She was dumbfounded. The amount of food on the table is astronomical, making her earlier assumption about him being a noble come true.
She was merely a humble servant from a middle-class family, someone who never considered herself worthy of anyone's attention.
But to him, she was just another girl. He didn't care about her background, and he even brought her to this fancy restaurant.
An Mei was surprised she could even talk to him. Nobles were like high-class animals, hard to approach, always acting superior. Except for her madam and young lady, he was the only one who treated her like a normal person.
Even if someone was interested in her, it was just because they were attracted to her. An Mei didn't bother talking to those guys. She was a servant, working directly for her madam and young miss, and her position in the Jiang family household gave her a certain level of respect. No one could force her to do anything she didn't want to do.
"Try this meat," Tian Nanren said, his eyes fixed on her that made An Mei feel like he was about to feed her directly from his mouth.
She opened her mouth, and Tian Nanren, with a gentle smile, placed a piece of meat directly into it. The women in the restaurant, watching their intimate exchange, couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
Tian Nanren met An Mei's gaze, a smug smile playing on her lips. It was a silent message to the other women in the restaurant: "Back off! This man is mine."
As she observed him, she couldn't help but think that this guy was really popular among women, especially those who were already married.
While they are eating, some women keep glancing in their direction, even some bold ones who try to talk to him, but he simply turns them down, leaving those women disappointed but still looking at him from afar as if he were their prey.
'Seriously, women in this era are surely bold.' He started to think on the perks of the greatest taboo, which is increased by charm. Well, he did like it. It will be a big help to his future plans.
Gathering intel is one of those things. This world is of course full of beautiful women, so there'll be times when he will encounter complicated situations that will require one of those things.
'Use everything to your advantage; even a tree branch, if use correctly, can kill enemies.'
Being prepared isn't a crime. Being unprepared is simply underestimating your enemy. After all, even the most powerful cultivators can fall to those weaker than them.
This is a dog-eat-dog world. He'll use everything to his advantage. He won't become some kind of superhero, sacrificing himself for those weaker than him. He'll wield his power for his own gain, whatever he wants.
'It seems my mentality is changing. Being in this world is influencing me, making me sound like a typical Xianxia protagonist.'
His thoughts were interrupted by An Mei's playful look, as if she were teasing him.
"You sure are popular with the ladies, especially the married ones, huh?"
"Well, what can I say? I am who I am. I can't deny it."
"Hmph, you shameless womanizer," she muttered, though even she had to admit, this man was undeniably handsome.
So, she was determined to have him, no matter the cost!
He shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. What could he do? One of the perks of being the "Greatest Taboo" was probably an increase in charm, and he couldn't deny it. After all, he was quite proud of himself, and he wouldn't cover his face just to appease other people's feelings.
"Tian~ Tian~ feed me," she whined, her eyes wide and pleading. He chuckled to himself, mentally shaking his head at her spoiled antics, but nonetheless, he began to feed her.
As they peacefully ate, the sounds of instruments playing in the background made the customers even more relaxed.
Soft, elegant music filled every corner of the restaurant, making it feel lively and inviting. The other customers enjoyed their meals as the music played.
"Stay here and watch, I'll give you a good show," he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. An Mei couldn't understand what he meant, but before she could ask, he was already striding towards the mini stage where the band was playing.
"Could it be..." An Mei murmured, watching him approach the band. It took a moment, but then she saw it – a bag of gold coins in his hand. The performers, their faces suddenly brightening, quickly packed up their instruments. Money could solve almost anything, after all.
He reached into one of the cosmic bags and pulled out a long, elegant guqin. It was crafted from high-quality wood, expertly carved and polished. Tracing its smooth surface, he could feel the skill of the maker in every detail.
If this were on Earth, it would sell for a fortune. Making a guqin is no easy feat – it takes precision, accuracy, and years of experience to craft one of these instruments.
A sharp-eyed observer in the audience noticed something peculiar – not one, but six cosmic bags hung at his waist!
Cosmic bags were so rare, most people wouldn't even recognize them. Even he, despite spending countless hours studying over his family's vast library, wouldn't have identified them without that knowledge.
To have even one cosmic bag was rare, but six? That put him on the respect list, his face etched into their memories. No one dared to offend someone with that kind of wealth, especially since he might have a powerful family backing him. Some even whispered that he might be from one of the Eight Great Families.
