Lovable Beauty

Since Xie Lanyin was going to tour the city of Xi’an, Xie Lanyin woke up early for once and dressed up in front of the mirror. 

“Young Lady, please take me with you.” Off to the side, Yingge sweet-talked as she beseeched her, “I promise not to hover over the young lady nor annoy you.” 

It was rare they had the chance to be so far from home. She also wanted to see more of the world with the young lady. 

“Not this time. I will take you with me when I go out with Mother in a few days.” Xie Lanyin checked out herself, dressed in men’s clothing, in the mirror, and asserted in a non-negotiable tone, “Older sister didn’t bring anyone with her. When she dresses up, she looks like a man, but people can easily see through my disguise. If it’s just me, it won’t attract a lot of attention, but if I bring you, wouldn’t it be obvious that we’re women disguised as men?” 

Yingge didn’t want to give up and continued to sulk pitifully at her. 

Xie Lanyin glared at her, “Alright, enough, don’t you just want to go to the Great Temple of Benevolence to pray for a good marriage? I’ll pray for you; I guarantee you’ll marry well.” 

Sangzhi burst out laughing while Yingge blushed and pouted, “Young Lady always teases me….” 

“Because you’re the chatterbox; otherwise, why wouldn’t I make fun of Sangzhi?” Enough of the playing around, Xie Lanyin didn’t delay anymore and walked out of the room briskly. 

*** 

Jiang Huaizhou and Xie Lanqiao were already waiting for her in the front of the courtyard Hearing the sound of footsteps, they turned their head to see the young girl wearing a white round-neck robe with its collar the color of apricots and a jade belt of the same color cinched around her waist. Her waist was slim like a fragile willow swaying in the wind as she moved. Without checking anywhere else, just by looking at this tiny waist that can be held in two hands, one would know she was a girl. 

“You might as well just wear women’s clothes. What man looks like this?” Jiang Huaizhou took out his folding fan to pick at his little cousin’s attire, tapping the fan wherever he found fault with, “Look at your eyebrows, did you draw them? And your lips, did you apply lipstick to make them so red….” 

Xie Lanyin felt wrongly accused and slapped away his fan. “Who drew eyebrows and applied lipstick? I was born with it!” 

She was too beautiful; even if she didn’t put on makeup, she still looked as if she did. Because of this, she was often ridiculed by some of the other young ladies by calling her a little vixen1狐狸精 means a fox demon/demoness, usually female. Most of the time, it’s used as a form of degradation for a woman, implying she is a seductress or a mistress or a slut. But on rare occasions, it can be used by a man to affectionately call a woman a vixen in a sort of teasing tone.  that has already learned to put on makeup like a big girl. In front of those people, Xie Lanyin only acted as if it was just wind blowing in her ears, when in fact she was dismayed by their hostility. Now that her cousin criticized this about her, even if she knew her cousin was just joking, it still stung. 

Xie Lanqiao knew of her little sister’s inner struggles that weighed on her heart and shot a glare at Jiang Huaizhou, taking a jibe at him, “Third Cousin isn’t twenty years old yet. Why has your eyesight become so poor?” 

Of course Jiang Huaizhou knew that his little cousin didn’t dress up; after he just bullied her, he immediately coaxed her with sweet words and looked at her as if he was seeing something most singular, “It turns out my little cousin doesn’t use any of those things. Well, my cousin is a natural beauty, so beautiful that I can’t tell the difference.” 

“Enough with your groveling, let’s go!” Xie Lanyin harrumphed, her lips curled upwards; unwilling to let her cousin see it, she took the lead and strode away. 

Jiang Huaizhou looked to Xie Lanqiao. Both chuckled and followed with quick strides. 

*** 

There are many attractions in Xi’an. As they visited every spot and came out of the Great Temple of Benevolence, it was already time for lunch. Jiang Huaizhou ordered Chang’an to fetch the carriage, while the three cousins waited temporarily under the shade of the trees outside the temple, and suggested to his cousins, “Do you want to go to the Bright Moon Inn to eat? Their chef is the best among all of Xi’an’s restaurants. After our meal, we can listen to some opera2Opera here refers to the traditional Chinese opera or 戏曲 (xiqu). It is a form of musical theatre that mixes several traditional art forms, including ancient literature, traditional Chinese dance, music, fine arts, kung fu, acrobats, and performance art.  or storytelling; both are excellent.” 

“I want to listen to storytelling.” Xie Lanyin eyed him doubtfully. “All the singers of opera are beautiful girls; I’m afraid my cousin’s soul will be captivated by them.” 

“So cheeky, is this something you’re allowed to say?” Jiang Huaizhou knocked her on the head. He had high standards; how could a simple opera singer catch his eyes? 

Just as Xie Lanyin was about to retaliate, Jiang Huaizhou’s expression changed slightly, and he frowned as he questioned Chang’an who rushed back to them, “Where’s the carriage?” 

