Chapter 22: Wear your clothes and let me closely monitor you day and night for seven days.

The night wind blew through the hall, sweeping the beaded curtains and causing them to sway gently. The subtle and crisp sound shattered the lights in the room, and the unclear light was reflected on the man's deeply outlined brow.

Xie Yunqing lowered his eyes, and the look he gave him seemed to have substance, staring straight and slightly creepy.

Shen Wenji's breathing stopped, not only because he was exposed, but also because the distance between them was too close.

The tips of their noses were almost touching. When she raised her eyes, she could see Xie Yunqing's distinct eyelashes. His hot breath condensed on her cheek, carrying a faint smell of alcohol.

For a moment, it was unclear whether she drank too much or Xie Yunqing drank too much.

In the interweaving of light and shadow, the two figures overlap, like a pair of intimate lovers whispering to each other.

This scene was so absurd and bizarre that Shen Wenji felt as if he had fallen into a bizarre dream.

She quietly reached out and pinched herself hard under her sleeve.

The sharp pain instantly brought her back to reality. This was not a dream.

Oh my God, why do you have to play such a trick on me?

Ahhh, what should I do? How do I explain this?

Or... maybe I walked into the wrong room? Yes, I must have walked into the wrong room.

Now, act stupid and run out immediately. Don't look back no matter what he says.

After completing the psychological preparation, Shen Wenji did so.

She pushed Xie Yunqing away and tried to flee, her words even incoherently: "I'm sorry, I went to the wrong place, and you recognized the wrong person."

Xie Yunqing staggered after being pushed. He frowned and let out a very low sneer from his throat.

Running again? What else can this little liar do besides running?

His eyes darkened, and he grabbed the snow-white robe on the entrance and was ready to chase after her, determined to grab her wrist and interrogate her thoroughly.

However, Shen Wenji stopped outside the door, as if lowering his head to confirm something.

Xie Yunqing paused, calmly put his outer robe back on, picked up the wine cup with a pretentious look, and leaned back on the couch pretending to be calm and composed. However, his sharp eyes could not be hidden, as they were fixed on the slender figure at the door.

If she had the slightest intention of escaping, he would follow her and catch her immediately.

Shen Wenji's fingers trembled as she held the intelligence. She carefully checked it several times, her heart sinking. She was not mistaken; this room was where the reclusive master appeared as described in the intelligence.

Is Xie Yunqing, who is drinking with his clothes half-open, the same as the reclusive master who compiled the secret book of immortality?

No, that's definitely not possible.

Shen Wenji couldn't believe it. After knowing each other for many years, she didn't know that he had such a skill?

But she didn't dare to leave rashly. She admitted that she didn't dare to gamble. If Xie Yunqing really was the master who hid his identity, she would still greet him with a smile and beg him to help the Hehuan Sect.

After all, Yan Xu's intelligence network had been searching for so long, but there was only news about this one master.

If she really ran away now, it would be difficult to find Xie Yunqing later. With this guy's vengeful nature, she would probably suffer endlessly in the future.

She took a deep breath, as if she had used up all her life's strength, and then she managed a smile that was uglier than crying, and turned around mechanically and stiffly.

Xie Yunqing was still there. He picked up the wine cup, spun it lightly between his fingers, raised it slightly towards Shen Wenji's gaze, and took a sip slowly.

His deep eyes looked at her silently through the swaying wine, but his face was dull, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry, nor could he interpret his intentions.

"..." Shen Wenji felt his throat dry and laughed dryly twice: "Um... I, I don't think I went wrong, huh?"

She shuffled back into the house, her feet feeling like they were filled with lead. Blinking her peach blossom eyes, which she tried to feign innocence, she spoke with a stiff upper lip, "Are you... a reclusive master who specializes in compiling immortal manuals?"

Xie Yunqing: “?”

"Heh." An ambiguous sneer escaped from his throat, a hint of gloom appeared at the corners of his eyes, and the atmosphere around him became gloomy.

What kind of messed up train of thought is this? Why is she talking about this again?

