Noticing the lingering disappointment swimming within the boy’s eyes, Mei Eleven offered words of comfort, “Young Master, do you care about My Lord to such an extreme degree? Even knowing it will inevitably lead to separation, you still insist on engaging in such underhanded behavior?”
“Separation? What separation?” Meng Xueran stubbornly retorted, “So what if I must leave the Prime Minister’s estate? He and I remain within the capital; we will still cross paths day in and day out.”
“Ever since I entered the Prime Minister’s estate at the age of nine, I never once entertained the thought of parting ways with him, not for a single fraction of a moment.”
“Eight years have passed. Even if he took me in out of pure reluctance back then, he has still raised me into adulthood properly. Even if he viewed me merely as a stray cat or dog, all these years should have fostered genuine affection.”
“Yet, within My Lord’s eyes…” Mei Eleven didn’t dare to speak presumptuously of the Crown Prince, but anyone with functioning eyesight could plainly see just how deeply Mei Jinshu cared for Meng Changqi. To lavish genuine devotion and painstaking care solely upon one individual while projecting such lofty, cold detachment toward everyone else, how could anyone prevent jealousy from taking root in their heart?
Thus, he understood Meng Xueran’s jealousy. Though he repeatedly attempted to drag the boy back to harsh reality, Meng Xueran stubbornly refused to let go.
With a self-deprecating laugh, Meng Xueran murmured, “I know his eyes hold only Meng Changqi, but so what? I do not mind, as long as his heart reserves even a tiny corner exclusively for me.”
Heh, that was far from all of it.
His gaze coiled around Mei Jinshu like a venomous serpent, saturated with a frenzied, consuming desire for sole possession.
Within his universe, there was no such concept as sharing, only total monopoly. He was prepared to fight and claw for it until he claimed the object of his affection as his exclusive property.
Mei Jinshu found himself losing his appetite entirely. Using the excuse of having eaten his fill, he turned his head to gaze blankly out toward the lower floor. The singing was pleasant to the ear, prompting onlookers to toss coins onto the stage while the young singing girls hurried about picking up the money, busy and joyous.
Meng Changqi also pulled out a handful of copper coins and scattered them below to join in the lively bustle.
Mei Jinshu asked, “Where did you acquire copper coins?”
Meng Changqi replied, “The eunuchs and maids prepared them when we left the palace. It isn’t much, just a small pouch.”
“I simply happened to hear the Shangnan folk tune and was suddenly reminded of my childhood, which is why I offered a reward, not out of mere hedonism. If the opportunity ever arises, I wish to leave the capital and explore the wider world beyond.”
“Does Lord Mei have a place you wish to visit?”
“I, I do not know either.” Pondering for a moment, Mei Jinshu replied offhandedly, “Perhaps one might gallop freely across the vast grasslands of the northern frontier. The capital is far too bustling and noisy; seeking out such a place would merely be for the sake of peace and quiet.”
Meng Changqi’s eyes lit up as he declared, “I wish to go ride horses across the northern frontier alongside Lord Mei!”
Amused by the remark, Mei Jinshu chuckled and explained, “I was merely speaking idly, do not take it to heart. Even if such a day were to genuinely arrive, I fear you would never be able to tear yourself away from the capital.”
Meng Changqi suddenly fell silent, as though struck squarely by a sore point.
“Changqi?” Realizing he had spoken out of turn, Mei Jinshu offered soothing words, “Do not take offense, I was truly speaking without thinking. You have always been prone to letting your imagination run wild since you were young.”
“The one whose mind wanders most should be you, Lord Mei. Why would I ever harbor anger toward you?” Gazing into that still-youthful face, nearly eight years had passed, yet time had only added to his poise and charm, leaving no trace of the weathering years.
“Lord Mei is already twenty-nine years old, why have you never taken a wife?”
“What…?” Suddenly hit with the point-blank question, Mei Jinshu’s mind went completely blank. Why was that? At his age, what was he supposed to look like?
A house filled with wives and concubines, surrounded by children tugging at his robes?
Throughout all these years, he had never once pondered this question, nor had he ever wrestled with it. Yet when suddenly confronted with it, he still found it thoroughly bizarre. Such a direct, blunt inquiry left him entirely without an answer.
Ultimately, he was fundamentally different from ordinary people.
“Changqi, I am unable to answer that question.”
“It was inappropriate of me to ask.” Realizing belatedly just how foolish his query had been, Meng Changqi blushed furiously down to the tips of his ears. “I am truly terribly sorry, I know not why the words simply slipped out…”
Mei Jinshu stated, “Curiosity is entirely natural. In truth, you are hardly the only one puzzled as to why I never settled down; even I cannot explain it myself. Perhaps I simply never encountered my predestined partner, and thus drifted along in this muddled fashion, which in truth proved rather carefree.”
