After washing himself, Ye Jinghua changed into sleepwear. The moment he turned around, he saw Zhao Baozhu lying on the couch with the blanket pulled over his head, his whole body curled into a ball.
Ye Jinghua raised a brow and walked to the bedside. Bending down, he lifted one corner of the blanket slightly and peered inside: “What’s wrong? What’s so fun inside the blanket?”
With his back facing him, Zhao Baozhu buried his head in the bedding. Even after hearing Ye Jinghua’s voice, he did not lift his head, only muttering dully: “I…I’m sleepy.”
Seeing that he refused to get up, Ye Jinghua smiled and pulled the blanket downward a little so Zhao Baozhu would not suffocate himself. Then he sat down at the edge of the bed.
Earlier, the Ye family servants had spread soft bedding all across the couch. The moment he sat down, Zhao Baozhu immediately felt it. He froze, then abruptly twisted his head around and stared in shock at Ye Jinghua, who was sitting at the bedside in sleepwear with the appearance of intending to sleep there: “Y-Young master, young master is sleeping here?”
Zhao Baozhu was so astonished that even his voice trembled.
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua tilted his head and raised a brow at him. His entire face clearly said the words “what is improper about that.”
Zhao Baozhu opened his mouth, then shut it again. His whole face bright red, he suddenly threw off the blanket and moved to climb off the couch: “N-No, this is completely improper…”
He had only just climbed out one step when Ye Jinghua grabbed both his arms. Turning his face toward him, his expression darkened as he frowned and said: “Where are you going? Lie back down quickly. Don’t catch a chill.”
Zhao Baozhu did not even dare look at him. Lowering his head, he quickly said: “Young master should rest here. I-I’ll find another room–”
“What other room is there? Rest here.” Ye Jinghua’s grip on his hand did not move in the slightest as he coldly said: “The other rooms don’t even have blankets on the beds. How can anyone live there?”
Zhao Baozhu’s entire face was red as his lips moved hesitantly a few times before he raised his head and said: “T-Then I’ll go squeeze in with Ah Long.”
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua’s expression immediately changed. The hand gripping Zhao Baozhu’s arm tightened, and the coldness in his face was enough to make Zhao Baozhu shiver involuntarily. He no longer dared struggle.
After a moment of silence, Ye Jinghua lowered his eyes and slowly said: “The night wind outside is so cold. If you go out, you’ll inevitably catch a chill. Stay here. If anything happens during the night, I can still keep watch.”
At this point, he paused and moved a little closer to Zhao Baozhu, reaching out to straighten the somewhat disheveled sleepwear that had become messy from his struggling. Watching his careful movements, Zhao Baozhu’s heart softened, and then he saw Ye Jinghua raise his eyes. Beneath his thick lashes, those glasslike eyes flickered faintly: “You’re sick. How could I possibly feel at ease? Be obedient. Don’t make me angry.”
Toward the end, his tone turned cold. No matter what refusals Zhao Baozhu still had, he could no longer say them aloud. Thus, half coaxed and half forced by Ye Jinghua, he lay back down on the bed.
Only after seeing him settled did Ye Jinghua’s expression improve slightly. Then he turned his head and extinguished the oil lamp beside the bed.
Without the lamp, the bedroom instantly darkened.
In the darkness, Zhao Baozhu tried hard to shrink toward the edge of the bed until his face was almost pressed against the wall. Although the county yamen’s bed was not exactly narrow, it was not particularly wide either. Two grown men lying on it together would feel somewhat cramped. Zhao Baozhu did his utmost to make room, curling himself into a ball so as not to lie too close to Ye Jinghua.
In the silence, the rustling sound of clothes and bedding rubbing together arose. Curled in the corner, Zhao Baozhu felt the soft couch sink beside him, and then a familiar cool fragrance spread through the air.
Ye Jinghua had lain down beside him.
Zhao Baozhu tightly shut his eyes, his brows trembling as he tried his best to soften his breathing. Even his eyelashes quivered nonstop from nervousness.
Fortunately, after lying down, Ye Jinghua said nothing and merely lay there quietly, seeming tired as well.
