A soft chuckle escaped He Xulan’s lips.
Hearing the laughter, Xueya couldn’t help but turn his head to look at He Xulan. He Xulan was very good-looking, his eyes shining like gemstones under his long, thick eyelashes—just like the ones Xueya liked.
“It’s not even dark yet, why are you thinking about sleeping? If you don’t want to practice calligraphy, can you play chess?” He Xulan asked.
Xueya knew a little about chess. Even though he wasn’t particularly interested, it seemed more fun than practicing calligraphy, so he nodded.
Soon, the two of them were sitting on a mat by the window.
Xueya held a box of chess pieces, glanced at the empty board, then at He Xulan, and slowly placed a piece on the board. He played very slowly, thinking long and hard before each move, while He Xulan, in contrast, seemed to play without much thought, immediately placing a piece after Xueya made his move.
Unsurprisingly, the game ended with Xueya’s defeat. But he wasn’t too bothered by losing. After the game, noticing that night had fallen, Xueya rubbed his stomach and asked He Xulan, “Brother, can we have dinner now?”
He Xulan responded with a quiet “Mm.”
After dinner, Xueya was about to go take a bath, but before he knew it, He Xulan had dragged him back to the study. Looking at the unfinished calligraphy practice from the afternoon, Xueya wanted to cry. Though He Xulan’s tone remained gentle, he was firm in his stance that Xueya had to finish his calligraphy practice before he could bathe and sleep.
Xueya didn’t want to practice, but He Xulan stayed beside him the whole time, and in the end, with tears in his eyes, Xueya finished his writing. The moment he laid down on his bed, he fell asleep almost instantly.
The next day, he was woken up again.
Learning that he had more calligraphy practice to do, Xueya refused to get up, rolling around on the bed with the blanket in his arms, not letting He Xulan pull him up. “I don’t want to practice calligraphy, Brother. Why do I have to keep practicing?”
He Xulan looked at the reluctant Xueya, his gaze softening slightly before he leaned down and asked, “How about we go fishing today?”
Hearing the word “fishing,” Xueya stopped rolling, his face poking out from under the blanket. “Fishing?”
“Yes, Ningfu Palace has a lake full of koi fish. Want to go see?”
He Xulan’s suggestion piqued Xueya’s interest. In truth, as long as it wasn’t calligraphy, Xueya would agree to anything. He happily got out of bed, ate breakfast, and followed He Xulan to go fishing. At first, he was quite excited, wondering when he would reel in a fat koi from the lake. But as time passed and no fish bit the hook, his patience quickly waned.
Xueya glanced over at He Xulan.
He Xulan sat there like an unmoving monk, perfectly still. If not for the strands of hair being blown by the breeze, Xueya might have thought he was looking at a painting, not a real person.
“Brother, let’s stop fishing and do something else,” Xueya said, unable to hold back any longer as he ran over to He Xulan’s side.
He Xulan continued to stare at the lake. “Then let’s go practice calligraphy.”
“No, no, let’s keep fishing,” Xueya quickly returned to his spot, though after another incense stick’s worth of time, he once again couldn’t help but run to He Xulan’s side. “Brother, I’ll go practice calligraphy.”
Fishing was too boring—he felt like he was dying from the monotony.
Despite agreeing to practice, Xueya’s heart was not in it. Forced to practice calligraphy for an entire day, his resentment toward it grew even stronger.
That night, lying in bed, Xueya thought about how he would have to practice calligraphy again tomorrow. And not just tomorrow—the day after, and the day after that, with no end in sight. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became, wishing there was some way to rid himself of the burden of calligraphy.
He looked over at He Xulan, who seemed to have already fallen asleep.
Unlike Xueya, who adopted a different sleeping posture every night, He Xulan slept very still, in the same position he had fallen asleep in.
Xueya stared at He Xulan for a long while before slowly burrowing under the blanket.
He Xulan opened his eyes. Seeing the lump under the blanket, he didn’t hesitate to pull Xueya out. Xueya, still groggy from being yanked out of the blanket, flinched when his eyes met He Xulan’s gaze but quickly mustered the courage to inch closer.
“Brother, don’t you want to?” he asked softly.
