Early in the morning, starting to get all clingy—what’s the deal with that?
Yu Jinnian sniffed all over Ji Hong, left and right, like a little mouse, rummaging around in a frenzy.
Ji Hong’s clothes were in disarray from the rummaging. Unable to bear it any longer, he pulled the mischievous boy in front of him. Yu Jinnian stared at him with wide eyes, stubbornly covering his mouth to prevent Ji Hong from kissing him, like a small animal feeling wronged. Ji Hong was torn between amusement and exasperation. He lightly pinched Yu Jinnian’s waist and asked, “What do you mean by taking other people’s stuff?”
He reached under the pillow and pulled out a small porcelain box, about the size of a palm. “Bought it.”
Yu Jinnian quickly snatched it away, opened the lid, and saw a creamy yellow ointment with a faint jasmine fragrance. He suspiciously glanced at Ji Hong, dipped a bit with his fingertip, and applied it to his wrist. He asked, “Why did you buy this?”
Ji Hong watched as the ointment gradually melted on Yu Jinnian’s wrist. The warmth of his skin intensified the fragrance, as if a burst of jasmine bloomed in the bedroom. But more captivating than the scent was the fresh and alluring boy in front of him. Ji Hong held Yu Jinnian’s wrist and gently massaged the ointment into his skin, commenting, “The woman selling it said the cream is incredibly moisturizing, with honey mixed in. I don’t know if that’s true, so I tried it out.”
He then brought Yu Jinnian’s wrist to his nose for a thorough sniff, like someone addicted. Only after that did he declare, “Though it’s not as good as the common shell cream in the capital, it’s decent… Want to put some on your face?”
It sounded like he was asking for permission, but before Yu Jinnian could respond, Ji Hong had already pulled him down. Yu Jinnian half-leaned on Ji Hong’s chest, watching as the man’s fingers smeared the flowery cream on his face. Ji Hong’s fingertips always seemed cold, never quite warming up. The cream felt equally cool as it was applied to his face.
After staring for a while, Yu Jinnian lowered his guard, captivated by Ji Hong’s long, deep eyes.
Once Ji Hong had finished applying the cream to both of Yu Jinnian’s cheeks, he snapped out of his daze, awkwardly muttering, “This feels strange… It’s all stuff women use, isn’t it? Last time… you didn’t seem to like such sweet-smelling things, did you?”
He was referring to the last time he used a hand cream called Qing Huan.
“What’s there to worry about?” Ji Hong’s fingers brushed across Yu Jinnian’s slightly rough cheeks. They appeared smooth and pale most of the time, but in reality, the kitchen work had damaged them. Feeling a pang of affection, he applied a bit more cream to Yu Jinnian’s face. “Only the two of us know. From now on, we’ll rub some in every night—it’ll make winter easier to bear.”
“Only the two of us.” These words filled Yu Jinnian with joy. He sat quietly, smiling foolishly as Ji Hong rubbed and massaged his face. But the scent made both of them a bit restless. With only half his face done, Yu Jinnian stuck out one bare foot and nudged it into Ji Hong’s lap, raising his chin. “Put some on my feet too.”
Ji Hong was puzzled. “Why would you put it on your feet?”
“Hurry up, hurry up!” Yu Jinnian wiggled his round toes. Exasperated by his antics, Ji Hong ended up applying some cream to his feet as well.
Before the cream had fully dried, Yu Jinnian wriggled under the blankets like a slippery eel, grinning mischievously as he rubbed his feet against Ji Hong’s. Their feet tangled together under the covers, and soon both of them smelled sweet, as if this somehow made them feel like they belonged together.
Ji Hong thought Yu Jinnian’s behavior was both ridiculous and childish, but he couldn’t help indulging in the playful silliness. The two of them rolled around under the blanket for a while until suddenly, the window frame rattled, and a gust of wind blew out the half-burned candle at the bedside.
The room plunged into darkness, and Ji Hong finally caught the slippery “eel” in the dark. He pulled the laughing boy into his arms, kissed the back of his neck, and asked, “What should we do?”
“What should we do?” Yu Jinnian repeated, only then realizing that Ji Hong might be referring to the candle being out. He laughed and teasingly asked, “Are you scared? Do you want little Jasmine to light the candle for you?”
