The Male Courtesan Has a Problem (Part 2)

Shen Tang wanted to jump up and perform cranial surgery on Qi Shan's skull for the nth time, but considering the sliver of friendship still remaining between them, she managed to hold back. Suppressing her anger, she said, "Hmph, why would I be embarrassed? I drew so well..."

Qi Shan: "..."

He was now absolutely certain.

Young Master Shen's aesthetic sense was different from that of normal people.

The two stared at each other, eye to eye, neither willing to back down first. In the end, it was Qi Shan who rubbed his temples, his head aching, avoiding Shen Tang's eyes, which were brimming with confidence and self-righteousness. He had seen confident people before, but never one like the person in front of him.

Why was she so confident despite her abysmal drawing skills?

Knowing that communication barriers would affect efficiency, Qi Shan chose to "take a detour." He pointed at Shen Tang's masterpiece on the table and asked a crucial question in a deep voice, "No matter how well you draw, if that male courtesan can't appreciate it, will you get paid?"

Shen Tang, jolted awake by his words: "..."

Right, if the client isn't satisfied, it won't do.

She looked at Qi Shan with a look of existential doubt, seeking confirmation, "How can you be sure his taste is like yours... that he won't appreciate it?"

Shen Tang swallowed the words "abnormal aesthetic."

It wasn't that she was afraid of Qi Shan or dared not retort. She retracted her evaluation purely out of consideration for the client's face (and payment).

Qi Shan took a deep breath and began to speak sarcastically with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Most worldly people have similar eyes for appreciating beauty."

The eyes of Young Master Shen were truly an anomaly.

Unexpectedly, Shen Tang ignored the "deeper meaning" in Qi Shan's words. She nodded thoughtfully, her expression regretful, and sighed, "The higher the music, the fewer the listeners; this is probably what 'finding a kindred spirit is difficult' means."

After speaking, she genuinely shook her head.

Qi Shan, who was almost speechless internally: "..."

Shen Tang looked at the two paintings on the table with a slight headache, pinching the bridge of her nose, "In that case... how should I explain this to the client, no, the male courtesan? I can't draw like you."

Qi Shan asked, "Did you sign a contract with the shopkeeper?"

If she hadn't signed a contract, she could just quit. At most, her reputation would suffer a bit, making it harder to take on such jobs in the future. But Young Master Shen didn't rely on copying or drawing for a living. It was better to suffer a loss than to force herself to continue.

Unexpectedly, Shen Tang said, "The contract has already been signed."

She had already taken the deposit.

Shen Tang took out her small money pouch and poured out more than twenty chopped silver pieces. Qi Shan's gaze towards her became increasingly complex—who gave her the courage to take on the job and accept a deposit without having the drawing skills? This was a disaster. He wondered how Young Master Shen would salvage this.

"What should we do now?"

Although Shen Tang still believed her drawing skills were excellent—after all, it was a skill she used to make a living, and Qi Shan's words couldn't easily undermine it—she was also worried about one thing. No matter how well she thought she drew, it wouldn't matter if the client refused to pay.

She hesitated, "Why don't we test the male courtesan? Perhaps he's one of the rare 'kindred spirits' outside the mundane world who can discover beauty!"

Qi Shan: "..."

A kindred spirit outside the mundane world???

Heh heh heh, it would be faster to daydream.

"If all else fails..."

Shen Tang was about to say, "If all else fails, we should still try. If someone really tries to beat someone up, it's not certain who will end up beating whom." At the same time, Qi Shan spoke, "If all else fails, I'll draw it for you to satisfy the client. We need to keep a low profile in Xiaocheng. If we can avoid trouble, let's avoid it."

"...That works too. It's the same whether you earn it or I earn it. However, I'll still need to inform the shopkeeper that the artist has changed. I can't take advantage of you." Shen Tang had no objections and readily agreed, "I'll tell you about the appearance and demeanor of that male courtesan."

Qi Shan: "..."

Heaven knew how many years it had been since he last did this kind of work. Even during his most difficult times, he had only done it a few times.

While complaining internally, he listened carefully to Shen Tang's description, not missing a single detail, and constructing the composition in his mind.

Thank goodness, although Young Master Shen's drawing skills were questionable, his ability to organize his thoughts was not weak. His descriptions were clear, concise, and meticulously observant.

Just by listening to her description, he could visualize the male courtesan's appearance, demeanor, characteristics, and temperament. He had a good idea.

However—

Qi Shan keenly caught a detail.

"You said that male courtesan was initially dissatisfied with you?"

Shen Tang corrected him sternly, "He was dissatisfied at first, but wasn't that because my appearance was too deceptive? He probably thought I was too young and my drawing skills weren't as good as older artists. But later, didn't he discover my extraordinary talent and give me the job?"

Qi Shan: "He discovered you have a Literary Heart."

Having a Literary Heart made her "extraordinary," which was a completely different concept from confirming Young Master Shen had drawing skills and was therefore "extraordinary."

Besides, did Young Master Shen possess such a thing as drawing skills?

Shen Tang waved her hand, "It's all the same, all the same."

Qi Shan shook his head, "A male courtesan in the prime of his youth, how could he recognize your sigil as a Literary Heart Sigil at first glance? That's not quite right. Entrusting such an important job solely based on your Literary Heart Sigil, without even verifying your drawing skills, is even more unusual."

A Literary Heart Sigil didn't equate to drawing skills.

Shen Tang, however, wasn't suspicious.

"What's so strange about that? He's a celebrity at the Moonlit Pavilion, a future top courtesan in reserve. He meets all sorts of people. Is it strange for any of his patrons to have a Literary Heart? You're not suggesting that male courtesan also has a Literary Heart, so he recognized me, are you?"

Having been in this world for a while, she knew that even the lowest grade Literary Heart surpassed ordinary people.

Under normal circumstances, it's difficult to fall into such a predicament unless one is crippled or suffers some other catastrophic disaster.

The Male Courtesan's qi, essence, and spirit didn't seem like that of someone in such a situation.

Qi Shan couldn't pinpoint the issue for a moment and asked, "You said his condition was to use the brush, ink, and paper he provided?"

Shen Tang replied, "Yes."

He rubbed his temples, asking Shen Tang to describe the Male Courtesan again. The descriptions were identical, yet he still couldn't find the source of his unease.

Shen Tang crossed her arms and watched him frown in deep thought, asking, "Yuan Liang, what exactly are you worried about?"

Qi Shan replied, "It's not worry, it's a dislike of the unknown."

Or rather, he disliked the feeling of being in a game but not knowing the whole picture. He had a hunch that the Male Courtesan was problematic, and until he got an answer, it would gnaw at him, making him incredibly uncomfortable.

In Shen Tang's understanding, it was like his OCD was acting up.

Seeing his seriousness, Shen Tang said, "If he does have a problem, the clue might be in the brush, ink, and paper he specifically emphasized."

Her words were like a sudden enlightenment.

Qi Shan suddenly thought of something. He took out a sheet of paper from the stack and either held it over a candle flame to bake it or poured water on it, waiting for something to appear.

Shen Tang quietly watched him "go crazy."

After a long while, she reminded him, "Perhaps it's related to Word Spirits?"

Yuan Liang, the world has changed.

This is a world that doesn't adhere to science.

Scientific methods like baking with fire or splashing water aren't common here.