After returning from the temple fair, Zhao Baozhu did not sleep all night.
He lit an oil lamp, bent over the desk, writing and revising, revising and tearing it up. He used up an entire stack of xuan paper before finally carefully composing a letter.
The first line read, “Seeing these words is like seeing me.” Though they lived under the same roof, writing this felt somewhat strange, but Zhao Baozhu admitted to himself that he truly lacked the courage to confess everything face-to-face with Ye Jinghua. So he hid behind the letter, becoming a deserter. Once Ye Jinghua read it, whether to kill or punish him would be entirely up to him.
After writing the final stroke, Zhao Baozhu let out a long breath and read the letter from beginning to end. In it, he explained in detail how he came to the capital, how he lost his name card, and how Ye Jinghua picked him up and misunderstood him. He only hoped Ye Jinghua would not be too angry after reading it.
After a night, Zhao Baozhu had calmed somewhat. He was no longer afraid of being driven out. He still had some money on him, and with only a few days left before the spring exam, he could stay at one of the inns Lan Yu had mentioned. What he feared more was that Ye Jinghua might become so angry that he would have him beaten with boards. In the storybooks he had read, imperial punishments varied, heavy blows could split skin and flesh, while lighter ones might not injure even after dozens of strikes.
Zhao Baozhu was afraid Ye Jinghua would order him beaten. If others did it, that would be one thing, but Deng Yun definitely wouldn’t go easy on him.
But on second thought, Ye Jinghua had such good composure; even when the people in the back courtyard caused chaos before, he hadn’t ordered any punishment. He probably wouldn’t this time either.
Thus Zhao Baozhu spent the night with a single oil lamp, lost in wild thoughts. After several hours, dawn gradually broke.
As soon as the time came, Zhao Baozhu rushed out with the letter and found Steward Li.
“Steward Li, this letter, I must trouble you to deliver it to the young master.”
Steward Li had just woken up and wasn’t fully alert yet. Instead of taking the letter, he said, “You little monkeys played yourselves wild at the temple fair yesterday, didn’t you? It was nearly the fourth watch when you came back. The young master indulges you too much… look at this, this morning only you are up, how are we to handle all this work?”
While muttering, he took the letter, noticed there was nothing written on the envelope, and asked curiously, “What letter is this? Where did it come from?”
Zhao Baozhu said, “I wrote it to the young master.”
“You?” Steward Li paused, looking up in surprise. “If you have something to say, just tell the young master directly. Why write a letter?”
Zhao Baozhu’s face flushed red at the question. He stammered, “This… some things aren’t easy to say in person…” He bit his lip and said, “Please be sure to deliver it to the young master.”
With that, he turned and ran off. Steward Li couldn’t stop him before he disappeared completely.
Holding the letter, Steward Li frowned, thinking things through. It didn’t seem right. Given how much Ye Jinghua favored Zhao Baozhu, what could he not say directly? Why go through him?
It couldn’t be a love letter, could it?
Looking down at the envelope, it was plain kraft paper, unsealed, easy to open, showing Zhao Baozhu’s trust. Baozhu was straightforward and kind; everyone had seen that.
But with less than five days until the spring exam, and the Chang family’s grandson already staying in the capital, Steward Li had been anxious seeing that Ye Jinghua still wasn’t focusing on his studies. He even had sores at the corners of his mouth from worry.
At such a critical moment, nothing must distract Ye Jinghua.
Narrowing his eyes, Steward Li finally opened the letter and took out the thin sheet inside.
***
The day after the temple fair, because they had stayed out late, Ye Jinghua gave the entire household a day off. Zhao Baozhu, exhausted after staying up all night, returned to his room after handing over the letter and slept deeply.
Thus, when he saw Ye Jinghua again, it was already the next morning.
Zhao Baozhu woke before dawn, looked at the sky, and knew Ye Jinghua must have read the letter. He took a breath and sat up.
No one had come to take him away, which meant Ye Jinghua likely wasn’t planning to drive him out. If he were truly angry, he would have come yesterday afternoon.
Warmth rose in Zhao Baozhu’s heart, and he regained some courage. After washing and dressing, he went to the main room. At the doorway, he hesitated again, afraid of seeing Ye Jinghua with a cold face.
He had barely paused when Ye Jinghua’s voice came from inside: “Is that Baozhu? Come in.”
Startled, Zhao Baozhu lifted the curtain and entered, seeing Ye Jinghua seated at the table, his gaze gentle.
Zhao Baozhu immediately relaxed and smiled awkwardly: “How did you know it was me, young master?”
