Even a Straight Man Has to Become a Fulang Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Spending More Time Together

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“Like! I like Ye Ning!”

 

Ye Ning had not gone far when he heard those words, loud and clear. He turned his head and saw Jiang Changxin looking straight at him without the slightest hint of concealment. Those eagle-like eyes of his shone with childlike sincerity and honesty.

 

Ye Ning froze for a moment, wondering to himself—he had never interacted with the Jiang family’s young master before. This was their very first meeting. Moreover, Jiang Changxin was the main character of this story, while he himself was merely a background figure, a nobody. They were not supposed to have much to do with each other at all.

 

So why would Jiang Changxin suddenly say he liked him?

 

Ah, Ye Ning nodded to himself. Given that Jiang Changxin’s mind was currently like that of a child, when he said “like,” perhaps he only meant he wanted to play together? Thinking this, Ye Ning felt a bit awkward—he really didn’t know how to look after children…

 

“Cough, cough, cough—” Cheng Zhao choked on his breath, almost becoming the first ghost to die from suffocation.

 

He was far from calm about it. Cheng Zhao had followed Jiang Changxin for several years. Although he didn’t know that his master had been reborn, he did know that Jiang Changxin had long since regained his senses and was not the fool the villagers of Qingtian Village believed him to be. His master usually pretended to be simple-minded, but behind that act, he was always calculating, always composed and cold. Hearing him suddenly shout out that he liked someone so loudly—Cheng Zhao was so shocked that his jaw nearly fell off.

 

Clatter—crack!

 

At that very moment, a sharp sound came from above—the roof tiles had been stepped on and broken by something.

 

Even Cheng Zhao wasn’t the only one startled. Hidden in the shadows was Yu Yuan, who usually wouldn’t flinch even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, and who could be beaten three times without uttering a single word. Yet now, even he had lost his footing from shock, accidentally crushing a roof tile beneath him.

 

The Jiang matriarch looked up in surprise. “What was that noise?”

 

Before she could raise her head fully, Cheng Zhao quickly answered, “Replying to you, Matriarch—it’s probably a wild cat. With the heavy rain outside, those stray cats and dogs are all looking for a place to hide.”

 

The matriarch hadn’t really been paying attention to the sound anyway, so she only asked casually. Her smiling face soon turned back to Jiang Changxin. “My son, what you said—do you mean it?”

 

Jiang Changxin nodded vigorously, his head bobbing up and down like a pounding pestle. That silly look on his face was so exaggerated that Cheng Zhao nearly couldn’t bear to look—it was too much for the eyes.

 

The matriarch’s smile widened, the joy overflowing from her face. Ever since Jiang Changxin had suffered mental impairment as a child, though he always smiled cheerfully, he had never cared about anyone outside the family. He was distant and awkward with the simple villagers of Qingtian Village. On the surface, they dared not offend the Jiangs, but behind their backs, they often gossiped, calling the Jiang family’s young master a fool or a halfwit.

 

The matriarch had long been worried—if her Xin’er remained this naïve and confused, what would happen when she was gone one day? Would he be all alone, not knowing how to manage himself, not knowing right from wrong? Would people bully him, insult him? Thinking of all that had kept her heart aching with concern.

 

Now, hearing Jiang Changxin suddenly say he liked Ye Ning, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. Perhaps this meant her son finally understood what it was to like someone. Maybe, with time and nurturing, he might become more like a normal person—perhaps even recover his full mind. That was a good sign.

 

And besides that—yes, she had to admit it was a bit selfish—but as a mother, she hoped to find someone dependable to care for her son. That way, when she and the elders were no longer around, Xin’er wouldn’t have to be all alone in the world.

 

As for this Ye Ning—the matriarch had already heard about him. He was said to be one of the most beautiful Gers in all of Qingtian Village. No one could compare to his looks; that went without saying. In the past, the matriarch had thought Ye Ning was only pleasant to look at, the same as any other Ger—shut away at home, waiting for a match to be arranged.

 

But after meeting him today, she realized he was different. So slender and frail, yet he had fearlessly risked himself to save Quan Qian. That kind of courage—forget about Gers—even most men couldn’t compare. And he was well-read and polite too. His words weren’t just pleasant to hear in tone, but in reason as well.

