Regarding the matter of the enemy advancing and we retreating.
When Tang Feng and Zhang Mobai returned, Zhou Ziliang and Yang Fei had almost finished packing. Seeing Tang Feng return, Zhou Ziliang glanced at him from afar, intending to ask what was wrong, but remembering his earlier conversation with Yang Fei, he remained silent. Yang Fei hadn't wanted to get involved in their affairs so soon, but after this afternoon, he realized that if he couldn't resolve the relationship between Tang Feng and Zhou Ziliang, he and Bai Bai would never have a peaceful time together. So, he said to Zhou Ziliang, who was sitting there bewildered after being yelled at by Tang Feng, "In my opinion, you shouldn't explain the annulment of the engagement at all! The more you explain, the worse it gets." Zhou Ziliang agreed; it seemed that as soon as he opened his mouth, Tang Feng had an endless barrage of words to retort, and he genuinely didn't know what he had done to offend him.
The group managed to get through the night relatively unscathed. After Yang Fei lit the fire, he saw Zhang Mobai get out of the car. Just as he was about to speak, Zhang Mobai put his index finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet. After walking over, he whispered, "Keep it down, little brother is asleep." Seeing Yang Fei nod, he asked, "Where is Brother Ziliang?"
Yang Fei pointed to the treetops. "Up there! Ziliang said this isn't the main road, so he's keeping watch." He then pulled Zhang Mobai to his side and whispered, "At this rate, this problem will never be solved."
For the first time, Zhang Mobai didn't refute Yang Fei, after all, even he himself felt the same way. Although he had helped Tang Feng resist the marriage proposal before, it was only because he knew it wouldn't amount to much, and he was just going along with Tang Feng's antics to please him. Honestly, Zhang Mobai still hoped Tang Feng could be with Zhou Ziliang. After all, Zhou Ziliang's family was wealthy and he had no worries about food or drink. Even if Zhou Ziliang didn't have feelings for Tang Feng, he was undeniably caring! Besides, the saying "a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness" wasn't unfounded; once they spent more time together, wouldn't love blossom? "So... what are your thoughts?"
"Come, come, let me tell you..."
The next day, Tang Feng woke up feeling hot. Seeing an outer garment covering him, he knew without a doubt that Zhang Mobai had put it on him in the middle of the night to keep him warm. Just then, Zhang Mobai came in with a sesame seed cake. "Yo! Finally up? What's wrong? Did your temper last night drain your energy?" Tang Feng chuckled. After a night of this, he had figured things out. Let nature take its course; there was no need to harm himself. If he really got angry, he'd be helpless in this desolate wilderness! "By the way, little brother, I need to discuss something with you."
Tang Feng, munching on a sesame seed cake, looked at Zhang Mobai and asked indistinctly, "What's the matter?"
"Ugh! It's all because of that useless Yang Fei. Last night, while on night watch, he insisted on climbing a tree like Brother Ziliang. He twisted his ankle when he jumped down, so he probably can't ride a horse today." After saying that, as if afraid Tang Feng would ask something, he added, "Of course! I originally wanted to go riding, but you know how clingy Yang Fei is, he can't be separated from me for even half a minute."
Tang Feng looked out the window and whispered, "You little madman! I just scolded him yesterday, and you want me to ride a horse with him? Have you been out of your mind all night?"
"Oh, little brother! I know this puts you in a difficult position, but I have my reasons!" Seeing Zhang Mobai's coquettish act, Tang Feng couldn't say anything. He'd been so impulsive yesterday, speaking without thinking, causing the couple to suffer along with him! Oh well, consider it an apology. Tang Feng sighed and nodded, "Well... okay then!"
After saying that, Tang Feng got off the car with a sesame seed cake in his mouth. As soon as he got off, he saw Yang Fei waiting outside with one leg crossed. "Squinty-eyed, how could you be so careless? You were pretty good when you shot those three arrows in the south of the city!"
Yang Fei chuckled, "Oops, oh, it was an accident! The horse stumbled, I'm so sorry."
