Chapter 41 Jealous of a Soulmate:

"Today...it's already the sixth day of the seventh month." Rong Xie suddenly realized.

The Water and Land Dharma Assembly was to be held on the first day of the seventh lunar month. Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi originally planned to avoid the first three days when there were the most people and go to Xiangji Temple on the fourth day of the seventh lunar month. Unexpectedly, two more days passed in the blink of an eye.

Shen Bingsi didn't mention it, and Rong Xie had completely forgotten about it.

It seems that when they came to Shengjing, it was to see the palm-leaf scriptures at Xiangji Temple.

"..." Rong Xie lowered his eyes.

For some reason, he no longer had much focus on the palm-leaf scriptures, and even felt a vague sense of resistance, as if he wouldn't be forced to stay on the bed in the Prosperous World Pavilion and be harshly punished for seven days if he didn't covet them.

"Rong'er?"

"Hmm?" Rong Xie snapped out of his daze. "Going to Xiangji Temple? Sure."

No matter what, I'd rather leave this courtyard and go anywhere.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Shen Bingsi naturally took his hand, placed her fingers on his pulse point, and observed his complexion. "Where does it hurt?"

“No, it’s just…” Rong Xie pulled his wrist out of Shen Bing Si’s hand. “I’m not very hungry. You eat first. I’ll go tidy up and leave.”

Shen Bingsi raised her eyebrows slightly.

Rong Xie went back to his room and changed into a simple long robe, which he wore specifically for worshipping Buddha, to show his respect for the Buddha.

When he left the room, Shen Bingsi was still sitting in the same spot, the chopsticks on the table were untouched, and the food box was neatly arranged.

"I don't want to eat either." Shen Bingsi stood up. "Let's go."

Upon reaching the counter, Shen Bingsi returned the food box to the kitchen. The kitchen staff initially thought he was dissatisfied, but after asking him further, they learned that he wasn't hungry.

"Aren't these two dishes what this young master likes?" The steward who came out of the kitchen to greet him was the same one who accompanied Chef Sun to apologize last time. "Was there something wrong with how they were made?"

As he spoke, the steward opened the food box, revealing steamed Heyang fish and sweet and sour spare ribs that were still warm inside.

It is indeed a dish that Rong Xie likes to eat.

Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi grew up in the same place and knew each other's favorite foods very well. In fact, the only time they could eat good food was during the Chinese New Year. Heyang fish, steamed mutton, and sweet and sour pork ribs were the three most popular dishes among children in Heyang.

Shen Bingsi instructed the kitchen to prepare two dishes early in the morning, specifically ordering Heyang fish and sweet and sour pork ribs, taking special care of Rong Xie's taste, thinking that he should eat well in the morning so that he could be in a better mood.

We've been putting too much pressure on him lately.

At first, Shen Bingsi was just struggling with himself, not allowing himself to have any other thoughts. But when he came to his senses, Rong Xie's gaze towards him had changed.

Rong Xie was afraid of him.

It's not surprising that Rong Xie would be afraid of him. After all, he had been slowly pushing forward for so long before Rong Xie reluctantly took the initiative once. As a result, for the next seven days, Shen Bingsi forced Rong Xie to cultivate with him every day, pushing back the progress of the past two months in a single day, and doing this for a full seven days.

...

This morning, when Rong Xie once again avoided his touch and shrank to the other side of the bed, he decided to stop this for now, no matter what.

Is cultivation really that urgent? He and Rong Xie have been together for more than a year, and there are other places with ley lines, so why is he so eager to achieve Foundation Establishment in a short period of time?

After figuring it out, Shen Bingsi began to feel sorry for Rong Xie. Having such an inconsiderate best friend must be very painful for Rong Xie, but Rong Xie is gentle by nature and can endure it for a long time without saying anything...

The least resistance is simply to pull your hand away from his.

“There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just that we’re going to Xiangji Temple today and won’t have time to eat. We plan to have some fun there and relax. We probably won’t be back for a day or two, so even if we put it in the ice cellar, it would be a waste,” Shen Bingsi said.

"So that's how it is. You're also going to participate in the Water and Land Ritual, right? It's a pity you missed the most exciting part. I heard that Master Wubie personally gave a sermon on the first two days, and many nobles from the palace went as well," the steward said with a smile.

"We're not going to attend a Dharma assembly, we're just going sightseeing." Shen Bingsi didn't say much more, after all, it was getting late.

"Have you two ordered a carriage? Would you like the steward to help you order one?" the steward asked considerately.

"No need, I've already hired a carriage. Thank you for your trouble." Shen Bingsi cupped her hands in greeting.

A short while later, Rong Xie followed Shen Bingsi onto East Gate Street and saw a tall carriage waiting by the roadside. The larger the wheels of such a carriage, the more expensive it was, and the smoother and more comfortable it was to run.

Shen Bingsi was able to find such a carriage, which was obviously carefully selected so that he could ride comfortably.

To ensure he ate comfortably, Shen Bingsi got up early to order food from the kitchen.

To ensure his comfort, Shen Bingsi spared no expense in finding such a large horse-drawn carriage.

It was this meticulous care and the expression that seemed to focus solely on him that led Rong Xie to misunderstand, to believe that Shen Bing Si's feelings for him were the same as his feelings for Shen Bing Si.

However, the truth would soon slap him in the face, and Shen Bingsi would ultimately only regard him as a friend who needed help.

