Chapter 37 Even cats and dogs dare to bare their claws at him...

On New Year's Eve, the heaviest snowfall in recent days fell, with thick, fluffy snowflakes lashing against the long windows and bringing in gusts of cold wind.

Zhan Yunmei raised her hand to close the long window, lowered the curtain, and secured it.

Standing by the window, looking towards the screen in the main room, a tall figure was reflected on the winding screen, illuminated by the light in the inner room.

The New Year's Eve dinner is tonight; it's only morning now.

Hua Lang spent half an hour changing clothes, but still couldn't find a satisfactory outfit. She brought out one piece after another to compare and try on.

Finally, after picking out a slightly more suitable one, I repeatedly ironed out the tiny wrinkles on the garment.

“It’s okay, don’t be afraid,” Zhan Yunmei said, her hand wrapping around Hua Lang’s shoulders and neck, her fingertips gently lifting his chin.

It was like soothing, yet also like toying with someone.

Hua Lang frowned slightly, snorted, and turned her head away, "No, I didn't."

“Oh,” she nodded in sudden realization, then tightened her grip on his chin, forcing him to look down and meet her gaze. “If you’re not afraid, I’ll go to the palace first?”

"don't want!"

The mutation is rapid.

Seeing Hua Lang's anger and embarrassment, Zhan Yunmei couldn't help but smile, but worried that he would get angry himself, so she quickly withdrew her smile.

She pinched Hua Lang's cheek, squeezing the soft flesh, and said, "Don't worry about it, wear this one." She pointed to a light-colored robe in his hand.

Hua Lang didn't understand why Zhan Yunmei chose this outfit, but he still listened to her. Before leaving the mansion, she wrapped a cloak around him and put a small hand warmer in his hand.

He took Hua Lang with him and entered the palace, returning to the place where he had spent decades.

He seemed to be afraid of something, and held her hand tightly the whole way as they walked along the palace path.

Zhan Yunmei tilted her head.

She rarely saw Hua Lang wearing light-colored clothes; his clothes were always gloomy, which weighed down his complexion and made him look fierce and gloomy.

Changing into light-colored clothing created a completely different scene. The already fair-skinned person, wrapped in plain white clothes and a fluffy cloak, had skin as white as snow. Against the backdrop of the vermilion palace walls, she almost glowed with whiteness.

This wasn't a healthy skin tone; it was more like a deathly pallor, and his expression seemed to be covered in snow, devoid of any life.

Zhan Yunmei sighed softly.

Hearing the noise, Hua Lang paused, her face tense, and asked, "W-what's wrong?"

“Look at how wronged Hua Lang looks. It makes people think that the General’s Mansion is mistreating Eunuch Hua Lang,” she said, reaching out to straighten the ties of his cloak at the collar.

Hua Lang blinked, quickly shook his head, and whispered, "...The general did not mistreat me."

"Hmm?" She didn't hear him clearly, so she gestured for him to repeat himself. She looked up and found that they had already arrived at the palace gate.

Even if he wanted to say it a second time, there was no way to stop him.

In the new dynasty, there were officials of both genders. The emperor did not separate the seats for the officials; his family members sat next to the officials. It was not a very formal New Year's banquet, so there was no somber atmosphere.

The banquet hall was bustling and noisy. Zhan Yunmei led Hua Lang to her seat from the side without disturbing anyone.

Zhan Yunmei liked to sit far from the center, and Hua Lang also didn't like to show his face, so the emperor arranged for the two of them to sit in the back, hidden among them, which gave them a strange sense of security.

"Sit for a while, I'm going to pay my respects to the Emperor."

Zhan Yunmei touched the small hand warmer, which was still very warm, and then put Hua Lang's hands into the hand warmer, while touching his face.

When she puts his hand in hers, he looks at his own hand; when she touches his face, he looks up at her.

Zhan Yunmei couldn't help but smile.

I always felt that Hua Lang was well-behaved and obedient at this time.

It was unknown how long Zhan Yunmei's trip would take. After she left, Hua Lang lowered her eyes again and sat quietly without moving.

Even though the decorations and furnishings in the banquet hall remained unchanged and everything was familiar, a dense unease still welled up in my heart. The more familiar the palace scene was, the more it screamed in my nerves with fear.

He wasn't sure who knew of his existence, or how many people knew he was now a member of Zhan Yunmei's household—or so he might think? He was probably one of hers.

Hua Lang was somewhat uncertain.

Who would have known he was from the general's mansion?

He has always been a nobody.

He rubbed his fingertips together inside the small hand warmer, his palms sweating and becoming sticky with anxiety. He stretched out his hands, but they were frozen by the cold outside.

People gradually took their seats. Some had already seen Hua Lang at the Autumn Hunt and were not surprised by his appearance. Others had not seen him before and looked at him with surprise, but after realizing that it was Zhan Yunmei's seat, they did not show much reaction.

