I Rely on the Collapse of the Character Setting to Survive in the Hands of the Male Lead Chapter 132

Chapter 132

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Lin Qingyang’s gaze swept across the group, and one of them seemed to be around his age. However, this person appeared the most timid, keeping his head lowered throughout and avoiding eye contact, likely due to an instinctual fear of the wealthy families in the capital.

The one who looked shrewd and had a head like a deer and eyes like a mouse was their leader. He took a step forward, hunching his back, and greeted with a forced smile, “Young Master, we are a carpentry team. These are all my apprentices. Boss Liu noticed our craftsmanship, so he brought us here. If you are satisfied, we can continue the transformation. If you have any ideas, we will do our best to implement them.”

The statement seemed a bit exaggerated. Lin Qingyang smiled and asked, “Do you have any other ideas for the transformation?”

The old craftsman immediately nudged the young man next to him, saying, “Hurry up, tell the Young Master.”

Seemingly afraid, the young man was scolded by the old craftsman and quickly approached with a set of blueprints. He intended to show Lin Qingyang, but due to nervousness, he shook the blueprints just as he got close, causing them to scatter and a few sheets even floated over to Lin Qingyang.

A skilled companion nearby couldn’t help but reprimand, “Why are you so clumsy?” He squatted down to help pick them up.

The young man’s face turned pale as he knelt on the ground, frantically trying to collect the scattered papers.

The old craftsman took two steps forward and directly kicked the young man’s leg. “Useless thing, you scared the Young Master!”

The young man quickly knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

Lin Qingyang frowned slightly, puzzled, and couldn’t help whispering to the skilled companion nearby, “Why is he so afraid of me?”

“They’ve all heard that Young Master is someone of importance entering and leaving the imperial palace, so they are naturally more afraid,” the companion explained.

Lin Qingyang nodded slightly, “It’s okay, don’t be nervous. You can stand up and speak.”

The young man stood up. He was not tall, quite slender, and didn’t dare to look directly at Lin Qingyang. However, his revealed face appeared quite delicate.

Lin Qingyang directly took the blueprints and glanced at them. Soon, his gaze froze. Based on his understanding of craftsmen, they usually didn’t create such detailed blueprints. Most of the work was done based on experience. However, this could indeed be considered a proper design blueprint. He didn’t expect to find such talent.

As he flipped through the blueprints, Lin Qingyang’s expression changed. He unexpectedly saw a simple fan powered by the kinetic energy of flowing water, as well as a complex design spanning both indoors and outdoors. This level of work surpassed the capabilities of an ordinary craftsman.

“Who came up with this?” Lin Qingyang asked in surprise.

The young man finally spoke, “In response to Young Master, it was me…”

“My apprentice isn’t very useful. He just likes to doodle. But sometimes, what he draws turns out quite well and can be used for something,” the old craftsman immediately stepped forward and said. However, upon seeing the design of the fan, he scolded, “This useless thing pollutes the Young Master’s eyes. Hurry up and take it away.”

Clearly, in the eyes of the old craftsman, such designs were too advanced. Since they couldn’t understand it, they naturally deemed it useless.

Lin Qingyang’s gaze swept over the two, noticing that the young man’s hands had injuries and calluses, while the old craftsman’s hands seemed like they hadn’t done much work for a long time, and they even appeared a bit unsteady.

“I find it quite interesting. Explain to me how it works,” Lin Qingyang pointed to the drawing and asked.

The old craftsman hesitated, under the stern gaze of the skilled companion, he quickly withdrew with a forced smile while muttering something under his breath.

On the other hand, the young man showed surprise on his face. He had mixed up all the blueprints due to nervousness, and this particular design was a whimsical idea that occurred to him during a hot summer day. He thought it was a fantastic idea, but it was dismissed as useless. Now, being unexpectedly acknowledged by a distinguished young master was truly beyond his comprehension.

The young man stepped forward and stammered through an explanation. He seemed uneasy, with his gaze fixed on the blueprints and the elegant hand beside them. Indeed, those hands looked like those of a noble, resembling jade.

“Did you perhaps miss a mechanism here? It needs to be opened when in use; otherwise, the external flowing water would keep it running continuously, right?” Lin Qingyang pondered for a moment before speaking.

The young man was momentarily stunned. He thought this noble was just casually asking, but he didn’t expect him to truly understand his design and even carefully consider it. A sense of being respected and acknowledged surged within him, making him excited. He quickly explained. This time, he didn’t stutter and could talk fluently about various ideas in his design, speaking non-stop as Lin Qingyang asked about each blueprint one by one. The more he spoke, the more fluent he became, he seemed to come to life.

“You… are truly talented,” Lin Qingyang exclaimed after asking about all the blueprints. “What’s your name?”

