NEBM Chapter 29: The Book

Shen Zhixian asked the youth to add another pair of chopsticks. Duan Yuan thanked him generously and sat down.

Oh, what good manners.

For the sake of his disciple, Shen Zhixian deliberately made discreet inquiries into her background. As a result, he ignored the meal in front of him until he had a good general understanding of Duan Yuan’s background.

Duan Yuan was a disciple of Qianyin Pavilion. As the personal disciple of the Third Chamber Master, her status was quite senior. This year, she’d turned twenty years old and, accordingly, had to say goodbye to her master and leave the sect to gain experience.

Duan Yuan’s lips curved. Shen Zhixian had clean and outstanding features, and he looked quite harmless. His style of speech was also very humorous. Her vigilance couldn’t help but drop a bit more. “This is my first time practicing out alone…”

She’d gone out with her sisters several times to other distant places, but those experiences…Forget it. It was best not to mention them.

Qianyin Pavilion required their female disciples who’d turned twenty years old to descend the mountain to gain practical experience. In truth, she wasn’t actually twenty years old yet. She was only seventeen this year. However, she’d been tall since she was a child and often misreported her age. Luckily, no one noticed.

Shen Zhixian’s heart was at ease, and he began to talk freely about the subject of gaining experience. He relied on his experience before transmigrating and utilized the bit of memory that belonged to the original Shen Zhixian to talk about the situation in theory. Then, he listened to Duan Yuan before responding. Their conversation went back and forth like this for a while.

“…That’s all there is to it. Although it can’t be considered thrilling, it can also be quite interesting.” After successfully using the original’s memory to impress Duan Yuan into exclaiming in admiration, Shen Zhixian lowered his head with a smile and picked up a green cabbage piece to put in his mouth.

As Duan Yuan listened to Shen Zhixian discuss these matters, her attitude changed drastically. She subconsciouslly shifted her position so that she leaned closer to him. “I really admire people like big brother. Free and easy and unrestrained, with knowledge of the Jianghu. I want to be such a person too.”

Yan Jin noticed her small movements and raised his eyes to glance at her.

Duan Yuan didn’t notice and her eyes continued to glow with envy. She whispered to Shen Zhixian, “The master always asked our female disciples to be dignify and graceful. We mustn’t laugh out loud or do rough things…” Her voice gradually trailed off. When she next spoke, she sounded a bit lost. “I’m afraid I can never be as easygoing as big brother.”

As Shen Zhixian listened, his eyebrows rose. So, it turned out that he hadn’t imagined it. The girl’s gentle and dignified demeanor was only superficial. Instead, she had the lofty ambition to break into the Jianghu!

This was not good. With A’Jin’s taciturn nature, he needed a tender and understanding flower at his side to accompany him and help relieve his worries. If this disciple daughter-in-law’s heart was too hot-blooded, wanting to jump into the Jianghu, then she would likely neglect A’Jin.

Shen Zhixian swallowed the food in his mouth, set aside his chopsticks, and began to persuade her. “You’re already very good like this. Gentle, sweet tempered, and charming. Young Lady Duan, let me take the liberty to say most men in this world would prefer you like this.”

Because he was racking his brain in an attempt to guide Duan Yuan toward the right temperament, he didn’t notice that, when he said this last sentence, Duan Yuan and Yan Jin both displayed a strange look.

Their expressions were too fleeting, making it difficult for Shen Zhixian to see unless he was paying close attention.

As Shen Zhixian continued to try to persuade her, he noticed something from the corner of his eyes. When he lowered his head, he was immediately shocked by the vegetables that had piled up into a small mountain inside his bowl. Seeing Yan Jin’s stretch his chopstick out to put another string of vegetables into his bowl, Shen Zhixian raised his hand to block it. “Okay. Don’t put it in! I can’t eat it all!”

Yan Jin’s chopstick of vegetables was suddenly stopped halfway. With nowhere else to put it, he lowered his lashes and had no choice but to put it into his own bowl. He quietly said, “Sui Xian is too thin. Eat more.”

