I miss you day after day, I only miss you
Inside the side room.
Min Xuefei took off his outer robe, only wearing a thin inner garment made of white silk close to his body, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He slowly scooped water and poured it onto Lian Zhi’s shoulder in the bucket. When he used a small soft towel to wipe his back and looked down to see the floral embroidery on the short underpants reflected in the rippling water, he could not help but think: In such a stuffy midsummer, who would wear so much clothing? Wouldn’t it cause prickly heat!
“Did you hear what Little Divine Doctor Yu said just now,” Min Xuefei asked softly, “you must not let it stay stuffy.”
Lian Zhi raised his head and looked at him, instinctively clutching the edge of his pants.
“……” Min Xuefei asked, “Are you afraid of me?” Lian Zhi shook his head, and he found it very strange, “Then why?”
Lian Zhi’s gaze drifted around. It landed on the black pants peeking out from under Min Xuefei’s white robe. He felt ashamed and said: “I…I looked ugly…I saw that everyone else was like you, and I was incomplete like this, so I would be laughed at. You definitely would not like it.”
Although he originally did not think himself ugly anywhere, he just feared that Min Xuefei would not like it.
Min Xuefei straightened up abruptly, feeling inexplicably annoyed, and said: “Everyone else? Which everyone else? Did you know that this could not be shown to others casually!”
Lian Zhi, scolded into a daze, looked like a little frightened sparrow. Pressed against the bucket’s wall, he blinked at him innocently. After a moment, he understood, and hurriedly argued with some nervous stuttering: “I did not show it to anyone else, I only showed you! I…I only read some picture books and storybooks. They all said it like that.” He still sounded a bit displeased, “Saying something about a ‘tool’ like iron, and something about being purplish-black and shiny. As if it were a freshly dug-out eggplant head, how could it be oily black and shiny, and red and scorching like iron? Obviously, they made it up. I looked at you, and you were not——”
He did not finish speaking, obviously realizing he had said too much. He hurriedly closed his mouth, lowering his head in shame, his chin almost touching his chest.
Min Xuefei let out a sigh of relief, and his mood suddenly improved dramatically. He reached out to tug at Lian Zhi’s underpants, teasing him: “Then you…then let me see. Only if I see it would I know whether I like it or not.”
Lian Zhi did not let him look. The two pulled and played, splashing water everywhere, soon soaking Min Xuefei’s hem. Seeing that after this playful tussle Lian Zhi had relaxed a bit and was not as reserved, and since the water had turned cold, Min Xuefei coaxed him into removing his soaked short underpants. He then pretended to hand him a thin towel to wrap around his waist. When Lian Zhi reached out to take it, Min Xuefei immediately lifted him out of the water. With a shrill cry, he was carried horizontally in the air and placed onto the wide bath towel spread over the bed.
His clothes were already wet, and if he asked for hot water again, it would alarm too many people. So Min Xuefei simply used the remaining water in the bucket to wash himself quickly, gave himself a simple wipe, slipped on a loose inner robe, and did not forget to wear that Dragon Boat Festival sachet he had embroidered sloppily. After that, he pulled down a cotton towel draped over the rack, walked over, and carefully wiped the water droplets off Lian Zhi’s body.
Lian Zhi wanted to dodge, but Min Xuefei pressed one palm onto him, holding his waist in place: “Do not move. Since it was prickly heat, you would not heal if you stayed wet. The weather is hot, if you do not dry it properly, it will itch again later. If it did not heal well, then I would not like it. They had already delivered food and medicinal powder downstairs. I asked them to leave it in the outer room. You just lie here and dry for a while, I shall go get it.”
He said this and turned to leave. He walked quickly to the outer room, took the tray of food and the small gourd of Liu Yi Powder, and returned. He originally thought that Lian Zhi would hide shyly behind the bed curtains, but unexpectedly, he still maintained the same posture as before he left. He even used his palm as a fan, fanning vigorously as if by fanning more, the prickly heat would disappear.
Min Xuefei sat at the bedside, pulled out the wooden cork from the medicine bottle, tapped lightly with his index finger at the bottle’s mouth, and gently sprinkled the pale yellowish-white powder onto the red rashes on Lian Zhi’s skin. Because some places were hidden in folds, he had to nudge Lian Zhi’s knees outward a bit to evenly sprinkle it. Lian Zhi was extremely well-formed, and his skin was white and smooth, a texture between that of a man and a woman, only marred by some extra folds of skin here that did not look so nice.
