At Dunyi Hall, Zhao Huanxu arrived at Guogong Yé’s study. Seeing the tall figure standing by the window with his back to him, Zhao Huanxu felt a slight tremor in his heart.

He silently swallowed and cupped his hands in salute, “Zufu.”

Guogong Yé did not turn around, only said, “Kneel down.”

Zhao Huanxu was startled and, after kneeling, his eyes darted around, wondering what had caused his grandfather’s displeasure this time.

Guogong Yé did not leave him in suspense for long, directly asking, “Was it you who told Zhu Zhifu that Huanxi falls ill during thunderstorms?”

Zhao Huanxu was stunned, never expecting this matter to reach his grandfather’s ears. Cold sweat broke out on his back as he anxiously defended himself, “Zufu, please allow me to explain. Zhu Zhifu and his group surrounded me in the academy, insisting that I use my relationship as Huanxi Tang Di to help them against him. Otherwise, they threatened to cripple one of my arms. Sun’er was forced to tell him that Huanxi falls ill during thunderstorms. Sun’er thought, since Huanxi would be at home during thunderstorms anyway, it wouldn’t matter if Zhu Zhifu knew. One never imagined… never imagined…”

Before he could finish, Guogong Yé turned around, looking down at him with an expressionless face.

He couldn’t continue his fabricated story.

“In order to save your own arm, you revealed your Tang Di’s weakness to his enemy. If you were on the battlefield, would you betray your comrades to the enemy just to save your own life?” Guogong Yé’s thick eyebrows furrowed, his eyes deepend with sorrow.

Zhao Huanxu was somewhat frightened and shook his head in denial, “No, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t…”

“You have always looked down on Huanxi as weak and useless. Consider this: if he were in your position, would he make the same choice as you?” Guogong Yé asked him.

Zhao Huanxu looked up at his grandfather, clenched his teeth, and remained silent.

Guogong Yé raised his face, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists. “You are nothing like your father. I am very disappointed in you,” he said.

“Zufu!” Upon hearing these words, tears welled up in Zhao Huanxu’s eyes, and he cried out in fear.

Guogong Yé took a step towards the door behind him, stopped, then turned back.

“Go inform Da Taitai, the poetry gathering tomorrow is canceled. Your Tang Di is recuperating, yet you are hosting a banquet. How disgraceful!” Guogong Yé said as he opened the door and left.

Zhao Huanxu cried and slumped to the ground, violently pounded the floor tiles a few times.

After he returned, Wu Taitai learned about Guogong Yé’s decision to cancel the poetry gathering and immediately ran to Lingde Hall to cry.

“The invitations were sent out early. How can we explain the cancellation at this point? Where will Huanxu’s face go?

“It’s said that Huanxu told that person surnamed Zhu about Huanxi’s illness, but it was because Huanxi offended him that the person surnamed Zhu came to Huanxu. My Huanxu have been entangled by such people for no reason. Who did he provoke?

“Pomu, please help Huanxu. Guogong Yé is showing too much favoritism.”

Lao Taitai twisted the prayer beads in her hand and remained silent for a while before saying, “If Guogong Yé does not allow it, then we will not proceed. Let Huanxu pretend to be ill.”

Wu Taitai, said with tears in her eyes: “Pomu…”

Lao Taitai lowered her eyes and looked at her, “Don’t misunderstand. Huanxu doesn’t need to surpass others; he just needs to surpass Zhao Huanxi. People’s qualities are judged by comparison. Now, Guogong Yé has a bias against him. When Zhao Huanxi makes a bigger mistake, Guogong Yé will naturally think better of him.”

Wu Taitai looked at Lao Taitai’s deeply hidden smile, her scalp tingling, and closed her mouth calmly.

✦

Many people came to visit Zhao Huanxi while he was injured, not only relatives and friends but also some who were previously unknown to him. They came because they had been bullied by Zhu Zhifu and were eligible to visit him.

The day before the ten-day break, Xu Moxiu also took a leave to visit him. He sat by his bed and chatted with him all day long.

In the evening, after Xu Moxiu left, Zhao Huanxi happily said to Xu Nian’an, “I don’t know why, but I feel that Wenlin was especially kind to me today.”

Xu Nian’an smiled but didn’t say anything.

