Chapter 5
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The night deepened.
Steward Gao entered Liangfeng Courtyard, carrying a lantern. With the nightfall, the entire Prince Residence fell silent. The maids stood silently by, while only the songstress sang softly.
“The jade moon is full every night,
The jade trees renew each dawn…”
Xue Fangli leaned back on the soft couch. His hair ornaments had been removed, and his black hair cascaded down, contrasting with his pale skin and crimson lips, giving him an inexplicable sense of allure.
“Your Highness….” Steward Gao lifted the curtain and approached him, whispering softly, “The gifts have been delivered.”
Xue Fangli lazily inquired, “Did he like them?”
Steward Gao truthfully replied, “The Third Young Master seemed only surprised, not pleased. He even instructed me to bring the boxes back.”
Xue Fangli chuckled, unconcerned. “We’ll see tomorrow.”
With that said, he flicked his fingers, tossing a few gold leaves into Steward Gao’s lap. “A reward for you.”
Steward Gao quickly picked up one leaf, bit it with his teeth, and seeing the shiny tooth mark, he couldn’t stop smiling widely. “Thank you, Your Highness!”
Xue Fangli didn’t respond further.
Steward Gao carefully pocketed the gold leaves, already planning how to spend them. It had been a while since he had visited the Hongxiu Pavillion for drinks. This time, he would have several beautiful courtesans accompany him.
Lost in his pleasant thoughts, Steward Gao suddenly remembered something else. He hurriedly suppressed his excitement and said, “Oh, Your Highness, there’s one more thing I forgot to mention.”
“Hmm?”
Xue Fangli paused at the unexpected revelation.
“When I arrived, I overheard the Third Young Master saying…” Steward Gao’s expression was strange as he continued, “…the Third Young Master said that you are a good person.”
“……….”
Xue Fangli’s movements halted, and after a brief moment of astonishment, he burst into laughter.
“A good person.”
It was the first time Xue Fangli had heard someone describe him in such a way. Used to being called ruthless and cruel, this description was truly novel to him.
The more he thought about it, the more amusing Xue Fangli found the situation. With a smile, he asked the songstress who was playing, “Zhao Hong, in your opinion, am I a good person?”
Startled by his question, the songstress trembled, making a mistake on the strings. She forced herself to say, “Your Highness, Your Highness is naturally a good person.”
“You’re lying,” Xue Fangli said with pity. “Why are you so afraid? Have you forgotten that I detest insincerity?”
The songstress paled, too frightened to speak further. She hurriedly knelt down, her hands trembling uncontrollably at her side.
Xue Fangli slowly reined in his smile, his tone flat and indifferent. “Since you enjoy kneeling so much, then kneel.”
The songstress ceased playing, but the dancer dared not stop dancing. Amidst the fluttering of skirts, Steward Gao hastily gestured, and one of them took up a pipa, sitting down stiffly. Soon, the music resumed.
Xue Fangli took a few sips of wine, his expression weary as he let his hand droop. The wine glass smashed onto the ground with a loud “crash,” spilling its contents across the floor and soaking the dancer’s hem. Yet, he paid no attention.
Seeing the situation, Steward Gao walked to the side and lit the incense that had been prepared in advance.
It was incense from the Western Regions, known for its calming and sleep-inducing effects.
Accompanied by the gentle melody, wisps of smoke rose, filling the air with a tranquil aroma. Before long, Steward Gao felt himself growing drowsy. He struggled to keep his eyelids open, stealing a glance at Xue Fangli on the soft couch. Xue Fangli’s eyes were closed, but his fingers tapped lightly in rhythm.
—If the incense was too little, it wouldn’t affect Xue Fangli; if it was too much, he would sleep heavily all night, but wake up even more exhausted the next day, making it worse than not sleeping at all.
Steward Gao sighed silently.
Their prince, Xue Fangli, often suffered from headaches, and now he couldn’t even sleep peacefully.
Despite being born into nobility, he seemed to endure hardship every day, far from leading a joyful life like others.
Steward Gao sighed deeply, then lowered his head once again, nodding off to sleep beside. Unbeknownst to him, Xue Fangli, lying on the soft couch, had opened his eyes and was staring thoughtfully at him.
In a lifetime, everyone has their desires. This Steward Gao of his, whom others avoided in Prince Li Residence, had willingly jumped into the fire pit all because of his lust. And what about the Third Young Master?
Xue Fangli listened absently to the music.
Another sleepless night passed.
.
The next day.
The carriage driver waited outside the residence early in the morning. As Jiang Juan was assisted into the carriage, Xue Fangli was already seated inside, resting with his eyes closed.
