Chapter 11 Welcoming Guests:

“Wait,” Shen Bingsi raised a hand, gesturing for Cui Xingmiao to let him finish speaking, “I agree, but I also have three conditions.”

“One,” before Cui Xingmiao could respond, Shen Bingsi held up three fingers, putting one down for each number she said, “I can cooperate with you without saying anything, but I won’t lie, and I won’t agree with your fabricated stories.”

"Why are you so nervous? Are you afraid I'll gossip about you?" Cui Xingmiao covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Second," Shen Bingsi continued without consulting her, "Rong Xie has grown up with me since he was a child. After leaving Chenyuan, he went to Lingjing Sect and has never been exposed to the outside world. He doesn't know about the various factions in the martial arts world, so don't try to influence him with things from the martial arts world."

"..." Cui Xingmiao's smile faltered slightly. So Shen Bingsi actually thought that her use of terms like "Hehuan Sect" and "furnace" had tainted his pure and innocent best friend? His best friend was already in his thirties, a full twelve years older than her! Who was the fairy here?!

“Three,” Shen Bingsi retracted all her fingers, “My deep friendship with Rong Xie is beyond question. No matter what you say or do, you are not allowed to violate this basic principle.”

"..." Cui Xingmiao couldn't laugh anymore. She even wondered if Shen Bingsi was serious or just joking to scare her. Was this a set of rules before meeting a friend? Even her own daughter's first birthday party wasn't this tense.

"Shen Bingsi, sometimes I'm quite curious about how far things have progressed between you and your best friend." Before Cui Xingmiao could finish speaking, she saw Shen Bingsi hold up three fingers. She sighed, "...Okay, I promise I won't use any foul language or taint your pure friendship, is that alright?"

“Okay.” Shen Bingsi nodded.

Finally, Master Shen took out his jade pendant and contacted his golden egg... no, his best friend, hidden in his lair.

"Buzz—" The jade pendant made a short sound, and the call was immediately connected.

It seemed as if Rong Xie had been waiting by the jade pendant all along for this communication.

"Shen Bingsi!" A hurried and aggrieved voice came from the jade pendant, "Come back quickly! When will you come back?"

Shen Bingsi hurriedly brought the jade pendant to his lips, about to reply, when a hand reached out in front of him and pressed down on the jade pendant.

Shen Bingsi looked up at Cui Xingmiao, who shook her head at him.

He took a deep breath and forced the words back down his throat.

Rong Xie's voice was full of energy, not like he was in danger. There were also some chickens and ducks squawking around, so he had probably gone to the outer market again.

"Shen Bingsi, um..." The other end called his name again, then the voice suddenly trailed off, and he muttered to himself, "Oh no, I forgot... Could I have exposed his identity? What should I do..."

Listening to Rong Xie's rambling, Shen Bingsi's lips involuntarily curled up. Rong Xie must have missed him terribly. As soon as he contacted him, he blurted out his name, forgetting their previous agreement that Shen Bingsi would give a fake name first.

Cui Xingmiao looked at him, shook her head, and had a "hopeless" expression on her face.

However, Shen Bingsi had no intention of hiding his smug smile. Even through the jade pendant, could his smile affect Cui Xingmiao's diagnosis?

Cui Xingmiao gestured to him, telling him to deliver his lines as planned.

"Yes, Fairy Xingmiao is visiting Huanxue Manor. Please be prepared," Shen Bingsi said.

"Huh?" Rong Xie was clearly taken aback. "Who did you say?"

“Star Seed Fairy,” Shen Bingsi explained, “a medical cultivator friend.”

Cui Xingmiao immediately swung her arm horizontally in the air to shut him up.

"Oh..." Rong Xie's voice lowered, "When are you coming?"

This time, Shen Bingsi didn't speak, but looked at Cui Xingmiao first. Cui Xingmiao pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Let me explain," Cui Xingmiao said, gesturing for Shen Bingsi to extend the jade pendant.

Shen Bingsi complied.

Cui Xingmiao switched to a soft, ethereal voice: "When would be a convenient time for Steward Rong?"

Shen Bingsi's eyelids twitched slightly.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the jade pendant.

Just as Shen Bingsi was worried that Rong Xie might be unhappy, a gentle and generous voice, as pleasant as a spring breeze, came from the jade pendant: "If the fairy is willing to grace us with her presence, the manor will welcome her at any time."