A smile touched Ye Jinghua’s lips: “I heard your footsteps from far away.” Like a little chick, hurrying to the door, then suddenly going silent. He placed a cup of hot tea before an empty seat and glanced at Zhao Baozhu: “Why aren’t you coming over yet?”
Zhao Baozhu quickly went over. As soon as he sat, Ye Jinghua picked up a translucent crab roe meat bun and placed it on his plate: “Eat. You slept deeply for a day, you must be hungry.”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu realize his stomach was empty. His nerves had been taut all day yesterday; now that he relaxed, his stomach growled. He immediately stuffed the bun into his mouth and swallowed it after just a few chews.
“Eat slower.” Ye Jinghua frowned slightly. “You haven’t eaten for a day, it’s not good for your stomach.” He pushed over a bowl of bird’s nest congee: “Drink this first.”
Having grown accustomed to such care, Zhao Baozhu obediently finished the congee. Only after setting down the empty bowl did he suddenly remember and look up:
“Young master… did you read my letter?”
In a corner unnoticed by Zhao Baozhu, Steward Li stood quietly, his brow twitching ever so slightly.
All of Ye Jinghua’s attention was on Zhao Baozhu. Hearing this, he raised his brows with a hint of teasing: “Of course I did.” He looked at Zhao Baozhu and said with a smile, “I didn’t know you had such aspirations, to become a great official and repay me.”
Zhao Baozhu’s cheeks flushed. “I… I naturally can’t compare to you, young master. If I’m fortunate enough to become a minor official someday, even if I can’t help you much, being able to serve you faithfully would be enough.”
Though Zhao Baozhu sometimes appeared foolish on the surface, inwardly he was as clear-minded as a mirror. He understood perfectly well that the gap between himself and Ye Jinghua, whether in family background, learning, or breadth of vision, was far too great. Ye Jinghua was destined to rise through the ranks, gain honors and titles, and stand at the pinnacle among ministers. As for himself, being able to come this far was already Heaven’s blessing upon him. Naturally, he had his own rough path of grass and stone to walk.
If only there were some way he could help Ye Jinghua in this lifetime, Zhao Baozhu thought.
Looking at Ye Jinghua’s slightly furrowed brows, Zhao Baozhu said earnestly: “If I cannot repay your kindness in this life, then in the next life Baozhu will surely repay it, even if I must bind grass in gratitude or carry rings in my beak.”
Ye Jinghua’s brows drew together sharply. Those words grated on his ears, yet he knew they came from the child’s sincere heart. Instantly, his own heart softened and ached at once.
Pressing his thin lips together, he raised a hand and pressed somewhat heavily against the back of Zhao Baozhu’s head, ruffling his hair.
“The thought alone is enough,” he said softly.
His hand slowly slid down from Zhao Baozhu’s head, fingers lightly squeezing the back of the youth’s neck. “It’s nothing worth repaying.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu felt a sour ache in the softest part of his heart, yet at the same time he was strangely happy. Blinking, he asked quietly: “Young Master… you’re not planning to drive me away, right?”
The moment Ye Jinghua heard that, his brows knitted fiercely together. A chill surfaced in his glass-like eyes as he looked sternly at Zhao Baozhu. “You are not allowed to say such things again.”
After speaking, he withdrew his hand and turned his face away. His chest rose and fell noticeably twice, as though he could barely suppress his anger. Even a vein faintly bulged at his temple.
Zhao Baozhu was startled. He had not expected Ye Jinghua to become this angry. Hastily softening his voice, he said: “Young Master, don’t be angry. I spoke wrongly. I won’t say it again in the future.”
Ye Jinghua remained silent. His profile stayed tense for a long while before he finally turned back, gloom shadowing his brows and eyes. “You keep treating me with such distance. Doesn’t that wound my heart?”
The instant Zhao Baozhu heard this, guilt flooded him. His eyes reddened immediately, and half the color drained from his face. He opened his mouth but could not get any words out.
Seeing that if nobody stepped in things truly might escalate, Steward Li hurried over and pressed both hands onto Zhao Baozhu’s shoulders, coaxing him gently.
“Alright, alright, what tiny matter has become such a fuss? Look at how pale this little face has gotten. You haven’t even eaten more than a few bites yet.”
Zhao Baozhu pressed his lips tightly together and lowered his head, rubbing hard at his eyes with his sleeve.
