"Li boy, what are you standing there for?"
Seeing Li Xunshan staring intently at the letters in his hands, the old beggar couldn't help but call out.
However, Li Xunshan didn't respond, not even lifting his head.
Sensing something was off, Gu Ning'an and the others stepped up to the porch and moved to Li Xunshan's side to glance at the letters he held.
On the envelopes, the writing read:
[To Miss Ren Yue!]
[To Young Master Sun Xuan!]
One letter was written in bold, strong strokes—clearly the work of a man. The other had soft, flowing handwriting, unmistakably penned by a gentle and elegant woman.
Everyone present knew who Ren Yue was—the woman who had been in a relationship with Li Xunshan for five years.
But the letter addressed to Young Master Sun Xuan seemed entirely out of place in Ren Yue's family courtyard.
Realizing why Li Xunshan was silent, Gu Ning'an and the others exchanged glances, each understanding from the others' expressions that this was a delicate matter.
Wei Hai nudged the old beggar with his elbow, signaling him to speak. But the old beggar, unsure of what to say in such a situation, simply glared back.
Seeing this, Gu Ning'an patted Li Xunshan's shoulder and said calmly, "If you want to read them, just do it. The seals on both envelopes have already been broken. Clearly, the recipient has read their contents."
"Is it appropriate?" Li Xunshan finally spoke after a long silence, his voice hoarse.
"What's inappropriate about it?"
"Exactly! Just take a look. Not reading will only torment you further."
Both the old beggar and Wei Hai chimed in.
Encouraged by his friends, Li Xunshan gathered the courage to open the letters.
He began with the one addressed to Miss Ren Yue.
As he unfolded it, Gu Ning'an and the others leaned in, their attention focused on the signature at the end of the letter.
When they saw the name Sun Xuan, they quickly skimmed through the content.
As expected, the letter was filled with a man's expressions of admiration and affection for a woman. The language was refined and eloquent—clearly the work of a scholar.
This alone didn't prove much; unrequited love was not impossible.
The real answer would lie in the letter addressed to Young Master Sun Xuan.
With a rustle, Li Xunshan placed the first letter aside and hurriedly pulled out the next one.
His hands trembled visibly as he retrieved it, but he still unfolded the letter and began reading it word by word.
When Gu Ning'an and the others saw the signature Ren Yue at the end, they couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
As they continued reading, they realized this letter, too, expressed feelings of admiration—more fervent and intimate than the previous one. This left everyone wearing expressions of indescribable discomfort.
Plop. Plop.
Two drops of tears fell onto the letter.
Wei Hai rubbed his forehead, unsure how to handle the situation, and turned away. The old beggar extended a hand, his mouth opening slightly as if to offer some consolation, but no words came despite several attempts.
Gu Ning'an, his expression calm, paused for a moment before saying, "What to do about this is up to you. If you wish to confront her and clarify things, we'll stand by you. If you'd rather go somewhere and drink your sorrows away, we'll accompany you too."
Li Xunshan's body trembled. He raised his head, his eyes red at the corners, and bloodshot veins spread across the whites of his eyes. "Let's leave for now. I need time to think… just give me some time."
…
By evening, the group of four had gathered in a private room on the second floor of a tavern.
The table was lavishly laden with dishes—chicken, duck, fish, and meat of all kinds. Yet, apart from Gu Ning'an, no one touched their chopsticks.
Outside the tavern, the bustling streets were alive with performers and joyous laughter, a stark contrast to the oppressive silence in the private room.
"Eat! We ordered so much food—it'd be a waste not to," Gu Ning'an said, picking up some food with his chopsticks and urging the others to eat.
Wei Hai, sitting to the side, pursed his lips, picked up a wine jug from the floor, and poured himself another cup of murky wine.
The old beggar tapped his chopsticks against the table and chimed in, "Exactly. We've got this whole spread, so let's eat while it's still hot. Whatever's bothering you can wait until after the meal. Nothing's more important than filling your stomach."
"What you can't figure out now… eat first, and you'll have the strength to think about it later."
At that moment, Li Xunshan forced a smile that was barely better than crying. He picked up some bean sprouts with his chopsticks and put them in his mouth. "Eat, eat! Don't hold back. Today, it's my treat. Order whatever you like."
As soon as Li Xunshan started eating, Wei Hai followed suit. Between bites and sips, the group began discussing other topics, gradually lifting the heavy atmosphere in the room.
After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, Li Xunshan raised his cup and downed it in one gulp before speaking:
"Thank you all for staying with me. I, Li Xunshan, have been with Yue'er for five years. We've met a little over sixty times, spending a total of 302 days together. Over this time, we exchanged hundreds of letters."
"To be honest, this time I came here to tell Yue'er that I've saved enough money to buy a house in Jiangling Prefecture—a place to settle down and start our life together."
"Who would've thought… I'd encounter something like this?"
The old beggar and Wei Hai said nothing, merely raising their cups to toast Li Xunshan.
Gu Ning'an took a sip of wine and asked calmly, "Have you decided what to do?"
"I want to confront her and ask her directly… but I don't have the courage to face her." As he spoke, Li Xunshan clenched his fist and knocked it against the letters on the table. He then laughed bitterly. "This Young Master Sun—he's one of Jiangling Prefecture's most renowned scholars in recent years. Wealthy, well-read, and the champion of the first Jiangling Poetry Conference!"
"How could someone like me—a daytime tutor and nighttime laborer at the docks, someone who always chooses the cheapest boat rides—ever compare to him?"
The old beggar waved dismissively. "That's nonsense. Marriage is about a person's character, not their wealth or literary prowess."
"Exactly! If you ask me, you're far better than that 'Sunzi' guy!" [Sunzi means grandson, but can also be an insult which means bastard, scoundrel, son of a bitch…]
"At least when you faced river bandits, you dared to take up a blade and fight. I don't believe that bastard Young Master Sun would dare do the same!" Wei Hai, ever blunt and crass, even reduced Young Master Sun's name to a mockery, calling him just "Sunzi."
"And besides," Wei Hai added, "his wealth is just the luck of birth. As for talent, he might not be better than you…"
"Didn't his letter mention inviting Ren Yue to be his companion for the second Poetry Conference? You should go too and compete with him fair and square!"
"If you beat him, you can humiliate him right there. And if you can't beat him, well… you can still humiliate him!" Wei Hai ended his rant by rolling up his sleeve to reveal his muscular arm, grinning with a hint of menace.