Dandy Escapes From Marriage - Chapter 19

“Come, this is your uncle,” Liu Shu patted Shen Ke’s shoulder and said to Zhang Moyang, “Quick, call someone.”

 

“Why should I!” Zhang Moyang instantly exploded, “I only lost to you, not to him. If you have the guts, call him to gamble with me!”

 

Liu Shu whispered to Shen Ke, “Gamble with him, I have a way to let you win.”

 

“Hey, I can hear you!” Zhang Moyang exclaimed angrily.

 

Shen Ke smiled and said, “No need, I don’t have the hobby of being called uncle.”

 

Zhang Moyang snorted, pointed to the homework in his hand, and said, “This is the homework assigned by the teacher today. Finish it earlier, and I’ll come to collect it tonight.”

 

“Okay,” Shen Ke nodded.

 

“You… forget it.” Zhang Moyang looked him up and down, disdainfully turned and left.

 

When there were only three people left in the room, Shen Ke looked deeply at Liu Shu, his gaze falling on the wooden dice on the table, roughly made, like something he had made himself.

 

Liu Shu quickly grabbed it back and stuffed it into his arms, pretending to be weak, “Ahem, I feel a bit dizzy, I’m going to bed.”

 

Shen Ke sat down, opened the homework, and without lifting his head, asked Hui Shang at the table, “How did things develop like this?”

 

“Two gambling addicts ran into each other.”

 

“Why didn’t you stop it?”

 

“They said they’d buy me pancakes to eat,” Hui Shang licked his lips.

 

Shen Ke looked at him for a while, “Where are the pancakes?”

 

Hui Shang paused, then suddenly looked at Liu Shu, “Where are the pancakes?!”

 

“You’re eating them right now,” Liu Shu said with a grin.

 

…

 

Shortly after, the doctor came to examine Liu Shu’s body and prescribed several more medications, “Although these medicinal herbs are a bit expensive, they have better effects.”

 

Liu Shu immediately wanted to say he wanted cheaper ones, but Shen Ke preemptively said, “Alright, what else do we need to buy?”

 

“Also remember to supplement your nutrition regularly,” the doctor introduced some supplementary items.

 

“Okay,” Shen Ke noted them down one by one and personally escorted the doctor downstairs.

 

Once back in the room, Liu Shu was pounding the bed, “How dare he, even dare to mention Lingzhi and Ginseng!?”

 

Shen Ke walked over, patting his head, comforting, “The most important thing for you now is to rest. Don’t pound, if you break the bed, we’ll have to pay for it.”

 

Liu Shu immediately stopped.

 

After taking the medicine, Hui Shang prepared to return to the temple, which was not far from here. If Liu Shu wasn’t weak now, he would have thought about going with him for a stroll.

 

Only the sound of Shen Ke flipping through the pages of the book remained in the room. Liu Shu stared at his figure sitting by the window, staring and staring, feeling a bit drowsy, and fell asleep in a daze.

 

When he woke up again, it was already dark outside, and the other person was still sitting in the same position writing, hardly changing his posture.

 

“Awake?” Shen Ke heard the movement and turned his head, “Thirsty?”

 

“A little bit,” Liu Shu just sat up, and the teacup was already at his lips. He took it, sipping it slowly, feeling inexplicably delighted, reluctant to finish it in one gulp.

 

“When should we go back?” Liu Shu reluctantly handed the cup back to him.

 

“Stay a few more days,” Shen Ke poured him another cup, which he quickly accepted and sipped slowly.

 

“But staying and eating here isn’t cheap.”

 

“It’s okay, your health is the priority. We’ll go back only when you fully recover,” Shen Ke said. “Don’t worry about money.”

 

How can I not worry!

 

He had just asked Zhang Moyang, and he hadn’t even received this month’s salary yet. He had only received a small advance from Zhang Moyang, which was far from enough for this kind of spending.

 

He had another idea.

 

“No going to the gambling den,” Shen Ke saw through him at a glance.

 

“…” Liu Shu’s eyes shifted back, looking at him pitifully. “I just want to contribute to this household.”

 

“You can do that without going.”

 

“Ugh.”

 

That night, Liu Shu suddenly realized a problem. He looked at the only bed in the room and asked, “Where did you sleep last night?”

 

“On the floor.”

 

“That’s not good, the ground is damp. What if you get sick too? This household can’t afford another person getting sick,” Liu Shu said.

 

“It’s okay, the weather now…”

 

“Sleep here,” Liu Shu patted the bed, looking at him eagerly.

 

“It might affect your rest.”

 

“It won’t, I sleep very well. You won’t be affected at all,” Liu Shu said confidently.

 

Shen Ke was still a bit hesitant, but Liu Shu said, “I feel bad for spending so much money on you these past few days and still making you sleep on the floor. I won’t be able to sleep at night because of guilt.”

 

Shen Ke looked into his eyes for a while, then smiled, “Okay.”

 

In the darkness, both of them instinctively moved to their respective sides to avoid disturbing each other’s rest. Soon, Shen Ke regretted it—

 

He indeed wouldn’t disturb Liu Shu’s rest, but he would be disturbed.

 

He raised his left hand to move away the hand suddenly hitting his chest, and his ankle was unexpectedly kicked. He carefully tucked his feet away, but one leg inadvertently hooked onto Liu Shu’s waist.

