Glancing sharply at Li Qingnian, Fu Huo tried to curry favor by secretly tugging on Chu Xiangtian’s finger while giving Li Qingnian a vigorous look.
“I’m not going. You all go have fun.”
But that chubby Li Qingnian, usually so clever, completely missed Fu Huo’s hint at the crucial moment.
Thinking Fu Huo had bodyguards and felt a bit awkward, he waved his hand generously to Chu Xiangtian, “You should come along too. If your Shaoye gets drunk, you can help bring him back.”
Chu Xiangtian glanced at the Little Marquis, who was quietly tugging on his sleeve, and forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes as he said to Li Qingnian, “Then I’ll respectfully accept.”
Li Qingnian grinned foolishly, nudged Fu Tian with his arm, and with obvious excitement whispered, as if no one else could hear, “There’ll be even more fun later. I guarantee you’ll like it.”
Fu Huo cursed him a hundred times inside his head.
After Li Qingnian finished speaking, he chuckled and hurried after the group ahead.
Fu Tian followed slowly behind, with Chu Xiangtian trailing just a half-step behind him.
Feeling guilty, Fu Tian looked around nervously and pleaded, “Let’s not go, okay?”
Chu Xiangtian smiled faintly, “I’ve never been to a flower wine house before. I want to broaden my horizons.”
Hearing the Little Marquis was going to drink flower wine behind his back, Chu Xiangtian’s heart felt like a tipped-over vinegar jar—jealousy flaring up fiercely, wishing he could just snatch him back and give him a good scolding on the bed.
But seeing the Little Marquis’s pleading expression, that sour taste in his heart faded.
With Fu Tian’s temperament, even if they went, it would just be drinking a little and having some snacks.
With the bitterness gone, Chu Xiangtian couldn’t help but tease him.
Fu Tian felt guilty but was still unhappy hearing Chu Xiangtian wanted to go “broaden his horizons.” Pouting, he grumbled, “I’m only drinking wine, and you’re only allowed to drink wine too.”
Chu Xiangtian suppressed a laugh and responded with a cryptic “Hmm.”
The madam at Spring Breeze Pavilion saw their group and greeted them cheerfully, leading them into the same private room as last time.
Everyone sat cross-legged casually while the girls came in, holding musical instruments one after another.
Soon, the decadent music began, and Li Qingnian and the others started playing dice.
Fu Tian didn’t join in, sitting cross-legged on the side, eyes burning as he glared at Chu Xiangtian.
Chu Xiangtian smirked, lifting his cup to take a small sip. “The wine’s not bad.”
“There’ll be even better soon.” Li Qingnian chuckled twice, making Fu Tian’s scalp tingle with unease.
Just then, two more girls slowly entered.
Unlike the musicians, these two dancers wore exotic foreign clothes that clung seductively.
The fabric was light and sheer; every movement revealed glimpses of their snow-white skin.
Fu Tian glanced once but dared not look again, turning his head awkwardly.
“Weren’t you only going to drink wine?”
Chu Xiangtian leaned close to his ear, lips brushing lightly over the sensitive earlobe.
“We didn’t have this last time.”
Fu Tian dodged him, rubbing his ear vigorously.
Li Qingnian and the others had stopped playing dice and were now watching the dance.
Where they learned such seductive and bold moves, no one knew.
Paired with those sheer skirts, it only fueled the imagination.
The young masters, all fresh to the scene, soon became drunk and began tossing jade pendants and gold and silver trinkets toward the dancers recklessly.
Chu Xiangtian and Fu Tian sat further inside, their presence ignored.
Chu Xiangtian’s movements grew bolder.
His rough palm lightly massaged the back of Fu Tian’s neck—not too hard, not too soft.
Fu Tian pitifully shrank his neck, eyes glistening as he looked at Chu Xiangtian, a bit aggrieved but especially obedient.
Originally, Chu Xiangtian only wanted to tease him, but as his breathing deepened, he leaned closer.
His tall frame nearly enveloped Fu Tian entirely.
“Shall we go inside?”
The private room had a separate compartment for guests to rest.
Before Fu Tian could reply, Chu Xiangtian half-carried him toward the compartment.
Fu Tian’s face flushed deeply as he buried it in Chu Xiangtian’s arms, like someone drunk.
The compartment’s lighting was dim; light filtering through multicolored silk curtains cast a blurry, intimate glow on them.
Once out of sight of the others, Chu Xiangtian pulled the shy boy from his embrace and pressed a fierce kiss on him.
Fu Tian half-closed his eyes, clutching Chu Xiangtian’s clothes to steady himself, emitting muffled hums from his throat.
