Ah Long, Cuiniang, Tao elder brother, and the others were hiding in the courtyard, listening to the increasingly loud argument coming from inside the room. Not one of them dared to speak.
Zhao Baozhu naturally had a loud voice, and whenever he lost his temper, everyone trembled.
Lord Ye, who normally looked refined and scholarly, had initially kept his voice down. But the longer the argument continued, the louder he became as well. His low voice, heavy with barely concealed anger, made everyone’s hearts pound.
Seeing that the quarrel was getting more and more intense, everyone began urging Ah Long to go in and mediate.
“Ah Long, the master dotes on you the most. You go take a look.”
Ah Long shrank back like a frightened quail and shook his head. “I’m not going!”
There was no way he dared go in! Ah Long stared at the room where the sounds of their argument were coming from as though he were looking at a gigantic trap. Their Old Master was practically a wrathful Vajra, with tremendous strength. Lord Ye was as cold and hard as ice, with both power and influence. He could not afford to offend either of them!
Ah Long clung tightly to the doorframe and refused to move. Seeing how cowardly he was being, the others did not dare go either. They could only watch the “battle” from afar with trepidation.
Inside the room, both men looked terrible.
Zhao Baozhu believed Ye Jinghua was abusing his authority for personal gain. Once his temper flared, the more Ye Jinghua tried to explain, the angrier he became. Ye Jinghua had been hit right where it hurt, and at this moment he could not bring himself to speak gently either. He only wanted to grab Zhao Baozhu and teach him a proper lesson so that he would never say the word “die” again.
Ye Jinghua said grimly, “Come back to the capital with me.”
Seeing that he was completely refusing to budge, Zhao Baozhu became furious. “Don’t even think about it!”
Ye Jinghua’s chest rose and fell heavily. He reached out and grabbed him again. “If you keep refusing to listen, I’ll tie you up and take you back.” There was not the slightest trace of his usual refined elegance on his face. His eyes were even slightly bloodshot as he stared at Zhao Baozhu. “From now on, you’ll serve as an official right under my nose. You’re not going anywhere!”
If Ye Ning and Ye Miao, those two young girls, had seen him looking like this, they probably would have been frightened into tears. But Zhao Baozhu merely froze for a moment. Then his anger suddenly exploded. He flung Ye Jinghua’s hand away. “Stop talking bullsh*t!”
In the past, Zhao Baozhu had always been extremely restrained around Ye Jinghua. He had never used any of the crude or earthy language he knew in front of him. Now that he was furious, however, the words slipped out before he could stop himself, leaving Ye Jinghua momentarily stunned.
But only for a moment.
He quickly recovered and stared darkly at Zhao Baozhu, each word deliberate. “What did you say?”
“I said, g—”
Zhao Baozhu had originally intended to tell him to get lost, but when he saw Ye Jinghua’s face, he ultimately could not bring himself to say it.
With nowhere to vent his anger, Zhao Baozhu took two harsh breaths, turned around, and kicked over the flower stand beside him.
The little flower stool toppled over, and the vase sitting on it crashed to the floor with a sharp crack, shattering into pieces.
Ye Jinghua’s eyes widened.
Zhao Baozhu turned back and glared at him. “Get out!”
The poor official kiln vase had become a casualty of the battlefield, shattered into hundreds of pieces across the floor. Ye Jinghua stood amid the fragments. His face was even paler than the delicate porcelain shards, making his eyes appear especially dark.
He stood there for a moment, staring deeply at Zhao Baozhu. Then he turned and walked away.
The crisp sound of fine porcelain breaking against the floor brought Zhao Baozhu back to his senses somewhat. Watching Ye Jinghua’s retreating figure, his heart suddenly gave a sharp, painful tug.
The fingers hanging at his sides twitched slightly but in the end, he did not chase after him.
***
Outside the room, everyone panicked the moment they heard something shatter. “Oh no, oh no! Hurry, hurry, go take a look! They didn’t actually start fighting, did they—?”
