After Sheng Jun Chapter 20 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 20 An Overnight Enlightenment (part 2)
Soon, they arrived at a private room, led by the waiter. The room was next to a window, directly facing a wide canal outside.
Willows lined both sides of the canal, and decorated boats with songs and dances drifted slowly across the water—truly an excellent view from this private seat.
After Jiang Xingzhi sat down, Zhong Ming sat opposite him. The waiter, skilled at reading people, guessed that the man in practical clothing would be paying today, so he handed the menu over to him. "Sir, please take a look."
Zhong Ming glanced at it and casually ordered five or six dishes. The waiter acknowledged and left.
Once the waiter was gone, Jiang Xingzhi looked at him sideways. "Your taste is very similar to mine." Almost all the dishes just ordered were his favorites.
"I ordered according to your taste."
"..." Jiang Xingzhi paused. "How do you know what I like to eat?"
"You ordered once at the inn last time. I made an educated guess."
Jiang Xingzhi suddenly found himself unable to respond. He had previously felt that Bai Mu understood him quite well, but he had attributed it to "compatible personalities." Now he wondered if there was more to it.
--"I remember everything you've said."
This sentence suddenly jumped into his mind. At the time, he hadn't caught its meaning, but now he sensed a different implication.
There were a few moments of silence between them.
Jiang Xingzhi's lips moved, and after struggling for a while, he finally managed to say, "Look how clever you are."
Zhong Ming made an "mm-hmm" sound, appropriately not saying more.
In no time, the curtain to the private room was lifted again, and the waiter brought in tea and appetizers.
As the dishes were placed on the table, the waiter was about to pour the tea when a hand bearing sword calluses was raised. Zhong Ming said, "You may go. I'll do it."
"Yes, sir."
The curtain fell again, and Zhong Ming moved to sit beside Jiang Xingzhi, skillfully warming tea for him.
Jiang Xingzhi said, "I can do it myself."
Clear tea poured into the white porcelain cup, stirring the reflection of sunlight at the bottom of the cup.
"It's not like I haven't made tea for you before," Zhong Ming said, tilting his head slightly as he poured, revealing an attractive curve of his jawline. "And you seemed to enjoy it quite well, drinking like a thirsty ox."
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
He truly wondered whether Bai Mu harbored those kinds of feelings for him or not.
****
The dishes gradually arrived on the table.
Jiang Xingzhi didn't pretend to be modest; he picked up his chopsticks and began eating.
Zhong Ming remained seated beside him, occasionally taking a few bites, and refilling Jiang Xingzhi's teacup whenever it was empty.
After sampling all five flavors, Jiang Xingzhi put down his chopsticks.
"Finished eating?"
"Just taking a break."
"I thought you were being polite with me."
Jiang Xingzhi glanced at the dishes that he had almost finished by himself, thinking that if it were anyone else, they would never consider this "being polite."
He picked up his teacup, fingers resting on the rim. "I'll pay the bill later."
Zhong Ming looked up at him. "I brought you here, so naturally I'm treating."
Jiang Xingzhi said, "I can't just freeload off you."
"Why not? When you were a Joint Elder, I didn't see you eating or drinking any less."
"That's different."
After saying this, Jiang Xingzhi almost choked on his own saliva.
The private room was very quiet; only the noisy sounds from the street outside could be heard.
Zhong Ming silently looked at him for a few moments, then suddenly smiled. That face, a mixture of beauty and coolness, became quite animated when touched by a smile amid the swirling tea smoke.
"It's good that you know it's different."
Jiang Xingzhi tightly gripped his teacup, his gaze fixed on the reflection of sunlight dancing in the cup, rarely losing his composure.
He had thought his own thick skin was unmatched, but the person opposite him was even more shameless. Saying such things without blushing or faltering, as if having feelings for him was only natural.
Just as he was panicking, the curtain swished open.
The waiter stood at the door with freshly brewed tea. "Sir, do you need more tea?"
The delicate atmosphere was broken. Jiang Xingzhi raised his hand, "Yes, please."
The waiter came in, the curtain falling behind him. A familiar figure seemed to pass by the gap, and in the next moment, quickly returned.
The curtain was caught by a hand, revealing the face of Chu Yun, the Sect Master of Haosheng Sect. "Divine... Daren?"
Jiang Xingzhi: "Sect Master Chu?"
Zhong Ming turned to look. Considering there were others present, Chu Yun greeted vaguely, "Lamp...Holder Daren is also here."
Jiang Xingzhi quickly spoke up, "Would Sect Master Chu like to join us?"
Zhong Ming gave him a glance.
Chu Yun was more than willing. He turned to signal to his companions, then happily entered the private room. Seeing that the window-side table already had two people, he sat across from Jiang Xingzhi.
After the waiter left, he exclaimed with surprise, "I never expected to meet Divine Lamp and Lamp Holder Darens here."
Jiang Xingzhi said, "This Lord is a divine lamp that observes the mortal world's affairs."
Upon saying this, he heard Zhong Ming's voice in his sea of consciousness: "Isn't it more like an interrogation lamp that illuminates the truth?"
Him: "..."
Across from them, Chu Yun, unaware of their silent exchange, continued, "I thought both esteemed darens were staying temporarily at the Shang residence, hosted by the Shang family head."
His wording was very careful, afraid of accidentally defining Jiang Xingzhi as "one of the Shang family."
Jiang Xingzhi said, "We're not staying at the Shang residence. We're staying at..."
He paused. Zhong Ming finished for him, "We're staying at a cave dwelling."
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
Chu Yun: "..."
This "cave dwelling" sounded quite vivid, with an overwhelming sense of primitive wildness.
Chu Yun laughed dryly a couple of times. "Indeed, very much in the ancient style."
Jiang Xingzhi looked at Chu Yun and realized that this person seemed to have a natural talent for flattery.
He raised his cup for a toast. "A toast to Sect Master Chu."
As he raised his hand, his wide sleeve slid down and was caught by another hand before it could fall onto the dishes on the table.
After Chu Yun and Jiang Xingzhi clinked cups, he saw Zhong Ming helping to hold up the other's sleeve, and couldn't help but marvel, "Divine Lamp Daren and Lamp Holder Daren are truly..."
He pondered for a moment, then clapped his hands. "A lamp with its holder, a perfect match made in heaven!"
Jiang Xingzhi paused, feeling strongly that he needed to clarify the relationship between them. So he sat up straight and politely said,
"Thank you, Ah Zuo*."
(TL: 座 zuò from 燈座 Lamp Holder)
Zhong Ming propped his head with one hand, stretching the other to catch the sleeve. He looked at Jiang Xingzhi, smiled, and helped tuck in his sleeve.
"You're welcome, Deng Deng*."
(TL: 燈燈 Lamp Lamp)