WMSG Chapter 18

Chapter 18 You’re Very Pleased?

Ye Yuanshen wasn’t in a rush to leave. The two brothers finished their meal before he departed, saying goodbye at the southeast gate. Ye Yueshen returned to the academy to pretend to study diligently, while Ye Yuanshen went back to the estate from the southwest gate.

Based on their shared experience of being dependent on others, Ye Yueshen felt a sense of empathy towards Yuan Bianyin. He approached him with good intentions, trying to strike up a conversation: “Are you alright?”

Yuan Bianyin paused his brush, “Never been better.”

Ye Yueshen comforted, “The restaurants in the bustling capital are filled with wealthy young men, and it’s not uncommon to see princes and nobles chatting idly over tea in the private rooms upstairs. You have fame and talent, why be disheartened over one Qi Wang?”

“My brother must have already told you something.” Yuan Bianyin put down his brush, the tip smearing a dark patch on the rice paper. “Seeing through my petty schemes and witnessing my disgrace, are you very pleased?”

Ye Yueshen distanced himself from him, understanding his sensitive mood. He offered another word of advice, “I understand. Success is ten parts, one part talent, nine parts luck. Who wouldn’t want a benefactor to help them rise through the ranks? You and I are the same.”

“If you had a father who was a prefect, then come talk to me about being the same.” Yuan Bianyin glared at him. “Stop acting all high and mighty in front of me, get out of the way.”

There was nothing more to say. Ye Yueshen sat back down on his stool, recalling the time he had to force a smile and read a thank you letter to his benefactor when he received a 50-yuan donation.

After wasting half the afternoon, Ye Yueshen ran out with his empty book case as soon as the teacher left. The servant boy followed behind, chasing after him and shouting, “Third Master, let me carry your book case!”

Passing through the moon gate, he unfortunately encountered Marquis Ye, who was entertaining guests in the garden. Ye Yueshen’s heart sank. He stopped quietly and bowed in greeting. Marquis Ye’s face was ashen. “Class dismissed?”

“Returning to Fa…” Ye Yueshen didn’t even finish his reply before the servant boy, who had caught up from behind, bumped into him, causing him to stagger.

The servant boy shrank back outside the moon gate, not daring to make a sound. Marquis Ye’s expression darkened even further. “What kind of essays have you been writing lately? Let me see them.”

Ye Yueshen felt like dying. He stood there without moving. Marquis Ye gave a signal, and a nearby attendant stepped forward, practically ripping the book case from Ye Yueshen’s fingers. He opened it in front of everyone, revealing that it was completely empty.

The scene was momentarily awkward. Someone chuckled dryly, trying to smooth things over, “He must have been in a hurry and grabbed the wrong book case.”

Marquis Ye didn’t respond, a sign that he was about to explode. Just then, rhythmic footsteps could be heard in the distance. Just from the sound, one could tell that the person was cultured and knew proper etiquette.

Yuan Bianyin stepped forward, “Greetings, Uncle.” He also bowed humbly to the others, and everyone’s eyes showed admiration.

He gracefully put down his book case and explained in a composed manner, “I happened to pass by the gatehouse just now, and the stableman was inside drinking tea. I knew the servant boy was familiar with them, so I let him go over and chat.”

His words were meant to explain the situation for the servant boy, so that Marquis Ye wouldn’t be angry that no one was carrying his book case, and so that outsiders wouldn’t laugh at the fact that his nephew was being mistreated in his uncle’s house, thus preserving the reputation of Marquis Ye and the Junzhu.

The crowd looked at Ye Yueshen, who appeared inferior in comparison, with either sympathy or ridicule. The cousin made the son look even more like an embroidered pillow.

However, Ye Yueshen looked very calm. In this aspect, he was much more mentally resilient than Yuan Bianyin, having long passed the stage of wearing his sensitive feelings on his face.

“Mm.” Marquis Ye showed him some warmth. “What kind of refreshments did you have for lunch? Are you hungry now?”

“Uncle doesn’t need to worry. Aunt always has someone prepare fruits and snacks early in the morning. As soon as I get back to my room, there are ready-made treats.” Yuan Bianyin took the initiative to open his book case. “The teacher is gentle and patient, which makes me embarrassed to bother him too much. I feel that today’s essay is not as good as yesterday’s. The teacher taught me not to be impatient. If Uncle and the seniors have time, please give me some guidance.”