Shen Bingsi's eyebrows shot up.

He hadn't heard Rong Xie speak like this in a long time. It sounded nice, but it was a bit pretentious, even though he had seemed perfectly normal when they were talking just now.

“Then I’ll come with Shen Bingsi in three days, around 9 AM,” Cui Xingmiao said. “My surname is Cui, so please just call me Miss Cui, Manager Rong.”

Rong Xie then asked Cui Xingmiao about her habits and dietary restrictions, acting just like a well-trained professional housekeeper.

“That’s excellent,” Rong Xie said with a smile. “I wonder if the Second Young Master is here? I have some questions I would like to ask him.”

Shen Bingsi felt uneasy, but under Cui Xingmiao's watchful eye, she still managed to have a brief and direct conversation with Rong Xie.

The situation is roughly that the elders from each peak sent a large number of live animals to Huanxue Manor, and Rong Xie couldn't feed them all, which is why there were those noisy chickens and ducks at the beginning.

Rong Xie hoped that Shen Bingsi could give a message to Elder Yunfeng and ask them to move the extra animals away, leaving only a portion to receive Miss Cui.

Shen Bingsi wanted to say a few words and suggest that they stay and continue eating, but now was not the time to talk, so he could only respond with "uh-huh" and "yeah".

Having finished explaining everything, Shen Bingsi ended the telepathic communication, but still felt a little strange and uneasy.

Judging from Rong Xie's words, it seemed that he was preparing a grand feast to welcome Cui Xingmiao. However, Cui Xingmiao didn't seem to be able to eat, and Rong Xie didn't have any helpers. After all the preparations, Cui Xingmiao only ate two bites, but Rong Xie was exhausted.

Shen Bingsi was about to bring this up with Cui Xingmiao when she saw Cui Xingmiao's longing expression, her disguised old wrinkles puffing out.

"Manager Rong's ideas are a bit different from what I expected."

"What's different?" Shen Bingsi asked absentmindedly.

“I thought he was the kind of delicate beauty who never lifted a finger, usually just reading and writing in his study, tending to flowers and birds, and so on. I didn’t expect him to be so considerate,” Cui Xingmiao paused, looking at Shen Bingsi with expectant eyes. “Also, why didn’t you mention that your manor has a chef? Are you preparing a banquet to welcome me? That’s great! I love food the most. Can I order?”

"You're such a jerk," Shen Bingsi swallowed back an even more vulgar remark. "Just eat whatever Rong Xie makes. Whether you like it or not, try to eat as much as you can. It's not easy for him to prepare a whole meal by himself, you know?"

"Ah... it was Steward Rong who made it himself. Actually, it didn't have to be so complicated..." Cui Xingmiao was slightly disappointed. She thought she would be able to eat the private dishes of the Lingjing Sect's chef.

“Then I’ll inform him now and tell him not to do it.” Shen Bingsi picked up the jade pendant.

"No, no, no," Cui Xingmiao stopped him. "Don't make it seem like I have a lot of things to do even before I've arrived. I'll just enjoy whatever Manager Rong arranges."

Shen Bingsi gave her a "that's more like it" look.

That's how it was settled.

Three days later.

Cui Xingmiao was not someone who had never seen the world, and upon arriving at Huanxue Valley for the first time, she was still captivated by the scenery before her.

The lush green grass is like a blanket; it must be so comfortable to lie on it and sunbathe. Colorful wildflowers bloom among the grass, clusters of them swaying in the wind, and the air is filled with the fragrance of new life.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Shen Bingsi's stiff voice came from the middle of the path.

"Just a little more, just a little more and we're leaving." Cui Xingmiao lifted her skirt and, like a little girl out for a stroll, picked flowers here and there. Before she knew it, she had gathered a large bunch of small flowers of various colors, and happily held them up in the air. "Look!"

However, the people she had shown her had already disappeared, and the path was deserted.

"What's the rush?" Cui Xingmiao used a teleportation technique to catch up with Shen Bingsi. "It's not time yet, is it?"

“How come we haven’t arrived yet? It’s almost here.” Shen Bingsi walked briskly. “Listen, the main peak will ring the bell at 9:00 AM. They’ve already taken down the battering ram.”

