Chapter 55: Sharing a Cup, An Indirect Kiss

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Chapter 55: Sharing a Cup, An Indirect Kiss

The man did not introduce himself. Instead, he said to Chen Yuan, “I hear people call you ‘Chen the Half-Immortal,’ and that you’re incredibly accurate at fortune-telling?”

The tone made it obvious that he had come looking for trouble.

Chen Yuan merely curved his lips into a faint smile. He had seen plenty of people like this and did not think much of it. He was not angry in the slightest. In fact, he could not even be bothered to feel curious about the man.

Chen Yuan might have been completely unfazed, but the people around him were another matter.

“Cao Yaozu.” Yu Shenliu, sitting right beside Chen Yuan, immediately called out the man’s name. He tapped his fingers lightly against the table and said, “Today is Xiao Shu’s wedding.”

His brows had drawn together slightly, and he looked rather displeased.

Chen Yuan glanced at Yu Shenliu. With that one sentence, Yu Shenliu was reminding Cao Yaozu not to cause trouble on such an auspicious day. After all, today was Huo Shu’s big day. If someone came looking for trouble, how could Yu Shenliu simply stand by and let them make a scene?

At the same time, he was also standing up for Chen Yuan, stepping in to shield him from the man’s provocation.

The feeling was rather new to Chen Yuan. He had never really been defended like this before.

People who knew what he was capable of usually assumed that even if someone came looking for trouble, Chen Yuan could handle it with ease. They would never step in at a time like this. If anything, they would look forward to watching Chen Yuan show off his skills, finding the whole thing entertaining.

And those who doubted Chen Yuan naturally wanted to find out for themselves who was right, so they were just as eager to see a confrontation.

After all these years, Chen Yuan was used to dealing with such things on his own. He had never expected that today, someone would actually speak up for him.

It gave him an inexplicable sense of warmth that was difficult to put into words. Even though Chen Yuan knew perfectly well that he could handle the man himself, he pressed his lips together to hide the smile tugging at their corners. The tension between his brows had already eased.

Yu Shenliu lifted his cup and took a sip of tea, his gaze casually drifting toward Chen Yuan.

Sometimes, knowing that someone was capable of handling something was one thing, while caring about them and standing up for them was another. No matter how tough or capable a person was, everyone wanted someone to have their back.

Yu Shenliu understood this very well, so he would never make the mistake of thinking that because he trusted someone, he did not need to say or do anything.

The expression on Chen Yuan’s face told him he had done the right thing.

In the brief flurry of things happening around them, Cao Yaozu had no idea about any of this. In fact, he had not exactly come here specifically to cause trouble. The reason he had ended up here, standing in front of Chen Yuan, was actually a rather complicated story.

Anyone who heard the name Cao Yaozu could probably tell that he did not come from a particularly distinguished family. His name literally meant “honor the ancestors,” after all, and while there was nothing wrong with wanting to bring honor to one’s family, his parents had certainly been rather unsubtle about it.

Otherwise, they would not have given him such a straightforward name.

Technically speaking, Cao Yaozu was a distant relative of the Yu family, connected through a convoluted chain of family ties. They were relatives, but not particularly close ones.

As for Cao Yaozu himself, he was an ordinary man who was neither particularly successful nor particularly unsuccessful. Apart from always having rather good luck, there was not much about him that stood out.

But like so many people stuck somewhere in the middle, he had the unfortunate habit of thinking rather highly of himself. In other words, he was extremely concerned with his pride and would do all sorts of bizarre things just to save face.

For instance, even though he could clearly tell that Chen Yuan and Yu Shenliu were more than just acquaintances, after a couple of drinks, he still had the nerve to march up to Chen Yuan and show off, as if proving how capable he really was.

At that very moment, the woman who had jokingly egged Cao Yaozu on earlier, saying that if he really had what it took, he should go head-to-head with Master Chen sitting at the head table, quietly hunched her shoulders and looked around guiltily.

Actually, she hadn’t thought much of it. She simply found it unbelievable that someone like Yu Shenliu had suddenly fallen for someone, so she had deliberately egged Cao Yaozu on a little, needling him as she spoke.

