Led by Xu Mubai, Hu Xiaotian passed through the elegant courtyard where they had drunk tea and gambled that day. He deliberately glanced at the ground. The bloodstains had long since been cleaned away, as though nothing had ever happened. Ahead stood rows of slender bamboo. They entered along a narrow path through the grove, and the sea of green that filled their vision was a delight to the eye. As they walked, a gentle breeze stirred the swaying bamboo shadows, and the rustle of leaves filled their ears. In such sweltering weather, it was indescribably refreshing. He had to admit that the Xu Family had considerable taste.
Xu Mubai quietly studied his cousin. Although Hu Xiaotian had changed his clothes today, his outfit still looked decidedly odd: a short-sleeved shirt paired with baggy shorts, his arms bare, his long legs completely exposed, and a pair of wooden clogs on his feet. Xu Mubai secretly laughed. His cousin paid far too little attention to his appearance. Aside from dockworkers, nobody normally dressed like that.
Hu Xiaotian had always done as he pleased. As long as he was comfortable, that was enough; he did not care what anyone else thought. Wearing long robes in such heat would leave him covered in prickly heat.
At the end of the bamboo path, the view suddenly opened up. Before them lay a clear, emerald-green pond filled with lush lotus leaves and pink blossoms in full bloom. Dragonflies occasionally skimmed the water on fluttering wings. A long, nine-turn bridge led to a waterside pavilion in the middle of the pond, where the banquet for Hu Xiaotian would be held.
More than a dozen beautiful young women stood to one side along the bridge, all welcoming Hu Xiaotian with smiles.
Hu Xiaotian deliberately remarked to Xu