Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 489 It’s time to work
“A half-concealed, half-revealed look is most captivating, inspiring endless imagination. Too much would seem conservative, too little would be too explicit. That’s what makes a beautiful woman so alluring; otherwise, wouldn’t it just be pure vulgarity?” Ning Guiliang said, organizing his thoughts.

Chen Xuan clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Wonderful! Lord Ning, you understand art!"

"That's right, I'm an expert in this area," Ning Guiliang said with a smile.

But Chen Xuan immediately chuckled and said, "You talk a good game, but you're just skirting the line, I get it."

"Wipe the edge?" He was a little puzzled by this term. These were perfectly good pictures of beautiful women, why would this person want to rub the edge of them? Each one was a work of painstaking effort, wouldn't that be a waste, too extravagant?

Waving his hand, Chen Xuan said, "That's not important. By the way, Lord Ning, with your expertise, have you ever thought about publishing a book of erotic art? I think it would definitely be very popular."

"You're joking. We scholars are refined, not vulgar. How could we do such a thing?" he said speechlessly. He probably would have retorted if it were anyone else, but he dared not, since he needed someone's help.

With a smile, Chen Xuan packed up all the unfolded scrolls and put them into the box, saying, "After hearing the news you released, I came to fulfill my promise. The items are excellent; you clearly put a lot of effort into them. I'll accept them without hesitation."

"I'm glad you're satisfied," Ning Guiliang breathed a sigh of relief, feeling both expectant and excited. He had been working tirelessly for months, and he was exhausted, but it seemed that his hard work was finally coming to an end.

With one hundred Xiaoyao Pills in hand, after taking them all, his body was nourished, he gained iron kidneys and an even more robust penis, and his wives and concubines at home, as well as the young ladies in brothels eagerly awaiting his return, were truly blessed.

What is a man after in his life? Isn't it just about his mouth and his koalas? Only after those two things are satisfied can he consider so-called ideals, ambitions, and the meaning of life. Otherwise, what's the difference between him and wasting his life?

Chen Xuan didn't keep him in suspense. Under his intense gaze, he tossed him a bamboo tube and said, "Here's what you wanted. You've experienced the effects for yourself, so I won't explain further. But I still have to advise you: no matter how good something is, everything in excess is bad. Young man, don't be too greedy."

"I know perfectly well that even an iron rod can be ground into a needle, let alone a person. I will restrain myself," he said excitedly as he took the bamboo tube. He opened it and glanced at it to make sure it was the right one. He then clutched it to his chest as if it were his lifeblood, thinking to himself that he would hide it as soon as he turned around and absolutely not let anyone know. He was determined to keep this to himself.

Reaching out, Chen Xuan grabbed the box and waved his hand, saying, "You're such a boring person, not as carefree as usual. I doubt you'll recover anytime soon. Oh well, I've kept my promise to you, so I won't bother you any longer."

With an awkward smile, Ning Guiliang said warmly, "If you're not in a hurry, senior, why not stay for a simple meal? I'll certainly treat you to the best food and wine."

"I appreciate your kind offer, but let's talk about it another time," Chen Xuan politely declined.

As he walked towards the door, Ning Guiliang quickly said, "By the way, senior, I will be going on a diplomatic mission to Frostmoon Kingdom next year, and I'm afraid I'll be staying there for several years. If you need anything and can't find me, please bear with me."

"Oh, you've been promoted! Congratulations! I understand. If I ever need your help in the future, I'll come to Frostmoon Kingdom to find you," Chen Xuan said sincerely.

"That would be my honor."

Just as they were about to leave, Chen Xuan suddenly turned back and asked curiously, "By the way, what's the market price of your works? Especially these painstakingly crafted pieces."

A chill ran down his spine. Was this person perhaps planning to back out? But Ning Guiliang remained composed and said, "It certainly can't compare to Senior's Xiaoyao Pill. If you meet the right person, a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver would still be worth it, but usually a hundred or so taels is the limit."

