Hot flashes

Zhou Heng wasn't very interested in those classical Chinese thread-bound books, so after receiving Xiao Jue's tacit permission, he casually browsed them in the outer room.

Besides classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, the bookstore also had some miscellaneous notes, vernacular stories, and even rough maps. He picked out a few vernacular stories that looked interesting and a miscellaneous note introducing local customs and products, and held them in his arms.

After he finished selecting the books, Xiao Jue seemed to have also chosen several and was instructing the shopkeeper to carefully wrap them up and send them to the Prince's Mansion.

Seeing Zhou Heng also carrying several books, Xiao Jue glanced at the covers, said nothing, and simply gestured for the guards to pay the bill together.

As I stepped out of the bookstore, dusk was approaching. The streetlights were just coming on, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, adding to the lively atmosphere of everyday life.

"Are you hungry?" Xiao Jue asked.

Zhou Heng nodded; after a whole afternoon of fussing around, he was indeed hungry.

He assumed Xiao Jue would go straight back to his residence for a meal, but to his surprise, Xiao Jue hesitated for a moment and then said, "There's a restaurant called 'Songhelou' up ahead. I heard the chef is from Nandu and specializes in Huaiyang cuisine. Shall we go try it?"

Zhou Heng's eyes lit up again. Eating out! This is much more interesting than going back to the Prince's mansion!

Songhelou is a famous restaurant in Linchuan City, with elegant decor. Xiao Jue had obviously made prior arrangements and was led directly to the most secluded and elegant private room on the third floor.

The guards silently took up the best spots outside the private room.

The dishes were served quickly and in a continuous stream, and they were indeed exquisite, light, and delicious.

Zhou Heng ate his fill, while Xiao Jue ate very little. He mostly watched Zhou Heng eat, occasionally serving him food while only taking a few bites himself, as if he had come all this way just to have this meal with Zhou Heng.

After dinner, night had fallen. The two took a car back home.

Inside the carriage, Zhou Heng, holding his newly bought storybook and unfinished pastries, still smelling of the food from Songhelou Restaurant and the bustling atmosphere of the market, leaned contentedly against the carriage wall, watching Xiao Jue across from him with his eyes closed in repose.

By the time they returned to the Prince's Palace, it was already late at night.

The lanterns under the eaves cast warm yellow light, making the shadows of the two people appear to grow longer and shorter.

Chang An was already waiting at the door. When they returned, he whispered a few words about the household affairs. His gaze lingered for a moment on the pile of clay figurines and sugar cakes in Zhou Heng's arms before he looked away without changing his expression.

"The hot water is ready," Xiao Jue said to Zhou Heng, then turned and headed towards the study. "I still have some documents to read."

Zhou Heng carried his "spoils" back to the dormitory they shared. The room was warm and cozy, with a roaring charcoal fire in the copper basin.

He placed the clay figurines in the most prominent position in the display cabinet, and the sugar figurines, which he couldn't bear to eat, were placed in porcelain vases as decorations. The storybooks and miscellaneous notes were piled on the low table by the window.

When he came out after bathing and changing, Xiao Jue had already returned to his room and was sitting under the lamp, flipping through the book of miscellaneous notes on local customs that he had just bought.

"This book..." Xiao Jue looked up at him, pointing to a spot on the page with his fingertip, "It says that there is a fruit in Lingnan that is red and thorny. When cut open, the juice is like blood, and it tastes sweet with a slightly fishy smell."

Zhou Heng dried his hair and leaned closer to take a look, thinking, "Isn't this a dragon fruit?" But he could only mumble, "The world is so big, there are all sorts of wonders."

Xiao Jue remained noncommittal, closed the book, and suddenly asked, "Did you like the candied hawthorns today?"

"It's just right!" Zhou Heng's eyes crinkled into a smile. "It would be even better if the sugar coating were a little thinner... Hey, you don't know, in my hometown there's a kind of candied hawthorn that can be coated with sesame seeds and melon seeds on the outside, and the filling isn't just hawthorn, but also yam beans, orange segments, and even glutinous rice filling..."

He was so engrossed in his speech that he didn't notice Xiao Jue's gaze gradually deepening.

"Hometown." Xiao Jue repeated the word, his voice steady, "You rarely mention it."

Zhou Heng paused in his act of drying his hair. Wet hair hung down beside his cheeks, water droplets rolling down and dripping onto his collar, soaking into a small dark patch.

"It's all...it's all in the past." He muttered, looking down. "We suffered a disaster, we lost everything, it's only painful to talk about it."

This was his usual excuse. Xiao Jue didn't press further, but simply pulled him closer, took the cloth from his hand, and slowly twisted his hair.

The movements weren't exactly gentle, but they were very careful, wiping away the moisture strand by strand.

Zhou Heng sat obediently, feeling the slight tingling sensation from the cloth rubbing against his scalp, and the steady warmth emanating from the person behind him.

Outside the window, the autumn wind rustled through the bamboo grove, but inside the house, it was so quiet that only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire could be heard.

The next morning, Xiao Jue got up and went to the training ground before dawn. Zhou Heng didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky, and rolled around in bed contentedly a couple of times—the feeling of sleeping in without anyone stopping him was wonderful.

Chang An delivered breakfast and hot tea on time, along with a plate of freshly baked, steaming chestnut cake. Zhou Heng ate with relish, and after finishing, he strolled over to Xiao Jue's study.

Chen Shen was already waiting there, handing him several scrolls of blueprints and books related to the construction of machinery, and specifically emphasizing, "His Highness instructed that Young Master Zhou may peruse these materials here, but may not take them out of the study. Also…"

He pointed to a newly added small design in the corner of the study, "The prince said that if Young Master Zhou is interested, he can copy and study it here. The brush, ink, paper and inkstone are all ready."

Zhou Heng stared at the proposal for a moment, stunned. It was a small rosewood table, the perfect size and comfortable height, paired with a cushioned chair.

Besides the Four Treasures of the Study, there was even a small celadon brush rest and a Duan inkstone on the table.

This was clearly not prepared on short notice.

A pang of tenderness stirred within him, but he scoffed, "How thoughtful... He's probably afraid I'll damage his precious books."

Chen Shen kept his eyes down, pretending not to hear, and bowed before retreating.

Zhou Heng sat down in the chair and opened the book. Sunlight slanted in from the south window, falling on the yellowed pages, and a faint scent of ink and the aged aroma of the book filled the air.

He was very engrossed in looking at them. Although the drawings of these ancient instruments were simple, the principles behind them were quite ingenious.

Before I knew it, the morning had passed.

In the afternoon, feeling a bit sleepy, he simply curled up on the soft couch under the window with his books and took a nap.

The autumn sun shone warmly, and he drowsily thought: When Xiao Jue comes back, maybe I can discuss the application of this torsion spring with him...

In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, it seemed as if someone approached, took away the scroll that had slipped to the side of the bed, and covered him with a thin blanket.

Zhou Heng smacked his lips in his dream, turned over, and slept even more soundly.