This man was truly something else.
Meng Xueran bypassed him and gently helped the trembling Su Yixun to his feet. How could the man have been frightened to this extent? Were the vicious things those people had shouted about him true or false?
“Master Su, are you all right?”
“I am fine, thank you, thank you.”
“Tell me, why did you step in to save me?” Meng Xueran looked the man up and down, noting that his attire was identical to the group of troublemakers from earlier. He asked with curiosity, “You are not looking to stir up trouble as well, are you?”
“Let me make this clear first. I never had any intention of marrying the Commandery Princess. If you are just as infatuated with her as that lot, you would be far better off heading straight to the Marquis Yi Estate than picking a fight with me.”
The man grew incensed and immediately retorted, “What nonsense are you spouting! Who is in cahoots with a bunch of fools? I merely happen to attend the same academy as them.”
“I came looking for…” The man grabbed Su Yixun by the arm and blurted out, “Looking for him!”
Su Yixun’s wrist was gripped so tightly it felt as though it might snap. Struggling against the hold, he protested, “Lou Yue, let go!”
“Oh, are you the Grand Princess’s son?” Meng Xueran thought to himself that by seniority, this fellow ought to be his cousin, yet his behavior was astonishingly overbearing. “He is snatching people in broad daylight. Do you have any regard for the law?”
Lou Yue demanded, “What do you know? He rightfully belongs to me!”
Meng Xueran froze in place, utterly failing to comprehend the complicated relationship between them. However, seeing Su Yixun struggling continuously with a face full of resistance, it was obvious the man was unwilling. “He was never sold to you. How could he possibly belong to you?”
He pried Lou Yue’s fingers loose, pulled Su Yixun behind his own back, and declared, “Today’s trouble started because of me, and I promised to see Master Su home, so I will see him home. Whatever transpired between the two of you is none of my business.”
Lou Yue sneered, “Wait, you could not be that adopted son of the Chancellor who struck the Commandery Princess, could you?”
“…” Meng Xueran was left speechless. Had word spread already that widely?
Lou Yue continued, “This lord is a student at the neighboring Qilin Academy, and so are those fellows who gave you trouble. There are plenty of those fools infatuated with the Commandery Princess. As for you, you had better worry about your own mess first.”
Meng Xueran replied, “There is no need for Your Highness to trouble yourself.”
The group remained deadlocked in this stalemate. With night falling fast, they had no choice but to work together to right the overturned carriage. Lou Yue dragged Su Yixun up to sit beside him, wrapping an arm securely around the man’s shoulders.
“You really do not stand on ceremony, do you?” Meng Xueran sat opposite them, realizing that even a fool could discern the hidden dynamics at play.
Su Yixun lowered his head in utter humiliation, keeping entirely silent without uttering a single word.
Meng Xueran instructed, “Shiyi, take Master Su home first.”
“You are certainly full of benevolence, willing to escort someone you have known for mere days back home. Could it be that you have taken a fancy to him?” Lou Yue’s words carried a faint undertone of humiliation, paired with a dissolute and frivolous demeanor that drove Su Yixun’s head even lower in shame.
Why did he not fight back? It was utterly baffling. Even when such vicious things were said to him, he chose to endure them in silence.
“I am not you, so do not view everyone through your own filthy lens.” Others might grant the man a modicum of respect, but Meng Xueran cared nothing for such pleasantries, instantly snapping back with a sharp retort, “Master Su is an instructor at Fanghua Academy. Show some respect!”
With that, he pulled Su Yixun across to sit opposite them, right beside him.
“Pfft.” Lou Yue actually chuckled, abandoning further argument as he remained silent for the rest of the journey while escorting Su Yixun to his residence.
The carriage stopped in front of a desolate and secluded little courtyard surrounded by barely a few houses. A simple wooden cottage stood amidst a yard planted with patches of flowers and grass, looking truly destitute and barely capable of sheltering one from the wind and rain.
