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

When Xie Qinglan woke up, it was already broad daylight.

The morning light streamed in through the carved window, spreading a warm glow across the floor tiles. He shifted his body, a wave of soreness washing over him, and memories of yesterday surged up with that soreness—that person had pinned him down on the desk and made a scene, refusing to stop no matter how much he resisted, scattering memorials all over the floor and spilling ink all over the desk.

His expression turned cold.

I felt that kicking him that one time was too lenient on him.

After getting up, washing up, and having breakfast, Xie Qinglan didn't mind that Xiao Jingyuan was nowhere to be seen in the palace and went to the study alone.

Recently, he was rereading old books brought from Nanyue. He randomly picked up a volume of "Strategies of the Warring States" and leaned against the soft couch by the window to turn the pages.

As the pages of the book fluttered, a neatly folded letter suddenly slipped from between the pages and landed lightly on his lap.

The envelope was simple in design, and the handwriting was childish and crooked, bearing only six characters: "To Brother Qinglan." It was immediately clear that it was written by a young child.

Xie Qinglan paused slightly, then picked up the envelope.

He stared at those six words for a long time, so long that the wind outside the window rustled the pages of the book before he reached out and pulled out the letter inside.

The paper was ordinary bamboo paper, its edges curled and brittle from years of use, and the ink was slightly smudged. He slowly unfolded the letter, and a few words came into view, each character youthful and pure.

"Brother Qinglan, the Grand Tutor praised my calligraphy for its rapid improvement. He didn't know it was you who taught me so diligently. When will you come to the palace to see me again? Ning'er misses you very much."

The signature reads "Ning'er".

Xie Qinglan lowered her eyes and stared at the childish handwriting, sitting silently for a long time, the room quiet and still.

He still remembered the first time he saw Pei Yuning. She was only five years old then, thin and frail, huddled in a damp and dark corner of the cold palace, covered in filth, except for her bright and clear eyes. She timidly called out "brother" in a soft voice, which touched his heart.

He reached out and picked up the lonely child from the cold corner, wiped away the tears on her cheeks, wrapped her thin body in his outer robe, and gently comforted her: Don't be afraid.

Nineteen years ago, the war wiped out his entire Xie family, leaving him all alone since childhood, with no close relatives left in the world. When he first met Pei Yuning and her brother, he was suddenly reminded of himself at the age of seven.

That year, he escaped by sheer luck, walked for three days and three nights until he fainted from hunger on an ancient mountain path, where he was rescued by a hunter. However, the hunter was too busy taking care of himself to keep him. After thanking him, the hunter left, and he began his solitary journey, wandering from place to place.

We are both lonely and helpless, living in the same world.

In the past, he truly regarded the brother and sister as his only family, treating them with all his heart and protecting them with utmost sincerity. But the world changes and people's hearts are fickle, and they eventually came to the point of being enemies, entangled in a web of grudges and resentments.

After a long while, Xie Qinglan calmed his turbulent emotions, folded the letter, and put it back in the envelope. He stood up, placed the letter on the innermost shelf of the bookshelf, and hid it behind several books.

Out of sight, out of mind.

In the afternoon, Xiao Jingyuan arrived.

He had changed into a plain black robe, the cuffs slightly rolled up, and was carrying an oil paper package in his hand. Gao An followed behind him, carrying two food boxes. He stepped into the palace with light steps and a somewhat ingratiating smile on his face—but that smile involuntarily froze when he met Xie Qinglan's cold gaze.

Xie Qinglan sat on the soft couch by the window, holding a book in her hands. She didn't even lift her eyelids when she heard footsteps.

"Qinglan." Xiao Jingyuan leaned closer, placing the oil-paper package on the small table beside the couch. His voice was extremely soft, tinged with a hint of cautious flattery. "I went to the south of the city and bought some osmanthus cakes; they're still warm. Would you like to try some?"

Xie Qinglan gripped the book pages with his fingertips, his knuckles slightly clenched, a faint flutter rising in his heart, which he forcefully suppressed.

He had been far too lenient with Xiao Jingyuan lately, which emboldened the man to become increasingly unruly. His overbearing and unreasonable behavior yesterday was all due to this excessive indulgence. This man was always one to push his luck, so he needed to be taught a lesson today, or he wouldn't know how much he would be bullied in the future.

He silently turned the page without responding.

Xiao Jingyuan was not discouraged. He turned around, took the food box from Gao An, and placed the four dishes and soup on the table.

The dishes were steaming hot, but their appearance was less than appealing: the slices of meat were uneven in thickness, with the edges charred and hard, while the inside was still raw; the tender tofu was stir-fried until it was crumbly and shapeless; the eggs were fried into a charred mess; the whole eggplant was soaked in oil, greasy and shiny; the pork rib soup on the side was covered with layers of foam, and the lotus root served with it was stewed until it was soft and mushy.

After arranging the dishes, Xiao Jingyuan looked up at Xie Qinglan, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation, yet also with a hint of trepidation: "I learned to cook these myself. You said the other day you wanted to eat some home-style dishes, so I pestered the head chef of the imperial kitchen for several days to learn. Would you like to try them?"

Xie Qinglan finally put down her book. Seeing the ingratiating smile on the man's face, and confirming that he wasn't retaliating for the kick from the previous night, she slowly raised the book to cover her twitching lips.

