The Boy in the Box
In Beetroot Alley, two more horse-drawn carriages arrived in succession.
As the vehicles came to a halt, Ji Hong did not wait for Duan Ming to bring over the stepping stool; he jumped down directly. Facing a half-dilapidated small door, he pushed it open and strode into the courtyard.
Two strong gatekeepers stopped him for a moment. After the King of Yue waved his hand, they nodded and stepped aside.
Ji Hong kicked the door open. The room, no bigger than a palm, had a thick layer of dust on the earthen kang. Not only was there not a single person, but even a mouse was nowhere to be seen. The exquisitely crafted wooden box in the center of the room stood out sharply and looked eerie. Compared to an ordinary wooden box, it was indeed much larger, but it was unimaginable to fit a person inside comfortably, and at this moment, there was not a sound coming from within.
The person he cherished was packed into the box like cargo, unaware of his fate—Ji Hong’s eyes narrowed, and anger surged within him.
However, he knew it wasn’t the time to settle accounts with Yan Chang, so he reached out to open the box.
Yan Chang stepped forward, slamming the box down with a bang, and glanced sideways at him, saying, “Young Master, this thing has been with me for over half a month. I’ve admired it inside and out; it feels excellent, truly a fine item. I’ve placed it by my bedside day and night, unable to part with it, and now, I must reluctantly let it go… Young Master Ji, you must cherish it well.”
His words were layered with meaning, each one carefully weighted. He, too, was a man and understood a man’s pride deeply. The thing he couldn’t keep, he was unwilling to let go easily to his rival, determined to provoke and sow discord.
However, there were no ripples in Ji Hong’s eyes. He brushed aside Yan Chang’s hand and said, “It’s my thing; no need for the King of Yue to worry.”
The box was suddenly flung open, revealing a heart-wrenching sight inside—on the bright red soft satin, a young boy curled up. His clothes were luxurious, but his chin was markedly sharper, and at this moment, his eyes were tightly shut, sleeping soundly. He seemed to be disturbed by the noise from outside, his brow lightly furrowed, making him both adorable and pitiful.
If it weren’t for the veins bulging on the hand pressing against the edge of the box, anyone could hardly discern the tumult of emotions on Ji Hong’s face. Yet the room chilled instantly, and even Yan Chang felt a hint of killing intent for a moment. Though he knew Ji Shuluan was not skilled in martial arts, his right hand instinctively moved to the sword at his waist. But in just a moment, Ji Hong suppressed all his hostility, and a layer of tenderness surfaced on his expressionless face.
Seeing him half-kneeling by the box, Ji Hong reached in and gently touched the boy’s face, whispering, “Jinnian, it’s time to wake up.”
Calling softly several times, the boy in the box slowly opened his eyes and blinked in confusion.
Yu Jinnian had grown accustomed to waking up not knowing where he was, often thinking he was dreaming. After all, there was light in front of him, and he could hear a voice that sounded like Ji Hong’s; this dream was too beautiful to want to wake up from. However, this position had confined him for too long, and his hands and feet had gone numb. He hadn’t realized he was in a box, so he suddenly lifted his head. Ji Hong was quick to reach in and support the back of his head, preventing him from banging against the box wall.
Seeing that he was awake, Ji Hong did not let him fall asleep again. He supported his head with one hand and wrapped the other around his shoulder to help him up.
Yu Jinnian lazily murmured a couple of sounds, opening his eyes to see who had disturbed his peaceful slumber. But after one glance, he still felt as if he were dreaming. His body leaned toward Ji Hong, his arms naturally opening up. It was a posture that asked to be held, showing intimacy and a bit of petulance, entirely carefree and candid. If he opened his arms, Ji Hong would catch him, and he never missed.
He leaned against Ji Hong’s shoulder without opening his eyes, softly begging, “Ah Hong, I’m so sleepy…”
“…Sleep then.” Ji Hong’s heart softened, and he sighed. Seeing that he was afraid to open his eyes, he pondered for a moment and realized the reason. He was concerned about the boy’s condition and had no time to deal with Yan Chang, so he turned to signal Duan Ming to fetch a coat from the carriage and properly cover the person in his arms.
