Chapter 20 Yu Xingchi (Revised) What if I insist on forcing it? ...

"Well--"

Li Ye turned his head to one side, wishing he could mute himself for talking so much. Why was he so foul-mouthed and had to say that extra word?

This is it, he's completely finished. Even if Jiang Yu doesn't scold him, Lian Quesheng will definitely teach him a lesson.

"Young Master Shen... I didn't say anything just now. Did you hear me wrong? You can ask my junior brother if you don't believe me, Ming Shan?"

Li Ye winked at his junior brother Ming Shan, who, upon receiving the signal, hurriedly said, "That's right, Senior Brother Li Ye didn't say anything just now. Young Master Chen, there are so many hawkers shouting outside, it must have been a mistake."

He gradually lost his voice under Shen Jiuxu's gaze, his head bowed low, and he secretly poked Li Ye with his hand, shifting his body to try and get someone to block him from view.

"Senior brother, save me."

Li Ye's heart trembled. It wasn't that he didn't want to save them, but he was already in dire straits himself!

Seeing their reactions, Shen Jiuxu understood everything. But he clearly hadn't heard Jiang Yu mention having a Daoist partner. Why was he lying to him?

No, he didn't even want to lie!

He just didn't take himself seriously; he only saw himself as an ordinary passerby, not even a friend!

Why didn't he refuse my touch? Why did he still sleep in the same bed with me at night? Was he forced into marriage? He didn't like that nominal Daoist partner!

is that so?

Shen Jiuxu was like a tangled mess, desperately wanting Jiang Yu to untangle this tightly intertwined tangled thread. He had no clue what to do and didn't know how to deal with it.

"Young Master Shen, there might be many reasons why these two are together. It's not necessarily because they're in love. Don't you think so?"

Li also comforted me, "To be honest, I have a fiancée who is two years younger than me. She didn't like me at first, but when we met again after I went to Star Palace, I thought she would change. But she... still doesn't like me. I've tried everything to please her, but nothing works. So, you can't force feelings."

Inside the room, only the slow chewing sounds of the last few people remained. The gloomy sky outside seemed to grow even darker, like a painting splashed with ink, reduced to only black and white. Even Shen Jiuxu's light blue clothes seemed bland and tasteless.

"So, you mean Jiang Feiwan doesn't like me no matter what, right?"

"Uh—Young Master Shen, this...this really can't be forced!"

Although it seems that Young Master Jiang is more at fault in this matter, he is Jiang Yu, and Young Master Shen can't beat him, so saving his life is the most important thing.

If things really escalate to Shen Wuke, the elders there would probably tear him to pieces. But then, would Young Master Jiang protect him? It would be a real shame to lose such an outstanding appearance.

What would happen if we forced it?

Shen Jiuxu's fingers were clenched tightly, the veins bulging and clearly visible. His eyelashes cast a deep shadow on his face in the candlelight, making it difficult for Li Ye and his disciples to see his features clearly. "Forcing things will definitely not make you happy. A forced relationship is never sweet."

What if I insist on forcing it?

Li also sensed something was wrong. Had this person been provoked too much? "Young Master Shen... don't scare me. You can't beat him."

He wanted to see Shen Jiuxu's face clearly, lest he do something foolish. But the man's head was down, and there was a table between them. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for him to force his way over the table and lift the man's face up?

"Just kidding. Do you have any more steamed buns? Give me one."

"Here you go, Young Master Shen. It's good that you've thought things through. There are plenty of fish in the sea." Li Ye felt relieved. Watching him tear open the oil paper and the rising steam, he realized that things had taken a turn for the better. He took a big bite of the bun in his hand, as it would get cold if he didn't eat it soon.

A strange floral fragrance wafted in from outside the window, faint yet impossible to ignore. Before they could react, they all fainted.