It seemed he had just bathed, as his hair tips still retained some moisture. Hearing the movement, he lifted his eyelids, his expression indifferent and weary. “Did you sleep well last night?”
Jiang Juan wasn’t picky about beds; he almost fell asleep as soon as he lay down. However, he was woken twice during the night by the discomfort of the bed. But it was something he could overcome. Jiang Juan replied, “It was fine.”
Xue Fangli nodded, then glanced at him a few times.
People shouldn’t stumble in the same place twice, Jiang Juan intentionally chose a bright red outer garment today. The vibrant color complemented his remarkable appearance.
However, his lips were too pale, and his demeanor too clean, exuding an ethereal charm with his fair complexion and refined features.
Apart from that, Jiang Juan was immaculate, without any adornments.
Xue Fangli raised an eyebrow slightly. “You didn’t like those gifts?”
Jiang Juan didn’t understand why he suddenly asked this, but he still shook his head. “No, I liked them.”
He spoke candidly, his gaze pure and devoid of any desire. Xue Fangli asked him, “If you liked them, why not use them?”
Jiang Juan replied honestly, “They are too precious, and…”
Even the most casual item was a rare treasure; he felt unworthy and afraid he might break them. If it weren’t for the social norms, Jiang Juan would have returned them. He only wanted to live a simple life, without all this grandeur.
Xue Fangli raised one hand to his forehead wearily before Jiang Juan finished speaking. Jiang Juan could tell he was not feeling well. He asked softly, “Did you not sleep well last night?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps his condition had worsened. Jiang Juan hesitated to speak further. He wanted to remind Xue Fangli, but as the original plot made clear, even the imperial physician was powerless against his illness. So, even if he reminded him now, it would be of no use.
Thinking about this, Jiang Juan simply didn’t disturb him, just lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and looked outside curiously.
People were coming and going on the street, with lanterns hanging high and vendors calling out incessantly, making the surroundings lively.
Jiang Juan felt excited as he looked around. He asked Xue Fangli, “Can we go out for a stroll later?”
Due to his illness, Jiang Juan was either in the hospital or confined at home. In fact, he loved to join in the hustle and bustle. However, with his heart in such a fragile state, it could give out at any moment, so he was not allowed to wander around at will.
Xue Fangli: “Do you want to go out?”
Jiang Juan: “Yes.”
He turned his head to the side, eyes shining brightly. Xue Fangli glanced at him and suddenly said, “You don’t like those things.”
Jiang Juan asked blankly, “Huh? What things don’t I like?”
But Xue Fangli didn’t seem inclined to explain, just casually said, “If you want to go out, then let’s go.”
Jiang Juan was about to let go of the curtain when he suddenly saw a bloody piece of skin, and his hand tightened abruptly.
Startled, he glanced at Xue Fangli, who raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Juan didn’t dare to look but was worried. His gaze wandered as he replied, “… It’s wolf skin.”
Not far away, a hunter held a hunting knife, deftly cutting a piece of wolf skin. From time to time, he would hold up the wolf skin to show it to others, the blood and flesh of the wolf blurred in the pool of blood.
Right by the hunter’s feet, there was a cage with a young wolf curled up inside. It was covered in bloodstains, its eyes wide with fear, trembling.
“Are you scared?” Xue Fangli lazily asked him.
“Not really,” Jiang Juan shook his head, frowning. “They’re just so pitiful.”
“Pitiful…” Xue Fangli chuckled, his expression tinged with mockery. “Can’t bear it?”
Jiang Juan nodded. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “I want—”
“The big one is already dead,” as if knowing what he was going to say, Xue Fangli said slowly, “The little one, its claws and teeth are broken, even if we save it, it won’t live long.”
Jiang Juan was stunned, completely unaware of this. He exclaimed in shock, “How could this happen?”
Xue Fangli asked him, “Do you still want to save it?”
Of course, Jiang Juan nodded, but with the young wolf injured like this, it was more than just buying it and releasing it back into the wild. Jiang Juan hesitated and looked at Xue Fangli.
——Keeping a pet requires getting the roommate’s approval. Xue Fangli could reluctantly be considered his roommate, right?
“Is it okay?”
Jiang Juan sought his opinion, and Xue Fangli asked with interest, “Why do you want to save it? Its wolf fangs and claws are broken, what use is it to you if you keep it?”
” It’s been tortured so pitifully,” Jiang Juan said uncertainly, “And it still has some usefulness, right? Once its wounds heal, it can still guard the door and maybe even scare off intruders.”
