The entire street outside the Duke of Wei's mansion was packed solid on Madam Xu's birthday. Lu Zhiheng arrived a little late. Not seeing Xu Hengyan in the front courtyard, he went directly to the Shian Courtyard.
Lu Zhiheng had initially assumed that on such a grand occasion, Xu Hengyan's prolonged absence must be due to some important matter.
However, Lu Zhiheng never expected...
That Xu Hengyan would be rolling up his sleeves and picking pomegranates.
Although Xu Hengyan had rolled up his sleeves to dig sweet potatoes in Ninghe before, this was an entirely different matter.
"That one, that one, under the leaves, it's split open, the really red one..."
Whatever pomegranate Xie Jiang fancied, she would direct Xu Hengyan to pick. Xu Hengyan would pick it and hand it to her. She would examine it and then place it in the basket at her feet.
Perhaps too lazy to bend down further, Xie Jiang beckoned to Xu Hengyi, who was sitting nearby, and asked him to stand by and hold the basket.
Xu Hengyan secretly rolled his eyes, looking utterly reluctant, but his movements were swift as he immediately got up and walked over.
"Brother Zhiheng!"
Seeing Lu Zhiheng enter the courtyard, Xu Hengyi broke into a wide smile and, with a shift of his feet, prepared to go and greet him.
Just then, Xie Jiang placed a pomegranate into the basket, but missed, and the pomegranate rolled onto the ground.
Xu Hengyi glanced at the pomegranate, then up at Xie Jiang. Seeing Xie Jiang staring at him, he immediately ran to pick up the pomegranate.
Lu Zhiheng raised his eyebrows in surprise. Xu Gongye and Uncle Xu Er's words had never been as effective with Xu Hengyi.
However, Lu Zhiheng could also see that despite Xu Hengyi's apparent reluctance, he was clearly enjoying himself.
Lu Zhiheng spoke unhurriedly, "With so many guests outside, you two brothers are here hiding and enjoying leisure in the Shian Courtyard?"
"When did you return to the capital?" Xu Hengyan was also somewhat surprised to see Lu Zhiheng.
Lu Zhiheng smiled and replied, "I returned last night."
He had returned to the capital specifically, but not solely to congratulate Madam Xu on her birthday. However, with Xie Jiang present, Lu Zhiheng saw no need to discuss certain matters.
Lu Zhiheng looked at Xie Jiang, his smile gentle and courteous, "Marquis Xie is also here."
Lu Zhiheng had no particular objections to Xie Jiang. He simply felt that Xie Jiang and Xu Hengyan were not of the same kind.
He had no reason not to trust Xu Hengyan's judgment in choosing friends, but Xu Hengyan's attitude towards Xie Jiang still made him feel...
Xie Jiang sized up Lu Zhiheng. "You are Lu Yuqing's elder brother, aren't you? We met once before. Young Master Lu, have a pomegranate."
Xu Hengyan happened to hand over a pomegranate, and Xie Jiang directly tossed it towards Lu Zhiheng.
Lu Zhiheng quickly reached out and caught it. "...Thank you."
Xu Hengyi hesitated and weighed his options, ultimately returning to his post to stand guard.
"Brother Zhiheng, please sit for a while and have a pomegranate. Where is Yuqing?"
Looking down at the split pomegranate in his hand, Lu Zhiheng walked over and sat down. "He came with me just now. Perhaps someone called him away to play."
Seeing them continue picking pomegranates, Lu Zhiheng asked, "Are you planning to pick pomegranates to serve your guests?"
He glanced at the two pomegranate trees in the courtyard. The aged trees were laden with fruit, but with so many guests arriving to offer birthday wishes today, "Even if you picked all these pomegranates, it wouldn't be enough."
"It was Xie Jiang who saw the pomegranates hanging on the trees and got greedy, so she pestered my second brother to pick pomegranates to eat," Xu Hengyi said diligently, holding the basket, afraid of holding it too high or too low, which might strain Xie Jiang's hand.
