Dandy Escapes From Marriage - Chapter 24

In fact, Shen Ke probably guessed this result, just not sure about it.

 

If it’s only recently that someone he likes appeared, and he’s the one he’s been in contact with the most, it’s unlikely that he would like Hui Shang, a monk, right?

 

But when Zhang Moyang said the person he liked was him, Shen Ke was momentarily very shocked. The words “not suitable” immediately surfaced in his mind, but then he thought that these two might have similar interests and could possibly hit it off. They might even feel an instant connection, both willing to pursue it, destined to be together in this life and the next.

 

However, when he heard Liu Shu admit that the person he liked was himself, he was stunned for a moment. His emotions were complicated, and for a while, he couldn’t figure out what to do or how to react. But he calmly looked back at him.

 

“Alright, I’ve said what I needed to say. I don’t expect an answer from you right now. If you feel troubled and want me to leave, that’s fine,” Liu Shu said, feeling relieved after getting it off his chest.

 

Since he was a child, whenever he liked something, he would immediately find a way to get it. He had never experienced this kind of hesitation before, which had kept him conflicted for a whole day and night!

 

Accepting the fact that he liked men wasn’t difficult for him, as he wasn’t a conventional person, and it was normal to have his own preferences. The main concern was that he was afraid Shen Ke couldn’t handle it. If he rejected him, he would have to leave, and then… the difficulty of pursuit would be even higher. At least for now, he could strive for the best position!

 

“I don’t mean to drive you away,” Shen Ke said.

 

“That’s good then!” Liu Shu exclaimed happily, clenching his fist.

 

Shen Ke gazed into his bright eyes, still unable to form words. Liu Shu, being considerate, said, “I’ll let you continue copying your book. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

 

With that, he hooked his arm around the dumbfounded Zhang Moyang and went out for a stroll.

 

The room fell silent, with a gentle breeze flipping through the pages of a book.

 

When Hui Shang entered the room, he paused, walked up with a puzzled expression, and waved his hand in front of Shen Ke. “Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you spacing out? It’s almost noon, and you haven’t written a single word?!”

 

“Are you kidding me? Do you really like Shen Ke?!” Zhang Moyang still couldn’t believe it, persistently questioning.

 

“Yeah,” Liu Shu scratched his ear, “how many times do you want to ask?”

 

“No, I don’t understand… How can he be so popular?!” Zhang Moyang felt incredulous. As men, why were his good sister and friend so obsessed with that guy, while himself…

 

“Hey, you really don’t like me at all?” Zhang Moyang said melancholically.

 

Liu Shu glanced at him.

 

Zhang Moyang felt helpless, “I, Zhang Moyang, a man of seven feet tall, with a wealth of a million, can’t even compare to the penniless Shen Ke!”

 

Suddenly, Liu Shu looked at him with admiration, “You have a million in wealth?”

 

Zhang Moyang choked, pinching the section of his little finger, “Almost there, but in this town, our Zhang family is considered wealthy.”

 

“Only in this town,” Liu Shu shrugged.

 

“What else can I do? I’ve only been to other places… Ah, speaking of which, do you know about the wealthiest man in Jiangnan?”

 

Liu Shu’s pupils dilated, turning to look at him, “Why?”

 

“When I was a kid, I went to Jinling with my father, and it really opened my eyes. Even the chamber pot for guests was made of gold!”

 

“…Ah, so extravagant.” Liu Shu seemed to be in a dream, as if the days of using gold spoons and gold chamber pots were already distant from him.

 

“He was so arrogant back then. I wonder how things are now,” Zhang Moyang marveled, “I remember, they had a few sons. Look at them, how did they get so lucky? And look at you, tsk tsk… Speaking of you, why are you smiling so brightly?”

 

“Well, I think what you said makes sense,” Liu Shu clenched his fist and coughed a few times, then suddenly asked, “Have you met those sons?”

 

“I’ve seen two of them, haven’t seen the others. But I heard there’s one who’s extremely handsome, a playboy.”

 

Liu Shu: … You can skip the second part.

 

“I’ve caught a glimpse from afar.”

 

Liu Shu was startled, staring at him intently, “Do you remember what he looks like?”

 

“Who could remember that? It’s been so long, and besides, we never really faced each other head-on. At the time, I couldn’t see very clearly.”

 

Zhang Moyang recalled the scene vaguely. He was strolling down the street, everything a blur, when suddenly a commotion broke out in the crowd. A stone whizzed past him, “swoosh,” hitting a man diagonally behind him.

 

Looking up, he saw a group of teenagers leaning against the window of a nearby tavern. The leader was a young boy holding a slingshot, a mocking smile playing on his lips. As the people behind him cursed loudly, the boy, amidst cheers, smirked and walked away from the window.

