Chapter 81 I like you. He's a very good person, but I feel like I'm not good enough for him...
"You're just deceiving yourself."
Lian Quesheng was speechless, but his body language betrayed him. He still held the two wads of cotton tightly, rolled his eyes, and his emotions had completely and naturally shifted from resentment to silent compromise. "Deceiving oneself like an ostrich."
"Actually, I really wanted to hear them talk about these things, like how Jiang Yu and Shen Jiuxu became friends after a fight, secretly tied the knot in Shuling, and how the three of them were together at the sect competition. After my own personal experiences became stories in their mouths, it felt different."
Lian Quesheng couldn't understand it. After all, he was a completely marginal character in the story of the three of them, and the story was so convincing that even he, as one of the parties involved, couldn't understand it.
"Are you saying that Lian Quesheng was jealous of Jiang Yu's talent and deliberately used underhanded tricks to harm him during the sect competition, but Shen Jiuxu saw through his scheme and the two of them joined forces to severely beat the eldest young master of the Lian family! Also, Lian Quesheng visited a brothel on the night of his birth and was caught by Shen Jiuxu. In order to gain experience, he chased after the peerless beauty Jiang Yu and specially asked her to be his disciple for guidance?"
Lian Quesheng was indignant. Although a long time had passed, he still remembered these words vividly. Who knew how those neighbors spread such unrelated rumors!
What do you mean he's jealous of Jiang Yu's talent?
He was clearly only interested in the sword on Jiang Yu's body, so he leaned over to examine it closely for a while. At that time, the wind was too strong, and Jiang Yu's belt was fluttering back and forth, and it accidentally fell into his hand.
Lian Quesheng was captivated by the elegance of Xian Chen Sword when the ribbon blinded him. Without thinking, he reached out to grab it, but stumbled and almost fell. He was caught by Shen Jiuxu, who was quick-witted and watching his condition closely.
The culprit, Lian Quesheng, plopped down on the ground with a thud.
Then the matter was spread by some gossipy disciples, who said that he deliberately pushed Jiang Yu, that he had no good intentions, and that he did this bad thing out of jealousy of Jiang Yu.
What followed was even more outrageous: he was seen frequenting brothels and indulging in pleasure. When Lian Chisu and Lu Buwen heard this, they almost beat him to death with a board.
But the truth is that Jiang Yu was just curious and dragged him and Shen Jiuxu to a brothel to drink their newly released plum wine. Lian Quesheng accidentally got drunk and ran into the street in public, which led to a series of rumors.
From then on, Lian Quesheng never believed any rumors about someone on the streets or alleys. It was as if the baby had already been born when nothing was even confirmed.
Jiang Yu really didn't expect him to remember it so vividly.
"How about I ask them to spread some nice stories about you?" Jiang Yu smiled, her eyes crinkling and her lips curving upwards. These stories were indeed a bit outrageous, but perhaps because they appealed to the public, they spread wider and wider, eventually becoming deeply ingrained in people's minds.
"Young Master Lian is so generous; he can get whatever he wants to hear with just a snap of his fingers, can't he?"
Lian Quesheng's face flushed red and then turned pale at his words, as if he were about to use every color imaginable. Embarrassment quickly crept in. "I'm not some tyrant who only picks the nicest things to say."
"Quesheng, I'm not afraid of what they say. If people keep talking, you can't shut them all up. Besides, I really am gay."
Jiang Yu paused for a moment, his expression serious, "I know you and they are doing this for my and Jiu Xu's good, but these are all minor matters. I can't let their words affect my life. Everyone has their own destiny, so just think it through."
Lian Quesheng stopped talking. Anyway, the outcome was already known and couldn't be changed. At worst, if he heard something unpleasant, he would just beat the person up.
"Alright, I'll be going now. Tomorrow is the succession ceremony, and I'll be following my master, so I won't be able to go with you. If anything happens, just call me."
"If you were to rashly join our group, the people from Xingchenque would probably object. I don't want to steal away the person they cherish most."
Lian Quesheng felt a little embarrassed by these words. The disciples of Xingchenque were probably too strictly disciplined and all followed the rules. Only Lian Quesheng was rebellious. However, he was from Bailuzhou, so the elders always had to give Lian Chisu some face when they wanted to teach him a lesson.
The end result was that the disciples would act as if they had seen Lian Quesheng's second parents whenever they saw him. They would even abandon their own master and follow Lian Quesheng around like glue, almost stepping on his shoes until they lost their heels.
Lian Quesheng scratched his head and left.
Jiang Yu was left staring at the candlelight inside the room, which flickered in the wind, adding a touch of eeriness to the otherwise comfortable space.
He suddenly wanted to pick up Shen Jiuxu.
It had only been half a day, but Jiang Yu had already thought about the person over and over again in his mind. Anyway, there was nothing major happening now, so it was only natural for him to go and pick someone up.
Given the widespread rumors about Jiang Yu's heroic act of beating up Lian Feng, coupled with his distinctive face, Shen Wuke's disciples now greet him whenever they see him.
