Chapter 278 – Moon Lake (IV)

Chapter 278

Moon Lake (IV)

He wasn’t so much a Know-It-All-Wei as he was a Chatterbox-Wei.

No, seriously, it felt as though as soon as I loosened the doors ever so slightly ajar, he pushed forth a tidal tsunami as though he saw it as an invitation… and hadn’t stopped yapping for what feels like hours.

… no, scratch that, the fucking sun is setting. It has been hours.

Oh my God.

He hasn’t stopped once to take a sip of water. Just… how?!

Reminds me of that kid–oh, wow, I actually forgot his name. Admittedly, it has been like, what? Fifteen years, if not more? Anyway, I was just out of college when one of my professors called me back and said there’s this kid that’s looking for a tutor. And as I was strapped for cash, bad, I’d let the prof know I was available.

So, he hooks us up, and within fifteen minutes of meeting the kid, I knew the count of hairs on his head. He just never shut up.

… it turned out it was a major coping mechanism of abuse, so maybe not entirely like that kid.

Anyway, his yapping wasn’t… all bad. I learned some things–mostly useless things, admittedly.

Supposedly, some Fairy Lei and some Phoenix Long (isn’t that a weird combo?) broke off their engagement because she was seen showing the nape of her neck to some Prince or another, and now the sect and the empire were thinking of going to war or something.

There was also the ever-exciting news of his junior sister Liao, who was seen rendezvousing with the most popular senior brother under the pale moonlight by the Swan Lake that was actually a duck lake, as no swans lived there.

With each passing bit of news, I’d catch the glimpse of his two companions growing redder and redder in the face.

I am a bit surprised that the stronger one doesn’t rein him in, but maybe he’s pretending to be weak? Maybe he’s one of those classic low-key protags (like me!) that stays in the shadows and seems unassuming until BAM, suddenly he saves the day by being a dashing hero!

… or, in my case, one of the kids saves the day, and I’m the dashing hero/heroine adjacent.

Anyway, I’m not one to speculate, so I focused on listening the best I could.

“… and that’s when the Senior Sister and Junior Brother joined hands and died together! Though Elders claim that it’s a lie and that they were captured and brutally tortured until their skin was slipping off their flesh, I just know they’re hiding the truth of their forbidden love!”

Hm? How the hell did we get here?

“Wow. That’s… quite some love.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“And then there’s the tale of–“

“–fellow Daoist Wei,” I quickly interrupted, fearful it would be yet another tale of savagery dressed up into something nicer, as this kid clearly had his own way of coping with things. “I will be candid with you.”

“Hm?”

“You talk… way too much,” the two behind him gasped invisibly as he stared at me with a confused look.

“Fellow Daoist…?”

“Don’t get me wrong–I enjoyed your stories quite a lot,” I said. “But they are also quite a lot. I will also say that it’s most likely just me.” His two companions shook their heads rather violently just then. “I am a man of quiet solace. Even wind, if too loud, is too much. I have taught my kids to relay their thoughts to me in four words or less, or simply never speak.”

“Oh,” he exclaimed softly, staring at me for a moment as though examining me. “Have you had your guts checked?”