Evening.

Wen Ying finished his reading and came to the main courtyard to pay his respects to Ling Qiyan.

Just as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he heard bursts of delicate laughter from the maids. He stopped and stood under the corridor, watching for a moment. Ling Qiyan, his eyes covered with a black silk cloth, was playing and frolicking with a dozen or so servant girls in the courtyard.

Every time he caught one, he would rub her hands and pinch her face to guess her name. If he guessed correctly, he would give her a kiss on the cheek and generously bestow gold and silver jewelry, rouge, and powder, drawing endless streams of sweet laughter from the maids.

Wen Ying frowned inwardly and walked forward.

When Jiang Lin saw him approach, he initially wanted to announce him to Ling Qiyan, but on second thought, he decided against it and remained silent.

Upon seeing Wen Ying, the young maids all subconsciously moved aside to make way for him.

Ling Qiyan pounced over with a grin, embracing Wen Ying fully. He spoke improperly, "Caught you! Come, come, let this prince have a feel!"

His restless paws grabbed Wen Ying's hand and squeezed it twice. The smile on Ling Qiyan's lips widened as he proceeded to touch his chest, rubbing and pinching. Wen Ying remained motionless, watching him quietly, letting him feel him up.

Only when Ling Qiyan's hand caressed his face and the pad of his thumb began to rub his lips did Wen Ying raise a hand and seize Ling Qiyan's wrist.

Ling Qiyan pressed close into Wen Ying's embrace and breathed lightly by his ear, "Poor scholar, do you also want to take this prince's fine things?"

Wen Ying tightened his grip on his wrist. Ling Qiyan let out a low chuckle and planted a kiss on Wen Ying's face. As the soft lips brushed past his cheek, Wen Ying's eyelashes fluttered. Ling Qiyan had already smilingly pulled off the black silk cloth, his beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with a bright, cheerful light as he gazed at him.

Wen Ying lowered his eyes and properly paid his respects to Ling Qiyan.

After having supper in the main courtyard, Ling Qiyan did not let Wen Ying leave, keeping him behind to give him some ideas. "Next month is His Majesty's Longevity Festival. Help this prince think of what birthday gift to present to please the old man."

Every year for the Emperor's Longevity Festival, all the princes had to present gifts. It was fine when they were young; they could get by with just writing a few 'longevity' characters or copying some classics on filial piety. But ever since Ling Qiyan left the palace and established his own manor, the annual birthday gift had become his biggest headache. Being too careless would seem perfunctory, but being too extravagant would lead the Emperor to call him wasteful. There was no pleasing him either way.

Wen Ying thought for a moment and asked, "Does Your Highness know what the Crown Prince plans to give?"

Ling Qiyan pouted. "A few days ago, I heard my sixth brother mention it. He went to the Eastern Palace to play and heard Second Brother say he plans to present a painting of 'A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.' He commissioned a famous, reclusive artist in Jiangnan to paint it half a year ago."

On the day of the Longevity Festival, when all the princes presented their gifts, the one to steal the show would inevitably be the Crown Prince. But he was the Crown Prince, so the others wouldn't compete with him anyway.

"Does Your Highness have any ideas of your own?"

"If this prince had any ideas, would I need to ask you? If all else fails, I'll just give another pair of jade ruyi scepters. That's what I gave last year, anyway."

Wen Ying disagreed, saying, "When congratulating His Majesty on his longevity, sincerity is what matters most. For Your Highness to give a pair of jade ruyi scepters that can be bought anywhere, it's no wonder you fail to please His Majesty."

Ling Qiyan kicked him unhappily. "This prince asked you for ideas, not to give you a chance to mock me."

Wen Ying held his leg down, passed him the teacup to signal him to calm down, and said to Jiang Lin, "Could I trouble Eunuch Jiang to have someone prepare a few things for this student?"

Hearing this, Ling Qiyan asked curiously, "What are you going to do?"

After giving Jiang Lin his instructions, Wen Ying asked Ling Qiyan, "Has Your Highness ever heard of a craft from the south called rice carving?"