Tang Feng waved his hand and walked to where Yang Fei had tied his horse. Only when he was standing in front of the horse did he realize he had no idea how to ride. Tang Feng rubbed his hands nervously, thinking about the male protagonists in TV dramas who could easily mount with a simple step on the stirrup. Tang Feng put one foot on the stirrup and grabbed the saddle with one hand, then pushed off, but because he used too much force, he fell off to the other side. His fall startled Zhou Ziliang.
Hearing the noise, Zhou Ziliang came over to check on Tang Feng. "Are you alright?" he asked, reaching out to help Tang Feng up. Tang Feng, still preoccupied with whether or not to break off the engagement, ignored Zhou Ziliang and slowly got to his feet, pulling Yang Fei's horse towards the carriage.
Zhou Ziliang slowly withdrew his hand, watching Tang Feng's retreating figure. He felt a mix of emotions. Perhaps it was because Tang Feng had truly changed, completely changed, no longer the Tang Feng who used to cry and follow him around calling him Ziliang. But for some reason, instead of feeling happy, Zhou Ziliang felt a pang of loss.
Tang Feng, leading his horse, found Zhang Mobai. Zhang Mobai was sitting with Yang Fei, who had "twisted his ankle," discussing their next move. As soon as Yang Fei saw Tang Feng, he pretended to lie down on Zhang Mobai's lap and cried out, "Ouch! My goodness! It hurts so much, Bai Bai!" Hearing Yang Fei's cloying, pleading voice, Zhang Mobai instinctively wanted to kick him away, but instead, he met Tang Feng's gaze directly. Zhang Mobai chuckled, patted Yang Fei's head, and said through gritted teeth, "Ouch, it doesn't hurt, I'll rub it for you. Oh, isn't this your little brother? Is there something you need?"
Tang Feng felt like a beacon illuminating lives, burning himself to ignite others. He scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "Um... Little Crazy, could you teach me how to mount a horse?" Seeing Tang Feng's aggrieved expression, Zhang Mobai covered his mouth with his hand and coughed twice, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Sure... sure! Wait a minute, I'll get off."
It took Zhang Mobai a lot of effort to finally get Tang Feng up there. Tang Feng's flustered movements as he tugged at the reins were somewhat comical. Zhang Mobai then tied the reins aside, said goodbye to Tang Feng, and turned to find Zhou Ziliang.
“Brother Ziliang, my little brother can’t ride a horse, you have to keep an eye on him! I’m worried he might have some aftereffects from falling off his horse last time,” Zhang Mobai said, sounding aggrieved and pleading. Zhou Ziliang frowned, but agreed nonetheless. He probably didn’t understand why he agreed, knowing he would definitely be scolded if he went. By the time Zhou Ziliang came to his senses, Zhang Mobai had already entered the carriage, and Tang Feng’s reins were still tied to the side. Zhou Ziliang sighed, mounted his horse, and went over. Just as he was about to untie the reins, Tang Feng squeezed the horse’s belly. The horse, in pain and because of the reins, moved to the left. Zhou Ziliang’s hand froze in mid-air, but he didn’t pull it back. Zhou Ziliang simply turned to look at Tang Feng, whose eyes were still full of hostility and dissatisfaction. The two stared at each other for a long time, and finally Zhou Ziliang sighed, as if venting, and slowly said, “I’ll untie the reins for you. You don’t want to get on the horse again, do you?”
Upon hearing this, Tang Feng felt as if his Achilles' heel had been struck. He wanted to get angry but had no reason to, so he could only obediently let Zhou Ziliang untie his reins. After the reins were untied, Zhou Ziliang did not hand them to Tang Feng but held them in his hand. "I'll hold the reins. I know you can't ride a horse, so just in case."