Yu Jinnian squirmed a bit, perhaps feeling uncomfortable, and when Ji Hong adjusted his posture, he finally settled down obediently, allowing himself to be held.
How gentle a person could be, and how obedient another could be!
Yan Chang had worked hard for over half a month, devising mechanisms and employing various means. He had gathered numerous toys and delicacies from the north and south to win Yu Jinnian’s favor, but he hadn’t even looked at them, only shouting and cursing. He had thrown all kinds of insults, never repeating himself in over ten days, like a thorny bramble covered in barbs. Such a well-behaved and affectionate Yu Jinnian, murmuring softly while being held, was something he had never seen, let alone experienced such intimacy.
As Yu Jinnian fell asleep again in his arms, gradually losing strength, Ji Hong did not know where he had bumped into something while lifting him from the box. He heard Yu Jinnian let out a small groan and immediately stopped moving, simply checking the boy over. He noticed a circle of red marks around his wrist, and the scratches on his delicate skin had broken the surface.
Ji Hong’s face darkened, feeling completely cold inside and out, but his movements were devoid of any impatience, filled with gentleness. Duan Ming reached out to take him, but Ji Hong refused to let anyone else touch him. He first took out a piece of white silk handkerchief from his pocket, carefully wrapped it around the boy’s wrist, gently tying a knot. Only then did he grit his teeth and lift the boy up, silently walking past Yan Chang.
The King of Yue stood at the door, insisting on touching his sore spot: “Ji Shuluan.”
Ji Hong paused.
Yan Chang said, “It’s just a favorite servant. If they knew this favorite servant was taken back from my hands, do you think the Ji family would let you two play this deep and unchanging game?”
Ji Hong slightly turned his head and replied, “The Ji family, I decide.”
What a big talk.
Yan Chang asked, “Then what about my person?”
Ji Hong no longer answered, bowing to carry the boy into the carriage and departing.
From Beetroot Alley to the Duke Li’s mansion, it took only a moment. Yu Jinnian lay across Ji Hong’s legs, showing no signs of waking. Ji Hong slowly stroked the boy’s hair and tugged up the clothes that had slipped down from him.
Duan Ming asked from outside the carriage curtain, “Young Master, what about the princess and Lord Zhang…”
As they passed through a bustling market filled with noise and shouting, Ji Hong turned to glance, and raised his hand to lower the bamboo curtain, blocking some of the noise and the glaring afternoon sun. The sleeping boy on his lap whimpered softly, fingers twitching. Ji Hong reached out to hold his hand, gently soothing him. At that moment, he saw the white silk wrapped around Yu Jinnian’s wrist.
So he said blandly, “Whenever Jinnian wakes up, we can let him go. But since we’re here, don’t let them come for nothing. Since he touched my person, he shouldn’t blame me for touching one of his.”
Duan Ming replied affirmatively, feeling reassured.
—
At the entrance of the Kanghe Courtyard, Qing Huan had been anxiously waiting for a long time. Seeing Young Master Ji walking quickly with someone in his arms, she immediately rushed out to greet him. Noticing Yu Jinnian hanging his head, looking pale and leaning against Young Master Ji as if he were even weaker, she couldn’t help but cry, thinking about how thin he must be to be held like this by Young Master Ji.
“Go prepare warm water.”
Qing Huan immediately realized what was needed upon hearing the instruction, and she hurried to the small kitchen to boil water.
Ji Hong carried him back to the bedroom. Yu Jinnian was still asleep, but since the boy’s breathing was long and steady, it didn’t seem like a sign of illness. Ji Hong suppressed his emotions and patiently waited for him to wake up fully. At this moment, Qing Huan returned hastily, placing a basin of water beside the bed and handing him a soft towel.
Ji Hong dipped a silk cloth in the warm water and gently wiped Yu Jinnian’s hands and face. Then, he stroked the boy’s face, which he hadn’t seen for too long. Indeed, he had lost weight; the chubby cheeks he had gained in Jiangnan had returned. The quieter Yu Jinnian slept, the more guilty Ji Hong felt. Thankfully, the boy was back now. Holding Yu Jinnian’s hand, Ji Hong instructed his servants to lower the surrounding curtains and ordered that the door to the Kanghe Courtyard be closed. No matter who it was today, they were not allowed to enter.
