If this happened to a normal person, they would certainly be ashamed to death, trying desperately to cover it up without daring to show the slightest hint. They would only spit on themselves in their hearts: So embarrassing, utterly disgraceful! What kind of beast are you, to have such feelings for a strange man? Damn you, damn you to hell!

Ji Linxi, on the other hand, wished he could just throw himself over there, caress the soft hands of this peerless, peony-like beautiful young master, and put on a deeply affectionate look to say, “This humble one is named Ji Linxi. May I dare ask the Young Master’s name?”

He was truly mesmerized. His carefully crafted persona of a young, steady Daoist priest crumbled entirely. He looked just like a toad staring at a white swan. Unfortunately, his luck was poor today—he was sporting a red, swollen patch on his forehead, his originally handsome features had been deliberately dirtied to look perfectly ordinary, and paired with his shabby clothes, he looked like the absolute bottom of the barrel.

Perhaps he was staring a bit too intently, because the black-clad man hugging a sword on the other side of the beautiful young master shot him a cold, warning glare. The oppressive threat in that look was so intense that it snapped Ji Linxi back to reality. He subconsciously raised a hand to wipe his mouth.

Good, no drool.

He stole another glance at the beautiful young master, wanting to step forward. If Master Wang’s spy wasn’t right next to him, he really would have walked over to strike up a conversation. How hateful, what a pity—

Ji Linxi secretly jotted down another grudge against the Wang family in his heart, resolving to scam even more money out of them. Even regarding his tacit agreement to help Changgui, he wouldn’t mind playing the good guy and throwing in twenty percent more effort.

In just a short moment, Ji Linxi had adjusted himself. At least by the time the Wang family servant—who had also been staring blankly—looked over, Ji Linxi was once again that precocious, desireless Daoist priest.

The beautiful young master had reached the counter. He opened his mouth, and his voice was like pearls and jade clinking together, sounding even better than the gentle chiming of the jade pendants at his waist.

“Shopkeeper, please find me some top-quality medicinal herbs for the cold.” Though his tone was cool, it held a certain warmth, carrying a wisp of morning-mist-like chill that seeped through the skin and deep into the flesh, clearing one’s mind.

Ji Linxi pretended not to look sideways, walking to the side and appearing to seriously inspect the displayed herbs. He had read a lot of miscellaneous books; sometimes, when he was injured or sick and had no money for medicine, he would dig for herbs himself in the mountains. His serious demeanor while selecting herbs actually looked rather convincing, like a true expert.

Whenever he saw decent herbs he recognized, he asked the staff to pack a little up.

An indescribable, mysterious fragrance floated in the air. Ji Linxi couldn’t put it into words; he only felt that a single sniff made his entire body relax. He twitched his nose lightly. Naturally, he could tell this scent was coming from the beautiful young master. It was like the fragrance of an immortal. Never in his life had he smelled anything so exquisite—lingering and rich, yet not the least bit cloying. It simply hooked a person’s soul, making them wish they could follow it to the ends of the earth.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He pricked up his ears, attempting to catch any information about this beautiful young master.

Like where he lived, or his honorable name.

However, whether it was the previously sycophantic servant or the black-clad swordsman who had glared at him, both kept their mouths firmly shut after entering the apothecary. Ji Linxi couldn’t hear a single detail, leaving him scratching his heart and lungs in frustration.

Shortly after, the shopkeeper personally brought out the herbs and laid them on the counter. “Young Master, these are the finest herbs for treating the cold in our shop. Please take a look at what you need, or tell me the patient’s symptoms, and I will prepare a prescription for you.”

Standing nearby, the broad-shouldered, long-legged black-clad swordsman said, “Allow me, Young Master.”

The swordsman also looked like someone of unusual status, possessing a haughty, aristocratic air ordinary people lacked. Yet toward the beautiful young master, he maintained a perfectly respectful posture. One could easily guess that the beautiful young master’s status was far above his.

Ji Linxi swallowed hard, feeling an unbearable itch in his heart. Still, he had to pretend to ignore them on the surface, while secretly stealing glances out of the corner of his eye.

Looking at that hair, itch.

Looking at those cheeks, itch.

Looking at those lips, even itchier.

