Picky Eater - He's Jealous

The painted boats on the Qiu Jiang were reduced to a sea of fire, reflecting a blood-red hue across the horizon. The waters of the Xishan Gorge had never been so turbulent, the waves roaring like thunder, reverberating throughout the entire city of Xufang.

Such a phenomenon was almost terrifying. Later, historical records would document this event, naming it the 'Autumn River Ritual'.

Only when the mass of flames was completely extinguished in the river water did Shen Mengzhi withdraw his gaze.

He turned to look at the riverbank, where on a small boat that had just docked, a group of Great Qin court officials, looking somewhat disheveled, were being helped by guards toward a safe area.

He merely glanced at the officials in front before his gaze landed on one person in particular.

That person was walking at the back, his expression grim. Surrounded by a crowd, he walked out unhurriedly. Facing the fawning of others, he had no mind to deal with them, impatiently waving his hand before striding toward his carriage.

Shen Mengzhi watched him get into the carriage, lost in thought.

This must be Great Qin's Grand Censor, Li Sheng. For him to reveal such a flustered side, he must have suffered a great loss at someone's hands.

Thinking of this, Shen Mengzhi smiled.

Just then, the last person disembarked from the boat.

The man appeared to be around thirty years old, with a composed expression and a tall, handsome figure. A guard waiting on the bank reached out to help him, but he waved it away, leaping lightly from the bow of the boat and landing steadily on the shore.

He lowered his head to adjust his attire and handed his sword to his personal attendant. But as he reached out, he paused slightly, then suddenly raised his eyes and looked in Shen Mengzhi's direction.

The place where Shen Mengzhi stood was exceptionally concealed and almost impossible to spot. The man's gaze searched the area, but seemingly finding nothing, he lowered his head again.

The moment the man looked over, Shen Mengzhi had hidden behind a tree. Without needing much thought, he quickly confirmed the man's identity.

Great Qin's Grand Marshal, Xu Ying.

The general who single-handedly helped the Prince Regent ascend to his position, Chu Jin's most capable assistant.

He lowered his eyelashes, and after a long moment, he sighed.

When most of Great Qin's officials had left, Shen Mengzhi finally stepped out from behind the tree. He gazed through the darkening twilight but did not see Chu Jin's figure.

But he knew the other was surely fine—in fact, he was probably doing very well, or else that Censor Li's expression would not have been so ugly. The reason Chu Jin hadn't appeared was either because it was inconvenient for him to travel with this group, or he had other important matters and had already left without a word.

Shen Mengzhi sat by the tree in a daze for a while. Once the sky was completely dark, he patted the dust off his clothes, stood up, and walked toward the academy.

Due to the ritual these past few days, the city roads had been specially cleared, and there were no pedestrians. When he passed by the place where he had been pestered on the day of the Shangyuan Festival, he stopped again to look—the place was empty, with no one in sight.

Shen Mengzhi reined in his thoughts and stopped letting his mind wander.

He walked calmly to the foot of Heshan and began climbing the steps. He had been climbing these stone steps up the mountain for over ten years; he wouldn't miss a step even with his eyes closed. In the past, he would always climb to the top in one go without any distractions, but today, as if moved by some inexplicable impulse, he turned back to look again.

Still no one.

The other person really had left without so much as a word.

After standing still for a long time, Shen Mengzhi turned back around and walked toward the main entrance of the academy.

It got dark quickly on the mountain, and with no lamps lit, he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He fumbled his way forward from memory, found a lamp, and was just about to light the wick when he was suddenly tripped by something and stumbled forward.

Shen Mengzhi instinctively reached out to brace his fall, only to have his hand unexpectedly grabbed. He crashed directly into someone's arms.

His expression turned cold. He struggled to sit up, his fingers curling and then extending to grip the person's neck as he asked in a frigid voice, "Who?"

The other person didn't answer, so Shen Mengzhi went ahead and lit the lamp. After seeing the person's face, his expression abruptly stiffened.

His hand trembled, and he nearly dropped the lamp on the person. "You... didn't leave?"

Chu Jin, pinned beneath him, looked at him leisurely. "Do you want me to leave?"

As he spoke, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, sending a minuscule electric current through Shen Mengzhi's palm, both itchy and tingly. The latter snatched his hand back as if burned, and upon realizing he was sitting on top of him, he immediately stood up, his body stiff.

He waited until his heartbeat calmed down before asking, "When did you get here?"