Moreover, that little thing was soft and tiny, like a child’s that had not grown up. On both sides, the old knife incisions were no longer very visible. Unless one lowered one’s head to stare closely, one would only find faint scar traces about the length of a fingernail.
Min Xuefei felt that he was being rude, so he hastily moved his gaze away, focusing on sprinkling the medicine powder. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the black boots on the footrest, their boot shafts embroidered with green orchids, peonies, or perhaps camellias and small plums. He could not help asking: “Why did you like flowers and plants so much?”
“Because I just liked them……” Lian Zhi said softly, “Also, back in the Gardening Bureau, I served flowers and plants while waiting for you to come fetch me. Flowers and plants were beautiful and quiet, and days always passed quickly. Unlike later times, when I always had to deal with the masters and servants of various palaces.”
So he actually did not like the current days.
Min Xuefei felt regret again over that rain in his youth, the rain that caused him a severe illness. He wondered if without that illness, if he had smoothly taken Lian Zhi away then, how would things be now? But bygones were bygones. The passing of time and changing fortunes had made the past unalterable. It would be better to cherish the present moment. After applying the powder, he covered Lian Zhi’s waist gently with a thin piece of silk and said: “This time, I would go to Feng City to handle several major corruption cases. If I handled them well and returned to receive a reward, I……”
He thought about it, then smiled: “It is nothing. By the way, if you were no longer in the palace, what would you do in the future?”
Lian Zhi also knew that he would leave the capital to handle matters. News spread quickly in the palace. So he just stared at him, and only after being asked did he blink a few times, tried hard to imagine, and said: “Maybe open a flower shop, or a candy and pastry shop? In any case, life would be sweet.”
Min Xuefei raised his hand to rub his head and laughed heartily: “Then we would have to compete for business with Sanyu Pavilion!”
After putting down the medicine bottle, they ate a few odds and ends to fill their stomachs. Seeing that it was late, Min Xuefei asked him to rest earlier. Lian Zhi had served nobles for many years. Even the slightest disturbance would wake him. If someone slept with him, he might not get a good night’s rest.
So Min Xuefei tidied up another Luohan bed and, while making the bed, also brought Lian Zhi a bowl of lotus seed and snow ear porridge cooled with ice, as a small refreshing treat before sleep.
They used the best quality snow ear, white as fresh rice grains. Because it was simmered long enough, it felt like jelly in the mouth, with the clean, woody fragrance of snow ear itself. The lotus seeds turned glutinous upon biting. Since it was a late-night snack, not too much rock sugar was added, lest it damage the teeth, so it only carried a slight sweetness, extremely cooling and relieving of heat.
Lian Zhi leaned against the bedhead, unwilling to take his eyes off Min Xuefei. He sipped it slowly, one mouthful at a time, until he had drunk all the gelatinous broth on top. At the bottom of the bowl, he saw several bright red goji berries. He recalled that goji berries supposedly replenished essence and nurtured the kidneys. All the eunuchs in the palace liked to eat these small fruits, and some even ate lock-yang meat. It was rumored that in previous dynasties, some even ate a child’s brain.
He had not cared about this before, so he never followed the trend. Now he felt a bit regretful. If he had eaten them earlier, would it have grown out sooner? Last time he used that cloth pressed on his abdomen for many nights in a row, but it did not grow even half an inch more. Maybe its efficacy was not strong enough.
Not paying attention, he finished the ice porridge in the bowl. Stunned, he fell into a daze, wondering how long it would be until they met again after this parting. Now one was inside the palace and one was outside, and it was not easy to meet. In the future one would be in the capital and one outside of it, and even exchanging letters would seem too slow.
Min Xuefei came over to put out the light, and casually felt Lian Zhi’s body for damp heat, wondering if he should order servants to chop more ice. Suddenly, his hand was gripped. Lian Zhi lowered his head, looked at the flower sachet he had personally embroidered hanging at Min Xuefei’s waist, and followed the sachet upward to see a line of clothing seam going from narrow to wide up to the collarbone of his chest. It hung loosely on his shoulder. Lian Zhi took a deep breath and summoned great courage to say: “You…you would leave the capital in two days. Could I…”
“Hmm?” Min Xuefei responded softly through his nose, “Whatever you like, take it.”
