Zhao Baozhu followed Fang Li to his own residence. As soon as he stepped inside, he opened his mouth in surprise.
Unlike his own tiny room that could barely fit one person, Fang Li had an entire side chamber. Connected to the bedroom was an outer room, separated by a screen. Inside stood an Eight Immortals table, and beside it was a pot of lush lucky bamboo.
Zhao Baozhu stood at the doorway almost at a loss, looking around at the furnishings. After he had passed the provincial exam, he had once been invited as a guest to the county magistrate’s home, but now it seemed that Fang Li’s residence was even more refined than the magistrate’s.
As expected of the capital… even a random inn was this luxurious. He wondered what the upper rooms in those grand restaurants must be like.
Zhao Baozhu thought this, slightly lost in thought.
Just then, Fang Li came out from behind the screen carrying a copper basin. Seeing Zhao Baozhu standing there with hunched shoulders, he frowned.
“What are you standing there for? Go sit.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu cautiously walked over to the table and sat down. Fang Li glanced at him irritably, set the copper basin on the table, and said in a low voice, “Weren’t you acting quite pleased just now? Why have you wilted again?”
Zhao Baozhu gave an embarrassed smile and said somewhat shyly, “F-Fang… Fang Gege, your residence is so big.”
Seeing the envy in his eyes, Fang Li let out a cold snort through his nose and said with a hint of disdain, “Ignorant thing.”
In the Ye family, any servant with status had living quarters better than commoners outside, even better than some minor officials.
After saying that, he raised his brow and looked at Zhao Baozhu from the corner of his eye. “Hold out your hands.”
Zhao Baozhu didn’t understand why, but he obediently stretched out his hands. The next moment, Fang Li grabbed them and pressed them into the copper basin. The skin on the back of his hands sank into the warm water. As soon as Zhao Baozhu touched the hot water, he instinctively struggled a little.
Fang Li pressed down on his hands and looked up. “What? Too hot?”
Zhao Baozhu was just a bit surprised. Hearing this, he said, “N-no.”
Fang Li glanced at him, lowered his eyes, and rubbed Zhao Baozhu’s hands in the warm water, saying in a muffled voice, “Only because you called me ‘Ge’ am I serving you this once.”
Hearing that, Zhao Baozhu instead felt a bit embarrassed. “Th-this… how can I accept that? I’ll do it myself–”
“Look how filthy you’ve made them!” Fang Li ignored his words, holding Zhao Baozhu’s wrist firmly and continuing to wash his hands with surprisingly gentle movements. “And you still want to eat with these hands, so dirty.”
Zhao Baozhu hadn’t even had a sip of water all day, let alone washed his hands. Watching the clear water in the basin gradually turn murky, his face flushed red. He glanced at Fang Li and complained softly, “…I wasn’t planning to eat without washing my hands.”
He still knew that much etiquette. When he was little, his father would also wash his hands.
Fang Li glared at him through the rippling water. “Try talking back again?”
Zhao Baozhu immediately shut his mouth, not daring to speak again. Fang Li was thus able to focus on washing his dirty little paws. The back of Zhao Baozhu’s hands was as fair and tender as the rest of him, but touching his palms revealed that these were hands accustomed to labor. There was a thin layer of calluses on his palms, slightly rough to the touch. Holding these hands, Fang Li rubbed his thumb over the lines of his palm a few times, and his heart softened a little again.
“Alright.”
He lifted Zhao Baozhu’s hands out of the basin, used a soft cotton cloth to wipe clean between his fingers, then carried the dirty water behind the screen. When he returned, he held a white porcelain plate in his hands.
“Eat.”
Fang Li placed the plate on the Eight Immortals table, and a fragrant aroma immediately wafted up.
Zhao Baozhu’s eyes widened. On the plate were four neatly arranged baked meat pies, each about the size of two palms, wrapped in oil paper. The buttery sheen seeped through the paper.
“Eat while they’re hot. They’re filled with fresh meat.” Fang Li sat down beside him.
Zhao Baozhu immediately grabbed one like a starving tiger and took a big bite. It really was filled with meat, rich juices flowed into his mouth, and his eyes lit up at once: “So good!”
Seeing him talking while chewing, taking another bite before even finishing the first, Fang Li was amused by his eating. “Alright, just eat. Don’t talk while eating, don’t speak while resting.”
Zhao Baozhu mumbled an “Mm,” and began to eat in earnest. In just a few bites, he finished one meat pie and reached for another. Normally, eating like this, eyes on the next piece before finishing the current one, was not very proper, but seeing his cheeks stuffed full, round and tender like fresh lychees, Fang Li felt an inexplicable fondness.
“Slow down, no one’s going to snatch it from you.”
Fang Li rested his chin on one hand. Watching Zhao Baozhu eat so happily, the tension in his brows gradually eased. He saw a strand of dark hair fall beside Zhao Baozhu’s face and subconsciously wanted to reach out to brush it away, but then remembered the scene of this little one mingling with chickens and ducks, and withdrew his hand in distaste.
Zhao Baozhu didn’t notice. The meat pies were large and full of meat; he ate until his mouth was greasy, and before he knew it, all four were gone. Fang Li quickly grabbed his hand and wiped his mouth with a cloth. “Don’t use your sleeve! You’ll ruin the good clothes I gave you!”
