Purple Bamboo Manor

Xu Wanni accepted the teacup from the maid and passed it to Yan Xiangze, her voice soft and alluring. “Young Master, please enjoy.” The fragrant steam curled upward, half-veiling her fair, bewitching face.

Yan Xiangze glanced at her, accepted the cup, skimmed the floating tea leaves, and took a measured sip. His expression remained cool—reserved yet passionate, if one were charitable; otherwise, simply rigid. Xu Wanni paid him no mind. She had a favor to ask and needed to stay diligent. Leaning forward, elbow propped on the low table, she tilted her head and gestured eagerly at the pastries.

A few strands of hair fell against her slender neck, tousled by the breeze. Unaware of her disarming posture, she brushed a loose lock behind her ear, her fingers trailing unconsciously down her pale throat before she flashed him a coy smile.

“Biluochun tea is refreshingly light but slightly bitter. It pairs perfectly with lotus pastries and osmanthus cakes—sweet enough to balance without cloying.” She nudged the plates toward him. “These guangsu cakes are a southern delicacy: soft, sweet, and utterly indulgent. I often have the kitchen make them. Do try one, Young Master!”

He accepted her offerings without protest. He had spent the previous night rushing to Ancheng to deal with urgent matters, departing before dawn and returning only after sunrise. Exhaustion weighed on him, but with his beautiful concubine attending to his needs, his tension began to ease. His eyelids drooped as he reclined against the table, the dark circles beneath his eyes betraying his fatigue.

The sleeve of his right arm slipped slightly, revealing a half-healed scar on his hand—likely from a blunt weapon. Xu Wanni noted it silently. *For all his noble status, his burdens are heavy.* But such was the life of an Heir. As a mere concubine, it wasn’t her place to dwell on it.

“Young Master…” she cooed, her voice dripping with honeyed charm.

Yan Xiangze opened his eyes, sharp and alert, and let out a chuckle that struck her as mockery. She racked her brain for any misstep but came up empty. She’d been confined to the manor for weeks, obedient and quiet. Shaking off her doubts, she doubled down on her flattery.

Leaning back against a cushion, Yan Xiangze fixed her with a cool gaze. “Out with it. What do you want?”

Xu Wanni’s eyes sparkled. “Young Master, with you so often occupied, I grow restless staying in the manor. I wish to go out.”

“Oh? I thought your heart held only me. Now you crave the outside world?” His tone dripped with sarcasm. “All that talk of missing me was lies, then.”

*Little liar,* he thought, rubbing his temple as he masked his headache behind a stoic facade.

“Of course I miss you! But you’re never here, and I’ve grown bored.” She tapped the table, echoing her own earlier words without hesitation.

Yan Xiangze smirked, watching her fidget—a telltale sign of deceit. He’d learned her quirks quickly during their brief time together.

“Leaving the manor doesn’t mean I’ll stop missing you,” she pressed on, her voice faltering under his gaze. “Besides, I… I want to buy you a gift. You’ve given me so much, and I’ve yet to repay you.”

Her words trailed off as she met his piercing stare. To him, her “adoring” eyes were a facade—calm and calculating beneath the surface. *A cunning fox,* he thought.

“A gift?” His laugh was cold. “Spare me the act. You’re simply bored.”

Xu Wanni flushed but held her ground. “Just give me an answer! Must you mock me?”

*Were he not the Heir,* she thought, *I’d have slapped him with my slipper.* Who did he think he was, making her grovel for a simple request? She rolled her eyes—a gesture he mistook for flirtation.

“Very well. You may go out.” His arm snaked across the table, seizing her waist. With a swift tug, he hauled her over the low table and into his lap.

She gasped as his lips claimed hers—fierce and demanding. When he finally pulled back, her face was flushed, her breath uneven. He smirked, satisfaction curling in his chest. *Still as sweet as ever.*

As he leaned in again, she pushed against him. “Young Master… it’s broad daylight. This is indecent!”

Yan Xiangze was handsome, generous, and crucially untainted by other women. He fit her ideal of a perfect husband, and she enjoyed their intimacy. But propriety mattered here, unlike in the modern world she vaguely alluded to.

Her disheveled hair and robes only fueled his desire. Ignoring her protests, he scooped her up and carried her to the inner chamber.

“Rest assured,” he murmured, catching her flailing hands and silencing her with another kiss. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

The bed curtains fell as he discarded his outer robe. Xu Wanni squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself as he loomed over her, his gaze dark and intent…