Zhao Baozhu muttered to himself inwardly and followed Steward Li into the main room where he had stayed that day. Ye Jinghua was not in the room; only a woman with a slender waist and narrow shoulders, dressed in a peach-colored peony-purple skirt, stood with her back to them, using a handkerchief to wipe down the furnishings.
Steward Li called out, “Miss Yuqi.”
The woman turned her head, it was indeed Yuqi from that day. She smiled and said, “Steward Li.” Then she noticed Zhao Baozhu standing behind him and immediately let out an “oh,” her beautiful eyes curving as she stepped forward, circling Zhao Baozhu once: “As the old saying goes, clothes make the man, it’s quite true. But only if the person himself has potential.” She smiled as she said, “Look at this, he’s even more handsome than those little girls.”
Yuqi herself was already very beautiful. Seeing her look at him with such a bright smile, Zhao Baozhu’s face flushed red all at once. “Sister Yuqi, don’t tease me.” He noticed that her cloud-like black hair had been arranged into an exquisitely elegant bun, adorned here and there with silk flowers and hairpins, and a floral decoration was pasted at the corner of her lips, she truly looked like a fairy from a painting.
He sighed: “I think the gold hairpin on Sister Yuqi’s head is carved extremely well, it really looks as if it might come alive.”
Zhao Baozhu had seen that the two maidservants at the courtyard gate only had a few silk flowers in their hair. Though lively, they truly couldn’t compare to the dazzling brilliance of the gold hairpin on Yuqi’s head.
Seeing that he was handsome and sweet-tongued, Yuqi couldn’t help but want to tease him. Her beautiful eyes flickered as she said, “Only the hairpin looks good? And the person doesn’t?”
Zhao Baozhu blushed all over from her gaze, lowered his eyes awkwardly, and stammered, “The person… the person is naturally also good-looking.”
Seeing his shy appearance, Yuqi laughed even more happily and was just about to say something else when Steward Li, standing to the side, suddenly coughed. Zhao Baozhu turned his head to look at him, but suddenly saw Ye Jinghua standing behind the door, his gaze cold as he looked in their direction.
Yuqi noticed him a moment later. She first froze, then her face blossomed into a genuinely bright smile as she said gently, “Young master, you’ve come, why didn’t you have it announced?” After speaking, she glared at Deng Yun behind Ye Jinghua. “It must be these people being lazy.”
Hearing this, Deng Yun immediately widened his eyes but didn’t dare say anything. Yuqi had once been a maid by Madam Ye’s side and was also the head maid of the household. Now that there was no madam or concubine in the inner courtyard, everyone had to take their cues from her.
Zhao Baozhu didn’t hear what she said. His gaze was fixed on Ye Jinghua’s face, and he unconsciously took half a step back, hiding half his body behind Steward Li. Though he had only met this Young Master Ye twice, for some reason he sensed a trace of gloom from that indifferent expression. Hiding behind Steward Li, watching Yuqi approach him without a clue, his eyes turned, could it be that he was jealous that he had spoken a few more words with Yuqi?
At the same time, Yuqi walked to the doorway and naturally raised her hands to take Ye Jinghua’s outer robe. However, Ye Jinghua stepped inside and instead handed the robe to Deng Yun behind him first.
Yuqi’s slender hands paused midair, her face turning pale.
Yet Ye Jinghua seemed not to have seen it at all. He passed by her and walked into the room, sitting down at the table.
Deng Yun followed him in, glanced at Yuqi, and let out an extremely soft snort before carrying the robe into the inner room. How could Yuqi not know he was mocking her? Her pretty face flushed green then white as she slowly lowered her hands, turned around, and cast an extremely resentful glance at Ye Jinghua.
However, Ye Jinghua lowered his eyes and did not look at her. Yuqi’s coquettish glance was wasted on a blind man. She pressed her lips together, then walked gracefully to the table, lifted the teapot, poured him a cup of hot tea, and said softly, “Young master, have some tea to dispel the chill.”