After wiping his greasy mouth clean, he asked, “Are you full? There’s more in the kitchen.”
Zhao Baozhu licked the corner of his lips. He had been so absorbed in eating just now that he only now felt shy. “I’m full.” In fact, he was a bit stuffed. Zhao Baozhu patted his round belly, thinking that the capital’s meat pies were really large.
After feeding him, Fang Li no longer let him linger in his courtyard and hurriedly sent Zhao Baozhu off to bathe. When Zhao Baozhu came out of the bathhouse, Fang Li walked up with his arms crossed and sniffed him from head to toe. Only after confirming that Zhao Baozhu smelled solely of soap horn did he let him go back to sleep.
“Remember, tomorrow at noon, go to the place I took you earlier to eat.”
Before Zhao Baozhu entered his room, Fang Li said this. Hearing him, Zhao Baozhu paused and turned his head. He saw Fang Li lower his head somewhat unnaturally and say in a low voice, “Those people… I’ll make things clear with them.”
“Oh.”
Zhao Baozhu didn’t quite understand, but nodded in confusion.
Fang Li cleared his throat, masking his expression, then raised his head and frowned. “Also, tomorrow you’re not allowed to hug those animals again!”
Zhao Baozhu blinked, a little unwilling, the big fat duck had been quite comfortable to hold. “…Ah?”
“What ‘ah’?” Fang Li glared at him, his handsome face turning cold as frost. “If you dare make yourself smell that bad again, I’ll throw you out!”
Hearing that he might be thrown out, Zhao Baozhu widened his eyes and quickly begged for mercy. “I won’t dare again. Good Gege, please spare me this once.”
Fang Li’s expression softened slightly, the corners of his lips lifting. He reached out and, as he wished, patted Zhao Baozhu’s freshly washed hair. “Do your work well. From now on, ” He paused, his voice lowering a little. “From now on, your Ge’s got your back.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu raised his eyes. Sensing the softening in Fang Li’s attitude, his eyes rolled slightly. “Then, Fang Gege… can I ask you something?”
“Mm?” Fang Li raised a brow slightly and looked at him. “What is it?”
Zhao Baozhu hesitated for a moment. “Earlier, I fainted and didn’t know what was happening. I don’t know how I was brought in…” He studied Fang Li’s expression carefully and said cautiously, “I just want to ask, did anyone… touch my belongings?”
“Your belongings?”
Fang Li paused. After quite a while, he finally recalled Zhao Baozhu’s bundle that was practically just a piece of rag. Realizing what he meant, his brows shot up as he looked at Zhao Baozhu. “Who would bother touching that pile of rags of yours?” His eyes narrowed, his expression gradually turning cold. “What, did you lose something and suspect me?”
“No!” Zhao Baozhu immediately denied it, smiling apologetically. “Fang Gege, of course I know it wasn’t you.”
But Fang Li’s expression didn’t soften. “Then you suspect someone else.” He raised his brows sharply. “What did you lose?”
Seeing that he was displeased, Zhao Baozhu swallowed and lowered his eyes, avoiding his scrutinizing gaze. Even if he told Fang Li now that he had lost his name card, without anything to prove his identity as a degree holder, Fang Li probably wouldn’t believe him. After hesitating for a while, he said vaguely: “It’s… something very important.”
Seeing that he couldn’t explain clearly, Fang Li snorted coldly. The way he looked at Zhao Baozhu gained a trace of sharpness. This little beggar looked so obedient while eating, but who would have thought he would dare to play such tricks behind his back? What important thing could there possibly be in that ragged bundle? He was just making things up to seek benefits. Convinced that he had seen through Zhao Baozhu’s little scheme, Fang Li’s gaze swept over him like a blade from head to toe, grinding his teeth, what a shallow, petty fellow!
If it had been someone else, he would have already scolded them outright. But seeing Zhao Baozhu lower his head, his big eyes shifting uneasily, likely aware of his own fault, Fang Li’s brow twitched, and he ultimately didn’t say anything too harsh.
“…Don’t play these little tricks with me.” He let out a slow breath and said in a low voice, “If you work honestly, whatever you want–”
He had originally meant to say he could buy it after receiving wages, but then remembered Zhao Baozhu had no wages. He paused, then continued, “If you behave, at the end of the month, I’ll buy it for you.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu realized he had misunderstood. He raised his eyes and said helplessly, “I’m not asking for anything–”
But Fang Li thought he was just pretending to be obedient and flicked his forehead with a finger. “That’s for the best.”
“Go back and sleep.” He lifted his chin, signaling Zhao Baozhu, who was holding his forehead, toward the room. “Go back to sleep.”
Zhao Baozhu had no choice but to turn and go inside.
The wooden door closed. Zhao Baozhu sat on the bed, facing the red candle at the head of the bed. After sitting silently for a while, he slowly let out a breath in the dim candlelight.
It seemed he could only find a way to search for it himself. Zhao Baozhu thought quietly. After thinking it over carefully, he also felt that the people in this inn probably wouldn’t care about his shabby bundle. It was most likely lost somewhere on the way here. He wondered if the inn would allow him to take leave to go out and search along the road he had taken into the city.
