Chapter 34

[If you’re not reading this on chichilations, you’re reading a pointlessly stolen and lower-quality version. As always, thank you for liking and commenting.]

“Song San, cut me a catty of meat and pour me three jiao [1] of wine,” he says.

This person’s face is as white as jade and hair as black as ink, with bright and gorgeous red robes sprinkled with gold, a more than obvious brave aura, a leisurely charming pair of phoenix eyes, and a not-quite smile – who else could it be but Lan Guan’s lead actor, Yuan Qingyun?

The last time I’d seen him, I’d said too much out of my own impulsivity. His status here is nothing more than a male escort, which is really quite low, but I was born into a modern society post-French Revolution and Human Rights Declaration. How could I not know to have a bit of respect for the livelihoods of others? It’s why a felt a little bad in hindsight.

Seeing him now, I naturally feel a bit awkward. I had a costume on anyways, and the lighting is dim, so I lowered my head to eat the dog meat and hope he doesn’t see me.

However, Heaven-asked hopes like this don’t ever succeed. Yuan Qingyun had only just sat down, when his eyes wandered and cast themselves where I was. Seeing Tian Chun and I, he startled, then the corner of his mouth slowly rippled into a smirk.

And since I’m no good at acting like I don’t see him, I set down my chopsticks and also give him a faint smile.

I don’t know if it’s my imagination or what, but in the gloom of this place, there was a second where it seemed like a fire had ignited in Yuan Qingyun’s eyes, dying out in the next. It reminded me of a predator hidden within the depths of a secluded rainforest, though the light was instantly hidden behind a happy face.

He gets up and walks towards me. I’ll be honest; Asian men rarely have such a beautiful figure. Just his simple action of standing up is full of power and grace.

Yuan Qingyun sat next to me. “I never thought you’d come to a place like this, Sir.”

I laugh. “I also never thought you’d come to a place like this, Qingyun.”

He abruptly laughed, reaching out to grab my face. I subconsciously evaded him but didn’t manage to avoid it, and he held my face with both hands. He used his thumbs to wipe the soot off my face a bit too forcefully, hurting me. I want to break free, but was fixed in place by his hands and couldn’t get my wish granted.

His eyelashes hung down as he looked at me. “Such a pretty face. Why cover it up?” He murmured very close to me.

His voice is very alluring, but only serves to make me uncomfortable. The very self-confident guy continues to entice me. “I never see you these days, Sir. It breaks Qingyun’s heart.”

He’s too close, breath puffing out against my face. It’s not as if it smells, and I don’t hate it much, but… I really just like Jinzi’s breath the best, y’know.

I keep smiling. “Qingyun is so beautiful, who knows how many people are captivated by him. Why should he have his mind set on this official?”

The impudent bloke is as daring as ever, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other hand gently caressing my face, then sliding down to my neck, stroking it up and down lightly, obviously trying to tantalize me.

I shoot a glance at Tian Chun. He’s clearly used to stuff like this happening, bowing his head and eating the dog meat without a sideways glance as if Yuan Qingyun and I don’t exist; he’s probably thinking that because Yuan’s so good-looking, I’d be more than happy about this. Seeing me look at him, he quickly says, “Sir, I’ll go stand guard outside,” then gets up and leaves.

“Come back!” I shout at him, grabbing Yuan Qingyun’s restless hand at the same time and feigning a ridiculously good mood, “Eat your tasty meat! Waiting for it’ll be hard to do!”

Tian Chun paused, then picked up the plate of meat and strolled out. I called to him. He only chuckled at me.

Right at this moment, Song San came up with the wine. Seeing how Yuan Qingyun and I were, he stared and stood there like a corpse, seemingly stunned by my appearance, and seemingly hesitating on whether to do something or not, the wine he carried stuck in its position.

I recalled what Song San had said before, and I’m greatly ashamed at once. I throw off Yuan Qingyun and force out a smile to Song San. “We’ve troubled you. Your craftsmanship is good, as expected.”

Upon hearing me speak, Song San returned to his senses. Still staring, he set the wine down and escaped back into the kitchen without saying a word, making me very flustered.

Old Tian would later tell me that, a very long time after this and following the die-out of their feud, that Song San had said something like so: “…I was thinking at the time that it was no wonder…being more comely than an 18-year-old miss, and not at all as vicious as others say, with an even temperament, not cursing or getting angry, but actually being friendly to me…no wonder even the menfolk are fond of him…”

Now that Song San’s gone, though, I’m left alone with Yuan Qingyun. I didn’t even think about eating the meat as I got up with the intention of walking out. To my surprise, Yuan Qingyun pulled on my wrist, sentencing me to falling into his embrace. I struggled to get up only to be pulled back to him, his arms like iron bars, binding me so that I couldn’t move an inch. He lowered his face to mine, his lips muttering into my ear, “So, you really don’t like me…that’s just astonishing…”

I’m furious, growling at him, “Let go of me right now, do you want to die?… I don’t like your type. Is there anyone in this country who would?”

He made a series of chuckles into my ear, sending a numb shock through my heart and tailbone at the same time.

“How can you know if you’ve never tried? Sir, try it… at least once. Qingyun promises that you’ll feel enough bliss to ascend to the Heavens, so much bliss you’ll forget to go home…” The extremely bewitching voice has stopped, and this unscrupulous bastard’s hand is still going towards my lower half. I really…can’t stand him at all.

I snatched his hand. I didn’t even know I had the capacity to be so lightning-fast.

“Shameless!” I eyed him coldly.

He gazed at me, a cynical and disrespectful grin spreading on his face, but he slowly relaxed his hands. I got up. He also stood up, lithely and wordlessly. His expression and smile made me think of a feline on the hunt, assessing its prey from a safe distance before it strikes. I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel a bit of dread in my heart, a chill on my back.

