The Prince of Yong'an's carriage stopped Chuuyun Temple. Ye Yunting pushed Li Fengqi forward and, along with the Elder Wangfei, they entered the temple grounds.
Chuuyun Temple was the capital’s largest monastery, flourishing with incense offerings and frequented by countless dignitaries. Upon recognizing the emblem on their carriage at the entrance, the welcoming monk eagerly guided the three of them inside.
The Elder Wangfei, a devout Buddhist, had often visited Chuuyun Temple before her move to Rongyang. She excused herself to seek out familiar masters for spiritual discourse. Meanwhile, Li Fengqi and Ye Yunting strolled through the temple grounds.
Chuuyun Temple covered a vast area, with pavilions and towers offering picturesque views around every corner. Even without being a worshipper, one could easily be occupied for a half a day simply taking in the scenery.
"Shall we walk around a bit first?"
Li Fengqi had initially come here to look for someone, but seeing the exquisite architecture, he changed his mind.
As the saying went: A monk may flee, but his temple remains. The abbot would be there anytime, but this moment of beauty with his beloved should not go wasted.
He and Ye Yunting had only recently established their relationship. This was an ideal opportunity to deepen their bond.
He signaled for Wu Geng to push him from behind while reaching out to take Ye Yunting's hand. His warm fingers slipped between Ye Yunting's fingers and intertwined with them. Ye Yunting’s fingers twitched slightly, and glanced down at him. But he didn’t pull away; only softly agreeing.
"There's a plum grove over there. Let’s take a look." Li Fengqi said contentedly, leading them both towards the plum grove with their hands still entwined.
They hadn't even reached it when they spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
It was Ye Boru.
Li Fengqi’s brows furrowed slightly. "He’s persistent as a ghost. Let's go somewhere else.”
Ye Yunting hadn't noticed Ye Boru yet and was puzzled.
“The plum blossoms over there are blooming beautifully. Why not head that way?"
"Ye Boru is there." Li Fengqi's lips curled in disdain as he observed Ye Yunting's expression closely.
True to form, Ye Yunting showed no hint of jealousy. Instead, he merely murmured with confusion, "Why is he here too?" Then he added, "Then let's go to the other side instead."
It was rare for them to have an opportunity to go out and enjoy themselves, and he had no desire to waste his time playing mind games with this younger half-brother.
Unfortunately, although they intended to avoid him, they couldn't avoid someone who had already been lying in wait here.
No sooner had they turned around than a voice full of delight rang out behind them. "Prince, Eldest Brother! What brings you both here too?"
Ye Boru hurried up to them, his face full of surprise and joy. "What a coincidence! Are you also coming to offer incense too?"
Left with no choice, Ye Yunting halted and turned around. "Yes."
As he looked over Ye Boru, however, he couldn't help frowning.
Whether it was just his imagination or not, he felt there was an uncanny resemblance between himself and Ye Boru. It wasn't merely physical similarity; rather, there was something about the way Ye Boru dressed, the way he carried himself, and his every movement that seemed deliberately mimicked after him.
At their last gathering at the Duke’s Mansion, both had worn red brocade robes. At the time, Ye Yunting had assumed it was merely a coincidence and hadn't paid much attention.
But today, by another strange coincidence, the two of them were once again dressed in similar colors.
Since he was visiting a temple, Ye Yunting had opted for a set of sky-blue robes embroidered with clusters of green bamboo along the hem. Over these, he wore a white cloak. The overall effect was understated and elegant.
Coincidentally, Ye Boru also donned azure attire, though his clothes were embroidered not with bamboo but a pine tree. He too wore a white cloak over them.
Standing side by side, their refined manners and courteous demeanor made it instantly clear to anyone that they were brothers.
As Ye Yunting observed the perfectly placed smile on Ye Boru's lips, he felt increasingly perplexed. Yet when he considered it rationally, he realized this must just be another coincidental encounter. Surely, Ye Boru wouldn't deliberately dress like him and come here to lie in wait for him.
