Chapter 8: Shameless Calculations

Chapter 8: Shameless Calculations

The sky was a brilliant blue, the sunlight radiant, and the wind brushed past the copper chimes at the corners of the house, producing a crisp ringing sound. Even though it was called the evil month, the weather remained vibrant and full of life, with branches stretching out carefree, completely indifferent to whether others liked it or not.

Nanxing leaned against the wall dappled with tree shadows, silently watching the performance in the hall, her eyes growing increasingly heavy with contemplation.

How shameless indeed.

Arrogant before, servile after, they had no sense of propriety, twisting their own blindness into an unfortunate accident. Before, they couldn't wait for everyone to come and see the spectacle, to trample on him, to spit, but now they were all calling him Young Master affectionately, sending gifts, trying to sweep this matter under the rug, and then scheming to get their hands on what the Young Master possessed...

Before they could fully grasp the nature of the people in the capital, they had already seen through the Duke's Mansion.

He didn't know why Young Master had changed his mind and revealed a bit of his true capabilities. Young Master must have his own plans, but dealing with these people couldn't help but sour his mood. The bowl of small wontons earlier wasn't enough; he needed to find something delicious for Young Master...

"How is it different... Exactly what has changed..."

In the side courtyard, Wen Yu had annoyed Wen Ru, and after giving her some perfunctory words, he left the hall without actually departing. He pretended to be concerned about accompanying his sister while taking the opportunity to sort out his thoughts under the corridor.

In his previous life, nothing like this ever happened. Indeed, Huazao had swept from Jiang Nan to the capital, and the Huo family, its creators, made a fortune. But from beginning to end, it had nothing to do with Wen Ruan. He had never seen Wen Ruan possess or use anything related to Huazao, nor did he have any connections with the Huo family. Now, he was actually claiming that he could make it himself?

If it was indeed like this in the previous life, why hide and never show it? How could he bear it?

Could it be... a pretense?

Knowing that he wasn't valued, and that his future path would be difficult, did he put on an act to gain the family's attention? Whether he could do it or not didn't matter, he just bought it, and when asked, he'd say it was too hard to make as an excuse, dragging his feet. When he got what he wanted, he'd claim he made it... How dare he! Wasn't he afraid of being exposed?

Wen Yu carefully recalled the events of the previous life, finding his memories vague. It wasn't that his memory was hazy; rather, he had always been preoccupied with his own affairs, paying too little attention to his surroundings. Especially after he schemed to bind himself to the Sixth Prince and married him, he rarely returned to the Duke's Mansion, completely unaware of what had happened to Wen Ruan. The capital was often shaken by major events, but none of them were related to Wen Ruan, until the Sixth Prince failed in his bid for the throne, a new emperor ascended, and the man Wen Ruan married, who was once a third-place scholar, became a powerful minister, riding high on a wave of popularity and applause. Only then did he see his younger brother again...

Was he mistaken? This younger brother wasn't simple? But how could someone not simple be so low-key that no one noticed?

"Mustn't rush... mustn't be hasty..."

Wen Yu took a deep breath, reminding himself to think clearly. There was no need for panic. He was the one who knew what the future held, not others. The events he had personally experienced could never be wrong, and he had verified this countless times before. Therefore, Wen Ruan was likely not the formidable figure he should worry about. Even if he possessed a few tricks up his sleeve, they weren't worth much attention. All Wen Yu needed to do was follow his own path. Good things come to those who wait, and he would succeed.

Indeed, Wen Ruan had no intention of revealing that he could make floral soap. In fact, he didn't want to display any of his abilities in front of others. Having experienced a heart-wrenching assassination attempt and truly died once, he was unaware of who might be watching him from the shadows. Yet, whoever was lurking in the dark wouldn't let him off easily.

Over the past few years, he occasionally felt that the gaze from the darkness wasn't always present. It seemed to appear sporadically, checking on his condition. It was akin to a well-fed cat catching a mouse, capable of ending its life at any moment but not particularly eager to do so. Instead, it left the mouse to play, but if the mouse made an unusual move that caught its attention...

