Thank you @Emme for the kofiss 1/3 （。ˇ ⊖ˇ）♡
Xu Yanqing’s wild laughter instantly died down. In fact, he choked himself into a coughing fit because his sudden attempt to suppress his laughter was too abrupt.
Yin Yanjun slowly walked over to the young master, gently patted his back, and said in a warm tone tinged with apology, “I’m sorry, I startled you, young master.”
Xu Yanqing waved his hand, his face flushed from coughing. Taoist Xuanchen turned and walked into the kitchen to pour him a glass of warm water. After drinking it, he recovered for a while before he could breathe properly.
“Taoist Master, how do you walk without making any sound?” Xu Yanqing’s forehead was slightly beaded with sweat from coughing. He directly used his sleeve to wipe it away.
Yin Yanjun pressed his arm back, took out a handkerchief from his own sleeve, and meticulously wiped the sweat from the young master’s forehead. “I was taught by many teachers when I was young, and over time, I got used to it.”
He seemed to smell the clean, crisp scent of Taoist Xuanchen. The handkerchief was already dirty, so Xu Yanqing reached out and took it. Under Yin Yanjun’s gaze, he seriously said, “The handkerchief is dirty. I’ll have Mu Yu wash it clean and then return it to you, Taoist Master.”
He turned his head, remembering his previous question, and asked with some curiosity, “How old were you then, Taoist Master?”
Yin Yanjun didn’t mind his snatched handkerchief. His gaze softened as he looked at the young master. “Probably three or four years old.” Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t quite remember. At that time, he was the Crown Prince of Daliang, and from birth, he was under the scrutiny of both the former court and the imperial harem.
“Only three or four years old!” Xu Yanqing couldn’t help but click his tongue. When he was three or four, he was probably still nestled in his grandparents’ arms, acting spoiled. Yet, the Taoist Master was already learning all sorts of knowledge at that age. It truly was hard work.
In his previous life, Xu Yanqing had seen professors explain imperial etiquette in historical documentaries. There were many details to pay attention to just in terms of walking. The emperor wore a crown with twelve eastern pearls, and when walking, he had to ensure those eastern pearls didn’t sway back and forth.
No wonder the Taoist Master had already been standing behind him, yet he hadn’t noticed at all. Xu Yanqing couldn’t help but sigh, if he were wearing such a crown, eight out of ten of those eastern pearls would probably hit him in the face, resulting in a face slapping outcome.
Because he had eaten a bowl of braised pork noodles in between, Xu Yanqing didn’t eat much at lunch. However, this time he finally didn’t throw up. It was just that Yin Yuancheng’s gaze at him across the dining table was somewhat shifty.
Xu Yanqing found it amusing, so he insisted on staring at him with a burning gaze. Yin Yuancheng wanted to scold the other party, but in the end, due to His Majesty also being present, he could only swallow the words that were about to come out. He ate the meal as stifled as could be, wishing the weather would clear up so he could quickly escape from the neurotic Young Master Xu.
The rain continued incessantly. Xu Yanqing had already slept in the morning, so he was exceptionally energetic in the afternoon. He had Mu Yu gather some neat wooden boards and a set of carving tools for him. Then he holed up in his room, busy with his “mechanical clock.”
However, he was bored staying in the room alone, and his period of heat hadn’t passed yet, so he “forced” Taoist Xuanchen, his life-saving medicine, to join him.
“Taoist Master, please do me a favor and help me paste all these blueprints onto the appropriate wooden boards.” Xu Yanqing blinked innocently at Yin Yanjun. He had to admit that Taoist Xuanche, this life-saving medicine, was indeed powerful; he felt more comfortable now than ever before, not just a little bit.
Yin Yanjun took the blueprints the young master handed him, then glanced at the wooden boards on the ground. Xu Yanqing had already had artisans cut these boards to the appropriate thickness for him earlier.
This was a bit difficult, but fortunately, Xu Yanqing was generous, so the carpenter happily agreed to the customer’s special request in the end.
Yin Yanjun carried a natural aloofness and coolness, but whenever he looked at the young master, he became gentle and elegant.
Learning from the young master, Yin Yanjun took a brush and applied special glue to the wooden board, then affixed a suitable-sized blueprint to it.
