Tear Makeup
“Why are all the girls in the entire city of Nandu infatuated with my third brother? You’ll understand when you see it.”
Duan Jingyuan’s words were not wrong. The polo field belonged to Duan Xu; he stirred hearts like a fish in water here. As long as he was on the field, even if others were playing, their eyes couldn’t leave him. His purple figure on the white horse was like lightning.
He attracted opponents’ attention to free up space, passing the ball to his teammates to secure the lead. In the second round, the opponents dared not focus solely on him anymore. With this, Duan Xu had more freedom of movement and soon secured the second goal.
The side-lines erupted again with enthusiastic shouts, and He Simu also blended into the cheering crowd, rooting for him.
After conceding two goals in a row, the opponents were evidently getting anxious, trying to suppress Duan Xu’s momentum. A young nobleman swung his mallet forcefully to pass the ball, but it veered off from his intended target and struck his teammate’s horse’s head instead. The horse, suddenly hit hard, immediately panicked and uncontrollably bolted around the field.
For both speed and endurance, the horses on the polo field were all spirited. Once startled, they were hard to control. Hence, accidents where riders fell off their horses and were severely injured or even killed were not uncommon. Watching the young nobleman teetering on the horse’s back, half his body thrown off but still caught by the stirrup, about to hit the ground and be dragged along, Duan Xu rode over, extending his mallet to catch the young man’s back and simultaneously pulling out a dagger from his boot to cut the stirrup. He then grabbed the back of the young man’s collar and lifted him onto his own horse. The young nobleman narrowly escaped being dragged, panting heavily with lingering fear, clutching onto Duan Xu’s back for dear life.
The riderless spirited horse continued rampaging around the field, unexpectedly smashing through the side-lines and charging towards the spectators. The audience immediately scattered in panic. Duan Jingyuan, wearing elaborate clothing, stumbled as she accidentally stepped on her own hem and fell to the ground. As she looked up, she saw the spirited horse charging towards her. Before she could react, a slate-grey garment appeared before her, someone protecting the back of her head and pulling her into their arms. In her daze, she also saw a fluttering crimson garment.
That crimson garment belonged to He Simu.
In Duan Jingyuan’s perception, although it seemed like an eternity, it was actually just a brief moment. He Simu stood in front of the startled and frenzied horse.
The startled horse suddenly came to a halt, kicking up dust as it stopped just three feet away from He Simu. It stared fearfully into her eyes, trembling all over before taking three steps back and kneeling on the ground.
Even if the ghost king had lost his powers, he could still recognize her aura. In this aspect, beasts were much more sensitive than humans.
The entire arena was in an uproar. The audience watched in astonishment as some field attendants rushed over to calm the now quieted horse.
Duan Jingyuan narrowly escaped a disaster and slowly regained her composure. She looked up, the sunlight glaring, unable to see the features of the person holding her against the light but feeling very familiar. The person released her and stepped back, allowing her to see his features clearly. It was Fang Xianye, whom she had encountered during the rain.
He was dressed in a slate-grey round-necked robe, his features serene like mist.
“Is your spine harder than a spirited horse’s hooves? You’re just a scholar, don’t try to be heroic,” He Simu turned around and said to Fang Xianye.
She walked past Fang Xianye, helping Duan Jingyuan up from the ground. Fang Xianye didn’t react to He Simu’s words, just glanced at her before turning his gaze to Duan Jingyuan, calmly asking, “Are you okay?”
Duan Jingyuan nodded dazedly, clutching He Simu’s sleeve tightly, and said, “Thank you for saving me, Lord Fang.”
Fang Xianye shook his head, his expression indifferent. He brushed off the dust from his clothes as if nothing had happened and walked away. As he brushed off the dust, Duan Jingyuan noticed his wrist was swollen and red, probably from the friction with the ground in the heat of the moment.
She realized she hadn’t even noticed that Fang Xianye was nearby. While everyone was fleeing, he had rushed over to protect her first, almost getting injured as a result.
Did they have such a deep relationship?
The polo match was temporarily suspended due to the unexpected incident. Duan Jingyuan was only shaken and had no serious injuries. Her maid helped her back to her seat to rest. Wu Wanqing patted Duan Jingyuan’s back, still trembling, and said, “You scared me to death! If anything happened to you, how could I explain to your father? From now on, you’re not allowed to go down to watch the match. Just sit here and watch!”
