Just call me Yu Gege, no need to add “little”…
Reality proved her wrong.
Mei Yao waited and waited, but no one came. Feng Xiu went out to check, but General Yan was nowhere to be seen.
General Yan’s refusal to take the bait left Mei Yao feeling both embarrassed and disappointed. Feng Xiu tried to console her, saying, “Could it be that Princess Zhaohua held him back?”
“Impossible!” Mei Yao thought of that unruly princess. If Yan Yu didn’t want to deal with her, he had plenty of ways to avoid her. The only explanation was that he had seen through her and was deliberately ignoring her.
Holding the jade waist pendant in one hand and the broken bone whistle in the other, she couldn’t help but feel dazed by the stark contrast in their value. Could their owner really be the same person?
For several days after returning from the Peach Blossom Banquet, Mei Yao had been somewhat distracted. That handsome face and that alluring figure lingered in her mind, especially since he had ignored her once. Like a fish refusing to bite the hook, it left her feeling even more frustrated.
Early in the morning, Mei Chang came to report. He was a family servant in his forties, steady and capable, brought to the capital by Mei Chi. He was highly effective in managing and overseeing affairs.
Mei Chang reported, “There’s something I’d like to ask for your instructions, Miss. Last night, Feng Wu caught a maid named Hua Zhao in the young master’s study. She claimed she had accidentally entered while chasing a cat, but Feng Wu exposed her for rummaging around. She even tried to seduce Feng Wu to get herself off the hook. This girl was sent from the palace. What do you think we should do…”
“Seduce Feng Wu, huh… Is she very beautiful?”
Mei Yao thought about how handsome Feng Wu was. He certainly didn’t waste his advantage, known among the guards for his charm. If Miss Hua dared to seduce him, she’d likely end up losing everything.
Mei Chang hadn’t expected the young lady to ask such a question. After a brief hesitation, he replied, “Since she was sent from the palace, she must have some looks.”
“Oh, what did she find?”
“After the young master left, there was nothing important left in the study, so she naturally found nothing. But doing something like this at this time makes one wonder what the palace is scheming now?”
Mei Yao’s gaze sharpened, then she lowered her eyes and said, “Give her to Feng Wu. He knows what to do.”
“Yes.”
Mei Chang observed the third young lady before him. Though she wasn’t as cold and calculating as the young master, she was clever and decisive. It seemed Miss Hua’s days were numbered.
Sure enough, someone soon reported to him that Miss Hua Zhao, barely clothed, had rushed into the outer courtyard’s side room, behaving provocatively in front of the servants and attendants. After being sent back to the inner courtyard, she soon took her own life.
Mei Chang sighed inwardly. This Lord Feng Wu… what skillful methods!
Mei Yao sat in the Zhelu Pavilion, gazing at the ruyi gourd on the table. She was contemplating what to do if its owner still didn’t come to claim it when she saw Feng Xiu hurrying through the corridors and pavilions, her steps quick and seemingly filled with anger.
As she approached, Mei Yao asked, “Who upset you?”
Feng Xiu bowed and said angrily, “Linlang Pavilion! I went to pick up the repaired bone whistle as agreed, but the shopkeeper refused to hand it over. He even returned the deposit, saying that if I wanted the item, I’d have to exchange it for something else. He said the nobleman would know what it was!”
Mei Yao smiled faintly, looking at the white jade waist pendant on the table. “Is it to be exchanged for this?”
Feng Xiu finally understood, realizing belatedly, “I only knew Linlang Pavilion was the top jewelry shop in the capital, but I overlooked its owner. Could it be Prince Ping’s business?”
“Since such a condition was set, it must be related to him.”
“Then… what should we do? Just returning it like this is too…”
Too humiliating!
Mei Yao picked up the waist pendant and examined the white jade gourd on it carefully. The jade was of the finest quality, and the carving was exquisite and masterful, but she found no special markings. It seemed to be nothing more than an everyday accessory.
Pearls from Lingshui, jade from Wenshan—though this white jade waist pendant was precious, it was not unique to Mei Yao.
She sent for Mei Chang and asked, “Back when my eldest brother was in the capital, he brought a jade craftsman with him. Is he still here?”
Mei Chang replied, “You mean Uncle Mei? He’s still in the residence. What does the young mistress need him for?”
Mei Yao handed the waist pendant to Mei Chang. “Take this to him. Have him select from the jade I brought and carve an exact replica!”
“Yes, I’ll go right away!”
“Wait!” Mei Yao added, “I need it urgently. Give him only one day!”
“Understood.”
The next day, as soon as Mei Yao woke up and before she had even washed up, Feng Xiu came to report that Uncle Mei was waiting with the carved jade pendant.
Mei Yao entered the hall, where an elderly man in grayish-brown short jacket and trousers stood up to bow. Upon closer inspection, he still had faint traces of dust on him. His face was lean and vigorous, his eyes bright and spirited, though tinged with red veins—likely from staying up all night to carve meticulously.
He bowed and said, “Mei Yuefeng greets the Third Young Mistress! The jade gourd you tasked this old servant with carving is complete. I wished to present it to you as soon as possible so that any imperfections could still be corrected.”
The old man bent over and presented two items: one was naturally Yan Yu’s waist pendant, and the other was the replica he had meticulously carved overnight.
Mei Yao took them and examined them closely. Apart from the lack of silk thread accessories, the main gourd of the replica was indistinguishable from the original!
