Chapter 143
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“No… I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well the past couple of days.” Xue Yao tried to stay calm, lowered his head, and took two deep breaths.
Lu Jinan nodded, looking down with confusion at the ox-horn bow. “Why would Old Seventh give you this bow? Do you know how to use it?”
“I’ll practice diligently!” Xue Yao nervously replied, lifting his head, afraid that Lu Jinan might find an excuse to take back the bow.
Lu Jinan asked in confusion, “What’s going on with you today? Startled and jittery, are you afraid I’ll take back this bow?”
“No, not at all!” Lu Qian didn’t say anything, but Xue Yao still hadn’t realized that he was feeling possessive.
Guilt made him straighten his back, but he maintained a tough stance, “This bow was originally yours. You can take it back whenever you need.”
“In that case, I’ll take it.” Lu Jinan said earnestly.
“Huh?! Do you… still need it?”
“Why? Don’t want to give it up?”
“Of course not…” Xue Yao glanced eagerly at the bow in Lu Jinan’s hands, stingily finding an excuse. “This bow hasn’t been maintained for years, exposed to wind and sun. It’s probably unusable now. How about I find you a new one…”
Lu Jinan laughed, returning the bow to him. “That’s more like it. Old Seventh had thrown a tantrum, insisting on taking my favorite bow. Since he gave it to you, at least clean and wax it regularly. If you’re not using it, remove the string. Look at what a mess it’s become.”
Xue Yao took the bow, cradling it like a treasure, shamefully bowing his head in apology. “It’s my negligence. Please, Your Highness, punish me.”
“Punish you?” Lu Jinan sighed helplessly. “Old Seventh might roll from the palace to my residence, demanding a ‘man-to-man duel.’ I’m terrified.”
Xue Yao laughed, a bit embarrassed.
“Old Seventh treats you differently, unlike with us brothers,” Lu Jinan reflected.
“Naturally,” Xue Yao evasively covered, “You are His Highness’ most beloved Eldest Brother. I’m just His Highness’ playmate.”
“But you’re a unique playmate.” Lu Jinan looked at Xue Yao seriously. “Old Seventh has been solitary and difficult since childhood. Luckily, he encountered someone as unique as you.”
Xue Yao was puzzled. “Where am I unique?”
“Plenty of uniqueness, can’t you feel it yourself?”
“Please, Your Highness, enlighten me.”
Lu Jinan raised an eyebrow. “Your uniqueness can’t be easily expressed. You seem different from the others serving in the palace. Haven’t you noticed? Among all the attendants, it’s only you who hangs out with me and my brothers like buddies. Why is that? It’s as if you lack the servile nature. You may appear highly respectful, but in your heart, you don’t see us as masters at all.”
Xue Yao’s expression changed, about to explain, but Lu Jinan raised his hand to reassure him, “I’m not blaming you. I find your nature very rare. Servants always look up to us, unable to see many things. Yet you, always daring to look us in the eye, help us see many issues. Occasionally, you even look down on us, pointing out our mistakes. Your heart is always so clean.
“Xue Yao, I used to think you were talented and capable but lacked ambition. However, in this past year managing affairs firsthand, I’ve seen through many things that remained unclear for over twenty years. I’ve also realized — there are very few genuinely pure people like you. Perhaps only Seventh Brother’s pure eyes could discern your uniqueness from the start.”
Xue Yao paused for a moment before humbly saying, “Your Highness, you’re truly overpraising. I am just an ordinary commoner without great aspirations.”
Lu Jinan smiled and shook his head. “I hope you preserve this original intention, assisting and taking care of the future emperor for a long time.”
After Lu Jinan left, Xue Yao pondered these words repeatedly.
Was Prince Rui praising him, or warning him not to have ulterior motives?
He was truly uncertain, regretting that he had revealed too many details while saving Lu Jinan. Now, with just a slight reminder from someone else, all those details linked together. Lu Jinan was bound to notice that he was different from ordinary people.
Xue Yao sat in the upper room, lost in thought until the sunset.
