A Seductive Gentleman Chapter 52

Chapter 52: From the Flower Reflects a Picture – Part 9

One person stands on the wall with an umbrella.

One person stands on the ground leaning against the wall.

The two gazed at each other for a while. Huai Yu jumped down, the sleeves of his robes fluttering in the air, like a cold and beautiful immortal.

Ming ChangYan abnormally took a step back, before he came to a halt, thinking: What am I retreating for?

He coughed and said, "The rains getting heavier, let's first find a place to stay the night."

Huai Yu didn't mention what had happened, merely tilting the umbrella closer to him to cover him up from the rain and fog.

After Ming ChangYan was met with this move, the heat on his face gradually subsided and he could finally think normally, saying, "That monk from XiaoHan Temple died so inexplicably, I can't tell what they're up to."

Huai Yu said, "It doesn't matter what they're up to, you should take care of your body first."

Ming ChangYan gave him a faint smile, "My body's already healthy enough. Although my cultivation hasn't fully recovered yet, it's still more than enough when dealing with a few nobodies."

He thought about it, then puffed up and grinned, "Don't forget I'm number one in the world."

Huai Yu said, "No, you're not allowed to leave the capital until you're well."

Ming ChangYan said, "Little Huai Yu, that isn't something that you can control."

Huai Yu said, "Then you can give it a try and see if I'm able to or not."

Ming ChangYan felt that it would be very dangerous to let this conversation continue on, thus he quickly shut his mouth and very devotedly began to continue walking.

It was already deep into the night when it began raining once again. Huai Yu led them out of the alley, making Ming ChangYan incessantly amazed at him.

"The terrain's so complicated, how are you able to walk out?"

Huai Yu said, " You get used to it after walking through it so many times,"

Ming ChangYan sighed, "There're a lot of alleys in the Central Plains. When I first came, I couldn't get used to the roads and I still can't get used to them."

At haishi*, the rain got even heavier. Ming ChangYan's entire body was ice-cold as he walked through the rain and fog.

(TN: Around 9-11 pm)

It wasn't easy to find an inn at this time. Moreover, Huai Yu was extremely finicky, so if he had him stay in an even slightly shabby place it would probably cost him his life.

The two walked for a while when Ming ChangYan said, "Why don't we just use qinggong*, how long do you expect us to keep walking."

(TN: Qinggong is a technique in Chinese martial arts where you make the body extremely light in weight by altering the flow of qi in the body)

Huai Yu shook his head, "Won't do."

Ming ChangYan asked, "Why not?"

Huai Yu, "You're completely drenched, not suitable for qinggong, you'll catch a cold."

Ming ChangYan was stunned for a bit but didn't say anything, quietly carrying on. He was probably too quiet that Huai Yu felt that it was too surprising, taking a few more glances at him.

After walking for about an incense worth of time, they finally found a first-class tavern. Huai Yu asked for a room, Ming ChangYan said, "Why do you only want one room?"

Huai Yu said, "Am I paying or are you paying?"

Ming ChangYan, "You're paying."

He kissed up to him, "The Young Prime Minister has the final say!"

When they got to the room, a waiter brought up a heated bucket of hot water.

Seeing that Huai Yu didn't take off his clothes, Ming ChangYan knew that this hot water was prepared for him. He laughed and cupped his hands, "Much thanks to the Young Prime Minister for going through such trouble!"

After saying this, he reached out to remove the sash around his waist. As a result, just as he untied his sash the speed of his hands slowed down. That strange feeling from his heart emerged again, making Ming shaoxia feel very confused.

He paused unnaturally as if the clothes on his body weighed a thousand pounds and couldn't be taken off no matter what. Huai Yu took out the medicine bag that he had on him and spread herbal medicine onto the water.

It was probably because Ming ChangYan was moving way too slowly when taking off his clothes that it took him half an incense stick to remove a coat, Huai Yu finally couldn't help but ask, "Are you feeling unwell?"

When Ming ChangYan heard this, he nervously said, "No! It's a misunderstanding, misunderstanding."

Huai Yu inexplicably looked at him, "Are you not able to take off your clothing, do you need help?"

At this, Ming ChangYan's hairs stood up on one end, walking towards the direction of the tub he laughed, "No need no need! My clothes are just wet with water so they wound up in knots that are hard to undo, I'm almost done!"

He secretly thought: It's not like I haven't taken my clothes off in front of him before, it didn't matter before so why am I acting like this now?

There were currently two little people in Ming shaoxia's mind that were in a fierce battle.

Person A said: Take it off, you're both men, what are you so afraid of! Don't tell me if he sees you he's going to have to take responsibility for you! Or are you saying that you have some sort of ulterior motive!

