Chapter 11: These Two Fellows
Though it was still early spring, the day felt unusually hot. Chen Changsheng didn't know if it was the weather or his mood, but when he walked back to the inn, he found his clothes soaked with sweat, stained by the dust on the road and looking rather dirty. He, who loved cleanliness, felt his spirits sink even lower—until he saw that person.
It was a youth dressed in blue robes, standing right in the middle of the inn's main hall, chin slightly raised, expression indifferent. He didn't care at all about the inconvenience he was causing others by standing there. He was as proud as a wild crane, his eyes never once landing on the flock of chickens pecking at the ground around him.
This inn was close to the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, so the flow of people was immense. It was mealtime now, and people surged in and out like a tide, yet no one dared approach him. The blue-robed youth was like one of those solitary stone pillars in the Luo Canal—the tide parted around him, a strange sight. Chen Changsheng recognized this blue-robed youth, but the people in the inn did not. So for such a bizarre scene to occur, something must have happened earlier. He was surprised—why would the other be here? Probably looking for him. But what for?
He walked up to the blue-robed youth, exchanged greetings, and then didn't know what to say.
The blue-robed youth was none other than Tang Thirty-Six, whom Chen Changsheng had met briefly during the Heavenly Dao Academy entrance exam. His name came from his ranking on the Azure Cloud List. Interestingly, like Chen Changsheng, he was terrible at dealing with people. After returning the greeting, he also didn't know what to say, and soon an awkward silence fell.
The inn was dead quiet. Those who dared not provoke Tang Thirty-Six kept their heads down, eating their meals without making a sound, let alone gossiping. But many eyes were fixed on these two youths, and people were curious about what would happen next.
An awkward silence was embarrassing enough. An awkward silence under the gaze of a crowd was excruciatingly so, especially for Tang Thirty-Six, who wanted to appear magnanimous and mature in front of Chen Changsheng. Fortunately, he was a bit older than Chen Changsheng. After a moment's thought, he finally found a way to break the ice. "A guest comes, and you don't even offer me a seat?"
Chen Changsheng snapped out of it and led him to his room. He fished out a dozen large coins and asked the inn's tea master to brew a pot of good tea. Soon, the tea was ready. A desk, a pot of tea, two cups filled to seven-tenths. Chen Changsheng said, "Please," and then the usual awkward silence set in.
The prolonged silence was truly unbearable. Tang Thirty-Six couldn't take it anymore and got straight to the point. "You haven't passed yet, have you?"
Chen Changsheng answered honestly, "Failed for the fourth time."
Tang Thirty-Six was silent for a moment, then said, "I know it was the Eastern Imperial Divine General's Mansion pulling the strings."
Chen Changsheng looked up. He was surprised that the other knew the inside story, but he didn't know how much he knew. With that question in mind, his gaze naturally shifted.
In Tang Thirty-Six's impression, Chen Changsheng was just an ordinary youth with promising talent, a likable demeanor, and admirable spirit. But now he suddenly noticed that this guy's gaze was as sharp as a gleaming blade. He was slightly taken aback, his eyes narrowing as he became even more interested in what Chen Changsheng was hiding.
What annoyed Tang Thirty-Six was that after he mentioned the Eastern Imperial Divine General's Mansion, Chen Changsheng was clearly shaken but didn't give him the answer he wanted. He was as silent as a useless quail. Tang Thirty-Six grew irritated, his brows shooting up like unsheathed swords as he barked, "Aren't you angry? Aren't you furious?"
Chen Changsheng looked up at him, then slowly rolled his eyes.
Tang Thirty-Six was drinking tea and nearly spat it out. He never expected that this rigid, even stiff-necked guy could be so childish.
Chen Changsheng thought, I'm depressed enough to die—do I have to let you know?
He wasn't even planning to tell anyone about the marriage contract, let alone the four failed entrance exams caused by it.
So far, the marriage contract was still a secret between him and the Eastern Imperial Divine General's Mansion. The mansion's repeated suppression, along with the middle-aged woman's words, had already made him angry, but he still wasn't going to make it public. Not because he feared the mansion's threats, and certainly not because he was afraid of being killed by them. It was simply because he believed that in the end, he would return the marriage contract to the mansion. So why let the whole street know? Miss Xu might be proud and cold, just like her parents were detestable. Since the mansion would apologize eventually, why make a girl's future marriage difficult?
Yes, he believed he would eventually break off the engagement, because he firmly believed that one day the mansion would apologize to him. And he didn't want his name to be known to the world because of Miss Xu. Whether it was pride or stubbornness, he wanted to hold on. His view of the world still stubbornly walked the path called innocence.
...
...
Interestingly, even though Chen Changsheng said nothing and Tang Thirty-Six knew nothing, he seemed to grasp Chen Changsheng's meaning. For no particular reason, he felt even more admiration. He drained the warm tea in his cup, reached out and patted Chen Changsheng on the shoulder, and said, "I really admire you."
Though he was a young genius ranked thirty-sixth on the Azure Cloud List, a wild crane in the crowd that no one dared to provoke, he was still just a youth. So this gesture of Tang Thirty-Six's came off as deliberately trying to act mature. And when he said those words, his gaze and posture carried a hint of condescension. If it had been someone else, they might have felt uncomfortable, or even angry. But Chen Changsheng didn't. He understood that this guy was trying to show goodwill and comfort, but it was obvious he rarely did such things, so it came across as clumsy.
He said, "Thank you."
Tang Thirty-Six replied, "A verbal thank-you isn't enough. You're treating me to a meal."
It was indeed a clumsy expression of goodwill and a desire to make friends. Chen Changsheng suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for this guy. He thought, this guy has probably spent his whole life cultivating—no wonder he's so advanced at such a young age. His social skills are an absolute mess. I wonder how he'll manage in the future.
When he was thinking, he was always very focused, which made him look a bit dazed. Tang Thirty-Six looked at him and couldn't help shaking his head, feeling sympathy for him. He thought, this guy has probably spent his whole life studying—no wonder he can remember so many classics and doctrines at such a young age. His social skills are an absolute mess. I wonder how he'll manage in the future.
In short, two guys who had no right to sympathize with each other, driven by a friendly impulse of mutual sympathy, began their second round of social interaction since the Heavenly Dao Academy.
Chen Changsheng called the waiter over and asked for the menu. Estimating that the money his master had given him, plus what his senior brother had secretly slipped him, would be enough to live comfortably in the capital for a few years, he stopped worrying. He pushed the menu over to Tang Thirty-Six and said, "Order whatever you like... and, this is the first time I've ever treated anyone to a meal."
He had no idea that this statement only deepened Tang Thirty-Six's sympathy for him. Tang Thirty-Six thought, just what remote mountain corner did this guy crawl out of?