Clouds and rain hung like a curtain outside the window. A man and a woman stood side by side at the table, chatting about all manner of curious tales from literary circles.
After the various incidents at the inn, Ye Yunchi had initially felt rather reserved. But after a short conversation, she understood what the professionalism of a top-class male escort meant.
Although she was alone in a room with a man, the white-robed young master beside her maintained a comfortable distance, neither too close nor too far. His words occasionally carried a teasing edge that made her blush, but he only seemed amusing, never presumptuous.
That alone would have been one thing. Ye Yunchi considered herself widely read, yet Xie Jinhuan answered virtually everything fluently. Whether orthodox Confucian classics or obscure miscellanies, he could always say something worthwhile. His research might not have been particularly deep, but he certainly was not pretending to understand things he knew nothing about.
And that was not all. Halfway through their conversation, inspiration struck Xie Jinhuan, and he picked up a brush, saying he wanted to paint her portrait.
Ye Yunchi knew nothing about Xie Jinhuan's painting skills. Out of curiosity, she nevertheless sat properly before the folding screen, assuming the dignified, virtuous bearing of a scholarly wife and letting him begin.
But how could Xie Jinhuan possibly have been satisfied with a perfectly proper painting? He stepped forward and began directing her pose-for instance, having her lean against the chair with her legs crossed, displaying the seductive air of a scholarly noblewoman casually appraising a male favorite.
After being arranged this way and that, Ye Yunchi looked slightly bewildered. "Sitting so improperly and striking coquettish poses... isn't this rather inappropriate?"
Xie Jinhuan said helplessly, "You're only sitting a little more naturally. How