A Seductive Gentleman Chapter 54

Chapter 54: From the Flower Reflects a Picture – Part 11

Ming shaoxia was unconscious for two days.

But in reality, he woke up in the evening of the second day. However the moment he woke up, he was faced with two problems. First, is that he still hadn't figured out how to face Huai Yu, that little demon, to actually keep staying here like nothing happened! The second is that he was actually knocked unconscious by a little kid! Way too embarrassing!

Ming shaoxia had lived for more than twenty years, and he had never encountered such a thing before. His mind was a mess, constantly cutting and turning into disorder. Every time he tried to comfort himself about getting kissed by a child and mentally prepared himself to sit up, his mind would unconsciously replay that scene again, from the feel on his lips to how close Huai Yu's face was to his. It was like it had been branded in his brain, it couldn't be shaken off, making him want to hit himself on the head with a hammer and force himself to lose his memory.

And just like that, he laid there like a corpse till noon, until Huai Yu finally asked, "How long do you intend to continue sleeping."

Hearing this, Ming ChangYan knew that his guise had been seen through.

He simply stopped the act, opened his eyes, and sat up from the bed. Huai Yu was currently sitting at the edge of the window, looking out.

Ming shaoxia's gaze fell straight on the bed curtain in front of him, he didn't dare to look at Huai Yu's face.

Inside the room, the silence spread.

Ming shaoxia's inners were in torment and were itching to quickly say a few words to ease up the awkward atmosphere, but whatever he might say would just make the atmosphere more awkward.

He thought: I can't be blamed for this, it's not me who kissed first.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise at the door.

"Yan-jiejie! Yan-jiejie!"

Ming ChangYan was surprised, "XiaoLan?"

He rolled out of bed and made his way towards the door. Huai Yu raised his head to glance at him and lightly tapped his forefinger against the table.

Ming ChangYan pulled open the door, "XiaoLan!"

Zhao XiaoLan turned around from the end of the corridor, opening his fan he was pleasantly surprised, "Yan-jiejie! You really are here!"

Ming ChangYan smiled, "How did you know I was here?"

Zhao XiaoLan quickly ran over, "Huai Yu-gege didn't return from the Ninety-Nineth Temple, I went there to look for you, but he didn't come back so I knew that you wouldn't be there either. It can be presumed that if Huai Yu-gege wasn't staying at the Ninety-Nineth Temple, then he would be staying at an inn. There are only about ten or so inns around the area, you just have to ask around. I just saw Huai Yu-gege beside the window so I wondered if you were there too, so I came up to take a look and low and behold, after two shouts, I saw you!"

Ming ChangYan laughed. It seems like Huai Yu had also noticed the Zhao XiaoLan downstairs and waited for the right moment to wake him up.

Zhao XiaoLan inquired, "Is Huai Yu-gege here?"

Ming ChangYan opened the door for him, "You came just in time, he's also here."

When Zhao XiaoLan entered, he brought with him a lively and innocent aura that scattered the original atmosphere of the room.

"Huai Yu-gege!"

For the first time, even Huai Yu gave him a glance and nodded his head.

Ming ChangYan asked, "Why were you looking for me?"

Zhao XiaoLan drank a cup of tea and said, "I'll be going to Huating to watch the Fireworks Festival in a bit. Yan-jiejie, do you know what the Fireworks Festival is?"

Ming ChangYan said, "What is it?"

Zhao XiaoLan, "It's something that's really pretty! When compared to the Flower Viewing Festival, it can't be outdone! It's mainly because the fireworks in Huating are really beautiful, It's only once a year in May, if we miss it then we'd have to wait till next year!"

Ming ChangYan said, "Then let's go see it next year!"

Zhao XiaoLan's eyes wavered for a bit, "I, I want to see this year's."

Ming ChangYan raised his eyebrows, "Tell me honestly."

Zhao XiaoLan glanced at Huai Yu before he suddenly grabbed the lower hem of Ming ChangYan's robes and stealthily pulled him to the side.

