Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

Shen Yu'an sat on the edge of the bed without moving. Xize turned his head to look at him.

He was still wearing his deep red tuxedo, the belt cinched tightly around his waist, and he sat upright with his back slightly ramrod straight.

Caesar reached out, went around his back and touched his waist, his fingertips brushing against the knot of his waistband.

"I will untie you."

Shen Yu'an looked down at his fingers as he pulled at the ties, the movements slow and clear, each pull visible.

As the belt loosened, the tightness of the waistband disappeared instantly, and he let out a slight breath.

Xize pulled out his waistband and placed it at the foot of the bed, then began to unbutton his collar, one button at a time.

Shen Yu'an felt the fabric at the collar loosening, and his clothes were slightly open. He looked down and saw his collarbone exposed.

He didn't move, letting Caesar's hand continue downwards.

After taking off his outer robe, Shen Yu'an sat on the edge of the bed wearing his inner garment. The fabric was a bit thin, and the lines of his shoulders and arms could be seen.

Xize himself also took off his outer robe, and two dark red formal suits were stacked on the low table at the foot of the bed, one large and one slightly narrow.

When he turned to look at Shen Yu'an, his grey-blue eyes reflected the candlelight inside the tent. He showed no intention of hiding it, but he was not in a hurry either.

Shen Yu'an looked up at him: "Your Majesty..."

"You just said you wanted to order something else."

Shen Yu'an opened her mouth: "Husband."

Xize didn't respond, but placed his hand on his shoulder. Through the thin inner garment, he could feel the body temperature beneath the fabric.

He gently laid him down on the bed, supporting the back of his head with his hand so that he wouldn't hit the pillow when he lay down.

Shen Yu'an's back sank into the blankets as he looked up at Xize's face. Xize propped himself up on his arms above him, looking down at him, their breaths mingling in the tent.

Are you scared?

Shen Yu'an shook his head.

Xize lowered his head, his lips touched the other man's forehead, paused for a moment, and then moved down.

Each touch was very light, then the fingertips were used to slowly trace along his jawline, stopping behind his ear and gently pressing down.

Shen Yu'an closed her eyes and could feel the temperature and weight of her lips. They were very light, with a warm breath imprinted on her skin.

Xize's fingers slowly untied his clothes, without rushing. After the ties of his inner garment were untied, the clothes opened, revealing his chest and abdomen.

When his palm covered hers, Shen Yu'an's breathing paused slightly. She could feel his palm against her skin, steady and warm.

He didn't move it; he just left it there, as if letting it adjust to his own temperature.

After a while, it moved slightly, sliding down his collarbone toward his shoulder.

"Husband..." Shen Yu'an called out again, her voice softer than before.

Xize looked down at him and said, "Mm."

"Your hands are so hot."

Xize pulled his hand, which was resting on the pillow, to his chest, placing his palm against it.

Shen Yu'an could feel the heartbeat coming from under his chest, one beat at a time, slower and more steady than his own.

His fingers curled up and then unfolded underneath, his palm pressed against that warm skin, as if he had found a place to rest.

Xize lowered his head again, and when his lips covered Shen Yu'an's, Shen Yu'an opened his mouth, his tongue was led away, and his breath was blocked for a moment before he could catch his breath again.

His hand slid from Caesar's chest to the back of his neck, his fingers running through his loose hair.

The two were pressed together, and Shen Yu'an could feel Xize's body temperature coming through the thin inner garment. It was even closer than before, so close that she couldn't tell whose body temperature was which.

……

When it was over, Xize lay on top of him, his chin resting on his shoulder, his breathing slowly calming down on the side of his neck.

Shen Yu'an's hands were still around his back, and the two of them were pressed together, covered in a thin layer of sweat.

After a while, Xize propped himself up and looked down at him, reaching out to brush away the sweat-dampened hair on his forehead, his fingertips tracing his brow bone and temples, still damp with a few strands of sweat.

"Go to sleep."

Shen Yu'an closed his eyes and hummed in agreement. He felt Xize turn him over so that he was lying on his side and Xize wrapped his arms around his waist from behind.

His back was pressed against Xize's chest, and he could feel Xize's steady heartbeat traveling up his spine.

One of the candles in the hall was blown out, and the light dimmed.

His fingers rested on Xize's arm, which was wrapped around his waist, his fingertips touching the edge of Xize's forearm, and he didn't pull them away.

"My husband," he said, his voice drowsy.

"Um."

When Shen Yu'an woke up the next morning, the light inside the tent was already quite bright.

He turned over and realized the person beside him was no longer there. The bedding was still warm, but the person was gone. He lay there for a while, then heard the sound of footsteps outside the screen, very light and steady.

After a while, a palace servant came in carrying a tray, placed it on the table, and then left.

