Dandy Escapes From Marriage - Chapter 29

It rained heavily yesterday, but today is still a bright sunny day.

 

As the saying goes, “Clothes make the man,” and Zhang Lao Ye seemed on the verge of agreeing to marry his daughter to him, so Fang Qiong was very happy. He went out to buy new clothes, intending to show off his handsome appearance to the Zhang family.

 

He grew up hearing praises, with people around always complimenting his handsome and brave demeanor, so he was always very confident.

 

But he stumbled upon Zhang Mosheng’s refusal.

 

While other girls would eagerly marry him, Zhang Mosheng not only refused him outright but also rejected his marriage proposal several times.

 

This not only aroused his competitive spirit but also made him even more interested. She had such integrity, such fearlessness against power. One day, he would make Zhang Mosheng see all his good qualities!

 

After buying several expensive outfits, he swaggered out of the store with a few followers. People on the street greeted him respectfully.

 

As he walked through the bustling market, the crowd grew thicker. He dodged a running child but accidentally bumped into someone.

 

Turning around, he first smelled a faint fragrance, then saw the person before him. She wore red clothes with a veil, and her face was partly obscured by a white veil.

 

Fang Qiong instinctively felt she was a beauty, so he subconsciously lowered his head. A gentle breeze blew, lifting a corner of the veil, revealing her charming face with a pair of alluring eyes. Despite her beauty, her gaze was cold as she glanced at him, making his heart skip a beat.

 

“Miss, where are you from?”

 

Such a beautiful woman, if she were local, he would definitely have heard of her.

 

“I’m Fang Qiong, may I know the name of the lady?”

 

“No.” Her voice was soft, like a tender shoot in spring, contrasting with her appearance. After speaking, she turned to leave.

 

“Miss, please wait. Shall we be friends?”

 

“You bumped into me without apologizing, and now you want to be friends?”

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Fang Qiong immediately apologized with a smile.

 

“If apologies worked, why would we need officials?”

 

Fang Qiong was taken aback. “Then, what do you want me to do?”

 

“I’m hungry.”

 

“Please come this way!” Fang Qiong immediately led her to a restaurant, constantly asking, “Are you from out of town? What brings you here? Is there anything I can help with?”

 

“No need.”

 

Damn, she rejected him several times already. Well, at least she caught his attention now.

 

Fang Qiong’s desire to possess her grew stronger. He boldly took her to the biggest inn in town, ordered a table full of dishes, and then eagerly looked at her. “Miss, you don’t need to wear the veil while eating, right?”

 

The woman nodded.

 

Fang Qiong stared intently as she removed her veil, and when he saw her face clearly, his eyes widened in amazement—

 

She was stunning, unbelievably beautiful!

 

Her expression was cold, yet paired with bewitching makeup: her vermilion lips were moist, tiny grains of sand at the corners of her eyes added a lingering charm, and a plum blossom bloomed at the center of her brows, which was the finishing touch.

 

In contrast, Zhang Mosheng’s beauty seemed somewhat dull.

 

Fang Qiong quickly dismissed Zhang Mosheng from his mind, covering his chest, his eyes infatuated. “Miss, what can I do for you?”

 

“You can be quiet,” the woman said as she picked up her chopsticks. “Silent at meals, silent at rest.”

 

“Okay.” Fang Qiong was extremely satisfied with the cultured beauty before him. He lost his appetite, continuously serving dishes to her, almost wanting to feed her himself.

 

After finishing the meal, the woman put down her chopsticks and looked straight at him. “Why have you been following me?”

 

“Damn, haven’t you felt it yet?” Fang Qiong pointed to his heart. “Since I saw you, it hasn’t stopped pounding. I can hardly control it.”

 

“Don’t control it, or you’ll lose your life.”

 

“Are you concerned about me?” Fang Qiong excitedly grasped her hand.

 

“Speak properly.” The woman withdrew her hand calmly. “Please don’t ruin my reputation.”

 

“Yes, yes, I was too impulsive.” Fang Qiong retracted his hand and couldn’t help asking again, “What about you?”

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t believe you feel nothing for me. Otherwise, why would you come to eat with me?”

 

The woman remained silent for a while, then lowered her head. “I came to seek marriage. My father wants to sell me to a dying merchant. I refused and ran away secretly. I want to find a tall and mighty husband who can protect me for a lifetime.”

 

“I am tall and mighty!” Fang Qiong said immediately.

 

The woman looked him up and down. Wherever her gaze fell, Fang Qiong felt a burn, as if his whole body was ignited.

 

“You’re not mighty enough,” the woman said regretfully.

 

“Am I not mighty enough?” Fang Qiong became anxious, flexing his muscles.

 

“Can you carry a hundred pounds of rice? Can you lift a tripod with one hand? Can you defeat eighty guards bare-handed?” the woman asked.

 

“I haven’t tried those, but I should be able to!” Fang Qiong said confidently.

 

“If you can’t do these, how can I trust you to marry me?” The woman shook her head. “You go back. We are destined to be apart.”

