Chapter 69

Yeyu carried the bundle given to him by Master Yuantong, his thoughts wandering as he pondered many things. He had listened to Master Yuantong’s advice and kept it in his heart.

However, Yeyu knew deep down that he could not achieve the state of detachment and go with the flow. Regardless of the grudges between him and Yemengxin, the long-buried doubts in his heart had already made him restless.

Under the clear moonlit night with a gentle breeze, Yeyu sat in the bathtub, washing his body. When the towel wiped his left arm, the skin, which was originally wheat-colored, suddenly revealed a dark red mark.

This mark was winding and somewhat eerie, resembling both a blazing five-flame fire and a fierce, crimson claw. Yeyu did not know when this mark appeared, but it should be the birthmark mentioned by Liu Qianyu.

At that time, in the Drunken Spring Building, he had cleverly used special powder to cover his left arm, deceiving Liu Qianyu under the dim light.

However, this matter still troubled him. He couldn’t help but touch his left arm, his expression changing unpredictably.

Although the rumor of the "male lover" incident in Chuzhou had gradually faded due to the murder at the land temple, the doubts in his heart had not dissipated. Therefore, he needed to find the answers himself.

Even though he did not know what the answer would be, the dangers were already evident.

He was naturally a person who pursued the root of things, so he could not simply accept things as they were.

Moreover, this matter was related to his life and safety, so he had to find and eliminate this hidden danger. Even if he could not completely remove it, at least he could avoid this unknown threat after knowing the reason.

"Master, do you need more hot water?" Just as Yeyu’s thoughts were wandering, Qiulan’s voice came from outside the room.

Yeyu, whose thoughts were pulled back, now felt that the water in the tub had cooled significantly. He muttered to himself, "Thinking too much, I even forgot I was taking a bath..."

"Yes, then add some more hot water!"

"Okay, Master, please wait..."

A moment later, the door creaked open, and Qiulan entered with a basin of hot water. Seeing this, Yeyu laughed, "I’ve told you many times, let the servants do these tasks!"

Qiulan heard Yeyu’s words but did not respond. Instead, she carefully poured the hot water into the bathtub, occasionally dipping her hand in to check the temperature. Her serious and beautiful appearance made Yeyu feel somewhat speechless.

"Master, you can’t reach your back. Let me help you wash it!" Qiulan said, taking a towel from a nearby stool and stepping forward to help Yeyu scrub his back.

Seeing this, Yeyu quickly stopped her, somewhat embarrassed, "Qiulan, I’ve told you before, I can wash myself!"

"But Master, you can’t reach your back..." Qiulan pouted, still insisting.

"Then... let the servant Ahkuan help me. He’s a man and has the strength to do this rough work..."

"Master!"

"What’s wrong?" Yeyu looked at Qiulan, whose eyes were red with urgency, feeling quite puzzled.

Although he had lived in this era for more than two years, he still did not get used to having someone help him bathe.

His legs were already immobile, and if his hands were also completely freed, he would be no different from a complete invalid. Therefore, he disliked this feeling.

"Does Master think Qiulan is clumsy and can’t do things well?" Qiulan bit her lip, her eyes welling up with tears.

"No, don’t think too much..." Yeyu frowned, not knowing how to explain to Qiulan.

For some reason, Qiulan was unusually agitated today. As soon as Yeyu finished speaking, she retorted, "Master, I used to serve you when you bathed. Have I done something wrong in the past two years?"

Oh, her temper has grown! Seeing Qiulan’s determined look, Yeyu felt helpless and said, "I’m worried I won’t be able to control myself. Do you understand?"

"..."

Yeyu’s answer was met with silence. Looking at Qiulan’s blushing face, he shook his head helplessly. His personal maid was already very beautiful, and with the better life over the past two years, she had become even more refined.

Though only sixteen or seventeen years old, she already had the beauty of a lotus flower. Facing such a beautiful woman helping him bathe, could he, as a man in his prime, remain unaffected?

After a brief moment of shock and embarrassment, Qiulan lowered her head, her hands twisting together, and said softly, "As Master’s personal maid, I am already Master’s person..."

"Of course I know, but you are still young..."

In Yeyu’s eyes, Qiulan at sixteen or seventeen was still a young girl, at most a high school student in the modern world. For him, who was almost thirty, it always felt strange.

Hearing this, Qiulan became anxious, puffing out her chest confidently, "Master, you’re lying. Qiulan is not young anymore!"

Yeyu was taken aback by Qiulan’s bold move, his eyes involuntarily moving up and down. He finally swallowed the saliva in his throat, reluctantly looking away, and said seriously, "I’m not talking about that..."

"Then what are you talking about, Master?" Qiulan squatted down, resting her arm on the edge of the bathtub, her eyes misty as she looked at Yeyu.