Marquis Ye took his essay. In the original story, Yuan Bianyin had “improvised” an essay when Gong Shengyin ascended the throne and was hosting a banquet for his trusted officials, wanting to outshine the protagonist Shou, Liu Qingying.

However, Liu Qingying’s “flower protector” ridiculed Yuan Bianyin’s essay for being filled with flowery language and empty of substance, not matching his reputation for being refined and detached from the world. Even his classmates sighed and echoed, saying that his essays had always been like this, nothing more than someone trying to gain fame and reputation.

Ye Yueshen noticed Marquis Ye’s brow furrow slightly, but he quickly relaxed his expression to save face for his nephew. “You’re still young, and I can see that you’ve put in effort. Your teacher said not to rush, and you won’t go wrong if you listen to him.”

“Marquis is too strict.” The crowd praised, “This humble one thinks that the cousin’s essay is really well done.”

“Brother Li is right. The cousin’s essay uses obscure allusions in a very appropriate manner, which shows that the cousin has read widely.”

…

When Marquis Ye came back to his senses and looked at Ye Yueshen, only an open book case remained. The person had disappeared without a trace. He had quietly slipped away, without disturbing anyone.

But Ye Yueshen didn’t think that he was secretly leaving. He was clearly walking away openly, it was just that those “Wang Qingzhi” didn’t pay attention to him.

He didn’t feel any disappointment or embarrassment. Hearing Marquis Ye’s angry voice in the distance telling him to come back, he ignored it.

There was nothing wrong with wanting family affection, but he had already obtained at least three portions of it, so Marquis Ye’s portion didn’t seem that important. It wasn’t much more, and it wasn’t much less.

For someone who was extremely lacking in love, receiving too much at once would make it lose its authenticity, making him afraid to sleep, afraid that he would wake up and find that it was all fake.

So he didn’t care about Marquis Ye, and he didn’t care what the “Wang Qingzhi” said or whether it would liven things up for Marquis Ye, it was their own business.

Ye Yueshen once again questioned the original story’s description of being “surrounded by stars.” As soon as he turned around, two young maids quickly turned their faces away, and he became a little suspicious again.

“Third Yue!” Ye Lingshen approached without him noticing, wrapping his arm around his waist and teasing, “Yue Gongzi, full of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness, has unprecedentedly defied his father and seduced young maidens…”

Ye Yueshen covered Ye Lingshen’s unguarded mouth, looking a little worriedly in that direction. Only after discovering that the young maids had already left did he lower his hand. “Don’t talk nonsense, I haven’t seduced anyone.”

“You just glanced at someone…” Ye Lingshen laughed at him, “That’s seduction.”

Ye Yueshen didn’t lower his hand, but instead covered Ye Lingshen’s eyes, asking him a little unnaturally, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because it’s strange.” Ye Lingshen didn’t brush his hand away. In the soft and fitting darkness, he answered very calmly and seriously, “You’ve become very lively, and also very repressed, very content, and also very disappointed. It’s clearly very contradictory, but that’s just how it is.”

Ye Yueshen let go of his hand, also feeling a bit novel, a surprised feeling of being hit right on the mark. “Am I like that?”

“Aren’t you?” Ye Lingshen answered with a question, leaving the judgment to him.

Ye Yueshen’s eyes moved. Compared to the former “Ye Yueshen,” who was sunny and confident, with sweet words readily available, the current Ye Yueshen was as indifferent as a cut-off river.

However, even so, Ye Yueshen still felt that he had unknowingly become more coquettish.

For a loner with extremely little emotional expression, simply maintaining a relationship with someone that had questions and answers was already the most “passionate” thing he could do.

“Do you think ‘I’ wasn’t lively before?” Ye Yueshen asked with some doubt.

“Hmm…” Ye Lingshen also fell silent for a moment, smiling thoughtfully. “Perhaps your previous ‘liveliness’ never affected me.”

Ye Yueshen was calm and composed. After parting, the thing he thought about the most was whether he would get another spanking.

The next day, he didn’t hesitate for too long before having someone prepare a carriage to take him to the Qi Wang Manor. Staying in the Marquis Manor didn’t feel very safe, after all, he had slipped away from Marquis Ye without saying a word.

