He could not figure it out, and so he kept glancing at Ye Jinghua again and again with a puzzled look tinged faintly with budding feelings.
After staring for too long, he was caught red-handed by Ye Jinghua. Those glass-like eyes of his brimmed with amusement as he tilted his head slightly and smiled at Zhao Baozhu. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
That smile was like brilliant flowers suddenly bursting into bloom. Zhao Baozhu’s vision blurred from being dazzled by it, and with a whoosh, his face flushed red. He hurriedly lowered his head, stuffing his mouth full of food, and mumbled vaguely, “N-nothing.”
Seeing him like this, Ye Jinghua secretly curved his lashes in amusement, but said nothing more. As though he had not noticed Zhao Baozhu’s embarrassment at all, he lowered his head and continued eating.
Since ancient times, there had been military strategy on the battlefield; in matters of love, it was no different. Ye Jinghua was confident he could apply one principle to another. Last time, when Zhao Baozhu left without saying goodbye, it already counted as one failure on his part. With his pride, he would never tolerate himself failing a second time.
Zhao Baozhu had no idea that he himself was like a delicacy already being plotted over. He desperately devoured three or four soup dumplings and drank an entire large bowl of millet porridge clean, stuffing himself full of fragrant, sweet food before finally belching in satisfaction and stopping.
Even after breakfast ended and the two moved to the neighboring hall to drink tea, the blush on Zhao Baozhu’s face had still not faded. His eyes remained lowered, not daring to look at Ye Jinghua.
Ye Jinghua was not in a hurry either. Leisurely, he picked up a book and began reading.
After quite a while, Zhao Baozhu took a deep breath and finally managed to calm himself down somewhat. Not daring to think about Ye Jinghua anymore, he took a detour in his thoughts and turned them toward other people instead.
“Young Master, have you met Brother Liu?” Zhao Baozhu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately asked.
Who would have thought that upon hearing this, Ye Jinghua frowned slightly. “Who?”
Zhao Baozhu froze. “The one you ran into that day at the prefectural yamen…”
“Him?” After hearing his explanation, Ye Jinghua seemed to recall the person, yet looked at Zhao Baozhu in confusion. “Who is he?”
Zhao Baozhu was stunned once more, then helplessness appeared on his face. So this man did not remember Liu Shanyi at all! He suddenly recalled what Deng Yun had once told him, that the young master did not like meddling in other people’s inner-court affairs. At the time, Zhao Baozhu had assumed Ye Jinghua merely chose not to interfere in such matters. Never had he imagined that Ye Jinghua simply did not remember people at all. All his worrying had been for nothing.
In truth, Zhao Baozhu had wronged Ye Jinghua. Back then, Cao Lian believed Ye Jinghua to be an immortal devoid of worldly desires, while Shanyi himself had an eccentric temperament and disliked meeting the noble young masters of the capital. Thus, no one had ever deliberately brought him before Ye Jinghua. Even when they encountered each other by chance, no formal introductions would be made. Added to the fact that Ye Jinghua never paid attention to unimportant people, it was only natural he failed to recognize Liu Shanyi.
With Shanyi’s matter settled, Zhao Baozhu’s worries shifted to someone else. “Young Master, is Doctor Qi from yesterday still here today? There’s a clerk in my yamen who suffered some external injuries because of me before. Could the doctor perhaps take a look at him too?”
Ye Jinghua had been reading, but as he listened to Zhao Baozhu mentioning this person and that person one after another, his brows gradually furrowed and his expression slowly cooled.
Zhao Baozhu failed to notice and kept talking. “That villain bit his ear. He’s still young, hopefully it won’t ruin his looks or leave a scar.”
At those words, Ye Jinghua paused in the middle of turning a page. His expression completely chilled. He turned his gaze toward Zhao Baozhu and said flatly: “You certainly pay extraordinary attention to other people’s affairs.”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu hear something wrong in his tone. Abruptly stopping mid-sentence, he carefully glanced at Ye Jinghua. He saw a cold, jade-like face, indifferent expression, and a gaze that seemed to carve into his face as Ye Jinghua said darkly: “Then why are you not attentive when it comes to your own affairs?”
Zhao Baozhu’s heart skipped violently. He hurriedly pleaded for forgiveness. “Young Master, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have ignored the doctor’s instructions or neglected to take my medicine properly.”