"Maiden Li Li is also going to the Fireworks Festival, I want to go see her."

It was just then that Ming shaoxia finally realized it. The number one beauty in the world, Maiden Li Li, was a playing card within the martial circles. At the age of fifteen, she became well-known to the world for dancing the《Peacock Flying Southeast》. Whenever a large sect would hold a large banquet or some kind of popular festival, they had always loved to invite her. Even if she wasn't dancing, she was pretty just staying here.

Ming ChangYan smiled, "You're still not giving up?"

"I still haven't apologized yet for last time! I have to meet up with her and properly say I'm sorry!"

Ming ChangYan rubbed his nose and glanced at Huai Yu with a guilty conscience. He didn't expect the thing that he'd been striving for, for the past few days, to just deliver itself to his door. He said, "Alright, I'll accompany you. You're gonna owe me another one."

At this point, Zhao XiaoLan nervously said, "Right! Yan-jiejie, that night you went to the brothel, afterwards….what did Huai Yu-gege say?"

That day, he got drunk and was carried away by Zhu Rong, he woke up with a splitting headache and couldn't remember a thing. Naturally, he didn't know in the end, where Ming ChangYan had ran off to. But seeing that the two were currently together, Zhao XiaoLan was quick to guess that Ming ChangYan definitely ran into Huai Yu that night.

He was already feeling guilty about bringing Ming ChangYan along to a brothel, but now that he was caught by Huai Yu, he was beginning to feel even more guilty.

But seeing that the other hadn't been treated in an inhuman fashion, Zhao XiaoLan's guilty conscience eased up a lot.

Ming ChangYan said, "He didn't say anything. Why is a child asking so much about the affairs of us adults?"

This time, Huai Yu lowered his teacup, and began, "If you're going to Huating, then I must accompany you."

Ming ChangYan was slightly taken back, "Didn't you say you didn't want to go?"

Huai Yu, "Humph."

Ming ChangYan choked, then smiled, "Alright, these are your own words, you've already agreed to go, so don't try to blame it on me afterward."

Huai Yu didn't reply. After lunch passed and they finished eating, Ming ChangYan changed into a new set of clothes while also packing some extra just in case, his mood was very good.

Ming ChangYan thought that there would only be Huai Yu, him, and Zhao XiaoLan. But who would've known that when it was time to depart, Zhao XiaoLan had also brought Zhu Rong along with them.

Cupping his hands half-heartedly, Ming shaoxia counted it as a greeting. The four each had a horse and after seven days, they quickly arrived at Huating.

Zhao XiaoLan this person wasn't very adept at riding horses, apart from that he had been pampered since childhood and refused to acknowledge his faults. After he couldn't ride any longer, he had run up to ride with Zhu Rong's horse, in order to slack off for a bit. Along the way, if it wasn't his legs hurting, then it was his butt, and he never stopped chatting once during the entire trip. After they arrived at Huating, he immediately found a first-class inn and asked for three rooms.

Ming ChangYan asked, "Hold up, three rooms? XiaoLan, are you sleeping with your friend?"

Zhao XiaoLan was surprised, "No. One for me, one for Zhu Rong, and one for you and Huai Yu-gege."

Ming ChangYan said, "Why am I sharing a room with him?"

Zhao XiaoLan was utterly astonished, looking back and forth between Ming ChangYan and Huai Yu before staring blankly at him. Ming shaoxia felt very uncomfortable with Zhao XiaoLan's gaze on him. Eventually, Zhao XiaoLan turned around and said to the owner, "I want four rooms."

After hearing him ask for four rooms, Ming ChangYan still didn't feel particularly comfortable. Especially when he opened the door and entered his room, he didn't exchange a single word with Huai Yu, causing the distress in his heart to sky-rocket.

After separating the two, Zhao XiaoLan separately concluded to Zhu Rong, "It seems like Yan-jiejie and Huai Yu-gege got into a quarrel, Ming shaoxia's book said that in times like these, it's best to let the other party figure it out themselves, it's no good if us outsiders try to interfere." After a pause, he suddenly realized that they might've quarreled because he had brought Yan-jiejie to a brothel, and for a moment he was dumbstruck.

