TAMW CH5

Just as he was mourning the state of his romantic life, a soft touch suddenly rested against the back of his hand.

Ruan Yuqing’s hands were like silk brushed by a spring breeze, carrying a hint of coolness as he stroked him gently.

His eyes and brows held the tender devotion of a dutiful wife, but in the next instant, sorrow overtook him, rimming his eyes with red. “Please don’t laugh at me, Young Master. Truth be told, Yuqing is truly reluctant to see you go. Even if you hold no affection for me, now that I am your wife, I naturally worry that you will suffer out in the world.”

He leaned closer, letting his lips lightly brush against the side of Young Master Zhou’s cheek. With a resigned, helpless sigh, he murmured, “Take care of yourself.”

“Please look after your health, alright?”

As Yuqing drew near, a faint fragrance of jasmine lingered around him.

He was a person as delicate as a jasmine blossom.

Zhou Xiao was lost in thought. He knew that this marriage was probably not what Ruan Yuqing had wanted either.

“The reason I refuse to stay in the Zhou family is because there are still two collateral branches. They have coveted the Zhou family’s wealth for far too long, and the brothers are rife with suspicion over money. I dislike such an environment… The outside world is developing rapidly. I brought back a shipment of cargo, and I’ve also received an offer to work at the Bank of Shencheng. If you wish…”

He wasn’t entirely sure why he was saying all this to Yuqing.

He simply felt pity for him. What kind of world was this, where a male wife had to be brought in to ward off bad luck?

“If you wish to leave with me, I can find you a position at the bank…”

Behind the car’s window curtain, Yuqing watched him struggle through those conflicted words, finding it utterly amusing in his heart.

“Thank you, Young Master. Father is still waiting for Yuqing to return and serve him his medicine. Take care of yourself.”

As the Ford drove away, Zhou Xiao was left standing at the entrance of the Li Residence, luggage beside his legs. His ears were burning red without him even realizing it, and only when his thumb pressed against the sharp point of the date pit in his pocket did the prick of pain bring him back to his senses.

Ruan Yuqing had left in such a hurry—likely because he couldn’t bear the parting.

His eyes were rimmed with red; was he on the verge of tears?

After just one night together, had he truly, like the old traditionalists, placed all his hopes and affection onto a strange man?

Or perhaps, he had already fallen in love with him at first sight last night?

Or maybe the old master had mentioned him before he even returned.

That must be it. The old master was so aged; before the wedding, Ruan Yuqing had probably anticipated this marriage for a very long time.

He must be terrified of having no one to rely on once the old master passed away, which was why he acted like this…

Zhou Xiao thought again: Was I too cold just now, driving him to tears?

His eyes had been so red; he was probably crying the moment the car drove out of sight. Ruan Yuqing was as delicate as a jasmine flower, yet in the end, he had no love to give him in return. What a pity that he wasn’t into men—otherwise, spending a lifetime with him wouldn’t have been a bad dream.

He really should have returned that date pit to him while they were still in the car.

The Ford did not head straight back to the Zhou residence.

Zhao Fu drove in the front, glancing into the rearview mirror from time to time.

Yuqing was resting with his eyes closed, the car window curtains only drawn open a sliver. As the car wound down the road around the Li Residence, bright patches of light flickered across the interior.

The slap mark on his fair skin was faint, only showing a slight trace of red when caught directly in the sunlight.

“To the port.”

“Yes,” Zhao Fu replied as he drove. “The shipment the Young Master brought back has been inspected. It contains surveying tools and various metal machine parts; the cargo ship is packed full.”

“The Bank of Shencheng is funding a railway project. The Eldest Young Master brought engineers back with him.”

The distance between Shencheng and Baizhou crossed provincial lines, taking six hours by train.

Yuqing let out a yawn. Though his back remained straight, the corners of his eyes were tinged with red. He had gotten far too little sleep last night, so he answered languidly, “Mm.”

Zhou Xiao was still young after all—inexperienced in worldly affairs, yet possessed boundless energy in bed. That part had been rather exasperating. Had he known earlier, he would have burned more soft-bone incense last night; then his limbs wouldn’t be aching so terribly right now, making him feel miserable all over.

“Does your face need a compress?” Zhao Fu asked.

Yuqing nodded.

He knew why Father had struck him.

Father had raised him for so long only hoping that he would marry the Eldest Young Master and manage the Zhou household on his behalf. The pregnancy medicine was merely a folk remedy; the risks of a man conceiving were far too high, and a single misstep could cost him his life.

Father didn’t want him to lose his life; he only wanted him to live a safe and peaceful life by the Young Master’s side.

But that wasn’t what Yuqing wanted.

“When does Second Uncle return?” Yuqing asked.

“Young Master Min is dead. Once the funeral arrangements are settled, he should be back within a day or two. If he returns with his men and finds that the Eldest Young Master has already arrived home, there’s bound to be chaos…”

The Zhou family had deep roots. Back during the imperial dynasty, they had been the wealthiest family in Baizhou, though business had gradually declined under the Republic.

Master Zhou had only one son and one daughter. His daughter had married early, and his son had been sent abroad to study at a young age. Once the old master died, the Zhou family wealth would fall right into the hands of the two uncles.

Third Uncle was somewhat better off; he had joined the army in the north and rarely returned over the years.

As for Second Uncle Zhou Yulin, the wife he married back then was a member of the Ruan family. The port was currently under the control of the Chamber of Commerce, and the president’s seat was due for a change.