The tea was newly harvested Yushan Maojian. Its fresh fragrance rose with the steam and spread through the air, yet Ye Jinghua seemed not to smell it at all. He didn’t touch it in the slightest, the line of his pale jade-like profile cold and hard.
Only then did Yuqi read something from his face, and her beauty lost color at once. She withdrew her hand, slowly stepped back, and lowered her head.
At this moment, the main room fell into complete silence. Deng Yun, who had returned from the inner room, stood pressed against the wall, wishing he could merge into it. Steward Li still wore a smiling expression, but his brows and eyes were restrained, his gaze lowered, watching his nose and his nose watching his heart.
After a moment, Ye Jinghua finally raised his head. His gaze fell upon Yuqi’s beautifully adorned dark hair, and he spoke: “This gold hairpin is old. Don’t wear it anymore in the future.”
Yuqi’s expression changed. She immediately reached up, pulled the gold hairpin from her head, and bowed: “Yes.”
Standing behind Steward Li, Zhao Baozhu heard this and raised his eyes, thinking that the gold hairpin on Yuqi’s head looked as if it had just been made at a gold shop, how could it be old? However, the moment he lifted his eyes, he met Ye Jinghua’s gaze.
!
Cold sweat instantly seeped out across Zhao Baozhu’s back. He quickly lowered his eyes again and shrank further behind Steward Li. He practically buried his head into his chest. After half a moment, he finally felt the gaze on him withdraw, and Ye Jinghua’s voice came faintly: “You may leave.”
Yuqi, pale-faced, responded with a “yes,” clutching the hairpin as she walked out. Just as she was about to lift the curtain and exit, she suddenly heard the man’s cool voice from behind: “Deng Yun, pass down the word, starting from now, the maids are not allowed to wear forehead decorations.”
This statement struck Yuqi like a bolt from the blue. She turned back in disbelief, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears as she looked toward the man seated by the round table. In this courtyard, she was the only one who had the habit of wearing such decorations. Though Ye Jinghua seemed to be stating a general rule, in truth he was targeting her! In the past, Ye Jinghua had never concerned himself with the maids’ attire. He always spoke with restraint and never embarrassed those who served him; he had never even said a harsh word to her. Thus, today’s remark appeared exceedingly severe.
Yuqi’s face flushed red and white in turns, tears falling rapidly. Deng Yun glanced at her, sneered inwardly, secretly delighted that this difficult woman had met her day at last! On the surface, however, he bowed deeply toward Ye Jinghua: “Yes, young master.”
Yuqi clutched the doorframe, sobbing until she was short of breath. Yet the person seated by the round table never once turned back. Finally unable to bear the humiliation, she covered her face with her handkerchief and ran out.
Only after she had gone far did Steward Li slowly raise his eyes, signaling Deng Yun with a look to remove the now-cold tea from the table, and then poured a fresh cup for Ye Jinghua. “Young master, have some tea, don’t let anger harm your health.”
Ye Jinghua picked it up, took a sip, and said with lowered eyes: “Come here.”
His tone was slightly heavy. The words were abrupt and without context, no one knew to whom he was speaking. Deng Yun was momentarily stunned and was just about to step forward when Steward Li shot him a glare that forced him back.
On the other side, when Zhao Baozhu heard that call, his heart jumped. This is bad, after scolding Yuqi, now he’s going to scold me! Zhao Baozhu’s head filled with sweat, his mind full of stories from his village about how “adulterers and wanton women” were severely punished. He shouldn’t have said those few words to Yuqi just now!
At that moment, Ye Jinghua set the teacup down on the table with slightly more force and cast a sidelong glance. “What, do I need to invite you personally?”
The teacup struck the table with a dull sound. Steward Li and Deng Yun both jumped in fright. Seeing Ye Jinghua frowning, with a trace of anger between his brows as he looked toward Zhao Baozhu, both felt fear in their hearts.
