Chapter Bonanza (4/5)

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By the time Yan Shaoxuan returned from the county office, it was already late. Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng had just finished reconciling the accounts and were stepping out of the side room when they happened to run into him coming through the arched gate.

Under the deep blue moonlight, Yan Shaoxuan’s handsome face looked as if it were covered in a layer of frost, utterly cold. Upon seeing Yan Xiaoyu, his expression froze for a moment, and the emotions in his eyes were dark and inscrutable.

“How much did you drink? How strong does the alcohol smell?” Yan Shaocheng walked up to Yan Shaoxuan and only then noticed that something was wrong with his expression. “What’s with that look on your face? Did something happen at the banquet?”

Yan Xiaoyu hurried forward: “Is it that Magistrate Zhong is coming up with another scheme to cause trouble?”

Yan Shaoxuan shook his head. “Big Brother, go back to your room first. I’d like to have a word with Yu-ger alone.”

Yan Shaocheng was a little worried, but after Yan Shaoxuan gave him a look, he finally left, turning back to say, “Yu-ger, if anything happens, just call out to me.” 

Yan Xiaoyu nodded. “Alright, don’t worry.”

Yan Shaocheng returned to his room, and Yan Shaoxuan led Yan Xiaoyu into the side room.

The side room was cramped, furnished only with a bookshelf, a wooden table, and a chair—it usually served as their study. Earlier, from a distance outside, he hadn’t noticed it, but once the door was closed, Yan Xiaoyu caught the scent of alcohol on Yan Shaoxuan. Mixed with the fragrance of pine and ink, it wasn’t exactly unpleasant, but it lent an air of aggressiveness to a man who was usually so aloof.

“Ahem.” Yan Xiaoyu turned away from Yan Shaoxuan’s piercing gaze. “Didn’t you have something to say to me? Why have you gone quiet again?”

As he spoke, he started to walk toward the table, but just as he turned around, he felt a warmth on his back—someone had wrapped their arms around him from behind. Yan Xiaoyu’s heart was racing; it felt as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her head, and her face grew fiercely hot.

Yan Erlang must really be drunk—a man who was usually so careful not to cross any boundaries had actually dared to embrace him today! Xiao Yu stood motionless, her face flushed, but her heart was racing with excitement.

“Xiaoyu…” Yan Shaoxuan’s voice was hoarse. “Shall we get married sooner rather than later?”

“Didn’t we say that once Big Brother and Big Sister got married, we’d ask Nian-ger to discuss our engagement?” Yan Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then turned his head slightly, the corners of her mouth turned up as she looked at the man behind her. “Can’t you wait?”

“I can’t wait.” Yan Shaoxuan rubbed his chin against Yan Xiaoyu’s head. “It’s been too long.”

“Yan Erlang, you’re so unreasonable when you’re drunk!” Yan Xiaoyu gently nudged him with his head, his voice slurring, “If we set the date next month, even if we wait until next year, we can still get married—how is that too long…?” 

After he finished speaking, he waited for Yan Shaoxuan to explain, but received no response for quite some time.

Yan Shaoxuan’s breathing was a bit heavy, and Yan Xiaoyu felt the skin at the corner of his forehead grow itchy and tingly, making his heart race uncontrollably. He struggled to turn around, his tone a mix of playfulness and reproach: “Are you done hugging me yet—”

Mid-sentence, he suddenly noticed that Yan Shaoxuan’s jaw was clenched and his cheeks were flushed crimson, as if he were struggling to suppress his emotions.

Yan Xiaoyu instinctively pulled him close. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Yan Shaoxuan held him tightly: “It’s nothing.”

“What do you mean, ‘nothing’? Something’s clearly wrong!” Yan Xiaoyu raised his eyebrows, tilted his head back, and glared at him. “If you still want to marry me, then you’d better tell me everything honestly! I can’t stand it when people keep things hidden and won’t speak plainly. Husbands and wives should be especially honest with each other. You’re not allowed to hide anything from me now, and you never will be! Otherwise, just wait and see what I’ll do to you!!” 

