Chapter 6#
Early Summer: A Pair of Beautiful Eyes Captivate Hearts, Little Pei Wants to Earn Extra Cash…#
Zong An politely addressed him as “Third Young Master Pei,” and Pei Xiting respectfully cupped his hands in return, saying “Fifth Young Master.”
“Third Young Master Pei, there’s no need to stand on ceremony,” Zong An said with a cheerful smile. “Since you are Brother Hanzhang’s brother, you are also my friend. We must keep in touch from now on.”
Unless necessary, Pei Xiting had no desire to transform into a self-styled Oscar-winning actor. Upon hearing this, he simply nodded without saying much.
Rumor had it that Pei the Third was gentle and reserved, but meeting him today, he seemed more like a cold person… At this rate, it wouldn’t be easy to win him over. Zong An blinked, concealing the gloom in his eyes.
“I have to accompany my mother for dinner tonight, so I should head back first,” Pei Jintang said. “Let’s meet at the Qixia Banquet then, and we can talk properly.”
Zong An suppressed his reluctance and nodded with a smile. “Take care, Brother Hanzhang. I’ll be waiting for you that day.”
Pei Jintang patted Zong An’s shoulder and left with Pei Xiting. On the way, he chatted idly with Pei Xiting. “Although Jingzhu is a son of Prince Ning’s manor, he has a gentle temperament and is very easy to get along with.”
Zong An indeed fit this persona and played it with great dedication. Not only was “Pei Xiting” deceived by him, but out of a thousand people, if even one saw through his true nature, they would be considered exceptionally sharp-eyed.
Among the list of those who suffered persecution like “Pei Xiting,” the first to mention would be the heir of Prince Ning. In the original novel, he was tricked by Zong An and died at the hands of bandits, leaving Qing Lingling without support.
Pei Xiting casually remarked, “Their temperaments are worlds apart. Does the Fifth Young Master not get along well with the heir?”
“Not really close,” Pei Jintang said in a low voice. “The heir of Prince Ning holds a noble status and has always looked down on the other brothers in the manor. He’s arrogant, picky, and doesn’t bother with pleasantries, so naturally, the other brothers keep their distance from him.”
Pei Xiting seemed thoughtful. “I see.”
A gloomy gaze, like that of a hawk, locked onto him from above without concealment, carrying immense ferocity. Pei Xiting walked forward as if nothing was amiss until that gaze could no longer follow him and vanished.
“Pei… Xi… Ting.” Shangguan Jie stood by the window on the second floor of a tea house by the street, practically spitting out the words. Staring at the spot where Pei Xiting had disappeared, he let out a laugh of pure frustration. “He actually dares to swagger around the streets like this? Over half a month has passed, and he doesn’t seem afraid of me coming after him at all!”
A guard said, “Perhaps he’s relying on the company of Second Young Master Pei.”
Shangguan Jie frowned. “Nonsense. He has no idea about my feelings for Jintang.”
A gaze brushed past his face. Shangguan Jie let out an “Mm,” keenly tracking it to a restaurant diagonally across—the Gouchun Building. But the row of rose-carved windows on the second and third floors were tightly shut without any gaps. An illusion, perhaps?
Shangguan Jie irritably slammed the window shut.
Up in the Gouchun Building, Yu Shaoyun lowered his hand from the rose-patterned window.
The Crown Prince sat at a small table by the window, casually flipping through a stack of papers before him. He frowned in suspicion. “The Pei Xiting I saw that night seems like a completely different person from the one described in these papers.”
Yu Shaoyun grinned and flattered him. “In your presence, any demon or monster has nowhere to hide and can only show their true face.”
“Is that so.” The Crown Prince looked thoughtful when suddenly a furry, round head rubbed against his calf. He glanced down at the little beast that had sneaked close, but he didn’t respond to its cuddling. “Go away,” he said coolly.
The little beast whimpered and retracted its head in grievance.
Too cute. Yu Shaoyun’s heart melted, and he couldn’t help pleading for it. “The little kingpin was greedy and got an upset stomach this time. He won’t dare do it again. Look how listless he’s been these past two days—he must have learned his lesson.”
