Jinbao felt his teeth ache just listening to him.
He knew very well that when Xue Yan had first left the palace and established his own princely residence, there had been a maid in the household who was not very capable at her work. She had served Xue Yan a dish of fish with pickled vegetables in his evening meal. At the time, Xue Yan had only just returned from the government office. The moment he smelled that strong vinegar scent, his expression had darkened.
After that, that maid had never appeared in Prince Guangling’s residence again.
Yet now, his master had eaten an entire green apricot and had not even frowned?
Jinbao was still staring blankly when he saw Jun Huailang break into a smile. For a moment, it seemed as though even the peach blossoms in the courtyard had rustled open all at once.
“It’s good that it works,” he said with a smile. “Although I’ve never been seasick, I know what it feels like to be uncomfortable. His Highness drank alcohol today as well, so I imagine you’ll be feeling even worse.”
Xue Yan stared blankly at him for a moment, feeling somewhat hot. He struggled to withdraw his gaze, picked up the bowl of mung bean water on the table, and drank it all.
Although it only barely washed away two parts of the sourness in his mouth, he could hardly taste it anymore anyway.
“It really is quite uncomfortable,” he said.
Jun Huailang actually heard a trace of grievance in his tone.
Looking at Xue Yan again, although he was slouched there without much expression on his face, his brows were knitted tightly, making him look especially fierce. But only upon closer inspection could one see that the rims of his eyes were somewhat red, and his gaze carried the haze of drunkenness, making him look somewhat listless.
Anyone could tell at a glance that he was suffering from being drunk.
He raised his eyes toward Jun Huailang. His pair of amber-colored eyes shimmered with the watery light of drunkenness, like a large dog without any spirit, causing Jun Huailang’s heart to soften involuntarily.
It was as though something soft and fluffy had gently bumped against it.
Naturally, he knew how exhausting social drinking in official circles could be, and all the more so for someone like Xue Yan, who was not good at speaking or socializing.
Without realizing it, he once again forgot that Xue Yan was the King of Hell whom no one dared to offend. His tone softened along with his heart.
“Then His Highness should rest properly at the residence tomorrow. I’ll tell them not to disturb you in the morning.”
Jinbao could not bear to look at his master’s drunkenly spoiled expression any longer. He raised his hand, signaling the servants around them to withdraw together.
Xue Yan’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
“No. Tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with the Duke.”
It was also because he had talked too much with Duke Yongning today, arousing the Duke’s interest, that the Duke had insisted on going with him tomorrow to inspect the water conservancy facilities outside the city.
Naturally, Xue Yan had not refused.
Was official business really this rushed?
Jun Huailang froze for a moment, but then he remembered how strict his father was when it came to official matters. He sighed helplessly, stood up, and smiled.
“Then His Highness should retire early tonight.”
Hearing this, Xue Yan raised his head to look at him. Seeing that he was about to leave, he suddenly asked,
“Where are you going tomorrow?”
He had drunk rather a lot, and there was little way to conceal the intensity in his gaze as he looked fixedly at Jun Huailang. It made Jun Huailang notice a few things as well, as though he had been inexplicably scalded. He turned his gaze away somewhat awkwardly and said,
“I’ll be going to Linjiang Academy these next few days.”
Xue Yan continued asking, “With that wastrel who listened to the music that day?”
He was presumably talking about Shen Liufeng.
Naturally, Jun Huailang was not going to Linjiang Academy to look for Shen Liufeng. The weather had been clear these past few days, and he wanted to take advantage of them to investigate the great embankment along the river.
After all, in his previous life, he had gone through the records of the Jinling embankment breach countless times. He wanted to combine what he remembered from his previous life and try to discover the hidden dangers in the embankment before they became apparent.
But naturally, he could not tell Xue Yan this directly.
“Young Master Shen is merely somewhat interested in refined pursuits. He can’t really be considered a wastrel,” Jun Huailang said with a smile. “In any case, I have nothing else to do, so while I’m in Jinling, I’ll go to Linjiang Academy more often and read some books.”
Xue Yan gave a cold snort, turned his gaze away, and said nothing.
If this had been on an ordinary day, Xue Yan’s expression like this would certainly have frightened everyone around him into not daring to make a sound. But in Jun Huailang’s eyes now, he was merely drunk and throwing a little tantrum, which made Jun Huailang feel rather helpless.
“Then… I shall take my leave, Your Highness?”
Still thinking that Xue Yan should rest early, Jun Huailang cautiously spoke.
Hearing this, Xue Yan raised his head again and looked at him.
He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Jun Huailang was not in a hurry either, so he simply stood there and waited for him.
…He had never seen him drink this much before. He really had not realized that this boy also had the habit of using alcohol to act spoiled and refuse to let go.
Jun Huailang could not help grumbling inwardly.
Then he heard Xue Yan speak.
“You’re leaving again,” he said.
That word “again” made Jun Huailang freeze. Then he understood what he meant.
Was he talking about… a year ago?
Back then, when his family had taken him out of the palace, he naturally had not said goodbye to Xue Yan. After that, when he was preparing to leave Chang’an, he had happened to encounter Xue Yan outside Chang’an City while he was still hesitating, and only then had he told him.
In the end, he had left without saying goodbye both times.
For this entire year, Jun Huailang had devoted all his attention to the matter of his father’s death at the hands of someone in his previous life. He had never quieted his mind enough to think about this. Only now, facing Xue Yan, did he suddenly realize that he felt somewhat guilty.
Originally, he would not have felt guilty.
What he had always done were things he believed to be right. At any time, he had a clear conscience and would not regret them.
