Was It a Good Look?
Lin Xizhao looked at the man before her, who seemed a bit older than she was. After a moment of stunned silence, she glanced around.
This was the area for the female family members1, how could a man have entered? Moreover, this person even knew her personal name2.
Lin Xizhao took a few steps back, and after offering a slight bow3, she kept her head down and prepared to leave.
If she were seen speaking with a man here, even if there was nothing illicit between them, she was still afraid of others chewing the root of the tongue4. But just as Lin Xizhao took a step to the side, intending to leave, the man followed her again, moving to block her path.
“Miss Xizhao, I am Zixiang from the Estate of Marquis Yongshen. We met when we were children, do you not recognize me?” the man said, refusing to yield and refusing to forgive5. Seeing that Lin Xizhao was about to leave, his speech quickened.
Lin Xizhao heard him and looked up at him. Although she didn’t have the ability to not forget what passes before the eyes6, she would naturally recognize someone if she had met them. But she was certain she had never seen the person before her.
A polite smile touched the corners of Lin Xizhao’s lips. After a nod, she once again tried to walk around this man who claimed to be the young master of the Estate of Marquis Yongshen. But just as Lin Xizhao was about to move, he actually extended an arm, once again blocking her way.
Blocked, Lin Xizhao hastily retreated a few steps to maintain her distance from him. She looked up at the man, perplexed, a trace of fear now in her eyes.
Zhao Jiayu chased him over the wall. The moment she landed, she saw a man in fine clothes running toward the courtyard gate. Zhao Jiayu’s teeth itched7 with hatred; there was no way she was letting him escape. But just as she used Qinggong8, the man also used Qinggong. After a short chase, Zhao Jiayu failed to catch up. As she bent over, hands on her knees and panting for breath, she saw the man up ahead get tripped by something as he passed through an archway.
Zhao Jiayu watched the scene unfold, her brow furrowing in sympathetic pain at the way the man fell. But when she saw the person who stepped out from the side, she broke into a smile.
Qu Yu, dressed in magnificent dark green robes, had one foot planted on the man he had just tripped. He turned his head to the side to look at Zhao Jiayu, a wide smile on his face.
Seeing this, Zhao Jiayu forgot her exhaustion and trotted over to Qu Yu, asking with a grin, “What are you doing here?”
Hearing this, Qu Yu cupped his hands in salute9 and said, “Our Estate of Marquis Qu also received an invitation from Princess Fucheng.” Although Qu Sheng had not yet reached the age of hair-pinning, the Estate of Marquis Qu still had three unmarried young masters.
Zhao Jiayu nodded. She wasn’t a stranger to Qu Yu, having met him countless times, but this was the first time it had been just the two of them.
As they were talking, the man under Qu Yu’s foot began to stir restlessly. They both looked down at the same time, and Zhao Jiayu planted a foot on him as well.
“This scoundrel threw something at me just now, and then he dared to run,” Zhao Jiayu said, rolling up her sleeves.
Seeing this, Qu Yu chuckled. “Sister Jiayu, don’t be hasty. It might not be proper to use rough methods within the Prince’s Estate.” The guests attending the banquet here were either rich or noble. If someone were to get injured, it would surely be difficult to explain.
Zhao Jiayu was straightforward and didn’t think that far ahead. But the people of the Qu family were each and every one a human spirit10.
Hearing Qu Yu say it was improper to get violent, the man under their feet hurriedly opened his mouth. “I am Qi—” Before he could finish, Qu Yu forcefully shoved the tip of his foot into the man’s mouth, muttering, “Whoops, that was close. Almost let him speak.”
Zhao Jiayu watched Qu Yu’s actions, blinking her large eyes in confusion. She looked at Qu Yu and asked, “Why did you gag him?”
Hearing this, Qu Yu looked at Zhao Jiayu’s adorably clueless expression and gestured with a hooked finger.
Zhao Jiayu’s brow furrowed slightly, but she still leaned her ear closer.
Qu Yu whispered a few sentences in Zhao Jiayu’s ear. The expression on her face changed again and again, until finally, she couldn’t help but break into a wide grin.
The two found a large vat in the courtyard where water lilies were planted. Zhao Jiayu pushed aside the water lilies in a clear spot and looked back at the man, whose mouth had been stuffed tightly with a handkerchief by Qu Yu. “This spot will do, right?” she asked.
