Chapter 515

The manor's gate was desolate, no longer the bustling scene of before. Pangzi told me that when Yao Wenju and he carried the unconscious Yang Shouyin and Ye Qi back to the Yang family manor, the manor was still filled with a tense atmosphere. Because earlier I and Yao Wenju had caused a ruckus inside the Yang manor, several uncles of the Yang clan had sent people to garrison the manor, searching everywhere for Yang Shouyin and Ye Qi's whereabouts.

Not long after returning, Yang Shouyin woke up. After waking, Yang Shouyin only kept a few uncles, dismissing the other subordinates guarding the Yang manor.

After we returned, Yang Shouyin lay on the sickbed; the doctor had already removed the bullet from his thigh. However, this old man looked exhausted, his hair white as frost, lacking the vigor I first saw in him. Suddenly hearing the tragic news, the wife who had shared his pillow for ten years turned out to be the daughter of his former wife—such a tragedy, I think no one could accept it.

The task of consoling Yang Shouyin was given to QingSongShu; I, Pangzi, and Yao Wenju all squeezed into a side‑wing room. After several days of nonstop work, we were completely drained, unable to recover even without sleep.

When Pangzi and I woke up with empty stomachs, we saw Yao Wenju sitting at the desk reading a book. No matter how you look at it, he doesn't seem like someone who loves studying, and he hadn't brought any books before coming to the Yang household.

Feeling curious, I walked over, opened it, and discovered it was a traditional‑character book titled 《Those Years as a Daoist》.

"I say, Wen‑ge, I remember you didn't bring any books when you came! How did you manage to get another one in just half a day?" This book must be published by a traditional‑character press, printed right‑to‑left, which is terribly tiring to read, yet Yao Wenju can actually get through it.

"I bought it at the city bookstore while you were sleeping," Yao Wenju said, his eyes not leaving the book. He added, "This is currently the hottest book, titled 《Those Years as a Daoist》."

I have to admit I'm impressed—he managed to get another book in just half a day, even making a special trip by car to the city to buy it. The future heir of the prestigious Yao enterprise actually has such an unknown hobby.

"Ah, the author of this book must be terribly lonely!" Yao Wenju stretched and sighed wistfully.

"How can you tell that the author is lonely?" I asked, very curious—could it really be that one's writing reflects their personality, so that by reading a person's work you can sense their character?

"Why? Because the female lead in this book is called Ru Xue!"

"Um… Ru Xue, what does that have to do with loneliness?"

Pangzi suddenly interjected: "Haven't you heard the saying? Life is truly as lonely as snow!"

With a swoosh, Yao Wenju put down the book, turned his head, and his eyes shot out two sharp glints. Pangzi's sturdy frame shuddered as he climbed down from the bed; the two slowly approached each other and finally clasped hands, feeling a strong sense of kindred spirits.

"Do you also read this book?" Yao Wenju asked softly, stroking Pangzi's hand, making goosebumps rise all over my body.

Pangzi lowered his head, bashfully saying, "Actually, I finished it long ago." Suddenly he raised his head, eyes glistening with tears, and told Yao Wenju, "I think you're absolutely right—the author must have been so lonely that they came up with the name Ru Xue. Moreover, the author never said where Ru Xue went; I guess she went to Blue Soar for further study, and after graduating she'll return to marry Chengyi."

With a bang, no one expected Yao Wenju to suddenly lash out, slamming the book onto Pangzi's head—his face changed so fast it was astonishing.

"You dead Pangzi, don't you know spoilers are the most hated thing when reading? I hadn't finished it and you gave away the ending—how am I supposed to read it now?" Yao Wenju said while slapping Pangzi, his face contorted.

"Damn, I said I was just guessing—I didn't spoil anything! Isn't Chengyi waiting for Ru Xue in the old grove at the end?"

"Bang, you still…" Another heavy blow, and in the end Yao Wenju and Pangzi refused to yield, grappling together. Earlier they had been sympathetic confidants, but now they became mortal enemies. That reading could turn out like this—I truly admire them both.

"Stop it, stop it—let's go back to the Yang manor and see how QingSongShu's consolation of Yang Shouyin is going!" I stepped forward to separate them.

"That's adult business, none of our concern!"

