Eighteen-year-old Xu Xiao-gongye from the Duke's Mansion yearned to find a male lover. He wanted someone older, tender and considerate. Handsome, of course. Skilled in bed—beginnings are tough, so the first time must set the right tone. Only then could he fully enjoy boundless pleasures! After much deliberation, he set his sights on the incognito Emperor, Ninth Brother. Xie Yi became emperor before turning a month old. At twelve, he allied with court officials and his uncle to seize power from the regent Empress Dowager and began his personal rule. At fourteen, amid a foreign invasion, he joined forces with furious border generals to weaken the overbearing regent. By sixteen, he was the undisputed Son of Heaven. The emperor ruled effortlessly, untroubled by trifles. Approaching thirty, Xie Yi began to feel Life was utterly dull. Endless years as emperor left him bored—ready to die. Until he encountered the notorious spoiled heir, Xu Chun, in the capital. Drawn by lust, bonded by gratitude, love sparked—a perfect match. Strangely, the two found a rhythm that made life sweet. Until one day, Xu Chun discovered… The inscrutable emperor, shrouded in imperial majesty, Was the same Ninth Brother who whispered stories and coaxed him into crafting love notes. … Reading Guide: 1. Xu Chun (bottom), Xie Yi (top), older-male dynamic. 2. Features in-law conflicts (trivial idiocy), palace intrigue (melodramatic clichés), court struggles (clumsy naivety). 3. Neither lead is flawless; both grow, shaped by past wounds. Key difference: Xie Yi, unlike the same author’s other emperor top Ji Bingyuan (mature, rational), suffered childhood control/trauma, leading to avoidant defensiveness. 4. Character views ≠ author’s views.