[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful":3,"chapter-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-83":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Even a Gentleman Must Be Careful",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2268703,4429,"Chapter 83: Eighty-Seven: Moonlit Heart-to-Heart, Weilai","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-83",83,"\u003Cp>Eighty-Seven: Moonlit Heart-to-Heart, Weilai’s Tea Art\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But aren’t you always whining to me every day?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wah… no… it’s different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the sobbing tone of the silver-haired girl in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even need to ask much—he already understood most of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong’s drowsy eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was an illusion or summer truly arriving, the insect chirps in the courtyard grass suddenly grew much louder around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even drowning out his own breathing and the girl’s sniffling in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming the dominant sound in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong guessed that Weilai had probably forgotten to close the window before getting into bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant stole a sniff of your inner robe, but there was no familiar scent beneath…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dimness, Ouyang Rong cradled the tear-streaked face, thumb wiping the slightly deeper red rims of her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, this big girl has poured out her heart to me, so deeply affectionate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“During the day when you were around, did Auntie ever scold or hit him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl with snow-white hair spread across the bed clung to the young man like an octopus, her thin, petite back exposed to the moonlight, her waist-length hair dyed silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has anyone been bullying him these past half-days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The big head buried in his chest shook again, “wiping snot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai pressed both hands firmly against the cool expanse of the woman’s chest, bit her lip, and pushed hard, breaking free of his embrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt her waist suddenly wrapped in his arms, then her body spun three hundred and sixty degrees in midair, as if about to be flung like a flying disc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong had always held a strange belief: that moonlight felt cold, at least visually so, while darkness felt unusually warm—especially in winter blankets… perhaps tied to some childhood experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet her slender back, wrapped in a thin nightgown, lay exposed to the icy moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl hurried to soothe her; the silver-haired big girl dove into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on?” The little girl suddenly understood, chuckled, and pouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone patiently held her close, whispered soothing words for a while, until she calmed down, her anger returning to her tear-streaked face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve kept him back for so long, yet never truly talked to him, never knew whether he’s adapted or suffered in silence… it’s my fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t play around.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honest people deserve a spanking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From now on, these petty jealousies among the household boys wouldn’t trouble him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man with dark hair falling over his shoulders sat propped up in the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled faintly, reached out, and stroked her soft, long silver hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Go close the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hate the ruqun, shanpei, jinlü that the noblewomen wear… so ugly, so pretentious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had understood her master’s heart; her spirit settled, finding the anchor of her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong stared into the dim eyes of the silver-haired girl who was smiling foolishly, and said seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never asked—do you know where your hometown is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai sat on his lap, leaned back, straightened her waist, gathered her silver hair into a simple low ponytail tied with a red cord, draped it over her right shoulder, then took his left hand and placed it atop her snow-white locks, her gray-blue eyes gazing up at him obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was it just that I kissed you too boldly just now? Are you no longer willing to keep me as your personal maid? Are you dismissing me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai bit her lip hard: “But that tea master wasn’t too formal—he touched your clothes directly, because even your outer robe carried the scent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First attempt too slow, kissed the wrong spot—landed on his nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now held tightly in Weilai’s embrace, the girl was like a furnace—yet somehow, he wasn’t cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This clumsy girl, why does she always forget to close the window… so stupid…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai stirred, nodded vigorously, then paused, her face darkening:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl moved like a leopard—no, too slow like a kangaroo—hugging a “mouse baby,” he shuffled slowly to shut the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his mouth but held back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared into the darkness and sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They all say the barbarians are backward, savage, ignorant. Master, you’re a noble with white hair and white eyes; I’m lowly, ugly, yet honored to serve you—it’s a fortune I earned in four lifetimes. Please don’t cast me out, wah… wah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That ‘golden age’ of the Zhou Dynasty wasn’t bad in one way—it truly embraced diversity. The distinction between Xia and Yi was based on culture, not blood. If you admire Han customs, learn and integrate—you needn’t feel inherently inferior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget that. Weilai, you only need to know—you’re beautiful in my eyes. I… I really like you. Or rather, I can’t bring myself to hate anything ugly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...” Weilai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed his face and lips with his shoulder, wordless:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl was brushing back Weilai’s damp, tear-stuck silver strands from her forehead, and upon hearing this, froze slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I mean is, the nobility or lowliness of your people’s bloodline—neither side is superior or inferior. It wasn’t so a thousand years ago, and it isn’t now. Those who preach such nonsense—who was their original instigator?