Xu Hengyi's attention was focused on the hand Xie Jiang used to pick the pomegranates, wishing he could place the basket right beside Xie Jiang's hand, ensuring that no matter how she dropped them, they would land perfectly in the basket.
Lu Zhiheng was stunned by his subconscious act of catering. At the same time, he couldn't help but admire Xie Jiang's ability to tame him, especially since her demeanor was always casual and not deliberately so.
Lu Zhiheng, while peeling a pomegranate, secretly wondered if Xu Hengyi could achieve the top scholar if Xie Jiang were to focus on his studies and progress.
Xu Hengyan frowned upon hearing this. "Little Xie just saw that the pomegranates on the tree were ripe and thought it would be more interesting to pick them herself."
Did he have to be so protective! Was Xie Jiang like smoke, scattering with a puff of breath? Xu Hengyi couldn't help but weakly retort, "She didn't even pick them herself."
Was handing them to him from his second brother's hand considered picking them herself? He was holding the basket, after all! Besides, her role in passing the pomegranates was completely redundant.
Second Brother could have thrown the pomegranates directly into the basket! Why the need for this unnecessary extra step! Xie Jiang's "picking them herself" was more like "directing herself."
As Xu Hengyan handed the pomegranate to Xie Jiang, he glanced back at Xu Hengyi, feeling that talking to Xu Hengyi was like playing a lute to a cow.
Picking pomegranates was about the enjoyment, not the process. Besides, what difference did it make who did the picking between him and her?
Xu Hengyi felt hurt again.
He looked at Lu Zhiheng, trying to seek his approval. Wasn't his second brother being too biased! Openly biased!
Lu Zhiheng nodded with a face full of sympathy, then said to Xu Hengyan, "Third Brother says you are being excessively biased."
His eyes suddenly met his second brother's, and Xu Hengyi's soul seemed to leave his body for a moment.
"..."
Fortunately, his second brother had no intention of wasting his time on him, focusing solely on accompanying Xie Jiang as they picked pomegranates around the tree.
"Brother Zhiheng!"
"Ah? What you asked me to convey, I have conveyed. Was there something inaccurate?"
"..." You were too accurate!
Lu Zhiheng inwardly marveled. Xu Third was now seeing his second brother without cowering away, and even dared to approach him?
Was it because of Xie Jiang?
He recalled how his maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents, father, and mother spoke of Xie Jiang with such high praise, and the growing tendency of Lu Yuqing to gravitate towards Xu Hengyi.
Lu Zhiheng rubbed his forehead with his fingers. It was a shame he couldn't stay in the capital for long. Otherwise, he would have liked to get acquainted with Xie Jiang.
However...
Lu Zhiheng quickly recalled a crucial point: were these two brothers neglecting the numerous guests celebrating the birthday outside, all to accompany Marquis Xie in picking pomegranates for fun?
"That one up there, yes, that one—" Xie Jiang pointed to the top of the tree, "—the reddest and biggest, it must be sweet."
Xu Hengyan looked at the basket, which was almost full. "Isn't this enough? How many can you eat?"
Xie Jiang said, "We can also make juice. Pomegranate juice is delicious."
Xu Hengyan gestured for her to compare the height of the tree with his own height. "I can't reach it."
Xie Jiang said excitedly, "How about you act as a stool, and I'll step on your shoulders to pick it."
Lu Zhiheng was greatly surprised. He looked at Xu Hengyan without revealing anything. He saw Xu Hengyan smile, clearly unbothered by her words. He then turned and instructed Guang Bai, who was standing nearby.
"Go get a ladder."
Although he had witnessed it before at the Ninghe County Office, Lu Zhiheng couldn't help but feel a surge of astonishment at Xu Hengyan's unusual attitude towards Xie Jiang, observing their interaction.
Xu Hengyan, he?
Did he know what he was doing?
If he knew, and still allowed himself...
However, Lu Zhiheng showed no outward signs of his inner turmoil. He lowered his head and quietly peeled a pomegranate, then elegantly ate the seeds one by one.
He was overthinking it.