Before this, Xie Rang had imagined this scene countless times, always in his dreams. He never expected that the first time it would be in reality would be when he was drunk, invading Yun Qing's lips and exchanging sweetness with a strong aroma of wine.

Xie Rang gently stroked her chin, his movements clearly urgent, yet he dared not use any extra force, for fear of shattering the harmonious scene before him.

He saw that the Grand Tutor's eyes were misty and glistening with moisture, and his fingers brushed across the corners of his eyes, as if gently wiping away something. Only then did he suddenly come to his senses.

The Grand Tutor had not yet confessed to him.

He wasn't angry that the Grand Tutor had deceived him by disguising herself as a man; there was no point in dwelling on how much of it was out of necessity. He was just a little sad that years of companionship still weren't enough to make the Grand Tutor be completely honest with him.

Just thinking about it makes me feel unbearably violent.

However, with nowhere to vent his anger, he finally bit her lip in frustration, but he couldn't bear to bite hard enough, leaving only a shallow mark. He reached out and wiped it away, lowering his voice: "Get a good night's sleep, Yunqing."

"I'm waiting for the day you truly fall in love with me."

...

The next day, when Yun woke up, her head still hurt a little.

She belatedly realized that the place she was resting in was not in the Li Mansion.

She hadn't expected that just a few drinks would make her lose all her senses. However, some vague memories surfaced, and she recognized that this was the soft couch in the back hall, the place where she had rested yesterday.

"Looks like I still need to work on my alcohol tolerance."

Yun Qing understood that there was no way to avoid it, so she might as well take the initiative to practice. If the same situation happened again, she might not be so lucky.

Her clothes were still on, wrinkled and crumpled. Yun Qing was about to stand up and tidy herself up when the memories of last night slowly began to load into her mind—

The dim light, the little tyrant's hand gripping her chin, the sticky, intimate kiss that landed on her lips, and the unfathomable look in his eyes before she fell asleep...

Yun Qing only regretted that she didn't have the habit of forgetting things after drinking, so she could remember every detail clearly, including what she said last night, what she revealed to the little tyrant, and the final kiss.

But... Yun Qing suddenly froze, her fingers involuntarily clenching into fists.

Xie Rang being honest is one thing, but crossing the line in their relationship is another!

She never expected that the other party would be so... audacious.

Does she not even care about her current identity as a man?!

For a moment, Yun Qing didn't know whether to say Xie Rang was a gentleman or to take advantage of someone in distress.

Last night, she was indeed under the influence of alcohol and revealed many emotions that she had kept hidden in her heart. Xie Rang was already an emperor, and under those circumstances, if he wanted, he could have gone further, but he did not.

Yun Qing sat on the bed, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Footsteps were heard coming from behind the screen. Finally, the host stopped at the corner with restraint and said gently, "I've brought some hot water. Please wash up, Grand Tutor."

They didn't show any restraint last night, but now they've learned to back down.

Yun Qing lifted her eyelids, barely managing to calm herself down: "Just put it there."

Although the Grand Tutor's voice sounded no different from usual, Xie Rang could detect the suppressed, hidden coldness within it.

Then you must remember.

Xie Rang thought about it, and at least he wasn't angry.

He placed the basin and towel behind the screen, then left without saying anything more.

After Xie Rang left, Yun Qing finally felt that the atmosphere in the room was more normal. She reached out and touched her lips, but quickly moved them away as if she had been burned. Finally, she sighed softly, got up and went to wash up.

To prevent any unexpected situations from happening from time to time, Yun Qing now carries a disguise for her face with her at all times. When she washed up and looked in the bronze mirror, she noticed that a piece of skin seemed to have been rubbed off at the corner of her eye, leaving a mottled mark.

The woman's features should be slightly softer, otherwise Li Yunqing wouldn't have altered her face. Yunqing's heart skipped a beat: "He shouldn't... have seen it, right?"

Just like what she unconsciously said last night, Xie Rang is someone who can't keep secrets from her. If he had discovered something, he would have already tried to find a way to ask indirectly. How could he still be so calm?

The more Yun Qing thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Since it was impossible to ask about this matter openly, Yun Qing could only suppress her doubts for the time being and assume that Xie Rang really didn't know.

Whether this is the truth or not remains to be seen and will require further investigation.

Since Xie Rang left her in the palace yesterday, he must have made thorough preparations. Moreover, Yun Qing also kept the official robes of the lady in the palace. After washing up, Yun Qing changed into another set of clothes before leaving from the back hall.

The consequences of being exposed to the cold wind last night were now showing. Yun Qing's head was still throbbing with pain even at lunchtime. However, Xie Rang was clearly prepared. Not long after finishing his meal, he asked Shunfeng to bring over a bowl of dark medicine.

Yun Qing felt a headache coming on just looking at the medicine: "Don't we need it?"

All these years have passed, but her deepest resentment still comes from drinking medicine. Although good medicine is bitter, after drinking such a big bowl, all her good mood is gone.

Xie Rang smiled gently, seemingly with a hint of ingratiation: "Grand Tutor caught a cold yesterday, and I was worried that he might catch a chill. This medicine is specially made by the Imperial Hospital and has no bitter taste."

Yun Qing slept straight until noon, and throughout lunch she kept a cold face towards Xie Rang. Even Shunfeng felt uneasy, wondering what conflict had arisen between the two.

Sometimes, an angry adult is far more frightening than an angry emperor.

Even when His Majesty is angry, he doesn't kill anyone; but when Lord Li is angry, he kills without leaving a trace.

Hearing Xie Rang's words, Yun Qing sneered: "Fine. Shunfeng, go and bring His Majesty a bowl as well."

[So you know how to play the good guy during the day? I didn't see a single thing about you caring last night.]

"ah?"

Shunfeng was stunned. He didn't understand how this matter could involve His Majesty. He glanced at Xie Rang, unsure whether to make a move or not.

Xie Rang knew he was being held a grudge against, and chuckled to himself, "Go ahead."

Shunfeng didn't dare to speak. He went to get another bowl of medicine. On the way there, he suddenly realized why His Majesty had asked for more medicine to be brewed earlier.

But...why?

Fortunately, this medicine is preventative, so drinking it won't do any harm to the body.

Shunfeng couldn't figure it out, but when he saw that the two of them had drunk it, he had a strange feeling.

This is so much like that thing—sharing joys and sorrows!

After drinking the medicine, Yun Qing realized that her actions were indeed a bit childish. Even if she wanted to hold a grudge, she shouldn't have done it this way.

Moreover, what happened last night may have involved her tacit approval. Xie Rang has a strong imperial style, but he has yielded to her countless times.

Before she could speak, Xie Rang dismissed the eunuchs, walked slowly to her, and placed his fingertips naturally on the corner of her lips, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "Does it still hurt?"