Chapter 102: Plum Blossoms 12 Three in One: Be the kittens and puppies around him...

"Ting Yan? Ting Yan?"

Song Yanze was worried about him, so he walked to the backyard as soon as he got off the boat, and he didn't see anyone there. Behind him, Lianxin was holding the prize he won today, pouting and following his son.

It was not until I walked into the inner room that I saw a person curled up on the bed in the outer room. The dinner on the table had already gone cold and had been left there untouched.

Song Yanze immediately walked to the bedside and saw Tingyan with his eyes closed and his back facing him, frowning and looking very uncomfortable. He was too thin and looked so lonely and pitiful, so Song Yanze moved gently.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Tingyan then turned around and said that he felt stuffy in his heart and weak.

Lianxin came in with the prize and saw her son nervously letting the stinky beggar get into his arms and even patting his back.

"Heart pain? I'm afraid you have some kind of heart disease. Sir, be careful, or he might blackmail you."

Tingyan's face turned pale immediately, she grabbed his sleeves tightly and buried her head in his arms.

"I won't...I'll leave right away..."

Song Yanze glared at Lian Xin, then quickly patted him on the back and said, "That's not the case. No one will chase you away."

"If you are well, you can stay if you want to, and leave if you want to."

Tingyan raised her head suddenly, clung to him tightly, and looked at him: "Really?"

Song Yanze thought about it and thought it wouldn't be difficult to ask his grandmother to find him a job so that he could stay by her side, so he nodded.

Lian Xin was unhappy, so she threw the pen and ink in her hand on the table and turned to leave. Song Yanze subconsciously let go of her hand, and stood up to look at him, but was grabbed by Ting Yan.

He was still relatively young after all, and all he knew was that his bargaining chip was the word "pitiful," so he tried his best to take advantage of his soft heart.

I just didn't expect what I would get from being so soft-hearted, and what I actually wanted.

Tingyan was "weak and sickly" and had "palpitations and insomnia" when he first arrived. At night, he would curl up under Song Yanze's bed with his pillow.

Song Yanze got up in the middle of the night and saw that he was stubborn and refused to go back to sleep, so he pulled him to his bed to sleep first. Song Yanze carefully helped him to loosen his hair and gave him half of the quilt.

There was only a small oil lamp in the inner room, emitting a warm yellow light. His face was half bright and half dark, and it was not very clear. However, Tingyan could see him clearly.

He was sleepy, with smooth black hair draped over his shoulders, his white undershirt was loose, revealing his chest and collarbone, his eyes were half-open, and he spoke with a nasal tone.

"Tingyan, go to sleep, I'm with you."

He said nothing, for he was afraid that if he opened his mouth his beating heart would burst out, and the suppressed black snake-like desire would entangle this clean and gentle young man.

He just held his waist and shrank into the quilt where he was, breathing greedily and swallowing his scent. He had to be very careful to restrain himself from making a fool of himself.

Song Yanze just felt that he was indeed feeling uncomfortable in his chest and his breathing was heavier. He would definitely find a good doctor to see him tomorrow.

Early the next morning, before Song Yanze had time to take Tingyan to see a doctor, he heard someone from the front yard report that his grandmother had returned.

Song Yanze immediately put down his chopsticks, his eyes lit up, and he wiped his hands and was about to leave. Tingyan, who was sitting next to him, kept staring at him, but found that he didn't even look at him until he ran out.

Lianxin was even happier, and looked proudly at the young man who was still sitting there.

"The old lady is back. She won't let you stay with the young master like this. You just pack up and leave."

Tingyan's face remained calm. She suddenly raised her eyes and stared at him indifferently. The look in her eyes was no different from the look she gave to a chicken that was being strangled by the neck and carried to the slaughterhouse.

Lianxin was horrified and quickly turned around and left.

My grandmother was Song An’s biological mother. The Song family of Huizhou was a scholarly family. All of their ancestors were court officials, but most of them did not hold high positions and none of them were officials in the capital.

Song An's biological mother passed away early, and his stepmother treated him as her own son and taught him well. Even though his family was in financial difficulty in the past, she never let him suffer. However, after Song An became an official in Beijing, he had completely forgotten about the Song family in Huizhou.

Together with his first wife, who accompanied him throughout his journey to the imperial examination and entered officialdom and who never left his side, he had been arranged by his grandmother.

