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

"It hurts so much here." Xiao Jingyuan's voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of suppressed panting. His hot breath brushed against his earlobe. "Please help me, okay?"

"Xiao Jingyuan!" Xie Qinglan suddenly pulled her hand away forcefully, her beautiful face already burning red, even her neck was tinged with crimson.

"Are you calling me?" Xiao Jingyuan chuckled, his voice carrying a warm, moist breath as it brushed against his ear. "It sounds nice. Say it a few more times."

Xie Qinglan glared at him fiercely for a few moments, then turned her back, her chest heaving violently, her ear tips turning so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

The spring water was cool, but it couldn't quell the heat rising through his body.

He hastily splashed a few handfuls of water on his face, gritting his teeth as he said, "Your Majesty, please take care of this yourself."

After saying that, he was about to go ashore.

But as soon as she took a step, a pair of burning hot arms wrapped around her waist.

Xie Qinglan struggled twice, but couldn't budge. He secretly thought to himself that something was wrong—this man possessed immense strength, and even if he was injured, he was far from being able to break free.

The hand on her waist tightened suddenly, and the person behind her leaned forward and bumped into her twice. Xie Qinglan staggered forward a few steps, her legs going weak from the scorching heat, and she quickly raised her hand to brace herself against the blue stone by the spring.

"No, Your Majesty." Xie Qinglan's voice trembled, the last syllable carrying a hint of barely suppressed panic, "I'll help you...you let go first."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingyuan indeed slowly released his grip.

As Xie Qinglan turned around, the corners of his eyes were already tinged with a faint red, and his long eyelashes drooped damply. He bit his lip, closed his eyes, and slowly reached out with trembling hands.

The moment Xiao Jingyuan was touched by those slender fingertips, his back tensed up and his breathing suddenly became heavy.

But that person acted so slowly, so gently, like a light feather brushing against the heart, causing a tingling and numb sensation that made one's internal organs clench tightly.

"Qinglan... good Qinglan," he coaxed in a hoarse voice, his fingertips gently stroking Xie Qinglan's waist. "Hurry up."

Xie Qinglan did as instructed and stopped her momentum.

But Xiao Jingyuan still felt it wasn't enough. He tried to hold back, but in the end, he couldn't resist.

He grabbed the person's waist and suddenly turned them around, holding them tightly from behind.

Xie Qinglan gasped in surprise, his whole body tensing. The spring water splashed up, wetting his shoulders and back.

"So soft." Xiao Jingyuan let out a hoarse sigh, lowered his head and gently rubbed against his reddened neck.

The water surface suddenly began to ripple, the fragmented reflections swayed wildly, and the sunlight and tree shadows were all blended into fine, golden fragments.

He placed his palm on Xie Qinglan's lower back and patted her lightly, his voice low and hoarse: "Tuck your legs in a little more."

Xie Qinglan blushed so much that her eyes turned red.

He really wanted to push that bastard into the spring to sober him up, but when he thought of the man's injuries, his heart softened. He restrained himself again and again, and finally obediently followed suit.

He bit his lower lip hard, the scorching heat seeping into his bones from the roots of his legs, making his limbs go weak, and the heat burning into his lower abdomen along with his blood.

Xiao Jingyuan muttered something under his breath, then his voice betrayed a satisfied sigh: "So obedient. So incredibly obedient. I want to..."

The last sentence was whispered in Xie Qinglan's ear, his breath hot and tinged with low, hoarse gasps.

"No!" Xie Qinglan turned around hurriedly, her eyes glistening with tears, her voice urgent and soft, "Not here..."

The thought of an open-air spring in the wilderness, a place resembling a clandestine sexual encounter, made him incredibly ashamed.

Xiao Jingyuan didn't force him. His mind was a mess, and he couldn't remember if the two of them had ever been intimate before. He only knew that if it was the first time, he couldn't wrong her and do things hastily in this desolate wilderness.

She didn't know how long she had been enduring it, but Xie Qinglan felt a slight pain on her side from the rubbing, while Xiao Jingyuan was still not done.

"Why isn't it ready yet?"

"How much longer?" Xie Qinglan turned her face away tightly, her voice sharp and forceful, but the end of her voice trembled, lacking any imposing manner.

"It'll be soon." Xiao Jingyuan kissed the back of his neck, then quietly slipped one hand around to his chest. "I'll help you."

The spring water gurgled, mixed with suppressed breaths, and the splashing water wet the green grass on the bank, shattering the reflections of the sky and clouds in the pond.

……

By the time the two were dressed and stood back by the spring, the sun had already begun to set in the west.

