The evening grew late, and the snow began to fall again. Icicles dripped from the eaves, and the snow on the steps, having just been swept away, was quickly covered once more.
Xiao Yanshi stepped out of the room and caught sight of a figure walking out into the snow at the end of the corridor. He paused and beckoned to a servant sweeping snow nearby. “With the snow so heavy, where is he going?”
Xue You, wrapped in an indigo cloak, stood out strikingly in the stark white world.
“Reporting to the Heir, Young Master Xue just took his leave of our master; he must be heading back.”
“Oh.” Xiao Yanshi set off in pursuit.
The servant cast a glance upward, and the person who had been silently clearing snow behind him spoke up: “I saw it just now; that Young Master Xue gave you a tael of silver.”
“He just said one sentence; it was the truth, anyway.” The servant touched the silver at his waist, ignoring the man.
“Young Master Xue waited in the snow for nearly half an hour. He turned and left the moment the Heir came out,” the man clearing the snow said, half his face hidden behind a thick mask; a winding scar revealed itself as he turned his head.
“Then are you going to tell our master that I accepted a tael of silver from Young Master Xue?” The servant tilted his chin, his eyes mocking. “It was I who fished you out of the river, yet you show no gratitude and only seek out my faults every chance you get!”
The man fell silent. “I didn’t.”
“Hmph, if it wasn’t you, who else could it be? You are the only one who follows me around every day!”
“…I won’t tell the master you took Young Master Xue’s silver.” The man finished and walked away, clutching his wooden shovel.
The servant glared at the man’s retreating back with resentment. “Ungrateful wretch!”
Xiao Yanshi followed Xue You to the entrance of the manor, seeing no carriage and no guards only a single horse standing alone in the heavy snow.
The snow fell thick, soaking his boots in moments. Xiao Yanshi watched as the man swung onto the horse, ready to pull the reins, and called out from a distance, “Xue Yanwen.”
He watched as Xue You halted abruptly, his hand on the reins, turning back as if caught off guard. “Heir, you…”
With such a handsome face, filled with astonishment, he looked remarkably blank and naive, causing Xiao Yanshi to break into an involuntary smile.
In that fleeting moment, the snow seemed to stop, and the biting wind fell silent. Separated by several feet, a sudden jolt shook Xue You to his core.
Xiao Yanshi waited for a response but received none, so he walked over. Xue You was still on the horse, his hand gripping the reins as if frozen. Xiao Yanshi looked up; although Xue You was on the horse, looking down at him, he felt inexplicably scorched by the other man’s gaze.
“Heading back in such heavy snow is there an emergency?” Xiao Yanshi wore no cloak, his earlobes turning red from the cold, yet he seemed oblivious.
“…There is no emergency.” Xue You gripped the reins, his fingers stiff.
“Oh, I see…” Xiao Yanshi pursed his lips. “Dismount.”
“Hm?” Xue You was momentarily stunned.
Xiao Yanshi shot him a glance. “This manor is large enough that it shouldn’t be lacking a room for you to spend the night.”
“But…” Xue You hesitated.
“Stay? Or not?” Xiao Yanshi’s patience ran thin. He narrowed his eyes, snow falling onto his lashes. He didn’t look fierce, but Xue You felt an inexplicable displeasure emanating from him, so he instinctively nodded. “I will stay.”
“Then why haven’t you come down yet?” Xiao Yanshi tilted his head slightly.
Xue You swung off the horse, but in his haste, he forgot he was still gripping the reins, and his fingers were pulled taut. “Hiss…”
“What, you’re hurt?” Xiao Yanshi grabbed his hand, spotting a red mark on his slender finger and a small cut on the knuckle. He furrowed his brows. “You didn’t seem so reckless before; why are you so careless today?”
Though he was complaining, the faint trace of concern was unmistakable to Xue You. He was a hair taller than Xiao Yanshi, and as the other man lowered his head to inspect his wound, Xue You found himself staring at the hair of the person before him. His heart stirred involuntarily, and even the subtle touch of their fingers made him tremble.
What… is happening?
Xiao Yanshi lectured him twice but felt it was inappropriate once he finished. They were neither friends nor kin; such a “lecture” felt a bit too intimate.
Feeling a sudden, belated shyness, the Heir coughed twice. “Fine, enough talk. Let’s head inside so I can attend to your wound.”
But no sooner had he finished speaking than Xue You removed his own cloak and draped it over Xiao Yanshi’s shoulders. “Although Jiangling is not like the Northern Frontier, it is damp and cold. The Heir should take better care of his health.”
Xiao Yanshi froze.
Ever since leaving Jiangling for the Northern Frontier years ago, he had been rolling in the mud and honing his character on the edge of a blade. Growing up in the military camp, no one thought of the Marquis’s Heir as delicate. Even after returning to the estate, he was the man his mother and sister relied on, aside from his father.
At ten, Xiao Yanshi fell into a wild pool and had been half-dead when rescued. He had burned with fever for four or five days, deliriously forgetting even his own name. Had it not been for two military physicians tending to him day and night, he would have been at Yama’s gates before his father arrived to hear the news.
It was from then on that the Marquis, Xiao Mingquan, began training Xiao Yanshi personally. In the dead of winter, he was forced to practice martial arts in just two layers of clothing, and he wasn’t allowed to rest until he had sweated through them. He wasn’t even given a charcoal brazier at night, save for the uncles who cared for him and would secretly slip him an old hot-water bottle.