Shen Zhixian looked at the heap of food in his bowl and his head began to hurt. He picked up his chopsticks and said dejectedly, “Can’t eat anymore, ah…”

His appetite was originally small to begin with. Now that Yan Jin gave him so much food, he couldn’t even eat half of it, okay? Much less all of it.

He muttered to himself, his mind churning. Suddenly, he made a short, soft “Ah” sound. Understanding dawned. It couldn’t be that Yan Jin was jealous?

During this entire time when he was talking to Duan Yuan, Yan Jin had not said a single word. The only time he’d said anything at all was at the beginning, when they were exchanging names.

Yan Jin was jealous.

Duan Yuan was indeed worthy of being the suspected female lead. Particularly since she could move that introverted person to jealousy.

Conscious that he’d intuitively discovered a small secret, Shen Zhixian made an “Oh” sound and began to concentrate on his food. He stopped talking, yielding ground to the two of them.

As a result, this concession caused matters to come to a screeching halt.

Shen Zhixian, who wanted to give them time to communicate, had a difficult time eating the full bowl of food. Afterward, he was so full that he just wanted to lie down and rest. Still, the other two people remained silent.

Shen Zhixian inwardly sighed, exclaiming to himself that Yan Jin’s path to romance will probably be filled with bumps. This entire time, Yan Jin’s face hadn’t even shown the slightest bit of emotion. As a result, Shen Zhixian could only laugh and said, “It’s rare for strangers to meet by chance and hit it off. Today’s meal is simple and crude. Young Lady Duan, please don’t take offense.”

Duan Yuan hadn’t spoken since Shen Zhixian began to quietly eat; she only followed suit and enjoyed her own meal in silence. After hearing Shen Zhixian speak again, she smiled and immediately looked at Shen Zhixian. “Brother Sui is generous and saved me from hunger. I should thank you instead.”

She hesitated, then asked in a low voice. “I’ll be staying here for a day or two. Will Brother Sui be leaving tomorrow?”

When they were chatting earlier, she discovered that the brothers were here to sight-see and amuse themselves.

She saw that Shen Zhixian had no spiritual power and was an ordinary person so she automatically placed Yan Jin in the same category. In truth, Yan Jin’s cultivation was far higher than her. When she reached out with a bit of her senses, she felt nothing. Therefore, she immediately assumed he was also an ordinary person.

She wanted to stay a bit longer because she discovered that there was something wrong with the child’s soul and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. If Big Brother Sui came to amuse himself and have fun…

This small town was too simple. She was afraid they might just rest for a night here and then leave tomorrow.

Brother Sui was so interesting. This was the first time she’d met such an interesting person! She still wanted to find a good opportunity tomorrow to ask the big brother some questions.

After all, she was still young and had very little involvements with the outside world. She’d been confined to Qianyin Pavilion since she was a child. Therefore, it was quite rare for her to meet such an interesting person and become friends with him.

But … she glanced at Yan Jin quietly. The big brother’s cousin didn’t say a word, making him hard to get along with.

Shen Zhixian didn’t think much. He was too preoccupied with the fact that this might be Yan Jin’s future heroine. At this time, when he saw her quietly look at Yan Jin, he subconsciously wanted to scheme and immediately decided. “No. We also planned to rest here for a day or two.”

He looked at Yan Jin, his eyes full of smiles. “Alright?”

Yan Jin looked down at the table without speaking.

The disappointment in Duan Yuan’s eyes was swept away, and she responded brightly, “Then, Brother Sui, I’ll come to you tomorrow with some questions.”

“Good, good!” Shen Zhixian responded with a grin. He decided it would be a good opportunity to have a talk with Yan Jin. A big man should take initiative. Even the young lady had already taken the initiative! Yet, he was still so sullen!

The sweet fragrance of lotus seeds drifted over, and the curtains moved, revealing the cook with a basket full of cakes. After he carefully placed it on the table, he said, “Guests, you’ve waited for a long time. Please eat slowly.”

Shen Zhixian was already full, but the scent was too tempting, causing his fingers to move by themselves. Afterward, as he looked at the little cake, he couldn’t help but want to eat another piece.

As his chopsticks stretched out, he heard the chef asking Duan Yuan with some anticipation, “Guest, have you seen a boy named A’Lian?”