Just before he got into the carriage, Ye Yuanshen happened to arrive, naturally saying that he would take him there.

Gong Xunwu’s expression wasn’t very good when he saw Ye Yuanshen. Although he always had a silent and taciturn demeanor, Ye Yueshen could still sense some of his subtle emotions.

For example, yesterday, when Gong Xunwu used Ye Yuanshen’s relationship with him to meet, his expression and words were slightly gentler, and he would exchange a few polite greetings with Ye Yuanshen.

Today, Gong Xunwu was so blunt that he was almost rude, asking simply, “Is there something?”

Ye Yuanshen was very used to his attitude, however. “The Jingguo Temple is holding a Taoist ceremony. This minister has nothing to do today, so I rode in the same carriage with Xiao Yue.”

Hearing that he was just passing by, Gong Xunwu nodded, completely unaware that he was abandoning someone after getting what he wanted.

“I’ll come out of the temple later and pick you up on the way home.” Ye Yuanshen patted Ye Yueshen’s shoulder.

“No need.” Gong Xunwu narrowed his eyes slightly. “Your return time is uncertain. Maybe I’ll have someone send him back long before that, or maybe I’ll keep him for dinner. When you come out of the temple, just do your own thing and don’t worry about anything else.”

Having said this, Gong Xunwu didn’t bother with Ye Yuanshen’s probing at all, and even looked down on his excuse of picking up Ye Yueshen that he had prepared in advance.

Ye Yuanshen couldn’t directly say that he didn’t feel at ease. Who knew if he was a dignified and noble Qi Wang, or a hypocritical lecher? His brother was as beautiful as a flower, and leaving him in his manor was like a rabbit entering a tiger’s den.

“Yes.” Before Ye Yuanshen left, he saw the look of dependence in his younger brother’s eyes, and he felt a sense of sadness like he was being forced to drown a pet with his own hands. His brother hadn’t even reached adulthood yet, and he hadn’t seen the ins and outs of people’s hearts and schemes. He was afraid that he would be frightened.

So he couldn’t help but look back. Gong Xunwu was staring at him intently, asking with displeasure, “What exactly are you afraid I’ll do to him? Eat him?”

Ye Yuanshen could only leave quickly.

“Don’t be fierce to my brother.” Ye Yueshen glanced at Gong Xunwu, without the slightest awareness that he was being held hostage.

It was that feeling again. Depression and inexplicable hostility were spreading in Gong Xunwu’s chest, just like the day he saw Ye Yueshen standing in front of Ye Yuanshen in the Imperial Study.

Gong Xunwu frowned, feeling uncomfortable all over.

“I’ll just be fierce to him.” After a long while, Gong Xunwu realized that those words had come from his own throat.

Ye Yueshen was also a little stunned. It was a little humorous for someone like Gong Xunwu to say such a petulant thing.

But he just so happened to have such a cold and stern face, paired with an awe-inspiring aura, that Ye Yueshen couldn’t laugh at all.

“What do you want me to do here?” Ye Yueshen asked.

Gong Xunwu asked him in return, “What do you want to do?”

His question didn’t leave much room for him to maneuver. Ye Yueshen thought about it, and since he had taken the initiative to ask, there was no need for him to be too humble. Rather than passively accepting his fate, it was better to struggle a little. If it didn’t work, then he could say that it didn’t work.

“I want to see the Wang Manor.” Ye Yueshen said, “Can I look around by myself?”

Gong Xunwu didn’t hesitate. “Go ahead.”

The Qi Wang Manor was much larger than the Fourth Prince Gong Xuyin’s Prince Estate. Even if the Fourth Prince couldn’t become the crown prince and inherit the throne, he would at least have the potential to be promoted to a Prince of the First Rank. The Prince Estate was just a transition for him.

But the Wang Manor was the upper limit for Gong Xunwu as the emperor’s younger brother. After all, the emperor had many sons, and it was impossible for him to be named Crown Prince, whether logically or emotionally.

Ye Yueshen was a little hopeful, hoping that he could get lost in the huge Wang Manor, so that Gong Xunwu would have to spend a lot of time finding him. It was a good excuse to avoid being alone with Gong Xunwu. Only by getting lost would he have the opportunity not to lose himself.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but look back at Gong Xunwu. It seemed like this person always wanted to plunder something from him.