The next day, when Duan Changchuan woke up, it was only dawn. The sun had not yet risen, only a faint light came through the thin paper of the window.

The person next to him was still sleeping peacefully. The woman’s eyes were closed, her eyelashes dense and long.

He had seen the legitimate daughter of the Bai family. Several years ago, she had attended the Spring Banquet with the Prime Minister’s wife at the Empress Dowager’s invitation.

Her figure was delicate like carved jade, with a touch of delicate yellow between her eyebrows. At the age of twelve or thirteen, she already had the potential to surpass everyone in the capital. Since then, the name “Bai Jinzhi” has spread throughout the streets and alleys.

As Duan Changchuan withdrew from his memories, he looked back at the person sleeping soundly on the bed. Bai Su and Bai Jinzhi were both daughters of the Prime Minister, and there were some similarities between them.

But the feelings they gave were completely different. One was gentle, quiet, and graceful. While the other…

Thinking about last night, when she covered his mouth with one hand and helplessly called him “little ancestor”. Duan Changchuan’s face blushed again, annoyed, and he threw off the blanket and got out of bed.

Shameless! Unruly! Lecherous!

“Your Majesty, you are awake. Do you want to sleep a little longer?” Changle saw Duan Changchuan coming out of the bedroom and asked him softly.

Then he ordered the maids to bring the necessary items for washing, and his eyes couldn’t help but sneak a peek inside.

Duan Changchuan, with an unpleasant expression, deliberately swung the towel heavily, splashing water all over him. “If you want to see that much, why don’t you go inside? You’ll get a clearer view there.”

Only then did the little eunuch react, he hurriedly wiped his face, and bowed and smiled flatteringly, “This servant dare not. Your Majesty, how was your sleep last night? The bedding has been kept too long in the cabinet, and this servant was worried all night. Your body is precious. If something happens, what should we do… You can’t do this again in the future.”

Duan Changchuan, thinking about his sudden rash last night, couldn’t help but cough awkwardly, and said, “I know it, what a nag.”

Speaking of it, he did sleep poorly in the early part of the night, it was cold and damp. But later… well, later, Bai Su gave him the warm quilt, and he slept well for the rest of the night. It was better than any other time.

It’s just that he always felt something strange in the back of his neck. Pain, itching, and a bit sore. He felt this way right after he woke up.

Unable to resist, he moved his neck and was about to touch it when he heard Changle’s exclamation, “Your Majesty, your… why is the back of your neck swollen?!”

“Huh? Swollen?” He turned around in surprise.

The eunuch immediately brought a copper mirror, “Yes, it’s swollen. Please take a look, Your Majesty… It looks like it was bitten by something…”

Duan Changchuan suspiciously took the mirror, “How can there be bugs in early spring? It’s not summer.”

Compared to bugs, he felt more like he scratched himself and left marks in the middle of the night.

“Why aren’t there any bugs? The hibernation time had passed, and many bugs had awakened. It must have been hidden in that quilt… this servant said, that sheet shouldn’t be slept on.” Changle muttered softly and was about to reach his hand forward to check.

“Could it be a scorpion? During the transition from winter to spring, the scorpions…” The voice suddenly stopped.

Because Duan Changchuan, as if reacting to something, suddenly grabbed his wrist with force. The strength was so great that you could even hear the sound of bones creaking.

The little eunuch was frightened and quickly knelt, tremblingly admitting his mistake, “This servant deserves to die! Your Majesty, please spare me…”

Duan Changchuan looked at the eunuch who was slapping himself in the face, feeling a bit at a loss and confused.

Why… is he kneeling?

Why “spare him”?

He didn’t know what he had just done, but he instinctively felt that that area couldn’t be touched. Before his mind could react, he had already grabbed the person.

Now when looking at Changle who was kneeling on the ground and continuously begging for mercy, it was obviously a common scene, but suddenly, he felt strange.

The boy blinked blankly, silently let go of his hand, and sighed, “I… just now… forget it, go get a copper mirror.”

The eunuch, relieved from the pardon, quickly exclaimed, “Ei,” and ran into the side room.

Duan Changchuan looked at the back of his neck through the mirror. Although he had used double mirrors, the image was not clear, but he could vaguely see two swollen areas.

“This servant sees that it looks like a bug’s bite. Look, there are two red bumps, and it seems there are bite marks.” The little eunuch, holding the mirror, told him with pursed lips.

“Should this servant summon the imperial physician to take a look? If it’s an ordinary insect, it’s fine, but if it’s a venomous creature like a snake or scorpion…”

Hearing the words “snake or scorpion,” the boy instinctively shivered.

Quickly frowning, he waved his hand, “Go, go.”

“Ei, this servant will go and arrange it now.”

Bai Su was awakened by other people. Someone was moving around her, even though they were tiptoeing, Alphas naturally had a territorial sense, especially when sleeping. The sound of footsteps, mixed with unfamiliar scents, made it impossible for her not to wake up.

Thought it was already late morning, but when she turned her head, and saw a warm yellow light outside the window. The sun had just risen, so it should be around seven in the morning.

She helplessly rubbed her forehead, as expected of the era of waking up at the first crow of the rooster.

On the side couch, a maid was standing and tidying up the bedding. When hearing the sound, she turned around and saluted unhurriedly: “Your Highness, you’re awake. His Majesty has ordered the maid to come in and tidy up the old bedding on the couch, and send it back to the Imperial Housekeeping Service for inspection.”

Bai Su yawned lazily and nodded: “Got it.”

Then she lifted the blanket and walked out.

