Su Tuan’er had wanted to soak in the bath properly, savoring every second of comfort, but that cold, resolute, and utterly dangerous face simply wouldn’t leave her mind.
The moment she remembered that the dog emperor would be coming tonight, she felt completely unsettled.
After soaking only briefly, she stood up from the bath bucket, grabbed a towel to dry the water from her body, and slipped into the clothes Cuicui had prepared, ready to return to the main hall.
But the moment the clothes were on, she knew something was off.
It was a pale pink sheer nightgown that left little to the imagination when worn—not much different from wearing nothing at all.
Who would’ve thought that the simple-minded Cuicui had it in her! She must have been reading far too many storybooks lately.
Su Tuan’er hugged herself tightly and dashed back to the bedchamber as fast as she could.
“Cuicui, look at what you prepared for me! Can I even wear this?! You—”
The words caught in her throat. In her clear eyes reflected a figure seated by the lamp.
The man wore a crimson robe tonight, which made his features even more striking—brows like painted strokes, broad shoulders and a narrow waist—yet it still couldn’t erase the cold desolation from between his brows.
He was holding a teacup, drinking. Hearing Su Tuan’er’s voice, he turned his head toward the door, and his gaze crashed directly into that delicate, breathtaking beauty.
At this moment, Su Tuan’er’s damp hair draped over her shoulders, her face flushed with the lingering warmth of her bath, and the thin silk dress left nothing to the imagination.
Gu Yanbei’s brow twitched violently. He turned his head back to his tea, using the motion to mask the sudden fluster that had been stirred up.
Su Tuan’er instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, her cheeks burning hot like two braised shrimp.
She knew he would come, but she hadn’t expected him this soon!
Now she could neither leave nor stay. Steeling herself, she hugged her body tight and walked into the room, then rummaged frantically through the cabinet—but found nothing.
Who knew where Cuicui had put her clothes.
Having found nothing, she wrapped herself tightly in the brocade quilt from the bed, sat on the edge of the bed, and quietly glanced at the imposing figure by the table.
He sat with his back to her, giving her a view of a rather handsome back of his head.
But even without seeing his face, she could tell how dark and unpleasant his expression must be.
“Dressing like that—have you no sense of shame?”
Suddenly, the man’s magnetic voice fell cold and crisp.
“It’s not like I wanted to dress like this,” Su Tuan’er frowned. “Besides, you’re the one who saw me—it’s not like I saw you.”
She hadn’t even said anything, so why was he throwing a fit out of nowhere? And accusing her of having no shame—how infuriating!
Gu Yanbei cast a sidelong glance at her. “You’re feeling wronged?”
Su Tuan’er pouted. “This dress was prepared by my maidservant. If I’d known it was this style, I wouldn’t have worn it even if you killed me.”
“Then why didn’t you know beforehand?” Gu Yanbei set down his teacup, his phoenix eyes half-lidded. “Being waited on hand and foot for so long—have you stopped using your brain altogether?”
Su Tuan’er’s little face scrunched up. Meeting the man’s icy gaze, she could see a hint of reproach within it.
This man was truly strange.
She was the one who’d suffered the loss. She hadn’t said anything—couldn’t he just pretend it never happened?
It felt like she’d forced her eyes onto his or something…
“Your Majesty’s clothes tonight are quite nice. Festive.”
Su Tuan’er glanced at the robe he was wearing, changing the subject.
Tonight’s outfit looked far more approachable than that Longwenmangpao of his. Even though he still wore that expressionless, deadpan face, it carried less of an oppressive weight.
Gu Yanbei turned his face away and lowered his head to take a sip of tea.
It was a long while before he slowly uttered two syllables: “To match the occasion.”