Outside, there were other dogs!
A jar of Drunken Spring wine, even if Second Brother finished drinking it, he would still have needed to wield his sword in the night wind beneath the moon to dispel the alcohol, let alone Yu Jinnian, so it was naturally impossible to make him drink it all. Even though Yu Jinnian repeatedly claimed he was not ill, Ji Hong still would not let him act willfully. After he drank just a few cups, Ji Hong ordered the servants to take the wine jar away.
During the day, Ji Hong did not know what he went out to do. At noon and in the evening, he would return to accompany Yu Jinnian for meals. While Ji Hong was out, Yu Jinnian searched the Kanghe Courtyard more than once, yet still could not find where he had hidden the wine jar. In the end, he could only give up, honestly recuperating in the courtyard.
Previously, regarding the matter of the Suiyuan General, though they did not publicize it themselves, it was inevitably spread wildly by those who relished in gossip. In just a few days, the news boiled over. One rumor was that Lu Wei now had an heir, another that the Ji Familyโs heir, having just recovered from a grave illness, took a young man out to roam the streets. Before long, Yu Jinnianโs identity had been fabricated into countless versions: some said he was the descendant of a divine physician, some said he was an immortal boy from Penglai, and even more outlandish claims said he was a demon kept by the Ji Family, and that he was the instigator of Young Master Jiโs blood-sucking cure.
Of course, Yu Jinnian could not hear such nonsense, because he was happily playing the golden canary in the eldest Ji heirโs courtyard, unconcerned about how people outside fabricated stories about him.
After recuperating for two days, he woke up early this morning and found that his eyesight had fully recovered. Sunlight shone through the windowโs slit onto the flower rack inside the room. The freshly watered green leaves glistened, reflecting bright rainbow colors. The entire world was vividly clear after a long absence. However, Ji Hong was not around, and Qing Huan had also gone out to shop. He had no one to share his multitude of joys with. Yu Jinnian tossed away that annoying black gauze veil hat and, bored to tears, sunbathed in the courtyard for a while before wandering off.
Unknowingly, he again walked to the place with the strongest smell of smoke and fire.
The small kitchen of Kanghe Courtyard.
He had rested for nearly a month, and his hands had not touched oil, salt, soy sauce, or vinegar for a long time. He actually missed it. He rolled up his sleeves and walked in. Inside, two kitchen maids leaned against the extinguished stove, dozing off. Yu Jinnian entered and lifted the lid to look at the contents of the pot. Only then did he smell the fragrance of chicken soup, and his movements roused them. Both of them leapt up in fright, hurriedly asking him to leave. They said that the master had ordered that he should not enter the kitchen and that if he wanted anything, he should just order them to make it.
It was the first time Yu Jinnian had ever been chased out of a kitchen. He felt rather amused and helpless at Ji Hongโs order forbidding him from entering. But who was he? His surname was Yu, given name Jinnian, styled rebellious. It was impossible for him to be obedient. Ji Hong said no to this, and no to that, wasnโt it suffocating him?
โIf your master asks, just say it was me who insisted on coming in, and it doesnโt concern you.โ He took advantage of a moment of inattention to duck under the arms of the two kitchen maids, blinked his eyes, and pleaded, โGood sisters, let me do something, or Iโll be bored to death!โ
The two kitchen maids looked at each other. Yu Jinnian had already bent down to look into a large vat on the ground and asked, โSo many fish, where did they come from?โ
The kitchen maids had been worried about this matter. Hearing him ask, one of them acted clever and said, โThe fish in our northern region were large and coarse, not as delicate as southern fish, so we feared they would not suit the little young masterโs taste. The master thus had people travel by water routes to buy many river and sea fish, but these fish were extremely tender. Out of water for just a few days, they would die. Even though a fast boat brought them into the capital, seven or eight out of ten still flipped their belliesโฆโ
The fish died, and when the master asked about it, they would surely be scolded. They might as well plead with this kind-hearted little young master right now.
Yu Jinnian tilted his head, looking at the vat full of half-dead cod fish. After a moment, he smiled and said, โWhatโs so difficult about that? While they arenโt completely dead, letโs just cook them!โ
The kitchen maids were still in a daze. He had already reached in and scooped out a few cod fish, tossed them into the water basin beside him, and cleaned them one by one. Just as he was about to kill them, the two kitchen maids finally came to their senses. How could they let their masterโs hands get stained with blood? They hurriedly took the basin from him and carried it out to do the killing. When he went to pick up a mud-stained basket of fresh green baby bok choy to wash, it was also snatched away. They only asked him to sit on a stool at the side.