Treating Xue Yan well had been the same. Coming south to resolve his father’s crisis had also been the same. Originally, these were two unrelated things that he ought to do, but because of one change, they had become connected.
That change was Xue Yan.
From the very beginning, he had never intended for Xue Yan to repay him for anything. He had only wanted Xue Yan not to repeat the path of his previous life, thereby preserving his own family.
But Xue Yan had repaid him anyway, and had not held back in the slightest.
Even though he never said it, Jun Huailang could feel it.
This taciturn, seemingly rather solitary and cold young man had returned all the sincerity in his heart to him.
He had given back too much—so much that Jun Huailang had reached the point of feeling that he was the one who owed Xue Yan.
At this moment, if he left again, there would naturally be guilt in his heart.
Jun Huailang stopped where he was and looked at Xue Yan, unable to speak for a moment.
After a while, Xue Yan turned his gaze away and said,
“Go back.”
He felt somewhat annoyed with himself, only thinking that drinking had caused trouble. He had drunk too much today, and his mind was somewhat muddled. Some emotions and words that should have remained hidden in the bottom of his heart had all slipped out before he noticed.
He knew he should not have done that.
Xue Yan supported his forehead and closed his eyes again.
He thought to himself: How embarrassing. Why did I tell him this? How utterly humiliating.
Just then, footsteps sounded.
But they were not moving from near to far.
They were coming from far to near.
Just when Xue Yan thought it was an illusion, a dry hand, slightly cool to the touch, came to rest against his forehead.
Xue Yan raised his head and saw Jun Huailang standing before him, looking down at him.
The light in the room was soft, and his gaze was equally gentle, faintly glimmering.
“Back then, when I left the palace without saying goodbye, I truly had no choice. And afterward, when I was coming to Jiangnan, I also failed to tell Your Highness in advance. That was my fault,” he said.
Xue Yan stared blankly at him and could not speak for a long time.
After a moment, he said in a hoarse, quiet voice,
“…You weren’t wrong.”
Jun Huailang shook his head instead. His voice was gentle and clear, his tone extremely serious.
“I never told Your Highness. The matter of coming to Jiangnan had been arranged long ago. There were also some things I… had to do here. Originally, I had intended to accompany you in the palace until spring arrived before telling you, but I did not expect something unexpected to happen.”
Xue Yan’s voice was low and hoarse. Without thinking, he said,
“Whatever you have to do, I’ll help you.”
Jun Huailang froze, and then an inexplicable warmth spread through his heart.
It’s always like this, he thought.
He was explaining why he had come here, but in Xue Yan’s eyes, there was only one matter.
Why he was doing it was unimportant.
What mattered was that Xue Yan could help him do it.
It had always been like this in the palace. Without saying a word, he would simply go and do so many things on his own. Now, a year had passed, and he still had not changed.
A helpless smile appeared on Jun Huailang’s face. He gently patted Xue Yan’s forehead, speaking softly as though coaxing a child.
“Then I’ll thank Your Highness in advance.”
The tips of Xue Yan’s ears grew hot, and the heat spread all the way down his neck. Jun Huailang’s hand had originally been meant to cool him down, but it did not seem to have much effect. Instead, the patch of skin where Xue Yan came into contact with him burned even more intensely.
He wanted to raise his hand and grasp Jun Huailang’s hand, but with the last bit of self-control he had left, he forcibly kept his own hand fixed in place, making his movements somewhat stiff.
He lowered his eyes, his voice very low.
“…No need to thank me,” he said softly.
——
Early the next morning, Xue Yan left with Duke Yongning.
Seeing that the weather was good that day, Jun Huailang set out for Linjiang Academy.
He had originally planned to attend classes there for half a day in the morning and go to the embankment in the afternoon. Unexpectedly, the weather in Jiangnan could change in an instant. Near noon, heavy rain began to fall.
Seeing that the weather had been good, he had not asked Fuyi to bring any rain gear. The Provincial Governor’s Residence was not too far from the academy, so he had not taken a carriage either.
Now he could only be trapped inside the academy and wait until the rain stopped in the afternoon before leaving.
But unexpectedly, once the rain started, it showed no sign of stopping. Even after classes ended in the afternoon, there was not the slightest sign that the rain had weakened.
This time, all the students in the academy were trapped inside.
Those who had brought umbrellas left first. The remaining scholars waited inside the academy for the rain to stop. But after waiting for a while and seeing no sign of the rain easing, some students began braving the rain and heading outside.
Shen Liufeng had originally been waiting here together with Jun Huailang. After sitting around for a while, he also began to feel restless.
“How about we brave the rain and go out first?” he said. “My family’s carriage is parked outside the academy. I’ll take you back first.”
Jun Huailang glanced at the torrential rain outside. It was quite possible that it would not stop today at all. Hearing this, he did not hesitate much and nodded.
Outside, there was indeed a thick curtain of rain. Quite a few students stood beneath the eaves, frowning worriedly as they waited for the rain to stop.
Shen Liufeng gritted his teeth and rushed into the rain first.
“Let’s go, Huailang! If we walk faster, we’ll get soaked less!”
Hearing this, Jun Huailang answered and was just about to follow him outside when Fuyi grabbed him.
“Young Master, look over there!” He pointed toward the entrance of the academy.
Jun Huailang followed the direction he was pointing.
Among the group of scholars running outside, there was one person holding an umbrella, walking against the crowd and toward the academy.
The man was dressed in dark-colored robes and was very tall. His entire person carried the fierce, killing aura of someone in a position of power. Amid Jiangnan’s hazy mist and rain, he looked strikingly out of place.