Chapter 16: Embarrassment

Chapter 16: Embarrassment

Yu Lanyi pulled his wrist free and said, "I was just teasing you; why use so much force?"

Zheng Shanci set the book facedown on the table. He knew that once Yu Lanyi came over, he wouldn’t be able to read in peace.

Yu Lanyi sat down without ceremony on the stone stool. When he sat down, he didn’t know how to start a conversation with Zheng Shanci. The two of them, having just gone through their wedding night, now felt even more awkward than strangers.

"Why are you still reading? Haven’t you already taken up your official post?" Yu Lanyi asked curiously.

In his impression, his elder brother rarely read books after becoming the deputy leader of the imperial guards. He usually dealt with official matters in his study. The Marquis of Changyang was the same; he never liked reading since childhood, only interested in buying jewelry and fine clothes, and always clinging to his father.

"I just like to read when I have free time," Zheng Shanci said.

Otherwise, Zheng Shanci wouldn’t know what to do. The mansion had servants to take care of chores and cooking, leaving him with nothing to do at home.

"Young Master, the things you had sent from home have arrived," a servant came forward and said.

Yu Lanyi’s face lit up: "Take me to see them quickly."

He had brought all his belongings from home, leaving them packed, planning to take them all when they moved to Xinfeng County.

There were eight carts at the entrance. Seeing his familiar belongings, Yu Lanyi felt a bit more at ease.

"Put them all in the storeroom."

Though he was married, Yu Lanyi didn’t feel like it was real. Staying at home all day with Zheng Shanci? He wanted to go out shopping. Because of the wedding, relatives had given him gifts of money, which was stored in the treasury and managed by the accountant. If Yu Lanyi needed money, he had to get it from the accountant.

The accountant had also been arranged for him by Mr. Yu.

Yu Lanyi’s eyes scanned the room, and he walked up to Zhang Xian. Zhang Xian was a middle-aged man who bowed upon seeing Yu Lanyi: "Young Master, what brings you here?"

"I need to get some money to buy new clothes for Zheng Shanci," Yu Lanyi said, crossing his arms. "His clothes are too shabby; it’s embarrassing."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xian immediately withdrew money for Yu Lanyi.

"Young Master, here are fifty taels of silver."

"What? Only fifty taels? How is that enough for clothes?"

Zhang Xian said, "Young Master, we have to allocate money based on the family’s finances. This is already an extra withdrawal."

Yu Lanyi took the fifty taels and left. He avoided the Golden Cloth Pavilion, as he still owed them a hundred taels, fearing they would demand repayment.

By then, he’d be lucky to have a single copper coin left, and he might even end up owing more money.

Yu Lanyi had gone with Mr. Yu to see clothes for the Marquis of Changyang and Yu Zhangxing, all arranged by Mr. Yu. Yu Lanyi was only responsible for selecting. Besides the Marquis of Changyang and Yu Zhangxing, this was the first time Yu Lanyi was buying clothes for someone outside the family.

He had to report back, and he really couldn’t stand Zheng Shanci’s clothes. As the new magistrate of Xinfeng County, he still needed to maintain some dignity. Thinking this, Yu Lanyi walked into a shop where the clothes were cheaper than the Golden Cloth Pavilion but still of excellent quality.

Everyone on the street knew Yu Lanyi. The proprietor, seeing a big customer arrive, hurriedly came forward personally: "Young Master Yu, what kind of clothes do you need? We just got a new batch of fabrics, and the embroiderers worked overnight on them. Take a look."

Yu Lanyi glanced at the new clothes, his eyes showing interest, but he restrained himself.

"Where are the clothes for young men? Take me to see them."

The proprietor quickly led the way: "This way, Young Master Yu. Are you buying clothes for the Marquis of Changyang or Mr. Yu? We also have new styles here, with comfortable fabrics."

Yu Lanyi immediately took a liking to two or three outfits: a dark blue, a navy blue, and a white robe, all finely crafted. Hearing the proprietor’s words, Yu Lanyi paused in his steps.

He said, "I bought them for my husband."

The proprietor suddenly remembered that Yu Lanyi had just gotten married the day before. He exclaimed, "Ah, so it's for Lord Zheng. Young Master Yu and Lord Zheng seem to have a very good relationship."

Yu Lanyi's lips twitched into a slight smile. He liked being praised, and it didn't bother him if Zheng Shanci was also complimented.

"Bring these clothes down for me to see."

The clerk brought the clothes over, and Yu Lanyi felt the fabric, which was of good quality and the colors were just right. He said, "I'll take these three pieces."

The proprietor gave a wry smile, "Young Master Yu, you haven't given us Lord Zheng's measurements. It's hard for us to pick the right size."

Yu Lanyi thought for a moment. How would he know Zheng Shanci's measurements? But if he admitted that he didn't know, it would make him seem distant from Zheng Shanci.

"His build is a bit slimmer than my elder brother's, but generally similar."

The proprietor understood.

While the clerk was wrapping the clothes, Yu Lanyi ran into a few people he wasn't fond of.

One was An Geer from the Marquis Anxin's household, and the other was Yan Geer, a friend of An Geer from the Minister of Justice's family. The two were arm-in-arm, looking very close. When they spotted Yu Lanyi, their expressions turned subtle.

