Chapter 103: Huangfu Shengqi

Chapter 103: Jianmie and Huangfu Shengqi

Jianmie had been running for a long time and finally sat down on a rock to rest.

“Little brother, why do you look so disheveled?”

Within a few breaths of sitting down, a voice suddenly appeared. Jianmie hadn’t yet recovered from the shock caused by the fierce Yellow-Toothed Maiden and, out of reflex, stood up and dashed away.

The handsome young man in white who had just transformed into the Yellow-Toothed Maiden saw Jianmie’s frightened state, like a bird startled by a bowstring, and chuckled lightly.

Jianmie had only taken a few steps before the young man in white blocked his path. He looked at Jianmie and, feigning ignorance, asked, “Little brother, why are you running?”

Summoning all his courage, Jianmie slowly lifted his head and gradually opened his starry eyes.

A remarkably handsome gentleman in white slowly came into view. When Jianmie realized that the person before him was not the Yellow-Toothed Maiden, he fully opened his eyes. At that moment, the white-clad gentleman was completely etched into Jianmie’s sight.

After taking in everything clearly, Jianmie glanced around to ensure the Yellow-Toothed Maiden hadn’t followed. He then patted his chest, finally allowing his anxious heart to settle.

Feeling awkward for having lost composure in front of a stranger, Jianmie scratched his head in embarrassment, mimicking Li Hao’s gesture exactly. Then he smiled sheepishly and said, “You are truly handsome, sir!”

The gentleman in white wore a surprised expression and replied, “Little brother, don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to me? No, no, that won’t do. I’m not interested in men.”

Ignoring the almost blood-spurting look on Jianmie’s face, the young man continued to unload his words as if emptying beans from a bamboo tube.

Jianmie shot him a disdainful glare and said, “I’m the one afraid you’d fancy me! If you hadn’t made that clear, I’d have run even faster than just now.”

The white-clad gentleman’s acting was truly masterful. Pretending to be clueless, he asked, “Little brother, you’re really carefree. I feel an instant kinship with you. Would you like to be friends? We could go chasing girls together.”

Upon hearing “chasing girls,” Jianmie instantly perked up. All the negative feelings in his heart vanished without a trace. Excitedly, he said to the young man in white, “That sounds great! To be honest, I’m not really that into girls. If they’re pretty, then only the ones around my boss count as truly beautiful. I’m just bored being alone, so when I see a girl, I want to chat with her a bit. Maybe even see if I can…”

The young man in white was curious and asked, “By what you’re saying, your boss must be quite the ladies’ man.”

Hearing this, Jianmie felt displeased by the misunderstanding of his boss and quickly defended him, “No, no, you’ve got it wrong. My boss never goes after girls. Actually, there aren’t many around him, but every single one is absolutely stunning and otherworldly.”

The gentleman laughed heartily. “Little brother, you’re quite funny. So you mean your boss already has several peerless beauties around him.”

Jianmie heard the gentleman’s words and once again felt his boss was misunderstood, hurriedly waving his hands, “No, no, you’ve misunderstood again. My boss has only two now.”

The young man in white smiled slightly, holding up two fingers and said, “Just two? That’s not many at all. For those who have harem-like entourages, that’s very few.”

Jianmie nodded in agreement and said, “Yes, you’re right. I think so too. That’s why I want to find a few more beauties for my boss.”

The more Jianmie spoke, the more curious the gentleman became. He said, “Little brother, you don’t have to keep calling me ‘Brother White.’ My name is Huangfu Shengqi.”

Upon hearing the introduction, Jianmie introduced himself in return, “My name is Jianmie — Jian as in sword, Mie as in destruction.”

After Jianmie finished, Huangfu Shengqi said, “What a powerful name! Jianmie, what business do you have ahead?”

Jianmie explained, “Following my boss’s orders, I’m supposed to find friends. On the way, I saw a girl and wanted to see if she would suit my boss, but… sigh!”

At the thought of the Yellow-Toothed Maiden, Jianmie shuddered with lingering fear.

Huangfu Shengqi watched Jianmie’s expression and chuckled to himself.

To add to the performance, Huangfu Shengqi feigned confusion and asked, “Did the girl bully you?”

Jianmie clarified, “Not exactly. It’s just that I couldn’t accept her appearance, though she meant well.”

Huangfu Shengqi laughed heartily, “Brother Jianmie, you’re so handsome and dashing. Any girl would be crazy not to like you.”

Jianmie felt pleased by the compliment and politely replied, “Brother Shengqi is too kind. I don’t have any charm.”

