Reborn As The Short-Lived White Moonlight of the Tragic, Powerful Male Lead - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Xie Lanting found that he got along quite well with this talkative youth. The boy introduced himself as Chen Zhushu, and the man beside him was his senior brother, Ge Wen.

Xie Lanting also exchanged his name: “I am Qu Liushang.”

With a simple flick of the lips, a fresh alias was born. Chen Zhushu was very supportive: “A fine name!”

Xie Lanting didn’t blush or skip a beat: “Ah, you flatter me, you flatter me.”

He didn’t notice that when he uttered the fake name, a man sitting at a corner table felt his mouth twitch.

Returning to the topic of Xie Lanting’s wedding, Chen Zhushu still had things to say: “Immortal Lord Lanyue is marrying someone else. I’ve waited so many years for the ‘Clear Breeze to brush the Bright Moon’ pairing, but I didn’t expect it to end in cold disappointment.”

Xie Lanting had a bad premonition: “‘Clear Breeze brushes the Bright Moon’?”

Chen Zhushu was surprised: “You don’t know?”

Xie Lanting asked humbly: “Pray, tell me more.”

The man in the corner of the tea stall, who had reacted to the fake name earlier, also focused his attention to listen.

“The most sought-after pairing in the world of novels! Immortal Lord Qingfeng (Clear Breeze) and Immortal Lord Lanyue (Gazing Moon)—Xiao Qingfeng and Xie Lanting!” Chen Zhushu’s voice grew louder. “You haven’t heard of their beautiful legend!?”

Xiao Qingfeng? Who? Xie Lanting searched his mind. Not in the original book, not in the original body’s memories—he definitely didn’t know this person.

Xie Lanting understood. They were complete strangers. He advised: “Young man, shipping strangers across a void is not advisable.”

It was Chen Zhushu’s first time hearing the phrase “shipping across a void,” but his miraculous brain circuits immediately grasped the meaning. Syncing up with Xie Lanting’s wavelength, he countered: “That’s not true! Immortal Lord Qingfeng said it himself—if he were to look for a Dao companion, he’d want someone like Immortal Lord Lanyue.”

Xie Lanting’s reading comprehension was top-tier: “He was likely just using him as an example out of polite flattery.”

Refusing to back down, Chen Zhushu whipped out a novel and slammed it on the table. The title: Fragrant Dew Thickens Under the Moon Before the Breeze.

Hiss. Xie Lanting did a tactical lean-back. How should he put it? The title carried a waft of “colorful” scented air; it seemed a bit R-rated.

Chen Zhushu continued: “Immortal Lord Qingfeng hasn’t just read all their fanfiction; he’s even written reviews and post-reading reflections! One of his poems is very famous!”

Logic told Xie Lanting to stop there and ask no more, but his gossip-loving heart drove him to open his mouth: “What poem?”

“It’s too long, I don’t remember it all. The gist is: ‘Read it, very good, captures my heart perfectly, might consider making it real.'”

Good heavens. No wonder Chen Zhushu was so righteous; he had “evidence.”

Did this Immortal Lord Qingfeng really want to dye the protagonist’s head green?

But it didn’t matter. Xie Lanting was a good person and would nip this possibility in the bud for Xiao Qingfeng. As long as he didn’t marry Gu Yunqi, it was impossible for Xiao Qingfeng to cuckold the protagonist.

Don’t provoke the protagonist, live a hundred years.

Xie Lanting, who loved reading novels back in the modern world, stared at the book with itchy fingers. “Is this Immortal Lord Qingfeng… handsome?”

“It’s not a matter of whether he’s handsome or not, he is… Fellow Daoist, has truly no one around you heard of him?”

Xie Lanting immediately said: “My ears are closed to the world, my heart is only for the sword in my hand. This is my first time out for training; my knowledge is shallow. I am ashamed.”

“They say sword cultivators are the most likely to be blocks of wood; truly, I was not deceived,” Chen Zhushu said understandingly. “Immortal Lord Qingfeng is quite famous in the novel world. I see you have talent, Daoist Qu. Since our meeting is fate, I’ll give this novel to you. The world outside is wonderful; you should see more of it.”

What talent? Talent for eating gossip?

Xie Lanting wanted to say “I don’t, I’m not,” but his sinful fingers wouldn’t listen. Bit by bit, they crept forward, and under Chen Zhushu’s sparkling gaze, they touched the book cover—

Xie Lanting smiled and accepted the novel: “Thank you, friend. I shall read it carefully. I’m sorry I have no book to give in return for now.”

“No matter! Perhaps when we meet again, we can exchange thoughts as fellow readers.”

The two locked eyes through Xie Lanting’s mask, giving birth to a bizarre friendship. Ge Wen, who had watched the whole thing, sipped his tea silently, feeling as though he were looking at two blooming weirdos.

Chen Zhushu was delighted: “I feel like we’re old friends at first sight. Let’s leave a communication seal so we can chat about books.”

Xie Lanting took out his jade communication tablet: “No problem.”