Watching him do these miscellaneous tasks unhurriedly, Xu Yanqing’s lips curled up slightly. He couldn’t help but playfully tease, “Taoist Master, your appearance is exquisite, and your eyes are like a painting, truly a pleasure to behold.”
Yin Yanjun’s eyes were slightly lowered. Hearing this, he looked up at the young master with a bit of bewilderment, wondering why he was suddenly so emotional.
Xu Yanqing felt exceptionally happy today. In the morning, he had teased Yin Yuancheng so much that the latter would make a face as if his nose wasn’t his nose and his eyes weren’t his eyes whenever he saw him. Now, he was delighted by the Taoist Master’s bewildered expression.
The young master laughed so hard his eyebrows curved, his body swaying back and forth. Yin Yanjun somewhat helplessly reached out a hand to support the other’s waist, fearing he might lose his balance and fall.
The Taoist Master’s hand was soft and warm. Xu Yanqing couldn’t help but tremble slightly when his waist was touched. In his previous life, he had never been this close to anyone, so this feeling was both strange and unique to him.
Putting away the smile on his face, Xu Yanqing lowered his head and continued carving the object in his hand, while also acting like a “harsh boss,” urging his little helper beside him: “Taoist Master, you must work hard, don’t think about being lazy!”
“Good.” Yin Yanjun replied seriously. His voice was very pleasant, clear and cool like jade, yet steady and powerful, making people feel very secure.
The gears of the mechanical clock pendulum required high precision, so Xu Yanqing carved very diligently. The young master, who was immersed in his own little world, had no time to deliberately tease others.
Xu Yanqing broke one escapement wheel, but fortunately, he had already made all the preparations and prepared several extra boards in advance.
What the young master was doing was somewhat new to Yin Yanjun, so after Yin Yanjun completed the task the young master had given him, he sat aside and watched the young master carve.
A disobedient strand of hair repeatedly fell beside the young master’s cheek. The young master pushed it up a few times, but seeing it still fall, he became annoyed and let it be, no longer bothering with it.
Yin Yanjun reached out his hand but stopped half an inch from the strand of hair. His heart trembled, and he pulled his fingers back as if he had been burned.
Even though Xu Yanqing was completely engrossed in the small object in his hand, he didn’t leave Yin Yanjun waiting for too long. Putting down his carving knife, Xu Yanqing couldn’t help but stretch. He felt that he had been too lazy recently; he had only been busy for a short while, and his body already felt so uncomfortable.
“Be careful, don’t strain your back.” The young master’s stretch was a bit exaggerated. Yin Yanjun looked at his slightly prominent abdomen and still reached out to place his hand on the young master’s waist.
At that moment, Xu Yanqing happened to put his hand down, and in that instant, his hand landed on Taoist Xuanchen’s hand.
Subconsciously, Xu Yanqing looked up at Taoist Xuanchen, only to see that the handsome Taoist had slightly red ears and a bit of bitterness in his eyes.
Seeing his appearance, Xu Yanqing’s heart felt ticklish, as if it had been scratched by something, and he just had to do something mischievous. So, he raised his hand and pulled one of the Taoist Master’s hands to his abdomen: “This little bean is now over four months old. Taoist Master, if you feel it, you might even feel fetal movement!”
In reality, the little bean in Xu Yanqing’s belly had a temperament very similar to his lazy father; it rarely moved. Sometimes Xu Yanqing even thought the little bean had some hidden ailment. But Qi Chen had taken his pulse many times, always saying the little bean was very healthy, and even joked that the little bean was as lazy as Xu Yanqing himself.
Xu Yanqing refused to admit that the little bean took after him. Perhaps it was like his Taoist Master father; after all, the Taoist Master was also a taciturn person.
Yin Yanjun’s hand landed on the young master’s warm abdomen. He was momentarily stunned, then reacted, his heart trembling. His hand on the young master’s abdomen didn’t dare to move, fearing he might scare the little bean inside.
Xu Yanqing looked at him again; his expression was somewhat evasive, a bit unnatural and reserved. Yin Yanjun longed to touch the young master’s belly but also felt it was presumptuous due to etiquette, so he avoided the other’s gaze in a self-deceiving manner.
Suddenly, Yin Yanjun felt as if a joyful fish slowly swam across his hand, brushing against the young master’s abdomen and also his palm.