Min Xuefei thought, perhaps he wanted something personal he carried, like a jade pendant, a palace ribbon, a hairpin, or more extravagantly, a small lock of hair. But he never would have imagined that Lian Zhi would tug at his robe corner and whisper: “I want to sleep together…”
“……” Min Xuefei thought he heard it wrong. He gaped, tongue-tied, like a dumb wooden chicken.
Lian Zhi thought he was unwilling, and felt a bit disappointed: “No?”
After a moment, there was a rustling sound at the bedside. Only a tiny piece of candle flame trembled in the wax, and Lian Zhi felt the pillow beside him sink and his back grow warm——Min Xuefei had climbed up. He was secretly delighted and quietly moved closer, then suddenly turned around and buried himself in his embrace.
Min Xuefei was startled and stiffened for a moment, then slowly unfolded his arms to wrap him inside, exhaling, “While I am not in the capital, take good care of yourself. Do not just muddle through. If I return and find anywhere thinner, I will punish you……” Punish with what, he had not decided yet, “……Lian Zhi?”
“Lord Min, Lord Min.” Lian Zhi called him softly, twisting his waist and rubbing against him like a little snake about to break out of its shell, boldly entwining around him. The piece of silk cloth wrapped around his waist was quickly rubbed off, “Heal me.”
Min Xuefei had nowhere to hide, like prey entangled by a snake. His breathing grew heavy, and he became somewhat at a loss, his mind a confused mess. What did it mean to heal him, and how? Before he figured it out, Lian Zhi pulled him into a muddled entanglement.
Lian Zhi felt that being entwined with him was already joy. Just the comfortable friction of their skin caused fine humming sounds to escape from his throat. After a while, he experienced what the book described as a stick-like iron tool. Surprised, he glanced down and exclaimed: “It grew big!”
A buzzing sound rang in Min Xuefei’s head. He only remembered Lian Zhi’s bright, shining eyes and that thrilling sensation. As for how long he was pressed and teased after that, it was all lost in a dazed swirl of intense emotion.
When he came back to his senses, a faintly fishy musk scent had already spread inside the canopy. It could not be Lian Zhi’s, so it must be… He swallowed his saliva and looked down to see a head covered in messy black hair. Startled awake, he hastily pulled Lian Zhi up: “What are you doing!”
Lian Zhi pursed his lips and rolled the bit he had touched at the corner of his mouth back in with his tongue. Watching Min Xuefei use his clothing hem to wipe his fingers clean, Lian Zhi still felt regretful: “I heard that applying this could invigorate the yang energy. If I ate it, it could grow again. I thought about saving some, storing it in an ice chest. When you returned, I would be able to have grown a bit bigger, just like you.”
“What nonsense.”
Min Xuefei was really unable to decide whether to laugh or cry, and also felt that he was adorably silly. Not to mention that such a thing had no miraculous effect, just the idea of eating it was enough to make one blush with shame.
Lian Zhi had grown up in the palace. Whatever he knew about men and women came from illustrated books and story pamphlets. He did not understand the actual situation. Seeing him frowning, Lian Zhi’s own face turned red, and he shrank his hand back.
It was not that Min Xuefei was stingy, but that he really could not give it. Even if Lian Zhi wanted to taste it himself, he could not take advantage of the little eunuch’s ignorance. But he did not know how to refuse. Directly saying that this stuff was useless might hurt Lian Zhi’s feelings.
After coaxing and explaining for a long time, he finally made Lian Zhi reluctantly give up the idea of eating that thing. Yet in the next moment, Lian Zhi thought of eating something else, like “Could he drink deer blood wine?” or “Was it good to stew Cistanche?” And to convince Min Xuefei, he also mentioned that “those eunuchs who paired with palace maids all ate like this.”
Min Xuefei was so exasperated that he was speechless. He had to put on a stern face and clearly forbade him from putting any such random things into his mouth. These kidney-tonifying, yang-strengthening things might make an ordinary person simply overheat for a few days. But someone like Lian Zhi, after eating them, would suffer heartburn and sweating. With nowhere for it to be relieved, it could lead to severe nosebleeds, dizziness, and blurred vision. That would truly be asking for trouble.
Seeing Lian Zhi stare at the three inches below his navel as if looking at a treasure trove or an inexhaustible fertile field, Min Xuefei truly could not stand it. He quickly turned him over so that he faced away: “Close your eyes, sleep.”