“As for me, I can make do living alone, but forcing myself to make do with someone else is an absolute impossibility.”
“Indeed, no one could ever force Lord Mei to spend his life with someone he dislikes.”
As the sentiment faded, brilliant fireworks suddenly burst into bloom outside the pavilion. A series of deep rumbling explosions drew patrons to flock toward the windows for a view; whenever Yuejiang Tower was packed to capacity with guests, fireworks were invariably ignited in celebration.
The two of them joined in the excitement, stepping out onto the veranda railing just as the fireworks detonated overhead, illuminating half the night sky. While they lacked the grand scale of the displays within the imperial palace, they possessed the warmth and vibrancy of everyday human life.
“How gorgeous,” Mei Jinshu praised.
Meng Changqi’s gaze flickered back and forth between the fireworks and Mei Jinshu, finding himself quite unable to take his eyes away. Yet standing on the fourth floor peering down, Meng Xueran kept his sights locked exclusively on Mei Jinshu, entirely indifferent to everything else in the world.
Just as the fireworks display drew to a close, Meng Xueran hurried away to return to his fourth-floor private seating area.
“Hey!” Someone suddenly clapped a hand down onto his shoulder.
“His Highness the Heir?” Meng Xueran started in surprise, wondering why he had run into him here.
Lou Yue waved a hand, “Drop the title, just call me by name. I don’t survive purely on my pedigree.”
Meng Xueran asked, “What brings you here?”
“Ignorant country bumpkin…” Lou Yue teased him, “I’ve been to more places than you’ve eaten meals in. What is a mere Yuejiang Tower worth? At best a place to listen to tunes and buy a couple of calligraphy scrolls. Another day, I’ll take you to a genuine establishment of earthly pleasures; that is where the real fun lies.”
“Er, many thanks for the kind offer, I’ll kindly pass…” Meng Xueran had no intention of entangling himself with him when his gaze suddenly snagged on a familiar figure passing by. Wait, why was it Teacher Su?
“Lou Yue, are you here for Teacher Su?”
“Who’s here for him! I’m here to enjoy myself!”
“Then why are you staring right at him?”
“Psh, I feel like it.” Striding forward, Lou Yue intercepted Su Yixun, blocking his path with a wave of alcohol on his breath as he demanded, “What brings you to Yuejiang Tower? Is this the sort of place a pauper like you belongs?”
Su Yixun replied, “I am here to instruct the resident singing girls of Yuejiang Tower in the zither. Please step aside, Your Grace, I must be going.”
Lou Yue scoffed, “What, is the stipend from Fanghua Academy no longer enough to feed you? Coming all the way to Yuejiang Tower to earn money this late at night, don’t tell me you’re hoping some wealthy scion will take a fancy to you and bail you out.”
“…Slap!” With a trembling hand, Su Yixun delivered a sharp blow across his face, the corners of his eyes turning faintly red as he trembled from the humiliation.
Stepping forward, Meng Xueran intervened, “Lou Yue, have you lost your mind again!”
Lou Yue snapped, “What do you know? His very life belongs to me; I can do whatever I please.”
Su Yixun retorted, “If you wish to hate, then hate away. Even wiping out the entire Su family cannot undo the death of your father and the thirty thousand soldiers under his command. They were all innocent people; I harbor resentment toward no one in this lifetime…”
“Yet my father was no traitor!”
“My father was utterly loyal, serving as General Lou’s deputy for over a decade. He loved his wife and cherished his son, everyone knows it! I refuse to believe he would betray General Lou for the sake of some female spy.”
“You can humiliate me over and over, but you have no right to slander my father!”
Reaching out, Lou Yue clamped a fierce grip around his throat, squeezing the slender neck so tightly it seemed as though it might snap at any moment. How could he not hate? Watching Su Yixun struggle powerlessly while offering endless retorts only fueled his boiling rage.
Witnessing the scene, Meng Xueran rushed forward to pry Lou Yue’s fingers loose, roaring, “Are you trying to kill him?! If you kill him, won’t you live to regret it!”
Shoving Lou Yue backward with all his might, Meng Xueran snapped, “You don’t genuinely hate him at all, do you? If you truly despised someone so thoroughly, would you really let him survive until today?”
A cold, chilling laugh suddenly escaped Lou Yue’s lips. “That’s right. Compared to killing him, tormenting him is far more entertaining.”