Tang Feng didn't reply. After all, Zhou Ziliang was right, and he didn't want to get hurt needlessly over something so trivial. He tacitly approved of Zhou Ziliang's actions. Zhou Ziliang pulled the reins forward, then broke off a branch from a tree and lightly flicked the rump of the horse Tang Feng was riding. The horse, in pain, started moving. The two didn't exchange a single word the entire way. Zhou Ziliang didn't seem to care, focusing only on keeping Tang Feng safe on the horse, constantly adjusting the reins. But Tang Feng couldn't stand it; he was incredibly lonely with no one to talk to. He had probably cursed Yang Fei's ancestors countless times in his mind the whole way.
But Zhang Mobai and Yang Fei didn't have a moment's peace on the way. Zhang Mobai kept glancing outside at the two of them. "What's going on! Half a day has passed, and they haven't said a word! Zhou Ziliang is normal, but this young man shouldn't be like this!" Zhang Mobai pulled down the curtain, glanced at Yang Fei lying next to him, frowned, and slapped him on the stomach. "Get up, get up. Do you really think you're a patient? Look at the terrible idea you came up with! What a load of rubbish! The two of them haven't spoken a word all morning. What's the difference between this and riding in a carriage?"
Yang Fei, wincing in pain, sat up abruptly, then rubbed her stomach and said, "Oh dear, it takes two to tango, don't worry. It's definitely your little brother's obsession that's too strong. Quickly make him lay down his sword and pull back from the brink."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mobai was furious. He grabbed Yang Fei's ear, but dared not yell at him for fear of being overheard by Zhou Ziliang, so he whispered, "With all that time you waste on nonsense, you could have come up with countless solutions. Can you even think of one? If you can't solve it, then go ride a horse!"
"Oh dear! I was wrong, but that's not enough. If it really doesn't work, we'll implement the second plan."
"The second set?"
“Yes, the second set,” Yang Fei said, lifting the front curtain of the carriage and pointing forward. “We’ll start here.”
Zhang Mobai followed Yang Fei's hand and looked in the direction he pointed. The three large characters "Fenghe City" were prominently displayed on the city wall. At this moment, Zhou Ziliang lifted the curtain of the carriage. "Fenghe City is just ahead. We've arrived relatively early today. Should we stay here for the night or go around and continue on our way?"
"Let's check into a hotel! You didn't get enough rest yesterday, little brother," Zhang Mobai smiled. Zhou Ziliang turned to look at Tang Feng behind him, who just happened to yawn. Zhou Ziliang nodded, "Okay, let's check into a hotel then."
Yang Fei was a discerning person, and having previously served on a mission in Fenghe City, he knew exactly which inn had the best wine and the softest beds. As soon as they entered the city gates, the group specifically requested Zuixianju Inn, saying that not only was the food delicious, but even the beds had extra mattresses compared to other inns. Tang Feng and the others, having never been here before, simply listened to Yang Fei and went to Zuixianju Inn. Once inside, Yang Fei's foot was fine again, which he claimed was healed by Zhang Mobai's love. He strode in and called out as soon as he entered the room, "Little Golden Flower! Is she there?"
"Oh my! Isn't this Young Master Yang?" A woman, lifting her skirt, slowly descended the stairs. She had simply tied her hair up with chopsticks, wore light makeup, and possessed an oval face, cherry lips, and willow-leaf eyebrows—the quintessential beauty of the East. A camellia-patterned shawl draped over her shoulders, and she held a fan in her hand. "It's been a year since we last met; you, my busy man, have finally arrived."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mobai raised an eyebrow, pinched Yang Fei's waist, and asked meaningfully, "Who is she? I've never heard you mention her before, ah~" Yang Fei winced in pain, twisting his body and grinning. "Don't overthink it, she's just the proprietress of Zuixianju." He then pulled the proprietress aside and whispered a few words of advice. The proprietress smiled and went to Tang Feng, "I was wondering why my left eyelid had been twitching lately, turns out we have distinguished guests! You are all friends of Young Master Yang, I'll give you a 20% discount today. Are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"
After saying "Checking in," Zhou Ziliang took out ten taels of silver from his pocket. "Four superior rooms."