Xue Fangli looked at him without saying anything. Somehow, Xue Fangli recalled what Steward Gao had said.
—— “When I’ve arrived, I happened to hear the Third Young Master say… The Third Young Master said that Your Highness is a good person.”
A good person.
“You asked for my opinion,” Xue Fangli chuckled and shook his head, “No.”
Jiang Juan: “Alright then.”
His tone was a bit subdued, but he didn’t blame anything. Instead, he turned his head quietly and looked at the young wolf, his eyelashes drooping as he began to ponder.
So obedient, too obedient.
Xue Fangli watched him calmly, his fingers touching the small sandalwood rosary on his wrist, rubbing it intermittently until Jiang Juan spoke again.
“Lan Ting.”
He called the maid over. Lan Ting looked at him with confusion in her eyes as Jiang Juan instructed her, “Help me buy those two wolves and give the hunter some extra silver. The one that’s been skinned… let the hunter bury it. The injured young one, nurse it back to health and set it free.”
Jiang Juan did his best.
Regardless, let’s first save its life, then we can figure out the rest.
Lan Ting nodded and immediately went to take care of it. However, in the time it took to speak, the hunter had already finished skinning the whole wolf and had opened the cage, ready to deal with the young wolf inside.
As the young wolf was pinned down on the chopping board and the hunter raised his knife high, ready to strike, the bloodied young wolf suddenly struggled violently. The hunter was caught off guard, allowing the young wolf to escape.
The crowd immediately scattered like birds and beasts, hastily retreating. The hunter, brandishing his knife, chased after the limping young wolf, cursing, “Where do you think you’re going, you beast!?”
As the young wolf limped along, it suddenly met Jiang Juan’s gaze, then without hesitation, it sprinted towards him and leaped with all its might!
“Protect His Highness! Protect His Highness!”
Steward Gao was stunned for a moment, then quickly called for help. Guards swiftly drew their swords and fiercely threw the young wolf to the ground. At the same time, Jiang Juan felt something splatter on his face, warm and wet.
He didn’t have time to wipe it off as he hurriedly looked over. The guard’s long sword was pressed against the young wolf, which curled up in pain, tears in its eyes as it looked up at Jiang Juan, whimpering.
“What a beast,” Steward Gao approached and kicked the wolf cub several times. “Absolutely clueless.”
The hunter, holding his knife, also hurried over. As soon as he saw Steward Gao, he recognized the carriage of Prince Li Residence. He was so frightened that he dropped the knife with a loud clang.
Immediately, the hunter knelt down and kowtowed towards the carriage, “Your Highness, please forgive me! I failed to watch over this beast, and it dared to rush at you. I’ll chop it up right away as compensation!”
After speaking, the hunter shakily picked up the knife. Xue Fangli remained silent, neither speaking nor intervening, just looking on indifferently.
After chopping up the beast, the hunter had no idea whether Prince Li would spare him. However, he knew that if he didn’t chop up the beast, he wouldn’t be let off lightly. So, gritting his teeth, he swung the knife—
“Don’t!” Jiang Juan hurriedly intervened. The hunter was stunned and instinctively stopped. Jiang Juan turned to Xue Fangli and said, “It didn’t intend to harm anyone just now. Its teeth and claws are already broken…”
Jiang Juan remembered the tearful eyes of the young wolf and felt extremely uncomfortable. He nervously asked Xue Fangli, “Can you spare it?”
Xue Fangli remained silent.
Interesting, truly interesting.
While the second son, Jiang Nian, who was pampered by Minister Jiang, had schemed quite a bit, it was Jiang Juan, the neglected younger son, who had developed a pure heart and compassionate nature.
Amidst the silence, Steward Gao kept his eyes on Jiang Juan, but his thoughts wandered, criticizing him inwardly again and again.
What is he doing?
The Third Young Master really sees their prince as a great benefactor?
The last person who dared to plead for mercy ended up being implicated.
It’s truly not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth.
“……Your Highness.”
Jiang Juan didn’t even realize how gentle his tone was.
Xue Fangli finally lifted his eyelids.
On Jiang Juan’s face, there was a bloodstain, a vivid crimson dot, like a red plum blossoming in the snow, as if it were a scene from a spring dawn. Jiang Juan was usually as indifferent as a wisp of smoke, but this touch of vibrant color dragged him into the mortal world, where only vivid hues could be seen.
And within his clear eyes, there was a plea, no longer devoid of desire or thought.
“Alright.”
After an unknown amount of time passed, Xue Fangli leisurely spoke, his smile inscrutable.
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