When Zhou Rui entered the room, she asked him with confusion, “Yao’er, why are you holding that bow?”
Only then did Xue Yao snap out of it. He lowered his head, wiped the bow’s surface with his sleeve, and quietly explained that the bow needed some repairs. He then stood up, carrying the bow, and headed to the backyard before returning to his own room.
It turned out that the degree of concern for a gift also depended on the giver. On this day, the bow seemed to come alive.
Xue Yao had never noticed before how unique and dignified the bow’s design and color were. It looked pleasing in every way.
Every tiny scratch on the bowstring made Xue Yao furrow his brow. He tenderly traced them with his fingertips, feeling a pang of heartache.
So, whether something was ugly or beautiful, it all depended on certain desire in one’s heart.
Lu Qian’s handsome appearance in his heart now was different from his childhood cuteness, but it was also his heart playing tricks.
Xue Yao had to admit that he did have such feelings for that young man.
He was in trouble.
Tonight, as usual, was a sleepless night. Xue Yao hadn’t figured out how to face this dreadful fact, so he decided to temporarily avoid it and took an early leave from the palace.
He asked for a three-day leave.
When he requested leave, Prince Ning always approved, so the office manager smiled as he registered it, without needing to consult the master first.
Holed up in the residence for three consecutive days, it inevitably caused concern for both his grandfather and mother.
Grandfather thought Xue Yao had caused trouble in the palace and was sent back by Prince Ning.
After all, no one could have imagined that the little reader-in-waiting of His Highness, without any illness or mishap, would decide to skip work. It seemed like he might be tired of his routine.
Others assumed Xue Yao must have been expelled from the palace, rather than choosing not to enter himself. So, both his grandfather and mother refrained from adding insult to injury, subtly inquiring about the situation for two consecutive days.
Seeing Xue Yao listless and evasive, they speculated that Prince Ning must be furious this time.
For a child who had grown up without experiencing being out of favor for the first time, it was undoubtedly a difficult period. Zhou Rui, full of pity, tried various ways to prepare appetizing food for her son, but he remained dispirited, unable to eat.
In an effort to lift her son’s spirits, Zhou Rui forcibly took him out for a change of scenery in the late afternoon, suggesting they go to the west side of the city to watch a fireworks display.
Xue Yao, who hadn’t seen his mother in three days, had almost turned into a walking corpse. In a daze, he didn’t know what his mother had said, just allowing himself to be led out like a pet dog.
The sounds of fireworks and children’s laughter along the way failed to bring Xue Yao back to reality. All the festivities only intensified his sense of loneliness.
Loneliness turned out to be so grating, making it unbearable for him.
In a daze, he followed his mother and the maid to a densely populated area.
This was a lively marketplace by the riverbank, adorned with colorful lights, where children played and ran around joyfully.
Along the riverbank stood rows of bamboo poles, connected by strands of hemp rope. Each hemp rope held wooden plaques, and on each plaque were inscribed various beautiful wishes.
It was said that after the fireworks festival ended, the Water Deity would come to collect the wishes, and sincere wishes would be granted.
Xue Yao thought to himself, “The Water Deity must have a lot of free time.”
Zhou Rui instructed her son to buy three plaques from a nearby stall, adding to the workload of the Water Deity.
Obediently following his mother’s instructions to buy the plaques, Xue Yao was surprised to find out that making a wish only cost ten coins. He couldn’t help but marvel at the Water Deity being truly cost-effective.
Glancing behind him, from south to north, the wall of wishes had transformed into a vast expanse, extending endlessly.
After obtaining the plaques, Zhou Rui went to join the queue, intending to have the clerk help write the wishes. Xue Yao suggested they could write their own wishes with borrowed writing tools.
In this era with low literacy rates, everyone queued up, forming long lines during such occasions.
Xue Yao could write just fine, so there was no need to make his mother make a wish like it was like buying a train ticket during the Spring Festival travel rush.
However, Zhou Rui insisted. She believed that only wishes written by the clerk would catch the Water Deity’s attention. Without waiting in line, one’s sincerity wouldn’t be recognized.
