Huo Yuyan’s gaze lingered on the young man for a moment before he looked away as though nothing had happened.
He turned to Lou Wanjun with a benevolent expression and a faint smile. “Who was this person my sister spent so much effort on?” he asked, lifting the curtain of the carriage as if preparing to step out.

The eunuch seated outside scrambled to his feet, hurriedly setting up a footstool and assisting Huo Yuyan as he descended.
Lou Wanjun had no choice but to put aside what she was doing and approach the servant. “It’s nothing,” she said with a smile. “I just happened to pass by and saw a few sons of officials abusing their power, so I stepped in to handle it.”

Hearing this, Huo Yuyan turned his head to her, a tender gleam in his eyes, and gently brushed Lou Wanjun’s hair with his hand. “My sister has always been like this, hating injustice,” he said with a faintly helpless tone, as though there was a trace of affection in his words.

No one noticed that as Huo Yuyan spoke, his gaze subtly flicked toward the young man who still stood upright. The young man’s demeanor remained steady and dignified , and he did not avert his gaze.

Huo Yuyan chuckled inwardly. He had encountered many people who behaved in this manner.

Lou Wanjun didn’t notice Huo Yuyan’s subtle glance, but something in his tone made her ears twitch uncomfortably.

Why was it that Huo Yuyan’s words seemed increasingly irritating? she wondered.

Thinking this, she decided she didn’t want to linger with him in the bustling street any longer. She looked up at Huo Yuyan and changed the subject. “By the way, why are you here, Your… big brother Huo, I mean?”

Huo Yuyan gave a faint smile. “Nothing in particular. Since arriving in Lin’an, I haven’t had a chance to go out. Today, with nothing to do, I decided to take a walk.”

Lou Wanjun laughed lightly for a moment before commenting, “What a coincidence.” She gave Huo Yuyan a little push and said, “There’s nothing left to see here, Huo. You’d better continue your walk.”

Then she turned to the young scholar, who still stood tall. Since she had already helped him, she thought she might as well follow through. She recalled young Master Du’s comments about this man coming from a poor family and preparing for an important exam. It was better to lend him a hand now to save him from further humiliation later.

But before she could carefully choose her words to say something, Huo Yuyan, standing behind her, frowned in displeasure as he looked at Nie Cong.

Why was she so eager to leave yet still made the effort to talk to this poor young man?

Huo Yuyan immediately intervened: "If my sister has nothing urgent to do, why not join me for a stroll?"

Hearing this, Lou Wanjun found herself in an awkward spot. She certainly had no interest in going for a walk with Huo Yuyan. Despite his handsome looks, his nonchalant demeanor gave her chills. She’d much rather play chess or recite poems with a grumpy scholar.

But... she couldn’t exactly tell him she just wanted to go buy liquor, could she?

For some reason, she felt that if she said that, Huo Yuyan would definitely suggest accompanying her, and what should have been an enjoyable outing would turn into a tedious chore. Lou Wanjun wasn’t willing to risk that.

With this thought, she looked regretfully at the young scholar. Oh well, even if she wanted to do a good deed, she’d save it for another time. Right now, she needed to get out of this predicament.

Lou Wanjun turned back to Huo Yuyan and offered an awkward smile. "What a pity," she said. "I slipped away from the army earlier. My father will be conducting roll call soon, and I need to hurry back so he doesn’t notice."

Huo Yuyan’s expression darkened slightly, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Lou Wanjun, hastily waving a hand, interrupted him. "I’m leaving!"

She quickly made her way through the crowd, moving swiftly. After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and turned back. "Will you continue selling letters here in the future?" she asked Nie Cong.

Nie Cong paused for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

Lou Wanjun beamed at him. "That’s good!" she said brightly. Then, with another wave of her hand toward Huo Yuyan, she turned and left without hesitation.

Huo Yuyan watched her figure retreat into the distance, his gaze growing dark. He was cunning—how could he not see through her? The Lou Wanjun of the past few days hadn’t behaved this way. This change surely stemmed from the presence of a third party.

And that third party was undoubtedly the one she still had on her mind as she walked away.

Huo Yuyan’s gaze lingered briefly, his lips curling into a smile tinged with mystery. His eyes drifted slightly, settling for a moment on the scholar.

*

That morning, Jiang Suizhou did not rise to head to the imperial office. Naturally, he couldn’t go.

The lingering effects of provoking the wolf were significant, and only when dawn broke did he finally manage to close his eyes. At this late hour, he was clearly no match for Huo Wujiu when it came to endurance.

Huo Wujiu, on the other hand, appeared unbothered and refreshed. After Jiang Suizhou shut his eyes, he vaguely heard the sounds of Huo Wujiu preparing to leave. Jiang Suizhou stirred slightly and felt Huo Wujiu lean down to plant a kiss on his lips.

"You should sleep first," Huo Wujiu murmured in a hoarse voice. "I have something to take care of."

There was an odd gentleness in his tone, as though he wanted to linger and stay by Jiang Suizhou’s side. Exhausted, Jiang Suizhou silently cursed Huo Wujiu in his mind before turning over and falling into a deep sleep.

Huo Wujiu chuckled softly, leaned in to kiss him again, then fastened his belt and stood up.

The matter he needed to attend to now was also for Jiang Suizhou’s sake. He knew that Jiang Suizhou was worried about the documents in the imperial office, and unless those matters were resolved, he wouldn’t be able to rest peacefully.

