist was as supple as water, yet taut, as if he were desperately trying to restrain something. His soft, shallow breaths were trapped in his throat, with only occasional, extremely faint whimpers leaking out, like a kitten's paws gently scratching at Xiao Jingyuan's heart.

The movements deepened, like a tide overflowing its banks. Xiao Jingyuan could clearly sense the response from the person in his arms—the person unconsciously leaned closer to him.

But he still had his back to him.

They refused to turn back.

Xiao Jingyuan felt a mix of bitterness and resentment.

What is he hiding?

He abruptly stopped, grabbed Xie Qinglan's waist with both hands, and used a bit of force to flip his body over.

"Qinglan, look at me."

Xie Qinglan was caught off guard and was turned over. She instinctively raised her hand to cover her face, but Xiao Jingyuan gently pulled her wrist away.

The candlelight flickered, casting a warm yellow glow on his face.

Xiao Jingyuan's breathing suddenly stopped.

He stared blankly at the person in front of him, his mind a complete blank. His heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand and then suddenly exploded. Overwhelming joy and shock instantly swept over all his senses.

Xie Qinglan's cheeks were flushed with an intoxicating blush that spread down to her neck and collarbone. Her usually indifferent eyes were now filled with glistening mist, hazy and indistinct, like a pool of spring water. The corners of her eyes were tinged with an extremely vibrant crimson, as if they had been dyed with rouge, breathtakingly beautiful.

Those usually relaxed, delicate eyebrows were now slightly furrowed, carrying a hint of impatience and grievance. A slender hand rested on his lips, his white index finger gently bitten between his teeth, the knuckles turning white, his lips full and red from being bitten by his teeth, glistening with moisture.

Despite being overwhelmed with desire, trembling all over, and with lust brimming in her eyes, she stubbornly bit her fingers, refusing to make a sound or show any weakness.

That extreme restraint, that extreme composure, and that irrepressible, ultimate charm intertwine to form a fatal allure.

Pure, yet alluring.

It's so alluring it makes your soul almost fly away.

It turns out that in his past life, every time he turned his back to him, it wasn't out of disgust, but because he couldn't hide his deep emotion. His moon wasn't without warmth. His moon had always trembled for him.

Seeing his state, Xiao Jingyuan felt all the blood rush to his head, and an extreme tingling sensation spread from his tailbone throughout his body.

He had no chance to react at all; the last line of defense collapsed in a devastating rout.

The hall fell silent. The candlelight flickered gently on the table, the gauze curtains swayed slightly in the night breeze, and the faint sound of crabapple petals falling onto the blue bricks could be heard from outside the window.

Xie Qinglan was somewhat dazed. Her misty eyes widened slightly for a moment, a few tiny water droplets still clinging to her long eyelashes. She was still immersed in the passion she had just experienced and hadn't come back to her senses.

He blinked, looking at Xiao Jingyuan who was frozen in place with a hint of confusion and doubt.

He was well aware of Xiao Jingyuan's stamina. In his past life, this man always seemed to have inexhaustible energy, never stopping until he passed out. How come this time... it was so fast?

"...Your Majesty?" His voice still carried a hint of hoarseness, clear yet soft, with a slight upward inflection at the end, as if he were asking a question he was too embarrassed to ask.

Xiao Jingyuan's face flushed red instantly, from his ears to his neck.

He's lived two lives and never been so humiliated!

He abruptly turned his face away, so ashamed he wanted to disappear into the ground. His voice stammered, filled with embarrassment and anger: "This...this was an accident!"

"I haven't had you in so long... and you've been so... the way you were just now... I—"

He became increasingly incoherent, and finally, in a fit of desperation, he lowered his head and kissed Xie Qinglan's rosy lips, his voice hoarse and domineering:

"Again!"