He had already been incredibly restrained by not holding the other man’s little hand and declaring his affection with deep feeling.

After tormenting himself most of the night, Ji Linxi still got up early the next day feeling fresh and full of energy. No matter how cold it was, he didn’t feel it now — his blood was all hot.

Using the excuse of “taking some air,” he wandered around outside, hoping to run into the beautiful young gentleman. But after circling for the length of an incense stick, he didn’t even catch a glimpse of his shadow.

Still, at breakfast, he finally saw the person he had been thinking about day and night.

The one he longed for sat in a chair with a faint illness about him. The old servant who had come with him was carefully attending to him, even helping him sit properly, which showed just how pampered and well cared for he usually was at home.

It seemed he would have to learn from that old servant too. After the two of them were married in the future, such a wonderful task as supporting his “wife” by the hand would naturally fall to him.

Ji Linxi thought happily to himself. His gaze couldn’t help drifting to the beautiful young gentleman’s hands, and what he saw were fingers like jade, delicate and long, with a blush at the joints like peach blossoms.

They were simply like “hands as soft as tender shoots in water, skin like congealed cream on jade” — if he ever got to hold them in his mouth, he’d have to lick them little by little, then properly suck on them too.

He swallowed hard.

The next moment, the beautiful young gentleman picked up his teacup and took a sip. When he set it down, the sleeve covered his hand perfectly, and Ji Linxi could no longer spy on it.

Mr. Wang introduced him to the two men. “This is also a distant relative of my Wang family. His name is Chu…”

With a look from him, Ji Linxi straightened up and cupped his hands in a proper gentleman’s salute. “This one is Chu Xi, the Xi in xiqin.”

Seeing that he shared the same surname as His Highness, Yun Huai, who was seated there, disliked him even more because of his inferior and hypocritical nature.

“Oh, right. He’s called Chu Xi. Chu Xi knows a few Daoist arts. If the two gentlemen are ever bored, you can call him to accompany you and pass the time.”

After returning home the day before, Mr. Wang had thought it over. To avoid these two capital gentlemen causing more trouble, it would be better to give them something to occupy themselves with. A Daoist who knew a few techniques was the perfect choice.

Chu Yu had not expected that the moment he said he would find a chance to get in touch with this fake Daoist last night, Mr. Wang would simply hand him the opportunity today. Should he say Mr. Wang was too stupid, or too arrogant?

It wasn’t stupidity, nor arrogance. Before this, Mr. Wang had already told Ji Linxi that not a single word about Junzi Pavilion or the haunting could be leaked, let alone the fact that his son had killed a young woman.

He believed Daoist Chu was not the kind of person who would keep talking after being instructed not to, especially since the seven thousand taels still had not been handed over to him.

Chu Yu showed a somewhat interested expression. “Oh? Daoist arts?” He looked at Ji Linxi with a smile and asked gently, “I wonder which of the five arts of metaphysics you’re skilled in — mountain, medicine, physiognomy, fate, or divination?”

That smile, and the glance he gave, were like a spring breeze. His voice was even more like the sound of immortals, and when it fell on one’s ears, it was enough to turn the heart into strings being plucked by that voice.

Ji Linxi, this shameless and licentious fellow, found his body hardening again because of the beautiful young gentleman’s gaze and that celestial voice. Even so, his eyes never left Chu Yu; he stared without blinking, looking perfectly upright on the surface, while hiding a wild beast’s invasive hunger beneath it.

“I am not talented,” he said, “but I know a little about physiognomy, fate, and divination.”

“So you’re versed in those three arts. It seems Daoist Xi does indeed have some cultivation,” Chu Yu said, then lowered his eyes and drank tea again.

Dishes were brought out one after another. To entertain the two guests from the capital, Mr. Wang ordered eighteen dishes of exquisite mountain and sea delicacies. Yet this only made the smile in Chu Yu’s eyes fade even more.

“By the way, where is Young Master Wang? Why isn’t he here?” Chu Yu asked casually.

Upon hearing that, Mrs. Wang’s eyes turned red. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. “Jinzhi caught a bit of a chill last night. We were afraid he might pass it on to the two honored guests, so he’s staying in the courtyard for now. Someone will bring him food later.”

In truth, it was because last night her He’er had lost another bowl of blood and his body simply couldn’t take it anymore, so he had to stay in bed. And Mrs. Wang knew her son too well. Seeing the way his eyes had fallen on the honored guest, she was terrified he would cause some catastrophic trouble, so she forbade him from coming out to meet them.

Chu Yu looked at her for a moment, which made Mrs. Wang uncomfortable. She couldn’t help asking awkwardly, “Why is Second Young Master Shen looking at me like that?”

Chu Yu withdrew his gaze. “I only thought that Madam Wang loves her son deeply.”

Most mothers in this world love their children, but most mothers also only regard their own children as children, and not other people’s children as children, nor other people’s mothers as mothers.

After the meal, Chu Yu, supported by Eunuch Chen, rose with a somewhat sickly air and took a few steps outward, then pretended to remember something and turned back to call the Taoist named Chu Xi.

But when he turned around, the other man was already following closely behind him step by step. Meeting his gaze, he flashed a flattering smile.

Utterly shameless.

Yun Huai’s mood sank heavily. He had already warned this man before: don’t look at people you shouldn’t. But this shameless fellow had not taken it to heart at all.

Chu Yu paused, then also smiled. In a warm voice, he said, “I was just about to ask Daoist Xi to calculate a fortune for me and Marquis Yan. I wonder if Daoist Xi is free now?”

Ji Linxi was overjoyed!

Of course he was free — more than free, in fact!

…

It was a blackwood table with blackwood round stools. Several famous ink paintings hung on the walls, a folding screen separated the bedchamber, and charcoal fires burned in the braziers at all four corners. Everything in sight was luxurious furniture.

Only then did Ji Linxi realize just how well Mr. Wang judged people by status. His own guest room was empty and bare, with only one brazier lit. Yet this courtyard was extravagantly opulent.

At first he felt displeased by the difference in treatment, but when his eyes fell on the beautiful young gentleman, everything immediately seemed perfectly reasonable.

A noble-born beauty, of course, deserved the very best. If he had power and status, he would definitely give him something even better, the best of everything. He would be delighted to send all the good things in the world before him, and if only the beauty would be willing to let him taste his fragrance once, that would be utterly intoxicating.

Eunuch Chen stood outside keeping watch. Yun Huai sat nearby holding his sword, his brows and eyes cold as lightning, staring icy daggers at Ji Linxi.

Chu Yu smoothed his sleeves and said, “I’d like to ask Daoist Xi to calculate a fortune for me.”

“How is my future destiny?”

Ji Linxi’s eyes rolled slightly. He put on an earnest, righteous expression and reached out a hand. “Please extend your hand for me to examine.”

“…Extend my hand?”

“Yes,” Ji Linxi nodded solemnly. “To tell fortunes, one must examine the lines of the palm, feel the bones, and combine that with the birth chart before the reading can be accurate.”

If there was anyone bold and reckless enough not to fear death, it would be Ji Linxi. After all, he had always believed in this: the timid starve, while the bold feast.

Right now, the supreme beauty was right in front of him — close enough to touch with one reach — yet he was supposed to behave like a gentleman. How could that possibly be?

Not holding the other man’s little hand and earnestly courting him was already extremely restrained.