He decided he was probably overthinking things.
A faint doubt crept into his mind. Could it be because I'm jealous, and that's why I see something wrong with Ye Boru everywhere?
As Ye Yunting pondered this, Ye Boru had already struck up a conversation with Li Fengqi. "I've heard that Chuuyun Temple's vegetarian meals are exceptional. Prince, you and Elder Brother must not have eaten lunch yet, right? Shall we eat together later?”
"No need. We have something to do." Li Fengqi replied. He had very little patience whenever he encountered him. His brows furrowed, and the impatience on his face was unmistakable.
Unfazed by the cold rejection, Ye Boru smiled as if nothing was amiss. "If the Prince has matters to attend to, then that’s fine. Perhaps we can eat together another time."
Seeing Li Fengqi's impatience, he tactfully took the opportunity to say goodbye. "I have an appointment with the great master to discuss scriptures; it's almost time, so I should be on my way now."
With these words, he bowed respectfully, looking every bit the refined and courteous gentleman.
Ye Yunting felt increasingly uncomfortable.
He frowned as he watched Ye Boru's departing back.
“Why do I feel…”
He paused, momentarily unable to find the words to describe the feeling.
Li Fengqi finished his thought before he could. "'A failed attempt to paint a tiger ends up looking more like a dog.'" He scoffed derisively, playing with one of Ye Yunting's fingers. "He can't even mimic you properly. It just comes off as grotesque."
"Does the Prince also think...?" Ye Yunting looked hesitant. He simply couldn't understand why Ye Boru would want to imitate him in the first place.
Li Fengqi glanced up at him with a wry smile. Seeing the confusion etched on Ye Yunting's face, he snorted softly. "Only now do you notice it? I had my suspicions back when we were at the Duke’s Mansion last time." This encounter had solidified his conviction: Ye Boru was deliberately imitating Ye Yunting.
But no matter how hard he tried, he could never truly imitate him properly.
Ye Yunting's warmth radiated from deep within, like a fine jade. Raised in the Duke’s Mansion, he had experienced every kind of human warmth and coldness, endured countless cold looks and neglect, and been polished by those experiences until he developed the restrained radiance he possessed today.
In contrast, though Ye Boru wore a mask of gentility, he couldn't conceal the ambition in his eyes or the arrogance of someone reveling in his small victories.
Instead, he resembled Ye Zhili in the same hypocritical, self-righteous manner that made people feel sick just looking at him.
“What exactly is he trying to do?”
Ye Yunting frowned. No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't figure out what connection he could possibly have with Ye Boru.
“The people I sent to investigate him should be back soon,” Li Fengqi said, his gaze sharpening momentarily. "Let's let this slide for now, but if there’s a next time..." He narrowed his eyes, his hand unconsciously caressing the long whip concealed in his sleeve.
If he dares set his sights on Ye Yunting, I'll make sure Ye Boru learns the consequences.
The two exchanged a few more words. Neither wanted an insignificant person to spoil their mood, so they temporarily put Ye Boru out of their minds and continued strolling slowly through the plum grove.
Hidden among the crowd, Ye Boru watched the two of them walking side by side from a distance.
Occasionally the two of the exchanged glances or spoke softly to each other.
His eyes flickered darkly, as sinister as a venomous snake.
He could naturally sense Li Fengqi and Ye Yunting's dislike of him when they met again today. But Ye Boru was not one to give up without achieving his goal. To him, the Prince of Yong'an represented more than just Ye Yunting's man; he also represented supreme power and authority.
He was not like Ye Zhili, who clung blindly to the young emperor.
Ye Boru had told the truth when claiming familiarity with military classics before the Prince of Yong'an. In his view, In his eyes, sooner or later, the empire would belong to the Prince.
Rather than curry favor with the young emperor, who might not know how many more days he would be able to sit upon the dragon throne, it was better to board the much larger ship that was Prince Yong'an.
