Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 34

Chapter 34: Night Life

Rong Xie couldn’t figure out how the topic jumped from Dragon Veins to dual cultivation.

Fortunately, Shen Bingsi didn’t act immediately but waited patiently for his answer.

“But… we are outside right now. What if someone breaks in…” Rong Xie hesitated.

“No one will break in. I set up a barrier. Even if people outside press their ears to the door, they won’t see or hear anything,” Shen Bingsi said steadily. “If you’re worried, I can add another layer of Crimson Flame, making them unable to stand the heat as soon as they get close.”

“That won’t be necessary…”

“Also…” Rong Xie added, “This is someone else’s room, someone else’s bed.”

He didn’t spell it out, but the meaning was obvious.

Someone had slept in this bed before them, and someone would sleep in it after them.

The thought made Rong Xie uncomfortable all over. Except for sleeping, he didn’t want to do anything private in this bed.

Shen Bingsi patted the bedding. “These are our quilts, our pillows.”

“…” That was true.

“It even has your scent on it.”

Rong Xie’s ears steamed up again. What kind of terrible talk was this? Shen Bingsi was a proper cultivator of the Ruthless Path; why were his words even more frivolous than a protagonist in a third-rate novel?

Seeing Rong Xie fall silent, Shen Bingsi said, “Any other problems?”

Rong Xie closed his eyes briefly.

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He dared not say the real reason.

Shen Bingsi sighed.

“It’s okay,” Shen Bingsi pried open Rong Xie’s tense fingers and pulled the crumpled quilt from his hands. “We don’t have to do it today. Anyway, the one thing I have the most of is time.”

Rong Xie’s chest felt slightly warm.

He could sense that Shen Bingsi had prepared a lot for this dual cultivation, laying the groundwork for a long time—from sleeping in the same bed at Huanxue Villa to looking toward the future during sword flight, to investigating earth veins…

He knew he shouldn’t refuse. To refuse again would be ungrateful.

But having just experienced the Cui Xingmiao incident, he still had lingering fears. He was afraid that if they got any closer, Shen Bingsi would also draw a line of Unseen Sword Qi in front of his feet.

He hadn’t found a house yet. He didn’t know how to support himself after leaving. His small treasury wasn’t full enough. He didn’t even know how to exchange spirit stones for common banknotes.

He still… couldn’t leave Shen Bingsi.

“However, I still want to know why.” Shen Bingsi moved from behind Rong Xie and sat on the head of the bed beside him, leaning forward slightly, his gaze fixed on the side of Rong Xie’s face. “We were getting along fine. Why, these past two days, are you unwilling to let me touch you again?”

Shen Bingsi’s perception of romantic emotions was weak, but in other aspects, he was quite sharp.

He could feel that Rong Xie had retreated into his shell again these past two days.

“Maybe… I’ve been too tired these two days.” Rong Xie avoided Shen Bingsi’s gaze. “Let’s just sleep holding each other like before, okay? I want to rest a bit before… dual cultivating.”

Shen Bingsi gave an “Mn,” didn’t press Rong Xie further, pulled open the covers, and lay down first.

Only this time, he lay down with his back to Rong Xie.

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Rong Xie stared blankly at his back. The water from the bath hadn’t fully dried; it slid down along the bulging lines of his shoulder blades, flowing into the deep, long spinal groove. Further down, the waistline curved inward at an astonishing arc, narrowing. The corner of the quilt Rong Xie had just been crumpling was now draped over the hollow of his waist.

Having shared a bed with Shen Bingsi for so long, this was the first time Rong Xie had seen his naked back.

A sour sense of grievance rose up. Rong Xie thought, Didn’t we say we’d sleep holding each other like before? How can we… hold each other if he turns away?

Shen Bingsi was indeed angry.

Sitting quietly for a while, Rong Xie gently lifted a corner of the quilt and lay down behind Shen Bingsi.

In the shadow of his friend’s shoulder, Rong Xie kept his eyes open, staring unblinkingly at the center of his back.

His shoulders were so broad; even lying on his side, he was much taller than Rong Xie.

His skin was honey-colored, having weathered plenty of wind and sun during past training.

There was a tiny black mole next to his spinal groove. As its owner moved, the small mole sometimes hid in the shadow and sometimes revealed itself a little.

It made one really want to touch it…

Like a ghost at work, Rong Xie reached out his hand toward that small mole.

Just then, Shen Bingsi let out a nasal sound. His shoulder muscles contracted inward, and the small mole hid in the shadow of the spinal groove.

Rong Xie retracted his hand into the quilt.

Shen Bingsi turned over, facing Rong Xie again.

His eyes were wide open. His ink-jade pupils showed no trace of sleepiness. He hadn’t been sleeping at all just now; he was staring fixedly at Rong Xie.

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“Come here,” he said.

Rong Xie threw himself into Shen Bingsi’s arms again.

This time, he didn’t dawdle. He didn’t wait for Shen Bingsi to reach out and scoop him up. He actively approached Shen Bingsi and found a comfortable spot in his arms to nestle down.

Perhaps habits really do become second nature. Even though he felt shy looking from afar, up close and in direct contact, it felt like nothing.

Rong Xie rested his head where Shen Bingsi’s shoulder met his arm. Looking up, he could see the straight neck and the distinct Adam’s apple. After he leaned in, Shen Bingsi’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down once.

Rong Xie lowered his gaze, his vision filled with the ample curve, even seeing a faint light brown at the edge. The roots of his ears grew slightly hot, and he closed his eyes.

Shen Bingsi raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised to see his friend actively approaching and nestling into his arms.

Like a light and timid little bird that only approached specific people out of affection, the shoulder that could host its brief stay should feel utterly honored.