"Young Master Jiang—"
"Greetings, Young Master Jiang!"
Even with Jiang Yu's thick skin, he couldn't withstand the barrage of words and gradually gave in. It wasn't until Shen Jiuxu walked over that everyone dispersed like a gust of wind.
Why aren't you resting in bed?
Although Jiang Yu appeared to be fine after being saved by Xian Chen, Shen Jiuxu was still uneasy. The method was strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He could only carefully observe Jiang Yu's physical condition. It would be best if he was alright, but if there were any hidden problems, he could correct them immediately.
"I came here because I wanted to see you as soon as possible."
Shen Wuke's affairs were numerous and trivial. Shen Jiuxu had never done this before, so this was his first time. He could only learn to handle things little by little, which took up a lot of time.
He looked tired, and when he saw Jiang Yu, he rested his head on Jiang Yu's shoulder and whispered, "I missed you too."
"Hmm." Jiang Yu's voice sounded somewhat perfunctory, but he couldn't hide the smile on his lips. He then asked, "Did Elder Lian give you a hard time today?"
"No, he seems much more well-behaved now. I still have to thank Lord Jiang for personally teaching him a lesson a few days ago." Shen Jiuxu recalled the scene at the time, his eyes squinting upwards. "If they can behave themselves like this for the rest of their lives, I have no intention of pursuing it. After all, they are also my master's disciples. If they cause too much trouble, it will be a loss of face."
"Just listen to me."
Jiang Yu knew no one was causing trouble, so he stopped asking questions. "Are you nervous about the succession ceremony tomorrow?"
"fine."
Shen Jiuxu pondered for a while. He probably had too much to deal with that day, and his mind was a little foggy. He looked dazed. "The most tense time has passed."
Jiang Yu chuckled, "When?"
“When I told you I liked you,” Shen Jiuxu lowered his eyes, “I was so nervous that I didn’t sleep well for days. The succession ceremony can’t compare to that.”
He looked at Jiang Yu walking slowly beside him, his thoughts drifting away because of his own words. Some people often said that he and Jiang Yu were a match made in heaven, and that their relationship was a natural progression. But only Shen Jiuxu knew how much effort he had put in to get Jiang Yu to agree.
At that time, he was like a distant relative living in someone else's house. Zhou Yongyin thought he was just Jiang Yu's good friend and had no other thoughts. As for Jiang Yu, after spending more time with Shen Jiuxu, he found that he was like a peacock who liked to show off his feathers everywhere.
Although he didn't have any other intentions, his face was already more alluring than many people's, so Shen Jiuxu began to worry every day about whether Jiang Yu would pick up someone like him.
So during that period, he followed Jiang Yu almost every day, which aroused the man's suspicion. He specially found a time to sit with Shen Jiuxu in a secluded place and solemnly asked, "You... what's going on these days? Why are you following me every day? Is there something you want to say?"
"……No."
Shen Jiuxu, of course, refused to admit it. He didn't know what Jiang Yu was thinking, so he didn't dare to reveal his own thoughts. He could only hold back for a while before saying, "...I...I just wanted to ask you...what kind of person do you like?"
Jiang Yu felt something was off. He stared silently at the man he had spent so much time with, looking him over from head to toe, left to right, bit by bit. "You... what's on your mind?"
"You have someone you like?"
He asked with absolute certainty.
Chen Jiuxu panicked and quickly denied it, "I...I didn't...Yes...you guessed it, I did...I have someone I like, and I just wanted to ask you."
"Why is the person you like asking me this?"
Jiang Yu felt uncomfortable, but he didn't know where this strange and unfamiliar emotion came from. He quickly glanced at Shen Jiuxu, pretended to be calm, and took a step to the side, keeping his eyes on the green leaves, refusing to look at his face.
They must be laughing very happily.
His ears turned red, so it seems he really likes her. Shouldn't he, as her older brother, help Shen Jiuxu prepare some betrothal gifts?
But Shen Jiuxu was someone I picked up on the mountain. I ate his food, used his things, and even lived in his house. Why should I have to save up a dowry for him when he has someone he likes?
He is not Shen Jiuxu's biological brother.
"It's just a formality to call him 'Brother Jiang Yu,' and you actually took it seriously," Jiang Yu said self-deprecatingly. "If he really falls for someone, he can become a live-in son-in-law. That way, he won't be in my way anymore. How great would that be?"
"I...I don't know how to tell him."
Shen Jiuxu secretly glanced at Jiang Yu and saw that the other party was not looking at him and seemed to be in a daze, looking indifferent. A sense of fear instantly arose in his heart.
Jiang Yu was indeed getting impatient. If he continued, Jiang Yu would probably lose all face.
The two were very close, but their thoughts were different, and neither could guess what the other was thinking. Shen Jiuxu felt extremely bitter in his mouth and forced himself to endure the pain. "He is a very good person. I feel like I am not good enough for him."
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Author's Note: Jiang Yu: So who exactly is that person I like? [question mark]
Shen Jiuxu: He is a very good person.
Lian Quesheng: So many [lemons][lemons][lemons], so sour! (Achoo)
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