WMSG Chapter 77
by VolareYe Yueshen’s hair-tying movements were very swift. Gong Xunwu saw his fingers grab a few times in his hair, forming a bun in a very perfunctory way, almost stabbing his own fingers when inserting the hairpin.
He lowered his head and brought his fingers to his eyes to check, looking like it hurt a lot.
Gong Xunwu was about to be unable to help himself and return to coax him, but if that were the case, Ye Yueshen would probably run away from him.
The event of hunting in the mountains, with the arrow piercing through Ye Yueshen’s bun and pinning him to the tree, seemed like a distant memory, but in reality, it had only been half a year.
At that time, Ye Yueshen was still an idiot who couldn’t even tie his own hair. Gong Xunwu remembered that he had casually helped him make a bun, just like this, in a style where all the hair was gathered on top of his head.
In Gong Xunwu’s impression, Ye Yueshen was still a child who had half his hair loose and hadn’t yet reached adulthood. But now he was like countless poor people’s children who went out to make a living early, tying up their hair neatly to avoid hindering their work.
Actually, Ye Yueshen should be carefully protected in his manor, Gong Xunwu thought.
Gong Xunwu slowed his pace as he walked up the stairs. Ye Yueshen only caught up when he was about to turn the corner. Gong Xunwu resumed his normal speed, pretending he hadn’t been waiting.
Ye Yueshen was like a waiter, running up the stairs and politely saying, “Customer, this way, please. Watch out for the lantern on the ground.”
Then Gong Xunwu saw Ye Yueshen step forward and pick up a lantern that someone had thrown there and place it aside, before pushing open the door for him: “Please.”
Gong Xunwu’s heart was heavy.
The day after Ye Lingchen kicked Ye Yueshen out of the Ye family, when he came to visit Ye Yueshen, Ye Yuanshen couldn’t hide it anymore and told him that the Ye family had been looking for Ye Yueshen for a day and a night.
Gong Xunwu had searched the entire capital. He had also beaten Ye Lingchen, threatening him: “If anything happens to him, you just wait.”
After three days and still no sign of him, Gong Xunwu couldn’t stand it anymore and locked up Ye Lingchen on charges of dereliction of duty due to drunkenness.
Everyone knew that Ye Lingchen wasn’t suited for doing serious things. In the past, people had turned a blind eye out of consideration for the Junzhu’s face, but if the Prince Qi wanted to pursue the matter, naturally no one dared to vouch for the young master.
The Junzhu’s eyes were swollen from crying. Suddenly, one day, people from the palace came and took away her youngest son, saying that he wasn’t her biological son.
Later, her eldest son came back to comfort her and told her that he was indeed her biological son, that someone was spreading rumors. The “someone” wasn’t someone else, but her husband’s nephew whom she had raised in the manor.
The servants secretly told him that the two brothers, who had previously been the eldest son unilaterally scolding the second son, suddenly had a big fight and smashed things all over the room.
Then, without the palace notifying her to pick him up, the youngest son, who came back alone early in the morning, was chased away by the second son. Even the feather duster was broken, and the second son kept his mouth shut, refusing to say a word.
The eldest son, who used to mediate between them, refused to mediate this time, standing beside with a cold face.
The youngest son disappeared for three days, his life or death unknown. The lecherous man who used to bully him, whether he had developed true feelings or his conscience had awakened, sent people all over the capital to look for him, and went to their house to go crazy, and had people arrest the second son and lock him up.
Now, she didn’t even have the energy to go to the palace to ask the Empress Dowager for help. Her heart was a mess, and she felt hopeless.
After another two days, Gong Xunwu had someone go to the Marquis’s Mansion and said that the person had been found and was in the Shi Yue Ge, so they didn’t need to worry.
At noon that day, Ye Lingchen was sent home, but he still refused to speak, locking himself in his room and refusing to see anyone.