Xu Moxiu is a reserved person who doesn’t easily show his emotions, whether good or bad. However, it can be confirmed that after this incident, he truly accepted Zhao Huanxi from the bottom of his heart. Not for anything else, but because Zhao Huanxi protected her when facing Zhu Zhifu, doing something he couldn’t do two years ago.

Two years ago, after Xu Moxiu had his arm broken, Zhu Zhifu and his group were scared off. If Zhu Zhifu had the courage he has today back then and didn’t run away, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Zhao Huanxi’s injuries this time looked quite severe, but in fact, there were no broken bones or torn muscles. His body was covered in bruises from being beaten with sticks, and he had a cut on his head that bled, making it look more serious. After resting at home for four or five days, massaging with medicinal oil and drinking tonic soups every day, he was fine.

On the night, the two sat around the round table in the courtyard, waiting for the buds of the Queen of the Night cereus on the table to bloom.

These were brought to him by Ge Jingxuan when he came to visit. There were two pots in total, both with buds. One pot was given to Yin Furen, and the other was left in Shenhui Courtyard.

Zhao Huanxi lay his head on the table, his chin resting on his arm, blinking his big eyes as he looked at the swollen bud that seemed about to bloom but remained closed. He said to Xu Nian’an, “Dong Jiejie, do you think it will wait until we fall asleep to quietly bloom? We’ll wake up tomorrow morning, and it will have already withered.”

Xu Nian’an put down the book in her hand, her beautiful eyes turning gently as she said to Zhao Huanxi, “The book says there is a method to make the Queen of the Night bloom faster.”

Zhao Huanxi became interested and sat up, looking at Xu Nian’an, asking, “What method?”

Xu Nian’an said seriously, “As the saying goes, ‘The warmth of spring brings flowers to bloom’. The Queen of the Night bud has grown so big that it will definitely bloom tonight. But if you can’t wait, you can gently blow into the tip of the bud with your mouth. The movement must be light, gentle, like a spring breeze. Blow for a while, and the flower will warm up, and the Queen of the Night will bloom.”

Zhao Huanxi expressed doubt after hearing this. “Really? Will it work?”

Xu Nian’an said, “It shouldn’t hurt the flower. Why not give it a try?”

Zhao Huanxi thought it made sense and eagerly moved the pot of Queen of the Night closer to them on the table. After scrutinizing it for a while, he carefully leaned over, puckered his lips, and aimed at the tip of the bud. Puffing out his cheeks, he blew gently.

Xu Nian’an covered her mouth with a handkerchief, trying hard not to laugh.

After blowing for a long time without seeing any change in the bud, Zhao Huanxi closed his mouth, turned his head, and asked, “Dong Jiejie, how long do I have to blow for it to bloom? My cheeks are getting sore!”

Xu Nian’an couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

Zhao Huanxi was confused for a moment, then realized and felt embarrassed. “Dong Jiejie, you’re teasing me again!” He got up and tried to catch Xu Nian’an.

Xu Nian’an got off the stool and ran, laughing as she said, “Haha, Sanlang, you’re recovering from a serious injury, haha, it’s better not to run and jump, haha!”

Zhao Huanxi, reminded by her, immediately stopped, one hand on the table and the other on his head, his brows furrowed lightly.

Seeing him like this, Xu Nian’an was afraid of his injury recurring. She hurried over and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Is your head hurting again?”

As she approached, Zhao Huanxi suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her close, triumphantly saying, “Now I’ve caught you!”

They were suddenly too close, one looking down and the other looking up. In that moment of eye contact, they both fell silent.

The flower was quiet, the lamp was quiet, and the night was also quiet.

Looking at the handsome young man in front of her, Xu Nian’an smiled again and asked, “Yes ah, now that you’ve caught me, what will you do?”

“I…” Zhao Huanxi’s fingers tightened around her arm, his cheeks turning red. Then, he did something unexpected to Xu Nian’an.

He suddenly bent down, lowered his head, and pressed his lips against her flowery neck.

花枝 = is a metaphorical description. It compares Xu Nian'an's neck to a flower branch, suggesting that her neck is slender and graceful, like the stem of a flower.

Xu Nian’an was caught off guard, her beautiful eyes widening. She instinctively raised her hand to push him away, but his other hand came around, wrapping around her waist and holding her in place.

