Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 2(27)
The ladies were spinning seductively like bouquets of roses covered in thorns, blossoming in the deep night. When they spun over to Xie Lian, they playfully teased him with their eyes. If any travelers walking in the night were to accidentally intrude upon this scene, it was hard to say whether they’d be more frightened or enchanted. However, when Xie Lian scanned the main hall, his eyes went straight through those women to the person seated in the back.
At the end of the great hall there was a large divan made of black jade, expansive in size; upon it over a dozen people could lounge. But there was only one man seated there, and it was Hua Cheng. There was a group of gorgeous ghost women dancing before him, but he didn’t spare them any looks, only lazily keeping an eye on what was before him.
In front of Hua Cheng was a small golden palace. It roughly resembled a heavenly palace, but on closer inspection, that little structure was built from thin sheets of gold foil stacked upon one another. He was also absentmindedly twirling a piece of gold foil in his hand.
Gold Foil Palace. Xie Lian had played this game often when he was a child; it was no different from village kids stacking rocks to build houses. When he was younger, he disliked separation by nature, and it didn’t matter what it was—as long as the objects were placed together, Xie Lian would refuse to separate them. So whatever it was he built, he’d forbid anyone to touch it, and he always wished desperately that he could glue the fragile sheets together so that it’d never collapse. When he was even younger, if he saw his golden palace fall apart, he’d be distressed to the point of refusing food and sleep until the king and queen coaxed him from his shell. The golden palace before him now was grand, made of hundreds of layered foil sheets, and fragile like an egg, as if a gentle breeze could blow it down.
Xie Lian couldn’t help but chant mentally: Don’t collapse, don’t collapse.
A brief moment later, however, Hua Cheng gazed at his work and flashed a smile. He extended a finger and flicked the top of the golden palace—
Flitter flatter, the foil fluttered and collapsed into a heap.
Gold foil was now strewn across the ground. The golden palace was destroyed, but Hua Cheng appeared amused by his handiwork, like a child who’d pushed over a tower of building blocks.
He mindlessly threw away the gold foil sheet that was still in his hand and jumped off the divan. The dancing women immediately stopped in their steps and backed off to the sides, silencing their songs. Stepping on the gold foil sheets as he went, Hua Cheng walked toward the entrance.
“Since gege is here, why not come in? We haven’t been apart for that long, so don’t be a stranger to San Lang.”
At this beckoning, Xie Lian let down the beaded curtain. “Earlier in the Gambler’s Den, it was San Lang who pretended not to recognize me.”
Hua Cheng approached and stopped at Xie Lian’s side. “Lang Qianqiu was there too, so if I didn’t put on an act, I’d be giving gege trouble.”
That was a really sloppy act… Xie Lian thought.
Hua Cheng probably knew that Shi Qingxuan was in the crowd too, so Xie Lian stopped worrying about hiding anything.
“San Lang is knowledgeable as always.”
Hua Cheng laughed. “Of course. So, is gege here only to visit me?”
“…”
If Xie Lian had to be honest with himself, had he known Hua Cheng was here, he would’ve asked for leave so he could pay him a visit. Alas, that was not what happened. Hua Cheng, however, wasn’t waiting for a response from Xie Lian at all, and smiled.
“Whether you’re here to see me or not, I’m happy either way.”
Xie Lian was startled by those words. He hadn’t had a chance to respond before the women standing on the sides started giggling. Hua Cheng inclined his head, and they all stopped at once, their heads bowed low. They soon filed out of the hall, leaving only the two of them in this massive chamber.
“Come have a seat here, gege,” Hua Cheng said.
Xie Lian examined him as he followed, smiling. “So, this is your real appearance.”
Hua Cheng paused slightly in his step.
Maybe it was his imagination, but Hua Cheng’s shoulders seemed to stiffen for a flash of a second. The moment didn’t last, and Hua Cheng responded naturally.
“I did say that the next time we met, I would greet you with my real appearance.”
Xie Lian grinned and said earnestly, “Not bad.”
Xie Lian’s tone wasn’t teasing or consoling, the words very simply said. Hua Cheng gave a small smile back, and this time, it was genuinely relaxed. They took a few more steps when Xie Lian suddenly remembered something important he’d wanted to confirm with Hua Cheng. He removed the silver chain from around his neck.
“By the way,” Xie Lian said, “did you leave this?”
Hua Cheng glanced at the ring and smiled. “It’s for you.”
“What is it?” Xie Lian asked.
“Nothing important,” Hua Cheng replied. “Just keep it for fun.”
Although that was what he said, Xie Lian knew that this object must be truly valuable, not something so insignificant.
“Then, thank you, San Lang.”
Seeing Xie Lian put the chain with the ring back around his neck, Hua Cheng’s eye shimmered brightly. Xie Lian looked around him.
“Back at the Gambler’s Den, you said you were going to Paradise Manor. I’d thought it was something like a brothel or the red-light district, but this looks more like an entertainment hall?”