Chapter 25 (2/2)
“Young Master Nong, regarding the promise to be sworn brothers–I remember Shao’er agreed to no such thing.”
He only smiled, pausing for a bit before speaking. “Fortunately, you didn’t agree back then, or else…I’d regreeeeet itttt.” He intentionally drew out the last three words, grabbing my hands again as his eyelashes fluttered twice.
I stared at him.
His curved fingers gently stroked my palms, the movements slow and sluggish. Despite this, his grip was firm, preventing me from pulling away.
“What are you doing?” I blinked.
He looked at me with those sweeping lashes as his eyes widened slightly: part angry, part resentful. And then his hands grew more furtive as he stroked mine, thoroughly delighted.
Talk about taking liberties…
This was taking liberties to a very high scale.
I looked around at the people who’d came with him. All of them had their heads bowed low in complete indifference.
— All reproductions of this work not on volaretranslations are stolen copies.
Very good. Very big and powerful.
You think you can take liberties with a woman like this?
I was raised by Fang Hua. What kind of trials and hards.h.i.+ps haven’t I faced?
I clapped him on the shoulder, rolling my eyes. Then I pulled up my sleeves in a way that was three parts ruffian and seven parts elegant, and touched his face in front of all the spectators.
It was obvious to tell when he jerked, as if frightened.
I leaned over, thoroughly enjoying myself as I touched him again, and said extremely lewdly, “Even tofu can’t compare to your little white cheeks.”
He gave a start, and a mist rose in his pupils as he settled into a smile.
The entire room fell into silence. After a long while, he opened his mouth to speak.
“This has to count as skins.h.i.+p[4].”
What ‘s.h.i.+p’ nonsense, you think just touching each other is skins.h.i.+p? Then wouldn’t the two guys in this house count as me keeping pets? I waved my hands, wanting to extricate myself, but he stuck to my face, clinging to them. There was a joking gleam in his eyes.
Curses…
Suddenly, the door to the inner room opened, and I used about a third of my internal energy to shake him off. I didn’t even have time to catch in what elegant way he managed to topple to the ground.
Un.o.bstructed…I charged into Fang Hua’s room.
As it turned out, I came just in time to hear Han Zichuan speak. “…that’s good too, then we’ll return to the palace within the next few days.”
Ah…
Go back to the palace?
I glanced downwards. Han Zichuan’s hand rested on Fang Hua’s long, slender one by his robes. The scene was particularly soft and graceful, but also extremely offensive to the eye. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.
Wait, something’s not quite right…
Fang Hua actually agreed to go back to the palace with him?!
-o-All reproductions of this work not on volaretranslations are stolen copies.
[1] mountain and river painting (山水) －shanshui, literally “mountain” and “water”. However, together shanshui is shorthand for 山水画 (shanshuihua), a genre of landscape painting in China. These paintings are known for their sweeping vistas and elegant brushwork, so Shao’er is basically saying Han Zichuan’s eyebrows are like living art personified.
[2] I beg your pardon (对不住) －duibuzhu, basically “I’m sorry,” but in more polite, humble speech. It has the same meaning of “I’ve been unworthy and done your a disservice,” “excuse me/pardon me.”
[3] walked away from death (尸里出来) －s.h.i.+li chulai, “emerge from the corpse”, probably in regards to how boldly he’d faced the crown prince in the previous chapter. You definitely, certainly, must show respect to the imperial family, because they can end your life with literally one word (斩 [zhan], or “behead”). Nongyu escaped unscathed though, so it’s like he became a dead man walking. Or something like that.
[4] skins.h.i.+p (肌肤之亲) －jifuzhiqin, “skin and muscle”, “of intimacy”, the intimacy of skin, especially between a man and a woman.