After he finished repeating the same remarks he’d made to Shen Zhixian earlier, Duan Yuan thought about it and then shook her head. “No.”

The chef sighed again with disappointment, took a few steps back and propped his hand on the table behind him. The candlelight didn’t shine well there, and his figure looked a little fuzzy. The outline of his body seemed to blend into the darkness.

Duan Ye looked at him for a while and suddenly said, “This town is a bit remote and there are few customers. You should look elsewhere.”

“Brother Chang is not in good health and cannot travel far.” This came from the youth who had served the meal earlier. He parted the curtains, walked out, and stood in front of the man, guarding him like a small, vigilant animal. Yet, there was a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

Duan Yuan murmured, “Ah,” but her eyes didn’t move away from Brother Chang. After a while, she said with regret, “I’ve never seen such a boy. If I see him later, I’ll tell him where you are.”

The words seemed to touch Brother Chang. He pushed the youth in front of him slightly to the side and took a big step forward.

“That’s good too,” he said excitedly, his speech sounding a little confused. “I’ve waited for him for so many years. He’s waited for me for so many years. It’s time for us to meet. It’s time to meet…”

His eyes gradually widened, as if he was remembering something. Thinking about A’Lian and forgetting the person in front of him, his steps seemed to float back toward the kitchen.

The youth who was pushed by him remained frozen. On his face was a hint of grievance. Biting his bottom lip, he stood tensely but didn’t say anything.

After a moment of silence, Shen Zhixian beckoned for the youth to come and collect payment. Duan Yuan thoughtfully retracted her gaze and asked, “Where is Brother Sui resting tonight?”

Regarding this question, Shen Zhixian was too hungry when they arrived, so he had wanted to find a place to eat first. As a result, they still hadn’t found an inn yet. In fact, he didn’t know if there were any inns with rooms available.

Noticing his expression, Duan Yuan immediately guessed the truth. She smiled. “This town is a bit small. I walked around and only saw one inn. Right now, there is still a vacant room. Brother Sui can go and take a look.”

……………………………..

Shen Zhixian had no options but to settle on the last room in the small inn where Duan Yuan was also staying.

He also had to share a room with Yan Jin once again.

Shen Zhixian sighed, thinking there was no helping it. The inn was just too small, with only seven to eight rooms. A few people who’d passed by earlier had rented up most of the rooms. As a result, the inn was nearly full.

Their room was directly across from Duan Yuan’s. The three bid farewell at the door and retreated to their respective rooms.

After shutting the door, Yan Jin sat down at the table. Shen Zhixian was too full and paced around in the room. These humble rooms were not soundproof and so he deliberately lowered his voice. “What do you think of this girl?”

Yan Jin’s mouth tightened. In his mind came Duan Yuan’s voice, saying “Brother.” He lowered his lashes.

Shortly after meeting and saying a few words together at a table, she was already saying “Brother Sui” with such intimacy.

Yan Jin quietly asked, “Does Sui Xian like her?”

The person was pretty good. Leaving aside the issue of the gentle shell, she was lively and well-behaved. These two factors made her quite suitable for Yan Jin. Shen Zhixian thought about it and then casually opened his mouth to say, “She’s okay. I think she’s pretty good.”

Yan Jin’s hands, which were resting on his knees, tightened.

Shen Zhixian went on to say, “You should also talk to her more. You being so taciturn might scare her away…”

Yan Jin jerked to his feet with a tense expression, abruptly interrupting Shen Zhixian’s words. “It’s getting late. Sui Xian should rest early.”

“Ai!” Shen Zhixian stopped, noticed that Yan Jin’s handsome face was tense, and nodded in understanding. Young people can be shy when encountering these things for the first time. He ended the topic by saying, “Okay. You already know the situation so be good.”

—Don’t know!

Yan Jin gritted his teeth and didn’t speak. For the first time in his life, he felt irritable and anxious. He couldn’t help but want to pull Shen Zhixian and leave immediately, getting as far away from that sound cultivator as possible so they wouldn’t have to see her again.

But Master….

