TL: Hua
Zong An politely addressed him as “Third Young Master Pei,” and Pei Xiting also politely said “Fifth Young Master” with his hands held high.
“Third Young Master Pei, you don’t have to be so courteous.” Zong An said with a smile, “Since you are Brother Hanzhang’s little brother, you are also my friend. We should keep in touch in the future.”
Unless it’s necessary, Pei Xiting didn’t want to turn into a self-proclaimed Oscar winner, so he just nodded and said nothing more.
It is rumored that Thrid Pei is gentle and quiet, but today he seems to be more cold-tempered… In this case, it’s not easy to coax him. Zong An blinked and hid the gloom in his eyes.
“I have to accompany my mother for dinner today, so I have to go back first.” Pei Jintang said, “Let’s meet at Qixia Banquet, and then we can talk.”
Zong An suppressed his reluctance and nodded with a smile, “Brother Hanzhang, take care; I will wait for you that day.”
Pei Jintang patted Zong An’s shoulder and left with Pei Xiting. On the way, he chatted with Pei Xiting, “Although Jingzhu is the son of the King Ning’s Mansion, he has a gentle temperament and is easy to get along with.”
Zong An is indeed such a character, and he is very dedicated to his persona. It’s not just “Pei Xiting” who is deceived by him. If one person out of a thousand can see his true face, that person is considered to have sharp eyes.
And in the list of people who have been persecuted, like “Pei Xiting,” the first one to be mentioned is Prince Ning. In the original book, he was deceived by Zong An and died under the knife of the bandits, causing Qing Lingling to lose his backer.
Pei Xiting said casually, “Their personalities are very different. The Fifth Young Master and Prince Ning have an average relationship, right?”
“They are not very close indeed.” Pei Jintang whispered, “Prince Ning is of noble status. He has always disliked the brothers in the mansion. He is also arrogant and picky and doesn’t give others much face. Naturally, the brothers keep their distance from him.”
Pei Xiting seemed to be thinking about something. “Is that so?”
The gloomy gaze, like an eagle or falcon, captured him from top to bottom without reservation, carrying a majestic aura. Pei Xiting walked forward nonchalantly until the gaze couldn’t keep up and disappeared.
“Pei, Xi, Ting.” Shangguan Jie was standing by the window on the second floor of the street-side teahouse, and these words practically popped out when he saw the culprit. He stared until Pei Xiting disappeared and was almost laughing in anger, “He really dares to come out to stroll around? Half a month has passed, and he’s no longer afraid of me finding him!’
The guard said, “Perhaps it’s because he’s accompanied by Second Young Master Pei.”
Shangguan Jie frowned. “Nonsense, he doesn’t know my feelings for Jintang.”
Shannguan Jie seemed to feel a gaze on him and immediately chased after that gaze sharply. His eyes stopped at a restaurant diagonally opposite, which was called Gouchun Tower. But the row of rose-carved windows on the second and third floors is tightly closed without any gaps. Was that an illusion?
Shangguan Jie slapped the upper half of the window irritably.
Upstairs in Gouchun Tower, Yu Shaoyun put his hand down from the window.
The crown prince was sitting at the small table in front of the window, flipping through the pile of papers in front of him, and said doubtfully, “The Pei Xiting I saw that night and the Pei Xiting described in the paper are like two different people.”
Yu Shaoyun flattered him with a smile, “In front of your highness, demons and monsters have nowhere to hide and can only show their true faces.”
“Is that so?” The crown prince was lost in thoughts, but his calf was suddenly rubbed by a furry round head. He lowered his eyes to look at the little male beast that was sneaking up on him without responding to its coquetry and said in a soft voice, “Play somewhere else.”
The little beast whimpered and retracted its head aggrievedly.
It was so cute that Yu Shaoyun’s heart softened, and he couldn’t help but plead for it, “Little King got sick because he eats too much this time. He won’t dare to do it again. Look at how wilted he has been these past few days; he must have learned his lesson.”
“You said the same thing last time.” The crown prince said, “Even a cow can turn a corner after being taught three times.”
