The moon leaped to the treetops, its faint light appearing and disappearing behind clouds.

Gu Yi looked up at the Emperor, who was reading memorials at his desk. Seeing him still fully engrossed, she glanced toward Eunuch Gao who was standing at attention in the Xuanyu Pavilion. Eunuch Gao sensed her gaze.

Gu Yi pointed a finger at herself as she was writing calligraphy out of boredom.

The noble Eunuch Gao understood her meaning and fake-coughed once, “Your Majesty, it’s already past the Hour of Hai.”

Xiaoyan raised his eyes to look at Gu Yi, who immediately picked up her cup and pretended to drink tea.

Xiaoyan: “Prepare for us to wash up.”

Seeing the pleasant atmosphere, Eunuch Gao seized the opportunity to suggest, “Would Your Majesty like to try the hot spring pool tonight?”

Gu Yi’s heart jumped in alarm. Could this be a plot point happening tonight?

Xiaoyan’s gaze wandered, looking at the moonlight outside the window before nodding, “Since Noble Lady Gu enjoys that pool, shall we bathe there?” He looked toward Gu Yi as he spoke.

Gu Yi swallowed her tea, feigning calmness.

Surely not! What if the female protagonist was actually in the pool? Would she have to stand there and witness them getting intimate?

Was this okay?

Her situation was too difficult…

Seeing Gu Yi frozen like a wooden chicken, not responding, Xiaoyan simply said, “That would be good. Let’s go to the hot spring pool.”

Gu Yi decided to struggle a bit more, “This concubine would prefer to take a hot bath in the palace hall. After nightfall, the mountain wind outside is chilly, and I’m concerned…”

Her “kindred spirit,” Eunuch Gao, however, failed to understand her meaning and interrupted, “Noble Lady need not worry, the palace servants will arrange everything properly. The mountain wind won’t touch the Noble Lady.”

Well then, Gu Yi said: “Then please allow this concubine to send palace maids to fetch my clothes from the Xue Palace?”

The palace maids received the order and departed and returned quickly.

Gu Yi changed into her “swimwear,” put on her clothes over it, wrapped herself in a cloak, and sat in the soft sedan chair that Eunuch Gao had ordered prepared.

Originally, Gu Yi had thought of it as just going swimming with Xiaoyan in the pool, and had mentally prepared herself to be calm and composed.

But after getting into the sedan chair, she spotted a physiological health manual beside the armrest, with detailed pictures set in a water background.

Gu Yi sat on pins and needles, her face burning.

Considering that the female protagonist might also appear.

She felt that right now, at this very moment, going back to June 15th didn’t seem so hard to accept anymore.

Come on, right now!

Unfortunately, that familiar white light did not appear.

However, what brought her slight relief was that after she alighted from the sedan chair, the palace servants carried it far away.

Xiaoyan, with his black hair held up in a crown, had already entered the pool.

White mist swirled around; all she could see was his face, and his eyes were fixed intently on her.

Gu Yi was extremely nervous, her heart beating faster and faster, boom-boom-boom, seemingly echoing in her ears.

She looked around and didn’t seem to see any sign of the female protagonist.

She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, took off her cloak and outer robe, and slid into the hot spring wearing her swimwear.

She tried her best to submerge her body in the pool, leaving only her head above the water surface.

She sat at one end of the pool, while Xiaoyan sat at the other.

Gu Yi remained motionless.

Suddenly, Xiaoyan came over.

The sound of water splashing, white mist blurred her vision, but as he drew closer, Gu Yi could see his wet chest and sharply defined collarbones.

She tried hard to put on a fake smile, “Your… Your Majesty, the water temperature is indeed warm, refreshing, relieving fatigue and promoting circulation… ha…”

As he approached until he was only inches away, Gu Yi closed her eyes nervously.

Xiaoyan saw her trembling; under the orange lamplight, her cheeks were like powder, her ears bright red.

He couldn’t help but reach out to touch her red eartip.

Gu Yi shuddered again, her eyelashes fluttering, still keeping her eyes tightly shut, but because she was trying too hard, even the tip of her nose wrinkled.