"Right, that's the Yang family's affair, not my business." The two suddenly paused, then in unison snorted at me before swinging their fists again, grappling once more—Pangzi charged like a fierce tiger, Yao Wenju not yielding an inch. It looks like this fight will indeed happen.

"Ah… I'm such an idiot, how did I not notice earlier that Yao Wenju is also such a coward?" I shook my head, preparing to walk out the door.

Who would have thought that as soon as I reached the door, Yao Wenju grabbed me and pulled me back. What greeted me were two pairs of eyes flashing with cold light.

"What did you just say? Who's the coward?" Yao Wenju cracked his knuckles, making a popping sound.

"Exactly, you said 'also'—does that include me?" Pangzi likewise glared ferociously at me, demanding: "Tell me, who's the coward?"

Taking advantage of their inattention, I shouted, "The coward is you—you're the cowards!" Then I quickened my step, trying to squeeze out the door, but as the saying goes, man proposes, heaven disposes—after just two steps I was dragged back by them. The room, which had barely been quiet for three minutes, instantly became tumultuous again; the two‑person brawl instantly turned into a three‑person melee.

……………………

At dusk, three bruised‑eyed giant pandas walked out of the room listlessly.

Pangzi fetched a case of wine from the Yang manor; the three of us sat on the side‑wing corridor, watching the fish while sipping small cups of wine—the liquor hit our liver and intestines like a raging blaze, invigorating our whole beings.

"By the way, aren't you curious about the Wu Mu legacy? Don't you want to ask me?" Yao Wenju asked suddenly while drinking.

I shook my head and smiled: "I don't want to know; anyway, it's none of my business—I'm just an ordinary person scrambling for three meals a day. Treasure and such are too far removed from my life; even if you gave it to me, I wouldn't know what to do with it."

"Then again, it's you—since the Yang family lost so much property, aren't you planning to seek compensation from them?" I took a small sip of wine and countered curiously.

Yao Wenju shrugged and said indifferently, "That's a matter for later; let's talk about it another time."

He held his drink, sipping as he walked toward the gate of the Yang manor; halfway there he waved at us again.

"I'll be heading back to Guangdong in a few days; if you're free, come find me to hang out. Do you remember what I said in the mausoleum? I, Yao Wenju, keep my word—I'll definitely take you there…"

"Get lost!" he hadn't even finished speaking when I hurled a wine bottle at him; Yao Wenju laughed loudly as he dodged, still not forgetting to tease me, "green‑head kid, green‑head kid!" (What is green‑head kid? Please look it up on Baidu.)

"Damn, I'm just twenty years older and still haven't touched a woman. Nowadays, how many 25‑year‑olds are still virgins? Isn't that rare?" I muttered two complaints under my breath and picked up the wine bottle.

Just as I was about to pour the wine into my mouth, Pangzi's voice sounded again beside my ear.

"Cultivate the self with a clear mind as essential; engage the world with cautious speech as priority. Educate sons and grandsons with righteousness; accumulating virtue outweighs hoarding wealth." Although Pangzi was drunk, his voice turned profound, and his words carried a certain lofty ambience.

"High in the mountain temple, the monk has not yet risen; fame and profit are nothing compared to leisure. Life is but a fleeting hundred years; coming and going, we depart as we arrived. Yesterday I drank freely and sang loudly; today I already lie corpse‑still in the coffin." Pangzi sighed deeply.

I carefully pondered his words and found my heart inexplicably filled with many thoughts and feelings. When had Pangzi acquired such a profound yet serene state of mind? Compared to him, I truly feel inferior.

As I was sighing, my heart gradually softened toward Pangzi a little. But the next scene made me realize that this change was premature—it simply didn't click with Pangzi at all.

"Roar, my passion—hey, it's like a flame that burns the whole desert. The sun sees me and will shy away; it fears this fire of love of mine. With me, the desert will never be lonely, forever blooming with youthful Little Flower buds."

Before I could even react, Pangzi snatched the cleaning lady's broom, wielded it like a guitar, and burst into a passionate desert song.

This shift in attitude left me stunned as if struck by lightning; the wine bottle clattered to the ground without me even noticing, while the cleaning lady darted away like electricity, panicking and shouting helplessly, "Help! Help! There's a lunatic here!"

In an instant, the formerly desolate manor was thrown into chaos—chickens flying, dogs jumping…

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