Because of this, the grandmother's relationship with Song An had already faded. But after seeing Song Yanze in the backyard of the Song Mansion in Kyoto, she softened her heart and took his little hand back to Huizhou, keeping him by her side to teach him personally.

"Grandma! Grandma! Look."

Song Yanze was already a grown-up man, and some of his classmates of the same age had already arranged marriages, but he still acted like a child in front of his grandmother.

He showed the red flower to his grandmother who had just gotten off the carriage. She put on a stern face and scolded him: "You are an adult, be more stable."

She said that, but with a smile on her face, she took the red flower and touched his head lovingly.

"It's been cold these days, so you should wear something thicker. Look, your hands are still cold."

The grandmother was supported by Song Yanze. Her bun was simple and elegant, and she was dressed in a brown robe that was steady. Her eyebrows and eyes were gentle. Although there were wrinkles on her face, it only made her look more graceful with the passage of time.

She followed Song Yanze inside, casually scanning the crowd, and her eyes immediately fixed on the thin-looking child in the crowd.

She paused, pointed, and saw that it was someone who came with Lianxin, then turned to look at Song Yanze.

"Whose child is this?"

Song Yanze glanced at Tingyan, then immediately pulled him over and pushed him in front of his grandmother. The old lady's eyes lingered gently between his eyebrows, not disguising her scrutiny, but not making it offensive.

There was a hint of deep thought in her eyes as she listened to the child trying to think of ways to praise him. The old lady knew everything, and from the tone of her voice she knew that he wanted to keep the child, so she turned around and reached out to touch Song Yanze's forehead.

"What's your next plan?"

Song Yanze pays attention to his image outside. He is a bright-looking man like the moon, but in front of his grandmother he just pulls his sleeves and waves them.

"Grandmother has a kind heart..."

Tingyan glanced at the old woman for a few times, lowered his head slightly, and looked a little uncomfortable. After all, she was young and could not hide the nervous look on her face.

The old lady of the Song family...

I don't think I would recognize him.

"We can talk about other things in a few days. Let grandma go back and rest first." When Song Yanze heard this, he immediately helped his grandmother go back without any more arguments.

*

Song Yanze was going to practice calligraphy in the afternoon. Usually it was Lianxin who would grind the ink on the side, but today it was a different person. He was wearing a dark short cloth shirt, but it was still empty on him because he was too thin.

The young man held the inkstone and sharpened it seriously. His drooping eyelashes grew straight, and his young face, which had not yet opened, still had a faint trace of his handsome outline.

Song Yanze sat on the side and taught him from time to time, gave him some guidance, and then he would pick up the pen, dip it in ink and concentrate on practicing calligraphy.

His movements were slow, and he knew exactly when to go easy and when to use force. With every stroke, every horizontal and vertical line, he wrote beautiful and graceful characters.

"Do you like this sentence?"

Song Yanze didn't hear the sound of him grinding ink. He turned around and saw him staring at him intently, thinking that he liked the poem he wrote.

He shook his head: "I don't understand. I don't know how to read."

Song Yanze was stunned, then smiled: "It doesn't matter, I can teach you, I taught Lian Xin."

He stood up and walked a few steps to the side, asked him to come over, and whispered the words he had just written in Mandarin, word by word.

"I miss the plum blossoms, and the flowers miss me, with love in their hearts. I get up and see the clear ice filling the jade vase." Note 1

“Pick a branch of plum blossom and put it in a jade vase. The next day you will see that the water in the jade vase has frozen.” Song Yanze explained to him softly, and then smiled when he remembered something.

"Speaking of which, my nickname is Mei Yuan, but not many people call me by that name, and I find it unfamiliar myself."

The young man standing next to him listened carefully, from picking plum blossoms and putting them in a jade vase to his nickname, Mei Yuan.

It would be nice if I could pick a plum blossom and hold it in my arms...

Before they could say a word, grandma suddenly sent someone to take Tingyan away.

The old lady's yard was full of flowers, including particularly tall golden osmanthus and magnolia trees. She sat in the main hall and watched the young man stop in the yard.

She didn't say anything and just drank tea, but Tingyan immediately stood there and bowed to greet her. His every move was standard and well-behaved.

"Beggar from the north?"

