Chapter 44: My bun, no, no, this is my bun!…

The young man paused for a moment, the tips of his ears suddenly turning red. He hurriedly glanced around, but aside from the passing palace maids, he couldn’t find the person he was expecting.

The argument in the main hall grew more intense. Meng Jun, clutching the oiled paper package, quietly walked a bit further away. He sat in the pavilion in front of the hall and carefully unwrapped the oiled paper package. He picked up the still slightly hot meat bun inside and took a big bite. Perhaps it was because he was hungry, but today’s meat bun tasted better than any he had eaten before.

The young man always had an elegant manner of eating. He had just finished one bun when he heard faint footsteps behind him. His heart thumped, and he hurriedly stuffed half of another bun into his mouth. Before he could chew a few times, the meat filling inside scalded him, causing his eyes to water. He swallowed it down with difficulty.

“Jiulang!” Sang Shen’s voice rang out from behind him.

He sat down beside the young man and complained, “You didn’t see just now, the way these two gentlemen were arguing. Who knows until what time we’ll be stuck here before we can return home!”

“You were thoughtful to bring food.” Sang Shen glanced at the oiled paper package Meng Jun had spread out on the stone table and sighed, “If I had known they would argue like this, I should have also…”

His unfinished words were subtly interrupted by the growl of a stomach.

Sang Shen’s face turned red, and he hurriedly waved his hand, “I, I’m really not hungry, gulu—”

Another growl of the stomach clearly spread through the pavilion.

The young man pursed his lips, glanced at the embarrassed Sang Shen, and pushed the oiled paper package over, “Young Master Sang, if you don’t mind, there are still a few buns here.”

There were six buns in total, and he couldn’t eat much anyway.

Sang Shen thanked him and took a bun, biting into it. Just then, another person walked up the steps outside the pavilion. It was Qi Yun, who had been arguing in the main hall for half a day.

He was in a bad mood and didn’t want to lose face because of Lin He, so he angrily flung his sleeves and came out to get some peace.

Outside the hall was a vast, flat area with only a pavilion on the left side. Outside the pavilion, there was an ancient tree, centuries-old, with lush branches and leaves. Old green and tender yellow intertwined, and when the breeze blew, it was like pushing open emerald waves, creating endless ripples.

The red walls and green trees were pleasing to the eye. Qi Yun walked over slowly, and with a glance, he saw the two young men sitting in the pavilion. Sniffing carefully, there seemed to be the aroma of meat buns.

He frowned slightly and walked closer, covering his nose.

“Young Master Sang.” Qi Yun nodded slightly in greeting, his eyes falling on Meng Jun beside him. He looked him up and down several times.

“This must be Young Master Meng.” He smiled faintly and said, “I heard that you returned to the capital with Ruantang. It must have been quite an ordeal falling off the cliff. But speaking of which, Young Master Meng knows how to cherish others. Knowing the danger of falling off the cliff, you quickly grabbed Ruantang. Otherwise, with that scholar’s physique, I’m afraid she wouldn’t have been able to endure it.”

Although he didn’t name names, everyone in the capital knew who this so-called scholar referred to.

Sang Shen’s eyes twitched, and he quickly swallowed the bun and mediated, “You can’t say that. The situation was chaotic at the time, and Jiulang didn’t do it on purpose. Moreover, I was close by before and clearly saw that it was Young Madam Li who rushed over first.”

“Young Master Sang, you can eat things indiscriminately, but you can’t speak carelessly.” Qi Yun glared at Sang Shen arrogantly and said coldly, “Even if Ruantang rushed over to save someone first, the fact remains that she was pulled down the cliff, right?”

“She risked her life on the frontier in her early years, and now that she’s returned to the capital, she still has to be a scapegoat for others. Even with an iron-like physique, she can’t endure it. Moreover, she saved Young Master Meng, which is such a big deal, yet the Meng family hasn’t even said a word of thanks. I wonder whose family’s etiquette this is.”

Sang Shen was choked up and couldn’t say a word. He looked at Meng Jun sympathetically. Everyone in the capital knew that the young master of the Meng family was famously afraid of Young Madam Li. Qi Yun’s difficult questioning was simply out of jealousy. After all, being alone together after falling off the cliff was inevitable, and Meng Jun had now become the Auspicious Phoenix of the Eight Mansions, still pure and innocent. Otherwise, with Qi Yun’s jealous nature, he would have likely devoured Meng Jun alive.

This wasn’t just Sang Shen’s wild imagination.

Back then, when Qi Yun ran to the frontier to see Li Ruantang, just because he saw her smiling at a little beggar boy, he directly ordered people to beat the young boy to death with sticks.

He originally didn’t know the inside story and only heard that Li Ruantang had rejected Qi Yun, who had traveled a thousand miles to find her. He thought Li Ruantang was unromantic.

It wasn’t until someone knelt before his mother’s sedan chair that Sang Shen heard the inside story. But for the powerful Qi family in the capital, this matter wasn’t a big deal. Within two or three days, the person who had been flogged and specifically came to file a complaint quietly disappeared without a trace.

Like a stone falling into the sea, it disappeared silently without even making a sound.

At that time, Sang Shen realized the cruelty of a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Fortunately, Meng Jun was the legitimate son of Lord Meng. Even if Qi Yun was angry, he wouldn’t dare to do anything to a young man from a noble family. At most, he would sarcastically mock him like he was doing now.

He secretly signaled to Meng Jun with his eyes, but this young man was also stubborn. He answered unhurriedly in a clear voice, “Rest assured, Young Master Qi, I will properly thank Young Madam Li. The Meng family is also a scholarly family. Although there is no male head of the household, we still understand the principle of repaying kindness.”