“You said the same thing last time,” the Crown Prince remarked. “A cow could learn to turn after being taught three times.”
Yu Shaoyun gave an awkward laugh and shot a helpless look at the pitiful little beast, then changed the subject. “But can a person really pretend like this for over a decade, both at home and abroad? The inner guard found nothing suspicious. Pei the Third’s appearance hasn’t changed at all. That night, I observed him up close—his face is real. Could there really be two people in the world with identical looks and stature?”
The Crown Prince ordered Yu Shaoyun to dispose of the stack of papers, saying, “It doesn’t matter much. The one who came to see me that night was Pei Wenjuan.”
Time flew by; it was the end of April, the day of Grain in Ear.
Walking along the mountain path, Pei Xiting suddenly sneezed.
“Could it be that you caught a chill from the wind?” Pei Jintang looked up at the sky, puzzled. “The weather’s so nice—it’s not cold at all.”
Pei Xiting rubbed his nose and casually said, “Someone’s cursing me, probably.”
Pei Jintang disagreed. “Nonsense! Otherwise, there’d be one more cause of death in the world—people who are hated from morning till night would be sneezing constantly and sneeze themselves to death, wouldn’t they?”
As they were talking, hoofbeats approached from behind. Pei Jintang nudged Pei Xiting to move closer to the inner side of the mountain path, but the horse stopped in front of them. The rider reined in and turned sideways, with a high horse-tail crown and fluttering brocade robes, smiling as he looked over. “Jintang!”
“Marquis.” Pei Jintang cupped his hands and teased with a smile. “You’ve arrived early. Aren’t the big shots supposed to appear last?”
“Couldn’t sleep well last night, so I got up early. Since I had nothing to do, I came early.” Shangguan Jie swept a quick glance at the person beside Pei Jintang. The other looked up at him with a respectful yet composed expression, as if they were meeting for the first time.
What a damn good actor, Shangguan Jie gritted his teeth with a cold laugh.
Unaware, Pei Jintang asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine. I just remembered there’s a horse race today, and I got too ex—cited.” Shangguan Jie turned his gaze to Pei Xiting, pretending not to know him. “Jintang, who is this?”
Pei Jintang was just wondering what was so exciting about a horse race—after all, the Marquis was someone who often rode out of the city—but he quickly responded, “He’s my third brother, Xiting.”
“Greetings, Marquis.” Pei Xiting cupped his hands in salute.
Shangguan Jie looked down at Pei Xiting, his tone playful. “Third Young Master Pei doesn’t look like someone skilled in horseback archery. I heard you didn’t excel in your studies either. With mediocrity in both civil and martial arts, what do you plan to rely on to curry favor with the heir?”
Those words were somewhat insulting. Pei Jintang frowned, about to speak up for Pei Xiting, when he heard the person beside him say flatly, “My face.”
“…” Both of them fell silent at the same time, completely unable to refute.
Who didn’t know that the heir of Prince Ning judged by appearance? And Pei Xiting’s face was indeed faultless.
“Oh?” Shangguan Jie immediately gave a jeering laugh. “So you’re going to compete for business with your friend?”
He was referring to Qing Lingling, mocking Pei Xiting for also being willing to sell himself.
Pei Xiting remained unruffled, saying with mock seriousness, “Who can corner all the business in the world? It’s fair competition.”
“…Then I’ll wait and see how much money that face of yours can rake in.” Shangguan Jie scoffed and rode off.
“Do you two have a grudge?” Pei Jintang asked, bewildered. “There’s a vibe of mutual dislike. And why is the Marquis speaking so harshly today? What’s this talk of a friend’s business?”
Pei Xiting only regretted that Shangguan Jie was already able to ride a horse so quickly. If the kick he had delivered before transmigrating had been aimed elsewhere, the Great Ye dynasty would now have one more eunuch named Shangguan.
Drumbeats sounded from ahead—the horse race was about to begin.