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half the room was dark, half silver-bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl blinked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I had dinner at Yunshui Pavilion. Colleagues insisted on going downstairs for tea. I couldn’t refuse, so I went. The tea master was a man—the scent must’ve clung to me from sharing the room.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his head, staring into her red-rimmed eyes, still sticky with strands of hair:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master can’t marry a servant girl—only noble ladies like Xie Gu are worthy of you. Just letting me stay by your side to serve you is more than enough. How could I ever be jealous? I’ll serve the mistress well too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing.” She shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, even the big girl came to check on you? Why lie? You really did go drink tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if Master isn’t satisfied, he can guide me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Wah… wah…” The faint whimpering from the silver-haired girl’s lips suddenly grew louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ll handle it yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Weilai misinterpreted—her large frame trembled violently, hands gripping his sleeves, pleading desperately:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I’m a barbarian.” The boy finally spoke again, voice timid, yet louder now:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he finished, he noticed the silver-haired girl’s expression had turned odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The big girl unconsciously shivered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the little girl thought there might be a hint of wiping tears and snot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The righteous qi was leaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl shook his head, gently straightening the silver-haired boy’s big head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She murmured softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether from warmth or tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai’s body paused, then gave a slight shake of her head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the instant before, the silver-haired girl kneeling before him suddenly thrust her waist upward, ignoring all restraint, lunging backward to embrace him, pressing her big head against his face and kissing him eight times in rapid succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clumsy girl, you’re not ugly at all—in your homeland, you might be as beautiful as a fairy from legend. Too bad… you stumbled into a country that will never appreciate your beauty, and yet it’s the most tolerant era you could’ve found.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, someone asked softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?” The little girl frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The big head buried in his chest shook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seventh attempt—left corner of the lip, slightly stubbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl, holding a burden, drifted into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My taste isn’t the same as Auntie’s… I, probably, am sick. Saying I admire your beauty isn’t wrong… forget it. The reason is simple: I’ve accepted new things, but I haven’t abandoned my ancestors’ ways.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl felt righteous qi surging again, hard to suppress:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl’s forehead twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the bed, the two sat quietly embraced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My homeland has no master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai tilted her head, her gray-haze blue eyes fixed on him, and shook her head seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old habit—when sleep eludes him at night, his mind automatically drifts into idle thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy’s faint, mosquito-like murmur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one covered by the quilt propped himself up, sitting half-upright—logically, his chest should feel warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you said I look ugly in ruqun, and that my face frightens you when I sleep at night…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid sighed bitterly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai looked at me with confusion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is he so out of sorts today? Just now he suddenly dove under the covers, and the past few days he’s slept poorly. If there’s nothing wrong today…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, you… you’ve all been harsh to him. Master doesn’t need to worry about Nuer —just focus on your duties.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You stared at me like a greedy kitten, squinting and speaking loudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why does Master hate Nuer ’s face and hair? Is it pity for Nuer … or just empty comfort…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-haired maid lowered her gaze, speaking softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid tilted her head slightly. “Don’t you trust Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how tough a girl’s heart, it cannot escape the softness that winds around the fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honestly, when you first saw his hair color, eyes, and nose, you thought he might be a mix of Slavic and Germanic blood. Oh, right—you don’t even know what Slavs and Germans are. Never mind, you probably don’t have that concept yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid felt a cool dampness on her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bed, deprived of moonlight, sank back into cool, pale darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, none of them cared about those things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding you like that, the atmosphere should have grown increasingly tender—but someone has an obsessive-compulsive disorder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From now on, Weilai won’t mention it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But his facial contours are relatively sharp and smooth too—could be malnutrition, or maybe other mixed ancestry… but no matter what, his homeland is far, far from Xiao Zhou. For you to meet him here, after all these twists and turns, is a miracle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gently twirled a strand of silver hair, frowning slightly as I asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid’s lower back rested against the headboard; Weilai lay curled in my arms, though her posture looked more like she was sitting on my waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but