Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Loving someone isn't just about actions—you also have to say it out loud.

In fact, many times, "saying" is even more important than "doing." After all, if you don't say it, how will anyone know how much you've given?

Although Han Zhang's feelings for Shen Qinglan could only be described as a crush at this point, that didn't stop him from making Shen Qinglan feel his utmost sincerity and deep affection. For this reason, his appearance today was carefully designed.

These past two days, he deliberately refrained from using his power to recover, enduring two days and nights of exhaustion. He also used a bit of makeup to craft that haggard yet handsome, broodingly attractive look!

And his preparation was clearly not in vain. Seeing him like this, Shen Qinglan immediately believed his nonsense.

The young man instantly felt guilty and sorry, hurriedly comforting him instead, his eyes red with distress:

"Brother Han, how can you be this silly? If I were really going to kill myself, I would definitely want to die with you. After all this time together, don't you know me by now?"

Han Zhang: …Well, actually, we've only known each other for like two or three months.

His little husband was way too naive.

Han Zhang coughed to himself, keeping up his act on the outside, saying tenderly, "I know… but 'Where there is love, there is worry; where there is love, there is fear.' Seeing those poems of yours that are filled with life and death, how could I be at ease?"

Such a stunningly handsome guy, haggard and crazy for you, looking at you with deep affection.

Who wouldn't be swept off their feet by that?

Anyway, Shen Qinglan, a total sucker for a pretty face, couldn't resist. He was touched and flustered, quickly starting to explain.

"Brother Han, I'm sorry. I just thought the poems sounded really pretty, and the mood was so romantic, perfectly matching our promise to stick together through life and death. That's why I copied them and sent them to you. I didn't mean to scare you."

"They're just exaggerated metaphors. Actually, I've been doing well these days. Besides missing you a bit, I've been eating and sleeping well, and I'm pretty healthy. Brother Han, you don't need to worry about me…"

As he spoke, he even raised his skinny arm and waved it a few times, indicating that he was quite strong and not some delicate little guy.

The moonlight was bright tonight.

Even without a lamp, Han Zhang could clearly see the lively look on the person in front of him by the clear moonlight.

He couldn't help but nod and laugh: "Indeed, no need to worry. Looks like you've put on a few pounds, so it's clear you haven't been skimping on food and drink."

"Brother Han!"

Shen Qinglan, teased, instantly blushed and pouted, shy and annoyed.

He was just being modest—how could Brother Han actually make fun of him? Wasn't he still Brother Han's sweetheart?

But in the next moment, he was appeased again.

Han Zhang pulled him into his arms, his voice filled with an indescribable sense of fulfillment: "Qinglan, I missed you so much… I've been thinking about you every day these past days, unable to sleep, tossing and turning, longing for you."

Suddenly wrapped in a warm hug, Shen Qinglan, who was only wearing his sleeping clothes, could barely feel the thin fabric separating them from each other's body heat.

His face burned, but he couldn't bring himself to push Han Zhang away. Finally, he buried his face in Han Zhang's chest to hide his shyness, his voice timid yet with a hint of boldness:

"Me too… I think of you every day."

As he spoke, he reached out and hugged Han Zhang's waist, feeling extremely shy yet taking the initiative like crazy.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They just held each other quietly, feeling each other's body heat and breaths.

After a long pause, they gradually started discussing what had been going on lately.

On Shen Qinglan’s side, although he was confined to the courtyard by Lady Shen every day to learn etiquette, the other person also had a lot to say.

After all, the Shen household’s rear court had concubines and children by concubines, and the relationships between siblings were far from harmonious. Living under the same roof, they crossed paths constantly, so friction was inevitable.

Shen Qinglan was not the type to pretend, nor could he tolerate grievances. He was confident and proud.

Thus, even as much as he liked Han Zhang, he refused to suppress his true nature for Han Zhang’s sake, pretending to be gentle and kind, or hide his "imperfections."

He hoped Han Zhang liked him for who he was—both his strengths and weaknesses.

The young man chattered on, airing all his grievances with his brothers and sisters at home.

Of course, after getting that off his chest, he still felt a little uneasy: "...Brother Han, do you mind that I’ve broken off three engagements?"

"Then, is there still a place in your heart for those three?"

Han Zhang asked with a smile.

Shen Qinglan immediately shook his head: "Of course not! I never liked them, so how could they still be in my heart?"

"The first two engagements were arranged by our parents on the matchmaker’s word. As for the third, the heir of Jinyang Marquis Manor—he came to propose to me on his own—but I knew he only liked my face..."

"So back then, I felt only gratitude toward him, thanking him for salvaging my reputation. But when he also took a liking to my younger brother and even proposed a joint marriage with a co-husband, trampling all over my dignity, he became someone I loathed."

"Only Brother Han is the one my heart truly points to..."

By the end, the young man shyly dropped his gaze.

Though his words were straightforward, every sentence warmed the heart and was utterly alluring.

Han Zhang couldn’t help himself; he gently pressed a kiss on the shy boy’s forehead, his eyes soft with affection.

"That’s enough. What I love is the one who understands and commits to me, Brother Lan—not merely the second young master of the Shen residence. What happened before doesn’t matter. What I care about is the future."

"You, my worthy brother, are like a luminous moon, and you have deigned to shine upon me. I feel nothing but joy. How am I, a common scholar, worthy of such a moon’s favor?"

His tone carried a hint of sigh, as if steeped in self-deprecation.