How could there be someone this good-looking? It was as if he had walked straight out of a painting—no, he looked even better than someone from a painting.

As for the black-clad swordsman who kept blocking his view, Ji Linxi inwardly spat.

An eyesore. What a complete eyesore.

The beautiful young master didn’t stay in the shop for long. Once the black-clad swordsman collected the herbs and tossed down some silver, the group left. Before stepping out, the servant beside him even lifted the heavy door curtain high, as if terrified the fabric might dirty the young master even a fraction.

Ji Linxi felt as if his soul had turned into one of those scholars from the Strange Tales of Liaozhai, drifting away right alongside that “beautiful young lady.”

“Daoist Chu…”
“Daoist Chu,”
“Daoist Chu?”

Ji Linxi snapped back to reality. “Huh?”

The Wang family servant said, “I called you several times, but you didn’t react.”

Because Ji Linxi had been standing frozen while seemingly staring at the herbs in his hand, the servant hadn’t realized he was actually zoning out over the young master from earlier.

Ji Linxi coughed lightly and put down the herbs. “I was just thinking about a few things,” he said. “I’ll just take these herbs. I don’t need anything else.”

The Wang family servant paid for the items, and the two left the apothecary together. The moment Ji Linxi stepped outside, he urgently looked in the direction the beautiful young master had left, but not a shadow remained.

There is a beauty; having seen him, I shall never forget.

At this very moment, Ji Linxi actually managed to dig out a phrase as pure and clean as a lotus flower from his pile of garbage knowledge. On the way back to the Wang estate, although the weather was still freezing, his body was burning terrifyingly hot.

Would they meet again? If they ever met again, he absolutely had to find out where he lived and which family he belonged to, so he could start saving up the bride price to propose at his door.

As for men and women, or the whole issue of matching genders—that was entirely outside Ji Linxi’s scope of consideration.

Right now, he was craving the other man’s body so badly. He was just a shameless degenerate.

……

Outside the apothecary, the beautiful young master who had been the target of Ji Linxi’s “love at first sight” boarded a carriage. A brazier was burning inside, making it much warmer than the outdoors. He unfastened his fox fur cloak, and Eunuch Chen, standing by his side, reached out with both hands to receive it.

Hugging the fox fur, Eunuch Chen smiled broadly and said, “If Second Young Master Shen knew that Your Highness personally came out to buy medicine for him, he would surely be deeply moved.”

Chu Yu lowered his eyes and said lightly, “Second Young Master Shen is a future pillar of our dynasty. If he falls ill, Imperial Father and Lord Shen will worry. It is merely buying a few herbs, nothing worth mentioning.”

“Do not bring this matter up in front of Second Young Master Shen.”

Eunuch Chen was momentarily stunned, then softly voiced his compliance.

That Second Young Master of the Shen family was a sickly person who fell ill at the drop of a hat. He couldn’t handle the heat, and he couldn’t handle the cold. However, despite his frail body, he possessed extraordinary talent. He was a brilliant prodigy; by age six, he could write essays worthy of high praise. By his early teens, poetry and songs flowed effortlessly from his fingertips. Later on, he wrote fewer poems and more political treatises. Many had mocked him for biting off more than he could chew, yet unexpectedly, out of the seven treatises he wrote, two were adopted and implemented by His Majesty, causing an instant uproar.

Such a figure naturally needed to be won over, not to mention he was the son of the Grand Tutor. Yet, for some unknown reason, Second Young Master Shen’s attitude toward His Highness was very distant. Eunuch Chen had wanted to use this errand to draw the two closer—this was also the Empress’s instruction—but he hadn’t expected His Highness to completely shut down the idea.

Chu Yu reached out and lifted the window curtain. Fresh air spilled in from the outside. His glazed, glass-like pupils watched the people coming and going. As the carriage started moving and passed by the apothecary, he saw the impoverished Daoist priest emerging from it—face covered in travel dust, forehead red and swollen. After a brief pause, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He shifted his gaze away and let the curtain drop.

“Upon returning to the inn, tell Yunsheng to come see me.”

__

[Author’s Note]
During their first meeting, the Gong (top) is despised by his “wife” because he’s too much of a horny, obsessive creep and a bit sleazy.