Chapter 157 Let's settle the bill first~
When Shen Zhaozhao forcibly dug Zixiao out, she felt that she was probably really crazy.
It was one thing to let Xie Linyuan, that peacock, run wild all day, but now that he's gone, her first reaction wasn't "Thank goodness it's finally peaceful." Instead, her heart sank, and she suddenly remembered what the system had told her: this guy was at odds with the Heavenly Dao and was constantly being controlled.
Could it be that the Heavenly Dao suddenly attacked him, doing something to his main body that caused even this wisp of divine consciousness that had secretly escaped to collapse?
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Shen Zhaozhao felt a fine layer of cold sweat break out on the back of her neck.
"Waaah... Master, what are you doing now! Didn't you promise to let me have some peace and quiet with just my sword?!"
Zi Xiao was forcibly awakened, and the mournful sound of a sword echoed in her mind.
"Don't be quiet! Hurry up and help me find someone!"
Shen Zhaozhao's tone carried an urgency she herself didn't realize, "That peacock can't use its divine sense recklessly. If it really left on its own, it definitely couldn't have gone far!"
Zi Xiao sobbed, but sensing her master's genuine anxiety, she reluctantly suppressed her melancholy and began to lead Shen Zhaozhao on a tour around Canglan City.
As expected, Xie Linyuan's aura did not completely disappear; it was merely deliberately concealed, like a speck of ink dropped into a lake, so faint as to be almost imperceptible, yet it had not gone far.
Following that extremely faint sense, Shen Zhaozhao turned the small area near the West Market of Canglan City upside down.
Finally, I stopped abruptly in front of a osmanthus wine stall that was selling quite well and had a faint, sweet aroma.
Xie Linyuan sat motionless at a small table set up on the street.
Her simple, elegant clothes stood out starkly against the bustling, urban atmosphere, as cool and aloof as a handful of fresh snow that had strayed into the mortal world.
In front of him was a rough earthenware wine bowl, the amber-colored liquid inside completely still.
The man lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing all emotions within them. However, his tightly pursed thin lips and the oppressive aura emanating from him made it seem as if he wasn't there to drink, but rather to bring good fortune to the business and send the owner away.
The stall owner was a kind-looking middle-aged man who had long noticed this intimidating "living ancestor" who just sat there without drinking or paying. He was rubbing his hands anxiously and pacing around when he saw Shen Zhaozhao walking briskly towards him. He immediately felt like he had met a living bodhisattva who was saving him from suffering and practically pounced on her!
"Oh my! Young Taoist priest!"
"You've come to pick up your fellow Daoist, haven't you? Quickly, quickly! Please take him away!"
"This gentleman sat there for ages, his face grim and silent. He wouldn't answer any of my questions, wouldn't drink any wine, and wouldn't even give me any spirit stones..."
The stall owner, with a pleading smile on his face, handed Chen Zhaozhao a wooden sign that listed the bill for the drinks: "You've come at just the right time. Here, please settle the bill first."
Shen Zhaozhao: "..."
Damn it!
Shen Zhaozhao's lips twitched, and she expressionlessly slapped a few low-grade spirit stones into the stall owner's hand, earning him a profuse bow of thanks in return. She then sat down on the bench next to Xie Linyuan.
The person beside her stiffened almost imperceptibly, but did not immediately cling to her as usual. Instead, they lowered their gaze even further, as if determined to remain an ice sculpture.
Shen Zhaozhao looked at his unusual, somewhat withdrawn back view and felt a strange sense of novelty.
With great interest, she stretched out a finger and twirled a strand of his dark hair that fell over his shoulder.
It felt cool and smooth to the touch, like the finest silk from a cold pool, more comfortable than any magical silk she had ever touched.
"Xie Linyuan."
As if by some strange impulse, she suddenly asked, "What do you usually use to care for your hair?"
"Is there any secret recipe?"
"..."
Xie Linyuan's long, drooping eyelashes trembled slightly, but he remained silent.
Shen Zhaozhao, however, got excited and thought it was a way to make money: "Why don't you share the recipe with me and I'll help you promote it? I guarantee it will be very popular among female cultivators in Lingzhou and even among some male cultivators who pay attention to their appearance. I'll give you half of the spirit stones I earn."
The only response she received was the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city and the even heavier atmosphere around her.
He didn't know what was bothering him, but when he thought about all his previous efforts to get attention, which he had painstakingly planned, he was only met with her comment that he was "the most annoying person," and he felt a tightness in his chest.
Just as he was immersed in negative emotions, he suddenly felt his hair being gently tugged. Then, a clear, slightly nonchalant, teasing voice, mixed with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus wine, drifted into Xie Linyuan's ears.
Shen Zhaozhao: "All living beings are like grass and trees, but you are the green mountain."
Xie Linyuan: "?!"
Xie Linyuan suddenly looked up and turned his head, meeting Shen Zhaozhao's gaze as she rested her chin on one hand, raising an eyebrow and glancing at him sideways. Her eyes held a hint of mockery, yet also a rare touch of patience.
“Xie Linyuan,” Shen Zhaozhao loosened his hair, “I’m not a mind reader, so it’s normal that I don’t know what kind of tragic love story you’re having in your head.”
"If you want attention, you can tell me directly, but you can't just disappear without a word."
"Or, if you really can't think straight next time and have to find a place to lick your wounds in silence, that's fine too. Just remember to leave me a note."
She counted on her fingers and seriously planned for him: "Just write: 'Zhao Zhao, you didn't pay attention to my feelings about something just now. I'm sad and upset. I want to shut myself away. I'm planning to go to such-and-such place to squat now.' That way, when I see it, I can find you immediately and comfort you."
“After all,” Shen Zhaozhao paused, looking at his slightly widened peach blossom eyes, and gave a beautiful smile, “you don’t really want to part ways with me, you just need me to coax you, right?”
Xie Linyuan held his breath. He never imagined that Shen Zhaozhao would be so patient and use such a permissive yet somewhat helpless way of reasoning with him to talk to him about so much.
My heart felt like it had been gently bumped by something soft, a bittersweet ache mixed with a hint of sweetness.
He pursed his lips, his voice so low it was almost a whisper, tinged with a cautious probing: "...Don't you think I'm...clingy?"
Shen Zhaozhao was speechless and rolled her eyes: "So you came all this way to suppress the feng shui just for this?"
"I was just teasing my junior uncle. Besides, if I really disliked you, would I have brought you to Canglan City? I would have kicked you back to the sect long ago."
Xie Linyuan was stunned for a long time. The ice in his eyes melted away little by little, like spring water warming up, and ripples of light appeared.
He discovered that... it seemed that... saying it directly was actually quite effective.
Thinking of this, the peacock seemed like a student who had finally found the right method. Its eyes suddenly lit up, and it looked at Shen Zhaozhao with unprecedented sincerity and focus.
Moonlight fell on his handsome profile, his expression solemn, yet beneath his clear, steady voice lay chillingly savage words—
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