El viaje de un mendigo alrededor del mundo

Capítulo 37

Feng Yan raised an eyebrow. "I went across the street to catch up with my old flame."

Xie Dongfeng's lips twitched, and he narrowed his eyes. "Go, call him back. If he doesn't come back, I'll lock the gate and release Gongye Bai!"

Fan Qingbo chuckled. The painter Jin, relying on his handsome face, irresistibly sweet tongue, and seductive skills, was invincible in the world of women. Yet, he repeatedly lost to the beauty of Gongye Bai, a fellow man, and ultimately ended up being tricked by Xie Dongfeng into signing a contract to paint for Huanxi Tian. Therefore, he considered Gongye Bai his greatest nemesis and this incident the biggest stain on his life.

Sure enough, Feng Yan brought him back shortly afterward.

The painter Jin burst into a sly smile as soon as he saw Fan Qingbo. “Oh, Sister Fan, it feels like three autumns have passed since I last saw you. How have you been doing lately?”

That lecherous worm always likes to drag her into his flower-picking and grass-smoking alliance, thinking she's as battle-hardened as he is. Fan Qingbo twitched the corners of his mouth, a forced smile, "No matter how you look at it, you can't compare to your illustrious record of killing a hundred men, Master Jin."

Clearly quite pleased with the title of "hundred-man slayer," the gold painter smiled smugly.

This person is probably the only one who can laugh so radiantly without showing any femininity.

"Have you two finished chatting? How about we get a room?"

Jie Dongfeng's dark face loomed between the two. Jin Huashi, remembering Gongye Bai who had always accompanied him, felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly pulled out a few books from his pocket, waved them around, and said, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. These are what I just gathered from deep within the enemy camp."

Everyone's expressions turned serious, and they each picked up a book to read and study.

Before long, Fan Qingbo put down the novel in his hand. "Fake."

Feng Yan, utterly bored, tossed the book back, muttering, "Inferior."

The artist flipped through a few pages of erotic art hastily, then lazily uttered a single word, "Soft."

Feng Yan chuckled, while Fan Qingbo rolled his eyes in exasperation. Only Xie Dongfeng asked, puzzled, "What do you mean, 'soft'?"

"It means I can't get an erection," she explained calmly.

Xie Dongfeng choked, his face turning red and then pale. He yelled at the painter, "We're talking about serious business! What kind of lewd joke are you spouting?! If what you're saying is so bad, why have all the customers left?"

"I think the problem lies with the people involved."

This time it was Fan Qingbo's turn to turn green, but unfortunately, even her green face couldn't stop the painter from continuing, "Hongxiuzhao hired courtesans from Hongfen Lane to entertain guests, as well as their female manager—" He paused, then smiled maliciously at her, "Hey, she's prettier than you, has a better figure than you, and wears less clothing than you, and most importantly, she's more seductive than you. Men, you know, their tastes are inevitably a bit more extreme."

cough……

A series of suppressed laughs and coughs rose and fell. Fan Qingbo heard them, his eyes blazing with anger, and he shot them aside. Feng Yan and Jie Dongfeng, who were caught in the crossfire, quickly distanced themselves, saying in unison, "Don't look at me, I don't have heavy tastes."

Fan Qingbo turned his gaze back to the painter Jin and smiled coolly.

"Look, not all men are like you, Mr. Jin, who have a taste for fishy and pungent smells."

Seeing that the two were about to start "chatting" again, Xie Dongfeng objected, "You two should know when to stop. Don't turn on me like this. Right now, I just need a way! A way to make my money back immediately!"

Feng Yan took a sip of tea, moistened his lips, and said, "In my opinion, those customers are just indulging in novelty for a short time, and they will return soon, without a doubt. What is worrying is that if there is one Hongxiuzhao, there will definitely be two or three more. Shouldn't someone start to plan ahead while they are still not a force to be reckoned with?"

Fan Qingbo's thoughts coincided with Feng Yan's. She nodded and said, "Although Huanxitian has been accepting submissions from the public, it has always been sporadic. Ultimately, it's because someone is too stingy and unwilling to spend money to sign people. Someone should start to think things through."

The artist Jin also chimed in, saying, "The studio's soundproofing is terrible. Every time I do something, I have to listen to those two ruthless people next door who will stop at nothing to write jokes and give me their opinions. To be honest, someone really needs to think things through."

The "someone" mentioned by the three suddenly looked pale and gritted his teeth, saying, "Let's take it slow then! Mr. Feng, can you draft a plan for me to see? As for the soundproofing of the studio—" Xie Dongfeng turned to the painter Jin, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and smiled sinisterly, "I think castrating you would be faster."

“This is a good idea,” Fan Qingbo and Feng Yan solemnly raised their hands in agreement.

"Hey! What's going on here? Are three ordinary-looking men and women taking revenge because they envy and hate my beautiful and charming appearance?"

"...Why don't you just die?"

Xie Dongfeng cursed and threw a book at Jin Huashi. Who was Jin Huashi? The number one master in the world. This kind of hidden weapon, coming openly, was easily dodged. Xie Dongfeng was still annoyed and continued to throw books, and the two started arguing like children.

Fan Qingbo found it amusing. She said that when she and the painter Jin faced off, it would be a life-or-death struggle. He himself was no less formidable.

Perhaps it should be said that the artist Jin was just too deserving of a beating?

Who would have thought that the number one martial arts master and the number one erotic writer are the same person, and that this person with both identities is now playing a childish game of cat and mouse with the current Minister in the back room of a yellow bookstore.

This reminded her of another person, someone who, like everyone else, was always doing things that didn't match their status.

It's not without reason that the painter Jin and the scholar Yin were equally famous; at the very least, they were both unreliable.

After finishing his tea, Feng Yan put down his teacup, glanced at the two men who had escalated from personal attacks to verbal attacks, and then looked at the woman opposite him, lost in thought, her expression a mixture of smiles and sighs, as if burdened with worries. He stood up, carrying the empty teapot, and as he had arrived, slowly walked out, fanning himself with a feather fan, humming an off-key tune.

"That lovely nemesis, gone far away to the ends of the earth..."

Upon encountering someone, the singing immediately ceased. "Grand Tutor?"

The visitor was none other than Gongye Bai. He nodded in greeting, "Mr. Feng. Is Lord Xie here?"

"Yes." After thinking for a moment, he added, "The painter Jin is also here."

Unsurprisingly, Gongye Bai frowned and quickened his pace towards the back room. Feng Yan smiled and continued walking out. After a few steps, he started humming that off-key tune again, shaking his head.

"That young lady, sitting wearily by the south window. She thinks and longs for him through the gentle breeze; perhaps, there, among the green willows, is a good place to tether her horse..."

Author's Note: This is the final version.

That off-key tune was Guan Hanqing's "Shuangdiao·Dadege·Xia," the full text of which is: My charming rival, is at the ends of the earth. There, the green willows are perfect for tethering my horse. I sit wearily by the south window, counting the gentle breezes as I think of him. His delicate eyebrows have faded, who will paint them now? He is slender and shy, ashamed to wear the pomegranate blossoms.

It's clear that the imperial dynasty was basically taken over by time travelers; Tang poetry, Song lyrics, and Yuan drama were all transmitted there...

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