Chang’an sweated from running and answered, disgruntled, “Young Master, our carriage was left with the Li family’s carriage. The little young master of the Li family was mischievous. He got a hold of some Croton nuts from somewhere and fed it to a row of horses. Right now….” 

Right now they all have diarrhea. 

Xie Lanyin furrowed her brows in disgust as if she could smell it. 

Xie Lanqiao asked her cousin, baffled, “The Li family?” 

Jiang Huaizhou sneered coldly, “It’s the Li family of Huitong Bank. The little young master of their family is unbearably naughty, and he often does such things.” 

“Then how do we go back?” Xie Lanyin checked the way they came, demanding anxiously. From here to the inner city, it would take half an hour by carriage. Surely, they wouldn’t be forced to go back on foot, right? 

Jiang Huaizhou was about to tell Chang’an to go to the temple to ask if there were any horses they could borrow, when he suddenly saw a carriage driving out of the temple. With his sharp eyes, he recognized the driver. It was one of the three men they encountered back at the Jade Well Tower at Mount Hua. 

Since he was a child, Jiang Huaizhou had traveled all over the world with his father, so he possessed the candidness of heroes of the pugilistic world. When others encountered troubles and asked him for help, if he had the means, he would lend a hand. Likewise, if he was to encounter some small trouble he would candidly ask for help. If it was only him by himself today, he could justify his request for a ride with their one-time chance encounter, but… 

Eyeing his two cousins who were in men’s wear, Jiang Huaizhou decided to send Chang’an back to borrow a horse first. 

Before he came back, Chang’an already asked, but because he was worried that the young master and young ladies have grown impatient from waiting, he didn’t many. Now that he informed them of the situation, hence he traced his steps back. 

Jiang Huaizhou signaled his cousins to walk to the side of the road. 

The two sisters also recognized Lu Jun, but neither of them considered sharing a ride in a stranger’s carriage, especially Xie Lanyin. She remembered how that handsome young master treated her eldest cousin coldly. Such a person who regarded others beneath his notice, even if they asked for help, the other party certainly won’t lend a hand, right? 

“Third Cousin, is there no one in the Li family to discipline that little young master? Even if it’s just playing around, it has gone too far. Aren’t they afraid of offending some noble person?” Her mind returning to the culprit, Xie Lanyin complained as she glowered at the temple scenery in the distance. 

Jiang Huaizhou explained to her in a low voice, “Master Li’s family is three generations of single sons. Now that it’s his turn, he has many wives and concubines, but he only has this one son—and this son was conceived when he was well into his years—so he was raised to be quite unruly. However, if Master Li doesn’t enforce some strict discipline on him, sooner or later, the family business will be ruined at this son’s hands…” 

As the trio of cousins discussed this quietly, Lu Jun slowly drove closer. His eyes scanned over Jiang Huaizhou. Thinking of the Jiang family’s wealth and recalling the commotion in the stables he heard when he went to fetch the carriage, he lowered his voice and reported to the person inside, “Young Master, Third Young Master Jiang is in front of us. His horse must have been fed the croton nuts as well.” 

Xiao Yuan was feeding his black-naped oriole that was hung from the wall of the carriage; there wasn’t any reaction when he heard this. Ge Jin sat beside him; just as Lu Jun uttered these words, he scooted over to the entrance. Through the gap he looked outside and identified the figures. He looked back, his voice pleasantly surprised as he exclaimed, “Young Master, the two young ladies from the Xie family are present as well.” 

Xiao Yuan finished feeding his beloved bird and put down the white porcelain dish. He took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands and asked, with lowered eyelids, “Why? Are you happy to see them?” 

Ge Jin silently cursed himself for not knowing how to speak, but his mouth skillfully smoothed over his gaffe, “No, I….” 

“Then we’ll give them a ride.” Xiao Yuan didn’t give him the chance to explain. 

Ge Jin eyed him suspiciously, wondering whether his master invited Jiang Huaizhou because he himself wanted to, or was it really because of him, but after staring at him a while, his master’s thick lashes, which were prettier than a girl’s, quivered as if they were about to lift. Ge Jin was terrified of his master’s cold and piercing gaze, and he hastily withdrew his gaze and darted out of the carriage. 

“Third Young Master, when we came out, we heard there was an accident with some of the carriages in the temple. Has your esteemed estate’s carriage been implicated in the incident?” he asked the party of three. His voice was loud and clear, not as shrill and effeminate like that of the eunuchs in the palace. 

Xie Lanyin looked to him in surprise. How did this man know her cousin’s identity? 

Jiang Huaizhou was just as confused, but he didn’t allow it to show on his face as he fisted his hands in greeting, answering, “Indeed so. What a coincidence! We meet again after we parted from Mount Hua.” 