She praised, “Uncle Mei’s jade carving skills are truly divine craftsmanship! You’ve worked hard, and I am very satisfied. You haven’t slept all night—go and rest now.”
After Uncle Mei left, Mei Yao said to Feng Xiu, “Find a craftsman to join these two gourds together, then take them to Linlang Pavilion to exchange for the bone whistle.”
Feng Xiu was somewhat surprised. She had thought her young mistress would keep the original after making a replica, but it turned out Mei Yao intended to keep neither.
Without explaining, Mei Yao added, “If the shopkeeper asks, just say the other one is a token of gratitude for repairing the bone whistle.”
Outside Prince Ping’s residence, in the Wenyun Study, Tian Xi hurriedly brought a brocade box to his master, calling out excitedly before even entering the door, “Master, that little barbarian mistress has returned your waist pendant!”
Tian Ze, standing outside the door, stopped him. “What are you shouting about? The master is speaking with the heir!”
Tian Xi immediately fell silent, but the study door opened, and Yan Rong stepped out, giving Tian Xi a faint smile before strolling away.
A chilly voice came from inside the room. “Get in here!”
Under Tian Ze’s sympathetic gaze, Tian Xi stepped into the study.
Yan Yu seemed to be writing something and, without looking up, ordered, “Put it in the storeroom and leave!”
Tian Xi felt that the “stolen” waist pendant was like a woman who had lost her virtue—his master likely never wanted to touch it again.
He hesitated for a moment and cautiously asked, “Won’t you take a look, Master?”
Yan Yu paused his brush and finally looked up.
Tian Xi stepped forward and opened the brocade box in his hands. Inside were two identical white jade gourds, joined together!
Double fortune and blessings—the symbolism was quite auspicious, but it was infuriating to behold!
She had returned it, but in doing so, she had also provoked him!
Didn’t he want his things back? Now he had no idea which one was his. If she could forge one, she could forge many—he wasn’t even sure if either of these contained his original!
If he took both, he’d owe her another favor. If he refused, he’d be slapping his own face. Taking just one would only create more confusion…
Yan Yu ran his tongue over his molars, tossed the brush aside, snatched the brocade box from Tian Xi’s hands, snapped it shut, and strode out, clutching it tightly.
Tian Xi hurried after him, asking, “Are you going to see Princess Wenshan, sir?”
“Go and receive your punishment!” Yan Yu left Wen Yun Zhai without looking back.
Tian Ze watched Tian Xi standing dumbfounded at the door and sighed, “You talk too much, brother!”
After dinner, Mei Yao tried reading for a while but couldn’t really focus.
She had wondered how he would react after returning the item, though she couldn’t be certain.
Perhaps he would take it seriously and engage with her a few more times—that would at least make her efforts worthwhile. What she feared most was that he might discard it without even looking, which would leave her heart cold, feeling both insulted and hurt by his disregard.
After bathing, her hair still damp, she held the bone whistle, lost in thought. The craftsman had repaired it so well that the cracks were almost invisible.
She gently ran her soft fingertips over the mended fractures and murmured, “Brother Xiao Yu, are you really still alive?”
She brought the bone whistle to her lips, letting it lightly touch her soft, glossy mouth.
Brother Xiao Yu must have blown it like this too.
A short, faint whistle sounded, soft and airy from her gentle breath. Listening closely, it still differed slightly from its sound before it broke. No matter how skilled the craftsman, it could never be fully restored to its original state.
A heavy feeling settled in her chest—was she wrong to do this?
Lost in thought, she decided to get up and go to bed, only to turn and see the very person who had stirred her emotions standing there!
Dressed in dark robes, he stood a few steps behind her, hands clasped behind his back. His handsome face held a mix of seven parts defiance and three parts mockery, as if looking at a foolish simpleton.
Startled, Mei Yao glanced at the window—it was open.
He had arrived without a sound.
Either ignoring her or boldly breaking into the Mei residence at night, finding his way into her boudoir—truly… unpredictable and daring!
Yan Yu slowly closed the distance, stopping right in front of her until there was almost no space between them. He caught the damp floral scent lingering on her skin after her bath.
“Full of tricks—so eager to see me?”
He looked down at her from his height, and in his beautiful eyes, Mei Yao saw her own reflection gazing up at him, entranced.
His words struck a chord, making her heart ache and soften. Ignoring the mockery in his tone, her eyes grew misty.
Yes, of course she wanted to see him—she had thought of him every moment for the past two years.
With dewy peach-blossom eyes, she nearly blurted out, “Are you Brother Xiao Yu?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “Just call me Brother Yu—no need for the ‘Xiao’!”
Mei Yao stared at him unblinkingly, trying desperately to find even a flicker of emotion in his defiant, teasing expression at the mention of “Brother Xiao Yu.”
Unfortunately, there was none.
Unwilling to give up, she asked, “Have you ever been to Wenshan, General?”
“What if I have? What if I haven’t?” He brushed his thumb across the corner of her eye, his finger coming away damp. After wiping one side, he moved to the other.
His fingers were not soft; the warm, slightly rough touch glided from the corner of her eye, and Mei Yao felt as though it might coax out more of her tears.
She also liked the scent from his sleeve—a faint hint of ambergris—and found herself somewhat clinging to it.
Yan Yu glanced at his moistened fingertips, his tone turning cool and detached: “Aren’t you tired of putting on one act after another, Junzhu?”
Hah! How suffocating.
Mei Yao distanced herself from him slightly, gathering her composure before asking, “Then, General Yan, what do you intend by barging into a lady’s chamber in the dead of night?”