As they chatted merrily, the waiter brought out Xie Lanting’s order. Besides tea, roadside stalls naturally served food. Chen Zhushu and Ge Wen watched as the waiter nimbly laid the table—

A pot of coarse tea, two basins of beef (one boiled, one hand-torn), a steamer of buns, a large bowl of roasted chicken, two steamers of shaomai, a plate of stir-fried greens, a plate of smashed cucumbers, and a wooden bucket filled with white rice.

The dishes weren’t refined—just rustic cooking—but the portions were massive. The small table was buried in an instant.

Chen Zhushu and Ge Wen, who had been on “Inedia” (fasting) for years: “…”

Chen Zhushu asked tremulously: “You… you’re eating all this alone?”

Xie Lanting felt that since he had just made friends, eating alone would be rude. He served them rice as well: “Come, come, join me. Don’t be polite, my treat.”

Even though Xie Lanting had dropped from the Transformation Stage to Golden Core and was technically an injured patient, his body was still that of a high-level cultivator who didn’t need food. However, the transmigrated Xie Lanting was a regular person used to three meals a day and sleep. He retained excellent “normal person” habits.

Having traveled for three days and nights without food or sleep, he felt he could eat an entire cow.

“That’s not what I meant,” Chen Zhushu said blankly as he took the bowl. “I meant… can you finish it?”

Xie Lanting: “Piece of cake.”

Chen Zhushu and Ge Wen were instantly filled with respect. Then they discovered that Xie Lanting wasn’t joking—he could really eat.

As a regular human, one had to worry about getting fat. Cultivation had no such worries. For a foodie, it couldn’t be more perfect.

Chen Zhushu glanced at Xie Lanting’s waist—it was slender enough to be held in one hand. He truly didn’t understand where all that food went.

Xie Lanting’s eating manner was actually quite elegant and unhurried, yet the food disappeared at a mysterious speed. Because he ate with such gusto, he made others hungry too. Chen Zhushu actually finished a bowl of rice for the first time in ages, and even Ge Wen took a few bites.

Now they weren’t just “book friends”; they were “meal friends.”

Chen Zhushu blabbered while eating: “When Immortal Lord Lanyue gets married, his Little Junior Brother must be heartbroken. I heard they have a great relationship—the two famous ‘Cold Flowers’ of the Jade Sword Sect… wait, no, the ‘Jade Sword Pair’.”

Xie Lanting: “Rumors shouldn’t be fully believed. Why does everyone have to be tied to Immortal Lord Lanyue? Isn’t it fine for the Junior Brother to be his own ‘jade’?”

Chen Zhushu nodded: “True. Immortal Lord Lanyue is suited for white snow and silver moons, not for ‘green’.”

Xie Lanting agreed deeply. That green tea Little Junior Brother? As one of the elders who pushed for this marriage, he’s definitely crying like a rainy pear blossom in public, saying ‘Senior Brother, oh boo hoo,’ while laughing his head off in private, ‘Xie-dog, wahaha!’

The Junior Brother probably wanted to sponsor all the firecrackers for Xie Lanting’s wedding. Listen—that’s the sound of his explosive, joyful mood.

Let that Green Tea bloom his own fragrant green alone. Xie Lanting has no desire to be a ‘Pair’ with him.

After achieving Inedia, dishes at banquets were usually just for show—small portions, high price, and pretty looks. People would just take two bites for the sake of it. Chen Zhushu hadn’t touched rice for years; one bowl made him feel stuffed. He put down his chopsticks and circulated his spiritual energy to digest, while checking in on his new friend.

“Daoist Qu, where are you headed next?”

Xie Lanting’s goal was clear: “East.”

Continue escaping the wedding, and incidentally… fleece someone. Xie Lanting had a faint smile on his lips; he had already mapped out the route in his mind.

Chen Zhushu was disappointed: “East? Then we aren’t going the same way.”

Xie Lanting: “The world is vast, but all paths lead back to one. If fate wills it, we shall meet again.”

Chen Zhushu clapped: “Well said! By the way, friend, if you pass through Dongyang, don’t forget to visit the Dongyang Bookstore. It’s the number one bookstore in the novel world. The content will satisfy you!”

Xie Lanting understood: “I’ll be sure to pick out two books then to give you as a return gift.”

Chen Zhushu was deeply moved: “Senior Brother, do you see this? This is what you call a kindred spirit!”

Ge Wen didn’t quite understand their world. He said woodenly: “Mhm.”

…

The three of them finished the table of food—most of it going into Xie Lanting’s stomach. When they parted ways, Chen Zhushu was reluctant to leave his new book friend, looking back every three steps until Ge Wen grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him away.

After they left, the group in the corner, who had been holding back for a long time, finally spoke up.

The table held four men. Three wore black, while the fourth stood out in an indigo over-tunic. This man had kept his head down the whole time, and being surrounded by his companions, Xie Lanting hadn’t noticed him when walking by.

The man looked up, revealing a face of peerless beauty.

This was none other than the Gu family’s young master, Gu Yunqi, who was supposed to marry Xie Lanting. He had run away from his own wedding, only to run straight into the Immortal Lord himself.

They had heard every word of the conversation between Xie Lanting and Chen Zhushu. Gu Yunqi fiddled with his teacup, his gaze deep: “‘Clear Breeze brushes the Bright Moon’?”