Lu Jun halted the carriage. Ge Jin swiftly jumped off the carriage and politely returned the etiquette to Jiang Huaizhou, “Actually the day His Royal Highness Prince Qin came into the city, we were parked right beside your esteemed estate’s carriage. Third Young Master may not have noticed, but I, by chance, learned of Third Young Master’s identity. I have long since heard that all three sons of the Jiang family are outstanding, talented like Tao Zhu;3Tao Zhu Gong (陶朱公) otherwise known as Fang Li (范蠡) is a famous character in Chinese history. He is a great and talented political and military advisor, most known for his victory of the kingdom of Yue, in the legends of Xi Shi, one of the four great beauties of Ancient China.  now I’ve seen it with my own eyes, your reputation is indeed well deserved.” 

Jiang Huaizhou smiled humbly, “You flatter me; it’s all rumors. How can Jiang’s brothers succeed Tao Zhugong in virtues and merits?” 

Xie Lanyin stood to the side, eyeing the glib-tongued Ge Jin and found it fascinating; the master was arrogant and rude, yet the attendants he kept were quite eloquent. Or perhaps his master learned of her uncle’s family’s wealth and wanted to become acquainted with her uncle’s family, so he instructed his servant this in advance? 

Ge Jin’s eyes were respectable, only looking at Jiang Huaizhou. After some pleasantries, he asked, “Are you heading back to the city?” 

“Indeed we are,” Jiang Huaizhou laughed at himself, glancing at the temple, “Who knew we’d encounter such a thing…” 

Ge Jin chuckled and looked to their own carriage, saying,” My Young Master says it is fate that we meet again; if you don’t mind, we can ride together in the carriage.” 

Jiang Huaizhou couldn’t refuse the warm invitation the other offered. He raised his voice to offer his thanks to the person inside the carriage, “Many thanks to the Young Master for your hospitality. I, Jiang, am forever indebted to you.” 

“It is no trouble, Third Young Master; it is my pleasure.” Xiao Yuan leaned forward and lifted the curtain, his expression still indifferent. “As you please.” 

Jiang Huaizhou fisted his hands and bowed towards him. After Ge Jin set up the stepping stool, out of habit, he helped his little cousin up first. 

Not including her cousins at home, Xie Lanyin had never been in the same carriage with other men; but it couldn’t be helped, so she didn’t mince her feet as she held onto the door frame with one hand while the other hand lifted the hem her dress and she lifted herself up onto the carriage. Entering, she had to bend over to avoid hitting her head. Before she had the chance to examine the furnishings in the carriage, there was a startling sound of flapping wings above her head, like that of a large flying insect. 

Most young ladies were timid, but Xie Lanyin was quite bold. She wasn’t afraid of ghosts nor thunder; the only thing she was afraid of was insects. The sound gave her a scare as she screamed in fright and turned to leave, only to bang her forehead into the board of the carriage with a “bang,” and her body toppled over to the side. 

Xiao Yuan was a witness to the whole ordeal. He hesitated a second before he caught her just in time. “Young Lady, be careful.” 

Xie Lanyin instinctively looked at him. Her wispy and willowy lashes lifted, and teardrops fell from those stunning peach blossom eyes. 

It hurt… 

The beauty was tear-eyed; the sight was heart-wrenching, especially as a faint fragrance of roses attacked one’s senses. He didn’t know whether it was her aggrieved eyes or the delicate fragrance, or her painful gasp, Xiao Yuan was momentary distracted by her. Some moments later, he helped her onto the narrow couch on the side and pointed to the birdcage, asking, “Is the young lady afraid of birds?” 

Bird? 

Xie Lan Yin was so stunned she forgot her pain and looked where he was pointing. 

The bright-feathered oriole in the cage wasn’t aware it frightened anyone. Standing on its crossbar, it lowered its little head as it looked peered at the girl opposite him; its dark eyes were pure and innocent. 

Xie Lanyin pursed her lips. When she heard her cousin’s peel of laughter from outside, she cast him a withering glare. 

*** 

Extra Notes: 

Black-naped oriole: It’s over! This woman’s voice is better than mine. I fear I’ll fall into disfavor! 

Prince Qin: You don’t need to fear—you have already fallen out of favor. 

Oriole: Then I won’t sing for you anymore! 

Prince Qin: Suit yourself, I’ll just listen to my wifey sing. 

Xie Lanyin: In your dreams! 

Prince Qin: Did you want to secretly meet with me in my dreams? 

Xie Lanyin: … 

I’m all caught up right now. From now on, you can expect 2 chapters every Monday at 9 am GMT -5. (More chapters may be posted, at my discretion).

1狐狸精 means a fox demon/demoness, usually female. Most of the time, it’s used as a form of degradation for a woman, implying she is a seductress or a mistress or a slut. But on rare occasions, it can be used by a man to affectionately call a woman a vixen in a sort of teasing tone. 2Opera here refers to the traditional Chinese opera or 戏曲 (xiqu). It is a form of musical theatre that mixes several traditional art forms, including ancient literature, traditional Chinese dance, music, fine arts, kung fu, acrobats, and performance art. 3Tao Zhu Gong (陶朱公) otherwise known as Fang Li (范蠡) is a famous character in Chinese history. He is a great and talented political and military advisor, most known for his victory of the kingdom of Yue, in the legends of Xi Shi, one of the four great beauties of Ancient China.