Qu Yu craned his neck to look. “It’s still missing something,” he said.
“Missing what?” Zhao Jiayu glanced at the water lily vat, then back at Qu Yu. Weren’t they just teaching this guy a lesson? What else was needed to ‘wash his face’ for him?
“You come hold him down.” Qu Yu beckoned for Zhao Jiayu to take his place pinning the man, whose hands were crossed behind his back.
Zhao Jiayu didn’t know what Qu Yu was up to, but she did as she was told. Qu Yu walked to the large vat, rolled up his sleeves, and plunged his hand into the water lily pot, submerging half his arm. A moment later, Zhao Jiayu saw a layer of murky water mixed with silt roll up from the clear water in the vat. Her eyes instantly lit up.
When it came to playing pranks, one really had to look to the Qu family. Zhao Jiayu had learned this many years ago, though her heart still ached when she heard about the fifty thousand taels11 of gold paid in compensation to the family of State Uncle Cheng. That was an amount of income her Zhao Estate wouldn’t see for several years.
After Qu Yu finished stirring up the silt in the water vat, he lifted his chin slightly, signaling for Zhao Jiayu to bring the man over.
Getting Qu Yu’s signal, Zhao Jiayu kicked the man forward a few steps. The man stumbled right into Qu Yu, who raised his hands to steady him, saying in a mock tone, “My, my, you haven’t even had a drink yet. Why perform such a grand salute?”
Before the man could regain his balance, Qu Yu pulled him a step forward, then yanked the handkerchief from his mouth. Before the man could speak, Qu Yu shoved his head into the vat.
Silty bubbles gurgled to the surface of the water. Watching from the side, the anger in Zhao Jiayu’s heart dissipated in an instant, only to be replaced by worry.
“This won’t kill him, will it?” Although Zhao Jiayu had a bad temper, she was very soft-hearted.
Hearing this, Qu Yu turned his head and smiled. “Then, should we call it off?”
Zhao Jiayu hesitated for a moment, then heard Qu Yu say, “Don’t worry, I know my limits.” With that, Qu Yu pulled the man’s head up. He admired his handiwork as he watched the man, his face covered in mud, gasp for air. Just as the man had caught his breath and was about to shout, Qu Yu raised a hand and stuffed the same handkerchief back into his mouth.
With his head dripping mud, the man’s eyes widened as he mumbled incoherently. Qu Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes on his face. “At the banquet just now, you and that person were sending brows and trading glances12, was it all to do this?” he asked.
Hearing this, the man’s expression switched from anger to nervousness in an instant, and he immediately fell silent. Seeing the change in the man’s face, the smile on Qu Yu’s face vanished. He once again removed the handkerchief from the man’s mouth and plunged his head back into the silty water.
“Sister Jiayu, I’ll clean up here later. You should head back first.” Although he saw nothing wrong with it, Zhao Jiayu was a young lady. For her to be wandering around someone’s courtyard and run into two men—it wouldn’t sound good if word got out.
Zhao Jiayu was still processing Qu Yu’s question. Hearing his words, she paused for a second before saying, “Then you be careful. Let him go in a bit.” Getting hit with a dirt clod was infuriating, but not worth taking a life over.
Qu Yu smiled gently. “Don’t worry. Hurry back now.”
Zhao Jiayu looked at the man still blowing bubbles in the water, then glanced again at Qu Yu, who was smiling at him in a way that was harmless to humans and livestock13. After a moment’s hesitation, she turned and left.
After being entangled by this man claiming to be the young master of the Estate of Marquis Yongshen, Lin Xizhao kept her distance while he chattered on, introducing himself.
Although the Marquis Yongshen and Marquis Zhengyi were both of marquis households, the former had fallen into decline after several generations. Lin Xizhao knew that although the Marquis of Yongshen held a post at court, it was an insignificant one. As for their family’s young master, she truly had no impression of him. If they had met, it must have been when they were children.
“You don’t recognize me?” Song Zixiang had rattled on about all the times he had supposedly seen Lin Xizhao, but her expression remained somewhat indifferent.
“Young Master Song, you and I are not familiar. I must trouble you to make way,” Lin Xizhao’s tone was uncharacteristically cold.
