Chapter 360 It's good that you're alright.
Regardless of why he was angry, Shang Ruyi did not want to switch roles with him. She was not stupid enough to be subservient to him after she had saved his life. She may not be shrewish or tough, but fairness has always been her principle, and she could not be too easy to bully.
only--
This time, she felt somewhat guilty in front of Yuwen Ye, as if she couldn't control herself.
"well……"
Shang Ruyi sighed inwardly, glanced at Yuwen Ye's back again, and decided to go for a walk. After all the hustle and bustle of the day, although she was a little tired, she was still quite clear-headed and needed to clear her somewhat confused mind.
So, he put on a coat, pushed open the door, and went out again.
Just as she closed the door and left, the person on the bed seemed to move slightly.
As soon as I stepped out of the dormitory, it was pitch black outside.
The temple was not wealthy, so there were not many places lit at night. Only the main hall where evening prayers were held and the side halls where Bodhisattvas were enshrined were lit with candles. Fortunately, the place was not large, and Shang Ruyi was able to walk along the long corridor by the faint candlelight.
However, just as they reached the entrance of the side hall, they saw a figure inside.
Could it be the Good Child?
Shang Ruyi subconsciously stopped in her tracks, but upon closer inspection, she realized that the person kneeling before the Bodhisattva was not Shan Tong'er, but Mu Xian. He was muttering incantations for a while before respectfully bowing three times to the Bodhisattva.
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but chuckle, "So devout, what are you praying for?"
Mu Xian turned around and saw it was her. He smiled and quickly stood up: "Why isn't the young mistress resting yet?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head: "I can't sleep."
As she spoke, she looked up at the kind-faced Guanyin Bodhisattva, then turned to Mu Xian: "I didn't know you were a Buddhist? What do you want to ask the Bodhisattva for so late at night?"
Mu Xian smiled sheepishly, "I'm just clinging to the hem of the Buddha's robe for now, I don't dare ask for anything, just some money."
"……ah."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's expression immediately darkened.
Because of him, Mu Xian and his men were fined a year's salary by Yuwen Ye. Although they are currently in the temple and cannot fight, they will be given eighty lashes when they return.
She immediately said guiltily, "I'm sorry, it's all because of me—"
Mu Xian hurriedly said, "Young Madam, how can I accept such words? Besides, this matter was ultimately handled improperly by me."
Shang Ruyi smiled bitterly, "If you put it that way, I feel even more ashamed. It was clearly my own decision, and you were forced to go by me, but in the end, you are the ones who are punished."
"..."
Mu Xian did not respond immediately, but glanced at her and then smiled after a while: "Actually, Madam, you don't need to worry too much about us. The Second Young Master is fair in rewarding and punishing. Following him, you are not afraid of being punished or not being rewarded. All of us who followed him down to Jiangdu have made contributions, and we will naturally be rewarded when we return."
"Oh, really?"
Shang Ruyi nodded, but she was not comforted.
After all, I was the one who dragged them down with this, and it can't be settled simply by offsetting my merits and demerits.
Seeing Shang Ruyi's still gloomy expression, Mu Xian remained silent for a while before softly smiling and saying, "Actually, this is exactly what the Second Young Master wants."
"Um?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback and looked up at him—what did he mean?
Mu Xian looked at her with a half-smile and said, "The Second Young Master never punishes us."
"..."
This time, Shang Ruyi quickly realized what was going on. Looking into Mu Xian's smiling eyes, she said, "You mean, he punished you to make me feel bad."
Mu Xian said, "Isn't the young mistress feeling unwell right now?"
Shang Ruyi let out a heavy sigh, then said, "But I clearly did the right thing. If we hadn't burned down Wanggangzhai's granary today, they might not have been able to come down the mountain so safely, right?"
"yes."
"That--"
This time, before Shang Ruyi could speak again, Mu Xian interrupted her and said, "The Second Young Master's punishment is not for someone else to do this, but for you, Young Madam."
"...?"
Shang Ruyi frowned again.
Yuwen Ye's punishment wasn't for her doing the thing, but rather, for the fact that she was the one who did it.
What exactly is going on?
Her mind was a jumbled mess, as if she sensed something but couldn't quite make sense of it; and just as she was at her wit's end, Mu Xian also smiled bitterly and muttered, "Forget it, since I'm already meddling in other people's business, I might as well see it through to the end. At worst, I'll just get a few dozen more lashes when I get back."
Shang Ruyi looked at him: "Hmm?"
Mu Xian took a deep breath, raised his head as if making a decision, and said, "Young Madam, your memory is so good that you even remember the first time you stayed at Banyan Temple. So why don't you remember what happened at Xingluocang?"
