I had planned to take Liu Shinian back to my room.
But then I thought, after drinking, he’d surely wake up and start getting grabby again.
Suddenly, I thought I could take him to Ali’s place. I wondered if Ali was asleep yet.
With that in mind, I dragged Liu Shinian towards Ali’s door.
Arriving at the door, I saw it was slightly ajar.
I pushed it open a little and peeked inside, only to find it pitch dark.
It seemed Ali was already asleep. He must have forgotten to close the door because he was too tired.
That was good, it meant I wouldn't have to call him.
So, I went ahead and dragged Liu Shinian into the room, dumping him on the floor.
I figured Liu Shinian wasn't one for beds anyway, so he could just make do on the floor for the night.
After doing all this, I also felt quite sleepy.
Fumbling my way to the table, I sat on the stool and dozed off, my head resting on it.
The next morning, a piercing shaft of light from outside the window struck Ali’s face.
Ali, stung by the sunlight, rubbed his eyes and groggily woke up.
As he was about to get out of bed, he suddenly noticed a person lying haphazardly on the floor.
“Ah!”
He yelped in surprise and immediately pulled his foot back.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Liu Shinian.
Looking up, he saw me sitting idly to the side and asked,
“Why is he here?”
I sighed and began to explain.
“This guy, I don’t know when he slipped out.
He was wandering the streets late at night. I saw him and just dragged him back.”
After saying this, I felt a little pleased with myself, thinking I had done another good deed.
Ali looked at Liu Shinian and casually mentioned Zhang Tianshi.
“Maybe he knows where Zhang Tianshi is.”
This reminder made me remember. I quickly got up and fetched the kettle.
“What are you doing!”
Ali was startled again, his face showing a look of dread.
“Waking him up.”
I said confidently.
He waved his hand, telling me to put it down, saying it wasn't something a girl should do.
So, we propped up our chins and sat aside, quietly staring at Liu Shinian.
We stared for a good few hours, until I started feeling hungry.
My stomach growled several times before Liu Shinian finally woke up.
He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head.
Suddenly, he found two pairs of eyes, like dead fish, staring intently at him.
A chill ran down his spine. He looked around and then shot up from the floor.
He dove headfirst into the blanket, exclaiming happily,
“It’s warmer here.”
“Hey! You sleep later. I have something to ask you.
Do you know if there have been any gatherings of righteous individuals in Nanhai City recently?”
I asked him urgently, afraid he would fall asleep immediately and miss the chance.
He replied without hesitation,
“I don’t know, I haven’t heard of anything.”
“Have you seen Zhang Tianshi?”
I asked again.
He thought for a moment and said,
“I saw him. He went to Qianji Palace.”
“He goes to places like that too? He’s not two-faced like you, is he?”
Seeing me mock him, he retorted indignantly,
“What’s wrong with being like me? I’m a good man too.”
I stuck out my tongue in disagreement and turned to Ali, asking,
“Should we go to Qianji Palace?”
“Since Zhang Tianshi is there, we have no choice but to go.
But how should we get in?”
Ali couldn’t think of a solution either.
My mind raced, and I pointed at Liu Shinian, saying,
“He’s been there before, he must have a way.”
Then I got up and pulled Liu Shinian off the bed.
Liu Shinian sat on the floor with a look of utter despair and started being difficult again.
“Oh, you guys go ahead. I’m not going. That’s a place where good men’s hearts get broken.”
“Then can you tell us how to get in?”
I asked.
He waved his hand, pretending he knew nothing.
“Don’t know, figure it out yourselves.”
Seeing him play dumb, I knew he wouldn’t talk properly unless he was taught a lesson.
I clenched my fist, ready to lash out.
Liu Shinian saw my fierce expression and knew what I was about to do.
He pouted his lips, looking nonchalant.
“Threatening me won’t work.”
Ali stopped me and gave me a look. I guessed he had a plan.
Ali deliberately said sarcastically,
“I heard Xue Ji is the most beautiful woman in Qianji Palace, loved by all and blooming like a flower.
If I met her, I’d fall for her too.
Alas, I envy Zhang Tianshi for having the chance to see Xue Ji.
Given his personality, if nothing unexpected happens, he’ll fall for Xue Ji too. How enviable.”
Liu Shinian turned his head away, pretending not to listen.
But his unruly ears still picked up Ali’s sarcastic remarks.
I have to admit, what Ali said was making me a little tempted.
I didn’t realize he had such a trick up his sleeve.
Looking at Liu Shinian again, his face was gloomy, his brows slightly furrowed. He seemed to be wavering.
I added fuel to the fire, continuing to stir the pot.
“Yes, yes, even as a girl, I’m so envious.
What if Xue Ji also accidentally falls for Zhang Tianshi?
What if Zhang Tianshi relentlessly pursues Xue Ji?
Wow, they say even a strong woman can’t resist a persistent suitor.
