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

After the banquet ended, Shen Wangxi and Shen Qingruo left the banquet first and returned to the inner hall of Taiji Hall.

The inner palace was brightly lit, with an imperial desk and dragon throne placed in the outer room, and the inner room separated by a screen, with the emperor's dragon bed at the far end.

Shen Wangxi held the delicate woman in his arms and naturally walked towards the screen.

Shen Qingruo stopped in her tracks, her small, snow-white hand gripping the edge of the screen, her body leaning back slightly, refusing to go any further.

She tilted her flushed face up, her eyes showing a hint of resistance, her voice soft and sweet, still tinged with the stickiness of alcohol: "Don't go in, I won't go..."

She recalled his strong physique, and how difficult it was for her to accept his favor each time.

She had been drinking tonight, and her body felt even weaker, so she became willful and didn't want him to torment her.

Shen Wangxi found her sulking antics amusing, yet also somewhat helpless.

He tried to gently tug at her, but she clung even tighter to the screen, like a spoiled little girl who didn't want to go home.

He had no choice but to stop, leaning closer to her, his voice low and seductive:

"Aruo, tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a night for family reunion. Don't you feel sorry for me? Can you bear to watch me stay alone in my empty bed, suffering all night?"

Shen Qingruo blinked her big eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering like two small fans.

Her gaze shifted and landed on the pile of memorials on the imperial desk that had not yet been reviewed.

A sudden inspiration struck.

She suddenly released the screen and instead forcefully pushed Shen Wangxi's strong arm, shoving him towards the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty, there are still many memorials that haven't been approved!" she said with an air of self-righteousness. "Please approve them first, and then we'll talk!"

Caught off guard, Shen Wangxi was pushed back two steps and actually forced to sit on the large dragon throne.

He looked at the pile of memorials on his desk, then down at Aruo standing in front of him with an air of entitlement, and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

Just as Shen Wangxi was about to stand up, Shen Qingruo beat him to it, her body went limp, and she sat down on his firm lap.

Her arms naturally wrapped around his neck, her body pressed against him, her small face tilted up, a smile as radiant as a flower:

"Aruo will watch it with you, okay? That way, His Majesty won't be lonely."

Her charming and delicate appearance instantly captured Shen Wangxi's heart, and he found the little girl extremely adorable.

How could he bear to forcibly carry her to bed?

The man's arms encircled her slender waist, holding her firmly in his embrace, and he sighed indulgently, "Alright, as you wish."

He casually picked up the topmost memorial and handed it to her: "Read it to me."

Shen Qingruo obediently took the bright yellow folded book, held it in her hands, and tried to open her eyes wide as she began to read it haltingly:

"Your subject Shen Yinian respectfully reports that the Jiangnan region is frequently plagued by floods, causing great suffering to the people. I earnestly request Your Majesty's permission to travel to Jiangnan to manage the floods and bring peace to the people..."

She read aloud intermittently, and the thin veil draped over her shoulders had somehow slipped halfway down, revealing her rounded shoulders, without her noticing.

As Shen Wangxi listened to her soft, sweet voice and smelled her sweet fragrance, his mind was no longer on the memorial.

His hand, which was around her slender waist, began to wander.

Shen Qingruo felt a little ticklish from his teasing, and her body shifted slightly, but she still dutifully held the memorial, her brows furrowed as she tried to understand its contents:

"Hmm... Shen Yinian, why is he going to Jiangnan to manage the floods? I don't understand."

Shen Wangxi's lips were already on her delicate shoulder, pecking and kissing gently. Hearing this, she mumbled, "He wants to go? No way."

"Hmm?" Shen Qingruo felt a little dizzy from his kiss and subconsciously asked, "Why?"

Shen Wangxi continued kissing her, his eyes half-awake, but mostly still infatuated with her: "Because he has no capable ministers under him who are proficient in water conservancy, and he himself is not knowledgeable in this field."

"His purpose in going there is nothing more than to take advantage of the power of the truly capable minister I sent, and rely on his status as a prince, to gain a good reputation for being considerate of the people's plight and capable of doing practical work."

Shen Qingruo nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. Feeling uncomfortable from his kiss, she wrapped her small arms around his head, her voice tinged with drunken stubbornness: "No! He's not allowed to go!"

Shen Wangxi looked at her spoiled and willful appearance, chuckled softly, and buried his head in her fragrant embrace again, his voice muffled and full of doting affection:

"Alright, if Aruo says it's not okay, then it's not okay."

"Mmm..." Shen Qingruo frowned her delicate eyebrows, struggled slightly, and mumbled, "Don't kiss me again..."

Shen Wangxi stepped back slightly, looked at her pouting lips, and coaxed her softly, "Fine, no, I won't kiss you anymore."

Although he said he wouldn't kiss her, his burning gaze still lingered on her, filled with undisguised desire.

He lowered his head again, gently kissed her tender skin a few times, and said in a hoarse voice, "One last kiss."

However, this last kiss was actually a series of kisses, which made Shen Qingruo's brows furrow even more.

Her discomfort from his lips made her groan. She frantically clutched his head, trying to push him away, but she was too weak. Her voice trembled with tears as she cried, "It hurts, no, you liar..."

Shen Wangxi felt a tickle in his heart from her charm and wrapped his large hand around her slender waist.

"Good girl, just for a little while." He whispered coaxingly, his voice husky as he pressed his lips to hers, "Right away, right away I won't kiss you anymore, okay? Then I'll continue reviewing the memorials, alright?"

As he spoke, he subtly adjusted his posture, allowing her feet to sit comfortably on his lap.

Shen Qingruo felt as if she were being held tightly in his arms!

The memorial Shen Yinian was holding fell to the ground with a thud.

The little girl sobbed weakly in his arms, "No, you're lying... you're a bad person..."

She cried as she pounded his shoulder with her small, weak fists, muttering in a coquettish voice, "Shen Wangxi, you bastard...you big liar..."

The scolding, tinged with tears, didn't anger Shen Wangxi at all. Instead, it made him find the drunken girl incredibly lively and adorable, making him love her so much that he didn't know what to do and his love intensified.

……

After an unknown amount of time, the wind and rain stopped.

He then casually swept the stack of memorials to the ground.

The bright yellow cloth covering the imperial desk was exposed, instantly creating a gap.

Before Shen Qingruo could react, she felt dizzy and was supported by his waist as she fell onto the bright yellow that symbolized supreme power, her black hair spread out.

"Shen Wangxi..." Her protest was shattered.

Shen Wangxi's eyes were full of aggression.

He coaxed softly, "Good girl."

"Let me take a good look at you and pamper you."

At the edge of the imperial desk, a slender, snow-white hand gripped the bright yellow brocade tightly, its knuckles turning white.

Shen Qingruo tilted her head back, tears silently streaming down her face and disappearing into her temples.

So, it turns out this place isn't safe either.