Tingyan immediately realized what mistake he had made. A poor beggar could perform the etiquette of the nobles flawlessly in just two or three days.

"No." He quickly chose to be honest. "I am from Kyoto. I got separated from my family during the Lantern Festival and was abducted all the way here. I was lucky enough to escape and you saved me."

"Kidnapper?" The old lady was only kind and amiable to her grandson, and she caught his flaw as soon as she heard him.

Which kidnapper would dare to kidnap a young boy from a noble family if he were to ask for trouble?

"yes."

The old lady looked at him for a while and understood that this involved the private affairs of the rear house.

"You are the child of the Jiang family, the Marquis of Jingdu, right?"

The old lady was not in Kyoto, but she was familiar with every family and pointed out his identity at once.

He bowed and revealed his true identity in a deep voice. "Jiang Tingyuan, the fifth son of the Marquis of Jingdu."

She nodded, her tone softened, and she said with a smile, "Ah, it's that kid who's good at fighting."

"In that case, I will arrange for someone to send you back in five days."

"Please stay with me, young master."

He never kneeled, but this time he knelt directly in the mud and pleaded in a deep voice to the people in the hall.

"Strange, the prince is not as good as the servant of my Song Mansion?" The old lady smiled and took a sip of tea: "My grandson is soft-hearted and can't stand begging, but I am different."

"Five days later, Mr. Jiang, you should return to Beijing."

Tingyan knelt on the spot without getting up, his hands gradually clenched. He knew that he had no room for refusal.

The Song family could not afford to offend his family, and she would never leave such an unstable factor with Song Yanze.

He slowly stood up, turned around and walked away step by step.

To some extent, the old lady was right. He had evil intentions, impure goals, and a tainted background.

But he didn't want to let go just like that. How long would Song Yanze remember him after this separation? One month? Half a year?

Who will come around him? Will someone appear and occupy all his attention, leaving no room for him?

He was distracted and returned to the yard like a wandering soul, where he heard a commotion coming from inside.

The young man in moon-white clothes was standing under the magnolia tree, looking at the kitten lying on it. Lianxin was walking around beside him, chattering and giving advice.

"You have to go up and carry it down."

"Sir, please don't join in the fun."

Song Yanze was eager to try, and wanted to climb up by holding the tree trunk. Tingyan immediately came over and held him, whispering to him, "I'll do it."

After saying this, he climbed up the tree. No one taught him to read and write in the marquis's mansion since he was a child, but he learned skills such as beating people, climbing walls and climbing trees without a teacher.

Having appeared in front of the father before, he also had the opportunity to learn martial arts. He was really talented in boxing, kicking, and using weapons. The masters invited were all amazed at his abilities.

He held the cat in one hand, quickly climbed down the tree, and walked towards Song Yanze holding the wilted yellow and white kitten.

Song Yanze lowered his eyes and carefully touched the kitten's back and fur. The afternoon sunlight was warm and there was light all over his body. Ting Yan looked at him intently for a moment.

It’s just that the expression on his face was too gentle and careful, just like the one I saw him in, so perhaps I felt a little more sympathetic and pitiful.

All those worries and suspicions were resolved. In his eyes, what was the difference between him and this cat?

No.

Poor thing...poor thing, poor thing, poor thing!

Meow!

The kitten was suddenly startled, its ears twitched and it jumped out. It quickly and skillfully found a crack and slipped out. It ran really fast.

Song Yanze wanted to take a closer look, so he opened the door halfway and looked out. He saw a girl in a goose yellow dress holding the kitten not far away, and constantly stroking its fur.

"Where have you been? You didn't come back for a long time. I was scared to death."

Seeing that it was a lone girl, Song Yanze was about to leave to avoid suspicion, but the girl looked up and saw him, and greeted him generously with a bow.

"I actually ran into the young master's courtyard. I am sorry for offending you."

Song Yanze bowed from a distance, smiled and shook his head: "No, it's very cute."

Tingyan stood beside him, watching him smile, watching him talk to the girl, watching him praise the cat for being cute, and watching the girl trying hard to hide her blushing shyness.

The person he wants cannot be the only one.

In the evening, Song Yanze was going to have dinner with his grandmother. Lianxin and he didn't have to go, but he still followed him silently.

He did not go in, but stood outside the door and heard the old lady ask him, "Do you have a girl you like?"