“Are four-and-a-half-month-old babies already moving so much?” Yin Yanjun murmured softly. He had never had female companions or offspring and had never known that an infant developing in the womb would be like this. Xu Yanqing, on the other hand, didn’t have too many feelings about it; he could only say that the little bean was still giving face to his Taoist Master father, after all, Xu Yanqing himself rarely noticed the little bean’s movements.
“Young master, dinner’s ready!” Qi Chen habitually pushed the door open and walked in, at first not noticing the wooden boards all over the floor, but his eyes landed on the two people in the room.
He awkwardly raised his hand and scratched his head, but his gaze never moved away from the two of them: “Well, we can start eating anytime. Oh, and I’ll remember to knock next time.” After saying that, he reluctantly turned and walked out, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Xu Yanqing showed no hint of embarrassment at being caught; instead, he scoffed, “Qi Chen is becoming more and more unobservant these days.”
Yin Yanjun’s ear tips were slightly reddish. He gently withdrew his hand and steadily supported the young master beside him: “Be careful, there are wooden boards all over the floor.”
After helping the young master out of the room, Yin Yanjun walked back and meticulously gathered all the wooden boards in one place. The remaining discarded pieces of wood he held in his hand could be sent to the kitchen later to be used as firewood.
Yin Yuancheng and Wen Jing were washing their hands in the courtyard. Hearing the movement behind them, they both turned around in unison, staring dumbfounded at Yin Yanjun, who was holding discarded wooden boards in his arms.
Wen Jing didn’t even bother washing his hands and hurried forward, wanting to take the wooden boards from His Majesty’s hands. He had been too comfortable in Xu Family Village lately, even forgetting to attend to the emperor.
A farmhouse courtyard, naturally, couldn’t compare to an estate in the capital. The entire courtyard was only a few steps, so Yin Yanjun didn’t hand the wooden boards to Wen Jing: “I’ll do it myself, you two go eat first.”
Saying that, Yin Yanjun walked towards the kitchen under Wen Jing’s astonished and fearful gaze.
“Do you think your Taoist Master is becoming more down-to-earth now?” Xu Yanqing could guess Wen Jing’s identity, and he chuckled as he walked towards the water vat.
Wen Jing’s gaze was somewhat complex as he looked at Young Master Xu. He had served by His Majesty’s side for nearly twenty years, and could be said to have witnessed many trials and tribulations with His Majesty. Yet, this was the first time he had seen him so relaxed.
In fact, Wen Jing harbored a slight, baseless worry. Now, the young master of Marquis Wu’an’s family had caused such a significant change in His Majesty. He wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Don’t think about all that nonsense, go eat!” Xu Yanqing washed his hands and came over, seeing Wen Jing still standing there in a daze, a hint of understanding flashed in his heart.
Wen Jing snapped back to reality, instinctively feeling that he had done something wrong, and quickly bowed to Xu Yanqing: “Young Master Xu, I was impolite.” Regardless of whether this matter was good or bad, it should be decided by the emperor himself. He was merely a servant, how could he allow Young Master Xu to witness his unsightly expression?
Xu Yanqing waved his hand indifferently, his mindset completely carefree. He could somewhat understand Wen Jing’s thoughts.
In Wen Jing’s eyes, a random man had now tempted their pure-hearted, disciplined, and self-restrained emperor. For someone like Wen Jing, who served the emperor personally, to apologize to him, he couldn’t help but feel guilty.
So Xu Yanqing very casually draped his arm over Wen Jing’s shoulder: “Taoist Wen Jing, you’re overthinking it. Come on, come on, the three-delicacy soup tonight was specially made by Aunt Li for you three Taoist Masters. Go try it.”
Under Wen Jing’s astonished gaze, Xu Yanqing led him into the room. Yin Yuancheng, seeing this, pointed at Xu Yanqing with wide eyes and exclaimed, “You, you, you…” He stammered for a long time, unable to form a complete sentence.
Having spent so much time with Xu Yanqing, Qi Chen had long understood some of Young Master Xu’s little habits. He very calmly pulled the stammering Yin Yuancheng over to sit down, his eyes already fixed on the dinner on the table: “Wow, tonight’s dinner is so plentiful!”
One had to admit that Aunt Li’s cooking had long since conquered young Doctor Qi. Although the food in the farmhouse wasn’t as refined as in the capital, the happiness of eating large portions of meat and drinking abundant soup was incomparable to anything in the capital.