The pitch-black, thick crown of hair was right where he could see it by lowering his gaze. The snow-white forehead was round and smooth. The faint, gentle eyebrows and the distinctly countable long eyelashes flickered occasionally; he could sense the owner’s uneasy mood.

Shen Bingsi suppressed the urge to pull Rong Xie on top of himself and simply enjoyed the joy of his friend actively getting close to him in silence for a moment.

Then he spoke in a low nasal voice, his words intimate and broken, chatting aimlessly about the day’s leisure activities.

Both relaxed, and the atmosphere became harmonious again.

Shen Bingsi raised his arm and draped it over Rong Xie’s waist. Rong Xie was still dressed neatly. Shen Bingsi had touched that undershirt a hundred times if not fifty. He familiarly found the knot of the undershirt’s belt, rubbed his palm over it, and applied a little force to pull the person against himself.

However, in the next moment, he heard a very soft sob. The person in his arms stiffened, hands pressing against his chest, stubbornly maintaining that tiny bit of space between them as if putting up a desperate fight.

Even so, Shen Bingsi still sensed a change in his friend’s body.

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Blood circulation accelerated, skin surface temperature rose, the little heart beat like a drum, and a layer of light red piled up on that snow-white forehead like powder.

“Rong’er.” Shen Bingsi called his name.

He refused to look up to the death, and the hands pressing against Shen’s chest even clenched into fists with force.

Shen Bingsi wanted to tease him, but he sensed unusual tension and stiffness. The person in his arms hunched his shoulders, and even his breathing became obstructed.

To be nervous to this extent.

“Rong’er, this is nothing.” Shen Bingsi gently stroked his back to help him breathe. “Humans are born with five viscera and six bowels, four limbs and hundreds of bones; no part is useless.”

Rong Xie’s stiffness eased slightly, and the fists pressing against Shen Bingsi weren’t so forceful anymore, though his breathing was still fast, and he couldn’t speak.

“The body reacting shows you are very healthy. This is a good thing; why fight it?” Shen Bingsi’s voice was steady and powerful, carrying a convincing soothing power.

Rong Xie’s shoulders relaxed. After taking several deep breaths, he went limp in Shen Bingsi’s arms. Even his eyelids were dyed a rouge-like red, and his pale, thin lips became vivid.

He was languid, too lazy to even lift a finger.

Seeing such a scene, for some reason, Shen Bingsi’s heart felt like it was being scratched by a kitten. He wanted to hold his friend even tighter. He thought that he and his friend must have been one person in a previous life, forcibly split into two after reincarnation. Although split into two, they often wanted to be close; that was probably the inertia of the past life, wanting to become one again.

“Rong’er.” Shen Bingsi called him.

The person in his arms responded listlessly, “Hmm?”

Shen Bingsi wanted to tell him that dual cultivating like this probably wouldn’t work; he was too sensitive. However, this kind of thing was like holding hands or hugging; do it more, and it would get better.

“Sleep,” but when the words reached his lips, they changed. “We have to catch the gate opening to leave the city tomorrow.”

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“Mn…”

Rong Xie fell asleep very quickly.

He thought he would be greatly stimulated and break down for a long time before falling asleep, but that wasn’t the case. It was like soaking in a beautiful hot bath after a long trek; he melted onto the bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, he even woke up later than usual.

Outside the window, the sky was dim with dawn light, and the birds had been chirping for a while.

Rong Xie realized that if he didn’t get up, they might miss the first exit from the city, so he hurriedly struggled out of the bedding.

Then, he discovered that what trapped him wasn’t the bedding, but Shen Bingsi’s embrace.

The memories of last night crashed over him like a monstrous wave, catching Rong Xie off guard.

He burned all over with embarrassment and awkwardly felt downwards.

Fortunately, the hem of his undershirt was dry.

Wait, yesterday he clearly… did he…?

Rong Xie grasped the hem of his undershirt, confused for a long time, doubting whether he had dreamt it or if it really happened. He was just touched by Shen Bingsi, and then…

He still clearly remembered the feeling of his heart racing wildly. He thought his feelings could no longer be hidden and had been exposed so unexpectedly in such a way. He was so distressed he almost couldn’t breathe, thinking Shen Bingsi would immediately push him away, question him why this happened, and then award him a slash of Unseen Sword Qi.

But that didn’t happen. Shen Bingsi gently comforted him and said it was normal.

There were no strange looks, no violent accusations. Shen Bingsi accepted the matter naturally and even comforted Rong Xie in return, telling him not to overthink it, that it was a sign of health.

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At that moment, Rong Xie relaxed.

Having thoroughly unloaded the burden in his heart, he suddenly became incredibly drowsy, then sank into a deep sleep without even dreaming.

All memories came back clearly; this couldn’t be a dream.

The dry trousers could only be attributed to one possibility: after he fell asleep, Shen Bingsi changed them and cleaned him up.

Rong Xie felt his head weigh a thousand pounds; he couldn’t lift it at all.

Just then, a familiar light hum came from above his head. Shen Bingsi was awake.

After having breakfast at the Prosperous World Pavilion, the two took a carriage out of the Southeast Gate, heading all the way to Blue Plateau.

In a place like the capital, flying around on a flight talisman in broad daylight was still too conspicuous.

So, the two adopted the traditional mode of travel.

Fortunately, the imperial highway in the suburbs of the capital was built very flat, wide enough for three carriages to drive side by side. People sprinkled water on the road every day, making it much easier to travel on than ordinary roads.

Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi sat opposite each other in the carriage. By tacit agreement, neither mentioned what happened from last night to this morning.

When the sun rose to the zenith, the carriage arrived at the solemn and quiet Xiangji Temple.

Author’s Note: [Dog Head Emoji]