Earlier, Yu Jinnian had been calling himself “little butterfly,” and tonight, he was “little Jasmine.” Where did he come up with all these quirky nicknames? Ji Hong tightened his embrace, murmuring softly, “My fear of the dark probably won’t get any better.”
Yu Jinnian didn’t understand. “Why? Hasn’t it improved a lot?”
Ji Hong slowly closed his eyes. After walking all day, he was indeed exhausted. Coupled with the hot bath he had taken, his body was at its most relaxed. After goofing around with Yu Jinnian for a while, a deep fatigue crept up on him, and his arms, which had been holding Yu Jinnian tightly, gradually loosened. He murmured faintly, “Too dazzling… Jinnian…”
Yu Jinnian wanted to ask more, but Ji Hong had already fallen into a deep sleep.
With the onset of winter, the sun rose late, as if time itself had slowed down. The entire town of Xinan was taking a lazy lie-in, and all the shops were opening later. Yu Jinnian slept soundly until broad daylight. Today was a rare sunny day, as the winter in Xinan was usually gray and overcast. Qing Huan had strung up a rope in the backyard to hang blankets out to dry, making the yard bloom with colorful fabrics.
She was beating the blankets with a vine paddle when she suddenly exclaimed, “Huh? Why does this blanket smell so nice?”
A boy was sneaking under the rope, trying to slip by. Like a hawk spotting a chick, Qing Huan sharply noticed him and asked, “Huh, why do you smell so nice, Jinnian?”
Yu Jinnian spun around and bolted, running headfirst into Ji Hong, who had just stepped out of the kitchen. With a guilty expression, he looked up and whispered, “Shh, we’ve been found out, found out!”
Ji Hong chuckled. “You didn’t have to run.”
They exchanged a glance with Qing Huan and, whispering to each other, walked back to the kitchen arm in arm. Qing Huan, holding the vine paddle, looked at their retreating figures with innocent confusion. What was all this clinginess about, so early in the morning?
Today, the noodle shop was steaming buns—two kinds of fillings, meat, and vegetarian—with egg tea and pickled ginger on the side.
Though it was already broad daylight, the streets outside were still quiet. Only the occasional vendor calling out could be heard, one of them seemingly selling hawthorn cakes. The noodle shop had just finished setting up the tables and chairs in the front hall and hadn’t opened its doors yet. The steamed buns on the trays were just starting to plump up, sending clouds of hot steam into the kitchen, filling the air with warmth and humidity.
Outside, a girl in a pink dress hurried down the empty street. At this hour, it was rare to see a young woman out alone, and even the hawthorn cake vendor couldn’t help but take a second look. He watched her run to the noodle shop’s door and knock on the wooden panel.
The vendor saw the shop’s door crack open from the inside, allowing the girl to slip in. With nothing more to watch, he continued calling out, “Hawthorn cakes! Almond candies! Peanut brittle, sour plum pastries! Hawthorn cakes…”
After only a few calls, he saw the girl come out again, rushing off toward the east.
“Fifth Miss wants something to eat?” Yu Jinnian was dry frying a bowl of white lentils in the pot when he heard Qing Huan say this, and he couldn’t help but pause in surprise.
Qing Huan repeated what Fen Juan, who had come to order food earlier, said and then summarized the key points concisely: “She said the food in the residence hasn’t been satisfying and they wanted you, Brother Nian, to make some appetizing and easy-to-digest soups to send over.”
This was no problem. Yu Jinnian nodded, knowing that an appetizing dish would inevitably need some sweet and sour flavors. He recalled the hawker’s shouts from earlier and immediately asked Qing Huan to go buy some hawthorn cakes and some green plum pastries.
Meanwhile, he grabbed a piece of white lotus root, peeled it, and carefully sliced it into fine shreds, blanching them briefly. Then he separated the egg whites, beat them evenly, and steamed them in a wide bowl with some clear water, creating a white egg custard.
When Qing Huan returned with the cakes, Yu Jinnian asked her to help shred them while he made a sweet glaze using sugar and cornstarch. He then spread the shredded lotus root, hawthorn cake shreds, and green plum shreds over the white egg custard, garnished it with two steamed sweet red dates, and gently poured the sweet glaze on top, completing the dish—*Lotus Root Soup*.
White lotus root, hawthorn, and green plums all aid in digestion and whet the appetite. The dish had a sweet and sour taste, with vibrant colors that would surely catch anyone’s eye, even if they weren’t particularly hungry.