Duan Jingyuan patted her chest, weakly arguing that it was just an accident. Before Wu Wanqing could continue lecturing her, she saw the bamboo curtain in their area being lifted, and Wang Gongzi walked in with a white porcelain bottle.
This Wang Gongzi was Wang Qi, the elder brother of Wang Su Yi, who was obsessed with sensual pleasures and neglected his duties. After the Wang family and the Duan family formed a marriage alliance, Wang Qi always took advantage of this relationship to visit the Duan Mansion and show his attentiveness to Duan Jingyuan. His words and actions implied a desire for further intimacy.
Duan Jingyuan naturally couldn’t stand such a superficial and shameless person like Wang Qi. However, at this moment, when he brought out a calming pill called Qingxin Pill, pretending to be kind and thoughtful, Duan Jingyuan had to accept it gracefully, not wanting to offend him.
Duan Jingyuan forced a standard smile as she took the medicine bottle, but Wang Qi took the opportunity to touch the back of her hand, causing her to shudder in disgust.
“Thank you, Lord Wang,” she gritted her teeth.
Wang Qi seemed completely oblivious to the disgust hidden beneath Duan Jingyuan’s expression. He even lifted the hem of his robe and sat down in their area, starting to chat with Duan Jingyuan as if he had something important to say, trying to be witty and humorous.
Duan Jingyuan exchanged a glance with Wu Wanqing. They had never seen such a frivolous and shameless guy before.
But the Duan and Wang families were related by marriage after all, so they had to maintain surface harmony. Duan Jingyuan reluctantly responded to Wang Qi’s topics, feeling nauseated whenever he was around, regardless of the calming pill she took.
As she was dealing with Wang Qi, she caught a glimpse of a slate-grey figure in the stands below. When she shifted her gaze there, she met Fang Xianye’s eyes.
The polo match resumed, and everyone’s attention returned to the field. He stood quietly in the excited crowd, looking back at her, his thoughts unknown.
” Miss Duan?”
The noisy Wang Qi called her as she was lost in thought. Duan Jingyuan had to retract her gaze and deal with Wang Qi again. When she looked back over, she found that Fang Xianye was no longer there.
Somehow, in that moment, she felt a bit disappointed.
Just as Wang Qi’s clamour grew louder, a voice sounded from behind the bamboo curtain, like a refreshing breeze blowing through Duan Jingyuan’s restless heart.
“Miss Duan, it seems like something fell when you dodged the spirited horse just now. I picked it up and placed it in my seat. Please check if anything is missing, and if so, I’ll bring it to you.”
Fang Xianye bowed slightly, speaking from behind the bamboo curtain.
Duan Jingyuan immediately stood up, walked over, and lifted the bamboo curtain eagerly, saying, “No need for the trouble, Sir. I’ll go and get it myself.”
As long as it meant getting away from Wang Qi, going to Fang Xianye’s side would be preferable. After all, Fang Xianye was very handsome and spoke little, and moreover… he had just tried to save her.
Fang Xianye’s gaze swept over Wang Qi’s face, making his face flush with embarrassment. With a faint smile, Fang Xianye said, “Miss, please.”
Duan Jingyuan, accompanied by her maid, lifted her skirt and headed towards Fang Xianye’s seat.
Wang Qi’s face stiffened, but when his gaze fell on He Simu, his expression softened. He inquired, “The Duan residence indeed has an abundance of beauties. Who is this lady?”
He Simu withdrew her gaze from the field, glanced at him, and tersely replied, “Get lost.”
“You!” “Miss He!”
Both Wang Qi and Wu Wanqing exclaimed simultaneously. Wang Qi stood up abruptly. Seeing that He Simu ignored him, he glared at Wu Wanqing, said something sarcastic, and then stormed off, sweeping his sleeves. Wu Wanqing massaged her temples, suffering from a headache.
Meanwhile, Duan Jingyuan followed Fang Xianye to his seat. His seat was arranged simply but elegantly, not as grand as the Duan family’s, but the view was decent. After all, although he didn’t have a grand mansion, he held a high position, being the top scholar.
Duan Jingyuan suddenly remembered when the exam results were announced. Because she had said that the person she would marry couldn’t be worse than her third brother, Duan Xu had pointed to the list of names and said to her, “Not worse than your third brother? Then it can only be the top scholar, this person named Fang Xianye, right?”
