The atmosphere at the scene fell into a strange, deathly silence for a time.
It was not until Shen Tang's carefree, cynical laughter rang out: "Xiao Fang, that's no fun. You nearly scared people. We're old acquaintances who know each other inside and out, so how could you not know what I'm capable of? I never fell into this pit in the first place, so how could I repeat the same mistake? I still prefer that mouth of yours to be used only for drinking wine—drinking, reminiscing, and discussing romance, but nothing else!"
Shen Tang refused Zhai Le's attempt to sow discord and shot back at him.
"Fine, blame me for meddling. I'm disliked by both sides anyway."
There was a hint of grievance and hurt in Zhai Le's words.
With his temperament, he had never lacked friends. Wherever he went, he had a whole crowd of old acquaintances—some who would stand by him through thick and thin, and others who had merely crossed paths with him. The bustle around him had never ceased since his youth. Among all those friends, Shen Tang was the most special of his "old acquaintances."
Because of their temperaments, their strength, their genders, and because the years when he first met her had been the last brush of freedom in the shared lives of him and his elder brother. It was like a bonfire: after its flames burned brightest, its colors gradually dimmed until only embers remained.
He and his elder brother had both thought that once their travels ended, the two brothers would embark on another brand-new life. Neither of them had expected his elder brother's life to begin its decline from that point onward, ending in an early death. Zhai Le had accepted his mission in a time of crisis, taking on