So, at the break of dawn, Huo Wujiu left in haste, carrying away all the documents from the imperial office. With the documents in hand, he rode swiftly out of the city, heading to the military camp. Following Jiang Suizhou’s instructions, he began reviewing the documents one by one.

These appointment papers had all been drafted under Huo Yuyan’s supervision, with Jiang Suizhou’s guidance, and were waiting only for a signature and seal to be enacted. Now that Jiang Suizhou couldn’t attend the imperial office, leaving the documents in Huo Yuyan’s hands would be risky and could easily lead to complications.

After carefully reviewing the documents, Huo Wujiu signed them with his own name and stamped them with his large seal. After all, the authority to appoint these officials had been granted to him by Emperor Zhaoyuan’s sacred decree.

Although he was officially expected to defer to Huo Yuyan in such matters, it wasn’t inappropriate for him to take charge in this case.

By the time all the documents had been processed, daylight had fully arrived.

Huo Wujiu then went to Luo Yue’s tent, opened the flap, and handed him the documents. "Take these and distribute them one by one at the inn where the appointees are staying," he said. "Tell them this is by my decree. If they have any doubts, they can go ask Qi Min."

Luo Yue was still groggy at that moment, but when he looked up, he saw a stack of documents and Huo Wujiu with dark circles under his eyes. Opening the first volume, Luo Yue found official appointment documents stamped with Huo Wujiu’s grand seal.

He was stunned. “This... such an important matter, and it’s been handled so hastily?”

He heard Huo Wujiu say, “Do it quickly. The sooner it’s done, the better. Got it?”

Luo Yue realized this wasn’t mere haste; it was a matter of absolute urgency. “Understood!” he replied promptly. Once the documents were handed over to the officials, the matter would be settled and irreversible.

After entrusting the documents to Luo Yue, Huo Wujiu felt a wave of relief and left. Mounting his horse, he rode back to the palace.

In the palace, Jiang Suizhou was sleeping soundly. Exhausted from the previous night, he was completely drained. When Huo Wujiu entered, he saw Jiang Suizhou sleeping peacefully, faint yet unmistakable marks of affection visible on the areas not covered by the thin blanket.

Huo Wujiu knelt by the bed, as if gazing at a rare treasure he had finally obtained. He looked at Jiang Suizhou with a soft laugh, his expression somewhat foolish. The sound of his laughter stirred Jiang Suizhou, who shifted slightly and let out a groggy, discomforted groan.

Huo Wujiu instantly tensed and quickly stood up. Last night, he had been utterly carried away, behaving like a frenzied fool—it had been exhausting. Now, he felt a sting of belated regret, but it was mingled with an endless tenderness that drove him to climb onto the bed and envelop Jiang Suizhou in his arms.

In his embrace, Jiang Suizhou furrowed his brows and murmured something indistinct: “Why is it so cold...”

It was then that Huo Wujiu realized—he had ridden hard and fast, back and forth, leaving the palace before dawn, and his clothes were damp with morning dew. He hadn’t felt cold himself, but now, nestled in the warmth of the blankets, he noticed he was shivering.

Huo Wujiu quickly pulled back a little, but without leaving the bed, he slipped off his coat under the covers, then returned to hold Jiang Suizhou again. This time, his chest, warm and solid, welcomed Jiang Suizhou.

The scent of his chest was all too familiar—like a bird’s nest, soft and comforting. Without even thinking, Jiang Suizhou instinctively nestled into the embrace, his warm breath mingling with the heat of Huo Wujiu’s skin.

Huo Wujiu felt his heart skip a beat. He lowered his head, gazing at the sleeping face of Jiang Suizhou nestled in his arms. Tightening his embrace slightly, he allowed the accumulated exhaustion from his sleepless night and eventful morning to wash over him, drawn in by the bewitching warmth of the blankets.

This weariness only surfaced when he was with Jiang Suizhou. Back in the army, he knew such fatigue could be fatal. That’s why, even when resting in camp, he remained ever vigilant, even in sleep.

But now, things were different. No one could remain rational or alert in the sanctuary of tenderness. All anyone would want to do was immerse themselves in it, hold onto this person, and drift into a deep sleep.

That was what he thought, and so that was what he did.

He tightened his embrace and then heard the soft voice of the person in his arms. "...Huo Wujiu."

Startled, Huo Wujiu thought he had squeezed Jiang Suizhou too tightly and woken him.

“Hm?” he responded quickly, leaning down to check, only to find Jiang Suizhou still sound asleep. His eyes were closed, his lashes trembling slightly, and he was murmuring in his dreams.

Even in his dreams, he was calling his name?

Huo Wujiu smiled gently, his heart melting at the soft whisper. Then he heard Jiang Suizhou murmur again. “…You scoundrel.”

Wait—was he insulting him in his dream? Huo Wujiu’s smile froze for a moment. Then, laughter spilled from his chest, deeper and more amused, causing his body to shake lightly.

“All right, I’m a scoundrel. A complete scoundrel,” he replied softly, leaning down to place a kiss on Jiang Suizhou’s forehead before closing his eyes.

Outside, the sun shone brightly, and the palace bustled with activity. But the doors of the main hall remained tightly shut until the sun rose high in the sky, and the cicadas outside gradually began their chorus.

 

Translator : DarNan