Previously, when his eyesight was poor, he had no choice but to be served by others. Now that his eyesight had recovered, yet he was still treated like a master everywhere, Yu Jinnian felt somewhat ill at ease. He paced a few steps in the kitchen and sighed inwardly: Even being served by others felt uncomfortable all over. He really was born with a toiling and worrying nature.
After idly fiddling with some soybeans for a while, the two kitchen maids returned with the cleaned fish and asked him what he wanted to eat.
Yu Jinnian reached out to take it, but the kitchen maids refused to give it, insisting that he return to his room to rest. After a few rounds of tug-of-war, he could not bear it any longer. He jumped up and said, โIโll do it! Iโm vying for favor, all right? Have you ever seen someone vying for favor and still letting the servants do the work? Believe it or not, Iโll whisper a few words by the pillow and cause you two some trouble!โ
โโฆโฆโ Once these words were out, the entire room fell silent.
The two kitchen maids looked at each other. Perhaps they had never seen anyone declare their act of vying for favor so openly and aggressively. Hesitating, they finally handed the basin over to Yu Jinnian.
Yu Jinnian grinned, โNow thatโs more like it!โ
He took the basin of fish, weighed it, and it felt like a good three to five catties. He did not mind the trouble, chopping off the heads and tails one by one, removing the big bone along the spine, then cutting the remaining fish meat into small pieces before meticulously grinding it into a paste. This kind of work required enough patience. When he had been in the south, Yu Jinnian had done it many times. However, after lazing about for a month or so and now returning to his old trade, he actually felt soreness in his forearms.
As Yu Jinnian blamed himself for being too lazy, he still worked conscientiously to grind the fish meat well. After all, it was inevitable that there would be tiny bones in the fish meat. If it was not thoroughly ground, it would scratch the throat when eaten. By the time all the fish meat was processed, more than an hour had passed. Seeing that Ji Hong should be returning soon, he quickly cracked an egg, prepared a spoonful of salt, added a spoonful of yellow wine, and a small bowl of bean flour, mixing them evenly with the ground fish paste and letting it marinate briefly.
The two kitchen maids stood by, at a loss. Yu Jinnian then instructed them not to stand idle and to each go brew soup and stir-fry vegetables, making them according to the dishes their young master liked.
Who would have thought that such a simple request would stump the kitchen maids? After hesitating for a long time, one of them finally confessed the truth: she did not actually know what Ji Hong liked to eat. These past days, they had all followed Ji Hongโs instructions about what Yu Jinnian liked to eat, and that was how they managed to cook.
Yu Jinnian frowned and said, โYou have served him for so many years and donโt know what he likes to eat?โ
The younger kitchen maid said, โIn the past, whatever we made, the heir would eat. Most were light-tasting vegetarian dishes. As long as it wasnโt too strange, the heir never complainedโฆ As for what the heir liked to eat, we really donโt knowโฆโ
โโฆโฆโ Yu Jinnian paused slightly, โHas it always been like this for so many years?โ
Both of them kept their mouths shut, seemingly afraid to speak.
Yu Jinnian suddenly felt a surge of frustration from who knew where. He flicked his sleeves and shooed them out, โGo, go, all of you.โ After pushing the two out and closing the door, Yu Jinnian turned back to look at this spacious kitchen with its two or three stove openings, and at the racks with gold cups, silver goblets, and jade porcelain ladles. Suddenly, he felt that Ji Hongโs life as an heir was rather meaningless. If a person did not even care what they liked to eat or what they wanted to eat, how many joys would life lose?
And Ji Hong had lived like this for twenty years.
Yu Jinnian went to the stove, grabbed some firewood to burn, and muttered in his heart, โFortunately, he met me; otherwise, heโd be bored to death in this lifetime!โ
Grumbling was just grumbling. When he actually worked, he was not sloppy. With the fish paste marinated, he pinched small portions, first rolling them into balls, then pressing them into patties, and dropped them into a hot oil pan to fry. This season was exactly when cod fish migrated. The ancestors had once praised it: โThe puffer fish felt ashamed of its poison, and the river porpoise felt embarrassed by its blandness.โ This meant that its flesh was tender and smooth, and its flavor deliciousโan unparalleled quality fish. However, in spring, the cod fish were still young, and these had come from far in the south and were on the verge of death. Stewing them as river soup would no longer be so fresh, so the next best thing was to make them into fish cakes, not wasting their flavor.