Xiao Jingyuan had changed into that black brocade robe. His hair was still dripping with water, but he looked impeccably dressed. A satisfied smile played on his lips, and his gaze toward Xie Qinglan was even more affectionate than before.

Xie Qinglan glared at him, the blush on her ears still fresh, and pulled on the reins to ride forward.

Xiao Jingyuan hurriedly followed, his legs seemed much more agile, and he caught up with him in a few steps.

After walking along the mountain path for nearly half an hour, we finally reached the main road in the Gobi Desert.

Xie Qinglan mounted the horse, and after settling in, turned to look at him: "Get on."

Xiao Jingyuan used the horse's back for leverage and flipped onto it. It was all muscle memory honed over years of battles; his movements were faster than his brain.

He hugged Xie Qinglan tightly around the waist, his whole body sticking to Xie Qinglan's back, his chest pressed against his spine, his heartbeat transmitted through the two layers of clothing, steady and strong.

Xie Qinglan flicked the reins, and the horse galloped off. The cold wind of the Gobi Desert rushed into his collar, instantly dispelling the lingering warmth from the spring.

He had just breathed a sigh of relief when a restless hand reached up to his waist and abdomen, its fingertips gently caressing him through his clothes.

He slapped the hand hard: "Hand, behave yourself."

Xiao Jingyuan stopped what he was doing, but his hand didn't move away; it remained on his waist.

Before long, it started to get restless again, its nose pressed against Xie Qinglan's neck, sniffing incessantly, its warm breath sweeping over the back of his ears and the side of his neck.

"You smell so good," Xiao Jingyuan mumbled indistinctly.

Xie Qinglan ignored him.

"Did I make you feel good just now?"

Xie Qinglan's ears suddenly turned red, and the knuckles of her fingers gripping the reins turned white.

"When can I *you?"

Xie Qinglan turned her head and glared at him fiercely, her usually cold eyes filled with shame, indignation and warning: "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll throw you into the Gobi Desert to feed the wolves."

Xiao Jingyuan immediately shut his mouth and rubbed his fluffy head against Xie Qinglan's back, as if begging for mercy.

When it was completely dark, the two finally arrived at the imperial camp.

The moonlight is bright tonight, its silvery glow shining on the Gobi Desert, clearly outlining the camp's silhouette.

The sentries at the camp gate saw a rider approaching from afar, and when they saw the face behind the horse, they were so startled they almost dropped their spears: "Your Majesty! It's Your Majesty! His Majesty has returned!"

The shouts instantly echoed throughout the entire camp. Torches were lit one after another, illuminating the camp gates as if it were daytime.

Following Xie Qinglan's instructions, Xiao Jingyuan dismounted and walked expressionlessly toward the camp gate.

He was naturally handsome and had an air of imperial authority about him. At this moment, he deliberately suppressed all his expressions, making him look even more dignified and indifferent than usual.

Shen Hanzhou was lifted off the bed by Wanyan Lie. He had stayed up until four in the morning to check the roster of the newly surrendered tribes for Xiao Zhaoyue. He was fast asleep when someone suddenly pulled off the covers and touched the back of his neck with cold fingertips, which made him sit up abruptly.

"What are you doing!" He shrank back under the covers, his hair a mess like a bird's nest, still half asleep.

"His Majesty has returned," Wanyan Lie said succinctly.

Shen Hanzhou was stunned for a moment, then scrambled off the bed, his boots not even properly on, and rushed out with one bare foot.

Wanyan Lie reacted quickly, grabbing him by the back of his collar and pulling him back. He then pointed at Shen Hanzhou's open collar and bare feet with his chin. Shen Hanzhou hastily tied his belt twice, put on his boots, and ran out again, almost tripping over the tent rope.

As he rushed through the camp passage, he nearly knocked over Xiao Zhaoyue, who was walking towards him.

She was on duty tonight and had just witnessed Xie Qinglan and Xiao Jingyuan entering the camp side by side at the camp gate. At that moment, they were carrying a pot of hot goat milk towards the main tent when they were bumped, and half of the goat milk spilled out, dripping down the spout onto their boots.

Before she could even utter a rebuke, Shen Hanzhou had already rushed several steps away, his words "His Majesty is back" shattered by the wind.

When Shen Hanzhou rushed to the camp gate, the sentries were already kneeling on the ground. He pushed through the crowd and caught sight of the figure in black, his eyes instantly welling up with tears.

"Your Majesty!" he cried out in a hoarse voice, rushing forward like an arrow and kneeling down three steps away from Xiao Jingyuan. He gripped Xiao's robes tightly with both hands, tears streaming down his face. He choked up before he could finish speaking, "Your Majesty, you've finally returned! This humble general thought you..."

