Yun Lei had wasted no time as he quickly chewed through the books on the third floor. By the time it was beginning to get dark, only one of the six bookshelves was remaining.
This reading session had been very enlightening. Not only had he read the various Arts that the Yun Family had, he had also read countless Battle Techniques and insights left behind by the experts of the past.
He didn't want to stay too long in the library after it was dark but he still wanted to read a couple more books. The next day, he would be done with everything on the third floor and would continue his studies on the lower floors. He had yet to find the Emperor's book.
As he began flipping through the book in his hand, he immediately noticed that it was completely blank. It was a rather well-made book, with nice binding and even the paper seemed to be of very high quality. However, there was nothing written on it.
That wasn't completely true. On the first page after the cover, the name of the book was written.
"How to be a Scumbag."
"It is said that the Yun Family Ancestor had quite the sense of humour. You find books of similar nature all over the library. I believe you've already found one before." The Grand Elder suddenly spoke, startling Yun Lei. He had almost forgotten that she was even there. "Out of respect for the Ancestor, these books have been left intact in the library."
Upon mention of books of a similar nature, Yun Lei immediately remembered the contents of the Charming Prince of the Night and had an urge to empty the contents of his bowel.
"I thank Grand Elder for the warning." He solemnly said. If he read another stupid book like that, he might just have to bash his head against a wall till he forgot about its existence.
"That book, in particular, is unique. Depending on who is viewing it, the text on it appears different. Many scholars of the Yun Family have attempted to study the book in order to figure out its secrets but all have failed. The book remains in the library in the hopes that someday, someone will find it useful."
He looked upon the book again but he found it nothing remarkable. Although the book was built better than most books he had ever laid his hands on, that was it.
"What does it say to you?" Yun Lei casually asked.
"How to be a spinster." Came the Elder's nonchalant reply, making Yun Lei almost choke on his own spit.
In order to distract his mind from the words he had just heard, he quickly flipped through the book again. This time though, something had changed. There was text on the second page.
"Drink a cup of wine."
He was sure that those words were not there before. He flipped through the entire book again but nothing changed.
Setting the black book on the table, he grabbed the book immediately to its right. This book contained records of the past observations of the people who had come across that mysterious book.
There were many different handwritings there, each recounting their own experience. There were several common patterns. The words 'How to' was always how the name of the book began.
He could find no mention of text appearing on the second page. Most of the book was filled with people commenting on how funny or how insulting the name of the book was to them.
And there were some wild names there. 'How to Remain a Virgin Forever' and 'How to Make Women Avoid You at First Sight' were some of the tamer ones. Compared to some of the stuff on there, 'How to be a Scumbag' was almost normal.
"I would like to take this book with me." Of course, if it was the other floors, he wouldn't bother asking but this was the third floor.
"Feel free."
He immediately left the library. Of course, taking books out of the library was strictly forbidden. When Yun Shu saw him leave with a book in hand, he just let out a sigh and looked the other way. A maid had been waiting for him outside the library gate, as usual.
At least one maid would always accompany him wherever he went. If outsiders were allowed in the library, he had no doubt they would follow him in there too.
Yun Lei's stomach growled loudly. He hadn't eaten anything the entire day so he was feeling quite hungry.
"I want some nice wine today." He told the maid.
"As Y-Young Master wishes." Came her reply.
When he reached Yun Meili's room, many dishes had already been prepared on the table. Su Ning and Yun Meili were both sitting down but both hadn't started eating.
By the time he was sitting down, a maid had already come in with some wine and began pouring it for him. Another maid plated some food and placed it before him. The smell was quite heavenly.
The three made some small talk while eating. Both Su Ning and Yun Meili weren't the type to talk a lot so it was up to Yun Lei to carry the conversation. However, being a man of few words, it was difficult for him to do that either. So, they silently ate but it was a very comfortable silence.
Once he was done eating, he drank a cup of wine and immediately felt a bit tipsy. Indeed, Yun Family's wine was quite good. Not only was it delicious, it also had a refreshing tang to it.
It felt a bit awkward to be the only one drinking so he asked the two women to join. Both of them had a cup each but drank no more than that. Of course, Yun Lei had no intention to drink more than that anyway.
He was quite looking forward to what the result of his little experiment was going to be. It was impossible for a book to know what he had and had not done. But then again, a book that appeared different to each person was something most people would think was equally impossible.
He opened the book and flipped to the second page. There was a change there but he was left rather disappointed.
