The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

In the morning, the sun was high in the sky.

After finishing his official duties, Shen Wangxi went straight to the courtyard where Shen Qingruo lived.

The inner room was quiet. Granny Yan, who was guarding the door, quickly bowed upon seeing him and whispered:

"Your Majesty, the Empress has just woken up and is taking a nap; she's lying down right now."

Shen Wangxi dismissed the palace servants and went into the inner room alone.

On the bed, a small mound of brocade quilt was visible, and his little girl was huddled inside, with only a few strands of her dark hair showing.

He walked to the bedside and sat down, reaching out to lift the blanket, but the person inside was clutching it tightly and shrinking further in, clearly awake and throwing a tantrum at him.

Shen Wangxi chuckled softly, then used some force to pull the person, blanket and all, into his arms.

He leaned closer, pulled Shen Qingruo out from under the brocade quilt, kissed her pouting lips, and then spoke:

"Are you still angry?"

"Your Majesty has been cornered in the hot springs, with people offering themselves to him."

Shen Qingruo felt ticklish from his kisses, turned her head away, and gently punched his chest with her fair, delicate arm, her voice sounding aggrieved:

"You bastard! You knew there were people there, and you still did that!"

She recalled last night, when she was imprisoned by a man while Liu Rusi poured out her heart to her lover outside.

She was terrified, but dared not utter a sound. She could only look at him with pleading eyes filled with tears.

That state of mind only fueled his recklessness, and he even raised his hand to cover her mouth, doing as he pleased.

She was terrified, but her body wouldn't cooperate, and she could only keep her almond-shaped eyes open, enduring his more ferocious assault than usual.

Shen Wangxi grasped her small, weak fist, cupped it in his palm, and rubbed it gently. He coaxed her with a languid tone, as if after a satisfying meal, "Alright, my dear A'ruo, it was my fault."

He paused, then added matter-of-factly, "It's just that you're too tempting; I couldn't resist."

"Don't do that again!" she protested, tilting her head up, her eyebrows still alluring and her eyes still red.

Shen Wangxi looked at her pitiful appearance and his heart fluttered, but he didn't say a word.

That silence clearly said: You'll do it again next time.

Shen Qingruo gave a soft snort and turned her face away.

Shen Wangxi turned her face back to him and coaxed, "The women outside are always thinking about how to get into my bed, but I don't even glance at them. I only love you."

"Aru shouldn't have rewarded me, so why are you throwing a tantrum?"

His large hand skillfully slipped under the thin blanket, covering her slender lower back, massaging it gently.

"Is it still sore here? Let me rub it for you, to pamper my beloved Imperial Concubine, shall I?"

Shen Qingruo sighed softly and comfortably, like a cat being stroked, and snuggled closer into his arms, which was her tacit consent.

Shen Wangxi looked down at the person in his arms and recalled the time last night when he pulled her out of the water. Her pink face was covered with water droplets, her wet hair clung to her snow-white neck, and she was so weak and limp that she could only lean against him and pant for breath. His heart tightened, and he loved her so much that he didn't know what to do.

Shen Wangxi prided himself on being aloof and self-disciplined for half his life, and his actions could be considered upright and honorable.

But in the situation last night, hearing another woman's voice and seeing the shy and submissive look of the person in his arms, his self-control completely collapsed.

His mind was filled with lewd thoughts about how to bully her even more.

-

Lunch was served in the outer hall.

Shen Wangxi hadn't finished eating yet, while Shen Qingruo was resting her chin on her hand, poking at the pearl rice in her bowl with her silver chopsticks.

Seeing him put down his chopsticks, she immediately dropped them, and like a cheerful little sparrow, she nestled beside him, sat on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and softly called out:

"Your Majesty~"

Shen Wangxi naturally reached out and put his arm around her waist, pinching her soft, tender face: "Instead of eating properly, what kind of mischievous idea are you thinking of?"

The little girl looked up with her delicate face, her eyes sparkling: "Your Majesty, Aruo ran into the Princess this morning."

"Hmm." Shen Wangxi picked up her silver chopsticks again, took a piece of her favorite steamed sea bass belly, and fed it to her tender little mouth. "And then?"

Shen Qingruo swallowed the fish, wrinkled her little nose, and said with a hint of disdain, "Then I noticed that the Princess's manners seemed a bit off; her posture when bowing was incorrect."

Shen Wangxi raised an eyebrow, looked at her, and waited for her to continue.

Shen Qingruo leaned closer, almost touching his ear, her voice soft and sweet as she coaxed him:

"Her Majesty the Empress always said that Aruo had bad manners. But Aruo, it seems she doesn't know how to teach her own daughter either."

She paused, gazing at him expectantly, her long eyelashes fluttering, "Your Majesty, perhaps..."

"How about we bring the eldest princess to Yilan Palace so Aruo can personally teach her manners?"

Shen Wangxi felt a mix of tenderness and longing as she looked at her, who clearly wanted to do something naughty but pretended to be serious.

He knew exactly what she was thinking; she just wanted to keep Ayan under his watchful eye and torment her slowly after he hadn't had enough fun in the morning.

He pulled her close, kissed her smooth forehead, and then couldn't resist kissing the tip of her upturned nose, his voice low and deep: "Just want to vent your anger?"

Shen Qingruo felt ticklish from his kisses, shrank her neck slightly, and obediently nodded, "Mmm."

Shen Wangxi chuckled softly as he looked at her candid expression.

He pondered for a moment, thinking that Ah Yan was indeed becoming increasingly outrageous, and it would be good to have Ah Ruo restrain her and teach her manners.

Aruo is kind-hearted and gentle. At most, she might make things a little difficult when it comes to greetings and greetings, but she won't cause any major trouble.

"Okay." He finally agreed, his fingertips brushing against her delicate cheek. "As you wish."

"Really?" Shen Qingruo's eyes lit up instantly. She happily hugged his neck and buried her face in his chest. "Your Majesty is the best!"

Holding the soft, boneless body in his arms, Shen Wangxi felt her joy and was also in a great mood.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet fragrance deeply, feeling his heart flutter and a surge of heat rising within him.

He held her tighter without making a sound, secretly hoping that night would come soon.

Shen Wangxi had never known that he was such a lustful person.

In the past, whether he was away fighting or busy with the affairs of the new dynasty, it was common for him to not visit Wulan Yun for several months.