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua withdrew his gaze, set the book down, and said, “Not just that.”
His voice was extremely cold. Zhao Baozhu, however, was utterly confused and stared blankly at him.
Ye Jinghua waited for a moment without receiving any response, then turned to look at him again. What he saw was Zhao Baozhu staring back with wide, round cat-like eyes, his entire face filled with bewilderment.
Seeing him so foolishly blank, more than half of Ye Jinghua’s anger suddenly dissipated. He let out an almost imperceptible sigh, lowered his eyes, and said, “Let me ask you this. Why did you not send word to me about something as serious as the You family matter?”
Zhao Baozhu froze. He truly had never thought of telling Ye Jinghua. Now that he was being questioned about it, he did not even know how to answer. His lips moved hesitantly several times before he finally murmured softly: “H-how could I trouble Young Master with something like this?” Zhao Baozhu said blankly. “I’m the official here. Naturally, the You family’s affairs are my responsibility to handle.”
Seeing that he still had not understood, Ye Jinghua’s expression darkened further and his voice became colder still. “Then tell me this: setting aside the matters of You Qian and You Jiang, if I had not come, how were you planning to clean up the situation with the former prefect?”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu choked.
After dealing with You Jiang and You Qian, he had already known he had completely torn relations apart with the prefect. He had effectively gambled away both his official career and perhaps even his life itself. What he gambled on was that, in the face of irrefutable evidence, the governor’s people would arrive before the prefect’s.
If he won the gamble, everything would naturally be fine. But if he lost…
Zhao Baozhu knew very well what he had been thinking at the time, which only made him feel guiltier. He carefully glanced at Ye Jinghua and said softly, “I…I gathered all of his evidence of wrongdoing and sent it by fast horse to the Governor.”
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua’s brows relaxed slightly, and he nodded. “At least this one thing, you did correctly.”
The current Governor of Liaodong had earned his jinshi degree during the early Yuanzhi era. Though not one of the top three graduates, he was an honest official who truly worked for the people. He had risen from local office himself and had long been famous throughout Liaodong and other regions as an incorruptible wall of iron, someone who accepted no bribes whatsoever from officials or local gentry alike.
Meeting such a governor, Zhao Baozhu’s actions in Wuya County likely suited the man’s tastes exactly, which was why Lan Shuo had arrived so quickly.
Ye Jinghua’s eyes flickered as he lowered his gaze toward Zhao Baozhu. “This time, you can count yourself fortunate. But have you considered this? If the governor had been someone more cautious, more conservative in style, then your executing You Jiang and You Qian before reporting upward would alone have been enough to make him suspicious. If he chose to suppress the matter, or merely issue orders without sending anyone, then what would you have done?”
Zhao Baozhu was rendered speechless by the question, yet some unwillingness still remained in him. Was he supposed to ignore the You family’s crimes because of these concerns?
“…I understand what Young Master is saying.” Zhao Baozhu frowned tightly and looked at Ye Jinghua with wide eyes, stubbornness evident at the corners of his brows and eyes. “But Young Master doesn’t know how hateful the You family is! If hesitation allowed them to escape punishment, how could I face the people of the county?”
He glanced at Ye Jinghua. Seeing the man’s grave expression, he gritted his teeth and continued, “If…if things failed, I knew perfectly well what the consequences would be. But I truly could not just stand by and do nothing!”
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Ye Jinghua’s expression grew even uglier. Those glass-like eyes deepened into pools as dark as an abyss.
“So since you knew the consequences, that means you acted deliberately?”
Zhao Baozhu had been utterly resolute a moment ago, but seeing Ye Jinghua’s expression now, he suddenly felt shaken, and even his conviction wavered by several degrees.
Ye Jinghua stared fixedly at him. In anger and resentment, he clenched his teeth so hard that even his jaw shifted visibly.
If Zhao Baozhu truly were his younger brother, then at this moment he would certainly have someone force him to kneel before bringing out the family discipline to thoroughly teach him a lesson about cherishing his own life.
Unfortunately, Zhao Baozhu was neither his younger brother nor yet any other sort of person. At present, he could barely count as Ye Jinghua’s subordinate official. They were fellow jinshi graduates of the same year; he could neither beat him nor scold him freely. Thus he could only say in a deep voice: “You knew there was danger, yet you still did not seek my help. What place does that leave me in?”
