Drunk on Madness - Chapter 8

In the Hanqiu Courtyard, within the student dormitory, Chen Bolin lay on his bed, his thoughts restless.

He hadn’t expected to encounter Li Lanyan at the tavern today. She was still serving as a maid to Zhou Mingxuan and Su Mo.

But wasn’t she supposed to be insane? Half a year ago, he had seen it with his own eyes, how could it be false?

Chen Bolin hailed from Yongjia. He was Li Lanyan’s cousin.

Three years ago, Li Lanyan’s parents had passed away, and her family’s property had been seized by her uncle’s household. Left with no one, Li Lanyan sought refuge with her maternal uncle’s family. For the first two years, while her uncle was still alive, her life had been relatively normal and peaceful.

But after her uncle died during a business trip, her aunt grew increasingly disdainful of her. Watching his cousin grow more and more beautiful, Chen Bolin began to harbor dark intentions.

(…)

When his actions were exposed, Chen Bolin, in a panic, accused Li Lanyan of seducing him. Enraged, his aunt personally whipped Li Lanyan. Li Lanyan was left with no way to defend herself. She wanted to explain, to cry out her innocence but it all seemed pointless.

Not long after the whipping, Li Lanyan was sold by her aunt to the Bright Moon Pavilion. By the time Chen Bolin learned of this, a month had already passed. He had just entered Songshan Academy, his future bright and promising.

Unable to bear the guilt, he went to the Bright Moon Pavilion. Upon inquiring, he discovered that Li Lanyan had gone mad after bashing her head against a wall and had been driven out to a dilapidated temple. Standing at the temple’s entrance, he saw the disheveled, deranged figure of Li Lanyan. She no longer recognized him, kneeling by the roadside, begging passersby for food.

She had become a beggar, kneeling in the streets, her stench unbearable, avoided by all. When her hand reached out and touched him, he recoiled in disbelief and turned away.

Late at night, in the silence of the dormitory,

The door creaked open as Gu Ci returned after bidding farewell to Zhou Mingxuan and the others. He saw Chen Bolin lying on his bed, lost in thought.

“Still awake?” Gu Ci asked.

“Can’t sleep,” Chen Bolin replied, sitting up.

“Hmm.” Gu Ci found it odd but didn’t press further about his roommate’s affairs.

Seeing that Gu Ci had nothing more to say, Chen Bolin suddenly spoke again. “That girl who was with Zhou Mingxuan and Su Mo at the tavern today, do you know her name?”

“Why do you ask? You kept staring at her earlier, and Su Mo was clearly annoyed. Aren’t you afraid of offending him?”

“It’s nothing like that. She just looks so much like my cousin,” Chen Bolin explained.

“Her name is Li Xiang.” Gu Ci wasn’t interested in why Chen Bolin was so fixated on a maid, but he knew that if he didn’t answer, Chen Bolin would find a way to ask someone else. Might as well tell him directly.

“Oh.” Chen Bolin fell silent after his response.

“Just a warning, Li Xiang may be a maid, but she’s not someone you should entertain thoughts about,” Gu Ci said as he lay on his own bed, his tone suddenly sharp.

Chen Bolin froze for a moment but said nothing, lying back down to continue his brooding.

After that day at the tavern, Chen Bolin claimed illness and returned home. Gu Ci paid it no mind. Though they were roommates, due to Zhou Mingxuan and Su Mo’s influence, he had little desire to interact with Chen Bolin. In their daily interactions, the group often deliberately avoided him.

One day, with Zhou Mingxuan and Su Mo both absent, Li Xiang went to the backyard pond to wash their clothes.

Several young maids were already at the pond, scrubbing laundry. When they saw Li Xiang approach, they made room for her.

Being new and unfamiliar with one another, no one spoke much. Li Xiang didn’t engage in conversation either, murmuring a quiet “thank you” before beginning to wash the clothes.

The academy had specialized student uniforms. Those studying literature wore white, while martial arts practitioners wore dark gold, with each garment’s inner lining embroidered with the wearer’s name.

Zhou Mingxuan was quite particular about cleanliness, so his clothes were easy to wash. Li Xiang scrubbed them diligently by hand, not daring to slack off. After hanging his clothes to dry, she prepared to tackle Su Mo’s laundry.

Su Mo practiced martial arts, so his clothes were either full of holes or reeked of sweat. That was why Li Xiang washed their garments separately, Su Mo’s clothes were practically a pollution hazard.

Ancient soap wasn’t exactly high-tech, and no matter how hard she scrubbed, some stains just wouldn’t come out. Frustrated, Li Xiang kicked off her embroidered shoes, stepped into the basin, and decided to wash his clothes with her feet.

A few maids nearby saw her bold move and began whispering among themselves.

“Miss, how can you wash your master’s clothes with your feet? That’s highly disrespectful! If your master finds out, you’ll be in trouble,” one of the girls warned Li Xiang.

“Indeed, and a woman’s feet should not be so casually exposed. With so many people coming and going, what if someone sees? How will you face others?” another chimed in.

“But these clothes are too filthy, they’re impossible to clean!” Li Xiang sighed in frustration.

“Put your shoes back on first. Here, borrow this,” the girl said, handing her a wooden club as thick as an arm.

Li Xiang quickly dried her feet and slipped her shoes back on.

“Use this to beat the clothes,” the girl instructed, demonstrating the technique.

Thwack… thwack…

“Alright, I’ll give it a try. Thank you!”

After thanking the girl, Li Xiang followed her example and resumed washing.

The two of them washed and hung clothes together, quickly becoming friends. They even made plans to go grocery shopping, cook, and do laundry together in the future.

