Chapter 34 Nightlife:
Rong Xie couldn't understand how the topic had jumped from the dragon vein to dual cultivation.
Fortunately, Shen Bingsi did not act immediately, but waited patiently for his reply.
“But…we’re outside now, what if someone breaks in…” Rong Xie hesitated.
“No one will break in. I’ve set up a barrier. Even if people outside are pressed against the door, they won’t see or hear anything,” Shen Bingsi said calmly. “If you’re still worried, I can add another layer of crimson flame so that they can’t stand up to the heat as soon as they get close.”
"Then there's no need..."
"And..." Rong Xie added, "This is someone else's room, someone else's bed."
He didn't spell it out, but the meaning was clear.
Someone slept in this bed before them, and someone else will sleep in it after them.
The thought of this made Rong Xie feel uncomfortable all over. Apart from sleeping, he didn't want to do anything private on this bed.
Shen Bingsi patted the bedding: "These are also our bedding and our pillows."
"..." That's true.
"Your scent still lingers on this."
Rong Xie's ears were burning again. What terrible words were these? Shen Bing Si was a ruthless cultivator, so why did she say something even more reckless than the protagonist in a third-rate novel?
Seeing that Rong Xie remained silent, Shen Bingsi asked, "Is there any other question?"
Rong Xie closed his eyes.
He dared not say the real reason.
Shen Bingsi sighed.
“It’s okay,” Shen Bingsi pried open Rong Xie’s nervous fingers and pulled the crumpled blanket from his hand. “It’s fine if you don’t come today. I have plenty of time anyway.”
Rong Xie felt a slight warmth in her heart.
He could sense that Shen Bingsi had made many preparations for this dual cultivation, laying the groundwork long in advance, from sharing a bed at Huanxue Manor to looking to the future while flying on a sword, and then investigating the earth's veins...
He knew he shouldn't refuse; to refuse again would be ungrateful.
However, having just experienced what happened with Cui Xingmiao, he was still shaken. He was afraid that if they got any closer, Shen Bingsi would use an invisible sword aura to slash at his feet.
He hadn't found a place to live yet, didn't know how he would support himself after he left, his savings weren't enough, and he didn't know how to exchange spirit stones for silver notes for travel.
He still...can't live without Shen Bingsi.
"However, I still want to know why." Shen Bingsi moved from behind Rong Xie and sat on the edge of the bed next to him, leaning forward slightly, her gaze fixed on the side of Rong Xie's face. "We were getting along so well before, why are you unwilling to let me touch you these past two days?"
Shen Bingsi has a weak sensitivity to romantic feelings, but he is quite perceptive in other aspects.
He could sense that Rong Xie had shrunk back in the last two days.
"Maybe... I've been too tired these past two days." Rong Xie avoided Shen Bing Si's gaze. "How about we sleep together like before? I want to take a break before... we can cultivate together again."
Shen Bingsi hummed in agreement, then stopped pressing Rong Xie for answers, pulled back the covers, and lay down first.
This time, however, he lay down with his back to Rong Xie.
Rong Xie stared blankly at his back. The water from his bath hadn't dried completely, sliding down along the lines of his bulging shoulder blades, flowing into the deep and long groove of his spine. Further down, his waistline curved down in an astonishing arc, narrowing inward. The blanket that Rong Xie had just been clutching and kneading in his hands was now draped over the hollow of his lower back.
Having shared a bed with Shen Bingsi for so long, this was the first time Rong Xie had seen his bare back.
A wave of hurt and bitterness rose up. Rong Xie thought, "Didn't we agree to sleep in each other's arms like before? He turned away, so how can I... hold him?"
Shen Bingsi, she's still angry after all.
After sitting quietly for a while, Rong Xie quietly lifted a corner of the blanket and lay down behind Shen Bingsi.
In the shadow of his best friend's shoulder, Rong Xie stared wide-eyed at his vest.
His shoulders are so broad; even lying on his side like this, he's much taller than Rong Xie.
His skin was honey-colored, a result of enduring wind and sun exposure during his training.
There is a small black mole next to the spinal groove. As the owner moves, the mole sometimes disappears into the shadows and sometimes appears slightly.
It makes you really want to touch it...
As if possessed, Rong Xie reached out his hand towards the small mole.
Just then, Shen Bingsi let out a nasal sound, her shoulder muscles contracted inward, and the small mole hid in the shadow of her spinal groove.
Rong Xie pulled his hand back under the covers.
Shen Bingsi turned over and faced Rong Xie again.
His eyes were wide open, his dark, jade-like pupils showing no sign of sleepiness. He hadn't slept at all when he turned over, and now he was staring intently at Rong Xie.
“Come here,” he said.
Rong Xie then threw himself into Shen Bingsi's arms again.
This time, he didn't hesitate or wait for Shen Bingsi to reach out and help him up. He took the initiative to approach Shen Bingsi and found a comfortable spot to snuggle up in his arms.
Maybe it really does become a habit. I feel embarrassed when I see it from a distance, but I don't feel anything when I get close and touch it directly.
Rong Xie rested his head on Shen Bingsi's shoulder and arm, and with a glance, one could see his straight neck and prominent Adam's apple. After he leaned closer, Shen Bingsi's Adam's apple slid up and down.
Rong Xie lowered his gaze, his vision filled with the full curves, and he could even see the faint light brown at the edges. His ears burned slightly, and he closed his eyes.
Shen Bingsi raised her eyebrows slightly, surprised to see her best friend take the initiative to approach and snuggle into her arms.
