TL: Hua
In the bedchamber, Yin Yanjun was still sitting obediently in front of the mirror. Xu Yanqing breathed a huge sigh of relief, fearing that if he ran a step slower, the Taoist master would have some political affairs to attend to.
The water was quite hot, almost scalding his hands. Inside it was a cotton cloth. Xu Yanqing tossed it from his left hand to his right, and then back again, finally retrieving the cloth from the hot water.
Fearing he might scald the Taoist master’s chin, the young master specifically shook the cloth twice to let some of the heat dissipate. A moment later, he bent down, approached, and slowly placed the cloth on the Taoist master’s chin.
“Is the temperature alright? Is it too hot?” Xu Yanqing blinked at Yin Yanjun, a hint of apprehension in his eyes.
Yin Yanjun shook his head faintly. “The temperature is just right. Qingqing controls it well.”
Hearing the Taoist master’s praise, Xu Yanqing’s beautiful large eyes became even brighter. Feeling that the heat of the cloth in his hand had dissipated, he quickly put the cloth back into the hot water, wet it again, and wrung it out.
After applying hot water three times, Xu Yanqing carefully touched the Taoist master’s chin. He felt that the short stubble was no longer as stiff as before, and it was probably time for the next step. So Xu Yanqing became bewildered again.
After touching the small knives for a long time, he really didn’t know which one to use. Yin Yanjun raised a hand and pointed at a small porcelain bottle on the table. “First, apply this ointment to the stubble.”
An ancient version of shaving cream? Xu Yanqing quickly took the porcelain bottle in his hand. The ointment inside was slightly viscous and emitted a faint medicinal scent.
There were no suitable tools, so Xu Yanqing picked up a small knife that looked like it had no blade, took the ointment from the porcelain bottle, and slowly applied it to the Taoist master’s jaw.
The situation looked somewhat amusing. Xu Yanqing naughtily dipped his fingertip into a bit of the ointment and smeared it on the Taoist master’s cheek.
Having done something mischievous, he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. The young master kept avoiding the Taoist master’s gaze as he applied more ointment to his chin.
That was two or three times the amount Yin Yanjun usually used for shaving. Yin Yanjun’s lips curved into a slight arc as he watched the young master’s evasive little actions.
It wasn’t until the young master had gotten over his guilt and asked what to do next that Yin Yanjun finally shifted his gaze, guiding the young master on which knife to use first and then which one.
It sounded somewhat complicated. Xu Yanqing barely managed to remember the order of use for those small knives, but because shaving was so unfamiliar to him, his hand trembled slightly when he held a small knife.
“Don’t be afraid; just go ahead and do it.” Yin Yanjun raised a hand and placed it on the young master’s wrist. The young master, holding a small knife, almost dropped it in fright.
After carefully putting the small knife down, Xu Yanqing placed both hands on the Taoist master’s shoulders and “earnestly” patted them. “Taoist master, be good and listen. Don’t move around anymore.”
The “moving around” Yin Yanjun nodded slightly. “Alright, I won’t move.”
“No, no, no, don’t nod either. Just blink your eyes to signal me, Taoist master.” Xu Yanqing cautioned him again. When he saw Yin Yanjun no longer nodding, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and took the small knife back into his hand.
After a while, the ointment on Yin Yanjun’s chin had hardened a bit, but luckily it was still salvageable.
Standing in place, Xu Yanqing took a deep breath as if a master from a wuxia novel was performing a technique and finally placed the blade against the Taoist master’s chin.
The blade was specifically designed for shaving, not only sharp but also perfectly contoured to Yin Yanjun’s chin. So, although the young master was initially a bit nervous and cautious when he started, after a few strokes, he instantly felt a sense of familiarity.
Faint stubble, mixed in with the milky white ointment, was scraped off the Taoist master’s chin by the small knife.
The soiled ointment was wiped onto a prepared cloth. Xu Yanqing, in high spirits, quickly scraped Yin Yanjun’s chin clean. Finally, after washing it with hot water, the Taoist master was back to being a Taoist master without any stubble.
He reached out again and touched the Taoist master’s smooth chin, extremely pleased. “My skill is indeed excellent.”
Yin Yanjun blinked without showing any emotion. “Then I’ll have to trouble Qingqing with this from now on.”
