You've Got Mail: A Cautionary Tale

Chapter 75 — As The Saying Goes, To Be Hoisted By One’s Own Petard

Edited by DancingDolphinsYo

To ensure the serenity, the bamboo pavilions were situated quite a distance apart. They seemed to be nearby, but the paths leading to each other were actually cleverly made, twisting and winding around. Although the paths were not sheltered, the trees provided shade. With the cool breeze carrying with it the fragrance of the lotus flowers, the journey was not warm and unbearable.

The pavilion Ping Yifan was in had three other men in it as well, and Rancui had introduced them to Wu Xingzi just now too. They were scholars from poor and humble families, and in the capital where riches and power led the way, they still were neither supercilious nor obsequious, becoming officials based on their own abilities. To be able to have their own place in the capital like this, it showed how much strength they had in them.

Coincidentally, these three men had once lingered on the pengornis ranking for a few days. Wu Xingzi did not know how Rancui was so clearly aware about it, and he now suddenly felt a swell of embarrassment rushing up within him.

The closer he got to the pavilion, the harder Wu Xingzi’s heart pounded. He was, after all, a shy and reserved person. Whether it was Yan Wenxin in the past, or Ansheng later on, and even Guan Shanjin, he had never taken the initiative to show them his regards. He only dared to admire them in silence. But now, he did not know how he managed to muster up the courage this time.

There were still other people in the pavilion, what could he say to not sound brusque and impolite? Wu Xingzi twisted his fingers around his sleeves, his knees knocking together. His forehead was covered in sweat, and he hesitated, wondering if he should enter.

However, he did not expect that the three people were rather clever. Seeing that he had finally taken a step into the pavilion, they swiftly cupped their hands together and greeted him, before finding an excuse to leave.

Perhaps, they saw others whom they were interested in too? Wu Xingzi released a breath of relief, and a smile appeared on his face as well. With somewhat floaty steps, he walked over to Ping Yifan and stopped in front of him, giving him a bow.

“Hello, Ping-gongzi.”

“You’re too courteous…” Ping Yifan hurriedly stood up and bowed back, looking a little uncertain. This was not surprising, as he had only met Wu Xingzi just that once. He did not even know his name, and he was trying to recall the drawings in the Pengornisseur, trying to match Wu Xingzi with one of the entries.

However, Wu Xingzi was not featured within the pages of the Pengornisseur at all. Or rather, ever since Guan Shanjin had left his mark on him, other than the copies of the Pengornisseur Wu Xingzi had in his hands, his images and background on all other copies were falsified, so as to allow him to have an easier time of amassing his collection of pengornis drawings only.

At first, Rancui refused to allow such an irregular practice to occur. However, the strength of one’s arm could never be stronger than that of one’s thigh. Although both his boss and his boss’s partner were very powerful, they were still unable to go head to head with Guan Shanjin who had the might of the army in his hand. Furthermore, his boss had no reason to stop Guan Shanjin from owing him a favour, and hence the only one left against it was Rancui, who was quickly defeated.

However, Wu Xingzi knew nothing about this matter.

He only thought that he did not appear on the capital’s edition of the Pengornisseur, and he still had his entry in the edition of the southern border’s one. After all, in the future, he would still be going home, and towards this, he held no suspicions.

“Ping-gongzi, I can’t be found in the capital’s edition of the Pengornisseur. It’s only because of the manager’s invitation that I thickened my skin, and come to share in this grand occasion.”

Hearing Wu Xingzi’s explanation, Ping Yifan understood. Revealing a warm and friendly smile, he nodded. “So I see. Then I wouldn’t stand on courtesy any longer. May I know your name?”

“My family name’s Wu, and my name is Wu Xingzi. I’m a man of Qingcheng County, and I’ve seen quite a number of years go by already. In the past, I was an adviser in the magistrate’s office of Qingcheng County, and in the future, I’d still be returning to Qingcheng County to work as an adviser. With no elderly or young ones in my family, I’m living alone. Although I have no properties to my name, I have a good resting place settled already. That is truly a great place, and it’s quite comfortable even for two people.” Wu Xingzi spilled the beans about himself. He looked sober and shy, but in actual fact, the alcohol from the cup of wine just now had already kicked in, and he had long been drunk.

Wu Xingzi himself did not know that he liked Ping Yifan this much. It was just like that year when he saw Yan Wenxin standing amongst the peach trees, his heart flying towards him with no turning back, and there was no way he could stop himself. All he could think about was this person in front of him, and Guan Shanjin had long been shoved into some corner, collecting dust.

“A resting place?” Ping Yifan froze, a shadow flashing past in the depths of his mild, gentle eyes. “Listening to Adviser Wu, you like me?”