“You’re completely insane.” Meng Xueran had no clue what the other man was planning.
“Are you still a virgin?” Lou Yue suddenly switched to a teasing tone, looking him up and down before joking, “Why do you look so guilty? Don’t tell me you snuck out here to rendezvous with your sweetheart and got caught by me?”
Grown somewhat annoyed by the teasing, Meng Xueran retorted, “Stop spouting nonsense, I merely came out for a stroll!”
Lou Yue pressed on, “Oh, have you ever held your sweetheart’s hand?”
“Have you ever kissed those fair, beautiful lips?”
“Have you ever slept together?”
“You, you are simply…” Unable to stomach any more of his unhinged remarks, Meng Xueran glanced toward the third floor while trying to deal with this drunken, wandering rake. “Have you no shame!”
“Teacher Su, I shall escort you downstairs first.”
“Hold right there!” Snatching Su Yixun into his arms, Lou Yue brought his large hand around to the back of the man’s head and forced him into a deep kiss right there in full public view, completely uninhibited and without a shred of restraint!
Realizing what was happening, Su Yixun fought back like a madman, but Lou Yue’s other arm locked around his waist like a vice. Spectators turned their heads to watch, their expressions filled with shock before erupting into loud cheers, while mischievous onlookers began showering them with flower petals and scented sachets.
Standing frozen on the spot, Meng Xueran felt as though he had been struck by a massive bolt of lightning, his brain entirely scrambled.
How could anyone act with such unbridled madness and daring? He was the heir to the Grand Princess’s estate, yet to pull such a stunt in front of so many witnesses would surely create a massive public scandal. If word reached the Grand Princess’s ears, wouldn’t he be beaten to death?
Pushing Lou Yue away with every ounce of strength he possessed, Su Yixun fled with his face covered in two trails of clear tears, his breathing ragged from humiliation and his lips bearing a smear of blood. After delivering one final vicious slap, he turned and fled blindly into the night.
Spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva, Lou Yue wiped his lips triumphantly and remarked, “Nothing special.”
“Come, I’ll take you somewhere much more fun.” Slinging an arm around Meng Xueran’s shoulder in a brotherly embrace as though they were partners in crime, Meng Xueran promptly planted a kick straight onto Lou Yue’s rear, sending him sprawling onto a woven mat. “Who wants to go with you!”
“Hey.” Calling out to stop him, Lou Yue asked, “Why is it that you are always hovering around Su Yixun? Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to him as well?”
Meng Xueran replied, “I have not!”
Gulped down a mouthful of wine, Lou Yue sneered, “When this lord was slaughtering enemies on the frontier, I dreamed night and day of coming back just to sleep with him. If I haven’t managed to sleep with him yet, who else dares harbor such ambitions? Unless I grow tired of playing with him one day and gift him to you…”
“Being related or closely acquainted with someone like you is truly mortifying…” Massaging his temples out of sheer exasperation to prevent Lou Yue from uttering anything even more earth-shattering, Meng Xueran stepped forward and struck him unconscious with a sharp blow, turning to tell Mei Eleven, “Send him back to the Grand Princess’s estate, otherwise he’s going to strip away every last shred of our dignity.”
If public humiliation could truly bring genuine release, there would be no need to drink oneself into a stupor.
He was well aware of the unresolvable blood feud lying between Lou Yue and Su Yixun, and he had never interfered in their entanglements. Yet this was simply too disgraceful. Living life in such a fashion, was this truly what the man desired?
Mei Eleven asked, “Then what about you, Young Master?”
Meng Xueran instructed, “You take Lou Yue back first, I have my own arrangements.”
Lifting the unconscious Lou Yue onto his shoulder, Mei Eleven said, “I beg of you, Young Master, do not expose your identity and let the Crown Prince discover you; otherwise, My Lord will certainly show no mercy.”
“I know my limits, go on.” Casting one final glance toward the third floor, Meng Xueran discovered that the party had already departed. He quickly searched about, rushing downstairs only to realize Mei Jinshu had already left.
Out on the main street, two figures walked side by side beneath the moonlight. The youth’s vernal, spring-breeze visage drew the lingering gazes of numerous young maidens, yet for reasons unknown, every time Mei Jinshu looked at that familiar face, it invariably conjured memories of another person.
He found it utterly impossible to clear his mind of distractions. He knew that Meng Xueran had been trailing behind the entire time, silently observing him.
Trying to divide his attention between two worlds for so many years, he discovered himself increasingly incapable of spreading his affections evenly. While it might appear on the surface that he cared far more for Meng Changqi, prioritizing him in every single matter, the reality proved entirely the opposite. Incurring countless repetitions within his mind’s eye were the stubborn, resolute features of Meng Xueran, slowly eroding his defenses piece by piece.
