Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Two hours later.

I sat on a chair while Yun Sheng busied himself at the stove.

He was very efficient, starting the fire and steaming the red beans…

Yuan Heng stood at the doorway, poking his head in to peer at us. He tried to come in to help several times, but Yun Sheng ruthlessly drove him out.

I turned my head to look at them, putting on a confused and weary expression.

Yuan Heng gave me a helpless cupped-fist salute, signaling for me to stay put.

Earlier, when I had wanted to leave, he wouldn’t let me.

He said this monk friend of his was usually a bit eccentric in word and deed, but he was a man of deep feeling and sincerity. He asked me to be patient and indulge him.

He even promised that afterward, he would find a way to have my brother, who was serving in the borderlands, transferred back to Chang’an.

I rubbed my aching lower back and looked ahead.

At that moment, Yun Sheng was mixing the filling. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing several prominent scars on his left wrist.

Had he once tried to slit his wrists and take his own life?

Or had someone else harmed him?

“Ye Family Younger Sister, do you like sweets?” Yun Sheng asked warmly, holding a porcelain jar. “Should I add some honey to the filling?”

I shook my head.

I didn’t like him calling me that; it was too unsettling.

I was sitting on pins and needles in the kitchen, while Yuan Heng was growing impatient at the door.

It seemed his “man-wife” was having a spat with him and ignoring him. He was like a male peacock trying to fan its tail, making noise every now and then to catch Yun Sheng’s attention.

“Huaiqing drafted a new prescription for you a while ago. How do you feel after taking it?”

“Hey! I had an upset stomach the other day-vomiting and diarrhea for two days-but I’m fine now. Don’t worry.”

Yuan Heng clutched his stomach with a pitiful expression, constantly glancing at Yun Sheng.

Seeing that Yun Sheng ignored him, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he continued to chatter away: “Didn’t you tell me to copy the Earth Store Sutra? I actually gained some insights from it. How about we discuss it?”

Yun Sheng’s hand paused. “Insights? Then do you know what day it is today?”

Yuan Heng froze, thinking hard. “What day… is it the day we first met? No, that was the fourth day of the third month. What is it exactly? Ouch, I’ll definitely remember it.”

He clearly couldn’t recall. He turned to look at Cheng Wei, who was standing not far away, seeking an answer with his eyes.

Cheng Wei frowned and gave a slight shake of his head.

Yuan Heng punched his own head in frustration and gave a sheepish laugh. “How about you give me a hint?”

Yun Sheng let out a cold laugh. He arranged the wrapped red bean cakes on a plate and placed them in the steamer.

“It’ll be ready in a moment.” Yun Sheng gave me a mischievous wink. “Just wait a little longer.”

I gave a dry laugh and nodded, feeling uncomfortable all over.

The atmosphere was too awkward, so I picked a random topic to break the silence. “Little Master, I see your cooking skills are quite practiced.”

Yun Sheng scratched his bald scalp. “Hah, I’m just messing around, but Master used to love the pastries I made.”

I smiled and asked, “May I ask which eminent monk your master was?”

Yun Sheng rubbed his eyes. “My master? My master was an opera singer. He passed away many years ago.”

I asked again, “How did you and the Marquis meet?”

“Ahem!” Yuan Heng’s expression soured. “Qing Qiu, you’re talking a bit too much. It’s rude to pry so deeply into a guest’s business.”

To my surprise, Yun Sheng glared at Yuan Heng. “Li Yuanheng, mark my words: if you bully Ye Family Younger Sister again, I’ll turn against you for good!”

He spat on the ground, opened the steamer, and waved his hands to disperse the hot steam before reaching for the plate with both hands.

“Careful, it’s hot!” the words escaped my mouth.

“It’s fine, don’t worry!”

Yun Sheng quickly set the plate on the table, then immediately pinched his earlobes with his hot fingers, hissing as he inhaled sharply.

He gave me an embarrassed smile and handed me a pair of chopsticks. “Try some.”

I really didn’t want to eat, but with Yuan Heng watching from nearby, I could only brace myself and take a bite.

“It’s delicious.” I looked at Yun Sheng. “Aren’t you having any, Little Master?”

Yun Sheng stared blankly at the red bean cakes. “My sister and I were twins. Our family was poor when we were young. Once, Mother borrowed some beans from the village head’s house and secretly made a plate of red bean cakes for my sister. I complained that she was being biased, so I stole them all and ate them. When Mother found out, she chased me with a stick to beat me. My sister pulled at her from behind, crying and shouting, ‘Don’t hit Brother! Let Brother have the red bean cakes, I won’t eat them.'”

I asked, “What happened after that?”

Yun Sheng wiped away his tears. “Afterward… I found out that was the last meal Mother ever made for my sister. She sold her that very night.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. After thinking it over, I handed him my handkerchief.

Yun Sheng didn’t take it, waving his hands repeatedly. “This poor monk’s hands are dirty; I wouldn’t dare use it.”

I sighed. “Did you look for her later?”

Yun Sheng nodded, his tears falling like rain.

I must have been going mad, but I glanced at the scars on his wrist. “Your sister would want you to live a good life.”

Yuan Heng chimed in from outside: “Exactly. You should listen to Qing Qiu on this.”

Yun Sheng rolled his eyes at Yuan Heng, then suddenly leaned in close to me.

I instinctively recoiled.

He grabbed me and whispered softly in my ear, “Ye Family Younger Sister, I’ll kill him for you. You are the one who should live a good life.”