Seeing this, Xiaoyan laughed loudly, “I won’t do anything to you here. Put aside your crooked thoughts!”

Hearing this, Gu Yi tremblingly opened her eyes, swallowed, and asked, “Your Majesty means what he says?” Could it be that I’m the one with a dirty mind, imagining things?

Xiaoyan found her quail-like behavior amusing—she was all but burying her head in the water—and laughed, “Of course I mean it.”

Gu Yi immediately breathed a long sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing.

The silent night was deep, a gentle breeze caressing.

The two soaked silently in the hot spring for a while.

Gu Yi looked toward the direction of Luoxia Palace, wondering if the female protagonist would come.

If she did come, she probably wouldn’t be able to get too close.

If so, then tonight would not be a plot point…

This hot spring pool was where Zhao Wan first received imperial favor in the book. Because of this trip to Mount Wu to escape the summer heat, she became Beauty Wan and returned to the imperial palace.

It was a huge plot point.

Gu Yi did not doubt that if Zhao Wan didn’t become Beauty Wan, she would have to die on the spot and start over.

Xiaoyan noticed Gu Yi staring absently at the water surface, and his gaze inadvertently fell on the silk ribbon tied around her neck.

The thin red silk ribbon made her neck appear flawlessly white as jade.

Xiaoyan shifted his gaze and said in a deep voice, “Let’s go.” He clapped his hands.

Immediately, palace servants hurried over with clothes and cloaks.

Xiaoyan jumped nimbly out of the pool.

As it turned out, he was also wearing blue gauze trousers.

Gu Yi was scooped out by several palace maids and instantly wrapped in a thick cloak.

She felt that making such a big fuss only to soak for such a short time wasn’t as good as taking a bath in the palace hall!

The palace servants escorted her back to the sleeping quarters of Xuanyu Pavilion.

The third watch drum sounded.

Gu Yi woke up groggily.

She opened her eyes to see Xiaoyan’s sleeping face just inches away.

Just as she was about to roll over, she felt soreness in her waist and back, and her legs cramped.

I’m going to kill Xiao Gouzi!

She reached out to pound her waist, only to hear Xiaoyan in front of her make an “mmm” sound in his sleep, his brow slightly furrowing.

Is he about to wake up?

Gu Yi stopped her movement, not daring to move again.

But Xiaoyan didn’t wake.

His brow furrowed deeper and deeper, his eyelashes trembling, as if he was dreaming.

Between his sword-like eyebrows, a faint character for ‘river’ could be seen.

This dream seemed to be a nightmare.

Gu Yi saw his body trembling slightly, his right arm suddenly raised. Quick-eyed and quick-handed, she grabbed his wrist, “Your Majesty, wake up!”

Xiaoyan’s expression remained unchanged, his brow tightly knit, lips tightly bitten, a drop of blood welling from his thin lips.

Gu Yi leaned closer, saying loudly, “Your Majesty!”

But he still didn’t open his eyes; his forehead was covered with a thin layer of fine sweat.

Gu Yi squeezed his wrist hard, “Xiaoyan!”

In front of Xiaoyan’s eyes was raging fire, in his ears the long neighing of horses, the clash of swords, and the whooshing sound of a white-feathered silver arrow that narrowly grazed his cheek as it flew past.

Amidst the overwhelming flames came a woman’s maniacal laughter.

A male voice, harsh and resolute, still echoing in his ears, “Tazhu!”

Xiaoyan felt a sudden pain in his chest, sadness, fear, and anger, together with years of accumulated rolling hatred pouring out.

“Xiaoyan! Xiaoyan! Xiaoyan!”

Someone was calling him.

Gu Yi saw his jaw clench tighter, blood drops rolling down his lips like a line. She reached out to massage his face, trying to relax his jaw.

“Xiaoyan!” Wake up!

Xiaoyan remained trapped in his nightmare.

The person before him had a face covered in fresh blood, a pair of dark brown eyes filled with bloodshot veins.

She coughed up fresh blood, drops falling on his sleeve one by one.

Looking down, he saw a dagger embedded in her chest, only the silver hilt visible outside her clothes.