Fearing that the lotus root soup alone might not be satisfying, Yu Jinnian also mashed the steamed yams and potatoes, mixing them with floating pepper powder, a little sugar, and salt, then coated the mixture in glutinous rice flour to form small, firm balls about the size of a finger.
These yam dumplings were best eaten hot, so Yu Jinnian set them aside for now. He tended to the noodle shop’s business, serving the customers until the sun was high in the sky, nearing noon. Only then did he return to the kitchen to boil the clear bone broth, cooking in it mushrooms and bamboo shoots. He added the dumplings for a quick boil before scooping them out and serving them in bowls.
Yams are well-known for their spleen-strengthening properties, but the real highlight of this soup was the floating pepper, which provided a tantalizing sensation, not quite spicy but impossible to resist. Especially in this cold weather, a bowl of floating pepper soup felt like basking in warm sunlight, bringing comfort to the entire body.
Originally, Yu Jinnian had planned to make a nourishing medicinal dish for Ji Hong, even having the white lentils prepared. But he had been so busy with Fifth Miss’s dish that the morning had slipped away, and he had to delay those plans.
Just as Yu Jinnian was about to head to the Yan Residence with the food box, Ji Hong followed him out, insisting on going along.
Since Qing Huan was there to look after the noodle shop, Yu Jinnian didn’t say much and brought Ji Hong with him toward the east of the city.
When they arrived at the Yan Residence, they happened to see Elder Luo leaving. Yan Rong was escorting him out, looking worried, while Elder Luo was shaking his head continuously. The two groups met on the steps in front of the Yan Residence. Yan Rong glanced up and, upon seeing Yu Jinnian, looked displeased. However, given Ji Hong’s presence, he suppressed his discomfort and gave them both a simple greeting.
It seemed the gatekeeper had been instructed, as upon seeing Yu Jinnian, he ran to the back courtyard to report. Not long after, Fen Juan came out, took the food box, and said, “Thank you, Master Yu. Our Miss’s eyes were troubling her again just now. Could I trouble you to give her a needle treatment as well?”
Yu Jinnian glanced at Yan Rong and Luo Qian.
Yan Rong was about to refuse, but Luo Qian spoke first: “Perhaps the young master has some remedy. There’s no harm in trying. Do you have your needles with you? You can use mine if needed.”
With that, he pulled out a needle pouch and handed it to Yu Jinnian.
Ji Hong remained silent throughout. After some thought, Yan Rong, although clearly weighing his options, pursed his lips and stepped aside, allowing them to enter. As Yu Jinnian passed by Yan Rong, a faint scent wafted from him, quite different from the last time they met. Just as this scent stirred an unpleasant feeling in Yan Rong, he caught the same fragrance from Ji Hong.
He glared at the two of them, utterly shocked: **Could it be that Third Young Master Ji had fallen so deeply into this that he, too, was indulging in the vile habit of using perfumes and powders?**
The saying goes that beauty is a source of misfortune, and in Yan Rong’s eyes, this boy was just that—a pot of trouble!
Yu Jinnian, following Fen Juan into the inner courtyard, was completely unaware of the malicious thoughts Yan Rong harbored toward him for “corrupting” Ji Hong. But even if he had known, he would probably have been smugly wrapping his arm around Ji Hong’s waist, proudly declaring, “Yes, I did corrupt him, so what?” He might have driven Yan Rong to fury.
The two of them entered the same room as before. Yan Yuyao was already inside, resting on a chaise lounge. A maid was gently massaging her temples, and on the small table beside her were two delicate snacks, though Yan Yuyao had only taken one bite before pushing them aside in displeasure.
Fen Juan brought out the yam dumpling soup and the lotus root soup from the food box. Since Yan Yuyao couldn’t see, she had Fen Juan describe the dishes. Fen Juan scooped a portion of the lotus root soup with a porcelain spoon. The red hawthorn cake shreds lay against the tender white egg custard, visually pleasing and melting instantly in the mouth. The soup, served warm but not hot, had a texture closer to a sweet jelly than a hot soup.
Yan Yuyao had been upset with Yan Rong over the past few days and hadn’t eaten much, only occasionally coaxed by Fen Juan to sip some porridge. Her stomach had been empty for a while, but the sweet and sour lotus root soup brought a sense of comfort, soothing her nausea, and she ended up eating a few more bites.