After a moment of silence, he put down his book and pointed his slender finger at the oil paper package: "Keep this."

He then raised his chin to indicate the table full of dishes, "Your Majesty, please enjoy these."

"I got up before dawn and have been busy for a long time." Xiao Jingyuan's eyebrows drooped, his tone tinged with grievance, and he looked at him expectantly, "Can't I even have a bite?"

Xie Qinglan remained unmoved, merely raising her chin slightly to indicate the plate of charred meat slices: "Your Majesty, please try some first."

Xiao Jingyuan was slightly taken aback, but as instructed, he picked up his chopsticks and chose a relatively intact slice of meat to put into his mouth.

The moment his teeth touched the charred, hard outer skin, the raw, fishy smell inside assaulted his throat. He chewed a couple of times, his face gradually turning pale and then flushed. He quickly spat the food into a white porcelain dish beside him, picked up a glass of cold tea, and gulped down several mouthfuls to suppress the strange taste in his mouth.

"I clearly followed the chef's instructions step by step, how could it taste so bad?"

As he spoke, his voice suddenly lowered, as if he had remembered something.

No wonder he was called "swill" when he tried to please Xie Qinglan with his cooking. It turns out that from beginning to end, it was his poor cooking skills that made him deserve it.

His thoughts drifted back to that old dream about his past life, in which Xie Qinglan ate the longevity noodles he had personally made. A slight tremor ran through him, and he couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "The longevity noodles I made for you before...did you eat them back then?"

Xie Qinglan felt a pang of guilt upon hearing this and slightly shifted her gaze.

He knew that the bowl of noodles was specially made by Xiao Jingyuan to celebrate his birthday, but the taste was so bad that he could only manage to swallow one bite.

Seeing his unusual silence and evasiveness, Xiao Jingyuan couldn't help but lean closer, as if he had to get an answer.

Unable to withstand his gaze, Xie Qinglan could only embellish her statement slightly: "I ate a few bites."

These four short words caused Xiao Jingyuan's phoenix eyes to suddenly redden, and his heart was instantly filled with a burning warmth.

Only then did he truly grasp the fact that Xie Qinglan had long admired him—how could forcing himself to eat several bites of something so unpalatable not be love? Xie Qinglan truly loved him.

Xie Qinglan saw that his eyes were red, his guilt overshadowed by annoyance, and her brows furrowed: "Don't push your luck. A few bites are already enough—"

He paused, swallowing back the words "I've given you face." The truth was, he had already given him a lot of face; he had truly forced himself to swallow that remark. But he couldn't say it; if he did, wouldn't that guy just push his luck even further?

He could only turn his head away with a cold face, pretending to ignore him.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Jingyuan suddenly leaned closer and kept rubbing his lips against Qinglan's cheek, his voice muffled and carrying a hint of coquetry: "Qinglan, you're so good."

The warm touch landed on his skin, carrying a distinct warmth. Xie Qinglan was slightly taken aback, completely unable to fathom this person's unpredictable thoughts. His ears burned instantly, and he raised his hand to push away the person who was still rubbing against his face.

Meeting his moist, phoenix-shaped eyes, brimming with affection and joy, Xie Qinglan was somewhat overwhelmed. Her defenses crumbled, and she forced herself to remain calm and change the subject.

"His Majesty."

"Hmm?" Xiao Jingyuan obediently responded, his eyes fixed intently on him.

"If your cooking skills are poor, then don't waste food."

Xiao Jingyuan's lips parted slightly, intending to offer some explanation, but looking down at the messy table of dishes, he ultimately fell silent and shut his mouth.

He turned to look at Gao An, who was shaking his shoulders and trying not to laugh, and waved for him to remove all the dishes from the table. Then he unwrapped the oil paper package on the table.

The layers of parchment paper were unfurled, revealing the golden cake inside, sprinkled with finely crushed osmanthus honey. The sweet aroma mingled with the fragrance of rice, filling the air and dispelling the previous burnt smell.

Xiao Jingyuan picked up a piece and handed it to him, saying gently, "Then try some osmanthus cake."

Xie Qinglan reached out, took the osmanthus cake, and took a bite.

The cake was soft and chewy, sweet but not cloying, and the aroma of osmanthus blossoms melted in his mouth—it was his favorite flavor. He chewed a few times, swallowed, and picked up a second piece.

Xiao Jingyuan stood aside and watched him eat three pieces in a row, and his heart finally settled down.

"Is it good?" he asked.

"It's delicious." Xie Qinglan withdrew her hand, lowered her eyes, and spoke softly.

Xiao Jingyuan's heart skipped a beat, and seizing the opportunity, his eyes filled with cautious anticipation: "Then tonight, may I return to my bed to sleep?"

Xie Qinglan glanced at the cake box, then looked at his burning gaze, her face still cold and hard: "No."

Xiao Jingyuan's brows furrowed instantly. He moved even closer, his voice pleading with utmost humility: "Qinglan, I truly know I was wrong. I won't touch you for the next few days. Just let me hold you in my arms while we sleep, okay?"

Xie Qinglan was silent for a moment, then turned her head away, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible relaxation: "Hmph."

Xiao Jingyuan's eyes lit up, and he immediately leaned closer: "So that means you agree?"

"If you dare to act recklessly again, yesterday's kick was too lenient."

Xiao Jingyuan nodded repeatedly, overjoyed: "Good, good, good!"