Twelve

Chapter Twelve

I pay no attention to his sudden intimate behaviour, and only lower my body to take a closer look at his writing, only seeing that on the clean white paper, there firmly stands the three characters of ‘Meng Shao Jue (孟少珏)’.

The ancients have a saying, to judge a person by their handwriting.

Judging from these characters, the brush strokes are smooth like passing clouds and flowing water, unable to see a single trace of a pause. The script long and strongly determined, the finish clean and neat, with not a single trace of dragging through muddy water (not sloppy), this shows that Young Master should be one who carries out tasks in a clear cut and decisive manner, his will firm with strong intentness. Further looking at how he distanced the three characters just right, each character standing elegant and unrestrained on its own, but this isn’t obvious to the eyes when they’re put together, instead there is a sense of dark connection, hence learning that this person’s thoughts are extremely sensitive, with precision to details and good at controlling matters.

Then judging the person, himself, Young Master roughly has the image of your typical wealthy philandering gentleman, handsome in appearance, brocade clothing and precious food, favours beauties and chooses as he pleases, all of these philandering gentleman traits, he seems to meet them all, but occasionally, he would reveal that type of meaningful look in his eyes, that’s not something a simple philandering gentleman should have. Perhaps, just as his writing conveys, the true sharpness in him has been concealed under the appearance of his womanising image, this superficial mask is but a type of mean he takes on, in order to mislead others.

People will always have a secret of their own, you do, I do, and very clearly, he does too.

“Can you see anything from it?” Young Master then lowers his body, still intimately sticking by my ear side, his black hair draws a beautiful curve as it enters my line of sight.

I slightly turn my head, meeting his long phoenix eyes that contains a slight smile, and suddenly feel that his orbs in this very moment, are like that of endless darkness, unpredictably deep. I slowly speak up: “Young Master’s writing is very pretty.”

Young Master’s thick and long lashes lightly trembles, his voice a little alluring as he speaks: “What else?”

My expression remains unchanging as I continue: “Young Master’s name sounds very nice.”

Young Master’s voice softly rises a little, “What else?”

I blink, “What else?”

Young Master’s hand covering mine very lightly caresses me, “No more?”

I furrow my brows, pondering for a while before making a sudden realisation, firmly calling out, “There is!”

The smile in Young Master’s phoenix eyes deepens, vaguely seeming to encourage me, “En.”

I shyly smile at him, then make a firm move to push away his chest, reaching out to rub my waist, looking at him in great distress as I say: “What else is, Young Master, you’re weighing down on me, I’m so tired.”

I watch Young Master’s smile instantly freeze in satisfaction, then his thin lips slowly hooks up again, handsome face giving rise to a touch of a dazzling smile, “Ah-Lan, did you know, in fact……”

I naively tilt my head, “Young Master?”

Young Master very quickly uses the brush in hand and draws a line on my face, happily saying: “In fact, Young Master – I – am also very tired.”

I could feel the ice-cold substance slither down along my cheek, finally gathering into a droplet as it falls onto the clothing at my chest, like a black little flower embellishing my outfit. I think this person sure is horrible, but who am I? I am Ah-Lan, Ah-Lan – I – am a good girl that doesn’t fight with the evil man, the bigger person that doesn’t count the lesser person’s offences, the old eagle that doesn’t pick on little chicks, I am not angry, as if I’d be angry with him.

But, ‘taking a step back to see the boundless sea and sky’ is generally not the case in real life, people are more accustomed to ‘reaching for a yard after advancing by an inch’ (never satisfied).

As I was prepared to generously, forgivingly smile at him, he once again reveals that extremely anger-inducing smile, reaching out to once again swipe my face, his long and slender finger coloured black by the ink, further showing how fair his skin is. He looks at his own finger in great surprise, then looks at me, and then speaks in an even more surprised tone: “Ah, messed up.”

……I feel like the sound of this tone is oddly familiar.

The corner of my lips slightly twitches, lowering my eyes to conceal the lack of calmness within my pupils, inwardly cursing: I’ll have you messed up, you’re the messed up one here, you’re entire family is messed up, everything within your eighteen mile radius is messed up!