Only then did Zhao Baozhu suddenly remember that Ye Jinghua too had endured the exhaustion of travel, rushing all the way from the capital to Qingzhou Prefecture to take up office, then hurrying nonstop here, and afterward being put through all this trouble over his illness. He must surely be exhausted.
The moment Zhao Baozhu thought of it, his heart ached. Slowly turning around beneath the blankets, he looked toward Ye Jinghua in the darkness.
The brazier in the room burned softly, occasionally giving off faint crackling sounds of sparks popping. By that weak firelight, Zhao Baozhu could make out Ye Jinghua’s outline, though he saw that he had his back turned toward him, making his expression impossible to discern.
Zhao Baozhu breathed softly in the dark. Truthfully, he was extremely happy that Ye Jinghua had come.
After gazing at Ye Jinghua’s back for a while, Zhao Baozhu still could not resist softly calling out: “Young master.”
“Mm?”
Ye Jinghua responded almost immediately. Then came a rustling sound. In the darkness, Zhao Baozhu saw him turn over to face him. The firelight illuminated part of the outline of his face, and there was a trace of hoarseness in his voice: “What is it?”
Zhao Baozhu thought he had woken Ye Jinghua and guiltily said: “Did I wake young master?”
Unexpectedly, the moment he said this, Ye Jinghua fell silent. After a brief pause, he said: “From now on, you are not allowed to say such distant words to me again.”
His tone was extremely cold and hard. Zhao Baozhu froze upon hearing it and immediately quieted.
As though dissatisfied at not receiving his response, in less than half a breath’s time, Ye Jinghua’s voice sounded again. This time his tone had completely sunk low: “Did you hear me? Answer.”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu stiffen and hurriedly say: “Young master, I understand.”
Hearing him say this, Ye Jinghua seemed to feel somewhat better. In the darkness, Zhao Baozhu heard another rustle of fabric, as though Ye Jinghua had shifted closer to him. In a low voice, he said: “If you heard it, then you must do it. If you feel unwell at night, know to call someone. I’m right beside you. Don’t keep enduring it when you’re uncomfortable.”
This time Zhao Baozhu had learned to behave. The moment Ye Jinghua finished speaking, he immediately responded: “Young master, I understand everything.”
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua seemed satisfied, though he still said nothing, and silence once again settled over the room.
Holding his breath beneath the blankets, Zhao Baozhu looked nervously toward Ye Jinghua’s direction, afraid he might still be unhappy about something. Only after Ye Jinghua remained silent for a long time did he gradually relax somewhat. Thinking back on all the events of reuniting with Ye Jinghua this time, he finally could not hold back and, sounding slightly complaining, said: “Young master has changed.”
The instant these words left his mouth, Zhao Baozhu realized he had misspoken. Yet Ye Jinghua had already heard him. Giving a soft “mm,” he asked: “How have I changed?”
Since the words were already out, and seeing that Ye Jinghua was not angry, Zhao Baozhu bit his lower lip. After hesitating for a moment, he still continued: “Before… before, young master doted on me a lot.”
He himself did not notice that these words carried a faint trace of grievance, almost as though he were complaining about Ye Jinghua. Zhao Baozhu merely felt that Ye Jinghua truly had changed considerably since their reunion. Between his brows there seemed to linger an unshakable gloom. He kept staring tightly at him and became unhappy at the slightest thing, making Zhao Baozhu constantly anxious and afraid that he might say the wrong thing again.
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua paused. Then in the darkness Zhao Baozhu heard some rustling sounds, and a hand stretched out from the dark to lightly pinch the soft flesh of his upper arm.
“So you also know that I dote on you?”
Pinched like that, Zhao Baozhu softly hummed. Ye Jinghua then released his hand and, as though soothing him, gently rubbed the spot before saying in a low voice: “And knowing that, you still anger me this much.”
Zhao Baozhu knew he was referring to the matter of leaving without saying goodbye back then. Feeling guilty, he remained silent and did not dare speak.
Ye Jinghua’s hand rested on Zhao Baozhu’s arm. After a long while, he said: “In the future, before going anywhere, you must let me know first.”
Zhao Baozhu hurriedly nodded and obediently gave a soft “mm.”
