This man couldn't possibly be Xie Jilian's sworn enemy, could he…
"Why aren't you eating? Is it because you don't like the jasmine flavor?"
Xu Qiaoxi noticed Wei Zhao's hesitant movements and remembered that young men didn't seem to care for this kind of flavor.
"Then why don't you come inside and sit for a while? There's also red date paste, sesame, and butter shortbread inside…"
Xu Qiaoxi turned around and, with complete naturalness, gestured for Wei Zhao to follow her in.
Wei Zhao stood frozen in place, not daring to brush away the pastry crumbs that had fallen on his sleeve from the jasmine roll.
The air was thick with an awkward, sticky silence.
Lu Yun stomped her foot, steeling herself. Xu Qiaoxi had already ascended the steps when she heard the sound and turned back. She saw Lan Yan making exaggerated faces off to the side, lips twisting as she pointed toward the silent figure beneath the camellia tree.
Oh, right. She was now Xie Jilian's concubine. She should attend to him first…
"Would you like to come in and sit too, my lord?"
Lu Yun and Lan Yan both gasped sharply.
What a brain! "Too"? Was the master an outside guest?
At a time like this, she should be taking the master's arm and walking in with him!
Everyone turned to look at Xie Jilian, wondering whether the master would shake his sleeve and leave in a huff because his young wife was too dim-witted.
But Xie Jilian slowly raised his eyes, looked at the woman holding pastries on the steps, and gave her a gentle smile.
"Alright. There's much to discuss today, and I can use Qiaoxi's place to talk with Mingguang through the night."
His future wife only needed to come from a distinguished family and be of use to him. Whether she was clever or not, whether he liked her or not, what kind of person she truly was—none of it mattered.
He had countless things to do, and every single one of them was more important than romance between men and women.
Xie Jilian did not care about the trivial details of the heart.
Inside the warm chamber, Xu Qiaoxi followed Lu Yun's instructions to the letter, setting up a long table for the two men, lighting candles and incense, and arranging an assortment of pastries on the table.
"Try some, see if there's anything you like."
"Young madam…" Wei Zhao knelt upright with proper posture, a look of difficulty on his face. "It would be inelegant to eat while discussing matters."
Xu Qiaoxi blinked. "Oh, I see…"
"Then you can eat right after you finish talking."
Every time her student council department meeting ended, Xu Qiaoxi always had to buy herself a milk tea or two egg tarts to reward herself.
Without those, she really couldn't withstand the endless nagging from her senior classmates.
"Young madam is pure of heart—no wonder the master has taken a liking to you."
Wei Zhao looked at the colorful pastries before him and suppressed a smile for a long while before finding a suitable thing to say.
Xu Qiaoxi's heart gave a startled leap, her cheeks suddenly burning hot. She looked helplessly at Xie Jilian.
Xie Jilian received her gaze, gave a light cough, and lounged sideways with his elbow propped on the armrest of the couch, his posture relaxed and at ease.
"We are at home, after all. No need for excessive formality. Why should Mingguang be so constrained?"
Only then did Wei Zhao smile and pick up a piece of goat's milk cake.
"The Wang family seems to have set out from Jiankang on their return."
Xie Jilian gave a light scoff, tapping his fingers on the armrest. "Going all the way to Jiankang to worship ancestors—I wonder which of their forebears is buried there."
Xu Qiaoxi had been about to leave, but upon hearing this, her intuition told her that Xie Jilian deeply disliked the Wang family.
When you live under someone else's roof, it was necessary to understand more about Xie Jilian's preferences—at least his attitudes, so she could stay alive in the future.
She sidled closer to Xie Jilian. "Did the Wang family upset you?"
Wei Zhao choked on his goat's milk cake.
Xie Jilian's brow arched slightly, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes, but in an instant it transformed into keen interest.
"The moment Princess Xincheng's husband selection was announced, the Wang family used ancestor worship as an excuse to slip away, leaving the other prominent families to roast over the fire. What does Qiaoxi think of such conduct?"
Wasn't this just "sacrificing others to save oneself"?
It truly deserved to be condemned… but what if it happened to oneself? If someone wanted to cut off the sharpest edge of one's own family, and that someone was not someone you could afford to offend, then upon careful reflection, "slipping away" was already the gentlest solution.
If it were her, Xu Qiaoxi thought, she would have run even faster than the Wang family.
Beneath morality lay each person's own position.