Lian Zhi refused to give up, wiggled around a bit so that he pressed tightly against him, thinking that this also counted as absorbing some of a man’s yang energy. Only then was he slightly satisfied and obediently closed his eyes.
Their room was located in a secluded spot, surrounded by many green bamboos. When the wind passed over the pond, it made a rustling sound. Far away, cicadas chirped, disturbing the mind. But what disturbed the mind most was Lian Zhi’s heartbeat, as if it would leap out of his chest. Under his eyelids, his eyes rolled back and forth.
Min Xuefei knew he felt uneasy. With a helpless smile, he dropped a few light kisses at the back of Lian Zhi’s head and softly comforted him: “Do not let your imagination run wild. Do not believe those baseless rumors. I already like you very much as you are now. After I finish my task, it will be no more than a dozen days. When I return, I will accompany you properly.”
——
He said it would be only a dozen days, but on the third day after Min Xuefei’s departure, Lian Zhi was already hoping for his letter. He asked Fu Sheng every day if there was any news from outside the palace. He also tried writing some letters himself, scribbling and crossing out, throwing them all over the floor. When Fu Sheng went to clean his room and picked one up, the beginning started with “miss,” and the end finished with “hope,” full of earnest longing.
On the fourth day, Ji Hong’s wedding date was set. The always exuberant Little Flower Yu looked as if it had been hit by frost, drooping and clinging to Ji Hong, wishing to walk on his toes. He could not even summon the energy to bother about the business of Sanyu Pavilion.
On the day before leaving, he had fiercely demanded one good time, not sleeping soundly until after the fourth watch. When morning came, he had dark circles under his eyes, yet still went out of the city to see him off. Because the Grand Prince was in the entourage, even though it was a simplified departure, the pomp was still quite lavish. Bright little tasseled fringes hung around the carriage, faintly revealing a young man’s face inside.
The Grand Prince Yan Sining was only fifteen years old in nominal age now, merely a half-grown boy. But there were no youths in royal families. Born into royalty, he had to study all the classics and master archery and riding. In times of war, children this age would already have earned countless military merits, and some might have even become fathers.
Seeing Ji Hong mounted on the horse, Yu Jinnian ran up again and took out that small personal seal from the little pouch at his waist. He breathed some warmth onto it, then grabbed Ji Hong’s hand and pressed it firmly.
——He could not express his meaning.
“Remember to write me letters.” Yu Jinnian pouted unreasonably, “Remember to think of me, remember to dream of me.”
Duan Ming and the other guards who were to accompany him coughed a few times, consciously turning around to look at the sky, the ground, and the moon, praising how bright the stars were in this broad daylight.
Yan Sining lifted the curtain and stuck his head out. He saw Lord Ji on horseback, looking upright and valiant in his traveling attire. His black hair was tied high, shedding a bit of scholarly grace and adding more heroism. And there was a little scholar-like man talking to Lord Ji, looking very delicate, seemingly a few years older than Yan Sining but not as steady as himself. He spun around like a small mouse hoarding supplies, constantly stuffing things into the cloth bags on Ji Hong’s saddle, and when they would not fit, he stuffed them into the guards’ hands.
When he was young, Yan Sining only admired two people. One was the unparalleled talent and beauty, Ji Shulan. Aloof and elegant as an immortal descending from the heavens at birth, he gave people a feeling of awe and untouchability. Now, walking in the halls of power, he still remained unsullied. The other was his twelfth imperial uncle, famed for his illustrious military achievements, heroic and soaring like a hawk, often soaring in Yan Sining’s dreams.
As a prince, Yan Sining also wished he could be literary like Ji Hong and martial like Yan Chang. He had long set these two as his role models. So when he heard that the Emperor intended to send Lord Ji south to manage the water affairs, he immediately ran to the Imperial Study to request to accompany him on this mission, to go together with Lord Ji.
Now that he got his wish, Yan Sining was overjoyed and only hoped that the procession would set out soon so he could speak more with Lord Ji and explore ways of governing the country through literature and securing peace.
Seeing that the auspicious departure time calculated by the Supervisor of the Astronomical Bureau was approaching, Ji Hong bent down from the saddle, used his sleeve as a shield, and gave Yu Jinnian a peck on the lips, smiling deeply: “All right, hurry back now. There are many people on the street, be careful not to bump into anyone.”
Yu Jinnian frowned: “I do not want to.”