“If it weren’t for your carriage accidentally hitting Attendant Han earlier, I’m sure the Meng family’s etiquette would have been complete long ago.”

“In that case, it’s my fault.” Qi Yun paused slightly, not expecting this usually quiet-looking young man to be so eloquent.

He laughed mockingly, “They say when you care, you get flustered. I was just too worried about Ruantang. If the attendant in your house is seriously injured, Young Master Meng, just say the word. The Qi family may not have much else, but we can still afford the silver to treat illnesses.”

“There’s no need to trouble Young Master Qi.” The young man raised his chin slightly and said solemnly, “If you really feel it’s inappropriate, the Meng family’s main gate is right next to the Suqing Prince’s mansion. It won’t take you much effort to apologize.”

Sang Shen, who was listening on the side, silently praised him. Meng Jun’s words were well-spoken, both satirizing Qi Yun for visiting the Suqing Prince’s mansion for no reason and belittling his lack of etiquette.

It just so happened that after this exchange, Qi Yun couldn’t refute it. He smiled and quietly watched the red-faced Young Master Qi.

“I was wondering why the main hall seemed much more spacious. It turns out you were all here.” Lin He approached with a smile, fanning himself with a folding fan.

He had been standing behind the ancient tree early on and heard every word of the conversation between Qi Yun and Meng Jun. Now that it was Qi Yun’s turn to be embarrassed, he certainly wouldn’t miss this great opportunity.

Lin He looked at Meng Jun, who was putting away the oiled paper package, with great interest. Sniffing slightly, he said with a smile, “Young Master Meng, I have an unreasonable request.”

The young man’s brows jumped, and he nodded somewhat restrained, “Please go ahead, Young Master Lin.”

“It’s not a big deal. It’s just that I came in a hurry this morning, and now my stomach is empty—” He pressed the folding fan against his abdomen, looking embarrassed, “I wonder if you still have any buns to fill my stomach?”

“……”

Meng Jun was stunned. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to share the buns, but they were specially sent by her, and he wanted to save them to eat slowly.

Now Sang Shen had taken two, and there were only two left in the oiled paper package. If Lin He took them all…

The young man’s brows drooped, feeling inexplicably aggrieved. But they were all young men who came to the palace to practice dancing, and he couldn’t just watch others go hungry.

Meng Jun sighed inwardly and reluctantly handed over the oiled paper package. The meat buns, with their delicious juices and thin skin, were still warm. Lin He took just one bite and kept praising them.

Qi Yun, who was left aside, coldly swept his eyes over the three people standing together, angrily turned around, and left.

After a day of dancing practice, Meng Jun’s legs were trembling from exhaustion.

But when he returned to the mansion and rested for a while, he gathered his strength and climbed up the courtyard wall again. The young man had just sat on the wall and was about to slide down the rope when he looked down and saw a ladder leaning against the wall. In the moonlight, he could vaguely see some scattered tools on the ground below the courtyard wall.

Oh, were they going to build something here?

Meng Jun looked curiously and then smiled again. Whatever they were going to build, with this ladder here, it would be easier for him to get down the wall.

The young man carefully stepped down the ladder.

The guards hiding in the dark were all on tenterhooks, afraid that he would trip or fall again.

“This is the lady’s beloved!” Emo had specifically instructed two or three times the night before. Now the entire Suqing Prince’s mansion knew of Meng Jun’s new identity.

In the hidden areas of the courtyard, several large lanterns had been added, and even the guards on patrol paid extra attention to their routes, afraid that he might bump into stones again while trying to hide.

When the “beloved” successfully snuck into the lady’s bedroom, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and stayed far away from the courtyard.

Inside the green gauze window, it was as bright as day.

Meng Jun tiptoed in and listened at the door for a while before sitting down on the soft stool with relief.

He didn’t know when Li Ruantang would come in. He had danced all day and really didn’t want to stand anymore. But where else in this room could he hide?

Unless…

The young man’s eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly. As long as he hid securely, that would be the closest place to her. Then, when she fell asleep, it would be much more convenient to stick close to her!

As the moon rose above the treetops, Li Ruantang, who had been looking at account books all night, had just stepped over the threshold when she sensed someone in the room.

She frowned slightly, recalling how Emo had urged her to go back and rest just now, and felt quite helpless.

Who knew what he was here for tonight?

The gauze lamp was bright, illuminating the figure walking slowly into the room. She stood still in front of the table and subconsciously looked behind the wardrobe, but obviously, there was no one in the dim shadows.

Not too stupid, still knew to change locations. Li Ruantang smiled faintly and looked around the room. There weren’t many places to hide a person.

Except behind the wardrobe…

Li Ruantang was stunned for a moment and looked at the canopy bed with some hesitation.

The neatly made bedding seemed to be slightly bulging. She had only taken half a step closer when she saw the young man’s shoes and outer robe neatly hidden behind the wardrobe.

The fingers resting on the brocade quilt paused, and instead, she vaguely saw the faint blush on his jade-like handsome face through the gap in the lifted quilt.

It was already near the Dragon Boat Festival, and even the wind was starting to carry heat, let alone being wrapped in a quilt.

Li Ruantang was stunned for a moment and simply pulled the thin quilt open a little. The young man, who was lying on her pillow, was probably too tired during the day. He was now curled up in the bedding, sleeping soundly, completely unaware that he had been discovered.

Li Ruantang sighed softly and was about to reach out and tap his shoulder to wake up this silly young man.

She leaned over, and the young man, who had been frowning in his dream, suddenly opened his fingers and directly grasped that soft area, mumbling, “No, no, this is my bun!”