Only then did Ye Jinghua finally seem satisfied. His arm wrapped behind Zhao Baozhu’s back, drawing him a little closer, and he gently stroked through his jet-black hair before saying softly: “Alright, sleep.”
After speaking, he himself closed his eyes first. At extremely close range, Zhao Baozhu saw those fanlike thick lashes and only then realized that, at some unknown point, their position had changed from back-to-back into face-to-face, and they were very close together. Zhao Baozhu’s cheeks instantly reddened. He wanted to struggle away, but then thought that Ye Jinghua was tired and did not wish to disturb his rest again. After struggling internally for a while, he ultimately stayed still.
For a time, the room held only the crackling sounds from the brazier and Ye Jinghua’s even breathing.
After lying there for a while, Zhao Baozhu’s eyelids gradually grew heavy. Thinking about it, he too had been exhausted today. First came the weariness of travel, then the constant vigilance against the prefect, and afterward the sudden reunion with Ye Jinghua. After such intense emotional upheaval, his mind was utterly drained. Once the room quieted down, Zhao Baozhu soon became drowsy. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep. Before even half a quarter-hour had passed, he had already begun faintly snoring.
Only then did Ye Jinghua open a pair of completely sleepless eyes in the darkness.
His gaze fell upon Zhao Baozhu’s face. By the firelight, he could clearly see his curled lashes and, after becoming thinner, his even more delicate features. Raising a hand, he lightly touched the youth’s brows and eyes. In the end, he sighed. Extending a long arm, he gathered Zhao Baozhu tightly into his embrace, as though recovering a priceless treasure once more.
***
Zhao Baozhu slept well through the entire night without even having a single dream.
The bedding was warm and cozy, and the blanket covering him was light and soft without the slightest trace of mildew. The brazier in the room still retained some warmth, dispelling the damp chill of the early morning air so comfortably that Zhao Baozhu did not want to open his eyes.
He slept so comfortably that even when Ah Long came knocking at the door, he still did not wake. Drowsily, he only heard Ah Long in his dream repeatedly calling “old master,” “old master.”
Zhao Baozhu lightly furrowed his brows and mumbled twice. Before even opening his eyes, he pushed himself upright: “Mm? Wh-What is it–”
Unexpectedly, the moment he moved, a pair of hands reached over and pressed him back onto the bed. Still muddled with sleep, Zhao Baozhu heard a rustling of clothes, as though someone had sat up. Struggling against his drowsiness, he slightly lifted his eyelids and vaguely saw Ye Jinghua sitting at the bedside, casually draping an outer robe over himself: “Young master?”
Seeing him, Zhao Baozhu finally remembered that Ye Jinghua had slept beside him. Instantly becoming more awake, he said: “Young master, where are you going?”
Hearing the movement, Ye Jinghua turned back around and again reached out to press Zhao Baozhu’s shoulder, making him lie back down: “Go back to sleep. I’ll go out and take a look.” As he spoke, he bent down and lovingly stroked between Zhao Baozhu’s furrowed brows, saying warmly: “You’re still sick. You need more rest.”
Sunk into the soft bedding, although Zhao Baozhu was still terribly sleepy, he nevertheless forced his eyes open: “How can that be…”
He knew that for Ah Long to come hurriedly calling so early, some commoner likely had urgent business to report to the magistrate. Ever since the fields forcibly occupied by the You family had been confiscated and redistributed according to the original grievances, all kinds of disputes large and small had become nonstop. After all, the things the You clan had done in Wuya County amounted to a huge pile of rotten accounts that could not be sorted out in a short while.
Zhao Baozhu deeply understood how troublesome these matters were. Besides the You clan, it was not as though everyone else in the county were good people either, the families over on South Hill Slope were several especially thorny troublemakers. How could he let Ye Jinghua worry himself over such matters?
Yet the moment he opened his mouth and tried to open his eyes to look at Ye Jinghua, the man’s hand covered his eyes. “Be obedient. Sleep a little longer.”
Covering his eyes, Ye Jinghua tucked Zhao Baozhu back into the blankets, wrapping him up like a silkworm chrysalis. After patting his back, he turned and left.