His heart felt as if it’d been burned by a torch, forming blisters that throbbed hotly and painfully. He strode to the window, intending to open it and get some fresh air. Just as he was about to push open the window, a squeak sounded in his ears.

He and Shen Zhixian both looked in the direction of sound.

It was coming from Duan Yuan’s room, indicating that she’d opened her door.

Duan Yuan seemed to realize how loud the door was. After a pause, she stepped out and carefully closed the door again.

After another squeak came the sound of her light footsteps gradually fading away.

It was so late. Where was Duan Yuan going?

Although Shen Zhixian had no spiritual power, his ears and eyes remained as sharp as ever. Yan Jin didn’t have to mention it nor could Duan Yuan’s footsteps be concealed.

Shen Zhixian made a surprised sound and surmised, “Did she eat too much and couldn’t sleep so she went out for a walk?”

He walked next to Yan Jin and echoed his action, this time actually pushing open the window.

The moment the window opened, a cool breeze drifted in. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Yan Jin. “The moonlight is good, and Young Lady Duan may just be going for a walk.”

He thought for a moment and said encouragingly, “Why don’t you follow?”

A moonlit night encounter would be perfect!

Yan Jin lowered his head slightly. He was half a head taller than Shen Zhixian and, with one glance, he saw Shen Zhixian’s expression.

He was silent for a moment, wondering what Shen Zhixian was thinking. In the end, he turned around and pushed the door open to leave.

Shen Zhixian stood with one hand still holding the window frame. As he looked at Yan Jin’s retreating back, he smiled a little. Then, he retracted his hand and slowly walked to the bed. Sitting down, he sighed. “Ah, A’Jin has grown up…”

He leaned back against the bed frame and paused for a long moment. Without Yan Jin’s presence, the surrounding was suddenly too quiet. Loneliness nudged in, but he quickly assured himself that it was probably just the simple matter of “the cabbage raised at home is being enjoyed by another pig.”

The candle flickered in the lantern, and Shen Zhixian regained his senses. He remembered something and felt around in his storage bag. Finally, after turning it over, he pulled out a book.

It was the work of Qingyun Bai Xiaosheng, which he’d bought at a high price in the bookstore that day.

“Cohabitating with Master?” His depressed mood vanished. A faint sneer appeared on his lips as he softly said, “Let’s see which melon would be so bold that he dared pen this illicit thing…”

He read for a long time.

He must admit that this Qingyun Bai Xiaosheng had a lot of ability. This talent was buried deep in Qingyun Sect.

At the beginning, Shen Zhixian only read woodenly. But, his interest gradually became more and more intent as he read pages after pages.

Qingyun Bai Xiaosheng was not so bold after all. The protagonists in the book had pseudonyms. As Shen Zhixian read, he simply looked at it as if it was other people’s stories. The more he read, the more he became addicted and couldn’t extricate himself. It was to the point that he became almost like the person he’d meet at the inn that day, the one that had been sighing over the books.

What a beautiful master and apprentice relationship. Like a budding magnolia, this fragrance was faint and lingering. When it finally bloomed, who knew how warm it would be!

As he read pages after pages, Shen Zhixian began to yawn drowsily. It seemed that he’d already read nearly half of the book.

So lovely.

He decided to forgive Qingyun Bai Xiaosheng a little bit.

After a long time, Shen Zhixian looked at the door but Yan Jin hadn’t returned.

As drowsiness surged, he closed the book and his mind gradually began to drift into sleep. He was too tired to blow out the candle and, after pushing the book under his pillow, he quickly fell asleep.

Yan Jin came back in the middle of the night. Under the moonlight, he lightly jumped in from the window, afraid he might startle Shen Zhixian if he came through the door.

Shen Zhixian was already asleep.

Because Yan Jin was not there, his sleeping posture was not as proper as it’d been before. Yan Jin walked over to pull the comforter up to cover him better. He gently pulled his hand out and tucked it into the comforter.

Shen Zhixian rolled over.

As soon as he turned over, his head moved involuntarily, causing the pillow to shift. The book pressed underneath became partially exposed.

Yan Jin stopped for a moment. After saying “Master” and waiting for a long time, he carefully reached out.

And quietly pulled out the book.

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