Like a light and timid little bird, one will only be close to certain people because of liking them, and should feel extremely honored to be able to rest one's head on their shoulder for a short while.
The top of her hair was jet black and thick, just enough to be seen when she lowered her eyes. Her snow-white forehead was round and delicate. Her light and gentle eyebrows and her long, clearly defined eyelashes flickered from time to time, revealing the owner's uneasy mood.
Shen Bingsi suppressed the urge to pull Rong Xie into her arms, silently enjoying the moment of joy of her best friend taking the initiative to be close to her.
Then he spoke in a low, nasal voice, his words intimate and fragmented, rambling on about the day's outings.
Both of them relaxed, and the atmosphere became harmonious again.
Shen Bingsi raised his arm and put it around Rong Xie's waist. Rong Xie was still dressed neatly. Shen Bingsi had touched that inner garment at least a hundred times. He found the knot of the waistband of the inner garment with ease, rubbed it with his palm, and then pressed the person against his body with a little force.
However, the next moment, he heard a soft sob. The person in his arms stiffened, pressing their hands against his chest, stubbornly maintaining the small space between them.
Even so, Shen Bingsi noticed that her best friend's body had changed.
Blood circulation speeds up, skin surface temperature rises, the tiny heart pounds like a drum, and a layer of light red appears on the snow-white forehead, like powder.
"Rong'er," Shen Bingsi called his name.
He stubbornly refused to look up, and the hand pressed against his chest even clenched into a fist.
Shen Bingsi wanted to tease him, but she noticed an unusual tension and stiffness. The person in her arms was hunched over, and even his breathing became labored.
I can't believe I got this nervous.
"Rong'er, it's nothing." Shen Bingsi gently patted his back to help him catch his breath. "Every part of a person's body, from the five internal organs to the limbs, is useful."
Rong Xie's stiffness eased slightly, and his fists pressed against Shen Bing Si were not as forceful, but his breathing was still rapid, and he could not speak.
"If your body is reacting, it means you're healthy, which is a good thing. Why fight it?" Shen Bingsi's voice was steady and strong, carrying a convincing and reassuring quality.
Rong Xie's shoulders relaxed, and after taking a few deep breaths, he slumped into Shen Bingsi's arms, his eyelids tinged with a rouge-like red, and his pale lips becoming vibrant.
He was so lazy that he didn't even bother to lift a finger.
Seeing this scene, for some reason, Shen Bingsi felt a pang of longing, like a cat scratching at his heart, and wanted to hug his best friend even tighter. He thought that he and his best friend must have been one person in their past life, but after reincarnation, they were forcibly separated into two. Although they were separated, they often wanted to be close to each other. That was probably the inertia from their past life, wanting to become one again.
"Rong'er," Shen Bingsi called to him.
The person in his arms responded listlessly with a soft "Hmm?"
Shen Bingsi wanted to tell him that their dual cultivation was probably not going to work, that he was being too sensitive. However, she thought that this kind of thing was like holding hands and hugging, and that they could get used to it by doing it more often.
"Go to sleep," but the words changed as they came out, "We still have to open the city gates and leave the city tomorrow."
"Um……"
Rong Xie fell asleep quickly.
He thought he would be greatly shocked and break down before falling asleep, but that wasn't the case at all. He just collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep as if he had just taken a nice hot bath after a long journey.
The next morning, he woke up even later than usual.
The sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten, and birds had been chirping for a while.
Rong Xie realized that if he didn't get up soon, he might miss the first trip out of the city, so he quickly struggled out of bed.
Then he realized that what trapped him was not the bed, but Shen Bingsi's embrace.
The memories of last night crashed over Rong Xie like a tidal wave, catching him completely off guard.
His whole body burned with embarrassment and awkwardly reached down.
Thankfully, the hem of the top was dry.
Wait, he clearly... yesterday... could it be...?
Rong Xie clutched the hem of his undergarment, puzzled for a long time, wondering if he was dreaming or if it had really happened. He had only been touched by Shen Bing Si, and...
He still clearly remembered the feeling of his heart pounding. He thought his feelings could no longer be hidden and had been exposed so unexpectedly in this way. He was so upset that he could hardly breathe. He thought Shen Bingsi would immediately push him away, question him about why he was like this, and then slap him with an invisible sword aura.
However, that didn't happen. Shen Bingsi gently comforted him, saying that it was normal.
Without any strange looks or harsh accusations, Shen Bingsi accepted the matter naturally and even comforted Rong Xie, telling him not to overthink it and that it was a sign of good health.
It was at that moment that Rong Xie relaxed.
Completely relieved of the burden in my heart, I suddenly felt extremely sleepy and then fell into a deep sleep without even dreaming.
All the memories are clear; this couldn't possibly be a dream.
The fact that his pants were dry can only mean one thing: Shen Bingsi changed and cleaned them for him after he fell asleep.
Rong Xie felt as if his head was as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he couldn't lift it at all.
Just then, a familiar soft hum came from above her head, and Shen Bingsi woke up.
After having breakfast at Fanshige, the two of them took a carriage and left through the southeast gate, heading towards Lanyuan.
In a place like the capital, flying around with a flying talisman in broad daylight would be too conspicuous.
So the two of them opted for the traditional mode of transportation.
Fortunately, the roads in the outskirts of Beijing were very smooth, allowing three horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side. The roads were watered every day, making them much easier to travel on than ordinary roads.
Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi sat facing each other in the carriage, neither of them mentioning what had happened from last night to this morning.
As the sun rose directly overhead, the carriage arrived at the solemn and quiet Xiangji Temple.
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