Chapter 54 – Appreciating Fragrance

Xu Chun tiptoed to the guest courtyard’s door and peered inside, causing Wu Fu to jump in surprise. “Prince? You’re here to see Ninth Master?”

Xu Chun: “…”

In a hushed voice, he asked, “What’s Ninth Brother doing?”

Wu Fu replied, “Master Fang came earlier to talk to Ninth Master about something. Later, after his bath, Ninth Master said he would write some characters and told us not to attend to him. Are you going in?”

Xu Chun hesitated, craning his neck, feeling anxious and curious, until he heard Xie Yi ask from within, “Who is it?”

Xu Chun quickly responded, “Ninth Brother, the kitchen made beef soup, piping hot. Do you want a bowl?” As he spoke, he gathered his courage and lifted the curtain to enter. Indeed, Xie Yi stood before the writing desk, wrist suspended, holding a large brush to write. Seeing Xu Chun come in, he put down his brush. “Sure.”

Xu Chun then suggested, “It’s too stuffy in here. Let’s go to the riverside pavilion to enjoy the scenery while we eat.”

Xie Yi glanced at him, noticing the poorly concealed fear in his eyes. He sighed inwardly and took Xu Chun’s hand. “What do you think of these characters? I wrote them especially for you, since the calligraphy on your courtyard’s plaque is average.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Chun brightened up, eager to examine the characters “Envy Fish.” His eyes brimmed with admiration. “So good! Is this for me to hang in the main courtyard?”

Xie Yi replied, “Yes, I envy you very much, so I called it Envy Fish.”

Xu Chun exclaimed, “Envy Fish Courtyard, sounds great. Then let’s name Ninth Brother’s courtyard too. I won’t let anyone else stay here anymore.”

Xie Yi casually suggested, “How about Hidden Scale?”

Xu Chun looked puzzled. “What?”

Xie Yi wrote it down, “Hidden scale, hidden wing, it aligns perfectly with the meaning of concealment.” Xu Chun saw the character for scale and felt that Ninth Brother was subtly referring to himself, yet he feared Ninth Brother might think him presumptuous. However, Xie Yi said, “I’ve named your courtyard, so you must name mine.”

Xu Chun hastily replied, “My calligraphy isn’t very good!”

Xie Yi reassured him, “I’ll teach you.”

He pulled Xu Chun in front of him, dipped a large brush in ink, and placed it in Xu Chun’s hand. Then, holding his hand, he instructed, “Characters with many strokes are indeed harder to write big. You need more practice. Your wrist lacks strength because you haven’t practiced enough. Work on your wrist strength more.”

As he spoke, he guided Xu Chun’s hand, stroke by stroke, with utmost concentration.

The characters “Hidden Scale” had far too many strokes. Xu Chun could only feel Ninth Brother half-enveloping him, his left hand holding Xu Chun’s left hand on the paper, and his right hand guiding Xu Chun’s right hand with decisive strokes.

Xu Chun’s back pressed against Ninth Brother’s chest, as if he could hear his heartbeat—or perhaps it was his own. Ninth Brother always had a scent of sandalwood, subtle yet lingering.

Dressed in casual silk robes, thin… Xu Chun didn’t know how he finished writing those two characters until Xie Yi chuckled softly in his ear. “Snap out of it, Dazed Fish. You’re daydreaming while writing. What were you thinking about?”

Xu Chun suddenly regained his senses. “I was thinking about Ninth Brother’s fragrance…”

Xie Yi was taken aback. “What?”

Xu Chun explained, “It smells really nice, is it sandalwood?”

Xie Yi replied, “Probably, I don’t care about such things. The housekeeper takes care of them.”

Xu Chun remarked, “This housekeeper must be very considerate. For Ninth Brother not to notice it means he likes it. Usually, fragrances used to scent clothes can easily become too overpowering or have a smoky smell, but this scent is just right, a bit sweet, a bit milky, a bit honey-like… Not only does it make the clothes fragrant, even the hair smells nice…”

Xie Yi laughed at his words. “Knowing you’re hungry, let’s go have the beef soup. Leave the calligraphy to dry.”