"I came right after I got off the boat," Chu Jin said in a low voice. "But you weren't here, and the academy wasn't open, so I sat at the entrance waiting for you. The sky turned dark, and you still hadn't returned."

"You finally came back, and you nearly fell. I kindly helped you, only to have you grab my neck and question me."

After he finished speaking, he sat quietly on the steps before the academy entrance, his eyelashes lowered. He looked obedient and pitiful, appearing genuinely wronged.

If Lu Qing were to see the Prince Regent—who could kill and commit arson on the Qiu Jiang without batting an eye—acting like this in private, he would surely come over with a look of seeing a ghost to check if he had been replaced by an impostor.

"..." Shen Mengzhi said, "I thought you were someone else."

Hearing this, a glint flashed in Chu Jin's eyes as he asked softly, "Am I very different to you?"

Shen Mengzhi was taken aback, not knowing how his train of thought had jumped to this. He was silent for a long time, but in the end, reason prevailed. He said vaguely, "You, like Qi Yu and the others, are all very special people to me."

Chu Jin stared at him. After a long moment, the corners of his lips slowly curled into a cold sneer. "How very special indeed."

He stood up, instantly changing Shen Mengzhi's perspective from looking down to looking up. "I came tonight to say goodbye."

Shen Mengzhi blinked but didn't speak.

The Prince Regent was truly angry now. He suddenly raised his hand and pinched Shen Mengzhi's cheek, with a hint of exasperation. "Don't you have anything to say?"

The other used a bit of force. Although it didn't hurt, it was an unsightly look. Shen Mengzhi struggled a little but couldn't break free; the soft flesh of his cheek was still held firmly.

He had no choice but to maintain this posture and say amiably, "Yes. Would you like to come in for tea? It's the new tea that you like."

Only then did Chu Jin let go. He rubbed his fingers together, the residual warmth still there. "I'll have some."

After a pause, he added, "Why are you so thin? There's barely any flesh for two fingers to pinch."

"..." Shen Mengzhi laughed in exasperation. "Then why are you still pinching?"

He turned his head, no longer paying the man any mind, and opened the door to walk toward the Firefly Study. Before long, a shadow followed, swaying along behind him.

Along the way, Chu Jin didn't cause any more trouble and was exceptionally well-behaved. The two entered the room one after the other. Shen Mengzhi's attention was no longer on him as he boiled water and prepared tea, completely ignoring the latter.

Chu Jin propped his head on his hand and helped him sort the tea leaves while asking, "What did you do down the mountain today? You came back so late."

"I had a few letters to send out. The roads in the city were blocked on my way back, so I was delayed for a while." Shen Mengzhi spared some attention to answer.

Chu Jin said, "Oh," and then asked, "You didn't run into anyone, did you?"

"No." Shen Mengzhi asked in return, "What kind of person are you referring to?"

"People with ill intentions," Chu Jin said. "Whether it's the current Censor or the Prime Minister, avoid them if you can. I don't want you to have any connection with them whatsoever."

He rarely spoke so seriously. Shen Mengzhi's hand paused as he brewed the tea, then he smiled as if nothing had happened. "Alright, I'll listen to you."

Chu Jin was clearly pleased by this statement. His expression softened immediately as he said in a low voice, "I'm hungry."

Shen Mengzhi said, "Then I'll go to the kitchen and get you something to eat..."

Before he could finish, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from outside, rushing into the courtyard like a gust of wind.

The door was ajar. The person abruptly halted his steps, knocked, then peeked his head in. "Prince Regent, I've bought the things..."

Caught off guard by the sight of the two people in the room, he was stunned. He recalled what Chu Jin had told him, and before his mind could even react, his body had already consciously lowered his head.

But in that instant, Shen Mengzhi still got a clear look at the person's appearance and expression. He was young and exceptionally handsome, his indigo official robes worn impeccably. Yet, his eyes were very lively, like a clear spring framed in a rock crevice.

Chu Jin said, "Oh, thank you for your trouble, Lord Lu. Just put it on the table."

Shen Mengzhi released his hand, gently placing the tea tongs on the table. He then propped up his cheek, his expression indifferent. Amidst the swirling tea mist, a hint of languor clouded his features as his gaze, seemingly there and not, drifted over Lu Qing.

Chu Jin studied his expression and raised an eyebrow. "This is Lu Qing from the Office of the Commandant of Justice, Vice Commandant of Justice Lu."