He Xulan could tell what Xueya was trying to do. Despite the seductive act, Xueya’s eyes remained unusually pure.
“Aren’t you afraid of the pain?” He Xulan asked in return.
Xueya bit his lip at the question. He was scared, but he was even more determined to avoid calligraphy.
“Brother, just be gentle,” he pouted, trying to act spoiled.
He Xulan curled his lips into a faint smile, his expression somehow taking on a mischievous edge. “Gentle isn’t an option. What should we do?”
Xueya’s eyes widened slightly in hesitation. Seeing his uncertainty, He Xulan simply pulled Xueya into his arms and said, “Go to sleep.”
As Xueya had expected, the next few days were filled with calligraphy practice. Even though Xueya tried to seduce He Xulan again, it was as if He Xulan had become a monk. No matter what Xueya did, He Xulan remained calm and simply carried him away.
As Xueya’s frustration with calligraphy grew, he noticed that the eunuch, Huang Gonggong, had started packing He Xulan’s belongings.
He Xulan was getting ready for the spring hunt.
“Brother, can I go to the spring hunt?” Xueya asked while practicing calligraphy.
He Xulan was holding a book, occasionally pointing out Xueya’s mistakes as he replied, “You’ll stay in the palace this year. I’ll leave Huang Gonggong behind to look after you. You can ask him for anything you want to eat, but you cannot neglect your calligraphy. I’ll check your work when I return.”
Xueya’s face fell upon hearing this.
The spring hunt was a rare opportunity to leave the capital, and now not only could he not go, but he also had to keep practicing calligraphy?
Determined to change He Xulan’s mind, Xueya begged to go, but He Xulan was resolute. They were at a stalemate until the night before He Xulan’s departure when Xueya seemed to give up and said, “Fine, I won’t go. But tonight, I want a drink.”
He Xulan glanced at Xueya before instructing Huang Gonggong to prepare the wine.
Xueya wasn’t good with alcohol, but he didn’t drink much himself. Instead, he kept pouring wine for He Xulan, and whenever He Xulan didn’t lift his cup, Xueya would say, “I can’t go to the spring hunt, and now Brother Lingduan won’t even drink with me?”
In the end, He Xulan drank an entire pot of wine.
He seemed a bit drunk, sitting quietly in his chair, his face tinged with a faint blush. After staring at He Xulan for a while, Xueya reached out and took his hand. “Brother, let’s go to bed.”
In preparation for this night, Xueya had bathed thoroughly, making sure he was spotless from head to toe, even dusting his wrists, ankles, and knees with fragrant powder.
A beauty’s embrace is a hero’s grave.
Although He Xulan didn’t quite fit the image of a hero in Xueya’s eyes, he looked more like a beauty. However, Xueya was very confident in his own allure.
Last time, things didn’t go well because it was his first time, but this time, he was determined to leave He Xulan craving for more, ensuring that he would have no choice but to take him on the spring hunt.
***
He Xulan’s long eyelashes lifted slightly as he looked down at the small head beneath him. His hand instinctively moved, pressing down on the other person, and it wasn’t until he heard Xueya’s pained whimper that he loosened his grip a bit.
Everything before his eyes seemed to blur. He Xulan tilted his head back, his slender neck as graceful as a piece of exquisite jade. Xueya couldn’t take it anymore and lifted his head, catching sight of this scene.
Xueya had always known that He Xulan was handsome, but today he was truly dazzled by him. He saw a kind of vulnerability on He Xulan’s face, something that reminded him of the stories of mystical creatures nearing death that storytellers often told. Xueya blinked and leaned forward to gently kiss He Xulan’s lips.
For the first time, he was seduced by beauty.
After a moment of kissing, Xueya continued his grand plan. The pain made his legs tremble, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. Before long, however, he was out of strength, stuck on He Xulan, unable to move up or down, and on the verge of tears.
Just as they were at an impasse, Xueya suddenly felt a pair of hands settle around his waist.
***
Having successfully seduced He Xulan, Xueya was soon sobbing uncontrollably. He alternated between calling him “Brother Lingdu,” “Brother Empress Dowager,” and “Brother,” but none of it made He Xulan stop. He immediately regretted provoking him, but by then it was too late—he could only desperately search for ways to make He Xulan show mercy.
