Chapter 35: Jinling City (12)
Jinzun loved eating sweets. Once, he asked Xiao Fu what “sweet” meant.
Xiao Fu had only experienced that taste when he was very young—just a vague memory buried deep inside him, something that had once felt pleasant and relaxing.
Over the years, he had gradually forgotten it.
In the military camp within the border, the soldiers devoured meat with gusto. Xiao Fu took two bites, but to him, it was like chewing wax. He set down his chopsticks without a hint of emotion on his face.
Only strong liquor left a real impression on him—the burning sensation in his mouth, his throat, and his gut. That was something he could clearly feel.
When tipsy, the entire world felt like an illusion, everything appearing as though seen through a thin veil—that, too, was a feeling he could recognize.
Rather than calling it a taste, it was more accurate to say that what he experienced from Lin Zikui wasn’t something that passed through his taste buds, but something that coursed through his entire body—spreading from his limbs and bones to the crown of his head—a sensation he genuinely enjoyed.
Xiao Fu didn’t know what to call it, but he liked it.
Lin Zikui had been kissed so thoroughly he was left dazed. At first, Xiao Zhao Ling had been gentle and teasing, but then he seemed to go a bit wild, sucking and savoring as though he wanted to make up for lost time, even letting out sounds while doing it. Lin Zikui’s legs had gone weak and he could hardly stand, but the voices coming from all around forced his fading rationality to snap back into place.
Unable to resist, Lin Zikui gave him a slight push. When he lifted the half-eaten sugar pastry in his hand, his trembling fingers made it clear how rattled he was. “Zhao Ling, here, have this instead.”
Xiao Fu lowered his gaze and looked at it. “You’re trying to brush me off with this?”
“Mm…” Lin Zikui nodded, then shook his head. “Not brush off—I just…” It’s not proper.
He paused, then pressed the sugar pastry against his own lips to block Xiao Fu from continuing to cross the line. In a softer tone, he changed his explanation: “There are a lot of people here, I’m scared.”
“You’re worried someone might see us, aren’t you? Why don’t you look again—do you know where we are right now?” Xiao Fu lifted the white gauze of his veiled hat, letting the glow of the lantern festival spill in. Lin Zikui peeked through one eye and realized they were standing in a secluded corner.
Right—Xiao Zhao Ling had steered him along earlier, and he hadn’t even noticed where they ended up.
Turned out it was the end of an alley.
So… he did it on purpose?
Lin Zikui stared at him, only now realizing it.
“What are you staring at me like that for?” Xiao Fu lowered his head, leaning in close. Seeing that Lin Zikui was still holding up the sugar pastry and not letting go, he didn’t mind. He let his fingers fall, letting the veil drift back down to about mid-body.
In the quiet corner, Xiao Fu maintained that posture and, without saying a word, licked the glistening sugar pastry almost clean. It actually tasted much better like this. A drop or two melted and fell onto Lin Zikui’s chin—Xiao Fu didn’t let that go either. Then he tossed the bamboo skewer that held the pastry to the ground.
Lin Zikui’s heart had been pounding the whole time. When he saw the skewer being tossed, he immediately crouched down to pick it up. “Don’t litter.”
Xiao Fu: “…”
Taking the chance, Lin Zikui gently nudged him away from the edge of the veil and looked down, saying, “I—I’ll go buy you some assorted fruit snacks.”
He tugged at Xiao Fu’s sleeve and led him forward. Xiao Fu couldn’t see his expression clearly, but he was sure that Lin Zikui’s ears had to be burning red by now. Deliberately, he asked, “Assorted fruit snacks, huh? What do they taste like?”
Lin Zikui’s chin still had a bit of moisture on it, but he resisted the urge to wipe it off. “They’re sweet too—made with fruits and flowers.”
Xiao Fu replied, “Then will you feed them to me the same way you did just now?”
Lin Zikui’s eyes widened again as he turned his head. “…Miss Xiao!”
