TAMW CH15

Yuqing didn’t know what piano piece was playing on stage; he had never studied Western music.

Tonight was a celebration for Old Master Jiang’s birthday, and the grand piano sat in the exact center of the hall. The spotlight illuminated Miss Jiang, making her the center of attention. Around them, the ambient light gradually faded, until Ruan Yuqing’s corner was enveloped in near darkness.

Swirling the wine glass in his hand, Jiang Mao watched the crimson liquid ripple against the crystal. Without bothering to conceal his gaze, he stared fixedly at Ruan Yuqing and took a sip.

Aged red wine tasted heavier, more astringent, its deep color resembling blood.

President Zheng leaned in close to Jiang Mao’s ear, whispering in a low voice, “His mother, back then, with Section Chief Wang…”

Yuqing could no longer recall how old he had been that year.

As he grew older, his features had become increasingly striking. Boss Ruan had eventually noticed that one of his sons looked even more stunning than the boy’s own mother. In the business world, everything was about give-and-take—people gathered for profit.

Money was the merchant’s most common currency; when money became dull, they sought other forms of amusement.

Yuqing had become that amusement back then.

His mother played the Liuqin exceptionally well. The Liuqin was known as the “little pipa.”

Its tone was crisper than the Zhongruan and lighter than the Pipa. It didn’t even require long fingernails; when played by a man, it carried an even rarer beauty.

Even as a young boy, Yuqing’s countenance had been unforgettable.

Back then, President Zheng had not yet been promoted by Section Chief Wang. Lacking the status to even touch Yuqing’s mother, he had hidden in the corner smoking cigarettes, gleefully watching the breathtaking boy play the lute while the boy’s mother entertained guests for Boss Ruan behind a folding screen.

Marked as a gift from such a tender age, Yuqing had never set foot outside the manor in all the years since.

Stunned by how he had matured, President Zheng chuckled, “If not for that mole beneath your eye, you’d truly be hard to recognize. You’ve grown up so much.”

“His father ran business in Baizhou. Back then, despite offering such sincerity, Section Chief Wang never gave his approval. But now, Vice President Zhou, you’ve met someone far more generous! Section Chief Jiang is an official dedicated to the people. Hearing that you wish to build a railway, didn’t he lay out the entire process for you right away?”

Jiang Mao’s double chin quivered with laughter. He pressed his lips together. “Especially since Vice President Zhou is so sincere…”

Ah…

They assumed Yuqing was the gift being offered.

Standing beside them, Madame Jiang’s expression stiffened, but because her husband was up for a promotion, she didn’t throw a scene, maintaining the veneer of polite hospitality. “It is my poor hosting. Since you know how to play the Liuqin and we happen to have one in the house—Xiaoci, go up to the music room and fetch one.”

The maid named Xiaoci hurried off to find it.

With half his frame shielded behind Zhou Xiao, Yuqing truly disliked occasions like this. Yet from their scattered words, he understood that this Section Chief Jiang was someone Zhou Xiao could not afford to offend.

He offered a soft smile. As the piano piece ended and the chandeliers brightened again, a soft halo seemed to settle over him. “I haven’t touched an instrument in years. Madame flatters me.”

“Ah, how could that be mere flattery? Since you came with the Vice President tonight, how could you not showcase your talent?” President Zheng urged.

Jiang Mao was an old fox, after all; even though he was eager to see Yuqing play, he remained silent, letting President Zheng do all the talking.

“Back then, your father failed to do business in Shencheng because Section Chief Wang was short-sighted. Now that Section Chief Jiang is here, why not try again? Vice President Zhou is from Baizhou just like you; when business takes off, you can let your father share a piece of the pie.”

“Indeed! Aside from airplanes nowadays, isn’t the railway the only way forward? When it comes to the people’s livelihood, you can never bypass these things,” the secretary beside President Zheng chimed in.

Yuqing didn’t push back. Since Madame Jiang had ordered the Liuqin brought down, demurring a few times was merely courtesy; the song would have to be played in the end.

Pleased by the flattery, Jiang Mao chuckled heartily, his eyes fixed on Yuqing’s hands. “Whether someone knows how to play, you can tell just by looking at their hands!”

Yuqing said, “The Young Master usually finds me troublesome. He only brought me along tonight because it was Old Master Jiang’s birthday; otherwise, he wouldn’t have let me come.”

That single phrase—”Young Master”—laid bare his status as nothing more than a servant of the Zhou family.