Hearing this, Person B instantly changed his stance at this war, saying: Exactly!

Ming ChangYan furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head, casting off this strange thought. He glanced at Huai Yu from the corner of his eyes, seeing that the latter had already picked up a book and begun reading it by borrowing the light from the candlestick on the table. This scene was both exceptionally familiar and tranquil. Along with Huai Yu's small, otherworldly snow-white face, it truly was the image of a beauty who warms the heart and delights the eye, reading under a light.

He thought to himself: Huai Yu looks so concentrated, he probably wouldn't even notice me. This room's also big enough, it seems like I'm being too meticulous and it's making me look dramatic.

Reconsidering he thought again: Besides, we're both men, it's not like I'm going to lose a slab of meat if he sees, what am I being nervous for!

During the time Ming shaoxia spent in TianQing, there weren't any females within the inner section of TianQing—-Hua YunChang didn't count. So in front of them, Ming shaoxia never understood what having face and gender was. When he was about 17 to 18 years old, he would always be bare-chested with LiMin-jun when making fires, all very carefree as he jumped up and down XianYue Mountain.

And now, he's going as far as to be embarrassed which was unlike him at all!

Ming ChangYan took two deep breaths.

Then after a while, he took off his outer garment and left behind an inner robe.

He wore this as he calmly made his way into the tub.

Huai Yu was a bit surprised, setting down his book he said, "You're taking a bath in your clothes?"

Ming ChangYan opened his mouth and laughed, saying, "Yeah, if I bath like this, I can wash myself and my clothes at the same time, so I don't see any reason why not!"

Huai Yu looked at him with a complicated expression.

Ming ChangYan wasn't aware of it all, even thinking that this idea was brilliant, exceedingly brilliant, making him feel a bit smug.

Huai Yu stood up from the table and walked up to Ming ChangYan.

Ming ChangYan sat in the water, hurriedly turning the opposite direction, "What are you doing over here?"

Huai Yu coldly spit out four words, "Take off your clothes."

Ming ChangYan stared at him with a foolish blank look for a while. Huai Yu felt disinclined to speak nonsense to this number one in the world with a frequent short-circuited brain, using his utmost strength to peel the clothes off Ming ChangYan's body. The latter's soul just came back to his body and in an act of confusion, began to vigorously struggle back.

The sound of water immediately echoed throughout the entire room.

Ming ChangYan clutched onto his own collar, his face deadly pale, "What are you doing!"

Huai Yu had already stated his intention once thus he won't say it a second time. Rather he made a prompt decision to peel off the other's clothes with determination.

The two's physical strength differed greatly, Ming ChangYan had only regained half of his cultivation and at this moment he realized that he definitely wasn't Huai Yu's opponent. After struggling for no less than a quarter-hour, he had completely exhausted his energy and could only allow the other party to take off his inner robe. That inner robe wasn't taken off by normal means, but forcefully pulled off during the two's 'you pull, I go.' As a result, there were many tattered bits and looked like it can't be worn anymore.

Ming ChangYan shouted, "Huai Yu! You're too unreasonable!"

Huai Yu coldly said, "I think it's because you're not being clear-headed."

To take a bath with clothes on, this kind of mythical concept could only be created by Ming ChangYan, this kind of prodigy.

As a result, he took the blame, muttering, he began to slowly wash his body.

After such a scene, the former awkwardness Ming ChangYan was feeling went away. The fatigue chose to emerge this moment making his body slide little by little down the tub until only exposing a head. Suddenly, Ming ChangYan recalled something and asked, "When is the next Great FengShan Feast?"

"December 24 of this year."

After thinking about it, Ming ChangYan realized that it wasn't that far away. It could be assumed that XiaoHan Temple has been flourishing these past few years since they recently moved to one of the most prosperous locations in Huating. And for the Great FengShan Feast at the end of the year, they will probably use up everything they've got in order to get the Common People's Order in their hands. If it was just a blade, then Ming ChangYan didn't really care. But in the Great FengShan Feast, possessing the Common People's Order represented the power and status one has in the martial circles of the Central Plains.

Just like three years ago; XiaoHan Temple had called upon other sects in the futile attempt to eliminate him, but in reality, they wanted to put an end to both him and TianQing. Who would've known that before this group of people could even invade TianQing, Ming ChangYan had already gone ahead and died. Now that they didn't have any reason to eliminate TianQing and because XiaoHan Temple was only an ordinary sect without the Common People's Order at that time, they could no longer use this reason to have the other sects continue to encircle the TianQing sect that had already lost their Noble Gentleman.