Shen Yu'an sat up, his undergarment hanging loosely on his shoulders. He looked down at his collarbone and chest, where there were several light red marks, not deep, but noticeable.

He pulled his collar up a bit, changed his clothes, washed up, and sat down at the table to eat breakfast.

The tray contained porridge and several small dishes; the porridge was still warm.

After breakfast, Shen Yu'an took a walk around the palace.

This was the first time he had been alone in this main hall. The feeling of it during the day was different from that at night; it was bigger and more spacious.

He walked to the desk and stopped. He saw a piece of paper pressed against the corner of the desk. On the paper were two words written neatly and clearly: "Afternoon." There was no signature.

He picked up the paper, looked at it, folded it, and put it in his sleeve.

In the afternoon, Xize returned. He changed into casual clothes and came in, seeing Shen Yu'an sitting on the tatami by the window, flipping through a book he had found somewhere.

Shen Yu'an looked up when he heard footsteps. Xize paused at the door, as if to confirm that he was still there, and then walked over and sat down opposite him.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"No. I read a book for a while."

"Let's go."

The two walked through the long corridor toward the Imperial Garden.

The afternoon light was bright but not harsh, making the flowers and trees in the garden shine. Shen Yu'an walked beside Xize, not behind him.

When Shen Yu'an reached the same waterside pavilion as before, he paused and saw the koi in the pond swimming close to the surface. He bent down to watch for a while, and Xize also stopped and stood next to him.

"Your Majesty, what are you thinking about when you attend court?"

Xize tilted his head and looked at him: "I was wondering if An'an had woken up yet."

Shen Yu'an was taken aback; he had never heard Xize call him that before. His ears slowly turned red, and his voice softened slightly: "You were already gone when I woke up."

"We'll go tomorrow after you wake up."

Shen Yu'an straightened up and glanced at him: "What if I don't wake up?"

"Then let's wait."

Shen Yu'an didn't reply. He turned around and continued walking forward, circling the waterside pavilion once.

Xize walked beside him, the gap between them smaller than last time.

When they reached the depths of the garden, there was a section of stone path covered with moss. Shen Yu'an slipped when he stepped on it, and Xize reached out to support his arm, letting go only after he regained his balance.

Shen Yu'an looked down at the patch of moss, then at Xize's withdrawn hand, and continued walking forward.

"Your Majesty, where do you walk when you're out alone?"

"Go through the corridor. Don't go through this section."

"So why did you leave today?"

Xize looked at him: "An'an left."

Shen Yu'an's ears turned a little redder, but he didn't ask any more questions. He walked back to the bluestone path, trying to stay close to the edge, and his steps became more steady.

Xize walked behind him, two steps away, neither urging him nor looking away.

When they returned to the main hall in the evening, the palace servants had already prepared dinner.

Shen Yu'an sat opposite Xize, and the two ate quietly. Halfway through the meal, Shen Yu'an picked up a piece of fish. As he looked down to eat, he felt Xize watching him, so he looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"Watching you eat."

"What's so interesting about me eating?"

"When An'an eats, a little bit of food gets on the corner of her mouth."

Shen Yu'an reached out and wiped the corner of his mouth, but found nothing.

Xize watched him finish wiping before lowering his head to continue eating. Shen Yu'an sat opposite him, the rim of her bowl obscuring the lower half of her face, revealing only her eyes, which were looking at Xize through the steam.

After washing up in the evening, Shen Yu'an went to bed.

Xize came over after a while, turned off the light, and lay down next to him. Shen Yu'an turned to face him and said, "Your Majesty, could you please call me when you leave tomorrow morning?"

"good."

"Just say it."

Xize's voice wasn't loud, but it landed steadily in the darkness, "Okay, I'll wake you up tomorrow morning."

Shen Yu'an didn't speak again. He lay there on his side, facing Xize, his eyes already closed.

After a while, he turned over and lay face inward, the blanket pulled up to his chin, as if he had fallen asleep.

The next morning, before it was fully light, Shen Yu'an felt someone gently touching his shoulder.

He opened his eyes and saw Xize sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at him. He was already dressed in court robes and his hair was tied up.

"An'an, I'm going to court."

Shen Yu'an blinked, her sleepy voice muffled: "Mmm..."

"You can continue sleeping."

Xize reached out and pulled the blanket up over him, covering his exposed shoulders, then stood up, turned around, and left.

The footsteps faded away outside the screen, and the palace doors were gently closed. Shen Yu'an buried her face in the blankets, noticing that her heart was beating faster than usual.

He didn't open his eyes, but his lips twitched slightly, very slightly, and then he acted as if nothing had happened.

The sliver of daylight outside the window was still slowly brightening, and he curled up in the blankets and fell asleep again.