Xue You’s first visit to the estate was made without a formal calling card, relying entirely on Xie Kaiji’s face to pass smoothly into the Marquis Estate.
When Xiao Yanshi saw him, he was not surprised. Unnoticed by others, the warmth in his eyes deepened as he welcomed Xue You and Xie Kaiji into the side courtyard.
“Is this the Heir’s residence?” Xue You’s eyes flickered as he looked at the lone peach tree standing in the courtyard.
Xiao Yanshi shook the snow from his body and handed a cup of hot tea to each of them. “Before I was eight, I was quite the handful. There were many flowers and plants in this courtyard, and even a crabapple tree, but I ruined them all.” Speaking of his childhood, a smile graced his lips. His eyes, seemingly borrowing the sunlight, appeared to Xue You to be overflowing with boundless radiance.
Xie Kaiji laughed along, “‘A handful’ is an understatement. You dragged me to climb trees and scale walls every day. Once, we were nearly caught by the butler, who mistook us for petty thieves…”
As they recounted these embarrassing stories, Xiao Yanshi felt a rare flush of embarrassment. He touched the tip of his nose. “I was usually confined in the palace serving as a page, so I would act recklessly whenever I had a moment of freedom. Looking back now, I certainly caused the butler a great deal of trouble.”
“Sigh,” Xie Kaiji set down his cup and peeked outside. “When I came in just now, I heard the estate servants saying you were in a towering rage and ordered the butler and the others to receive dozens of lashes?”
“Indeed. It seems that display of temper had some effect,” Xiao Yanshi replied. As he spoke, the butler led several people in to serve snacks and dishes, filling the entire table and even placing a pot of wine.
“Prince, Young Master, Heir the eldest Young Master just woke up. Upon hearing there were guests, he intended to pay his respects personally, but he is currently unwell and is attending to the young Mistress’s side, so please forgive the slight… The eldest Young Master said he will surely share a few cups of light wine with the Prince next time.”
Neither Xiao Yanshi nor Xie Kaiji clarified Xue You’s identity. The butler assumed he was simply a friend accompanying Xie Kaiji, so he rarely looked his way, unaware that the person sitting so properly was the future “consort” of his own Heir.
“Please send my best regards to the eldest Young Master from me.” Normally, Xiao Yanshi would have gone to check on Xiao Yanzhi, but this time, matters involved the estate’s “domestic affairs,” and with the young Mistress pregnant, his presence would only cause more trouble. The two families shared a deep connection; Xie Kaiji wouldn’t take offense, and Xiao Yanzhi wouldn’t mind. Understanding this, the butler nodded in acknowledgment and shifted the topic lightheartedly. “The Prince shouldn’t blame the Heir—that lashing was purely a show…”
The butler, who was several years older than the Marquis, poured tea for Xie Kaiji and laughed while explaining, “The Heir is soft-hearted; he never punishes the estate servants. It was all done for those people to see.”
Xie Kaiji understood, and Xue You’s gaze shifted, though his thoughts remained hidden.
With the butler and the servants gone, only the three of them remained. Xiao Yanshi and Xie Kaiji were close, chatting with great warmth, while Xue You listened quietly, chiming in occasionally without appearing overly fawning or indifferent. His composed, unobtrusive demeanor felt exceptionally soothing to both Xiao Yanshi and Xie Kaiji.
Just as the three were in the midst of their conversation, someone hurried in from outside. Xie Kaiji was instantly overwhelmed. “Good heavens, is there no peace to be had? What sin have I committed to have no tranquility even on a holiday!”
It turned out that the “haughty” Prince had arrived at the Prince of Fengyang’s estate only to find it empty. Upon asking the servants, he learned that Xie Kaiji had come to the Marquis Estate. Fortunately, his subordinates had managed to persuade him, otherwise, the Prince himself would have come charging in.
Xie Kaiji felt relieved that the Prince hadn’t stormed into the Marquis Estate, but still hung his head dejectedly as he finished his cup of wine. “To prevent that Prince from deciding on a whim to come and ruin your peace again, I shall go and check on the situation. You two continue chatting…”
With that, he grabbed a cloak and left.
Xiao Yanshi couldn’t see him off in time. Turning his head, he saw Xue You standing there as well, and he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “This is the first time I’ve seen him like this. It seems that even if the Prince is young, he is not easy to get along with!”
Xue You caught a hint of gloating in that exclamation. He poured a cup of tea for Xiao Yanshi and offered a gentle smile. “Since the Prince is away, the Heir should also drink less wine. I observed the Heir’s flushed complexion in the flower house that day, even spreading down to the neck. I expect strong alcohol is hard on the body; the Heir would do well to abstain.”
Xue You was truly eloquent his advice against drinking was both tactful and comforting. Xiao Yanshi, slightly tipsy, felt quite lightheaded at those gentle words. He took the cup and drank most of it in one go, a single drop of liquid slipping past his lips and sliding into his collar.
Xue You’s gaze flickered. He was already close; instinctively, he reached out to steady Xiao Yanshi’s cup, only to have the other man pull the cup away at the same time.
Unexpectedly, their fingers brushed against the back of their hands.
Both were startled.
Xiao Yanshi had not drunk much this night only three cups and Xue You had merely moistened his lips. Yet, for some reason, at this moment, it felt like the influence of wine and passion had taken hold. His reason had vanished along with that cool drop of liquid.
