Clouds Drunk, Moon Slightly Sleeping

Chapter 24

"Ah!" Everyone gasped softly. The waiter was terrified. Hong'er rushed over with a handkerchief to wipe my clothes. Oh no! I forgot to tell Yunhui to help when I poured the water. I spilled water all over him and splashed myself too. But I couldn't care less now. I pushed Hong'er away, threw the basin on the ground, and pointed at the soaking wet, dazed drunkard, yelling, "You want to die? Go ahead and stay outside all night, soaking wet. See if you freeze to death. If you're still alive by tomorrow morning, consider yourself lucky. Your debt will be forgiven. If you die in the middle of the night, consider it repayment for saving my life. I'll arrange for a proper burial and buy you a coffin."

My anger stemmed partly from the fact that my rare act of kindness in helping someone went unappreciated, and partly from my belief that our bodies and hair are gifts from our parents, and that our lives are not something we can arbitrarily decide. Living in this world carries too many responsibilities, and we shouldn't easily give up on our lives because of some setbacks and failures. A moment of despair can cause unbearable pain to our loving family and heartbreak to our caring friends. I know I shouldn't have acted this way; even if I had acted out of kindness and saved someone, I should have simply turned and left without saying another word. But for some reason, facing this person, I couldn't control my anger, and my words and actions seemed to be beyond my control.

"Okay." The drunkard, who was completely slick from head to toe, actually uttered this word softly.

"Don't lie here blocking people's business, get out of here." I've never seen such an infuriating guy.

The drunkard actually listened to me, staggered to his feet, and walked outside, casually lying down on one side of the inn's steps. I was so angry I almost had internal injuries. I told Hong'er to go back to her room immediately, then took a bath, rolled around on the bed a few times, and then suddenly got up. Sigh, I don't know if it was because I was too bored or because my conscience was bothering me, but I suddenly wanted to go see if the drunkard had really frozen to death.

I put on my coat and went outside, calling Yunhui to follow. The early winter night was a bit windy; even I, standing there, felt a little cold, let alone the person curled up on the ground whose clothes were still wet. I nudged the drunkard with my foot, and after a long while, he finally looked up at me with his rabbit-like eyes, his hands still firmly holding the wine jug. His face and lips appeared strangely bluish-red under the bright red lanterns outside the inn.

"Get up, don't really freeze to death. Death is just an escape. Only living happily is true liberation." I couldn't help but feel a little discouraged and sighed in my heart. Why would such a stubborn person insist on seeking death like this?

The rabbit stared at me, seemingly lost in thought; when our eyes met, I couldn't find his focus. A sudden panic gripped me. Was he alright? I reached out and touched his hand; it was ice-cold. My heart pounded, and I quickly touched his forehead. Oh my god, please don't let him die! I, a promising young man in the prime of my life, can't become a murderer in this godforsaken place. Thank goodness, he doesn't seem to have a fever.

I released his ear, snatched the wine jug from his hand, and smashed it on the ground. I continued to yell, "No more drinking! And if you don't come with me, I'll have someone carry you away!" After saying that, I said to Yunhui, "I'm tired. I'm going back to my room to rest. You get another room and take care of escorting him there."

According to Yunhui, the drunkard obediently followed him into the house, and the kind-hearted Yunhui even brought over a set of Yunyao's clothes before returning with his report. I was still a little uneasy. Could such a stubborn and headstrong person really have his mind changed by just a few words?

Knocking on the door went unanswered, so I pushed it open. It was pitch black inside. After a long while, I could vaguely make out a person sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed, their hair disheveled. Sure enough, they were just waiting to die in a different place! Enraged, I angrily lit the candle in the room. The sudden light startled him, causing him to instinctively raise his hand to shield his eyes. I rushed forward and slapped his hand away. He squinted at me, his eyes filled with confusion, then lowered his gaze, head bowed, lost in his own world.

I glared at him angrily, but he remained motionless as if he hadn't noticed anything. He just sat there quietly, shrouded in a deep sorrow, as if deep in thought or reminiscing, immersed in his own world. Without uttering a single word, he exuded a coldness that kept people at a distance.