The sun had moved past the hour of Shen, and the daylight was gradually fading.
Duan Ming entered and saw Ji Hong still sitting motionless like a statue, frozen in place. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. After a moment, he finally said that a messenger from the King of Yue’s residence had arrived, asking when the matters the young master had promised would be handled.
Ji Hong held a jar of ointment, applying it to Yu Jinnian’s injured wrist. His hands were usually cold, but now that he had regained them, he felt a chill run through him, so he dipped his fingers in the warm water to warm them up before touching Yu Jinnian again. Upon hearing Duan Ming’s words, a cold fury surged within him. He grabbed a used silk cloth beside him and threw it heavily at Duan Ming, coldly ordering, “Tell him to wait!”
Duan Ming lowered his head, awkwardly retreating. He passed on the message as instructed, and it was clear that the messenger’s face turned pale upon hearing it.
Another half an hour passed, the sun sinking near the eaves, heavy as if it could not hold on.
Finally, Yu Jinnian slowly woke up. The first thing he saw was a curtain he had never seen before. The room was dimly lit, and the air carried a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with ink. He suddenly felt coolness on his wrist, lifting it to take a closer look, only to find that the silver chain was gone. The wounds he had desperately struggled to free himself from had been treated with ointment and wrapped in a thin layer of white silk.
His vision was still blurry, and he could hardly see anything clearly.
He sat up and noticed a new set of clothes beside his pillow, with a jeweled curved dagger resting atop them. Remembering the sound of Ji Hong’s voice before he passed out, he realized that it hadn’t been a dream after all. However, the room was empty, and something was digging uncomfortably into him. He reached into his pocket and felt the arrowhead silver piece he had hidden there earlier, so he tucked it under his pillow, then swung his legs over the side of the bed, walking barefoot towards the door. He approached the table and picked up the teapot, shaking it. Hearing water sloshing inside, he tilted it up and poured some into his mouth.
It was cold tea, and as it spilled over his collar, he quenched his thirst satisfactorily, then tossed the teapot aside and went out to find someone.
The powder he had taken was derived from mandrake, a type of Datura, which, as long as it wasn’t consumed in excess, wasn’t particularly harmful. It was commonly used to treat motion sickness, but it often had the side effect of dilating pupils, making vision blurry. Before, he had been in a dim room, and everything had appeared the same, so he hadn’t thought it was a big deal. Now that he was out, he realized his vision was severely impaired; everything appeared as mere color blocks, and even the threshold below his feet had to be carefully discerned multiple times before he dared step over it.
Yet, he still tripped and nearly fell to his knees.
In a rather awkward position on the floor, he saw someone hastily approaching down the corridor. Not being able to see their face, he only noticed a pair of black boots. He thought he couldn’t afford to be embarrassed, but before he could rise, he was pulled up by the collar. The person came closer, and Yu Jinnian caught a whiff of a faint fragrance, which made him smile like a fool despite his knees still hurting.
Ji Hong lifted him up, worried he might have fallen. Hearing him laugh like that, he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s so funny? Did you fall and become stupid?”
Yu Jinnian replied, “I’m happy!”
Ji Hong ignored him, carrying him back to the room and setting him down on the bed. He then went out again to fetch the food tray he had placed on the stool earlier. As he entered the room and saw the boy trying to get off the bed again, he rushed over, taking three steps in two strides to press him back down, softly scolding, “You just woke up; what are you trying to do? Why is your clothes wet?”
Yu Jinnian looked up at him without saying a word.
Ji Hong turned to get a clean undershirt, stripping him of the dirty one and replacing it with a fresh one. During this time, Yu Jinnian sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at him intently. Whenever Ji Hong moved left, Yu Jinnian’s eyes followed. When Ji Hong moved right, his gaze followed again. Finally, he squinted and leaned forward to pull on Ji Hong’s clothes, saying, “Stand closer, don’t bully me just because I can’t see clearly.”
He missed pulling him this time and nearly lost his balance, almost falling off the bed.
