| Author: Cherish the World | Original Source: SFACG |
| Translator: raltzero | English Source: Re:Library |
Yun Hai more or less has that “nightless city” type of appearance from my original world.
Even though there might not be any electric lights around, there were innumerable colored lanterns quietly burning as they lit up the cold night. In particular, the river bank was completely illuminated by their light, with countless people drinking wine or singing loudly or cheering. The hubbub created is a defining characteristic of Yun Hai’s capital city, and with Overlords from all over in the city, to make an analogy, it gives off the feeling of being at the Olympic Games.
I strolled along the river bank until I saw a stage before my eyes. It was a very large barge docked at the shore with all sorts of singers and actors performing on it. The lead center-position performer was standing in the middle and the sensation of your breath being taken away could be felt upon seeing the person. He used a falsetto as he sang and it couldn’t be told whether he was male or female. He wore the clothes of a woman and the words he sang were also filled with a melancholic feeling, making it seem incompatible with the lively nightlife.
“Still remembering the magnificence of those days, the gentle waves of drizzle, I ask my previous incarnation, where has my life gone.”
“Now old, I prefer to reminisce about my youth, my surviving body like a withering willow, I request the lord to toss me as he pleases, throw me into a river where I cannot be found.”
“Then and now, how many things have been lost……”
I stood in place, watching him sing and dance. A long time later, I shook my head.
“Did you hear? That one is a man, oh.”
“Man? But he’s so pretty.”
“You moved? Then fork over money and redeem him, 10,000 gold coins.”
“10,000 gold coins???? Is he made up of gold or something?”
“Who knows, rich people can definitely afford it. But for a man to become well-known for this, how shameful.”
“What’s the story behind it?”
“He’s no gigolo, he’s a male servant. What story could he have, it’s just a trash degrading himself. Is he waiting for a man to buy and have fun with him? He doesn’t even have a bit of manliness inside of him. With such soft, tender skin and a voice like a woman’s, what meaning is there?”
“Brother, you need to analyze it a bit further as to what the meaning of pitching a tent is.”
“Xshhh……”
Many hoots of laughter mingled with the innumerable sounds of discussion.
Everyone yelled at the singer whose sex I could only recognize if it were quiet:
“Another song! Another song!”
The singer walked forward, wished good fortune to everyone, then replied with a showy tone:
“This one wants to rest, everyone, please return, come a bit earlier tomorrow.”
A pretty pleasant sounding voice to the ears.
Everyone roared with laughter as they yelled:
“Hey! Singer, we heard you’re a man? How about taking your clothes off and letting us take a look!”
“That’s right, is such an old man afraid of taking off his clothes?”
“You’ll get tips!”
I watched on the side with great interest. He had a gentle and soft smiling expression as he said to everyone in the audience:
“Can’t take off, can’t take off. But if everybody is willing to give some tips, this one is actually willing to sing another song.”
Another spell of laughter went through the crowd and many people took out silver coins and copper coins out of their pockets, then proceeded to throw them on stage with many of them deliberately aiming at the singer. Money he hit on the face, but he merely giggled, stooped down to pick up the money and placed it into his pocket.
Seeing how fascinating he was, I threw over a money bag with a dozen or so gold coins after giving it some thought. It landed just before his eyes and he went to pick it up. But upon picking it up, he frowned, untied the bag, then revealed a surprised expression. Holding the bag in his hands, he asked to the audience below:
“This bag, who gave it?”
I shouted at him in the distance:
“Sing a bit more cheerfully!”
He looked over at me and gave me a sweet smile.
Oh crap.
Wait, wait a sec.
You’re really a man, right.
This is the feeling of my heart being moved. This is definitely the feeling of my heart being moved.
In that instant, I unexpectedly felt that spending that money was worth it.
It was a kind of, indescribable, it’s like watching a flower you personally cultivated for a long time, blossom. That kind of soul-penetrating happiness, that kind of happiness to the point of tears. It was no wonder Little Huang said that this person could become the Queen of Flowers, the good-lookingness of this person was a bit excessive. 98/100 when standing there, 100/100 when smiling. No, 10,000/100 when smiling.
Someone beside me asked:
“What did you give?”
I replied:
“Money.”
“How much money?”
“What’s it matter to you.”
That person patiently answered:
“You must be new. You can’t give a male singer too much money, otherwise you’ll be considered……a person with ‘special’ preferences. Look around you.”
I looked left and right and discovered that the people within the vicinity had opened some distance between them and me.
I helplessly cupped my hands in salute to the brother who had reminded me, saying:
“Many thanks. It’s my first time coming, so I’m unaware of the ground rules, causing everyone to ridicule me.”
That brother held a fan while he softly sighed:
“It’s nothing much, I just hope that he’ll be able to escape that abyss of suffering a bit sooner.”
“Abyss of suffering?”
I talkatively inquired.
That brother forced a smile and responded:
“That one was a servant of the Overlord of Tian Cheng. It’s said that he offended his master, so he was placed in one of Yun Hai’s brothels to sell himself. 10,000 gold coins, who would be willing to pay so much money for a man? 10,000 gold coins to buy a beauty is a story to be passed through the ages, but 10,000 gold coins to buy a man is something to be ridiculed through the ages. Sigh, he can only earn money little by little and hope that he’ll be able to redeem himself one day. As you can see, we spectators also don’t dare to spend that much money on a man, otherwise we’ll be teased by everyone……life, ah, is very difficult.”
I teased:
“You like him?”
That brother shook his head and replied:
“I just think that he’s pitiful.”
The singer on the stage sang:
“Dong dong clang, dong dong clang, the clamour of gongs and drums fill the sky, hexinliang(贺新凉)~~yo hey~~ hexingliang~~”1
How truly festive.
