With his body and spirit completely exhausted, Jing He slept for a long time. The sun had already come up when he finally stirred and when he opened his eyes, his eyelids felt heavy. If he could have, he would have liked to turn around and simply sleep for a few more hours. With the light shining in through the window though, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

A faint sigh escaped his lips and he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. He had to get up and get ready. Today was the last day before the start of his trial, after all. He couldn’t miss even a moment of it.

In fact … Jing He’s brows faintly furrowed. He hesitated for a moment but then reached out, brushing the curtain of his bed to the side. Looking outside, he couldn’t spot his lover’s figure. Even though it was already this late, Qiu Ling didn’t seem to have come by. This was quite odd. Not like him at all.

Jing He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and got up, draping the outer robe over his shoulders that he had worn yesterday before walking to the door leading to the garden. Gently pushing it open, he finally saw his lover’s figure in the pavilion overlooking his garden.

The person seemed to have waited for him and immediately raised his head when he heard something. Seeing Jing He only partly dressed, Qiu Ling felt stunned. This … was a look he wasn’t very familiar with but he sure hoped to change that fact in the future. He kept sitting quietly for a moment as if frozen in time but then, he got to his feet in a swift motion and hurried over, pulling Jing He into his arms and holding him tightly.

“Good morning, my love. Have you slept well?” To be honest, he had arrived several hours ago, and finding Jing He fast asleep in bed, not even stirring when he called out to him had him worried. But then, he thought of how Jing He had accompanied him yesterday but then still had to prepare for his trial starting tomorrow and figured that he was likely just exhausted.

It was good if he slept a while longer. He would have liked to accompany him but knowing Jing He, he probably would have hated it so after taking a short peek, he finally closed the curtain again and left the palace, conscientiously closing the door behind him before he sat down in the garden and fantasized about the time when Jing He would return from his trial and he would wake up to his beloved’s sleeping face every moment. Ah, he could hardly wait for it!

Jing He rested against Qiu Ling’s chest and looked up, almost drowning in that gentle gaze. “Good morning. I am sorry I woke up so late.”

“Don’t be. You must have been exhausted. It’s best to rest a little more.” Qiu Ling reached up and brushed away the hair that had fallen to the front, admiring Jing He’s beautiful features. “Did you just wake up and come looking for me?”

Jing He couldn’t help a sweet smile from raising the corners of his lips and hastily lowered his head. “I thought you might be waiting and wanted to make sure. I … I am sorry for stepping out like this. It’s … it’s indecent.”

Qiu Ling’s gaze also fell down. Jing He was holding the outer robe together in front of his chest but he could still see the inner robe beneath. The white fabric hugged his body much closer than what he was used to, better exposing the lines of his slender figure and quietly inviting one to dream.

He made a sound deep in his throat and barely held back what he actually wanted to say: ‘If this is indecent, I’d like to see you being indecent a lot more often in the future.’ If he really said that, Jing He would likely be shocked. Still … “I am already your fiance, am I not? It shouldn’t matter all that much as long as it is me who sees you in this way.”

Jing He’s cheeks flushed but he still nodded faintly. “Of course, it is different if it is you.” Qiu Ling’s words reminded him of what he had done yesterday and a sweet feeling spread in his heart. Yes, he was only Qiu Ling’s and would continue to be in the future. What did it matter if he saw him this way? If he wanted to, he could see even more …

Jing He’s mouth suddenly felt dry when the thought came up and he inwardly chastised himself. What was he thinking? Even though he had agreed to marry him, nothing was official yet. He shouldn’t even consider such irresponsible ideas.

Qiu Ling looked at him with an odd expression. This … was probably the closest Jing He had ever gotten to admit how close their relationship was. It also happened to be in a way that was very different from simply accepting his proposal. No, instead, just now … Jing He seemed to have agreed that he could see what others couldn’t?

Qiu Ling licked his lips, trying not to overthink it. He was now Jing He’s fiance so, naturally, his status was different. Jing He had probably only tried to reassure him of that. Yes, there shouldn’t be more to it. It wasn’t like that had been an invitation or something.

He tried to tell himself this over and over again and finally sighed. “Well, it’s cold outside. You should … go in and change your clothes. I will wait here.” … unless you want me to accompany you. That thought, as well, came inevitably to his mind but he swallowed it down, feeling that it wouldn’t be all that welcome.

Jing He nodded, his cheeks still reddened. He quickly glanced up at Qiu Ling and then hurriedly turned around and stepped back inside. When he closed the door, their gazes met for just a moment and the air around them seemed to heat up. Jing He hastily turned away and pressed a hand against his chest, trying to subdue his racing heartbeat.

Just what was going on? Had he suddenly lost all inhibitions after engraving his soul yesterday? That definitely shouldn’t be a side effect. At the very least, it shouldn’t be a direct one.

He walked further into the room, picking a robe for the day before he hastily went to wash up. As he undressed, his gaze couldn’t help but gravitate toward the direction of the door, his mind flashing back to the situation just now.

He had really … acted shameless there but somehow, he couldn’t work up much disgust at himself. Maybe it was because he had completely dedicated his soul to Qiu Ling yesterday so he subconsciously felt that handing over his body as well would not be an issue. Anyway, his heart had long been that man’s, and … one day sooner or later everything else would follow. With another layer gone, the idea to advance this matter didn’t seem as outrageous any longer.