CHAPTER 36: 36: HANDSOME AND ELEGANT (3)_1

Initially, when Second Brother Liang Shuyu was critically ill and desperately needed ten taels of silver to save his life, the Dong family came to the Liang family to propose marriage. The Liang family were honest folk and had never hidden their circumstances; years ago, during droughts and floods, the six brothers had successively sold their life fruits, exchanging them for food that had long since been consumed.

Furthermore, the Liang Family Brothers were big-boned and tall. In Dayuan, men were considered beautiful if they were delicate and handsome, but among the brothers, the fourth wasn’t delicate enough, and the fifth wasn’t handsome enough. According to Dayuan’s aesthetic standards, these two were even considered somewhat ugly.

Because of their stature, height, and looks, the brothers were viewed as outliers. Having a paralyzed Old Lady at home was a burden, the Second Brother’s health was poor, a half step into Hell’s door. Without life fruits, this was why the six brothers had remained unasked for, until eventually it played into Dong Dabao’s hidden agenda.

Now, Liang Zhichen gazed at Dong Huiying, feeling... truly, it was bizarre.

"Thank you for today, Miss," he said.

In fact, since he first saw this woman, he felt something was amiss. Even if she couldn’t see his face because he was wearing a hat, she should recognize his figure, and she had heard his voice. Yet her look was one of unfamiliarity, even when he removed the hat, she seemed utterly bewildered.

Dong Huiying looked at him with a cheerful smile, "Don’t mention it, it was the least I could do."

Afterward, she showed no signs of reluctance and left the inn.

She considered today’s incident no more than a minor episode, a simple act of daily kindness. Moreover, the person in question was an acquaintance of Da Bao. Since he needed help and had asked for it, it wouldn’t do to refuse too overtly, lest she arouse suspicion.

But in fact, she had already given herself away. From the moment they met, Liang Zhichen harbored suspicions about her.

At present, she was unaware of Liang Zhichen’s identity, not knowing that this man was one of her six prospective fiancés from her own family. Her behavior, which was vastly different from Da Bao’s, had led this man, who appeared handsome and elegant but was actually very astute, to speculate and doubt.

Zhi Chen watched her leave until she was distant, then silently mulled over things for a while before finally making his way to the stairs inside the inn.

Months ago, when his Second Brother was gravely ill, he took his brother to seek medical help. It wasn’t until a few days ago that they returned from outside, but he kept it secret from the family, and he had yet to bring his Second Brother home. This decision was made because the Second Brother’s condition had worsened severely, and he didn’t want his brothers at home to worry as he did.

Upstairs in the inn, Zhi Chen pushed the door and entered a room. Directly opposite the door was a wooden bed. It was already springtime, but surprisingly, several braziers were lit inside the room, making it warm and cozy.

The setting sun cast its rays, and a beautiful, effeminate man was propped up in bed. His physique was slim like Jade Bamboo, and he was clutching his lips, coughing forcefully, with each cough causing his gaunt shoulders to quiver.

Suddenly, he retched and coughed up a large puddle of thin blood.

If Dong Huiying were here, she would have been very surprised as this delicate and handsome man bore an uncanny resemblance to Third Brother Liang Shujun.

The two looked as though they were cast from the same mold.

The only difference was that Liang Shujun had a conspicuous and obscene allure, like a Blood Demon, but this man had skin like cream and as pure as snow. Even with his effeminate features, he was fresh and ethereal, radiating an aura of remote purity, as if a God from the heavens had descended to the mortal realm. Even though he wore only the most common of undergarments, his ice-cold pristine physique was as lovely as the full moon.

But those eyes were too indifferent, with a coldness that kept others at a thousand leagues distance.

"Shu Yu?" Zhi Chen strode towards Shu Yu; his steps were long and quick.

On the sickbed, Shu Yu had stopped coughing but seemed extremely lethargic. Even breathing appeared to be an effort, drawing more air in than out as if each breath took a considerable amount of energy from him.