Shen Wenji took a tentative step back: "Then if you are not... I will leave first?"

"Wait." Xie Yunqing couldn't sit still any longer. His calm and composed expression faltered slightly. His fingers stroked the edge of the cup. He pretended to speak calmly, but his voice betrayed a subtle tension. "Before asking me a question, shouldn't you explain yourself first?"

Shen Wenji's eyes wandered, trying to play dumb: "What do you want to explain?"

Xie Yunqing said nothing, just stared at her steadily, his eyes heavy and filled with silent pressure.

Shen Wenji was defeated, his cunning and clever eyes turned slightly, and he started to talk nonsense: "To be honest, I am a man."

Xie Yunqing's gaze paused as he fell on her, a cold arc curling up at the corner of his lips. His voice was light, but every word was as sharp as a needle: "Chen Wenji, do you think I'm blind?"

"Really? I'm not lying to you." Shen Wenji tightened his lips, his words carrying some sincerity. "I heard that the owner of Zuihua Tower is lustful and couldn't bear to let my wife Jiang Xuemian come, so I used illusion magic, disguised myself as a woman, and came in her place."

"..." Xie Yunqing almost laughed out of anger.

Even when death was imminent, he still used the fake wife as a shield. He was really immersed in the role.

He suppressed the urge to grit his teeth and watched her start to make up lies without changing her expression. He felt the veins on his forehead throbbing.

In her eyes, is Xie Yunqing such a fool?

But he didn't rush to expose this clumsy lie. Instead, he followed her words and asked slowly, "Oh? Have you met the owner of Zuihualou?"

"Of course." She patted her chest and said confidently, "Isn't that the man in the black suit and ugly mask? Of course I've seen him. He looks like a philanderer."

Her tone was disdainful, but she quickly changed the subject. Her eyelashes curved beautifully, her eyes clear, and a flattering smile graced her soft, fair cheeks. "How can he compare to Xie Yunqing, the radiant, handsome, and supremely accomplished chief disciple of the Tianxuan Sect?"

Xie Yunqing: “…” The reputation of the trumpet was damaged.

Despite this, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips, as if he couldn't hear her slander of Xiaohao, and his mind was full of Shen Wenji praising him.

Xie Yunqing cleared his throat, pursed his lips and suppressed the curve of his mouth, and asked casually: "Aren't you afraid... that he will take advantage of you wearing this?"

Well, it was easy for him to turn around and complain about himself with Shen Wenji.

Shen Wenji waved his hands and said fearlessly, "What are you afraid of? If that scoundrel dares to get close to me, I will definitely kick him in the gut and then throw him over my shoulder."

Xie Yunqing's throat moved slightly, and he felt a slight tightening in his throat.

Seeing his strange expression, Shen Wenji narrowed her beautiful peach blossom eyes and strode closer. She stretched out a slender jade finger and touched Xie Yunqing's firm chest without hesitation.

Xie Yunqing's breathing was rapid, his thin lips were stretched into a straight line, and his cold and handsome face had a guilty look.

Did she discover something?

The next second, Shen Wenji grabbed his collar and pulled it down, his delicate eyebrows furrowed in impatience. He raised his head to meet his eyes and asked fiercely, "Xie Yunqing, tell me the truth! Don't you know who the master is at all? Are you trying to trick me?"

Xie Yunqing breathed a sigh of relief quietly. He raised his eyebrows, leaned down casually, stared into Shen Wenji's eyes, and said slowly: "No."

Shen Wenji paused as she pointed at his chest. The next second, she transformed her fingers into a palm and pushed him away. She crossed her arms and glared at him coldly, "Then why are you here?"

Xie Yunqing pretended to be pushed by her and fell on the soft couch, his posture lazy. He picked up the wine jug on the table and drank it without hesitation.

The clear wine meandered down along his rolling Adam's apple, flowed through the well-defined ravines of his abdominal muscles, and finally sank into the deep, suggestive mermaid line under his half-open clothes.

He closed his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a shadow under his eyes, and his tone was casual and matter-of-fact: "As you can see...getting drunk."