Ye Yunting's success came down to sheer luck: having been chosen for a good luck marriage, he'd managed to win over the Prince of Yong'an easily. Ye Boru didn't believe that, given his own abilities and value, he wouldn’t be able to catch Prince Yong'an’s eye. As a man himself, he understood all too well men's base instincts. If the Prince of Yong'an favored men, then why should it be Ye Yunting alone? Naturally, it could also be...himself.
He looked at Ye Yunting standing among the plum trees in his blue clothing and white cloak, then casually dusted his sleeve.
Since Prince Yong'an liked this type, he would take it to the extreme.
The Prince might not be moved after one day or two, but sooner or later, there would be a day when he would be.
---
Without the unpleasant person interrupting them, the two of them thoroughly enjoyed sightseeing.
After wandering through Chuuyun Temple for half a day and sharing a vegetarian meal with Elder Wangfei, they finally went to find the abbot in the afternoon. They inquired about any monks who bore a resemblance to the old monk Ye Yunqing had described.
The abbot pondered carefully before shaking his head. "The description you provide is far too common," he said. "This old monk has seen at least fifty such faces here, and that's not counting those whose features I can't quite recall now. It would be impossible to identify him based on your account alone." Chuyun Temple was extremely busy. It had not only a great many worshippers, but also numerous monks who came from different places to stay temporarily.
Ye Yunqing and Li Fengqi had anticipated this outcome, so they weren't particularly disappointed by the response. After some more thought, Ye Yunqing asked, “If the Master happens to see someone resembling the person I described again, I would trouble you to send someone to the Prince's residence and let us know.”
The abbot readily agreed.
With that settled, Ye Yunqing, Li Fengqi, and the Elder Wangfei finally left Chuuyun Temple behind.
They set off early in the morning, but by the time they returned, it was already dusk. Snow had begun falling again, drifting down in great quantities, while gusts of cold wind scattered the snowflakes in every direction.
The two carriages belonging to the Prince's residence traveled one behind the other along the main road. Ye Yunqing and Li Fengqi shared the first carriage. Ye Yunting had rolled up the carriage curtain to admire the snow when, unexpectedly, they encountered Ye Boru again.
Ye Boru rode atop a fine black steed, its mane dusted with snowflakes. His face was etched with apparent surprise. "From afar, I thought your carriage looked like it belonged to the Prince. I caught up to take a closer look. I didn't expect it to really be the Prince and Elder Brother. What a coincidence today.”
"Indeed, quite a coincidence," Ye Yunting replied coolly. His well-honed composure prevented him from immediately dropping the curtain, but his growing reservations about Ye Boru made everything seem off-kilter. Especially unsettling were those words The Prince and Elder Brother.
Ye Boru had always addressed them this way before, with Li Fengqi mentioned first every single time.
Originally, Ye Yunting had thought it absurd that Ye Boru might be trying to seduce Li Fengqi.
But now…
He looked at Ye Boru with a scrutinizing gaze.
Though deep down he knew there was no way Li Fengqi could be interested in such a person, knowing his beloved was being coveted still gave him an unpleasant feeling of being offended. The intensity of his stare gradually sharpened as he regarded Ye Boru.
Naturally, Ye Boru noticed the shift in Ye Yunting's expression, but he paid little heed to it. Even before returning to the Duke’s Mansion, he had taken care to understand the temperament of every resident, especially this eldest brother who frequently appeared in his father's stories. This elder sibling's nature might have been described politely as gentle and courteous; less charitably, however, one could call it weak and inept.
Even having Prince Yong'an supporting him wouldn't make anyone look at him differently.
Ye Boru smiled at him.
But he deliberately added a hint of pitifulness to his expression, like a younger brother acting spoiled toward his elder brother.
“I came here riding alone. I didn't expect the weather to change so suddenly.” As he spoke, he rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold. “Elder Brother, could you give me a ride?”
Although he addressed Ye Yunting as his older brother, his eyes were fixed on Li Fengqi. It was clear that he saw him as the one in charge.
