Feudal Dregs - Chapter 22

The fabric shop displayed bolts of cloth in every hue, alongside finished garments ranging from Western suits to traditional robes. The torrential rain left the main hall deserted.

The shopkeeper, who managed this Li-family establishment, placed his umbrella in a bucket by the door. "This way, please," he smiled.

As they ascended the wooden staircase, Lan Yu attempted to wipe his face and straighten his ruined clothes before abandoning the effort. Li Mingzheng had seen him in worse states—one more instance hardly mattered.

"Master, your guest has arrived," the shopkeeper announced before withdrawing.

Li Mingzheng stood by the window, his gaze sweeping over Lan Yu's drenched form—the scholar's soaked robe clinging to his slender frame like a stray cat caught in the storm. "Fetch dry clothes," he ordered.

After the shopkeeper departed, silence settled between them, broken only by the raging storm outside. When lightning flashed, Lan Yu instinctively clutched his pipa tighter.

"Thank you, Young Master," Lan Yu murmured.

Li Mingzheng simply watched him, his heavy, unreadable stare characteristically oppressive. Meeting that gaze briefly before looking away, Lan Yu asked quietly, though he knew the answer, "Why is Young Master here?"

"This is a Li family fabric shop," came the even reply.

Water continued dripping from Lan Yu's clothes, forming a growing puddle at his feet.

Suddenly, the shopkeeper's voice came from outside the door, saying, "Young master, the clothes have arrived."

With that, the shopkeeper pushed the door open, carrying a set of new garments. Behind him followed a servant holding two buckets of hot water. This room was likely Li Mingzheng's temporary residence within the fabric shop—small but fully equipped.

The servant poured the hot water into the wooden tub behind the folding screen, while the shopkeeper set down the clothes and silently closed the door behind them as they left.

Li Mingzheng said, "Go change your clothes."

Lan Yu blinked, looking at Li Mingzheng, and sighed. "Young master, you know I like you, yet you still treat me with such gentleness and care—"

He continued, "Do you like me?"

Li Mingzheng replied impassively, "You are a concubine of the Li family. If you were to walk out looking like a drowned dog, it would disgrace the Li name."

Lan Yu chuckled softly. "My dear young master, you really don't need to be so blunt."

Li Mingzheng glanced at him. Lan Yu, holding his pipa, walked toward him and said, "Since the young master doesn't like me, why not do me one more favor?"

Li Mingzheng: "Hmm?"

Lan Yu placed the pipa into his arms. "I'm going to bathe. Would you mind holding my pipa for me?"

There were plenty of places in the room to set the pipa down, yet he deliberately handed it to Li Mingzheng. After a brief pause, Li Mingzheng took it.

The corners of Lan Yu's lips curled slightly as he whispered, "This is the only thing my mother left me. Please take good care of it, young master."

As Li Mingzheng took the pipa, their fingers brushed unavoidably. Standing close, Lan Yu's damp hair dripped water onto his pale neck, the droplets vanishing almost instantly.

Li Mingzheng didn't move, but his fingers inadvertently grazed the pipa strings, producing a soft sound. Outside, thunder rumbled as dark clouds churned, and wind-driven rain slanted through the window. Li Mingzheng slowly flexed his fingers, as if trying to hold onto the lingering coolness of that touch—but it was already gone.

He set the pipa aside and, watching the rain creep in through the window, reached out to close it.

Separated only by a folding screen—depicting a lone boat moored under a high moon, serene and understated on fine silk—the faint silhouette of the scene beyond was just visible.

Lan Yu's pipa was wet. Li Mingzheng took a clean cloth and quietly wiped it down. The wooden instrument bore the marks of time, with a few worn scratches and an engraved orchid design bearing Lan Yu's name.

From behind the screen came the rustling of Lan Yu undressing, followed by the soft sound of him stepping into the tub. Though the rain outside was heavy, its noise overwhelming, Li Mingzheng heard every detail clearly.

It was the same tub he used for bathing.

Li Mingzheng even seemed to hear the sound of water cascading over skin. He lifted his gaze to the silk screen, where Lan Yu's figure was faintly outlined. He saw Lan Yu sitting sideways, a towel gliding over his neck, his head tilted back—that slender neck, so delicate it could be encircled by a single hand.

Li Mingzheng's expression remained composed, showing no awareness of intruding on someone's bath. Sensing his gaze, Lan Yu turned and leaned over the tub's edge. "Young master, how am I supposed to bathe with you watching me like this?"

Li Mingzheng said nothing.

Lan Yu continued, "Young master, you have everything here. Do you often bring women to spend the night?"

Li Mingzheng replied coolly, "None of your concern."

Lan Yu spoke in a languid tone, "It has nothing to do with me, really. But just thinking about sharing a bathtub with the young master and being in his room makes my heart flutter uncontrollably, with all sorts of wicked thoughts surfacing."

"But then realizing I'm not the only one," he splashed the water idly, creating ripples, "makes me unhappy."

His displeasure was stated frankly, without the slightest concealment, like a child throwing a tantrum.

Li Mingzheng said, "Don't forget your position."

Lan Yu laughed, "Your father's concubine, I know."

"Young master, what kind of woman do you like?" Lan Yu's voice carried a hint of melancholy. "A gentle and understanding flower, or an innocent and lovely one?"

Without waiting for Li Mingzheng's reply, he continued, "I used to think, if only there were a woman who wouldn't look down on me, someone gentle. I've saved up a bit over the years, enough to keep playing the pipa. Though it's not much, it would suffice for us to get by." Li Mingzheng looked at the silhouette cast on the screen and suddenly asked, "You don't like men?"

Lan Yu said, "I didn't before. My mother was a prostitute. I grew up watching her put on acts with those men. How could I like them?" Li Mingzheng fell silent.

Lan Yu chuckled, "When your father forced himself on me, I hated him to the core. But then I met you, and somehow, I started liking you. Isn't that strange?"

Li Mingzheng raised his eyes. Through the thin silk screen, their gazes seemed to meet. He said coldly, "You don't like me. You're just unwilling to be entangled by Li Yuqing and seek refuge."

Lan Yu smiled, "Seeking refuge and liking you aren't mutually exclusive."

"I'm already in the abyss, young master. Do you know? It's both easy and hard for someone in the depths to be moved," Lan Yu said. "The slightest kindness you unintentionally show is already priceless to me."

Li Mingzheng's expression remained unreadable. He seemed to recall something and asked, "Why would a woman look down on you?" Lan Yu paused, his fingers tracing the wooden tub. He gave a strange laugh and said, "Why don't you guess, young master?"

Li Mingzheng replied calmly, "You have a skill to rely on. Though you're in a brothel, it's enough to sustain you. You're healthy, and your appearance isn't lacking. Why would they scorn you?"

Lan Yu laughed, "Wrong."

Li Mingzheng asked, "What's wrong?"

Lan Yu didn't answer, instead saying, "Young Master, could you bring me my clothes?"

Li Mingzheng paused for a moment, then reached over with his long legs to pick up the fresh garments nearby. As he stepped around the screen, he saw Lan Yu lazily draped over the edge of the bathtub. Lan Yu's skin was pale, flushed pink from the hot water, his eyes brimming with amusement as he gazed up at him.

When Lan Yu reached out to take the clothes, Li Mingzheng immediately noticed the red marks crisscrossing his wrist. Lan Yu caught his gaze and quickly withdrew his hand, sinking deeper into the water.

Li Mingzheng recalled the servants' gossip—how Lan Yu had been tied to the bed by his father all night.

Lan Yu pursed his lips and teased, "Young Master, isn't it improper to watch your stepmother bathe?"

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