He already sounded rather tactful. According to what Wu Xingzi said just now, he had basically asked Ping Yifan if he would like to share the same grave.

How was this just a simple like? No one would object if this was described as a deeply rooted love. Who would believe that this was only the first time Wu Xingzi and Ping Yifan had met each other, and that they had only spoken less than five minutes with each other?

“Yes, I like you…” Wu Xingzi stared foolishly at Ping Yifan’s face, nodding. If he was a little more sober, he would probably be ashamed to death by his own boldness, and there definitely had to be a period of around two to three months before he would dare face Ping Yifan again.

“Why do you like me? Adviser Wu and I have only shared a chance meeting, and we’ve only spoken for such a short time. Such great kindness, I’m…” Before Ping Yifan could finish his rejection, Wu Xingzi had lurched a couple of steps forward. Their breaths mingled together in the air. Smelling a waft of the alcoholic fragrance coming from Wu Xingzi, the man’s tongue turned clumsy.

Wu Xingzi came even closer, twitching the tip of his nose as he sniffed at Ping Yifan’s scent.

“You… smell so good.” It was the mix of white sandalwood and orange blossom fragrance he was very familiar with, smelling both cold and elegant.

Embarrassment set upon Ping Yifan’s face. He seemed to want to withdraw, but was afraid of hurting Wu Xingzi’s feelings. With that moment of hesitation, he could see that Wu Xingzi was about to tuck himself into his arms, and Ping Yifan had no choice but to hold his hands out and stop him.

“Hmm?” Wu Xingzi blinked, discovering that he was no longer able to get closer to Ping Yifan. He first moved his hands, then moved his legs. He looked at his freely moving limbs, troubled. Why was he unable to get closer?

“You drank?” Looking at how foolish Wu Xingzi seemed, Ping Yifan’s heart could not help but soften. Supporting him, they sat down on the cushions. Wu Xingzi’s head leant on Ping Yifan’s shoulder, and Ping Yifan’s fingers moved, finally clenching into a fist and resting on his own knee.

“It’s only a cup, it doesn’t count.” Surrounded by a familiar scent, Wu Xingzi was clearly delighted. He sniffed hard in the air, holding in his breath before carefully exhaling, then inhaled deeply again.

Ping Yifan looked at him. Wu Xingzi did not seem drunk, but his behaviour could not be considered normal. His eyes falling upon the wine cup on the table, he massaged his temples with his thumbs, his head hurting a little.

The wine served at this gathering was definitely a good one. The aged wine of Songlaochun tasted both gentle and warm, its fragrance cold and enchanting. Drinking it, it was smooth, and its alcoholic effect was not strong. However, for Wu Xingzi, it would still have quite an effect.

Every angle of Ping Yifan was a delight to Wu Xingzi. Leaning on his shoulder for only a moment, he started becoming restless again. A thin, clumsy old fellow shifted about, thinking that he was being very subtle, worming from his own cushion into Ping Yifan’s arms. His foolish face nuzzled into the man’s broad chest, his fleshy nose flattening against it. Such an ugly image first made Ping Yifan chuckle, but his breezy smile quickly faded away, and he bent his head, staring coldly at the half-lidded, satisfied old fellow in his arms.

He pinched Wu Xingzi’s squashed nose, then pinched that smiling face of his, and the man in his arms allowed him to do whatever he wanted. Not only did Wu Xingzi not struggle, he even slid his arms around him, hugging his trim waist tightly and refusing to let go.

Even the chinese dodder wrapping itself around a tree did not cling as tightly as Wu Xingzi. Ping Yifan could not harden his heart to push the man away, and with a gloomy expression, he was in his own thoughts.

It was the opposite for Wu Xingzi. Finding a comfortable spot in Ping Yifan’s arms, he fell asleep.

Hearing the old fellow’s steady breathing, Ping Yifan could not resist pinching his cheek hard again, only letting go when the skin reddened under his fingers. Frowning, he struggled for a little while, but still ended up tucking the man into his embrace. He shifted him into a position that did not cause his face to be squashed, as it would not be comfortable sleeping with an out-of-shape nose.

The three people who had left the pavilion had also returned, and one of them spoke to Ping Yifan, “Master, are you bringing Mr. Wu back?”

“Back there?” Because of drinking, the man in his arms felt warm and toasty, emitting heat like a little burner. Very quickly, sweat accumulated in his arms, and Wu Xingzi’s forehead and nose beaded with sweat as well. He clearly was very warm, but he still wanted to cling onto Ping Yifan.

Clicking his tongue lightly, Ping Yifan took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped Wu Xingzi’s sweat away for him. The three subordinates had never seen Ping Yifan so gentle and meticulous before, looking so very soft.