She understood this perfectly well, yet on the surface she furrowed her brows and said to Xie Jilian with great seriousness: "How terrible! Utterly dishonorable!"
There was no helping it—the second half of "under someone else's roof" was "you must lower your head." Right now, Xie Jilian's position was her position.
Pleasing words truly brought delight. Xu Qiaoxi watched Xie Jilian's smile deepen and breathed a long sigh of relief inside.
Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to his neck.
Xie Jilian was leaning to the side, his crossover-collar robe hanging loose, revealing a pale neck marked with scattered bruises—some even tinged purple. It was a shocking sight.
"What happened here?"
Xu Qiaoxi's fingers touched his collar, startled and alarmed.
"Didn't you go to have a scholarly discussion with the Wen family's young master today? How did your discussion turn into a fight?!"
Xie Jilian's expression shifted slightly. He raised his hand to gather his collar closed, then cast a subtle glance toward Wei Zhao.
"Young madam, don't worry. Today someone had taken Powder, and their behavior was somewhat wild. They bumped into the master but didn't hurt him."
"And this counts as not hurt?!"
Xu Qiaoxi simply couldn't understand these people. They wasted grain and meat wantonly, and called grabbing someone by the throat and injuring them "somewhat wild"?
A nameless fury rose in her chest as she stared directly at Wei Zhao and asked, "'Powder'? What powder? 'Five Minerals Powder'?"
At that moment, both men caught the unusual state radiating from Xu Qiaoxi.
She stood perfectly still, her back ramrod straight, her expression cold, forcibly suppressing her anger.
Wei Zhao's temple twitched. He lowered his gaze to avoid her eyes and nodded.
Five Minerals Powder appeared in every aspect of aristocratic life—nearly everyone took it. This era was obsessed with unrestrained elegance, and equally obsessed with this intoxicating, transcendent "poison."
Xie Jilian noticed Xu Qiaoxi's abnormal state and had just opened his lips to ask when he was suddenly pinned by her clear, resolute gaze.
"Do you take powder?"
For some reason, Xie Jilian's heart felt as if it were being squeezed—each beat and contraction accompanied by a faint, dull ache.
She was too earnest, so serious that she seemed like a different person.
Just moments ago, she had been playing her cards cleverly, knowing exactly what to say to please him. But now, it felt like if he dared to nod even once, she would sever ties with him on the spot.
Xie Jilian gently pressed his palm against her forearm, his eyes calm as they met hers, soft yet firm: "Lian does not take powder. Any elegance obtained through external means is but illusion and delusion—Lian scorns such things."
Hearing this, Xu Qiaoxi let out a soft breath, her rigid posture finally relaxing.
She didn't care what others did, but Xie Jilian was bound up with her fate. If this fellow dared to take drugs, she wouldn't care about their gentleman's agreement—she'd rather go out and beg for food than share a roof with an addict.
A month or so later, a procession of ox-drawn carriages with billowing gauze curtains came to a stop outside the Chu Jia Villa.
Wen Shuo's previous elegant gathering had been delayed by his own fall. After recuperating for about a month, he was now eagerly planning to host another one.
Xie Jilian stepped down from his carriage, then turned and walked toward the smaller carriage behind, reaching out to help the person inside.
Xu Qiaoxi wore a pale orange curved-collar jacket with vermilion patterns, layered with a goose-yellow gauze overdress, and a pearl-white skirt below, with a set of green jade and agate ornaments hanging from her waist. Though her face was hidden behind a white gauze veil, her constant presence at Xie Jilian's side immediately drew everyone's attention.
Through her veil, Xu Qiaoxi looked at the aristocratic young men attending the gathering—each one as beautiful as an exquisite silk figurine. She let out an unconscious sigh.
"Wow…"
"Isn't Qiaoxi here to see Lian? Why are you staring so intently at those common beauties?"
When Xu Qiaoxi heard that Wen Shuo was inviting Xie Jilian for another philosophical debate, she had immediately asked Xie Jilian to bring her along.
First, she was worried that someone might cause trouble and hurt him at the gathering. Second, she suspected that Xie Jilian might actually be taking powder after all.
After all, the man had deceived her before—he had a track record. For something this important, she had to see it with her own eyes to be at ease.
"The love of beauty is universal, isn't it?"
Fortunately, the veil hid her face, so Xu Qiaoxi's guilt could stay concealed.
"Then… does Qiaoxi think anyone here is better than Lian?"
Xu Qiaoxi lifted the gauze of her veil and looked seriously at the person beside her.
