Embarrassment

Yu Lanyi shook off the grip on his wrist and said, “I was just teasing you, why use so much strength?”

Zheng Shanci placed his book face down on the table. He knew that once Yu Lanyi came over, he could forget about reading in peace.

Yu Lanyi sat unceremoniously on the stone stool. Once seated, he didn’t know how to start a conversation with Zheng Shanci. After all, they had just spent their wedding night together, and now their interaction was more awkward than with strangers.

“Why are you still reading? Aren’t you already an official?” Yu Lanyi asked curiously.

In his impression, after his elder brother became the deputy leader of the Imperial Guards, he rarely read books, usually handling official duties in the study. The same was true for the Marquis of Changyang, who never liked reading since childhood, preferring to buy jewelry and beautiful clothes, always clinging to his father.

“Just reading for leisure,” Zheng Shanci replied.

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

“Young Master, the things you had transported from home have arrived,” a servant approached and said.

Yu Lanyi visibly brightened up, “Quick, take me to see.”

He had moved all his belongings from home, planning to take them to Xinfeng County later without unpacking them now.

There were eight carts at the entrance, and seeing familiar items, Yu Lanyi felt a bit more at ease.

“Store everything in the warehouse.”

Even though he was married, Yu Lanyi didn’t feel it was real. Staying at home all day facing Zheng Shanci? He wanted to go out shopping. Because of the wedding, relatives had given him money, which was stored in the warehouse and managed by the accountant. If Yu Lanyi wanted to use money, he had to go to the accountant to withdraw it.

The accountant was also arranged by Yu Fulang for him.

Yu Lanyi’s eyes darted around, and he walked up to Zhang Xian. Zhang Xian, a middle-aged man, greeted him, “Young Master, what brings you here?”

“I want to withdraw some silver to buy new clothes for Zheng Shanci,” Yu Lanyi said, crossing his arms. “His clothes are too shabby, embarrassing me.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xian immediately gave Yu Lanyi the silver.

“Young Master, here are fifty taels of silver.”

“Huh? Only fifty taels? How is that enough for clothes?”

Zhang Xian explained, “Young Master, the silver is given according to the family’s situation, and this is already more than usual.”

Holding the fifty taels of silver, Yu Lanyi left the house but didn’t enter the Jin Yi Pavilion, as he still owed them a hundred taels. He feared being asked to pay the debt.

If he went there, the fifty taels wouldn’t be enough, and he might end up owing even more.

Yu Lanyi had previously accompanied Yu Fulang to buy clothes for the Marquis of Changyang and Yu Changxing, with Yu Fulang handling everything while Yu Lanyi just picked out items. Apart from them, this was the first time Yu Lanyi was buying clothes for an outsider.

He had to report back, and he indeed found Zheng Shanci’s clothes lacking. Going to Xinfeng County as the county magistrate, he needed to maintain appearances. With this in mind, Yu Lanyi entered a shop where the clothes were cheaper than at Jin Yi Pavilion but still of excellent quality.

Everyone on this street knew Yu Lanyi. The shopkeeper, seeing a big customer, hurriedly greeted him, “Young Master Yu, what kind of clothes are you looking for? We recently got new fabrics, and the embroiderers worked overnight to make them. Take a look.”

Yu Lanyi glanced at the new clothes, tempted, but held back.

“Where are the clothes for young men? Show me.”

The shopkeeper quickly led the way, “This way, Young Master Yu. Are you buying for the Marquis of Changyang or Master Yu? We have new styles and comfortable fabrics.”

Yu Lanyi immediately spotted two or three outfits he liked: a dark blue one, a navy blue one, and a white robe, all finely crafted. Hearing the shopkeeper’s words, he paused.

“I’m buying for my husband,” he said.

The shopkeeper then remembered that Yu Lanyi had just gotten married yesterday. “Oh, you’re choosing for Master Zheng. It seems Young Master Yu and Master Zheng have a good relationship.”

Yu Lanyi’s lips curled slightly. He liked being praised, and it was fine if Zheng Shanci was praised too.

“Take down these clothes for me to see.”

The assistant took down the clothes, and Yu Lanyi felt the fabric was nice and the colors were right. “I’ll take these three.”

The shopkeeper smiled wryly, “Young Master Yu, you haven’t mentioned Master Zheng’s measurements. We can’t choose the right size without them.”

Yu Lanyi thought for a moment. How would he know Zheng Shanci’s measurements? But if he admitted he didn’t know, it would seem like he and Zheng Shanci were distant.

“He’s slimmer than my elder brother, but not by much.”

The shopkeeper understood.

As the assistant wrapped up the clothes, Yu Lanyi encountered some people he didn’t like.

One was An Ge’er from the An Xinhou family, and the other was his friend, Yan Ge’er from the Assistant Minister of Justice’s family. The two were holding hands, looking very close. When they saw Yu Lanyi, their expressions turned subtle.

