The sleeping quarters were unlit, with only a faint wash of moonlight falling across the room. Yan Yunning was not certain whether Xuan Yanyu had fallen asleep.

She set the food box down on the round table and slowly walked toward the daybed. Bending down, she leaned close to the man’s lips — perfectly defined, thin — and pressed a light kiss there.

The man hooked a hand around the back of her neck, and the kiss came to rest again on Yan Yunning’s soft lips.

Breathing between them, a rich, clean, and fresh fragrance drifted to the tip of Yan Yunning’s nose. She pulled back breathlessly, her voice carrying a faint, fine huskiness as she pushed away the man who still seemed unsated. “Eat first.”

“Hmm?” The man ran his tongue across his lips, then stole another light peck at the woman’s sweet, soft lips.

“What ‘hmm’ — have you had your evening meal?” Yan Yunning reached up and pinched his cheek.

Xuan Yanyu replied with affected grievance, “A certain someone would not spare me a single glance, and went off with her son to dine at someone else’s home. This Emperor was so full of vexation there was no room left to eat.”

Yan Yunning pinched the man’s clean and slender fingers. “Oh? Xuan Yanyu, and who was it that made Xiaoxiao cry?”

“This Emperor was teaching him to show more respect toward the Imperial Tutor in the future.” Xuan Yanyu wrapped an arm around the woman’s slender waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice low and husky. “Xiaoxiao called the Imperial Tutor a nag — that tutor is this Emperor’s own Imperial Tutor. The very day it happened, the Imperial Tutor sent a letter to this Emperor lodging a complaint.”

Yan Yunning: “……”

“Not one bit of respect for his elders. Is this Emperor not allowed to say a word?” the man said, aggrieved.

Yan Yunning changed the subject with some awkwardness. “You must be hungry?”

“Not hungry.” Xuan Yanyu leaned close to her ear, the corner of his mouth curving. “You still owe this Emperor a punishment, and on top of that — this Emperor called for you, and you ignored me, abandoned me, and went out of the palace to dine. This Emperor will settle both accounts together.”

“……” Yan Yunning smiled until her eyes curved like crescent moons. “How about this, Xuan Xixi — considering that I made you food, let’s call everything even. How does that sound?”

The man’s gaze drifted to the food box on the round table, his voice carrying a note of curiosity. “You made it? Is it fully cooked??”

“…… It’s cooked. I tasted it.” The corner of Yan Yunning’s mouth curved into a lovely smile. “Will that do? Be magnanimous, Your Majesty — spare this small woman from punishment. What do you say?”

Xuan Yanyu’s eyes held a playful smile at the corners. “This Emperor will taste it first.”

“Very well.” Yan Yunning removed the man’s hand from her waist. “Go and light the candles.”

“Mm.” Xuan Yanyu nodded with a smile.

Once Xuan Yanyu had lit the candles and Yan Yunning had opened the food box on the round table, she slipped out of her outer robe and lay down on the bed with a languid ease.

“Come share the meal with this Emperor.”

“Your Majesty, is my company not enough from here? Must I sit facing you at the table??” Yan Yunning lay sprawled on the bed, hugging a soft pillow, and shot him a teasing look. “You’re even clingier than Xiaoxiao.”

The man did not bother to argue. He looked down at the dumplings on the porcelain plate, and his eyes lit up slightly. “Ningning, you made these?”

Yan Yunning curved the corner of her mouth. “The maidservants helped as well, but I wrapped them all myself.”

“That much is evident.” Xuan Yanyu gave a teasing smile.

The people in the Imperial Kitchen would never dare serve him something so uneven in shape.

Yan Yunning: “……”

The man picked up a dumpling and took a large bite. Compared to the exquisite delicacies of the Imperial Kitchen, the texture was quite lacking — some of the skins were thick, others paper-thin.

“Xuan Xixi, do you know, Qi Qingchen and Lou Ao, Elder Sister, Shiyu — they’ve all changed a great deal, especially Qi Qingchen.” Yan Yunning still found it hard to believe. “Not only can he cook, he can wrap dumplings too.”

“When you want to survive, you naturally learn to. Or what — was he expecting others to wait on him?” Having finished several dumplings, the man picked up a handkerchief and elegantly dabbed at the corner of his mouth.

Yan Yunning caught the gesture out of the corner of her eye, and her beautiful eyes fixed on him. “Finish it. Not a single one left.”

