HUS Chapter 37: Tiger Hunting
Walking into the inner room, Pan Xiaowan didn't rush to get the wine.
Her steps suddenly became light and quick, her feet as if strolling among the stars.
This was "Yu Bu" (Yu's Steps), a type of footwork even more ancient and unique than the circular and cloud steps of opera.
It was a dance step originally created by ancient shamans and was now nearly lost.
She moved forward as if gliding, moved sideways as if floating, then with a charming turn, slid precisely to the carved wardrobe.
Lady Pan opened the cabinet, changed her clothes, then floated to the vanity and beautifully touched up her makeup.
In the mirror was a hibiscus-like lovely face, eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes containing autumn waters—exactly the prime age of "twenty years of peach and plum blossoms."
Next, she picked up shell powder and carefully traced her eyebrows, then took out rouge, dabbed a bit with her fingertip, and pressed it to her lips.
Her lips slightly pursed into a line. When they resumed their full petal shape, the lip color was already bright as peaches and plums.
She pouted her lips, blew a kiss to her reflection, then retrieved a sachet from the very bottom of her cosmetics box.
She first pulled something from the sachet, gently tore it open, stuffed it back into the sachet, then hung it at her waist.
Finally, she secured her golden hairpin more tightly in the mirror before taking out the horn wine vessel and walking out gracefully.
After Laixi was sent away, there wasn't even anyone to serve tea. Yang Can could only sit dry on the chair.
After waiting a long time, Yang Can's patience nearly exhausted, he was about to stand when Lady Pan emerged from behind the screen.
She had changed into a crabapple red dress and skirt. The fabric was very soft and light, closely conforming to her body, waist as waist, hips as hips.
Her figure was truly excellent. Even the air seemed to take on a shape because of it, flowing like water, reaching the pinnacle of grace.
"Uncle, this is the fine medicinal wine that Master of Feng'an Estate gave that old thing. It's said to be extremely nourishing."
Pan Xiaowan's voice was softer by three parts and more seductive by three parts than usual.
At this moment, there was none of the disdain and impatience toward Yang Can she showed in front of Li Youcai.
She carried over that soaked, now warm and jade-like, semi-transparent massive horn, placed it on the table beside Yang Can, then turned to fetch two jade-colored cups as thin as cicada wings.
"The more that old thing can't perform, the more he fears people knowing he can't. For the sake of face, he actually gave you all the wine. I heard this wine is most effective for strengthening foundations and cultivating essence. Sister-in-law tasting a cup shouldn't matter, right?"
Yang Can said awkwardly, "Naturally there's no problem."
Pan Xiaowan smiled charmingly, pulled out the horn stopper, and poured two cups of wine.
She picked up both cups, walked gracefully to Yang Can's side, and extended one cup to him.
Yang Can was about to stand when Lady Pan stopped him with her expression.
She bent her slender waist, smiling at Yang Can, using her cardamom-painted fingers to hand him the cup.
The light red wine in the cup emitted the fragrance of alcohol and medicine.
The liquid swayed in the cup, and the light in Lady Pan's eyes also swayed.
That gaze was so watery and deep, it seemed like it could drown someone.
Yang Can took the wine cup. Lady Pan proactively clinked cups with him, her red lips slightly parting, "Uncle, please accompany sister-in-law in drinking this cup."
Yang Can shook the cup, lowered his head to smell it, looking completely intoxicated, but just wouldn't drink.
Lady Pan giggled and charmingly rolled her eyes at him, "Worried someone drugged you? Really."
She said this reproachfully while slowly raising the cup high, lifting it over her head, then tilting her head back and opening her mouth.
As the cup tilted, that stream of wine accurately poured into her mouth.
Lady Pan poured the entire cup into her mouth before looking at Yang Can teasingly.
Yang Can breathed a sigh of relief and drank the wine in one gulp.
Lady Pan took a step forward and blinked at Yang Can, "How was the wine?"
"Quite good."
Lady Pan took another step forward, "Then... does it have the effect of strengthening foundations and cultivating essence?"
As she spoke, her hand naturally rested on Yang Can's shoulder, her eyes glancing sideways, full of spring feelings about to overflow.
Yang Can smiled bitterly, "Sister-in-law, even if this wine is medicinal wine, it's still wine. How could it be so fast-acting?"
Lady Pan giggled, "That's true. I was too hasty."
She had just taken two steps forward consecutively, and she was directly facing Yang Can, so at this moment she had walked between Yang Can's legs.
Yang Can was sitting while she stood. If Yang Can raised his head, the view would be awkward, so he could only level his gaze but this way, what he saw was a waist as flexible as a snake.
The slender waist was tied with a purple silk sash, with a sachet hanging from it.
That fragrance was quite pleasant.
Yang Can suddenly felt his eyes becoming somewhat fixed, and more troublingly, it wasn't just his eyes that were stiffening.
He didn't know that the wine hadn't been tampered with. The sachet Lady Xiaowan wore at her waist was the weapon used against him.
The herbs in this sachet were also a kind of medicine, and moreover, a particularly effective medicine secretly prepared by shamans.
At this moment, Lady Pan stood while Yang Can sat.
Lady Pan was so close, the sachet hanging at her waist was practically dangling under Yang Can's nose.
If not for this, with the wine fragrance and medicinal scent masking it, Yang Can wouldn't have detected the unique fragrance from that sachet.
