Chapter 17 Seventeen Mad Clouds Jealous of the Beautiful Moon

Jing Ye listened to the compliments with mixed feelings, unsure of how to meet Xu Heng's gaze—should she be secretly pleased? Whispering inwardly? Or feigning indifference? Or perhaps putting on a stern face, showing no pleasantness to a rival in love?

He hadn't expected it, and he couldn't control his expression, so he simply kept his head down.

Fortunately, the master called out "Young Master Bi," and Xu Heng turned his head away, leaving the back of his head to Jing Ye, allowing Jing Ye to catch his breath for a moment.

When Xu Heng drew those few strokes, the owner felt that he was no less than the masters of the time and wanted to recruit him. However, he hesitated because Xu Heng's demeanor was extraordinary. He thought that the man in front of him should be a scion of a noble family who had entered officialdom, and probably would not care about the meager salary of Linglong Pavilion.

After much deliberation, the owner finally prevailed over Mu Cai and the determination to strengthen Linglong Pavilion – let's give it a try, how will we know it won't work if we don't try?

The master then bowed respectfully and asked Xu Heng if he would be willing to work as a nominal craftsman in the pavilion. He would not have to report for duty every day; as long as he could help with the design, he would be paid a monthly salary.

Xu Heng declined.

The employer didn't persist. He tried his best, failed, but had no regrets.

Behind Xu Heng and his employer, Jing Ye gradually calmed down. He slowly closed the wooden box containing the earrings, put it in his pocket, and moved very quietly without making a sound.

Then he listened quietly until the master and Xu Heng finished speaking, and then softly called out, "Young Master Bi."

Xu Heng turned around slowly and smiled at Jing Ye. Jing Ye bowed calmly and said, "I have to go back to keep watch. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Xu Heng smiled warmly: "General, you have worked hard so that the people can live and work in peace."

Jing Ye knew he should be flattering the emperor at this moment, saying things like, "I dare not accept such praise; without Young Master Bi, there would be no such peaceful and prosperous era," but he really couldn't bring himself to say it. He bowed his head and bent his waist in a gesture of respect, then picked up the fried meatballs he had bought with both hands and quickly left.

Fearing that Xu Heng would send people to follow him and discover his secrets, he returned to the main camp in the suburbs of the capital after leaving the city. He did not stop when passing Fuyou Mountain and did not even look around.

Once they were close to the camp and sure no one was following them, they found a patch of wild land to tether their horses, and then made their way back to Fuyou Mountain on foot.

During the three-day festival, people went to the park to see the lanterns, making it even harder to find people in the mountains. The lush trees further obscured the view, making the whole mountain seem deathly silent and dark.

Jingye was walking alone on the winding mountain road when he suddenly stopped—ahead… was someone there?

One could faintly discern the breathing patterns of the two individuals, one of whom appeared rather disordered.

Could they be a pair of lovers? But no, the other person's breathing seems normal.

The two breaths came from the right side, and Jingye alertly hid in the bushes on the left.

With the fritters he was carrying in both hands, the winding path was more difficult to traverse than usual. There was still some distance between them, and through the gaps in the branches, he could see a carriage quietly parked by the roadside.

It's that same merchant couple again!

This is the third time!

They seemed to be doing short-distance business, probably traveling between the capital and the surrounding area. Jing Ye watched and listened intently. The coachman leaned against the door, taking a short rest, while the merchant, whose breathing was disordered, was unseen inside the carriage.

Jingye guessed that the merchant was probably a widower, or perhaps someone who had never married. He himself had been a bachelor before. He was fine most of the time, but during holidays when others were reunited with their families and in pairs, the contrast with them would evoke feelings of sadness and desolation.

Jingye used to dread festivals the most.

But things are different now. He spends the holiday with the woman he loves, he has somewhere to go, and he is no longer lonely!

He loves holidays!

When Jingye emerged from the bushes, he looked like a young lad, jumping up and down with a smug grin.