President Zheng muttered, “To have such a wonderful person by his side, yet Vice President Zhou is willing to travel far from home for his post? It seems the students of the new era truly are different.”

Someone added, “In the old days, regardless of whether it was a man or a woman, there would always be lingering attachments.”

Though the words praised Yuqing’s appearance, they carried an underlying contempt, treating him like an object.

Yuqing, however, seemed thoroughly accustomed to it. Without any change in expression, he bantered back with an easy smile, “You overpraise me.”

His casual smile held an indescribably tender grace—a gentle submission rarely found in a man.

Surrounded by them, a few words from Yuqing were enough to draw continuous laughter from Jiang Mao.

Unnoticed by anyone, Zhou Xiao had stepped aside, as though turning invisible.

Li Yuanjing leaned in, visibly astonished: “Did you do this on purpose?”

Zhou Xiao frowned with disgust. “On purpose about what?”

Li Yuanjing said, “Bringing him along deliberately to show him off in front of Jiang Mao?”

“What?”

“Makes sense. Bribing someone like Jiang Mao with money alone might not do the trick. But look at this grand mansion—where doesn’t it need money to grease the wheels? I heard their third brother is a general fighting on the front lines and cut ties with the family long ago. On Jiang Mao’s meager deputy chief salary, how could he afford a mansion this grand?”

“Getting you to sign for a loan is probably so he can use your money to keep his concubines. You sure work fast—knowing concubines cost a fortune, you brought Yuqing along to show his face. If you coax Jiang Mao into a good mood, he might hand over the land deed directly!”

Having said that, he bumped Zhou Xiao’s shoulder with newfound admiration. “I was wondering why I’d never heard you mention Yuqing before. Turned out he was your hidden trump card.”

“It’s just a bit of a shame…” Li Yuanjing spread his hands. “A shame for such a beauty.”

Zhou Xiao clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on Yuqing’s slender figure.

Constrained by his wife’s presence, Jiang Mao couldn’t make a physical move, or else those hands would have slid around Yuqing’s waist long ago.

Xiaoci came jogging back with the Liuqin in hand: “Madame, the instrument.”

“For our Old Master’s birthday tonight, it seems my sister-in-law won’t be the only one stealing the spotlight. Shencheng isn’t as grand as Baizhou; few of us have had the good fortune of Vice President Zhou to see a man play the lute.”

At Madame Jiang’s remark, even Yuqing laughed along softly. “I merely learned it for amusement.”

Standing in the dim corner, Zhou Xiao stared fixedly at the nonchalant smile on Yuqing’s face. It felt like a thorn pricking straight into his eyes.

What on earth was Ruan Yuqing smiling about?

Did he not realize everyone at this banquet was making a mockery of him?

Even Madame Jiang’s words all but explicitly labeled him a male courtesan—how could he still smile?

Was it deliberate, or did he genuinely not understand?

He had never stepped beyond the estate gates; coming to a banquet like this for the first time, he had obediently finished an entire slice of cream cake before looking for another.

His prime youth had been locked away within the deep courtyards; how could Yuqing possibly understand?

It wasn’t Yuqing’s fault. He was simply…

Far too pitiful.

“Hey?” In the brief moment Li Yuanjing turned to pour a glass of wine, Zhou Xiao brushed straight past him. “Where are you going?!”

“These hands were clearly made for the lute—so slender they hardly look like a man’s hands…” Jiang Mao said, raising both hands almost reverently to cradle those jade-like fingers.

Yuqing replied, “Our Young Master will need much of your care in the future. After all, the Zhou family is full of useless people like myself; we all depend on the Young Master.”

“Naturally, of course…”

Taking the Liuqin, Yuqing—who hadn’t touched an instrument in years—weighed it lightly in his hands. “A fine instrument.”

The arm-length lute spun gracefully in his hands as his fingers brushed the strings. The crowd’s attention converged on him, carrying a cacophony of varied gazes.

Some watched for a laugh, while others waited in genuine anticipation.

It was the center of attention, but such attention was also a barrage of arrows piercing through him.

Yuqing lowered his gaze, not even looking to see where Zhou Xiao was. He didn’t know what expression the Young Master would wear; it would probably be—

Crack!

“Young Master?”

The instrument in Yuqing’s hands crashed to the floor, its head snapping crisply off, dangling by the strings in lingering ruin.

“Vice President Zhou, what is the meaning of this…” The smile froze on Jiang Mao’s face. The wrist he had extended mid-air to touch Yuqing was violently seized.

With a sudden shove from Zhou Xiao, Jiang Mao stumbled back several paces.