That aggrieved yet stubborn little appearance was truly pitiful. Even Steward Li’s iron heart softened somewhat. Lifting his head, he cast Ye Jinghua a reproachful glare. “Young Master too, Baozhu is still young. If there’s anything wrong, just teach him slowly. Why speak such harsh words with such urgency?”
Steward Li muttered a few complaints under his breath before gently lowering Zhao Baozhu’s arm and using a handkerchief to wipe at the reddened corners of his eyes. “Look at this, you’ve bullied our Baozhu into tears.”
Biting his lower lip, Zhao Baozhu stubbornly sniffed and muttered quietly: “I’m not crying.”
As he spoke, he deliberately widened his eyes, trying to hide the glistening layer of tears trembling at the corners.
Steward Li found it amusing and hurriedly agreed: “Yes, yes, not crying, not crying.”
Even as he spoke, however, he kept glancing sidelong at Ye Jinghua.
Ye Jinghua, naturally, regretted it immensely.
He truly could not bear hearing Zhao Baozhu talk about leaving the residence. Yet Zhao Baozhu had only mentioned leaving yesterday, and today he brought it up again. The anger in Ye Jinghua’s heart had surged upward instantly. He had tried to suppress it, but failed.
But the moment he saw Zhao Baozhu actually shedding tears, his heart softened immediately. All his anger vanished.
Ye Jinghua’s face remained expressionless, but the fist clenched tightly upon the table slowly loosened. His thick lashes trembled faintly as his fingers rubbed together lightly.
Steward Li continued coaxing Zhao Baozhu. “Good child, don’t be sad anymore. Since you’ve been wronged, this old bag of bones will go straight to the main residence today and report to Madam. Let Madam deal with him!”
Ordinarily he would never have dared say such a thing. After all, this Second Young Master had always seemed almost immortal-like, never once making mistakes in his conduct. Now that he had finally caught Ye Jinghua in the wrong, Steward Li was even somewhat excited. No matter what immortal he was, once a man truly fell for someone, he became just this foolish!
Yet Zhao Baozhu immediately objected. Looking at Steward Li, he said softly: “It’s not Young Master’s fault. Please don’t tell Madam.”
Steward Li paused, inwardly exclaiming, Oh-ho, now he’s protecting him too!
Quickly, he said: “Alright, alright, it’s my fault for meddling. I won’t say anything, won’t say anything.”
At that moment, Ye Jinghua lightly tapped a finger against the table. The anger had already faded from his eyes as he subtly signaled Steward Li with a glance.
Steward Li instantly understood. Patting Zhao Baozhu’s shoulder lightly, he turned and shot a glare at the still-dumbfounded Deng Yun and Fang Qin nearby, motioning for them to follow. Together with the maids serving around the room, they all quietly withdrew, leaving the room to the two of them.
Once Steward Li left, Zhao Baozhu lowered his head again and touched his eyes.
With everyone gone, the room became suddenly quiet except for Zhao Baozhu’s soft sniffles.
In truth, he was not upset because Ye Jinghua had spoken harshly. More than anything, he felt guilty. Guilty that a clear and upright gentleman like Ye Jinghua, even after learning he was a Juren, had not once suspected him maliciously, yet he himself had still doubted whether Ye Jinghua might drive him out. That truly was wrong of him.
Both guilty and moved, he could not help shedding a few tears.
Seeing the damp marks upon his robes only made Zhao Baozhu’s cheeks flush even redder from embarrassment. A grown man crying over such a tiny matter like some woman wiping tears, he felt utterly ashamed of himself. Thus he kept his head lowered, too embarrassed to raise it.
Ye Jinghua, too, remained quiet, saying nothing.
After a long while, Zhao Baozhu heard the faint rustle of clothing. In the corner of his eye appeared a patch of moon-white fabric.
The next instant, a hand suddenly covered his own.
Long fingers enclosed the fist he had clenched tightly. Ye Jinghua’s low voice sounded beside him. “Are you angry with me?”
Zhao Baozhu’s face flushed bright red at once. His fingers tightened instinctively; he did not know whether to pull his hand away or leave it there. Keeping his head lowered, he shook it.
“No.”
Ye Jinghua said nothing more.
His hand simply remained resting atop Zhao Baozhu’s, without withdrawing.
The sadness in Zhao Baozhu’s heart gradually faded. His heartbeat grew faster and faster until even the tips of his ears reddened. There was no room left for guilt in his mind now, all he could think about was the man holding his hand.
Ye Jinghua’s fingers were long, his palm dry and warm. They were the hands of someone who had only ever held brushes and books, completely different from Zhao Baozhu’s hands roughened by farm work.