 

On top of that, Ye Ning possessed fine culinary skills. The matriarch had tasted the noodles and fish strips he made herself. Not only were they the best in the entire village—even in the provincial capital, they would be considered top-notch. Most importantly, even her Xin’er—who suffered from hating food disease to most foods—was able to eat a few bites. That in itself was nothing short of miraculous!

 

The more she thought about it, the more pleased she felt. But then, as she smiled, her expression slowly stiffened. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she sighed deeply.

 

Ye Ning was good in every way—in every single way—except for one thing…

 

His body had been injured. It was said he could no longer bear children.

 

But when she thought about it again, she and her husband had no children of their own either. They had adopted Xin’er, and hadn’t they lived happily nonetheless? If this union could truly come to pass, perhaps fate itself would provide its own blessings in time.

 

“Achoo… achoo!”

 

Ye Ning had finished bathing and changed into clean clothes. The servants had prepared a room for him to stay in for the night. Since it was already so late, no one from the Jiang household wished to disturb him further. Tomorrow morning, they would come personally to offer proper thanks to Ye Ning—with all the proper manners and ceremony.

 

Ye Ning closed the door of the guest room and couldn’t help sneezing twice. The back of his neck felt oddly cold, as if someone behind him was whispering and thinking about him.

 

“Ah-choo!” Ye Ning lay down on the soft bed, pulled the quilt over himself, and murmured, “Could it be that I caught a chill in the rain? This body really is useless… I need to start exercising more…”

 

The rain lasted all through the night, but by the next morning, the sky had cleared.

 

The Jiang family’s bed was soft and comfortable—much better than the hard one at Ye Ning’s shabby noodle stall. After a full night’s rest, his fatigue was gone. Seeing that it was early morning, Ye Ning got up and tidied his clothes.

 

Knock, knock—

 

A maid’s voice came from outside. “Has the honored guest risen?”

 

“I have,” Ye Ning replied.

 

The maid said, “The matriarch has ordered breakfast to be served, please wash up and proceed to the dining hall once you’re ready.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The maid brought in warm water for washing. After Ye Ning cleaned up and dressed neatly, he followed her through the corridors toward the dining hall.

 

The Jiang estate occupied nearly the entire northern end of the village. The residence was vast and winding, with corridors turning and twisting in every direction. After passing through several side doors, they finally reached the dining hall.

 

Inside were the Jiang family’s matriarch, Young Master Jiang Changxin, the Quan family’s Ger from Jiangnan—whom Ye Ning had met just yesterday—and his own cousin, Zhang Zhiyuan.

 

When Zhang Zhiyuan saw Ye Ning, he immediately stood up and said in alarm, “Ye Ning, are you all right?”

 

Ye Ning shook his head with a faint smile. “I’m fine. Sorry to have worried you, Cousin.”

 

The matriarch greeted him warmly. “Ning Ger is our honored guest. Please, come sit.”

 

Jiang Changxin stood at once, pulled out a chair for Ye Ning, and looked at him eagerly. Despite his sharp, hawk-like eyes, his expression resembled that of an overgrown, loyal puppy.

 

“Thank you,” Ye Ning said politely.

 

As soon as he sat, Jiang Changxin snatched the soup ladle from the maid holding the porridge pot and scooped a large bowl full for Ye Ning himself. It wasn’t plain porridge either, but a rich seafood congee filled with precious ingredients—not the kind of small fish and shrimp caught from local rivers.

 

Without the slightest restraint, Jiang Changxin ladled out all the shrimp, crab, sea cucumber, and scallops from the pot and dumped them into Ye Ning’s bowl until it was filled to the brim.

 

“Hiss! Hiss….” The porridge was steaming hot, and the ladle burned his hand red, making him hiss from the pain. But he placed the bowl before Ye Ning proudly, smiling wide-eyed like a child showing off a treasure. “Eat! You eat.”

 

Ye Ning felt a little awkward. The Jiang family’s young master was too enthusiastic—he’d piled all the good stuff into Ye Ning’s bowl, leaving nothing for anyone else at the table.