The more Ye Jinghua thought about it, the angrier and more frightened afterward he became. His eyes had even begun faintly reddening.
“Among officials of the court, so long as there are family ties, shared teachers, or friendships between elders, even ordinary friends help one another in times both great and small. No matter how distant you and I may be, we are at least fellow graduates and friends of the same examination year. Yet after something this serious happened, you still did not seek my help…”
By this point, Zhao Baozhu’s heart was already trembling. All the righteousness he had felt moments ago vanished completely, leaving behind only alarm and regret as he looked at Ye Jinghua. Then he saw Ye Jinghua let out a deep sigh, brows tightly furrowed, eyes filled with pain as he looked at Zhao Baozhu.
“I truly did not know…that you thought so little of my character. That you believed I was someone unworthy of relying upon.”
“Young Master!”
Hearing such heart-piercing words, Zhao Baozhu’s eyes reddened instantly. “Young Master, it was all my fault. Please, don’t say such things.”
Yet Ye Jinghua merely closed his mouth, gazed deeply at Zhao Baozhu for a moment, and then turned his head away.
Looking over, Zhao Baozhu could only see the man’s pale side profile. His left hand was clenched tightly into a fist atop the table, jaw taut, as though he had been angered terribly.
Zhao Baozhu immediately panicked. Unable to sit still, he sprang up from the chair with a whoosh, pacing anxiously several times in front of Ye Jinghua before bowing deeply to him.
“Young Master, I-I simply never thought to tell you… My mind was muddled like it had been covered in lard. I couldn’t come up with a single good idea. It absolutely wasn’t because I distrusted your character. Young Master, please don’t misunderstand…”
He bowed deeply to Ye Jinghua three full times before finally daring to lift his eyes slightly and peek at Ye Jinghua’s expression. Yet seeing that Ye Jinghua still refused to look at him, his heart sank. In a moment of panic and confusion, he steeled himself and suddenly lunged forward, collapsing against Ye Jinghua’s knees.
“Young Master, I know I was wrong. Please don’t ignore me.”
The way he called out “Young Master” sounded both aggrieved and miserable. Feeling the warmth against his knees, Ye Jinghua’s heart trembled. Slowly, he turned back around and saw Zhao Baozhu with reddened eyes, his snow-white cheek resting atop Ye Jinghua’s knee, moisture glistening in those cat-like eyes. Instantly, the corner of Ye Jinghua’s brow twitched.
“Young Master!” Seeing that Ye Jinghua was finally willing to look at him, Zhao Baozhu was overjoyed. He immediately grabbed Ye Jinghua’s right hand resting on his knee and said with wide round eyes, “Young Master, I truly know I was wrong. I won’t dare do it again in the future.”
When Ye Jinghua felt the warmth of Zhao Baozhu’s hand gripping his, his breathing involuntarily stalled.
Though he knew Zhao Baozhu’s words were likely just placation, and that deep down he probably did not truly understand how worried Ye Jinghua had been, and would likely stubbornly repeat the same mistake next time, he still could not help but soften.
He lifted a hand and gently stroked Zhao Baozhu’s bangs, then moved lower and rubbed the young man’s cheek.
Seeing there seemed to be room for reconciliation, Zhao Baozhu’s eyes lit up at once. Pitifully, he blinked, his long thick lashes fluttering up and down.
Ye Jinghua truly had no way to deal with him. Letting out a long sigh, he bent down and grabbed Zhao Baozhu by the arm. “Quickly get up. The floor is cold.”
Overjoyed, Zhao Baozhu followed the force of his pull and stood up. Yet as he turned within Ye Jinghua’s grasp, somehow he ended up being drawn directly into Ye Jinghua’s lap.
Holding him in his arms, Ye Jinghua carefully brushed the dust from Zhao Baozhu’s knees before finally raising his eyes. Slightly furrowing his brows, he said: “It’s not that I don’t understand your ambitions. It’s simply that there are countless villains in this world, while I only have you. If you insist on fighting recklessly to the death, then even if the villains are not worth pitying, what if you injure yourself instead? What am I supposed to do then?”
