For some reason, as Shen Shangling’s gaze rested on Lu Xiao’s tall back, he felt a flicker of irritability radiating from the way the man’s robes flared with his long, forceful strides.
Is he… angry?
Shen Shangling pursed his lips. Could it be that Lu Xiao felt he was being ungrateful? Tsk. If “favors” like serving in the bedchamber are what’s on offer, then not eating them is fine by me.
As for the act of sleeping together… he wasn’t exactly resistant to men; after all, he wasn’t straight to begin with. It wasn’t purely a matter of “no emotions, no sex”—if it were someone of a type he liked, a “sex-first, romance-later” arrangement wouldn’t be out of the question. But Lu Xiao was not his type. The man’s physique was too imposing, too powerful, and his temperament seemed overly domineering.
Moreover, the night he helped Lu Xiao undress, he couldn’t help but notice—even through the inner garments—that the man’s “equipment” appeared quite intimidating. He was a delicate person, especially when it came to pain. He feared it would hurt too much, feared being unable to handle the other person’s demanding desires, and feared that if a physical argument ever broke out between partners, he would definitely be the one at a disadvantage. Consequently, even before transmigrating, men like that were never on his list.
Shen Shangling preferred men whose physique was similar to his own, whose strength wasn’t excessively greater than his. Someone with a gentler personality, emotional stability, and a bit of humor… that would be just right. And, naturally, looks couldn’t be bad. Lu Xiao was handsome, certainly, but his brand of handsomeness was far too aggressive. It made Shen Shangling feel pressured and uncomfortable; he preferred the “breeze against the face” type. In short, he was a bit too picky, which led to him never getting what he wanted before transmigrating. Regardless, he’d rather go without than settle. A man like Lu Xiao… he truly couldn’t handle.
Lost in these thoughts, Shen Shangling didn’t regain his composure until he noticed the look of shock on the faces of the craftsmen in the courtyard.
Shen Shangling: “…” They heard what Lu Xiao said to him just now!
“M-M-Master Shen…” the elderly craftsman stuttered, waving his hands frantically when he saw Shen Shangling looking over. “We… we didn’t hear anything.”
So, this Master Shen is actually someone from the Prince’s bedchamber? No wonder he is so beautiful.
Shen Shangling: “…” Well, that’s clearly a “there’s no silver buried here” situation.
He then noticed that the “team atmosphere” he had worked so hard to build had been utterly ruined by Lu Xiao’s words. The craftsmen, who had previously been chatting and laughing with him, now all wore cautious, fearful expressions, keeping their distance. Shen Shangling cursed Lu Xiao in his heart.
“It doesn’t matter,” Shen Shangling said, smoothing his sleeves and laughing with a touch of heroic spirit. “A man should never be greedy for ease and comfort. We must not fear hardship or fatigue and should focus on doing practical work, right?”
“Right, right, right,” the craftsmen replied in a chorus, nodding vigorously.
Master Shen dared to defy the Prince’s will, refusing to be a “kept” person draped in gold and silver, preferring instead to do this dirty, exhausting work alongside humble craftsmen like us. Seeing him so open and straightforward, the craftsmen’s expressions softened once more.
It was nearly noon, and the food hadn’t been delivered yet. With the first batch of soap sent off, there was a rare moment of relaxation in the small courtyard. The weather was warm, and a cluster of roses in the corner of the courtyard was in full bloom. Shen Shangling sat by the stone table, smiled, and beckoned to the thinnest craftsman.
“Come here, brother,” he said, propping up his elbow and shaking his wrist. “Let’s arm-wrestle. Let’s test our strength.” He couldn’t let them look down on him; he also wanted to use this to re-establish a sense of camaraderie. After the spiritualization, his physical functions felt excellent, as if he had returned to his eighteen-or-nineteen-year-old self. Compared to his previous sub-healthy state of being nearly thirty and staying up all night playing games, he felt much stronger. He figured he could easily overpower this thin craftsman.
“Master Shen?” The craftsman, who looked to be in his thirties with rough, dark skin, hesitated for a moment when he saw Shen Shangling inviting him to arm-wrestle.
“Come on, brother, don’t be shy,” Shen Shangling said gently. “Let’s have a friendly match.”
The other craftsmen felt a bit uneasy, but seeing Shen Shangling’s smiling, sparkling eyes, they couldn’t help but urge their companion forward. Li Yan, watching silently, was full of astonishment: Shen Shangling is actually… calling these craftsmen “brother”? And he’s actually going to hold hands with them… to arm-wrestle?
“Go!” Once the craftsman was settled and extended his hand cautiously, Shen Shangling gripped it. “Ready begin!”
No sooner had the words left his lips than he applied all his strength, pressing the man’s wrist down.
Press, press… Shen Shangling stared in disbelief at the man’s wrist, which hadn’t moved an inch.
“Br-brother…” Shen Shangling gritted out from between his teeth, his face flushed red with exertion. “How are you… are we… tied?”
Before he could finish, the craftsman carefully, bit by bit, began to press his wrist down.
Shen Shangling: “…”
“Master Shen…” The craftsman said cautiously as he pinned Shen Shangling’s hand to the table. “Is… is this okay?” If Master Shen was angry, he’d quickly let it go.
“I wasn’t ready,” Shen Shangling said, signaling for him to let go. He shook his hand, feeling a bit disillusioned. “Come, let’s use the other hand—” The man is shorter, thinner, and older than me… there’s no reason to lose. “This time, don’t go bit by bit,” Shen Shangling pondered aloud. “Let’s give it all we’ve got in one go.”
The craftsman, seeing that Shen Shangling wasn’t angry, felt relieved and agreed.
BANG!