"If there is a girl that I like, my grandmother will send a letter to visit her and discuss the marriage first. After a few years, when she is older, they can get married."

The person inside replied nonchalantly: "I am still young, I haven't passed the imperial examination yet, and I don't want to get married."

"I have to be successful and have a career, so I don't want a girl to marry me and suffer with me."

The people outside turned pale and their hands and feet were numb. The mere thought of himself wearing a red robe and getting married in the hall with others made his heart break, and his heart was filled with anger that he could not vent.

"Okay, but you have to go out more often. There's a boat party tomorrow, don't turn it down."

Song Yanze agreed and took Tingyan back with him. He carried a lantern and walked through the corridor with him. Song Yanze turned around and saw that he was absent-minded.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable in your chest again? I shouldn't have let you climb the tree this afternoon..."

Song Yanze looked at him with that gentle and concerned look again, and he was not the only one. Tingyan shook her head, avoiding his concerned look.

Would an ordinary person feel heartbroken when hearing that a benefactor wants to arrange a marriage? Friends and brothers would not do this.

He had known it all for a long time, but he still had some reason. He just buried himself in his arms, like a poor beggar, instead of exposing his ugly lower body to him.

In the darkness, Ting Yan looked at his face carefully in the dim candlelight, with his arm resting on his back and neck. The weather was finally getting a little warmer, and the inner clothes were getting thinner and thinner, so his arm was resting on him.

It was neither light nor heavy, weighing on him and on his heart.

It was hot and he was too restless to sleep. She didn't dare to pester him anymore. It was too dangerous. What if she woke him up? He was not good at pretending to be innocent. If he pushed her away, he would really die.

He huddled in the quilt, leaning away from his legs, and leaning his head sideways in his arms. He leaned forward subconsciously, and his lips were just a hair's breadth away from touching his forehead, and he moved forward slightly.

Soft and warm, he stole this little bit of sweetness, but immediately paid a physical price.

He was so startled that he pulled away, lifted the quilt and left. His movements were not big, and the person on the bed was sleeping soundly. However, he was red-faced and burned like a fire, hid behind the screen, sat on the ground and frantically pulled the laces.

The faint candlelight flickered, and the thick red candle stood tall on the copper lampstand. The scorching temperature made the melted wax emit a bright light.

Overflowing...

The burnt wax rolled down the candle continuously and solidified on the lampstand, leaving behind pale pink traces of spring dreams.

The screen let in a shadow, and a thin figure was sitting inside, biting a piece of white undergarment. One hand was tightly wrapped in a belt, which was so tight that the hand turned white and the fingertips were purple. It was so swollen and itchy, but the belt was still tightened.

His vision was blurred by sweat, and on the other side of the screen was his figure lying on his side, his body stretched and undulating, and his hazy shadow resembled the faint outline of spring mountains.

That was his Spring Mountain, but it was not his Spring Mountain alone.

He bit the cloth tightly, as if he was determined to eat it, so that his sense of smell and taste would be filled with his scent.

Even if he is a kitten or a puppy around him, people should be able to recognize who he belongs to at a glance.

But it was just a wild and absurd fantasy at night. He had nothing but these soft and smooth fabrics.

The soft and loving look in her trance was only blinded by the flickering candlelight.

*

The boat party was organized under the lead of the young master of the Qiu family. Since the girls' school was also on holiday recently, the boat party was expanded.

Now that there were more people, we decided to take a boat trip on the lake.

The river was filled with boats from various families. The young lady's boat had many gauze curtains, and small bells were ringing softly, with some flowers placed on the bow. The young master's boat was much simpler, and Song Yanze didn't want to bother with it.

It was just like what it was like to go to the clan school on ordinary days. At most, I brought a bench and some miscellaneous small things and cakes.

Song Yanze got on the boat first and reached out to grab Tingyan's right hand, but he froze for a moment, subconsciously dodged, and then immediately grabbed his hand back, holding it tightly.

Song Yanze thought he was just too nervous. After all, people in the north don't often take boats, and it's common for them to get seasick.

But he has been feeling depressed lately, so I always have to take him out to relax.

Seeing that he had stood firmly, Song Yanze let go of his hand and smiled. Just as he was asking him if he felt dizzy, he heard a loud noise behind him.

"It was obviously our ship that arrived first, why should we let them enter first?"

