Then What, You Keep Talking

Xiao He came and went like the wind; his mastery of skipping class was not achieved in a single day. Xiang Yuan couldn't help but suspect that Wang Wenxu hadn't even noticed that one person had appeared in the classroom and then disappeared.

So, this wasn't skipping class, it was outright absenteeism.

Because they were too fast, the servants were still resting their horses by the roadside. The two got into the carriage and headed straight for the west gate of the county town.

Inside the carriage, Xiao He was beaming with joy. He impatiently urged the servant to drive faster several times.

He was eager to "comfort" his close friend Xu Jixian, wishing he could be by his bedside in an instant.

Xiao He explained, "Although the Xu family's fortunes have declined and their descendants are few, they were once glorious. An ancestor served as the Governor of Dezhou, and they even produced a martial arts champion. They were considered a family of officials..."

"You mean an official family, right?" Xiang Yuan couldn't help but retort.

"Close enough, eunuchs are also officials." Xiao He waved his hand dismissively. It wasn't important, it meant the same thing.

Eunuchs don't have that part, it's a huge difference, much more so.

"The Xu family, passed down to Brother Xu's generation, only has him as a male heir. He's neither scholarly nor martial, just guarding his ancestral land, with no proper income. He relies entirely on collecting rent to live. He's a poor and unfortunate soul!"

"Brother Xu's parents passed away early. They named him 'Jixian,' hoping he would revitalize the Xu family. But he, instead, spends his days seeking pleasure in brothels. I suspect he ran into a female ghost."

"When I first arrived at the academy, I saw how incredibly ugly he was, which only made me appear even more heroic and mighty. So, we became friends..."

Xiao He happily spoke about his foolish friend, not forgetting to tell Xiang Yuan an amusing story.

Xu Jixian, despite possessing both talent and virtue, was ranked last in the academy. During a recent exam, in order to secure second place, he chose to cheat rather than solve the problems.

"Hahaha, it was hilarious. The old man almost kicked me out that day."

"..."

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes, guessing who the second-to-last person was.

From the way Xiao He spoke, it seemed more like two kindred spirits, down on their luck, seeking warmth in each other's company. The Xu family's decline was irreversible, and Xiao He, despite his family's brilliance, was not favored. They were fellow travelers, confidants who found solace in each other's company.

It was quite good; two foul odors mutually perfumed each other, without suffocating anyone else.

No, he was about to be suffocated!

With the servant accelerating, the carriage quickly reached the west gate.

The Xu family's glory dated back two hundred years. At that time, Fengxian County had not yet built East Street, so their ancestral land was located west of the county town. It was a large manor, along with land deeds, barely maintaining the appearance of a noble family.

It was grand on the outside, but not so much on the inside.

There was only one old servant to attend to daily life. The long corridors were dusty, and the courtyard was overgrown with weeds. Except for the ancestral temple, which was kept clean and offered incense, cobwebs were visible everywhere else.

What? Didn't this unfortunate soul collect rent? Why didn't he hire more servants?

That question was aimed entirely at his good friend.

"Brother Xu, your brother has come to visit you."

Xiao He boisterously pushed open the door and entered, with Xiang Yuan following behind. On the sickbed, they saw a young man with an unusual bone structure.

He had a horse-like face, dark skin, thick lips, coarse eyebrows, prominent ears, and a bulbous nose. His appearance wasn't exactly unsightly, but it was certainly unique, making Xiang Yuan wonder if Brother Xu had been hiding somewhere during human evolution.

Judging people by their appearance is wrong, and calling someone ugly is even more impolite. One could only say he was a collection of the worst features, lacking the best, born with a very distinctive look, not conforming to the crowd.

Xiang Yuan compared him to a physiognomy book and was astonished that Xu Jixian's face was unreadable, or rather, it had too many distinct features, making it impossible to interpret.

He was an extraordinary man.

With Xu Jixian as a foil, Xiao He appeared handsome and dashing, and Xiang Yuan, with his clear eyebrows and eyes, looked refined. The two of them, like two streams of clear water, flowed into the room.

Xu Jixian groaned a few times on his sickbed. Seeing Xiao He visiting, he pulled off the white cloth from his head and sat up abruptly, "Brother Xiao, why are you here? Didn't you go to the academy today?"

He was tall and strong, with a mature face that could easily pass for thirty.

"How could I not? Your brother is not a idler!"

Xiao He said with disdain, then feigned disappointment, "I heard you encountered a ghost last night, that a female ghost stole your yang energy, causing you to lose vital essence and barely hanging on to life. How come you don't seem to have any problems?"

"No, it's not that you don't have any problems. The female ghost was truly ruthless, beating you into this state. Look at you, your face is ruined."

"Brother Xiao, stop joking. The female ghost didn't hit me; she was very gentle. I've always looked like this."