Xue You firmly grasped Xiao Yanshi’s hand, causing the tea cup to tumble to the floor and roll under the table.
“I’ll go pick up the cup… Mmph!” The awkward excuse was silenced by lips pressing against his own. A large hand wrapped around Xiao Yanshi’s waist, locking him tight, leaving him unable to move an inch.
That beautiful face, seemingly too perfect for a mortal, was veiled like silk before his eyes. Even so, Xiao Yanshi’s soul felt as if it had been drawn out of his body. He closed his eyes, let go of his resistance, and allowed the person before him to “lay siege to the city.”
For someone so gentle, his kisses were unexpectedly fierce.
Xiao Yanshi’s lips felt numb, his tongue ached, and his waist, held firmly, felt weak and limp.
“Mmph…” Xiao Yanshi’s lashes trembled repeatedly, and one hand couldn’t help but circle the man’s spine.
As his palm pressed against the other’s spine, Xiao Yanshi, even in his intoxicated state, felt the man stiffen, as if Xiao Yanshi’s palm had scorched him.
But it was only for a fleeting moment. Xiao Yanshi’s remaining sense of reason was swept away, and he was once again pulled into the ambiguity of the kiss…
When Xiao Yanshi saw him out of the estate, the sky had turned pitch-black. The moon shone upon the snow, and the warm, yellow light of the lanterns along the corridors revealed a small cut on the corner of Xue You’s mouth.
Xiao Yanshi’s face flushed; he had bitten that wound himself.
It was fortunate that the moonlight was dim—no matter how sharp Xue You’s eyesight was, he couldn’t see the Heir Xiao’s blushing face, leaving him with some priceless dignity.
The butler had already prepared the carriage. “Heir, as per your instructions, two large incense cages have been placed in the carriage, along with soft cushions and fur blankets. With this, the wind will certainly not chill the Young Master.”
As soon as these words were out, Xiao Yanshi nearly fled. He had given these instructions privately, but hearing them spoken so bluntly by the butler left him feeling both awkward and embarrassed.
No one knew how clumsy and flustered the Heir Xiao felt as he learned for the first time how to be considerate toward someone.
Xue You seemed not to see Xiao Yanshi’s embarrassment. He stepped forward to stand before him, taking Xiao Yanshi’s hand through his cloak and giving it a gentle squeeze. “The Heir is so thoughtful and meticulous, it makes me regret…”
“What…” Xiao Yanshi’s heart turned cold.
He regretted it?
Regretted what?
“Regret being so reckless just now, but also regret that I wasn’t reckless enough…” Xue You leaned in and pressed a light kiss to Xiao Yanshi’s forehead, then wandered downward, kissing the tip of Xiao Yanshi’s reddened nose.
It was clearly a light touch, devoid of desire, yet it made Xiao Yanshi tremble.
Remembering Xue You’s incredibly ambiguous words, Xiao Yanshi felt like a boiled shrimp. He reached out subconsciously, not knowing what for, but he ended up grabbing the jade pendant at Xue You’s waist.
It felt icy to the touch, but his heart was pounding wildly.
Xue You felt his movement and, assuming he wanted the pendant, took Xiao Yanshi’s hand, half-wrapping his fingers around it to undo the pendant and place it in Xiao Yanshi’s palm.
“Keep this pendant as a token with the Heir for now,” Xue You said, clutching Xiao Yanshi’s hand. “On the day of our grand wedding, I shall exchange it for a new one.”
With that, he turned and left.
Xiao Yanshi stood still, dazed.
Beyond the wall, a long distance away, Xiao Yanshi inexplicably heard the sound of the carriage wheels slowly departing.
“Heir?” The butler had witnessed their “intimacy,” from initial shock to subsequent headache; he couldn’t even manage to ask a complete question.
Didn’t our Heir just request to marry the Third Young Master of the Princess’s Estate?
How did a handsome, immortal-like Young Master appear out of thin air after a trip to the Prince’s manor?
And they were clearly smitten their brief separation seemed as if they were being ripped apart. Plus, if he hadn’t misheard just now, that Young Master had mentioned “getting married.”
The butler shivered, suddenly wanting to laugh out loud.
See? The Heir’s infatuation with that Third Young Master of the Princess’s Estate was just a moment of possession by a demon. In just a few days, he had found a new love!
Hm, though this might make resisting the imperial decree troublesome, finding a new love and refusing to marry that Third Young Master was the wisest course of action.
Look at that young Master’s aura he was definitely more than a few degrees better than that Third Young Master Xue!
The butler, Uncle Xiao, who didn’t know the truth, spent his time imagining the scene where Xiao Yanshi and Xue You had fallen in love at first sight at Xie Kaiji’s manor.
“Uncle Xiao?” Xiao Yanshi saw the butler’s expression turn bizarre and poked his arm.
“…Heir.” The butler regained his composure, hiding his expression behind a mask of seriousness. “The Heir must cherish the person right before his eyes!”
Xiao Yanshi: “…Hm?”
Butler: “Although it may be a bit troublesome, rest assured, Heir even if His Majesty disagrees, you still have the Marquis to rely on.”
Xiao Yanshi: “…” What does that mean? What wouldn’t the Emperor agree to?
Butler: “You and the Young Master from earlier are a perfect match!”
Xiao Yanshi: “…Thank you.” I think so too.