An Ge’er looked at Yu Lanyi with some disdain. Ever since rumors of Yu Lanyi’s private affairs spread, An Ge’er’s opinion of him worsened. They used to have minor squabbles, as both their fathers were marquises. An Ge’er, pampered since childhood, always competed with Yu Lanyi. But after Yu Lanyi married Zheng Shanci, An Ge’er lost interest in competing.

“Yu Lanyi, you’re here to buy clothes too?” Yan Ge’er noticed the shopkeeper wrapping up men’s clothes and quickly added, “For your husband?”

“Yes,” Yu Lanyi replied calmly.

Yan Ge’er didn’t expect Yu Lanyi to be so straightforward and was momentarily speechless.

“Young Master Yu, your clothes.”

Yu Lanyi took the clothes and left the shop. Once An Ge’er and Yan Ge’er were out of sight, he quickly slipped away.

How did he run into those two? In their eyes, he must seem fallen and disgraceful!

“Do the two young masters need to see any clothes? We have new arrivals…” The shopkeeper continued his enthusiastic introduction.

But An Ge’er and Yan Ge’er were no longer interested. Due to family ties, 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. Riding through the streets in his wedding attire, he made many young ladies and gentlemen blush and their hearts race. Everyone appreciates beauty, and it was rare to see such a young man in Shengjing.

It was even more exciting than watching the top scholar parade; the top scholar wasn’t this handsome.

An Ge’er thought about Zheng Shanci’s background and relaxed. No matter what, he was still a farmer’s son and couldn’t turn into a golden phoenix.

An Ge’er’s fiancé was also a marquis’s heir. Their families liked to intermarry to maintain their status. It was a match made by their parents and matchmakers. An Ge’er had seen his fiancé, who was no different from ordinary noble sons, plain and unremarkable.

His life had always been uneventful, and even his fiancé was an ordinary person, a conceited man. This man already had concubines, and the servants in his study were all beautiful. If not for his father’s control, there would have been trouble long ago.

Thinking of this, An Ge’er felt a bit annoyed.

Yu Lanyi had more freedom in marriage than he did. Even though he had lost face this time, the Changyang Marquis Mansion 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 care much about his husband’s family.

“An Ge’er, look at this new outfit. It suits you,” Yan Ge’er brought over a piece of clothing.

“I’m not in the mood today. I’m heading back,” An Ge’er said, feeling everything was meaningless. He planned to return home.

“An Ge’er, wait for me,” Yan Ge’er put down the clothes and quickly followed An Ge’er.

Yu Lanyi slowed his pace as he returned to the mansion. He took the clothes to the garden, where Zheng Shanci was indeed still reading.

Since Yu Lanyi left, Zheng Shanci had been enjoying reading alone in the garden. However, his mind wasn’t on the book, and he found himself distracted.

His plan was to first secure the position of county magistrate in Xinfeng County. Due to the timing of his transmigration, he had to marry Yu Lanyi. As for how they would live together after marriage, Zheng Shanci hadn’t thought about it at all.

He lacked imagination for a partner and didn’t know how to interact with one. They weren’t together out of love, so all Zheng Shanci could do was respect Yu Lanyi.

As long as Yu Lanyi didn’t cause trouble, Zheng Shanci would tolerate him.

In his eyes, Yu Lanyi was like a younger brother who wanted candy. Such a person just needed to be indulged, without much effort.

As for mutual affection and growing old together, those were things found only in books.

“Zheng Shanci, guess what I bought for you?” Yu Lanyi said proudly as he bounded over, tossing the bundle onto Zheng Shanci, covering his book.

Zheng Shanci was momentarily stunned. He opened the bundle to find three new outfits.

“I didn’t know your size, so I bought them randomly. Try them on to see if they fit. If not, have a tailor adjust them,” Yu Lanyi said, lifting his chin. “You need some nice clothes around me. When you become the county magistrate of that remote place, you’ll need clothes to maintain appearances. Don’t thank me too much; the account is in your name.”

Zheng Shanci: “…”

“You…”

Yu Lanyi glanced over.

Zheng Shanci stopped himself and put the clothes back into the bundle.

“Go try them on.”

Zheng Shanci nodded and turned back to the house. Yu Lanyi instinctively followed him until Zheng Shanci entered the room and was about to close the door.

“Are you coming in?” Zheng Shanci’s dark eyes looked at Yu Lanyi.

Yu Lanyi felt inexplicably guilty and said, “I’m going to the living room, just passing by. Ahem, I also want to see if I have good taste.”

Zheng Shanci acknowledged with a sound and closed the door without hesitation.

Yu Lanyi: “…”

After a while, Zheng Shanci’s voice came through.

“Come in, the door isn’t shut tight.”

The door wasn’t shut tight, so he could have peeked through the crack earlier.

Yu Lanyi dismissed the thought.

That wasn’t a good thought; it was lustful.

Golden light streamed in from outside, filtered through the curtains, creating a hazy glow, as if dancing in the air. In front of the bronze mirror, Yu Lanyi could only see a silhouette.

And that silhouette sparked endless imagination. Yu Lanyi lightened his steps and looked at the mirror on the dressing table.

Then—

He locked eyes with the reflection in the mirror.