298 Liking the Artis

While he drank tea and poured some for his master as well, the old man didn't seem too interested in tea, intently focused on the nature in the courtyard. In particular, he had his eyes fixed on the leaves fluttering in the wind, as if he was counting seconds. 

Sure enough, when the leaves had fluttered enough, his master suddenly placed a hand on the table and blurted, "What do you think they're doing?"

Yunhe set down his cup. "Hm?"

"I keep trying to make opportunities for them," the old man explained, "but my plans keep getting thwarted. One time, someone cut in the conversation. The second time, they escaped a locked room through windows. Who does that?" He frowned deeply. "There should be a law that states if you are locked in a room with someone, you should stay there until you are let out through the front doors."

Looking at his master with a deep gaze of judgement, Yunhe pointed out, "But Master, that time… you got so drunk with wine-testing that you completely forgot about locking them until the next day. I still remember how you came running through the villa mid-afternoon, the next day, clamoring that you completely forgot to let them out. If you forgot, then surely they would've been stuck in there for an entire night…"

"Dense! You're too dense!" his master replied with a roar, slamming his palm down on the table again.

Yunhe blinked. 

"Can't you see that I intended—" His master paused, waving his hand. "Nevermind, a dense brat like you wouldn't understand. Anyways, enough time has passed. Do you think that my plan has been thwarted again? Surely, they're enjoying each other's company. I specifically ordered that no servants should pass by… and no outsiders as well."

With a sip of tea, Yunhe replied, "Master, I mean no disrespect, but you should probably let their relationship progress naturally."

"Bah! All I hear are words of disrespect from you, brat. Do you think that I am interfering too much? Think of a flower. To let the seedling bud and bloom into a beautiful flower, it needs delicate watering and care. Only then can the flower achieve its full beauty. A wild flower could be beautiful too, yet it cannot compare, especially considering that leaving it unattended will allow others to trample all over it. So do you see? It is not interfering. It is assistance. Assistance to nature to create something marvelous."

Yunhe took a long sip of tea. To think that his master could make a whole speech about flowers and nature and whatnot based on a single sentence from him. But then again, what else did he expect? This was his master, after all.

At his silence, his master abruptly ordered, "Go check on them."

"What?" Yunhe replied, almost choking on his tea. "Did you not worry that someone would interrupt them? Why would you send me to check on them?"

Completely reluctant to go, Yunhe tried to look all-too-mesmerized with his current cup of tea, but his master shooed his hand, impatiently continuing to demand. At this rate, Yunhe couldn't not listen to his master for any longer. He had to go.

…

Yunhe did not find his junior sister with his junior brother, Yu Zixu, in his courtyard. He found a table with many empty baskets of pastries, but no signs of life. At this, Yunhe wondered if the plan was indeed thwarted, so he went over to his junior sister's courtyard to check on her. Even if his master's plans didn't turn out like what he expected, Yunhe at least had to know if his junior sister was in the villa or not, just so he could give his master an explanation.

…

Yujia was still sitting at her table of paints. Zixu sat across from her, hands wrapped around the paint muller and mulling the paint to see its effects. He seemed quite interested in the art of making oil paint, and after talking about paint for a while with Zixu, along with all the cakes she ate, Yujia felt much more relaxed around him.

Then, all of a sudden, as Zixu mulled some green paint, he proposed, "If I give her some pastries and announce that I like her, is that a good way to begin courtship?"

Yujia, who was applying paint to paper, lowered her brush and looked up. "I guess it depends."

"How so?" Zixu lifted his brows. 

She placed an elbow on the table and leaned her chin on her hand. Her other hand was turning the brush slowly between her fingers. "It's not just the cakes. Perhaps the way that you say it… that will be important too?"

She thought back to when Zixu pretended to confess to her, as a test for her disguise as a maid. 

"I think, the more time I spend with you, the more I like you."

She was flustered back then. And thinking back to it, she would still become flustered now.

Zixu had it easy. He had a handsome face, one that would make any girl blush. No matter what he said, with his face coupled along with his composed stature, anyone would feel their heart skip a beat.

At the thought of his forever composed self, Yujia pursed her lips. 

"Actually," she advised, "just be sincere about it. Don't wear a fake smile or anything. I'm sure she will be happy to hear whatever from you, as long as you are sincere."

"Sincere, hm? That is quite a difficult demand that you request of me," he joked. She almost laughed but held it back.

Zixu took his hands off the paint muller and gave her a calm smile. "I like you." He blinked after that statement. "Is that about right?"

"Come on." She rolled her eyes. "Not that calm smile. You don't sound very sincere."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I��m being very sincere about my true feelings for Miss Jing right now." Zixu sighed. 

Yujia sighed too. "Well, it just… doesn't feel right. You're confessing to someone you love, aren't you? Would you say it in such a dull manner?" 

"Confessing to someone I love?" he mused, as if taken aback by that idea.

Yujia slowly raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Aren't you…? How would you do that? I don't think I can tell you myself. You'd have to figure it out on your own."

"Then, you have to tell me if I sound alright." 

"Fine."

Zixu leaned forward, propping an elbow on the table like her and tilting his head on it. In a slow, gentle voice, no longer wearing his calm smile and looking deep into her eyes, he whispered, "I like you."

Yujia looked back at him, not drawing her gaze away. She knew that the words were not meant for her, but she could not help but pretend, if only for a split second. If only. 

Then, the fragment of that moment passed by. She blinked, leaning backwards. Just like that, the words vanished into the air, becoming nothing more than a soft memory.

"How was that?" Zixu asked, giving her an excited grin. "Good?"

"Yeah, yeah." Yujia waved her hand and nodded. 

He continued to grin, tilting his face down so that his smile would be covered by the hand he rested his chin on. "I'm glad to hear that," he muttered.

…

Yunhe peeked into her courtyard and saw that Yu Zixu was there, with her. The fact that the two moved over to her courtyard surprised him, something that he had never thought of being a possibility.

And then, Zixu's next words caught him off guard.

"I like you."

Yunhe's eyes flew from his junior sister to his junior brother, in pure shock. Their relationship had progressed to this point already? 

Quickly, he ducked back behind the walls. He wanted to see his junior sister's reaction, but then, he would be invading her privacy, and he didn't want to be one of the people ruining the moment.

Without another thought, he began speedily, albeit quietly, walking back to his master's place.

…

"Master, they confessed!" he exclaimed.

"What? Really?" the old man yelled back, leaping to his feet. 

"I heard it myself," Yunhe assured.

His master pumped his fists in the air. "Finally! Finally! All my hard work has paid off!"

Yunhe wondered if the matchmaking ferver was rubbing off on him, since he was grinning non-stop as well. "Yes!" he enthusiastically chimed in. "Finally!" 

…

Eventually, after a few more words, Zixu had to go. The moment he left, Yujia didn't hesitate to run over to her senior brother's courtyard, ready to pick a fight.

To her disappointment, Yunhe was not there. He must've still been at her master's courtyard. She went there next without a second thought. 

The moment she stepped foot into her master's courtyard, she saw him rushing towards her, arms open wide.

"Kid! My girl! When is the marriage going to happen?" he demanded.

"Marriage?" Yujia gawked at him, complete bewilderment in her gaze.

He nodded enthusiastically, eyes sparkling.

…

It took a lot of effort for Yujia to explain to her master that there was not going to be a marriage happening. 

It also took a lot of effort for Yujia to hold back the urge to punch Ye Yunhe, who was sitting by the corner, sipping his tea.