"..."
"Back then, you and the second young master—"
"...!"
A sudden idea flashed in Shang Ruyi's mind.
Right, she suddenly remembered that her situation with Yuwen Ye, especially the way Yuwen Ye was angry with her, seemed to have happened after the last time Xingluocang was captured. At that time, because she had come to Luokou Ferry alone, she was captured by Xiao Yuansui and others and taken to Xingluocang City. Yuwen Ye was furious. Not only did he keep her waiting after sneaking into the city, leaving her in fear, but he also coldly and ruthlessly threw a sentence at her.
She needs to be taught a lesson.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi suddenly came to her senses and looked at Mu Xian again: "You mean, he, he's angry with me—"
"I cannot say anything more."
"..."
"Young Madam,"
Mu Xian looked at her again and said with a wry smile, "I can see clearly how the Second Young Master treats the Young Madam; I also understand how the Young Madam treats the Second Young Master. But why are you two always so awkward? I just don't understand."
"..."
"I hope you can clarify your relationship as soon as possible."
"..."
"after all--"
At this point, the smile on his face faded, replaced by a hint of seriousness. He said, "The road ahead will be even more difficult. If you cannot work together with one heart and one mind, I'm afraid the journey will be even more arduous."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart sank slightly.
Mu Xian bowed to her and then turned and walked out of the side hall.
Shang Ruyi remained silent, not even turning her head to look at his departing figure. She simply stood silently in the center of the side hall. The faint sandalwood scent in the cool air seemed to soothe her tired body after a long day, but a strange emotion, as if even gods and Buddhas could not calm her, was surging within her.
After an unknown amount of time, she slowly lifted her foot and walked out of the side hall.
Outside, it was still pitch black and silent.
Only a night breeze, carrying a gentle coolness, brushed across her cheeks, causing her hair to flutter messily in front of her eyes, as if a shadowy figure was moving about.
Shang Ruyi reached out and smoothed her hair before slowly walking back the way she had come.
When they returned to their quarters, the only candlestick in the room had only a tiny wick left, barely keeping it burning. The candle flame had shrunk to a small ball, and its faint light only illuminated the figure on the bed. The next moment, it was extinguished with a soft puff as Shang Ruyi closed the door behind her.
The room was plunged into darkness.
Shang Ruyi stood at the door in silence for a while, listening to her own breathing and heartbeat sound particularly abrupt in the silence. She tried to calm herself down before groping her way forward in the dark.
After walking only a few steps, his knee hit the edge of the bed.
She bent down and reached out to touch the bed. Although Yuwen Ye lay down first, he still left a large space for her. Shang Ruyi fumbled to take off her outer clothes, then slowly sat down and then slowly lay down.
As soon as I lay down, I immediately felt a cool, refreshing scent wafting over me.
It seems to be on Yuwen Ye's body.
Strangely, even though he had been sleeping in the room for so long, why did he still feel so cold, as if he had just been outside in the night breeze?
Shang Ruyi was a little confused, yet she seemed to understand something at the same time. She turned her head and looked at the silhouette of the figure close to her in the night. In the quiet night, a rustling sound of clothes rubbing together came from behind.
Yuwen Ye turned over to face her.
He's still awake?
She should have been very surprised, and in fact, Shang Ruyi was indeed quite surprised, because she clearly heard her breath catch in her throat, and her heart was pounding like a drum.
But she remained lying there quietly, turning her face to look at him.
Even though there wasn't a single light in the room, even though it was pitch black, at such close range, with such clear breathing and heartbeats, Shang Ruyi still saw those bright eyes staring intently at her in the darkness, and could even see a resemblance to herself in his eyes.
The two of them just stared at each other in silence.
After an unknown amount of time, a warm, large hand reached out and wrapped around her waist.
Shang Ruyi remained motionless, but the moment he touched her, goosebumps seemed to rise all over her body, and her breathing became rapid.
Then, that hand slowly embraced her, and then slowly pulled her into a hug.
That familiar scent, that warm chest—everything felt like a beautiful, dreamlike illusion she had once had, enveloping her once more.
Shang Ruyi couldn't tell whether she wanted to resist with silence or silently indulge in it. She just stared at those eyes without moving, which had shed all their usual coldness and sharpness and were now looking at her gently.
Then, he slowly lowered his head, his lips gently brushing against her cheek, and finally whispering in her ear.
The warm breath brushed against her earlobe.
In the close proximity of the two, Yuwen Ye's deep voice whispered in her ear, "It's good that you're alright."
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