Xue Qin felt that he couldn't keep his ears anymore.

That day, he was just passing by the Firefly Study on his way to Qingxue Cliff when he saw Qi Yu rush out from inside with a look like he'd seen a ghost. Without so much as a greeting, he walked away with unsteady steps.

Xue Qin awkwardly retracted the hand he had raised to greet him and glanced curiously in the direction of the Firefly Study.

Qi Yu had left in such a hurry that he didn't even close the door. Standing at the entrance, Xue Qin could just make out some intermittent conversation from inside. One voice was clear and gentle, which should be Senior Brother Jiang. The other sounded lazy, responding noncommittally, more like Chu Jin's voice.

'Brother Chu is inside too?'

Xue Qin was startled. He looked again in the direction Qi Yu had gone, a question mark popping into his head.

Just as his imagination was running wild, the voices suddenly grew louder, as if the speaker had walked to the window. Xue Qin jumped in fright, hiding in a corner with a guilty conscience. He then heard Senior Brother Jiang's voice say, "This is my bed."

'Bed?'

Xue Qin subconsciously became alert.

Chu Jin seemed to reply with something, but he couldn't hear clearly. Immediately after, Senior Brother Jiang said again, "Who would have thought... with me... now... on the same bed."

Xue Qin: ?

His eyes widened, and he cleaned out his ears, suspecting he might have misheard.

'Right, it must be a misunderstanding. Senior Brother Jiang and Brother Chu were at odds before and only just reconciled a few days ago. We're all in the academy together, like brothers who have weathered storms. Sleeping in the same bed is nothing!'

'An upright man need not fear a crooked shadow.' Xue Qin straightened his back a little.

However, the next second: "How is it? Does it hurt?"

The expression of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and sincerity on Xue Qin's face cracked at the corner. He stood frozen in place. He stiffly twisted his neck, Senior Brother Jiang's words replaying in his mind as if poisoned, his voice as gentle and calm as ever, even carrying a hint of apprehension and concern.

"It doesn't hurt..." Xue Qin heard Chu Jin's voice, deliberately suppressed and intermittent, as if enduring something, "...it feels really good."

!!!!!!!!!!!

The expression Xue Qin had been struggling to maintain finally shattered completely, falling to the ground in pieces. He covered his mouth to prevent himself from crying out, his mind blank except for two words—

'It's over.'

'If I'm caught eavesdropping, I'll definitely die!!!'

The voices from the room didn't stop because of his breakdown, continuing to stream into Xue Qin's malfunctioning brain: "It's inevitable that it will hurt, just bear with it... you can bite my hand..."

Even at this point, Senior Brother Jiang's voice was still gentle, but to his ears now, it sounded like the bewitching whisper of a demon. Xue Qin was shocked! He was speechless!

'Senior Brother, who has always been so calm and gentle, actually has such a dominant side. A gentle knife truly cuts the deepest.'

Xue Qin heard Chu Jin suck in a sharp breath. "Senior Brother... what if I cry from the pain later?"

Crying from the pain...

Crying from pain...

Crying...

Xue Qin suddenly shivered. The last shred of his sanity supported his body as he stumbled away, his face blank, clinging to the wall. He ran a long way, not stopping until he could no longer hear any sounds from the Firefly Study and was in a place where he wouldn't be found, finally pausing with lingering fear.

He looked back and saw Qi Yu was also there. "..."

The two looked at each other for a moment, then spoke in unison—

"I don't know!"

"I didn't hear anything!"

Silence.

The two exchanged a heavy glance, and Qi Yu was the first to speak. "You know?"

Xue Qin was shocked. "Brother Qi, you knew all along?"

"I suppose, but I just confirmed it now." Qi Yu huffed twice. "I felt something was off before."

"Then... you've accepted it this quickly?" Xue Qin asked cautiously.

"What's there to accept or not accept?" Qi Yu was baffled. "There's nothing strange about it." 'They just got together, that's all.'

Xue Qin coughed. "I just didn't expect Senior Brother Jiang to be so dominant in this kind of matter..."

Qi Yu nodded thoughtfully. "Jiang Zhen can indeed be quite assertive and stubborn about certain things, the type to not turn back even after hitting a wall... You just don't know." 'After all, back then at the Shen Manor, when Shen Ke was administering family punishment, he didn't make a single sound.'

"I see." Xue Qin came to a realization. No wonder Brother Chu was also being subdued.

Qi Yu waved his hand and said, "Anyway, let's keep this a secret for now... I didn't see you today either."

Xue Qin nodded repeatedly. Even if someone forced him, he wouldn't dare say a word.

