The Trick to Teasing a Noble Family's Son - Chapter 9

After revealing their dark sides to each other, Xie Jie and Wei Lan quickly established a revolutionary friendship.

Meanwhile, Xie Zichen, after preparing for how to prevent Xie Jie from killing him, couldn’t help but feel worried.

In his previous life, Xie Jie used a simple trick of placing a poisoned needle on a horse during a spring outing. Now, he was afraid that adding Wei Lan, who had killed people at the frontier and achieved military merits, to the equation—at first glance, he was a person who was clearly not to be trifled with—meant the situation might change.

Xie Zichen didn’t care much about Xie Jie. It wasn’t easy for him to kill Xie Jie, but making sure Xie Jie couldn’t harm him was much simpler. However, with the sudden involvement of Wei Lan, the matter became a life-and-death issue.

No one understood better than him how lightly someone who had killed before could regard human life. If something could be solved by eradicating the problem completely, they would never leave a person alive.

Thinking of this, Xie Zichen couldn’t help but feel a bit dejected. Closing the account book of his shop, he called out to his servant Xie Tong and said, “Now the cash flow is basically fine, and the informants are almost in place. You and Jin Zi follow the plan to establish the secret spy unit. Also, have the informants keep a closer eye on Wei Shizi.”

“Yes,” Xie Tong responded respectfully, and Xie Zichen tiredly waved his hand to have him retreat.

After he left, Xie Zichen looked at the beam above, feeling a little desperate—should he compromise a little?

Once this thought emerged, many others followed.

For example, Wei Lan was actually quite good-looking;

For example, he would compromise for a while, and handle the other party without getting too close;

For example, even if he did get close, as long as it wasn’t too much, he could pretend it was Wang Ning who had gone mad, and it wouldn’t be a big deal.

For example, Wei Lan was a very useful person if he stood on one’s side. After all, among many noble sons, he was the only one who had private soldiers, was intelligent, favoured by the emperor, and had no history of enmity with him in his previous life.

All these benefits rushed into his mind one after the other. Xie Zichen sighed and asked himself—after thinking so much, did he have the skill to play with the desires of someone who looks like a playboy?

Reflecting on his thirty-odd years as a bachelor in his past life, Xie Zichen had no confidence in matters of the heart. He had never liked anyone in his life, and the only person who seemed to have moved his heart ended up stabbing him to death.

Probably, no one would want to experience such a romantic history.

But now that things have come to such a point, even if he couldn’t, he had to force himself to try, as nothing was inherently impossible.

So, Xie Zichen thought it over and finally decided that at the very least, he needed to stabilize Wei Lan until he entered the palace as a companion.

Being a man of action, he immediately asked Xie Tong to prepare his clothes and went directly to the Wei Manor.

It was already midnight, and instead of going through the main gate, Xie Zichen climbed over the wall into the rear courtyard of the Wei mansion. Just as he landed on the wall, he saw a figure in a jade-coloured wide-sleeved robe standing in the courtyard, holding a jade flute in his hand, looking at him with some surprise.

Starlight reflected in his eyes. The peach blossoms were already falling, and the wind carried them around him. The young man stood alone among the peach blossoms, smiling calmly and said, “Young Master Xie Si, long time no see.”

Xie Zichen hesitated for a moment. The mental preparation he had painstakingly done seemed to crumble at this moment.

No matter how he thought about it, he felt he wasn’t someone who could yield to a man.

However, he was used to enduring and lying low. In his previous life, he had gone through many hardships to climb up. Now, he just needed to pretend for a few months with a man—a good-looking man with a seemingly gentlemanly temperament—he could endure it.

So, having made up his mind, he looked at the young man who was quietly watching him and said seriously, “Does what Wei Shizi said before still count?”

Hearing Xie Zichen’s words, Wei Lan immediately understood. She had gotten too close to Xie Jie, and Xie Zichen must be feeling anxious. She couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curving into crescents and said gently. “My words to Young Master Xie Si have always been true.”

“Then I promise you,” Xie Zichen said, raising his eyes to look at her. “If you don’t take a wife, I won’t take a wife. And I won’t let anyone get close, neither man nor woman.”

Anyway, he had lived like this in his previous life without Wei Lan…

Among the noble daughters from aristocratic families, the good ones looked down upon him- an illegitimate son, and he looked down upon the rest. Finally, when he made a name for himself as an official, he was always too busy to pay heed to such matters.