In the afternoon when Ming ChangYan came downstairs, Zhao XiaoLan was unexpectedly sitting behind the second floor's private room, beckoning him through a bead curtain.

Ming ChangYan walked over and saw that the other was sitting inside with Huai Yu at the other end.

Zhao XiaoLan said, "Yan-jiejie, you came just in time, we were just getting ready to listen to a storytelling."

Ming ChangYan pretended to nonchalantly walk inside, picking a spot that wasn't too for nor too close to where Huai Yu was to sit down, "Which story?"

Zhao XiaoLan, "It's Old Qin who's telling the story, they were invited by XiaoHan Temple."

Ming ChangYan, "Old Qin?"

Zhao XiaoLan explained, "Oh! Yan-jiejie, you don't know, but he's a very famous storyteller within Jianghu. But I don't like him very much, in a bit when he starts his story, I'm going to give him a 'boo.'"

Ming ChangYan smiled, "XiaoLan, you're really childish."

Zhao XiaoLan sat up straight as if preparing himself to start booing.

Ming ChangYan knew why Zhao XiaoLan hated Old Qin so much. No one knows why, but this Old Qin gained notoriety because of their deep hatred of the Noble Gentleman, Ming ChangYan. Back then when Ming ChangYan died from falling into the Yanbo River, the seventh day hadn't even passed yet when this Old Qin arrived at WangHu Tower, and for twelve hours a day, he would tell thirteen of those stories all regarding him. Most of them were about the romantic affairs that the Noble Gentleman had with women A, B, and C. Among them he even added mentions of him committing adultery, plundering, and doing nothing but evil, so vulgar and lascivious that it was almost offensive to the ear.

Ming shaoxia's heard these numerous times and knows that this is the only trick that Old Qin had up his sleeve. Plus, with him coming every few days to tell the same stories, it provoked annoyance from the people.

Observing the area, he noticed that his inn was built in a rather unique way. They had taken the foundations from how the capital built their courtyards and built it in the shape of a square, with a terrace in the middle and a lotus pond around it. Three sides were surrounded by the water while the other side faced a wall, the terrace was embedded in the middle of the lotus pond and those who were performing or storytelling all came out from behind the wall. The had been hollowed out, directly connecting to a small courtyard out back where all the singers were residing.

Offstage was jam-packed with guests. The audience was filled with elders, among them, there were those selling shaobing and youtiao's, snacking on melon seeds, and those carrying poles shuffling back and forth. The storytelling hadn't even begun yet but it was already bustling with noise. One had to lean close to even talk to someone and be heard.

When Ming ChangYan arrived, Zhao XiaoLan had already eaten quite a few melon seeds.

A few of the melon seed shells were piled on top of the table. Needless to say, in just a few moments, a servant girl in red with her hair pulled up into two topknots came over to tidy up Zhao XiaoLan's table, her face flushed.

Ming ChangYan absent-mindedly ate a few melon seeds, shooting a glance at Huai Yu but didn't know what he was doing, what he was thinking, his expression completely ice cold, making one feel a certain fear in their heart. Yet Ming shaoxia wasn't that afraid of him, not only was he not afraid, he was thinking at this moment on how to find a chance to talk to him.

During these past few days, even though the two were traveling together, Huai Yu hadn't said a single word to him, as if he had offended him. Ming shaoxia tried, again and again, to converse with him, to the point that he was almost nit-picking, but every time he was always skillfully deflected by the other. No matter how good his temper was, after getting this sort of cold-shoulder treatment, his chest never really dispersed that uncomfort.

Ming ChangYan was sadly crying in his heart, thinking: It was clearly him who kissed me, even I didn't think too much about it, but like he's so much better, with his little missy attitude and acting like I was the one who sullied him!