He hurriedly caught her falling body.

From behind came the male voice, increasingly frenzied, “Tazhu!”

Hearing this, the woman opened her eyes wide, as if losing her mind, pulling the dagger from her chest and stabbing toward him.

Xiaoyan knew he was dreaming, but he seemed unable to wake up.

It truly was a nightmare.

Was there anyone, anyone who could save him?

Gu Yi patted Xiaoyan’s face but still got no response.

She couldn’t wait any longer! So she applied force and viciously pinched his cheek.

Xiaoyan finally opened his eyes, looking straight into Gu Yi’s wide apricot eyes, seeing his panicked expression reflected in her pupils.

Gu Yi exclaimed, “Did Your Majesty have a nightmare? Your lip is bitten through!”

She used her plain white sleeve to wipe his lip, instantly staining the corner of her sleeve red.

“Your Majesty, would you like some water?”

Xiaoyan, having just awakened from his dream, responded with an “Mm.”

Gu Yi wrapped herself in the cloak that had fallen to the floor, went to the table to pour him a glass of water, and handed it to him.

“Your Majesty, shall I call someone in? This tea has gone cold.”

Xiaoyan drank a sip of water from her hand, “No need… what time is it now?”

Gu Yi: “The third watch drum just struck.”

Seeing he had drunk the water, Gu Yi put the empty cup back on the wooden table and returned to the bed.

Xiaoyan’s eyes were red at the corners, his lips pale, and his cheek bore a red mark where she had pinched him.

Gu Yi watched guiltily as his finger brushed over his lips, then touched the red mark on his cheek where she had pinched him, his brow furrowing.

“Your Majesty!” she immediately called out, “Your Majesty! If you can’t sleep, let this concubine tell you a story… perhaps after listening, Your Majesty will be able to sleep soundly!”

Xiaoyan saw her lean close to him, putting on a pleasing smile, her pitch-black pupils seeming to contain light, her eyelashes batting like little fans.

“Go ahead and tell it.”

Gu Yi fake-coughed once: “Once upon a time, there was a lion king. One day, he had a son named Simba…”

Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow. What kind of story was this? Was she treating him like a child?

Under his scrutinizing gaze, Gu Yi continued to tell the story of the Lion King, “Simba also had an uncle called Scar…”

As she told the story, she became increasingly immersed, her voice rising and falling with emotion, completely absorbed, “Who would have thought that Scar harbored treasonous thoughts, seized the Lion Kingdom, and drove the young and helpless Simba from his home…”

Halfway through, she even got out of bed to pour herself a cup of tea. Xiaoyan was leaning on his hand, watching her coldly throughout, seemingly without a hint of sleepiness.

“In the end, Simba and his good friends overthrew Scar’s rule and returned to their beautiful and prosperous homeland.”

Gu Yi gulped down a mouthful of tea, “Your Majesty, this concubine has finished her story.”

After listening, Xiaoyan’s expression remained unmoved. He merely reached out and tapped her forehead, “Nonsensical.”

Gu Yi was tapped on the head and tilted her head back, thinking to herself:

Isn’t this just the animal kingdom version of a prince’s revenge story? Xiao Gouzi, doesn’t Simba resemble you?

Can’t you see that I’m offering you wholehearted encouragement? Comforting you?

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Xiaoyan was amused by her overly expressive reaction and laughed, “Gu Yi, you’ve lost decorum before the Emperor…”

Gu Yi could bend or stand tall as needed. She looked directly into Xiaoyan’s eyes and respectfully said, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. This concubine dares not do it again.”

Xiaoyan sighed, then suddenly reached out and pulled Gu Yi into his embrace, “You’re too noisy. Sleep now.”

Her hair fell against his cheek, slightly tickling.

But the Gu Yi in his arms was like a warm little fire, soothing his chest.

It seemed he didn’t feel so empty and uncomfortable anymore.

Gu Yi stiffened for a moment, “Your Majesty, when you were having a nightmare earlier, you raised your hand. Now that Your Majesty is holding this concubine, can you guarantee you won’t take action later?”

Xiaoyan: …