The blankets around Zhao Baozhu were tucked tightly all around him so that not even a thread of cold wind could blow in. Wide-eyed, he looked toward the doorway. From the silhouettes on the window, he could make out that Ye Jinghua seemed to say something to Ah Long before the two of them walked away together.
Lying in the warm bedding, Zhao Baozhu smelled a faint fragrance around him. It seemed somewhat familiar, like the calming incense often burned at the Ye residence in the past. After smelling it for only a short while, drowsiness surged over him again. Though he tried hard to stay awake, he still tilted his head and fell asleep once more.
By the time he woke again, the sun was already high in the sky.
Zhao Baozhu opened his eyes and saw sunlight shining through the window onto the floor by the foot of the bed. Blinking twice, he suddenly sprang upright like a carp flipping from water.
!! What time was it already?
He had actually overslept. Zhao Baozhu broke into a nervous sweat and hurriedly threw on his official robes in a rush before dashing outside with his head lowered.
He hurried to the front courtyard, rounded a corner, and nearly crashed straight into Ah Long, who was carrying a tray of tea out.
“Good heavens, old master!” Ah Long quickly lifted the tea a little higher, casting Zhao Baozhu a reproachful glance. “Why is old master in such a hurry?”
Then he asked worriedly: “I heard the doctor gave old master acupuncture yesterday? Has old master’s illness gotten better?”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu smiled somewhat embarrassedly: “I’m all better now. I must’ve frightened you yesterday.”
Ah Long curled his lips and hmphed: “Old master still says that. Who told you to keep recklessly wearing yourself out every day? Yesterday, hearing the doctor say things like that, I was scared half to death. Luckily now there’s finally someone who can keep my lord in check. If old master refuses to take medicine again in the future, I’ll tell Lord Ye!”
Yesterday, hearing the doctor say those things, he truly had been badly frightened, afraid that the illness really would harm Zhao Baozhu’s lifespan. He had gotten smarter now, saying things to Zhao Baozhu was useless. He had to go tell the brother-in-law!
Hearing his complaints, Zhao Baozhu did not get annoyed, only smiled good-temperedly and asked: “I slept muddle-headed today, and you didn’t even wake me. Where’s young master?”
Ah Long knew the “young master” he referred to meant the newly appointed Lord Prefect, so he pursed his lips and said: “Lord Ye is up front trying cases right now. Here, I was just about to bring this tea over to him.”
Zhao Baozhu froze upon hearing this, then hurriedly followed Ah Long toward the front. Sure enough, the moment they passed through the doors, they saw Ye Jinghua sitting above the court hall, his brows and eyes half-lowered.
Below the hall stood a heap of plainly dressed elderly couples, quietly recounting their grievance to Ye Jinghua: “—th-that’s how it is.”
That old farmer had spoken for quite a while and was parched with thirst. He paused to swallow, carefully glanced at Ye Jinghua seated above, hesitated a moment, then cautiously said: “W-we beg my lord to uphold justice for us.”
Even his voice when speaking these words was low and weak, solely because this newly arrived Lord Prefect was too handsome, and his face too cold. Seen from afar, he looked like one of those jade immortal statues enshrined in Buddhist halls, making people not dare raise their voices, for fear of disturbing the person in the hall.
Ye Jinghua wore the prefect’s official robes. Hearing this, he said nothing, only lowered his eyes and said calmly: “Bring up your loan contract.”
Upon hearing this, the farmer hurriedly untied his bundle and took out the loan contract, respectfully offering it with both hands to Tao Zhang at the side. Tao Zhang accepted it and also respectfully brought it up to Ye Jinghua. Ye Jinghua took the contract and lowered his eyes to look. In less than two breaths, he said: “Clause thirteen of the contract states that if interest is not paid, then after three years ten mu of fertile land shall be used as collateral repayment.”
The farmer froze upon hearing this, clearly learning for the first time there had been such a clause on it. He immediately panicked: “Th-this, I didn’t know! Zhang Tian never asked us for interest money! W-we already repaid the principal long ago!”
