Chapter 12: Sleeping in Your Room
A man?
Why do kids talk so unclearly?
Han Min held the couplet in both hands, standing on the ladder, and turned to look.
He was startled by the man.
The man wore a dark robe, was tall, with sharp eyebrows and a thin-lipped mouth slightly pursed.
He stood with his arms crossed. When Han Min looked at him, he unconsciously raised an eyebrow slightly, a smile slowly spreading across his face—probably waiting for Han Min to speak first.
Han Min hesitated, then cautiously called out, “Prince?”
Fu Xun nodded, a silent acknowledgment.
Han Min, surprised, asked, “How come you—”
Fu Xun didn’t answer, only gesturing toward the couplet in his hands: “A bit higher.”
“Ah… okay.”
Fu Xun stepped back a few paces and stood beside Han Pei, looking at the main gate of the Han residence.
Han Min turned back, still on the ladder, too afraid to climb higher, so he stood on tiptoe, stretching his hands as far as possible.
Han Pei and Fu Xun stood together.
Although Han Pei didn’t recognize him, he was lively and tugged on Fu Xun’s sleeve, wanting to talk.
Before he could speak, Han Pei looked up and saw that the man was staring straight at his older brother.
The gaze was strangely unsettling.
Han Pei pouted, displeased, and didn’t speak further.
Fu Xun turned to him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Han Pei endured his irritation and bowed politely: “May I ask who you are, sir?”
Clearly angry, yet still polite.
It must have been taught by Han Min.
Fu Xun found it amusing: “I’m a good friend of your older brother. You can call me Third Brother Fu.”
Han Pei said, “I’m Han Pei.”
“I know. When you were little, your brother brought you out to show us.”
Han Pei hadn’t yet responded before Fu Xun’s gaze returned to Han Min.
Han Min stood on tiptoe, raising the already-short hem of his garment, and Fu Xun saw his plain white trousers and—
His trembling legs.
He was afraid of heights.
His voice had a barely noticeable quiver: “Prince, how about like this?”
Fu Xun smiled and stepped forward, saying, “That’s fine.”
Han Min slapped the couplet against the stone wall by the door with a “pop,” pressed it down twice to stick the glue, then sighed in relief and hurried to climb down.
Fu Xun walked behind him, wondering why he hadn’t fallen yet.
He wanted to catch him.
Han Min held onto the ladder with both hands, afraid but still climbing down steadily.
When he was close to the ground, Fu Xun reached out, casually tugging at his hair tie.
Han Min stiffened, quickly clutching the ladder, and turned to him with wide almond eyes: “What are you doing?”
Fu Xun could only say, “Slip of the hand.”
Han Min gritted his teeth: “Don’t joke around like that.”
Fu Xun glanced at the ground: “Actually, you could just jump down.”
Following his gaze, Han Min saw it wasn’t high—really quite low.
He slowly moved down. Fu Xun stood beside him, intending to help support him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man in the doorway staring at him.
Fu Xun turned—Han Min’s elder brother, Han Shi.
Han Shi happened to be pushing a wheelchair across the courtyard and just happened to see a man acting closely with his younger brother in front of their house.
Seeing Fu Xun looking, Han Shi casually looked away, brushed off his earlier thoughtful expression, and saluted: “the Duke of Ding.”
Fu Xun withdrew his hands and returned the salute: “Eldest Young Master Han.”
At that moment, Han Min stepped back a few paces, examining his family’s door.
Han Pei hooked his finger and softly called, “Brother.”
Han Min looked at Fu Xun.
“This is my brother’s friend. Just call him Prince,” Han Min said.
Han Pei nodded.
Han Min tapped his forehead: “If I waited for your instructions, this couplet wouldn’t even be up by tomorrow.”
Han Pei rubbed his head, feeling wronged: “I’m not purposely confusing directions.”
Han Min picked up the ladder and said to Fu Xun: “Come in.”
Fu Xun wanted to take the ladder from him: “I’ll do it.”
Treating it as a way to make up for tugging at his hair earlier, Han Min didn’t refuse and handed it over.
Han Min asked: “How did you get here?”
“The second earthquake in Liuzhou, I had to stay in the south a while longer. A few days ago things stabilized, it was the New Year, and I took a moment of leisure. I thought, I just want to come see you.”
It sounded casual, light, but Fu Xun had thought it over carefully on the way.
Han Min couldn’t gauge his intentions, and before he could answer, Fu Xun paused.
“You live here…?”
Han Min followed his gaze and looked up.
At the roof of his own house.
Han Min cleared his throat: “It was damaged in the quake. I couldn’t find a mason, so I fixed it myself.”
Fu Xun changed his words: “Quite… charmingly uneven. I’ll help you repair it tomorrow.”
He carried the ladder and changed the topic: “Where should we put this?”
Han Min led him to a small room by the kitchen used for storing miscellaneous things: “Here, come in.”
The two walked around the corridor together. Outside, Han Pei and Han Shi looked at each other.
Han Pei ran forward and leapt into Han Shi’s arms: “Big brother, Brother doesn’t even have eyes for me anymore.”
Sniffle, sniffle.
