Water Margin: Gao Yanei is actually a Gal Genius

After dancing for a while, Gao Jin sensed that things were not going well, so he wanted to go back and sit down, obediently becoming a nobody.

I suppose Cai Xiu should be satisfied by now.

Gao Jin stumbled and fell to the ground.

The young masters burst into laughter, and Cai Xiu asked with concern, "Brother Tuizhi, are you hurt?"

Cai Xiu's favorability rating: 41.

Gao Jin's chrysanthemum tightened, and he quickly got up. "It's nothing, I guess I drank too much and got a little dizzy. Brother Renzhi, I've finished peeling the crabs, I wonder about the lucky draw..."

Cai Xiu smiled and pointed at Gao Jin, "Brother Tuizhi, are you in a hurry? No rush, no rush, I'll give it to you in a bit."

"Thank you, Brother Xie Renzhi. I've had too much to drink and am no longer able to dance. I wonder..."

"Hey, bro, you're not a gigolo. We can't let you dance all the time. Just give everyone something new to see..." Cai Xiu said, glancing around. "...What do you all think?"

"Indeed!"

"Brother Tuizhi, you're tired from dancing, go and rest first."

Gao Jin returned to his seat, feeling a chill run through him. He understood perfectly well that if his favorability rating didn't increase, he'd probably still be in trouble.

The group of young masters led by Cai Xiu were truly bizarre.

He was full of malice when the banquet started, but now things have taken a dramatic turn, and even Cai Xiu's concern just now doesn't seem fake.

Gao Jin was thinking of going back; maybe he should ask Lao Deng for help.

Sacrificing your own body to save your brother is just too much.

Gao Jin left the stage, and Cai Xiu no longer wanted to watch the Hu Xuan dance that had been specially prepared for him.

Cai Xiu waved for the Hu women to step back, and prepared to have one of his favorite singers come up and sing a short song.

As the women retreated to the outer room, their eyes kept glancing back at Gao Jin, clearly hoping that he would raise his hand and keep them to serve him.

As a martial artist, Gao Jin naturally noticed the movements of the Hu women.

However, Lin Chong's wife was sitting next to him, and he preferred to sit there awkwardly rather than let those Hu women touch him inappropriately.

Gao Jin could only look down and count the patterns on the crab's body.

A young nobleman took a fancy to a certain Hu woman, waved to her, and she smiled sweetly and twirled past.

And so, not a single Hu woman left; each found a young master to serve her personally.

They came here seeking money, not love.

For them, it would be best to serve that strong, muscular man; if all else fails, finding a wealthy one would be acceptable.

Gao Jin glanced at Lin Chong's wife standing behind him, and remembered something.

Zhang Yao's favorability rating: 10.

Seeing that the young masters weren't paying attention to him, Gao Jin quietly asked, "Sister-in-law, have you eaten anything?"

"No, from noon until now, the Cai family's housekeeper has been teaching banquet etiquette, without eating or drinking a single grain of rice or water."

"Then come over and peel the crab yourself." Gao Jin moved his chair to the left, leaving a large empty space on the right.

Lin Chong's wife glanced at the crab in front of Gao Jin, swallowed hard, then looked at the spot next to Gao Jin, and secretly surveyed the room. Her face flushed, and she lowered her head.

"...I wouldn't dare."

Gao Jin glanced around and, good heavens, all those concubines and foreign women were sitting next to the young masters, their bodies pressed against them.

Zhao Fujin, sitting at the head of the table, seemed completely unfazed, showing no displeasure whatsoever, and smiled as he chatted with Cai Xiu.

Gao Jin looked behind him again. There were no tables or chairs near Lin Chong's wife, so he could only peel crabs with a gloomy expression.

He peeled two tea leaves and put them in a clean teacup, then haphazardly poured in some ginger, vinegar, and perilla leaves, and handed them to Lin Chong's wife behind him along with the chopsticks.

"...Thanks."

Following the arrival of the songstress, the maids of the Cai household served various pastries, dried fruits, and candied fruits, and also replenished the crabs that had been eaten.

Upon seeing these items, Gao Jin was overjoyed. He quickly took the bone plate, picked up some pastries, dried fruits, and candied fruits, and handed them to Lin Chong's wife.

A voice came from behind him, but Gao Jin didn't hear it clearly and subconsciously asked, "What?"

"Uncle, could you please get me some drinks? The biscuits are too dry; I really can't swallow them," Lin Chong's wife said softly.

Well, he's become someone who serves others.

Gao Jin took the wine pot from the table, then grabbed a cup and handed them behind his back. "Brother Lin Chong calls me 'brother,' so what should you call me?"

"...Thank you, Uncle."

The maid standing nearby didn't say anything, but instead brought another pot of wine and placed it on Gao Jin's table.

They are there to satisfy the guests, not to teach them what to do.

During the singing session, no one bothered Gao Jin anymore; they just chatted and laughed amongst themselves.

This unusual behavior made Gao Jin even more uneasy. Cai Xiu's humiliation of him at this banquet felt rather anticlimactic.