The line telling him to drink a cup of wine had disappeared but nothing else had happened. No new lines, no acknowledgement that he had done what the book had asked him to do.
He let out a tired sigh and signalled the maid to pour another cup and quickly gulped it down.
Well, if there aren't going to be any changes then there's nothing I can do. At least, I experienced something none of my predecessors have. With that thought, he calmed himself down.
As the maids started cleaning off the table he had another sudden thought. Everyone sees the name of the book differently. What if there's a pattern to it and it isn't just random? Maybe there's some sort of link between the reader and the words they see?
He wanted to test out his thoughts immediately however something was holding him back. He couldn't just go around showing the book to everyone.
But that didn't mean there weren't people he could show it to. Although the small sample size could lead him to an incorrect conclusion, it was still better than nothing.
Unable to hold himself back anymore, he opened the book and showed it to Yun Meili.
"What does it say?" He asked.
Yun Meili's eyebrows were raised in a questioning manner as she read it.
"Are you trying to tell me something?" She asked, her voice lacking the usual gentleness it had while she talked to him. Yun Lei immediately noticed it, which led him to recall how bad some of the names could be.
"Oh, it's nothing of the sort. I just want you to read out the words here. It's nothing more than that." He immediately added, trying to clear up any misunderstanding.
"How to be a good wife."
When Yun Meili read it out, her reaction immediately made sense to him.
It was a sore spot for her. She thought it was her lack of care and negligence that had led to that avoidable scenario of Ren Lei poisoning himself. She blamed herself for not being good enough, both as a person and as a partner.
Of course, he understood this. Him showing her a book titled 'How to be a good wife' was like taking a jab at her.
"Oh, I see." Yun Lei lowered his voice till it was barely a whisper, "This book is a bit weird, you see. Depending on the reader, the title changes. I was just curious what you saw it as."
Of course, anyone would have been sceptical hearing something like that. However, she found herself trusting his words. After all, how could those incredibly clear eyes of his, eyes that were looking straight into hers, belong to a liar?
She let out a soft sigh and shook her head. Even if it was a complete lie, she would make herself believe it.
"What do you see it as?"
"How to be a scumbag." He said before lowering his voice once more. "Apparently, the Grand Elder sees it as 'How to be a Spinster'."
Yun Meili's eyes became as wide as a saucer. He had expected her to find it a bit funny but her reaction was the complete opposite of that. She looked flabbergasted as if she couldn't even believe her ears.
"She told you that herself?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes." He said in a bit of confusion. He couldn't figure out why she had reacted like that.
Yun Meili just shook her head but didn't elaborate. His instincts told him it was better not to ask so he didn't.
He opened the book again and the words 'How to be a scumbag' greeted him again. Talking to Yun Meili had given him a hint.
What if the book is titled to reflect your insecurities? He had such a thought. He knew that Yun Meili blamed herself for not being a good partner. While he couldn't be sure about the Grand Elder, the other names made sense in a weird sort of way.
After all, names like 'How to be a terrible mother' and 'How to be an absolute loser' fit into that narrative.
Am I afraid that I'll become a scumbag? He asked himself but he honestly didn't feel that way at all. He simply didn't care about it. He would never treat the people who cared for him unkindly. Even if he were to be a scumbag, it would be to people who wished to do him harm.
And was there anything wrong with that? He certainly didn't think so. If someone tried to kill you, you had every right to kill them. That was Yun Lei's view on things. He wouldn't go out of his way to harm others but he wouldn't silently tolerate others harming him.
Do I think I'm a scumbag for having two women in my life? He reached the inevitable conclusion. After all, which woman would want to share their man with another? But in his case, he had almost used guilt as a method to get what he wanted.
'You will not think of me as selfish, will you?'
He still remembered the words he had spoken at that time. He wasn't thinking of the consequences of his words. He had simply spoken what he had thought.
The words he had spoken then were undoubtedly true. He cared deeply about Su Ning and he cared deeply about Yun Meili as well.
It was true that he was no longer satisfied with being a useless man, no longer satisfied with living while keeping his head down and hoping no one would notice him. But even then, he couldn't picture a future without the two of them. He didn't want to.
Everything he had done after waking up, directly and indirectly, related to the future he wanted not only for himself but also for Su Ning and Yun Meili.
Perhaps I could call myself selfish, but are my actions enough to label me a scumbag?
He slowly closed his eyes, deep in thought.