A man who kept it real

"Actually, there's nothing between her and me."

In the room, Li Ziye swept his gaze over everyone and tried to argue his way out.

"Oh."

Zhang Lata gave an indifferent reply, then lost interest and turned to leave the room.

"This dried fruit isn't very sweet. I'll get another plate."

Hongzhu also made a lukewarm remark and walked out.

"Sister Youwei."

Li Ziye turned his gaze to the eldest sister who doted on him most, his eyes brimming with hope, longing for trust and understanding!

"Little brother, keep working at it. This sister-in-law is quite nice."

Li Youwei smiled beautifully, patted his shoulder, then left the room as well.

"..."

Li Ziye wore a bitter smile. Even a hundred mouths couldn't clear his name!

Inside the room, Zhangsun Nanqiao lay pale-faced on the bed, her beautiful features looking so fragile at that moment.

"Young master, the medicine is ready."

Just then, a pretty young maid entered, glanced enviously at the woman on the bed, and spoke respectfully.

"Mm, just give it to me."

Li Ziye took the prepared medicine, then walked over to the bedside.

The young maid left. Before stepping out, her pretty little face was full of disappointment. The young master rarely brought women home. Could this woman be their future mistress?

She looked so much older than the young master. Their young master was so outstanding; this woman wasn't worthy of him.

The young maid left the room feeling disappointed, her spirits very low.

Nearby, Hongzhu passed with a plate of dried fruit. Seeing the young maid's expression, she looked bemused.

It seemed these pretty little maids at Li Garden all treasured their young master.

So young, yet already such poor judges. What a pity.

If these little girls knew just how despicable, shameless, and brazen their young master was, they probably wouldn't feel so dejected.

Hongzhu picked up a piece of dried fruit and popped it into her mouth, shook her head helplessly, then drifted away.

Blind idol worship really wouldn't do!

Inside the room, Li Ziye held the medicinal decoction and fed the unconscious Zhangsun Nanqiao spoonful by spoonful.

Perhaps because she remained unconscious, much of the medicine fed into Zhangsun Nanqiao's mouth spilled out.

Li Ziye looked at the medicine remaining in the bowl, then shifted his gaze to Zhangsun Nanqiao's luscious red lips, wondering whether he should put himself out a little and feed her mouth-to-mouth.

After some thought, Li Ziye decided to make that sacrifice. He took all the remaining medicine into his mouth, then bent down.

"Cough, cough..."

Just then, Zhangsun Nanqiao suddenly coughed a few times on the bed, then slowly opened her eyes.

Their eyes met, and time seemed to stop. At that moment, less than an inch separated them, close enough to feel each other's breath.

Li Ziye froze, medicine held in his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like a frog's. He could neither lower himself nor pull away. They stared at each other in utter awkwardness.

"What are you doing?"

A moment later, Zhangsun Nanqiao spoke, breaking the strange silence.

Gulp!

Li Ziye swallowed all the remaining medicine in one go, its bitterness twisting his entire face.

What a terrible loss! Of all the times for this formidable lady to wake up, why did it have to be now?

Wonderful. Now I can't explain myself, and I've filled my stomach with medicine, too.

"I was just trying to give you your medicine, Sister Nanqiao."

After finally recovering from the medicine's bitterness and getting his tongue working again, Li Ziye looked at the questioning eyes of the woman before him and smiled sheepishly.

Zhangsun Nanqiao stared at the boy before her. After a long while, a radiant smile appeared on her beautiful face. "If you want it, you don't have to sneak around like this. I can give it to you."

"Hiss..."

At her words, Li Ziye immediately sucked in a cold breath.

Wait, let me recover. That's a lot to take in.

Was that a hint!

Was this a hint?

"A little fellow with a thief's heart but none of a thief's courage."

Zhangsun Nanqiao rolled her eyes at him, then struggled to rise. "Help me up."

Li Ziye came back to his senses and immediately reached out to help her.

Zhangsun Nanqiao sat up and leaned against the bed. "Is this Li Garden?"

"Mm."

Li Ziye nodded. "Your fever was terrible earlier, so I brought you to Li Garden first and had a physician give you acupuncture and prescribe medicine. I also sent someone to inform the Zhangsun residence. Someone should be here soon."

"Did you do anything to me while I was unconscious?"

Zhangsun Nanqiao looked at her freshly changed clothes with a teasing smile.

"Absolutely not!"

Li Ziye immediately sat bolt upright. "Sister Youwei changed your clothes!"

"Why are you so nervous? I was only asking."

The corners of Zhangsun Nanqiao's lips curved slightly as she teased, "Have you got a guilty conscience?"

"Sister Nanqiao, am I that sort of person?"

Li Ziye shook his head vigorously like a pellet drum. "I've always upheld the way of the sages, understood the rules, and observed propriety. I'm a true gentleman and never take advantage of anyone's vulnerability. Everyone in the household can testify to that."

As Zhangsun Nanqiao listened to the boy rattle off his arguments as though reciting a book, her smile grew even brighter. This little fellow interested her more and more.

The people of the capital were all far too obedient to the rules. Even those old foxes lived within prescribed boundaries and would not readily cross them.

But this little fellow was different.

His arrival, his refusal to play by the usual rules, had already begun disrupting the balance the capital had maintained for years.

From here on, more and more balances and rules would be broken, and this deathly still capital would grow livelier and livelier.