Who didn’t know that among the entire household, this second young master had the gentlest temperament? In the past, no matter what happened, even when the eldest young master was so angry he jumped about, this second young master had never even frowned once.
Zhao Baozhu trembled at his words. He raised his head to glance at him, knowing he couldn’t avoid it, and slowly walked over.
When Ye Jinghua saw him approach, his gaze swept over him from head to toe. He saw the youth clasping his hands together, shoulders hunched, his head nearly buried in his chest, yet those dark eyes were darting about beneath lowered lids and he was dressed in a moon-white robe patterned with goose-yellow, looking exactly like a quail.
Thus, before Steward Li and Deng Yun’s eyes, Ye Jinghua’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and the anger on his face gradually faded: “…Do the clothes fit?”
Hearing the man’s gentler tone, Zhao Baozhu raised his head in surprise. Seeing that Ye Jinghua’s glass-like eyes had returned to their usual calm, he blinked and said: “They fit. They couldn’t fit better!” As he spoke, he broke into a smile and cupped his hands in salute. “Young master saved my life that day and gave me a place to stay. I should have long ago thanked you in person. Now I even have new clothes to wear. Such great kindness I cannot repay, Baozhu offers thanks here first, and in the future, when I make something of myself, I will come back to repay you!”
After speaking, Zhao Baozhu gave Ye Jinghua a deep bow. Seeing him imitate a scholar’s manner of etiquette, his posture upright and steady, surprisingly quite proper, a faint smile finally appeared on Ye Jinghua’s indifferent face as he said: “There’s no need for you to repay me. Get up.”
Zhao Baozhu smiled and straightened, his eyes rolling as he cautiously glanced at Ye Jinghua’s expression. “From now on… I won’t joke around with Sister Yuqi anymore.”
Ye Jinghua looked at him, shook his head, and said, “That’s not the reason.” After that, he asked, “I heard from Fang Qin that you lost something?”
Zhao Baozhu’s heart tightened at this. He raised his eyes to look at Ye Jinghua. Thinking about how he had lost his examination permit, this Young Master Ye appeared to be a cultured and reasonable person. If he said it… no, he was a merchant; perhaps he wouldn’t understand the details of the imperial examinations. Zhao Baozhu struggled internally several times, still fearing that if he spoke, Ye Jinghua might not believe him, might instead add trouble, or even think he was lying and drive him out. His lips moved a few times before he finally said: “No… no. I must have seen wrong.”
His conflicted expression was clearly seen by Ye Jinghua. He did not press further. Lowering his eyes, he picked up the jade pendant at Zhao Baozhu’s waist and examined it, then stood up from beside the table and said: “Come with me to the study.”
Zhao Baozhu knew that this ordeal had passed and immediately let out a sigh of relief. Not forgetting his manners, he turned back and said to Steward Li, “Steward Li, I’ll go first!” Then he followed Ye Jinghua, lifting the curtain and heading into the inner room.
Only after the two of them disappeared behind the curtain did Steward Li slowly relax the somewhat stiff corners of his mouth. Deng Yun was still bewildered and turned around, at a loss. “Steward Li, this is—”
Steward Li’s thoughts ran through his mind. He glanced at Deng Yun, raised his right hand, and pointed toward the curtain from afar, lowering his voice: “See that? This is called brine curdling tofu, one thing subdues another!”
Hearing this, Deng Yun grew even more confused and said blankly, “Huh?”
Steward Li glared at him irritably, pointing at his nose. “You’re a blockhead too! No wonder Madam sent me, how could you dull-witted lot properly serve the second young master? For the young master to endure you all for five years, even an immortal descending from the heavens would have to praise him as a living bodhisattva!”
After saying that, he turned away, unwilling to bother with the stunned Deng Yun, shaking his head as he raised his voice: “Just wait and see! If you ask me, things in this courtyard are about to change!”
