Hot flashes

As dawn broke, Xiao Jue's biological clock woke him up. He got up very quietly, but Zhou Heng was still groggily disturbed. He turned over, buried his face in the pillow, and mumbled, "...Don't make a sound."

Xiao Jue was already dressed. He walked to the bedside, bent down, picked him up along with the blanket, and carried him to the basin stand in the outer room where hot water had already been prepared.

Zhou Heng clung to him like a giant doll, his eyes unable to open.

"Want to wash it yourself, or should I help you?" Xiao Jue asked, his voice slightly hoarse, close to his ear.

Zhou Heng jolted awake, mostly sober, and hurriedly struggled to break free from his embrace: "I can do it myself! I can do it myself!" What a joke! Letting Xiao Jue "help" him wash up, who knows how far he'll end up "helping"?

Xiao Jue didn't insist, let go of his hand, and stood aside leisurely watching him.

Under that seemingly real gaze, Zhou Heng haphazardly scooped up water and splashed it on his face, feeling that the gaze lingering on his neck and behind his ears, making his ears burn.

After finally getting ready, breakfast was already laid out on the small round table in the outer room.

The meal consisted of simple porridge and side dishes, along with a few delicate pastries. It wasn't luxurious, but it was steaming hot. Xiao Jue sat down, and Zhou Heng sat down next to him, reaching for a steamed bun.

The chopsticks tapped lightly on the back of his hand—not hard, but enough to serve as a warning.

Zhou Heng looked up and met Xiao Jue's expressionless face: "Lord Marquis?"

"Wash your hands," Xiao Jue said succinctly.

"I've already washed them!" Zhou Heng said, holding up his wet hands with an air of self-righteousness.

Xiao Jue glanced at him, then slowly picked up his chopsticks, took a crystal shrimp dumpling, and placed it on the plate in front of Zhou Heng: "Dinner."

Zhou Heng stared at the crystal-clear shrimp dumpling, then looked at Xiao Jue's elegant eating posture, silently withdrew his hand, and picked up his chopsticks.

He picked up a shrimp dumpling, took a bite, and found it fresh, fragrant, and chewy. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Seeing his undisguised satiated expression, Xiao Jue smiled and picked up another piece of osmanthus cake.

Zhou Heng accepted everything offered and ate with great relish, his cheeks puffing out slightly.

Breakfast was over. Zhou Heng was a little full and slumped in his chair, rubbing his stomach. Xiao Jue, on the other hand, had already rinsed his mouth and washed his hands, preparing to begin his official duties.

"I'm going to the military camp today, you..." Xiao Jue looked at him.

"I'll stay in the manor!" Zhou Heng immediately replied. He didn't want to go back to the training ground to watch those murderous drills or listen to a group of generals discussing how to conquer cities and territories.

"Very well." Xiao Jue nodded. "You may move freely within the mansion, but you may not leave. You may read all the books in the study. If you need anything, just tell Chang An." Chang An was the steward of Dingbei Residence, a silent and capable middle-aged man in his forties.

"Okay, okay." Zhou Heng waved his hand.

Xiao Jue walked to the door, then stopped and turned around. Zhou Heng, who was taking a sip of water from his teacup, looked up in confusion at the sight.

Xiao Jue walked back, and under his questioning gaze, leaned down and quickly pecked the corner of his lips, his tongue scooping away a sesame seed that had accidentally gotten on his lips.

"I'm leaving." With those two words, Xiao Jue turned around and strode out the door, his black cloak drawing a clean arc in the morning light.

Zhou Heng stood frozen in place, still holding the teacup in his hand.

---

With Xiao Jue gone, Dingbei Residence suddenly became empty and quiet.

Zhou Heng first walked around the room. Xiao Jue's study had a rich collection of books. In addition to military strategy books and geographical records, there were even some miscellaneous notes, agricultural books and even storybooks.

He picked up a copy of the Chronicles of the North and leaned against the soft couch by the window to read it.