Last time, Zhao Huanxi was too nervous, but this time, with thoughts of revenge, he wasn’t as nervous. However, after acting on impulse, he felt his heart beating rapidly, almost unable to breathe.

What is meant by “fragrant warmth and jade softness”? The answer is right in his arms.

香温玉软 (Xiāng wēn yù ruǎn): This is a classical chengyu (four-character idiom) used specifically to describe the physical allure and beauty of a woman. It is highly sensory, combining the senses of smell (fragrance), touch (warmth and softness), and sight (the luster of jade).

He sucked on Xu Nian’an’s white and tender neck, reluctant to let go. His prominent nose rubbed against her neck like a little puppy, and his warm lips pressed against her again.

Xu Nian’an’s face turned crimson, and her slender fingertips couldn’t help but grip his sleeve tightly.

Zhao Huanxi was both nervous and excited. He left three red marks on her neck before reluctantly stopping.

When he lifted his head and met Xu Nian’an’s eyes, as charming as peach blossoms and as watery as spring, Zhao Huanxi panicked again. His ears turned red, and he said with false bravado, “I-if you tease me again in the future, I’ll punish you like this.”

Xu Nian’an pursed her dry lips and said, “Okay. Then, if I don’t tease you in the future, you’re not allowed to do this to me.”

Zhao Huanxi: “…..”

Xu Nian’an turned to go to the mirror to see how her neck looked.

Zhao Huanxi quickly grabbed her sleeve.

Xu Nian’an turned her body to look back at him.

“Dong Jiejie, I was wrong. This isn’t a punishment. I-I like being like this with you.” He lowered his head slightly, his dark, shiny eyes looking at her with a puppy-like expression, as if he had done something wrong.

Xu Nian’an, trying to contain her embarrassment, reasoned with him, “Even if you like it, you can’t do this. Last time, it was to deceive Mother that I let you… If you keep leaving red marks on my neck, I won’t be able to go out and see people.”

“Oh.” Zhao Huanxi let go disappointedly.

Xu Nian’an walked to the mirror, tilted her neck to look, and saw three bright red marks in a row…

She turned her head and glared at Zhao Huanxi, embarrassed and annoyed.

Zhao Huanxi, feeling guilty, turned his back and pretended to look at the flowers. Suddenly, he exclaimed with delight, “Eh, Dong Jiejie, come and see, the Queen of the Night has bloomed!”

Across the flower garden from of Yifang Garden was Yinyan Pavilion, where Zhao Shuxian came over from Wu Taitai’s place. Instead of returning to her own room, she sent her maids away and went to knock on Zhao Shutong’s door. Zhao Shuxian and Zhao Shutong shared the Yinyan Pavilion in Zhilan Garden.

“Who is it?” Zhao Shutong was already asleep, and it took her a while to ask in a daze.

“It’s me. How can you still sleep at this hour? Hurry and open the door.” Zhao Shuxian complained.

Zhao Shutong had to put on her clothes, light a lamp, and get up to open the door for her.

Zhao Shuxian went into the room and went straight to the point: “The Xu family and the He family are meeting at Zhaohua Temple tomorrow. Are you going?”

Zhao Shutong, who was yawning, stopped midway, “They are meeting at Zhaohua Temple, so what… what should I do there?”

“Of course, you’re going to disrupt their meeting! The daughter-in-law candidate that He Furen favors is you. Why should the Xu family interfere?” Thinking of how Zhao Huanxi’s birthday banquet was disrupted because of Zhao Huanxi, Zhao Shuxian was itching with hatred.

Zhao Shutong was shocked, “Disrupt their meeting? No, I can’t do that.”

“Aiya, why are you so useless!” Zhao Shuxian was annoyed, but unwilling to give up. Finally, she said, “If it really doesn’t work, I’ll accompany you. Is that okay?”

Zhao Shutong still shook her head, “Forget it. I have nothing to do with that He Gongzi. What’s the point of going to disrupt his meeting with someone else?”

“How can you say you have nothing to do with him? As long as he fails to make a match with the Xu family, he will be your fiancé.” Zhao Shuxian pulled Zhao Shutong’s arm, “Whether you want to go or not, I can’t just watch that Xu family’s little vixen steal your good marriage.”

⟡ Aewoo’s Ramble ⟡

The flower indeed bloomed as the "spring's warmth" arrived 🤭.