CH 008 Empty, Lonely, Cold

Zhang Junshi was a pitiful child. After Nie Bufan disappeared inexplicably, he lost any good mood he had. He searched the city from the south part to the north part, and then from the east part to the west part, searching all the places he could have gone.

Although he knew that Nie Bufan was an unreliable person, but not seeing any sight of him for so long, he was unable to rest assured.

He was surrounded by large crowds of people who flow past him, but no matter where his line of sight passed, there was still no sight of the person his heart held concern for.

Zhang Junshi had to admit that his concern about that strange fellow was out of the ordinary. Once he was found, he must be severely beaten! Zhang Junshi thought sullenly.

“Boss, how much is this?” Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind.

Zhang Junshi turned around abruptly and looked in that direction, only to see a person standing in front of a peddler not far away, hand holding a weird mask that covered his face. As the mask slightly moved away, it revealed a brightly smiling face. It was indeed the Nie Bufan who he had been searching for nearly half a day.

As the saying went searching amongst the crowds a thousand times, suddenly looking back, that person was standing in the dim light all along.

Nie Bufan also saw Zhang Junshi. He raised his mask and called out, “Brother Zhang Third, I’m here!”

Zhang Junshi was full of mixed feelings, quickly walking up to him, he wanted to question him angrily. But once he saw that harmless smiling face, he was filled with an inexplicable feeling of powerlessness. But not even showing any temper would seem as if he was too soft.

After struggling with himself for a long time, he finally asked aggrievedly: “Where did you go, not even saying a word.”

Nie Bufan rubbed his nose and said with a smile: “Sorry, I just saw my chickens get lost and accidentally entering the restaurant. In order to avoid having them fall into evil hands, I had to go take them out first.”

“You could also tell me in advance!” 　　 　　

“The incident happened suddenly and I forgot, haha.” Nie Bufan patted Zhang Junshi on the shoulder and promised, “It will definitely not happen next time.”

Next time when they went out, he must put a rope on him first. After spending a longer time with Nie Bufan, he discovered that nine of the ten sentences he said could not be taken seriously. Zhang Junshi had a clear realization now.

The incident was put aside, and the two of them bought two river lanterns and headed towards the riverside according to the original plan.

The moonlight was enchanting, the dark river surface seemed to be dotted with starlights. In the distance the song girl’s mellow and moving song reached them, adding a bit of charm and gentleness to this poetic night.

Zhang Junshi and Nie Bufan stood quietly beside the river, shoulder to shoulder. Under the beautiful night sky, they seemed like a pair of whispering lovers. If it was drawn into a painting, it would be a romantic and elegant moon viewing by the riverside picture.

However, if there were an addition of two chickens on the side, then it would be a romantic and elegant riverside chicken love picture……

“The sky and river become one color without even a speck of dust, only the lonely moon shines clear and bright in the sky.” Zhang Junshi’s inner poet popped out and he recited the poem emotionally.

Nie Bufan looked deeply into the darkness in the distance, and said: “But I see tourists sending off lanterns, riding the winds overnight the chrysanthemums are ruined.” (TN: very difficult to translate Chinese poems >.< so that it would look nice and make sense. Here Nie Bufan is describing how the floating river lanterns will end up torn and ruined after a night of sailing in the winds, and compared it to a ruined chrysanthemum. And chrysanthemum in Chinese slang is euphemism for anus so……)

“……” The beautiful atmosphere was like the chrysanthemum, ruined.

“Let’s go back.” Zhang Junshi said miserably.

“En, fine.” Nie Bufan rubbed his arms and said, “just now I wanted to say, the wind sure is chilly.”

Zhang Junshi turned his head away, his heart was also feeling chilly.

It must be said, being romantic and lyrical with this fellow was just looking for abuse.

Nie Bufan slept in the Zhang family restaurant for the night before returning to Chicken Nest Village.

As soon as he stepped into his room, he felt an immediate difference. Not only was it much cleaner than usual, all the objects were neatly arranged, and the tables and stools were all repaired. Although it was still simple, it at least looked like a place where a human was living in.

Nie Bufan in bewilderment called over Tu Beng to inquire, only to find out that it was cleaned and repaired by Li Yi himself. He was quite amazed. Li Yi’s background was obviously not low, his whole aura was full of toothaching coolness and deeply hidden pride. This kind of person could actually do such rough work?

In view of his unexpectedly outstanding performance, Nie Bufan found him and told him something specifically: “I met your little brother last night.”

“Oh? Li Huai?” Li Yi replied indifferently. 　　 　　 Nie Bufan nodded, “En, I saw him eat a dine and dash meal at Drunken Immortal Pavilion.”

“Ah?” Li Yi raised his head with a strange expression, his eyes flashed with disbelief.

“I’m not lying to you. That guy ran to the most expensive restaurant in Xishan City, ordered a table of dishes, and even called a song-girl to lift the mood, but after eating he didn’t have any money to give. He made quite a scene, practically leaking dominance, incomparably alluring.” Nie Bufan said seriously, “I have to change my opinion of him. When I first saw him, I thought he was the kind of superficial Gongzi who looks down on people, but it turns out he is a real man with personality.”

So in your eyes, a person who ate dine and dash meals was a real man?

Li Yi’s eyebrows twitched a few times, he didn’t dare believe that Li Huai would go eat a dine and dash meal, but Nie Bufan did not seem to be lying either.

He suddenly regretted not having followed and joined in the fun last night. He wondered what kind of brilliant expressions Li Huai had at that time. Next time when they meet, he must ask: “Do you still remember the dine and dash meal on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival?”

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather gradually got cooler day by day, and the temperature in Xishan City dropped down fast.