Yin Yanjun washed his hands and walked in slowly. Everyone had already started eating without specifically waiting for him. Yin Yuancheng saw that there was only a seat next to Xu Yanqing, the pervert, available. But he didn’t want His Majesty to sit next to Xu Yanqing, so he nudged Qi Chen next to him, wanting him to move over and make space for His Majesty.
However, Qi Chen, who was usually the most observant of people’s expressions, silently pretended to be foolish. Seeing Yin Yuancheng getting anxious, he even picked up his bowl and enthusiastically added more soup for him: “You like this soup, right? Come, come, don’t be shy, I’ll add more if you want to drink.”
By this time, Yin Yanjun had already sat down beside Xu Yanqing and even very considerately added soup for Xu Yanqing, that pervert.
Yin Yuancheng glared at Xu Yanqing, then turned his grief and indignation into appetite. He was going to eat Xu Yanqing, this mischievous little brat who was misleading His Majesty, into poverty.
Yin Yuancheng finally understood now. Xu Yanqing’s words this morning were just to fool him. In reality, Xu Yanqing was audacious enough to harbor ill intentions towards His Majesty. He was utterly shameless. When he returned to the capital, he would definitely make his sister break off all contact with this playboy.
Xu Yanqing didn’t care about the surging anger in Young Marquis Yin’s eyes. Was dinner not good, or was being a salted fish not joyful? In short, he felt that Yin Yuancheng was still young and didn’t know the joy of slacking off. Moreover, his internal fire was too strong. Tomorrow Qi Chen could get some calming medicine for this young marquis.
Yin Yuancheng was shoveling rice into his mouth like crazy when he suddenly felt a chill, shivered involuntarily, and instinctively felt someone was plotting against him. He looked up but saw nothing suspicious, so he could only lower his head and continue eating.
He was truly hungry. Qi Chen’s affectionate gaze fell on Yin Yuancheng, and he very thoughtfully picked up a few chopsticks full of vegetables for him.
After eating, Xu Yanqing habitually fell into a “food coma,” feeling listless and weak. Qi Chen routinely took his pulse, then, under Yin Yuancheng’s jaw-dropping gaze, placed his hand on Xu Yanqing’s stomach.
At that moment, Yin Yuancheng felt completely unwell. Was Xu Yanqing really this promiscuous? While stringing along young Doctor Qi, he also harbored ulterior motives for His Majesty. Now, in front of His Majesty, he was letting young Doctor Qi touch him, yet His Majesty’s expression remained as clear, calm, and serene as ever, showing no trace of anger, which left Yin Yuancheng no legitimate reason to erupt.
Actually, the moment Qi Chen placed his hand on his stomach, Xu Yanqing still felt unaccustomed to it as always. In fact, Qi Chen could clearly feel the young master’s involuntary dodge at that instant, so Qi Chen quickly moved his hand away from Xu Yanqing’s abdomen.
“Don’t hunch over on the chair right after eating. Rest a little, then get up and walk five laps in the courtyard,” Qi Chen said, coldly making a gesture.
Xu Yanqing, who only wanted to be a lazy salted fish, pulled a long face: “I’m so tired, I want to sleep.”
Xu Yanqing raised his hand: “Three laps, then? I’ll obediently walk for three laps.”
Qi Chen didn’t want to argue with this spoiled brat. He raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Yin Yanjun, who was sitting at the table drinking tea but looking their way: “Taoist Master Xuanchen, you also took the young master’s pulse today, so you should be aware of his physical condition. However, my young master is the most disobedient, and I still need to fetch medicine later. Could I trouble the Taoist Master to help supervise him?”
Xu Yanqing’s round eyes widened. He hadn’t expected Qi Chen to be so cunning. What medicine was he fetching in the evening? And for whom…?
Before Xu Yanqing could even speak, Yin Yanjun had already nodded in agreement. So Xu Yanqing looked up at Yin Yuancheng, who had been sulking during dinner. This guy was so protective of Taoist Xuanchen, he definitely wouldn’t let anyone order the Taoist Master around. Unfortunately, at this moment, Yin Yuancheng was like a gourd with its mouth sawed off, only glaring at him without saying a word.
So, the salted fish could only get up dejectedly and slowly drag himself to stroll in the courtyard. Yin Yanjun walked beside the young master, accompanying him around in a circle, paying attention to his every move.