As usual, I climbed down the hill to the backyard. Before I even got down, I looked down and saw that Wang Yuying's house was dark, with the lights off.

"Are you asleep?" he wondered, feeling a pang of disappointment.

Whether you're asleep or not, you should still go downstairs; you still need to give her the meatballs.

Jing Ye didn't want to see Wang Yuying fall asleep, but he was also afraid of waking her up, so he moved quietly when he landed and got close to her.

He silently pushed the door, but it was locked from the inside, so he couldn't get in.

To avoid making a sound, Jingye turned around very slowly. Although the curtain was drawn, Jingye still prepared to move to the window to see if there was a gap through which he could peek into the room.

The door creaked open suddenly.

Jing Ye turned around, his face full of surprise: "I thought you were asleep!"

Wang Yuying rolled her eyes at him: "She was asleep, but you woke her up."

"I'm sorry..." Jing Ye looked at Wang Yuying and grinned foolishly.

Seeing that she was only wearing her undergarments and a Taoist robe draped over her body, he wanted to help her adjust the robe to prevent her from catching a chill and hurting her stomach. He had already raised his arm when he remembered that he was carrying fried meatballs in both hands.

He simply held the fried meatballs up to Wang Yuying's face, as if to claim credit: "I brought you fried meatballs."

Wang Yuying glanced at Jing Ye's hands for a moment, then turned and ordered, "Light the lamps."

After saying that, he turned and walked back.

Jingye quickly followed him into the house, closing the door behind him before asking, "Why is the door locked today? You didn't even wait for me."

He tried to soften his tone and smiled as he asked questions, afraid that Wang Yuying would get angry.

He placed the meatballs on the table, then looked for a tinderbox, lit a lamp, and ran back to lock the door. The eight-immortal table in the bedroom had only two round stools, placed facing each other. Wang Yuying sat down on the stool near the bed, watching Jing Ye bustle about. She didn't help, only smiling as she replied, "Didn't you say you had something to do on the sixth? I thought you wouldn't come."

"Oh, you're here? I'll come as soon as I'm done with my work," Jingye said with a smile.

Wang Yuying crossed her legs: "Don't you get tired of coming here every day?"

Jingye smiled again. She was his childhood dream, how could he ever get tired of her? Besides, now that he had truly experienced it, it was even more enchanting than the dream he used to have when he was alone gazing at the top of the tent. How could he possibly get tired of her?

After finishing his work, Jing Ye moved the other round stool next to Wang Yuying and insisted on sitting next to her. He first pinched the sleeves of his Taoist robe and said, "Come on, put on your robe so you don't catch a cold."

Wang Yuying stretched out her arms to let him serve her. Jing Ye put two sleeves on her hands and said, "The fried meatballs I brought you are from Wang's shop, which you mentioned. The shopkeeper said that their oil paper is special and makes the meatballs stay warm. Try them and see if they're still warm."

After putting on both sleeves, as Jing Ye tied the belt around her Taoist robe, Wang Yuying went to get the fried meatballs. She casually opened a package and found it contained beef meatballs. She immediately frowned: "I told you to bring radish meatballs, did you forget?"

"I didn't forget—" Jing Ye apologized again, "It was my idea to buy all kinds of meatballs, hoping you would eat more."

He looked at Wang Yuying and said, "You're too thin."

In his mind, she was actually thin when she should be thin and voluptuous when she should be voluptuous. He himself felt that this was against his conscience and laughed embarrassedly.

Wang Yuying seemed completely unconcerned about what Jing Ye was saying, and only asked, "Which packet contains radish balls?"

When Jingye bought it, he carefully asked the shop owner, remembered the question, and quickly found it and presented it to Wang Yuying.

Wang Yuying blinked. She would subtly let Jing Ye test the food for poison if it was bought from outside and not cooked by herself. She did this the first few times she went shopping and drank iced drinks and ate roasted lamb, but Jing Ye didn't notice.