 

“All I remember is his back, but he was quite handsome,” Zhang Moyang reminisced, stroking his chin. “I even practiced with a slingshot when I got back, but I never mastered that kind of accuracy!”

 

“…Can’t you learn something better?” Liu Shu slapped his head suddenly.

 

“What’s wrong with you? Even if Ke Shen said that, can you trust it?” 

 

…Seems so.

 

But thanks to his reminder, those seemingly forgettable moments gradually became clear in his memory, tinged with nostalgia.

 

“I think his name was Liu Shu.”

 

“What?” Liu Shu reflexively looked at him.

 

“I think I heard the guy who got hit shouting ‘Liu Shu.’ I don’t know who gave him that name, though. It’s so plain and understandable.”

 

“Get out of here.” Liu Shu jumped down from the tree agilely. “I’m not arguing with you anymore. I’m going back to play with Ake.”

 

“No… can’t you at least help me down? I can’t get down by myself.” Zhang Moyang sat on the tree, wailing.

 

After Liu Shu helped him down, the two agreed that if they had a chance to come to town again, they would go drinking and gambling together…

 

“Forget about gambling. I promised Ake I wouldn’t go to the gambling den anymore, and definitely not to the brothel either,” Liu Shu said quickly.

 

“Tsk, are you even a man?” Zhang Moyang scoffed. “You haven’t even caught anyone yet, and you’re already acting like a househusband?”

 

“It’s precisely because I haven’t caught anyone that I need to behave myself!” Liu Shu shook his head, “No wonder you’re still unmarried at your age.”

 

“I’m only eighteen!”

 

“In the blink of an eye, you’ll be eighty.” Liu Shu casually repeated his father’s mantra, “If you don’t get married soon, you’ll be buried.”

 

“Get lost!”

 

On the way back to the inn, they passed through a street bustling with activity. Today was market day, and many people were carrying goods to buy and sell. Remembering what Shen Ke had said about a bamboo craftsman coming, Liu Shu turned and headed toward that street. After some searching, they found the bamboo craftsman sitting in a corner.

 

The man sat on a small stool, showing no intention of haggling or calling out. He sat quietly, head bowed, weaving baskets.

 

At that moment, someone approached and asked, “How much for this bamboo mat?”

 

“Twenty wen,” the bamboo craftsman replied stiffly, lifting his head.

 

The person seemed taken aback by his appearance and cautiously asked, “Could you sell it for ten wen?”

 

The bamboo craftsman cleared his throat and, after a long pause, managed to say one word, “…Okay.”

 

Liu Shu sighed heavily at seeing him sell his bamboo mat, which he had spent days making, at a loss. He approached, resting his hands on his knees, and asked, “Is this how you sell things? Selling at a loss?”

 

Seeing him, the bamboo craftsman’s tense expression relaxed slightly. “How’s your health?”

 

“Pretty good. I’ll be fine today and can go back,” Liu Shu smiled, walking over to him and looking at the pile of goods in front of him. “Are you here to sell goods or to do good deeds?”

 

The bamboo craftsman lowered his head in shame. He dreaded doing business the most. Customers were always scared off by his frightening face and expression, and he didn’t like bargaining back and forth with people. If it weren’t for the scarcity of people in the village and the low demand, he would never have come to town to sell.

 

“Regardless of the size of the business, you have to put aside your pride first,” Liu Shu patted him on the shoulder, then stood by the roadside and started calling out, “Bamboo chopsticks, bamboo bowls, bamboo mats for beds, sleep soundly and comfortably~ Bamboo ladles, bamboo baskets, bamboo backpacks, we have everything you need!”

 

Upon hearing this, passersby knew what was being sold here and quickly gathered around. Some came to pick out goods, while others came to watch the hustle and bustle.

 

A few girls huddled together, whispering and pointing at Liu Shu. Finally, they pushed forward a brave girl who smiled and asked, “Young man, how much for this bamboo mat?”

 

“Twenty-eight wen, but for a beauty like you, I can give you a discount of eight wen,” Liu Shu said charmingly.

 

“I’ll take three bamboo mats!” The girl hugged the bamboo mats and went back to find her sisters.

 

The sisters nudged her, “Hey, weren’t you supposed to find out how old he is? Why did you buy so many bamboo mats?”

 

“Oh, right!” The girl remembered the task at hand, but when her gaze fell on Liu Shu, she shyly covered her face. “But he said I’m pretty…”

 

The bamboo craftsman watched in astonishment. He had sold the mats at the original price, yet these people still thanked him for “discounting” them. Was this the art of nonsense?