"Hiss~" The landlady took five taels out of the ten taels of silver and put them into her purse, then returned the rest to Zhou Ziliang, saying, "You can stay here, but we only have two rooms left. But don't worry, our beds are big enough for two people."
Tang Feng initially didn't think much of it, until Zhang Mobai, arm in arm with Yang Fei, said, "Little brother, is it alright if I sleep with Yang Fei tonight? After all, he was injured today! Although he's healed, I'm still a little worried." If Yang Fei had said that, Tang Feng might have slapped him without hesitation, just like he would Liu Yiwan. But since it was Zhang Mobai, Tang Feng couldn't argue. Besides, the young couple seemed to be sleeping well; what was the point of him interfering? However, Tang Feng then noticed Zhou Ziliang standing behind him and frowned. "Madam, there aren't any other rooms, not even a superior room."
"Oh, my young master! There are only these two rooms left. Why would I, Liu Jinhua, lie to you? What innkeeper wouldn't make money?"
"Where's the...wood shed?" The landlady fanned herself, sizing up Tang Feng. "There are so many people coming to the capital for the imperial examinations lately. Forget the wood shed, even the stables outside are full. Besides, with your small frame, even if there were room in the wood shed, you'd definitely get sick sleeping there for one night."
Tang Feng's lips twitched slightly. He closed his eyes as if making a huge decision, "It's just sleeping together! Fine, let's sleep together then!" With that, he lifted his shirt and went upstairs. By the time everyone was settled, it was already afternoon. Yang Fei ordered a large table of dishes, and the four of them sat around, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Zhang Mobai and Yang Fei were thinking about how to help Tang Feng and Zhou Ziliang get over their hurdle, Tang Feng was wondering how to spend the evening, and Zhou Ziliang sat quietly eating.
After dinner, Tang Feng and Zhou Ziliang sat on chairs, face to face, without saying a word. For the first time, Tang Feng missed his modern cell phone; it was truly a magical device that could ease awkwardness. It wasn't that Tang Feng didn't want to talk, but rather that the two of them simply had nothing to say. They stared at each other for two hours. Finally, Tang Feng couldn't sit still any longer. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and headed towards Zhang Mobai's room. He absolutely refused to sleep with Zhou Ziliang tonight; this was his final line. No matter the reason, he had to get Yang Fei to sleep there. But when he stood at the door, Tang Feng was dumbfounded.
"Oh, bye-bye, give me a kiss!"
"Don't touch me! Don't lay a hand on me! Get out of here!"
Bye-bye~
Tang Feng, holding a pillow, stood outside, stunned. This was a clip he could listen to without paying! He then returned to the house, somewhat dazed. Zhou Ziliang sat on a stool, slowly took a sip of tea, and asked, "What's wrong? Did you hear something you shouldn't have?"
Tang Feng raised an eyebrow, veins throbbing, and then spread the blanket on the floor. "You sleep on the bed tonight, I'll sleep on the floor! I told you not to touch me, you hear me!" He was about to lie down when Zhou Ziliang grabbed the pillow from Tang Feng's hand. "It's not summer now, be careful of getting chilly at night. If you really can't stand it, then I'll sleep on the floor." He then took the pillow from Tang Feng and spread it out. Tang Feng paused for a few seconds, carefully considering Zhou Ziliang's words, and decided he wasn't at a disadvantage, so he covered himself with the blanket and prepared to sleep. Just then, Tang Feng heard a tile knocking, thinking it was a cat stealing fish, but then he glanced at Zhou Ziliang, who was warily watching the roof.
"Don't be so jumpy. It was just a stray cat stealing fish." Tang Feng had barely finished speaking when he saw Zhou Ziliang pick up some peanuts from the table, play with them in his hand, and then throw them forcefully towards the roof. A scream came from above. Afterward, Zhou Ziliang walked over to Tang Feng, tucked the blanket up a bit, and said, "The fish-stealing cat has been chased away. You should get some rest too!"
Tang Feng hugged the corner of the blanket, slowly covering his nose, then turned over and turned his back to Zhou Ziliang, said "Oh," and fell asleep.
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