Pei Jintang immediately forgot his questions and dragged Pei Xiting forward for a stretch. Before them lay a vast, boundless plain, with the racetrack in the middle fenced off, drums placed north and south, banners east and west. Behind the two rows of banners, seats were packed, bustling with clamor and excitement.
The heir of Prince Ning was surrounded in the middle of the eastern stand, and the two rows below the stand were for the painters—brushes and ink ready, prepared to capture the grace of these young elites on paper.
Pei Jintang didn’t enjoy painting much and was mediocre at it, so he originally hadn’t planned to serve as a painter today. He had only changed his mind after hearing Pei Xiting’s reply that day, and later promised to look after him. Naturally, he now sat obediently in the spot next to Pei Xiting.
A maid served a bowl of licorice water, the porcelain bowl clean and plain. Pei Xiting reached out and touched it, his fingertip feeling cool. He casually swept his gaze around and spotted Qing Lingling on the high platform.
Today, Qing Lingling wore a light yellow riding outfit, no makeup, looking like a Patsula peony, languidly leaning against the heir’s leg, casually eating melon seeds.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he looked up and met Pei Xiting’s eyes. Pei Xiting nonchalantly averted his gaze, feeling Pei Jintang’s arm sling over his shoulder.
Seeing the two brothers getting so chummy, Qing Lingling wondered when they had grown so close. Suddenly, his chin was grasped and tilted up. The heir leaned in, sniffed his face, and said disdainfully, “You’ve marinated yourself in melon seeds.”
Qing Lingling pouted and kissed the heir’s chin, asking with a smile, “Do I still smell good?”
The heir had a pair of amorous peach blossom eyes. He squinted at Qing Lingling for two seconds, a hint of a smile appearing. Qing Lingling knew he was in for trouble.
Sure enough, the heir kneaded Qing Lingling’s face like dough and said, “I’ll have someone bring you a bucket. If you don’t finish them, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”
“What? I can’t even eat melon seeds?” Qing Lingling grabbed the heir’s hand, trying to get up, but the heir pulled him back onto his lap.
In full view of everyone, he wasn’t embarrassed, just complaining, “It hurts. Don’t pull.”
The heir slapped his butt twice and said, “Don’t talk in that squeaky voice. You sound like a chicken with a cloth stuck in its throat.”
Qing Lingling rolled his eyes. “Back in bed, the heir didn’t seem to mind. He even said, the more the merrier.”
The heir laughed. “I don’t have to listen, as long as you can hold back from moaning.”
“If I didn’t even make a sound, you’d start doubting yourself.” Qing Lingling poked the heir’s chest and sighed. “You don’t like it, so next time, just cover my mouth.”
“I say, heir, what kind of dirty talk are you two going on about in broad daylight?”
A cheerful voice interrupted abruptly. Zong Rui looked up at the person who had come over to swipe his melon seed plate and said, “You’re blocking my view. Move.”
“Don’t be so heartless. I have something to ask… him.” Qu Cheng picked up the melon seeds, sat directly on the low table, and leaned in close to Qing Lingling. “Lingling, did you see that beauty down there in the thin persimmon-colored narrow sleeves?”
He was referring to Pei Xiting.
Qing Lingling’s heart skipped a beat. “No.”
“Liar. I saw you sneaking glances at him a few times.” Qu Cheng smiled ambiguously, glancing at the expressionless Zong Rui. He placed the melon seed plate under Qing Lingling’s chin and gently nudged it. “Lingling, help me call him over. I want to have a drink with him.”
Qing Lingling refused. “His wine glass is right there on the table. Why doesn’t the Deputy Minister Qu go over and have a drink with him himself? I haven’t heard that you’re partial to men.”
He studied Qu Cheng, his heart pounding. One Shangguan Jie was already trouble enough; if another Qu Cheng showed up…
“What do you mean by that?” Qu Cheng explained. “I just think his eyes are remarkably beautiful. I wanted to get a closer look.”
“And then gouge them out for decoration?” Zong Rui, sensing Qing Lingling’s body stiffen, seemingly kindly reminded him, “Don’t help him. This man is bad news.”