Shen Jiuxu calmly tidied up the leftover steamed buns, sesame cakes, and several jugs of wine, placing them on the table. He then took a small, leisurely bite, not as if he were eating a steamed bun, but rather as if he were lifting someone's outer garment, pushing the layers of fabric aside to reveal the filling inside.

Since he doesn't want me to know, I'll just pretend I don't. That way, he might still pretend to be nice to me.

Shen Jiuxu changed his clothes, closed the doors and windows and set up a barrier, and looked after the group of unconscious disciples before going to Chunfeng Pavilion.

He saw it as soon as he came down; it was probably some kind of brothel. Shen Jiuxu deliberately concealed his appearance to avoid being seen by Jiang Yu, which would make it difficult to explain later.

Several young women stood in front of the Spring Breeze Pavilion. They were strikingly beautiful, with smiles in their eyes. As soon as you got close, you could smell their fragrance and couldn't walk any further.

"Young master, which lady are you looking for?" Shen Jiuxu had just reached the door when he was stopped by a woman dressed in a pale yellow, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). She grabbed his sleeve and her soft, boneless fingers climbed up his back.

"Don't touch me." Shen Jiuxu shook off her touch. "I have a friend who has run into some trouble and wants to ask a girl for advice."

"Answer my questions?" The woman laughed, her clothes fluttering like apricot blossoms trembling. "What questions do you want answered? I've never heard such words spoken before. Does the young master truly wish to have his questions answered?"

“Of course, I can pay the girl the normal amount of money.”

With a serious expression, Shen Jiuxu calmly took out a bag of silver and handed it over, saying, "Would the young lady do me the honor?"

"Okay, as long as enough money is given, everything is negotiable."

The woman in yellow took the money, pulled him inside, and deliberately found an empty room. After closing the door, the music and laughter outside were all silenced. "Young master, tell me, which lady do you wish to pursue?"

Her face was like a silver plate, her eyes like round almonds, and she exuded charm in every word and laugh. Shen Jiuxu thought of the fox spirit in the storybook who had just entered the brothel and learned some skills here. He thought that he should be able to learn something as well.

“I have a friend who fell in love with someone and thought that the person loved him back. But after his feelings were over, he found out that the person already had a partner.”

Shen Jiuxu pondered his words. His appearance was not bad either, and Jiang Yu's Daoist partner should not be able to compare with him. Although doing so was not in line with the rules taught in the book, he was a tree, and what rules did a tree follow?

"What do you think we should do, young lady?"

"Just call me Xingchi. Since you've asked, does the young master intend to abandon that person and find someone else, or are you reluctant to part with her and want to do something else?" Yu Xingchi found it extremely interesting. It was her first time here, and she never expected to meet such an interesting person.

“My friend knows he’s wrong, but as long as he can continue to be with him, even if it’s just a normal relationship—” Shen Jiuxu seemed to be torn apart by the two of them. Even though he had made up his mind, he was still restless, just like the shock he felt after that fleeting glimpse of the red mole on Jiang Feiwan’s body.

"I understand. So, young master, you can't let go and are thinking of pushing your luck further?"

"Me—right?"

He was as if Jiang Feiwan had cast a spell on him, from which there was no escape! Shen Jiuxu completely resigned himself to defeat, "I want to ask you, miss, what should I do to make him... fall in love with me?"

A note from the author:

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Shen Jiuxu took the flower off her head.

One petal, he likes me.

One petal, he really likes me.

One petal, he really likes me.

One petal, he really likes me.

Miss Yu Xingchi, you have an important role to play later! Marking this. (Originally, this character's name was Yu Zhanyi, but because it overlapped with Xiang Zhanyi from Chapter 1, and considering both are important characters, I've changed it to Yu Xingchi. Everything else remains the same. Because the author has a lot of names in a notepad and likes to randomly choose one, I forgot that the name Zhanyi had already been used. I'm very sorry for any inconvenience caused [crying emoji]. Many thanks to Shen Libaozi in the comments section for pointing this out. Thank you.)