Xu Chun happily looked down at the characters. “They look really good. I’ll have them make a plaque tomorrow to hang it up.”

Xie Yi couldn’t help but chuckle. “Let’s go have the soup.”

But Xu Chun lingered, leaning close to Xie Yi to take another whiff. “The clothes smell especially fragrant today. They must have been recently scented.”

Xie Yi: “…” Today, Su Kai did indeed send over some clothes and items through Fang Zixing. It seemed Su Kai had put thought into it. He deserved a reward. Sighing, Xie Yi reached out to hug Xu Chun. “Since you’re so eager, let’s appreciate the fragrance first.”

The guest courtyard was arranged to be extremely comfortable. Only when Xu Chun lay down did he realize that the bed canopy and bedding had all been replaced. The material was incredibly smooth and soft, shimmering faintly with a gentle luster. Lying on the cool, silky sheets that hugged his skin, the aches in his waist and legs instantly relaxed. Fatigue turned into drowsiness, and he closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. Ninth Brother’s housekeeper was truly skilled at arranging things.

The delicate scent grew richer, enveloping both of them in its embrace. Xu Chun’s nose absorbed the aroma, feeling as if they were lying quietly in a soft cloud of smoke. The water rippled like an infinite series of gentle kisses. With his eyes closed, he suddenly tightened his hold on Xie Yi and whispered after a long moment, “Ninth Brother, don’t be angry with me.”

Xie Yi couldn’t help laughing and sighing. “I’m not angry with you.”

Xu Chun reached out to touch Xie Yi’s chin. “When Ninth Brother is angry, his jaw tightens.” Ninth Brother always harbored anger silently in his heart, leaving others to guess. If someone couldn’t figure it out, he would likely stew in his anger for years, possibly developing depression. Xu Chun deeply regretted blurting out his thoughts yesterday. There was still time, and although he wasn’t ready to accept Ninth Brother’s benefits or join the court, he shouldn’t have mentioned breaking up. Ninth Brother must be furious.

Xie Yi: “…” Lowering his head, he said, “I’m not tightening my jaw now.”

Xu Chun murmured, “That’s why I dared to say it.” He complained softly, “Ninth Brother, focus, please.” He felt as if he were submerged in mist, permeated by the mist’s steam, revealing a layer of translucent crimson flush, covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

Xie Yi: “…” Accusing the accuser first, he lowered his head, lifted Xu Chun’s chin, and kissed him fiercely several times until tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Then, he slowly said, “Being with Young Scale is indeed the most relaxing time for me.”

Xu Chun’s cheeks were flushed red, and his eyes, blurred by tears, opened. “Ninth Brother… hurry up…”

Xie Yi was unhurried. He pressed his lips against Xu Chun’s ear, his teeth repeatedly nipping at his earlobe, and asked, “If you don’t accompany Ninth Brother, who else can you accompany? Forgotten in the vastness of the world? Who will accompany you?”

Xu Chun’s toes curled, arching his foot, leaving a few red marks on his ankle. Propping himself up with his arms, he adoringly grabbed Xie Yi’s fingers, gently kneading them and bringing them to his lips for a kiss. “I’ll accompany Ninth Brother, I’ll listen to everything Ninth Brother says… Ninth Brother, don’t despise me.”

Only then was Xie Yi satisfied. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his eyes slightly reddened, and his usually cold black eyes melted like ice. Slowly lowering his head, he transferred something unknown from his tongue into Xu Chun’s mouth. Xu Chun, in a daze, opened his mouth to receive it, only to feel an extraordinary fragrance permeating from his tongue, straight through his throat, nose, and crown, lingering and sweet.

He opened his eyes, filled with blurry tears, hiccuping and asking indistinctly, “What fragrance… so fragrant…”

Xie Yi smiled faintly. “It’s called Phoenix Tent Fragrance, once used by the late Southern Tang Emperor. It’s a secret formula from the palace. It seems you like it very much.”