With one push, the craftsman slammed Shen Shangling’s hand onto the table. He was genuinely startled—he never intended to smack Master Shen against the table! Who knew this Master Shen couldn’t hold out at all?
Shen Shangling felt his vision go black from the pain, followed by a stinging sensation in his nose. Whenever he felt intense pain, even if he didn’t want to cry, he would be stimulated to produce tears… it was infuriating!
Li Yan’s eyes twitched. That “bang” really did sound loud. Then he saw Shen Shangling’s red-rimmed eyes, and he couldn’t help but curl his lip: This “Snow Demon” really is overestimating his own abilities.
“Br-brother, you have great strength,” Shen Shangling said, his tone still gentle as he rubbed his eyes. “Hiss… a little bug just flew into my eye… Hiss”
The craftsmen were taken aback and hurried to say: “We’re just rough men used to manual labor, please don’t laugh at us, Master Shen. You are a person of high status who does great things; we cannot be compared.” If nothing else, the fact that Master Shen was willing to arm-wrestle us shows he respects us rough folk. And even after losing, he didn’t get angry he’s not only gentle and kind, but also broad-minded. With this thought, the atmosphere grew even more relaxed and intimate when the craftsmen spoke to him again.
Shen Shangling: “…” That works, too. It’s just that his hand hurt, hurt, hurt.
Hummmm…
Just then, a large bee flew over the wall into the small courtyard.
“Honey Rakshasa!” a craftsman cried out in alarm. “Master Shen, watch out.” Why is this bee flying straight at Master Shen? I hope it doesn’t sting anyone; this bee is incredibly fierce.
“It’s okay, it’s one I raised,” Shen Shangling said, feeling he had regained a bit of face, happy that the little fat bug had come at just the right time. “Don’t be afraid, it doesn’t sting.”
The little fat bug circled him twice, conveying a sense of joy and arrogance. Sensing the little guy’s emotions, Shen Shangling pursed his lips: This guy means that the hive in Qiyu Courtyard is getting bigger and bigger; the little guy is extremely proud and came specifically to show off, and it even hinted at the idea of splitting off another colony.
Stop right there. Shen Shangling quickly communicated with it, telling the little guy not to start another “hearth.” Having one hive in Qiyu Courtyard was enough; he couldn’t have beehives all over the Prince’s manor, or Lu Xiao would surely burn them all to the ground. The little fat bug felt a bit regretful, but it agreed obediently to not create a new hive for the time being. However, at the same time, it signaled to Shen Shangling that it would soon bring him something good.
Something good? Shen Shangling sensed that it probably meant honey or the like, and his heart softened: The little guy really does miss him… a relative. A relative bug.
After the little bug flew a few laps and Shen Shangling happily finished communicating with it, he gestured for it to leave. The craftsmen stared with wide eyes.
“Master Shen can raise bees?” “This bug is so fierce, yet Master Shen can raise it?”
As they talked, the craftsmen grew increasingly respectful toward Shen Shangling.
Shen Shangling finally felt content. Because he was in a good mood, when he went to the West Pavilion at the hour of Shen (3:00–5:00 PM) to tell Journey to the West to Jiang Sanwen, he had the leisure to notice the scenery along the way. To get from here to the West Pavilion, one had to pass by the edge of the large garden in the manor. The garden was quite large, but it was in the style of the Dingbei Prince’s manor—not particularly exquisite. However, in the late spring, the grass was growing, the orioles were flying, and the flowers were blooming in a riot of color, giving the place an extraordinary natural beauty. His hive was likely coming over here to gather nectar, he figured.
Shen Shangling’s good mood evaporated the moment he reached the West Pavilion and saw Lu Xiao standing next to Jiang Sanwen.
Why is this dog Prince here!
Besides Lu Xiao, Shen Shangling also saw a familiar face—the man who had taken Jiang Sanwen away from the West Pavilion that day. He guessed it must be that sharp-tongued physician, Jiang Yuanlin—Wen-ge’er’s “father.” Before transmigrating, when he read that trashy book, he had imagined this sharp-tongued physician to have a more “down-to-earth” appearance… Who knew he was actually quite handsome? He was tall and straight, with a lithe, powerful posture and a heroic air. His sharp, single-lidded eyes looked like they had been carved by a knife; when he lowered his lids, he looked like a difficult person to deal with. His temper didn’t seem great either not his type.
“Your Highness.” As his thoughts raced, Shen Shangling didn’t forget to bow to Lu Xiao. Lu Xiao’s subordinates almost all performed this kind of salute; he certainly wouldn’t kneel voluntarily, so he just performed a perfunctory salute, as if handling an official duty.
Lu Xiao’s face was expressionless. His gaze swept over Shen Shangling’s face and landed on his left hand.
This man… actually arm-wrestled those craftsmen and got himself bumped to tears? When Li Yan reported it to him, he had been somewhat surprised.
“Tell it,” Lu Xiao said flatly. “Tell your story sit.”
Shen Shangling agreed hurriedly. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Lu Xiao and Jiang Yuanlin… were not leaving. Is this a clear declaration that they intend to listen?
“Old Shen,” Jiang Sanwen’s eyes sparkled the moment he saw Shen Shangling. He reached out to pull Shen Shangling to sit with him, his eyes full of anticipation. “Tang Seng has taken the White Dragon Horse as a disciple, who will he take next?” As he spoke, he threw a handful of items onto the large table.
“What is this?” Shen Shangling asked subconsciously.
They looked like a bundle of small bamboo strips… tied together, they looked like a bundle of popsicle sticks at first glance.
“You don’t recognize these, Master?” Jiang Sanwen widened his eyes.
Lu Xiao, standing to the side, squinted his eyes.