Ji Hong coaxed him: “I will miss you day after day, and write letters to you day after day.”
Yu Jinnian pouted, puffing up his cheeks, blaming him for not taking him along, feeling very unhappy.
Ji Hong bent down to stroke his hair and continued coaxing softly: “I also thought of you in my dreams, only you. Go back now, if the sun climbs high, you will be scorched.”
Yu Jinnian jumped up and pecked him on the lips again, then awkwardly said quickly: “I also missed you. Be careful on the road.” After speaking, he waved his hand, took a few reluctant steps back, and listened as the accompanying eunuchs shouted: “Depart——!”
Hooves began to move slowly, and the banner embroidered with the characters for Da Xia fluttered in the wind, carrying his beloved southward into the distance.
The onlookers gradually dispersed, the city gate restored its original order, as if the departure of the flood-control entourage was just a bustle. When the bustle was gone, it was as though it had never existed.
A few days after Ji Hong left, he indeed, as promised, sent Yu Jinnian letters every day. The specially trained red-footed carrier pigeons of the Ji household always delivered the joy Yu Jinnian awaited at the first moment of dusk. Later, as the entourage traveled farther, the pigeons arrived later each day, then once every two or three days, and eventually many days might pass without a single letter.
They had gone very far, so far that even the homing pigeons took a very long time to fly. Yu Jinnian leaned by the window, even losing his desire to secretly eat ice. Qing Huan feared he would stifle himself, and would come in from time to time to tease him or make some fruit paste or iced milk, urging him to go to the flower hall to cool off. Yet he propped his chin, staring blankly at the distant horizon for more than an hour, until nightfall, when Qing Huan came to call him to bed.
Sometimes, Min Mao came to coax him to play; sometime,s Sui Sui and Ah Chun came to cause a ruckus; sometimes, Su Ting walked around the garden holding the crying Xiao Haitang. Occasionally Lian Zhi would also come by, mostly because Min Xuefei would send a message telling him to visit Jinyouting, so he would not stay stifled in the palace, scheming against others.
Assistant Supervisor Lian did not like to move. Without errands, he would rather sit in his room and daze off than go out for a stroll. He was sensitive and prone to overthinking, and the Palace Bureau was full of schemers, not a place of tranquility. But Master Min always had ways to make Lian Zhi move, for example, by asking him to get Yu Jinnian’s fingerprint for the next outgoing letter, or to make Su Ting sign it, and so forth.
Lian Zhi obediently listened to Min Xuefei’s words and was thus forced to move. Fortunately, the people at Jinyouting were all naturally sociable, and after coming and going, Lian Zhi became acquainted with them. Sometimes, he even stayed for a simple meal. Yu Jinnian remembered to take good care of Lian Zhi and the family members of Jinyouting, but forgot to take care of himself. Only half a month after Ji Hong left, his chin had already grown sharper, and every day he ran to the gate archway to inquire about flood conditions in the south.
If he heard the waters had receded and the victims received relief grain, if news of the flood-control officials’ great achievements reached the capital, he could be happy for half a day and even eat two more bites of food. But the next day, if he heard of deaths again, or riots among the refugees, he would anxiously spin in circles, fearing that the disaster would worsen, delaying Ji Hong’s return, and worrying that Ji Hong might be injured.
Shi Xing had been arranged to stay behind to protect the young master. Today, carrying a small basket, he walked the streets with Yu Jinnian to inspect new medicinal herbs at the clinic. He looked at the youth’s lone figure, lacking his former vitality, and sighed inwardly: Since these two met, when had they ever needed to be separated for so long? But then again, why worry about others? He himself was separated from his own pastry-like beloved, relying only on letters carried by wild geese to communicate affection.
Now, the southern floods were chaotic, sorrowful cries everywhere. Even if the capital sent down many relief officials, it would be hard to quell the rising resentment. Many disaster victims poured into Xiajing. They had fled from famine, carrying little money, gathering mostly in temples and Taoist abbeys, living off the porridge given by the kind masters. But many who lost their families wandered the alleys, mingling with beggars all day.
Some wealthy local merchants began opening their granaries for relief, doing good deeds to accumulate blessings. In the south of the city, led by Boss Xue of Fugui Zhai, many refugees were aided. Yu Jinnian, seeing more and more refugees and innumerable wounded and ill wailing on the streets, realized that even though he missed Ji Hong’s safety, he needed to do something practical now. So he enlisted the servants and guards of Jinyouting to open the clinic behind East Street, taking in some critically ill patients. Su Ting handled some obvious external injuries.