“Why can’t you see clearly?” Ji Hong caught him again, tension rising within him. “I’ll go to the palace and ask Dr. Liang.”
“No need.” Yu Jinnian finally caught hold of him, “I’m a doctor myself, I know what’s going on. It’s not a big deal; I’ll be fine by tomorrow. Just come here; I want to see you, okay?” Ji Hong frowned and leaned closer. Yu Jinnian grabbed him, and now he could finally see clearly. He even caught a glimpse of his reflection in Ji Hong’s pupils, which made him smile again as he murmured, “It’s not a dream…”
Even Ji Hong’s stone-cold heart was melted by him, and he could no longer hold back. He knelt on the bed, lowering his head to kiss the boy’s proud and alluring lips. Initially, he tried to restrain himself, keeping it gentle, but he couldn’t help it when the other person, having just escaped from danger, became restless and actively offered affection. This completely shattered Ji Hong’s self-possessed facade, and he succumbed to his desires, engaging in a passionate kiss.
Half a month of separation was all expressed in that sticky kiss.
“It’s so nice to have light…”
Yu Jinnian gasped and pulled away, instinctively turning to look at the slanted rays of the setting sun filtering through the curtains. His voice was hoarse as he said, “I didn’t know what it felt like to be afraid of the dark until today; it turns out it’s so terrifying.”
Ji Hong turned to serve a bowl of soup—goji berries stewed with pigeon, which had just been taken off the small stove. Hearing this, he paused for a moment. He blew on the soup to cool it down before bringing it to Yu Jinnian’s lips, softly saying, “From now on, the house will never go dark. Here, eat something. I had some dishes made at Xifeng Tower, but looking at you like this, you should just drink something light. If you want to eat, we can send someone for new dishes tomorrow.”
Yu Jinnian didn’t argue, opening his mouth to take the spoon, once again staring at him intently.
Ji Hong sighed softly, “Don’t strain your eyes too much. If it’s still bad tomorrow, we must invite the physician to take a look.”
After finishing a bowl of soup, Yu Jinnian’s complexion began to regain some color. Ji Hong called someone in to clear the food tray and replace it with several coarse candles that could burn until dawn. He understood what it meant to be afraid of the dark, to feel the torment of invisible demons gnawing at him in the darkness, but he did not want the person he cared about most to experience the same thing one day. Thinking of this, Ji Hong’s heart sank.
The two of them lay side by side, each in one blanket. Seeing him silent, Yu Jinnian knew what he was thinking and immediately clung to him, saying, “Come here, do you see?”
Ji Hong was puzzled, “See what?”
Yu Jinnian pointed at his chest, “Here, there’s a little flame that goes pop, pop, pop. It burns by itself and is especially bright.” After thinking for a moment, he added, “Hmm… If it sees someone it likes, it will burn even brighter.”
Ji Hong couldn’t help but laugh at him and played along, “Is that so?”
Yu Jinnian scooted closer, burrowing into Ji Hong’s blanket. In the process, he grasped Ji Hong’s hand and pressed it against his chest, intentionally lowering his voice as if there really was a timid little flame nestled within his heart. “Can you feel it? Is it burning brighter now?”
Ji Hong gazed deeply at him, remaining silent for a long time before he replied with an almost imperceptible “Hmm.”
He was the one who was hurt; he was the one who was taken captive, yet he was also the one who offered comfort in the end.
Ji Hong sat up all night, lost in thought until the fifth watch, when dawn broke, and he quietly put on his clothes and got out of bed. As he pushed the door open, Duan Ming was already waiting outside. The boy had been sleeping unsteadily, unable to distinguish between night and day, and had only fallen into a deep sleep close to the fourth watch. Ji Hong dressed, quietly instructed Duan Ming, “When he wakes up, prepare breakfast first, and call Qing Huan to take care of him. Find a way to remove the threshold; keep an eye on him when coming and going, and be careful of his eyes. Also, the door to the Kanghe Courtyard must not be opened before I return.”
Duan Ming complied, and Ji Hong took the jade tokens from him. He glanced back at Yu Jinnian, deciding in his heart, and had someone prepare a sedan chair to head to the palace.