"At least wait until you are eighteen!" Yeyu could not bring himself to cross that line with a minor.

"Eighteen? Master, Qiulan has already reached the age of adulthood..."

Yeyu knew that people in ancient times matured early, but he still insisted, "In my eyes, you are only an adult after eighteen!"

"Oh, then Qiulan will wait one more year..." Qiulan pouted, her eyes losing their luster as she spoke dejectedly.

Yeyu was puzzled by Qiulan’s unusual behavior and asked, "Qiulan, what’s wrong with you today? Are you feeling unwell?"

Qiulan hesitated for a moment before explaining the reason to Yeyu.

It turned out that Uncle Sun, who had served the Ye family for two generations, had noticed that Yeyu had not made any moves. As the family’s dedicated steward, he had to manage all aspects of the household, and the continuation of the Ye family’s lineage was a major concern for him.

Seeing that Yeyu had not made any moves for so long, Uncle Sun, as the steward, was more concerned than Yeyu himself. He secretly questioned Qiulan to find out the reason. After some investigation, Uncle Sun learned about the recent events.

Uncle Sun felt that Yeyu’s “upright” behavior of avoiding women was not a good thing. Although the young master was still young and focused on his career, the continuation of the family line through male and female relations could not be delayed. Therefore, under Uncle Sun’s guidance, Qiulan had acted out of character today.

"Master, will you blame Qiulan for being abrupt?"

"No..." Seeing the slight guilt in Qiulan’s eyes, Yeyu smiled, "Actually, my back is really itchy. Can you help me wash it?"

"Okay!" Qiulan nodded happily and took the towel to wash Yeyu’s back.

Qiulan gently wiped Yeyu’s back, and occasionally, water splashed onto her chest, gradually wetting her clothes. As she wiped Yeyu’s arms, the wet spots on her chest became more noticeable.

However, Qiulan did not seem to notice and continued to wash Yeyu happily. Gradually, she felt something odd and looked down to see that Master was staring at her chest.

Instantly, a blush spread from her face to her neck. She looked at Yeyu shyly and called, "Master..."

Yeyu did not want to appear as a lecherous man, but he could not control his thoughts. Moreover, over the past two years, he had noticed that Qiulan’s chest had become fuller...

Facing the wet, prominent spots on her chest, Yeyu found it hard to control his male instincts and almost lost himself. It was only when he heard Qiulan’s voice that he instinctively responded, "Hmm?"

Realizing what had happened, he let out a small exclamation, "Ah!" and quickly turned his head away, feeling extremely awkward. Although Qiulan was blushing, she also felt a sense of joy.

In Qiulan’s eyes, being appreciated by Master was something to be proud of.

After that, the master and servant fell into a brief awkward silence, which only dissipated after Yeyu finished bathing.

...

Recently, Yeyu learned from Old Master Pan that his grandson, Pan Zhi, had become the second-place winner in the imperial examination, and according to the letter, his classmate Shen Jinchuan had placed third. Both were from Chuzhou, and the fact that two of the top three winners were from Chuzhou was a cause for celebration.

After years of studying, they had finally achieved fame, and as a good friend, Yeyu was naturally delighted. He knew that this news would soon be officially announced to the state, and then the entire Chuzhou would celebrate.

Despite the joy, he still needed to handle his own affairs. Now that all his businesses were on track, it was time for him to leave Qingliu County.

Moreover, upon returning to Anfu, Yeyu had an important matter to visit Prefect Yuelin.

At the tea competition on Langya Mountain, the purple-black teapot used by Lu Fan was actually a purple clay teapot, a highly prized tea utensil in the modern world.

Purple clay teapots are considered the best among tea utensils, as the saying goes, "What are mere jewels worth when compared to the purple clay of Yixing?" This highlights the excellence of purple clay teapots in tea brewing.

Yeyu knew that a single famous tea like "Mao Feng" or the tribute tea "Longtuan Shengxue" would not be enough to determine a clear winner.

If he could not gain fame at this competition, he would have to wait another three years! He could not afford to wait that long, so he decided to use the purple clay teapot as a backup plan.

He sent She Tongcheng to Yushan to ask Li Dayan to find purple clay. After obtaining the clay, he gave the design of the purple clay teapot to Uncle Sun.

Uncle Sun then secretly gave it to his distant nephew who worked at the kiln, and it was finally fired in Yemengxin’s kiln.

If Yemengxin knew that the purple clay teapot that defeated him at the tea competition was made in his own kiln, he would be quite surprised.

Yeyu was determined to produce the purple clay teapot because of the immense business potential. However, he needed Prefect Yuelin’s approval, as the purple clay mine was located in Yixing.

Yixing was Prefect Yuelin’s fief, so he needed to seek Yuelin’s consent.