Cradled in his embrace, Zhao Baozhu had still been flustered and embarrassed, but upon hearing those words, he froze completely.
Then his heart began pounding wildly. Blood rushed through his entire body, and in an instant he forgot everything else. Beside his ears remained only Ye Jinghua’s words.
W-what does Young Master mean by this?
Ye Jinghua’s words had been far too direct. Zhao Baozhu was stunned speechless. Even someone like him, who always believed himself guilty of wishful thinking, could not stop himself from overthinking now.
His cheeks and ears both turned red. His heart thundered like a drum as he cautiously shifted his gaze toward Ye Jinghua. Yet the moment he looked over, he suddenly met a pair of eyes like a shattered galaxy, gazing at him with boundless tenderness.
A loud buzz exploded in Zhao Baozhu’s ears. He stared blankly, mouth falling open, too dazed to utter a single word.
But at that very moment, a loud crash rang out.
Zhao Baozhu jumped in shock. Instinctively, he leapt down from Ye Jinghua’s lap and turned around, only to see the silhouette of someone reflected against the paper window outside. Recognizing it as Liu Shanyi, he saw him pounding heavily against the door with repeated bangs.
Ye Jinghua rose alongside him, placing one hand on Zhao Baozhu’s shoulder as he frowned toward the shaking wooden door, his tone distinctly unpleasant. “Who is it?”
Zhao Baozhu shot him an apologetic glance and hurried toward the door. “It’s Brother Liu. I’ll answer it.”
Sure enough, the person standing outside was Shanyi. Draped in a magnificent crimson cloak, with elegant brows and phoenix eyes, he cast a dark look into the room before cupping his hands toward Zhao Baozhu. “My lord, I have urgent matters to report.”
The moment Zhao Baozhu heard this, his heart tightened. So that was why Shanyi had seemed so anxious, there truly was urgent business. He hurriedly asked, “What happened? Brother Liu, just say it.”
Unexpectedly, Shanyi did not speak. Instead, he raised a brow and glanced toward Ye Jinghua behind him, lips pressed tightly shut.
Seeing this, Zhao Baozhu suddenly understood and then laughed helplessly. “What could it possibly be? Young Master is not an outsider. Whatever it is, just say it.”
Yet Shanyi still remained silent, his deep phoenix eyes fixed heavily upon Zhao Baozhu. Zhao Baozhu grew even more puzzled, his brows slowly knitting together. Just as he was about to speak again, Ye Jinghua behind him lowered his eyes slightly and stepped forward.
“Young Master, ” Zhao Baozhu felt terribly embarrassed. This only made it seem as though he himself were acting distant.
Ye Jinghua raised his eyes and let his gaze pass gently across Zhao Baozhu’s face. “It’s fine. I’ll wait in the outer hall.”
With that, he turned away. The warm expression on his face vanished instantly without a trace. Passing by Shanyi, he did not spare him even the slightest sidelong glance.
Seeing this, Shanyi sneered inwardly. Another one who changed faces in an instant.
Once bitten by a snake, one feared ropes for ten years. In his heart, every single one of those young noblemen from the capital looked glorious on the outside while rotten within. On the surface they recited refined phrases and lofty principles, yet secretly they harbored vile intentions. In short, none of them were good people!
The moment Ye Jinghua left, Shanyi immediately slammed the door shut behind him with a bang, guarding it as though against a thief.
Seeing this posture, Zhao Baozhu frowned worriedly. “What exactly happened? Could something truly be wrong?”
He genuinely feared that something bad had occurred. Yet Shanyi turned around, strode up to him, and stared directly at Zhao Baozhu.
“What were the two of you doing just now?”
Zhao Baozhu froze at first, then abruptly understood. Shanyi had probably seen him and Ye Jinghua pulling at each other moments ago. Instantly, embarrassment overwhelmed him so badly he could barely speak.
“Brother Liu… y-you saw that?”
The moment Shanyi saw his reaction, he understood everything immediately.
His expression changed sharply. Then the corner of his brow twitched, veins bulging visibly at his temples. With a sudden movement of his right hand, there came a sharp shing as he drew a treasured sword from his waist.
“My lord, stand right here.” Flames ignited in Shanyi’s phoenix eyes as he sternly barked at Zhao Baozhu, “I’m going to cut down that scoundrel!”
