Chapter 12

It was still early spring, yet today felt somewhat stifling. Chen Changsheng didn't know if it was due to the weather or his mood. In any case, when he walked back to the inn, he found his clothes already drenched in sweat, sticking to the dust on the road, making them somewhat dirty. As someone who loved cleanliness, his mood became even more depressed until he saw that person.

That person was a young man in a green robe, standing right in the middle of the inn's hall, chin slightly raised, with an indifferent expression, completely disregarding the inconvenience he caused to others. He was proud like a wild crane, with no regard for the flock of chickens pecking at the ground.

This inn was close to the Heavenly Book Ridge, with a large number of people. It was mealtime, and the flow of people entering and exiting the inn was like a tide. Yet no one dared to approach him. The young man in the green robe was like a solitary pillar in the Luo River, the tide parting around him, creating a rather bizarre scene. Chen Changsheng recognized this young man in green, but the people in the inn did not. The bizarre scene must have been due to something that had happened earlier. He was surprised by the young man's presence and wondered if he was looking for him. But what could he be looking for?

He walked up to the young man in green, greeted him, and then didn't know what to say.

The young man in green was Tang Sanshi, whom Chen Changsheng had met during the admission test at the Heavenly Dao Academy. His name came from his ranking on the Qingyun List. Interestingly, just like Chen Changsheng, he was not good at socializing. After returning the greeting, he also didn't know what to say, and the atmosphere quickly turned cold.

The inn was silent, with no one daring to provoke Tang Sanshi. People were eating their meals, not daring to make any noise or discuss the matter, but many pairs of eyes were on the two young men, curious about what would happen next.

A cold atmosphere is an awkward thing, and being in a cold atmosphere under everyone's gaze is even more awkward, especially for Tang Sanshi, who wanted to appear broad-minded and mature in front of Chen Changsheng. Fortunately, he was older than Chen Changsheng. After a moment's thought, he finally found a way to break the ice: "You've come, but you didn't even invite me to sit down?"

Chen Changsheng finally came to his senses, led him to his room, and took out a dozen large coins to ask the inn's tea master to brew a pot of good tea. Soon, the tea was ready. A desk, a pot of tea, and two cups filled to seven-tenths. Chen Changsheng invited him to drink, and then the usual cold atmosphere returned.

The long silence was really awkward. Tang Sanshi couldn't bear it and said bluntly, "Haven't you passed the exam yet?"

Chen Changsheng honestly replied, "I failed for the fourth time."

Tang Sanshi was silent for a moment and then said, "I know it was the Eastern Imperial General's Mansion that did this."

Chen Changsheng looked up. He was surprised that the other person knew about this matter, but he didn't know how much the other person knew. His gaze naturally became different.

In Tang Sanshi's impression, Chen Changsheng was an ordinary young man with promising talent, a likable demeanor, and commendable spirit. Now, he suddenly found that this guy's gaze was as sharp as a bright blade, which made him slightly surprised. He narrowed his eyes, becoming even more interested in what Chen Changsheng was hiding.

What made Tang Sanshi somewhat depressed was that after mentioning the Eastern Imperial General's Mansion, Chen Changsheng was clearly shaken but didn't give the answer he wanted. He was silent like a useless quail, which made him angry. His eyebrows, like swords, shot out, and he shouted, "Aren't you angry? Aren't you furious?"

Chen Changsheng looked up at him and then slowly rolled his eyes.

Tang Sanshi was drinking tea and almost spat it out. He never expected that this guy, who was so rigid and even stiff, would have such a childish side.

Chen Changsheng thought to himself, "I'm so depressed, but do I have to let you know?"

Even the engagement matter, he didn't plan to let others know, let alone the four failed entrance exams caused by the engagement. The engagement matter was still a secret between him and the Eastern Imperial General's Mansion. The repeated suppression by the Eastern Imperial General's Mansion and the words of the middle-aged woman had already made him very angry, but he still didn't plan to make it public. It wasn't because he was afraid of the General's Mansion's threats or feared being killed by them. He believed that he would eventually return the engagement letter to the General's Mansion, so why make a fuss? Miss Xu might be proud and cold, just like her parents, and if the General's Mansion apologized, why make it hard for a girl to get married in the future?

Yes, he believed he would eventually break off the engagement because he was convinced that the General's Mansion would one day apologize to him. Moreover, he didn't want his name to be known to the world because of Miss Xu, whether out of pride or stubbornness. He wanted to stick to his principles. His view of the world still adhered to the path of naivety.

...

...

Interestingly, even though Chen Changsheng didn't say anything and Tang Sanshi didn't know anything, he roughly understood Chen Changsheng's meaning and felt even more admiration. He finished the warm tea in his cup, patted Chen Changsheng's shoulder, and said, "I really admire you."

Although he was a young genius ranked thirty-sixth on the Qingyun List, a presence that no one dared to provoke in a crowd, he was still a young man. Therefore, this gesture seemed somewhat forced, and when he said this, his gaze and posture were somewhat condescending. If it were someone else, they might feel uncomfortable or even angry, but Chen Changsheng didn't. He understood that this guy was trying to show him kindness and comfort, but it was clear that he rarely did such things, so it seemed somewhat clumsy.

He said, "Thank you."

Tang Sanshi said, "Verbal thanks aren't enough; you should treat me to a meal."

It was a clumsy expression of goodwill and a desire to make friends. Chen Changsheng suddenly felt some sympathy for this guy, thinking that this guy must have spent his whole life in cultivation, no wonder he had such a deep realm, but his social skills were truly terrible. He wondered what would happen in the future.

When he thought about things, he was always very focused, looking somewhat dazed. Tang Sanshi couldn't help but shake his head, feeling very sympathetic towards this guy, thinking that this guy must have spent his whole life reading books, no wonder he could remember so many classics and doctrines, but his social skills were truly terrible. He wondered what would happen in the future.

In any case, two people who had no right to sympathize with each other, with the goodwill of sympathizing with each other, began their second social interaction after the Heavenly Dao Academy.

Chen Changsheng asked the waiter to bring the menu. Estimating the money his master had given him and the money his senior brother had secretly given him, he had enough to live a good life in the capital for a few years, so he didn't think much about it. He pushed the menu to Tang Sanshi and said, "Order whatever you like... um, this is my first time treating someone to a meal."

He never expected that this sentence would make Tang Sanshi feel even more sympathy for him, wondering where this guy had come from.

...