While frying fish cakes, he noticed there was newly purchased meat hanging under the beam. He cut off a strip, cleaned it thoroughly, then blanched it in hot water. After fishing it out, he scraped off the stiff hairs on the skin and cut it into small pieces. Knowing Ji Hong did not like overly meaty dishes, he decided to make it lightly steamed, so that it had the meaning of a meat dish but would not be too greasy.
Steamed meat sounded like steaming, but in fact it was absolutely not just steaming. The ingredients used were not fewer than those used in red-braised pork.
Cut into chunks, each piece of pork had patterns scored into the skin with the tip of a knife to allow the flavor to penetrate. After that, he asked the kitchen maids to find him a piece of clean thin cotton cloth and a wide-bellied clay pot. Yu Jinnian first rolled the clay pot in chicken soup once, then sprinkled cassia bark, peppercorn fruit, nutmeg, fennel, and other seasonings at the bottom, covered them with a layer of cotton cloth, and then neatly placed the pork pieces with the skin facing upward on top of the cloth.
Then he spread scallions, ginger, garlic, and pickled greens on top of the meat, poured in chicken soup until it covered half an inch above the meat, and drizzled a small amount of yellow wine to remove the meaty odor. Only then could he cover it with a lid, set it on a small stove, and simmer over a low flame. In this way, the meat retained its original color and fragrance, without any gamey smell, and was lighter in taste compared to red-braising or stewing in sauce. When plating, one removed the seasonings and took only the meat. Each piece of pork was translucent and crystal-like, pale in color yet full in taste. Whether accompanied by wine or served with porridge, it was perfect.
Having fried fish cakes and steamed meat, Yu Jinnian then arranged the cleaned baby bok choy the kitchen maids prepared in neat rows on a bamboo steamer, directly placed it over the chicken broth pot to steam until done. In this way, the bok choy would be thoroughly infused with the chicken essence. Even without sauces, it would taste fresh and fragrant. For those who preferred light flavors, it could be eaten directly. For those who liked heavier flavors, one could add soy sauce and chicken juice to make a thin starch sauce and pour it over.
As for the previously made fish cakes, they could be cooked gently by stir-frying them with vegetables, or boldly with chicken, duck, fish, or lamb in the same pot. They could also be used to make fish cake soup. The simplest way was to mix thyme and crushed sesame seeds into a powdered dip and eat the cakes directly with it, which would be uniquely flavorful.
It did not take much time before Yu Jinnian had produced three dishes. The kitchen maids smelled the aroma wafting from the stove and all exclaimed at Yu Jinnianโs skill. They, being kitchen maids accustomed to serving in wealthy households, usually served masters who were either high officials or nobles. In the past, when they prepared dishes with endless variations, they only thought about how to make them more exquisite and delicate. The dishes might have looked fine, but they often forgot that the most important thing about a dish was that it tasted good.
After finishing these dishes, Yu Jinnian felt that his muscles and bones had loosened, and his entire body felt much more comfortable. He instructed the kitchen maids to make a soup of tender tofu and young greens later, and to carefully watch the fire under the clay pot of steamed meat. He then carried the plate of fried fish cakes and headed back to the front courtyard.
When he returned, the sky had already darkened, and Ji Hong had not yet returned. He held a piece of fish cake in one hand and lightly hopped up the steps. Just as he was about to return to his room, his gaze swept across a room at the end of the corridor, where a single lantern with a painted rose pattern hung at the door. Glancing down at his own waist, he saw a rose-patterned jade egg. He had not known before, but later learned that this pattern was the Ji familyโs clan emblem, and something warm and peculiar arose in his heart.
He had never entered this room before. Holding the fish cakes, Yu Jinnian stood beneath the lantern and looked upward until he was satisfied. After a moment of thought, he quietly pushed open the door and entered, as though stepping into a previously unknown secret place.
Upon pushing the door open, what appeared before him was a pair of treasure shelves. Turning inward, he saw rows of wall-lined bookcases, each shelf laden with various types of books and scrolls. Further in, near the window, there was a small couch for one to rest on when feeling tired from reading. In front of the shelves stood a wide, simple writing desk. On it were neatly arranged stacks of letters, and in the wooden box beside the inkstone were several small seals of various shapes, mostly made of jade or agate.