“Alright, leave it all to me.” The salted fish young master, flattered and in high spirits, agreed without a second thought.
By the time the salted fish realized, he had taken on another chore, and it was something he had agreed to himself, completely betraying his salted fish dream.
The salted fish was sad, the salted fish was remorseful, but the salted fish was a good salted fish, and promises still had to be kept. In the end, he only had time to bargain, promising to shave the Taoist master’s face only once every few days.
Even so, the salted fish who had been tricked by the Taoist master was still a little gloomy. This time, Yin Yanjun didn’t rush to coax him but instead gave Wen Jing a few instructions.
Wen Jing withdrew and, before long, returned from outside carrying a food box. The lid of the food box wasn’t tightly closed, so a faint, sweet aroma wafted out.
“It’s the smell of plum blossom cake,” Xu Yanqing sniffed. He had just been sulking, but when Yin Yanjun opened the food box, he immediately brightened up again.
A foodie never admits defeat. Xu Yanqing immediately took a bite of a plum blossom cake. The fresh sweetness of plum blossoms melted in his mouth; it wasn’t at all cloying.
“Why are there plum blossoms already?” Xu Yanqing was puzzled. Logically, plum blossoms usually bloomed after deep winter; the colder the weather, the more vibrant they bloomed.
Yin Yanjun took a handkerchief from his bosom and wiped the cake crumbs from the young master’s lips, explaining gently, “Some early-blooming plum trees are planted in the imperial garden, and the palace attendants use special methods to care for them, which is why they bloom so early.”
Xu Yanqing nodded repeatedly. After finishing the pastry in his hand, he casually took another piece from the plate.
The salted fish young master, only concerned with eating and drinking, had no time to dwell on those annoying things; he felt it would affect his happy meal.
There were only five plum blossom cakes on the plate. The young master ate three in one go and drank some hot water, feeling completely satisfied.
Just as Xu Yanqing finished eating, the little cub, who had just woken up from his nap, was brought over. The little fellow’s limbs were getting sturdier.
Although still frighteningly soft, he was much stronger than when he was first born.
After eating and drinking, Xu Yanqing, out of nowhere, felt the urge to tease the little cub. He pulled the little cub’s cradle closer to him, took the small rattle hanging on the cradle, and gently spun it. The little baby, who was about to turn one month old, stared at the small rattle swaying in front of him with sparkling eyes. He opened and closed his chubby little paws but could only grab a handful of air.
The mischievous father deliberately played with the rattle happily, as if he wasn’t coaxing a child but rather amusing himself.
The little cub cooed and gurgled but didn’t cry or fuss at all, happily playing with his father.
Xu Yanqing’s eyes curved into crescents. He hung the rattle back on the cradle and poked the little cub’s chubby hand with his finger. Just then, the little cub grabbed his finger, firmly clutching his salted fish father’s finger in his tiny palm.
Yin Yanjun sat aside and watched. The little cub, still a bit confused, blew a few milk bubbles and occasionally grinned widely with his toothless mouth, looking very happy.
While playing with his salted fish father, the little cub’s round black eyes shifted and met his imperial father’s gaze.
During this period, Xu Yanqing had certainly not spent as much time with the child as Yin Yanjun, so the little cub was also very close to his imperial father. His little paws grabbed and grabbed, wanting to be held.
With one hand held by the little cub, Xu Yanqing propped his chin with the other, watching the Taoist master, who had a detached and serene expression, with a smile in his eyes.
After a moment of silence, Yin Yanjun slowly stood up and picked up the little cub from the cradle. The little cub had quite a strong grip and never let go of his salted fish father’s finger.
Yin Yanjun pulled a chair and sat closer to the young master. Their knees touched, and they could even vaguely feel each other’s body warmth.
They had already shared a bed for one or two months, and now, with such close proximity and a bewildered little cub nestled between them, Xu Yanqing couldn’t help but reach out and scratch the corner of the Taoist master’s robe.
The young master had a red headband tied as usual. Because he had just woken up, the headband was slightly loose, hanging over his shoulder, adding to his languid appearance.
Unbeknownst to them, the little cub had let go of his salted fish father’s finger and fixed his large, watery eyes on his father’s red headband.