His rough, stern scolding somehow managed to dispel the unease and restlessness in Yan Shaoxuan’s heart.

“……” The look on Yan Shaoxuan’s face was hard to describe. “I’ll tell you.”

Sinking into a chair, Yan Shaoxuan obediently repeated everything Magistrate Zhong had said. Yan Xiaoyu slammed her fist on the table and cursed, “That shameless old scoundrel—how dare he have his eye on me?!” 

“He should have given up by now, but you still need to be on your guard. Always take someone with you when you go out—you must never go out alone again.” Yan Shaoxuan’s expression darkened: “I’ll also find a way to make him give up on you for good.”

Yan Xiaoyu nodded. “I’ll be careful. Don’t worry—ordinary people won’t fare well with me either.”

How could Yan Shaoxuan possibly feel at ease?

They discussed matters for quite a while longer, eventually returning to the topic of arranging a marriage.

Yan Shaoxuan spoke in a pensive tone: “You said that being honest with each other is the only way to avoid misunderstandings, yet you’ve been avoiding the topic of our marriage all along. You agreed to it earlier, but only reluctantly, and you still haven’t told me outright what your reservations are.”

He tried his best to appear nonchalant, but Yan Xiaoyu could still see right through the tension and concern in his eyes. Yan Xiaoyu had actually planned to talk to him about it, but with so many things going on lately, she hadn’t found the right opportunity. Plus, the matter was really hard to bring up—even if he weren’t the shy type, he’d still be at a loss for words.

But now that they were discussing marriage, it was indeed time to set the record straight.

“Um…” Yan Xiaoyu blurted out, “If you marry me, you might end up with no heirs!” 

“…What do you mean?”

Yan Xiaoyu shot him a glance.

Having been in this world for quite some time, Yan Xiaoyu had come to terms with his identity as a “ger,” and he was no longer as averse to the idea of a “ger” having children.

It’s just that for a man like him, having children is a difficult feat—it’s practically a gamble with his life—and Yan Xiaoyu didn’t consider himself that selfless.

After all, Yan Shaoxuan was a traditional “ancient person,” and upon hearing this, Yan Xiaoyu felt annoyed.

“Is that all?” 

“What else could it be?”

Yan Xiaoyu looked puzzled. He hadn’t expected that, after being told he’d leave no descendants, Yan Shaoxuan would dismiss it as “just that”?

Fearing Yan Shaoxuan might not have understood, Yan Xiaoyu carefully explained it all over again. “Once we’re married, I won’t have children, and you can’t have children with anyone else either—you’ll have no heirs.” 

“If we don’t, then so be it.”

Yan Shaoxuan quietly let out a sigh of relief.

He’d thought Yu-ger wasn’t that fond of him, which was why he’d been so hesitant, but it turned out he just didn’t want to have children.

He thought for a moment, then said earnestly, “It’s for the best that we don’t have children. Childbirth is always a bit risky for you, gers.” 

Yan Xiaoyu’s expression froze in surprise; it was as if the ice that had long blocked his heart had melted, and a warm breeze swept through his heart, leaving him feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

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For several days, Yan Shaoxuan came and went like a ghost, and no one knew what he was up to. Then, one day, he sent Yan Xiaoyu a pair of exquisitely crafted sleeve darts, telling him to carry them whenever he went out.

Yan Xiaoyu couldn’t put it down; though he thought Yan Shaoxuan was being a bit dramatic, he accepted it without hesitation. In fact, as long as he stayed near the Yuye Pavilion, his safety shouldn’t be an issue.

Yan Shaoxuan’s stance that day was crystal clear: even if Magistrate Zhong hadn’t given up, he wouldn’t dare to act openly. And as for acting covertly, he wouldn’t have had much of a chance anyway.

With so many people coming and going at the Yuye Pavilion and so many eyes watching, it was hard for anything to go wrong. Yan Xiaoyu didn’t need to go out much anyway—he’d only occasionally go out to buy breakfast.

