Lin Mao took a deep breath.
Calm down. Think about philosophy… The Dao… the heavens.…maybe big black banana, anything but this!"
Banana status: 15%.
Just as he thought that he had finally composed himself, Chu Ha shifted slightly and her head slipped even lower.
"Oh no."
His composure shifted again.
Banana status: 50%.
Then, as if the gods themselves were mocking him, her hand accidentally touched his banana.
Banana status: 100%.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
He let out a shout so loud that it might have shaken the heavens. In a moment of panic, he pushed her away and ran the fuck out of the room.
The door slammed behind him and he leaned against the wall outside, panting heavily.
"This world is trying to kill me… in ways I never imagined."
As if it were a life-or-death situation, he squeezed his erection between his thighs, desperately hoping it would calm down.
"This… virgin body is going to kill me." He said as he looked at his cock in disbelief.
His frustration boiled over, "How the hell can you get a boner from just a boob unintentionally brushing your hand?!"
"Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. If this keeps up, I'll die from embarrassment before I even figure out where the hell I am!"
Lin Mao hurriedly made his way out of the pavilion, his face hidden by his hands in an attempt to avoid the curious gazes of the disciples around him.
Their whispers however did not fail to reach his ears which only added to his frustration.
"Oi, who is that?" one disciple murmured, looking at him as if he was a antique piece in a museum.
"Why's he hiding his face?" another added with a smirk.
A third voice added, laughing, "Look at him, covering his crotch like he's trying to hide something."
Lin Mao's heart skipped a beat. Of course, they'd notice that, he thought, his embarrassment reaching new level.
Then, a voice called out, "Isn't that Brother Lin Mao?"
Lin Mao froze, his heart racing in panic. He had hoped that someone would not recognize him, but now there was no escape.
Someone actually fucking recognized me.
But before he could react, a disciple sharply shouted, "Shut up! If Master hears about this, you'll be punished!"
As soon as the threat filled the air, the group of disciples immediately fell silent.
Lin Mao took the opportunity to rush past them.
And the worst part?
He still couldn't get rid of that damn boner.
Searching for escape, Lin Mao ran as far as his legs could take him and after some time, he finally stopped and caught his breath.
He looked around and realized that he had accidentally run into the bustling market. The noise was overwhelming, with merchants shouting out their deals, buyers chattering and bargaining.
"Come, come! We just received a 1000-year-old ginseng! It'll increase your manhood!"
Lin Mao turned his gaze around, momentarily stunned by the loud, bold claim.
Increase my manhood? I think I need to check that out for research purpose.
"Tasty pig soup! Get it while it's hot!" another vendor shouted.
And just as he thought he might be able to escape the madness, another loud voice added
"Limited edition books available here!"
"Come here!" another voice immediately shouted, "Don't listen to him, we have limited, limited edition books to quench your thirst!"
Is there anywhere I can go without hearing some ridiculous sales advertisement?
He couldn't help but feel a bit trapped in this madness, but more importantly, his mind was still on that embarrassing encounter earlier.
Lin Mao straightened up, pushing aside the awkward tension from earlier.
He then walked toward the vendor who had called out about "quenching thirst."
The vendor immediately noticed Lin Mao's approach and quickly bowed.
"Good evening to you, sir scholar! How may this humble one serve you?"
Lin Mao gave a small smile. "Ease up," he said lightly, waving his hand, "I just want to browse through your book collection."
The vendor's face lit up with joy and quickly wiped away few fake tears from his eyes.
"Thank the gods!" he said dramatically.
"My life has been fulfilled! A scholar such as yourself has blessed my humble shop with your magnificent presence!"
Lin Mao rolled his eyes, unimpressed by the fake performance.
"Shut up and stop with your acting."
The vendor immediately straightened up and his posture shifted to a more professional one.
"Yes, sir," he replied, trying to hide the hint of embarrassment in his face.
Lin Mao couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "Just show me something useful," he said.
With that, Lin Mao followed the vendor into the shop. The room was lined with shelves, each filled with massive collection of books.
"Young master," the vendor said, "you may check any shelf you wish. This one here holds books about philosophy from senior scholars, and even grand scholars."
Over there, you will find poetry collections, and here—" he gestured to another shelf:
"—are works on society and its functionality. What would you like to read?"
Lin Mao scanned the titles. Life – A Journey of Self-Understanding, What Lies at an End?, Poetry Collection of Jun Ma, How Can We as Humans Live Better.
"Too deep for me," he said, shaking his head as he turned to face the vendor.