Chapter 229 – The Foolish Prince Consort’s Farming Struggles – Tall and Handsome vs. Ugly Man (12)
Bai Tang composed his expression and focused intently as he dabbed and painted on Gao Luo’s face according to the instructions in the manual.
The sound of footsteps outside the door grew clearer. Bai Tang’s hand began to tremble.
From outside, they could hear the waiter trying to stall the approaching guest.
“Sir, this private room is already occupied. Let me open another elegant room for you instead,” the waiter said with a smile.
Ji Zhong replied impatiently, “I’ve set my sights on this room today. Be smart and kick out whoever’s inside.”
The waiter said awkwardly, “This room is reserved exclusively for our boss and isn’t open to the public. Please don’t make things difficult for me, sir. How about this — I’ll speak to the manager and get you a discount on another room. What do you think…?”
But Ji Zhong wasn’t the type to back down because of a few polite words. He had come specifically for the person inside this room.
“Out of the way! Stop wasting my time,” Ji Zhong snapped, shoving the waiter aside.
The waiter stumbled, and Ji Zhong’s men quickly restrained him, rendering him unable to stop Ji Zhong.
The waiter shouted toward the room, hoping Gao Luo and Bai Tang could prepare themselves. From the look of things, the visitor clearly came with bad intentions.
“Young Master, two men are here to see you!”
Bai Tang had just finished his work and quickly stashed the tools from the table into his small spatial pouch.
At that moment, Gao Luo looked particularly… strange.
The right side of his face remained unchanged, but the left side now had an irregular, purplish-black patch that resembled a birthmark. His left eye was also noticeably smaller than his right.
Bai Tang nodded in satisfaction, then quickly averted his gaze.
It was a bit ugly. Bai Tang, who was used to his man’s handsome face, found it hard to accept.
Ji Zhong kicked the door open with a loud bang.
Bai Tang and Gao Luo turned their heads at the same time.
The waiter, held back by Ji Zhong’s men, called out, “Young Master, this gentleman insisted on coming in no matter what.”
Could he be here to settle a grudge?
“And you are?” Bai Tang put on a puzzled expression.
Ji Zhong took one look and realized that the man who had looked like the Seventh Prince earlier was now hideously ugly. Only the intact right side of his face bore a slight resemblance.
A powerful outsider doesn’t mess with the local boss, and Ji Zhong wasn’t looking to make trouble for no reason.
He snapped at the waiter, “You should’ve said earlier that the Young Master of Drunken Immortal Pavilion was inside! Wasting my d*mn time.”
The waiter looked aggrieved. He had said so — this unreasonable man just wouldn’t listen, and now he was blaming him?
Gao Luo said, “Xiao Er, you may go now.” Then he turned to Ji Zhong.
“Since you’ve got the wrong person, please leave.”
After saying that, he even pouted slightly, looking displeased.
If Gao Luo still looked like his usual self, his childish pouting might have seemed a bit cute. But now that he had the face of an ugly man, Ji Zhong only felt nauseated.
Seriously, being ugly isn’t your fault — but must you come out and disgust people?
Bai Tang said, “Xiao Er, please see these two guests out.”
This small town was remote — compared to the bustling capital, it could practically be described as a land of desolate mountains and harsh rivers.
And what kind of people do desolate mountains and harsh rivers produce?
The sight of the young man’s delicate, handsome face made Ji Zhong glance a few more times despite himself.
Gao Luo stepped forward to shield Bai Tang.
What are you looking at? No one’s allowed to look at his wife.
“Ugh…” Ji Zhong covered his mouth, suddenly feeling the urge to vomit.
He waved his hand to signal his men to release the waiter, then turned and hurried downstairs — almost as if fleeing in panic.
Seeing their fear of him, Gao Luo happily turned to Bai Tang, eager to claim credit.
“Tang Tang, I scared them off!”
Bai Tang quickly ran over to close the door, eyes fixed on his toes.
“Mm-hmm. Ah Luo, you were amazing.”