“I’m not like you, with ears that can hear everything.” Cui Xingmiao tugged at Xiaohua.

"And Rong Xie contacted me, and I told him I would be there soon."

"Huh? When?" Cui Xingmiao asked in surprise. "How come I didn't know?"

“Starting from the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), it happens every so often. Which time are you asking about?” Shen Bingsi glanced at her.

"Wow, I didn't expect Manager Rong to be so thoughtful and meticulous." Cui Xingmiao's eyes widened as she held the flowers to her chest. "Then I'll present this bouquet to him later. Thank you for your hard work, Manager Rong."

"..."

Hearing these casual words, Shen Bingsi was furious. He didn't know how much preparation Rong Xie had made, and he deeply regretted agreeing to get involved in Cui Xingmiao's game. There are thousands of doctors in the world, why did he have to hang himself on Cui Xingmiao?

"Hey, are you angry?" Cui Xingmiao scrutinized his expression. The two had known each other since childhood, and Cui Xingmiao knew that Shen Bingsi had a bad temper and was stubborn, and he was also easy to read.

"I have my reasons for doing this. The more effort Steward Rong puts into preparations, the more depleted his spiritual energy will be. When I examine his pulse, it will be easier for me to see the root of the problem. Moreover, since his meridians are empty of spiritual energy, it won't clash with my spiritual energy," Cui Xingmiao said solemnly.

"..." Shen Bingsi's expression did indeed improve somewhat.

"So, just relax and don't do anything like questioning me like you did just now. And don't secretly contact Manager Rong anymore, understand?"

As they spoke, the two arrived at the gate of Huanxue Manor.

Huanxue Villa sits beside a mirror-like lake, its waters reflecting the staggered green tiles and red railings, as if it were a villa built by a prince or nobleman from Shengjing.

"It's absolutely gorgeous," Cui Xingmiao exclaimed.

"Of course," Shen Bingsi replied without hesitation.

“No, I meant Manager Rong.” Cui Xingmiao pointed to the steps.

A figure in moon-white robes stood on the steps in front of the door, hands clasped in front of him, quietly waiting for the two.

"Who else could it be?" Shen Bingsi asked, puzzled.

“…You’re something else.” Cui Xingmiao was speechless. She slapped the flowers in her hand into Shen Bingsi’s arms and said in a low voice, “Remember what you promised.”

After saying that, she strode forward towards Rong Xie at the foot of the steps and gracefully curtsied: "Greetings, Steward Rong. My daughter, Cui Xingmiao, greets you. I am grateful that you came out to greet me."

Rong Xie seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. His gaze shifted from Shen Bingsi to the beautiful girl nearby. His face was slightly pale, and he looked like he hadn't slept for three days. He looked like he could be blown away by the wind. Even so, he still elegantly lifted Cui Xingmiao with a gesture of respect and said gently, "Miss Cui, you are too polite. Please make me feel at home. Since you are a guest at the manor, please make yourself at home."

Cui Xingmiao felt the air pressure behind her drop again. She sighed inwardly, and when she looked up, her eyes lit up: "It looks magnificent from afar, and it's even more unparalleled up close."

Rong Xie was momentarily dazzled by her light and charming smile, and automatically explained, "Miss Cui, this Huanxue Villa was designed and built by a renowned young master craftsman from the Shengjing Imperial Workshop. It is nestled against the mountain and overlooks the lake, reflecting its beauty..."

“No, I’m talking about you.” Cui Xingmiao smiled and took Rong Xie’s hand, leading him towards the door. “Don’t stand in the wind, let’s go inside and talk.”

Rong Xie was taken aback, his words of introduction stuck in his throat, and his ears began to burn slightly. This Miss Cui's style of speaking was so...bold that he didn't know how to respond.

He's probably a chivalrous person, possessing a kind of carefree and magnanimous spirit that he lacks.

"Miss Cui is too kind." Rong Xie followed Cui Xingmiao into the courtyard. He also wanted to compliment Cui Xingmiao, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. As a steward, how could he judge a guest's appearance? Especially since she was Shen Bingsi's VIP. It was best not to say anything more.

He could feel Shen Bingsi's gaze fixed on his and Cui Xingmiao's hands, which had just touched and then separated. An inexplicable pressure made him feel uneasy, and he decided that he should avoid Miss Cui next time.