But thinking again, he once again actively admitted his mistake: It was my fault for wanting to feed him sedatives, but no matter how bad it was he can't still be angry, I was already kissed by him what more does he want?

The more he thought about it, the less convinced he was.

Ming shaoxia viciously peeled some peanuts, he didn't eat any of them, but the pile of shelled peanuts on the table were stacked as tall as Mount. Tai.

After a quarter-hour, an old man came out from behind the stage. Stretching his voice he began announcing the items on the program, everyone listened in. For today, the opera will perform first then the storyteller.

The old man stated that the title of the play was called:《The Deeds and Test of Coquetry of a Hero》

Just from the title alone, he could tell that it would be an entertaining romance story, ones that Ming shaoxia loves the most.

Just then, Zhu Rong lifted the bead curtain and stooped in.

Zhao XiaoLan said, "It's good that you caught up, if you were a moment later you would've missed it!"

Zhu Rong faintly smiled and sat down beside him.

On the stage a loud clang was heard, indicating that the play was beginning.

Originally, Ming ChangYan was very enthusiastic as he watched the play, but the longer he watched the more he noticed that something was a bit off. The main protagonist in the play had a black veil covering his face, a blade on his waist, and was acting chivalrous, his appearance was exceptionally familiar. And at this moment, he was currently conversing back and forth with a woman.

The narrator sang: A handsome shaoxia, a beautiful woman. One wears black, one wears red. The two using the cold moonlight as their lantern, their soft voices speaking tender words, their lingering sentiments!

The female performer sang: The joyous nights are too short, the loneliness too long!

Ming ChangYan sensed that something was amiss.

The narrator continued: These pair of mandarin ducks start from anew, passing the Ghost needle onto them!*

(TN: A pair of mandarin ducks are lifelong couples and are meant to symbolize a loving relationship. The rest of what he said didn't make sense so I just whatevered it.)

The hairs on Ming shaoxia's back stood up.

The female performer fell into that shaoxia's embrace, her voice a myriad of emotions as she softly called out, "Ming-lang…."

Zhao XiaoLan suddenly stood up, "Amazing!!"

He cupped his mouth and shouted.

With the first cheer out, ten thousand more chimed in.

The applause came in like a tidal wave.

Ming ChangYan's expression was one lacking in confidence. He covertly stole a glance at Huai Yu but saw that the other was expressionless.

This play seems to be one about the Noble Gentleman and his numerous entanglements with women in Jianghu. He became famous at a young age, so it was only natural that he knew many of Jianghu's beauties, but most of them had been simple friendships. Furthermore, if they met once, there was a very rare chance that they would meet again, in total, the conversations he would have with them wouldn't even surpass four sentences. But the stories about heroes and beauties will forever be loved by the common people. The Noble Gentleman was number one in the world along with being outstanding in his field, he was fully deserving of the mindless worship from the majority of the common people. As a result, this gave rise to various arrangements and assumptions of his personal relationships.

Xiu LingLong would never slip past anything that could earn her money, ever since she made a name for herself, these kinds of plays have never stopped airing. Ming ChangYan leaned his head to the side and sure enough, at the doorway to this inn was LingLong Pavillion's banner. This inn was an estate under Xiu LingLong.

If he had seen this play in the past, he would've felt good about himself since it shone a good reputation on him. After all, who wouldn't like the feeling of being surrounded by numerous beauties? But now, Ming shaoxia didn't know why but he felt out of sorts like he was sitting on a stool full of needles.

Zhao XiaoLan was completely unaware of Ming ChangYan's abnormality and was extremely excited as he continued to watch the play. After he sat down, his passion never left him as he grabbed Ming ChangYan and said, "Yan-jiejie, it's pretty good right! I knew that they were going to perform this one today so I brought you guys to come see it!"

"Ming shaoxia's so cool! Back then it wasn't just this girl, wherever he went or whatever he did, who didn't like him! Lin'an's head magistrate's daughter was completely infatuated with Ming shaoxia! She had only caught a glance of him but at that moment she swore that she wouldn't marry anyone but him for the rest of her life!"