She wanted to see just how much this little fellow could change the capital of Great Shang!

And there was Yan Xiaoyu, who would soon arrive in the Shang Capital. Hailed as the most rule-abiding person in the world, that Son of God who believed in the light detested every anomaly beyond the rules.

What sparks would fly between those two?

"Young master."

Just then, a servant hurried over outside the room and said respectfully, "The young master of the Zhangsun residence has arrived. He's outside and says he's here to take his aunt home."

"The young master of the Zhangsun residence?"

Li Ziye looked startled at those words.

"Fengyu is here. I should leave, too."

Zhangsun Nanqiao smiled, then rose and got out of bed. Once standing, she looked at the boy beside her. "Young Master Li, if you don't tell me why you sought me out today, it'll be too late."

"Sister Nanqiao."

A bashful look appeared on Li Ziye's face. "How about this? Our Li Family will run our saltpeter ice-making and liquor-brewing businesses together with the Zhangsun Family. The profits will still be split sixty-forty, as we agreed before, but the Zhangsun Family must agree to one condition."

"What condition?"

Zhangsun Nanqiao narrowed her eyes slightly. "Are you only willing to let the Zhangsun Family collaborate on these two businesses, Young Master Li? Our Zhangsun Family wants more!"

"You have to eat a meal one mouthful at a time. The beginning is always difficult; we have to take the first step."

Li Ziye smiled. "My condition is that the Zhangsun Family give the Li Family half your medicinal herb business, plus three thousand-year herb kings as a greeting gift for our partnership!"

After hearing the boy's conditions, Zhangsun Nanqiao trembled, her body still not fully recovered. Her slender hands clenched, and she almost failed to resist hitting him.

Half their medicinal herb business, plus three thousand-year herb kings!

Why didn't this brat just rob them!

"Half the medicinal herb business is impossible, and there are no herb kings!"

Zhangsun Nanqiao forcibly restrained her irritation. "Your conditions are outrageous. Forget half the medicinal herb business-even half of ten percent is impossible. And herb kings? Do you think they're radishes, yours for the asking? Those things can only be encountered by chance, not sought out. Our Zhangsun Family has been in the medicinal herb business for so many years, and even we've only seen them a handful of times."

"Then there's nothing to be done. We'll part ways. Please head home, Sister Nanqiao. I won't see you out."

Li Ziye immediately changed his tune, faster than turning a page. He plopped onto the bed and spoke lazily, unwilling even to see her out anymore.

Zhangsun Nanqiao stared, dumbstruck at how quickly the boy's attitude changed.

He was far too pragmatic!

One moment they were chatting and laughing; the next, he turned hostile and acted as though he didn't know her.

"In springtime, a hundred flowers smell sweet, lang-li-ge-lang-li-ge-lang-li-ge-lang..."

Li Ziye sat leisurely on the bed, humming a little tune, his expression practically begging for a beating: what are you going to do about it?

Zhangsun Nanqiao gnashed her teeth in fury, yet couldn't actually do anything to him.

Most importantly, her Zhangsun Family truly wanted to establish a business partnership with the Li Family.

"Young Master Li!"

Forcing down the urge to hit him, Zhangsun Nanqiao said, "Everything can be negotiated. How about this? Our Zhangsun Family will give the Li Family a ten-percent share of our medicinal herb business. As for herb kings, we truly have none right now. You can choose another condition."

"Forty percent!"

Li Ziye said leisurely, "As for the herb kings, I'll give you a discount. Two!"

"Fifteen percent! Not a fraction more."

Zhangsun Nanqiao said gravely, "We truly have no herb kings."

"Thirty percent!"

Li Ziye held up three fingers and waved them. "Figure out the herb kings yourselves!"

Zhangsun Nanqiao clenched her slender hands again and again, her chest heaving with anger, her already sickly face growing even paler.

After a long while, Zhangsun Nanqiao forcibly suppressed her agitation and said through gritted teeth, "A twenty-percent share and one herb king. Say another word of nonsense, and I'll leave right now."

"Deal!"

Li Ziye flashed a brilliant grin and immediately rose. "Sister Nanqiao, come on. I'll see you out."

Zhangsun Nanqiao was speechless. This man really kept it real!

Before long, the two walked out in front of Li Garden, chatting and laughing, seemingly having enjoyed their conversation immensely.

"Aunt!"

Outside Li Garden, Zhangsun Fengyu saw them emerge and immediately approached, concern on his face. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Zhangsun Nanqiao shook her head gently and replied.

Only then did Zhangsun Fengyu breathe a sigh of relief. His gaze turned toward the Li Family's legitimate son beside her, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Brother Dazhuang, we meet again."

"I trust you've been well too, Brother Erniu!"

Li Ziye wasn't one to accept a loss either. Wearing an insincere smile, he shot right back.

Their gazes met and clashed fiercely. A moment later, they smiled knowingly at the same time and extended their hands.

"Li Ziye!"

"Zhangsun Fengyu!"

The two shook hands, then soon parted again.

Zhangsun Fengyu helped his still-ailing aunt into the carriage, preparing to return home.

Before leaving, Zhangsun Nanqiao lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the boy in front of Li Garden. On her face, beautiful as the ailing beauty Xishi, a bright yet dangerous smile appeared.

"Young Master Li, I really enjoyed our lake outing today. When will you invite me out on the lake again?"