He picked them up one by one and stamped them on paper to discern the characters carved into the seals. After examining them repeatedly, he could only recognize the character โๅญฃโ.
Beside the desk was a painting tube containing several scrolls. On the table lay a book that had been opened but not finished. Yu Jinnian imagined a refined, upright figure sitting here, the candlelight flickering and elongating his shadowโhe himself seemed like a peerless painting blurred and diffused with gentle ink. Thinking this way, Yu Jinnian could not help sitting down and continuing to read the book Ji Hong had not yet finished, reciting it word by word.
But the book Ji Hong read was ultimately dry. Yu Jinnianโs attempt to imitate him failed, and he naturally fell asleep with his head down.
The bright moon rose, and the courtyard was bathed in silvery light.
The gate of Kanghe Courtyard was pushed open from the outside. Two sets of footsteps entered lightly. One was calm and serious, with furrowed brows; the other scolded in a low voice. One ahead and one behind, they walked toward the study room. Min Xuefei wore purple attire. He must have lingered in the palace after leaving court and only now returned with Ji Hong, not even having changed out of his court robes. Rarely, Ji Hong wore crimson official robes. The tightly fastened collar outlined a slender neck like white jade.
โHow the north might be in turmoil, what does it have to do with you? Close by there is the Suiyuan General, far away there is the Marquis of Dingbei. No matter what, it should not fall to you. How could you be hooked so easily just because the Prince of Yue casually dangled a few words!โ
Ji Hong slightly lowered his eyes. Even though he wore a fiery red robe, his brows and gaze were cold, always looking as though he kept others at a thousand miles away: โIf he intended to trap a turtle in a jar, I merely used his scheme against him. Furthermore, what he said was not wrong. Back then, my Ji family was indeed defeated outside the North Yan Pass. Now that unrest was stirring beyond the pass, it was not surprising that he called me by name, or ratherโฆ it was within expectations.โ
Min Xuefei snorted softly and said, โI think his return to the capital was not for attending the spring hunt at all, but to stir up muddy waters. It has only been a few days, and he has already met with many people in secret. I fear that before the north falls into chaos, the south will erupt first. His words today were spoken with a heart supposedly devoted to the nation, but ultimately he wants to transfer both you and me out of the capital to gain the upper hand himself!โ
โThese words stay only within my Kanghe Courtyard, and must not be taken outside.โ With that, Ji Hong suddenly halted his steps. Min Xuefei turned his head, seeing the study door slightly ajar and no lamplight inside. He immediately became vigilant, walked to the door, and was about to kick it open when Ji Hong suddenly stopped him.
Min Xuefei stumbled and asked in confusion, โWhat are you doing?โ
Ji Hong gently pushed the door open. Moonlight poured in, and its silvery glow slowly climbed onto the desk. On it, a youth lay sleeping soundly. A faint scent of oil drifted inside.
Min Xuefei exclaimed in shock, โHe actually ate fried foods in the Plum Room!โ
Ji Hong glanced at him faintly, motioning him to lower his voice. He only said, โHe must be tired.โ He stepped inside, and without turning back, he arranged, โYou go on back first. We will discuss the rest tomorrow.โ
Min Xuefei: โโฆโฆโ This boy either ate or slept at home. How could he be tired! If someone else ate even a single date in Ji Hongโs study, they would have been beaten and thrown out, and that would be considered lenient. Yet this one even ate fried foods, and Ji Hong openly pardoned him! What was more, I just arrived at the manor and have not even had a cup of tea before being dismissed. Truly, I am the one who feels more mentally exhausted!
โFine, Iโm leaving. I wonโt stay here and be an eyesore.โ
Ji Hong had a servant see him off, then he entered the study and approached with light steps. He first picked up the plate of fish cakes and brought it to his nose to smell. Knowing they were made by the youth himself, he gently reprimanded, โJust recovered and already busy with these things,โ but his eyes revealed a helpless smile. Yu Jinnianโs cheek rested on the book, his mouth slightly open, sleeping soundly. Ji Hong gently tilted his head onto his own shoulder and, exerting a bit of force, lifted him from the chair.
