Beneath the bamboo grove.
Xie Junheng watched helplessly as Lord Yun, who had been brimming with defiance just moments ago, reined in every last trace of his swagger in an instant.
The next moment.
A folding fan fluttered softly, and sleeves stirred.
The Yun Clan's Second Young Master, who had been lounging against his chair and demanding "why should I," rose gracefully to his feet. His eyes smiled, his bearing refined, his handsome face so cultured and composed that those earlier words might all have been spoken by the wind in the bamboo grove.
Xie Junheng: "..."
Watching this "transformation of a living man" unfold before his eyes, he froze with the wine pot suspended in his hand. For the first time, he truly realized that even a seven-aperture exquisite heart could be caught too slow to react.
Bamboo shadows swayed as Yun Qing stepped into their gathering, his double pupils curving slightly with a faint smile. His gaze settled gently upon the two seated men, making him seem mild and harmless.
"Having a good chat?"
The atmosphere grew absurdly delicate.
"What brings you here, Eldest Brother?" Yun Tianluo gently waved his folding fan, smiling with cultured grace.
Xie Junheng lowered his eyes to his nose, then his nose toward his heart, and instantly understood that this was no place to linger.
He set down the wine pot, rose, and bowed.
"Honored Examiner, Master Yun, my father had a few too many cups tonight. I fear the wine may bring on his headaches, so I shall go check on him."
Having said that, he waited half a beat.
Yun Qing looked at him with a smile, and Yun Tianluo smiled at him too.
Excellent. Silence means consent.
Xie Junheng turned and left, his steps composed and his sleeves unruffled. He