Today he was dressed in deep purple, which made his skin appear even fairer than snow—radiant and striking. Compared to Xie Jilian, everyone else truly was just common beauty.
"No. No one can compare to you."
Xie Jilian gave a slight nod and smiled, a boyish pride surfacing between his brows and eyes.
Xu Qiaoxi had been by his side for some time now. During this period, she had come to realize that Xie Jilian's life was not an easy one.
He toiled over official duties every day, and had to constantly mind his appearance from head to toe. He was already breathtakingly beautiful, yet he still spent an astonishing amount of time before the mirror.
Xu Qiaoxi understood—when he asked her how his looks compared to others, it wasn't out of petty jealousy. It was about upholding and ensuring that the Xie family's son lost to no one.
Beauty was the shackle of this era, and also his inborn responsibility.
The gathering was held at the mountain behind the villa. Mountain springs babbled, fine trees cast deep shade, and scattered among them were pavilions for resting during excursions.
Xu Qiaoxi chose a small pavilion from which she could see their debate from afar, settling down without disturbing Xie Jilian's socializing too much.
The mountain view was excellent—modern people rarely got to be this close to nature. Xu Qiaoxi sat idly, lifting her veil to gaze at cranes flying among the peaks and fish swimming in the stream below.
Just as she was feeling utterly carefree, a bright, hearty voice sounded from behind her.
"Which family's young lady sits here alone?"
Xu Qiaoxi turned to look—it was a handsome young man with sharp brows and bright eyes, but she didn't recognize him.
"Oh! It's you!"
The young man's eyes lit up with delight as he stepped forward: "What are you doing here? Did Lingjia send you?"
Xu Qiaoxi guessed he must be a friend of Xie Jilian's. She gave a small nod, her eyes watching him warily.
The young man clasped his hands behind his back and strolled leisurely into the pavilion, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xu Qiaoxi. He tilted his head and said with a smile, "Debates don't usually bring along household ladies. Lingjia has broken the rules here. Since you're his person, would you take the punishment on his behalf?"
This man was slick-tongued. Xu Qiaoxi twisted away to put distance between them, silently lifting her skirt to walk out.
"Hey, don't go! I haven't even said what the punishment is yet!"
The young man grabbed Xu Qiaoxi's wrist, grinning: "Don't be alarmed, miss. I merely wish to know whether the person by Lingjia's side shares his discerning eye for quality."
He pointed casually, and only then did Xu Qiaoxi notice a gentleman standing outside the pavilion—refined and elegant, with a striking countenance, rosy lips, and bright teeth.
The man wore purple robes and held a horsetail whisk, like a celestial figure stepped straight out of an ancient painting.
"Miss, do give your verdict—how does this purple-robed gentleman compare to Lingjia?"
"Utter just one word, and I swear I won't pester you further."
Xu Qiaoxi's wrist had already been squeezed red, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn't break free.
Furious to the point of wanting to curse aloud, reason told her she couldn't act rashly.
The renowned scholars adored judging others—to judge or be judged was, in truth, a matter of rank and status. This man had handed the power of judgment to Xu Qiaoxi; though his manner was detestable, he was secretly elevating her.
Seeing there was no way to refuse, Xu Qiaoxi racked her brains and finally settled on a phrasing that wouldn't offend anyone.
"He… he is on par with Master Xie."
"Hahahahaha, truly? Those are your words, miss!" The handsome young man, as if granted the greatest amusement, laughed until he doubled over, clutching his belly. He waved at the gentleman outside the pavilion, signaling him to come listen.
"Wang Er! Did you hear that? Lingjia's little wife says you're on par with him! Hahaha!"
Wang Er? Someone from the Wang family!
Xu Qiaoxi felt as if struck by lightning.
Damn it—could this man be Xie Jilian's sworn enemy…
Her teeth ground audibly in frustration, and unable to contain her anger, she jabbed the man who'd been toying with her with her elbow.
"Bastard!"
"Beiyuan, stop your nonsense."
Xu Qiaoxi and the second young master of the Wang family spoke at the same time.
Wang Er walked up to Wen Shuo, tapping the handle of his whisk against the center of his brow. His voice was cold and hoarse, carrying an unyielding pressure:
"Apologize to the young madam."
"Ouch, Wang Yizhi! That hurts!" Wen Shuo rubbed his brow with his palm and pouted reproachfully: "The moment you're back, you're already disciplining people. You really ought to go be a tutor at the Imperial Academy."