“Thank you, Mei Jiu.” Mixed within Su Yixun’s voice was an unmistakable panic and embarrassment. Clutching his zither tightly, he scrambled down from the carriage and practically fled from their sight.
This incident only made Meng Xueran detest Lou Yue even more. Giving him a cold look, he asked, “Why do you bully Master Su? Is it because he is helpless and destitute?”
Lou Yue retorted, “And so what if I do? Because he lives miserably now, he deserves to be forgiven?”
“You are nothing more than a bleeding heart!”
“Just how much do you actually know about Su Yixun?”
“His wretchedness, his poverty, and his destitution are all entirely his own doing. Let me advise you to stay as far away from him as possible!” With that, Lou Yue leaped down from the carriage and walked off alone, disappearing into the gathering night.
On the way back to the estate, Meng Xueran’s mind remained occupied by Lou Yue’s parting words. Did he truly despise Master Su? Yet when that group had pelted the man with gravel earlier, the one who stepped forward to stop them was none other than Lou Yue.
If a person genuinely hated someone, why would they still bother to rescue them?
Perhaps it was just like his adoptive father. Clearly holding a deep aversion toward him, yet forced to treat him well; clearly finding him an utter annoyance, yet compelled to show concern. In the past, he had always assumed it was purely out of obligation to the Emperor’s heavy mandate that the man behaved this way.
Yet everything his adoptive father had done for him far surpassed the instructions of years past. Even if mere shreds of genuine feeling were mixed within it, it was still worth cherishing.
Perhaps time really could change everything.
Bathed in moonlight, Mei Jinshu sat beneath a tree, flipping through letters mailed from the Eastern Palace.
The previous days had been far too chaotic for him to pay them any mind, but now that he had cleared some free time, it was high time he replied to Changqi. Although they met daily in the imperial court, they exchanged few words to avoid arousing suspicion, causing these missives to pile up over time.
Ye Ting reported, “My Lord, there is also a brocade box sent from the Eastern Palace.”
Mei Jinshu took it and opened it to find an exquisitely carved white jade hairpin shaped like a plum blossom. According to the accompanying letter, it had been crafted by artisans from the finest, most translucent white jade selected from northern tributes.
It was indeed a superior piece. Cool and smooth to the touch, it possessed absolute purity and allowed moonlight to pass straight through. He turned it over in his hand to admire it, figuring it was likely intended to be worn during the upcoming royal hunt.
If he wore it, Changqi would probably be quite pleased.
Ye Ting asked, “My Lord, why have you stopped worrying about the Young Master? He has yet to return. Are you not afraid something might happen to him?”
Mei Jinshu replied, “He is a grown man; is he going to get lost? I do not restrict what he wishes to do, nor do I restrict when he chooses to return. Truth be told, I would rather prefer it if he did not cling to me every single day.”
“Ye Ting, tell me.”
“My Lord, speak your mind.”
“Do you suppose His Highness the Crown Prince and Meng Xueran might be cut from the same sleeve?”
“Ah?!” Ye Ting nearly dropped his jaw in shock. “This, this, this.”
“Hush, keep your voice down!” Mei Jinshu made a shushing gesture, pulled the guard closer, and whispered, “Have you noticed anything unusual about Meng Xueran? Speak your mind honestly.”
Shaking his head, Ye Ting replied, “This subordinate understands nothing of such matters. I truly cannot tell. The Young Master is quite normal.”
“Sigh, forget it. Asking you is a waste of breath.” Mei Jinshu began to harbor doubts of his own. Could it be that he had misjudged Meng Xueran all these years? The boy genuinely seemed to harbor no improper tendencies; everything appeared peaceful and perfectly normal.
Something was amiss. Could a penchant for the same sex be nurtured and corrected?
Mei Jinshu glanced at the pile of letters resting on the table. Was he simply too obtuse, or had he unconsciously grown accustomed to this mode of coexistence?