What if they accidentally get together? We’d have to go congratulate them in advance.
Zhang Tianshi and I are good friends.
Naturally, I’ll give them a jade pendant symbolizing a lifetime commitment.
Ali, what will you give?”
“Me? I’ll give a golden union, a pair of bracelets.”
“Ah, that’s good, very meaningful.
Come to think of it, Zhang Tianshi and Xue Ji do look quite compatible.”
“Of course, handsome man and beautiful woman, a match made in heaven.”
“Ah, I’m so envious.”
“I’m quite envious too.”
Liu Shinian watched us put on our act and spout nonsense with a blank expression.
His expectant look, coupled with the indescribable scene,
Made him unable to bear it any longer. He shouted,
“I can’t take it anymore! I’ll go, alright?”
Ali and I exchanged smiles. Our plan had succeeded.
Liu Shinian said indignantly,
“It’s not impossible to enter Qianji Palace.
But everything has its conditions, and entering Qianji Palace is no different.
First, you need splendid brocade robes.
And then, each person has to pay twenty coins as an entrance fee.”
“So it’s that simple. But paying an entrance fee, it’s a bit like a tourist attraction ticket.
I must say, they really have a knack for business.”
Liu Shinian looked at me and muttered,
“What are you thinking again? Check your own purse first.”
“You’re right. Ali, see how much we have left.”
Ali took out his money pouch, counted it, and then said,
“We have forty coins left.”
“Forty coins!”
Liu Shinian was greatly surprised. He thought we were quite wealthy. He waved his hand and said,
“No, no, that’s too little money.”
Just then, I remembered I had brought Qianhujian.
“I’ve got it! Ali, I still have Qianhujian. If I pawn it, it should be enough.”
Liu Shinian, hearing there was still hope, didn’t rush. He just said to us,
“Let’s not rush to do this today. I guess this is your first time in Nanhai City, right?
Come on, I’ll take you for a stroll.”
“No, Zhang Tianshi has been waiting for us for many days. We must go find him.”
I retorted.
“What’s the hurry? He’s not going anywhere.
The righteous gathering is still three days away. He’ll be there too.”
“You knew all along!”
Finally, I had caught Liu Shinian red-handed in his act of playing dumb.
Seeing that he had slipped up, Liu Shinian hurriedly changed the subject.
“If you want to go to Qianji Palace, you can. Go tomorrow, and you’ll be just in time.
Today, the guards at the entrance are very strict, and ordinary people aren’t allowed in.”
“That’s blatant discrimination.”
I was speechless that even opening a shop involved such class distinctions.
Ali also felt that what Liu Shinian said made sense.
“Muye, since Brother Liu is so confident,
Let’s trust him this once.”
“Ah, Ali understands me.
But you can always trust me, because I never lie.”
Saying this, he put his arm around Ali’s shoulder, looking like he had found a kindred spirit.
I scoffed,
“Get lost. You’re already infamous as a rogue.”
“Hey, I told you, stop calling me a rogue all the time.
It makes it sound like we’re involved.”
“Who’s involved with you?”
“Then are you involved with Ali?”
“Scoundrel!”
Ali listened to our baseless bickering.
He had guessed long ago that this would be the outcome whenever we met Liu Shinian.
He sighed softly and tried to mediate,
“Alright, alright, stop arguing.
Didn’t Brother Liu want to take us out for a stroll?
Since we have time today, let’s go take a look.”
“Ali really understands me. Unlike some pig heads who only know how to argue.”
Liu Shinian became inexplicably smug again.
Seeing his smug look made me angry.
“How dare you call me a pig head, you big stinky rogue.”
“I warn you, if you keep saying that, don’t blame me for being merciless.”
“I warn you too, watch your descendants.”
Ali, listening to our squabble, was quite exasperated.
He wanted to leave first but was firmly held by Liu Shinian.
He was forced to listen to our endless arguments.
“Look at you, a young lady, saying such vulgar things.
It really damages your image as a woman. Ali, let’s go, ignore her. She’s gone bad.”
Saying this, he took Ali and left without looking back. I stomped my foot in anger,
“Liu Shinian, you’re the vulgar one.”
Still indignant, I chased after them. Seeing him with his arm around Ali,
I also stepped forward and linked my arm through Ali’s.
Liu Shinian glanced at me and said helplessly,
“Like this, how will Ali walk?”
“Then let go of him, I’ll hold him.”
“Hey, I’m not saying this to you.
You’re a grown girl, don’t you know about the separation between men and women?”
“I don’t care.”
“You’re really something else. I should sell you next time.”
“I’ll sell you first.”
Ali, sandwiched between Liu Shinian and me, listened to our bickering again.
His restless heart imagined wildly:
His long-settled agitated heart suddenly erupted.
Then, with one punch after another, he would knock both of us to the ground.
And then, he would beat us until all that could be heard were yelps of pain.