Xiao Jingyuan lowered his eyes and looked at the person at his feet who was clutching the hem of his robe and wiping his tears all over his newly changed brocade robe.

He had no recollection of Xie Qinglan's words, only a firm grasp of hers: maintain a cold expression in front of others, and don't give yourself away. So he stood there expressionless, completely still.

Shen Hanzhou continued to cry, "Your Majesty, you've lost weight! How did you get that scar on your forehead? How have you been these past three months? Do you know that I searched every mountain in the Western Rong region just to find you!"

A vein throbbed on Xiao Jingyuan's forehead. His fingers clenched, loosened, and then clenched again inside his sleeve.

Shen Hanzhou's tears had seeped through the hem of his robe onto his calves, and he could feel the fabric becoming damp in a suffocating way.

Qinglan said, "Don't kick, don't lose your composure."

Shen Hanzhou was still rambling on, choking back tears as he talked about how infuriating Wan Yanlie was and how he had endured the past three months.

Xiao Jingyuan endured it all, his jawline tightening, his intact leg slightly raised—just as he was about to kick the man away despite Xie Qinglan's warning, a hand reached out from behind and precisely grabbed Shen Hanzhou by the back of his collar.

Wanyan Lie lifted Shen Hanzhou from Xiao Jingyuan's feet like he was carrying a cat.

Shen Hanzhou was still struggling, waving his hands wildly in the air, tears streaming down his face: "Let go of me! I haven't finished talking to His Majesty yet! Your Majesty—Wanyan Lie, you bastard, don't pull me—"

Wanyan Lie, without changing his expression, pulled the man into his arms, covered his mouth with one hand, and nodded slightly to Xiao Jingyuan. His Central Plains dialect was no longer stammering: "Your Majesty, please forgive him. He misses you terribly. Last night, he was still holding the pillow Your Majesty gave him and shedding tears."

Shen Hanzhou suddenly struggled in his arms, his face flushed red, and he forced out a muffled roar through his fingers: "Wanyan Lie! You're lying! When did I cry last night?!"

"Last night you got drunk and kept crying, saying that if it weren't for His Majesty saving you, you would have died on the battlefield long ago." Wanyan Lie looked down at him, his light golden eyes filled with helplessness. "After crying, you hugged me and said that if His Majesty were gone, you should go to Broken Eagle Gorge and jump off the cliff."

"Shut up! Shut up! Who hugged you?!" Shen Hanzhou covered his mouth, and the two wrestled together, almost knocking over the weapon rack next to them.

Xiao Zhaoyue walked over carrying a half-full jug of goat's milk, her boots still stained with milk. She walked past the two people wrestling together, stopped in front of Xiao Jingyuan, and looked him up and down.

His gaze slid from the faint scar on his forehead to his thin jaw, and finally landed on his expressionless face, his eyebrows slightly raised.

"You've lost weight, and there's a scar on your forehead." Her tone was tinged with heartache as she reached out to touch the scar on his forehead, but Xiao Jingyuan subtly turned his head away.

Xiao Zhaoyue's hand paused in mid-air, but she wasn't annoyed. She withdrew her hand and punched his shoulder. "But it's good that you came back alive. I told you you were tough and wouldn't die."

Xiao Jingyuan looked at her expressionlessly, and nodded slightly in accordance with Xie Qinglan's instructions.

Xiao Zhaoyue placed the goat milk jug into his hand, then took out a small cloth bag from her sleeve and placed it on the lid: "This is a wound medicine prepared by the old apothecary of Xirong, specially for treating bruises and sprains. Remember to apply it to the scar on your forehead every day, otherwise it will leave a mark, and Prime Minister Xie will not like it."

Xiao Jingyuan's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then he nodded.

Looking at his cold face, Xiao Zhaoyue suddenly sensed something was wrong.

Although Xiao Jingyuan was indifferent in the past, he would at least say a few words to her, his elder sister, and occasionally tease her, "Which merchant caravan did you rob again?"

But today, Xiao Jingyuan was like a silent gourd, not uttering a single word from beginning to end.

Just as she was about to speak again, Xie Qinglan stepped forward and subtly blocked the two of them.

"Princess, General Shen, His Majesty suffered lung injuries when he fell off the cliff and is unable to speak at this time."

"His Majesty appreciates your concern, but it is late tonight. Please return to your camps and rest."

After he finished speaking, he turned and led Xiao Jingyuan toward the main tent. Xiao Jingyuan immediately followed, his steps quick and hurried, as if he were fleeing some den of trouble.

As he passed by Shen Hanzhou, the man tried to pounce on him, but Wanyan Lie grabbed him tightly around the waist.