TSLSILMH Ch 21

Chapter 21

A trace of color returned to Yu Chuxi’s face, but only just a trace.

Although he felt he could at least tell this much and distinguish whether the person before him was sincere or feigning, what if this person were truly so bad as to disguise himself to such an extent?

And as for what the other party had done in the past, it could hardly be said to be entirely baseless rumor conjured from nothing.

Thinking this, Yu Chuxi couldn’t help glaring at him.

But what Yu Chuxi did not know was that when his phoenix eyes widened, because it was not pure anger, a faint flush rippled at the corner of his eyes; so the glare did not look particularly fierce but instead carried a different kind of allure within it.

Xie Shu cleared his throat, and only then realized that the one who had angered the young lord was not someone else; the only possible culprit was still himself.

Xie Shu could not help softening his voice, asking in a low tone, “My lord, what exactly is the matter?”

Yu Chuxi’s lips parted slightly, then he clenched his teeth again in anger.

Yu Chuxi did not know how he ought to speak; he could hardly say, I sent someone to investigate you earlier and heard that you have a childhood sweetheart with whom you once secretly met?

Such words, spoken aloud, would be far too unbecoming, and recalling the promise he had personally stated to the other party before, Yu Chuxi could not bring himself to say them.

After all, he and Xie Shu were not in that kind of relationship, one that could withstand such questioning.

Xie Shu had not expected that the usually forthright young lord would be unwilling to speak on this matter; what on earth could it be about himself?

Xie Shu kept it in mind; yet since the young lord did not wish to say now, Xie Shu did not want to force him to do something against his will. But he could hardly let the young lord continue sulking on his account, could he?

After some thought, Xie Shu said softly, “My lord, shall we eat first?”

This time Yu Chuxi couldn’t help glaring at him again; he himself was on the verge of dying from anger, and yet the other still had the mind to think about eating.

But turning the thought over, Yu Chuxi had indeed noticed these past few days that Xie Shu had been shut away in the study all day long.

Although Yu Chuxi could not, like a man, attend an academy, the imperial examinations were a momentous matter; everyone knew a bit about them, and Yu Chuxi also understood how difficult they truly were.

Some people wasted a whole lifetime; their hair turned white from reading, and they still could not pass even as a licentiate.

Some people, at forty or fifty, exhausting their family fortunes, were no more than child students.

Such things were all too common, and they proved just how tormenting the examinations were.

Seeing that Xie Shu, despite clearly having excellent learning, did not rely on his talent with arrogance and could quiet his mind to study the examinations in depth, Yu Chuxi felt glad that he had such ambition; yet at the same time could not help thinking:

If this goes on, who knows whether his body can endure it?

Thus, Yu Chuxi furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, and finally nodded and said, “Then let’s eat first.”

Seeing that Yu Chuxi seemed not as angry as before, Xie Shu also felt slightly relieved.

For some reason, seeing the young lord so angry just now had made him more nervous than he had ever been.

When the maids had brought out all the dishes, Yu Chuxi had little appetite today; even for several of his favorite dishes, he had barely moved his chopsticks.

Xie Shu knew the young lord had something on his mind and that it would not be easy to dispel in a short while. Yet this matter concerned himself, and he could not make heads or tails of it; so Xie Shu could only try to change the subject, saying, “My lord, the crystal pork today is exceptionally flavorful. My lord, do try it.”

Crystal pork?

Noticing the dish Xie Shu indicated, Yu Chuxi did see that the meat was red and the rind white, sleek and translucent. Using “crystal” to describe it was apt, yet it was not called crystal pork.

He couldn’t help giving the person before him a slight sidelong glance and said, “Do all men of letters like to make things up? This is clearly called Zhenjiang cured pork, what crystal…”

All at once Yu Chuxi said carelessly, “You live in Huaiyang; how can you not even know this?”

Seeing that Yu Chuxi was willing to pay him heed, Xie Shu did not think too much and answered offhandedly, “I haven’t eaten this before…”

Oh?

A flicker of doubt passed through Yu Chuxi’s eyes. This Zhenjiang cured pork is extremely famous in the Huaiyang cuisine system, and the method is not difficult. Inns nearby have it everywhere, whether it is authentic or not.

Xie Shu had followed his parents to Jinling ten years ago. At that time, his family was not exactly impoverished; only in the past few years his parents had both fallen gravely ill in succession, dragging down the household. But in these ten years it should hardly be the case that he never ate even a single dish of Zhenjiang cured pork, right?

Moreover, even if he had not eaten it, he should at least have heard of it and be able to name the dish.