“Brother… no, husband, husband, please have mercy on me,” Xueya suddenly remembered a crude joke he had heard in the brothel.
The moment he said that, He Xulan noticeably paused, but shortly after, Xueya nearly screamed again.
After the storm had passed, Xueya curled up in He Xulan’s arms, too exhausted to even lift a finger. Still, he couldn’t help but bring up the spring hunt.
“Brother, I really want to go to the spring hunt. Will you take me, please?” His voice was hoarse.
When He Xulan didn’t respond, Xueya’s eyes flickered, and he changed his tone again. “Husband, take me to the spring hunt.”
He begged several times until He Xulan finally gave him a faint “Mm.”
Overjoyed, Xueya fell asleep with a sweet smile, making sure to remind He Xulan to wake him up in the morning.
Normally, he always slept a bit longer than He Xulan.
***
The next day, Xueya woke up to the sound of birds outside. He rubbed his tired eyes and was startled to find himself alone in bed. He quickly pulled back the curtains in a panic.
The inner chambers were empty, and Xueya’s heart sank. He rushed out barefoot, only to be stopped by Huang Gonggong at the door.
“Xueya is awake? Perfect, breakfast is ready. Today we made your favorite crab roe buns. How about some buns?” Huang Gonggong spoke in a coaxing tone, gently pulling him back inside.
As Xueya took a few steps, it dawned on him that He Xulan had left him behind. Refusing to give up, he still asked, “Huang Gonggong, where is the Empress Dowager? He promised to take me on the spring hunt.”
Huang Gonggong sighed. “Let’s eat buns, no need to talk about the Empress Dowager. He won’t be having any.”
Xueya stopped in his tracks, threw himself to the ground, and buried his face, sobbing.
They had promised him. Liars, they were all liars.
After a stick of incense had burned down, Huang Gonggong finally managed to coax Xueya to the table for breakfast. As he watched the boy listlessly eat his crab roe buns, the eunuch discreetly wiped the sweat from his brow.
In all his years in the palace, Huang Gonggong had never had to coax anyone like this. He had been in the palace since he was a child, always working with obedient servants. Dealing with someone like Xueya was a first.
He couldn’t take much more of this. When the Empress Dowager returned, he would definitely have to bring up the matter of a raise.
Huang Gonggong, after serving the morning meal, gathered his courage and said, “Xueya, after breakfast, let’s move around a bit and practice calligraphy.”
As soon as the words were spoken, Huang Gonggong’s face showed a familiar expression—*as expected*.
….Crying again.
Unable to console or scold him, Huang Gonggong had no choice but to bring the calligraphy materials to the bedroom instead of taking Xueya to the study. But Xueya didn’t even glance at them, simply curling up on the chaise lounge, playing with the nine-ring puzzle.
Seeing this, Huang Gonggong could only sigh. But then he thought, Playing with the nine-ring puzzle is fine too, as long as he stops crying. His old bones couldn’t take much more, and he feared if he had to comfort him a few more times, he might pass away sooner than expected.
For the first two days, Xueya did nothing but lie around playing with the seven-piece puzzle and the nine-ring puzzle. On the third day, he walked out of He Xulan’s bedroom, demanding to go to the lake to catch the fat koi fish.
Fearing something might happen to him, Huang Gonggong ordered the palace staff to fish out a few koi and put them into a new bathtub for Xueya to play with.
On the fourth day, Xueya sat in the corridor, staring into space. Huang Gonggong secretly assigned a young eunuch to keep an eye on him, fearing something could go wrong. While Xueya was idly pulling leaves off the vines stretching into the corridor, he suddenly heard someone greet him.
“Your servant greets the Empress Dowager.”
Xueya’s hand, tugging at the leaves, paused, but he didn’t turn around. He figured it must be another trick by Huang Gonggong. It wasn’t until someone hugged him from behind that Xueya, surprised, looked up.
He Xulan took Xueya’s hand and gently removed the mangled leaf from his palm.
Xueya stared at He Xulan for a moment, just about to speak, when a gold piece was suddenly placed into his now empty hand.
“I was wrong,” He Xulan said.
Author’s note: Cui Lingjing: *What a good dog!*
