Chapter 31: Addicted to Boasting

Xiaoyun laughed and said, “This is a common flaw among men, and it’s because you’re too fond of beauty. You love too many women. If you truly loved just one woman, that woman would surely love you in return.”

Xiaoyu chuckled, “That’s not necessarily true. There was a time when I loved only one beauty, but she never loved me back. It broke my heart. Later, out of frustration, I decided to love all beautiful women. If I can’t have one, I might as well love ten. At least in my dreams, I can find some satisfaction.”

Xiaoyun scolded him, “Nonsense! That’s twisted logic. What you feel isn’t love—it's just desire.”

Xiaoyu grinned, “You wrong me. I’ve never done anything to betray a woman’s trust. But you, for someone so young, know so much about these things—you’re like a little rascal.”

In truth, Xiaoyun was still too young to truly understand matters between men and women. Hearing Xiaoyu’s words, he blushed and fell silent. Afterward, Xiaoyu explained to Xiaoyun the various rules of the restaurant, and the day passed quickly.

The next day, Xiaoyun began helping the other workers wipe tables and move chairs, and sometimes he carried food and wine to the guests. Though he was inexperienced, no one dared give him trouble since he was brought in by Xiaohong.

For some unknown reason, that afternoon Manager Yang asked Xiaoyu to take Xiaoyun upstairs to serve guests. The guests upstairs were especially wealthy and difficult to please. It was a mystery why Manager Yang would send Xiaoyun, who had only just arrived and knew nothing of the place. Perhaps he thought that since both Xiaoyun and Xiaoyu were handsome and clever, they wouldn’t cause any trouble serving such guests.

Upon going upstairs, Xiaoyun saw a number of songstresses. Just as Xiaoyu had described, they were not only lovely and alluring, but dressed in the most dazzling, enchanting ways. They sang and drank with the guests, their laughter easing all troubles. The patrons here enjoyed themselves like immortals.

It was Xiaoyun’s first time witnessing such scenes, and he found it both amusing and intriguing.

When he saw the guests flirting with the women, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Yet when he saw old men, already past their prime, embracing beautiful young girls and making merry, anger welled up inside him. He thought these old men were despicable and pitied the girls.

However, when he saw wealthy young men laughing and chatting with these beauties, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of envy.

Lost in thought, Xiaoyun made several mistakes and was scolded by the guests. Fortunately, Xiaoyu helped him as much as possible. Xiaoyun himself didn’t know how he managed to endure until nightfall.

Back in bed, Xiaoyun finally let out a long sigh. Recalling the scenes from upstairs, his thoughts drifted to Xie Xiaoyan. In a few years, she too would be grown like those women—lovely and refined. Only, living in a mountain village, she didn’t have beautiful clothes or the means to dress up as they did.

He wondered what Xie Xiaoyan would look like in a few years. Thinking of her, he remembered the silver hairpin she had given him, and that led him to recall the “Hundred Poisons Powder” Lingzhi had gifted him. Next, he thought of Bai Xuehua.

Bai Xuehua hadn’t given him any keepsake, and they hadn’t spent much time together, but those days were among his most unforgettable. He wondered if her wounds had healed by now.

Bai Xuehua’s strength, Lingzhi’s gentleness, Xie Xiaoyan’s sincerity—their faces circled in his mind.

Seeing Xiaoyun lost in thought, Xiaoyu teased, “Hey, what’s wrong with you? You keep daydreaming today—are you thinking about your childhood sweetheart back home?”

Xiaoyun protested, “Don’t be ridiculous. There’s nothing like that.”

Xiaoyu grinned, “Don’t deny it. I’ve been through this myself. I can tell exactly why you’re dazed.”

“How do you know?” Xiaoyun asked.

Xiaoyu replied, “From my years of experience, when a boy wears a gentle, dreamy expression, it’s usually for one of two reasons: he’s missing his mother, or he’s pining for an old flame—usually the latter. Once a man’s fallen for someone, thoughts of a lover will often overshadow even thoughts of his mother.”

Xiaoyun laughed, “How do you know so much? Have you spent a lot of time daydreaming about a sweetheart yourself?”

“That was before,” Xiaoyu smiled. “Back then, my heart belonged to just one beauty, so I often found myself lost in thought. Now that I love all the beauties in the world, I don’t daydream anymore.”

“Oh, no wonder you’re so accurate,” Xiaoyun teased. “You’ve been through it yourself.”

“I told you, I once loved someone deeply,” Xiaoyu said. “No matter who you are—man or woman—falling for someone you can’t have makes you daydream. Even the most intelligent person in the world is no exception. That’s my conclusion, Chu Xiaoyu’s wisdom.” Then, in a soft voice, he asked, “So who is it? Is she beautiful?”

“Of course she’s a beauty!” Xiaoyun laughed. “Why would I love her otherwise? And it’s not just one—I’m in love with three beauties. How could I not get lost in thought?”

Xiaoyu was startled, then laughed. “Now I understand! No wonder you’re so absent-minded. Loving one makes you daydream; loving three could drive you mad. The fact that you’re not insane is already impressive.”

Xiaoyun shot back with a laugh, “By your logic, since you love all the beauties in the world, why haven’t you gone mad?”

“My love for all beauties means I love none,” Xiaoyu retorted. “As they say, ‘form is emptiness, emptiness is form.’”

Xiaoyun responded with a mischievous grin, “Don’t try to wriggle out of it. If you didn’t love beautiful women, you wouldn’t waste your time chatting with me like this. I don’t believe for a second that you wouldn’t be moved by a stunning beauty.”

A new day dawned. Because of Xiaoyun’s poor performance upstairs the day before, Manager Yang was rather displeased. If it weren’t for Xiaohong’s sake, he would have sent Xiaoyun packing long ago. Now, he simply assigned Xiaoyun to work downstairs.

Xiaoyun actually preferred it downstairs. He couldn’t stand the ways of the upstairs guests, who were difficult to serve and quick to anger; a single misstep could earn a harsh scolding.

His temperament was simply unsuited to serving such patrons. The guests downstairs were different. They came from all corners of the world: merchants traveling thousands of miles for profit, wandering swordsmen roaming the land, bodyguards who lived by the blade.

These men, seasoned by their travels, knew countless strange stories and legends, and the restaurant was their gathering place for animated conversation. Xiaoyun greatly enjoyed listening to their discussions of grand affairs and tales of the martial world.

One day, several guests were drinking downstairs. Among them was a tall, bearded man with a booming voice. As soon as he entered, he called out, “Innkeeper! Bring us your finest food and wine!”

Xiaoyun hurried over to serve him. After a few cups of wine, the man turned to his companions and said, “Have you all heard? Something big has happened recently on Shouyang Mountain to the southeast...”