An Geer shot Yu Lanyi a disdainful glance. Ever since the rumors about Yu Lanyi's affair spread, An Geer's opinion of him had worsened. They used to have petty conflicts, as their fathers were both marquises, and An Geer had been pampered since childhood. They had always been in a subtle competition. But after Yu Lanyi married Zheng Shanci, An Geer stopped caring about competing with him.

"Yu Lanyi, you're here shopping for clothes too?" Yan Geer saw the proprietor wrapping men's clothing and quickly added, "For your husband, huh?"

"Yes," Yu Lanyi answered.

Yan Geer was caught off guard by Yu Lanyi's bluntness and was momentarily speechless.

"Young Master Yu, your clothes."

Yu Lanyi grabbed the clothes and strode out of the store. Only when he was well out of sight of An Geer and Yan Geer did he make a quick escape.

Why did he have to bump into these two? In their eyes, he must have lost face and humiliated himself!

"Young Masters, what kind of clothes would you like to see? We have new arrivals..." The proprietor kept enthusiastically showcasing the merchandise.

But An Geer and Yan Geer were no longer paying attention to the clothes. Out of respect for their families' reputations, they had attended Yu Lanyi's wedding and naturally saw Zheng Shanci's appearance and demeanor.

He didn't seem like someone from a small village. When he rode through the streets in his wedding attire, many young ladies and gentlemen blushed with admiration. After all, everyone appreciates beauty, and it was rare to see such a handsome man in the capital.

It was even more exciting than watching the top scholar parade through the streets. The top scholar wasn't as handsome.

An Geer considered Zheng Shanci's background and felt at ease. No matter what, a farmer's son couldn't turn into a golden phoenix.

An Geer's fiancé was also a noble heir. Their families liked to arrange marriages to maintain their status. An Geer had seen his fiancé, who was no different from the usual noble sons—ordinary and unremarkable.

His life had always been uneventful, and his fiancé was just an ordinary man, and a conceited one at that. This man already had concubines, and all the servants in his study were beautiful. If it weren't for his father's control, there would have been serious trouble.

Thinking of this, An Geer felt a bit disgusted.

Yu Lanyi had more freedom in marriage. Even though he had lost face this time, the Marquis of Changyang's family still held a grand wedding for him. It was considered a low marriage, but that meant Yu Lanyi's status was high, and he didn't have to worry too much about his husband's family.

"An Geer, look, this new outfit suits you," Yan Geer brought over a piece of clothing.

"I'm not in the mood today. I'm heading back," An Geer suddenly found all of this uninteresting and decided to return home with a weary expression.

"An Geer, wait for me," Yan Geer put the clothes down and quickly followed An Geer.

Yu Lanyi didn’t slow his pace until he returned to the mansion. He brought the clothes to the garden, where Zheng Shanci was still reading.

After Yu Lanyi left, Zheng Shanci felt more at ease reading alone in the garden. But his mind wandered, unusually distracted.

His first goal was to secure the position of magistrate in Xinfeng County. Because of his untimely transmigration, he had no choice but to marry Yu Lanyi. He hadn’t thought at all about how they’d live together after the marriage.

He didn’t know how to get along with his partner, lacking any imagination about it. They weren’t in love, so Zheng Shanci focused on respecting Yu Lanyi.

Zheng Shanci would tolerate Yu Lanyi as long as he didn’t cause trouble. To him, Yu Lanyi was like a kid begging for candy. Indulging him didn’t take much effort.

Mutual affection and deep companionship were just things from books.

"Zheng Shanci, look what I bought for you!" Yu Lanyi dashed over proudly and tossed the bundle at Zheng Shanci, which landed on the book.

Zheng Shanci paused, stunned. He opened the bundle and found three new outfits.

"I didn’t know your size, so I just grabbed whatever. Try them on; if they don’t fit, we’ll have them adjusted," Yu Lanyi said, tilting his chin up. "You’ll need decent clothes when you’re with me. When you’re magistrate of that backwater, you’ll need clothes to keep up appearances. Don’t thank me—it’s on your tab."

Zheng Shanci was silent.

"You..."

Yu Lanyi shot him a sideways glance.

Zheng Shanci stopped and packed the clothes back up.

"Go try them on."

Zheng Shanci nodded. He turned toward his room, Yu Lanyi trailing behind until Zheng Shanci entered and was about to close the door.

"Are you coming in too?" Zheng Shanci’s dark eyes fixed on Yu Lanyi.

Yu Lanyi, feeling oddly guilty, said, "I’m heading to the living room—and I want to see if my taste’s any good."

Zheng Shanci acknowledged with a sound and then slammed the door shut without hesitation.

Yu Lanyi: "..."

After a while, Zheng Shanci’s voice came from inside.

"Come in, the door isn’t closed tightly."

If the door wasn’t closed tightly, then he could have peeked through the crack earlier.

Yu Lanyi stopped the thought in his mind.

This was not a good thought; it was lust.

The golden light from outside the window streamed in, and the curtains cast a hazy glow. The floating light seemed to dance in the air, and in front of the bronze mirror, Yu Lanyi could barely see a silhouette.

And that silhouette alone could evoke endless imagination. Yu Lanyi’s footsteps softened as he looked at the mirror on the dressing table.

Then—

His eyes met the pair in the mirror across the distance.