Xiao Fu lowered his voice, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smirk. “Zikui, have you forgotten? Outside, you’re supposed to call me ‘Xiao Lang.’”
Lin Zikui lowered his voice too and tugged at his sleeve, walking even faster. “We haven’t even had the wedding yet. If people see us, I might be fine, but it’ll ruin your reputation.”
Xiao Fu said, “No problem, I never had a reputation to begin with. But Young Master Lin’s reputation—I do have to be mindful of that. You’re aiming to be the top scholar; that’s on me for not thinking it through.”
Lin Zikui replied, “It doesn’t matter to me. I’m a man—if people see us, it’ll just be whispered as a romantic tale… But next time, we can’t do this out in the open anymore…”
“Can’t do it out in the open, then we’ll just close the door…”
Lin Zikui suddenly stopped walking and looked at him through the white veil.
Xiao Fu chuckled quietly, “I know. We haven’t had the wedding ceremony yet. Once we do, with heaven and earth as our witnesses, we’ll be married. Then closing the door means anything goes, right?”
What he said wasn’t wrong…
But Lin Zikui, a scholar, didn’t dare to say anything like “anything goes,” and he blushed deeply.
He wasn’t worldly and, for a moment, his mind flashed back to the “The Cut Sleeve Book” Xiao Zhao Ling had read to him!
Quickly, he shook his head, shaking off those filthy thoughts from the book.
Xiao Fu said, “Why are you shaking your head? Even after we’re married, you won’t let me kiss you?”
“Not that… I’m looking for fruit snacks, where are the assorted fruit snacks?” Lin Zikui glanced around.
“Over there,” Xiao Fu pointed, “And there’s a lantern riddle contest too. Go try guessing one. I want that biggest peony lantern.”
“Okay… I’ll go guess for you.”
For Lin Zikui, guessing lantern riddles was a piece of cake—almost too easy.
But because of the upcoming spring exams, many talented scholars had gathered at the Qinhuai River Lantern Festival, and the riddles had become far more difficult.
Lin Zikui was to guess the riddle for the peony lantern for Zhao Ling. The peony lantern was exquisitely crafted and fired perfectly, shaped like a twelve-sided diamond. Each side was lifelike, and when the candle inside was lit, the shape of the peony was projected onto the ground.
Many other scholars were competing with Lin Zikui for this lantern.
The shopkeeper’s challenges were quite tricky—riddles combined with couplets: “Ten lantern riddles, answered within thirty seconds; the highest scorer advances. Then five couplets, all answered correctly within thirty seconds, and this peony lantern is yours for free! Hey, don’t miss this chance!”
At once, a crowd gathered.
But soon, Lin Zikui defeated everyone around and advanced to the next round. Seeing the growing crowd, he started to feel uneasy.
Lin Zikui hated drawing attention to himself.
He looked around for Zhao Ling…
Lin Zikui turned his head and saw Xiao Zhao Ling looking very pleased, his eyes bright as he watched him.
He said, “How are you so incredibly skilled and knowledgeable?”
Lin Zikui felt a bit shy, but before he could answer, a girl nearby said, “Cousin, this guy’s amazing, he guesses even faster than you.”
Next to her, a young master fanning himself in the cold winter scoffed, “It’s just guessing riddles, what’s the big deal? The real test is the couplets in the next round. Here in Jinling, I, Pang Xiang, am famous for my couplet skills. Cousin, just wait—I’ll help you win that peony lantern!”
Someone behind whispered, “Pang Xiang—that’s the son of Minister Pang, right? A real expert, here comes a master!”
Young Master Pang was talking to his cousin, but his voice was loud enough for Lin Zikui to hear.
Lin Zikui said nothing. Xiao Fu’s face darkened as he stared coldly at Young Master Pang.
Young Master Pang shot a sideways glance and said, “What are you looking at?”
Xiao Fu’s eyes were cold as knives, his mouth curling slightly as if looking at a corpse.