He didn't know how Cai Xiu and the others had gained such goodwill, so he could only silently pray that the night would pass peacefully.

If Cai Xiu and his men even dared to covet his backside, he would fight to the death to escape.

Gao Jin looked around. Most of the young masters present were physically weak, and his physique stood out from the crowd.

I'm afraid that fat guy Li Kuo will rush up.

Thinking of this, Gao Jin squinted at Li Kuo, who was enjoying himself immensely, with one woman on each side.

The two beauties were practically embedded in his body, a sight that made Gao Jin feel nauseous.

[Li Kuo's favorability rating: 40.]

Seeing that his biggest threat, Li Kuo, wasn't keeping a close eye on him, Gao Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

If that fat guy really rushed up, whether it was just a brush or a close encounter, it would be disgusting.

The songstress sang four or five songs in a row. After she finished singing Su Shi's "Prelude to Water Melody: When Will the Moon Be Bright?", Cai Xiu raised his hand to signal her to stop.

Upon seeing this, the songstress rose and retreated to the doorway to wait.

Cai Xiu then spoke, saying, "Since the time when the bright moon first appeared, few poems about the Mid-Autumn Festival have appeared in the world. I have long heard that fine lines are naturally formed by heaven, and a skillful hand occasionally comes along with them."

"With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, why don't we share our thoughts? Who knows, the next popular Mid-Autumn Festival poem might just come from one of us, and this banquet could be remembered for eternity."

Gao Jin suddenly looked up; the teacher really knew how to do this problem!

"Brother Ren is right, so I'll make a fool of myself first." One of the young masters stood up directly.

He cleared his throat and began to recite: "The jade mirror shines coldly, bathing ten thousand miles in the clear autumn. I know not what world this is, I lean alone on the highest tower. I wish to summon a lone crane riding the wind, to explore the depths of the icy moon, where clouds and seas drift and sink. Starlight swirls in my sleeves, and dew fills my eyes. I tread on the Milky Way, following the shadow of the cassia tree, on the path I have traveled. The jade fields must still be there, where immortals have planted thousands of acres of jade? I look down at the chess games of the mortal world, where mulberry fields and seas have changed, and the waxing and waning of the moon is always without reason. Only the color of the midday sun shines on the river for eternity."

Gao Jin flipped through his memory. He recognized this person, Gao Yanei, who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun. How come he suddenly knew how to write lyrics?

Cai Xiu asked, "Brother Chen, your poem is excellent! Is it well-known?"

Brother Chen shook his head and said, "Let's call it 'Prelude to Water Melody - Mid-Autumn Moon Viewing'."

Cai Xiu and Zhao Fujin raised their glasses in a toast at the same time, and Cai Xiu exclaimed, "What beautiful words! Brother Chen, what a fine piece of writing!"

Seeing that the poem was well-written, Princess Maode herself offered a toast, which excited the young men of the yamen, who all came forward to offer their own poems.

Gao Jin was stunned. It was as if they all used to play around like crazy, but now they were all top scorers in the college entrance exam.

It wasn't until Li Kuo, that fat guy, also got up and offered his lyrics that Gao Jin realized something was wrong. This guy can write lyrics too?

"Fine rain dampens the city walls, dimming the few stars on the horizon. Who sends my longing from a thousand miles away? A gentle whisper: The osmanthus blossoms of my hometown are fragrant. In this lonely inn, a chill rises; I trim the lamp wick, its light reflecting on the old screen. Suddenly, a neighbor's flute breaks the night's gloom, startling me. I mistake it for the sound of a returning boat's oars." Li Kuo finished reciting haltingly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "My brother, let's call this one 'Southern Tune: Mid-Autumn Festival Away From Home'!"

At this moment, Gao Jin realized that, apart from him and Zhao Fujin, all the young masters present were well-prepared.

Li Kuo sat down and drank a cup of wine. Mei Ji wiped away his sweat, and he finally recovered. "Brother Tuizhi, do you have any masterpieces? You're the only one here who hasn't written anything."

Gao Jin sighed inwardly, thinking how playful these spoiled brats were, each finding someone to take the exam for them, preparing to crush them in front of the princess.

Fortunately, he knew how to do this question.

Gao Jin readily stood up, pondered for a moment, then raised his cup and recited: "Recalling the osmanthus groves at Mid-Autumn Festival, the flowers are in the cup, the moon is in the cup..."

He had just finished reading a passage when he saw Cai Xiu with his back to Zhao Fujin, facing him with an unfriendly expression.

Cai Xiu's favorability rating: 30.

Gao Jin paused and looked around; the favorability ratings of the young masters were also plummeting.

Well, he understands now. If he finishes reading, who knows what kind of trouble might arise at today's banquet.

They're all showing off together, but excluding Gao Yanei.

No wonder my predecessor didn't like hanging out with you guys.

Gao Jin tilted his head back and downed the wine in one gulp. Under Zhao Fujin's expectant gaze, he blurted out, "...That's all."

Brother Lin Chong, I even gave up the chance to show off in front of the princess for your sake.