"Bang!"

The wine jug was snatched away by a slender hand and smashed to the ground mercilessly, with a sharp sound of shattering.

Xie Yunqing opened her eyes in surprise, and met Chen Wenji's sullen gaze. She gritted her teeth and said, "Xie, stop pretending to be so arrogant with me. Do you think anyone would believe that the arrogant and aloof first disciple is addicted to brothels and wine shops? We have known each other since childhood. I know you best. I don't know your moral character. Stop deceiving me and treating me like a three-year-old child."

She spoke incessantly, chattering non-stop, as if she knew she couldn't get anything out of Xie Yunqing, so she might as well just curse him out.

Looking at the little wild cat in front of him with its fur standing on end and its claws and teeth bared, Xie Yunqing was not annoyed at all. Instead, a smile spread across his eyes, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but rise.

He slowly sat up straight and said in a low voice, "Alright, alright... I'll tell you."

Shen Wenji: “?”

She snapped her mouth shut mid-curse and stared at him suspiciously. This guy...was he a hidden masochist? Did scolding him make him behave himself?

Xie Yunqing suppressed his smile and turned serious. "Some time ago, several disciples of the Tianxuan Sect mysteriously disappeared. Aside from residual demonic energy, nothing else was found at the scene. I was secretly investigating under the orders of the Sect Master. A few days ago, clues pointed to a possible conspiracy between the demons and the Hehuan Sect..."

Hearing the words "Hehuan Sect", Shen Wenji immediately became alert. She retorted with a resounding voice: "Impossible, the Hehuan Sect absolutely cannot be related to the demon race."

Xie Yunqing snorted coldly and asked, "Do you trust the Hehuan Sect Master so much?"

"Of course, I..." Shen Wenji paused, turned around abruptly, and continued: "Hehuan Sect Leader Jiang Xuemian is my wife, so of course I believe her."

The word "wife" uttered from her mouth, falling into Xie Yunqing's ears, was as piercing as a needle. His dark eyes glared at her coldly: "Pretend, keep pretending. I want to see how long you can keep up this fake husband and wife act."

Shen Wenji suddenly realized what was happening, narrowed his eyes, and asked, "So, when you found out that the Hehuan Sect was looking for a master of secret manuals, you deliberately put out bait to lure me... to lure the Hehuan Sect into taking the bait?"

Xie Yunqing nodded calmly, "I originally wanted to lure the snake out of its hole and catch the leader of the Hehuan Sect. I never thought..." He dragged out his words meaningfully, his eyes wandering over her, "The one I caught was you, the selfless one."

Shen Wenji was so angry that his teeth itched: "Tell me, is there such a person as the Master? Isn't it all a scam in the end?"

"Master..." Xie Yunqing paused deliberately, trying to whet her appetite. Unexpectedly, Shen Wenji's patience ran out, and she punched him in the face with a strong punch: "Hurry up and tell me!"

"Of course there is a master." Xie Yunqing swiftly turned his head to avoid it, his thin lips pursed, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, as if he was smiling: "The master is the ugly black-clothed masked scoundrel you mentioned, the owner of Zuihua Tower."

"He and I are good friends, so I can use his identity to catch the big fish of Hehuan Sect in Zuihua Tower." Xie Yunqing's words were sincere and his logic was reasonable, not seeming fake.

Shen Wenji was stunned for a moment, then her face changed drastically. She rushed over and covered Xie Yunqing's mouth.

"Hmm..." Xie Yunqing was caught off guard.

"Listen." Shen Wenji stared at him fiercely, his eyes full of threats, "Don't tell him a single word of what I just said to the master. If I find out that he knows..."

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice with a chilling chill, "I only! You! Are! Asking!"

After making the threat, she put on a nagging face: "Isn't it because I said that to you that I wanted to highlight your image as a great man? We are in the same group, grasshoppers on the same rope. Don't worry, you will get the benefits."

She blinked and tried to use interests to bind him again.

Xie Yunqing laughed helplessly and thought to himself: Is it possible that the master himself... has heard everything clearly?

