Inherently Charming" Chapter: 1

 Chapter 1: The Arrogant Young Master and the Brutal Butcher

When discussing the wealthy merchant families in Tongcheng, one must mention the Yang family in the southern part of the city. Their ancestors made their fortune in the silk trade. In recent years, the Yang family's influence has grown even more after their second daughter entered the palace and became a favorite, earning them the prestigious title of imperial merchants. Whenever the Yang family is brought up, two people come to mind: one is, of course, the second daughter, now highly favored in the palace, and the other is Young Master Yang, Yang Jinyou, the son of the head of the Yang family.

When it comes to Young Master Yang, one could talk endlessly for days about his presence in Tongcheng, but the first things people recall are his otherworldly beauty and the haughty demeanor that came from growing up pampered by the Yang family. His immortal-like appearance and his arrogant temperament were known to everyone in Tongcheng. So much so that every time he walked down the street, people admired him from afar but did not dare to approach him. They could only look at him from a distance, captivated but intimidated.

However, there were always a few bold souls who defied the norm. One of those daring individuals was Liang Wei, a butcher from a street in the southern part of the city.

Speaking of Liang Wei, everyone in the southern part of the city knew him. Liang Wei had thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose, and a wide mouth. He was tall and ruggedly handsome, with a muscular body. His skill with a butcher’s knife was legendary, and he was renowned for his precise and swift cuts. The moment a white knife entered, it came out red, and he never allowed the pig to suffer unnecessarily. If a customer asked for a pound of pork belly, Liangwei would meticulously remove the bones and trim the meat to perfection. Every time he stood in front of his butcher shop, expertly handling his knife, he drew the attention of many daring young wives and older girls. This once caused the matchmakers in the area to scramble frantically, but despite the constant proposals, Liang Wei turned them all down.

Over time, rumors spread that Liang the butcher was suffering from a hidden illness, one that rendered him impotent. From that point on, the once-admiring young wives and maidens began to look at Liang Wei with pity rather than desire. Even the men, who had once viewed him with jealousy, began to regard him with a mix of sympathy and schadenfreude.

"Young Master! Young Master, slow down! I’ll find someone to deal with that butcher for you tomorrow!" a young, immature voice called out from afar, breathless from running.

The next moment, a young man wearing a white silk-embroidered straight-skirted coat and a light lotus-blue long-sleeved shirt rushed out from under the arched courtyard gate. Behind him, a boy of about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a dark blue short coat, was chasing after the white-clad young man. The young man in white hurriedly made his way to the side room in the courtyard. Upon reaching it, he slammed the door shut, locking the boy behind him outside. From inside the room came an angry shout, "You useless thing, get out!"

"Young Master, please take a rest," the boy outside the door pleaded nervously.

"Useless slave, get out!" the furious voice repeated from behind the door. The boy, dejected and hunched over, turned and left in despair.

The young man inside the room, hearing the footsteps fade away, cursed angrily before throwing himself onto the bed. His hand instinctively touched his lips, and shame and anger filled his heart. A faint blush instantly spread across his fair, jade-like face, and his large, doe-like eyes glared with a mixture of fury and grievance. His red lips, framed by his pristine white teeth, mumbled softly in his embarrassment, "That brute of a butcher... rude, vulgar, and coarse. If I don’t deal with you, then my surname isn’t Yang."

The young man angrily lying on the bed was none other than Yang Jinyou, the young master of the Yang family. He was the epitome of elegance, with jade-like bones and an ethereal appearance. His slender frame, pale and smooth skin, and picturesque features gave him the air of a celestial being.

Sitting on the bed, Yang Jinyou furrowed his delicate brows, trembling with frustration. He let out an exasperated sigh, recalling what the crude butcher had done. The memory filled him with both shame and irritation. His fists clenched tightly, and he angrily struck the silk quilt on his couch, venting his pent-up emotions.

Because Yang Jinyou was the youngest in his family and exceptionally good-looking, he had been pampered since childhood. His status in the Yang family made people outside fear him, and he had endured very little injustice throughout his life. However, with the appearance of the rude butcher, he had faced repeated setbacks at the hands of this brute. The people he had sent to deal with the butcher had all returned defeated and frustrated.

This time, he thought he would accompany his servant to confront the barbarian himself, hoping to teach the ungrateful butcher a lesson that he wouldn't forget. Unexpectedly, the rude butcher had quickly dispatched the servant he had brought with him, and Yang Jinyou had not managed to escape in time. The memory of the savage butcher knocking down his servant with ease filled him with dread.

Recalling the shameful incident when the butcher had grabbed his buttocks with his greasy hands—hands that had just slaughtered pigs—and dared to kiss him with that disgusting mouth, Yang Jinyou's face turned pale with anger, and his entire body trembled in indignation.

"You are a scoundrel, shameless and obscene," Yang Jinyou muttered under his breath, casting a frustrated glance at the red, swollen marks on his body. Annoyance and irritation coursed through him as he continued to curse Liang Wei, the uncouth butcher who had no sense of propriety.

He squirmed on the couch, desperately searching for the ointment he knew was somewhere nearby. Finally, he found it and applied it carefully to the irritated skin, wincing at the sensation. The cool balm offered some relief, but it did little to soothe the embarrassment that lingered from his encounter with the butcher.

As he applied the ointment, his mind raced with thoughts of revenge and humiliation. How could a mere butcher reduce him to this state? He resolved that he would not let this go unpunished. The next time he faced Liang Wei, he would ensure that the brute learned a lesson he would never forget.

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