Qing Lingling shot a glance at the smiling Qu Cheng and curled up into Zong Rui’s arms. Zong Rui pinched his waist and said bluntly, “You can get lost now.”
“Alright, alright.” Qu Cheng didn’t mind. He stood up and said, “I’ll go myself!”
Qing Lingling turned his head, watching as Qu Cheng descended the steps and indeed stood beside Pei Xiting, leaning over to say something to him… An ear was pinched. He turned back with a glare, meeting the heir’s mockingly smiling face.
“So concerned,” Zong Rui narrowed his eyes. “Didn’t you break things off with Pei the Third?”
Qing Lingling raised an eyebrow. “Did the Marquis Shangguan come to complain to you?”
Zong Rui said indifferently, “Everyone knows you’re my man. If you offend people out there, I have to clean up your messes.”
“I offend people?” Qing Lingling’s brows shot up, and he let out a cold laugh. “I was sitting quietly on my bench. Who did I offend? The Marquis Shangguan came in throwing a tantrum. I wanted to kowtow and beg for mercy, but I was afraid of losing face for the heir! After all, even beating a dog requires considering its master.”
Zong Rui clicked his tongue. “I asked one question, and you’re crackling like firecrackers. What’s your deal?”
“You already know my temper inside out. If you can’t stand it, go find someone soft and gentle. There’s no shortage of people wanting to climb into your bed. As for me,” Qing Lingling grabbed a handful of watermelon seeds in frustration and said coldly, “if you’re willing to grant me a burial mat, I’d kneel and thank you for the grace before I dared to die!”
Zong Rui didn’t reply. He pinched that sharp mouth and kissed it, then said, “Get lost.”
Qing Lingling promptly rolled away and sat on an empty round stool. Looking around, Qu Cheng was already standing next to Pei Xiting. Worried but unable to approach due to Pei Xiting’s earlier instructions, he could only watch stealthily, chewing melon seeds loudly.
“With so many people on the field, who do you plan to paint?” Qu Cheng asked.
Pei Xiting said, “Whoever stands out the most, I’ll paint them.”
“I’ll be joining the race too. Paint one of me?” Qu Cheng said.
Pei Xiting asked, “Is this an order from Deputy Minister Qu, or a negotiation?”
Qu Cheng chuckled lightly. “What’s the difference?”
“If it’s an order, I dare not disobey. If it’s a negotiation, we’ll settle it with a deal—money for goods, and both parties are satisfied,” Pei Xiting replied.
Qu Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Short on money?”
“Short. And money is the simplest—it won’t burden either of us,” Pei Xiting said.
Qu Cheng laughed. “So you think your paintings are good enough to become a burden on my conscience?”
“I wouldn’t dare exaggerate,” Pei Xiting also smiled. “But there are so many skilled painters here, and Deputy Minister Qu chose me specifically. If I were too humble, wouldn’t I be letting down your judgment?”
These words were both arrogant and sly. Qu Cheng smiled, reached out, and tapped those phoenix eyes, saying, “Because they’re too beautiful. I like them.”
“I like them too,” Pei Xiting raised an eyebrow slightly. “That’s why I wouldn’t trade them for a thousand gold.”
Qu Cheng asked, “Can I take them by force?”
“Of course,” Pei Xiting shrugged. “I can’t stop you anyway.”
Qu Cheng was curious. “Aren’t you afraid?”
“I am.” Pei Xiting met Qu Cheng’s gaze for two seconds, and his eyes became teary.
Qu Cheng: “…Your tears are very flexible.”
Pei Xiting said sincerely, “Because I’m really scared.”
Qu Cheng was about to speak when Pei Jintang, having finished chatting with some acquaintances nearby, hurried back. With one step, he inserted himself between Qu Cheng and Pei Xiting, saying, “Deputy Minister Qu, how has my younger brother offended you?”
He’s even crying from your scolding!
Qu Cheng shut his mouth, leaned sideways to peek around, and found Pei Xiting’s expression also one of speechlessness.
“…Second Brother,” Pei Xiting tilted his head back. “Your butt is in my face.”