He had always been a bit of a freak when it came to matters of the heart—he would rather be alone for the rest of his life than settle for less.

Therefore, Wei Lan’s words, if not for the deeper implications that he couldn’t accept, were actually okay by him when considering just their literal meaning.

Thinking about it, he added, “Including you, you can’t get close to me at will.”

“Agreed,” Wei Lan nodded. She wasn’t in such a hurry anyway. She wanted to wait until she restored her identity, at least…until things were more stable. She just wanted to grow a jade white cabbage, not wanting the pigs to push it already.¹

1. Idiom- In this context, it means, Wei Lan doesn’t want to enter into a romantic relationship and simply wants to maintain her ‘purity’ just like a jade white cabbage is prized for its beauty and purity.

After saying this, the two of them seemed to have nothing else to converse on. Wei Lan looked at the handsome young man squatting on the wall, and was compelled to softly say, “You should come down first; squatting up there must be tiring for you.”

Xie Zichen thought for a moment, feeling he had more questions about Wei Lan’s view of Xie Jie. A mere verbal promise wasn’t enough to reassure him. So, he turned over and jumped off the wall. Wei Lan instinctively reached out to catch him, but the black-clad youth landed steadily on the ground; he was clearly well-trained.

Wei Lan couldn’t resist letting out a laugh. She didn’t feel embarrassed at all, retracting her outstretched hands, and praised, “Young Master Xie Si has impressive skills.”

Xie Zichen didn’t respond to her compliment and said directly, “What did you and Xie Jie discuss?”

“It was so hard for you to get here, why are you talking about these unpleasant things right now?” Wei Lan sighed, leading Xie Zichen to a stone table. Remembering his “task” of pretending to be friendly, Xie Zichen didn’t refuse and sat down, watching the person in front of him lift the wine bottle from the table. He heard the person say, “Tonight, Lan saw that the moonlight was very beautiful and wanted to play the flute to compliment the scenery. I thought I would be alone enjoying the moon, but unexpectedly, Young Master Xie Si came. It’s a pleasant surprise.”

With that said, she poured a cup of wine and offered it to Xie Zichen, saying gently. “This is the sweet-scented osmanthus wine I brewed last year. Young Master Xie Si might as well try it.”

Xie Zichen nodded, raised his cup and took a sip.

His movements were extremely precise, each gesture seemingly deliberately trained, rigid and standard, contrasting with Wei Lan’s natural grace, yet it was this precision that made his actions particularly pleasing to the eye.

Watching the beauty drink, Wei Lan found herself even more delighted and said, “I will play the flute for Young Master Xie Si. After you and I have finished enjoying the wine and listening to the flute, it won’t be too late to discuss Xie Jie.”

Xie Zichen nodded and since he was asking for help, he didn’t argue.

Wei Lan chuckled, then began playing a cheerful tune.

She was proficient in the six arts and especially skilled at playing the flute. Even if he didn’t like her, Xie Zichen couldn’t help but admire her from the bottom of his heart. This person’s flute-playing skills were indeed at their peak. A simple tune, traditionally sung by men courting women in Chu, was transformed by her into an extraordinary piece. The hesitant yet joyous emotions of a man wooing a woman were vividly brought to life.

As she played, Wei Lan switched to a more soothing melody. Xie Zichen, quietly sipping his wine, felt an inner calm. The earlier displeasure faded as if he had followed the whisper and stepped on a small boat and it gently glided across the water.

The river reflected his silhouette, the moonlight illuminating the surface of the river. He slowly and unhurriedly broke through these reflections; his mind had become clear and tranquil.

He hadn’t felt this comfortable and relaxed in a long time. Enjoying the moment, he drank a few more cups. When Wei Lan finished playing, she watched Xie Zichen raise his clear eyes and look at her quietly.

His fair cheeks were slightly red and there was a hint of confusion in the depths of his gaze. Wei Lan couldn’t resist smiling softly and lowered her head.

Her breath touched his face, carrying a faint orchid scent and her hair, blown by the wind, brushed against his neck, tickling slightly.

She reached up to push her hair aside, her beautiful face wearing its usual calm smile.

“Young Master Xie Si,” she whispered, her voice blending into the night, “you are drunk.”

And so, for a split second, Xie Zichen suddenly felt that perhaps he really was a bit drunk.