Sigh, I'm a woman after all, and seeing him like this, I actually felt a pang of sympathy. He just sat there on the floor, so sorrowful, so helpless (well, the latter seems to be my own interpretation), and anyway, his appearance stirred up my already limited maternal instincts. Only today did I realize how kind I am. I'll go back to my bed later and properly reflect on that feeling!

"The past is like yesterday's death, and the future is like today's birth. Perhaps your life has been unfortunate, but your life is still in your own hands. This is much luckier than those who were not born to their own will or who still clung to life but were taken away by illness or accidents. Until the end, no one has the right to say that they are the most unfortunate. I hope you can understand that you can live well. If you insist on committing suicide, I can save you once, but I can't save you for life. So, think carefully and choose again."

I turned and left, closing the door behind me. If someone is determined to die, how many times can I save them?

When I got up in the morning, Hong'er helped me get ready, and I prepared to go out for some fresh air. Poor Hong'er naturally stayed behind to pack my things, because we were about to set off again.

What a miracle! When I opened the door, I saw the rabbit-eyed drunkard already leaning against the side of the corridor. Hearing me open the door, he looked up at me. His rabbit eyes were still a little red, but much better than last night. His hair was still loose, and he was wearing Yun Yao's clothes, which fit him well, but seemed a bit too big. Standing there in broad daylight, I realized he was quite tall and thin. But, but: "Shave your beard, comb your hair. Your whole head is a mess. Are you trying to impersonate a savage?"

I was still a little surprised. Had he really figured it out? When he came back last night, I didn't have much hope. I just hoped that no one would die or get into trouble before I left.

He just gave me a strange look, without moving or replying.

I'm furious! You were standing outside waiting for me this morning, which means you've accepted your status as my servant. So why aren't you answering me respectfully? Why are you acting all high and mighty? Do you think that by being cool, you'll get better treatment than Yunhui and the others? Let me tell you, I, your master, am more fair and just than ever before! You want special treatment? One word: Hmph! Two words: Dream on! Three words: Impossible!

"Are you too lazy to comb your hair?" I smiled sweetly at the rabbit-eyed drunkard, my voice so gentle that it gave me goosebumps. "Come in with me, I'll help you!"

I turned around and went back into the room. I whispered a few instructions to Hong'er, who was packing her things. She walked out with a strange look on her face. Then I pointed to the stool in the room and waved to the drunkard who was still hesitating outside the door. After about fifty-six times I waved, the drunkard finally hesitated and came in, sitting down on the stool as I gestured.

I casually ran my fingers through his hair, sighing. Long hair, short-sightedness—you can imagine how short-sighted a man with such long hair must be. What a waste of that head of black hair! If it were on a woman, how beautiful and charming she would be, a perfect embodiment of Andy Lau's dream girl!

I wanted to lament the loss of that head of black hair a little longer, but Hong'er had already run back, panting as she handed me what she was holding. Then, as if she had just noticed that there was someone else in the room, she pointed at the drunkard with one hand and lightly covered her mouth with the other, her eyes wide and round.

I found her startled expression quite amusing, so I gently comforted her, "Keep packing, we're about to leave."

After saying that, she firmly grasped the scissors that Hong'er handed her with her right hand, grabbed a large clump of the drunkard's hair with her left hand, and started cutting it with snips. She had a sly smile on her face, but she was wailing in her heart: This is the first time in my life that I've cut someone's hair! You dead drunkard, you've ruined two of my first opportunities in life! 5555, what a tragedy!

Before I could even make a few snips, the drunkard suddenly stood up, his speed, strength, and determination nearly making me cut my own fingers. I glared at him, only to find that his rabbit eyes were also glaring at me, a rare flash of anger in them. Oh my god! Your deadpan face and deadpan eyes finally have a human reaction? So you're quite the vain one after all! I've never seen you get this agitated, even when I've kicked you to death or frozen to death, and now I've only touched a few of your hairs, and you're jumping up and down like this for the first time ever!