Ye Yunting didn't miss this look; he secretly pinched Li Fengqi and smiled at Ye Boru without changing his expression. "The carriage is too cramped for three people," he explained, putting on a troubled expression. "Second Brother should head back to the city while there's still light left in the day."
Li Fengqi flinched at the pinch but managed to keep his face impassive. Enduring the pain, he nodded in agreement. "That's right. There's no room in the carriage."
Ye Boru's smile faltered slightly as his gaze swept over the spacious interior of the carriage. Annoyance filled his heart.
This eldest brother of mine only has so much courage, Ye Boru thought bitterly. He wouldn't even dare let me into the carriage. But what Ye Yunting said wasn't entirely false. The snow had suddenly begun falling. During the day, the cold hadn't seemed particularly severe, but by evening it had become much colder. Sitting on horseback, he could feel the cold wind carrying ice and snow repeatedly pouring into his clothes. He felt as though he'd fallen into an icy pit, and even the fingers gripping the reins had frozen blue.
With all this space in the prince's carriage, how could there possibly be no room for a third person?
It was obviously because Ye Yunting didn't dare!
Ye Boru trembled slightly from the cold, but he couldn't help feeling pleased with himself. Ye Yunting had clearly realized his intentions.
And now, he was afraid.
His gaze shifted towards Li Fengqi. Though he said nothing, his eyes seemed to plead for help.
Another pinching sensation at his waist made Li Fengqi wince with pain. Suddenly he reached up and pulled the carriage curtain shut. " The wind is so strong outside. Wangfei, don't admire the snow anymore. We wouldn't want you catching a chill."
After speaking up, he rubbed vigorously at the spot where he'd been pinched, his expression filled with grievance.
Ye Boru is the one causing trouble. Why am I the one getting pinched?!
It wasn't fair.
He carefully re-fastened the carriage curtains, ensuring not even a whisper of wind could sneak through— and that he couldn't see Ye Boru's nauseating face.
Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Today had taught him one thing: the consort's pinches were truly agonizing. He really didn't want to be pinched again.
Ye Yunting let out a soft snort, inwardly plotting ways to keep Ye Boru from showing up unannounced in the future.
Unaware of what was happening within the carriage, Ye Boru stared at the tightly drawn curtains. His complexion turned pale, then flushed, then pale again. Half of it was from the cold.
The other half was from anger.
He frowned and stared at the firmly closed curtain for a long while. He refused to believe that Li Fengqi would truly ignore him.
Gritting his teeth, he didn't ride ahead. Instead, he actually continued following alongside the carriage, step for step.
The rhythmic clip-clop of hoofbeats was hard to miss; there was no way they could fail to hear it. Yet Ye Yunting, with a hand warmer nestled against his chest as he sipped hot tea, appeared oblivious to the sound beyond the curtain. Li Fengqi was afraid of being punished again, so he racked his brains for interesting stories about the northern frontier to entertain him, also completely ignoring Ye Boru.
As the wind howled and snowstorm intensified, the two carriages took nearly half an hour to reach the city gates. By then, night had fully descended upon them.
It wasn't until this moment that Ye Yunting finally lifted the carriage curtain again. When he saw Ye Boru outside, his hair covered in frost and snow and his face pale from the cold, he looked genuinely surprised. "Second Brother, why haven't you returned home yet?" His brow furrowed as he continued, concern in his voice, “It's so cold today. I'm afraid you must be freezing.”
As he spoke, he instinctively hugged the hand warmer closer to himself.
Ye Boru, both cold and furious: “……”
He clenched his teeth hard and glared at Ye Yunting.
In the end, he said nothing more and urged his horse toward the Duke's residence.
=== Author's Notes ===
77 (booklicker): Garbage!
Ye Boru: ????
=== Translator's Notes ===
*shows up 1 year late with starbucks a defended thesis the cobbled-together remains of my hopes and dreams* "Hi there!" *ducks rotten fruit*
Yeahhhh I was gone for nearly a year. Sorry about that. On the other hand, I finally finished my thesis?? Yay?? Yeah, it took over a year. I never wanna study again.
No comments:
Post a Comment