The girl’s name was Qingzhi, and her master was Fang Shizhang, the eldest son of the local prefect of Dengzhou. He had been studying at the academy for five years, focusing on literature.

As dusk fell, cooking smoke rose from chimneys all around.

The two maids began preparing meals for their masters.

Washing vegetables, chopping ingredients, lighting the stove, they chatted idly, sharing cooking tips. Soon, Zhou Mingxuan and the others returned from class.

“Something smells amazing! What are we having today?” Su Mo strode into the kitchen courtyard, sniffing the air near the pot.

Without waiting for Li Xiang’s reply, he lifted the lid himself. Instantly, the rich aroma of meat filled the air.

Passing students caught the scent and gathered around to look.

“That smells incredible,” remarked a student in black robes.

“Brother Mo, did you bring your family’s chef here? It smells this good?” The black-robed student clapped Su Mo on the shoulder, his expression full of envy.

Su Mo was already starving, and the smell made his mouth water.

“This is my maid’s skill,” he said before turning to Li Xiang.

“Xiangxiang, is this dish ready?”

Li Xiang didn’t pause in her work, still stir-frying shredded potatoes in another pan.

“Almost. You can take it out to cool a bit.”

“The rice is here. Serve it up and let the young master know dinner will be ready soon,” Li Xiang instructed.

“Got it!” Su Mo immediately clapped the lid back on the pot, abandoned his classmates, and dashed into his room, shutting the door behind him.

“Tch, so stingy,” the others muttered, disappointed, before dispersing.

Li Xiang plated the last dish of sour and spicy shredded potatoes, exchanged a quick word with Qingzhi, and then entered Su Mo and Zhou Mingxuan’s room.

The two young men had already set the table. The steamed pot of braised pork with preserved vegetables had been placed on the table, along with shredded pork in garlic sauce and mushroom-braised chicken.

Li Xiang entered and added the final dish of sour and spicy potatoes to the spread. The three of them began their meal.

Creak… The door was pushed open.

“It smells amazing.” Gu Ci pushed the door open and walked in.

“Brother Mingxuan, Brother Mo. You didn’t call me when the food was ready, how could you do this to your brother?” Gu Ci sat down without waiting for an invitation.

Li Xiang wasn’t surprised by this at all and immediately served him a bowl of rice, even thoughtfully filling a cup of water for him.

“Xiangxiang is the one who truly cares for me.” Gu Ci smiled warmly.

Ever since tasting Li Xiang’s cooking, Gu Ci had started showing up uninvited at every mealtime. Zhou Mingxuan never said anything about it, but Su Mo always seemed a little displeased.

Gu Ci unceremoniously picked up a piece of braised pork and took a bite, it melted in his mouth, tender and juicy.

“Wow, this braised pork is incredible,” Gu Ci praised.

“Xiangxiang, you’re amazing,” he said, reaching for another piece.

“Whoever marries you in the future will be the luckiest person alive.”

After spending these past few days with them, Gu Ci finally understood why Su Mo valued Li Xiang so much.

For Gu Ci, eating had always just been about survival, something to fill his stomach. In his relentless pursuit of his goals, he had long forgotten the simplest, most fundamental joys of life.

Cherishing time spent with good friends, savoring the happiness brought by delicious food, these small, everyday things could bring genuine satisfaction and contentment.

“You always barge in without notice, and now there’s not enough food for us,” Su Mo grumbled.

Gu Ci swallowed the meat in his mouth. “Xiangxiang, you should cook a little more next time, it really isn’t enough.”

“Easy for you to say. One more person means a lot more dishes to prepare. Xiangxiang doesn’t just cook for us, she also does the laundry, buys groceries, preps ingredients, and chops vegetables. How can she manage all that alone?” Su Mo retorted.

Gu Ci looked conflicted. He had actually been planning to ask if they could bring their laundry for Li Xiang to wash as well. He hadn’t expected Su Mo to be so ungenerous, now he didn’t even want him joining for meals.

“What if I chip in some money?” Gu Ci suggested.

“Is this about money?” Su Mo scowled.

“How about I pay for you to hire your own maid to take care of you?” Su Mo thought this was a great idea. It wouldn’t burden Xiangxiang, and it wouldn’t let down their friendship either.

“Absolutely not. Food tastes better when shared, eating alone is boring. Besides, I’d never find a maid as good as Xiangxiang,” Gu Ci protested.

“Unless…” He hesitated for a moment.

“Unless Xiangxiang is assigned to me. That way, I can eat with her, and it won’t be boring.” Gu Ci thought this was a brilliant idea.

“Dream on…” Su Mo found the suggestion increasingly absurd.

Zhou Mingxuan rubbed his temples, exasperated by their bickering.

“Enough, both of you.”

“I’ll pay for you to hire another maid, someone who can do laundry,” Zhou Mingxuan said to Gu Ci. Then, turning to Li Xiang, he added,

“Xiangxiang, from now on, you only need to focus on cooking. If you need any help, just give orders to the maid he hires.”

Li Xiang was stunned, she had just gotten a promotion. “Okay,” she replied after a brief pause.

There was another reason for her delayed reaction: this was the first time Zhou Mingxuan had also called her “Xiangxiang.” The young master was usually reserved, buried in his studies, and rarely interacted with her directly.

Most matters were relayed through Su Mo. She hadn’t expected the young master to address her so familiarly, and it instantly made her feel much closer to him.

“This is a great idea. Now we can all enjoy Xiangxiang’s cooking,” Gu Ci said cheerfully, then eagerly placed a piece of chicken into Li Xiang’s bowl.

“You work so hard, my dear Xiangxiang. Here, have some more food.”

Su Mo, who was listening nearby, felt like vomiting. How could there be such a shameless person?