Chapter 11: Like Jade

When Xu Xian woke up again, it was already dark outside. His head didn't hurt when he touched it, but he was incredibly thirsty.

He had certainly enjoyed that feast.

"Brother Xu, you're awake? There's cold tea on the table." Guided by Pan Yu, Xu Xian gulped down several cups of water. Once he had recovered his senses, he looked around. Pan Yu was leaning against the window reading a book. He flipped the last page, turned around, and smiled at Xu Xian. "Brother Xu, you truly write wonderful poetry!"

The sky was dim, and the room was decorated in an elegant, ancient style. Xu Xian was still savoring the memories of his past life from his dream, so he was momentarily dazed. "What poetry?"

Pan Yu recited the poem Xu Xian had chanted while drunk and praised it enthusiastically. Only then did Xu Xian realize what had happened. He quickly waved it off. "I don't have that kind of poetic talent. A traveling Taoist recited that to me when I was a child." After a moment's thought, he added, "Brother Pan, it's best if you don't tell anyone else about this poem."

Pan Yu was puzzled. If this poem were spread, it would surely become famous throughout the land. Not only did the man before him deny writing it, but he also asked for it to be kept secret—how strange. However, on second thought, he realized that while the poem was good, it might give the impression of being a heavy drinker, which wasn't necessarily good for an official career. This realization set his mind at ease, and he felt even more that Xu Xian was a man of hidden depths.

"Please rest assured, Brother Xu. I will certainly keep your secret."

Xu Xian thanked him and smiled. "Calling each other 'Brother Xu' and 'Brother Pan' is a bit too formal. Why don't we just use our names? You can just call me Xu Xian."

"My style name is Mingyu. You can call me Ruyu, Brother Hanwen."

"Beauty like jade?" Xu Xian's expression turned odd.

"No, a gentleman like jade," Pan Yu corrected him with immediate seriousness.

Xu Xian laughed. "You’ve managed to have the best of both worlds; you've claimed both the beauty and the gentleman for yourself."

Unexpectedly, Pan Yu turned grave. "I, Pan Yu, am a seven-foot man. Please do not make such jokes, Brother Xu. Otherwise, you may just call me Pan Yu."

Xu Xian apologized quickly, guessing that the more handsome a man was, the more he cared about such things. It took a great deal of flattery before Pan Yu's anger subsided. Privately, however, Xu Xian thought to himself that even when Young Master Pan was angry, he was still like jade. As for the "beauty" part, he didn't dare mention it again.

As they spoke, the sky turned completely dark.

Since Jintian Academy selected talents for the state, these young scholars were considered key investments. Their room, board, and all expenses were covered by the government treasury. Xu Xian also received a yearly stipend of silver and grain from Qiantang County, essentially a student grant. This was because the local magistrate saw Xu Xian's bright future and, since it was public money anyway, wanted to build some goodwill.

Having lived in this world for over a decade, Xu Xian finally had some spare cash, though it was only a few bits of broken silver—likely enough to make him the shame of all transmigrators. He was quite satisfied himself, though. Having developed spendthrift habits in his previous life, he couldn't help but want to splurge as soon as he had a little money.

"Mingyu, how about I treat you to dinner tonight?"

Pan Yu intended to befriend Xu Xian, so he naturally did not refuse. Xu Xian led Pan Yu for a walk along the banks of West Lake, but every place they passed was a high-end restaurant. Xu Xian felt his coin purse and sighed inwardly, forced to keep walking.

Pan Yu possessed an exceptionally perceptive seven-apertured heart. How could he not see through Xu Xian's thoughts? He simply found it hard to say anything and watched the scene with secret amusement. After walking for a long time, Xu Xian suddenly brightened. Seeing a small tavern ahead, he felt as if he had found a treasure, though he was momentarily hesitant and embarrassed.

Pan Yu smiled and said, "Brother Hanwen clearly knows his way around. All of Hangzhou's famous eats are hidden in these nooks and crannies. Don't be fooled by those luxurious restaurants; the true local flavor is found in places like this."

Xu Xian wasn't stupid; he knew Pan Yu was saving face for him. But since things had come to this, he relaxed and said candidly, "My pockets are a bit light today. Once I'm wealthy, I'll definitely treat you, Ruyu, to a meal at the most expensive restaurant in Hangzhou."

This man wasn't rich yet, but he already had the air of a nouveau riche. Normally, such a tone would annoy Pan Yu, but coming from this poor scholar, it felt frank and endearing.

He joked, "Haha, don't you go regretting the silver when the time comes. If you claim to be broke then, I won't let you off easy."

Xu Xian promised he wouldn't. The two entered the shop and ordered a few small dishes, choosing not to drink. When the tea was served, Pan Yu took a small sip and didn't touch it again. He had never had such poor tea in his life, nor had he ever been to a place like this.

The tavern's business wasn't bad. The sounds of guests playing drinking games and laughing, the owner welcoming and seeing off customers, and the waiters shouting and grumbling all intertwined. It made the small shop feel as though it were filled with a concentrated burst of heat, vulgarity, and human life.

However, it was also very noisy. Pan Yu couldn't help but frown slightly. Noticing this, Xu Xian felt a pang of regret. Sitting in this tavern with his spotless green robes and ink-black hair, Pan Yu truly looked like a piece of white jade covered in dust. Even just sitting there simply, he seemed completely out of place with his surroundings.