Having been frozen for so long, Xiao Yanshi had grown accustomed to it. When Xiao Yanxun wore thick padded coats, Xiao Yanshi felt a simple sturdy outfit was enough.
Eight years had passed, and suddenly, someone had draped a cloak over his shoulders. Xiao Yanshi subconsciously clutched the corner of the fabric, dazed. “I’m not cold…”
He followed Xue You with his gaze. “I’m not cold at all.”
Xue You didn’t argue, reaching out to grasp Xiao Yanshi’s hand, even giving it a gentle squeeze. “The Heir doesn’t feel it, but your palms are icy how could you not be cold!”
Xiao Yanshi felt his palm being held, his instinct to dislocate the man’s arm rising, but Xue You smoothed him over, whispering softly, “Think of it as me trying to curry favor with the Heir; just keep the cloak on for now.”
Xiao Yanshi was stunned. “Ah?”
“Alright, it’s cold out here. Let’s go inside.” Whether out of forgetfulness or design, Xue You didn’t let go of Xiao Yanshi’s hand, and they walked inside just like that.
Xie Kaiji had been drinking last night and was still asleep, so Xue You simply led Xiao Yanshi to his room. Xie Kaiji’s manor wasn’t actually large, and there were only three or four guest rooms, but the furnishings were comfortable, and a hot spring had even been piped in.
After Xue You and Xiao Yanshi entered, the servants delivered a pot of hot tea.
Xue You sniffed it lightly and sighed. “Fine Cloud-Mist Tea, rarely even found in the palace.”
“Is that so?” Xiao Yanshi, who knew nothing of tea, watched as Xue You gracefully poured for both of them, and then pulled out a box of pastries from somewhere. “I saw the Heir eat quite a few walnut crisps yesterday, so I figured they were not distasteful to you. I asked the manor girl for a box, hoping to have someone make others in different styles, but I never expected I’d have to settle for this to entertain the Heir.”
“This is perfectly fine.” Xiao Yanshi spoke the truth.
Although it was just a box of walnut crisps, what left his heart stuttering was that this man had actually noticed such trivial details. To him, the finest food served only to fill his stomach, much like the tea—he couldn’t distinguish the good from the bad; at most, it only quenched his thirst.
After finishing the tea, their bodies warmed up significantly.
But with the topic of tea exhausted, the conversation stalled, and the atmosphere grew stifling.
Xiao Yanshi felt increasingly awkward sitting there, his fingers rubbing his hem as he subconsciously stood up. “You rest; I’ll go see if Xie Kaiji is awake…”
Before Xue You could open his mouth, Xiao Yanshi reached the doorway in a few strides.
Yet, the moment he placed his hand on the door frame, his other arm was seized by Xue You.
“Yes? Is something wrong?” Xiao Yanshi looked back.
“…I’ve wanted to ask before, are you and the Prince very close?” Xue You held on tightly. Xiao Yanshi struggled, unable to break free, and frowned slightly.
He didn’t catch the subtext initially and answered instinctively: “Yes, we are very close.”
Xiao Yanshi wasn’t lying. Although he and Xie Kaiji had rarely spent time together over the eight years, they met up every time he returned to Jiangling. And ever since Xie Kaiji entered the court, he had frequently “secured benefits” for Xiao Yanshi, making his life significantly easier. Thus, saying they were close wasn’t just idle talk. If they weren’t, Xie Kaiji wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to bring Xiao Yanshi in on this “good business.”
This time, it was Xue You’s turn to frown. His lips parted, and before Xiao Yanshi’s patience ran out, he said, “Is the Prince married?”
Xiao Yanshi: “…” What kind of bizarre question is this?
Why would he care if someone else was married for no reason? And this wasn’t exactly a secret; anyone could find out by asking.
“I heard that the Heir never had a sweetheart in the Northern Frontier… and the Prince,” Xue You hesitated. Xiao Yanshi, however, seemed to have his channels suddenly cleared, reacting instantly. “You… thought that Xie Kaiji and I…”
Xiao Yanshi’s expression was vibrant: “…”
Xue You, however, appeared open and honest, staring straight at Xiao Yanshi. “Just as the Heir thought.”
“…No, this is…” Xiao Yanshi didn’t know what to say. How could he have thought of such a thing? Even though he and Xie Kaiji had been playing together since they were bare-bottomed tots, they hadn’t played their way into the same bed!
Besides, a rabbit doesn’t eat the grass by its burrow; just how desperate would he have to be to sink his claws into his own brother-in-arms?!
Xue You didn’t understand, still stubbornly staring at Xiao Yanshi. “The Heir and the Prince are so close there’s no room for a third person; I’ve heard plenty of rumors…”
Before he could finish, his lapel was yanked hard. Xue You was pressed against the door frame by the person before him.
His lashes fluttered.
A heat wrapped around his ear: “…Who said there’s no room for a third person? Isn’t that exactly where you’ve squeezed your way in?”
Xiao Yanshi stared intensely at Xue You’s reddened ear, as if finally realizing something. He smiled suddenly, and just as Xue You was about to react and struggle, he leaned in close, his voice deep enough to drown the man. “I ask you… are you, perhaps, jealous?”
With that one sentence, Xue You froze instantly. Their chests pressed together, and they felt each other’s frantic heartbeats.
Was he jealous?