Chapter 65: Hiring a Cat (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
They've come with ill intentions!
The four words kept flashing through my mind: An alarm was sounding!
Despite being extremely wary inside, his smile remained completely natural as he replied, "Okay, no problem. It's just that the silver taels Mr. Gu gave are too heavy. I need to calculate how much wine I need before sending it to Mr. Gu."
Shen Tang's words were purely an excuse for procrastination.
We should try to delay as long as possible.
He thought to himself: If I had known I would run into this person when I went out, I would have preferred to stay at home and rot away. What a damn bad luck!
But Mr. Gu countered each move with a clever strategy.
With a casual flick of his fingers, he mentally calculated the exact amount of wine needed in just two breaths, completely thwarting Shen Tang's plans. He seemed oblivious to the gradual decline in the smile on Shen Tang's lips, and continued, "I've heard that Young Master Shen can conjure wine with words, a truly extraordinary skill. I am also a connoisseur of wine, and I prepared wine vessels at Yaoling Pavilion early this morning. You can go there yourself; there's no need to prepare anything else."
Shen Tang: "..."
This time, she did not deliberately suppress her inner thoughts.
He smiled gently and politely on the surface, but cursed inwardly.
Damn it!
I believe Mr. Gu will receive her friendly signal.
To everyone's surprise, Mr. Gu's expression remained unchanged, without even a change in his eyebrows, eyes, or gaze. Shen Tang felt as if she had punched a piece of cotton. Since he had already probed to this extent, making excuses to avoid or delay at this point would undoubtedly be giving him ammunition.
Shen Tang then smiled and said, "That's excellent."
At the same time, she silently recited the incantation taught by Chu Yao, "You can't see into someone's heart," not knowing if it would have any effect—this Mr. Gu's facial expression control was superb, and he himself had a sickly appearance, making it really hard to judge. Shen Tang could only deal with it as it came; if that didn't work—
She secretly glanced at Mr. Gu's neck out of the corner of her eye.
His neck was rather thin, and you could vaguely see blue veins.
Perhaps due to a long illness, Mr. Gu looked rather thin, and coupled with his height of just over 1.8 meters, he appeared very frail, much like Feilong from the pharmacy. An ordinary person this thin would be emaciated, but he, while thin, possessed a unique charm.
Such a clean and beautiful neck, it could be sliced open with a single sword stroke, right?
Shen Tang smiled and said, "I will go with you, sir. Thank you for your trouble."
Mr. Gu said calmly, "It's alright."
The two walked side by side, but their thoughts were different.
Mr. Gu was the first to break the silence. As if having a heart-to-heart talk, he began to speak: "Shen Lang's talent is truly enviable. It's only been a day or two since I last saw him, and he has already learned to prevent others from reading his mind. At Shen Lang's age, I am far inferior to him."
Shen Tang snorted inwardly, becoming even more vigilant.
A scholar's words are like a deceitful ghost.
What is this confusing title, "Shen Lang"?
He claimed that Shen Tang had successfully blocked his mind-reading, but only he knew the truth of his words. Who knew if he said that to lower Shen Tang's guard and thus achieve his goal of reading her mind? Therefore, she remained tense and dared not relax.
But she wasn't someone to be trifled with.
So, he pretended to be clueless and innocent, and asked for advice.
"Mr. Gu, I have a question."
Mr. Gu said, "Please speak freely."
Shen Tang asked, "With people coming and going on the street, does Mr. Gu's ability to read minds only apply to one person, or to all living beings?"
Mr. Gu asked, "What's the difference?"
Shen Tang: "When I was young, I overheard a saying at home that there are two things in this world that cannot be looked at directly: the blazing sun and the human heart. The darkness of the human heart is greater than an abyss. Most people have one face on the surface and another in their hearts; those who are truly consistent are rare. They flatter and fawn on the surface, but curse and resent in secret. If the person in question discovers this, they will not only fail to reflect on whether their behavior was appropriate, but will also generate new hatred. Even ordinary passersby who have no connection with us and only brush past each other will, upon seeing someone or something that interests them, make a great deal of judgment in their hearts. They will say that this person is strangely ugly, that person is sickly and will die young. Hearing these thoughts is so unlucky!"
They said it was bad luck, but their faces showed their disgust.
Mr. Gu's eyes flickered, and he asked in a good-natured manner, "Is Shen Lang consistent inside and out, or inconsistent?"
Shen Tang suddenly stopped smiling.
"He is consistent inside and out."
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
Mr. Gu seemed not to believe it.
"I've always been the kind of person who curses in my heart and out loud, behind people's backs and to their faces. Doesn't that count as being consistent in word and deed?"
Shen Tang spoke with righteous indignation.
Please refer to her as the "Grandmaster of the Art of Being Silly and Unsettling".
Mr. Gu pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, he must have been lucky." If he hadn't been lucky, he would have been in trouble with several sacks just by relying on his mouth.
Throughout the journey, sparks flew between the two, with Shen Tang being sarcastic and Mr. Gu remaining unmoved.
Finally, just as they were about to approach the Yaoling Pavilion—
Mr. Gu brought up Chu Yao: "The handyman that Shen Lang bought from Yuehua Tower before, his surname is Chu. Does Shen Lang know his background?"
Shen Tang: "Do I need to know the background of a servant just to buy him?"
The implication was that she didn't know Chu Yao's background or origins.
How could Mr. Gu possibly believe that?
Although he was just a kitchen dishwasher, and his indenture didn't even have a proper name, only a simple surname and the date and amount he paid for it, Mr. Gu still knew the general idea from these minor details.
That handyman called "Old Chu" is no ordinary person; he is very likely Chu Yao, one of the three heroes of the Chu Kingdom!
hehe.
He and Weng Zhi (Guan'er) stayed at Yuehua Tower for quite a while, unaware that this Xianggu Pavilion was hiding such a person.
It's a real shame to have missed it.
When Shen Tang first came here, he specifically requested to buy her back.
If there was no premeditation involved, who would believe it?
Furthermore—
He also discovered a very interesting "coincidence".
Thus, this test took place.
The Jiaofang (a type of entertainment venue) wasn't just a place for illicit sexual pleasure; it also provided entertainment such as singing and dancing for banquets. It employed male courtesans, female courtesans, musicians, and dancers. Families would pay these performers to come and perform during festivals and celebrations.
This is impressive!
Therefore, Yaoling Pavilion was thriving. Even during the day, the air was filled with the melancholic and lingering sounds of silk and bamboo instruments. Shen Tang followed behind Mr. Gu with unhurried steps, her eyes fixed on the dancing girls on the stage.
They practically have the word "serious" etched on their faces.
She asked, "Are all the women of the Gong family here too?"
Mr. Gu replied, "Part of it is."
Shen Tang asked, "What about the other part?"
Mr. Gu said, "There are none left on the road."
Shen Tang: "..."
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Hearing your words is like hearing a lecture.
Mr. Gu seemed to be a regular or VIP at Yaoling Pavilion. As soon as he entered, a courtesan led the two to a private room that could be described as elegant and luxurious. The private room was very large and had a large flower drum that resembled an indoor performance stage.
As soon as the two entered the room, servants brought out empty wine jars.
I only need 80 more monthly passes, sob sob, there are still 24 hours left tomorrow.
There will be two more updates tonight, and the third update will probably be quite late.
(End of this chapter)
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