"What are you doing?" Tsk tsk, there was even a hint of anger in his voice.

"I didn't do anything. You were too lazy to comb your hair, so I was just trying to help you. If I cut your hair, you won't have to comb it anymore. It'll save you trouble, and no one will say you're unkempt." I waved the shiny scissors in my hand and continued fearlessly, "Also, after last night, you're a fresh start. You've heard of starting all over again? So changing your hairstyle and changing your mood isn't bad."

"Our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents." Wait, even this drunkard's face is twitching!

"Ha, you actually know that? What were you doing last night? You're risking your life, why care about your hair? Tsk tsk, you're just picking up a sesame seed and losing a watermelon!" I pulled a small tuft of his hair, snipped it a few times, and said calmly, "Sit down, it's already half cut. I'll give you a name, a new hairstyle, and a new identity. Just think of it as a rebirth, no need to be too grateful to me."

I pressed down hard on his shoulders, and seeing that he finally sat up obediently and stopped struggling to get up, I continued to shear the sheep, imagining myself shearing wool from a sheep, humming a little tune, and enjoying myself immensely.

"This is us shearing sheep. Sheep, don't tremble, don't be afraid."

Don't worry about your old fur coat; you won't need it in the hot summer.

In autumn, you put on your new fur coat again. The pure white wool is like silk.

The sharp scissors sniped, and as long as we all work hard,

A happy life is sure to come... Oh my god!

I was halfway through my song when I gasped and covered my mouth in shock. It was absolutely unbelievable! I had clearly followed the techniques and movements of the barbers at the hair salon, but the result was so unexpected! Everyone around me has always praised my intelligence, and after coming to this Dragon Kingdom, I was even more convinced that I was a genius. But why was this happening so strange? Ugh, it wasn't just strange, it was completely the opposite of what I had initially imagined!

I threw down the scissors, rushed over and tugged at Hong'er, who had been frozen in shock since I started cutting her hair. Then I dashed towards the door, shouting as I ran, "I'm going to see if Yunhui and the others are ready. You guys get ready, settle your bills, and meet us at the inn entrance. We're leaving right away!" Good heavens, for my own life, being with Yunhui and Yunyao was the safest thing to do right now. With them protecting me, that drunkard wouldn't dare do anything to me!

I sat in the carriage, curled up laughing, while Hong'er also covered her mouth and giggled. The long-limbed, rabbit-eyed drunkard sitting opposite us stared at me with a seemingly serious but actually resentful look. Starting today, I have another person accompanying me to Tianzhou. The carriage outside, with Yun Hui and Yun Yao, is already cramped enough. Besides, the drunkard's hairstyle is too embarrassing to let him attract attention and ridicule. So I invited him to ride in the carriage. This damn drunkard didn't even bother with a polite refusal; he just jumped into the carriage as if he were the master. It annoyed me! Oh well, oh well, considering my botched haircut—turning your once jet-black hair into a patchy, uneven, short, and eccentric style—I'll just bear with it.

The carriage continued its bumpy journey towards Tianzhou, the capital of Tianqing Kingdom. I had thought that with an extra person in the carriage, I would have something to talk about, but as it turned out, apart from his current hairstyle, I didn't say a word to the newcomer. Hong'er was silent, but he was even more taciturn than her. Good heavens, how could there be such a cool, wooden person like him in this world?

"Little Wood? Little Wood?" I yelled at the wooden drunkard.

The person opposite didn't even blink.

"Little Stone? Little Stone?" I continued to yell.

The person on the other side didn't even look up.

"Xiao Bing? Xiao Bing?" He didn't catch a cold even though it was so cold last night, so he must be an ice block himself.

The person opposite him raised his left eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

"I've got it! Let's call him Xiaoqiang!" I slapped my thigh, beaming with excitement, and indulged in a moment of self-admiration for my cleverness. I'm so talented!

The person opposite him raised both of their eyebrows.