 

If only he had that skill.

 

Today’s goods were unexpectedly sold out quickly. Normally, he would have to wait until dark to take the remaining goods back to the village. But today, as he looked at the high sun, he fell into contemplation.

 

“Let’s go to the inn and wait for Ake together,” Liu Shu suggested.

 

The bamboo craftsman nodded and followed him to the inn, pulling the cart.

 

“It’s hot outside, let’s have some tea upstairs,” Liu Shu led him to the guest room.

 

Hearing movement at the door, Shen Ke instinctively looked up. Meeting Liu Shu’s gaze, he was momentarily speechless but found Liu Shu smiling at him as if nothing happened. He stepped aside, and the bamboo craftsman followed him in.

 

After exchanging greetings, they checked the sky. It was still too hot; they planned to wait a while before returning.

 

After pouring a cup of tea for the bamboo craftsman, Liu Shu sat down at the table, resting his chin on his hands, staring fixedly at Shen Ke.

 

Shen Ke: “…”

 

His hand trembled slightly as he wrote.

 

Finally completing the task under the scorching gaze, Shen Ke stood up, pretending to close the window and took a deep breath. When he turned around, he found Liu Shu chatting with the bamboo craftsman about business, causing the bamboo craftsman to nod repeatedly in agreement.

 

On the way back, Shen Ke listened to the bamboo craftsman’s explanation and couldn’t help but laugh, “Brother, you should bring Xiao Wu with you to the market in the future. He’s much better at doing business than us.”

 

Liu Shu laughed. Feeling useful, he stretched out comfortably and leaned back on the cart.

 

As the cart swayed, he looked at the distorted sunset and glanced at the figure sitting next to him. His lips curved into a smile. “Would you two consider a long-term partnership with me?”

 

“A long-term partnership?” The bamboo craftsman turned to look at him. “How do we partner? For how long?”

 

“Let’s talk about your matter later,” Liu Shu replied to the bamboo craftsman, then turned to Shen Ke with a smile. “We can collaborate indefinitely. You take care of me in this life, and I’ll take care of you in the next. How about that?”

 

Shen Ke cleared his throat, turned his head slightly, and looked at the sunset. The faint glow spread over him, covering the slight blush on his ears.

 

Back in the village, after the bamboo craftsman stopped the cart and they all got off, he nervously pulled Liu Shu aside. With a mix of nervousness and shyness, he asked, “Can I join your plan of supporting each other in old age?”

 

Liu Shu: “…”

 

Shen Ke suppressed a smile before it escaped.

 

After politely declining the bamboo craftsman’s idea, the two returned to the courtyard one after the other. Liu Shu was surprised to find that the chicks had grown plumper in just a few days!

 

“When we’re not at home, who feeds them?” 

 

Shen Ke said, “I asked Big Brother Wu to help.”

 

“They’re growing fast,” Liu Shu said happily as he touched the chicks. “They’re just a little ugly. Grow up quickly and start laying eggs!”

 

In the evening, Liu Shu enjoyed another meal cooked by Shen Ke. His mood was somewhat complex—before, he had praised the food just to comfort Ake’s fragile heart. Now, when he said it was delicious, it was to seduce Ake’s beautiful soul.

 

Different moods seemed to change the taste of the food.

 

“How come your cooking has improved so much in just a few days?!”

 

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Shen Ke said with a straight face.

 

“No, I’m speaking the truth—” Liu Shu was about to finish his sentence when his face suddenly changed. He put down his bowl and rushed outside to vomit. Embarrassed, he returned to the room and explained, “…It’s not intentional. It’s just that I feel like I tasted…”

 

“Eggshells,” Shen Ke said, spitting out eggshells from his mouth.

 

“…Yes.” Maybe it was more than just eggshells.

 

After bathing at night, Liu Shu didn’t immediately return to his room. Instead, he sat in the courtyard, enjoying the breeze and moonlight… Or pretending to enjoy the moonlight. Waiting for someone was the real purpose.

 

His eyes kept glancing at the house, but unfortunately, he couldn’t see anything. He could only hear the faint sound of water.

 

Finally, Shen Ke came out after bathing.

 

Under the moonlight, Liu Shu looked up at him, feeling a bit trance-like. He thought to himself that this handsome man looked good no matter what he wore, even in these plain hemp clothes…

 

Liu Shu coughed twice, indicating that he had something to say.

 

Shen Ke took out his changed clothes and soaked them in the basin. Hearing the movement, he turned to look at Liu Shu, who was fanning himself, and asked with concern, “It’s so hot during the Dog Days, why are you still wearing so much? Do you have something on your mind?”

 

Shen Ke: “…”