Who would have thought that the idiot would actually take the bait and go after Chen Yuan?

She couldn’t help cursing Cao Yaozu inwardly. How could he be so clueless? Just to prove himself and save face, he had actually gone after him.

Was Yu Shenliu really the kind of person who would easily fall for someone? Whatever happened, she just hoped he would not drag her into this.

After two small drinks, Cao Yaozu was nowhere near drunk. He was merely a little light-headed, with his thoughts somewhat muddled.

He simply felt that he had to prove himself. There were plenty of things he could not necessarily handle, but if it was a matter of making Chen Yuan lose face, then, to be honest, he had quite a bit of confidence.

So even after Yu Shenliu blocked him, he merely lifted his chin.

“Exactly. It’s a wedding, after all. Everyone’s here to celebrate. If we just sit around eating and drinking, wouldn’t that be a little boring?”

He smoothly brushed aside Yu Shenliu’s earlier warning before turning his gaze back to Chen Yuan.

“Master Chen, I’ve heard that your fortune-telling is very… very accurate.” His tone was teasing. “Actually, I’ve had this one regret since I was a kid. I’ve met quite a few fortune-tellers over the years, but not a single one has ever gotten my fortune right. It doesn’t matter whether they were called a master or some great expert. No matter how accurate other people said they were, everything they told me about my future turned out to be wrong.”

“I’ve always wondered about that. How come everyone else seems to run into genuine masters, while I only ever meet frauds? And even when I happen to meet one of those so-called masters everyone else swears by, I still end up exposing them as a fraud.”

Chen Yuan knew perfectly well that Cao Yaozu was mocking him. He was implying that Chen Yuan was no different from the so-called masters in everyone else’s eyes who, beneath all their airs of expertise, were really nothing more than frauds.

Still, Cao Yaozu should at least have realized that someone like Yu Shenliu could not be fooled by a few glib words, right?

The fact that he still dared to come looking for trouble meant that he was not just an ordinary troublemaker. He clearly had some confidence in his own abilities.

But where did that confidence come from?

For the moment, Chen Yuan genuinely could not figure out what trump card this man had up his sleeve. He could not help frowning slightly.

Seeing Chen Yuan’s expression, Yu Shenliu had no idea what was going through his mind. He assumed Chen Yuan was upset by Cao Yaozu’s words.

The hand he had been resting on the table slowly slipped down. Under the table, he followed the edge of Chen Yuan’s sleeve until he found his hand, then quietly reached over and took it, giving it a gentle squeeze.

The sudden contact made Chen Yuan a little uncomfortable, but he kept his expression calm and showed no extra emotion.

He understood that Yu Shenliu was trying to reassure him and show his support. Even though it was based on a misunderstanding, the gesture still warmed his heart.

So he squeezed Yu Shenliu’s hand in return.

Yu Shenliu’s fingers were long and slender, with well-defined knuckles. They felt strong.

For a moment, that thought flashed through Chen Yuan’s mind. He quickly pushed it aside and continued listening to Cao Yaozu.

“So, I’ve always wanted to meet a truly capable master, someone who could actually tell my fortune correctly. I’d already given up hope of ever meeting one. Then, who would have thought I’d hear about Master Chen?”

There was always a subtle note of mockery whenever Cao Yaozu called him “Master Chen.”

He continued, “I have absolute faith in Master Chen’s abilities. So many people say your predictions have come true, so there’s absolutely no doubt about it.”

The two emphatic “absolutes” somehow made his words sound rather unpleasant.

“Come, Master Chen. Today is a big day, so let me offer you a toast!”

As he spoke, he raised his glass of liquor toward Chen Yuan, then tipped his head back and downed it in one go.

Out of courtesy, Chen Yuan smiled, released Yu Shenliu’s hand, and picked up the glass in front of him, intending to return the toast.

“Hey, Master Chen, that’s not very sporting! I’m drinking baijiu. A real man shouldn’t be drinking beer!” Cao Yaozu said before Chen Yuan could make another move.

The glass in front of Chen Yuan did indeed contain beer. Yu Shenliu had arranged it that way.

