Chapter 100 Heart-to-Heart Pendant
The main courtyard of the Prince Jin's Mansion.
When Ye Xunyang woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
My body still feels a bit sore and languid, but I don't feel as tired as usual. It seems that Mr. Yu's medicine is working.
Lou Jin had already gotten up and was sitting by the window reading a book. Sunlight fell on his profile, outlining a soft contour.
Hearing the noise, he put down his book and came over.
"Awake?" He sat down by the bed, his fingertips brushing against Ye Xunyang's cheek, his eyes gentle. "Are you still feeling unwell?"
Ye Xunyang shook his head, hugged the blanket, and sat up: "What time is it?"
"It's almost noon," Lou Jin chuckled. "You must have been exhausted last night."
Ye Xunyang rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay attention to him, and in return, Lou Jin gave him a light kiss on the forehead.
"Oh, right," Ye Xunyang remembered something, "His Highness and Mr. Yu seemed to leave in a bit of a hurry yesterday, and my elder brother drank quite a bit of wine, is he alright?"
Upon hearing this, Lou Jin's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible smile. He pulled Ye Xunyang close, letting him lean against him, and said with a hint of teasing and composure, "Them? They're doing very well, perhaps even better than we imagined."
Ye Xunyang sensed a hidden meaning in his words and looked up in confusion: "What do you mean?"
Lou Jin looked down at his curious expression, then stopped keeping him in suspense, leaned close to his ear, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of mischief, "The fine wine I had Liu An give to my brother has something different in it."
Ye Xunyang was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening. His eyes widened instantly as he looked at Lou Jin in disbelief: "You gave His Highness Prince Yan... that kind of drug?"
Lou Jin gently pressed his index finger against his lips, his smile deepening. "How can you call it drugging? It's a rare and exquisite aphrodisiac. I also added a little to the incense burner last night. Did you smell it?"
“I think the thin veil between my brother and Mr. Yu is almost transparent, but they are both holding back and neither of them is willing to break the ice first. I’m just helping them out.”
Ye Xunyang was at a loss for words: "I was wondering why that incense smelled off, but you were too bold! What if His Highness Prince Yan blames us..."
"Blame him?" Lou Jin raised an eyebrow, completely unconcerned. "He's thanking me profusely. If it weren't for my timely intervention, given his taciturn nature and Mr. Yu's aloof and reserved temperament, who knows how long he would have dragged on. Besides,"
He said with certainty, “I can see clearly that Mr. Yu has the Emperor in his heart. What happened last night was just a natural consequence.”
He squeezed Ye Xunyang's hand and smiled, "Don't worry, my brother probably doesn't have time to blame me right now. He's probably busy comforting someone, or thinking about how to repay me."
Ye Xunyang imagined the possible scenarios that Lou Yan and Yu Beichen might have encountered, and his face couldn't help but flush: "You're being too reckless! How could you do something like this..."
"Why not?" Lou Jin interrupted him, looking at him intently. "If I hadn't taken the initiative and pressed you step by step, when would I have been able to melt this stubborn rock of yours? These kinds of things need someone to give them a push."
Ye Xunyang felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he looked at him, recalling their early days together, and realized it was indeed true.
If it weren't for Lou Jin's methods, they might have really missed out.
He sighed helplessly and buried his face in Lou Jin's neck: "Anyway... we can't do that again next time. If we try to be clever, it will only make things worse."
"Alright, I'll listen to the Princess." Lou Jin readily agreed, tightening his arms around her and enjoying the gentleness of the person in his embrace.
But in his heart, he thought, "Next time... I'll talk about it next time." For his brother's happiness, sacrificing brotherly affection occasionally was worthwhile.
Two more days passed, and there were less than ten days left until Lou Jin's birthday.
This was the first time Ye Xunyang had celebrated Lou Jin's birthday since they got together, and he wanted to prepare something special.
In the afternoon, Lou Jin was invited by Lou Yan to discuss military affairs.
Since that day, although Lou Yan did not openly cause trouble for Lou Jin, he obviously assigned him more tasks, euphemistically calling it "the capable should do more work".
Ye Xunyang knew perfectly well what was going on, and secretly laughed at Lou Jin's self-inflicted suffering.
After seeing Lou Jin off, Ye Xunyang paced back and forth in his study, pondering what kind of birthday gift he should give.
Gold, silver, pearls, and jade remained even after the building crumbled; divine weapons and sharp artifacts were also treasured in the imperial treasury.
He wanted to give a unique gift that could express his feelings.