quietly lift my flushed face—only to realize I wasn’t pinned down, but that Master had rolled over and lifted me onto the bed, then stood up, and then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But everyone here naturally hates him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid looked helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the bed in the outer room, after the complicated back-and-forth, silence suddenly fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of nose is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the person felt those four-clawed fish’s tentacles reaching up again, half-asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, just joking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai froze, tilting her head slightly, gazing intently at my sincere expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared into those eyes, still faintly blue even in darkness, and stated clearly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid instinctively raised her hand, paused briefly in midair, then continued reaching out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eighth time, it brushed against the lips—and stayed there. That big mouth seemed to want to explore further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when sleeping, I prefer to close the window; if there’s a curtain, even better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two round, delicate shoulders still trembled slightly now and then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To say I wasn’t moved—would be false.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After tonight’s heart-to-heart, you might cry to Master about being bullied during the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai, face buried, gasped aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-no… no…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid smirked, unconcerned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man squinted, speaking softly, as if chatting idly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Lisi let out a long breath—his obsessive-compulsive disorder was finally soothed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You looked into my eyes, voice timid:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai buried her head deeper, speaking loudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid grabbed the arms of the sneaking maid and pushed her away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid rubbed the Sha girl’s head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, I still felt home was vital to a person: “If you hadn’t opened up tonight, I wouldn’t have realized this. Later… I’ll see if there’s any chance to let you return home…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just thought—this place is too hostile for you. You’re still young; you shouldn’t live forever under others’ scorn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wrapped both arms around the boy’s slender back, holding him firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid opened her mouth to explain, paused, then pinched his pert little nose:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not particularly good at soothing boys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s no wonder so many foreign boys—even a Zibeisha girl—express dislike so crudely and violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As long as Master likes me, I don’t care about anyone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-haired maid shook her head, speaking gently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded. “Mm, true. So dumb, you wouldn’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the boy in my arms wasn’t heavy—after bringing him home, he weighed less than eighty catties of millet, and now he’d gained a bit, maybe ten catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who taught you that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moonlight, slipping down from the Palace of Coldness, cleverly carved irregular shapes across the silent bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So all that was said was wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I didn’t mean… the tea master’s tea art… I know it too, and…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai stared blankly, both hands gripping the fabric beside my waist. She looked up at the gentle young man, then asked suddenly, voice softer:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“ Nuer  really does have no worries.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-haired maid willingly snuggled back into Master’s arms, clinging tightly again. As her long hair was stroked, her face glowed with comfort and satisfaction, like a white-haired cat curled on Master’s lap being petted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quilt covered the two of them, lying pressed together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai’s face opened and closed, speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother said, kissing someone you love isn’t wrong. Master doesn’t hate Nuer , right? I love Master too—I just couldn’t help wanting to kiss you just now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t mean to say… if Master wants to experience tea art, you can ask Nuer . No need to go find those courtesans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilai asked doubtfully: “Master’s tea art is so skilled—why still need tea masters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I know Master wouldn’t lie to me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And what else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No cold light streamed in from the left windowsill, casting a pale, misty glow over the two of them on the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, an honest girl… spank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But honestly, boys in this era were easy to soothe—no flashy fist techniques to make me roll my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You held me tighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not going back!” Weilai, who had been smiling Sha ly at me, immediately shook her head vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded in denial: “It’s true I wasn’t serious at all—clumsy, fumbling—but I didn’t touch you. Instead, I even guided you a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You just said my tea art is excellent—why go find them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Lisi said cruelly on purpose: “But I can’t marry you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he quickly returned to the bed, lay down again, and pulled the quilt over himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This chapter is a double update—written a bit slowly. But there’ll be another chapter before midnight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2476,"2026-06-19T21:28:25.445Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cd3c68e0cbe614e995a7fcab7919315ccc64e54e82bf0daf334b0a34bc117e17","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-84","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-82",864,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feven-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-cover.jpg"]