He had intended to keep a low profile, but others insisted on pushing him forward. However, he did have ways to dance the tango on the edge of the storm.

Hidden methods for the covert, and overt means for the exposed; there's always an angle to exploit. Just like now, by proactively bringing this matter to light, it's not bad that some people come for it. It conveniently allows him to sift through and see who is plotting against his life, if he can find any clues. If not, he can use this interest as bait; whoever wants it will have to protect him.

His trump cards far outnumber this one, many of which others cannot see. No matter how vast the capital is, or how unpredictable human hearts may be, he insists on treading these sharp edges, to see who will ultimately come out on top...

In the main hall of the main residence, the conversation continues.

"...If my memory serves me right, Brother Ruan is seventeen this year?"

Little Lu mentions Wen Ruan's age with a gentle expression: "A fine young man with such remarkable abilities, how envious the ladies of the capital must be. Shouldn't we start thinking about arranging a marriage for him?"

Madam Zhou was completely caught off guard by the shift in topic and subconsciously replied, "He's indeed not young anymore…"

"It just so happens that we're planning a banquet at home," Little Lu mused. "This could be an opportunity to introduce Brother Ruan to everyone. Why don't we also keep an eye out for eligible young ladies among our clan's relatives, high-ranking officials in the imperial court, and close family friends? Who doesn't have a few outstanding daughters?"

Madam Zhou instantly became wary. It was probably their own relatives who had outstanding daughters! The Second Branch had such devious intentions. Not only were they unwilling to hand over household affairs to her, but now they even had designs on someone who had just returned to the Main Branch? They were counting on Wen Ruan being new and easily swayed by his youth, arranging a wife for him to align with the Second Branch? Did they hold such high hopes for Huazao?

No, no, it might also have something to do with the title.

The Main Branch had no male heir, and she only had Wen Yu, a child born of a concubine. The future position of the Prince Heir had only two options: to establish a child born of a concubine or adopt a nephew from the Second Branch. The Second Branch was thriving, with boys being born one after another; she couldn't even count how many there were when adding both legitimate and illegitimate children. Over these years, she hadn't made her stance clear, always avoiding this topic, hoping to let the Second Branch exhaust themselves internally so she could reap the benefits. Now… Was Little Lu feeling anxious?

Wen Ruan's return is a variable, and Lady Xiao Lu wants to coax him into her grasp first, so she can either advance or retreat as she sees fit?

Could she do the same?

Lady Zhou hadn't considered this angle before. Wen Ruan's return is a shock to everyone in the Duke's Mansion. If she could completely draw him into her sphere of influence, wouldn't her future...

"There's no need to rush, boys are different from girls after all," Lady Zhou said with a smile, looking at Wen Ruan tenderly. "Rest assured, your auntie has it in mind. I will certainly make good plans for you and find someone suitable in the future."

Wen Ruan's eyes curved into a smile. "Thank you, Auntie."

Every time he smiled like this, he appeared particularly obedient and likable, and Lady Zhou's smile grew even wider. "I heard that you've become friends with Young Marquis Fang, and that he protected you in the street? Young Marquis Fang has an upright character; it's always good to have more friends. Why don't you personally extend an invitation to him for a banquet?"

Wen Ruan: "That is indeed appropriate."

Lady Little Lu lowered her eyes. Even at this moment, Lady Zhou was still thinking of her daughter. Regardless of whether there was hope or not, one could see that blood relations were fundamentally different from others.

"It's proper that we carefully plan this banquet," she said softly, seemingly seeking Lady Zhou's opinion. "In a residence like ours, when hosting such a grand event, every detail must be considered. From close family friends to officials and dignitaries, all the way to imperial princes and various dukes' mansions, who should be invited and who shouldn't, who will definitely come and who might not, how to estimate the number of guests, how to welcome them, how to arrange the banquet, from the selection of dishes and bowls to the decoration of the venue, everything needs to be meticulously arranged. The children in the household are all grown up now, and this is an opportunity for them to make a good impression. I was thinking of assigning some smaller tasks to the younger generation to handle. What do you think, Elder Sister?"