The river is narrow, so each boat has to line up in a first-come-first-served order and slowly slide forward to the center of the lake.

Song Yanze looked back and saw that it was the servant of the Shi family who was arguing with the manager. The first family to leave was the Fang family, and it was Fang Yifeng's boat. He was the eldest son of this generation, and was usually favored and had a domineering personality.

"Yucheng?"

Song Yanze shouted loudly, and a young man in a light purple brocade robe came out. He looked young, with obvious dimples, and was actually four or five years older than Song Yanze.

"Mei Yuan!" He was holding a thrush and waving the folding fan in his hand.

Tingyan's face suddenly darkened. Didn't few people know about it and no one was shouting?

Song Yanze immediately called out to let Shi Yucheng's boat go first. Yucheng's family was an imperial merchant, and his official title was a reward. With the word "merchant" in his heart, some people in this area with many officials and their families always felt that he was of lower status.

Song Yanze just disdains such messy things, which is why he is always unwilling to come out and socialize with these people.

It would be better for him to find a restaurant with Shi Yucheng to drink tea, listen to some Pingtan music, and talk about the interesting things he saw in various strange books.

A scholar who is full of the teachings of Confucius and Mencius but knows nothing about the crop seasons is not considered to be knowledgeable. In Song Yanze's mind, the one who understands the stars, can read the weather, and knows something about mountains, rivers and lakes is the truly knowledgeable Yucheng.

After frequent conversations, I still feel inferior.

Song Yanze turned around and excitedly praised him to Tingyan, not noticing the ugly look on the person behind him.

"Mei Yuan, you're not staying at home today?"

"Come out for some fresh air. What happened just now?"

Song Yanze himself didn't notice that he had only said half of his words and immediately turned around to respond to Shi Yucheng.

"What else could it be? The Qiu family has always looked down on us small families, and the Fang family, on the other hand, has their noses growing to their eyes."

Shi Yucheng waved his fan, and Song Yanze couldn't help but smile. It was obvious that Shi Yucheng didn't care about them at all.

"You must be patient when hearing gossip..." Shi Yucheng opened his fan and fanned himself, speaking slowly in Gusu dialect.

"Half pretending to be demented and half pretending to be deaf." Song Yanze continued the second half of the sentence slowly with his hands behind his back.

They both smiled.

Lianxin walked from the stern to the bow, and when she saw Tingyan's face, her brows jumped: "Are you seasick? Vomit into the river, but don't vomit inside."

As he spoke, he took out a small porcelain bottle and reluctantly stuffed it into his hand.

"The master asked me to prepare this for you in advance. If you feel dizzy, just hold one in your mouth."

Tingyan glanced at the person who was busy talking to Shi Yucheng, clenched the small porcelain bottle, and the burning discomfort in her heart was smoothed out.

After passing the lakeside and getting closer to the center of the lake, the water is still cold in spring, and there is some thin ice not far away.

Lianxin couldn't help but remind her young master who was standing on the edge of the boat.

"Young Master, please come back. If you fall here, it will be hard to fish you out because of the ice on the lake."

Song Yanze hummed and groaned twice, and it was obvious that he didn't take it to heart. Tingyan grabbed his wrist and pulled it back a little, and then she felt relieved.

A gorgeous ship that was obviously much larger than theirs swam over to the side. On the lantern in front of the ship was hung the word "Fang". Fang Yifeng always failed to win the championship because of Song Yanze.

In addition, Song Yanze was not in a position to come out and drink with them. When they sat together and talked about beautiful women, he would refute them in a serious manner. When they talked about the official positions of his elders, he would remain silent.

Therefore, it was known to everyone in Huizhou that Fang Yifeng hated Song Yanze, but it was just that they looked down on each other.

Fang Yifeng saw from afar that Song Yanze was having a passionate affair with the merchant's son. His servant called out to him several times but he didn't even look back, so he couldn't help feeling angry.

He opened the fan and whispered something to the boatman beside him.

The boatman looked embarrassed but nodded.

Lianxin saw that Tingyan's face was still pale, and finally she couldn't bear it anymore, so she pushed him to the other side.

"You should go over there and rest for a while. Stand in the front and shake it. Then you can vomit all over the young master."

Just as he turned around, the boat suddenly shook violently.