President Zheng hastily caught him, then turned anxiously to whisper at Zhou Xiao, “Xiao Zhou! What are you doing?! What kind of occasion is this—don’t ruin the mood!”

“He doesn’t know how to play,” Zhou Xiao said.

“What did you say?” Jiang Mao drew in a sharp breath, rotating his aching wrist once he found his footing.

Zhou Xiao’s gaze was sharp as a blade, yet his tone remained chillingly calm, repeating each word with cold deliberation: “He. Does not. Know how to play.”

Before Yuqing could turn back to look at the broken instrument, his wrist was seized. “Eldest Young Master—”

Pulled along by Zhou Xiao, he nearly stumbled, but before he could lose his balance, an arm steadied him. Zhou Xiao swept him cleanly into his embrace and walked out in full view of everyone.

Whatever outcries erupted in the hall behind them, Zhou Xiao turned a completely deaf ear.

As their footsteps crossed the threshold, Yuqing distinctly heard the shatter of a glass behind them, along with President Zheng’s hurried apologies.

Before he could process anything, he was bundled into the car.

Without waiting for the driver, Zhou Xiao started the car himself and drove away from the Jiang mansion. The drive was terrifyingly quiet.

It was late, and the Ford’s engine roared loudly; the quieter it was, the more deafening it seemed.

From the corner of his eye, Yuqing saw Zhou Xiao’s chest heaving heavily.

Suddenly, Zhou Xiao slammed on the brakes. When the man turned to meet his gaze, it felt as though time had frozen. Yuqing didn’t know what road this was, only noticing the absence of people. On both sides stood dense willow trees, their tender green spring shoots swaying in the wind. The headlights cast a dim yellow glow, barely outlining the sharp contours of Zhou Xiao’s face and his bright, burning eyes.

“What is the matter?”

“Why did you agree to play for him?” Zhou Xiao stepped out of the car, strode around the front, and yanked open the door on Yuqing’s side. “Did I tell you to play the lute for him?”

Yuqing blinked in surprise. “Just because of that?”

Yuqing drew a deep breath. “He can help your business. Besides, it was only idle banter; didn’t Miss Jiang play the piano as well? Shouldn’t such things be considered normal…?”

“Though I haven’t attended many banquets, I still understand how a deal is struck. Social gatherings are always like that: as long as everyone laughs and mingles, everything is open for discussion. It isn’t easy for you to establish yourself in Shencheng. Moreover… I truly do know how to play; I wouldn’t have embarrassed you.”

When Yuqing smiled, the red mole beneath his eye looked like a bead of blood pricked by a needle.

Zhou Xiao curled his lips into a cruel, cold sneer: “Told to play and you just play? Ruan Yuqing, I didn’t bring you along so you could perform for them!”

Yuqing blinked. “…Of course. But if playing a single song can secure a business deal, isn’t it well worth it?”

In business, as long as the gains outweighed the losses, it was a good trade. Who cared what had been “paid”?

“Worth it?” Zhou Xiao suddenly took a step forward, closing the distance with overwhelming pressure, his jaw clenched tight. “Say that again!”

Yuqing didn’t even understand why the man was angry again.

“Back then, whenever Father told me to do this, he was always pleased… I thought you would be pleased as well?” Feeling the suffocating pressure of his proximity, Yuqing pressed both hands against Zhou Xiao’s chest. Yet a sturdy arm scooped around his lower back, pulling their bodies flush together.

Yuqing looked at him in bewilderment. “What is the Young Master angry about?”

“Ruan Yuqing, you don’t want to.” Zhou Xiao looked down at the small mole, his eyes dark as an bottomless abyss.

“Mm?” Yuqing tilted his head.

“I said: you don’t want to. Therefore, you don’t need to do it. Do you understand?”

The smile returned to Yuqing’s face. “What does it matter…?”

Playing the lute since childhood, even after Old Master Zhou brought him home to learn bookkeeping and gradually take over the family pawnshops, bowing and scraping before clients in the business world was second nature. What did “willing” or “unwilling” have to do with anything?

Besides, he didn’t mind these things.

Yuqing understood his own origins, and he valued gratitude above all else. Having nothing to repay the Old Master with, he was more than willing to direct that repayment toward Zhou Xiao.

To him, it was merely lifting a finger.

Whether he was willing or not, even he himself didn’t care. Who ever spoke of such things?

“Father taught me to achieve the greatest return with the smallest cost. The Young Master surely knows this…”

“That is my business!”

Yuqing said softly, “But I am your wife.”