 

“…”

 

As the dawn broke, Liu Shu squinted, looking at the white collar in front of him. Groggily, he rubbed his head against it a few times before continuing to sleep against this warm chest.

 

The person tightly held in his arms slowly opened his eyes, looking down at him. He relaxed his clenched fist a bit, raised his hand to cautiously explore the air, not knowing how to retreat without waking him up.

 

At this moment, the door suddenly swung open, and Hui Shang walked in, stood by the bed, and locked eyes with Shen Ke.

 

“Mm,” Liu Shu woke up slightly, about to lift his head, but Hui Shang left as if he understood, closing the door behind him.

 

“What’s wrong?” Liu Shu yawned and asked.

 

“Nothing, go back to sleep,” Shen Ke patted his head.

 

These past few days, Liu Shu ate and slept well, waking up early with someone caring for him, making life surprisingly comfortable. But his conscience troubled him, and he confided in Shen Ke, feeling like a burden.

 

“Don’t overthink it, you’re just sick now.”

 

“But I don’t know how to do anything. Let me tell you secretly, it’s been half a month, and I can’t even cut bamboo strips neatly,” Liu Shu said sorrowfully.

 

“I know, but the bamboo artisan said the bamboo dragonfly you made is very good. Maybe your abilities haven’t been fully discovered yet. It’s also possible that you’re more suited for something else. Don’t be disheartened, every cloud has a silver lining…”

 

“Every cloud has a silver lining.” Liu Shu had a sudden realization. “You’re right, I indeed can’t have too much silver on me. Maybe I’m just suited to be a good-for-nothing?”

 

Shen Ke: “…?” Did I mean that?

 

Soon, Zhang Moyang came to collect the homework again.

 

These past few days, Liu Shu had also figured out Shen Ke’s daily routine. Usually, Shen Ke would come to town from home early in the morning, have a meal, and then Zhang Moyang would bring him homework to do, until evening when he would come to collect it. Now that he was staying in the inn due to his illness, Shen Ke didn’t have to go back to the village, so he had more time, and Zhang Moyang started coming later and later.

 

This guy would come in with a strong smell of alcohol, pretend to look at the homework, and sway at the table.

 

Worried that he might stumble, Shen Ke pushed him onto a chair and poured him a glass of water. “Drink some water.”

 

Liu Shu’s eyes widened as he stared at the cup of tea by Zhang Moyang’s mouth.

 

Zhang Moyang turned his head. “What are you looking at?”

 

Liu Shu sat at the table, turned his head away, and didn’t even give him a glance. Zhang Moyang chuckled and put down the cup, going to ruffle Liu Shu’s hair. “I find you somewhat attractive. You’re more interesting than that big block of wood, Ke.”

 

As they tugged and pulled, Shen Ke stepped forward to separate them. However, unexpectedly, Zhang Moyang suddenly said, “Actually, I find you more pleasing to the eye. How about being my brother-in-law?”

 

Shen Ke instinctively looked at Liu Shu, who shook off his hand. “You’re a generation older than me; I’m practically your dad.”

 

“Dad, be my brother-in-law,” Zhang Moyang grabbed his arm, drunkenly saying, “Go meet my sister. She’s been enchanted by Ke. Besides having a good-looking face, what else does he have?”

 

Liu Shu and Shen Ke froze simultaneously, looking at the drunkard in confusion. They exchanged a glance, and Shen Ke waved his hand, “I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

 

“Do you mean, your sister likes Ke?” Liu Shu steadied Zhang Moyang and asked carefully, “Is the information reliable?”

 

“How could it be false? My sister is even planning to marry this poor guy, sending him to take the imperial examination!” Zhang Moyang said grumpily. “Dad, you have to consider our little sister!”

 

The servant brought the grumbling Zhang Moyang back home. Liu Shu turned to stare at Shen Ke, who was making the bed, seemingly unaffected, just like usual.

 

Even the parties involved didn’t seem to feel anything. So why did he, an outsider, feel a bit stifled?

 

This feeling persisted until the next day. When Shen Ke left to get today’s homework from the Zhang family, Liu Shu was on the verge of extreme frustration.

 

“What are you doing?” Hui Shang pushed open the door and saw him leaning out of the window, almost half of his body out. He quickly rushed over to pull him back in. “If there’s something bothering you, talk to me. I can help you become a monk.”

 

“Who wants to become a monk? I’m just wondering when Ke will come back,” Liu Shu collapsed onto the table with frustration, like a kite with a broken string, swaying unsteadily.

 

“What happened?” Hui Shang asked.

 

Liu Shu pursed his lips and recounted last night’s events. After listening, Hui Shang rubbed his chin. “This is a good thing. Miss Zhang is wealthy, and Brother Ke is talented, a perfect match.”

 

“A perfect match? Zhang Moyang said his sister is infatuated with his appearance alone. She doesn’t even understand that liking someone shouldn’t be solely based on their appearance!” Liu Shu paused and snorted. “You also need to take a look at your own appearance!”

 

“Miss Zhang’s appearance…” Hui Shang couldn’t help but reminisce. “That’s also top-notch.”

 

“Have you seen her?” Liu Shu was curious.

 

“She’s so beautiful that I want to leave the monastery.” Hui Shang said solemnly.

 

“…”

 

Hey, don’t use such a serious tone to say such things, you smelly monk!