Chapter 14: Bestowal of Favor (2)

Before long, Madam Xu returned with a sullen expression and said, “Lady Yuehua, when you go to Young Master Jiang’s room in a while, if he offends you, please don’t take it to heart—he truly is unwell.”

“Then I shall come another day,” Yuehua sighed, turning to leave.

This wouldn’t do for Madam Xu. How could she return silver that was already in hand?

Truth be told, she was overthinking it. The silver Yuehua gave, even if the timing was unfortunate and they didn’t meet, would never be asked to be returned.

Madam Xu immediately stepped forward to stop her, and after much coaxing and persuasion, finally convinced Yuehua to go up and take a look herself.

Madam Xu led Yuehua and her maid up the stairs and pushed open the door to Jiang Qionglin’s room amidst the blooming peonies. The moment they entered, a faint medicinal fragrance drifted through the air, spreading throughout the room.

“I’ll leave you two to talk. I’ll take my leave,” Madam Xu chuckled, closing the door as she slipped out.

Yuehua was in no rush. She sat calmly on a guest chair in front of the screen, her head turned toward the vague silhouette of someone sleeping on the luohan bed behind it.

Neither of them spoke first.

The candlelight flickered, casting dim shadows that danced throughout the sensual chamber, making even one’s breath grow unconsciously heavy.

An Suyun stood silently beside her, not daring to speak. Yuehua, however, seemed to be in good spirits, casually picking up a volume of Selected Poems of the Cool Wind from the table and reading it.

Time slipped away like flowing water.

A watchman’s call sounded from outside. Suyun exclaimed, “Madam, it’s already the third watch!”

“No hurry,” Yuehua didn’t even lift her brow, continuing to read page after page, as if she’d truly found something fascinating.

At that moment, the person on the bed could no longer stay still. He slowly sat up, trembling slightly, and stepped off the bed.

He slowly walked around the screen and came to stand before her.

Under the flickering candlelight, Jiang Qionglin was wrapped in a golden halo. She couldn’t clearly make out his features, but she could see the slight upward curve of his lips, and the faintly visible collarbone beneath the black silk at his neck.

Dressed in only a thin robe, he looked like an otherworldly being.

Yuehua was struck speechless at the sight of Jiang Qionglin. Unconsciously, she stared in a daze.

“Madam.” An Suyun lightly cleared her throat beside her.

Only then did Yuehua snap out of it, offering an apologetic smile. Her eyes softened with pity and tenderness as she said, “Young Master truly is of a beauty that could bring down nations—graced with elegance and marred by frailty.”

Hearing this, and noticing her refined manner of speaking, Jiang Qionglin finally lifted his gaze to properly observe the woman before him.

Though she wore men’s clothing, it was still easy to discern her dignified and noble demeanor. She carried herself with grace and elegance, and there wasn’t a trace of excess fat on her body—not the type he disliked.

This was his first impression of her. Other than that, perhaps due to a natural aversion, he didn’t care much for the patrons of the Huanyi Pavilion. So he gave a gentle smile, distant and formal, and said: “Qionglin is ill and cannot serve Madam. I beg your pardon for the long wait.”

Jiang Qionglin said “Madam” three times in a row—any fool could hear the resentment in his tone.

Yet Yuehua merely gave a faint smile, unhurried and composed. “No matter. Just being able to speak with you is a pleasure in itself.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qionglin suddenly had an illusion.

He felt, almost dreamlike, that the entire world was within her grasp. That only someone like her could be so effortlessly calm with every smile and gesture.

Or perhaps she was simply born with such a composed nature.

After a brief silence, Yuehua instructed Suyun to lay out the Spring Tree and Hundred Blossoms Competing in Beauty Scroll on the table, spreading it open fully.

Jiang Qionglin was stunned. He stared at it for a long moment before finally speaking in barely contained excitement: “This Spring Tree and Hundred Blossoms Competing in Beauty Scroll is the work of the great literary figure Han Yue of the previous dynasty. Its colors are vivid, its blossoms diverse—especially the topmost peony, lush and magnificent, noble and graceful. Every petal and stem is lifelike. One can see the delicacy of the brushwork, the meticulous thought behind it. To combine so many flowers into a single scroll without discord—it is truly a rare treasure.”

“Your eye is keen, Young Master,” Yuehua praised with a nod.

Jiang Qionglin gave a slight smile. “However, it’s said that the original was stored in the high attic of the Daming Palace. I suppose yours is a copy by some master?”

Yuehua was briefly taken aback, then laughed heartily and waved her hand. “Real or fake, it matters little. This is simply my token of goodwill—please accept it.”

“Many thanks, Lady Yuehua. It’s already late—I shall see you out,” Jiang Qionglin cupped his hands and rose to his feet to escort her.

Yuehua didn’t linger. She stood and began to leave, but before she had taken a few steps, she heard Jiang Qionglin call out softly from behind, “Wait.”

“Hm?” Yuehua turned to look at him.

Jiang Qionglin hesitated, words on the tip of his tongue, until at last, he steeled himself and said, “Stay the night.”

Yuehua was caught off guard by his sudden words and frowned in confusion. “Why the sudden change of heart, Young Master?”

Only then did Jiang Qionglin explain the agreement he had made with Madam Xu.

The core of their arrangement revolved around a single word—money.

Jiang Qionglin was her cash cow. He had promised Madam Xu that no matter who he had to entertain in the future, he would not complain. But on the opening day of the new year, he would choose a girl who suited his taste.