Young Master suddenly comes close to me, reaching out to lift my chin, very good, this gesture is a very much like a Taiwanese drama, very classic, very flirty, just that the words he says……

“Tut tut, how ugly, just like a stray cat.” He shakes his head as he says this in a ‘this child cannot be taught’ sort of manner, yet his eyes were overflowing with the means of provocation.

To tell the truth, I have never ever wanted to urgently bite someone as much as this before.

My voice is still as dull as ever, in my heart however, a little flame crackles as it burns, “Young Master, dirtied.”

Young Master nods in agreement, and with unbelievable casualness, he reaches out to wipe the ink onto my sleeve, “Even your clothes have been dirtied, how careless you are. Quickly go inside and wash off the bit on your face, as for your clothes, wait until you head back to get changed.”

Damn, I’ll endure it. Do you know of the ninja turtles? I am the junior brother of the ninja turtles, ninja tortoise! But even if I am a ninja tortoise, I too, feel that no matter what, I should do something, my line of sight eventually stops at the ink stone, from under his eyes, I slowly pick up the ink stone, then slowly splashes it onto his body……

(Yes ninja turtles as in TMNT. There’s a few play on words here as endure in Chinese is 忍 / rěnand ninja in Chinese is 忍者 / rěn zhě – literal translation for these characters would be one who endures. Also whilst the ninja turtles are seen as heroic figures, tortoise can refer to someone as a coward)

“Young Master, this servant really does have a temper.” I truly am not angry, I’d just like to very seriously reaffirm this point once again, to prevent him from getting too ahead of himself in future, continuing to have no respect nor propriety.

Young Master’s beautiful set of brocade robes is considered ruined, just that he shows not an ounce of displeasure, the smile in his dark orbs flashing, smiling even more happily, “Ah-Lan, I just so happen to find pleasure in seeing your angry look, truly an extremely interesting fool.”

My eyes suddenly turns saddened, speaking up with extreme concern: “Young Master, you’re……” I extend my finger and point at my own head, my finger repeatedly drawing a few circles, “En?”

The meaning being: you’re f*cking crazy ah.

Young Master clearly missed those three words, he reaches out to messily rub my hair, “Fool, as if Young Master – I – will be the same as you?”

I think that’s true ah, how could you be the same as me, how could I possibly compare to you?

You deserve a beating much more than me.

A quarter of an hour later, I take a cloth and clean the final trace of ink from my face, facing the surface of the water, I pull my own cheeks, trying to reveal a Mona Lisa smile. Then find out in slight dejection, my face has been paralysed for too long, and I have already forgotten how to show a normal smile. Tragedy, this really is an inhumanely miserable tragedy.

The fresh wind from outside the window blows in, raising the hair in front of my forehead, I grab hold of the washbasin, ready to pour the water away, but finds that below my foot there is a piece of paper. I naturally pick it up and take a look, a very small piece of paper, the corners showing burnt traces, clearly a ‘fish that escaped the net’. The words on the paper are very common, a very ordinary ‘good/alright (好)’ character, perhaps due to the fact that I had just seen Young Master’s writing, I cannot help but to compare the two.

If I were to say Young Master’s writing is young and wilful, failing to show restraint, then these characters are deeply reserved, modest and grand. Every stroke is extremely sturdy, simple and vigorous, clearly the writing of an older person, just that, who is the writer of these words, what are the contents of the writing, and why did Young Master destroy it by burning? Very clearly, the contents of this runs deep, just that, this has nothing to do with me.

I then casually toss the paper, having just raised my foot, I hear Ying Lu’s voice ringing in.

“Brother, Brother, what have you called me over for?” Ying Lu pushes the doors open and enters, upon seeing me, she grins, “What’s this, Ah-Lan, you even managed to grind ink onto your body? That sure is some highly skilled craft.”

Before I could open my mouth to reply, Young Master lifts the curtains and comes out, having already changed out of his previous outfit, he is now in a silver-white silk robe, “Why are you still so hurried tempered? I can hear your voice before you even entered.”