In his view, Chen Yuan was still young, and drinking too much was bad enough without subjecting himself to strong liquor. That was why he had specifically made sure Chen Yuan was given beer, hoping to keep him from getting drunk.

As for Yu Shenliu himself, after spending so many years in official circles, he could hold his liquor exceptionally well, so naturally he was drinking baijiu.

Hearing Cao Yaozu’s words, Yu Shenliu was extremely displeased.

He had deliberately arranged everything so Chen Yuan would not drink too much and harm himself, only for Cao Yaozu to come along and start talking about how a real man should not drink beer.

His hand under the table still seemed to remember the feel of Chen Yuan’s hand, and now it felt strangely empty.

Whatever else happened, Yu Shenliu’s opinion of Cao Yaozu had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

Chen Yuan was not offended by Cao Yaozu’s words. He had a point, after all, and he had not said anything malicious enough to spoil the mood of the wedding banquet.

So Chen Yuan simply set down his glass and looked around the table for a bottle of baijiu.

Suppressing his irritation, Yu Shenliu put his own glass in front of Chen Yuan.

“Drink from mine.”

At the same time, he took Chen Yuan’s original glass and downed it in one go.

Yu Shenliu did not think anything of the gesture. He simply thought it would be more convenient.

But they had both already used their respective glasses, which made the whole thing look a little questionable.

Chen Yuan did not think much of it either. Since there was baijiu in Yu Shenliu’s glass, he might as well drink from that one.

He had no idea that everyone else was secretly marveling at how close the two of them must be. Sharing a glass like that was practically an indirect kiss.

When Chen Yuan tipped his head back and drank the glass, he immediately felt the liquor burn all the way from his throat down to his stomach.

It was extremely uncomfortable.

Cao Yaozu grinned. “Now that’s more like it!”

“Actually, the reason I came over to see Master Chen is because it’s not every day you get the chance to meet a truly capable master like you. I couldn’t very well pass up the opportunity, so I thought I’d ask you to tell my fortune. What do you say?”

Only then did Cao Yaozu finally reveal why he had come over.

Yu Shenliu watched as Chen Yuan’s cheeks flushed after just one glass and grew worried. His displeasure with Cao Yaozu only deepened.

It was obvious Chen Yuan rarely drank. He had barely touched the beer earlier before setting it down, and now he had been pushed into drinking a glass of baijiu. No wonder his face was already red.

Taking advantage of the loose, flowing sleeves of Chen Yuan’s Hanfu to conceal his movements, Yu Shenliu slipped a hand behind Chen Yuan’s back and gently supported him.

At the same time, he looked at Cao Yaozu and said, “Yuanyuan charges a thousand to start for a reading.”

After spending so much time with Chen Yuan, Yu Shenliu had learned quite a bit. Unless Chen Yuan chose to intervene of his own accord, using his abilities always came at a price.

But if Chen Yuan were the one to say that himself, who knew what everyone here would think? They might assume he was so greedy that he was even trying to squeeze money out of his own relatives.

Yu Shenliu did not want that to happen, so he spoke up first. Even if people mistook it for him deliberately making Cao Yaozu pay because Cao Yaozu had offended him, Yu Shenliu would rather take the blame himself than have anyone misunderstand Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan was not particularly uncomfortable. It was only one drink. He was a little dizzy, but it was nothing serious.

Yet the hand supporting his back gave him a strange sense of confidence.

It was not the confidence that came from knowing he was capable of handling things himself. It came from knowing that someone was supporting him, wholeheartedly, from beginning to end.

With someone like that by his side, there were many things he no longer needed to care about or take to heart.

A thousand?

Cao Yaozu sobered up considerably in an instant.

Was he kidding? A thousand yuan just for a fortune reading? Wasn’t that daylight robbery?

In an era when prices were still relatively low, a thousand yuan could buy an awful lot. Spending that much just to save face suddenly seemed like a terrible deal.

But then he looked at Chen Yuan sitting there, his expression calm and seemingly unaffected by anything Cao Yaozu had said.

Remembering his own special circumstances, Cao Yaozu gritted his teeth and asked as casually as he could, “No charge if you get it wrong?”

“Mm. No charge if I get it wrong.” Chen Yuan looked up at him with a smile.

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