Chapter 168 The Powerful Minister Returns to His Youth 22.

Ice on rocks meets spring water.

Ye Zangxing felt his hand being wrapped in an extremely fine and gentle touch. It was as if what was covering him was not skin and flesh, but thousands of green willows and the murmuring Huai River, warm and comforting. He felt as if he had melted for a moment, and almost had the illusion that it was no longer his own hand, but a tender object that was both distant and near.

But in fact, that was his hand, the hand that Yu Shiqing was intimately holding.

……close?

Ye Zangxing's fingers tightened suddenly as he held the wooden box.

"You..." He pried open his pursed lips, his dark blue eyes shimmering like water as he stared at Yu Shiqing, "You care about all your friends this much?"

“Caring for a friend is only natural,” Yu Shiqing said, feeling the slightly curled hand in his palm, like a trembling little sparrow. He looked up to meet Ye Cangxing’s gaze and smiled. “But the only person I can warm my hands with is Xuan Shu.”

After saying that, he deliberately lowered his head and asked, "Xuan Shu is unhappy, is it because you dislike her?"

Ye Zangxing brushed her eyelashes away: "You're the one who warmed me up, I'm the one who benefited, what's there to complain about..."

"If you don't mind, then you like it?" Yu Shiqing's voice was even lower.

Dusk always passes swiftly; in the time it takes to say just a few words, twilight has already descended. The sky has darkened, and both banks of the Huai River are shrouded in gloom. A few scattered candles flicker like shooting stars across the Jade Belt Bridge, making everything hazy and indistinct.

Only Yu Shiqing's eyes were crystal clear; beneath the deep pool, the burning heat of a dark fire could still be seen.

Instinctively, Ye Zangxing took half a step back, his shoulders slumped, and he unexpectedly bumped into a tree.

Yu Shiqing reacted quickly, grabbing the person's waist and gently stopping them, "Be careful..."

A scent as pure as pine and cypress wafted over, and the two men's robes overlapped, so close it seemed as if they were embracing. Ye Cangxing's breath hitched slightly. He wanted to raise his hand to brush away the sleeves of the robe, but he found that both his hands were occupied, one held by a prisoner and the other holding a wine cup, leaving him no free time.

So all I could say was, "It's alright, a little bump won't hurt anything..."

“It’s because I was worried about you,” Yu Shiqing said softly.

Upon hearing this, Ye Zangxing raised his eyes again.

Yu Shiqing met his gaze, smiled after a moment, then lowered his head further, hunching his neck, and asked softly, "You haven't answered yet, Xuan Shu. Do you like it?"

like?

What do I like? Do I like warm hands, intimacy, or... you?

Ye Zangxing's heart trembled violently.

"Da Qi..." He opened his mouth, finally managing to utter a sliver of serious thought, "When a boy is fourteen or fifteen or sixteen, he is usually engaged. Do you... have a woman you fancy?"

Yu Shiqing carefully observed his expression, including every slight tremor of his eyebrows and every slight twitch of his lips. "No," he replied, so close he was almost kissing the tip of his nose. "I already told you about the person you love. Have you forgotten?"

“I have someone I love, a thousand times over, but it’s always the same one,” Yu Shiqing said. “But he hasn’t agreed to be with me yet, and I’m afraid of scaring him away. There are many things I don’t dare to tell him…”

Ye Zangxing's chest heaved heavily.

For a fleeting moment, he wanted to look up, bite those thin, moist lips, and extract what could be called his true feelings.

But, not counting those... He's only met him a few times, how could he, how could he dare to?

Not to mention, between men... he might be indifferent, but Yu Shiqing still has a future to strive for...

Ye Zangxing's mind was buzzing, his thoughts swirling into a jumbled mess that obscured his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, limbs, and torso.

He was unable to move.

So all I could do was sit there like I was nailed to the tree, letting people breathe in my clothes and wrap their sleeves around me, and then, as if drunk, say, "It's cold up there too."

"……above?"

Yu Shiqing paused, his thoughts, which had been lost in Ye Cangxing's various romantic scenes, being brought back by this seemingly random question. He slightly raised his eyes and looked questioningly into Ye Cangxing's eyes.

Ye Cangxing glanced at him through the dim night, then lowered her gaze to the two clasped hands.

“Wrists, arms…” he said softly, “when riding a horse, the sleeves would blow up and they would feel… very cold.”

Yu Shiqing was taken aback.

He understood what Ye Zangxing meant.

Slowly, he turned his deep black eyes, scanning Ye Cangxing's eyebrows, eyes, lips and teeth. Then, concealed by his clothes, shadows and the dim light of the day, he released the hand in his palm, spread his fingers, and let them climb slowly upwards like vines or warm snakes.

Clench it, stroke it, warm it inch by inch.

Wrist, forearm, elbow.

He reached into the depths of his sleeve, and pressed down into the depths of the ginkgo tree.

Ye Zangxing was trembling all over. The crimson blush was no longer satisfied with just staying on the back of his neck, but gradually spread to his ears, cheeks, and eyes.

“Xuan Shu, Cang Xing…”

Yu Shiqing's breath was hot, her mouth and nose close to his temple, her hand holding his waist tightening and loosening, loosening and tightening, wrinkling the silk.

The willow-green ribbon in her hair fluttered, obscuring her eyes. Yu Shiqing lowered her head, listening to the soft inhalations beside her ear, her bones melting. Aside from calling out the name already etched into her heart, she couldn't utter another word.