Ying Lu pouts, walking up to my side and says: “What you dumbly standing here for, go pour the water first.”

I sound an “en”, obediently going to pour the water away, as I enter the doors upon returning, I hear Young Master lazily say: “Pei Yu Court has a new selection of jade in stock, you go with Ru Xu to take a look at them later.”

​

Upon hearing this, Ying Lu incompliantly cries out, “Brother, why do you always like to put me with her, who is she, for you to trouble yourself over?!”

“Trouble? Who can trouble me as much as you do, how old are you already, to actually still act like a wild young lass? I’ll have you betrothed sooner, go trouble other people, it’ll save me and Little Uncle from worrying.” Young Master’s hand holds his usual purple jade fan, speaking in a half joking, half serious manner.

Ying Lu’s voice carries slight anger, “Always saying I’m immature, just in what way am I considered immature? Must I keep a coffin face (to look dead = impassive and emotionless) all day like Liu Ru Xu?”

I very unkindly amuse myself, coffin, gosh seeing coffin again! Even if Liu Ru Xu is a coffin face, that is definitely an ‘exceedingly stunning’ coffin.

Young Master also gives rise to a slight smile, “All that is needed is to change the way you speak with lack of propriety, truly a short temper.”

Ying Lu extends her finger and points at herself: “I, and Liu Ru Xu are not of the same path, stop dragging me and her together in future.”

Young Master’s handsome face shows a seeming smile, “Then you tell me, who is of the same path as you?”

Ying Lu smack one hand onto the table, swiftly pointing right at me, saying: “Her.”

Young Master strokes his chin as he eyes me over, dismissingly saying: “Didn’t think you would like this fool.”

Ying Lu proudly grabs my arm, “Only her alone, none other! I don’t care, you have to lend her to me this afternoon, I’ll go to Pei Yu Court with her.”

Young Master lightly knocks the purple jade fan against the palm of his hand, thin lips gently pursed together, before decisively saying, “Sure.”

From start to finish, I, the main character in all of this did not give my own opinion, what I was thinking about is another matter, why do I feel that Young Master’s intentions was to have Ying Lu bring me along? Could it be that I have also become muddled with conspiracy theories like a certain someone……?

This truly is a disaster more tragic than a tragedy.

When Ying Lu and I appear on the streets together, I suddenly feel like a whole generation had past, streams of people busily coming and going in the crowd, pedlars boisterously shouting sales, the gorgeously dressed young women, the young people pretending to be talented and romantic……I sigh thinking: “Sky ah, you are indeed more blue outside, people ah, you are indeed more livelier outside.”

“You all go and wait for me at Pei Yu Court first, I’ll head over in a while.” Ying Lu orders the several retainers behind us, then turns to me and says: “Ah-Lan, let’s go take a look around.”

I express my opinion with action, pulling her hand as I say: “Sure.”

Ying Lu slightly furrows her fine brows, “Where shall we go?”

I tug her hand, “Young Lady, follow me.” Following me, there will be things to eat.

But, not long after I find myself feeling very confused.

Why has the person selling candied gourd changed? In fact, him changing isn’t the most important matter, the most important matter is, why does he look so much like Mu Yi who’s under Eldest Cousin?

Why has the person selling dumplings also changed? In fact, whether he is warmly welcoming customers or not doesn’t matter, what matters is why does his bandit face look exactly the same as Mu Er who’s under Eldest Cousin?

Why has the lady owner selling pancakes changed as well? In fact, whether she is pretty or not, Xi Shi like or not (Xi Shi – one of the four greatest beauties of china), it’s really got nothing to do with me, but why does her seductive gestures look so similar to that of the split personality tomboy – Ling Zhi – who’s under Eldest Cousin?

Alright, I admit I am all muddled up, but I then very wretchedly think: could it be that the General Estate has fallen to a new low, for the three greatest masters under him to be reduced to selling street food for a living?

With great frustration, I think, Eldest Cousin, Yuwen Rui, you are amazing, extremely amazing……