What kind of man corners an unmarried14 young woman in someone else’s estate, spouting such nonsense?
Hearing this, Song Zixiang seemed not to realize that Lin Xizhao was already angry. He quickly said, “Where does Miss Xizhao wish to go? I am very familiar with this place, I can lead the way for you.”
“There is no need.” Wherever she was going, she didn’t need a man to lead her. They were neither relatives nor friends; if someone saw them, how could she possibly explain?
Seeing that Song Zixiang still wouldn’t move, Lin Xizhao’s brow furrowed. She glanced toward a slightly wider spot to Song Zixiang’s side.
It seemed Song Zixiang noticed her intention to pass from there, as he subconsciously shifted his body half a step to block it.
The small path was only wide enough for two people. With him standing in the middle, Lin Xizhao would have to touch him if she wanted to get by. Lin Xizhao’s brow furrowed even more tightly. She looked up at the man before her, an inexplicable frustration rising in her heart.
“Sister.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Xizhao thought she had misheard. When she turned her head to look, Qu Ting appeared before her.
“Elder Brother15.” Upon seeing Qu Ting, the crease between Lin Xizhao’s brows unconsciously smoothed out. A slight smile appeared on her face as she watched him walk over.
Qu Ting’s expression was gentle, wearing the same smile he reserved for Qu Sheng as he approached.
Song Zixiang also turned his head at the sound. Seeing Qu Ting approach, he froze for a moment, then an awkward smile appeared on his face. “Brother Qu Ting, what brings you here?”
Qu Ting heard him, but acted as if he hadn’t. He walked straight past Song Zixiang to Lin Xizhao’s side and said gently, “Aunt16 is also here today. She didn’t see you at the banquet and sent someone to have me come find you.”
Lin Xizhao’s eyes flickered slightly at his words, and she quickly understood. “I’ve troubled Elder Brother to make this trip. I will head over right now.”
Qu Ting nodded, then his gaze shifted to Song Zixiang, sharp and severe.
Seeing this, Song Zixiang watched as both Qu Ting and Lin Xizhao looked at him. A moment later, he realized and quickly moved aside.
Once Song Zixiang cleared the path, Lin Xizhao gave a nod of courtesy and walked past him. Qu Ting remained where he was, his eyes fixed on Song Zixiang, who was watching Lin Xizhao’s departing figure. Only when she had disappeared from sight did Song Zixiang reluctantly turn his head back.
“Was it a good look?” Qu Ting’s voice was no longer gentle. It was laced with an iciness that seemed on the verge of erupting into killing intent.
Hearing this, Song Zixiang looked up at Qu Ting guiltily. He forced an awkward smile and said, “I—I have something to attend to, I’ll take my leave now.”
Qu Ting watched the young master from the Estate of Marquis Yongshen flee, leaving the wilderness behind17. He lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then walked toward the courtyard exit.
A carriage from the Qu family was still waiting outside. After leaving Prince Fucheng’s Estate, Qu Ting walked toward the carriage parked in the shade of a tree.
Qu Ting stood by the carriage, saying something. After a long while, a fair hand with well-defined knuckles lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. Qu Sheng’s clear and bright voice said, “Thank you for your trouble, Third Elder Brother. I’ll just wait for Xizhao here. You can go back inside.”
Qu Ting heard this and nodded. “Then I’ll go inform her.”
Hidden from outsiders’ view, Qu Sheng nodded. Watching Qu Ting re-enter the estate, she lowered the curtain.
A long time later, Qu Sheng felt the carriage shift. When she looked up, Lin Xizhao had already entered.
“How long have you been waiting here?” Lin Xizhao’s heart ached for her. She had just returned to the banquet and spoken with her adoptive mother for a bit when a servant from the Qu estate came to tell her that Qu Sheng was waiting for her outside the estate gates. That’s when she had hurried out.
“Not long.” Qu Sheng’s dazed expression made Lin Xizhao’s heart ache even more. They had only been apart for half a day, how could this little one miss her so much that she chased her all the way here?
Jinyun Fei was attending today in place of the Qu family’s third sister-in-law, which was why Qu Ting and Qu Yu had also come along.
Lin Xizhao sat with Qu Sheng in the carriage for a while, but she had to go back. The banquet wasn’t over yet; she had only said she was stepping out for a walk. Staying out too long might attract gossip.
