Prepare
Once the matter was settled, the three immediately got up to take their leave.
Ji Wang had intended to invite them for a simple meal, but before he could speak, he saw the three of them hurrying to the door. They were running even faster than when they arrived, as if they were afraid that being a second late would ruin their important business.
In the blink of an eye, only he and Bujiu remained in the hall.
Ji Wang heard a clear "gurgling" sound coming from his stomach and realized that he hadn't eaten a single grain of rice since morning.
He patted his empty stomach, then pulled Bu Jiu towards the small kitchen.
The kitchen was clean and tidy, with a ceramic urn sitting on the stove, warm white steam escaping from the edge of the lid, making a soft bubbling sound.
It looked like the rice porridge that Huaiqing had carefully left behind; the amount was more than half a pot, and it was simmering over a low flame until it was just right.
"Wait a minute, there are still some ingredients over there. I'll make a couple of side dishes." Ji Wang said as he moved the table and chairs to a bright and well-ventilated spot by the window. "Sit here, away from the stove, so you don't get covered in cooking fumes."
After Dai Bujiu sat down as instructed, he turned around, filled two bowls with porridge, gently pushed one of them in front of him, and said in a warm voice, "Drink some while it's hot; you can't go hungry."
Bu Jiu responded softly, took the spoon, and casually stirred the porridge in the bowl. His gaze passed over the window frame and fell on the outline of the distant valley, looking completely absent-minded.
Having reached his level of cultivation, his need for food was extremely weak, and coupled with his diminished appetite, he often forgot about eating.
Therefore, when Ji brought over a plate of lightly mixed and glossy bamboo shoots, he saw Bu Jiu still staring out the window in a daze, his porridge untouched, the once distinct grains of rice in the bowl now slightly mushy from his unconscious movements.
Ji Wang frowned slightly, then relaxed, putting on his usual smiling expression.
"What, not to your liking? I'll make you something else?" He gently placed the plate of shredded bamboo shoots in front of Bujiu.
Seeing the other person turn around, she naturally leaned down and kissed his lips before sitting down next to him and explaining gently, "These bamboo shoots are the freshest sprouts from the most spiritually vibrant part of the back mountain. I picked the tenderest parts to blanch and mix. Try them."
Bu Jiu's gaze lingered for a moment on the plate of vibrant green bamboo shoots: "Not hungry."
Ji Wang wasn't in a hurry. He picked up his chopsticks, took a small pinch of bamboo shoots, and held them to Bu Jiu's lips, with a hint of coaxing: "Just try a bite, okay? Try it, my cooking... should be alright."
Bu Jiu subconsciously turned his head away, avoiding the chopsticks that were so close, his long eyelashes drooping: "No need. I'll just watch you eat."
As Ji Wang gazed at the food on the table, which was gradually losing its heat, the helplessness in his heart finally turned into a soft sigh.
He said nothing more, but silently picked up the bowl of porridge that had gone lukewarm, stirred it gently with a spoon, scooped up a small spoonful, carefully tested the temperature on his own lips, and then steadily handed it to Bujiu's lips.
"Just a few bites, okay?" He softened his voice. "I specifically asked Huaiqing, and he said that in your current condition, eating something mild and nourishing would be more beneficial."
His tone became lighter: "Besides, when we find a beautiful place to live in seclusion, are you going to just watch me eat all the time?"
He held the spoon by the handle, as if he could hold this spoon of porridge until the end of time, as long as he didn't blame or nod in agreement.
Seeing the worry and concern in Shang Jiwang's eyes, Bu Jiu's tightly pursed lips finally softened under this silent insistence. He seemed to give in, opening his mouth to take a sip.
Seeing this, Ji Wang quickly scooped up another spoonful, carefully blew on it to cool it down, and then eagerly handed it over again.
This time, Bu Jiu didn't turn his head away. He simply took the spoon from Ji Wang's hand, lowered his eyes, and slowly ate the small bowl of warm porridge and a few side dishes.
Looking at the finally empty bowls and plates, Ji Wang breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes crinkling with satisfaction: "That's right."
After saying that, he casually ate a few bites, then neatly cleared the table of dishes.
Bu Jiu remained seated by the window, his gaze following Ji Wang's movements. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "What's next?"
Ji Wang placed the stacked bowls and plates into the wooden basin, straightened up, wiped his hands, and turned around upon hearing this: "Xun Jing and the others said that they will bring trustworthy disciples to join us tomorrow. Before that, we need to make some preparations."
He scooped up some water and carefully wiped the dishes with a cloth: "I was thinking that since I have some free time today, I should look through some ancient books and, based on the basic cultivation techniques of various sects that you collected before, see what the characteristics of the different sects' approaches are. When their disciples arrive, how should we teach them according to their aptitude and arrange suitable cultivation or exploration directions so that we can provide assistance as quickly as possible?"
As he spoke, he neatly arranged the items in his hands: "Also... I'd like to look for any additional records about the Reverse Scale Shuttle—"
Suddenly, his tone changed: "Bujiu, come quick! Look at this—"
"Here it comes." Bu Jiu got up and walked towards Ji Wang. But when he got closer and looked in the direction Ji Wang was pointing, he found that there was only water sloshing around in a basin.
"Come closer, look—hey!"