As Yu Chuxi was making a note of this odd point in his heart, he saw Xie Shu pick up another piece of meat for him.

In fact, seeing that Yu Chuxi still was not moving, Xie Shu had thought his anger had not yet abated and also feared he would not eat and thus truly starve himself into some stomach ailment. After all, he had observed that the young lord usually did not exercise much and always felt his body was somewhat more delicate than others’.

At this time, Yu Chuxi looked at Xie Shu with a strange expression. What was he doing, using his own chopsticks to pick food for him—since when had they become intimate to this degree?

But Yu Chuxi did not refuse; he lowered his head and took a quiet bite. It did seem as though the dishes today were indeed tastier than usual.

After finishing the meal, the two still went upstairs to play chess as usual.

Yet Yu Chuxi clearly had low spirits, unlike before when the two were evenly matched; instead, he was being beaten back step by step.

However, after Xie Shu let him off several times in a row, Yu Chuxi, simmering with anger, said, “When you play like this with others, do you also let them win like this?”

Only then did Xie Shu realize that his throwing the game was too obvious; but the young lord’s question was, in fact, easy to answer.

Xie Shu rubbed the bridge of his nose and said softly, “When I played chess with others before, I never let anyone.”

After all, in the modern day, where is there so much leisure time, and how could one just happen to find someone whose interests aligned to play chess together?

So Xie Shu’s chess skills were really all learned from books and honed through practice with a computer.

As for a computer, why would it ever need to be let off?

Hearing Xie Shu speak thus, Yu Chuxi, pinching a chess piece, suddenly felt a trace of delight. In that case, he had only ever shown leniency to himself?

That, at least, made sense…

Seeing that Yu Chuxi was finally getting serious, Xie Shu could not help but smile. When the young lord takes offense, it really does make one anxious…

Until the two finished playing, Xie Shu still did not hear even a single word from the young lord about the matter; the other seemed to have made up his mind not to bring it up again.

But Xie Shu had just seen clearly how displeased the young lord was because of him—how could he possibly pretend to turn a blind eye?

What is more, the less willing Yu Chuxi was to speak, the more it proved that the problem within was not small.

After returning to his room, Xie Shu was still thinking about the matter.

This afternoon, Yu Chuxi had not gone to inspect the properties, but had stayed in the study all along. It was highly likely that he had seen someone in the study and only then learned of something.

Xie Shu could not help looking toward Xi Mo. After all, he was not the original person; for some things, it was not easy to question Xi Mo directly. He could only obtain the information he wanted from the other by drawing him out. But if, regarding a certain matter, he himself had no ideas at all, how could he get Xi Mo to speak?

Just then, a flash went through Xie Shu’s mind; he felt that he had overlooked something before.

Seeing the master fixing him with an inscrutable look, Xi Mo’s heart gave a thump. What was the master about?

Ever since Xie Shu had moved to Tingyu Garden, Xi Mo had suddenly become idle. It was no longer like before when he had to take care of the master in all things and sometimes even run about outside the residence for him; now he only did work in the study.

Moreover, the master had become much more gentle and no longer needed him to wait constantly in the study.

Xi Mo was originally only fifteen or sixteen and naturally lively by nature; seeing that the master didn’t have much for him to do, he played together with the other maids of Tingyu Garden and, in a few days, had become well acquainted. In his spare time he even helped pass messages and run errands…

Now when Xi Mo thought of it, he felt he ought to be beaten. The master was looking at him like this; it must be because he had been remiss these past few days, and he ought to put the master first.

Just then Xie Shu also remembered that Xi Mo had already become thick as thieves with the maids of Tingyu Garden over these few days, so he asked, “Where were you this afternoon?”

At this question, Xi Mo couldn’t help pulling a long face and said, “Master, Xi Mo knows he was wrong. I went to help Sister Fenghe move something…”

Yet Xie Shu merely gave him a cool glance and did not take offense: “Oh? Was not Fenghe attending upon the young lord at that time?”

Xi Mo nodded and said, “In the afternoon the young lord saw someone in the study from the front quarters. I know that person too—he specializes in gathering information.”

So that was it; it was still matters from the original body’s past.

A flash crossed Xie Shu’s mind, and he suddenly recalled something. In fact, ever since waking up, there had been one point he could not understand at all: why had the original person fallen into the Qinhuai River at that time?

The weather some days earlier had been even colder than now; for what matter would a man have accidentally fallen into the water there?

Because this question could not be put to Xi Mo just like that, Xie Shu had shelved it for the time being.