Young Master Pang suddenly got uneasy and squeezed his legs together.
He hadn’t said anything wrong! Why did he get that murderous look?
“Come over here, all of you!” Pang Xiang hurriedly called his guards and servants close, sticking tightly to them, finally feeling a little safer.
The shopkeeper started the next challenge: “For the first couplet, listen carefully—‘Jianggan above and below, food and drink a hundredfold abundant.’”
Too easy. Without thinking, Lin Zikui answered, “On the mat, left and right, pearls and brocades fill the eye.”
“Well done! That’s a good match! So quick! A true scholar!”
Lin Zikui’s unease deepened. He tightened the veil of his hat, planning to take the peony lantern and leave immediately, without lingering—the crowd was too large.
As Lin Zikui matched couplet after couplet, with incredible speed and ease, Young Master Pang’s expression grew sour. He glanced at him a few times and said, “What’s with the mysterious face covering? What are you hiding?”
Xiao Fu, “None of your damn business.”
Lin Zikui turned and caught Xiao Fu’s hand, signaling him to say less.
Young Master Pang snapped, “You! Don’t you know who I am? How dare you talk to me like that?”
Xiao Fu sneered, “How did Minister Pang end up with a pig-brained son like you?”
Young Master Pang was even more shocked. “You know who I am, and yet you still—!”
His attendants and guards immediately crowded forward, surrounding them.
Not far off, Jinzun stood up from the stone bench.
But Lin Zikui stepped directly in front of Xiao Fu and pushed him behind himself, shielding him from the approaching threats.
“Cousin, let it go… Don’t cause trouble,” the girl beside Pang Xiang clearly noticed that the person in front of them wasn’t just an ordinary commoner. He even dared to insult Young Master Pang while knowing who he was—he clearly wasn’t someone to provoke.
Young Master Pang seemed to realize this too and snapped his folding fan shut. “I won’t stoop to your level!”
The shopkeeper called out, “Everyone, listen up! This is the final question. If anyone can answer it in under ten seconds, this lantern is theirs for free!”
“What?! It was thirty seconds just now—why is it ten now?!”
The crowd jeered, “Just give the riddle already!”
The shopkeeper read aloud, “Three peaks, six bridges, nine streams, eighteen caves.”
The crowd murmured, “What kind of couplet is this?”
Scholars along the Qinhuai River exclaimed, “That’s a ‘merciless couplet’—where the two lines are unrelated in meaning, but match perfectly in structure. It’s tough—really tough!”
The shopkeeper began the countdown, “Ten, nine, eight…”
“Three, two… No one?”
Lin Zikui looked at the peony lantern. Without hesitation, he said quickly, “One tea, four dishes, two noodles, fifty coins!”
The surrounding scholars all took a moment to process it—then praised, “Brilliant… That’s perfect!”
Even the shopkeeper was stunned, clearly not expecting anyone to actually come up with a suitable match within ten seconds.
Lin Zikui held out his hand. “The lantern, thank you.”
“Uh… Right, a bet’s a bet. The peony lantern is yours.”
Lin Zikui grabbed the lantern, took Xiao Fu’s hand, and ran off at full speed. Xiao Fu, confused but delighted, asked, “Zikui, why are we running?”
“I just saw officials from Xu’s faction…” Lin Zikui said helplessly. If he made too much of a scene, he’d be targeted immediately. He pulled Xiao Fu into a nearby alleyway. Unable to see clearly, he nearly tripped and was caught by Xiao Fu, who held his waist and said, “That’s enough, we’re alone now.”
Breathless, Lin Zikui lifted the lantern. “Zhao Ling, this is for you.”
Xiao Fu took it, watching the shadows of the flowers cast by the candlelight inside.
He didn’t usually care for these things, but at that moment, he truly cherished it—held it like it was a treasure. He looked up at him and said, “Zikui.”
Lin Zikui was gasping, half-squatting to catch his breath.
