Chapter 107: The Oblivious Man (Part Five)

The banquet stretched into the early hours of the morning before finally coming to a complete end. Despite a few unexpected incidents, it concluded satisfactorily. Originally, Zhuge Jun intended to bring back those girls—referred to as members of a different race—to Yingchuan, hoping they could serve as living witnesses. Yet, for some reason, these girls grew wary and guarded toward Zhuge Jun. However, when it came to Fang Xu, each of them couldn’t help but cling to him, leaving Fang Xu somewhat speechless.

Perhaps it was because the girls had witnessed Fang Xu’s earlier acts of kindness, so their suspicion and caution toward him were minimal. In fact, among these girls, Fang Xu was the only one they truly trusted. Fang Xu found this situation helpless, while Zhuge Jun, feeling somewhat bruised, chose not to comment further. After all, in Zhuge Jun’s eyes, he possessed the visage of a renowned beauty, Pan An, yet why did these girls neglect even to glance his way?

It was one thing for them to fear him, but why did even his beloved Lian’er barely cast a glance his way? Since leaving the auction, these girls had stuck to Fang Xu without leaving his side, and Lian was no different, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on him. To Zhuge Jun, could it be that Fang Xu was his greatest rival?

Of course, Fang Xu had grown accustomed to Zhuge Jun’s antics by now and didn’t bother to concern himself with these matters. He was curious, however, about what would become of these girls. He wasn't the type to simply assign them randomly, yet keeping them by his side seemed odd. Old Wu, on the other hand, saw no issue with it—after all, Fang Xu had brought along Qiu Chuji, a young Taoist nun, so why not add a few more?

The only problem was that Fang Xu was still unaware that Qiu Chuji was a Taoist nun; otherwise, perhaps he wouldn’t be so troubled.

The greatest beneficiary of this auction was neither Fang Xu nor Zhuge Jun. It was, without doubt, the owner of the exquisite jade figurine Zhuge Jun had acquired. Of course, others also gained to varying extents.

If anyone felt most humiliated at the banquet, aside from the auctioneer who had been beheaded by Zhuge Jun, it was probably Murong Fu. There was no avoiding it—Murong Fu had utterly lost face today. Not only had he been outshined earlier by Zhuge Jun, but later he was even made a fool of. Had Zhuge Jun not intervened early, Murong Fu might never have let the auctioneer off.

Sullen, Murong Fu left with Zhang He, while Fang Xu and Old Wu took Zhuge Jun’s carriage back to the inn where Qiu Chuji was staying. Originally, Lian had intended to forcibly drag Fang Xu into her carriage, but this time, Fang Xu was clever enough to slip into Zhuge Jun’s carriage first, leaving Lian pouting and stomping in displeasure. Yet what could she do? After all, was she really going to pull Fang Xu out by force? Begrudgingly, she returned to her carriage, clenching her teeth.

Old Wu chose to stick with his earlier carriage to ensure Fang Xu’s safety. Inside the carriage were only Fang Xu and Zhuge Jun, while the girls who had clung to Fang Xu were placed with Old Wu. Old Wu couldn’t help but give Fang Xu a sideways glance, but that was all he could do—what more could he say?

Fang Xu exchanged awkward looks with Zhuge Jun, who had sobered up by now. The atmosphere had grown somewhat uncomfortable; Fang Xu felt his social anxiety creeping in. The wine had once loosened their tongues, providing topics to talk about, but now sober, the conversation stalled.

Finally, Fang Xu broke the silence, chatting casually with Zhuge Jun, whose insights often surprised him. Why so surprised? Because many of Zhuge Jun’s views were remarkably progressive, even matching the knowledge Fang Xu had gained from nine years of compulsory education.

Fang Xu nearly resisted the urge to ask Zhuge Jun what came next after the phrase “The heavenly king covers the earth tiger,” but in such a congenial atmosphere, the carriage eventually arrived in front of the inn.

As Fang Xu, Old Wu, and the girls disembarked, Fang Xu bowed slightly with a clenched fist toward Zhuge Jun and Lian in gratitude. They said little in return and headed toward their temporary residence.

When Fang Xu pushed open the wooden door of the inn, he was stunned by the scene before him. Qiu Chuji was still awake, waiting for his return. The moment Qiu Chuji saw Fang Xu, she was about to step forward to ask after his well-being but then noticed the girls clinging to him like sticky plaster. Her face darkened instantly, leaving Fang Xu awkward.

“Uh, you’re still up? Waiting for me?” Fang Xu asked with an embarrassed smile. Unexpectedly, Qiu Chuji snorted coldly.

“Did I do something wrong?” Fang Xu asked, puzzled, as Qiu Chuji turned and walked upstairs without a word. His embarrassment deepened when she replied, “I took the wrong pill! So I can’t sleep! Is that not allowed?”

Fortunately, Fang Xu had rented out the entire inn; otherwise, who knew what kind of farce might have unfolded.

“Wrong pill? Is there really a pill that keeps you awake?” Fang Xu muttered softly. Standing behind him, Old Wu sighed inwardly. His young master was outstanding in many ways and remarkably courageous, but when it came to women, he was painfully oblivious. Or perhaps, as the saying goes, women’s hearts are unfathomable.

Old Wu decided not to pry further. Feeling weary, he bid farewell to Fang Xu, relieved to relax a bit back at the inn. Guards were stationed around the clock, ensuring absolute safety, allowing Old Wu to rest easy.