Upon reaching Zhifang Building, Chang Qingqing sent someone to find He Du. The stewardess there greeted them with a flowery smile and invited Yan Dong and the others to a private room on the third floor, with a view of the Four-Square Zither Platform outside the window.
After a while, a graceful young lady stepped in, lowered her head as she walked past the screen, and curtsied, “Little Lord.”
The stewardess knew that Yu Xian had appeared before Yan Dong a few times and hadn’t offended the nobleman, so she instructed that whenever Little Lord Yan came, Yu Xian would serve him.
Yan Dong lazily leaned against the chair back, “You may rise.”
Yu Xian thanked him and looked up, unexpectedly meeting a pair of deep, hawk-like eyes. Her pupils shrank, and she froze on the spot.
“This is Commander Liang of the Military Vanguard,” Yan Dong, seemingly unaware of the anomaly, leisurely waved a sparrow-feather fan, “Girl, serve the tea.”
“…Yes.” Yu Xian snapped back to reality, immediately collected her thoughts, and stepped forward to serve the tea.
Just as the tea was being poured, He Du hurriedly arrived and bowed before Yan Dong. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the delicate, fair hands holding the teapot, which lost their steadiness while pouring the second cup, almost causing the tea to overflow. Yan Dong raised an eyebrow slightly, but his words were directed at He Du, “Why the rush? Your hairpin is all askew, have a seat.”
He Du awkwardly touched his hairpin, repeatedly apologizing, and went behind the screen to fix his appearance before returning to sit cautiously on the rosewood chair beside Yan Dong.
Yu Xian came over to serve tea, and He Du nodded in acknowledgment. Glancing sideways, he noticed that Little Lord Yan had removed his cloak, revealing a robe of tulip color, his eyes like clear water, his attire wrapping around him like beautiful jade, shining brightly under the lantern light.
Yu Xian noticed He Du’s entranced gaze and was momentarily stunned, stepping back to the side, her heart filled with uncertainty: This He Du…
“Dong.” Hou Yi knocked on the window, glancing at the other two, “Oh, there’s company.”
He Du and Liang Muzhi stood up to greet him, and Hou Yi politely returned the gesture, “No need for formalities, please sit.”
Yan Dong gestured for Hou Yi to come in, “What brings you here?”
“Here to help my sister-in-law pick a zither. It’s cold, and she doesn’t want to go out… Hey, no need.” Hou Yi stopped He Du from getting up to give up his seat and casually sat on an empty chair nearby, “I was going to ask Ruochong to help me look, but since you’re here, help me take a look later. If there’s one I like, I’ll buy it for my sister-in-law.”
“Of course,” Yan Dong said, “Why didn’t you bring Yu’er along when you came?”
Yu Xian retreated with the teapot, and Hou Yi took a sip of tea, saying, “I went, but unfortunately, his sister-in-law is unwell again, and even the imperial physician was called to the residence. I specifically waited for the physician to come out and questioned him. He said Li Haiyue has been having nightmares every night, her mind is unstable, and if she doesn’t recover soon, she might become deranged.”
“That serious?” Yan Dong sighed, showing no sympathy. The matter at Taoxi Mountain was clearly connected to Li Haiyue, and although things have turned around now, the fact that Li Haiyue harbored murderous intent towards him hasn’t changed.
Being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to oneself, and Yan Dong deeply believed in this.
The zither appraisal event soon began, filled with dignitaries and nobles. The stewardess personally hosted the event, having a good voice and being well-versed in the entertainment scene, she was not stage-shy.
The zither appraisal proceeded in an orderly manner, and during it, Yan Dong noticed He Du looking at a black lacquered zither with linked beads, so he instructed Chang Qingqing to bid for it.
He Du was flattered and was about to politely decline when he saw Yan Dong get up and pull Hou Yi to the window to look at a newly unveiled zither. He swallowed his words and helplessly looked at Liang Muzhi sitting on the other side, but saw that the latter was deep in thought, not paying attention to him at all.
Following that gaze, He Du saw Yu Xian sitting quietly with her head down, the magnolia silk flower in her hair elegant and beautiful.
For some reason, He Du suddenly thought of that untimely magnolia tree and the way Liang Muzhi looked at it that day.
Hou Yi eventually acquired a zither called “Falling Sunset,” with a body lacquered in vermilion, the main stream broken, ancient and majestic, a style Cui Sutang liked.
Yan Dong wasn’t focused on the zither appraisal but happened to notice a pipa he liked, made of rosewood, with a scene of two swallows in the rain, the swallows vividly depicted, with amber filling the raindrops, elegant and noble, exquisitely crafted.
“One thousand taels.”
“One thousand taels.”
Two voices called out simultaneously, one was Chang Qingqing, and the other came from a private room with half-drawn golden plum curtains, the occupants unknown.