Madam Xu had no reason to refuse, so she indulged his whim and held a grand celebration for the occasion—just so he could cast off the label of a common courtesan, and she could make a fortune.

But to his dismay, the girl he chose passed up the golden opportunity and fled at the last moment.

Frustrated, Jiang Qionglin fell ill. He had appointments scheduled today as well, but due to his condition, all meetings had been postponed.

“Then I’ve come at just the right time?” Yuehua covered her mouth with a laugh and nodded to Suyun.

Ansu Yun immediately understood and quietly left the room.

Now, only Yuehua and Jiang Qionglin remained inside.

“Come sit on the bed,” Jiang Qionglin said softly. In Yuehua’s ears, the words sounded like a spell, and she nearly obeyed him entirely, sitting down beside him.

They sat a little apart, enough space between them for another person to sit. Their bodies were slightly stiff, and neither spoke.

Yuehua turned slightly, her gaze soft as she looked at the graceful lines of his side profile, lost in the beauty of the moment.

Jiang Qionglin felt her gaze lingering for a long time. Seeing that she still made no move, he finally turned to her and asked, “Doesn’t Madam want to?”

“Want what?” Yuehua’s eyes were clear, without a trace of desire, which made Jiang Qionglin flush with embarrassment.

He shook his head and changed the topic. “What is it that makes you so calm?”

“You,” Yuehua replied honestly. Looking at Jiang Qionglin, the world seemed to quiet around her.

Jiang Qionglin shook his head again. “You know that’s not what I meant. I know you must have a story.”

“Who doesn’t have a story?” Yuehua countered.

Jiang Qionglin sighed and nodded silently.

After a long silence, Yuehua finally spoke softly. “Let me answer you with a line from Gu Zhen’guan.”

“Oh?” Jiang Qionglin hadn’t expected her to be familiar with Gu Zhen’guan and leaned in slightly to listen.

Yuehua said calmly, “I too have drifted for long, for ten years, all deep gratitude exhausted, life and death alike with none to turn to.” As she spoke, she smiled gently, her eyes soft, yet unable to hide a certain desolation.

“I’m sorry…”

“You’ve done nothing to be sorry for—why apologize?” Yuehua smiled gracefully. “What woman hasn’t fantasized about love in her girlhood? I was no exception.”

“What made you become so distant, so detached?” Jiang Qionglin asked more earnestly, finding this woman in front of him as unfathomable as a deep, never-ending book—full of grace, with undimmed ambition.

Yuehua lowered her gaze, her eyes glinting as she thought for a moment before speaking plainly. “If you were born a woman, in the bloom of youth, wearing a phoenix coronet and bridal robe, entrusting yourself to the man you believed was the best in the world—and that man betrayed you—what would be left but indifference, resentment, and anger?”

“I see…” Jiang Qionglin didn’t want to dwell on the topic. He shifted again, changing the subject. “So now, do you plan to remain like this forever?”

“But I have you now, don’t I? You are my flower of solace.” Yuehua smiled tenderly, unable to suppress the joy in her heart. She leaned in and lightly kissed him on the lips.

Jiang Qionglin, perhaps bewitched by the cool clarity of her gaze, felt heat surge through his body. He followed the momentum and pushed her down onto the bed, his lips returning to hers, lingering and tasting.

Neither of them knew who fell first, or whether it was love at first sight for both.

She was captivated by his beauty; he admired her intellect and elegance.

They were like fire and oil—one spark and everything ignited.

Jiang Qionglin’s hand slowly reached her chest, kneading it gently. Whether it was pain or something else, Yuehua suddenly opened her eyes, now completely clear.

She brushed his hand off her chest and pushed him slightly away. Looking straight into his eyes, she asked, word by word, “Are you content?”

“What?” Jiang Qionglin looked puzzled.

“In the prime of your life, serving others with your body—are you content to waste your life like this?” Yuehua’s eyes were full of calm warmth, but every word she spoke struck Jiang Qionglin’s heart like boiling oil.

Of course he wasn’t content!

But what could he do? He was a government slave. On his back was a branded mark of servitude that would never disappear. Even if he wanted to resist, what then?

Death would be easy. But if he wanted to live, he could only survive within this Huanyi Pavilion.

“Madam Yuehua speaks lightly. You were born into privilege, with wealth and status—it’s easy for you to dream boldly and walk proudly. But for me, Jiang Qionglin, to merely survive is already a blessing. How could I dare to dream of living upright like those outside?”

As he spoke, Jiang Qionglin kept a gentle smile. Then he stood up and stripped off all his clothes, standing naked in front of her.

The masculinity of his form overwhelmed Yuehua’s senses. Her blood surged, breath quickened, and she nearly fainted from the heat of the moment.

Jiang Qionglin, pleased with her reaction, said with a smile, “Did you come here to lecture me? Isn’t it because you wanted me? You’ve succeeded. I like you. I want you.”

With that, he once again pressed her down on the bed, kissing her deeply. His tongue roamed her mouth, savoring her sweetness, while his right hand slipped under her robe, teasing the peak of her breast.

As the two of them kissed passionately, sweating and losing control, he parted her legs. Her eyes were hazy, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his body, inviting him into hers.

She held him tightly—but just then, her hand touched a mark on his back.

It was a brand.

The mark of a government slave from the lowest caste.

In an instant, all heat and passion vanished. Yuehua pushed him away, firmly separating their bodies. She swiftly closed her robe and climbed down from the bed.