Gradually, those slender fingers moved slightly, gently prying apart Zhao Baozhu’s tightly curled fingers and threading their hands together.
“I’m sorry,” the man said softly. “My words were too harsh.”
How could Zhao Baozhu bear hearing such words? He immediately lifted his head, eyes and cheeks both red. “It wasn’t Young Master’s fault. I was the one who spoke wrongly.”
The two of them sat there holding hands and apologizing to one another. If outsiders saw such a scene, they would probably be utterly stunned. Whether Madam Ye or Ye Jinghua’s elder brother, few had ever seen Ye Jinghua apologize to anyone, let alone in such a cautious, awkward manner.
Seeing that Zhao Baozhu had finally raised his head, the expression on Ye Jinghua’s face softened. Reaching out, he gently wiped away a tear from the corner of Zhao Baozhu’s eye.
At once Zhao Baozhu felt another surge of embarrassment and indignation, mortified beyond words.
Seeing how flustered he was, Ye Jinghua did not tease him further. Instead, he pushed a small plate of golden phoenix milk cakes toward him and said gently: “Eat.”
Zhao Baozhu nodded and buried his head in eating.
Though his nose still sniffled intermittently, he ate with obvious relish. Watching him gobble away like a little piglet, Ye Jinghua’s expression softened even further as he quietly lowered his head and served food into Zhao Baozhu’s bowl.
“Is it good?”
“Mmh… yes, very good.”
“Try a little more of this.”
Meanwhile, outside the room, Steward Li, who had been leaning sideways to listen to the movement inside, turned his head and nodded toward Fang Qin and Deng Yun behind him.
“They’ve made up.”
Fang Qin let out a breath of relief, finally relaxing.
Beside him, however, Deng Yun still looked dazed.
Steward Li glanced at him.
“What’s wrong with you now?”
Only then did Deng Yun suddenly snap back to himself. Looking at Steward Li in confusion, he asked: “Steward Li… why are they… why are they bickering like that?”
Like a married couple.
Steward Li looked at him and snorted with laughter, pointing at him through the air several times. “At the rate you catch on, peach pits I spit out could grow into full trees before you understand!”
Deng Yun froze, seeming to grasp something but not fully understand. Fang Qin also laughed slightly, reaching out to tug him away. “Come on.”
Steward Li waved them off impatiently. “Hurry and drag him away. Don’t stand here obstructing my view.”
So Fang Qin pulled Deng Yun away.
Hands clasped behind his back, Steward Li watched until the two disappeared from sight. Slowly, the smile on his face faded.
Turning around, he glanced back into the room. After witnessing today’s scene, he became even more convinced that the decision he made yesterday had been correct.
He had seen clearly how Ye Jinghua treated Zhao Baozhu. The closer they came to the hurdle of the spring examinations, the less room there could be for accidents.
As for what came afterward… at worst, he would simply stake this old life of his and apologize to Young Master later.
***
As the date of the spring examinations drew nearer, the entire Ye residence, indeed, the whole capital, seemed shrouded in a tense atmosphere.
The Ye household became busy as well. Aside from brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, they also had to prepare all the food and supplies needed for the examination cells.
After all, the spring examinations lasted a full nine days. Confined inside those tiny examination cubicles, candidates had to bring all their own food. The kitchens bustled with activity, preparing durable and easily digestible pastries, flatbreads, and cakes to pack into a food box three layers tall.
Meanwhile, Ye Jinghua himself remained completely unchanged, perfectly embodying the saying: “The emperor isn’t anxious, but the eunuchs are.”
When Zhao Baozhu found Ye Jinghua, he was lying beneath a trellis of green vines, a book resting upside-down over his face.
Was he sleeping?
Thinking this, Zhao Baozhu quietly walked over. He noticed the title written on the cover: Spring Excursions in Chuzhou, another miscellaneous leisure book.
Perhaps his shadow had blocked the sunlight, because Ye Jinghua stirred. Raising a hand, he removed the book from his face, revealing eyes as clear and translucent as glazed crystal.
Meeting his completely wakeful gaze, Zhao Baozhu froze slightly before pressing his lips into a smile. “I thought Young Master was sleeping.”
“No.” Ye Jinghua said softly. He showed no intention of getting up from the lounge chair. Instead, he closed his eyes again and patted the empty space beside him, signaling for Zhao Baozhu to sit.
Zhao Baozhu walked over and sat beside him. From above, he could see the shadows of the grapevines falling across the man’s jade-pale face. His dark lashes hung low, his brows faintly furrowed, as though something weighed on his mind.
