042 This is a master (Part 2)

Shen Tang thought that this time would be the same as yesterday, so she obediently waited outside the Moonflower Pavilion, occasionally feeding two pieces of rock candy to her motorcycle.

By the way, why can motorcycles eat rock candy?

Shen Tang pondered this question while stroking the motorcycle's sleek fur, growing more fond of the creature. The motorcycle licked the rock candy from her hand clean and still seemed unsatisfied, nudging her belly with its head and staring expectantly at the pouch around her waist.

The motorcycle was very clever, knowing exactly where the rock candy was hidden.

Shen Tang lifted the motorcycle's large face with both hands and sternly admonished, "No, you can't have any more! It's not normal for a motorcycle to have such a sweet tooth... No means no, no more coaxing, and definitely no licking my face... Oh my god, be gentle, don't stick out your tongue, I don't want to wash my face with your saliva, and if you keep licking, be careful not to become 'motorcycle meat' to be roasted!"

She dodged several times, but the motorcycle pursued relentlessly, attempting to wildly shake its flexible tongue at Shen Tang's face.

The shopkeeper emerged from the Moonflower Pavilion and happened to see the playful interaction between Shen Tang and the motorcycle. With a smile, he reminded Shen Tang that there were still important matters to attend to.

He said, "Miss, please come upstairs."

Shen Tang and the motorcycle stopped simultaneously.

She patted the motorcycle, indicating for it to play by itself for a while as she had other matters to attend to and would play with it later. The motorcycle understood and obediently went to a nearby wooden stake, holding the reins in its mouth. Shen Tang said, "Do I go in? Don't I need to wait in the teahouse's private room for someone today?"

The shopkeeper replied, "Not today."

Shen Tang didn't ask further questions and followed the shopkeeper into the Moonflower Pavilion.

Ignoring the lightly fluttering gauze curtains, the suggestive carvings on the windows, the erotic paintings hanging on the walls, and the lingering scent of makeup in the air, at first glance, it looked no different from any other tavern.

During the daytime, the Moonflower Pavilion was quiet, lacking the expected sounds of birds and laughter. Occasionally, maidservants carried hot water in and out, while servants used cloths to wipe tables and chairs. Everything was orderly, but there was a somewhat indescribable desolation. Only the lingering scent of makeup in the air silently spoke of the previous night's revelry.

At first, Shen Tang curiously looked around.

After a few glances, she lost interest and withdrew her gaze.

In the main hall of the Moonflower Pavilion, a handsome young servant had been waiting for a long time. He led the two upstairs to the innermost private room and carefully pushed open the intricately carved wooden door, afraid that any noise might disturb the person inside. He whispered, "The young master is inside, please come in."

Shen Tang refocused her wandering thoughts.

Stepping into the room, the first thing that caught her eye was a huge round screen, depicting a vast desert sunset. Shen Tang was slightly surprised—usually, a place like the Moonflower Pavilion would have screens displaying images of beautiful women, right?

A desert sunset?

It seemed out of place with the atmosphere here.

What surprised her even more was the pleasant fragrance of incense permeating the room, completely different from the heavy makeup scent in the main hall. While the latter was fragrant at first, it became intolerably vulgar over time. In contrast, the former was like a lonely orchid in a deserted valley—even if the scent wasn't strong, outsiders couldn't ignore it.

Beyond the screen was the "bedroom" of that young lad.

The two of them could only sit on the cushions in front of the screen.

"Did you paint this picture?" The voice of the unfamiliar young man came through the screen as Shen Tang sat down—wait, wasn't this the same young lad from yesterday?

She looked at the shopkeeper with suspicion.

The shopkeeper shrugged, signaling for her to answer truthfully.

Shen Tang blushed and stammered, "It wasn't me who painted it, it was my elder brother. When I returned home yesterday and was caught painting, he reprimanded me for being too young to be exposed to these... things. Before I had a chance to inform the shopkeeper and the employer, he took the brush and helped me paint..."

There was a moment of silence behind the screen, then shortly after, there was a crisp sound of a chess piece being placed.

The young man said, "Hmm, it's not bad."

Shen Tang silently criticized in her mind.

So, the paintings by Qi Shan were considered "not bad"?

Indeed, there were no people with the same aesthetic taste as her in this world. For a moment, she felt a sense of loneliness, as if she couldn't find someone who understood her taste.

Shen Tang asked, "Is the employer satisfied?"

The young man replied, "Sat..."

Before he could finish saying "satisfied," he began to cough violently, each cough shorter and more intense than the last, causing concern that he might cough out his lungs. With such a condition, this guy still insisted on his duty... Truly dedicated and diligent.

Shen Tang once again found herself distracted.

After a while, she heard the voice of the young lad she had heard yesterday from behind the screen. He asked, "Mr. Gu, are you alright?"

The young man's voice weakly replied, "I'm fine."

Just as Shen Tang's focus returned, it began to wander again.

So, this young man wasn't the attendant of the Moonflower Pavilion, but a client here for pleasure... It seemed like the saying "even under the peony, one can still be romantic in death" held true. Coughing like this, it seemed as if he was halfway into the coffin, yet he still had the leisure to visit the pleasure house?

The room fell silent for a while.

After a moment, the young man said, "The young lad misunderstood."

Shen Tang was puzzled, "..."

Did someone just speak?

The shopkeeper also wore a puzzled expression.

The young man sighed and said with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Some things don't necessarily need to be said aloud to be heard by others..."

Shen Tang said, "..."

The shopkeeper continued to wear a confused expression.

Shen Tang felt a chill run down her spine, her hairs standing on end. She was absolutely certain that the young man had just spoken to her. But the problem was, she had a habit of not speaking her mind out loud, and she had kept her mouth shut the whole time, only murmuring a few words in her mind...

[Wait, can you hear what I'm saying in my mind?]

There was a three-second silence behind the screen.

The young man asked in a strange tone, "Didn't your mentor tell you what a schemer must learn?"

Shen Tang was certain that the young man could read her mind, so she stopped muttering to herself and asked, "What?"

The young man said, "To keep one's feelings hidden."

As he spoke, the rustling of clothes characteristic of movement behind the screen could be heard, and with each step closer, the figure behind the screen became clearer.

Shen Tang happened to look up and met the gaze of the unfamiliar young man walking out from behind the screen, feeling a vague sense of familiarity with his figure.

The young man stood tall and straight, but he didn't look very well. Despite his handsome features, there was little flesh on his cheeks, a hint of darkness in his eyes, and a slight bluish tinge on his lips. He looked like someone suffering from tuberculosis, the appearance of a consumptive youth destined for an early death!

As Shen Tang observed the young man, he also evaluated her with his cool gaze.

Unlike his immediate recognition of the disease, the young lad before him had a strikingly good appearance, with a bright countenance, deep-set features compared to ordinary people, and a hint of exotic charm at first glance.

If the young man had to describe him with one word, there would probably be no better fit than "youthful exuberance."

Truly, in the most literal sense of the phrase "youthful exuberance."

The young man was still three or five steps away from the young lad, but he could feel the continuous release of fiery literary energy from "him," like a dazzling, unignorable fireball.

He teased, "Indeed, I am plagued by long-term illness, but the fortune teller said I can still linger on for another twenty or thirty years."