Yu Shaoyun smiled awkwardly, showing a helpless expression to the pitiful little beast, and then said, “But no matter how good a person is at pretending, can he pretend for more than ten years at home and outside? The inner guards didn’t find anything wrong; Third Pei’s appearance didn’t change at all. That night, I observed him closely, and his face was real. Are there really two people in the world with exactly the same appearance and stature?”
The crown prince asked Yu Shaoyun to dispose of this stack of papers and said, “It doesn’t matter. The person who came to see me that night is Pei Wenjuan.”
*
The crow flies and the rabbit runs; at the end of April, the much-anticipated grain in ear arrives.
Pei Xiting was walking on the mountain road when he suddenly sneezed.
“Did you catch a cold because of the wind?” Pei Jintang looked up at the sky and wondered, “The weather is so good; it’s not cold at all.”
Pei Xiting rubbed his nose and said casually, “Someone is scolding me.”
Pei Jintang disagreed, “Absurdity! Otherwise there would be one more cause of death in the world, because certain hateful people would sneeze from morning to night, every hour of the day, and wouldn’t they be killed alive?”
While they were talking, there was the sound of horse hooves approaching from behind. Pei Jintang squeezed Pei Xiting to move to the inside of the mountain road, but the horse stopped in front of them. The man on the horse pulled the rein and turned sideways. He had a ponytail and a high crown, dressed in brocade and looking over with a smile, “Jintang!”
“Young Marquis.” Pei Jintang bowed and joked with a smile, “You came really early; don’t the big shots always appear last?”
“I didn’t sleep well last night, so I got up early. I had nothing to do anyway, so I decided to come early.” Shangguan Jie quickly glanced at the person next to Pei Jintang, who looked up at him respectfully and calmly, as if they were meeting for the first time.
He’s really good at pretending. Shangguan Jie gritted his teeth and sneered secretly.
Pei Jintang didn’t notice and asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine, but I’m too excited about the horse race today.” Shangguan Jie looked at Pei Xiting and pretended not to know him. “Jintang, who is this?”
Pei Jintang was wondering what was so exciting about a horse race as the young marquis often rode out of the city. Hearing this, he quickly responded, “It’s my third brother, Xiting.”
“Greetings, young marquis.” Pei Xiting saluted with his hands.
Shangguan Jie looked down at Pei Xiting and said in a playful tone, “Third Young Master Pei doesn’t look like a skilled archer or horseman. I heard that your academic ability isn’t that outstanding either. You are so mediocre in both literature and martial arts. How are you going to ask for a reward at the feet of Prince Ning?”
This was a bit insulting. Pei Jintang frowned and was about to speak for Pei Xiting when he heard the person next to him say lightly, “Face.”
“…” The two were silent at the same time. There was no way to refute this.
Who doesn’t know that Pring Ning favored those with good appearances? And there’s really nothing to fault with Pei Xiting’s face.
“Oh,” Shangguan Jie immediately laughed teasingly, “Are you going to steal business from your friend?”
He was talking about Qing Lingling, mocking Pei Xiting for wanting to be a wh*re.
Pei Xiting’s face was calm, and he said seriously, “Who can hoard all the business in the whole world himself? It’s called fair competition.”
“… Then I’ll wait and see how much your face can be sold for.” Shangguan Jie sneered and left.
“Do you two have a grudge?” Pei Jintang was puzzled, “I sense a mutual dislike. Also, why is the young marquis so harsh today, and what is your friend’s business?”
Pei Xiting’s only regret was that Shangguan Jie could recover enough to ride a horse so soon. If the one who kicked him was him before he transmigrated through the book, Daye would have one more eunuch Shangguan by now.
The sound of drums came from the distance, signaling that the horse racing meeting was about to begin.
Pei Jintang immediately forgot his questions and dragged Pei Xiting forward. What came into view was a vast plain, with a horse farm in the middle surrounded by a fence. There were drums in the north and south, flags in the east and west, and the seats behind the two rows of flags were all occupied by people, busting and lively.
Prince Ning was surrounded in the center of the east seating platform, and the two columns underneath the seating platform were the positions of the painters, their brushes and ink ready, waiting to record the poise of these heavenly prides on the field.