 

“I… I’ll go practice carrying rice and lifting tripods now. Wait for me to come back and marry you, you must wait for me!” Fang Qiong hurried back to practice, hoping to marry the beauty as soon as possible.

 

The woman watched them leave, then looked down at the remaining food, took a few sips of wine, had the waiter pack everything, and then, under the waiter’s admiring gaze, she stood up and walked to a room on the second floor.

 

Inside sat a brother and sister, both looking somewhat complicated.

 

“Fang Qiong is just beyond words.” Zhang Mosheng didn’t know what to say.

 

And Zhang Moyang’s reaction was even more intense. His features contorted as he approached, circling around the woman who was as beautiful as a fairy. “Y-You, are you really Xiao Wu?!”

 

“As sure as can be.” Liu Shu finally regained his original voice.

 

Zhang Moyang’s gaze slowly fell on her chest. “This is also real?”

 

“Is your brain eaten by dogs?” Liu Shu took out two apples from his chest and threw them to him. “Go play by yourself.”

 

Liu Shu sat down at the table, propping up his legs lazily. His relaxed posture was completely different from their sneaky behavior upstairs, even though they were the same person.

 

Even if the other party was sitting across from him now, Zhang Moyang still found it difficult to digest this fact.

 

It was like a switch, too terrifying!!!

 

He recalled the morning incident and wished he could find a hole to hide in.

 

Early in the morning, he was taken by his sister to the house they were preparing outside, and then he saw a charming beauty. His face turned red instantly, and he stuttered to ask who she was.

 

His sister said she was her friend.

 

Zhang Moyang became nervous, stumbling over his words as he approached. The beauty chatted with him indifferently for a few words. Just when he was feeling pleased with himself, she suddenly stood up.

 

—Such a tall and beautiful woman, he thought at that moment.

 

Next, the beauty walked up to him, looked into his eyes, and patted his cheek. Just when he was completely infatuated, she finally spoke, “Wake up, haven’t you recognized me yet? Okay, looks like everything’s fine.”

 

Zhang Moyang was stunned, feeling the voice was too familiar. He looked over in horror, only to see the “beauty” with hands on her hips, grinning mischievously. “How about it? Did this young master enchant you?”

 

“You!” Zhang Moyang was furious, pounding him. “What are you doing?! Give me back my beauty!”

 

Zhang Mosheng stood awkwardly aside, covering her face. Until her brother came in, she doubted whether this trick would work. Now it seemed quite successful.

 

The situation had progressed smoothly so far. Liu Shu asked, “Has the woman willing to marry Fang Qiong been found?”

 

“Yeah, there’s a widow in the neighboring town named Chen Yinglian. Her father and brothers make a living by hunting, her husband is useless, and she drove him away. She wants to find a strong husband.” Zhang Moyang said.

 

“Match made in heaven. Fang Qiong likes women who don’t listen to him. Alright, let’s name the celestial beauty Chen Yinglian.” Liu Shu said.

 

Zhang Moyang leaned closer again, scanning his face, then turned to Zhang Mosheng. “Sister, your eyebrow drawing skills are excellent, why don’t you try it yourself?”

 

Zhang Mosheng remained silent for a moment before asking, “Do you think I can?”

 

“Who did it for him?” Zhang Moyang wondered, then turned to look back, almost dumbfounded, “Could it be you?!”

 

“Just a little skill.” Liu Shu casually waved his right hand.

 

“What did you do before?” Zhang Moyang was very curious about his background. A man who could shoot arrows and paint faces to deceive idiots, he had never seen such a person before, couldn’t help but suspect, “Tell me honestly, do you have a split personality? Can one person become two?”

 

“Just a little trick.” Liu Shu didn’t care. It was just a game he used to play before. This trick really worked every time.

 

A few years ago, he had used this trick to retaliate against a few people who insulted him and his mother in the school. In the end, they were all enchanted by him, and then he found out that he liked the so-called scum they talked about. The expression of love and hate was really amusing.

 

“Has Ko Shen seen you like this?” Zhang Moyang was very curious, “Was he shocked? Was he enchanted by your cross-dressing?”

 

Liu Shu’s smile faded slightly. “Can’t let him see.”

 

He had seen those men go crazy for his cross-dressing appearance, unabashed desire. It was so ugly, although he didn’t think Ko would be so ugly, but he dared not to test it.

 

Of course, what he was more afraid of was that Ko would really fall in love with his cross-dressing appearance.

 

“What are you afraid of? Even if he sees you now, he may not recognize you.” Zhang Moyang said.

 

“Is the effect really that good?” Liu Shu couldn’t help but be proud of his skill again, “Don’t say, my dad couldn’t recognize me at once before, my mom reacted faster, but that’s because I didn’t speak.”

 

“It’s really good. You’re already good-looking, and this makeup is just the icing on the cake. This skill is not something ordinary people can do. I’m not good at it.” Zhang Mosheng said.