A servant outside the window glanced and said, “It’s the Third Prince and his wife, along with Little Marquis He.”
Inside the private room, the fragrance was pleasant. The Third Prince’s consort adjusted the jeweled plum blossom hairpin in her hair and said, “It’s Little Cousin from the Yan family. I never heard he liked the pipa before.”
“This pipa is exquisite and beautiful, with swallows on it, it might catch his eye.” The Third Prince sipped his tea, teasing, “That little ancestor doesn’t know what courtesy is, if he likes it, he wants it, and he’s a generous spender, Biyin, you might have a hard time.”
Sure enough, as soon as the Third Prince finished speaking, Yan Dong made a gesture.
The stewardess struck the jade chime and announced, “Little Lord Yan, five thousand taels!”
“This kid doesn’t give his cousin any face,” He Shen said, “Too arrogant!”
“Cousin is joking, what face do I have?” Wu Bilin said, glancing at a maid beside her, continuing to bid.
Hou Yi helped Yan Dong peel chestnuts, raising an eyebrow, “Is this a rivalry?”
“Things put up for sale, anyone can compete for them.” Yan Dong instructed Chang Qingqing, “I must have that pipa, just keep bidding.”
Neither side was willing to let go, and back and forth, the price soared to thirty thousand taels, causing the crowd to gasp in amazement. A good zither has been worth a fortune since ancient times, and who among the nobles would want to lose face in public? This money wasn’t just buying a pipa, it was buying a face gilded with gold.
Wu Bilin rubbed the gold and jade bracelet on her wrist, quite envious, “Little Cousin really is sitting on a mountain of gold and silver.”
“A treasure raised in a pile of gold, the most extravagant, the entire Yan family’s wealth is at his disposal.” The Third Prince advised, “If you keep bidding, it won’t look good, why not let it go? If you want a pipa, there’s one in the palace with rosewood inlaid with mother-of-pearl, even more splendid, I’ll get it for you.”
This was a way of saying he wouldn’t help her bid, but Wu Bilin didn’t mind, nor did she agree, saying, “This one, I truly like.”
The couple’s intentions were at odds, and He Shen couldn’t help but glance at the Third Prince, who showed no displeasure, only slightly turned his head, “When did you start liking the pipa?”
Wu Bilin met his gaze, softly saying, “I just want to buy it as a gift.”
The Third Prince smiled, “It must be for someone extraordinary to deserve such a fine pipa.”
“Yes, I want to buy it for my brother.” Yan Dong propped his chin, feeling a bit distressed, “He used to like the pipa, but after entering officialdom, he rarely has leisure time, and the pipa at home is gathering dust.”
“Then why buy it?” Hou Yi exposed, “I think anything with swallows on it, you want to buy for Brother Yan!”
Yan Dong lifted his chin, “Is that not allowed?”
The stewardess struck the chime, forty-five thousand taels, an astronomical price. Yan Dong clicked his tongue, “Does the Third Prince’s consort have that much money?”
Hou Yi also leaned on the windowsill, saying, “Isn’t the Third Prince there too?”
“If he spends tens of thousands of taels in public competing with me for a pipa today, the censors will accuse him of extravagance tomorrow, and then the Empress will summon the Third Prince’s consort, so he probably won’t help. If the Third Prince’s consort doesn’t want to offend the Empress, she won’t want his help either.” Yan Dong pouted, “Being a prince is really not easy, not free.”
“But power is a great supplement.” Hou Yi said.
“I say, Dong’er!” Wu Ying, seeing the situation was not good, quickly ran over, leaning by the window to persuade, “I have a pipa no worse than this one, I’ll give it to you for free, just let it go.”
Letting go of something cherished, this was a big sacrifice, but Hou Yi was not pleased, sneering, “Go persuade your sister, see if she’s willing?”
Yan Dong said, “Exactly!”
“If I could persuade her, would I be here?” Wu Ying touched his chest, “She’s stubborn as a bull! And don’t say I didn’t warn you, she’s petty, if you embarrass her in public today, she’ll definitely hold a grudge against you.”
“Am I afraid?” Yan Dong scoffed, “She should focus on making more money instead of holding grudges against me, what, am I wrong for having money?”
Hou Yi said, “Exactly! Is there anything wrong?”
Yan Dong pushed aside the concerned Wu Ying, raising an eyebrow, “I must have this pipa, no one can stop me.”
Chang Qingqing was about to bid again when a servant hurriedly ran over, saying, “Forgive me, Little Lord, this pipa can’t be bid on anymore, the seller won’t sell it.”
“Is that even possible?!” Hou Yi frowned.
The servant, frightened by his glare, hurriedly explained, “A pipa causing two nobles to compete, and the price far exceeding the pipa’s value, the seller is terrified.”
“Where is he? I’ll find him.” Yan Dong stormed out, only to bump into a solid chest, the faint scent of grass and wood enveloping him. He looked up, his round face falling into Yan Song’s hands.