This was where their interests aligned. Since they were going to host a banquet, they had to let others know about it. This soap opera, the Duke's Mansion could stage, and there would be plenty more in the future. Face, prestige, and money—all needed to be upheld.

Madam Zhou: "You make a valid point, but Young Master Ruan has just returned..."

She was somewhat hesitant; people certainly needed to be cultivated, but someone so scheming, causing such a commotion, needed to be reined in. She had to remind him of his place and the vastness of the world. But what task would be suitable?

"I did think of something," Lady Little Lu said with a smile, looking at Wen Ruan. "The small decorations around the garden, including the little ornaments on the tables during banquets. It's not a big deal, but if done well, it can be impressive. If not, it's mostly overlooked, nothing serious." She looked at Wen Ruan expectantly. "Can you handle it?"

Wen Ruan smiled faintly. "Of course, I'm best at this."

Madam Zhou barely held back her laughter. This foolish young master couldn't possibly think that this task was as simple as playing with mud in the fields, could he? Just a casual arrangement wouldn't cut it.

The lengthy meeting concluded, back at Little Bamboo Pavilion, Nanxing subtly broached the topic, "…the decoration of the Duke's Mansion seems to have its own distinctive style."

"They're making things difficult for me," Wen Ruan, of course, was aware, "I'm not cut out for the opulent aesthetic."

Nanxing paused in her tea-pouring, "Then why did Young Master agree so readily?"

As the afternoon grew increasingly hot, the breeze at Little Bamboo Pavilion remained pleasantly cool. Wen Ruan closed his eyes in enjoyment, "There are merely two ways to handle this: one, find an unusual angle that hits on current pain points; no matter how poorly it's done, others won't easily criticize. Two, taste is something that needs cultivation; this could open up a new direction, facilitating my future endeavors."

Nanxing immediately ceased her questioning. Her young master always had a plan, she was only discontent with those people's posturing: "Clearly scheming to get their hands on Young Master's possessions, they come fawning over him, yet they awkwardly try to assert dominance…"

"At least let this outsider know who's in charge here, right? On the turf of a local bully, even a dragon must coil, and a tiger must cower," Wen Ruan looked at Nanxing, "I know you understand, I'm not stupid, there's no need to remind me so cautiously."

Nanxing: ...

It's not like you're always carefree, unwilling to make a fuss about many things, looking like an easy target, he couldn't let his young master keep suffering losses.

Seeing Wen Ruan take off his boots and gently knead his calves, he stepped forward, "Let me—"

"No need," Wen Ruan grimaced and moved his leg away, "You're not my servant, you don't have to do these things."

He overestimated his body a bit. Anyone would be tired after intense farm work, especially when rushed. He should have left earlier to rest.

But Nanxing's face tightened, "I am."

Wen Ruan: ...

"You're not."

"I am."

As she spoke, Nanxing's eyes welled up, more pitiful than the person refusing her service.

"Alright, you are," Wen Ruan sighed, "Even if you were, my servant doesn't have to do these things, unless I'm incapacitated..."

Nanxing: "Young Master!"

"Fine, fine," Wen Ruan lowered his gaze, "Unless... it rains."

The previous part was a joke, but these two words were sincere.

Nanxing fell silent, "In the north, there's little rain, it shouldn't rain soon, Young Master... your body will be much more comfortable."

"But we can't go without rain," Wen Ruan shook his head, looking worriedly out the window, "Without rain, what will happen to the crops?"

"But..."

"I'm fine, haven't I endured for so many years?"

Wen Ruan smiled at Nanxing, his voice softening, "Sorry, I wanted to make a joke with you, but instead, I made you uncomfortable."