Xu Jixian wasn't angered by the teasing. He looked curiously at Xiang Yuan, "Who is this gentleman? Why is he carrying a knife? Did you bring a guard?"

"He's not a guard. Little Yuan is a brother I just made. Like you and me, he's also an unfortunate soul. He's temporarily staying at the Xiao residence, and since he's embarrassed to eat and drink for free, he's protecting me." Xiao He explained.

"So, it's Little Yuan. My apologies." Xu Jixian stood up and apologized, asking the old servant to bring tea.

"Brother Xu is too kind."

Xiang Yuan cupped his hands and accepted the tea. In just a few words, he categorized Xu Jixian as a joker, with no ill intentions, just lacking seriousness. It was no wonder he could get along with Xiao He.

Flies of a feather flock together.

The three sat down, and Xiao He impatiently asked, "Tell me quickly, tell me quickly, which house did you encounter the ghost in last night? Yusheng Workshop, Hongxiu Pavilion, or Cuiyun Tower?"

"None of them. Your brother is not a lecherous person who goes around randomly!"

Xu Jixian first defended himself with a thunderous voice, then continued, "Last night, I was returning home from Cuiyun Tower. I had a bit too much to drink and didn't know which alley I had wandered into. The cold wind blew, my legs were a bit wobbly, and I felt dizzy. I saw a woman in white sitting by the wall..."

"She said her husband's surname was Wang, and she was a widow. So, I called her Widow Wang."

"Widow Wang's life is not easy. She twisted her ankle while walking at night, and her lantern was broken. She fell by the roadside, and no one offered her any help."

"My brother saw she was in mourning, pah, saw she was pitiful, and my heart went out to her. So I helped her home to rest, and she could leave in the morning when her feet hurt less."

"At the time, I just thought she was close to my home. It was purely good intentions, nothing else."

Speaking of this, Xu Jixian sighed with emotion, lamenting that good deeds go unrewarded and regretting his helpfulness last night.

"And then? Keep talking!" Xiao He was frantic. This was no time for 'we'll continue next time'.

"There's nothing more to say. Widow Wang saw my kind heart and insisted on repaying me. Brother Xiao, you know me, I'm upright. I never take advantage of others' misfortune, nor do I hold favors over their heads..."

"I don't want to hear this!"

Xiao He was furious, and Xiang Yuan's eyes widened in agreement.

"Then there's really nothing more to say. I upheld propriety and refused repeatedly, but she looked like she was going to ruin me. I'm timid, and when I get nervous, I forget to resist."

Xu Jixian showed a look of annoyance. Sensing the contemptuous gazes from the two opposite him, his dark face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead: "Don't disbelieve me. I swear, I struggled at the time."

"In bed?"

"In my heart."

"..." x2

"It's also my brother's good heart to blame. I was afraid of hurting her feelings if I refused. She was already pitiful, and now I deeply regret it..."

Xu Jixian beat his chest and stamped his feet. In doing so, he stumbled, attracting the female ghost, and now he couldn't get rid of her.

"What do you mean you can't get rid of her?" Xiao He's eyes lit up.

"Last night, Widow Wang and I... well, several times. Though she hadn't studied much, her words were very comforting... Don't glare at me, brothers. What I mean is, Widow Wang is cultured and pleasant to talk to."

Xu Jixian seemed to have been bewitched by the female ghost. Knowing she was a ghost, he couldn't help but make excuses for her, calling her simple and unpretentious, not like the seductive vamps in books.

After speaking, he sensed something was wrong and tried to justify himself: "At first, my brother truly pitied her. Who would have thought... alas, I only blame myself for making a hasty decision and then a miscalculation."

"I slapped the table laughing so hard," Xiao He said with utter contempt.

Are you two doing a comedy routine here?!

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes and interrupted Xu Jixian's self-serving excuses, interjecting: "Brother Xu, get to the point. Why won't the female ghost leave?"

"Afterward, Widow Wang revealed her true form. Her hair was long and flowing, her white clothes like mist, and her body as cold as ice. Only then did my brother realize she wasn't human."

Xu Jixian looked terrified: "She said she held my life in her hands, so she stopped hiding. She also said she lived in the old well in my backyard during the day and told me to find her at night. If I didn't go, she would come find me. She wasn't afraid I'd run away."

"How powerful is this female ghost to be so arrogant!" Xiao He said resentfully, as if implying that, despite his handsomeness, he hadn't encountered Widow Wang.

"Oh my, she can stretch and twist and spin. Her powers are quite deep," Xu Jixian fanned the flames, deliberately provoking Xiao He.

You just can't sleep, but I can. That infuriates you.

"Despicable!"

Xiang Yuan: (_)

In this world, there are all sorts of people. Some are responsible for the 'all sorts,' like him. Others are responsible for the 'of people,' like Xiao He and Xu Jixian.