With such talent, he wondered if this person could compete with the future prominent figure. Individuals with such abilities needed to be recruited.

“My…..My name is Li Changjun.”

“Oh, Li Chang…” Lin Qingyang suddenly took a sharp breath. “Which two characters are the Changjun?”

Looking at Lin Qingyang’s sudden excitement, Changjun was somewhat puzzled. He explained his name, and just as he finished speaking, the distinguished young master in front of him reached out and touched his face, startling Changjun.

Changjun was forced to make eye contact with Lin Qingyang. He saw the astonishment in Lin Qingyang’s eyes, but his attention was more focused on Lin Qingyang’s face. Having only glimpsed him from a distance before, now he saw a man who resembled him, with a handsome face, broad features, like the charming young masters portrayed in theatrical performances.

Changjun didn’t know what Lin Qingyang was up to, but he felt their faces getting very close. The room suddenly fell silent, and it seemed like everyone was holding their breath.

After a long while, Lin Qingyang finally withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. “You’ve done well. Here’s your reward. As for this fan, let’s first test it in my courtyard. If you need any materials, feel free to request them and start working on it. Alright, you can all go now.”

Everyone quickly took their rewards and left the room.

After everyone had left, Lin Qingyang excitedly jumped in place. What luck was this? Master Changjun, known as the forging craftsman god of the Great Zhou Dynasty, was originally found by the male lead after he ascended to the throne. How come he was now delivered right to his doorstep? Cousin Liu had given him some incredible gift.

He had just confirmed that there was indeed a not very noticeable scar on his forehead, a characteristic of Changjun. However, for some reason, there was now a “Li” in front of the name.

On the heels of deceiving Chief Steward Ning a while ago, if this Changjun was willing to cooperate now, wouldn’t it directly dispel Chief Steward Ning’s suspicions about him? Without this layer of doubt, wouldn’t it be much easier for Chu Lishu to deal with Chief Steward Ning in the future? He quickly sent someone to inform Chu Lishu and asked him to come over…

No, it’s not that simple. Knowing Chief Steward Ning’s character, harsh interrogation was possible, especially with someone like Changjun who wasn’t one of their own. Seeing how frightened Changjun was just now, he might reveal something incriminating. If Lin Qingyang claimed to have seen Changjun before, wouldn’t it be a lie? And how could he tell Chu Lishu that he recognized Changjun?

Ah, this felt like winning a big prize but not being able to reveal it to the world. What should he do?

Just as he was internally panicking, there was a ding in his mind.

【Unlock special mission: Assist the male lead in subduing Changjun. There won’t be any punishment for failing this type of mission, but success will yield special rewards.】

Lin Qingyang: !!!!!!

There’s a third type of mission? Well, as long as there’s no punishment.

Subduing Changjun seems to imply establishing dominance or control.

The original Changjun seemed to have always lingered at the lowest levels until he was found by the male lead. Gradually, he began to showcase his exceptional skills and eventually became the forging craftsman god of the Great Zhou Dynasty, attaining an extraordinary status.

Considering Changjun’s personality that Lin Qingyang just observed, if he didn’t encounter someone kind-hearted, he would likely have been oppressed his whole life.

Lin Qingyang summoned the captain of the guards who had come with them and inquired about Changjun’s background. The captain informed Lin Qingyang that Liu Jingchen thought they might feel aggrieved after moving to the other courtyard, so he wanted to send some craftsmen to help improve the comfort of their new residence. This group of craftsmen was led by a master with a few apprentices working on the project. Their meticulous and unique craftsmanship was well-received during that era, and Liu Jingchen had seen their work in constructing courtyards, finding it impressive. Therefore, he hired them and had them sent over directly.

Lin Qingyang felt a bit helpless but also comforted. This big cousin of his was indeed considerate and attentive. The mention of the other courtyard made him worry, but fortunately, this arrangement allowed him to encounter Changjun.

The captain of the guards then revealed another crucial detail: a contract of servitude.

Changjun was not just an apprentice to the old craftsman; he was also bought to be his adopted son. His original name was Changjun, but now, with the old craftsman, he went by the name Li. He was taught the trade and served the old craftsman, but the relationship between them was far from good. The old craftsman didn’t treat Changjun well, never paying him any wages and treating him more like a slave. The old craftsman enjoyed drinking and gambling, often exploiting Changjun by forcing him to do more work and earn more money. This explained why the Changjun seen by Lin Qingyang appeared so frail.

Lin Qingyang now understood Changjun’s situation. It turned out he had an unreliable adoptive father who mistreated him, exploiting him for personal gain. Lin Qingyang could now see why Changjun had been overlooked for so many years; he had an irresponsible guardian.

Meanwhile, the craftsmen who had received their rewards and returned to rest were gathered, comparing the rewards they had received. In reality, Lin Qingyang had given them the same amount, and all of them received generous bonuses.