Ling Qiyan was puzzled.

Wen Ying explained to him, "Rice carving was first invented by a scholar in a certain county in Yongzhou. He would carve characters onto grains of rice and bring them into the examination hall to cheat. It was later discovered, and since then, bringing uncooked rice into the examination halls has been forbidden. After that scholar's path to officialdom was cut off, he relied on this skill of rice carving to support his family, and he lived quite well."

...That works too? Ling Qiyan was somewhat speechless. "What does this have to do with my birthday gift?"

"If Your Highness could personally carve the 'Hundred Longevity Characters' onto grains of rice and present them to His Majesty, that sentiment alone would be enough to express Your Highness's sincere filial piety. His Majesty would surely be pleased."

Ling Qiyan thought about it. 'Seems like it might actually work?'

Jiang Lin quickly brought people with all the items Wen Ying had requested: plump grains of tribute rice, a few delicate tools, and an imported magnifying glass.

Ling Qiyan watched Wen Ying suspiciously, only to see him pick up a grain of tribute rice with a pair of tweezers in one hand and hold a hard needle in the other. He dipped it in ink and calmly began to carve characters onto it.

Wen Ying's hand was extremely steady. In less than half a quarter-hour, he placed the carved rice grain on the table in front of Ling Qiyan and motioned for him to pick up the magnifying glass and look.

Ling Qiyan held the magnifying glass and took a closer look. It was, indeed, a 'longevity' character in seal script.

Ling Qiyan clicked his tongue in amazement. Wen Ying told him, "This is only the first step. It needs two more coats of color later. A skilled craftsman can carve all one hundred 'longevity' characters on a single grain of rice. Since Your Highness is a beginner, carving one character per grain will suffice."

Ling Qiyan raised his brows. "How do you know all this? You said this was first used for cheating in the imperial examinations. Don't tell me that's how you became a Minor Triple First Scholar?"

Wen Ying said flatly, "Uncooked rice has been banned from the imperial examination halls for the past ten years."

"Then who did you learn this from?"

"Back in the county school, I heard about it from a classmate who had been to the south. I found it interesting, so I tried to figure it out on my own."

'He could even figure this out on his own?' Ling Qiyan thought to himself, 'This poor scholar really knows a lot of things.'

He casually picked up a grain of rice and, imitating Wen Ying, held it with the tweezers and then gripped the needle.

A quarter-hour later, Prince Yu threw down the things in his hands and spread his palms. "This is way too troublesome. This prince can't learn it. You carve it for me. Once it's done, this prince will reward you with some fine things."

Wen Ying reminded him, "Your Highness, this is your filial piety..."

"Alright, alright, enough of this nonsense. Imperial Father won't know I didn't carve it," Ling Qiyan said, completely unconcerned.

"Then Your Highness must still learn it from this student. It wouldn't be good if you were exposed."

Ling Qiyan mumbled a perfunctory agreement, but he didn't make a move. He just propped his chin on his hand, watching Wen Ying with a smile, and remarked casually, "You know, if you were this prince, you'd be a master of both literary and martial arts, and you'd even know how to put in the effort to please your elders. Everyone would surely like you."

Wen Ying continued to carve the characters for him without looking up. "This student is not as fortunate as Your Highness."

"That's true," Ling Qiyan said. After a few words, he grew restless again and reached out to touch Wen Ying's hand. "But you're not doing too badly now, are you? You're with this prince. Haven't I treated you well?"

Wen Ying's gaze shifted from Ling Qiyan's fidgeting fingers to his face. He frowned at him. "If Your Highness continues like this, this student will stop carving. Will you do it yourself?"

Ling Qiyan sullenly withdrew his hand. "You're really... completely unromantic."

Wen Ying lowered his head, focusing on the task at hand, and said nonchalantly, "I can't compare to Your Highness, who spends his days with an armful of women on each side, wandering through a garden of flowers. Naturally, you understand these things."

...Those words sounded strangely sour.

Ling Qiyan clicked his tongue. "This prince was just playing with those maids. Are you jealous? I couldn't tell."