“Adoptive father.” Meng Xueran suddenly materialized not far away, staring at him unblinkingly.
What was wrong with this person? He always appeared without a sound; sooner or later, he would scare him into an early grave.
“Why have you returned so late?” Mei Jinshu asked casually out of habit, not expecting an honest answer anyway. After all, Meng Xueran was turning sixteen, and he no longer had the right to interfere in every little detail.
Stepping forward, Meng Xueran picked up one of the letters on the table and glanced at it. An instantaneous surge of intense displeasure spiked in his chest, and he gritted his teeth. “Elder brother writes you so many letters. Is there nothing that cannot be said in person? I should have thought that given your relationship, there was no need to avoid suspicion.”
Mei Jinshu snatched the letter back and tossed it straight into the brazier, watching it burn to ashes while glowing embers drifted to the ground. How could he fail to pick up on the bitter sarcasm in those words? He replied in a cold tone, “My affairs with Changqi have nothing to do with you.”
“The reason I treat Changqi well is because I am someone who stands steadfastly by his side.”
“You may also interpret it as me belonging to the Crown Prince’s faction.”
“How truly enviable.” Meng Xueran felt sick with jealousy to the point of nausea, his gaze locked fixedly onto the white jade plum blossom hairpin. The envy threatened to snap his fingers in two, driving him to the brink of madness. “To have a minister as loyal as adoptive father by His Highness’s side, what more could one ask for in this lifetime?”
Noticing the boy’s soiled clothes and the bruises decorating his face, Mei Jinshu asked, “Did you get into a fight? Did I not warn you that your internal injuries have not healed and you are forbidden from resorting to physical violence?”
Meng Xueran asked, “Are you worried about me?”
“Yes, of course. You are my adopted son, am I not permitted to show some concern?” Mei Jinshu found it somewhat difficult to meet those eyes. The entire exchange reeked of vinegar; was he truly that deeply jealous of his own elder brother?
“I am leaving. You should get some rest early as well.” Mei Jinshu started to rise, only to be blocked by Meng Xueran, who asked with careful hesitation, “Adoptive father, might you gift this hairpin to me?”
“No.” Mei Jinshu refused flatly.
Meng Xueran wore a desolate smile, stepping back a few paces. “Indeed. It was a gift from the First Prince, so naturally you cannot bear to part with it.”
Mei Jinshu commanded, “Stop acting out. Go back to your quarters!”
“Understood.” Meng Xueran turned and walked away.
Hands trembling slightly as they gripped the brocade box, Mei Jinshu returned to his room and tossed it casually onto the table like a hot potato. He was utterly incapable of figuring out what kind of emotional entanglement this was; he simply did not understand.
If it were merely blind jealousy over everything Meng Changqi possessed, would that also extend to jealousy toward anyone standing beside Meng Changqi?
By laying everything out in the open today, his goal was to make Meng Xueran understand that his primary loyalty would always belong to Meng Changqi. Even if he hadn’t spoken the words aloud, given Meng Xueran’s sharpness and intelligence, the boy should have deduced as much.
Knowing full well he was nothing more than a chess piece, a discarded shadow, why must he continue clinging so stubbornly?
What exactly was he refusing to let go of?
Mei Jinshu realized he understood Meng Xueran not at all, even though he was the one holding the script of fate.
The night was deep and heavy, the surrounding world wrapped in absolute silence.
Ensuring that everyone had fallen asleep, Meng Xueran drew a silver chain from the folds of his robes and gazed at the purple pendant strung upon it. He had never forgotten the sight of Mei Jinshu dressed in full ceremonial regalia that day; that brow-center pendant shining against his forehead, his captivating eyes shifting with an air of serene detachment, even though none of it had been meant for him.
The longer he looked, the more uncontrollable the jealousy flared within him. He hated it.
Power, status, and the familial affection he had never truly experienced, Meng Changqi already possessed so much, with the Emperor and Empress pouring their entire hearts into him. Why must he still be so insatiably greedy?