“Tian Chun!” I promptly decided to call, keeping my face towards him without revealing my trepidation and keeping my voice calm and collected. “We should go.”

Within a few seconds, the chilliness suddenly faded away, as if I was prey knowing on instinct and intuition that the predator had presently given up the attack. I uncontrollably sigh in relief.

Tian Chun responded and rushed in.

From beginning to end, Yuan Qingyun’s posture hasn’t changed a bit, though his smile is even more sardonic, his eyes even more provocative.

When I walked out with Old Tian – I don’t know if it was in response to his seductive expression, or if I was unconvinced of the oppressive feeling he gave me, or what – I paused, looked back, fixed my eyes on him, and slowly raised the corner of my mouth into a smirk, saying, “Maybe I will find you… to try it once.”

When I returned to the Residence with Old Tian, it was already the latter part of shenshi (3-5PM). Hong Feng informed me that Shao Qing had sent people to deliver a horse. Delighted, I go directly to the stables, and sure enough, I see a very tall horse with a coat a bit more vivid than a blood bay’s [2], an exceptionally spirited stallion.

It stood in the middle of stable, with no other horses daring to approach it, nor daring to eat from the same trough.

This is a beast fit for a king, impressive and lofty.

I feel a hard-to-scratch itch in my heart to go up and pet it, but Hong Feng’s sleeve swept up and blocked my hand. “Sir, this horse is very fierce. General Shao told us to urge you to take extreme caution. The stableboy was kicked by it and now won’t come near it.”

The horse seems like it heard her, drawing up its front leg, raising its head, and letting out a long neigh, its mane flying out, completely proud of itself.

I thought about it, then had Hong Feng fetch some candied pine nuts. Cupping them in my hands, I approach carefully.

The horse threateningly let out a burst of air from its nose, its back hooves beginning to dig into the ground.

I’m careful not to go past a safe distance, moving very slowly, letting it see all of my actions. I place the pine nut candies on top of the stable’s railing, drawing back afterwards.

It looked at me and the candies with suspicion. After a bit of hesitation, it rolled out its long tongue and scooped a piece of candy into its mouth. Chewing on that, it immediately found it was delicious, and swept the rest of them into its mouth, making loud crunching noises as it ate.

The candy was quickly annihilated, and the arrogant horse looked at me with a gaze that demanded more, hind legs digging in the dirt restlessly.

I’m thinking that I can take a risk and slowly approach it. Its expectation is clearly outweighing its vigilance now, but it still wasn’t completely relaxed, closely watching as my right hand extended towards it. I flashed my hand past its tongue as it took what was in it, placing it on its wide, hairy snout. The horse, indignant, bit my hand.

Hong Feng cried out in alarm, sending out her slim jadeite palm to slap the horse with stored-up power. “Hong Feng!” I yelled at her.

That palm stopped in midair, anxiety and fright written all across Hong Feng’s face as she looked at me.

I shook my head at her.

The horse’s bite hurt a bit, but wasn’t actually very strong. It just doesn’t want to re-open its mouth.

I gently and cautiously reach out with my other hand, softly petting the horse’s nose. I speak softly, “Good horse, nice horse. Don’t be scared, let me go now…”

The horse didn’t release me, but it also didn’t have a poor reaction to my other hand.

I then lightly but firmly tried to pry open the horse’s mouth. The horse was tense, but didn’t insist upon things staying as they were, allowing me to open its mouth and take back my right hand.

As soon as I was freed, I immediately launched a follow-up offensive, going to touch the horse’s noggin. It leaned its head to the side, avoiding my hand as if it’s my child who’s being difficult, but at least it didn’t bite or threaten me.

I end up stroking the air, but wasn’t at all discouraged, continuing the struggle and once again reaching for it. I finally succeed in getting my hand on it this time, though it looks as if it’s allowing this only with strenuous effort.

Pleased with myself, I pet it this way and that and deliberately mess up its mane.

All of a sudden, there was a “pfffft” noise, which was unexpectedly from Hong Feng being unable to keep in her laughter.

I twisted my head around to look at her. Seeing the mature Hong Feng actually bust out laughing from watching my antics just now, I’m feeling greatly embarrassed and a little ribbed.

When Hong Feng saw my embarrassment, she held back her laughter and said, “Sir, Hong Feng is going to get dinner ready. You should stay here and… train the horse.”

She considerately walked off.

Unexpectedly, Jinzi flashstepped in at the same time she vanished.

Seeing him, I’m automatically happy. “Jinzi, come look at my new horse! I heard that Akhal-Tekes sweat dark red blood, but I don’t know if that’s true or not. Do you want to test and find out?”

But then I saw the dust all over him, the weariness on his face, and his cold expression. I stare, the smile slowly wiping off my face.

His coldly livid words have already poured over to me. “Where did you run off to? Why didn’t you say anything? I searched more than half the capital! Do you not want to live anymore?…” He seems to be so enraged that he’s lost a bit of control of himself, reaching out to grab me by the shoulder and shaking me, each word a stabbing icicle. “Your life is mine!”

What Jinzi meant to say is “I didn’t know where you were so I got worried”, but he has the emotional maturity of a peanut.

[1] 角 is being used as a unit of measurement for liquids, but I can’t find out exactly how much it’s supposed to be. The only real “unit” I can find is for a fraction of a yuan, which is, uh… future money. I dunno. Let’s all just use our imagination.

[2] The breed in question is called a “jujube red horse”, and I really don’t know what exactly that breed is in English, so I just went with a horse with a red coat. /shrug