Si Tian Guan Chapter 90

Chapter 90 Master and Slave

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The Lantern Festival did not start until the evening.

According to the habit of the past, after nap time, Liu Zhongming would gather everyone together so that he could easily escape from the family greetings and come out in advance to take a breather.

He would sit until it got dark, then go wander the lantern market. It was the most lively and fun time.

Because of his errands, he arrived almost at the same time as everyone finishing gathering, and before he entered the wing, he heard Bai Shilei’s startled loud voice inside.

“Good guy, when I saw you, I thought what a really good guy! Guess what!”

A group of people laughed and scolded him: “It’s not the first time I’ve heard it! Why try to build up a climax! Just tell us the story! Hurry up and tell us!”

“Okay, okay, I can’t even build up the climax? How can I tell a story like that!” Bai Shilei was anxious: “It’s not the first time you’ve heard it, so why are you rushing me! I won’t say it!”

“Shilei, don’t do this, don’t rush it’s…”

“Come on, who complained just now, hurry up and make amends to Shilei!” 

The servants on both sides opened the cotton curtain and Liu Zhongming came in. Without the cotton curtain, the laughter was a lot noisier than listening outside the door, but when people saw him, it suddenly became quiet.

Pairs of big and small eyes were focused on him.

“What’s the matter? You’ve never seen me?” Liu Zhongming went to sit on the main seat, tilted his head and asked Bai Shiyan beside him, “Do I look fierce today?”

Bai Shiyan pursed his lips and waved his hand first. He asked the crowd to go to their seats, and then slowly drank the tea and snorted: “You said you would not allow Fang Wuyang to teach Shilei bad things, yet you are planning to teach him feelings yourself.”

Liu Zhongming was confused by his words: “What did you say?” 

“What else?” Bai Shiyan laughed sullenly: “Since coming back from the Southroad Buddhist Temple, Shilei seems to have opened up the second vein of Ren Du, and would stop anyone to talk and boast about you.”

“My…”

Liu Zhongming groaned in his heart, and had a bad premonition.

He had been busy all this time, and hadd no time to go to the banquet to talk to other people. Naturally, he didn’t know that Bai Shilei was promoting his matters everywhere.

But he could think of what Bai Shilei was saying and why he opened up the second vein of Ren Du.

When he was playing in the snow in the mountains, he made Bai Shilei leave, and since the atmosphere was just right, for the first time, he mustered up the courage to kiss Qu Chenzhou.

He didn’t expect that Bai Shilei’s legs and feet were too fast, and he ran back in a blink of an eye to see the real thing on the top of the hill. It’s fine that he saw, but he didn’t know how to close his mouth, and squealed with joy like a wild monkey.

It made him unable to pursue victory and do something else to the little fox.

That’s all there was to it.

Although his aunt was pregnant, she always look for Chenzhou to talk to her from time to time. Bai Shilei volunteered to pick him up and was fortunate to listen to Qu Chenzhou telling Bai Shilei the stories in the booklet without changing his face. He wished he could run away from home. 

In the end, the two actually had a good conversation and hit it off. Bai Shilei patted his chest and assured Qu Chenzhou that he would find all the missing booklets for him.

He really provoked a devil incarnate who took all the good people beside him and turned them muddleheaded.

Liu Zhongming rubbed the blue veins on his forehead, feeling that everyone around him was staring at him.

There was no need to explain this matter to outsiders, he would be guilty even if he did not explain it. He just raised an eyebrow, and everyone turned around with interest.

In the presence of so many people, Bai Shiyan didn’t intend to ask him about any misunderstandings, but instead smiled vaguely, adding fuel to the fire.

“Shilei said, he saw you and Little Brother Qu getting heated. He would be pressing down on you for a bit, then you would press him down for a bit, then someone would be pressed up against a tree, and the tree was about to be broken. It’s no wonder that Little Brother Qu fell ill after coming back. Freezing and snowing, weren’t you afraid of catching some sickness?”

Everyone’s spirits were lifted, and their ears stood up, wishing they could grow all the way to the table.

With a knife hidden in Liu Zhongming’s smile, he wanted to slice Bai Shiyan into pork slices and then chopped into filling to eat.

