"I heard it was originally called 'Watching the Tide,' but later someone thought 'Watching' wasn't as good as 'Gazing,' so they changed it to 'Gazing at the Tide.' This person is no good." Qi Shan tried to erase the words "octopus" from his mind. The harder he tried, the more firmly they stuck. Gripping the Wooden Door, he fought back laughter until the veins stood out on his forehead.
After a while, he finally broke. His chest heaved as he burst out laughing. "Pfft—Octopus, Gazing at the Tide! Young Master Shen is a real character!"
No decent person had ever thought of it that way.
Which went to show that Young Master Shen really was indecent.
Shen Tang thought he had a low, peculiar threshold for laughter.
What was so funny about that?
"...I think you're taking pleasure in my misfortune."
Qi Shan held it in for a moment, then managed to stifle his laughter.
He said, "That's not what a gentleman would do. You've misunderstood."
Shen Tang: "..."
Only a fool would believe a word you said.
Qi Shan coughed a few times, took a deep breath, and got his uncontrollable grin under control. Then, as if to cover his tracks, he lowered his head and straightened the slightly bent bamboo strips. "But seriously, Young Master Shen, you should be on your guard against Gu Chi. Never mind that his Way of the Scholar is Heart Peeking—even if it weren't, he's the best at Heart Peeking and Word Spirit among everyone I know. He holds grudges, and his methods are vicious."
Shen Tang said, "I knew the first part. I couldn't really tell that he held grudges, though. I actually think he's pretty interesting..."
Qi Shan doused her enthusiasm with a bucket of cold water.
"You only see a