Han Shi patted his head. Not just that, in his eyes, even Big Brother didn’t exist.
With this eldest brother in front of him, he didn’t even glance.
After putting the ladder back, Han Min casually asked: “Prince, are you here incognito to inspect the local situation? Do you need to see the Magistrate of Tongzhou? It’s still early enough to enter the city; if we wait longer, the gates will close.”
Fu Xun replied: “I only brought a few guards and will leave in a few days. Coming to Tongzhou was just to see you.”
“Ah… alright.”
“Why didn’t you reply to my letter?”
Han Min thought, Fu Xun’s reply had only two words: ‘No problem.’
How was he supposed to respond?
He said helplessly: “My fault. Next time I’ll definitely reply, Your Highness.”
They walked back to the main hall.
Grandfather Han had come out and, seeing Han Min bring Fu Xun, said, half amused, half annoyed: “Min’er, why did the Prince have to move the ladder for you?”
Han Min pointed at Fu Xun, innocent: “He wanted to do it himself.”
Fu Xun nodded: “Yes.”
After greetings, Fu Xun sat beside Grandfather Han. Grandfather Han asked about the current situation in Yong’an City, and Fu Xun answered.
Han Min sat nearby, listening to the current affairs, when Han Pei suddenly hugged his leg.
Han Min tried to push him away, lowering his voice: “We have guests. No acting spoiled. Go to your mother.”
Han Pei blinked at him.
Han Min picked him up quietly: “Just for a little while.”
After a while, Grandfather Han said: “Is this Prince visiting this time?”
Fu Xun replied: “I only brought a few guards. Incognito visit, leaving soon.”
Grandfather Han nodded: “Good,” and looked at Han Min: “Min’er, add two more dishes tonight.”
Clearly, he intended to keep him for dinner.
Grandfather Han looked at Fu Xun: “My humble home is simple.”
Fu Xun glanced at Han Min and smiled: “Not at all.”
Feeling strange, Han Min looked away.
There was still some time before dinner. Grandfather Han, a little tired, talked with Fu Xun in the hall and then let Han Min take him for a walk.
Han Min led him around the courtyard.
“Right.”
He suddenly remembered something and took Fu Xun back to his room.
Han Min tidied the manuscripts on the desk to one side: “Sit anywhere.”
The room was full of scrolls and manuscripts. A scholar’s room.
He went to the corner and took out the small wooden box where he kept money.
Fu Xun also came forward and sat beside him: “What are you doing?”
Han Min took out land deeds and silver notes from the bottom.
Before Fu Xun could speak, he said: “Keep them. Don’t give them back to me.”
Han Min didn’t know how to respond.
He had already returned them once. Doing it again seemed excessive.
But keeping them felt awkward, as it was valuable and they weren’t that close yet.
While hesitating, Fu Xun said: “Do I have no money? No property?”
He had even learned to answer preemptively.
It was winter and getting dark early; they sat in the dim corner.
Everything around grew darker.
Fu Xun looked at him, eyes brightening.
Han Min was startled: “What is it?”
Fu Xun tilted his head, resting lightly against the wall, smiling faintly at Han Min, and held his hand with the silver notes tightly.
He said lightly: “I have plenty of money. Why do you always feel…”
At that moment, Han Pei knocked outside: “Brother, Prince, it’s time to eat.”
Han Min replied and shoved the silver notes and deeds into Fu Xun’s hands, saying nothing more, and got up to leave.
Fu Xun, while Han Min wasn’t paying attention, returned the items to the box and even added a large roll of silver notes.
When he looked back, Han Min had already opened the door.
He looked like he had run away.
Han Min stood outside, pursing his lips: “Oh no, System, I suddenly feel my heart racing.”
The system sneered: “You’re probably excited about ‘plenty of money.’”
Han Min clapped his hands: “Makes sense.”
Fu Xun walked out of his room, noticing his expression constantly changing, found it amusing, and couldn’t help laughing.
Han Min also giggled, pointing toward the corridor: “Let’s go eat.”
After dinner, the group talked a bit before dispersing.
Han Min still led Fu Xun back to his room.
The two sat across from each other at the desk.
They had little private time earlier; now, they finally had a moment to discuss business.
Fu Xun said: “The disaster management literature review you prepared is quite useful.”
Han Min smiled: “Glad to hear.”
“The Magistrate Liu has confessed; the mastermind is Fu Quan, and the memorial has been submitted.”
“But since it’s the New Year, the court may not act quickly…”
“The court is investigating. I’ve planted people. After the New Year, I’ll return to Yong’an.”
Han Min half-sat up, patting his shoulder: “Be careful with everything.”
Fu Xun looked at his hand, then nodded: “I understand.”
Someone knocked at the door. “Min’er?”
Han Min opened the door.
Fu Xun got up and followed him.
It was Lady Yuan.
Fu Xun also greeted: “Lady Yuan.”
Lady Yuan responded and handed Han Min a quilt: “The rooms aren’t ready. Tonight, Prince will sleep in your room…”
Fu Xun showed no expression but touched his nose.
There really was such a fortunate event.
Author’s note:
On the surface calm, inside already dancing with joy.