Just as she was about to speak to Yu Jinnian, Yan Rong cleared his throat and entered the room. Yan Yuyao, irritated at the sight of him, snapped, “Why are you watching me so closely? Are you afraid I’ll sprout wings and fly away?”
Yan Rong was equally unhappy and, in a harsh tone, retorted, “How can you talk like that? With such a temper, how do you expect to manage a household when you’re married?”
At this, Yan Yuyao threw her spoon into the bowl, her eyes reddening with tears. “Marriage, marriage, marriage! You brought me back because the Yan family had no daughters to offer as a token in your dealings! In your eyes, how am I any different from the women traded outside? Those women at least have a chance to redeem themselves with a contract; you’re sending me away for life, to be someone else’s servant through marriage!”
The term “traded women” referred to girls sold by human traffickers, considered nothing more than merchandise. They were not regarded as human, merely as goods to be exchanged for silver.
Though Yan Yuyao was a lady from a respectable family, she likened her brother to a human trafficker, showing just how much she despised this marriage arrangement.
“You are of noble status! How can you compare yourself to those women? What nonsense are you spouting!” Yan Rong’s face turned red with anger. “Obeying your father before marriage and your husband after is the natural order. Look at yourself—do you have any grace left as a young lady?”
Yan Yuyao turned her head away, refusing to listen. Perhaps knowing that Cao Nuo was still in the county gave her some hope, as a strange light gleamed in her eyes.
Yu Jinnian stood in the shadows of the room, wearing an innocent expression, thinking, **Why do I always end up hearing you argue whenever I come? Am I destined to play the role of peacemaker?** He shook his head and quietly said, “Um, Sir Yan… Fifth Miss is still unwell, so her temper is understandably short. Perhaps it’s best not to argue.”
It would have been better if he hadn’t spoken. Yan Rong scoffed, “She has enough energy to shout at me; how can she be sick? I think she’s been influenced by those ridiculous books and ideas she’s been reading!”
In a fit of anger, he stormed out of the room, kicked open the door to Yan Yuyao’s chambers, and summoned several servants, ordering, “Throw out all the miscellaneous books in the Miss’s cabinet. From now on, she’s only allowed to read books about virtuous women and moral conduct. If anyone dares sneak anything else into her room, beat them to death!”
Yan Yuyao’s eyes widened in disbelief as she sat upright, utterly shocked.
A group of young servants exchanged glances, unsure of what to do, all turning their eyes toward Yan Yuyao.
Yan Rong glared at them. “What are you looking at her for? Who is the master here, her or me?”
Both of them were technically their masters, but the servants were only slaves. Heads hung low, they hesitated for a moment before finally entering the room to search for the books. Even though Fen Juan kept signaling with her eyes for them to turn a blind eye, they couldn’t ignore Yan Rong, who stood at the door with arms crossed, watching closely. In the end, they found and hauled out every single book.
It turned out to be quite a collection, with dozens of books ranging from strange tales to romantic legends and small illustrated storybooks.
Pointing at them, Yan Rong scolded, “These are the things you’ve been reading? Bring the fire!”
Yan Yuyao, now furious and shocked beyond words, clutched her head, feeling a throbbing pain.
Fen Juan dropped to her knees with a loud thud, pleading, “Master Yan, please, don’t burn them! These are all Miss has. She has nothing else. Please, just leave her a couple. Fen Juan swears she’ll never bring her anything like this again, just leave her a few books!”
“She still thinks there’s a future for this?” Yan Rong shot back coldly, then instructed the servants, “Take the Miss back to her room. From now on, she’ll have set times to see the doctor each day, and she’s not to leave her quarters.” Turning to Yu Jinnian, he said, “Master Yu, I’ll trouble you to check her pulse now and leave the prescription and medicine with the gate servants afterward. There’s too much chaos at home today, so I won’t keep you and Master Ji any longer.”
It was clear Yan Yuyao was now under house arrest.
With the servants watching, Yan Rong left, his sleeves swishing behind him. Yu Jinnian glanced at Yan Yuyao and then looked up at Ji Hong, clearly uncertain of what to do.
Ji Hong gently supported Yu Jinnian’s waist and shook his head slightly.
