Ruili stayed with Luo Yuxing for a long while, coaxing him to eat some pastries and fruits. Only when night fully fell and lanterns lit up the residence did he finally leave.
His attendant, Ban Yan, chuckled softly. "Now that Young Master Luo is your elder sister-in-law, shouldn’t he be the one looking after you?"
Ruili replied, "In title, yes, but Yuxing is younger than both me and my brother. He lost his parents early, and now he’s marrying into our family. Of course I’ll keep taking care of him."
"Our young master is truly kind-hearted."
Ruili exhaled and returned to his room to rest. In the days following the wedding, the newlyweds were inseparable. His brother, never one for social outings, had always spent most of his time in the study. Now, with a fulang well-versed in literature, the two could stay there all day unless called for meals.
Before marriage, propriety had restrained them. Now, as a young couple, their affection was so overwhelming that Ruili dared not get too close, lest it make singles like him feel wretched.
His parents were so delighted with their new daughter-in-law they couldn’t stop smiling, practically treating him like royalty. Yet, a family needed someone to scold occasionally to maintain authority. His elder brother was too accomplished to reprimand, and his gentle, thoughtful sister-in-law was too endearing to criticize. That left only one target - Ruili himself.
Feeling stifled, Ruili slipped out. He’d originally planned to stay home a few days to accompany his new sister-in-law, but who knew the couple needed no such company? Ah, youth was truly wasted on the young.
"Young Master, where shall we go today? The theater or a teahouse?"
Ruili gazed out the carriage window, distracted. The cold weather dampened his enthusiasm for cricket fights, and he wasn’t in the mood for arrow-throwing or ball games. Might as well enjoy some food, singing, and dancing at a tavern. Just as he was about to answer Ban Yan, a carriage blocked his view.
The curtain of the opposing carriage lifted, revealing a young man’s grinning face. "Ruili! Long time no see. Where are you headed? I’ll join you."
"Who wants you tagging along? Scram, you’re blocking my view."
The youth, detecting Ruili’s irritation, asked, "You in a bad mood?"
"How would you feel if you lost both the man you admired most and your favorite person at the same time?"
The boy’s brow furrowed in distress. "Ruili... y-you play so wildly?"
Ruili rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is this your first day knowing me?"
Though rebuffed, the boy wasn’t offended. After a moment’s thought, he brightened. "No matter! I’ve always been magnanimous."
"Who cares about your magnanimity?" Ruili snapped. "Qu Song, how many times must I say it? There’s nothing between us."
"Fate decides these things. When we were kids, you scared me with a dog and made me fall, that severed our romantic destiny early on. So no matter how hard you try now, it’s useless."
"The teacher said... uh, nobody's perfect. I was just a foolish child back then. I’m definitely more devoted to you than any of those city fops."
Ruili raised an eyebrow. "You like me?"
Qu Song nodded eagerly. "Yes!"
"What do you even like about me? You’re just a kid. You only see my family’s wealth - my father is a salt merchant, my brother is a newly minted imperial scholar, my sister-in-law is from a prestigious family. You see my good looks, my talent, my wit, how popular I am among the young masters and misses of the city. Beyond that, I’m utterly ordinary. Your so-called ‘liking’ is shallow. Go home and study properly." Ruili spoke with grave seriousness. "Don’t you agree?"
Qu Song, dizzy from the verbal barrage, couldn’t immediately respond.
Seizing the moment, Ruili urged his coachman to speed up and shake off Qu Song’s carriage. "Go home and think it over."
Only when Qu Song’s carriage was out of sight did Ban Yan remark, "The Qu family is among Siyang’s top families. Though Young Master Qu was chubby as a child, he’s slimmed down decently now. He’s always trying to please you, are you truly uninterested?"
"Look at him, like the simpleton son of a landlord. Marrying him would dilute the Zhang family’s sharpness. And forget his dullness, his nose and eyes are so crooked I’d have to cover his face with a blanket just to sleep beside him."
Ban Yan stifled a laugh. "True, your admirers could line up from Siyang to Jijiu Village. No need to consider such a youth."
Ruili adjusted his bangs. "Being exceptional is its own burden, a pressure ordinary folk can’t understand."
After this exchange, the carriage halted. The driver announced, "Young Master, we’ve arrived at Yinqiu Tavern."
"This place just opened. I heard their dishes are quite novel, but with the wedding preparations, I hadn’t had time to visit."
Ruili stepped out, his mood lifting at the tavern’s decor. Lacking a jade-ribbed fan to flutter in winter, he instead toyed with the jade pendant at his waist - a matching set with Ruijin’s, and strode inside.
Though Yinqiu Tavern was new, its staff were locals, sharp-eyed enough to recognize the Zhang family’s young master instantly. They rushed to serve him with fawning enthusiasm.
"This is my first visit. Bring me all your best dishes and drinks."
"Of course! Please wait in the private lounge, Young Master Zhang. I’ll inteoduce our specialties in details."
Ruili breezed through the hall toward the stairs but suddenly paused. The waiter, fearing he’d misspoken, was about to speak when Ruili backtracked to the counter, eyeing the clerk tallying accounts on an abacus.
Though the clerk’s face was slightly lowered, Ruili could see his striking features - thick, naturally dark brows, a straight nose, and lips moving gently as he explained the bill. With over a decade of appreciating beauty, Ruili knew this was no ordinary face.
The clerk’s fingers, though not as pale as Ruijin’s, were long and well-proportioned, moving deftly over the abacus.
Ruili smirked. "Your accountant is quite... youthful."
"You flatter us, Young Master Zhang. He’s a scholar who helps out during busy hours at noon and night." The waiter relaxed, then ingratiatingly added, "Shall I call him over to greet you?"
"No need." Ruili stopped him. Why trouble such a fine man? "Just send him your best pastries. Calculating must be exhausting."
"Right away!"
The sight of something beautiful lifted Ruili’s spirits further. Flicking his sleeves, he ascended the stairs in even higher spirits than when he arrived.
Thank you do much for the update!!!!
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