Even so, he still hid for several days, not daring to go out, afraid of running into the two people involved and having his secret seen through at a glance.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished. On the fifth day of hiding, he was finally forced to the entrance of the Firefly Study.

Xue Qin hid in the bushes. Seeing Chu Jin enter the room, he felt a massive headache coming on. He lamented for a long time, then hesitantly emerged from his corner and stood anxiously at the door for a while. Before he could figure out what to say, the door was suddenly opened from the inside, catching him completely off guard.

He saw the lingering trace of a smile on Senior Brother Jiang's lips. Caught off guard by the sight of him, his expression stiffened abruptly. "Xue Qin?"

"S-Senior Brother, I didn't mean to peek... No! I wasn't peeking!"

Xue Qin felt he couldn't explain himself. After half a day of incoherent babbling, he finally cleared himself of the suspicion of spying. "Teacher sent me to retrieve a painting and calligraphy."

Shen Mengzhi was only startled for a moment when he opened the door. By now, his expression was back to normal. He nodded at his words. "Come in and wait, I'll go get it for you."

"Uh... no need, Senior Brother!" Thinking of Chu Jin still inside, Xue Qin's face turned pale with fright. "I'll just wait outside!"

Seeing his expression, Shen Mengzhi was speechless for a moment. "What's with that look on your face?"

Xue Qin had no choice but to answer truthfully, "I saw Brother Chu go in before I came."

Although he didn't know what they were doing, his intuition told him not to barge in rashly. Xue Qin trusted his intuition very much.

However, the answer he received was beyond his expectations.

"Chu Jin, he..." Shen Mengzhi paused subtly. "He came to help me plant flowers."

"Plant flowers?"

Under Xue Qin's dumbfounded gaze, he moved aside slightly with a complicated expression, revealing the scene in the courtyard.

Chu Jin was wearing the practical attire he used for sword practice. His long hair was tied neatly in a ponytail that fell over his chest, glossy black like silk. He had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing elegantly shaped arms. His ten jade-like fingers rested lightly on a hoe. His stance was casual, and hearing the noise, he turned to look towards them against the sunlight.

The sound in Xue Qin's throat got stuck, coming to an abrupt halt and turning into a strange gurgle.

Who would have thought that the dignified Heir of Old Qin, the Pearl of the Nine Provinces whose hands had never touched menial work, was now planting flowers in the earth of Yanling.

Xue Qin looked at Shen Mengzhi in horror. "Senior Brother! If word of this gets out, it'll be bad for relations between our two states, won't it!"

'Wouldn't it make the monarch of Old Qin think that Yanling is mistreating his son!'

Hearing this, Chu Jin narrowed his eyes into a smile and chimed in, "See, Senior Brother? You're working me so hard that even bystanders can't bear to watch."

The truth was, Chu Jin had lost a game of chess to him, which was why Shen Mengzhi assigned him this task.

Shen Mengzhi was speechless at his attempt to turn the tables. He turned back to meet Xue Qin's silently condemning gaze. "..."

He felt utterly exasperated, sighed helplessly, and said to Xue Qin, "Come inside with me."

Xue Qin tensed up, sensing he might have said something wrong, and immediately fell silent. Remembering his original purpose for coming, he dutifully entered the house to retrieve the painting and calligraphy, then crossed the courtyard without a sideways glance. It wasn't until he pushed the door open and left that he let out a sigh of relief and scurried away.

The uninvited guest was gone, but the person who was supposed to come out remained in the house. Chu Jin waited under the sun for a long time. Seeing that Shen Mengzhi still had no intention of coming out to find him, he raised an eyebrow slightly, tossed the hoe aside, and went into the house to look for him.

A faint, elegant orchid fragrance filled the room. Wisps of green smoke curled up from the bronze censer. Shen Mengzhi sat quietly by the window, mixing incense.

Chu Jin walked over softly, his tone teasing. "Senior Brother, why did you leave me hanging outside and hide in here by yourself?"

Without looking up, Shen Mengzhi said, "Until you've finished planting that flower patch, I plan to be a mute to keep you from acting up."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Chu Jin sat down opposite him, propping his cheek on his hand to watch him mix the spices in the dish.

With one hand supporting his jaw and the other rubbing his shoulder, he said, "This won't do. If you don't talk to me, I won't have the strength to work."

Shen Mengzhi glanced at him but didn't reply.

"We agreed to compensate Qi Yu with a jar of wine together, but in the end, I'm the only one planting gardenias," Chu Jin tried to reason with him again. "You're breaking your promise."