Wang Yuying pinched a radish ball between her index finger and thumb, turned to Jing Ye, and said with a smile, "You should try one too."

She wants to feed herself?

Jing Ye opened his eyes, his heart pounding, and instantly plunged into a vat of wine, becoming completely drunk.

He obediently opened his mouth, and Wang Yuying fed the radish ball into Jing Ye's mouth, watching him chew and swallow, everything as usual.

Jingye blushed as he was scrutinized, feeling as if he were walking on cotton clouds, unaware of where he was or what day it was.

After observing for a while, Wang Yuying figured there were no problems and prepared to start eating herself. Jing Ye suddenly seemed to be released from a spell, his shoulders trembling—was she waiting for him to feed her the radish balls instead of eating them?

Although it is said that it is impolite not to reciprocate, he had never done anything so affectionate before, and he felt embarrassed, his cheeks burning.

Little did Wang Yuying know that Jingye had so many twists and turns. Since there was no poison, she started eating, having been craving it for so long... Wangji's taste hadn't changed in years, and Wang Yuying ate them one after another, swallowing three pills in a row.

"Eat slowly." Jing Ye was worried that Wang Yuying would choke, so he got up to get her some water. After pacing back and forth for a while, he asked the person behind him, "Didn't you drink any strong liquor today?"

“Who drinks every day?” Wang Yuying replied between chewing her teeth, her words not entirely clear. “I don’t want to become an alcoholic.”

Jing Ye smiled. There was no hot water in the room, so he went to the kitchen to boil water and adjust the temperature before bringing it back inside. He found Wang Yuying still eating, slightly bent over, taking two or three bites at a time. She looked both greedy and cute, unaware that her lips were greasy.

Jingye grinned, pleased to see her carefree and happy.

He didn't say anything to spoil the mood, but just sat beside her and watched Wang Yuying eat. She later noticed that he glanced at Jing Ye twice, and her heart tightened.

"You should eat some too!" She didn't show it on her face, but secretly she was worried that there was something fishy about the meatballs.

"Okay." Jingye took a bag of beef balls and left all the radish balls for her.

Wang Yuying was completely relieved after he finished eating the whole bag.

As soon as she relaxed, her craving vanished, and she waved her hand, saying, "I'm full, I'll get indigestion if I eat any more!"

Jingye smiled and nodded, then got up to tidy the table. She rewrapped the remaining meatballs and placed them in a cool, shady spot in the kitchen.

When he returned from the kitchen, Wang Yuying was pacing in the bedroom. When she saw him glancing at her, she explained, "It's to help me digest."

Jing Ye walked over and sat next to her. Just as Wang Yuying was about to complain about how sticky she was, Jing Ye suddenly spoke up: "I have a gift for you."

"What gift?" Wang Yuying immediately asked.

Jingye looked at her gently: "Close your eyes."

Wang Yuying closed her eyes, her eyebrows furrowing almost imperceptibly: Was Jing Ye going to kiss her?

She had just finished eating, her mouth was oily, and her stomach was full; she didn't want to engage in any intimate activities immediately.

After a long while, Wang Yuying felt a pain in her left ear. Jing Ye had never worn earrings before, and although he aimed at Wang Yuying's ear piercing, he couldn't manage to pierce it in one go.

She frowned and scoffed.

Jingye hurriedly apologized.

Wang Yuying opened her eyes and pressed down on Jing Ye's hand. He was caught off guard, and the object in his hand immediately slipped into her palm.

Wang Yuying unfolded the box and saw a pair of earrings carved with ripe pomegranate seeds. She glanced at the open, empty wooden box on the table before asking, "Is this the gift you gave me?"

Recalling what was said that day, it was just a joke, but I never expected Jingye to take it to heart.

Wang Yuying examined the lifelike earring in her palm; it would be a lie to say she wasn't moved.

She thought for a moment and said slowly, "Actually, I also prepared a gift for you."

Jing Ye was overjoyed, his eyes lighting up: "What is it?"