Pei Jintang is not fond of painting, and his level is average. He originally didn’t plan to act as a painter today but changed his mind after hearing Pei Xiting’s answer that day. Later, he agreed to take care of Pei Xiting, so he naturally sat close to him.
The maid brought a bowl of soapy water. Pei Xiting stretched out his hand and touched it, feeling cool to the fingertips. He casually glanced around and saw Qing Lingling on the high platform.
Qing Lingling was wearing light yellow riding attire today, with no makeup on his face, like a Bartzella Peony. He was lazily leaning against the lap of Prince Ning, munching on melon seeds without any burden.
Suddenly, he seemed to notice something and looked over. When their eyes met, Pei Xiting looked away calmly as Pei Jintang raised his hand to hold his shoulders.
Qing Lingling glanced at Pei Jintang, who was leaning on Pei Xiting’s shoulders and whispering in his ears, wondering when the two brothers became so close. Suddenly his chin was held and raised up. The prince leaned over to sniff his face, saying disdainfully, “The melon seeds are all pickled.”
Qing Lingling pouted and kissed the prince’s chin, asking with a smile, “Does it smell good?”
The prince had a pair of amorous peach blossom eyes, stared at him for a few breaths, and smiled a little. Qing Lingling knew that he was going to be unlucky.
As expected, the prince pinched his face like kneading dough and said, “I’ll have someone bring you a bucket. If you can’t finish it, just wait for me.”
“What? I can’t even eat melon seeds?” Qing Lingling reached out to stop the prince’s hand. Then he stood up to leave but was pulled back by the prince and fell on his lap.
In public, he was not embarrassed and complained, “It hurts, stop pulling.”
The prince slapped him on the buttocks twice and said, “Don’t talk with your throat clenched, like a chicken squawking with a cloth stuffed down its throat.”
Qing Lingling rolled his eyes. “You didn’t dislike it when we were in bed, and you even said the more the better.”
The prince laughed and retorted, “I can stop listening, as long as you can hold back from screaming.”
“If I don’t even scream, you will doubt your ability.” Qing Lingling poked the prince’s heart and sighed, “If you don’t like it, just shut my mouth next time.”
“My Lord, what nonsense are you two talking about in broad daylight?”
A smiling voice suddenly interrupted him. Zong Rui[mfn]“Ning” is just a title. Zong Rui is Prince Ning’s given name.[/mfn] looked up at the person who came over to rob the melon seed plate and said, “You’re blocking my view; get out of the way.”
“Don’t be so ruthless. I have something to ask… him.” Qu Zhao picked up the melon seeds and sat directly on the low table, leaning down close to Qing Lingling. “Lingling, do you see the beauty wearing thin, persimmon-colored, narrow sleeves below?”
He was talking about Pei Xiting.
Qing Lingling’s heart skipped a beat, and he said, “No.”
“You’re lying. I saw you glance at him several times.” Qu Zhao glanced at Zong Rui, who looked normal, with a half-smile. He put the melon seed plate in front of Qing Lingling’s chin and rubbed it gently. “Lingling, call him over for me. I want to have a drink with him.”
Qing Lingling refused. “His wine glass is on the table. Why doesn’t Qu-shaoqing[mfn]Pei Xiting’s father and Pei Xiting himself (in the future) also have Shaoqing rank. 少卿 “Shaoqing” (shàoqīnɡ) is the name of an ancient official title, ranking between the fourth and fifth ranks. This level is roughly equivalent to the vice-ministerial to full-departmental level in China’s modern administrative system. In the military, the rank of Shaoqing corresponds to the level of major general to colonel.[/mfn] go over and drink with him himself? I haven’t heard of you being into males.”
He looked at Qu Zhao with a drumbeat in his heart. One Shangguan Jie was already troublesome enough. If there were another Qu Zhao…
“Why do you say that?” Qu Zhao explained, “I just think his eyes are so beautiful; I want to get closer to take a look.”
“Then dig it out and make an ornament?” Zong Rui felt Qing Lingling’s body stiffen. He said, as if kindly reminding him, “Don’t help him; this person is very bad.”