“You really.. shouldn’t have offended the son of Minister Pang just now. I’ve heard he’s extremely petty and lecherous. If he sees your face…”
Xiao Fu wanted to say, what’s there to be afraid of? That old man Minister Pang would piss himself at the sight of him.
But instead he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll change my clothes—he won’t recognize me. Don’t be anxious.”
“You’re right. Thankfully… you like dressing in men’s clothing. He’d never guess you’re a woman.” Lin Zikui lifted his head. The veil of his hat parted slightly, revealing his flushed and overheated face.
Seeing the sweat on his forehead, Xiao Fu bent down and used his own handkerchief to wipe it gently. His gaze was deep as he said, “Yes, only you would believe me.”
“Hmm?” Lin Zikui looked at him.
“I’m saying, if you’re too tired to walk, I’ll carry you home.”
Lin Zikui stammered, “N-No, no need, I can walk.”
How could he let his wife carry him?
He was a scholar, after all—he’d have to learn to ride and shoot in the future, strengthen his body, so he could carry his wife instead.
At the end of the hour of the Dog, they walked slowly back. Jinling City was bright with lanterns, and fireworks burst across the sky, turning half of it into daylight.
In the palace, Emperor Wen Tai was hosting a banquet for his ministers—music, dance, and merriment filled the hall.
By the Qinhuai River, Lin Zikui looked up. Xiao Fu stood behind him, arms naturally wrapped around him.
A deep voice came from just behind Lin Zikui’s ear. “Zikui, if I were hiding something from you, and you found out one day, would you be angry?”
“What?” Lin Zikui barely caught it and turned around. His black eyes sparkled. “I didn’t hear clearly.”
“I said… would you be angry?”
He smiled. “Angry at you? Why would I be?”
Xiao Fu stared at him. “What if I lied to you about something?”
“What kind of thing?”
“I’m not—”
“Boom—bang! Bang!”
The fireworks exploded loudly, briefly deafening Lin Zikui.
“What did you say—”
“…Nothing.” Xiao Fu gently covered his eyes. “You forgot, you’re not supposed to look at such bright things.”
Lin Zikui’s lashes brushed against his palm. “I forgot… Mr. Xie told me I should look into the distance, but not at bright lights.”
“Then close your eyes.”
“Okay.” Lin Zikui always followed medical advice—and Zhao Ling’s words too.
Xiao Fu held the lantern and took his hand, guiding him back to the boat.
After a while, the fireworks stopped.
The scent of gunpowder lingered in the air throughout the city.
Back on the boat, they entered the cabin. Xiao Fu immediately noticed something squirming on Lin Zikui’s bed.
“Who?!” He strode over and flung the blanket aside.
Mo Liu, dressed only in white inner robes, panicked and reached for the quilt. “Miss Xiao!”
Even though Mo Liu was still young, he understood that a girl couldn’t see him like this. He quickly tried to cover himself, but Xiao Fu grabbed him by the collar with one hand. “You’re in the wrong room?”
“No, I’m… I sleep here with the young master.”
The light on Xiao Fu’s face darkened instantly. “Didn’t I prepare a room for you?”
Mo Liu dangled like a little chick in his grip. “My young master gets cold. I’m warming the bed for him. Miss Xiao, please put me down…”
Lin Zikui came over too and gently grabbed Xiao Fu’s hand, helping Mo Liu down.
Xiao Fu followed his movement and set the boy down like a decorative vase—thud—onto the floor. He stared at Lin Zikui in disbelief. “You let your attendant warm your bed?”
Lin Zikui: “…”
He didn’t even know how to explain it. It wasn’t bed-warming exactly. During their meditative reading sessions, it got cold, so they slept close together to stay warm and review books.
Lin Zikui could only say, “It gets cold at night. Mo Liu is young, and I’m sort of like an older brother to him—it’s nothing inappropriate.”
Xiao Fu still found it absurd. “If you’re cold and need your bed warmed, why not use a warming pot? Why not use me?”
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