Lady Xiaowan looked at Yang Can and giggled. She could already see that this little rascal had finally fallen into the trap.
Originally, she had wanted to take it slowly too. Mutual consent would be more pleasurable.
Unfortunately, though this young man was young, he had considerable restraint. If she took it slowly, who knew how long she'd have to wait.
She'd been seducing this handsome young adviser for over three months. She didn't want to wait anymore.
"Thunk!"
Lady Xiaowan snatched the empty cup from Yang Can's hand, placed it on the table, and her arms wrapped around his neck.
...
When the rooster crowed at dawn, Yang Can woke up.
Last night, just when things were about to reach a critical point, Yang Can had finally escaped.
Frankly speaking, who wouldn't like a beauty like Lady Xiaowan? But ultimately, given her status, Yang Can didn't dare to be wanton.
Especially now that he was in the Yu family's eldest branch and still had a life-threatening calamity to survive, getting entangled with such a fierce woman, whether it was fortune or disaster, he wasn't certain.
The medicine Lady Xiaowan used could promote desire. In her thinking, a hot-blooded young man, herself being a quite attractive woman, plus the effect of the medicine, wouldn't it be a matter of course?
However, Yang Can thought of how the eldest branch was full of eyes and ears everywhere. If the matter was exposed, forget about the great calamity after ten months, he'd probably immediately suffer complete ruin.
Moreover, wasn't Suo Zhanzhi fragrant enough?
With his worries about Pan Xiaowan being uncontrollable, plus Suo Zhanzhi's absolute beauty, this helped him maintain a trace of clarity and finally, at the critical moment, he left.
Waking now and recalling then, to say he didn't have any stirring thoughts would naturally be impossible but thinking of the possible consequences, he still felt that his failure to become entangled with her was the correct choice.
Actually, Pan Xiaowan was First Steward Li's wife. If he could make her his intimate person, it would definitely benefit Yang Can's expansion of influence within the eldest branch.
It's just that this honey might have poison wrapped inside.
Yang Can didn't know Pan Xiaowan had another identity. He just instinctively felt that her being so bold and so proactive probably meant she wasn't easy to deal with.
Not long after Yang Can woke and just finished washing up, Lady Pan sent Laixi to deliver breakfast.
Having Laixi deliver the breakfast she'd carefully prepared, thinking of his heartless departure last night, Pan Xiaowan's heart couldn't help feeling both hate and love.
That Yang Can could actually resist her temptation last night was something Pan Xiaowan hadn't expected.
After regretting for half the night and hating for half the night, her mentality instead changed.
Originally, she had only taken a fancy to Yang Can at first sight and wanted to find a lover.
Toward Yang Can, she hadn't harbored any other purposes.
Her approach to Yang Can also didn't mean she wanted to use Yang Can to do anything.
Because she fundamentally didn't think Yang Can could become an important figure pivotal to the Yu family's eldest branch or even the entire Yu family.
She simply liked this handsome young adviser and wanted to establish the most simple... the simplest relationship with him.
Her life was already very complicated. She too had emotions. She was also a flesh-and-blood person.
She also sometimes wanted to put down all burdens and have a harbor where she could completely relax.
Since seeing Yang Can, she felt she'd found it.
That man truly suited her taste in every way yet he had actually rejected her. However, precisely because Yang Can rejected her, it made her think even more highly of him.
Of course, she naturally wouldn't give up because of this, nor was she convinced. Lady Xiaowan was very confident in her own charm.
She firmly believed this little rascal would sooner or later be hers for the taking.
Watching Laixi carry the food box out of the courtyard entrance, only then did Lady Xiaowan withdraw her gaze.
As her eyes turned, she saw on the apricot tree at the corner of the wall, there happened to be a red apricot branch extending over the wall.
Lady Xiaowan smiled, smiling as sweetly as the apricot blossoms on that branch.
...
Seeing the breakfast Lady Xiaowan had Laixi deliver, Yang Can's heart also warmed.
Failing to reciprocate a beauty's kindness would make any man feel guilty.
It's just that this beauty's kindness was truly too heavy, it carried First Steward Li Youcai on the other end.
"Uh... Laixi, thank Lady Pan on my behalf."
Laixi said with a grin, "Sure thing! Then Steward Yang, enjoy your breakfast first. I'll come collect things later."
"No need, no need. Later I'll have Wangcai wash the dishes clean before sending them back."
Laixi acknowledged and returned. This breakfast had a good mix of meat and vegetables and tasted quite delicious.
Yang Can ate most of the breakfast and was about to call Wangcai in to clean up and wash everything before returning the food box.
Before he could call out, Wangcai ran in first.
"Master, a guest has arrived."
"A guest?"
Yang Can was startled. He'd just taken office. What guest could be visiting him?
"Clean up the dishes and bowls, wash them clean, and send them to Lady Pan's place."
Yang Can gave the instruction before walking toward the main hall.
In the main hall, a tall figure stood upright, raising his head to look at a calligraphy painting on the wall.
This person wore an earth-yellow headband tied in a hero's knot at the back of his head.
He also held a wild goose feather saber in his hand. His feet stood at angles, his stance solid as a mountain, his bearing magnificent.
Just looking at that domineering and unmatched aura, thinking of last night's ambiguity with Lady Pan, Yang Can was genuinely afraid he would suddenly turn around and reveal a face like Zhu Yanping or Ding Haifeng then he'd forcefully throw out a line: "Sister-in-law, Wu Er has something to say!"
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