But now, a faint premonition told Xie Shu that this matter was very important and that he must figure it out as soon as possible.

In the end, seeing the puzzled, uncomprehending look in Xi Mo’s eyes, Xie Shu still held himself back. Without the right opportunity, he could not so rashly blurt it out.

And when night fell and he lay down to sleep, Xie Shu could not help thinking of many things, wondering whether the young lord was still angry now.

Since he did not know the ins and outs, how was he to explain all of this?

If he said he knew nothing of the original person’s past, would the young lord believe him…

Xie Shu’s thoughts were complicated. Though beneath him he slept on a gauze-curtained soft bed, and the room burned with a calming incense, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

At the same time, on the other side of the pepper-red wall, Yu Chuxi had also not closed his eyes for a long time.

As the saying goes, one kind of longing, two places of idle sorrow.

Early the next morning, Xie Shu sat up in bed. Before falling asleep late last night, he had thought of a method; afterward he fell asleep quickly, and on rising this morning, he was actually full of energy.

After washing, Xie Shu prepared to go next door to find the young lord.

But before he could knock, Fenghe happened to come out from the inner room. Seeing Xie Shu, she asked, “Master Xie, have you come to…?”

Xie Shu said, “I’ve come to speak to the young lord about something.”

Hearing this, Fenghe smiled and said, “The young lord likely slept late last night and will only rise after a while this morning. Is it urgent?”

This matter was certainly not urgent.

So Xie Shu instructed softly, “Then when the young lord gets up, I’ll come find him. And don’t tell the young lord just yet, so as not to disturb him.”

Having said this, Xie Shu was about to turn and leave, when Fenghe’s eyes flashed and she said, “Master Xie, please wait. Go and wait for the young lord in his study first.”

Fenghe did not know exactly what had happened to the young lord yesterday, only that his mood had been very bad; this morning it was even worse—he had just now thrown quite a fit at getting up…

But last night, before Master Xie, he had seemed somewhat different; it would be better to let Xie Shu and the young lord stay together for a while.

However, worried that the young lord would be unwilling to talk much with Xie Shu, she had him wait in the study first; after all, the young lord would be going to the study shortly.

Hearing this, Xie Shu agreed.

He went to the young lord’s study on the first floor; the maid at the door, seeing it was him, did not stop him.

Xie Shu pushed the door open and entered. He had intended to sit quietly on a nearby chair and wait, but at that moment he saw a single branch of peach blossom placed in a celadon vase on the young lord’s desk.

Xie Shu of course recognized it as the branch he had held all the way and brought back that day; but how could it still be so bright after several days?

Xie Shu could not help walking closer to look, and when he noticed the tip of that peach twig, he was momentarily stunned.

He had once read in a book of an ancient method for preserving fresh flowers.

So long as on the first day after plucking, one scorched the stem with fire and then, after placing it in a vase, added water, and then sprinkled water on the ground and laid reed mats—after repeating this for several days, one could keep the moisture in the flower branch from being lost for a long time.

So the young lord had actually used this cumbersome method?

Xie Shu lowered his gaze, looking at the petals like rouge; they fell upon the tip of his heart and, in a daze, spread into a faint red trace.

Xie Shu stood there a long while before coming back to himself.

At this moment, Xie Shu saw that on the young lord’s desk, a crumpled thin sheet of paper was being pressed down by an inkstone. Normally, this would not have attracted Xie Shu’s attention, but as his glance swept over it, he found that his own name seemed to be on that paper.

[Footnotes:

“Phoenix eyes” refers to eyes with an elongated shape and upturned outer corners, often used in Chinese literature to denote refined beauty and spirited expression.

“Zhenjiang cured pork” (Zhenjiang yaorou), also known as crystal pork in jelly, is a famous Jiangsu dish characterized by its translucent, jelly-like rind and red-white contrast.

“Huaiyang” denotes the Jiangsu regional culinary and cultural area centered around Huai’an and Yangzhou; the cuisine is one of China’s Four Great Traditions.

“Child student,” “licentiate,” etc. correspond to ranks in the imperial examination system (keju), where tongsheng (child student) and shengyuan/xiucai (licentiate) were preliminary degrees.

“Qinhuai River” is the historic river district of Nanjing, long associated with literati culture and famed courtesans; falling into it evokes both literal and symbolic peril.

“Pepper-red wall” evokes traditional vermilion walls used in elite residences; it is a set phrase indicating separation by a courtyard wall.

“Tingyu Garden” is a residence name; rendered literally, “Listening-to-Rain Garden,” preserved as a proper noun.]