However, under her coercion and inducement, he still agreed patiently.

"We should have a pretty good relationship, right?" Shen Wenji's eyes rolled around, and a flattering smile appeared on his face.

Xie Yunqing glanced at her with a half-smile, and said slowly, "If you have something to say, just say it."

"Ahem," Shen Wenji cleared her throat and said seriously, "Since you know the master... could you please put in a few good words and ask him to take on this job for the Hehuan Sect?" Her voice was filled with earnestness. "The Hehuan Sect is sincerely seeking you. I know people have many misunderstandings about the Hehuan Sect, but I... we truly want to change that. Compiling orthodox immortal techniques is the first step."

She carefully pulled a thick, neatly bound volume from her sleeve and handed it to Xie Yunqing, explaining, "This is the secret method of the Hehuan Sect's successive generations that I compiled overnight, along with some of my own humble opinions and ideas. I hope the Master can see our sincerity."

His voice paused, and he added, "As long as the master is willing to help, even if there are other requests, as long as they are not excessive, I can agree to them."

Xie Yunqing took the heavy manuscript, opened it and took a look. It was filled with beautiful handwriting, densely packed but extremely neat, enough to reveal the writer's intentions.

Xie Yunqing was very familiar with this handwriting. When he was young, he had helped Shen Wenji copy many of the teacher's punishments, and he knew her handwriting by heart.

Staring at the manuscript in my hand, my heart unconsciously stopped for a beat.

Xie Yunqing raised his eyes and looked at Shen Wenji with complicated eyes: "I don't know what kind of relationship you have with the leader of the Hehuan Sect, but you are willing to do this for her."

"Don't worry about it." Shen Wenji touched his earlobe uncomfortably and asked anxiously: "Just tell me, do you want to help me with this?"

Xie Yunqing pondered for a moment, his slender fingers gently tapping the cover of the booklet. "I can help, and as long as I take action, I'm 100% sure that the master will agree. However, you have to let me supervise you closely day and night for seven days. I have to test your sincerity, right? Otherwise, I have no reason to persuade the master."

"???" Shen Wenji asked suspiciously, "What's your relationship with the master? How can you be so sure? Can he agree if you say so?"

"Nothing, just good friends, a life-or-death bond, I guess. If I say I'll promise him, he'll definitely agree." Xie Yunqing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why? Just now, you said you could agree to any request that wasn't excessive, but now it's just a test requirement, and you're backing down?"

He lifted his eyelids, glanced at her with the corner of his eyes, and asked in a low voice: "Or are you afraid? Are you afraid that I will find something if I supervise you closely? Are you guilty?"

The corners of his lips curled up in a malicious arc, and he raised his hand, seemingly casually brushing away the non-existent dust on her shoulders: "Didn't you say... we are both men? Since there is no gender barrier, there is no inconvenience in being close, right, Brother Shen?"

The stone you lift will eventually hit your own foot.

Shen Wenji was in a dilemma, unable to get off the tiger, so he had to grit his teeth and agreed: "Okay, seven days is seven days."

She looked at him with a forced smile, racking her brains to get rid of this clingy follower. After all, she had to go to the Wuyou Inn on the Wangchuan River to rescue her senior sister tomorrow, and it would be inconvenient for him to go with her.

Just then, a crimson firework exploded in the dark night sky outside the window. This was the signal flare message she and Yan Xu had agreed on. He must have noticed it and was eager to arrange a meeting between them.

Shen Wenji's heart tightened, and he raised his foot to rush out. Unexpectedly, his wrist was suddenly grabbed by a warm and strong hand.

Xie Yunqing looked at her with a look of suspicion, his dark, sinister eyes sweeping over the women's clothing she was wearing. His voice was thick with displeasure, "Are you planning on... wearing this? If someone you know sees you in women's clothing, it might cause misunderstandings, right?"

Shen Wenji blurted out without thinking: "It's okay, Yan Xu is not an outsider." Anyway, he knew her identity, so it was nothing for her to wear women's clothes.