Only when Chu Xiangtian let go did he whisper softly, aggrieved, “I’ve never seen that before.”
Chu Xiangtian knew perfectly well he hadn’t.
He trailed his nose along the boy’s cheek until he reached the delicate earlobe and, in a low, husky voice said, “I know. I just… wanted a reason to kiss you.”
The Little Marquis’s aggrieved yet obedient refusal was too tempting.
Chu Xiangtian wished he could swallow him whole.
Unfortunately, the setting wasn’t right.
So he restrained himself, kissing him for a while until Fu Tian’s eyes and nose were flushed red, then carried him out.
Outside, everyone was already staggering drunk.
The two dancers had vanished.
Fu Tian looked around, realizing two people were missing and guessed exactly where they had gone.
“Don’t hang out with them so much in the future.”
Chu Xiangtian frowned and kicked the mud-puddle-like Li Qingnian lying on the ground, giving him a rough grunt.
Leaving a note for Li Qingnian, Fu Tian tidied his somewhat disheveled clothes before returning with Chu Xiangtian.
Back at the mansion, as Fu Tian’s mind cleared, he realized Chu Xiangtian wasn’t truly angry—it was all an act to tease him.
He glared at him in a huff, “I’m going to the Shu Fang. You’re not allowed to come!”
Before leaving, he stomped hard on Chu Xiangtian’s foot.
“Ouch!” Chu Xiangtian sucked in a couple of breaths, watching the Little Marquis walk away, slowly curling into a gentle smile.
Fu Tian went to the Shu Fang to attend to business.
Recently, news had come from Xishan Manor—the village where the West Mountain Stronghold people had settled—saying they would soon begin harvesting the rice.
Since the manor had planted the New Rice Strain Fu Tian had provided, he was especially attentive to the crops’ growth.
If the results matched what the old farmers said, they could widely adopt the New Rice Strain and even plant another season before the severe drought fully arrived, stocking up more grain.
Fu Tian carefully read through the documents sent by various manors and shops.
The last was the report from West Mountain Stronghold.
The report was detailed and close to prior estimates.
A few days ago, Xishan Manor’s rice had started to be harvested, earlier than other villages.
Yet the grain yield per mu of land was higher.
The fields being harvested now produced at least three shi of grain per mu, some even nearly five shi.
At such a time, this was truly encouraging news.
Fu Tian stood and spun happily, sending someone to spread the word.
In a few days, he would personally go to Xishan Manor and tell them to keep all the harvested grain, without selling any.
Grain.
Excitedly pulling out an abacus to calculate, the manor had over one hundred and eighty mu of land.
If each mu yielded three shi, that was five hundred and forty shi in total.
For the poor common folk, one mu could feed a family of five.
If they rationed carefully, even two families could be supported.
And that was counting on the lowest yield.
According to the reported data, the actual harvest would definitely exceed five hundred and forty shi.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his excitement, Fu Tian still couldn’t shake the happiness even after dinner.
Dai Fu removed his Head Ornament, puzzled by his expression.
“Shaoye, is there some happy news?”
Fu Tian nodded and rolled on the bed hugging his quilt, “Great happy news.”
Since nothing had happened recently, Dai Fu thought he meant the matter with Chu Xiangtian, inhaled sharply in shock, and worriedly withdrew.
Once Dai Fu left, Fu Tian suddenly remembered something, jumped out of bed barefoot, locked the bedroom door from the inside, and happily curled up with his quilt.
Thus, the nighttime visitor was left standing outside with a dark expression.
That was when the grudge began…
Chu Xiangtian sighed helplessly, turned, and went to open the window.
At least it wasn’t locked, so he nimbly climbed in through the window.
The candles inside hadn’t been extinguished.
The gentle candlelight flickered slightly in the breeze Chu Xiangtian brought in.
He walked to the bedside, looking at the sleeping figure in the dim glow.
The Little Marquis was sound asleep, eyes closed tightly.
Squinting, Chu Xiangtian teasingly touched his cheek with his fingertips.
Fu Tian, bothered and half-asleep, opened his eyes and saw a tall shadow by the window.
Before he could scream, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he recognized the face.
The Little Marquis, roused from his sleep, scowled, “How did you get in here?”
Chu Xiangtian pointed at the window, grinning mischievously.
“Still angry?”
Fu Tian snorted, showing his mood plainly.
Chu Xiangtian slowly leaned toward him and said softly, “Then how about I make it up to you?”
“How will you make it up?” Fu Tian still remembered him climbing through the window, glaring at him sullenly.
Chu Xiangtian smirked, removing his outer robe to reveal only his inner garment, and said suggestively, “How about I warm your bed, Shaoye?”