The matter itself was simple enough. This old couple had borrowed a sum of money from Zhang Tian. At the time, both parties signed a contract. The old couple was illiterate and had been tricked by the lender’s trap. They repaid the principal on time, yet because they failed to pay interest, they lost ten mu of land instead. The old couple did not understand the situation, only feeling that Zhang Tian had forcibly occupied their land, so they brought the matter to court.
Listening at the side, Zhao Baozhu deduced the whole sequence of events after only hearing these few lines. He immediately frowned hard, his expression turning ugly at once. There was actually such a thing!
The old couple below the hall were also afraid they would not recover their fields, and looked anxiously toward Ye Jinghua: “M-my lord, what should we do—”
Ye Jinghua’s expression remained calm as ever. He turned and set the contract down together with a stack of official documents on the desk, saying: “For now, leave the contract here. This is certainly not an isolated case. Once Zhang Tian is summoned, the matter will be decided together.”
Hearing this, though the old couple was somewhat anxious that their fields could not immediately be returned, they nevertheless felt more reassured. The official lord was right, their contract had problems, so Zhang Tian had certainly used the same trick to deceive others as well. Fighting alone as a single family was ultimately inferior to gathering all the victims together. At that time, let’s see what excuses Zhang Tian would still have!
After considering it, the old couple immediately resolved to go back and ask household by household whether there were others who had borrowed money from that surnamed Zhang, and left full of determination.
Only after the complainants had gone did Ah Long dare carry the tea over, softly saying to Ye Jinghua: “My lord, have some tea.”
Ye Jinghua finished writing the official document, set down the brush, and casually picked up the teacup. Yet after only one sip, he imperceptibly frowned slightly.
Ah Long did not notice his expression. Seeing Ye Jinghua set down the cup after only one sip, he thought merely that this lord was not yet thirsty.
Ye Jinghua set down the tea, and the moment he turned his head, he caught sight of Zhao Baozhu standing beneath the corridor from the corner of his eye. His brows and eyes immediately relaxed.
“You’re up?” He then walked down from the court hall and came to Zhao Baozhu’s side, looking him over from top to bottom. “Your complexion looks much better. Why didn’t you make a sound when you came?”
Zhao Baozhu raised his eyes to look at him, only feeling that viewed up close, Ye Jinghua truly looked extraordinarily handsome in this black official robe. A hint of redness surfaced on his cheeks as he said: “Sorry to trouble young master with helping me try cases. Are there any troublesome ones? I’ll handle them.”
At the words “handle them,” the nearby Ah Long, Tao Zhang, and the others all shuddered imperceptibly, recalling the days from before in court, all feeling somewhat awed. This newly arrived Lord Prefect indeed did not favor beatings or scolding. His words and actions were all calm and indifferent, and the court hall had been quiet the whole morning. Everyone pondered it and felt it was probably because the county magistrate was ill.
Ye Jinghua said nothing, merely raised a hand to smooth the messy hair at Zhao Baozhu’s temple, saying warmly: “They’re all nothing serious.” Then he loosely encircled Zhao Baozhu’s shoulders. “Let’s not talk about these things first. Come eat with me.”
Zhao Baozhu glanced toward the court hall and, seeing there seemed to be no trouble, turned and left with Ye Jinghua. Upon reaching the rear hall, he saw that even the tables and chairs had all been replaced by Ye family servants with a new set. On the large redwood round table was laid out all kinds of food. Though it was not as exquisite as the meals at the Ye residence in the past, it was still far superior to what they normally ate.
Ah Long’s eyes widened abruptly, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor. Th-this was really breakfast? In Ah Long’s eyes, even a full imperial banquet was probably no more than this.
Since Zhao Baozhu had seen the spectacle at the Ye residence before, he was not too surprised. Looking around, he saw that the Ye family servants from yesterday were nowhere to be seen, and he asked Ye Jinghua doubtfully: “Young master, where are those people from yesterday?”
Ye Jinghua said: “They all went back.” Then he pulled Zhao Baozhu to sit down. “Quick, sit.”
So Zhao Baozhu sat beside Ye Jinghua. Yet the moment his backside touched the chair, catching sight of Ah Long standing nearby, his heart suddenly paused.