The other party turned a deaf ear, remaining perfectly still, acting as if it were true.

"Really not talking anymore?" Chu Jin smiled. "Then does that mean whatever I ask now, you won't say 'no'?"

Shen Mengzhi paused, deciding to hear what he had to say.

He then heard the Heir ask calmly, "Can I kiss you? Silence means consent."

"..."

Chu Jin immediately beamed, swiftly and precisely planting a kiss on the other's cheek.

Seeing the other person cover their face and still not speak, his teasing mood grew, and he asked again, "Can I bite you?"

"?"

Shen Mengzhi glared at him, his eyes clearly saying, 'Are you a dog?'

The next second, however, a sharp pain shot through his ear, as if someone had bitten it punishingly. Immediately after, a warm, wet tongue brushed over his earlobe, sending a ticklish sensation through him. His hand trembled, and most of the spices spilled out.

Shen Mengzhi: "..."

'Indeed, a restless person will be restless no matter what.'

Seeing that Chu Jin was about to ask again, he preemptively grabbed a Pear Blossom Crisp from the table and stuffed it into the other's mouth, cutting off his words.

With the Pear Blossom Crisp in his mouth, Chu Jin was stunned for a second, then his eyes slowly curved into crescents as he chewed and swallowed the pastry.

When he finished one piece, Shen Mengzhi would feed him another, as if coaxing a child. Chu Jin wasn't annoyed, looking very easy to coax. It wasn't until Shen Mengzhi had fed him the last Pear Blossom Crisp that he licked his lips, still wanting more, and said, "So sweet."

After a rare moment of peace, Shen Mengzhi realized the plate was already empty. He was taken aback. These Pear Blossom Crisps could be quite rich if one ate too many. He never expected Chu Jin would accept them all without refusal. He wondered if he was full.

Chu Jin looked at him, and a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He said in a low voice, "Senior Brother."

Shen Mengzhi still remembered he was pretending to be mute, so he kept his head down and ignored him.

Chu Jin called again in a lazy voice, "Senior Brother."

"..."

He drew out the word, "Se—nior Bro—ther."

"..."

Shen Mengzhi frowned and finally looked up.

But he saw something flash before his eyes, followed by a weight on his temple. Chu Jin had already withdrawn his hand and was gazing at him with a smile.

After a long moment, he praised him earnestly, "Beautiful."

In the man's hair was a gardenia blossom, as white as snow, its cool fragrance like flawless jade. Nestled in his dark hair, it looked like a pearl dangling from black jade.

After all this, Shen Mengzhi could no longer keep up his pretense. He stared at him wordlessly for a moment, then deigned to speak, asking an unrelated question, "Is my bedsheet washed?"

Finally getting him to speak, Chu Jin was in a very good mood. "Of course. Do you want to inspect it?"

A bedsheet personally washed by the dignified Heir of Old Qin was a treatment that perhaps not even the monarch of Old Qin received. Shen Mengzhi felt a little strange. "Just bring it another day."

Chu Jin smiled. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a soft click. A green-feathered bird landed on the windowsill, tilting its head to look at them.

Shen Mengzhi's attention was also drawn to it. "Imperial Censor?"

Imperial Censor came closer and affectionately rubbed against his hand, only to be lifted up by the scruff of his neck by Chu Jin the next second.

The parrot squawked a few times, its suddenly wide eyes meeting its master's slightly narrowed ones. The latter, having been interrupted, clearly looked displeased. "What are you doing?"

Imperial Censor immediately stopped struggling. Its sharp beak uttered a line of poetry: "The moon rises above the treetops—"

A flicker passed through Chu Jin's eyes. He frowned imperceptibly, then his expression returned to normal.

"It's 'the moon rises above the willow tips'." He tapped the bird's head lightly. "You can't even recite it correctly, and you still want to show off."

Imperial Censor lowered its head, aggrieved.

Shen Mengzhi stroked its feathers, unable to hold back a smile. "Why are you making things difficult for it?"

Although pets weren't allowed in the academy, everyone was exceptionally fond of this eloquent bird, so Shen Mengzhi had made a rare exception and allowed it to stay.

He reached out, took the last remaining Pear Blossom Crisp from the box, and placed it in front of Imperial Censor. "Here."

Imperial Censor's eyes lit up, and it immediately lowered its head to peck at it—

—and pecked at empty air.

A hand had calmly snatched the delicate pastry away and, under its watchful eyes, placed the Pear Blossom Crisp into his mouth.

Facing the stares of one person and one bird, Chu Jin smiled faintly. "This one is mine too."

"..."

Imperial Censor: "Villains are hard to raise!!!"