Chapter 58: Brother Luo

A woman went downstairs, and a man went upstairs.

The atmosphere in the entire restaurant was strange.

Some people had ugly expressions, some could not help but curse in low voices, some were so angry they were teary-eyed, while others were grinning from ear to ear.

The one grinning from ear to ear was naturally Wang Dafu.

At this moment, Wang Dafu looked at Luo Zijun as if he were looking at his own foster father, and said with a face full of worship: "Brother Luo, from now on, you are the big brother, and I am the little brother! From now on, I, Wang Dafu, will follow Brother Luo's lead. If Brother Luo tells me to head south, I will never head north! If Brother Luo tells me to climb a mountain of blades, I will never descend into a sea of flames!"

"Enough, you sycophant. Go pour some tea for Brother Luo and Brother Su."

Su Bie sat down by the window and said.

Wang Dafu glared: "Get lost! If you have the ability, why don't you go and teach those women who have their eyes stuck on the top of their heads a lesson until they are obedient! And make those nobles in the Inner City willingly give up the second floor! If you can do that, never mind calling you brother, I'd have no problem calling you grandpa!"

Luo Zijun said: "Dafu, I think 'Grandpa Luo' sounds better than 'Brother Luo'."

"Get lost!"

Wang Dafu immediately refused.

Calling someone 'brother' meant they were peers, but calling someone 'grandpa' meant they were of the elder generation; he wasn't stupid.

Su Bie laughed, then suddenly remembered something. He leaned close to Luo Zijun and whispered: "Zijun, that noble young lady from just now asked for those three poems of yours, saying she wanted to put them into the poetry club she founded. Why didn't you take the opportunity to ask for her name?"

Luo Zijun asked in confusion: "Why would I want to ask for her name?"

Su Bie wore an expression that said 'you are an idiot': "That woman clearly has a significant background. If you could take the opportunity to get to know her, it would be much more convenient to do anything in the future. It might even be of no small help if you enter officialdom later."

"Not interested."

Luo Zijun said indifferently.

Wang Dafu looked at him with a suspicious face. After hesitating for a long while, he covered his buttocks and said: "Brother Luo, you aren't even interested in such a beautiful noble young lady. Who exactly are you interested in? Please, Brother Luo, speak clearly."

Luo Zijun looked at his buttocks.

Wang Dafu shrank his buttocks in fear, his face changing drastically: "Brother Luo, don't... I, I have hemorrhoids, and I never wipe my butt after pooping..."

"Get lost!"

Luo Zijun ignored him and looked at Xu Xian to the side.

The reason he was so vigilant against those women was naturally for this fellow.

Who knew if that cunning White Snake might have transformed into some woman, hiding in the crowd, waiting for an opportunity to act.

Therefore, he had to ensure that no woman would be able to get close to this Master Xu!

"That..."

Seeing him staring at himself, Xu Xian stammered for a long time before his face flushed red. He clamped his legs together and said weakly: "Brother Luo, I... I do not like men..."

Luo Zijun: "..."

It was no wonder these fellows would misunderstand.

Even before he had met Xu Xian, he had shown special concern, and after meeting him, his gaze never left him.

With such behavior, how could others not misunderstand?

Seeing that everyone's eyes on him were very strange and vigilant, Luo Zijun had no choice but to explain.

"Let me tell everyone the truth."

Luo Zijun looked serious.

"Brother Su and Brother Xu should both know that I actually have another identity, which is a physician. Brother Xu suffered a very serious injury that day, and it injured his 'root of life'. After my master examined him, he discovered that even if it were treated, there would still be a possibility of recurrence in the future. Because Brother Xu and I are at the same Academy, he instructed me to keep a close eye on Brother Xu, not to let him flirt around, and preferably not to let him get close to any women..."

"Otherwise, once that area is stimulated, it is very likely that the injury will recur, and even the gods would find it hard to save him..."

He spoke as if it were a serious matter, very grave indeed.

Xu Xian listened with trembling fear, his face turning pale, and he stammered: "Is what Brother Luo says true?"

Luo Zijun looked at him and said: "Do I have any reason to lie to you? I didn't even charge you for your medical expenses last time; what benefit would I get from lying to you?"

Su Bie was still somewhat suspicious: "Zijun, I remember that even before you knew Brother Xu, you were already paying special attention to him."

Luo Zijun said: "That is because I had heard his name by chance and knew he was a scholar at the West Lake Academy. Although I was at the Pharmacy at the time, my heart was at the Academy. I was determined to pass the scholar exam and get into the Academy, so I used Brother Xu as my goal."

Su Bie nodded: "So that's how it is. No wonder when I first met you and said I was a scholar, you were so enthusiastic. I was a bit strange at the time—how could an apprentice at a pharmacy be so interested in a scholar, and have such insightful views on poetry? So it turns out your heart had long been set on studying."

Wang Dafu finally felt relieved: "Brother Luo, as long as you don't covet your brother's buttocks, I will still call you big brother."

Su Bie said: "You call him Brother Luo, yet you still refer to yourself as 'brother'?"

Wang Dafu chuckled: "Let's each use our own terms. I call you Brother Su, but don't I also refer to myself as 'brother' in front of you?"

Everyone laughed.

At this time, the waiter had already started serving the dishes.

Those nobles who had been sitting on the second floor had already left.

The women from the Academy who had gone to the first floor sat below for a while, feeling more and more angry and humiliated the longer they sat, so they all stood up and left the restaurant in a huff.

"Even if we starve to death, we won't be humiliated there!"

"That bastard is drinking and eating above our heads, while we are eating and suffering humiliation beneath him—isn't this just asking for humiliation?"

"Let's go! We're not eating!"