Lianxin only saw the Fang family's boat moving slowly away. Before she could stand firmly, she heard a scream from the front.

"Mei Yuan!"

Then there was a heavy sound of someone falling into the water.

Ting Yan, who was "seasick", ran to the bow with him at great speed. They saw a big hole in the broken ice on the lake and could only see a little corner of his moon-white clothes.

Lian's heart tightened. There was ice on the lake and he had fallen into the water. He couldn't get out even if he struggled, not to mention that his son was a landlubber.

"Someone come! My young master can't swim!"

Before Lianxin finished shouting, she heard another plop. Tingyan untied his outer robe and jumped down without hesitation.

"You! What are you doing? Can you swim?"

"Someone, come two people!"

The lake water in early spring was stinging, and the thin ice broke and scratched his skin, but he felt no pain at all, only the moon-white figure underwater.

Of course he can swim, otherwise he would have drowned in the backyard of the marquis's mansion.

He went around behind him and restrained his arms forcibly. A person who falls into the water will panic and regard anything he can grab as a life-saving straw.

He liked the feeling of being held tightly by Song Yanze, but he didn't want them to die together when they had nothing. Even after death, no one would know that I was his and he was mine.

Fortunately, Shi Yucheng remained calm and immediately ordered people to break up the large chunks of ice on the water surface, thus clearing a piece of water surface without floating ice.

Tingyan hugged the man and struggled to break through the water. He was thin, but he managed to pull him up with all his strength. Everyone on the boat cheered and quickly rescued the man.

"Hurry up and find a doctor! Your son has fainted!"

Tingyan held Song Yanze tightly and refused to let go. Song Yanze was conscious, but he was shivering from the cold. He kept coughing weakly, coughing up cold water, and clutched his sleeve tightly.

Tingyan didn't care about herself and grabbed the big banner they handed to her and wrapped it around Song Yanze, but he held Tingyan tightly and refused to let go.

He carried Song Yanze back to the cabin and hugged him tightly, but he was too thin to hold him in his arms to keep him warm.

The doctor came very quickly. After all, he was the young master of the Song family, and they attended the Song family’s clan school.

As soon as Lianxin and the others came in, they quickly separated the two. Tingyan was also frozen and clung to him tightly, refusing to let go. Everyone separated them as if they were a pair of star-crossed mandarin ducks.

After all the commotion, what was the point of holding a boat party? The old lady of the Song family stood on the river bank to pick up the children. The usually gentle old lady stood on the river bank and reprimanded everyone in the Fang family mercilessly.

Fang Yifeng stood by the boat and looked at them nervously, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw both people were sent back safely. Then he felt embarrassed for being scolded in public, so he covered his face and walked away.

It wasn't long before both of them were carried back, lying on a bed with a screen between them. Both of them were given medicine, changed clothes, and covered with quilts.

Song Yanze's condition was more serious. He kept shivering with his eyes closed, and occasionally made a muffled cough. The sound made people inside and outside feel heartbroken.

Ting Yan outside had his eyes wide open, his teeth chattering, and he was staring at the person inside through the screen intently.

The old lady came out and saw water dripping from the ends of his hair. He stood there without saying a word and only asked how Song Yanze inside was doing.

She sighed, took a dry towel and walked over to wipe his head, then spoke to him in a calm voice.

"Yan Ze is fine, the doctor has seen him. Thanks to you for saving him in time."

After hearing this, he suddenly lost all his strength, tears rolled down his eyes, and he grabbed the old lady's clothes.

"Please, let me stay...stay with him..."

The old lady didn't want to agree, but she sighed after all.

"Okay, let's leave it like this for now."

Tingyan then let go and fell on the bed, exhausted and shaking all over.

Both of them lay in bed for a long time. Song Yanze knew that Tingyan risked her life for him, and he was so moved that he didn't know what to do.

At night, he was pulled to sleep in the inner room and the quilt was given to him.

"It's always warmer inside than outside, but let's not tell anyone. Lian Xin loves you."

Song Yanze lay beside him with his hair loose, looking at him sideways. The warm light was soft under the gauze curtain, and the faint fragrance of plum blossoms carried his body temperature.

He looked at him alone, his eyes smiling, his lips moving as if talking to him. Sometimes he didn't say anything, but he would reach out and pull him to urge him.

"Really, you are so good to me. I just did a little favor for you, but you are the one who really risked your life."