"I wouldn't dare."

Ling Qiyan felt pleased and grew even happier. He asked casually, "By the way, when is your birthday?"

"The twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month."

Ling Qiyan was a little surprised to hear that. "The twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month in the Xinchou year?"

"Yes."

Ling Qiyan slammed his hand on the table. "You were actually born on the same year, same month, and same day as this prince?"

Wen Ying looked up. Seeing that Ling Qiyan wasn't joking, he too was somewhat astonished. Ling Qiyan pressed him, "What hour were you born?"

"The third quarter of the Hour of the Ox."

"This prince was born in the second quarter of the Hour of the Monkey. So you came out half a day earlier than me. Poor scholar, you and I are truly fated to meet. Why don't you and I become sworn brothers..."

Before Ling Qiyan could finish his nonsense, Wen Ying interrupted him, "Your Highness is joking. How could someone like this student dare to become sworn brothers with Your Highness."

Of course, Ling Qiyan was also just talking nonsense. To have him truly condescend to become sworn brothers with a poor scholar—even if he were willing, his Imperial Father would not be.

Nevertheless, he was extremely happy. The more he looked at Wen Ying, the more pleasing he found him. Seeing that Wen Ying had already carved three more characters in this short time, he felt even more that he should reward him with something.

After some thought, Ling Qiyan said, "This prince previously received two fine silver fox pelts from the palace. How about I reward you with one? The weather is getting cold, so you can use it to make clothes or a blanket."

"That won't be necessary." Wen Ying refused directly. He had heard Jiang Lin mention that one of the pelts was a gift from the Crown Prince, and he didn't want it.

Ling Qiyan thought he was being ungrateful again. His expression changed, and he was about to scold him when Wen Ying said, "If Your Highness truly wishes to reward this student, why not bestow upon me that thumb ring you often wear and play with on your thumb."

Ling Qiyan was stunned, then almost laughed in exasperation. "My thumb ring? You sure have the guts to ask for the moon, picking only the best things. You've even set your sights on this prince's thumb ring."

The green jadeite thumb ring he often wore was also a tribute item he had wheedled out of the Empress Dowager. Its color was pure and rich; it was a piece of the highest quality.

Ling Qiyan hadn't expected Wen Ying to ask for this. If it had been anyone else, he would have been reluctant to give it away, but...

"Fine. If you like it, this prince will reward you with it."

Ling Qiyan readily ordered someone to fetch the item and personally handed it to Wen Ying. "It's yours."

Wen Ying took it, rubbed it in his palm for a moment, and tucked it inside his robes.

Seeing this, Ling Qiyan asked him, "You asked for it, why don't you wear it?"

"It is too valuable. This student dares not wear it. To wear it would be an overstep of my status. I'll just keep it safe."

Ling Qiyan scoffed and let him be.

As night fell, after helping Ling Qiyan change and wash up, Wen Ying lowered the bed curtains for him once he was in bed. Just as he was about to leave, Ling Qiyan's hand reached out from behind the gauze curtains, grasped Wen Ying's, and gently rubbed his palm.

Wen Ying squeezed his hand back and said in a low voice, "Your Highness should sleep. This student will come to pay respects again tomorrow morning."

Ling Qiyan's lazy, smiling voice came from behind the gauze curtains, "Do we really have to wait until after the Autumn Imperial Examination?"

"Your Highness promised this student."

Ling Qiyan was itching with impatience. He rubbed his hand a few more times, pulled Wen Ying's hand in, and bit his wrist.

Ling Qiyan's bite was neither too light nor too heavy. Wen Ying couldn't clearly see the expression of the person in the bed and only felt as if he had been bitten by a cat. He subconsciously knitted his brows, then slowly relaxed them, not pulling his hand away.

At the end of the Hour of the Dog, Wen Ying returned to his own courtyard. He felt no desire to sleep. A book lay open under the lamp, but he couldn't read a single word.

The bite mark on his wrist was clearly visible. In his hand, he constantly rubbed the jadeite thumb ring.