A night of chaos and entanglement.

The next morning, when Shunfeng and his apprentice came in to tidy up, they didn't dare to step into the inner hall or look around. They carefully collected the messy wine cups and candle holders, set out warm tea, and then quickly left.

Yunqing slept very soundly, only waking up slowly around noon. The arm wrapped around her waist was quite noticeable; as soon as she moved slightly, Xie Rang leaned closer: "Awake?"

"Hmm..."

As consciousness gradually returned, the soreness and weakness finally spread. Yun Qing felt a little thirsty and unconsciously groaned. Xie Rang immediately got up to pour her some water, then gently helped her up so she could sip some warm water.

Yun Qing felt a little unwell, but not to the point of being that fragile. She opened her eyes and took a couple of sips of water, and then felt much better, and her mind cleared up.

After last night's events, Xie Rang took her to bathe, so she felt refreshed. Her white nightgown was soft and close-fitting, and the hall was heated by an underfloor heating system, so it wasn't cold.

Xie Rang was very obedient. He lowered his eyes, placed his hands on her waist and gently massaged it, asking softly, "Grand Tutor, does it still hurt?"

Yunqing was indeed in some pain last night, but that was at the very beginning. Xie Rang was very gentle, and things gradually got better as they progressed. Pleasure always outweighs everything else.

She hesitated for two seconds, then shook her head: "No."

Having just woken up, Yun Qing carried a faint sense of languor, and her eyes seemed to still hold a hint of spring fever. Just thinking about what happened last night, Xie Rang was overjoyed. He considerately said, "Take a rest during this time. Grand Tutor, you should also get some rest."

Yun Qing's waist was very slender. As Xie Rang massaged it, he became somewhat distracted, but he knew he couldn't push his luck now, so he obediently kept his gaze to himself.

Yun Qing, however, after a moment of silence, realized the truth: "Your Majesty, you were planning this day all along, weren't you?"

Yun Qing's voice was still a little hoarse. After she finished speaking, she pursed her lips awkwardly and looked at His Majesty the Emperor, who was sitting obediently beside her, not knowing what to say.

"And another thing!" Yun Qing's gaze sharpened for a moment, "Is that how you use your mind-reading ability?"

Xie Rang hadn't hidden his feelings well enough from her, and he unintentionally let it slip when they went to the bathhouse later. Yun Qing felt her ears turn red just thinking about it.

"I was wrong." As he said this, his hasty move showed that Xie Rang didn't really want to repent. His gaze lingered on Yun Qing's neck, where there were still marks he had left, and he gently touched it again. "...But the Grand Tutor liked it too, didn't he?"

The inner voice represents Yun Qing's truest thoughts. Under those circumstances, Xie Rang would not force her to speak, and could only try to find out through this method.

Yun Qing was speechless for a moment.

She noticed the boy's burning gaze and raised her hand to cover her neck: "Please tone it down, Your Majesty, I'm still not feeling well."

"Mmm." Xie Rang responded, but still somewhat reluctantly kissed Yun Qing's cheek, only feeling satisfied when he smelled his scent all over her body. He then answered his earlier question, "The Grand Tutor has been too busy lately, and I was afraid that if I bothered you, you would be very tired."

Xie Rang was not only considering himself, but also Yun Qing. Although their relationship was generally accepted, it wouldn't be good to make a scene in public, as others would think he was disrespectful to the Grand Tutor.

Yun Qing believed Xie Rang's sincerity to about 90% of what he said, but the remaining 10% was because she felt he had indeed gone too far.

"Is the Grand Tutor hungry? Shall I have them have lunch?"

Xie Rang didn't want to wake Yun Qing in the morning, and since it was his day off anyway, he stayed in bed and, like Yun Qing, didn't eat breakfast.

Yun Qing nodded.

Xie Rang diligently took the prepared clothes and carefully helped her change. Finally, he didn't forget to put the bracelet that she had taken off when she went to take a bath last night back on her.

Yun Qing noticed that His Majesty the Emperor was still wearing that bare red string on his wrist, looking rather pitiful.

A thoughtful look flashed in her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

She originally wanted to walk over by herself, but her legs felt weak as soon as she got out of bed. In the end, under Xie Rang's smiling gaze, she let him carry her over.

After going outside, she saw that the hall was still the same as last night, but it felt different during the day, so she casually asked, "When are you planning to remove all of this?"

Neither she nor Xie Rang liked extravagance. Now, the hall was mostly red, which was festive, but after a while, it felt awkward. Moreover, anyone with eyes could tell what had happened.

"Now you can." Xie Rang placed a bowl of soup with the oil skimmed off in front of her and chuckled softly. "I was just worried that the Grand Tutor would be shy."

Yun Qing: ...

She had to admit that Xie Rang was quite accurate, after all, she really didn't have the same thick skin as His Majesty the Emperor, and she was ashamed of herself in that respect.

Xie Rang said this, but did not take immediate action. Instead, he waited until Yun Qing had almost finished eating before making a suggestion: "The plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden are in bloom. Would the Grand Tutor like to go and see them?"

Since learning that Yun Qing liked flowers, plants and trees, Xie Rang hired someone to take good care of the plants in the Imperial Garden. Since there were usually few idle people in the palace, the plants grew very well and never looked empty in season.

Yun Qing was full of energy and had nothing better to do, so she agreed: "Let's go take a look."

It was much colder outside, so Xie Rang brought a cloak and wrapped it around Yun Qing. Women are prone to feeling cold, so this was to prevent her from catching a chill.

Yun Qing knew this was his heartfelt wish. Although she had some difficulty moving around, she didn't say anything to object and decisively refused His Majesty's suggestion to hug her, slowly moving away on her own.

She wasn't used to relying on people, not to mention that there were so many eunuchs and guards watching outside. Occasional closeness was fine, but if she were constantly being watched like this, Yun Qing would feel embarrassed.

Helpless, Xie Rang could only accompany her slowly to the Imperial Garden.

After last night's cold wind, the flower buds that were about to bloom have all opened up, and the treetops are covered with blooming flowers, quietly stretching their bodies in the fine snow, which is quite a beautiful sight.

As she looked at it, Yun Qing suddenly remembered that around this time last year, she had given Xie Rang a sprig of plum blossom that she had casually picked. He treasured it like a precious gem, carefully pressing it between the pages of his book even after it withered, and he still kept it.

It's both funny and interesting to think about.

Noticing the smile in her eyes, Xie Rang, puzzled, took her hand to warm it and asked calmly, "What are you thinking about?"