He was somewhat heavier now, which showed that he had indeed been eating and recuperating properly these days, much plumper than when he was first rescued from Yan Changโs place a few days ago.
Ji Hong placed him on the small couch and sat beside him, quietly watching for a while. In the end, he could not bear to wake him. Outside the door, a kitchen maid wandered, seemingly looking for someone. Seeing Ji Hong inside the study through the window startled her, and she then spoke honestly, โShizi. The little young master personally prepared a meal and ordered this servant to come call him when it was ready. Now this servant has searched everywhere and cannot find himโฆโ
โHe is asleep,โ Ji Hong said softly, โRemove the fire for now, and when he wakes, reheat it and serve.โ
The kitchen maid then left. Ji Hong gently rubbed the boyโs earlobe with his fingertip. Only after a day of turmoil did his heart settle into peace. Whether it was the hint of war in the north or the threat of rebellion in the south, no matter how treacherous the courtโs winds and clouds were, they could not compare to this moment of white moonlight in a quiet chamber and a peacefully sleeping person.
He lowered his torso slightly, as if about to kiss the boyโs lips.
Suddenly, there were two knocks.
Duan Ming slipped in quietly and said in a low voice, โShiziโฆ the Madam has sent a maid to look for you, asking you to go over.โ
Ji Hong paused his action and asked, โWhere to?โ
Duan Ming hesitated and then said, โThe ancestral hall.โ
“Understood.” Ji Hong answered, without any further ripple of emotion, as if he had long since known, or perhaps was already accustomed to it. In the end, he did not kiss down again; he merely used his fingertip, half in jest, to touch the corner of the boyโs lips on the couch before straightening his clothes and standing up. He had clearly stepped out of the room when, suddenly, he turned back, lit the lamp on the desk, and placed it on the small table beside the couch, so that when the boy opened his eyes, he would see a cluster of warm orange light and not be afraid.
Only then did he leave the room: “Let’s go.”
โโ
When Yu Jinnian woke, his vision was indistinct. After looking carefully, he realized it was candlelight. Behind the candle sat a man in green, his head lowered as he painted. Compared to the ink marks under his brush, he himself resembled a lofty, refined landscape painting, compelling oneโs gazeโif not for the plate of cod fish cakes on the desk that clashed entirely with this scene.
Startled by the fish cakes, he finally remembered that he was lying on the small couch under the window, covered with a thin blanket.
He did not know when the sky had darkened. It turned out he had fallen asleep so long without noticing.
Yu Jinnian lay back on the couch again, resting one arm under his head. From the half-opened window panel at his side, he could see a few scattered stars in the sky, and hidden insects in the courtyard twinkled and hummed in concert. He really was somewhat reluctant to wake. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he closed his eyes again, listening to Ji Hongโs pen stroke, which seemed both present and absent, as if gently brushing against his heart.
After a moment, there was a soft clink as the pen holder touched the brush rest. Yu Jinnian opened his eyes again and collided directly with a pair of cool, otherworldly eyes. He reached out, pulling the other into this boundless earthly world, into a mundane world entwined with desire, and into his own warm, damp lips and teeth, where the scent of smoke and fire collided freely with clear sandalwood.
When those eyes were tinged with desire, he deftly withdrew and asked, “Have you eaten?”
“No.” Ji Hong, elbows propped on either side of the boy’s ears, lowered his head to look down. It was a pair of bright, curved eyes that he had not seen clearly for a long time. His previously straight lips curved slightly upward, and he said softly, “Your eyes have recovered, can you see clearly now?”
“My eyes were always fine.” Yu Jinnian pouted. Ji Hong merely smiled and was about to get up, but Yu Jinnian pulled him back down. Their lips and teeth ground together, and Yu Jinnian asked softly, “Does what you said a few days ago still count?”
Ji Hong: “Which matter?”
Yu Jinnian said shyly, “The matter of giving me a shop to open my own business.”
Ji Hong laughed, “Half a year ago, I wonder which little thing it was who said again and again that he wouldn’t let me support him.”
“Support me for a while first.” Just now, when they were being intimate, he did not blush, but now that he volunteered to let another support him, his cheeks flushed a large patch of pink. Yu Jinnian pursed his lips, still explaining for himself, “All my private savings were burned up. Besides, you won’t lose out by supporting me, rightโฆ?”