Just because the Eldest Young Master had been unwilling to return home and take over the family estate, Second Uncle proposed adopting his own son, Zhou Min, into the old master’s line. That way, he would be entered into the genealogy records and inherit the Zhou family estate.

Over the past two years, Zhou Min had flaunted his status as the heir, squandering money in gambling dens and brothels all day long. He hadn’t accomplished a single worthwhile business deal, though he spun plenty of lies.

Shortly before Zhou Xiao returned to the country, Zhou Min had been dragged off to Shanghai by a few friends. Rumor had it that instead of making a killing, he ended up drowning in gambling debts. Second Uncle had secretly led men to pry open the vault, smuggling the money out late at night to ransom his son. Who would have thought the money would be intercepted by bandits, and Young Master Min would end up dead in Shanghai?

Second Uncle had rushed off in a hurry to collect his only son’s corpse. Yuqing thought to himself: Pity the hearts of parents everywhere.

Second Uncle doted on Zhou Min, his only son.

He had originally schemed that with no heir to the Zhou family, Zhou Min would obtain the entire estate for nothing. Then, he could pour the Zhou family funds into the Chamber of Commerce, securing the presidency for himself.

Yet now, he had lost his money and his son all at once. Fate was truly capricious.

As the Ford approached the port, the road became bumpy and uneven.

Yuqing swayed gently with the car. On his wrist, he wore an exquisite piece of jadeite that gleamed with an expensive luster.

“Has the matter… been settled?” Yuqing asked.

“Yes. Major General Chen returned the money on the night of your wedding. It’s the exact sum Second Master smuggled out late that night to ransom Young Master Min—not a penny short—along with a chest of gold bars.”

“Mm…” Yuqing found it pleasing to the ear. “And those bandits?”

“On the day the Eldest Young Master disembarked, they were framed as thieves smuggling raw opium into the port and executed by firing squad. Not a single one was left alive.”

When Second Uncle returned, not only could they pin the crime of robbing the family vault on him, but his theft would have yielded him nothing, and his son was dead to boot.

Yuqing closed his eyes, his long eyelashes fluttering slightly. Dense, fan-shaped shadows cast across his porcelain skin, while the corners of his lips barely tilted.

“Even if Second Uncle investigates, he won’t find a thing. With Young Master Min dead, Second Uncle’s branch has no one left to offer for adoption. Zhao Fu, tell me: when he returns and learns that I’ve married the Eldest Young Master, what kind of expression do you think he’ll make?”

The adopted heir was dead, and Yuqing had married the Eldest Young Master.

Now that the young master who studied abroad for years had returned to take a wife, he would naturally take over all family affairs.

How could Zhao Fu dare answer such a question? He thought to himself: No matter his expression, his death date is probably drawing near.

Having served by Ruan Yuqing’s side for three years, he had never seen anyone who offended him live to tell the tale. Young Master Min had merely mocked him for being a dog by the old master’s side, and wasn’t his corpse already stone cold now?

They were almost at the port. The cargo ship was the one Zhou Xiao had brought back.

Zhao Fu had no idea what the cargo aboard those ships was meant for. Getting out of the car, he bent down to open the door, supporting Yuqing as he stepped down, and asked, “Then what about the Eldest Young Master…”

“Have someone keep an eye on him. Once he leaves Baizhou, let him do as he pleases.”

Zhao Fu asked, “What if the Eldest Young Master wants to return to Baizhou…?”

Standing beneath the sunlight, Ruan Yuqing gazed out over the dry, exposed seabed left by the receding tide. “As long as he doesn’t die, handle the rest as you see fit.”

“Before the old master passes away, he cannot return. Only in his absence can I take full control of the Zhou family’s assets.”

Zhou Xiao had brought back several railway engineers—former classmates from France—and the cargo ships were packed entirely with steel parts for railway construction.

Railways: the single investment in trade, transportation, and economic development that yielded the quickest returns on capital.

Why head to Shencheng?

Near Shencheng, the Liu County line had coal mines. Building a railway would allow northern coal to be shipped south; by joining the Bank of Shencheng and pulling a few strings, one could easily establish a firm foothold and seize absolute power.

Several laborers unloaded a few crates from the cargo ship and pried them open for Ruan Yuqing to inspect.

Ruan Yuqing reached inside, touching the cold metal parts, and tilted his head slightly. “He’s quite interesting.”

He appeared inexperienced and foolish on the surface, yet harbored so many calculations deep down. Despite being away from the country for so many years, he had a crystal-clear grasp of the domestic situation. Zhou Xiao…

He rolled the name over on his tongue.

“Where is the engineer he brought back?”

“It’s Deng Yongquan, Housekeeper Deng’s son,” Zhao Fu answered.

Yuqing raised an eyebrow, feeling a touch of helplessness. No wonder he had insisted on taking Deng Yongquan with him. He had originally thought the young master simply demanded someone to wait on him wherever he went; so this was the real reason.

He had truly underestimated Zhou Xiao.

Looking at it this way, he wasn’t just an empty-headed young master after all.

So why put on such an innocent act last night?

Acting as if he, Ruan Yuqing, were some kind of wicked man forcing himself upon him.

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Author’s Note:

Yuqing: (Facepalms) Turns out he was faking it all along. [melts]

Zhou Xiao: Not at all! The pleasure wasn’t fake! [milk tea]

P.S. Zhou Xiao is the sort of hypocrite who constantly preaches righteousness and morality on the surface, but the moment he lays eyes on his wife, he charges right in and kisses him ravenously.