Chapter 39: Arabian Nights - I've never joked with you.

Thanks to Lou Qiushou, He Guan avoided facing Lou Junjun's wrath directly. After their conversation, he also met with Lou Dongzang's second elder brother.

His name was Lou Jijing. It's a lovely name, but the man himself was rather cold and distant. Despite being well into his forties, his impeccable grooming made him look much younger, a stark contrast to his eldest brother.

On seeing He Guan approach him, he set aside his champagne and gave a proud nod as a gesture of acknowledgment.

After meeting all the direct family members, He Guan also made rounds to greet the house stewards, head chefs, doctors, and others, covering almost every corner of the castle.

He then realized that to maintain the castle's daily operations, nearly every room was occupied, leaving very few vacancies.

Having met everyone, the two were finally guided by the butler to Lou Yingjie, who was still engaged in conversation with some old friends.

The smoking room was thick with the scent of tobacco.

He Guan and Lou Dongzang opened the door, stepping into the dense blue-white haze of smoke together.

Lou Yingjie, reclining on the sofa and appearing slightly drowsy, mustered his energy to introduce his new son to the two elderly men seated opposite him.

As for the "former son," he was relegated to the corner of the sofa next to his wife.

Lou Yingjie gave He Guan an enthusiastic pat on the back, urging the two elderly friends to look out for him. The duo, evidently in good terms with Lou Yingjie, immediately agreed without hesitation.

Lou Yingjie's smile broadened, remarking, "Now I needn't worry about the fourth anymore. There's not much left in the house for me to handle..."

One of the elderly men seated opposite, with a hawk-like nose and piercing eyes, held an aged brass pipe.

The pipe, though seemingly ancient, was spotless.

The room's peculiar blue-white smoke emanated from his pipe.

Upon hearing Lou Yingjie's words, his face turned stern, "Old Jie, what do you mean by that?"

Indeed, such words were rather ominous, especially coming from Lou Ying Jie, a stubborn old man of seventy who still held the reins of the Lou family's fortunes.

Not having to worry about anything...

It's as if he's saying it wouldn't matter if he passed away soon.

Lou Ying Jie chuckled, "I didn't mean it that way. It's just that old age wears me down; I'm tired."

The aquiline-nosed elder seemed content with the response, and the trio continued their conversation.

He Guan sat beside them, not interrupting, contentedly nestled beside Lou Dong Cang.

The man next to him seemed a bit bored, idly playing with He Guan's fingers—starting with the soft flesh of the fingertips, then gently tracing over the nails.

The sensation of a nail being touched differs from the usual touch on the skin.

It felt more fleeting than the usual touch.

At times, He Guan thought he had pulled away, only to feel a light scratch again, realizing the touch had never left.

He Guan wasn't a fan of these sudden tactile sensations, but they were so delicate that they weren't bothersome.

As he listened to the conversation and with the room filled with smoke, he appeared a bit distracted. Feeling the continued touch on his nails, he playfully gripped and caressed the other's fingers, much like playing with a cat.

But in doing so, while he held onto the other's fingers, he effectively opened himself up to more nail-touching.

The elderly, puffing on their pipes, eventually wrapped up their smoky conversation and one of them took his leave first.

After he left, Lou Ying Jie and the remaining elder began discussing recent stock market trends, the broader market, and corporate and group matters.

He Guan tapped Lou Dong Cang's hand, saying, "I'll go open a window."

The man beside him continued to toy with his fingers, asking, "What?"

Assuming he hadn't heard, He Guan repeated, "I said I'll open the window. Let go of my hand."

Lou Dong Cang inquired again, "What?"

With a hint of exasperation, He Guan leaned closer, nearly whispering into his ear, "I said I'm going to open—the—window—did you hear?"

The two older men continued discussing plans to visit a nearby golf course the next morning.

The remaining elder on the opposite sofa noticed their closeness and chuckled, "These two youngsters are so affectionate. You and Xian Yue used to give me the same impression back in the day."

The smile on Lou Ying Jie's face vanished in an instant.

The elder appeared puzzled. Believing he hadn't said anything wrong and, being as stubborn as Lou Ying Jie, he stared back defiantly.

Seizing the moment, He Guan chimed in, "Dad, can you deal with him? He's pretending not to understand. I said I'd open the window, but he claims he didn't hear and won't let me."

Lou Ying Jie's attention shifted, his mood lightening, he playfully retorted, "You rascal, let go of your wife. You want her to suffer from second-hand smoke alongside you?"

Lou Dong Cang countered, "If it weren't for visiting you, neither of us would be subjected to second-hand smoke, including me."

Lou Ying Jie bristled at the comment.

The elderly man across them snorted, clearly enjoying the sight of the father and son bickering, wearing a smug "I told you so" expression.

Before the next words were spoken, He Guan interjected, "Visiting Dad was my idea. Secondhand smoke risk is negligible at best. It's you who's being unreasonable now, Dad. Let's not argue."

Lou Dongcang became silent.

The old man across stepped in, "Enough, Old Jie. Are you about to say he only listens to his wife? Weren't you the same when you were younger? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Don't be too hard on your son. For my sake, let's both compromise a bit."

Only then did Lou Yingjie grunt in response, letting the matter with his son slide.

He Guan stood up to close the window.

With the window open, the smoky aroma in the room quickly dissipated. The two elders chatted heartily, scheduling a time to play ball. Eventually, one of them got up to leave.