Whenever he went to buy breakfast, she inevitably took Yan Xiaoyue with him. The girl was timid, but when cornered, she could hold her own against one person. With Yan Xiaoyu by her side, the combined fighting power of the siblings would easily handle four or five burly men.

Besides, Xiao Jiu seemed to have caught on to something; he followed Yan Xiaoyu every time he went out.

Miss Fu and Young Master Zhong have become friends, and now that they’re seeing each other frequently, there’s no need for Nian-ger to act as a go-between anymore. After consulting Xiao Jiu, Yan Xiaoyu took him in at the Yuye Pavilion.

Right now, Xiao Jiu is in the kitchen helping Aunt Sun wash dishes and clean the stove room. Yan Xiaoyu wants to see what he’s good at first before making any other arrangements. Xiao Jiu has resumed his identity as a ger; he’s shaved off his beard, washed up, and freshened up. With this change in appearance, he’s practically unrecognizable from before.

His facial features were sharp and angular, still somewhat masculine, but he certainly no longer looked like the little beggar he used to be.

Xiao Jiu was quick-witted and cunning, highly vigilant, and a better fighter than the average person. Whenever Yan Xiaoyue and her brother went out, if Yan Shaocheng couldn’t make himself available, he would have Xiao Jiu accompany them.

The boy seemed to admire Yan Xiaoyu particularly, following his every word and appearing utterly loyal.

On his first day at Yuye Pavilion, he told Yan Xiaoyu everything about the affair between Miss Fu and Young Master Zhong.

Unlike what the young man had said, Xiao Jiu claimed that Miss Fu wasn’t as innocent and harmless as she appeared—she was actually quite calculating. She had been wavering between Yan Yonghe and Young Master Zhong all along, and even though she’d grown closer to Young Master Zhong now, it didn’t necessarily mean she’d chosen him.

She was still seeing other scholars, and she hadn’t completely given up on Yan Yonghe either. Yan Xiaoyu was only too happy to see this happen.

While Yan Yonghe certainly isn’t a good match, neither is Zhong necessarily. If Miss Fu can find a man of good character on her own—even if his circumstances aren’t as favorable as Zhong’s or Yan’s—it would still be better than marrying into a family like theirs.

It’s just that Nian-ger would lose a business opportunity. However, Nian-ger hasn’t come away empty-handed recently. The other day, while dining at the Yuye Pavilion, a woman who had been venting her frustrations to Nian-ger—worried that her son wouldn’t be able to find a wife—had, thanks to Nian-ger’s matchmaking, successfully found a bride for her son.

On top of that, Nian-ger had also taken care of the errand Luo Qingxian had asked him to run for her.

That day, when Yan Shaoxuan mentioned that his senior disciple had also passed the imperial examination, Nian-ger smiled, and Yan Xiaoyu immediately caught on. Sure enough, just a few days later, he heard that Master Luo’s daughter had become engaged to his disciple.

At Yan Shaoxuan’s banquet to thank his teacher, that senior disciple also attended. Yan Xiaoyu went over to take a look; he was quite fair-skinned and seemed well-suited to Luo Qingxian. Although Nian-ger had initially told a lie, he hadn’t entirely slandered Yan Shaoxuan. Master Luo did indeed intend to marry his granddaughter to Yan Shaoxuan, only he hadn’t told Yan Shaoxuan about it, though Luo Qingxian was aware of the plan.

Unfortunately, Yan Shaoxuan was in love with Yan Xiaoyu, and Luo Qingxian had long since set her sights on Yan Shaoxuan’s senior classmate.

Yan Shaoxuan said his senior classmate had a temperament that was “wise yet seemingly simple.” Compared to Master Luo’s other disciples, such as Yu, his natural aptitude wasn’t outstanding, but he was neither arrogant nor impatient; he possessed perseverance and endurance, and in the long run, he was no worse than anyone else.

To act as a matchmaker for Luo Qingxian, Nian-ger stayed at the Yuye Pavilion for a few extra days; he returned to Xiling Village with Yan Xiaoyu and the others after more than ten days, all in the interest of his matchmaking business.

—Yan Shaocheng and Yan Xiaoyue were about to get married.