Xu Xian sighed, "How can one who is brilliantly white be stained by the dust of the world? Let's change to another place." He was quoting a line from Qu Yuan's The Fisherman.

Pan Yu smiled and shook his head slightly. "It is all the water of the Canglang River. The clamor of this mortal world is something one cannot escape no matter where they go. We are all people of this world; who can truly remain unstained?" As he spoke, he picked up the teacup and finished it in one gulp.

The food arrived, served on small plates that were relatively clean and delicate, allowing Xu Xian to breathe a secret sigh of relief. Xu Xian hadn't done much besides eating and drinking at noon, so he wasn't very hungry. Pan Yu, who had been busy hosting earlier, was actually quite hungry. Eating this simple fare, he felt it had a unique, distinct flavor.

As Xu Xian watched him, a phrase suddenly popped into his mind: elegant to the bone. This was what his previous life would have called an "Oriental Aristocrat." Polite yet unconstrained and free-spirited. They were far beyond those Western nobles from his past life who couldn't stop talking about wine vintages, clothing tastes, and "sir" or "miss" at every turn. This nobility came from a cultural heritage spanning thousands of years.

After finishing the meal, Pan Yu took a sip of tea to rinse his mouth, pulled out a plain white handkerchief to wipe his lips, and finally gave them a gentle press. He smiled slightly at Xu Xian. "I'm finished. Thank you for the hospitality."

Xu Xian was dazed for a moment before snapping back to reality. He thought, If only Pan Yu were a woman. Then he quickly shook his head and told himself: This is "The Legend of the White Snake," not "The Butterfly Lovers." He silently chanted "I am a man" ten times before standing up to pay the bill.

Nearby, a pair of lewd eyes had been fixed on them since they entered. By now, the man's drunkenness was surging, and he could no longer restrain himself. Seeing that they were just two weak scholars, he walked over and said, "Such a beauty is truly rare to see." As he spoke, he reached out a pair of rough, large hands toward Pan Yu's chin. The men at his table immediately began slapping the table and whistling.

Bang!

Not only did the whistling from the neighboring table stop abruptly, but even the general noise in the tavern came to a halt. Everyone’s eyes focused on Xu Xian.

Xu Xian stood up, fuming with rage, holding the long wooden bench he had just been sitting on. The lecherous middle-aged man was now sitting on the floor, blankly clutching his head. Blood leaked through the gaps between his fingers. He wasn't even groaning; he had been dazed by the solid wood bench hitting his head. Only after a while did he start to moan.

No one expected such a weak-looking scholar to strike without a single word of warning. Even Pan Yu, who had remained calm as the hand reached for him, now stared at Xu Xian with his mouth slightly agape in surprise. Is this really a man of letters?

The middle-aged man's companions finally swarmed over, shouting, "Big brother! Big brother!"

The man held his head with one hand and pointed a trembling finger at Xu Xian with the other. "Kill him for me!" His companions immediately surrounded them.

Xu Xian was completely undaunted. He said loudly, "I am a scholar of Jintian Academy, a man with scholarly honors. If you dare touch me, are you not afraid of being sliced into a thousand pieces by the law?" These words were spoken with such severity that there was no trace of Xu Xian's usual easygoing and gentle manner.

The man on the floor howled, "Kill him!" But his companions turned their eyes toward the only person at their table who hadn't moved. That man looked like a refined scholar himself. After a moment of silent contemplation, he waved his hand. The group helped the injured man up and retreated. The man tried to argue, but the refined man's cold gaze swept over him, and he immediately clutched his head and went silent.

Xu Xian remained on guard with the bench until the group had fully retreated. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. He turned to Pan Yu, who was still sitting there calmly, and asked, "Didn't you see the hand signal I was making just now?"

Fine beads of sweat had formed on Xu Xian's forehead, while Pan Yu looked completely at ease.

Pan Yu blinked, pretending not to understand. "What hand signal?" While Xu Xian had been holding the bench, his other hand had been frantically gesturing under the table for Pan Yu to leave, but Pan Yu had acted as if he hadn't seen it.

Xu Xian said anxiously, "Telling you to run!"

Pan Yu gave a brilliant smile. "Brother Hanwen, you were a peerless hero who intimidated the lowlifes. Why should I run?"

Xu Xian said, "Those people clearly weren't ordinary thugs. A few of them were reaching into their robes; they were obviously carrying weapons. Those outlaws will do anything. If I hadn't managed to bluff them, your life could have been in danger."

Pan Yu laughed. "If I had run, wouldn't that have ruined your momentum and put your life in danger?"

Xu Xian was truly helpless against this "jade-like gentleman." He sighed, "Forget it, forget it. It's late; let's head back!"

The two walked out of the tavern, chatting and laughing. From a corner, a pair of eyes followed them. Once their direction was clear, the watcher hurriedly departed.

"That strike with the bench was truly earth-shattering. However, if you had declared our status as students of Jintian Academy from the start, they wouldn't have dared to move. If that blow had provoked them instead, it would have been bad."

Xu Xian shook his head. "Mingyu, you were born in a house of gold; you don't understand these people. Every one of them bullies the weak and fears the strong. If you try to reason with them, they'll think you're afraid. If you don't give them a sharp wake-up call right away, they'll think we're soft targets and will only push further."

Pan Yu lowered his head in thought, then looked up and smiled. "I suppose you're right."