Quand l'amour approche, c'est comme la neige

Chapitre 24

"Sit down!" Yongye gestured for Yihong Lanlu and Yin'er to sit down. He then meticulously prepared tea.

Snow mixed with plum blossoms slowly boiled in the pot, and a refreshing fragrance filled the room.

He glanced at the three maids. Yihong was elegant and graceful, Lancui was charming and refined, and Yin'er was clever and lively. Their three pairs of dark eyes were untouched by any worldly habits. They were devoted to serving him without complaint, considering it their greatest happiness. In modern times, they would all be top-notch female assassins, capable of killing men without a fight and causing them to surrender and be defeated.

Yongye gently tilted the teapot, pouring out the flowing water from the mountain stream. He smiled and tapped the teapot: "It's ready!"

The three maids, already captivated by Yongye's elegance and the aroma of tea, blushed and thanked him softly upon hearing his words, before picking up their teacups and savoring the tea.

Her red lips parted slightly, revealing a shy and innocent air. Yongye sighed and said, "Yihong and Lanlu are both sixteen, right? Do you have someone you like? I will definitely help you if I can."

Yihong and Lanlu's faces burned like monkey bottoms. Yin'er, who was only fourteen years old, laughed: "Lancui is betrothed to someone in the manor. The princess said that she will be married after spring."

Yongye became interested: "Who is it from the manor?"

"Deacon Li Yannian! He's handsome and kind..."

Lan Cui hurriedly covered Yin'er's mouth, while Yong Ye's face darkened: "He is at least ten years older than Lan Cui, is he still unmarried?"

Yin'er was laughing and dodging Lan Cui when she struggled to blurt out, "Steward Li is a second wife. Madam Li passed away five years ago."

Lan Cui got angry, stood up, curtsied, and rushed out of the room with a red face.

Yongye instantly lost his composure. He had been plotting to kill Li Yannian one day, but unexpectedly, Li Yannian wanted to marry Lancui. With Li Yannian's talent, Lancui would surely like him. But he didn't. Yongye had just woken up, and he was surprised to see him so soft-hearted, even protecting a maid. These unexpected changes instantly extinguished all his previous thoughts.

Yi Hong saw through the situation and sighed, saying, "If young master really can't bear to part with Lan Cui, why not ask Madam to take her in?"

Yongye froze. The first thing that came to mind was the phrase "little husband," and he felt so frustrated he wanted to bang his head against the wall. He smiled bitterly, thinking, "After the New Year, I'll be ten. And then a few more years..."

"Oh dear, in a few years, the young master will be an adult. I wonder what kind of woman will be worthy of him!" Yin'er cleverly noticed Yongye's unpleasant expression and quickly changed the subject.

Yongye suddenly stood up and walked out.

Yi Hong repeatedly complained to Yin'er that she shouldn't have said these things at this time. She felt a little anxious; could it be that the young master had really fallen for Lan Cui?

Stepping outside, the biting cold air cleared Yongye's head. He regretted revealing his emotions so easily. How could he possibly contend with Youli Valley if he was so easily swayed? Li Yannian, a minor character, was already giving him a hard time; how could he possibly kill him? He took a deep breath of the fragrance of winter plum blossoms and murmured, "The body has long since decayed; what more can the heart say?"

The gnarled plum tree was weighed down by a thick layer of snow, its petals piled up like tiny snowballs, yet some blossoms, bright as sunlight, still peeked out from the white snow. Yongye watched, his heart slowly relaxing, and finally he let out a smile. There's always a way out, and things will work themselves out. This royal palace holds countless secrets; treasure hunting would be a pleasure in itself. Besides, being the most powerful heir in Anguo, the most dashing young master in the capital—that's no small pleasure.

He was leisurely enjoying the scenery alone when he suddenly sensed someone entering Wanyu Courtyard. He composed himself, smiled, and returned to his room: "Yi Hongyin'er, what fun things are there for the New Year?"

The two people who were tidying up the tea table were somewhat infected by his joy, and thought that the young master was really childish, and they were happy again in the blink of an eye.

"Young Master is in excellent health this year, and His Highness and Princess will surely be happy for him to go out and have fun. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, there will be many acrobatic troupes going door-to-door performing lion dances to bring good fortune, and the Prince's mansion will have fireworks in the evening..."

Before Yin'er could finish speaking, Lan Cui lifted the curtain and came in, saying, "The Prince has sent someone to invite the young master."