The old craftsman snatched the design from Changjun’s hands and scolded him, instructing him to prepare the mentioned fan quickly. After berating Changjun, he discussed with a few apprentices whether to visit the brothels that night and try their luck at gambling.

In reality, this group not only relied on Changjun for the entire design but also assigned many tasks for him to complete individually. In their words, Changjun was the youngest and still an apprentice, so it was only fair for him to do the most work. It was essentially taking advantage of the naive and honest one. As long as Changjun’s adoptive father didn’t object, the others just followed along.

Changjun, having his red packet snatched away, was not angered; instead, he became excited. The prospect of experimenting with his imaginative creations was exhilarating. Paper and pens were usually too precious to use, so he first sketched his ideas on the ground with charcoal, finalized them, and then transferred them onto inferior quality paper.

However, after a short while, Shuncai arrived. Shuncai served as the young master’s personal attendant and held a prominent position among the household servants. With his arrival, the craftsmen quickly greeted him with respect.

Shuncai, though, approached Changjun and said, “The young master mentioned that you need conditions for designing and preparation. There’s an empty room in the young master’s courtyard that can be used as your workshop. You can go there and make your preparations. Come, I’ll show you.”

Changjun hesitated for a moment, holding the charcoal in his hand, surprised and unsure of how to react. All he could do was express his gratitude and then nervously follow Shuncai.

“What’s going on? This treatment is too good. Is Changjun really gaining recognition? Master, is your adopted son soaring to new heights?”

“Even when there were employers who appreciated his craftsmanship before, the treatment was never this good.”

“Sigh, let me tell you, the other day, I was drinking with the servants of this household, asking why their young master doesn’t have any female family members in his courtyard. Unexpectedly, I overheard that their young master is a homosexual person. Changjun looks so delicate; wasn’t he pursued by the old men in the village before? Maybe…”

“Yes, the way Young Master Lin reacted just now seems quite normal when you put it that way. Why else would he be so patient and friendly, even touching his face? Seems like he’s smitten, huh?”

“Master, you might end up marrying your son, hahaha.”

“Noble families won’t really take in men, right? He was just summoned to the courtyard now; perhaps it’s just a bit of lewd fun. At most, they’ll give him some reward.”

The conversation took a turn for the vulgar, and the old craftsman seemed lost in thought.

When Changjun was brought to the temporary workshop, he was already dumbfounded. The brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were all in abundance, numerous measuring tools were available, and various small and delicate tools needed for woodworking were at his disposal. It was simply a craftsman’s paradise, something he could only admire from afar in the past.

“Young Master, did he really say I can use all of these?” Changjun became stuttering again.

Shuncai nodded and said, “The Young Master said you can use them freely. If you need anything else, just let us know. You can work here during the day and rest at your place. Do you see anything else you need?”

Due to the Young Master’s attention to Changjun, Shuncai became more polite as well.

Changjun quickly shook his head, expressing that he was already pleasantly surprised and very satisfied, not needing anything else.

Shuncai nodded and then looked at Changjun more carefully, his mind inevitably wandering, “You… wash your face a bit cleaner usually.”

Changjun was puzzled, thinking it might be about his appearance, so he quickly nodded in agreement.

Shuncai thought that Changjun’s facial features were indeed good, matching the style that the Young Master used to like. However, didn’t the Young Master already capture the heart of Chu Lishu? Why suddenly show such kindness to Changjun? Could it be a little affair on the side, especially since Chu Lishu didn’t accompany him this time? As a servant, the most important thing was to cover for the Young Master, and the rest wasn’t his concern.

With these thoughts in mind, Shuncai became even more attentive to Changjun.

Meanwhile, Changjun had long been immersed in the dreamy world of craftsmanship, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to his creations.

Rumors about the talented artisan suddenly being appreciated and settling in the young master’s courtyard began to circulate.

Although everyone usually adhered to the rules, they couldn’t help but be curious about the gossip concerning the master’s household.

Of course, these pieces of information quickly reached the ears of Nanny Ding nd Lin Qinglan. Although they had reservations about the matter, recalling Lin Qingyang’s past conduct, they dared not say much. As long as it didn’t become too outrageous or too obvious, they would turn a blind eye. After all, Lin Qingyang was now the one in charge.

Nanny Ding thought, fortunately, Young Master Chu was not around; otherwise, it might be even more troublesome than the incident with the dancer.

Since no one dared to speak in front of Lin Qingyang, he remained oblivious to the rumors. He only felt that he had helped the male lead capture Changjun and instinctively treated the future important figure a bit better.

Meanwhile, surprisingly, there were people from other courtyards coming to propose marriage to Lin Qingyang, and more than one family at that.

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