Shi Yuan went to the front courtyard to look for Wei Zelin. Every servant he passed was busy, and the first and second courtyards had been arranged for the banquet. Dressed in a vest and suit trousers, Fan Zuo directed the servants, bustling about throughout the grounds with admirable diligence.
"Mr. Shi, is there anything you need?" Fan Zuo spotted Shi Yuan amid the bustle and hurried over to ask.
"I'm looking for Brother Lin. Where did he go?" Shi Yuan studied his face, still finding him strangely familiar.
Fan Zuo pointed toward the row of rooms between the first and second courtyards. "Mr. Wei is in the workroom on the right."
Shi Yuan looked away and headed in the direction he indicated. On the way, he encountered a servant carrying fruit and asked for a bowl himself. After eating grilled meat all afternoon, he was feeling a little sick of the richness.
When Shi Yuan found the workroom, the stylist was applying wax to Wei Zelin's hair. Wei Zelin sat upright in his chair, his hairstyle exposing every sharp line of his features. Even with his eyes closed, he radiated a lofty, unapproachable air. The room was excessively quiet, and the stylist felt as though one extra breath would get him dragged out and beheaded.
Leaning against the doorway, Shi Yuan speared a piece of fruit and ate it before teasing, "Looking pretty handsome there."
His remark broke the suffocating atmosphere. The stylist was profoundly grateful, his movements becoming noticeably more relaxed.
Wei Zelin opened his eyes and looked through the mirror at Shi Yuan standing a short distance behind him. His lips parted slightly. "Come here."
His presence felt distinctly different without his glasses, making Shi Yuan a little shy. He shuffled over like a bashful young wife.