Gao Luo rushed in front of Bai Tang, grabbed his hand, and leaned in close.
Last time he got praised, his wife kissed him. This time, would he get a few more kisses? Gao Luo thought gleefully.
But Bai Tang turned his face away, unable to bear looking directly at Gao Luo’s half-disfigured face.
Those two hadn’t gone far yet — he didn’t dare remove Gao Luo’s makeup. If they suddenly doubled back, things would get complicated.
Meanwhile, Uncle Gao, Baili Bin, and Tian Xiao had followed the mountain path out of the village and arrived in the town.
Gao Luo hadn’t been to many places. Aside from home, the place he was most familiar with was the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Uncle Gao guessed that Gao Luo might have brought Bai Tang there.
It was a bit of a gamble, but to his surprise, the acting manager confirmed that the Young Master and Young Mistress had indeed arrived at the pavilion a few hours ago and were currently upstairs.
Uncle Gao was overjoyed — finally, they had found their master.
As he made his way upstairs, he brushed shoulders with Ji Zhong.
Fortunately, Ji Zhong only had portraits of Baili Luo and Baili Bin. As someone of little importance, Uncle Gao wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
Ji Zhong descended the stairs, grumbling to his men about ugly freaks and how someone looked just like a drawing or something.
Uncle Gao turned his head and gave Ji Zhong a few extra glances.
As a fellow martial artist, Uncle Gao could tell that Ji Zhong and his companion both possessed martial skills—and not at a low level either.
When Ji Zhong glanced back upstairs while heading down, Uncle Gao quickly turned around and pretended to have weak legs, slowly and shakily making his way up the stairs to give the impression that he moved very slowly.
Perhaps because Uncle Gao looked too inconspicuous, or because Ji Zhong simply wasn’t paying attention, he didn’t notice the older man still ascending the stairs after he had already descended. It didn’t seem suspicious at all.
Ji Zhong scanned the diners in the first-floor hall but saw no one resembling the Seventh or Ninth Prince. With a flick of his sleeve, he left.
Inside the private room, Gao Luo looked aggrieved.
“Tang Tang, why won’t you look at me?”
Bai Tang watched through the window as Ji Zhong left the tavern and finally let out a breath of relief.
“Well… it’s because I didn’t do a very good job with the makeup,” Bai Tang said apologetically. He felt bad—his handiwork had turned a handsome man into something like that.
Still, Bai Tang avoided looking at Gao Luo. He just couldn’t bear the sight.
Gao Luo clutched Bai Tang’s sleeve pitifully.
“Tang Tang, did I do something wrong? I’m sorry… please don’t ignore me…”
He desperately tried to recall what he might’ve done to upset Bai Tang, but couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he thought.
Bai Tang gently stroked Gao Luo’s slender fingers.
“No, you didn’t make me mad.”
Gao Bo entered the room to find this exact scene:
His young master tugging pitifully at the boy’s sleeve, pleading, while the boy kept his face turned away, refusing to look at him.
What happened? Did the young couple have a fight?
“Young Master,” Uncle Gao said, “I had such a hard time finding you. Why did you run off without a word? It’s dangerous out here.”
At this point, Gao Luo couldn’t be bothered to avoid Uncle Gao anymore. He turned to him and said anxiously,
“Uncle Gao, my wife won’t talk to me anymore—please, help me say something to her!”
Gao Luo was nearly in tears.
Bai Tang spoke softly, “I’m not mad, really, it’s just…”
Then Uncle Gao finally saw Gao Luo’s full face—and was stunned.
“Young Master… your face…”
What’s wrong with his face?
Gao Luo caught his reflection in the water basin and let out a horrified gasp.
“I’m ugly! I’ve become so ugly!”
“Oh no… No wonder Tang Tang won’t look at me. I’ve become hideous! My wife doesn’t want me anymore…” Panicked, Gao Luo stomped his feet anxiously.
“Wife, don’t go! I’ll change back—I swear I’ll change back!”
Gao Luo scooped water into his hands and splashed his face, scrubbing it hard. His face turned red from the friction, but the “birthmark” didn’t fade at all.