"This isn't worth much? Many people probably won't earn a hundred taels in their entire lives," Chen Xuan chuckled, then joked, "The main thing is that as long as the person is alive, the artwork becomes worthless."

Ning Guiliang was taken aback. He pondered the statement and found it to be quite reasonable. After all, as long as a person is alive, they have a continuous stream of works, so they are naturally worthless. But if a person dies, their work becomes a collector's item, and the price will definitely go up.

Then he turned around, but Chen Xuan was nowhere to be seen.

As expected of a master, appearing and disappearing without a trace. If one doesn't show up on their own initiative, it's difficult to even catch a glimpse of them. While feeling impressed, Ning Guiliang's eyes burned with desire again. After eating something good and taking a pill, my wives, you'll see tonight how your husband will regain his authority. How painful it was to see him comfort you with disappointed eyes in the past...

Back at his residence, having restored his appearance, Chen Xuan handed the box to Su Roujia, instructing her to keep it safe and not to display it for the time being. Although it wasn't a big deal, if word got out, Ning Guiliang would know who he was.

Moreover, it's not very meaningful to put it up now; we should wait until a hundred or so years later to truly appreciate its profound heritage.

The renovation of the mansion was still in full swing. Chen Xuan would wash up and go to bed later. This little noise wouldn't disturb his sleep. As long as no one showed him any malice, he could sleep soundly even if there was thunder in the sky.

The next day, when Chen Xuan got up to stretch, the little princess ran over again. After greeting him, she complained, "Why did you send me back yesterday, Brother Xuan? I wanted to rest a bit and continue supervising the progress."

"Seeing you so tired makes my heart ache. Did you rest well last night, Qian Ning?" Chen Xuan asked with concern as he continued to move around.

She laughed and said, "Seriously, you slept until this morning and practiced the Qi-cultivating exercise again? I've never seen you skip it. I really don't know what the point is. If you need it, I'll give you the original later. I won't bother you anymore; I'm going to check on things."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she left in a hurry, showing how much she cared about her future home.

Chen Xuan didn't mind. The house was only so big, and they would run into each other all the time. After moving around for a while, he didn't go back to sleep. He ate breakfast and continued to work on completing the betrothal gifts...

Time slipped away unnoticed. The little princess came here every day, and after a few days, everything was on track, and her enthusiasm waned.

That noon, Chen Xuan was refining array flags, while she set up a table beside him to work on her own creations. They occasionally chatted, and they didn't find it boring at all. Instead, they had the kind of loving and supportive relationship that comes with being an old married couple.

She has finished her previous story and is now writing about the Western fantasy world that Chen Xuan told her about. There are many things she doesn't understand and she needs to ask Chen Xuan for help.

If the novel, with its entirely new framework of civilization, were to be published, Chen Xuan and she were both convinced that it would elevate the reputation of Tingfeng Jushi to even greater heights. People in this era were quite receptive, and the more controversial something was, the more eager they were to read it.

After completing the thirteenth battle flag, Chen Xuan put it away and paused the battle.

The little princess asked as she wrote, "Brother Xuan, are you finished?" "A set of array flags has thirty-six pieces, and this is not even half of it yet," he said, turning around and adding, "I have to go out later. I'll probably be quite busy these few days. Qian Ning, are you staying here or going back to the princess's residence?"

"What's wrong? Do you need my help?" she asked, pausing her writing.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "It's not a big deal, but it's very important. I have to get involved for both personal and professional reasons. Actually, the young master is getting married soon, and we have to start preparing today. I think you've heard about it, Qian Ning, right?"

"The top scholar is getting married! The whole capital knows!" she exclaimed suddenly, then immediately stopped writing and said enthusiastically, "I'll go with you!"

"What's up, going to learn from experience?" Chen Xuan joked. If it weren't for the fact that it was broad daylight and there were other people around, he would have wanted to hug the little princess.

Without any hesitation, she said, "Brother Xuan, you grew up in the Gao family. I've heard that Madam Gao treats you almost like her own son. It's only right and proper that I go and join in the fun."