Shen Mengzhi nodded slightly, his face still calm, showing not the slightest surprise at the arrival of this uninvited guest. The smile on his lips was as usual, and his voice was even and gentle. "Greetings, Lord Lu. The winter night is bitterly cold. Why not sit and have a cup of tea?"

Lu Qing glanced at the seated Prince Regent, feeling exceptionally flattered and startled.

The latter didn't speak, but his expression gave tacit approval. Lu Qing was still a bit hesitant, but in an instant, the Prince Regent's instructions popped into his mind. He steadied himself and took a step forward.

Then, that person extended a hand to guide him to a seat.

His sleeves were loose, slipping slightly to his forearm, revealing a delicate wrist bone. His fingers were long, slender, and lustrous, like jade—thin and gracefully languid.

Lu Qing's gaze lingered on these hands for a long time before he dazedly looked up.

Through the dispersing tea steam, he saw a beauty like a sickly peony.

The beauty's features were delicately stunning, his eyelashes lowered. His gaze was gentle and quiet like lustrous jade, exuding a subtle fragrance. His complexion was slightly pale, his lips a faint crimson, like the sky at dusk when the setting sun casts its last light, and the evening clouds drift by with a touch of light red—a heart-stopping beauty.

So this was... the Prince Regent's beloved.

Originally, Lu Qing couldn't understand how someone like Chu Jin could be troubled by another's feelings. There was no one in the world who could refuse the pursuit of this Prince Regent.

Now, he felt that the principle of 'every creature has its vanquisher' was indeed true. The Prince Regent truly had a long and arduous road ahead of him.

Shen Mengzhi didn't know that Lu Qing had thought of so much in that brief moment. He brewed a fresh cup of tea, handed it to him, and then asked, "What did Lord Lu buy?"

"Oh, oh..." Lu Qing took the teacup. "The Jujube Paste Cake, Wine-soaked Preserved Plums, Pear Blossom Crisp, and so on from Leisure Moon Gazebo in the city. There were so many people, I had to wait in a very long line!"

The oil-paper wrappers were opened one by one, revealing the exquisitely wrapped pastries inside, their sweet fragrance filling the air.

They were all things Chu Jin usually loved to eat.

Shen Mengzhi looked at the table full of snacks. After a moment, he smiled inscrutably. "Leisure Moon Gazebo. I haven't been there in a long time. Thank you for your trouble, Lord Lu. The Prince Regent happens to be hungry."

Lu Qing scratched his head, finding it a bit strange. He hadn't known Chu Jin was hungry. When that fellow was pretending to be Wu Ruoxun on the painted boat, he ate quite a lot. Moreover, when the Prince Regent sent him to buy things, he had been calm and composed, as if he had some other plan.

After seeing Shen Mengzhi, he had originally thought these pastries were bought for him, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.

Chu Jin picked up a piece of Jujube Paste Cake, but instead of putting it in his own mouth, he brought it to the corner of the other man's lips. "Have a taste?"

Shen Mengzhi's eyelashes were lowered, like crow's feathers, long and beautiful. He gave the Jujube Paste Cake a light glance, showing a rare trace of indulgence. "I don't feel like eating sweets these days."

Chu Jin put the Jujube Paste Cake back and picked up a preserved plum.

Shen Mengzhi said, "I don't feel like eating sour things either."

Lu Qing watched from the side, dumbfounded. Forget him. Even the eunuchs of the Regent's Manor had surely never seen the Prince Regent wait on someone!

Yet, Chu Jin's temper became exceptionally good at this moment, and he reached for the plate of Pear Blossom Crisp.

This time, before he could speak, Shen Mengzhi said listlessly, "I don't want it."

Being rejected time and again, Chu Jin actually smiled, his relaxed features showing that he was in an exceptionally good mood. Lu Qing hadn't even seen him this happy when Li Sheng was thwarted.

He asked in a low voice, "What do you want?"

Shen Mengzhi said faintly, "In the dead of winter, I want to drink Laba Congee made by the Prince Regent himself."

Lu Qing, holding his tea, was stunned into place.

After a long moment, Chu Jin stood up.

Lu Qing hurriedly stood up as well. He glanced back at Shen Mengzhi, who was sitting calmly and indifferently, then looked at Chu Jin's expression. "...Prince Regent?"

Chu Jin glanced at him and said, "You wait here."

Lu Qing: "Huh?"

Before his brain could catch up, he heard the Prince Regent say leisurely, "On this freezing Laba Festival, I'm going to make congee for a certain picky fellow."