According to what Xiu LingLong had said, everyone else was still in TianQing. Although they certainly weren't as well-off as they used to be, neither were they entirely run-down. If the Common People's Order truly got into the hands of XiaoHan Temple, then everyone at TianQing, especially the inner disciples, definitely won't be let off by XiaoHan Temple.

No matter who's hands the Common People's Order falls into, it can never fall into XiaoHan Temple's.

Thinking up to here, Ming ChangYan slightly moved his spiritual energy around a bit, calculating how much of his cultivation he would have regained by the end of the year. He once again calculated, if he was to obtain this blade once again in front of the masses….thinking up to here, Ming ChangYan let out a sigh. It's a pity that he didn't possess the courage he once had during those years.

Not to mention all those specious sect massacres, after he killed Wan QianQiu, XiaoHan Temple came in and added fuel to the fire and blamed the entire thing on him. If he appears out of nowhere at the end of the year and seizes the Common People's Order, then wouldn't it lead up to another encirclement and annihilation?

He used to believe that if he became the strongest, most powerful person in the world, no one would be able to hurt him or the people that he wanted to protect.

It was only afterwards that he learned that this wasn't the case.

After he finished his bath, Ming ChangYan put on the other inner robe that had been prepared for the guest room. Although it wasn't as cozy as his own, it was still better than not wearing it.

He was then faced with a second problem.

There was only one bed in the room, who sleeps on the bed and who sleeps on the floor?

He took a quick glance at the floor.

As a first-class tavern, it was natural that the floor wasn't filled with dust and made with top-notch mahogany wood planks. Even though it was clean, it still made his blood boil. There was a thin quilt in the cupboard, if spread across the floor, then there wouldn't be anything to cover his body. If used to cover his body, then there wouldn't be anything to spread across the floor. Unless he wrapped himself into a bundle then there were no ways to satisfy both parties.

Ming ChangYan glimpsed at Huai Yu and thought that with his character, there was no way that he would sleep on the ground. As a result, Ming shaoxia confessed to his own misfortune and gave him this, going towards the cupboard to retrieve the quilt.

Upon seeing this Huai Yu asked, "What are you doing?"

Ming ChangYan carried out the quilt, "Making a bed on the floor. What, don't tell me you've discovered your consciousness and is allowing me to sleep on the bed?"

Huai Yu said, "With the current weather, you'll catch a cold if you sleep on the floor."

Standing in the room, Ming ChangYan suddenly broke out into a smile. He threw the quilt away, automatically rolling on and into the bed.

"Since the Young Prime Minister so kindly offered, then I'll help myself!"

He closed his eyes and prepared to sleep.

After a while without any indication of movement from Huai Yu, Ming ChangYan opened an eye and discovered the other party was still sitting in front of the table, motionless.

He said, "You're not going to sleep?"

Huai Yu shook his head.

Ming ChangYan raised his eyebrow, thinking: Strange? How can there be someone who doesn't sleep?

He lifted up the quilt, holding onto the bed, he smilingly reached out his hand and patted the bed, "It's really soft, are you sure you're not sleeping?"

Huai Yu took a look at him and said, "Not sleeping."

Ming shaoxia didn't stop even if it failed. He rolled in bed a few times before he began to idly tease him again.

"I can't sleep by myself, the bed's so big and you won't take up much space, let's quickly go to bed!"

Having said that, he gave him an unfathomable smile, "Or, are you afraid that I'll take advantage of you?"

Huai Yu shot him a glance.

Ming ChangYan suddenly came back to his senses, realizing what he had just said he shut up at once.

However, he couldn't shut up for long. Ming ChangYan laid on bed with Huai Yu right beside him, how could he possibly fall asleep. He could only listen to the sound of raindrops hitting the window, crossing his hands while being bored to death. Resting his head on his pillow and cross-legged, he was lost in thought.

After a quarter of an hour, Ming ChangYan said, "Little Huai Yu, I can't sleep. Why don't you tell me a story!"

Huai Yu turned a page and said, "I have no story."

Ming ChangYan looked at him and smiled, "Do you not have any stories from your childhood? I've never heard you talk about your parents, where are they?"

Huai Yu said, "My father is dead."

Ming ChangYan was stunned and sighed with emotion, "Those with the same misfortune sympathize with each other."

Huai Yu thought he would've said something along the lines of 'Sorry for your loss' or 'I'm sorry', etc. After all, under this kind of situation, it would always be a sore spot for others. But this number one in the world has never used common sense to play, and suddenly came out with such a sentence that it made him curious.

"What do you mean?"

Ming ChangYan said, "My dad's dead too!"

Huai Yu, "That's nonsense. The lord of Tokhara is very well alive."

Ming ChangYan gave him a disdainful sneer, "What's the difference between him being alive and him being dead. In my heart, he's already dead, I'm just a bastard without a father."