Now, he had only his adoptive father left. If Mei Jinshu were to leave this world, if even the last person standing by his side were to abandon him, what else would he have left in this lifetime?
Insect chirps rang in a steady rhythm while a night breeze swept through the window, clearing his mind.
Donning a sleek set of night-walking attire and grabbing his palace entry token, Meng Xueran slipped silently out of the Plum Quarters.
The carriage dispatched by the palace waited a short distance away from the Chancellor’s Residence, transporting him through the dead of night to the foot of the imperial palace. Brandishing his token at the side gate, Meng Xueran entered under the guidance of a palace servant and made his way to the Imperial Study.
This was his first time setting foot here in the six years since he left the imperial palace; it offered nothing but endless strangeness and alienation. Ever since the Empress had executed the wet nurse who raised him, his existence had been completely erased from these walls.
Much like the person named Meng Xueran had never existed at all.
“Father Emperor.” He knelt upon the floor, calling out in a flat tone.
Meng Junxuan had originally been resting his eyes against a soft couch. Seeing him arrive, the Emperor hastily stood up to help him up, his gaze carrying a trace of paternal warmth, though it was warmth that existed only in this precise moment.
“We have not seen each other in years, and my youngest son has grown into a fine, talented young man. We are deeply gratified. It seems Mei Jinshu has treated you rather well.”
“Yes, adoptive father has treated me exceedingly well.” Darkness lingered in the depths of Meng Xueran’s eyes, mingled with the cold detachment of a biological father who had cast him aside. There was not a shred of joy upon reuniting with his parent, though perhaps his reaction was simply too understated, causing Meng Junxuan to detect something amiss.
Sighing, Meng Junxuan asked, “You still harbor resentment toward what We did in the past?”
Meng Xueran shook his head. “There may have been complaints once, but I have let them go. I have more important matters now, so I no longer wish to dwell on the past.”
“Coming here tonight, I have only one thing to say to Your Majesty, and once I have said it, I will leave.”
“Please retract the imperial decree, settle the trouble this marriage alliance has brought to both me and the Chancellor’s Residence, and no longer entangle me with Commandery Princess Bu Jingyu.”
“I am unwilling, and the Commandery Princess is equally unwilling.”
In truth, Meng Junxuan had long since realized this marriage was doomed to fail. His primary motivation in pushing it had been to test the attitude of the Marquis Yi Estate, and as expected, things had been forced to this juncture.
Though he badly wanted to clip Bu Jian’s arrogant wings, Meng Xueran was still his own flesh and blood. Seeing the boy display such bitter resistance and refusal, he had no choice but to relent.
“Father Emperor?” Meng Xueran prompted when no answer came.
“Very well, We grant your request. This marriage is canceled.” Meng Junxuan stepped forward to study that bewitching face. Though they were twins sharing identical appearances, they possessed entirely different auras. “How alike you are, yet even as you grow into a graceful young man, you remain entirely unlike Changqi.”
“Your eyes lack Changqi’s clarity. Father Emperor knows your life has been filled with bitterness, but for the sake of the Sheng Empire, We had no choice but to wrong you.”
“Very well, I accept it.” Meng Xueran’s heart remained as calm as still water. He had endured far too many such hurtful words; he had grown entirely numb to the point where they could no longer inflict pain.
It did not matter. Anyone was free to cast him aside.
The wounds inflicted upon his complete heart by his closest kin had long since left it riddled with scars. Meng Changqi, Meng Changqi, everyone constantly revolved around Meng Changqi, as if he would never be able to shake off that name.
He had suffered anguish on account of that name countless times, until a certain someone dragged him out of the abyss, using the simplest and most straightforward gestures of care and guidance to make him feel that a shred of warmth still existed in this world.
Sitting inside the carriage on his way out of the imperial palace, tears welled in his eyes, threatening to spill over.
He had to admit it, he was destined to be unable to live without Mei Jinshu for the rest of his life.