"I will remember your kindness forever."

lifetime.

It sounds so beautiful! He opened his lips and recited these three words again.

"lifetime."

"Yes, it's true. A gentleman's word is as good as his bond."

He smiled again, moved a little closer and explained to him.

"That is to say, a gentleman will always keep his promise. I am a gentleman."

Song Yanze felt a little boastful, his cheeks turned a little red, but his expression was serious.

Tingyan just felt that this was the most beautiful dream he had ever had since he was born, and he was willing to give anything to keep this dream going.

But he had nothing, nothing in his hands.

So while enjoying this sweet happiness, he was waiting for a knife to kill him.

Song Yanze talked to him a lot, about the past and the future. When he found out that Tingyan was older than him, he immediately called him sweetly.

"Brother Xiaoyan."

Because he doesn't look like an older brother, he is Xiaoyan's brother.

Tingyan saw the mischief in his eyes, but still nodded in agreement.

"In the future, I will definitely become the top scholar, the top scholar, the first in the class!"

Song Yanze should be a modest gentleman, not be arrogant, be cautious and polite, be restrained, and not be impatient and utilitarian.

But he can be ungentlemanly in front of Brother Xiaoyan.

"That Fang Yifeng is just a fool. He still thinks he can surpass me? I gave him a hand and he couldn't beat me. Two days before the exam, he was so focused on reviewing his lessons. I didn't even look at them the day before. I finished them so easily..."

He became more and more excited as he spoke, mainly because Brother Xiaoyan in front of him had been looking at him with an indescribable indulgence. When he said this to Lianxin, she would definitely laugh at him for complaining.

But now he can be so proud and ungentlemanly in front of him.

Song Yanze was talking until his mouth was dry. He leaned against his chest and reached for the teacup. Tingyan was about to jump up suddenly.

But he drank half of it and asked Tingyan: "Do you want some?"

Ting Yan suddenly turned his eyes away and stared at the gauze curtain. His black hair hung down like spider silk and stuck to his arm, tickling him. The faint scent of Mu Fang entangled him.

"Okay, I'm the one talking, you..."

"want."

After he said that, he snatched the teacup from his hand and drank it all in one gulp. The empty teacup spun on the small table with a clang.

Tingyan felt that he was about to be broken into pieces by the teacup. That sip of tea was like drinking magma, burning him uncomfortable.

Song Yanze lay back down, suddenly stared at him, and slowly frowned. Then he stood up and suddenly grabbed him, leaning over to listen to his heartbeat.

"I almost forgot that you have a heart disease. I don't know if soaking in cold water will harm you."

"Yucheng said he found a medical book for me, which said that you can tell whether you have a heart disease by listening to your heartbeat."

His cheeks were so soft and the clothes there were so thin.

Tingyan watched himself making a fool of himself, then suddenly pulled open his outer robe and walked out without even putting on shoes.

He can't control himself, he will never be a gentleman in his life.

"What's wrong?"

"Get up at night."

"Okay, then hurry up, it's cold outside."

It was very cold outside, but that suited him just fine, as it was too hot inside.

Tingyan sat outside the screen and listened to the slow breathing inside. Soon he could feel that he fell asleep.

He sat cross-legged next to the screen. It was an excellent position. When he turned around, he could see his hands hanging on the edge of the bed, but they were still behind the screen, in a space that would not offend him.

He hadn't changed his underwear recently, and his previous ones were all ruined, but he had something else in his arms.

The red hair tie with a red tassel at the end felt itchy, hanging down like his black hair and sticking to his skin.

He didn't want to dirty it, it was the only thing that belonged to him.

He held it with his left hand and put it to the tip of his nose to sniff it, and the drooping tassels swayed slightly.

The smell is the easiest to dissipate. Without the repeated coverage of the owner's scent, it will lose that most wonderful smell.

So he put it against his cheek, it tickled, and he frowned and closed his eyes, as if lying in the warm waves and that face suddenly appeared in his mind.

He propped himself up and lowered his head. The black hair covered him like a net, just beside his cheek, tickling and shaking lightly, without any sound, but deafening.

He smiled in the warm yellow light, his lips opening and closing, slowly approaching him, his cheeks flushed, and whispered.

"lifetime."