“Wait, wife, just wait! I’ll rub it off—I will rub it off!”
Tears streamed down Gao Luo’s face, mixing with the water as he desperately scrubbed.
Bai Tang’s heart ached terribly. Anything Qiu’er stored in the spatial pouch was of the highest quality—never a defective item. Without a special solvent, putting that disguise material in water wouldn’t wash it off.
Gao Luo was too quick—before Bai Tang could react, he had already scrubbed his face raw, nearly peeling off his skin.
“Stop rubbing! It won’t come off!” Bai Tang cried out, grabbing Gao Luo’s hand, heart aching.
The moment Gao Luo heard that, grief overwhelmed him.
It wouldn’t come off. He would be this ugly for the rest of his life. He didn’t deserve his wife anymore.
Just then, Baili Bin arrived at Drunken Immortal Pavilion with Tian Xiao. They had just stepped inside when—
Gao Luo placed Bai Tang’s hand into Baili Bin’s.
“Please, take good care of Tang Tang.”
He didn’t deserve Tang Tang anymore. He couldn’t drag Tang Tang down with him.
Baili Bin: “???”
Gao Luo reluctantly pulled his hand away—only for Bai Tang to grab it back.
Bai Tang glared at him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not worthy of you anymore… You deserve the best. He’s better-looking than me.”
Unexpectedly, Bai Tang’s eyes filled with tears.
“You don’t want me anymore?”
His wife was crying!
Gao Luo instantly snatched him back from Baili Bin’s hands, hugging Bai Tang tightly as tears streamed down his own face.
“I do! I do! Of course I do! But I’m so ugly now…”
It tore at his heart. If he had any choice, he would never give his wife to anyone else.
Baili Bin: “???”
“Seventh Young Master, your face…” Tian Xiao pointed at the left side of Gao Luo’s face.
Gao Luo ignored him. He was too focused on the boy crying in his arms.
“You were the one who said it! You don’t want me anymore—you tried to give me away!”
“I didn’t—I didn’t—I didn’t!” Gao Luo panicked.
Bai Tang gently covered the left side of Gao Luo’s face. The right side was still devastatingly handsome.
“Who said my Ah Luo is ugly? My Ah Luo is the most handsome of all.”
Gao Luo clasped Bai Tang’s hand against his face, then tenderly touched Bai Tang’s cheek, eyes filled with love.
Bai Tang rummaged through his spatial pouch but couldn’t find the dissolving potion. His face instantly turned pale, eyes shimmering with tears.
Gao Luo immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Bai Tang’s voice quivered.
“I can’t find it… I can’t find it… But I will find it!”
Frantic, Bai Tang turned to Qiu’er for help.
Qiu’er said, “That dissolving potion was too effective… I used it all.”
Qiu’er’s answer nearly made Bai Tang pass out from shock.
Used it all? What now—was Ah Luo going to stay like this forever?
Tears falling, Bai Tang apologized to Gao Luo,
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… sob… I’m really sorry…”
Gao Luo didn’t even know what he was being apologized to for, but he instinctively pulled Bai Tang into his arms.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize to me, my wife.”
Qiu’er hung its head in guilt.
“Tang Tang, I’m sorry…”
Xiao A couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Can’t you just exchange points for it?”
Oh right—the system shop had everything. Of course there’d be dissolving potion too!
Qiu’er hurriedly ran to the system store panel, searching through a pile of potion bottles for the dissolving solution.
“Found it!” Qiu’er bit onto a white bottle, placed it into the spatial pouch, and signaled for Bai Tang to take it out.
Bai Tang wiped away his tears, took the potion from his pouch, and poured it into the basin.
He dampened a handkerchief, had Gao Luo lower his head, and gently began wiping his face.
Very soon, the tall, handsome man reappeared before everyone’s eyes.
Author’s Note:
Gao Luo: I’m not ugly anymore! I do deserve my wife~
Bai Tang: Ah Luo is absolutely right!
This is probably the next best arc