Whenever Yu Jinnian was unsure, he deferred to Ji Hong’s judgment. Since Ji Hong had signaled for him not to interfere in their family matters, Yu Jinnian kept his distance. He moved over to check Yan Yuyao’s pulse, which hadn’t changed much but was weaker than before due to her poor diet over the past couple of days. Seeing her pale face, he took out the needle pouch lent by Elder Luo and administered acupuncture to her temples, Fengchi, and Hegu points.
Staring straight ahead with her blind eyes, Yan Yuyao suddenly said, “It won’t get better.”
“Ah,” Yu Jinnian realized she was talking about her illness. “It can get better, Fifth Miss. It’s not as serious as it seems, but you have to trust me…”
“Do me a favor,” she interrupted.
Yu Jinnian asked, “What is it?”
She pulled something out from her clothing—it was the silver and gold-engraved tooth that Cao Nuo had taken from his neck the other day, and she had kept it with her. Yan Yuyao, fumbling, pressed the tooth into Yu Jinnian’s hand, unwilling to part with it but resigned. “Now that I’m confined to the courtyard, I won’t be able to see him again. Brother Nuo is kind; I know that. But…”
“Sigh.” Yan Yuyao sighed heavily. “Please, Brother Nian, return this to Brother Nuo for me. Tell him not to wait for me anymore. I’ve heard that Yunnan is a beautiful place, with its blue skies and clear waters, snow-capped mountains above, and vibrant life below—a paradise. The old home in Xingyi Prefecture is long gone, so tell him to return to Yunnan. I won’t be able to go, but with this in his hand, it’ll be as if I’m seeing those sights with him.”
Yu Jinnian gripped the engraved tooth. “…And what about you?”
Yan Yuyao shook her head, her response vague and evasive: “What can I do?”
Seeing her expression so muted, Yu Jinnian didn’t press further. He stood up and said his goodbyes, “I’ll prepare some calming tea for you, Fifth Miss. I’ll come back tomorrow to check on you.” He requested some ink and paper, wrote out a prescription for a soothing herbal tea, and handed it to a servant. After collecting his fee, he left with Ji Hong, while Fen Juan helped Yan Yuyao back to her room.
As they walked out of the Yan Residence, Yu Jinnian stared at the tooth in his hand, muttering, “How am I supposed to find Cao Nuo? Should I just try my luck at that teahouse again?”
Ji Hong let out a sound of agreement, then frowned, “You’re here to treat her illness, not meddle in their affairs. None of this is worth the trouble. You’ll only end up getting dragged into something unpleasant.”
“Oh,” Yu Jinnian obediently replied.
Ji Hong couldn’t resist ruffling Yu Jinnian’s hair.
The two of them had just left the Yan Residence and were leisurely strolling past the new market stalls along the way, talking about checking on the small jewelry pieces they had ordered earlier. An old man nearby was happily stirring hot syrup in a small sugar pot with a bamboo stick, making traditional *sugared hawthorns*. The children surrounding him were cheering excitedly.
Yu Jinnian, standing among the children, stood out like a crane in a flock of chickens, yet he seemed oblivious to how out of place he looked. He reached out to take one of the amber-colored, crystal-clear sugar sticks the old man handed him, then eagerly turned to show it to Ji Hong, insisting that he take a bite.
Ji Hong, naturally uninterested in such childish treats, symbolically took a small taste, finding it overwhelmingly sweet as expected. Satisfied that Ji Hong had tried it, Yu Jinnian took it back, licking it happily without any care that Ji Hong’s saliva was on it. He sucked on it with enthusiasm, his pink tongue darting in and out as he licked.
Yu Jinnian was joyfully licking the candy, looking around, when suddenly Ji Hong leaned over and took another bite from his hand.
The two of them playfully teased each other, their shoulders touching and their hands intertwined inside their sleeves.
Just then, a servant from the Yan Residence came rushing out in a panic, running wildly in the wrong direction. Realizing his mistake, he turned back, panting and covered in sweat. As he frantically scanned the street, his eyes lit up when he spotted two familiar figures in the crowd—one tall, one short.
The servant practically dove at them, throwing himself at Yu Jinnian’s feet, nearly scaring Yu Jinnian into biting his own tongue.
Clutching his sore mouth, Yu Jinnian looked down at the servant in confusion.
The servant, his voice hoarse and breaking, cried out, “Young doctor! Please, you must save her! My lady—she’s hanged herself from the beam!”