Shen Qinglan couldn’t bear to hear him speak like that, so he quickly comforted him: "Brother Han, your talent is outstanding, your presence impressive—no less than any son of a noble house. In the future, you will surely achieve great things, becoming a marquis and prime minister."

"I only like Brother Han. Even if a prince or noble came, I wouldn’t trade you!"

The young man’s cheeks were flushed, but his voice was as firm as a vow, his feelings direct and blazing, like wildfire, unashamed.

Han Zhang smiled contentedly: "Then, Qinglan, this bright moon—would you be willing to shine only on me for the rest of your life?"

"I would! I would!" Shen Qinglan nodded excitedly again and again, then added possessively: "But Brother Han must belong only to me too. After we marry, you are not allowed to take concubines."

After saying that, as if remembering something, he quickly added: "No intimate maids either."

Some men say they won’t take concubines, and they truly don’t, but they still slip in maids or personal attendants secretly, exploiting loopholes, and it’s quite common. These things must be made clear!

"Alright, Lan-di, whatever you say."

Han Zhang nodded with a smile, agreeing readily, without any burden.

He was never one to crave physical beauty. He valued a happy, harmonious family above all else.

Now Shen Qinglan was happy.

He was happier than he'd ever been, the longing and anxiety of the past few days vanished, he felt like a fresh spring sprout, full of life.

Then he remembered something.

Shen Qinglan quickly said: "Oh right, Brother Han, wait for me. I have something to give you."

With that, he threw back the brocade quilt, padded barefoot with a soft patter to the dressing table, rummaged for a moment, and finally came back holding a pouch, proudly handed it to Han Zhang, bragging.

"Brother Han, look, this is a pouch I hand-embroidered for you. From cutting, threading, to the pattern... I did everything from start to finish, with absolutely no help from anyone else."

Young masters and misses from wealthy families were raised with strict rules, learning etiquette and household management.

Especially the legitimate children, they were groomed towards becoming family matriarchs. Even though Shen Qinglan seemed simple-minded and acted naive, his actual skills in managing a household were not lacking.

Thus, the needlework skills demanded of young ladies and lads were not important for the young masters and misses of rich families. When they said 'made it themselves,' they mostly just stirred the pot once or twice or added a few stitches to embroidery.

To personally handle everything from start to finish like this was truly an extraordinary show of affection.

Han Zhang happily took the pouch, examined it closely under the dim moonlight, and praised it flatteringly:

"Although it's not as exquisite as what an embroidery shop produces, the stitching is neat. These two little ducks look so cute and lively. I really like it."

Shen Qinglan's face flushed red: "Brother Han, I embroidered mandarin ducks."

Han Zhang: "..."

Silence—the Cambridge of tonight.

No matter, he’s got thick skin!

Han Zhang didn’t miss a beat and found a new angle: "Mandarin ducks? If it's mandarin ducks, then I can't accept this pouch."

"Why?"

"Because mandarin ducks are not actually as romantic as described in poetry. They are not life partners. Once the female starts incubating the eggs, the male leaves to molt and finds a new mate."

Han Zhang teased him while explaining: "How could the bond between me and Brother Lan be compared to these mandarin ducks?"

"Ah, is that really what mandarin ducks are like?"

Shen Qinglan's eyes widened in shock at this new knowledge.

Then he grew anxious: "What do we do then? This is really unlucky. Brother Han, I want to be with you and only you for life, and I don't want you finding someone else."

"Oh dear, it's all Qiao Dong and Qiao Xi's fault! I originally wanted to embroider flowers, but they insisted that flowers were too difficult, and that mandarin ducks were simple and meaningful... Who knew mandarin ducks had such character? It drives me crazy."

No wonder they say it runs in the family.

Just like that prodigal Shen Huaizhi, this young lad Shen Qinglan never blames himself—only others.

No wonder, during the 'broken relationship' period, he still managed to stay plump and fair-skinned.

After blaming his page boy's bad advice, Shen Qinglan was about to take the pouch back, ashamed and trying to salvage the situation:

"Brother Han, I'm not good at embroidery. This one isn't well done. Let me make a new one for you later."

"No, this one is fine. As they say, sometimes you plan for things and they fail, but unexpected things turn out well. Your embroidery doesn't look like mandarin ducks, but more like shelducks, which has a similar magic to how we met. Perhaps this is fate's unintended twist, destiny..."

With that, Han Zhang carefully tied the pouch to his waist and then commented with satisfaction: "Very fitting."

This made Shen Qinglan feel appreciated, and the young lad murmured sweetly, unable to help it: "How is it fitting? You're just saying that."

"How could that be? If you don't believe me, I'll wear it every day and let everyone see, alright?"

Han Zhang openly declared his loyalty.

No matter, with his looks, even the ugliest pouch could become a fashion statement.

Shen Qinglan couldn't suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth, and upon hearing this, he nodded eagerly: "Then I'll embroider a few more, and you can rotate them."

"Alright, whatever you say..."

Han Zhang responded with a smile, gently pulling him back into his arms.

It was getting late; he should go, but he was reluctant.

Shen Qinglan blushed but didn't push him away; he just rested his head on his chest and said reluctantly:

"On the ninth of next month, Mother will take the women of the household to the Golden Light Temple to burn incense and relax. Can you sneak over? I'll wait for you in the apricot grove on the back hill."

"Alright."

Han Zhang agreed, his gaze soft, breathing in the faint scent of his hair, feeling complete peace.