Qing Lingling glanced at the smiling Qu Zhao and shrank into Zong Rui’s arms. Zong Rui pinched his waist and said unceremoniously, “You can go now.”
“Fine, fine.” Qu Zhao didn’t care, got up, and said, “I’ll go by myself!”
Qing Lingling inclined his head; his eyes followed. He saw Qu Zhao descending the steps and really stood beside Pei Xiting, leaning over to talk to him… Suddenly his ears were pulled, and he turned back to glare at the prince’s half-smiling face.
“You care so much,” Zong Rui narrowed his eyes. “Didn’t you have a fallout with Thrid Pei?”
Qing Lingling raised his eyebrows. “Did Young Marquis Shangguan come to you to complain?”
Zong Rui said indifferently, “Everyone knows that you are my person. If you offend someone outside, I will help you clean up your mess, won’t I?”
“I offended someone?” Qing Lingling raised his willow-leaf eyebrows and sneered, “I was sitting on the bench honestly; who did I offend? Young Marquis Shangguan got angry when he came to the door. I wanted to kowtow and beg for mercy, but I was afraid of losing the prince’s face! After all, you have to look at the owner before beating the dog.”
Zong Rui sighed. “I’m just asking, why are you making so much noise?”
“You’ve already known my temper. If you[mfn]Noted that QLL always used the polite you (您).[/mfn] don’t like it, go find someone who’s gentle and kind. Aren’t there enough people who want to get into your bed? As for me,” Qing Lingling grabbed a handful of melon seeds in anger and said coldly, “As long as you’re willing to give me a straw mat[mfn]An ancient burial method when there’s no coffin.[/mfn], I’ll kneel down and thank you before I die!”
Zong Rui didn’t say much but instead pinched that sharp mouth and kissed it, saying, “Get out of the way.”
Qing Lingling rolled away neatly and sat on the empty round stool. When he looked around, Qu Zhao had already stood next to Pei Xiting. He was worried, but he didn’t dare to go forward because of Pei Xiting’s previous instructions. He could only stare quietly and chew the melon seeds.
“There are so many people on the stage; who are you going to draw?” Qu Zhao asked.
Pei Xiting said, “I’ll draw whoever is the most outstanding.”
“I want to go on stage too. Can you draw a picture for me?” Qu Zhao said.
Pei Xiting asked, “Is this an order from Qu-shaoqing or a negotiation?”
Qu Zhao chuckled and said, “What do you mean?”
“If it’s an order, I dare not disobey. If it’s a negotiation, the money and goods need to be discussed.” Pei Xiting answered.
Qu Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, “Are you short of money?”
“Yes, and money is the purest form of transaction, so neither you nor I have any burden, “Pei Xiting said.
Qu Zhao smiled, “So, do you think your paintings are good enough to make me feel burdened?”
“I dare not exaggerate.” Pei Xiting also smiled, “But there are so many good artists here, and Qu-shaoqing chose me. If I am too modest, wouldn’t it be a waste of your vision?”
Quite the arrogant and cunning person. Qu Zhao smiled, stretched out his hand, and touched the pair of auspicious phoenix eyes, saying, “I like them because they’re so beautiful.”
“I like them too,” Pei Xiting raised his eyebrows slightly, “so I would never exchange them for even a thousand gold.”
Qu Zhao asked, “Can I take them by force?”
“Of course.” Pei Xiting shrugged, “I can’t stop you.”
Qu Zhao was curious, “Aren’t you afraid?”
“I am.” Pei Xiting and Qu Zhao looked at each other for a few breaths. Suddenly, Pei Xiting’s eyes became tearful.
Qu Zhao: “…your tears are so flexible.”
Pei Xiting said sincerely, “Because I’m really scared.”
Just as Qu Zhao was about to speak, Pei Jintang, who had just finished greeting his classmates not far away, rushed back and stepped between him and Pei Xiting, saying, “Qu-shaoqing, I wonder how my brother offended you?”
He was even scolded to tears by you!
Qu Zhao shut his mouth, tilted his body, and stuck his head out to find that Pei Xiting’s expression was also speechless.
“…Second brother.” Pei Xiting tilted his head back, “Your butt hit my face.”
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