Helplessly, Xue Yao had to take the plaques from his mother and join the several kilometers long queue. Zhou Rui, smiling, pushed him to the side. “Men like you don’t have the patience for this. Go watch the fireworks on the bridge. Mother and Cui’er will handle the queue here.”
Xue Yao was dismissed like this, but instead of heading to the bridge, he wandered along the riverbank, perusing each wish plaque.
The wishes were all heartwarming, like “Wishing parents a long life” or “Wishing to be together with Sister Qiu for generations.” Not a single wish like “Wishing for a fortune next year” could be found.
The wish wall had two sides. Xue Yao was on the side facing the river, crowded with people. On the opposite side, it was remarkably quiet. Xue Yao thought of going around to the other side to pass the time.
Bamboo poles were connected without any gaps, making it impossible to find a way through. So, he kept walking southward. The further he went, the fewer people there were, and the wish plaques on the ropes weren’t hanging as densely. Occasionally, there were gaps revealing a few empty spaces.
This made Xue Yao notice that on the opposite side of the wish wall, someone else was also looking at the plaques.
The person was half a head taller than him, and the gap between the wish plaques just exposed that person’s sharp eyebrows. Xue Yao, distracted, didn’t think much even though the person seemed familiar. He continued absentmindedly walking south.
After walking for a few steps, two wish plaques were missing from the rope above his head. Then, the person’s pair of tea-colored eyes finally flashed clearly before Xue Yao’s eyes.
Xue Yao was so scared that he almost died on the spot!
He recognized the guy on the other side. It was his rebellious brat.
From a while ago until now, separated by the wish wall, Lu Qian had been silently accompanying him.
How could this kid appear here?
Surprisingly, he had stealthily followed him behind the plaques all along. Did the rebellious brat witness his earlier disoriented state?
Xue Yao’s ears felt a bit hot, but fortunately, at this moment, a group of children with candied hawthorns passed by, making noise. Xue Yao took the opportunity to move a few steps away, pretending not to look at the wish plaques, acting as if he hadn’t seen Lu Qian.
Of course, he still glanced at him from the corner of his eye. The gaps in the wish plaques were enough for him to piece together a complete image of the rebellious brat—
Dressed in purple, the rebellious brat, with an outstanding appearance, walked south at the same pace on the opposite side of the wish wall.
Before long, Xue Yao realized that not far ahead to the south was the end of the wish wall.
That was Lu Qian’s destination, where he could break free from this wall and meet the little reader-in-waiting.
Xue Yao stopped in his tracks, contemplating how to cleverly pretend to be captivated by the fireworks. However, just as he entertained this wicked idea, he heard a low and warning-laden voice from behind the wish wall. “Continue south.”
“Ahya, these kids are so noisy!” Xue Yao used a poor acting skill, pretending not to hear, forcefully turning around to ignore the rebellious brat.
“Yaoyao.” The voice had an unprecedented fierceness.
Xue Yao glanced in the direction of the voice, discovering that Lu Qian had used one hand to pull down the wish rope, revealing the upper half of his exceptionally handsome face.
Those peach blossom eyes, seemingly smiling yet not, had already locked onto Xue Yao. The gaze clearly conveyed, “If you dare to escape, you’re doomed.”
Xue Yao heard the chatter of girls around him, turned around, and saw a group of girls who had stopped together while strolling through the fireworks festival. They were pointing and nodding towards the man with half his face revealed on the other side of the wish wall—
“It seems to be the young master who danced with a sword on the roof that day…”
“Is it really him?”
“The height is the same, it must be him.”
Xue Yao had a clever idea. He turned to the girls and whispered, “It’s him, he’s here to find all of you.”
The girls’ eyes instantly lit up. They quickly adjusted their hairpins and rushed towards the young man in purple, eager to get closer!
Xue Yao took the opportunity to turn around and escape in the opposite direction!
“Yaoyao?”
“Yaoyao.”
Although the rebellious brat’s voice sounded more intimidating with each utterance, Xue Yao pretended not to hear!