Zhao Baozhu watched him for a while before softly asking, “Young master, why are you here? Steward Li has been looking for you.”
With his eyes still closed, Ye Jinghua found Zhao Baozhu’s wrist and lightly circled it with his hand. “The front courtyard is in chaos right now. Stay here with me.”
Zhao Baozhu replied, “That won’t do. I still have to go study later.”
There were fewer than three days left before the spring examinations. Ye Jinghua might rely on his talent and feel no urgency, but Zhao Baozhu could not. As the saying went, the stupid bird flies first, he could not afford to slack off for even a day.
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua opened his eyes. A slightly helpless gaze paused on Zhao Baozhu’s face before withdrawing again. He closed his eyes once more and said, “Then stay with me for a little while.”
Zhao Baozhu hesitated, but still nodded.
Now that it was the third month of the year, the spring scenery in the capital had deepened further. Most of the snow had melted, and warming braziers had been set around the rear courtyard, so it was not too cold even sitting outside like this.
Zhao Baozhu sat beside Ye Jinghua. Watching him recline leisurely on the lounge chair with his eyes shut in repose, he suddenly felt that deep down, Ye Jinghua truly did not want to take the imperial examinations.
The drudgery of official paperwork, the filth of court politics, none of it seemed to suit him at all.
Zhao Baozhu suddenly realized that once Ye Jinghua obtained first place in the examinations, perhaps there would never again be days this idle and carefree.
At the thought, something in his chest tightened for no reason.
After a long silence, Zhao Baozhu slowly lowered himself and leaned against the side of the chair beside him.
“Young master.” Resting his chin on his arms, he leaned a little closer and softly asked, “Do you not want to become an official?”
At that, Ye Jinghua’s lashes trembled slightly, revealing a sliver of his eyes beneath them. “Why ask that?”
“…” Zhao Baozhu fell silent for a moment before saying, “I suddenly thought of the words from Zhuangzi: ‘You are not a fish, how do you know the joy of fish?’ If young master never wanted to become an official in the first place, yet went to take the examinations because of what I said, then I…”
“That’s not the case.”
Before he could finish, Ye Jinghua interrupted him.
He closed his eyes again, and after a pause said lightly, “I was always going to enter the examinations eventually. It was only ever a matter of sooner or later.”
Zhao Baozhu froze for a moment and thought it over carefully before nodding. That was true. This year there had been the matter involving the Chang family’s eldest grandson, but who knew what next year would bring? Dragging it out year after year could not last forever.
Understanding this, Zhao Baozhu felt much lighter. After another moment of silence, he cautiously asked, “Young master… when the spring examinations begin, can I go with you?”
Although they lived near the imperial city, there was still quite a distance to the Confucius Temple where the examinations were held. If he could not ride in the Ye family carriage, he would have to set out long before dawn.
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua looked at him with some amusement. “Naturally you’ll go with me. Did you think I’d leave you behind in the residence?”
He knew well how obsessed this child was with the examinations. Since there was such an opportunity, letting him see the world would do him good too.
At those words, Zhao Baozhu’s eyes instantly brightened. Two little dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth as he smiled. “Young master treats me so well!”
Ye Jinghua’s lips curved upward as well.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Zhao Baozhu happily prepared to get up and return to his studies. But the moment he moved, the back of Ye Jinghua’s hand covered his shoulder. “Where are you going?”
Zhao Baozhu blinked. “Back to study.”
Ye Jinghua closed his eyes briefly. Then, with an arm around Zhao Baozhu, he sat up from the lounge chair as well.
Zhao Baozhu looked up at him in confusion. “Why are you getting up too? Isn’t the front still busy?”
Ye Jinghua stood, glanced at him, and said in a tone halfway between complaint and teasing, “I’m accompanying you to study. Let’s go.”
Zhao Baozhu froze. Then a much brighter smile slowly spread across his face, his cat-like eyes shining like stars.
He had already said “Young master treats me well,” so this time he changed his wording.
“Young master’s kindness to Baozhu is like the bright moon in the heavens, and Baozhu’s gratitude toward young master is like the surging waters of a mighty river…”
“Enough with the sweet talk.” Ye Jinghua said, hooking an arm around him with one hand and pinching the back of his neck lightly. He shot Zhao Baozhu a glance. “You learned all that from Deng Yun.”
Even after being called out, Zhao Baozhu did not get angry. He simply grinned shamelessly and affectionately stuck close to Ye Jinghua’s side as they walked toward the study.