This sensation filled him with unease and restlessness, leaving him with no outlet to vent.
Meng Changqi asked, “Lord Mei, you seem troubled?”
Mei Jinshu replied, “Ah? I am not troubled at all, you are overthinking.”
“Look! So many people!” Seizing his hand, Meng Changqi pulled him toward a crowd gathered around a street performance featuring swordplay, fire-breathing, and stone-breaking amidst thunderous applause.
The crowd was simply too dense, squeezing Mei Jinshu out toward the periphery. He shouted, “Changqi!” Terrified of losing track of the dignified Crown Prince, he waved his arms frantically in the hopes of catching the other’s eye.
Someone shoved him hard from behind, barking angrily, “Are you blind! Watch where you’re stepping on me!”
Turning around, he found himself facing a burly, thick-set ruffian flanked by a gaggle of thugs. Noting his handsome features and refined attire, the group immediately closed in to encircle him.
“Tch, big brother, look at how fine this pretty boy looks!”
“Oho, time to pay up for damages. You stepped on our big brother’s foot, so coughing up a hundred taels should cover it nicely.”
“Looking to die?” Mei Jinshu had zero patience to waste on playing games with these scumbags. Unsure of where Meng Changqi had wandered off to amidst the suffocating crowd, he scanned about only to find more obstacles in his path.
The leading ruffian jabbed a finger into his shoulder, putting on an overbearing posture. “If you don’t pay up, a delicate frame like yours won’t be able to take many beatings. Uncle here really hates to lay hands on a pretty face, so how about…”
“Ugh!” With a swift kick, Mei Jinshu sent the ruffian flying straight backward into the dirt like a slab of heavy pork, leaving the surrounding onlookers gaping in astonishment.
“He, he dared hit our big brother! Get him!”
Disposing of two local thugs with a flick of his sleeves, Mei Jinshu turned and bolted into a narrow alleyway. Fearing he might attract patrolling guards and escalate the matter unnecessarily, he deliberately fled toward secluded territory where he could deal with them one by one.
The dark alleyway echoed with a series of mournful wails as the gang of ruffians was beaten to the point where they couldn’t even manage to crawl back up. Brushing off his sleeves, Mei Jinshu turned to depart when an arm suddenly locked around his waist, hoisting him straight into the shadowy shelter of a tightly shut doorway.
Beneath the warm glow of an overhead red lantern, the black veil masking Meng Xueran’s face was violently torn away, exposing him directly to Mei Jinshu’s blazing glare of fury.
“Adoptive father, you figured out I was following you from the very beginning, didn’t you?”
Sensing the scorching grip tightly bound around his waist, Mei Jinshu shoved him away without hesitation and raised his hand to deliver a sharp blow. “Audacious!”
Struck sideways by the impact, Meng Xueran’s cheek burned with a stinging pain. For reasons unknown, the mere sight of Mei Jinshu treating anyone else with kindness always drove him to the brink of madness like a man devoid of reason.
Since when had he become so fiercely possessive and jealous?
“Adoptive father, I was merely curious to see what you and the Crown Prince would be doing, I had no intention of disturbing the two of you.”
“If you are angry, you can strike me a few more times to vent your frustration.”
Mei Jinshu was practically rendered speechless with rage. It took him a long moment before he managed to snap, “Wipe that pathetic, pitiful expression off your face! Are you trying to imply that stalking me is not an offense worthy of a beating? Who gave you the audacity!”
With eyes reddening with grievance, Meng Xueran challenged, “So, do you no longer want me? Why must you chase me out of the Prime Minister’s estate the moment I turn sixteen and sever all ties with me? Is it because you are so impatient to return to the Crown Prince’s side?”
“All these years, have you never held a shred of affection or reluctance to part with me?”
“Must you cast me aside and abandon me just like my imperial father and mother?”
“Meng Xueran, what you desire, I cannot give you.” Turning on his heel to leave, Mei Jinshu found himself ensnared from behind once more as the boy wrapped his arms tightly around him. Standing frozen in place, his expression turned intensely complicated.
Meng Xueran pleaded, “How could you possibly know you cannot give it? What I want is not much at all, I am not greedy in the slightest!”
Mei Jinshu asked, “What is it that you want?”
Meng Xueran declared, “I only wish to stay by your side forever throughout this lifetime, just you and me.”
“Naive.” Turning back around to face him, Mei Jinshu wore an expression of supreme, chilling cruelty as he articulated each word clearly, “I am unwilling!”