The girls toyed with the wish rope, excitedly striking up conversations with the man on the other side.
Lu Qian’s gaze followed the little reader-in-waiting, his long eyelashes obscuring the dazzling lights. His pale pupils were half-shadowed, half-clear and bright as melted gold.
The girls were all dumbfounded. The surroundings suddenly quieted down, to the point that Xue Yao could clearly hear footsteps rapidly approaching from the other side of the wish wall.
“Stay still.” Lu Qian, standing side by side with the little reader-in-waiting over the wall, issued a final warning.
Although not having the advantage in speed, the rebellious brat was blocked by the wall, unable to catch him. Xue Yao sprinted away!
Seeing the little reader-in-waiting refusing to obey, Lu Qian’s gaze flickered. He crouched down, leapt, the tips of his toes gracefully gliding over the hemp rope atop the wish wall. In an instant, he landed right in front of the little reader-in-waiting.
Xue Yao, still not realizing what was happening, charged forward with his head down. He collided headfirst into Lu Qian’s chest, rebounded a few steps, and looked up in astonishment.
Lu Qian tilted his head, fixedly staring at him. Lazily approaching, he lowered his head to meet Xue Yao’s gaze. Pale pupils reflected the little reader-in-waiting’s flustered expression.
“Isn’t Yaoyao supposed to be bedridden with illness? Look at you, running so fast that sparks might fly off the soles of your shoes.”
“…How come Your Highness has the leisure to stroll through the fireworks festival?” Xue Yao deflected, shifting the topic.
“Following you.”
“Huh? How did Your Highness know I was coming to the night market today?”
Of course, Lu Qian had been waiting outside the little reader-in-waiting’s house since early morning.
Upon hearing the hushed discussions behind him from the girls, Xue Yao immediately felt uneasy. He looked up, hoping Lu Qian wouldn’t settle the score in front of so many people. “Your Highness, let’s go to the bridge to watch the fireworks, shall we?”
Lu Qian didn’t answer, squinting his eyes and staring at the little reader-in-waiting who had feigned illness and attempted to escape.
Xue Yao pleaded in a low voice, “Please? Seventh Lord…”
In order to evade guilt, Xue Yao disregarded his dignity as the old father and called the young rascal “Lord”!
Lu Qian’s thin lips formed a straight line, but he couldn’t hide the satisfaction brought by the address “Seventh Lord.” So, he turned generously, walked alongside the little reader-in-waiting, and nodded towards the arched bridge. “Let’s go.”
Xue Yao breathed a sigh of relief and obediently followed Lu Qian towards the bridge.
A couple walked ahead of the two.
Seizing the cover of the night, the man bent down and took the woman’s hand.
The rebellious brat immediately turned to look at the little reader-in-waiting.
Xue Yao’s heart skipped a beat, hastily tucking both hands into his sleeves to avoid Lu Qian’s notice. “It’s so cold tonight!”
Lu Qian turned his head to observe the increasingly guilty side profile of the little reader-in-waiting. Then, he paused his steps with a flick of his long legs.
Initially, Xue Yao thought of acting as if nothing had happened, but he didn’t dare to completely ignore Lu Qian. So, he also stopped, crossing his arms and looking up at the fireworks. “So beautiful…”
Lu Qian silently watched him, slowly lifting one hand and reaching into Xue Yao’s sleeve to catch the shyly hidden hand.
The hand hidden in the sleeve was firmly grasped by a warm hand, slowly pulled out, and lifted.
Xue Yao’s heartbeat began to quicken.
Watching Lu Qian lower his head and gently exhale onto the little reader-in-waiting’s hand, Xue Yao’s eyes widened.
With his long lashes slightly lowered, Lu Qian’s gaze focused on Xue Yao’s hand, his expression incredibly concentrated. Xue Yao found himself captivated.
Lu Qian’s breath brushed against Xue Yao, making him feel ticklish, and the warmth felt like a searing touch, reaching deep into his chest.
His heart raced madly.
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