Before he had even walked two laps, Xu Yanqing felt a thin layer of sweat on his body. The cotton clothes absorbed the sweat, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable.
In fact, the fetus in his belly was now four and a half months old and didn’t require daily laps in the courtyard. It was mainly because Xu Yanqing’s body was a bit weak, plus he was a lazy person who would lie down if he could, and sit if he couldn’t lie down. So Qi Chen was afraid that he would have indigestion, which was why he forced him to walk more every day after the pregnancy stabilized, to aid digestion after meals and strengthen his body.
Xu Yanqing naturally understood Qi Chen’s intention, but he was used to being lazy. Making him diligent and persistent overnight was harder than ascending to heaven.
So by the fourth lap, Xu Yanqing’s legs were already weak, and he just wanted to quickly sit back on the bench and rest.
His heart stirred, wanting to be lazy, so he stopped and tugged at Taoist Xuanchen’s sleeve, saying very delicately, “Taoist Master, I’m so thirsty. Could I trouble you to pour me a cup of water?”
The young master’s slightly childish face wore a sweet smile, appearing especially sincere, as if he were truly thirsty.
Yin Yanjun’s heart stirred, yet his face remained unmoved. He gently supported the young master’s arm with one hand, “There are still two more laps left, only about the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea.” Meaning, they could drink after finishing the walk.
Xu Yanqing, not having achieved his goal of being lazy, was unwilling to go along with Yin Yanjun’s wishes. So, he simply stood still and said pitifully, “My legs hurt so much, I can’t walk anymore.”
A hint of helplessness rose in his heart. This was Yin Yanjun’s first time seeing such a delicate and lazy young man, so his tone softened slightly: “Just a little more, young Doctor Qi is thinking of the young master’s health after all.”
The dejected salted fish only felt a tingling sensation in his ears. Taoist Xuanchen’s voice, originally clear and cool like a cold night, was now deliberately softened a little, making it especially… enticing.
Alright, captivated by Taoist Xuanchen’s beauty, Xu Yanqing reluctantly gave face and walked two more laps. Finally, covered in sweat, he was helped back to his room by Taoist Xuanchen.
When he had rested enough, Mu Yu brought a bucket of hot water to assist Xu Yanqing with his bath.
Finally, lying in bed, Xu Yanqing sighed, feeling as if he had finally come back to life. His entire being was healed by the soft bed.
While the young master was bathing, Yin Yanjun returned to his room to do evening lessons and put away the scriptures he had finished writing. Suddenly, a light knock sounded from outside.
“Come in.” Yin Yanjun gathered the scriptures and picked up a book of chess manuals from the writing desk.
Receiving a response, Yin Yuancheng pushed the door open. He walked a few steps to Yin Yanjun and knelt down, “Your Majesty, I will depart for the capital tomorrow morning.”
“Mmm,” Yin Yanjun nodded faintly, then added a caution, “You are alone on this journey back to the city, so be careful all the way.”
Yin Yuancheng nodded. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, “Your Majesty, why do you treat Young Master Xu so specially?” Even doing things for Xu Yanqing that he wouldn’t normally do.
Yin Yanjun put down the chess manual in his hand, his gaze deepening. “There are too many complexities involved. Just consider it something I owe him; there’s no need to be overly wary of him.”
This made Yin Yuancheng even more bewildered, but seeing that Yin Yanjun had no intention of explaining further, he simply nodded. “Yuancheng understands.”
After Yin Yuancheng left, Yin Yanjun slowly rose and stood by the window. Outside, the night was dim and sparse. Through the window, he could see Xu Yanqing’s room. He sighed deeply. Nearly all the exceptions in his entire life had occurred because of the young master.
When he was young, he had fantasized about his future. He would be the crown prince, his wife would be the crown princess, and they would give birth to a little imperial grandson of Daliang.
It was a pity that although he had never fallen in love with anyone, all his ardent expectations were ruined by the so-called Crown Princess. To this day, he still remembered the chaos of that night, the woman’s shrill screams and curses…
Suddenly, a series of faint noises interrupted Yin Yanjun’s contemplation. Just as he came back to his senses, he walked out of the room and saw Qi Chen also emerging from his room.
“That noise came from the young master’s room!”
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