Suddenly, Ye Cangxing turned his head away, his voice so low it sounded like he was pleading: "Don't, don't touch me, Danzhi... someone's coming."

The two met at a secluded corner near the Huai River, a place usually deserted, but now, for some reason, a lantern seemed to drift by from afar, like a traveler hurrying home through the night.

Yu Shiqing had already spotted the lights, but he didn't move, only lowered his head further, his clear voice tinged with hoarseness: "Why aren't you calling me Qingqing anymore? Didn't you like calling me that so much on the day of the painting exam?"

"you……"

Ye Zangxing's Adam's apple bobbed as he was provoked by these almost flirtatious and outrageous words. He was about to pull his hand away when, before he could move, he suddenly felt a chill in his sleeve.

Yu Shiqing has been dismissed.

The pharmacy clerk finished work late and was in a hurry to get home, so he took a somewhat dimly lit shortcut. Fortunately, it wasn't too late yet, and carrying a lantern, he was quite brave.

I thought this road would be deserted as usual, but I was surprised when I got near the old ginkgo tree. In this remote place, there were two elegant young men admiring the ginkgo, watching the Huai River, and composing poems.

The waiter stole a glance and clicked his tongue in disbelief: "He's really gone mad from reading too much. What's so interesting about a broken tree? It's just a waste of its good looks..."

The waiter quickened his pace, carrying a lantern, his figure swaying in the wind. In the blink of an eye, he was swallowed up at the other end of the alley. In the distance, on the opposite bank, the Jade Belt Bridge lit up, and a painted boat sailed in, casting a dazzling light on every corner.

The hazy, enchanting beauty has dissipated.

The young men who had been reciting poems gradually fell silent, and ginkgo leaves slowly fell from above, like a golden rain.

Ye Cangxing tucked his hands into his sleeves, his gaze sweeping over the folds of his chest and waist. He coughed softly and said, "It's getting late, I'll see you out..."

“The winter solstice will be here in less than half a month,” Yu Shiqing interrupted him. “Will you have time then?”

Ye Zangxing looked up: "What is it?"

Yu Shiqing smiled, her eyes gentle, giving the impression of affection: "Yes. I have some wine I'd like to offer you, and some things I'd like to tell you."

Ye Zangxing paused for a moment: "I'm embroiled in matters concerning the rebels, so I'll be quite busy these days..."

“It’s alright, I can wait as long as it takes,” Yu Shiqing said. Then, before Ye Zangxing could speak again, he asked, “Has that gentleman in the Demon Queen’s rebel party agreed to see you?”

When it came to serious matters, Ye Zangxing's expression turned slightly indifferent, and he shook his head: "He has softened his stance somewhat, but he still won't agree. He seems to be very cautious and unwilling to take any risks."

Yu Shiqing said, "You said the other day that the reason you found out about the Empress Dowager's rebels was firstly because the strange behavior of the young prince and the young princess aroused your suspicion, so you investigated the people they had been in contact with in the past month or two, including some people who were suspected of being members of the Empress Dowager's rebels. However, these people did not actively seek out the young prince and the princess, but were approached by them. Secondly, it was because the new doctor Rong from the Yong Prince's Mansion had some connection with these people. Following the clues, there were quite a few traces."

"When you were investigating, you encountered Gong Danian and suspected they had ulterior motives, so you decided to play along..."

“That’s right,” Ye Zangxing said. “Recently, I’ve been dealing with them again. That Doctor Rong is very cautious. Apart from going out to buy medicine every day, he stays in the other courtyard and has nowhere else to go. He’s slippery and cunning. And for some reason, Afu is very protective of him. So I can only continue to target Gong Danian.”

"Gong Danian is not exactly tight-lipped, but that so-called teacher is really hard to find."

"By the way, regarding that Dr. Rong, I subtly inquired with Gong Danian. They seem to be on the same side, but they also seem not to be. Gong Danian specifically hinted that I should keep most of my interactions with them from Dr. Rong."

"In addition, I tested them with some things in officialdom, and their influence in officialdom, especially in the south, is much greater than we imagined."

“There are some things that even Fourth Brother might find difficult to handle, but they can accomplish them with ease. This is not to say that their power is greater than that of a prince, but rather that their influence is so deep and extensive that it is difficult to fathom.”

"It's easy to offend the King of Hell, but his underlings are hard to deal with. Getting something done in this place isn't something I can guarantee just because I'm a prince or princess..."

Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.

Even worse, if the local bully manages things properly, he might even turn the tables and cut down the powerful dragon, devouring its bones.

The rebellion of Prince Yong in his previous life may have been part of the conspiracy of this wicked empress and her faction. But was Prince Yong such a weak "powerful dragon"?

Yu Shiqing's gaze was uncertain.

After a moment, he closed his eyes, took out a letter from his sleeve, and handed it to Ye Zangxing.

“Give this letter to Gong Danian,” he said. “There is a greater than 70% chance that the man from the rebel party will come to see you.”

Ye Zangxing was taken aback, his eyes showing surprise: "You... know that person's identity?"

“I don’t know,” Yu Shiqing said, “but if I were in his shoes, I would most likely be interested in what happened next with this letter.”

Ye Zangxing asked, "What was written in the letter?"

“The past,” Yu Shiqing smiled, “and the future.”

Author's Note:

Late but here it is!