Yongye was taken aback. Why did the prince want to see him? Then he thought about it and realized that the prince was still the heir apparent. He couldn't just refuse to see him at all.

"Young Master, don't be afraid. The Prince hates people who tremble when they talk to him. Young Master, you're all better now. Don't be afraid of the Prince like before." Yi Hong seemed to have known the outcome all along and comforted Yong Ye repeatedly.

Is that so? Yongye felt more certain.

Lan Cui tied the wind cape to Yong Ye and said with a smile, "Young Master, go with Li Si. We've prepared a midnight snack for you tonight."

Hearing this, Yongye felt another pang of sadness. He couldn't help but say, "I don't think Li Yannian is a good person. Lancui, don't marry him. I'll find you a good family another day."

Lan Cui blushed and spat, "Young Master, hurry up and go, don't keep the Prince waiting."

Seeing her expression, Yongye recalled Li Yannian's handsome appearance and knew that Lancui had fallen for him. He sighed inwardly, thinking that everyone has their own destiny and he was powerless to change it. He smiled and pinched Lancui's face, saying, "When you get married, the young master will give you a special gift."

"Young Master!" Lan Cui said angrily.

"Hehe, I'm going to see my father right now. I'll urge him to marry you off to him as soon as possible!" Yongye laughed and walked out. But at the door, he suddenly turned back: "Marrying a pig to become a pig?"

Lan Cui was so angry she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Yi Hong helped her up and said with a smile, "Young Master, please don't tease Lan Cui anymore!"

Yongye blinked, touched his face, and sighed helplessly: "Actually, it's not that I can't be a concubine..."

"Young Master!" the three maids exclaimed in unison.

Yongye shook his head and left with a look of regret.

Sow the seeds of doubt

The winter sun shone through the paper windows, filling the room with brilliance. Even with his eyes closed, Yongye could clearly see that the peacock feather in the double-eared, curved-necked celadon vase on the antique shelf was something the princess had found during the prince and princess's southern tour. The four treasures of the study—a set of inkstones specially made by Mofangzhai—on the desk were a birthday gift from the princess to the prince. The lantern painting on the wall was painted by the prince himself to commemorate his encounter with the princess… This study was personally cleaned by Li Er, the personal attendant of Steward Li of the inner courtyard; no one else was allowed to enter without permission.

Yongye sometimes admired Li Yannian. In order to know everything about the heir, he didn't hesitate to seduce Lancui, and even wanted to marry her to avoid suspicion. He even personally sent Li Er to find out everything about this important study.

Prince Duan, seated in a rosewood chair, casually glanced at Yongye, a book in hand. He'd been looking down at him like this ever since Yongye entered. Six months had passed; Yongye's health had improved, except for his still pale skin. Prince Duan longed to see what he wanted to see, but Yongye kept his head down. Prince Duan wasn't in a hurry; he was confident in his gaze.

He once stared intently at someone, watching as the person slowly panicked, their body trembled, their knees buckled, and they finally collapsed to their knees, begging for mercy. The princess asked him curiously what had happened to the man. Prince Duan smiled and replied, "An opera singer."

So Prince Duan waited, waiting for the eternal night to reveal the expression he wanted to see.

Yongye stood motionless in the room. The Prince Duan's attitude had nothing to do with that of a father. He felt the Prince Duan's gaze was like a knife, slicing through his clothes layer by layer.

Rather than saying that Prince Duan was looking at him waiting for him to speak, it would be more accurate to say that Prince Duan was scrutinizing him from head to toe. He couldn't help but feel uneasy. Suddenly remembering Yi Hong's words when he left, Yong Ye lowered his head, his body trembling slightly.

"I heard you dare to sleep alone at night?" Prince Duan asked with some disappointment, his tone clearly sarcastic. His son was like a mouse before a cat in his presence, too timid to sleep alone, and the thought of it made him feel ashamed.

“…Hmm.” Yongye’s reply sounded more like a sniffle.

"Speak louder! That's all the ambition you have!" Prince Duan roared.

Yongye shuddered, and Prince Duan, filled with rage, picked up the book in his hand, ready to smash it at him. Suddenly, he saw Yongye raise his head and froze in surprise.

"Father!" Yongye looked at him with a grin, showing no fear whatsoever. His eyes, which had lost their former calm and serene demeanor, now shone brighter, and his face radiated a vitality he had never seen before.