Suddenly, the little cub clutched the headband in his hand. Xu Yanqing, caught off guard, felt a slight pain in his scalp and leaned towards the little cub with the pull.
Yin Yanjun reacted extremely quickly, reaching out and pulling both father and son into his embrace. The little cub was already lying horizontally, cooing in his arms, and now the young master also leaned against his shoulder.
Yin Yanjun’s figure, shielding both father and son, didn’t waver in the slightest, remaining incredibly steady and strong. Xu Yanqing blinked in confusion, which was immediately followed by the happy gurgles of the little cub.
Grasping a section of the hair tie, Xu Yanqing gently swayed it in his hand, and the little cub’s hand followed, swaying back and forth.
“Let go quickly, or I’ll tickle you,” Xu Yanqing threatened, leaning in.
“Giya!” The little cub, still in a daze, blew another bubble, which popped and splattered saliva all over his salted fish father’s face.
The little cub was so small, and Xu Yanqing didn’t want to be an abusive father. So, he huffily raised a hand to wipe the drool off his face, then raised it again to shake the hair tie the little cub had snatched.
Yin Yanjun watched, barely suppressing a smile. The young master hadn’t yet come of age to wear a formal crown. It’s not obvious during ordinary times, but when he was with the little cub, he became especially youthful and childish, as if a big child was playing with a small one.
Raising his hand, Yin Yanjun wiped the little cub’s saliva from the young master’s face, then his hand fell to the little cub’s hand clutching the young master’s hair tie. In just a couple of moves, he rescued the hair tie from the little cub’s chubby little grasp.
As soon as Xu Yanqing was rescued, he was about to poke the little cub’s chubby cheek, but then he saw the Taoist master turn and place the child in his arms.
His body stiffened again. Xu Yanqing and the bewildered little cub met each other’s gaze. Just then, Xu Yanqing, who had intended to tease the little cub, had one hand raised. The little cub reached up and rubbed himself against his salted fish father’s palm.
Wet saliva now coated Xu Yanqing’s entire hand. The salted fish, utterly exhausted, silently chose to surrender, merely holding the little cub with his other hand, stiffly and instinctively, to prevent the little cub from rolling onto the ground.
The little cub was very happy being held by his salted fish father. Not only did he get saliva all over his dad’s hand, but his little arms were also wrapped tightly around his dad’s arm.
Fortunately, the little cub, not yet a month old, didn’t have boundless energy. Xu Yanqing, his body rigid, imitated the way the Taoist master and the Empress Dowager had previously comforted the child. After immense effort, he finally lulled the little cub to sleep.
In the dead of winter, Xu Yanqing felt as if he had broken into a sweat. He let out a sigh of relief as he placed the little cub in the cradle, and as he relaxed, he felt aches all over his body.
“Taoist master, you’ve changed; you’ve really changed…” This wasn’t his imagination. Xu Yanqing lay sprawled across Yin Yanjun’s lap, condemning him word by word.
Gently stroking the young master’s dark hair, Yin Yanjun chuckled, “Yuanchen is also your child, so you should spend more time with him.”
In fact, Yin Yanjun could vaguely sense the young master’s long-held concerns. Although he didn’t understand why the young master harbored such worries despite the harmonious atmosphere he grew up in, Yin Yanjun chose to remain silent, willing to protect the young master.
Moreover, Yin Yanjun could clearly see that the young master adored the little cub, so he was naturally happy to let the young master grow closer to the little cub. However, he knew his limits and wouldn’t push the young master too hard.
Stroking the young master’s hair, Yin Yanjun gently massaged his sore shoulders and back. “Qingqing, you have already packed all the luggage and will be abandoning me and Yuanchen to stay at Marquis Wu’an’s mansion for a few days, so for now, you should spend some quality time with us.”
No wonder the Taoist master had suddenly thrust the little cub into his arms today. Xu Yanqing’s bright eyes twinkled. He raised his hand, tugged at the Taoist master’s robes, and sat up slightly. “Are you reluctant to see me go and thus planning to go back on your word?”
“A gentleman’s word, once spoken, cannot be easily retracted.” Yin Yanjun’s fingers traced the back of the young master’s neck. The young master’s body trembled slightly, as if a highly sensitive spot had been touched, and his cool, detached eyes deepened. “Since I’ve promised you, Qingqing, I will keep my word.”
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