 

After listening, Liu Shu suddenly asked, “If I do your makeup, would you pay for it?”

 

“It depends on how much you charge.”

 

“Five hundred wen?”

 

“If it’s for daily makeup, five hundred wen isn’t worth it, unless it’s for a special occasion, like getting married.”

 

“Then, do you think I can make money by doing makeup for the bride?”

 

Zhang Mosheng shook her head, “You forget, you’re a man. Which family would let a man do makeup for the bride?”

 

“That’s true.” Liu Shu pondered for a while, then smiled and looked at her, “Would you like to learn?”

 

“What do you want to learn? No way!” Zhang Moyang reacted first. “My sister doesn’t need to worry about food and clothing. Why learn this? To do makeup for other women? You’re really something, it’s not about my sister, right?”

 

“She eats what your dad gives her, wears what your dad gives her, so marriage matters are also decided by your dad. Now it’s Fang Qiong, but what if there’s a second or third Fang Qiong in the future? She can only be manipulated.” Liu Shu argued confidently, “But if she has a skill to rely on, she won’t worry about starving to death in the future, and she’ll have more confidence if she wants to leave here.”

 

After this remark, the siblings fell silent.

 

Zhang Moyang’s lips trembled for a moment, but he couldn’t say anything and turned to look at his sister.

 

After a moment, Zhang Mosheng lifted her head. “I’ll consider it.”

 

“Okay, it doesn’t necessarily have to be doing makeup for the bride, I’m just giving an example. If you’re willing to learn, we can discuss it again and find a more suitable way,” Liu Shu said.

 

“Alright.”

 

As it was getting late, Liu Shu carried the leftovers back to their house. Their clothes were still there, so they needed to change before going to see Ke.

 

Unexpectedly, they met Huishang on the way. Huishang greeted the Zhang siblings and then glanced at Liu Shu.

 

“This is my sister’s friend,” Zhang Moyang introduced immediately, staring at Huishang to gauge his reaction.

 

“Very polite, benefactor,” Huishang nodded solemnly.

 

Sure enough, he didn’t recognize him. Zhang Moyang finally felt he wasn’t the only fool here and asked with a suppressed laugh, “Master, do you think this girl is beautiful?”

 

“Naturally, she’s beautiful,” Huishang said.

 

“How beautiful?” Zhang Moyang asked again.

 

“Beautiful enough for me to consider renouncing my monkhood,” Huishang said devoutly, “Would the lady give me a chance?”

 

Zhang Moyang: ?! 

 

Liu Shu was already used to his flirty answers, patted his head, “You monk, always daydreaming about beautiful things.”

 

At the sound of this, Huishang looked up and rubbed his head, “Is the lady the sister of Xiao Wu?”

 

The three: ?

 

“Ignore him, let’s go,” Liu Shu walked ahead without looking back, and the siblings followed. He turned around and asked, “Where’s Huishang?”

 

“After knowing you’re really Xiao Wu, he felt heartbroken and desperate, saying he’s going to do something big.”

 

“What big thing?”

 

“He didn’t say.”

 

Liu Shu turned his head suddenly, his steps paused, staring at the person walking towards them from the crowd, and at the same time, the other party noticed them.

 

Liu Shu’s breath caught, he took two steps back silently, hiding behind Zhang Moyang.

 

“Have you seen Huishang?” Shen Ke asked.

 

“He just passed by.” Zhang Moyang pointed behind him.

 

Shen Ke looked in that direction, his gaze quickly swept over Liu Shu, who passed by him.

 

Liu Shu breathed a sigh of relief quietly, about to slip away, but suddenly Shen Ke’s voice sounded behind him, “Wait, who is this lady?”

 

“This is Moyan’s friend,” Zhang Moyang revealed a gossiping expression, excitedly asked, “So, what do you think? Do you think this sister is pretty?”

 

Liu Shu cursed him in his heart, then reassured himself that Ke probably wouldn’t recognize him, so he looked back confidently and nodded proudly.

 

Shen Ke finally saw the full face and said, “She’s beautiful.”

 

Zhang Moyang turned his head and chuckled with Zhang Mosheng.

 

Liu Shu stiffly forced a smile, about to find an excuse to leave. Unexpectedly, Shen Ke suddenly raised his hand, his thumb touching his own eyebrow, rubbing the plum blossom pattern on it, and it began to blur.

 

“However, the original look is still more beautiful,” Shen Ke said.

 

Liu Shu was stunned, feeling like his heart was gently touched.

 

Zhang Moyang was shocked, “You recognized him?!”

 

“Wasn’t it easy to recognize?” Shen Ke asked back.

 

“How was it easy?!”

 

Liu Shu couldn’t help but smile, “Is the original look really more beautiful?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Liu Shu smiled at him, then turned and ran into the alley, his red clothes fluttering.

 

Zhang Moyang shouted, “Why are you running so fast?!”

 

“To change back!” Liu Shu waved back, “Ke, you wait for me!”

 

“Okay.”