There were not many rules in this place. Though he and Ah Long were master and servant, they had always eaten at the same table. But Ye Jinghua was a noble young master from a great household, he did not know whether Ye Jinghua would allow it,
Who knew that just as the thought crossed his mind, Ye Jinghua raised his eyes and said: “You sit too.”
Those words were directed at Ah Long. Ah Long had originally been standing to one side, somewhat uneasy. Hearing this, his face immediately blossomed into a grin, though he still did not dare sit near Ye Jinghua. Instead, he sat pressed close beside Zhao Baozhu.
This Lord Prefect and brother-in-law, though extremely handsome and soft-spoken, frightened Ah Long even more than Zhao Baozhu did. First, Ye Jinghua’s official rank was high. Second, after all the events yesterday, he knew this Lord Ye from the capital was no simple person, likely a noble young master from a great family! Moreover, Ye Jinghua’s bearing was extremely imposing. He was cold and distant, making people easily afraid to speak in front of him.
The moment Ah Long sat down, he leaned over and lowered his voice to Zhao Baozhu: “Brother Shanyi went out early this morning. I asked where he was going, but he wouldn’t say.”
Zhao Baozhu nodded upon hearing this, indicating he knew. Though Shanyi lived in the yamen, he had always been like a wandering knight-errant, leaving whenever the mood struck him. He also rarely ate together with them, only having Cuiniang save him a portion.
With Shanyi absent today, Zhao Baozhu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Ye Jinghua and Cao Lian were friends. He feared it might be awkward if the two suddenly met.
Ye Jinghua sat at the side. Seeing master and servant huddled together whispering, he lowered his eyes and ladled a bowl of millet porridge, placing it before Zhao Baozhu: “Baozhu, drink some and warm your stomach.”
Zhao Baozhu’s attention was immediately drawn away. Turning back, he picked up the spoon and took a sip. Though the grain used was simply from his own kitchen stores, it had been carefully simmered with red dates and rock sugar and was extremely delicious. After only one sip, Zhao Baozhu praised: “Delicious!” Then he lowered his head and slurped away noisily.
Seeing Zhao Baozhu eating so sweetly, a faint smile appeared on Ye Jinghua’s face, and he picked up a crystal-clear soup dumpling for him. This was the Ye family cook’s handiwork, only due to ingredient limitations, the filling that was originally shrimp meat mixed with crab roe had been replaced with pork.
Zhao Baozhu picked it up and ate it in one bite, immediately making an “Mm!” sound: “So delicious!”
But he immediately remembered something. His chewing slowed slightly, and he turned to Ye Jinghua and asked: “These… can young master get used to eating them?”
Actually, compared to before, the county yamen was already much improved. At least grain was definitely no longer lacking. But no matter how improved it was, the products of Wuya County could never compare to those of the capital. Zhao Baozhu had seen how refined the food at the Ye residence was, and so worried Ye Jinghua would not be accustomed to the coarse food here.
Seeing his worried expression, Ye Jinghua smiled and lowered his head to drink a sip of porridge: “How could I be so delicate? I think it tastes quite good too.”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu feel reassured. Yet just after setting aside this worry, he began worrying about other matters again. These days, autumn in Wuya County had grown deeper, and when the wind blew at night, it became rather cold. Glancing at Ah Long stuffing himself nearby, he turned to Ye Jinghua: “Young master, the charcoal brazier in our room…”
Before he could finish speaking, Ah Long overheard and abruptly lifted his head excitedly: “My lord, that charcoal brazier was wonderful! I slept so warmly last night.”
Zhao Baozhu froze upon hearing this, then opened his mouth and stared at Ye Jinghua’s calm face for a long while without speaking. First, he felt grateful that Ye Jinghua was so thoughtful and handled matters so properly. Second, he immediately realized that when he had said last night he would go sleep with Ah Long, everything Ye Jinghua had said had been lies. Ah Long’s room also had a charcoal brazier.
But why had young master lied to him?
Could it be he had been coaxing him on purpose, insisting on sleeping together with him?
As soon as that thought surfaced, Zhao Baozhu’s ears turned red. Instinctively, he wanted to deny it, yet he could not come up with any other explanation.