Just as Bu Jiu frowned slightly at this inexplicable discovery and moved even closer, a cunning glint flashed in Ji Wang's eyes, and with lightning speed, he wiped Bu Jiu's fox tail with his water-drenched hand.
Bu Jiu froze instantly, his tail instinctively standing straight up with a "whoosh," the fur at the tip of his tail bristling and trembling slightly in the air.
"Ji, Wang!" He forced out the two words through gritted teeth, his voice a mixture of embarrassment at being caught off guard and a hint of exasperation.
Ji Wang had already jumped back with a loud laugh, nimbly dodging to the other side: "My darling—calm down, calm down."
He shook his still-damp fingers: "Besides, it's just a little water. Our Bujiu's tail is so beautiful, it'll be even shinier after a wash!"
Bu Jiu glared at him, his chest rising and falling slightly, his bristling tail not yet completely tamed.
But looking at Ji Wang's smiling face and listening to his self-righteous fallacies, most of the shame and anger in her heart suddenly leaked out.
In the end, he only glared at Ji Wang, turned his head away, reached out and scooped up his wet tail tip in front of him, then turned and walked towards the library, ignoring the culprit behind him.
In the afternoon, the light in the library shines through the tall lattice windows, splitting into slanted beams of light.
Bu Jiu was standing in the middle of a tall ladder, his fingertips brushing against the spines of rows of ancient books.
Ji Wang leaned lazily against the desk below, holding a book in his hand, without turning a single page for a long time.
His gaze seemed to have a built-in stickiness, always involuntarily drifting towards the person on the ladder—looking at the elongated neck line when Bu Jiu slightly tilted his head back, at the slender wrists revealed when his sleeves slipped down, and at the corners of his lips that were slightly pursed because he was concentrating.
Just as Ji Wang was lost in thought, Bu Jiu seemed to sense his gaze. He lowered his eyes, his glassy pupils glancing in Ji Wang's direction.
It was just a glance, calm, brief, and meaningless; it might have just been to confirm whether he was still there, or simply an unconscious movement of the gaze.
Immediately, Bu Jiu's gaze returned to the bookshelf, his fingertips lingering on a dark blue ancient book, which he gently pulled out.
"Tsk." A soft tsk, tinged with amusement, came from below.
Bu Jiu looked down again, puzzled.
Ji Wang had already put down the book in his hand, was crossing his arms, looking up at him with a bright, almost punchable smile on his face, his eyebrows raised high.
He cleared his throat and, in a deliberately lowered tone, "accused" Bu Jiu on the ladder, "Seduce me?"
Bu Jiu: "...?"
His fingers tightened around the book, and a look of bewilderment and surprise crossed his face. Seduction? What had he done? He had only glanced at him just now…
Ji Wang began to analyze: "I knew it! This library is quiet and deserted, and the lighting is so... dim and ambiguous. You were standing so high up, and you even turned back to look at me, and the look in your eyes..."
Bu Jiu finally understood. He was too lazy to get entangled with this narcissistic person any longer, so he ignored Ji Wang, turned around and prepared to climb down the ladder, intending to stay away from this guy whose mind was full of wild thoughts.
But Ji Wang wasn't about to let him off so easily. He darted to the bottom of the ladder, spread his arms, and made a move to catch him. His smile remained unchanged, and he continued, "You're angry because I hit the nail on the head? It's okay, come on, I'll catch you and make sure you don't fall."
Bu Jiu had already descended to the last few steps when he heard this. He stopped, looked down at Ji Wang below, and lightly tapped the man's arm with the tip of his boot, signaling him to move aside.
"Nonsense," he scolded in a low voice.
Ji Wang grabbed his ankle and shook it gently: "What nonsense are you talking about? You were the one who started it."
Bu Jiu quickly grabbed the ladder: "Let go, do you want to see the Reverse Scale Shuttle?"
The three words "Reverse Scale Shuttle" acted like a calming spell, instantly extinguishing the playful expression on Ji Wang's face, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
He immediately released his grip, then steadily supported Bu Jiu's waist, carefully catching him down from the last two steps. His movements were fluid and natural, as if it were the natural course of action.
"Yes! Of course I want to!" Ji Wang didn't let go immediately after landing, still keeping his arms around the person in front of him. He looked up at the high bookshelf where Bu Jiu had stood, his tone full of curiosity and urgency, "You found it? Which floor? What does it say?"
Bu Jiu steadied herself, brushed away the hand wrapped around her waist, glanced at him, and her eyes seemed to say, "Now you know how to panic?"
He turned around and pulled out an unusually dark leather scroll from beneath a pile of ancient books. The leather was extraordinary, with subtle scaly patterns and a cool touch.
“It’s not an orthodox record.” Bu Jiu placed the scroll on the table, his fingertips brushing over the ancient, twisted, serpentine characters written in dark gold ink. “It’s a fragment of a secret scroll from a sect that has long since vanished. It mentions ‘Reverse Scale Breaking Through the Void’ and includes a damaged array diagram and descriptions related to time travel… which are rather subtle.”
Ji Wang immediately moved closer, almost touching Bu Jiu's head, carefully examining the incomprehensible characters and blurry patterns. The playful atmosphere from before vanished, leaving only focused investigation.
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