Hua Lang lowered his eyes, blinked twice slowly, turned his head, and asked Yao Shuniang, "When will the general return?"

Yao Shuniang didn't know how she could know about the affair between the general and the emperor. But judging from Hua Lang's expression, she must be very much looking forward to it.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Perhaps soon."

Perhaps soon, but who knows? Hua Lang understood Yao Shuniang's implied meaning.

After a while, he asked again.

When will the general return?

"Soon."

"Is the general not coming back?"

"Yes, please wait a little longer."

"..."

The annual banquet was a feast for kings and ministers from all sides, as well as important officials from various border regions. There were familiar faces and unfamiliar faces among them. Hua Lang sat near the entrance of the hall, recognizing people by the invitations and clothing they presented when they entered.

There were many officials and ministers from Nanyuan Province.

Hua Lang silently shifted her gaze.

I'm a little disappointed.

He thought that Zhan Yunmei brought him here without many complicated purposes, but he was wrong. In fact, it was all for various utilitarian reasons.

As a former powerful minister of the Southern Yuan Province, or even a powerful eunuch, the fact that he could survive in the new dynasty and be invited to the emperor's New Year's banquet proves, in a sense, that although the new dynasty conquered the people by force, it did not treat them cruelly and even treated them well.

“Father-in-law, it’s been a while since we started eating. Please continue eating. The General must be busy right now,” Yao Shuniang said, wiping the chopsticks and handing them to Hua Lang.

He took it, but didn't touch his chopsticks.

Until the latter half of the New Year's banquet, the hall was filled with singing and dancing, and the atmosphere was lively. Hua Lang understood that all he needed to do was show his face; whether he was there or not made no difference and would not have any impact on Zhan Yunmei.

He used the excuse of being drunk to go out for some fresh air.

Yao Shuniang followed a few steps behind.

Hua Lang was not sure what she was thinking. She just wanted to walk out. She walked on her own two feet the whole way. When she came to her senses, she found herself at the edge of the pond.

The pond was covered with thick ice, scattered with plum blossom petals, the petals curled and wrinkled, occasionally dampened by snowflakes.

Hua Lang stared intently at one of the petals.

Suddenly, I heard a conversation.

"Auntie, why didn't I see you at the banquet?"

Looking in the direction of the sound.

Hua Lang saw that annoying, hateful person.

Liang Rong was talking to someone, blocking most of Hua Lang's view, but Hua Lang recognized her as Zhan Yunmei's mother. The two looked very similar, but Zhan Yunmei's expression was more gentle, while Hua Lang's was more sharp. They were still quite easy to tell each other apart.

He suddenly realized that he had met Zhan Yunmei's mother before. She was a female general who had served in the previous dynasty and had been stationed in the Northern Yuan for many years. At that time, few women served as generals in the court, and he had never heard much about her deeds there.

Hua Lang first learned that a woman had become a commander-in-chief when Zhan Yunmei was campaigning against the Northern Mongols.

Across the pond, she couldn't be heard saying anything; only Liang Rong's voice could be heard.

Chattering incessantly, making a racket.

Hua Lang hummed softly, turned away, and sat down in the pavilion.

"If the snow is heavy over there and it's difficult to travel, please let me know in advance next time so I can clear the snow. If you arrive late, the general will be saddened."

"You?" Zhan Yan stopped and stood by the pond. She felt something strange behind her from time to time. She turned around but couldn't see anything. So she turned back and smiled, "It's not difficult at all. Back in the manor, I would be out of breath after being chased by Yun Mei for just a couple of steps."

Hua Lang didn't hear what was said next.

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I always feel like the conversation started on purpose.

He believed that Liang Rong had seen him and was deliberately saying this to provoke his anger.

He turned his head and met Liang Rong's eyes.

It is full of sarcasm and irony, with a hidden smile.

Turn your head away.

It was definitely done on purpose...

Strangely, this time his feelings were quite different from last time. He inexplicably felt more confident than before. Why was that?

He doesn't understand.

Perhaps it was because the small hand warmer Zhan Yunmei gave him was too warm, and Liang Rong's hands were frozen red.

Perhaps the cloak that Zhan Yunmei tied for him was too secure, while Liang Rong's coat was being blown about by the wind.

As Liang Rong glanced at Hua Lang for what seemed like the umpteenth time, Hua Lang looked up, her eyes barely revealing any provocation or sarcasm before falling back down. She reached out and casually touched the lips that Zhan Yunmei had kissed so roughly. The marks were obvious—red, swollen, and broken—not a pretty sight.

She slightly curled the corners of her lips.

Zhan Yan glanced at Liang Rong and followed his gaze.

Hua Lang smoothly lowered his hand, stuffed it back into the small hand warmer, his lips returned to a straight line, and he lowered his eyes and made no further gestures.

The unease in the banquet hall vanished after being subjected to intentional or unintentional sarcasm.

"Even cats and dogs dare to scratch him..." Hua Lang couldn't help but mutter to himself.

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A note from the author: