Chapter 245: Affection
Chu Zhao pushed the teacup toward He Yan. He Yan glanced at it but did not move.
"When we were in Jiyang and Rundu, Ah He and I were considered friends. Why has it become so distant since returning to Shuojing?" Chu Zhao asked with a smile.
He Yan looked at him. "I heard Fourth Young Master was seriously injured recently. Are you all right?"
"It's nothing serious," Chu Zhao replied with a laugh. "But I'm glad Ah He is worried about me."
He Yan frowned at him. Chu Zhao's words sounded almost like flirtation. Back in Jiyang and Rundu, He Yan had taken it as mere teasing and paid no mind. But now, both she and Chu Zhao had been betrothed to others. Even though Xu Pingting's marriage to him could no longer proceed as planned, their identities remained somewhat delicate.
Was he trying to use her to deal with Xiao Jue? He Yan pondered. Xu Jingfu's remaining followers had not yet been fully cleared out, and it was highly likely they would fall under Chu Zhao's command. In that case, Chu Zhao and Xiao Jue were still rivals. If Chu Zhao wanted to use her to deal with Xiao Jue... was he resorting to seduction? That seemed like too great a sacrifice.
Seeing the strange look in He Yan's eyes, Chu Zhao was taken aback for a moment. After a while, as if seeing through her thoughts, he shook his head and chuckled. "Where has Ah He's mind wandered to now?"
"Fourth Young Master," He Yan said seriously, "where did you get Miss He's hairpin?"
"Madam Xu?" Chu Zhao replied. "I only saw how much Ah He cared for Madam Xu, so I had someone take her hairpin. It was not the act of a gentleman, but I only wanted to see Ah He." He asked, "Ah He seems genuinely sincere toward Madam Xu."
"The matter between the He and Xu families ultimately began because of me. I happen to share the same name as Miss He's deceased elder sister, and it feels like fate. It's only right that I care for her a little more." He Yan answered smoothly.
Chu Zhao took a sip of tea and sighed. "In that case, I envy Miss He."
"Envy what?"
"I envy how sincerely Ah He cares for her."
He Yan: "..."
She understood now. Chu Zhao was openly flirting with her, and compared to before, he was doing it brazenly and unabashedly.
He Yan looked down at her hands. Had it been too long since she had shown her skills in front of others, making people forget that her fists could shatter stones?
"Fourth Young Master, you didn't ask me here just to say these things, did you?" He Yan asked. "Why not speak plainly?"
Chu Zhao smiled, his expression turning serious for a moment. "Does Ah He treat me like an enemy now because of Commander Xiao?"
He Yan looked at him but said nothing.
"The New Year is approaching," Chu Zhao said, his gaze gentle and carrying a hint of imperceptible sorrow. "Soon, Ah He will marry Commander Xiao."
"Is Fourth Young Master here to congratulate me?"
Chu Zhao shook his head. "No, I want to ask you... are you really going to marry Commander Xiao?"
He Yan: "...Of course."
"Can you not marry him?"
He Yan was utterly baffled. "Why shouldn't I marry him?"
"Because," he said with a smile, "I like Ah He."
He Yan: "..."In her previous life as the Second Miss of the He family, though she had interacted with many men, she had never been confessed to by anyone. Even when she was married to Xu Zhiheng, he had never uttered the word "like." Unexpectedly, after being reborn, her romantic prospects had blossomed quite a bit. Setting aside that rotten peach blossom Fan Cheng, whether it was Mu Yi from Jiyang City, Xiao Jue now, or Chu Zhao at this moment—all of them made He Yan somewhat doubt herself. The He family young lady’s appearance was quite beautiful, but it was hardly at the level of a peerless beauty. Why was she so attractive? Xiao Jue, at least, had a connection with her spanning two lifetimes, but what about Mu Yi and Chu Zhao? They had barely spoken a few words, yet they so casually said "like"—wasn’t that a bit too frivolous?
"Young Master, such words should not be spoken lightly," He Yan steadied herself and replied politely.
"I am not joking," Chu Zhao looked at her gently, his gaze surprisingly sincere. "I fell for Ah He the moment I saw her at Liangzhou Guard."
He Yan couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down her spine.
She thought she still wasn’t quite accustomed to hearing such straightforward declarations of affection.
"Thank you for your kind regard, Young Master," she said, "but I already have someone I like."
"Is it Commander Xiao?"
"Yes," He Yan answered briskly.
"Ah He always acts so directly," Chu Zhao still smiled, though his eyes dimmed slightly. He asked, "Why… do you like Commander Xiao?"
Why?
He Yan was taken aback. She had never known that liking someone required a reason. Liking was just liking—why should there be a reason? If she had to say, it was probably because Xiao Jue was simply too good. Seeing she wanted to eat loquats, he secretly stuffed them into her bag; having the brothel madam swap strong liquor for sweet rose dew; knowing she lacked the strength to lift a sword in the training hall, he deliberately chose the swordsmanship instructor; giving her motion sickness medicine when she was seasick, pretending it was poison… All these little things. Strangely, it seemed he had never been treated gently himself, yet he understood how to care for others with tenderness.
After a moment of thought, she smiled and said, "I’ve never been very popular, and not many people have been kind to me, so I remember every single person who treated me well. Later, I realized that all those acts of kindness came from the same person. How could I not like him?"
"I would treat you well too," Chu Zhao said softly.
He Yan looked up at him. "Chu Fourth Young Master, we are not the same kind of people."
Silence filled the tearoom.
Chu Zhao’s eyes were a light shade, which always lent him a gentleness others lacked. But now, those eyes resembled fragile fluorite on the verge of shattering, heartbreakingly delicate.
"Ah He, hearing you say that hurts me deeply."
He Yan replied, "I’m sorry."
Though she had never been particularly adept at handling intimate relationships between people, when it came to Chu Zhao, she felt little inner struggle in saying these words. That Chu Zhao and she were not the same kind of people was an undeniable fact. Because of her past life, she preferred straightforward, open-hearted people, not those who spoke in half-truths, leaving seven parts unsaid, always keeping others guessing.After all, they were adults, and He Yan didn’t want the atmosphere to turn awkward, so she smiled as well. “Besides, I’m about to get married too. The Fourth Young Master pleaded with the emperor to spare Miss Xu’s life, which must mean he truly cares for her. Fourth Young Master,” she said lightly, “I’m a jealous person. The man I marry can’t have any other women in his household besides me. Xiao Jue had to pay a price to marry me.”
“What’s so difficult about that?” Chu Zhao looked at her earnestly. “If Ah He is willing to marry me, my household will also have only Ah He.”
Thud—
Before He Yan could respond, the door behind her was suddenly kicked open with a loud crash.
“How presumptuous,” someone sneered.
He Yan turned to see Xiao Jue striding in, his face ashen. Compared to Chu Zilan, he carried the chill of the wind and snow from outside, but colder still was his expression. He Yan thought to herself that if the City Garrison weren’t nearby, he might have killed someone already.
“Commander Xiao arrived so quickly,” Chu Zhao sighed, rising to his feet with a faint smile. “I almost succeeded.”
He Yan’s expression changed drastically. Almost? What almost succeeded? Now was not the time to say such misleading things!
“No, no!” He Yan hurriedly explained. “Nothing succeeded! It failed from the very beginning, really!”
Xiao Jue didn’t even glance at her, his gaze fixed on Chu Zilan, sharp as a blade and filled with mockery.
“Commander Xiao, it’s best not to be too harsh in front of a lady,” Chu Zhao chuckled softly before turning back to He Yan. “Every word I said to Ah He today was spoken from the heart. If Ah He changes her mind, I will find a way for her… I, too, truly wish to marry Ah He.”
The last sentence trailed off like honey that had been brewing for a long time, tempting and stirring the heart.
But before that stirring could reach anyone’s lips, it was severed by a sword.
The long table was shattered by Drink Autumn, the teapot and cups on it crashing to the floor, the sound echoing sharply in the night.
Xiao Jue stood tall and straight, his fingers gripping Drink Autumn so tightly they turned pale. His tone was calm, yet seemed to simmer with intense anger as he spoke softly, “A scheming, despicable man like you—how dare you?”
Chu Zhao smiled at him, the tension between them ready to ignite at any moment.
The City Garrison was not far away. He Yan estimated that if the commotion grew any louder, it would surely draw people over. Back when Xiao Jue had used Drink Autumn as a prize during the sword competition at the Heavenly Star Platform, some had accused him of being blinded by beauty. If word of today’s incident spread, wouldn’t it only confirm her reputation as a femme fatale? Heaven knew she had done nothing—why had things escalated to this point?
He Yan acted decisively, grabbing Xiao Jue’s sleeve and dragging him outside. As she did, she turned back to Chu Zhao and said, “It’s too late today. Let’s end this here, Chu Fourth Young Master. Farewell.”
Chu Zhao smiled. “Very well.”
He Yan dragged Xiao Jue all the way out of the teahouse. The two plain-clothed attendants at the door had vanished at some point. Just a few steps out of the courtyard, Xiao Jue suddenly shook off her hand. He Yan was taken aback, watching as he strode off in another direction.
Without a doubt, he was angry again.However, this time, He Yan could completely understand. With the wedding approaching, being caught red-handed with someone trying to steal your partner—if it were her, she’d be upset too. But He Yan also felt wronged. She had followed He Xinying here, and when she saw Chu Zhao, she initially thought he had something important to tell her. She even considered whether she should play along and try to extract information from him. Who could have expected that Chu Zhao would launch into an extremely cringeworthy confession right off the bat, leaving her utterly bewildered? She hadn’t anticipated this outcome at all!
Ah... forget it. In any case, Second Young Master Xiao was angry again, and she had to go calm him down first.
"Xiao Jue, slow down—I can’t keep up!" He Yan called after him.
But this time, Xiao Jue didn’t slow his pace as he usually did.
It seemed he was really furious. He Yan chased after him from behind, ran ahead, turned around, and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Stop! Don’t go any further!"
Xiao Jue was held so tightly that he couldn’t move for a moment. He didn’t look at her, instead turning his head to the side, his expression still icy cold.
"Let me explain," He Yan hurriedly began. "What happened today was absolutely an accident. He came to me with Xinying’s hairpin, and I thought something had happened to Xinying, so I went to see him. I never expected he was just tricking me into coming out to talk. I absolutely did not meet him secretly in the middle of the night, and there is absolutely nothing between us!"
If she hadn’t added that last sentence, it might have been fine. But as soon as she did, the air around them grew several degrees colder.
"Don’t be angry. Getting angry isn’t good for your health." He Yan reached out to rub his chest. "If you keep holding in your anger at such a young age, you’ll make yourself sick."
Xiao Jue blocked her wandering hands and frowned. "Don’t touch me."
"No," He Yan clung to him shamelessly. "Unless you stop being angry."
Xiao Jue took a deep breath, lowered his eyes to look at her, and said coldly, "Even if he tricked you, why didn’t you leave immediately once you realized you’d been deceived?"
"I couldn’t figure out what he was really up to. I thought he might have something important to discuss with me," He Yan explained. "It was late at night, and since I was already there..."
"Since you were already there?" He looked at her incredulously.
"Since I was already there, of course I had to get to the bottom of it!" He Yan declared with righteous indignation. "How was I supposed to know he was going to... cough... spout such nonsense?" Then, she muttered quietly, "It was terrifying."
Xiao Jue sneered. "I told you long ago to stay away from him."
"I know, I know," He Yan swore, pointing to the sky and the ground. "I’ll definitely stay away from him from now on!" Of course she would. Who could have imagined that Chu Zhao had such intentions toward her? Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine.
Xiao Jue’s expression softened slightly.
He Yan studied him and, seeing that he didn’t seem as angry as before, asked, "But how did you know I was here?" She gasped in surprise. "Did you have someone follow me again?"
Xiao Jue replied irritably, "Not you. I had someone follow Chu Zilan."
He Yan let out an "oh" and sighed. "You pay more attention to Chu Zilan than to me. Look how magnanimous I am—why aren’t I angry?"
Xiao Jue stared at her without a word.
"I’m joking," He Yan said with a smile. Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "So when did you arrive?" She paused, realization dawning. "You were here from the beginning."
The young man raised an eyebrow slightly.
He Yan: "..."
"What did you hear?" she asked tentatively.
"What should I have heard?"He Yan fell silent. What was there to hear? If Xiao Jue had arrived early enough, wouldn’t he have overheard every word of her conversation with Chu Zhao? Including her unwavering confession. He Yan released her hold on him and turned away, wishing she could slap herself hard.
Not that she cared much about face or dignity, but thinking back now, how many times had she confessed? Directly, indirectly, face-to-face, behind his back—she wasn’t some emotionless confession machine, yet every time, she got caught. It was embarrassing, but this man was too cunning, just listening outside. If she had acted more intimate with Chu Zhao, would she have been accused of "adultery"?
Truly, there was no way to defend herself.
Lost in her thoughts, He Yan heard him ask, “What are you still standing there for?”
Seeing He Yan staring at him, Xiao Jue paused and said, “Let’s go back.”
He Yan hummed in agreement, took two steps, then stopped again, looking at him suspiciously. “Xiao Jue.”
Xiao Jue halted and turned to look at her. “What?”
“Thinking it over carefully, it seems a bit unfair,” He Yan said.
“What’s unfair?”
He Yan blinked. “You’ve heard me confess so many times, but I’ve never heard you confess.”
Xiao Jue: “What?”
He Yan spoke with righteous indignation. It wasn’t that she was nitpicking, but thinking about it now, was Xiao Jue being reserved or what? He always spoke in roundabout ways, and those overly refined words left He Yan utterly confused.
“Anyway,” she took a step forward, “you’ve never said you like me.”
“Like?” He stared at He Yan intently and asked.
He Yan nodded. “Yes!”
“Miss He,” he called her name, sending a shiver down He Yan’s spine, “what are you trying to confirm?”
He Yan was momentarily speechless.
To be honest, she just wanted to take advantage of Xiao Jue verbally, to hear him say a few sweet words. But Xiao Jue’s seriousness left her at a loss for words. Just as she was about to find an excuse to brush it off, she saw him take a step forward.
The young man’s face was now close, his features clean and handsome. As their eyes met, a strange emotion flickered in his deep, dark gaze, making her heart race and her cheeks flush.
“You…” He Yan had only uttered one word when his words cut her off.
He took another step forward. “The first loquats I picked were for you. The first person I taught swordsmanship was you.” He took another step. “The first person I helped bandage was you. The first person I gave candy to was you.” He advanced again, pressing closer with each step. “The first girl I comforted was you. The first person I covered for was you.”
“After thinking it over, the first person I liked should also be you.”
He Yan was backed against the stone wall behind her, with nowhere to retreat. Looking up, she met his faintly smiling gaze. “Miss He, are you satisfied now?”
He Yan listened to the pounding of her own heart, momentarily forgetting why she had brought this up in the first place.
Her gaze shifted from Xiao Jue’s eyes to the corner of his lips, and she suddenly felt an urge to lean in and kiss him.
And she did just that, lightly rising on her toes as she leaned toward the person before her.
Xiao Jue was taken aback at first, but then the smile in his eyes grew brighter. He leaned down slightly, just as they were about to touch—
“Wow! Shuojing City’s morals have truly declined! How dare people with such preferences be so brazen?”
“Disgraceful! Hurry, let’s go! What are you still staring at?”"I want to see who these two are. Maybe I know them."
The two drunkards pointed at them, then staggered away.
He Yan was startled, having forgotten that for convenience, she had dressed in men's clothing when going out at night. In the eyes of others, it naturally looked like two men being intimate here. But at this late hour, why were there still people wandering outside, not afraid of stumbling or getting hurt?
She felt annoyed, though she wasn't sure whether it was because she had almost kissed Xiao Jue and missed the chance, or because she was accused of being involved in a same-sex relationship. Frustrated, she buried her face in Xiao Jue's chest, refusing to look up, and said irritably, "I'm sure! Absolutely sure. Alright, let's go back now."
Xiao Jue glanced down at her and tried to pull her away, but she clung tightly. After a moment, he could only give up helplessly and chuckled softly.
Angry Dudu: Don't pull me.
(End of Chapter)
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