Tingyan shuddered suddenly and opened his eyes. He only heard the tiny chirping of insects in the courtyard. The night wind blew away his heat and strange smell.

It would be great if that day really came.

He stared blankly at the bright red hair tie in his hand, the tassels swaying gently in the night breeze.

Song Yanze concentrated and wrote carefully on the paper. Finally, he took a deep breath and finished the last word, then he put down his pen.

Feeling nervous and bored, he opened the window and looked at his brother Xiaoyan who was practicing boxing in the courtyard.

It was really strange, he was shorter than me a year ago, but in just one year he was like inflated. My grandmother specially invited the best old escort master in Huizhou to train him in martial arts, and now he is even more amazing.

Not only is he taller than me, but he's also stronger than me.

Song Yanze was only a little envious, really only a little. Fortunately, Lianxin was not good enough and was on the same level as him.

Over the past year, he also taught him how to read and write. He learned very quickly, and it was much easier than teaching Lianxin at that time.

Originally there were only banana trees and a few cypress trees in the courtyard, but now there is also a plum tree.

"Your name is Mei Yuan, so shouldn't you plant a plum tree?"

Brother Xiaoyan is no longer silent like before, but he just likes to stare at people. Now he talks a lot and sometimes he can’t keep up with the words.

"Little nerd, come out and practice for a while?"

He walked over with a hot temper and poked him on the forehead with his hand. Every time Song Yanze hid and didn't want to practice boxing with him, he called him - nerd.

Song Yanze missed the silent brother Xiaoyan, whose attack power was too strong.

He slammed the window shut from the inside and said, "Wu Fu! I, the top scholar, will not argue with you."

"Summer cicadas cannot talk about ice."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Song Yanze snorted: "You are totally ignorant."

A breeze blew by, and the fragrance of plum blossoms wafted over, cool but fragrant.

Jiang Tingyuan opened his eyes first, and dreamed of the past for the first time in a long time. For him, he always liked to recall it over and over again, only recalling this, and only keeping the best ones.

There were plum branches in the jade vase beside the bed. The fresh fragrance mixed with coolness blew away the remnants of the spring dream.

He took a deep breath, turned around and hugged the person who was sleeping soundly in his arms.

They have been separated for more than seven years.

Brother Xiaoyan only exists in dreams, but Jiang Tingyuan still has his whole life ahead of him.

He lowered his head and smelled the warm scent on his body. He closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembled, and his lips moved slightly.

Jiang Tingyuan lowered his head and lightly touched his forehead with his lips.

If you dare to call Xiaoyan brother, Jiang Tingyuan will still be unhappy.

There can only be one person in your heart, even if that person is yourself who once had nothing.

It was getting late. Lord Xiao Song had been excused from the morning court these days and had to get some rest. He still had to get up and attend the morning court.

Coming from a military background, he dressed much faster than the slow-moving Lord Song. He grabbed a goose feather on one side, turned around to tuck in the quilt for him, and then it was time to leave.

Jiang Tingyuan didn't even need to go through the door. He walked directly to the courtyard wall and reached over it. He was extremely skilled.

Xuan Qing knew the old habits of his parents, so he waited by the courtyard wall, holding a stack of letters with sealed notes.

The power of the Imperial Envoy is far more than just Kyoto; after all, they are the eyes and ears of the emperor.

Jiang Tingyuan had a knife hanging from his waist, and the red tassels swayed and bumped against each other silently as he walked. He unpacked them one by one and looked at them, while striding out.

"Sir, His Royal Highness Prince Xuan has replied."

"His Royal Highness Prince Xuan said, don't worry, he is not like the Crown Prince who would disregard the lives of the people for the sake of party disputes."

Jiang Tingyuan just nodded in response to these nice words, without showing any attitude.

"Send people to Huaizhou, Huizhou, and Lingzhou to watch, and have plainclothes officers visit the embankment construction area to see the current construction situation."

"The Minister of Industry Qian Huan should be more anxious than us now. If anything goes wrong, the next person to be punished will be Qian Huan."

After Jiang Tingyuan finished his explanation, he remembered the look in Master Xiao Song's eyes as he seemed to be hesitant and conflicted when he looked at him, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He would do it even without him telling him.

He understood that it was not just about a few dams, it was about human lives, and it was the place where their best memories were.

Once the dam breaks, it will become a living hell.

This was also something he didn't want to see.