That was the first time she heard Fang Xianye’s name.
Duan Jingyuan inexplicably blushed. She cleared her throat and turned to Fang Xianye, asking, “Sir Fang, did I drop something?”
Fang Xianye shook his head. “That was a lie I made up. I didn’t see you drop anything. I just saw you looking uncomfortable over there and thought maybe you needed an excuse to leave the seat.”
Duan Jingyuan’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure. “How did you know I was uncomfortable?”
Fang Xianye fell silent for a moment before saying, “Weren’t you about to cry?”
Seeing Duan Jingyuan’s puzzled expression, he pointed to his own eyes, hinting, “Here.”
Duan Jingyuan was stunned. She touched her eyes and took a while to understand what was going on. Angered, she approached Fang Xianye and pointed to her eyes. “Look closely! This is the latest trend in tear makeup! Tear makeup! I wasn’t going to cry!”
Anyone who dared to question her makeup, clothing, or fragrance would become her greatest enemy!
After saying this, she realized that she was too close to Fang Xianye. He earnestly looked into her eyes, and as her ears began to turn red, Fang Xianye took a step back and said with a gentle smile, “You’re perfectly fine. Why make yourself look like you’re about to cry? Smiling is always much better than crying.”
“What do you know? This kind of makeup gives a pitiful and charming beauty,” Duan Jingyuan retorted.
Fang Xianye glanced at her and said, “Indeed, I don’t understand. I thought Miss Duan, as a dazzling woman, doesn’t need to appear pitiful.”
Duan Jingyuan was taken aback by his words. She wanted to say that she certainly didn’t need pity, but saying so seemed contradictory. She didn’t know what to say for a moment.
“Miss Duan, are you leaving now?” Fang Xianye sat upright in his seat, changing the subject.
Duan Jingyuan tiptoed to look around and saw that Wang Qi was no longer at their table. She hesitated for a moment, cleared her throat, and said, “I’m not sure if he will come back. I’ll stay at your table for now.”
Fang Xianye graciously agreed.
Duan Jingyuan sat down beside him, and Hezhi immediately poured her some tea. As she sipped her tea, she saw Fang Xianye’s gaze fall on her purse. Remembering Fang Xianye risking his life to save her on the field earlier, she suddenly had a revelation—could Fang Xianye be infatuated with her?
She became cautious and said, “Sir Fang, I’m grateful for your help on the field just now. But… even if you keep looking at me, I won’t be giving you my purse.”
In Daliang, giving a purse to a man was a sign of affection.
Fang Xianye seemed amused. “No, I just think the knot on the purse looks very elegant.”
“It’s a six-petal flower knot, taught to me by my third brother,” Duan Jingyuan said proudly. She felt pleased to receive praise, always childlike in this regard.
“I see,” Fang Xianye replied, shifting his gaze back to the field.
A few days ago, when Duan Xu came to see him, after they had finished discussing business matters, he suddenly sighed and asked if Fang Xianye knew how to tie a six-petal flower knot.
—Jingyuan said I had taught her before when we were in Daizhou, but now she has forgotten and insists I teach her again.
—Fang Ji, how much have you taught her?
Now she has learned, and she has learned very well.
After a morning of intense fighting, this lively and exciting game of Polo, despite some flaws, ended with Duan Xu’s team unsurprisingly taking the lead and winning the match with five victories. What’s even more surprising is that these five goals were scored by five different people, all of whom, except for Duan Xu, were participating in Polo for the first time. Those who know the game well say that Duan Xu won with his tactics. The ability to strategize and deploy troops can be seen from the layout of the field by Young Master Duan and his team.
Shortly after the end of the game, He Xiaoxiao bid farewell and left Duan Mansion. Duan Jingyuan was surprised by her hasty departure, and even more surprised by Duan Xu and Chenying’s indifference. It’s worth noting that Duan Xu seemed unable to be without He Xiaoxiao before, but now he doesn’t seem to miss her at all, as if He Xiaoxiao had never left.
What’s more, her brother has started frequenting the Jade Tower again, going to see his beloved confidante, Miss Luo Xian. Duan Jingyuan felt sad, thinking that perhaps there wasn’t a single good man in the world, including her brother.
**Nomad: Poor Jingyuan doesn’t know the secret.
Leave a Reply