Everyone shoved Ah Long forward, making the child sway back and forth like a little boat on the waves. No matter what they said, he refused to go.
Fortunately, a moment later, they saw Ye Jinghua walk out of the room. His face was cold and pale, with faint traces of anger. His robes fluttered as he strode past them with long, purposeful steps, not sparing them even half a glance.
Ah Long watched him go. Seeing that although Lord Ye looked terrible, he still had all his limbs and no visibly injured spots, Ah Long finally let out a huge sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, thank goodness! It seemed their Old Master had retained some sense after all and hadn’t beaten up his brother-in-law!
Once Ye Jinghua disappeared through the doorway, Ah Long let out a long sigh. He shook his head like a little old man and said mournfully, “They’re arguing again. Honestly! Everything was fine before. How did they suddenly start fighting?”
No one dared disturb Zhao Baozhu at the moment, so everyone remained where they were. Hearing this, Tao Zhang, who had already married a wife, smiled and casually remarked, “They’re a young couple. Isn’t arguing normal for married couples?”
Ah Long froze. After a long while, he slowly turned his head, his face blank with shock.
Tao Zhang’s words had been perfectly clear, yet somehow Ah Long could not understand them.
What couple?
What married couple?
Just then, the Ye family servant, Lu Tan, suddenly approached them from outside. He slightly bowed and said in a stiff, formal tone, “Young Master sent me to deliver a message. Once Lord Zhao has calmed down, please go check whether his foot is injured. Lord Zhao has an old injury in his right foot and must not move it carelessly.”
After delivering the message, he gave another slight bow and left. Everyone stared at one another.
Another constable, an older man who was already married, suddenly snorted with laughter. He turned to Tao Zhang and said, “See? They fight in bed and make up in bed! Though I reckon they haven’t even made it to the bed yet… How efficient. I don’t think even my wife and I were this clingy when we’d just gotten married.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Are matters concerning the lords something you and I are allowed to discuss?” Tao Zhang scolded him, though there was a smile on his face. He turned to the others. “Fine. I say we wait about the time it takes to burn one incense stick, then go take a look. We still have to clean up the broken things. Wouldn’t want the Old Master getting hurt.”
“Wait.” Ah Long had finally regained a little of his wits. He stared wide-eyed at Tao Zhang. “What do you mean, married couple? Lord Ye… isn’t he the master’s brother-in-law?”
Tao Zhang was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“This kid. Have you gone stupid?” He reached out and patted Ah Long on the head, then pointed toward the room. “Have you ever seen a brother-in-law sharing a bed with someone?”
Ah Long was struck as though by lightning. He was just about to speak when something suddenly occurred to him. Those love letters he had previously thought their master had written to Lord Ye’s younger sister… Now that he thought about it carefully, they could have been written to Lord Ye himself! Ah Long stood there with his mouth hanging open, unable to say a word. All the events of the past suddenly flashed before his eyes, and for a moment he felt as though the entire world were spinning around him.
***
After Ye Jinghua left, Zhao Baozhu sat alone in the room for a long time. During that time, Tao Zhang and the others came in, quietly cleaned up the shattered porcelain covering the floor, and then silently left. Zhao Baozhu did not say a word. The others understood and wisely refrained from disturbing him. After some time, since Zhao Baozhu had been so angry that he had not eaten lunch, Cuiniang brought in some easily digestible pastries, fruit, and hot tea.
When she entered the room, she saw Zhao Baozhu sitting in a chair with both hands braced against his knees, his head lowered so that his expression could not be seen.
Cuiniang took one look at him and felt that his posture was remarkably similar to that of her own stubborn younger brother. She quietly approached and said gently, “My lord, have something to eat.”
Only when Zhao Baozhu heard her voice did he suddenly come back to himself. He looked toward Cuiniang. “…Why is it Sister Cuiniang? Where’s Ah Long?”
Cuiniang smiled. “Who knows where that silly boy has run off to play.”