But with so many people present, he could only grit his teeth and slap his face so it was swollen like a fat man: “What would I be afraid of? If you’re interested, why don’t you try it next time?”

“I will have to politely decline” Bai Shiyan laughed: “Today is a good day, it’s rare to come out to play happily, do you want to call your little monster too? Don’t always hide it.” 

Everyone’s eyes turned back.

Liu Zhongming smiled, knowing that Bai Shiyan asking the person to come out to relax was all a speech. The Bai and Liu family were all gathered here, it was a rare opportunity, so Qu Chenzhou may need to be bothered once.

“Okay,” he said with a slow smile, “You want to see him, right?”

There was cheering in the wing, a lively response.

“But it can’t be seen for free.” Liu Zhongming tapped the table slowly.

“You all know what business he used to do in Qisheng Building. You can call him, but a divination will cost one thousand taels, and five hundred taels for one look.”

Liu Zhongming pretended to be serious and instructed: “Go and call Little Brother Qu.”

In winter, it got dark early. When half of the dimsum was eaten, and when the lanterns outside were about to turn on, a steward came in and reported that Little Brother Qu had been brought.

Qu Chenzhou had on a light gray cloak, still wearing a veil, was brought in with his head down, and bowed down at the door.

“Slave Qu Chenzhou greets Shizi and all the young masters.”

Bai Shiyan’s gaze shifted from Qu Chenzhou to Liu Zhongming.

This situation was something they had thought of long ago. The ordinary Hanging Flower Gate in the inner courtyard separated two completely different identities.

For all of them, the people within the gate can be friends, while outside the gate can only be masters and slaves.

Liu Zhongming will go to Dali Temple next year to report for his duties, and it is inevitable to take the person out to the banquet.

The three of them discussed carefully within closed doors for a long time – what direction was the most appropriate way to get along outside.

Liu Zhongming slowly turned the teacup at his fingertips. He didn’t speak, and Qu Chenzhou knelt down and couldn’t get up. The silence between the two seemed to be mixed with ice cubes of water, cooling down the hustle and bustle in the room just now.

After a while, Bai Shiyan couldn’t look on and persuaded like a peacemaker: “Zhongming, it’s fine, you’ve already punished him, Little Brother Qu also knows his faults. It’s a good day, don’t make it difficult for him.”

“On a good day, he showed me such a face? I think the punishment is too light,” Liu Zhongming sneered. Being casually persuaded by Bai Shiyan, he then ordered: “Get up, everyone is waiting to see you. What are you doing lying on your stomach?”

Qu Chenzhou got up in response and stood silently beside him.

“What are you standing for?” Liu Zhongming frowned and scolded: “Go over there, answer whatever you are asked.”

Qu Chenzhou slowly moved his footsteps, went over to the side seat, and stood with his hands down.

Everyone in the wing did not dare to make a sound.

They didn’t expect that the Shizi would not buy the person easily, but after buying him, he would be so strict with the little slave. They wondered what mistakes this silent and dull boy made before.

It was only after hearing this that they realized that this young man has a master, and they can see one shouldn’t provoke the Shizi.

“Shilei,” Liu Zhongming called, “Look after him, don’t let him make everyone unhappy.”

Bai Shilei was stunned for a moment, he couldn’t understand what was going on for a while, so he nodded and said “Ok”, then turned his head. He stretched out his hand to pull Qu Chenzhou, and whispered to everyone: “Just look, don’t touch, second brother won’t let you touch it!”

He remembered that when he went to the Southroad Buddhist Temple, second brother had told him if there was no big matter, don’t touch Little Brother Qu .

Among these people, there were some who had never seen Qu Chenzhou, or had been to Qisheng Building, but they couldn’t gather together for the fun.

After a while, the crowd almost completely drowned Qu Chenzhou’s figure, and only Bai Shilei could be heard shouting: “Next! Next! Don’t squeeze!” 

Bai Shiyan leaned over to Liu Zhongming: “Poor Chenzhou.”

“En…” Liu Zhongming looked at the liveliness on the side, didn’t want to watch it, but forced himself to get used to it: “Don’t you know that this idea was something he mentioned on his own?”