Ye Yueshen put away the cloth covering his face and stood next to Gong Xunwu to pour tea. The waiter came in to serve, and Ye Yueshen said that it was fine with him here, and then turned to introduce some popular dishes to Gong Xunwu.
“Steamed Phoenix Palms are liked by many people.” Ye Yueshen had eaten them once, when the chef said he had made too much and the plate couldn’t hold it, and had used a large spoon to scoop them directly into his bowl. “They’re cooked over high heat and are very soft.”
Gong Xunwu stared at him: “Okay.”
“Braised Lion’s Head is also good.” Ye Yueshen remembered the lion’s head he hadn’t finished, and felt a little regret: “It’s very flavorful and chewy.”
Gong Xunwu said softly: “Okay.”
Ye Yueshen hadn’t eaten too much either, so he thought for a while: “Also, the mushroom and dried chicken drumsticks smell very fragrant.”
“Okay,” Gong Xunwu agreed to everything, just staring at Ye Yueshen.
Ye Yueshen was calculating how much money it would cost and whether the shopkeeper would give him an employee discount price. He couldn’t help but say a vegetarian dish: “Stir-fried Bamboo Shoots are also very delicious.”
“Okay,” Gong Xunwu nodded to him, “You sit down too.”
Ye Yueshen looked at his mask, thinking that it was lucky that the mask revealed his mouth and chin, otherwise this customer wouldn’t know how to eat.
It had been a while since he sat down, and this person hadn’t taken off his mask, indicating that he had a special identity or was cautious and inconvenient to see people, so Yueshen didn’t say anything.
“Please wait a moment, customer.” Ye Yueshen didn’t sit down, bowed slightly to him, and then exited the private room. He closed the door and took a deep breath at the door, and then ran down in big steps, not caring that Yehe was calling him from behind, and ran home in one breath.
He hesitated between the clothes he was wearing when he came out and the jade pendant that Gong Xunwu had given him. He had already promised to give the clothes to Yehe, because Yehe touched the patterns on his sleeves and his eyes were about to fall on them.
Ye Yueshen clenched the jade tablet and finally made up his mind to bring the things to the Shi Yue Ge. He called the shopkeeper to a place where no one was and then spread out his palm: “I want to pawn this tablet here. After the meal upstairs is finished, I’ll use my wages to pay for however much it costs.”
The shopkeeper was easy to talk to: “Okay, you go up quickly.”
Ye Yueshen didn’t move, and said again: “Don’t pawn the jade pendant, and don’t sell it. When I pay back the money, you must return it to me.”
The shopkeeper had a slight smile on his lips: “Is this a very important thing to you?”
If he said it wasn’t important, Ye Yueshen was afraid that the shopkeeper wouldn’t take it seriously, so he said with a very sincere expression and tone: “It’s very important. It was given to me by my sweetheart.”
The shopkeeper was very surprised: “Sweetheart? Who is your sweetheart? Where is he now?”
“You don’t know him,” Ye Yueshen lowered his eyes, “He’s dead. This is the only thing he left for me. I hope you’ll keep it safe for me.”
The shopkeeper’s eyes showed horror, and he stammered when he spoke: “This… you, okay, I’ll keep it safe.”
The shopkeeper received the tablet very piously, even using both hands.
Only then did Ye Yueshen go upstairs. The masked man was still sitting in the original position. The four dishes on the table had been set, and there were also two sets of bowls and chopsticks. The masked man hadn’t touched his chopsticks. When he heard the door open, he looked over, seemingly waiting for him.
Ye Yueshen stood next to him, then took chopsticks and helped him dish out the food: “Please eat, customer. Today, I was fortunate to have your help, otherwise…”
Seeing that he didn’t continue, Gong Xunwu asked: “Otherwise, would you be afraid?”
Ye Yueshen shook his head: “It doesn’t really count. I’m not afraid of those drunkards who are staggering when they walk, but I’m afraid of offending them since I have a humble position. It’s really hard to deal with them, otherwise I would have done it long ago.”