A little earlier, Ah Long had said a few words to them, and for some reason had suddenly gone crazy, yelling incoherently as he ran outside. Cuiniang and the others had assumed he was having some sort of fit and had simply left him alone.
“Oh,” Zhao Baozhu replied. He hurriedly accepted the tea and snacks Cuiniang brought him. Then he glanced at her and obediently said, “I’m sorry for making you worry, Sister Cuiniang.”
Because of his upbringing, he had always been especially respectful toward women, particularly older women.
Seeing how obedient he looked, Cuiniang’s heart instantly melted. “Old Master didn’t eat anything at noon. You should have some snacks. What will we do if you make yourself sick from hunger?”
Zhao Baozhu was actually a little hungry. Hearing this, he looked at the snacks and casually picked up a sesame biscuit. It had been made exceptionally well. The moment he bit into it, a rich toasted fragrance filled his mouth. It was crisp yet pleasantly chewy, with a lingering flavor.
Zhao Baozhu took only one bite before his eyes lit up. “It’s delicious!”
But after taking several more bites, the more he chewed, the more familiar the flavor seemed. Zhao Baozhu frowned and thought carefully. Suddenly, he remembered where he had tasted this flavor before.
It was during the Spring Examination, in the food box Ye Jinghua had given him.
Zhao Baozhu’s expression froze then it felt as though someone had fiercely pinched his heart. A sharp ache spread through his chest, leaving his emotions tangled and complicated. The last bit of anger he had been holding onto disappeared completely.
Seeing his expression, Cuiniang immediately became worried. “My lord, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Zhao Baozhu shook his head and replied in a muffled voice, “No.”
Cuiniang breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s fine to be angry, my lord, but please don’t hurt yourself over it. Just now… Lu Tan even came to ask. He said master had injured his right foot before, so you mustn’t hurt it again.”
Cuiniang had phrased it tactfully but the moment Zhao Baozhu heard this, he suddenly raised his head and looked at her.
How could he not understand? How could this possibly have been Lu Tan’s own words? How would Lu Tan know that his right foot had an old injury, let alone come specifically to say such things?
It must have been because Young Master was worried about him!
Zhao Baozhu’s eyes immediately reddened. His lips trembled slightly. Young Master had always been like this. He remembered even the smallest things. All the kindness Ye Jinghua had shown him in the past came flooding back into his mind. Zhao Baozhu’s heart trembled. He sniffed quietly and lowered his head.
In the end, he still owed Young Master far too much. Zhao Baozhu thought this to himself. He regretted losing his temper with Ye Jinghua earlier, but he was straightforward by nature and, for the moment, still could not forgive Ye Jinghua for acting on his own. His heart was caught in a painful dilemma.
This inner struggle continued until after dinner. Naturally, Ye Jinghua was nowhere to be seen at the dinner table.
Zhao Baozhu restrained himself from asking about him. He ate his dinner with a stiff expression, and when a dish of braised pork bones was served, he gnawed on the bones so loudly that they cracked between his teeth.
Everyone in the room could tell that Zhao Baozhu was sulking. They all wisely kept their eyes lowered and their mouths shut.
But when the sky outside had grown completely dark and Ye Jinghua still had not appeared, Zhao Baozhu finally began to grow anxious. He paced around the room several times before stopping and sitting back down in his chair. Then he raised his voice. “Where is Lord Ye right now?”
Tao Zhang answered from outside. “We haven’t seen Lord Ye.”
Zhao Baozhu immediately frowned and shot up from his chair. “What do you mean, you haven’t seen him? Did he go out?”
Then he waved a hand. “Forget it. I can’t make this clear to you. Call Lu Tan in!”
A burst of footsteps immediately sounded outside. Before long, Lu Tan’s silhouette appeared against the paper-covered window. “Lord Zhao.”
“Come in.”
Zhao Baozhu called him inside. He lifted his eyes and glanced at the deferential Lu Tan, then cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly and sat back down. “Did your Young Master go out?”