The Chicken Nest Village was so poor that only a group of chickens were left. Although after several repairs, the houses only just reached the standard of preventing the cold wind, but the indoor temperature was still always very low.

That night, the surroundings were quiet but for the cold wind whistling and the occasional chicken cackle that sounded like a ghost’s cry, don’t know which type of chicken was weeping mournfully in the cold night.

Li Yi was laying on the bed and already deep in sleep when he suddenly sensed a black shadowy figure at his bedside. He immediately became alert and was about to attack when he heard the night visitor speak: “Brother, the night is long, do you feel empty, lonely, cold?”

“You, what do you want to do?” Li Yi half propped up his body, with his back against the wall, staring at the weird fellow who came to disturb people’s dreams instead of sleeping when it was the middle of the night.

“Brother, do you need someone to warm your bed?” Nie Bufan revealed a row of white teeth, looking quite terrifying in the dark.

“No need.” Li Yi refused without thinking.

“Don’t be like that.” Nie Bufan threw his pillow on the bed and then nimbly got under the blankets, saying after getting himself comfortable, “Come on, let’s sleep.”

Li Yi was speechless, not moving for a while.

“Quick, don’t be shy, we are all men, you understand.”

Understand what! Li Yi almost rolled his eyes. Since he could remember, he hadn’t shared a bed with anyone, but this fellow was completely at ease.

Forget it, any more struggling was just a waste of time, just have to make do for one night.

“Brother Li Fourth.”

“En?”

“Seriously, why are you here in Xishan city?”

“……”

“Although I don’t know your true identity, it’s obviously not something this little Xishan City can hold in.”

“……”

“There is also Zhang Junshi, who said he was here to inspect their branch restaurant, but I have not seen him leave after finishing inspecting. Not only that, I saw many young men in expensive attire when shopping that day. Based on the scale of Xishan City, seeing several wealthy Gongzi is not surprising, but it is suspicious that so many appear all at once.”

Li Yi gave the person next to him an approving look for the first time. He hadn’t expected that this carefree and foolish looking fellow had such a thoughtful side.

He thought for a while and said, “Have you heard of Divining Heaven Palace?”

“Divining Heaven Palace? No.”

“Then it will be a long story to tell, too troublesome, you don’t have to know then.”

“Don’t be like that.” Nie Bufan turned over and half-lay on Li Yi, patting his muscular chest, he said softly, “Tell me, otherwise you don’t need to sleep today.”

Nie Bufan was not a curious person, but once his curiosity was tickled, he wanted to know the follow-up.

Li Yi pulled the person on him away, turned over, and gave him his back.

After a moment of silence, Li Yi’s forbearing voice suddenly sounded out: “What are you doing?”

“I’m cold.” Nie Bufan answered calmly.

“Take your hands away!”

“No.”

“Take it away.”

“No way.”

Li Yi clamped the hand that reached into his clothes and pulled it out forcefully.

Nie Bufan paid it no heed, raising his leg he wrapped it around his waist like a soft-bodied animal.

“Will you stop!” Li Yi let go of his hands and moved to lift his leg.

Nie Bufan, not bothering with half-measures anymore, completely sat on him, threatening: “Tell me, otherwise don’t blame me for destroying the flowers! (TN: expression for a wicked person who will destroy beautiful things, also used on rapists)”

Flower my foot! Li Yi’s expression finally couldn’t remain calm anymore, that important place was being rubbed up against, nearly inciting a response.

“What do you say? Brother, will you confess or suffer (punishment)?”

“Alright, alright. Just hurry and get off me, I’ll tell you.” Li Yi succumbed to Nie Bufan’s tyrannical abuse, and agreed.

“Very good.” Nie Bufan immediately got off him, laying down properly, and said, “Go on.”

Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief, and said slowly: “This began from two hundred years ago……”

Two hundred years ago, the situation in Yu country was turbulent, and foreign enemies eyed the country covetuously. At the time of the crisis, a woman named “Bo Huaisu” appeared from nowhere. She came to see the monarch of Yu Kingdom, calculated three trigrams for him, and divined the secrets of Heaven. The King of Yu used this to break out of the predicament and gradually reversed his kingdom’s chaotic situation, finally achieving true unity.

For this reason, King of Yu established Divining Heaven Palace for Bo Huaisu, announcing that all future generations must be grateful to her kindness and treat her with respect. Since then, Divining Heaven Palace became a special existence in Yu kingdom.

Divining Heaven Palace recruited disciples from outside every five years, accepting females but not males. Every 18 years, Divining Heaven Palace would select a Tian Nu (TN: literally translate to heavenly goddess) to go out of the palace and find a husband. Becoming the husband of Tian Nu would not only get a large dowry, but the current Palace Mistress would also give out a precious chance for divining three trigrams on one’s fortune. For these three trigrams, don’t know how many aristocrats became restless.

Next year would be another eighteen-year period. According to rumors, the Palace Mistress divined that the marriage of this generation of Tian Nu would be in Xishan City, and the Tian Nu will come here in secret. The aristocrats who received the news all sent their unmarried young talents to gather here in advance.

“Li Huai and I are here for this, but I am not interested in the Tian Nu. In order to leave, I had a fight with a martial artist. Although I won, I also recieved a slight injury. You……”

Li Yi turned his head and was just about to condemn Nie Bufan’s cold blooded behavior that day, but the person had already fallen asleep.

“Hey, you were just now making trouble about wanting to know, what is the situation now?” Li Yi gritted his teeth and looked at this carefree and heartless guy, and finally couldn’t hold back his hand, reaching out to pinch his face hard. Only then did his annoyance cooled and he was able to sleep.　　 　　

This was truly an anger invoking fellow!