Gong Xunwu sized him up: “You can also hit people?”
Ye Yueshen made an inappropriate joke: “I’ve also killed people.”
“I don’t believe it,” Gong Xunwu lowered his head and ate the bamboo shoots that Ye Yueshen had picked for him, “You’re clearly a very well-behaved child.”
Ye Yueshen smiled: “But I have no experience, so I was manipulated.”
“Then he’s really an asshole,” Gong Xunwu’s face under the mask didn’t have any expression, “I guess he must be regretting it now.”
“Does the customer want to drink alcohol?” Ye Yueshen helped him pour tea.
Gong Xunwu thought about it: “I won’t drink it. Why don’t you sit down? I can’t finish it by myself.”
Ye Yueshen didn’t sit down: “I’ll still serve you. It’s more convenient to stand.”
He stopped talking, but focused on picking up dishes and pouring tea for Gong Xunwu.
Gong Xunwu remained silent for a while, and took the initiative to say: “Today is considered a coincidence. Originally, I was supposed to set off lanterns with my sweetheart, but my sweetheart abandoned me, so I can only come here to wander around and drown my sorrows in alcohol.”
Ye Yueshen asked again: “Does the customer want so much alcohol? I’ll help…”
“No need,” Gong Xunwu smiled, “Being sober is the suffering I should endure.”
After another moment of silence, Gong Xunwu said: “My sweetheart is kind and innocent. Sometimes I think he’s exquisite and gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Sometimes I think he’s an idiot who can’t understand very simple things.”
Ye Yueshen walked behind the screen and added some firewood to the stove.
After Gong Xunwu waited for him to come back, he continued: “I’ve made mistakes before, but I’m willing to make amends and pay a considerable price. But he left without saying goodbye. Do you think he’s heartless?”
“Yes,” Ye Yueshen nodded, perfunctorily helping the righteous person who rescued him, “People and people emphasize fate. If some fate is exhausted, there’s no need to be persistent. Because there is a better fate waiting for you.”
“You’re wrong,” Gong Xunwu stared at him, “Originally there was no intersection. My fate with him was originally stolen by me.”
Ye Yueshen’s expression had become as cold as ice: “Then you can continue to steal it.”
Gong Xunwu suddenly lost his energy again: “I won’t do any more ridiculous things. I’ll sincerely win him back.”
Ye Yueshen didn’t say a word, concentrating on using his chopsticks to remove the bones from the duck palms.
Although Gong Xunwu intentionally dragged out the time, as soon as Ye Yueshen couldn’t help but yawn, he immediately put down his chopsticks and said it was okay, then stood up: “I’m leaving.”
Ye Yueshen sent him to the stairs, and the shopkeeper urged Ye Yueshen: “Send your benefactor off again?”
Ye Yueshen had no choice but to walk down again, sending Gong Xunwu to the door. Gong Xunwu turned his head to look at him, afraid that he would see through his disguise, so he didn’t dare to look for too long. He took a few quick steps and mounted his horse.
Ye Yueshen went back to find the shopkeeper and said to him: “I won’t redeem that jade, and don’t deduct my wages either.”
The shopkeeper was stunned: “That jade is top-notch. Are you going to give it up for a bit of wages? Isn’t this penny-wise and pound-foolish?”
“If I don’t want it, I don’t want it,” Ye Yueshen’s face turned cold: “It’s useless to keep the old thing. Out with the old, in with the new. You can dispose of it as you see fit.”
Just as Ye Yueshen turned around to leave, he saw the “benefactor” who had returned standing at the door, staring straight at him, and then raised his hand and took off the mask on his face.
Ye Yueshen didn’t feel surprised. He couldn’t see his face clearly outside just now. When he first entered the house, he was too nervous about the money, so he didn’t look carefully. When he came back, Gong Xunwu hadn’t said a few words before he realized something was wrong.