After saying that, he said with admiration, "He's number one in the world after all, it's only natural that he reached this level. I seriously respect him! I want to become a great shaoxia just like him one day!"

Zhu Rong wore what Ming ChangYan felt like was an extremely fake smile and said, "I heard that he never showed his face, I think it's probably because that black veil was so exquisitely made that it captivated anyone who saw it."

Ming ChangYan said, "There's no such thing!'

This time, he sat closer to Huai Yu. The peanuts that he peeled earlier were also pushed in front of Huai Yu, "They're just randomly arranged by Xiu LingLong, don't believe them."

Huai Yu coldly said, "What does this have to do with me."

Ming ChangYan was finally able to talk to him, so he promptly replied, "Ok ok ok, it doesn't have anything to do with you, it has everything to do with me. But I've never done these sorts of things before, I swear!"

To think that in the past, he used to praise these plays Xiu LingLong created about him as being brilliant. But nowadays he just wants to dig a hole and plunge into it, before burying himself in it and never coming back out.

Huai Yu ate one of the peanuts, he didn't say anything, but his complexion wasn't very good.

Fortunately, this play didn't last long. It wasn't long before the old man from before came on stage again.

After he withdrew, Old Qin came in late.

When Ming ChangYan saw him, he couldn't help but scoff.

Old Qin wore a gray robe and a goatee on his chin. Slapping his palm on the wood he announced in a loud voice, "Gentlemen, today I will be talking about the political marriage of the previous dynasty's Princess HanZhu!"

Ming ChangYan's paused for a bit before returning to normal.

Princess HanZhu's marriage with a major event during the previous dynasty.

Back then, the previous emperor was incompetent, various countries were attentively keeping an eye on him and planning a revolt. Thus he took the daughter of Prime Minister Qin and granted her the title of Princess HanZhu before sending her off to Tokhara to make peace with marriage. Soon after, he sent women one after another to each and every country, but among them, only Princess HanZhu was the most well-known.

And among them, there were numerous rumors spreading around about her.

Old Qin stroked his beard and said, "The daughter of Qin Xiang was called Qin Zhen, her temper cold and indifferent, proud and virtuous. She never spared even half a sentence with others. Her austerity was like that of a snow crystal, it made people feel fear and a chill in their heart."

Hearing this, Zhao XiaoLan said, "Was Princess HanZhu really that indifferent?"

Ming ChangYan said, "What do you think?"

Zhao XiaoLan said, "I've heard someone mention her before, she was rumored to have mastered the four arts, proficient, talented in both literacy and martial arts, no one was able to obstruct her. She was a natural-born prodigy, but it's a pity…."

Old Qin slapped the wood again, startling the crowd, saying, "It's a pity that she was born a woman! No matter how outstanding that Qin Zhen was back then, in the end, she was never able to escape from court tactics and was reduced to a good being traded between the countries."

Ming ChangYan coldly sneered.

Beneath the platform, a person exclaimed, "I know!"

The people around him asked, "What do you know?"

That person, "She pulled out the Common People's Order!"

The author has something to say:

Back then little Ming wasn't well-liked within the martial circles, but he was actually regarded as a legendary hero among the common people. It's just that he never understood why people didn't like hearing his stories on chivalry but loved to hear stories about his romantic life.

The lines that were sung by the performers were all references taken from "The Gallant Maid."

This was translated by , any repost of this is stolen and if you steal my work I'll drown you in peanut shells.

Not sure what to put here today. Uuuhhhh….do you guys want a translation on each of the main character's names? No? I'll do it anyway.

Ming ChangYan (明长宴): Ming – clear, bright; Chang – long, forever; Yan – feast, banquet

Huai Yu (怀瑜): Huai – is a surname, can mean bosom, yearn for; Yu – gem, luster of gems/virtue

I'll only do the main characters for now cause I need to eat dinner and I'm hungry.

Have a great day!

Chapter end