Wang Yuying planned to go down the mountain to buy things tomorrow during the day, but she didn't know what she would like yet, so she couldn't answer Jing Ye. She turned to look at Jing Ye, grabbed the earring, and put it behind her back: "The time isn't right yet, I can't tell you in advance."

Jingye and she locked eyes.

Wang Yuying tilted her head slightly and squinted: "You'll know when you come tomorrow night."

She walked to the dressing stool, sat down, and put on her earrings in front of the mirror.

Jing Ye grinned, gazing at Wang Yuying with a silly smile. She was right; tomorrow night was the proper Qixi Festival. She was right, it was the most proper way. He himself couldn't contain himself and wanted to see her put on earrings tonight.

With a gentle flick of her wrist, Wang Yuying hung the pomegranate seed below the earring. She examined it for a moment in the light, then turned around and smiled, saying, "These pendants of yours are just what I need."

Upon hearing this, Jingye felt as sweet as honey.

Wang Yuying raised her hand and pinched the pendant under her right ear, then looked at herself in the mirror again: "I like this one better. This cut is exquisite. Without it, it would be three-tenths less lifelike." She pointed it out to Jing Ye, her eyes overflowing with joy, "It's dark now. If it were in the sunlight, the light and shadow would be even more realistic."

Jingye suddenly lost all joy, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

He slowly approached, looked at Wang Yuying's right ear, and confirmed that it was the one the emperor had changed. He was utterly desperate, his hands trembled, and since the sleeves of his robe could not hide his fists, he had no choice but to tie his arms behind his back.

The emperor was exceptionally skilled in the six arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and even designing headdresses for women.

Even the owner of Linglong Pavilion wanted to hire him.

He and Wang Yuying were kindred spirits from afar, so what was Jing Ye to them?

Oh, I'm just a peasant, a roughneck.

Jing Ye then remembered that the emperor also liked to eat Wang Ji's food. He suddenly raised his hand, grabbed Wang Yuying's arms, and pressed his tiger's mouth against her humerus with great force.

Wang Yuying felt a little pain, pursed her lips and frowned. Usually, Jing Ye would immediately let go of this expression and apologize, but this time he seemed to be bewitched, pinching her tighter and tighter, forcibly straightening her body.

He squatted down slightly, level with Wang Yuying who was sitting, his gaze sweeping back and forth across her face, then picked her up horizontally and tossed her onto the inside of the bed.

Before Wang Yuying could even come to a complete stop after rolling half a circle, Jing Ye had already knelt on the bed on one knee, caught up with her, grabbed her two fair wrists with one hand, and without saying a word, made love to her.

Wang Yuying paused for a moment, then smiled, her slender waist swaying gracefully, like a pool of spring water melting away the thorns. The murderous aura around him gradually disappeared, and her eyes softened again.

Wang Yuying raised her index finger, touched Jing Ye's chest, and gently drew circles, like a feather tickling his heart. She laughed, her breath sweet as orchids: "Why are you so intense tonight?"

Jing Ye, who had just been mired in self-doubt, now felt his pride and arrogance soar like a roc in the Northern Sea, rising ninety thousand miles into the sky. His courage, like clouds hanging from the heavens, led him to reply to Wang Yuying, "When have I ever not been fierce?"

Having said that, it raised its head and straightened its neck, then with a powerful flap of its wings, it swept across the water for three thousand miles.

Wang Yuying raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised—before, when she teased Jing Ye on the bed, he remained silent and could only blush. What's wrong with him today?

She sensed something was amiss, but couldn't guess why.

As Wang Yuying pondered, Jing Ye was also preoccupied with his own thoughts, constantly comparing himself to the emperor. He swam faster and faster, creating towering waves, before finally giving Wang Yuying a light peck on the lips.

"I'll be even fiercer from now on," he told her, his body and sword becoming one, moving so fast they seemed to blur. He held his breath, gathering his strength, determined to win.

A note from the author:

----------------------