Ning Xuan rolled his eyes at Qing Zhu. “A friend I met recently gave them to me. He said his master had rewarded him with them.”
Qing Zhu was immediately puzzled. When had Ning Xuan quietly befriended someone so influential? Pastries of such exquisite appearance and fragrance were not something an ordinary servant could obtain, nor would any of them dare take such things even if they entered the rear kitchen. Masters themselves were divided into countless ranks and could hardly be compared as equals. Qing Zhu had not served in the eastern wing for long, but even then, only a handful of people there had been able to enjoy pastries of this quality. The varieties were ordinary rather than especially rare or expensive, but the craftsmanship alone was enough for every servant in the eastern and western wings to know that anyone fortunate enough to serve that particular master would refuse to leave even if beaten to death.
“What kind of friend? What does he do?” Qing Zhu, who was normally careless, suddenly looked so wary that Mo Qi froze with a piece of osmanthus cake in his hand, unsure whether to lift it or put it down.
“A guard. A courtyard guard named Yihua,” Ning Xuan answered casually.
Ning Xuan’s dazed composure did not spread to Qing Zhu and Mo Qi. Both reacted as though struck by lightning and hurriedly set down the food in their hands. They did not dare throw it away, so they respectfully placed it upon the table before retreating as though they had encountered some highly contagious disease.
Ning Xuan stared in confusion. Moments ago, they had looked ready to devour everything in sight. Why were they suddenly behaving like model workers and throwing themselves diligently into their chores?
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you eating?” Ning Xuan asked.
“Heh, it’s nothing. We ate too much last night, so our stomachs are still… still having trouble digesting it.” Their hands moved even faster than usual as they spoke.
What is going on?
Ning Xuan wondered silently, but had no time to meddle in their affairs. He was still tormented by the fact that he had lost himself in that kiss.
Meanwhile, Qing Zhu and Mo Qi worked with nervous caution. Who beneath Heaven did not know that the current Fifth Prince, Prince Rong Feng Xuanyi, bore the courtesy name Yihua? Yet the person directly involved appeared perfectly calm. They were merely servants, so it was safer to keep their heads down and mind their own business.
The kiss left Ning Xuan lightheaded and distracted throughout the entire day. He could not concentrate on his work and had no appetite at mealtime. Even the previously irresistible pastries became difficult to swallow. He had intended to bring them back and share them with Qing Zhu and Mo Qi, but the two avoided them at every turn and insisted in perfect unison that they had eaten too much the night before. Heaven knew how ridiculous that excuse was. For underage servants like them, getting enough to eat at all was already fortunate. How could they possibly have eaten themselves sick? On second thought, however, Ning Xuan found it amusing. Perhaps Yihua’s aura of misfortune was so powerful that even people who had never met him were forced into retreat. Maybe only someone as slow-witted as Ning Xuan would notice it so late.
He wiped a bookshelf, stopped, resumed wiping, and stopped again. One moment he scratched his head, and the next he sighed miserably. By the time the sun began setting, he had still not managed to clean a single shelf from beginning to end. The library in Prince Rong’s residence was not particularly magnificent, nor could its collection be called unprecedented, but it was at least large enough that one could stand at the entrance and fail to see its far end. Ning Xuan had expected endless ridicule from the other two. Instead, Qing Zhu and Mo Qi said nothing and even took the initiative to share his work. Ning Xuan was so moved that tears nearly streamed down his face, and he repeatedly praised them as true brothers and friends.
Dong… dong-dong… Clack… clack-clack…
“The night is dry—take care with fire!”
Most of the servants’ quarters had been built deep within the inner residence, stretching all the way toward the small rear gate. The streets of the imperial capital lay just beyond a single wall, so at night, even the calls of the watchmen outside could be heard with perfect clarity.
Curled beneath his blanket, Ning Xuan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Everything that had happened over the past several days repeatedly surfaced in his mind. He had barely managed to accept this era’s widely recognized view that marriage could involve either men or women and that both were treated equally. Then he had been forced to witness and study a live male Spring Palace scene. After that, he had somehow ended up alone with a stranger in the library in the dead of night, examining the Secret Arts of the Bedchamber in even greater theoretical and technical depth. Before he could recover from that, kisses had descended upon him one after another—and worst of all, he had felt hardly any revulsion. By only the second kiss, he had already been left dizzy and practically floating in bliss!
Ning Xuan bolted upright as though awakening from a nightmare, cold sweat dampening his temples. A dragonfly-light brush of lips, a brief tentative touch, a gentle and tender tongue kiss, and scorching, intense breaths… His lips still seemed to retain the man’s warmth and scent. Ning Xuan covered his face, yet the shocking heat beneath his palms felt exactly like the blazing breath that had suddenly surrounded him that morning.
Damn it! Was I born gay or something? At least struggle a little! At least feel awkward! At least become disgusted and want to vomit! Damn it—what the hell were you happily enjoying it for?!
Ning Xuan muttered bitterly to himself. His bright phoenix eyes remained wide open in the darkness, his teeth clenched tightly, and his pouting lips could practically have supported an oil bottle.
⸻
“Oh, right. I’m a very loyal person.” Yihua, who had already turned to leave, suddenly looked back and picked up the damaged book that had been abandoned in the corner for quite some time. “I’ll come back tonight and help you copy this book. But…” He raised his eyes and stared directly into Ning Xuan’s dark pupils, which remained dull with shock. One hand lifted and casually brushed across his own lips. “Remember to leave the door open for me tonight.”
After saying this, he dropped the book, turned, and disappeared without looking back.
⸻
Those words still echoed clearly in Ning Xuan’s ears, and the corner of his mouth twitched. That fellow isn’t really going to come to the library tonight, is he?
He raised his eyes and looked through the window at the waning moon hanging high in the night sky. Midnight has already passed. He… wouldn’t be waiting outside, would he?
Ning Xuan carefully climbed over Mo Qi, who slept on the outer side of the bed, quietly gathered his clothes, opened the door, and gently closed it behind him.
I’m only hungry and going out to forage for food in the middle of the night. That is perfectly normal. I am absolutely not going to the library to see whether that fool is truly waiting there!
Ning Xuan shook his head with great seriousness, talking to himself, suggesting things to himself, and comforting himself all at once. As he hurried along, he efficiently pulled on his outer robe. Unfortunately, the direction he took led nowhere near the rear kitchen.
The early-autumn night carried wave after wave of chill. Ning Xuan was already sensitive to cold, so the sleepiness he had finally managed to cultivate vanished completely within moments.
He was not doing anything shameful or criminal, but within a princely residence, avoiding trouble whenever possible was still safest. Carefully evading the night patrols and servants, he followed a maze of twisting paths until he reached the dark entrance of the library.
The night was cool as water, silent and peaceful. Cicadas and insects called in the darkness—but apart from them, no one was there.
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