Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I turned around and saw Ye Qing, standing as tall and elegant as a bamboo stalk, his robes fluttering in the breeze.

I curled my lips into a disdainful, cold sneer. “Is this Lord Ye’s way of returning a favor?”

He pressed his lips tight and remained silent, his clear eyes staring straight at me, shimmering with a cold light.

My expression hardened as I gave him a perfunctory cupped-fist salute. “This junior has learned his lesson.”

“Yah!”

I let out a sharp cry and clamped my legs hard against my horse’s flanks.

The horse let out a long neigh and galloped forward, hooves kicking up a cloud of yellow sand as I brushed past Ye Qing.

I really wanted to give him a taste of my whip.

Forget it. After all, I was the one who went too far first.

Chapter 14

From then on, Ye Qing and I kept to our own sides of the river.

Others, however, began to show concern.

Ye Lan asked me, “Did my brother finally put you in your place?”

“What do you mean?”

He took two steps back, as if afraid I might hit him. “Why haven’t you been bothering my brother lately?”

“It’s boring.”

They were all the same kind of people. I looked down on the likes of Yang Wenxu, and I looked down on Ye Qing too.

The guilt I felt for making him fall into the water had long since vanished.

After all the back-and-forth between us, neither of us owed the other anything.

But I truly couldn’t swallow that insult.

Snakes, rats, chickens, ducks, and wasps began appearing in the beds of those frail young lords who couldn’t even lift a finger…

It wasn’t until a sudden influx of gifts and letters of apology appeared at the Princess Manor that their beds were finally clean again.

As for Ye Qing, I just ignored him.

The capital was a big place; if you wanted to avoid someone, it was easy enough.

What I didn’t expect, however, was that Yang Wenxu would actually apologize.

He sent someone to invite me to a teahouse to apologize to Xiao Yu and Xiao Hu.

Then, he apologized to me. “Commandant Zhou, I was out of line. It all stemmed from jealousy. I am two years your senior, yet you have already earned military merit. Compared to you, we are indeed useless.”

This solemn apology made Xiao Yu, Xiao Hu, and me feel extremely awkward. We repeatedly insisted it was no big deal.

“We’re all serving the country, serving the country. Besides, you’re already a scholar. Becoming the Zhuangyuan won’t be a problem at all. My mother says that good children are those who are brave enough to apologize when they’ve made a mistake…”

I rambled on with a string of nonsense.

After the reconciliation, our group of friends grew larger.

We took them to the mountains and rivers, and they took us to their elegant drinking parties by the winding streams.

Chapter 15

In the blink of an eye, the Winter Solstice arrived.

I accompanied my parents to Huguo Temple. My mother came for the vegetarian feast, while my father-that terrible chess player-wanted to have a final showdown with his monk friend.

Bored out of my mind, I grabbed a young novice monk and had him lead me on a aimless stroll through the temple.

Well, wasn’t that a coincidence?

Ye Qing’s cheeks were flushed crimson and his eyes were glazed. In a secluded courtyard, he was locked in a struggle with a valiant-looking woman dressed in martial attire.

I fished out a copper coin and flicked it, hitting Ye Qing in his left waist. His body tilted, and in that moment of weakness, the woman grabbed him by the collar.

Ye Qing didn’t look at the woman; instead, he turned to look at me in shock.

Upon seeing it was me, his face filled with shame, indignation, and an extraordinary sense of resentment.

The woman turned her head to see me and warily withdrew her move, stepping back. “What are your intentions, Young Hero?”

Ye Qing stumbled a couple of steps to steady himself, panting heavily as he glared at me without a word.

I leaned against the courtyard gate with my arms crossed. “I’m helping you, miss. No need to thank me.”

“You!” Ye Qing gasped in disbelief.

I pointed at him and grinned at the woman. “How about I knock him out for you?”

“Zhou Xuesheng!”

Ye Qing let out a low, furious roar.

His face grew even redder-I couldn’t tell if it was from the medicine or rage. His eyes practically shot out icy arrows.

The little novice monk I had kept behind me poked my pressure point, squeezing past me to chant a Buddhist prayer. “Donor, this is a sacred temple. You must not commit evil.”

The woman flew away.

I poked the little monk’s bald head. “Who asked you to meddle? I should have sealed your mouth shut.”

The little monk brushed my hand away and ran to Ye Qing’s side, supporting him. “Brother Ye, are you alright?”

Ye Qing’s face was tense, his lips pressed tight. He hunched his back, using his hanging robes to cover his shameful state, trying his best to remain calm and composed. However, I could still see his difficult endurance, as if he were about to lose his mind at any moment.

I gave a wicked laugh. “Lord Ye, do you need me to send you to the Yihong Pavilion?”

Ye Qing took a few ragged breaths, his gaze cold as he ground his teeth. “Get out!”

“Hahaha…”

I walked away with my hands behind my back, laughing loudly.