Huangfu Shengqi changed the topic, looking at the divine demon world-ending sword strapped to Jianmie’s back and said, “Brother Jianmie, that sword looks formidable!”

Jianmie looked a bit aggrieved and said, “Ah, Brother Shengqi, you don’t know. I never wanted it or wanted to carry it. But my boss forced me, with both carrots and sticks. To save face for him, I had no choice but to obey. Only then did I reluctantly shoulder it.”

Huangfu Shengqi, puzzled why Jianmie would be so unwilling—normally, one would be thrilled to have such a fine sword—asked curiously, “Brother Jianmie, your boss treats you well. No wonder you care so much for him. If I have a chance, introduce him to me.”

Jianmie didn’t hesitate and agreed, “No problem.”

Huangfu Shengqi, curious about this boss Jianmie spoke of, tentatively asked, “Brother Jianmie, why do you always think about finding pretty girls for your boss but never for yourself?”

Jianmie explained, “Brother Shengqi, you don’t know. My boss is… well, he is also mine!”

Huangfu Shengqi thought he misheard or that Jianmie misspoke. He asked to confirm, “You mean you share girls with your boss?”

Jianmie answered seriously, “Yes! What’s my boss’s is my boss’s, and what’s mine is also my boss’s.”

For some reason, Huangfu Shengqi couldn’t figure out why this young man, Jianmie, thought only of his boss and never spoke of himself.

Huangfu Shengqi’s imagination ran wild about Jianmie and his boss, suspecting something unusual between them. He asked, “You two are really special. What if a girl doesn’t want to share with both of you? What then?”

Jianmie shrugged off the question, “Then forget it!”

Hearing this, Huangfu Shengqi finally felt relieved. After all, this red-clad boy and his boss didn’t force girls into anything.

Inwardly, Huangfu Shengqi thought, “In matters between men and women, as long as it’s consensual, everything falls into place naturally. It’s their preference, and I can’t interfere. Though their tastes are rather unconventional.”

Jianmie seemed to recall something and curiously asked Huangfu Shengqi, “Brother Shengqi, why did you suddenly appear here?”

Huangfu Shengqi was brought back to reality by the question and replied, “I said, I wasn’t just passing by, and I happened to run into you. Do you believe that?”

Jianmie didn’t doubt and answered sincerely, “Well, that’s quite a coincidence. Maybe it’s what the boss calls fate!”

Huangfu Shengqi chuckled softly, with a hint of meaning in his laughter, watching the utterly innocent Jianmie. His curiosity about this oddly intriguing youth grew. He casually said, “Yes, perhaps it really is fate.”

The two of them walked at a leisurely pace, chatting back and forth.

“Brother Shengqi, do you have a girl you fancy?”

Huangfu Shengqi hadn’t expected such a question and asked curiously, “Brother Jianmie, why do you ask?”

Jianmie’s answer made Huangfu Shengqi laugh and cry at the same time. Jianmie said, “You look about as handsome as my boss and me. I’m just curious what kind of girls you like.”

Huangfu Shengqi looked at the boy who always wore a faint smile. He found him truly adorable. Although a bit mischievous, Jianmie’s nature was pure.

Huangfu Shengqi answered, “Girls I like? Not at the moment.”

Jianmie casually said, “Then let’s look together. If we find a girl you like, the chance is yours.”

Huangfu Shengqi laughed heartily. He felt Jianmie’s thoughts were hard to read and asked, “What if we find a girl we both like?”

For Jianmie, this was a tough question. He stroked his chin thoughtfully and replied, “Then we’d have to ask the girl whether she likes you more or me more. If she likes you more, the chance is yours. If she likes me more, I won’t be polite about taking it.”

Huangfu Shengqi thought Jianmie’s answer made perfect sense. “Brother Jianmie, you’re wise. I thought you’d have to ask your boss.”

Jianmie pondered and felt that the girl he fancied might not be to his boss’s liking. He said to Huangfu Shengqi, “Brother Shengqi, you’re right. This deserves serious thought. If the boss doesn’t like her, then forget it.”

At that moment, in Huangfu Shengqi’s mind, Jianmie was nothing but a puppet controlled by his boss. There was no self besides the boss. Huangfu Shengqi also felt a certain pity and sorrow for Jianmie’s fate. Meanwhile, his curiosity about Jianmie's boss grew stronger. He thought to himself, “What kind of person enslaves such an outstanding youth? I must follow them and see if this boy has been branded by an ill-intentioned person. If so, things could get complicated.”