Rong Xie felt like he was sitting in a carriage driven by an inexperienced driver who was unfamiliar with the horses' nature. The driver would speed up and stop suddenly, making the people in the carriage suffer, but they could not complain.

After all, he got into the car of his own volition.

They remained silent the entire way.

When the two arrived at Xiangji Temple, the grand scene of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly was still faintly visible. The decorative prayer flags and yellow paper had not been completely taken down, and the wooden frame supporting the lecture platform filled the entire courtyard. The senior monks in the temple all looked tired. The senior monk who had warmly welcomed Shen Bingsi earlier was also listless. He only led them to the Sutra Repository and then left.

Rong Xie finally entered the renowned Xiangji Temple Sutra Repository. The unique scent of old books among the bookshelves was intoxicating. Wandering among the neatly arranged books, Rong Xie felt as if he had come back to life.

Holding the fully restored palm-leaf manuscript in his hand, Rong Xie's eyes welled up with tears, and his heart surged with emotion. He immediately found a large table near the window, sat down, and began to read.

I read on until sunset.

As the setting sun cast its golden rays across the table, Rong Xie looked up in a daze, gazing at the large duck-foot tree outside the window, its leaves dyed golden-red by the sunset, and a dreamlike feeling rose in his heart.

Just then, someone came up the stairs.

The man was dressed in a loose white monk's robe. He was tall and thin, and walked with a stubborn air about him, as if he were challenging someone.

Rong Xie's heart skipped a beat after just one glance.

He stared intently at Bai Shuishanren until Bai Shuishanren moved behind the bookshelf, his figure obscured by the heavy books.

Even so, Rong Xie could still see the white shadow moving between the bookshelves through the gaps in the books.

What a wonderful coincidence!

On this very day, at this very moment, Bai Shuishanren arrived at the Sutra Repository and happened to come up to this floor.

Rong Xie subconsciously scratched at the table with his fingers, hesitating whether to go over and say a few words to Bai Shuishanren.

Will the people of Baishuishan feel disturbed?

If you initiate a conversation, what should you say?

Just as Rong Xie was struggling with his decision, a white figure emerged from the middle of the bookshelf, carrying a stack of books, and strode towards them.

Rong Xie immediately lowered his eyes and pretended to look at the palm-leaf scripture.

The footsteps stopped across the table, and a very distinctive voice rang out, hoarse with a hint of cynicism: "May I sit here?"

“Of course.” Rong Xie looked up and met a pair of deep, intelligent black eyes. The other person smiled and nodded at him, then pulled out a chair and sat down.

So, when Shen Bingsi returned, she saw this scene.

At dusk, by the open window, in the swaying shadows of the schefflera trees in the wind, a tall, thin man in a white robe stood beside Rong Xie, slightly bending down his proud shoulders, and reaching an arm over Rong Xie to touch the pages of the book in front of him.

A series of melodious sounds emanated from the tall, thin man's nose, easily attracting Rong Xie's full attention.

His best friend sat unguarded in that person's arms, his face beaming with a relaxed and happy smile. For two whole months, Shen Bingsi had never seen Rong Xie with such a joyful expression on his face.

Shen Bingsi tightened her grip on the sandalwood box behind her back, making a squeaking sound as if it would break under the pressure.

Before crushing the box, Shen Bingsi withdrew her power, tossed the box into her personal pouch, and strode towards the table.

“This song is called ‘Mountain Song’.” Bai Shuishanren shook his head, looking quite engrossed, and said, “The key is in these few notes, you see.”

Just as Rong Xie was about to reply, he suddenly saw Shen Bingsi standing at the other end of the table with a strange expression.

"Bing Si, when did you get back?" Rong Xie asked in surprise, and quickly greeted him. "You've come at the right time. This gentleman is Bai Shui Shan Ren. We met at the Wang family residence the other day."

Shen Bingsi's face was as cold as the stone bricks used to pave the ground. She stared at Bai Shuishanren expressionlessly, her lips pressed tightly together, turning her once full lips into a straight line. Her entire face was taut, and her gaze shot out from under her eyes, fully expressing her disdain.

Bai Shuishanren laughed and said, "Your friend doesn't seem very easy to get along with."

“How could that be?” Rong Xie immediately retorted, “He’s a very good person…”

"You're right, Shen is indeed difficult to get along with. It's a good thing you realized that in time," Shen Bingsi sneered, then looked down, "What kind of talisman is this?"

He was referring to the book spread out on the table; just now, Bai Shuishanren had pointed to this book to attract Rong Xie's attention.

Shen Bingsi originally wanted to see what good things were in the book so he could buy some to study later. However, he was surprised to find that the words were all crooked and arranged in a way he had never seen before, making them completely incomprehensible.

"Young man, you jest. This is a musical notation using the gongche notation, which musicians and singers use to perform," Bai Shuishanren said with a smile.

It turned out to be the gongche notation for marking musical notes. Shen Bingsi remembered seeing this thing somewhere before, but he never paid attention to things that were unrelated to cultivation.

What he's been thinking about most right now is the title that starts with "Bai Shui Shan Ren"—what did he say? Little—brother?

Where is he "small"? Does he look like the kind of junior brother who can be ordered around? Not to mention that when he appears anonymously, passersby would respectfully call him "senior," even with his real identity and status in the underworld, no one would dare to associate him with "small."

It seems that unless this Bai Shuishan man is taught a lesson, he won't realize who he's messed with.

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I used the titles "Jealous of a Soulmate" and "Nightlife" twice!

This chapter could also be called Shen Bingsi's Facial Expressions (bushi)