She had never met the Gao family, but she was grateful to them; otherwise, she would never have met such a beloved person.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "Why do I feel like Qian Ning is taking this opportunity to introduce yourself to your in-laws, like an ugly daughter-in-law?"

She immediately became unhappy, pointing to her pretty face and asking, "Where am I ugly? Brother Xuan, are you disgusted with me? Or do you have a prettier woman you like outside?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. Were all girls this unreasonable? He raised his hands and said, "I misspoke. My Qian Ning isn't ugly at all; she's the most beautiful woman in the world, no one can compare."

"Hmph, that's more like it," she laughed and stopped arguing.

In reality, she wasn't arguing with Chen Xuan over such a trivial matter. The intelligent and kind-hearted woman was simply using this method to change the subject and avoid touching on Chen Xuan's painful memories. After all, the Gao family wasn't Chen Xuan's home, so the saying "a stinky daughter-in-law meets her in-laws" didn't apply to them. And Chen Xuan had been living alone in the Gao family since he was a child...

Not knowing her intentions, Chen Xuan laughed and said, "Qian Ning, if you come with me, it'll probably be boring, and you'll need to change your clothes, otherwise you'll steal the show."

"It won't be boring at all," she smiled, glancing down at her clothes. "Indeed, if I go there dressed like this, the Gao family will probably feel uncomfortable. I'm going to offer congratulations, not cause trouble. Xuan-gege, wait a minute, I'll go change."

At this moment, she was wearing a magnificent and dignified palace dress, the kind of dress only a princess could wear. It would seem a bit too domineering for her to go to the Gao family, so she had to change.

She's been coming here frequently these past few days, and the bustling renovations have inevitably gotten her clothes dirty, so she always carries a change of clothes with her.

Not long after, she returned wearing a light blue dress and a different hairstyle. She no longer had a bunch of accessories on her head, making her look much more natural.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan nodded and said, "That's good. Let's go. Qian Ning, what are you carrying?"

She shook the box in her hand and said, "It's a congratulatory gift. I can't go empty-handed. Brother Xuan, you're so careless, you probably didn't prepare anything. Even if we're good friends, we should at least give something."

"I already sent it in advance."

Hearing this, she hesitated for a moment and said, "We're not married yet, after all. Although Brother Xuan has already given me a gift, I still want to show my appreciation."

"Alright, Qian Ning, you do understand social etiquette. Although there's something I shouldn't say, your presence alone is already the best gift and honor for the Gao family," Chen Xuan said.

The princess personally went to offer her congratulations; how many people have such an honor?

"Brother Xuan, please don't think of me as someone who's so detached from worldly affairs..."

The two went to the Gao family together, without bringing anyone except Su Roujia. With Chen Xuan there, there was no need to worry about their safety.

It wasn't far to begin with, and when they arrived at the Gao family's gate, Gao Jingming, dressed in festive attire, greeted them from afar with a bright smile, "Ah Xuan, you've finally arrived! Hurry up and change your clothes, I've already prepared them for you!"

Chen Xuan was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "What clothes are you changing into?"

Today isn't your wedding day, so let alone the idea of ​​not having groomsmen, even if you did, it wouldn't be now.

Gao Jingming then urged him matter-of-factly, "Help me greet the guests! Can't you see I'm swamped with work?"

To have a grandmaster help greet guests and act so self-righteously—only Gao Jingming would do something like that.

Chen Xuan couldn't refuse this task, so he could only say, "Alright, where are the clothes?"

Just as he was about to say something, Gao Jingming noticed the little princess beside him and asked, "Ah Xuan, who is this?"

"Young Master, let me introduce you to my fiancée, Zhou Qianning," Chen Xuan said without any hesitation, even with a hint of pride, as if he were showing off in front of his good buddy.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jingming, who was about to make a joke, suddenly realized what was happening, his gaze froze, and he was about to perform a grand salute.

Chen Xuan quickly stopped him, saying, "No, no, no, today Qian Ning is just an ordinary guest, family. Young Master, there's no need for this."

……

(End of this chapter)