Ji Hong stared at him unblinkingly. Seeing that Yu Jinnian could not continue and began darting his eyes sideways, he then leaned in and kissed him gently, speaking slowly, “Choose whichever shop you fancy, and have Duan Ming take you there. I knew that once your eyesight recovered, you wouldnโt remain idle, so I have already ordered people to make arrangements. In a few days, everything will be prepared, and you can move in and use it directly. At that time, you need not come back here. You can stay close by in Jinyouting, where it’s quieter.”
Yu Jinnian became interested: “Jinyouting? Itโs already been renovated?”
Ji Hong nodded slightly, “Itโs long been ready. Su Ting and the others moved in some days ago and have been talking about you. As for Sui Sui, who quarreled with you before, she now realizes her mistake and cries every few days that she misses you. It was just that your eye disease had not healed yet, and the Duke Liโs manor is closer to the Imperial City. If anything happened, it would be faster to summon the imperial physician. Thatโs why I decided to wait these days. If youโre impatient, you can move there tomorrowโฆ and your cat, Xiao Dingdang, has almost dug the flowers in my garden bare.”
“Xiao Dingdang!” Yu Jinnian sat up with a start, bumping his forehead against Ji Hongโs. Both of them hissed in pain, then looked at each other and laughed. “Has Xiao Dingdang lost weight?”
Ji Hong reproached, “Heโs fatter than you.”
Yu Jinnian was displeased. Discontentedly, he argued, “Iโm actually secretly chubby. If you don’t believe me, come and feel.” Joking as he said so, he grabbed Ji Hongโs hand and slipped it into his own collar, ostensibly to see if he had gained weight, but actually forcing the other man to feel him up. At this point, even Yu Jinnian himself felt embarrassed. It seemed that he had only behaved himself for a few days before he could no longer bear the loneliness, as if he was burning with desire.
He really was quite shameless.
But after struggling with his thoughts for a while, he attributed it to “turning one year older.” Having such thoughts was nothing but normal. Not having them would be strange! With that reassurance, he boldly began to undo Ji Hongโs collar. With a fine scene under the moon and flowers, a beauty before him, what else could he do but this?
He had barely pried open a seam of the beautyโs collar, not even stealing a single kissโ
Ji Hong suddenly transformed into a saintly monk, pressing down the hand that was randomly groping on him, pulling it away and placing it properly at the side of the couch. With a pure and ascetic tone, he said, “Itโs late today. Get up and eat something, then go to bed early. As for opening a shop, Iโll have Shi Xing and the others handle it tomorrow. Whatever you need, just make a list, and they will procure it.”
No matter how Yu Jinnian stared at him with reddened eyes, Ji Hong only helped straighten his disheveled collar, reaching a state as if color and desire were empty: “Itโs just a pity that you canโt directly open a medical clinic. The Son of Heaven valued medicine, and anyone practicing in the capital must obtain a jade token granted by the court before opening a clinic. I will handle that matter. Donโt worry.”
Who wanted to hear all this now!
Yu Jinnian found it odd. He leaned forward again, but Ji Hong calmly avoided him, “Letโs dine.”
After a while, when the dishes were served, Ji Hong was as usual, picking out meat and arranging vegetables for him, and even rarely rewarded the kitchen maids, showing that his mood was not too bad. Yet after finishing the meal, when Yu Jinnian invited him to rest together, Ji Hong put on a posture of a virtuous gentleman, stating that he still had some documents to read. He left a few bright lamps at Yu Jinnianโs bedside and then went to sit through the night in the Plum Room.
He acted just like he had other dogs outside.
If this had only happened for one day, Yu Jinnian would have assumed that he encountered some troublesome matters outside and was simply in a bad mood. But who would have thought that for several days in a row, it was the same. He returned later each day, and his face looked worse each day. Eventually, he no longer even entered the bedroom. As soon as he returned to Kanghe Courtyard, he headed straight to the Plum Room.
It continued until Yu Jinnian chose the shop location, hired employees, called Su Ting to serve as bookkeeper, prepared all the tables and chairs and utensils properly, and even planned to buy out the neighboring failing inn in the future for his own medical clinic. He was just one signboard short of a grand openingโ
And yet, he had not even touched a single strand of Ji Hongโs hair, let alone share a bed to relieve his longing in a more carnal manner.
They were not even newly married yet, and already there were signs of separation.
Alas!
Without finding out who that “other dog” was, Yu Jinnian was doomed to be too troubled to think of tea or rice.