They decided to introduce themselves later. After all, only the wealthiest and most powerful families possessed the precious cosmic bags.
Tian Nanren began with a warm-up, gently coaxing the guqin to life. It had been a while since he'd played, and he needed to find the right tempo, the perfect balance of rhythm and resonance.
He closed his eyes, allowing the strings to dance beneath his fingertips. Finding the right timing took time, a process he enjoyed most.
To the audience, only a minute seemed to pass, but for Tian Nanren, an hour might have slipped by. His white robes fluttered around him as he played, his hair, slightly loosened, cascading down his back. It was a truly magnificent sight.
An Mei couldn't tear her eyes away, mesmerized by the graceful dance of his fingers on the strings and the calm composure on his face.
Suddenly, a shift occurred. The unpredictable melody he played transformed, becoming more refined, a reflection of the depths of his own emotions.
The change drew even more eyes to him, captivated by the raw emotions he poured into his music.
Throughout the restaurant, forks clattered against plates as diners froze, their eyes fixed on the young man on stage. A fierce note resonated, piercing their hearts and stirring long-buried emotions within them.
It was as if the music itself had unearthed a hidden wellspring of feelings, forcing them to confront the depths of their own souls.
They looked at the young man, holding the guqin, and a wave of emotions they couldn't fully grasp washed over them. Yet, they understood him.
They saw the sadness in his eyes, the weight of his burdens, and a pang of pity resonated within them for this seemingly poor young man.
The guqin seemed to come alive, its music caressing their ears like a long-lost lullaby, a melody they had yearned for but never known they craved.
Look on down from the bridge
There's still fountains down there
Look on down from the bridge
It's still raining, up here
Everybody seems so far away from me
Everybody just wants to be free
Look away from the sky
It's no different when you're leaving home
I can't be the same thing to you now
I'm just gone, just gone
How could I say goodbye
How could I say goodbye
Goodbye
Maybe I'll just place my hands over you
And close my eyes real tight
There's a light in your eyes
And you know, yeah, you know
Look on down from the bridge
I'm still waiting for you.
(Look down from the bridge, Mazzy Star)
The music faded, leaving a gaping silence in its wake. The audience, their hearts aching with a bittersweet longing, yearned for more. They craved another note, another melody, but a deep fear held them back – the fear that they couldn't bear the beauty, the emotion, the sheer power of the music if it continued.
A thunderous applause erupted in the restaurant, but Tian Nanren only felt the weight of pity in the gazes directed at him. Shaking his head, he rose to his feet, his gaze fixed on An Mei, who stood frozen in shock and sadness.
An Mei hugged Tian Nanren really tight. She held him so close, like she wanted to fuse with his body. "It's okay, Tian," she said softly, her voice shaking a little. She sounded sad, but also like she wanted to protect him.
The women in the restaurant, moved by the raw emotion into the music, felt a surge of sympathy for the young man. They want to comfort, to surround him with gentle kindness, yes only kindness, after all kindness can save this world!
They felt a pang of jealousy toward that young girl. Yet, when he glanced at them earlier, they couldn't help but sense that this young man was more interested to the charm of mature women.
Women have a certain instinct; they know who's interested to them and who isn't. Despite being thirsty to this young man, they held back, unwilling to destroy his relationship.
He saw An Mei clinging to him, her embrace tight and comforting. He knew what he do. He channeled his World Spiritual Energy, infusing it into the guqin, creating a resonance that vibrated with a newfound depth. After all, World Spiritual Energy was like nature itself, a force that flowed and pulsed with life.
Everyone possess a different kind of nature, even World Spiritual Energy. While cultivators might harness it for their own cultivations, it's not truly theirs. They are merely borrowing power from the heavenly way.
While playing earlier, he realized it wasn't just talent that define the powerful cultivators. It was the amount of World Spiritual Energy they absorbed and their ability to resonate with the Heavenly Way, allowing them to wield it with unmatched efficiency compared to those who simply absorbed it.
The fact is that he was recognized by the heavenly way itself, able to wield spiritual energy without the need for cultivation.
He recognized the guqin, and the heavens recognized it too. That's why it produced such profound effects, effects that could leave people heartbroken if he played it again.
Tian Nanren shook his head, 'It's not worth thinking about this. Besides, I have plenty of time to figure it out.'