Huai Yu said, "Then what about your mother?"

When he spoke of this, Ming ChangYan showed a trace of loneliness, "She's also dead. She died before I came to the Central Plains."

After thinking about it, Huai Yu felt that there was nothing else to say.

Ming ChangYan, this person, didn't need other's comfort at all. Just give him less than half an incense stick of time and he'll recover by himself, turning lively once again.

Just as expected, in the next moment, Ming shaoxia was eager to talk about the next topic, "Little Huai Yu, speaking of which, you still need to call me a shixiong!"

Huai Yu froze then said, "Why are you saying this?"

Ming ChangYan suddenly sat up with a smile on his face and proudly asked, "Who is Chang Xu to you?"

Huai Yu replied, "Master."

Ming ChangYan nodded his head, "Yup. He's the Prime Minister for the Central Plains and you're the Young Prime Minister, it's only natural that he's your master. When did he become your master?"

Huai Yu thought for a moment then reported an age.

Ming ChangYan laughed, "You're indeed below me! He became my master two years prior. Back then when master was touring Tokhara and he noticed that his shaoxia's innate skill was high, so he knelt at the door and begged me to be his disciple. And me, naturally I didn't want to see such an old man lose his face, so I could only reluctantly agree!"

Huai Yu glanced at him then went back to his book.

It was rare these days for Ming ChangYan to be the one with the advantage, so how could he just let Huai Yu go? At that moment he became a demon. When Huai Yu didn't scream, he proceeded to swiftly reach out and tangled them together.

The two of them didn't use their full strength and just fought normally, countering every move. Ming ChangYan's cultivation was currently inferior, thus not long after he was pressed down on the bed by Huai Yu.

Both of his hands were pressed against the pillow above his head, so he could only fiercely struggle by kicking and thrashing his two long legs.

Ming ChangYan miserably shouted, "Again! You played dirty!"

Huai Yu tilted his head, "How did I play dirty?"

Ming ChangYan was no match for him so he immediately acted shamelessly, "How would this shaoxia know, if I could see the trick then would it still be called playing dirty!"

Huai Yu humphed then took a quick look at the color of the sky outside.

"I won't fight you, quickly go to sleep."

Ming ChangYan was suddenly free to move again, stretching his muscles and bones, he said, "Are you really not sleeping? Just sitting there the entire night?"

Huai Yu nodded.

Ming ChangYan said, "That won't do, there'll be someone watching, I won't be able to sleep."

Huai Yu sat beside the bed, "I won't look at you."

Ming ChangYan continued, "That's no good either! I can't sleep with someone sitting there."

Huai Yu was silent for a while, as though he was thinking about something. Ming ChangYan, if nothing else, just wanted to argue for the sake of arguing. Since he lost to Huai Yu during their quarrel, at this moment he wanted to take that win back by using his words.

Ming ChangYan said, "Or, you could sleep with me! The bed's so big that it's more than enough for two people. I have a very good sleeping posture, I definitely won't cross over to your side of the bed, you shouldn't….."

Huai Yu suddenly called out, "Zhao Zhao."

Ming ChangYan's ramble came to a spontaneous end, even his facial expression turned rigid.

Huai Yu called out once, then called out a second time, "Zhao Zhao."

This time, it was slightly softer and drawn out than the one before it.

Ming ChangYan's heart beated like a drum, to the point that even he himself had no way of controlling it.

Huai Yu seems to have become addicted. This time, he was the one with the upper hand, his expression thoroughly delighted. While he was feeling pleased with himself, he said it a few more times.

Even though he called out to Ming ChangYan, he didn't look at him, instead pensively staring at the book.

Ming ChangYan pursed his lips before he pulled up the quilt without warning and bundled his body into a ball, "Stop calling! I'll sleep!"

Huai Yu tapped his finger on the edge of the bed, ignoring his appeal, he glanced at the bulge in the quilt with a very lofty expression, as if declaring his victory once again.

Ming shaoxia's heart was beating wildly, thumping uncontrollably in his chest. With his complexion completely red he cursed: That little brat! Ridiculous! Absurd! When I gain back my cultivation, I'm going to recover all the humiliation I've suffered up till now!

This was translated by , any repost of this is stolen and if you steal my work I'm wrapping you up like sushi.

love is brewing boys, love is brewing (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*)

Huai Yu seemed so soft to me this chapter and I don't know why. He's always been really lenient with MCY and I really like translating those little parts where he's being a sweet little baby.

If you see any grammatical/translation errors please point them out to me! I only skim through the chapters so I tend to miss a lot of stuff.

Have an amazing evening~~

Chapter end