"Yan, Xu." Xie Yunqing repeated the name word by word, each syllable seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling chill. "Male?"

Shen Wenji nodded: "You have met before, that is An Yu, we are friends, the furnace tripod thing was just a joke, I explained it to you before, but you didn't believe it."

Before she finished speaking, the force on her wrist suddenly increased. The force was so strong that it almost broke her wrist bones.

"Hiss..." Shen Wenji gasped in pain and glared at him angrily: "Xie Yunqing, what are you crazy about again?"

The thought that someone knew her secret in advance, not only had a close relationship with her, but was also a man who was very talkative, made Xie Yunqing unable to control his anger, and the jealousy in his heart almost overwhelmed him.

He lowered his eyes, a light layer of frost covering his face. His voice was low and firm, and he said without hesitation: "Change clothes, this one won't do."

Shen Wenji felt puzzled. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What should I wear? Are you going to buy me clothes? Or..."

Her eyes turned and her gaze suddenly fell on the snow-white robe of the Tianxuan Sect hanging at the entrance.

She quickly stepped forward, pulled off the outer robe, and waved it in front of Xie Yunqing as if in a demonstrative gesture.

There was a glimmer of provocation in his cunning eyes, and a smug smile of "What can you do to me" appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Then I'll wear yours!" she said, and put on the obviously loose white robe without any hesitation.

She glanced at his still half-open shirt, and her voice was filled with mischievous revenge: "As for you, just go out in this shirt that's wide open."

Xie Yunqing watched her movements, a helpless and indulgent chuckle escaped from his throat, and when his eyes fell on Shen Wenji, he paused for half a second.

The plain white robe he had worn, stained with his scent, hung loosely on her slender body.

The wide neckline slipped off the shoulders, revealing a small piece of smooth skin. The overlong cuffs piled on the wrists, making the exposed forearm look even more slender and white.

He looked away as if nothing had happened, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing repeatedly, his voice lacking any emotion: "Whatever you want."

But when Shen Wenji lowered his head and clumsily tried to tie the overly wide belt around his waist, the corner of his eye still glanced over uncontrollably.

His Adam's apple moved up and down almost imperceptibly.

His clothes...now completely wrapped around her.

When Shen Wenji looked up, he leaned sideways to pour the wine, and the wine cup touched his lips, covering up the smile that he almost couldn't hide.

Shen Wenji fastened the belt, stood up and looked at him, with a bit of cunningness as if he had succeeded in a prank: "I really wore it away, huh?"

"Yeah." Xie Yunqing responded straightforwardly, with his usual nonchalance on his face, and even frowned slightly. His tone was so casual as if he was talking about an insignificant matter: "Remember to wash it and return it to me." It was as if he just disliked that she had soiled his clothes.

Only he himself knew that beneath this plain appearance, the fingertips holding the wine cup were actually filled with a barely perceptible warmth.

Shen Wenji ignored him and carefully took out the handkerchief left by his senior sister, preparing to fold it again and put it into the wide sleeve pocket.

Xie Yunqing's eyes swept over casually, but suddenly froze when they came into contact with the dazzling mandarin duck pattern on the handkerchief.

Mandarin ducks embrace each other in pairs.

It felt like something was gently gripping my heart, and a sour feeling surged up along my blood vessels, quietly fermenting and expanding, and finally breaking through my rationality.

By the time he realized what he was doing, his body had already reacted before his brain.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed the soft handkerchief.

-----------------------

The author has something to say: Susu came up with a plan: I will wear your clothes, and you will go out naked. [狗头]

Xiao Xie only heard the first half of the sentence. He appeared calm on the surface, but in fact he was secretly happy: Wear... wear my clothes?! [heart eyes]

The punishment effect is zero, and it makes it easy for someone to get away with it.

Thank you all for your support! Love you all!!! [heart][heart][heart] I'm taking a day off tomorrow to fix my syllabus for liberal arts and science before posting. The next update will be at 11pm on Wednesday (double update to compensate everyone~) [let me check it out][heart]