“Where did this calf come from?” Yan Song looked at Yan Dong’s angry expression, gently coaxing him, “Alright, don’t be mad, look what I have here.”
Behind him, Chang Chun held a wooden box in his arms, “Little Lord, don’t be angry, the pipa is here.”
“Huh?” Yan Dong blinked.
“The seller was frightened, took back the pipa and wanted to leave, I stopped him downstairs, paid the breach of contract fee, and bought the pipa through a direct transaction.” Yan Song said, “This way, the seller got his money, the Third Prince’s consort saved face, and you got the pipa, isn’t everyone happy?”
“Great!” Wu Ying relaxed and slipped away.
Yan Song let go, and Yan Dong touched his face, “How much did it cost?”
“Five hundred taels for the breach of contract, ten thousand for the pipa.” Yan Song said, “The pipa is decent, but the swallows are vividly depicted, very pleasing to the eye. But I noticed the strings aren’t good, I’ll replace them for you later.”
“Don’t return it, I bought it for you.” Yan Dong said gloomily, “What a mess, I should pay for this!”
Yan Song smiled, “Alright, you pay, just as I was planning to play the pipa recently, I’ll play your favorite tunes for you, okay?”
Yan Dong finally cheered up, hugging Yan Song’s arm, “Why did you come here?”
“I was heading back to the office, heard you were bidding, so I came to see.” Yan Song said.
“Then I’ll go back to the office with you.” Yan Dong tugged Yan Song out the door, taking a few steps before remembering there were people in the private room, so he turned to call out to He Du and Liang Muzhi.
The two had already stood up, bowing to see them off.
Hou Yi followed them out, instructing a servant to send the zither back to the residence, then went off to find Wu Ying.
The brothers chatted and laughed as they reached the stairs, where the Third Prince and his wife happened to be coming up, both sides stopping simultaneously.
The Third Prince smiled at Yan Song, “Xu Ming, skipping duty, huh.”
Yan Song also smiled faintly, “Just heading back to the office, Your Highness can pretend you didn’t see me.”
“We’re just heading to the palace to dine with Mother, let’s go together.” The Third Prince said.
Yan Song glanced at Yan Dong, seeing no objection, nodded and agreed, gesturing for the Third Prince and his wife to go first.
The carriage was spacious enough for four people without being cramped. Yan Dong leaned against Yan Song’s shoulder, listening to Yan Song and the Third Prince discuss court affairs, gradually feeling sleepy as their voices became a blur.
“I—” Yan Song paused, glancing down at the small face resting on his shoulder, then looked up at the Third Prince with a hint of apology, “Forgive me, Your Highness, for the laugh.”
The Third Prince looked at Yan Dong’s fair, peaceful sleeping face, “Falling asleep just like that, carefree, how nice.”
The two tacitly stopped discussing court affairs, and the carriage fell silent as it made its way to Shuntianmen Street.
It wasn’t their own carriage, not just the two of them, and the road wasn’t particularly quiet, so Yan Dong woke up after a short nap, instinctively nuzzling Yan Song’s shoulder, mumbling, “Dry…”
The Third Prince glanced over, seeing Yan Song skillfully take out a small packet of paper from his sleeve, offering a plum candy to Yan Dong, softly asking, “Want some water?”
Someone like him, with no hidden tricks up his sleeve, yet carrying candy to coax a child.
Yan Dong’s cheeks puffed up, shaking his head, then nestled back on Yan Song’s shoulder for a short nap before opening his eyes. He nuzzled Yan Song’s shoulder, looking up to see the Third Prince’s gentle, smiling face, and smiled back, acting cute.
Shifting his gaze, he saw Wu Bilin, radiant and beautiful, her eyes filled with emotion, staring intently at… beside him.
His mind buzzed, and Yan Dong was fully awake.
He was incredulous, disbelieving, that Wu Bilin—Wu Bilin seemed to sense his gaze, her beautiful eyes turning to meet his, and she smiled, gracefully and with fiery intent, without any concealment!
“…” Yan Dong rested on Yan Song’s shoulder, his jaw clenched, nostrils flaring, a sound like sparks gnawing at his throat.
Wu Bilin found it amusing, but saw those slightly widened eyes suddenly relax, Yan Dong still looking at her, seemingly smiling without any grudge. No wonder he was the son of Jiangnan’s first beauty, the “Gold Inlaid Jade” famous throughout the capital. For a moment, Wu Bilin felt a flash of brightness before her eyes, the young man’s lips red, teeth white, his face fragrant, his brows curved, with a pair of glass-like eyes beneath, cold and piercing.
Suddenly, a warm hand turned Yan Dong’s chin, breaking their gaze.
Yan Song looked down slightly at Yan Dong’s slightly red eyes, seemingly reproachful, but his tone was gentle, “Brother is talking to you, why aren’t you answering?”