Thus, Mei Yanqiu led the women away indignantly.

Huang Beicheng went down to persuade them, but failed, so he had to return upstairs sheepishly.

The men upstairs were a bit uneasy at first.

As the wine took effect, they all began to laugh and talk, discussing grand topics, and soon forgot about the women who had left in anger.

"Brother Luo, I toast you! If it weren't for Brother Luo, we wouldn't be sitting on this second floor!"

"Brother Luo is truly worthy of being the talent admitted to the Academy by exception. Your talent makes us all bow down in admiration!"

"Sigh, Brother Luo's attitude toward women is what I admire and envy the most. I once wanted to be as carefree and fearless as Brother Luo, doing as I pleased and fighting back against those shrewish women, but unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to do it..."

After drinking too much, everyone naturally had more to say.

Their courage also grew.

If they had been in their sober senses, they would never have dared to say such things that offended women and invited ridicule. Scholars cherish their reputations and fear nothing more than criticism from others.

Yet, in their hearts, they deeply longed to become someone like Luo Zijun—unrestrained, saying whatever he wanted to say, doing whatever he wanted to do, and if he couldn't stand someone, he would just confront them!

So what if they were women?

Why should men always be the ones to yield to women, and not women to men?

Should men be bullied just for the sake of being a gentleman?

"Brother Luo, I would also like to offer you a toast!"

The crowd came over one after another to offer toasts.

Luo Zijun also picked up his wine cup and returned the toasts one by one.

Respect is mutual.

Even between parents and children, or between brothers, it is all the same.

If you do not respect me, on what grounds should I respect you?

!

If you respect me, I will naturally respect you from the bottom of my heart.

Those women, with their eyes fixed on the top of their heads, assumed that because of their status as women, men would not dare to retaliate for the sake of face; thus, they were all arrogant, unreasonable, and troublesome, feeling that every man should yield to them.

Some even resorted to physical violence while hurling insults.

Luo Zijun would not indulge them.

The tragic experiences of his past life had left him with significant psychological trauma, causing him to maintain twelve-fold vigilance and coldness toward any woman.

Any woman who tried to get close to him would be beaten until she cried by his iron fist!

Of course, except for his sister.

"Luo... Brother Luo, I also offer you a toast. Thank you, thank you for caring about me..."

Xu Xian also picked up his wine cup.

His form of address also changed from "Brother Luo" to the more intimate "Brother Luo."

Luo Zijun's words just now had made him very afraid, but also very moved.

So it turned out that this Brother Luo was not after his body, but had been concerned about his poor little brother all along, fearing he would become completely crippled.

"A physician has the heart of a parent; Xiao Xian, no need for formalities."

Luo Zijun also changed his form of address.

He felt it was time to slowly let this fellow know who the big brother was and who he should listen to in the future.

"Xiao... Xiao Xian?"

Su Bie, listening from the side, felt his lips twitch.

Luo Zijun turned his head and said, "Xiao Bie, do you have an opinion?"

Su Bie: "..."

Wang Dafu laughed and said, "Brother Luo's way of addressing is good. From now on, let's call them Xiao Xian, Xiao Bie, Xiao Tian, Xiao Fu, and Xiao Jun. What do you all think?"

"That is an insult to refinement! If you call us that, people will think the five of us have a penchant for 'sleeve-cutting'."

Luo Zijun commented, picked up his wine cup, and offered Xu Xian a drink.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill.

Everyone, carrying a thirty-percent level of drunkenness, went downstairs with spirits undampened, preparing to continue their outing.

The scholar-innkeeper Liang Ruhai came over personally to see them off and said with a smile, "Originally, I wanted to waive your bill for the wine and food, but that noble from the Inner City has already paid for you. Young scholars, if you come again next time, I will treat you."

Huang Beicheng hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks.

Liang Ruhai saw them to the main gate, then pulled Luo Zijun aside and requested in a low voice, "Young Master Luo, may I engrave the three poems you just composed and place them at the entrance? In this way, firstly, it can help me attract some business, and secondly, it can allow these three poems of Young Master Luo to spread further, and Young Master Luo's reputation will also become more renowned."

Luo Zijun thought for a moment and said, "You may engrave them, but do not write my name. Just write... Peach Blossom Young Master."

Liang Ruhai was startled for a moment, then smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "I shall follow your wishes, Young Master, and name it Peach Blossom Young Master."

Luo Zijun cupped his hands to take his leave.

Liang Ruhai stood outside the door watching them go. Seeing that everyone had walked far away, he turned back into the inn, summoned a waiter, and whispered, "Go to the back, ride a horse, and catch up with the young lady of the Jia Family. Tell her this Young Master Luo's title is Peach Blossom Young Master. When the Begonia Poetry Society publishes their poetry collection, just write down this title. That Young Master Luo clearly does not wish to become famous too early."

"Yes, Master!"

The waiter answered respectfully and immediately went to the stables behind the building.

At this time.

The afternoon sun was exceptionally brilliant.

Huang Beicheng led the students along the Qingshui River, enjoying the scenery while chatting.

"Where are Miss Mei and the others?"

"They wouldn't have gone back out of anger, would they?"

"We agreed to go to Hanshan Temple; they probably went there first."

Just as everyone was preparing to go look for them, they suddenly heard the panicked cries for help of several women coming from the riverside not far ahead.

"Help! Help—"

The group looked closely and saw that those were the women from their own Academy!

At this moment, Mei Yanqiu and the others were standing by the river, their faces full of panic, screaming at the top of their lungs.

Several women were already so frightened that they had begun to cry.

"Come quickly! Someone has fallen into the water!"

The expressions of the group changed, and they hurriedly ran over.

(End of this chapter)