Chapter 23: The Moment of Social Ruin

Liu Shen’s Adam’s apple bobbed as the sight before him left his head spinning. When he came to his senses, he grinned and sidled up behind her, changing his vantage point to better admire the mountains while gently kneading the beauty’s shoulders.

“Young Madam, your body is precious. If you’re tired, you must rest. I may not be much, but I’ve picked up a few massage techniques and would be honored to ease your burdens.”

“My, Little Liu, you do have a touch of skill.”

Pei Xueyan leaned back in her chair, the laughter she held in threatening to spill over, but she composed herself with a mock sigh. “I don’t know what’s come over me—my legs feel sore as well.”

“No need to worry, Young Madam. I can massage them for you.”

“And my feet too...”

“Pei Xueyan, don’t push your luck!” Liu Shen saw she was about to remove her shoes and socks, and hurriedly stopped her. “I’m a perfectly normal, healthy young man—don’t put me on the spot like this.”

It wasn’t that his pride was wounded; he knew full well that Pei Xueyan was only teasing him. He was already struggling to keep his composure after that view of her figure. If a jailer happened to walk by, he feared he might lose his head and do something truly out of line...

Seeing Liu Shen hunch over and return to his seat, walking in a way that suggested he was hiding something, Pei Xueyan realized her joke might have gone too far.

She burst out laughing, raising her brows in playful mockery. “Don’t be upset, I was just testing your resolve.”

Liu Shen shot her a glare, chiding her with a touch of vexation. “Aren’t you afraid I might get carried away and drag you down with me?”

“You?” Pei Xueyan regarded him with an amused, appraising look. “Be honest with me—are you still a virgin?”

“Me?” Liu Shen’s face stiffened and his ears burned. In these times, marrying at fourteen or fifteen was hardly unusual. For a seventeen-year-old in his prime to admit to such a thing—where would his dignity go? Especially when the one asking was a widowed young lady, a friend with whom there was always an undercurrent of rivalry. If she found out, she’d mock him endlessly.

“How could that be...” Liu Shen forced a smile. “As your friend, I won’t lie to you. The first thing I did after getting my wages at the docks was run straight to the brothel. Of course I’m no virgin.”

He struck a pose of practiced bravado, scoffing, “Surely you don’t think I’ve reached seventeen without any experience? You’d be underestimating me.”

“That’s a real shame...” Pei Xueyan sighed with exaggerated regret, lost in her own thoughts.

After her husband died, while sorting through his belongings, she had stumbled upon a manual titled "The Pure Youth’s Method." The elder had told her it was a remarkable internal cultivation technique he had acquired for her late husband over a decade ago—one excellent for strengthening and nurturing the body.

But her husband had never cared for such things and had left the manual to gather dust in a chest.

Out of curiosity, she’d flipped through it. The technique was indeed remarkable, but the preface clearly stated that it could only be practiced by those whose purity remained intact.

All the derision on Liu Shen’s face froze. Under Pei Xueyan’s teasing gaze, his toes curled inside his shoes.

“A pity, truly a pity.” Pei Xueyan clucked her tongue in mock regret, stoking the fire. “When you mentioned wanting to learn inner cultivation just now, that was the first thing that came to mind. But who would have thought someone so young would already be a seasoned frequenter of brothels? It seems you and that technique are simply fated never to meet.”

“All right, all right, so that’s how you want to play it.” Liu Shen shut his eyes in anguish, cursing the woman who’d dug this pit for him. He could barely stand the mocking look in her eyes, and his voice trembled as he muttered to himself, “Fine, you win. I admit it. I lied. I’ve never set foot in a brothel in my life. I’ve never experienced that—I’m still pure. I’m still a virgin...”

“Ha ha ha ha—what an innocent!” Pei Xueyan doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down her face, all the composure of the Song family’s Young Madam lost.

As she laughed, she suddenly remembered her own situation—still a maiden despite a year of marriage—and her amusement faded. All things considered, remaining untouched after a year of marriage was even rarer than being a seventeen-year-old virgin.

They were, after all, evenly matched.

Suppressing her laughter, Pei Xueyan fell silent for a moment before asking, “You truly are?”

“Pei Xueyan, don’t go too far!” Liu Shen was so embarrassed by her laughter that he kept his eyes shut. When she brought it up again, his temples throbbed and veins stood out on his forehead.

He opened his eyes and grumbled, “How am I supposed to prove it? Do you want me to pull down my trousers and show you?”

“Oh, don’t be angry...” Pei Xueyan rolled her eyes, putting on a serious face. “I’m not laughing at you. This is a matter of cultivation—it can’t be taken lightly.”

“I saw it written clearly in the preface: if one who is not pure tries to practice the technique, their meridians could react disastrously, and they could suffer grave consequences.”

“I’m only asking because I’m worried for you. If you truly aren’t a virgin, don’t push your luck. At worst, I’ll ask the elder to find you another manual.”

Liu Shen’s expression softened at her words. He knew she was simply concerned, and nodded bashfully. “I truly am. I wouldn’t risk my life over something like this.”

“I believe you...” Pei Xueyan nodded, lips pressed together, fighting a smile until her cheeks flushed red.

“Pei Xueyan, I’ve tolerated you long enough!” Liu Shen, mortified, banged the table and shouted, “So what if I am? What’s wrong with valuing myself? What’s wrong with wanting to give my most precious gift to the one who’ll be with me for life? Is that shameful? Is that wrong?”

“No, no, of course not, I wasn’t laughing...” Pei Xueyan hurriedly stood, straightening her face. “You eat first—I’ll go home and look for that manual.”

Seeing his expression unchanged, she softened her tone, coaxing him as one would a child. “Don’t be angry, all right? Be good, little brother.”

With that, she saw the veins throbbing on Liu Shen’s forehead, and, barely holding back her laughter, slipped out the door.

Her laughter still echoed from outside.

Liu Shen clenched his chopsticks so hard they snapped. Yet after a moment, all trace of embarrassment faded from his face, replaced by a mysterious, determined smile.

“Friends, is it? Pure friendship, is it?” He pressed his hand against the roast duck on the plate as if su