 

When Ye Ning hesitated, Jiang Changxin picked up a clean pair of chopsticks and began stacking big meat buns and thick meat patties into Ye Ning’s bowl—one after another until they formed a small tower. The bun at the bottom was nearly crushed flat.

 

Ye Ning: “……” This Jiang Changxin is… overly attentive.

 

He quickly raised a hand. “That’s enough. I can’t eat that much.”

 

Jiang Changxin just chuckled. “Eat more, eat more!”

 

Seeing her son fuss over Ye Ning so tenderly filled the matriarch’s heart with joy—it was sweeter than honey. Clearly, Ye Ning was different from everyone else. Her smile widened so much it nearly reached her ears.

 

“All right,” she said, stopping Jiang Changxin gently. “If you keep that up, how is Ning Ger supposed to eat properly? One should enjoy food bit by bit, not all at once, isn’t that so?”

 

Only then did Jiang Changxin sit down, though he still looked at Ye Ning expectantly. “You eat. There’s more.”

 

Ye Ning’s eyelid twitched slightly. The villagers had said the Jiang family’s young master was slow-witted and unsociable. But now that he saw him in person—well, foolish maybe, but hardly withdrawn. In fact, he seemed too friendly.

 

Ye Ning lifted his spoon, blew gently on the porridge, and began to eat.

 

Jiang Changxin sat beside him, turning slightly toward him, eating a plain white bun—without any filling, flavorless and dry.

 

When Ye Ning took a bite of meat bun, Jiang Changxin took a bite of white bun. When Ye Ning sipped seafood porridge, Jiang Changxin sipped…

 

Clear water.

 

Ye Ning glanced at his bowl curiously—it wasn’t porridge at all, just a bowl of water.

 

Jiang Changxin, tall and strong, was easily one of the most striking figures in Qingtian Village. Yet he had the appetite of a bird. He didn’t touch a single piece of meat; after two bites of bun and one sip of water, he put down his chopsticks as if full—looking for all the world like a pitiful child being starved.

 

The matriarch noticed Ye Ning’s confusion and smiled gently. “Don’t laugh at him. To tell the truth, Xin’er suffers from a hating food disease. He usually doesn’t join us for meals. Today is an exception—he insisted on coming because he wanted to see you.”

 

Hating food disease?

 

Ye Ning’s brows furrowed slightly. In the story, Jiang Changxin had been described as mentally impaired but later recovered to normal—there had never been any mention of him having such an illness.

 

Ye Ning said: “I have some homemade sauces at my noodle stall, they’re not greasy or fishy, and they help make buns easier to eat. If Young Master Jiang doesn’t mind, I could fetch some for him to try.”

 

The matriarch wanted to tell him not to trouble himself. After all, she knew her son well—Jiang Changxin was notoriously difficult with food. He refused this, disliked that; oily or fishy dishes made him nauseous, freshwater fish and seafood smelled too strong, offal or beef and lamb were too gamey, and even a simple sip of water had to be filtered seven or eight times, or he would taste the earth in it and gag, sometimes even spitting out yesterday’s leftovers.

 

“No trouble at all, Xin’er…”

 

Before the matriarch could finish, Jiang Changxin nodded vigorously.

 

In truth, he had no appetite whatsoever. Just the smell of seafood congee and meat buns churned his stomach, making him nauseated. He endured it, but he still nodded emphatically to show that he treated Ye Ning differently from others.

 

Ye Ning stood up. “It’s no trouble. The noodle stall is right nearby. I’ll go quickly and be back soon.”

 

The matriarch frowned. “It rained all night. The streets are flooded and slippery. I’ll have a few swift-footed servants go with you.”

 

Jiang Changxin jumped up immediately. “I’ll go! I’ll go with him!”

 

It would be a perfect chance to spend more time with Ye Ning, so that when it came time to formally propose, it wouldn’t seem abrupt. In his mind, everything was carefully planned, step by step—though he had no idea he couldn’t read the situation at all…

 

Ye Ning’s cousin, Zhang Zhiyuan, blocked him with a sincere expression. “How could we let the young master wade through water outside? I’ll go with Ye Ning instead.”

 

Jiang Changxin: “…” What an utterly clueless scholar.

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