Xuan Yanyu dutifully set down the handkerchief and picked up his golden chopsticks again.

Only then did Yan Yunning continue, “Xuan Xixi, Qi Qingchen’s daughter is very adorable, not at all like Jiang Jin. His son is a little simple-minded, but also very adorable. When it comes to eating, he is absolutely nothing like my Elder Sister.”

The man narrowed his eyes, his tone carrying a faint displeasure. “And the next sentence — were you about to say that Qi Qingchen is also very adorable?”

“……” Yan Yunning gave him a lazy sideways glance and said in a deliberately coy tone, “Of course not. I was going to say His Majesty is adorable. His Majesty is so adorable~”

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

The irritation dissolved instantly.

Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow and, watching the man’s expression visibly brighten, let out a sigh. The sentence she had actually intended to say next was that Shiyu’s son was also very adorable.

Half a quarter-hour later, Xuan Yanyu set down his golden chopsticks, his gaze deepening as it settled on Yan Yunning. “May this Emperor go and wash up now?”

Yan Yunning looked at the empty porcelain plate and waved her hand. “Granted.”

“Good.” The man stood, casting her a meaningful glance.

Yan Yunning: “?”

What kind of look was that???

——

In the deep black of night, moonlight filtered into the sleeping quarters. Behind the Imperial bed curtains, beads of sweat slid down the corner of Xuan Yanyu’s brow and dripped onto the soft pillow. The man curved his lips into a smile. “Next time, this Emperor will still be willing to be coaxed by you.”

“Get lost~” Yan Yunning said weakly, her voice sounding almost like a pout.

The dumplings she’d made were just handed over for nothing!!

“Very well, this Emperor obeys.” Xuan Yanyu’s throat worked up and down several times. He groped across the bed for the handkerchief that had long been set out and held it in his grip.

Yan Yunning caught sight of his movement. Hearing the man’s low and muffled groan, she turned her head away with a faintly reddened face.

And then it hit her all at once — so that was what had been in those two bowls of soup!!

Beneficial for the body, he had said. What utter nonsense!!

The night drum had beaten through the fifth watch. The sun was slowly rising, the sky growing faintly light. At the Prince of Second Rank’s residence, Pei Shutong had risen early and come to the main hall to help the Prince dress.

The previous day, the Prince had returned to the residence after being injured. She had not been there to attend him in the main hall, and could only come early this morning to help him dress.

“Your Highness.” The young woman’s voice was soft and gentle as she lifted his court robes from the sandalwood rack, her delicate fingers coming to rest on the man’s shoulders.

“Get away.” The Prince’s expression was dark as he shoved Pei Shutong aside with one hand.

On any other day he might have been in the mood to tease her a little, but today he was filled with nothing but contempt. The Chancellor’s residence had already fallen into ruin — for Pei Shutong to be living in his household was already a great fortune.

Pei Shutong, who had stumbled onto the floor, felt a stabbing pain shoot through her lower abdomen. She pressed her palms against the floorboards and pushed herself to her feet, her voice soft and fragile. “Your Highness, have I done something wrong?”

The Prince looked at the way she carried herself and pulled her into his arms, narrowing his eyes. “Tongtong, are you willing to suffer a little for this Prince’s sake?”

Pei Shutong bit her lip, concealing the cold calculation behind her eyes, and answered in a gentle voice, “Willing. How could I be unwilling? For Your Highness’s sake, I am willing.”

The Prince curved his lips. He placed his hand against her lower abdomen, and his tone turned to one of regret. “In the future, once this Prince has taken the seat of the Xuan King, I will make it up to you. You will be the most cherished consort at this Prince’s side. And we will have children again.”

To openly seize the throne would be unjustified — the means unworthy of the light. He would be reviled by the common people.

But if the Crown Prince were to harm his unborn child, and he himself had been crippled at the hands of the Grand Emperor without just cause, then having no choice but to contend for the throne — surely the common people could understand that.

At least they would not curse him too fiercely. Afterward, he would seize a few common people as an example, make them watch while he made an example of someone, and no commoner would dare curse him again.

It would be best to have Pei Shutong take the opportunity of the palace banquet to dispose of the Crown Prince as well.

That way, with the Grand Emperor and His Majesty both sunk in grief, it would surely work in his favor.