Yan Dong, immersed in shock and anger, hadn’t heard a thing. He clung to Yan Song’s calm, gentle gaze, guiltily saying, “I was wrong.”
Yan Song lightly tapped his forehead, “We’re almost at the office, say goodbye to the two of them, and let’s get off.”
“Oh.” Yan Dong obediently complied, and when he looked at Wu Bilin again, everything was as usual, as if their earlier confrontation had never happened.
Wu Bilin was also good at pretending, smiling gently at him, “Little Cousin, do visit the residence when you have time.”
“Certainly.” Yan Dong nodded politely, waved to the Third Prince, and followed Yan Song off the carriage.
The carriage continued to move slowly forward, and Yan Dong stood on the road, staring at its receding figure, unwilling to let go. Yan Song reached out to straighten his collar, “Staring at the prince’s consort like that, what does it look like?”
Yan Dong, unable to contain his anger, retorted, “Then what does it look like when she stares at you like that!”
“Didn’t notice.” Yan Song said, “Besides, who she looks at has nothing to do with me, I only care about you.”
This sentence was like a spring of water, cooling the heat in Yan Dong’s throat considerably. He couldn’t help but relax his brows, but his words were still fiery, quite impolite, “I don’t like her!”
“Mm.” Yan Song said.
“You can’t like her either.” Yan Dong, still not satisfied, almost demanding, “You can’t even look at her, or else I’ll… I’ll!”
Before Wu Bilin’s marriage, Yan Song had no private dealings with her, and after she became the Third Prince’s consort, they couldn’t possibly interact, at most exchanging pleasantries in front of the Third Prince. They were essentially strangers, but Yan Dong treated her like a formidable enemy, puffing and glaring, truly adorable. Yan Song couldn’t help but laugh, teasing him, “Or what?”
Yan Dong stared at those eyes, the most beautiful in the world, naturally unwilling to do anything to them, not even able to utter a harsh word, fearing it might bring bad luck. He didn’t know how to punish Yan Song, so he said angrily, “—I’ll gouge out my eyes! Out of sight, out of mind!”
But he clearly knew how to threaten Yan Song, and did so with ease.
Yan Song looked at him, his expression cooling, thinking this was truly the most difficult child to manage, the most unruly offender.
That look made Yan Dong feel guilty, a bit scared, but he didn’t want to back down, so he tugged at the purple pipa sleeve, like a child forming alliances, almost childish, reckless.
He pitifully said, “Brother, you’ll stand on the same side as me, right?”
He wasn’t tugging at the pipa sleeve, but at the bell line, the bell tied with a red string, fastened to Yan Song’s wrist, neck, heart, tightly.
“Of course.” Yan Song said, “I won’t look at ‘her’.”
Yan Dong then smiled, his beautiful brows and eyes bright, revealing a row of glutinous rice white teeth, innocently and maliciously dazzling Yan Song’s eyes. He was satisfied, he was smug, still unaware that Yan Song was the prey trapped in his cage, with no one else in sight.
*
“What are you thinking about, Biyin?”
The Third Prince’s gentle voice sounded in the carriage.
“Nothing,” Wu Bilin snapped back, softly saying, “I wasn’t thinking about anything, I…” She suddenly laughed, her white, slender hand adorned with a luxurious gold ring covering the lower half of her face, embarrassed, “Forgive me, Your Highness, I couldn’t help it… When one sees the person they admire and love, it’s hard not to show true feelings.”
She was too bold, too outrageous, but the Third Prince merely looked at her quietly, his gaze filled with pity, cutting into her flesh.
“Why do you look at me like that, Your Highness?” Wu Bilin frowned, appearing weak and pitiful, her eyes reddening.
“You can’t have him. Desiring him is cutting off your own path, though whether you live or die doesn’t matter, but at this moment, don’t cause me trouble.” The Third Prince looked at Wu Bilin apologetically, getting up to leave the carriage.
“…Your Highness.” The Third Prince paused on the carriage step, hearing Wu Bilin sigh behind him, her voice affected, mocking, “You and I are both pitiful creatures who can’t get what we want, but I’m better than you, I dare to look at him openly, do you?”
The Third Prince turned his head, Wu Bilin clinging to the carriage door, tears in her eyes, smiling at him, “How long can you hide behind this ‘cousin’ identity card, Your Highness?” She paused, seemingly implying something, “Brother, truly a good shield.”
The Third Prince said nothing, turning to look behind, the high palace walls standing, the long palace path stretching, like a magnificent cage. The brothers still stood where they got off, the younger one tugging at the elder’s sleeve, looking up, the elder gently leaning down to listen, their eyes meeting, their intimacy boundless, from afar, they seemed like a pair of inseparable lovers.
The Third Prince frowned, startled by this illusion.