“Wife?” Zhou Xiao scoffed coldly. “Before laying eyes on me, becoming my wife—were you truly willing?”

If not for this face and his sturdy build, would Ruan Yuqing have ever been willing to stay with him?

“Since you claim to be my wife, let me tell you: obeying your husband is also your duty.”

“From today on, stop doing things you don’t want to do—in fact, don’t do them at all!”

“What ‘playing a tune for my sake’? Without Jiang Mao, there’s Li Mao, Zhao Mao, Song Mao! Are you telling me every single pitfall can be crossed just by you playing a song for me? Stop dreaming! You think too highly of yourself, and you look down on me far too much.”

“You think playing a tune for my sake, acting like a plaything to amuse them in exchange for business is ‘worth it,’ so you can crawl into my arms and beg for a reward? Keep dreaming! I have no use for a wife who degrades himself like that—hear me loud and clear.”

“I, Zhou Xiao, don’t need you to do a single thing! Eat your cake! Watch your own face! There’s no need to fawn over every person you meet.”

“Even if you genuinely want to play, I want it to be because your own fingers itch to pluck the strings—not to buy their smiles, and certainly not to buy their smiles for my sake. Do you understand?!”

“You are a human being. Think for yourself. I will never make you do anything you are unwilling to do.”

Zhou Xiao’s tone was harsh, practically commanding.

Yuqing looked up, genuine confusion surfacing in his bewildered gaze.

He was three years older than Zhou Xiao and had managed the Zhou household from an early age, contending with the Second Uncle in the sprawling estate for years. He had taken Zhou Xiao for an inexperienced youth, yet words he could barely comprehend were coming out of this young man’s mouth.

Wasn’t a person’s worth measured by their capability and the recognition they received from others?

Yet Zhou Xiao said: “Ruan Yuqing, you don’t want to. Deep in your heart, you don’t want to at all. Backing down for anyone else is looking down on yourself!”

Had it not been for Zhou Xiao needing something from Jiang Mao tonight, would he have ever accepted that instrument?

Yuqing wouldn’t have.

It was just that in his mind, being treated like a novelty was nowhere near as important as securing a deal for the Zhou family’s heir.

Yet Yuqing had overlooked one thing: his own willingness.

Through all those drifting years, personal willingness was always the very first thing to be discarded.

“Marrying a man you had never seen—were you willing? Being despised by me—were you willing?” Zhou Xiao gripped his chin and forced it upward, his eyes narrowing, his arrogant dominance practically spilling over. “What kind of rubbish are those parasites? By what right should they make you do what you don’t want? If you dare back down for my sake again, the first thing I’ll do when we return to the Zhou estate is divorce you!”

Yuqing stood dazed, staring blankly.

After a moment, for reasons unknown, he suddenly burst into a soft laugh.

The rims of his eyes turned slightly red, his smile laced with bitter emotion as he rested his forehead against Zhou Xiao’s shoulder. “Just because I wasn’t obedient?”

“Because you don’t treat yourself like a human being,” Zhou Xiao said coldly. “Even if it’s a male wife, I’m marrying a person, not an object.”

Yuqing touched his chest, where his heart thumped wildly.

Suddenly, he felt a tangible sense of being a real, living person; his heart could actually beat this fast.

Listening to Zhou Xiao’s almost naive yet startling declaration, he felt an urge to laugh, yet the corners of his eyes pricked with warmth. “Thank you.”

Not expecting him to be so compliant, Zhou Xiao paused. “Did I frighten you?”

“No,” Yuqing touched a fingertip against the man’s Adam’s apple. “Or perhaps a little. I am merely surprised… that just because you didn’t want me to play for Section Chief Jiang, the Young Master could preach so many grand principles I don’t understand. Black and white… how intriguing.”

The spot where the finger touched felt as though it were catching fire. Zhou Xiao suddenly hooked an arm under Yuqing’s thigh, his lean, muscular chest leaning in with overpowering weight.

“Then, if I want to kiss the Young Master right now—which is something Yuqing is willing to do—is the Young Master willing?”

His fingertip traced circles over Zhou Xiao’s Adam’s apple.

__

Author’s Note:

Tomorrow’s news: “Extra, extra! Section Chief Jiang has been chopped into over three hundred pieces!”

Zhou Xiao: Blah blah blah grand principles blah blah blah

Yuqing (tilting head like a kitten): In short, you just don’t want me playing for others. Can I play for you instead?

Date Pit Bro: That works [milk tea]

Strict with others, lenient with himself [milk tea]