As he was pondering, his gaze swept over a sandalwood box on the bookshelf.
It was a piece of fine mutton fat jade that his mother secretly gave him before he got married. She said it was a piece of top-quality mutton fat jade from his maternal grandmother's dowry, and that he should give it to the person he loved in the future to make a token.
At the time, he didn't think much of it, only that his mother was thinking ahead, so he put the box away and almost forgot about it.
At this moment, Ye Xunyang's heart stirred.
He walked over, took down the wooden box, and opened it.
A piece of flawless, lustrous white jade lay quietly on the soft brocade.
The jade is delicate and lustrous, warm to the touch, and like solidified fat; it is a rare and superior quality.
"The Heart-to-Heart Pendant..." A thought naturally came to mind.
Jade pendants symbolize the virtues of a gentleman, while the love lock symbolizes eternal unity and unwavering commitment.
Carving a love pendant by hand and giving it to Lou Jin would be most appropriate.
However... carving jade is a delicate craft.
But once this thought arises, it entwines the mind like a vine, impossible to shake off.
He wanted to make it himself, and wanted Lou Jin to wear an object that he had painstakingly crafted, carrying his heart and the passage of time.
Without further ado, Ye Xunyang immediately gave orders to find a famous jade craftsman in the capital. He asked the craftsman to come to his residence to teach him, under the pretext that he wanted to learn some jade carving skills.
In the following days, whenever Lou Jin went out to work, Ye Xunyang would immerse himself in a secluded, warm pavilion within the mansion, working on the jade material and his tools.
It's not easy for beginners; mastering the strength and pressure is difficult, and the carving knife is far less obedient to him than a spear.
At first, the knife slipped or chipped off the jade, almost ruining the material.
The jade craftsman watched with trepidation, repeatedly instructing her: "Your Highness, your wrist must be steady, your mind calm, and your strength even. Proceed slowly..."
Ye Xunyang calmed his mind, cleared his mind of distractions, and followed his master's instructions, starting with practicing the simplest lines.
He is a person with a strong will, and once he focuses, he makes rapid progress.
Within two or three days, he was able to control the carving knife more steadily and outline smooth patterns on the discarded jade material.
He began to repeatedly sketch the design of the love pendant in his mind.
It should be both aesthetically pleasing and have a profound meaning.
He abandoned overly complicated designs, opting instead for a design featuring two interlocking concentric circles, with the rings polished smooth to symbolize completeness. He also intended to secretly engrave the initials of their names on the inner side, hidden in an inconspicuous place, known only to the two of them.
That day, he was facing the light, carefully using an extremely fine carving knife to outline an abstract "烬" (jin) character pattern on the inside of the jade ring. He was so focused that he didn't even notice someone quietly approaching.
"What are you so engrossed in?"
Lou Jin's voice suddenly rang out from behind, carrying a hint of curiosity and amusement.
Ye Xunyang's hand trembled, and the carving knife almost slipped out, but fortunately he managed to steady it in time.
He instinctively tried to cover the jade and tools on the table with his sleeve, but Lou Jin grabbed his wrist first.
"What are you hiding?" Lou Jin leaned over and looked over his shoulder. His gaze fell on the jade pendant, which was beginning to take shape, and the tools beside it on the table. He was taken aback for a moment, then realized, "This is... preparing a birthday gift for me?"
Ye Xunyang, realizing he couldn't hide it any longer, blushed slightly and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I wanted to give you a surprise, but my skills are rough and I'm still learning. I was afraid of ruining this fine jade."
Lou Jin picked up the jade ring that was already partially formed, his fingertips tracing the still somewhat unfinished engravings, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.
He put down the jade material, turned Ye Xunyang around, gazed into his eyes, and said in a low, emotional voice, "Why do these things yourself? It's exhausting and hurts your hands."
He took Ye Xunyang's hand and saw several tiny red marks and calluses on his fingertips. He stroked them tenderly and said, "In my heart, you are the best gift. No matter how this jade pendant is made, I will love it."
Seeing the tenderness in his eyes, Ye Xunyang's apprehension vanished instantly. He grasped the man's hand in return and said, "I want to give you something I made myself. It will take some time to finish, but you're not allowed to peek at it beforehand."
"Okay, I won't watch." Lou Jin agreed with a smile, and couldn't help but give him a light kiss on the lips. "I'm looking forward to it. But you mustn't tire yourself out because of it, understand?"
"Understood, my husband," Ye Xunyang replied readily, now using the title with increasing ease.
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