Hearing Lin Xizhao say she had to return, reluctance filled Qu Sheng’s eyes. Lin Xizhao’s heart ached for this younger sister, who seemed so delicate and gentle in her eyes. She couldn’t help but give her a hug. “You go back to the estate first. Once things are over here, I’ll come pick you up directly, alright?” Lin Xizhao tried to coax Qu Sheng into returning home first; it wasn’t proper to wait by the roadside.
The weather was hot, and she was also afraid Qu Sheng would get stuffy in here.
Qu Sheng didn’t answer. In her heart, she was worried about Lin Xizhao. The events that occurred at Prince Fucheng’s Estate today were not what she had anticipated. It was only because the Lin estate’s second mistress had said yesterday that Princess Fucheng had specifically requested Lin Xizhao’s presence that she had felt uneasy and asked her two older brothers and mother to come along.
Of course, she already knew what had just happened. She had already sent Feng Qi to investigate the Estate of Marquis Yongshen.
Qu Sheng’s silence made Lin Xizhao guess that she was sulking again. The banquet was important, but the little one’s feelings in front of her were even more so.
Since Qu Sheng wouldn’t speak, Lin Xizhao could only stay in the carriage to keep her company. As they sat there, Lin Xizhao picked up the water jug from the carriage. Seeing the condensation on it, she guessed it was filled with a lot of crushed ice.
“Drinking cold things in secret again?” Lin Xizhao feigned a stern expression.
Hearing this, Qu Sheng looked a little guilty, but then she saw Lin Xizhao pour a cup of the sour plum drink18 inside and say gently, “Drink slowly.” It was too hot here. Although Qu Sheng was small, she ran very warm—in the winter nights, she was Lin Xizhao’s personal furnace. Drinking a little to cool off was fine, as long as she didn’t overdo it.
Hearing this, Qu Sheng’s little mouth moved, and just as she was about to reach for the cup, the carriage shook for a moment. The curtain was then thrown open, and Zhao Jiayu entered.
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao looked over at the same time. Lin Xizhao was used to it, but Qu Sheng subconsciously reached for the cup of sour plum drink in Lin Xizhao’s hand.
“I was wondering where I could find you. So you ran off here to have a secret rendezvous with Xiao Sheng’er,” Zhao Jiayu said as she bent down to step inside. The moment she sat down, she reached out and took the sour plum drink from Lin Xizhao’s hand, a brilliant smile on her face. “You knew I was coming and even prepared a cold drink for me. Thanks.”
Qu Sheng’s outstretched hand was left hanging in mid-air. Zhao Jiayu, sipping the sour plum drink, glanced over and saw Qu Sheng’s sullen face. She grinned happily and said, “Have your Sister Xizhao pour you another cup.”
Lin Xizhao saw the beads of sweat on Zhao Jiayu’s forehead and knew she had run over. She took another empty cup and poured some sour plum drink for Qu Sheng, asking, “Did you catch that guy?”
Zhao Jiayu had been waiting for Lin Xizhao to ask. “Of course we couldn’t let him get away! Let me tell you…” Zhao Jiayu spoke with flying brows and dancing colors19, but she never mentioned meeting Qu Yu. Qu Sheng accepted the sour plum drink Lin Xizhao poured for her and sipped it delicately, an imperceptible smile touching the corners of her lips.
When Zhao Jiayu got thirsty from talking, Lin Xizhao smilingly poured her another cup. The three of them stayed in the carriage for a long time. It wasn’t until the afternoon that Lin Xizhao and Zhao Jiayu returned to the Prince’s Estate, though they came out again not long after entering.
Lin Xizhao stood at the entrance of the estate and exchanged a few words with Yu-shi20. After Yu-shi nodded, Lin Xizhao could barely contain her steps, walking quickly toward Qu Sheng’s carriage.
Yu-shi watched as Lin Xizhao was helped onto the carriage by Qu Sheng, who was standing outside. She turned her head and asked the maidservant beside her, “Did the young master from the Estate of Marquis Yongshen manage to speak with the Young Miss?”
The author has something to say:
Qu Sheng: “I got to hug my wife again today. One day, I will personally carry her to bed.”
Lin Xizhao: “You’re not even as tall as me yet. What’s with all this talk about carrying.”
Qu Sheng: “……”
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