That way, it would be much quieter.
Thinking of this, Ali couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Liu Shinian, seeing Ali laugh, also started to grin foolishly. I wanted to retort a few words, but it felt like a rare moment of peace, so I didn’t say much.
The three of us walked closely together on the street, drawing curious glances from passersby.
At this moment, some busybodies behind us commented.
“I guess that woman and the person in the middle are a couple.
The man on the side probably admires the person in the middle.”
The person next to him, finding this not quite to his liking, offered his opinion.
“What kind of logic is that? It’s a bit unreasonable.
I guess that woman and the man in the middle are a couple.
The man on the side and that woman probably have some unspeakable relationship.”
“Now that you mention it, it does seem likely.”
“Right? Look, one is holding her, but his gaze keeps shifting to the woman.
The other is linked, but only exchanges smiles and pleasantries with the man on the side.
They must have some ambiguous relationship.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
Ugh, what are they guessing? A love triangle?
“What nonsense are you talking? Stop slacking off!”
A middle-aged woman suddenly appeared behind the two and shouted loudly.
The two turned around and saw it was their employer. They quickly explained,
“Nothing, nothing at all.”
“You’ve finished delivering the dishes you were supposed to. What are you doing standing around here?”
Saying this, she reached out to grab them, and the two quickly fled.
They no longer dared to brazenly comment on others on the street.
However, Muye, Ali, and Liu Shinian,
Their bold behavior, disregarding societal norms, was indeed a bit inappropriate.
But there was no point in saying more; they simply didn’t pay it any mind.
The three of them walked aimlessly.
As they passed by a restaurant, Liu Shinian caught a faint whiff of wine drifting down from it.
The restlessness ingrained in his bones made him naturally release Ali’s arm
And walk inside.
“Liu Shinian, where are you going?”
I called out to him.
He waved his hand, ignoring me.
At this moment, a waiter from the restaurant saw him approaching.
He was terrified, as if he had seen a ghost. Just as Liu Shinian was about to enter the main door,
The waiter quickly closed the door and hung up a sign that read “Closed Today.”
Seeing this scene, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter and teased him,
“Liu Shinian, how much free food and drink did you have to make them fear you this much?”
Liu Shinian, unconvinced, pounded on the door and shouted,
“Hey! I have money this time, I brought money!”
However, the people inside still ignored him, likely fed up with him freeloading.
Liu Shinian walked back, fuming, and reached out to ask Ali for a loan.
“Lend me twenty gold coins, I want to have some wine.”
I quickly pulled Ali behind me, blocking Liu Shinian, and said,
“Don’t you even think about that money. We’re not giving you what little we have.”
Liu Shinian snorted disdainfully and defended himself,
“Fine, if I don’t drink, I don’t drink. Who says I must drink?
I was just giving them an out.”
“Come on, I doubt they need it.”
“Ali, let’s go. We’re not paying attention to her.”
Saying this, Liu Shinian put his arm around Ali again and walked forward.
“You’re not paying attention to me, so I won’t pay attention to you either. Hey, wait for me.”
This rogue, this drunken scoundrel, only knows how to bully me.
Liu Shinian led us, stopping and starting. We wanted to buy some food,
But we always couldn’t afford a proper meal due to lack of money.
In the end, we only bought a few steamed buns to fill our stomachs.
After a round of wandering, we dejectedly returned to the room.
I complained to Liu Shinian,
“It was fun, but we have no money.
You took us out today and gave us a lonely experience.”
Liu Shinian, lying on the bed, retorted,
“Who knew you guys had become so poor in just a few days?”
“Oh, right, where’s my carriage?”
I suddenly remembered.
Liu Shinian said nonchalantly,
“I owed money for wine, and they forced me to pay it back.
So I had to use your carriage as collateral.”
“I say, can’t you just stop drinking? Who would want to follow you if you’re like this?”
“Why don’t you follow me?”
He suddenly became interested and teased.
“Pah! I’d have to be blind to follow you.”
“Then hurry up and go blind.”
“Shameless!”
Ali sat by the table, eating a steamed bun and listening to our argument.
This time, he didn’t interfere much, just kept eating the steamed buns one after another.
Perhaps he was truly hungry.
After eating his fill, Ali asked Liu Shinian,
“Brother Liu, when are we going to Qianji Palace?”
“You guys sleep well tonight. I’ll take you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Tonight, Ali and I will sleep in the bed. As for Muye, you can make do with the floor.”
I laughed and told him,
“Don’t bother. I have my own room.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize. I guess it’s on the right side.”
Seeing his surreptitious guessing, I became wary and asked him,
“What are you trying to do?”
“Nothing. First come, first served.”
Saying this, he darted off to claim my room.
“Hey! Don’t!”
I quickly chased after him, afraid he’d snatch my room.
If he’s this shameless, once he gets in, he’ll never leave.