They exchanged looks, and one of them finally braced himself, asking, “Umm… Does Master plan on bringing Mr. Wu back to the estate?”

“No.” Ping Yifan objected without even having to think about it. Looking at the heartless man in his arms, Ping Yifan was feeling annoyed, but he could not bear to abandon him here. “Tell Rancui, I’m sending Wu Xingzi back right now, and don’t let him drink any wine again in the future.”

“Yes.” The people immediately left after listening to the instructions.

Wu Xingzi was enjoying his sleep, smacking his lips as though he was enjoying some delicacy. Ping Yifan clenched his fist, enduring. Finally, he did not take the opportunity to steal a kiss, rather, he carefully lifted the man up, and they left Lianxiang Residences.

Exiting from the back door, they did not bump into the crowd from the fair. With Ping Yifan’s ordinary appearance, as well as him carrying a man in his arms, the young ladies watching the bustle did not disturb them. Only a few clustered together, glancing at them while whispering to each other with reddened faces, and peals of spine chilling laughter occasionally rang out from them.

Once in the carriage, Ping Yifan again wiped away the sweat on Wu Xingzi’s face. He had originally intended on removing Wu Xingzi’s outer robe, so as to prevent him from feeling stifled from the heat. However, Wu Xingzi was still hugging him tightly, and he was unable to separate the two of them. The entire time, Wu Xingzi kept trying to draw himself even closer to Ping Yifan.

With no choice, Ping Yifan could only continue holding onto him. Periodically, he would pat him, afraid that the old fellow would have a nightmare that would affect his sleep, and that he might have a hangover after waking up.

When they arrived at Rancui’s mansion, Hei’er was already waiting at the door. Once he saw Ping Yifan pull the curtain open, he immediately went forward, wanting to carry Wu Xingzi.

“No need for that. May Commander Hei just show me the way.” Ping Yifan avoided Hei’er’s hand, raising his chin instead.

Seeing this feigned attitude, Hei’er’s expression was slightly distressed. He sighed secretly, then led the man in accordingly.

After setting Wu Xingzi down, Ping Yifan did not stay. Before he left, he quietly instructed Hei’er, “Tell Wu Xingzi that I’d visit him two days later. If he really has the intentions to make friends, we can go for an outing then.”

“Don’t worry, Mister. I’ll pass the message on to Mr. Wu.” Hei’er cupped his hands together as he agreed. However, Ping Yifan’s mood did not seem to improve. Snorting coldly, he left after putting the curtain down.

Only when the carriage could no longer be seen did Hei’er then lift his head up, wiping away the cold sweat gathering on his forehead.

“What’s wrong? Look at how much you’re flinching. Does Ping Yifan eat people?” A pair of snow-white arms clung onto Hei’er’s neck, and the smell of alcohol mixed with the fragrance of lotus flowers wafted past his ear. Very quickly, the ear flushed red.

“You clearly know what’s going on.” Resigned, Hei’er pulled the arms down from his neck, tucking the person into his arms.

“Hmph! You bastard. Everything, whether it’s good or bad, pleasant or rotten, when given by your master, you’re able to swallow it all down, not fearing that you’d upset your stomach at all.” Irritated, Rancui smacked the firm arm around his waist. With a cold tone, he spoke, “Let go. Clinging on like this, how will this seem to others?”

“I’ll take you back to your room. You’re drunk.” Hei’er sighed. How was this the gathering of the Peng Society today? It was more like a banquet disguised as a trap.

“How can I not know whether I’m drunk or not?” Rancui sneered. Due to the alcohol, his face was like a red peony, and he had long lost his previous aloofness. Looking just like a seductive demon who could suck the vital energy out of anyone, a lift of his lids was enough to hook a man’s heart out of his chest.

“Alright, you’re not drunk. However, you’ve drank a fair bit already, do you want to go back to your room to rest?”

“No way, the gathering has yet to conclude. I have to go back and hold down the fort.” Refusing with a shake of his head, Rancui truly could not be considered drunk. If not for worrying about Wu Xingzi, he would not have left Lianxiang Residences at this time, coming back with Hei’er.

“Would you like to have a bowl of sobering soup before heading back?” Looking at how charming Rancui’s drunken state was, Hei’er was not very willing to let this man go back.

“Get the kitchen to prepare the soup, then send a bowl over to me.” Rancui glanced at him, a vague smile curling around his lips as he wrapped an arm around Hei’er’s neck. “There, I’ll have to trouble Commander Hei to send me back to Lianxiang Residences.”

Just now, it was Hei’er who carried him here using qinggong. This time, of course he had to do the same, and use qinggong to carry him back.

Hei’er was completely helpless against Rancui. Sighing, he lifted the man up in his arms, before leaping up onto the roof.