Her wooden clogs clicked on the ground, making a pleasant sound. She looked down and thought, not bad, it’s quite refreshing.

She pushed open the door and saw in the hall three or four maids and eunuchs standing around. The young emperor was sitting in the middle of the couch, and a stranger youth was kneeling in front of him.

The youth wore a dark blue robe embroidered with unfamiliar birds. He was leaning in to inspect the young emperor’s neck.

“Just as Eunuch Changle said, it’s not a rash caused by oneself, it seems like a bite… Your Majesty, forgive me, let me take a closer look.” As the youth spoke, his fingertips had already opened the emperor’s collar.

The young emperor just made a sound of acknowledgment, obediently tilting his head to reveal the fair and slender neck.

Seeing that the youth’s thumb was about to touch, Bai Su’s head buzzed, and she instinctively shouted, “What are you doing? Hands off!”

The voice was low, and the glands on the back of her neck emitted a strong suppressive pheromone.

Everyone present, including Duan Changchuan, was stunned. Others were startled by the sudden anger of the empress, while Duan Changchuan… was due to a strange feeling.

Not sure if it was an illusion…

Just when Bai Su spoke, he seemed to smell the soft scent of peonies. That fragrance seemed to cling to his neck, gentle and soft, like clouds.

Duan Changchuan had never experienced such a feeling… the scent as if it had substance encircling his neck. Although it was only a brief, he truly felt like he was being protected. Gentle, yet powerful.

In a daze, he heard the woman’s awkward explanation: “Uh, sorry, maybe I haven’t fully woken up… I recognized the wrong person.”

Looking up, he saw the person in a plain white undershirt. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, her skin white like new snow. In the sunlight, it had a dazzling golden sheen.

Coincidentally, the young physician also looked over… He was immediately shocked: !!!

He quickly covered his face and turned around, stammering, “This… this official didn’t see anything… Your Majesty, please observe clearly!”

Duan Changchuan: …

Observe clearly? Huh, he dared to say that.

Was I blind, or were you?

Duan Changchuan took another look at the instigator, who was already sitting boldly in the chair, flaunting her appearance in front of everyone. Especially with the loosely tied undershirt, moving slightly revealed large areas of skin.

She was simply immoral and shameless.

Duan Changchuan’s internal anger surged up immediately, and he coldly ordered, “Someone, take the empress back to her bedroom. Don’t let her come out until she is properly dressed.”

After thinking for a while, his anger had not subsided yet, and said, “Wait, don’t let her come out even if she is properly dressed. You are grounded for a day! Take a few old maids to teach her proper etiquette. If she repeats such behavior, she will be grounded for ten days! If she doesn’t learn within ten days, ground her from going until she learns it.”

The youth was furious, but the woman just lazily yawned, and “hmm” twice, dragging her words: “Alright, I-got-it~~~”

Like coaxing a child.

Duan Changchuan:???

Was this the attitude of a new bride towards her husband?

Was this the attitude of an empress towards the emperor?

He was so angry that he wanted to stamp his feet!

Originally, he wanted to teach her a few more words, but she had already entered the room without even saying goodbye.

A heavy punch landed on the cotton-padded-Duan Changchuan…

Ah!! This vulgar behavior of the Lady! Bai!

In the Chen hour, at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

In the courtyard, plum blossoms were in full bloom and birds were hopping on the high eaves. A hearty laugh came from the long corridor.

A carefree young man was half-leaning, sitting on a mat under the willow. In a dark-colored robe, with white revealed between the collar and cuffs. At this moment, he was holding a wine cup while trying to stop laughing.

Across from him, a young man in a bright yellow garment was so angry that his face turned red. Duan Changchuan had just told everything to the person before him.

“You’re still laughing!” The young man was furious, grabbing the copper grass on the table and throwing it at that person.

Yun Xie laughed and dodged the attack, “Hey hey, I won’t laugh anymore, these copper grasses are innocent okay.”

After a while, he added: “Tsk tsk, the empress is really an extraordinary person.”

Duan Changchuan pretended to throw the grass at him again, and the young man begged: “Hey, don’t, I won’t say anything okay.”

With that, he tidied his robe and poured tea for him: “Rest assured, Imperial Physician Fang is reliable. He won’t spread such things. It was about your neck; did you figure out anything in the end? This spring now is very cold, what kind of bug is so fierce?”

Duan Changchuan awkwardly adjusted his clothes: “I didn’t figure out anything. I applied some ointment, said it’s for calming and reducing swelling. I’ll try it first, and observe for a few days. I don’t think it’s some kind of poisonous bug.”

Originally, Yun Xie couldn’t see the bite mark from his angle, but when Duan Changchuan moved, it exposed a little of it. It was a small red dot, and the swelling had reduced a bit now, but the surroundings were still tinged with dark red marks.

His expression changed slightly and coughed softly.

He hesitated for a moment before couldn’t help but ask, “Last night, you and the empress…”

Duan Changchuan immediately retorted, “Nothing happened! What do you take me for!”

But Yun Xie found it amusing and didn’t hold back. His playful gaze swept over his neck, laughing and pouting at him: “But from what this official sees, it looks a lot like being bitten by someone.”

He even deliberately said the word “someone” loud.

Duan Changchuan didn’t react for a moment, and asked in confusion: “Someone? Why would someone bite me? Besides, I’m a big living person. If I were bitten, how could I not know? It can’t be when I was sleeping…”

Saying this, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

Bitten while sleeping?

Wasn’t that… Bai Su?

!!!