Lu Tan bowed. “I did not see Young Master leave.”
Zhao Baozhu frowned. “Then where is he?”
Lu Tan raised his eyes and cautiously glanced at Zhao Baozhu before lowering his head again. “He should still be somewhere within the yamen.”
Zhao Baozhu was displeased by this answer. “What do you mean, ‘should be’?” He stood up, clasping his hands behind his back as his brows furrowed. “Why don’t you hurry up and find out where your Young Master is?”
Lu Tan nodded at once. “Yes, my lord.” He turned and left.
Zhao Baozhu sat inside the room, listening as the courtyard outside gradually grew noisy. A series of footsteps echoed through the yamen. Lu Tan must have taken Tao Zhang and the others to search for Ye Jinghua. Zhao Baozhu watched one shadow after another pass across the window. It felt as though a small fire were burning inside his chest. He shifted restlessly in his chair as though there were needles beneath him, vividly embodying the phrase “sitting on pins and needles.”
The entire yamen was only so big, where could he possibly be hiding?
Zhao Baozhu’s brows drew tightly together, and his anxiety gradually intensified. Whenever he became anxious, his imagination ran wild. For a while, he wondered whether he had hurt Young Master’s feelings and whether Ye Jinghua had gone somewhere to hide and wipe away his tears. Then he wondered whether Ye Jinghua was deliberately sulking with him. And then he suddenly remembered the small stream not far from the county yamen. The ice covering it probably had not frozen solid yet. What if Ye Jinghua had not been paying attention while walking and stepped onto it—
The more Zhao Baozhu thought about it, the more frightened he became. He suddenly sprang to his feet, hurried to the door, shoved it open, and shouted, “Have you found him yet?”
Hearing the commotion, footsteps approached. Lu Tan appeared before him, bowing even lower this time. “Reporting to you, my lord, we still haven’t found him.”
“Ah!”
Zhao Baozhu angrily stamped his foot and hurried outside. “Forget it! I’ll look for him myself!”
In his panic, Zhao Baozhu did not even ask Lu Tan and the others where they had searched. He simply rushed out, thinking that the entire place was barely the size of a palm, how could they possibly fail to find one person?!
He was so anxious that sweat had broken out across his forehead.
First, he went to the front courtyard. Seeing no one there, he rushed into the courtroom. One glance was enough to see that it was empty, so he headed toward the rear hall. The county yamen was small, but there were still seven or eight rooms in the rear courtyard. Most of them were unused.
Zhao Baozhu opened the doors one by one. There were no oil lamps burning inside, leaving the rooms pitch-black. He had to actually step inside before he could tell whether anyone was there.
Yet Zhao Baozhu searched every single room and did not find even a trace of a person.
Now he was truly panicking.
He turned and left the rear courtyard, intending to go outside and search for Ye Jinghua. He was so anxious that he failed to notice that even the narrow passageway he was walking through had no oil lamps lit. It was dark and gloomy.
Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out from the darkness and grabbed him from behind.
“!”
Zhao Baozhu was badly startled. Before he could even cry out, someone covered his mouth. Then his foot slipped, and he lost his balance.
The next instant, he felt his body lift completely off the ground. His vision flipped upside down, and all he could see was a strand of black hair fluttering from the shoulder of the person holding him, falling against pale moon-white robes that seemed to shimmer faintly silver in the darkness.
“…Mmph! Mmph!” Young Master!
With his mouth covered, Zhao Baozhu could not speak. He could only stare in astonishment at Ye Jinghua’s cold, expressionless profile. Then, suddenly, realization struck him.
He had fallen into a trap!
In the blink of an eye, Zhao Baozhu remembered how Ye Jinghua had once hidden his name card throughout the entire estate because he refused to sit for the imperial examination, and how no one in the entire household had been able to find it. His cat-like eyes widened.
This man was obviously an expert at playing hide-and-seek. He had been completely fooled!
