"Brother Cen."
Cen Yu walked over. "What are you doing clutching your chest? Are you not feeling well?"
Wen Mohan lowered his gaze and smiled faintly, taking something out from his embrace. It was the sachet from Xiao Man that Wen Mohan had taken from Cen Yu.
"Brother Cen, my heart feels like a deer is leaping wildly, I'm both excited and happy. I can't describe that feeling, it's as if my entire blood is roaring, I really want to, I really want to..."
"To embrace her, to kiss her, to go to Mount Wu with her and have a night of passion," Cen Yu teased in a low voice.
"Stop talking nonsense! I... I wasn't thinking of anything so vulgar!" Wen Mohan stammered, a rare occurrence, his face flushing all the way to his neck. It was an obvious case of protesting too much.
"Love and desire between men and women are natural, why would it be vulgar?" Cen Yu said with a smile. "If you don't want to share passion with her, it only means you don't love her."
"I..." Wen Mohan opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word. How could he not want it? He yearned to possess her at all times, yet he had to restrain himself. He was a scholar, a refined gentleman, the embodiment of elegance and propriety. How could he let others know that he harbored such thoughts about Xiao Man all the time? He was even more afraid that Xiao Man would find out his feelings and distance herself from him.
"Everyone knows you like her, only she doesn't. It's because you're too restrained," Cen Yu sighed. "What's so great about Xiao Man?"
"I can't pinpoint what's so great, but I just like her." The blush on Wen Mohan's face faded. "Her every word and deed, every smile and frown, pulls at my heart. Brother Cen, tell me, am I sick?"
"You are indeed sick, suffering from lovesickness. There's only one medicine to cure it, and that medicine is Xiao Man." Cen Yu ground his teeth. "If people were to see the elegant Lord Wen, tossing and turning, worried and anxious over a woman, they would surely be disappointed."
Wen Mohan smiled slightly. "I only need her not to be disappointed in me."
"Then when will you tell Xiao Man that you like her?" Cen Yu's voice was very soft, dissipating with the wind as if he had never asked the question.
"Let's wait a moment, after she overcomes the current difficulty." Wen Mohan said gently. "Her biggest concern is probably fearing it would affect my future."
"She is somewhat considerate, knowing it would affect your future." Cen Yu sneered. "So, she refused your proposal."
Cen Yu's tone was very sure. Glancing at Wen Mohan from the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. Do you know that her refusal wasn't just because she feared affecting your future?
"Yes, she refused. She is ultimately too kind," Wen Mohan raised his hands. "She said my handsome hands shouldn't be stained with blood."
Upon saying this, Wen Mohan's expression became serious. "But if it's for her, I wouldn't hesitate even if they were stained with blood."
The Prince of Qin had people seal off the hunting grounds, searching for assassins hiding within. During the banquet, the Prince of Qin had still not returned. Xiao Man drank a couple of cups of wine, feeling slightly tipsy, and excused herself from the table alone.
The moon that night was like a crescent eyebrow, peeking out from behind the clouds. Xiao Man walked along the stream, bathed in moonlight, with Ying Xue following silently behind her.
Xiao Man kicked a pebble on the ground. Suddenly, she heard a muffled grunt. Xiao Man looked over by the faint moonlight and saw a person sitting by the stream. The pebble she kicked had hit that person.
"Who's there?"
The person quickly stood up. "It is I, Jin Rong. I beg your pardon for disturbing you, miss."
"So it's Young Master Jin. I should be the one apologizing for accidentally hitting you." Xiao Man said apologetically. "Everyone is sharing the spoils of today's hunt. Why have you come out alone, Young Master Jin?"
"I drank too much wine and feared I might lose my composure, so I came out to sober up." Jin Rong's voice was pleasant, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
Xiao Man smiled and nodded, then turned to leave. After taking a couple of steps, she heard a gurgling sound. Xiao Man stopped and looked at Jin Rong. Jin Rong felt embarrassed.
"I drank too much wine but didn't eat much, so my stomach feels uncomfortable. Please excuse me." Jin Rong's face turned red, but it was too dark to tell.
Xiao Man listened and looked at Ying Xue following behind her. Ying Xue was carrying a food box containing snacks, which Ying Xue had prepared in case Xiao Man got hungry.
Ying Xue stepped forward a few paces, handed the food box to Jin Rong, and smiled friendly at him.
"Pear blossom cakes, made with fresh pear blossoms. Ying Xue is best at making these kinds of pastries, and they taste exceptionally good. If you don't mind, Young Master Jin, please try my Ying Xue's culinary skills."
"Thank you, two young ladies." Jin Rong took the box and watched them leave before opening it. Inside were a plate of pastries and a pot of fragrant tea. He reached out and touched the teapot; it was still warm. The pastries emitted a faint, sweet aroma of pear blossoms, and just the smell made his mouth water, causing him to swallow involuntarily.
He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. It was sweet but not greasy, melting in his mouth and leaving a lingering fragrance. Jin Rong exclaimed, "What excellent craftsmanship! I'm afraid even the imperial chefs in the palace could not match this."
Jin Rong sat down again, drinking tea and eating pastries to soothe his delicate stomach. Suddenly, he heard footsteps from behind him.
"Jin Rong, you bastard, what are you hiding here for?" A young man in brocade appeared before Jin Rong, his gaze falling on the food box beside Jin Rong, and he frowned unhappily. "Who allowed you to eat?"
Saying this, he stepped forward and kicked the food box on the ground into the stream. Jin Rong's gaze fell on the food box sinking into the stream as he lowered his head, his fingers clenched into fists, remaining silent.
The young man in brocade was Jin Yu, the eldest legitimate son of the Jin family. He should have been the undisputed young master of the Jin family. However, the Jin family had a very peculiar way of choosing their young master; one had to pass a series of rigorous examinations and achieve excellent results to become the young master of the Jin family.
Jin Yu had thought he was a sure winner. Who would have thought that in this year's young master selection examination, this timid, bullied slave-born child would achieve a better score than him? From a mere bullied wretch, he had leaped to become the young master of the Jin family, while Jin Yu himself had become the object of ridicule!
Jin Yu stepped forward, reaching out to pat Jin Rong's face. "You thieving, unclean bastard, where did you steal food from?"
"I didn't steal it. Someone gave it to me."
"Oh, so you've stopped stealing and started begging now?"
"Eldest brother..."
"Shut up! Who's your elder brother!" Jin Yu said angrily. "Go take a look at yourself in a puddle of urine. Do you really think that because you got first place in the young master examination, you can secure the position of young master? I'm telling you, dream on! You'd better obediently give up the position of young master, or I'll make your slave mother wish she were dead!"
Jin Rong trembled with anger but forcefully restrained himself. "Eldest young master, whether I become the young master is not something I can decide. Please do not make things difficult for my mother!"