In addition, every evening they set up porridge stalls at Sanyu Pavilion. Using the simplest ingredients to make the most filling porridge, though not enough to fully satisfy everyone’s hunger, at least no one would sleep on an empty stomach.
Yu Jinnian now had ample funds. Opening a clinic was for relief. Patients who could pay did so; those who could not had no problem either. Those who cared stayed to help. If some were freeloaders, they could not stop them; they took it as praying for Lord Ji’s flood-control and disaster-relief efforts in the south.
They worked until midnight each day, resting only when the moon was high. They collapsed on their beds at night, and by the next day, their feet scarcely touched the ground again. After many such days, Yu Jinnian counted on his fingers and realized it had been a full ten days without a letter from Ji Hong. The more he thought, the more uneasy he became. That night, he returned home and cut a slip of paper, writing “I thought of you whether walking or sitting, may you return soon.” He ordered someone to deliver it.
That night, the moon and stars were few, the sky a bluish-black. The red lotuses in the lotus pond had dried out in the scorching sun, shriveling and wrinkling. Under such fierce heat, the pond water no longer seemed fresh, carrying a muddy, fishy smell.
After seeing patients at the clinic, Yu Jinnian hastily ate a few bites of rice and then took a nap in the flower hall. He was truly too tired and fell asleep unknowingly. Perhaps because the weather was hot and not chilly, Qing Huan did not disturb him, only draping a thin snow-like robe over him. It was Ji Hong’s robe. Yu Jinnian picked it up and covered his face with it, inhaling deeply a few times, as if drawing new strength from it, and stretched lazily.
Late at night, Yu Jinnian turned over, continuing to sleep hugging his lover’s clothes——
Suddenly, someone pounded heavily on Jinyouting’s door. The gatekeeper awoke from a confused dream, hurriedly got dressed, and lit a lantern. Outside stood an elderly couple dressed as refugees, supporting each other, their expressions anxious. They had probably rushed all the way here, both panting heavily. Seeing the heavy garden gate open a crack, the old woman tremblingly stepped forward and said anxiously: “Doctor Yu, Doctor Yu! My son he……”
……
Yu Jinnian, holding a lantern, rushed to the clinic. He ran straight to the west wing and saw a young man collapsed on the ground. The sides of his cheeks were deeply sunken. His calves twitched, and clear white vomit spewed from his mouth. Next to him, a chamber pot was filled with watery diarrhea. He opened his mouth and nose wide, his skin pale and clammy, desperately inhaling air, but only exhaling short, turbid breaths.
The old couple who came afterward rushed in and nearly fainted with fright. When they left to find the little divine doctor, their son was still okay. In just half an hour, he was about to die! The two elderly folks cried miserably, each shouting something, saying their son merely had acclimatization issues and was vomiting and diarrhea. How did it become so severe?
As they spoke, another person came out from the backyard, supporting his waist and heading to the western latrine. He walked along the wall cursing. Judging by the accent, he was from the same place as the old couple.
“Where did you come from?” Yu Jinnian immediately asked. “Is there anyone else who got sick like this? Who came with you?” He turned around and called the young helpers in the clinic, telling them to bring all patients with vomiting and diarrhea together, “Find them, find them all! Not one should be missed! Do not touch them, just pick them out for me to examine one by one.”
“My little grandson and his mother also died after emptying their bowels, before even reaching the capital. They died on the way……” The elderly couple trembled and cried, “We came from Chunan Prefecture. There were terrible floods there. The grain and farmland were all submerged, nothing left……”
“Thump——!”
Yu Jinnian felt a blackout before his eyes. The lantern in his hand fell to the ground. He stared blankly, muttering to himself: “Chunan, Chunan Prefecture……” The fire quickly licked the lantern’s outer shell, sparking a small flame that threatened to ignite the nearby curtain. Startled, Shi Xing hurriedly lifted a bucket of water from the courtyard and splashed it over with a crash.
Sizzle, the flame went out.
“……Young Master?” Shi Xing held the empty bucket, looking at him cautiously, “Young Master!”
Yu Jinnian’s wandering soul suddenly returned to his body, and cold sweat sprang from his back.
Chunan Prefecture.
The place Ji Hong was currently managing was none other than Chunan Prefecture!