“What? Just because I know it doesn’t mean he won’t be aggrieved.” Of course Bai Shiyan knew: “In the long run, his plan is right.”

Liu Zhongming also knew that this plan was fine, otherwise he wouldn’t have agreed.

Qu Chenzhou was not a character that can be flattered with a smile. No matter which master had the hands of such a character, he will definitely not pass time well.

The sternness of the master and the unruliness of the slave separated them properly. In Qu Chenzhou’s own words – even if someone, like Jiang Xingzhi, had some guesses about his past fortune-telling, there is also a good chance Liu Zhongming will have to retreat.

On his side, if he makes enemies in the future, he will try his best not to transfer the danger to Chenzhou’s side.

“It’s not bad for you or him,” Bai Shiyan laughed: “I didn’t expect it Zhongming, to make Chenzhou submissive…”

“No,” Liu Zhongming knew what he was thinking, and denied coldly: “I didn’t touch him.”

Bai Shiyan was dumbfounded: “The person is lying on your bed, and Shilei told me that you guys got heated, his eyes were dazzled, was it a misunderstanding?”

“Don’t listen to Shilei’s nonsense, I didn’t touch him.”

“You…” Bai Shiyan glanced down at him, and forced a few words out of the gap between his teeth: “Okay…well, its not enough for me to believe…”

Liu Zhongming was too lazy to pay attention to him. Such a boring gossipping mind, listening to the crowd gossip, the atmosphere gradually became lively.

“Were your eyes born like this?”

“Replying to the Young Master, I was sick once when I was very young, and after I recovered, it became like this.”

“I heard that you were sold when you were very young, is that right?”

“…Replying to Young Master, when I was about three.”

“Wow, then do you still remember what your family was like?”

“… Replying to the young master, I don’t remember.” 

He listened intently for a while. He wanted to stop this, but remembered Qu Chenzhou’s previous instructions. He could only close his eyes and listen as if he didn’t hear it, and turn his head slightly to Bai Shiyan’s side.

“If my aunt is not feeling well now, then no need to bother my aunt. If my aunt is interested in making something someday, don’t forget to send some to Chenzhou. He said he likes to eat it.” 

“Yes,” Speaking to this point, Bai Shiyan was silent for a while: “Speaking of which… I also regret using Shuoye.”

“The past is gone. Without Shuoye, we may not be able to hold him.” Liu Zhongming waved his hand and comforted his friend against his will. He raised his chin slightly to indicate to the other side: “You thought he was wronged in vain and didn’t ask me for anything?”

“What was the request?” Bai Shiyan asked.

“Go out for divination, one thousand taels a time, take him out for a facade, five hundred taels a time, check an account book, twenty taels a book.”

“Did you know that in the eight treasure exquisite box by his bedside, there are more and more money. In the first half month of Chinese New Year alone, he robbed me of a few thousand taels. If I want to take him out this year, I still don’t know how this financial loss would bring us any benefits.” 

“When I’m bored and go to take a look, with a turn of the head, he would have hidden it in another place, for fear that I would steal it.”

Liu Zhongming drank his tea expressionlessly: “Sometimes I think, I’ve been busy all year round, in the end, who am I earning money for?” 

There were too many people in the wing, and Bai Shiyan didn’t laugh so arrogantly, he could only hold his forehead with one hand, resting on the table, his shoulders shaking.

Liu Zhongming coldly watched him gloat at his misfortune: “Don’t think it has nothing to do with you, the useful secret guards in the house, pick out a few for me in a few days to guard him.”

“That’s no problem,” Bai Shiyan knew that he was on guard against Liao Guangming. He thought about it and smiled again: “Little Brother Qu is doing his utmost. The flying thorns you gave him are poisonous. Maybe in a few years, there will be no problem with his self-protection.”

“No,” Liu Zhongming refused: ” Don’t let him do it unless it’s a last resort.”

Bai Shiyan sneered, knowing that he had made a mistake, so he didn’t bother, watched the cheerful crowd over there for a while, and muttered.

“This year… what kind of year will it be?”

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