After watching for a while, he got a little bored. He remembered that Xiao Jue had said that "you can move around freely in the mansion," so he decided to go out for a stroll.

The Marquis's residence was indeed large, with deep courtyards and winding corridors. When the servants saw him, they all bowed respectfully and addressed him as "Mr. Zhou," clearly having received instructions. Zhou Heng was initially a little uncomfortable, but later he became more at ease.

He wandered into a small garden. Although there weren't many flowers in the north, the pine and cypress trees were verdant, and the rocks were craggy, creating a unique scene. In the garden was a small pond with clear water, in which several koi carp swam.

Zhou Heng squatted by the pond, picked up a small pebble, and tossed it in idly. With a "plop," the fish scattered in fright.

Suddenly seized by a playful impulse, he picked up a few more stones, intending to skip them across the water. Just as he was marking them, a gentle voice came from behind him:

"Mr. Zhou is in high spirits."

Zhou Heng was startled and turned around to see a man dressed in a scholar's robe, with a lean face, and around fifty years old, smiling at him. This man had a refined and scholarly air about him, quite different from the soldiers in the mansion.

"Who are you?" Zhou Heng stood up.

"My surname is Shen, and my given name is Yu. I am a staff member in the Marquis's mansion, in charge of documents and accounts," Shen Yu said, bowing respectfully. "I have long heard that the Marquis has a new 'Mr. Zhou' by his side. He is quite knowledgeable. Today I have the pleasure of meeting him, and he is indeed unique in his demeanor."

Unique? Zhou Heng threw it away somewhat awkwardly, clapping his hands: "Mr. Shen, you flatter me. I was just... browsing around."

Shen Yu's smile remained unchanged: "The Marquis instructed that if you feel bored, you may come and talk to me at any time, or you may speak frankly about any opinions you may have regarding the affairs of the manor."

He chuckled dryly twice: "No, no, I'm just a free man. Mr. Shen, you're busy, you're busy."

Shen Yu didn't linger. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he took his leave.

After wandering around, Zhou Heng strolled over to the vicinity of the kitchen and smelled an enticing aroma.

He followed the smell and saw several cooks busy at work, with meat stewing in a large pot, emitting a wonderful aroma.

"It smells so good!" Zhou Heng couldn't help but exclaim.

Upon seeing him, the cooks quickly bowed. One of the bolder, plump cooks smiled and said, "Mr. Zhou, this is the dinner prepared for the Marquis. The deer tendons, simmered over a low flame, are extremely nourishing. If you are hungry, sir, may I serve you a bowl of soup to try?"

Zhou Heng was somewhat tempted, but still waved his hand: "No need, no need, I'll wait for the Marquis to come together."

He wandered back to Dingbei Residence, but Xiao Jue hadn't returned yet. Bored, he saw the pile of documents on the desk and remembered that Xiao Jue seemed a little tired last night, so he went over and tried to help organize them.

I categorized the items, moving the less urgent ones aside and placing those requiring immediate attention in prominent locations. I also straightened out any ink stains or curled corners I noticed.

Just as I was busy, Xiao Jue returned.

He walked in, bringing with him the chill of the outside air. He saw Zhou Heng standing by the desk, frowning as he looked at a document, his finger unconsciously tapping on a certain entry.

"What are you looking at?" Xiao Jue took off his cloak and approached.

Zhou Heng snapped out of his reverie and put the document down: "It's nothing, just... taking a look. This seems to be about the allocation of seeds for spring planting?"

"I see the numbers written here don't quite match up. Is there a mistake in the calculation?" He was simply being sensitive to numbers, a modern person, and felt that the proportions were a bit strange.

Xiao Jue took the document, carefully examined the spot the man was pointing to, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "You can understand it?"

"Uh... I can understand a little bit," Zhou Heng mumbled, afraid that Xiao Jue would press him for answers.

Xiao Jue did not press the matter, but merely glanced at him thoughtfully before summoning Chang An and handing him the document: "Go and check if there are any discrepancies in the numbers here."