He Guan offered to accompany him out, but the elder declined, "I'm still fit, no need to accompany me. Head back, young man."

The old man's words were affectionate, making He Guan feel an instinctive urge to assist. Still, he escorted him downstairs and waited until he got in his car before heading back.

Turning around, he noticed Lou Dongcang standing quietly on a step not far from him, at the very top.

Beside him, the fountain glistened under the lights, and floral decorations were illuminated by surrounding light bands. Servants bustled around, cleaning up after the banquet.

A night breeze flowed past him, entering the hall and ruffling his slightly disheveled hair.

Feeling the wind, Lou Dongcang slowly opened his eyes.

In that moment of him opening his eyes, amidst the crowd, He Guan suddenly recalled the exact sensation he felt when they first met.

It was a feeling of...

Despite the throngs of people around him, no one seemed to truly connect with him, a profound loneliness.

In a world teeming with people, no one stayed beside him to chat, to converse, to truly understand him.

Even though he so clearly yearned for it.

He Guan plucked a rose from a flowerbed. Since the guests had left, the gardener had tended to the plants, and dew still clung to the petals.

A deep red, resembling a rose, yet different.

It was thornless.

Holding the fragrant flower, he climbed the steps and paused one step below Lou Dongcang. Amidst the crowd, he said, "I brought you a gift."

Lou Dongcang: "Hmm?"

It never crossed his mind that he'd receive a gift now. His eyebrows raised, revealing a touch of genuine curiosity.

He Guan smiled, "You can smell it."

Lou Dongcang inclined his head slightly.

As he lowered his head like that, he drew slightly closer to He Guan, bringing their faces nearer to each other.

He Guan didn't pull away.

He realized that, at that moment... he didn't want to. So he chose to follow his heart.

His heart ached for him.

And this ache seemed to surpass the boundaries of mere friendship or kinship—

When he picked the flower, the gardener gave him a stern look. Yet, far from apologizing, he smiled brilliantly at the sight of the flower he was about to obtain.

He felt no guilt at all.

If not for the man before him, He Guan couldn't think of another reason.

As to why his heart ached, he wasn't quite sure.

Perhaps he would spend a long time pondering this very question.

Right now, all of He Guan's attention was on Lou Dongcang.

Aside from his striking eyes, the rest of him was also quite... appealing.

How had he never noticed before...?

As He Guan pondered, he stood still, awaiting his response.

The man before him took a long while before saying, "I can't smell it."

Not expecting this reply, He Guan, with a hint of teasing laughter, remarked, "I thought you had a good nose."

Lou Dongcang chuckled and asked, "Do I?"

He lingered on the word "do," pausing slightly before the "I," as if being playful.

At this, He Guan felt a warmth rise to his ears, and with his free hand, he touched his earlobe.

As he did, the faint fragrance of the rose brushed against his nostrils.

It was so fragrant.

How could he not have detected it?

One by one, the servants returned to the castle, restoring the area to its original state after the gathering.

The main lights outside were turned off, leaving only the decorative lights around the pool and garden.

Amidst the night breeze, He Guan heard the distant chirping of insects.

Then, he heard the man before him speak...

"Ah Guan, I'm not that perceptive."

"There are too many scents here, all mingling together."

"The sweet aroma of desserts, the lingering perfume in the hall, the smell of smoke, the scent of cleaners on the servants."

"And then, there's your scent."

"Whatever you're holding, I truly can't discern it."

"Tell me."

He Guan held the rose up to him, presenting it steadily, "How about now?"

Lou Dongcang took a gentle sniff.

Closing his eyes, he raised his hand to grasp He Guan's.

Even with He Guan holding the rose, he didn't hesitate, intertwining their fingers firmly.

Pulling He Guan's hand close to his nose, so close their lips almost touched, he said, "... Arabian Nights."

The rose's name was Arabian Nights.

He Guan had let him smell it when they visited the flower market before.

This rose changes color with the seasons, displaying a beautiful gradient as it grows, and it has few thorns. With a little selection, one can easily find a thornless stem.

Because of its color gradients and unique hues, it always delights those who cultivate it.

Just like the man below him on the steps, who effortlessly brings romance into the mundane.

When Lou Dongcang caught his hand, He Guan's instinct was to pull away, but Lou Dongcang held him even closer.

He Guan exclaimed, "You can't keep pretending with me that you can't smell it. How many times have you teased me like this? I can't even keep count!"

Lou Dongcang simply smiled again.

Today, his smiles seemed especially abundant. It appeared as if seeing his family and knowing that He Guan would stay by his side for a while had lifted his spirits.

Just as He Guan was about to continue speaking, he felt a warmth on the back of his hand.

While Lou Dongcang initially just held his hand closer, he now leaned in, pressing a firm kiss on He Guan's hand.

The sensation was curious: a bit cool on the outside yet warm from within.

And he showed no intention of letting go.

Stunned, He Guan stood frozen. A few moments later, when he managed to look up, he heard Lou Dongcang beginning to speak.

"I've never joked with you."

"...But if you wish to see it as me being playful, so be it."

"Very well, I'll play along with your perception."

A sudden jolt in He Guan's heart was accompanied by an unexpected tremor in a muscle of his back.

It was the result of his own intense tension, clenching his back too tightly.

"Ah Guan, that's all there is to it."

The night breeze was brisk, sobering to the senses, yet his tone made He Guan's cheeks flush, as if intoxicated.