Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 68

Chapter 68: Talking at Cross Purposes

After returning to the Villa, Shen Bingsi immediately entered the meditation room for seclusion.

Using the usual method to cut off distracting thoughts in his Sea of Consciousness to restore the stability of his Dao Heart… this time, it didn’t go smoothly.

Shen Bingsi stayed in the meditation room for five days, but the effect wasn’t obvious. He could feel that only the thoughts in his Sea of Consciousness were forcibly cut off; the emotions underneath were still surging. If he didn’t find the root of the emotions and pull them up by the roots, he would face the problem of a shaken Dao Heart sooner or later.

“…”

Shen Bingsi knew his best choice now was to go to the Immortal-Worshipping Terrace to find Xue Baoshan and continue the long-term seclusion they had just started. But that way, he would be cut off from the world for too long, and who knew how many variables would occur in between.

He couldn’t go to the Immortal-Worshipping Terrace.

Thinking about it, Shen Bingsi decided to rely on himself. Cultivation was his own business. If he hid whenever he encountered something, what Heartless Path was he cultivating!

Thus, the scene of Shen Bingsi cutting grass to cultivate his mind in the middle of the night occurred.

Through his sorting, he found that he had reluctantly accepted the fact that Rong Xie liked him. What truly shook his Dao Heart wasn’t this, but that Rong Xie wanted to leave.

He didn’t dare to think, if Rong Xie really left, what would he do?

“Can’t let him leave,” Shen Bingsi whispered. “Must stop him.”

How to stop Rong Xie from leaving?

Tracing back to the source, Rong Xie wanted to leave because he was “possessed by the evil of liking him.” As long as he could drive this evil thought out of Rong Xie’s brain, Rong Xie wouldn’t leave, and the problem would be solved fundamentally.

But Shen Bingsi had already tried in the Shen family garden. It didn’t work. Rong Xie was deeply possessed and rejected his proposal to cultivate the Heartless Path’s Severing Thoughts.

Then he could only use force, using formations or other methods to control Rong Xie so he couldn’t leave the Huanxue Villa grounds. This was as easy as turning over his hand for Shen Bingsi. But was the result obtained this way really what he wanted?

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What he wanted was for his best friend to stay by his side willingly like before, living happily and relaxedly in Huanxue Villa, carefree and healthy. The daily repetitive days of the past had now become a luxury.

…

What if he granted Rong Xie’s wish?

If he granted Rong Xie’s wish, would he not leave?

Shen Bingsi began to seriously consider this possibility.

However, Shen Bingsi had no experience in liking someone or being liked. Even if he racked his brains, he couldn’t figure out what was going on.

During the time he spent daydreaming, his hands weren’t idle, shaving the grass in the back courtyard once over.

Early the next morning, smoke rose from the kitchen in the front courtyard. The three little ones got up to cook.

Shen Bingsi watched the straight smoke rise into mid-air and suddenly thought of a good idea.

He couldn’t figure out what liking was about, but someone could. Just walking around near the Red Fragrance Pavilion would allow him to hear useful news.

With a thought from Shen Bingsi, the Sheng Xie Sword lifted its head from the grass. With a flash of golden light, man and sword merged into one, heading straight for the Red Fragrance Pavilion.

However, maybe his luck was particularly bad today or something, but the little couples entering and leaving the Red Fragrance Pavilion didn’t say anything useful. They were either clingy or mushy, making the hair on Shen Bingsi’s back stand on end.

Having no other way, Shen Bingsi had to return to the Villa.

Unexpectedly, before entering the door, he heard the three little ones discussing Rong Xie’s departure while working.

“It seems Brother Rong is determined to leave.”

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“Eh, yeah… if Brother Rong leaves, what will we do?”

Shen Bingsi stopped and didn’t rush to push the door.

“What else can we do? Keep working. Brother Rong taught us so many things hoping we’d take good care of the Villa. We can’t fail Brother Rong’s trust,” Shen Yan said.

Standing in front of the door, hearing this, Shen Bingsi appreciated Shen Yan a bit more. Rong Xie’s judgment of people had always been accurate; Shen Yan indeed didn’t fail his appreciation.

“I think it’ll be tough. Usually, with Brother Rong mediating in between, our days were easier. If Brother Rong leaves, who will pass messages? Asking us to comprehend the Grand Villa Master’s meaning is simply as hard as ascending to heaven!” Long Shaoye complained. “I think we still have to find a way to keep Brother Rong.”

Shen Bingsi originally looked down on Long Shaoye, not only because of talent issues but also brain issues. Long Shaoye spoke without thinking and often made people angry. However, looking at it now, this was a straightforward frankness.

Yes, how to keep Rong Xie? This was also what he wanted to know. Shen Bingsi extended his spiritual consciousness a bit further, and the voices of the three little ones discussing reached his ears word for word.

“How do you say we keep him?” Shen Yan asked. “I see Brother Rong is determined to leave; he’s even looked at houses. I’m afraid it won’t be that easy to keep him.”

“That depends on who does the keeping,” Long Shaoye said with an air of profound wisdom. “You and I definitely can’t do it, but if Grand Villa Master Shen is willing to act, then it’s ninety percent certain.”

Shen Bingsi’s spirit lifted, and his ears perked up. This was exactly what he wanted to hear. He never expected that the answer he couldn’t find after circling outside was actually in his own home!

“Brother Rong wants to move away; the root lies with Grand Villa Master Shen.” Long Shaoye lowered his voice significantly, but it didn’t hinder Shen Bingsi from hearing clearly. “We’ve discussed it too. The conclusion is that Grand Villa Master Shen took Brother Rong out for a trip. Not only did they not have fun, but he also offended him severely. Brother Rong has always had a good temper and can tolerate anything. Even so, Grand Villa Master Shen still offended him. What does that show?”

“What does it show?” Shen Yan was puzzled.

“It shows an outbreak of long-accumulated grievances! At home, we didn’t feel it, but once outside, faults are everywhere. Encountering so many things on the road, accumulating them, wouldn’t one discover that Grand Villa Master Shen isn’t a good person?” Long Shaoye clapped his hands and spread them to the sides. “First, take Grand Villa Master Shen’s mouth. He speaks truly harshly. That time selecting Attendant Boys, do you remember what he said about you?”

“…” Of course Shen Yan remembered. Sometimes he would return to that scene in nightmares at night.

“…” Shen Bingsi thought Long Shaoye would offer some constructive suggestions. He didn’t expect this. It seemed he was too foolish to have expectations of Long Shaoye.

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Shen Bingsi spoke harshly depending on who it was and what the purpose was. To candidate Attendant Boys who had nothing to do with him, of course he said whatever he wanted. Observing their reactions under pressure was also part of the test.

To Rong Xie, he had never spoken harsh words. Rong Xie was originally a gentle and intelligent person; a slight hint and he would know the meaning. The two also had soul compatibility… oh, not anymore.

Shen Bingsi was disapproving when he heard Long Shaoye continue: “Last time, regarding the Grand Villa Master’s scandal with that whatever fairy, she admired him and was already emotionally fragile, caring very much about his thoughts. The result? He struck the ground with his sword, severing ties with her. We spent several days filling that sword scar together, moving the turf bit by bit. How ruthless was that? How hurtful? Tell me, if the same thing happened to Brother Rong, a gentle person like Brother Rong couldn’t stand it either.”

Shen Yan initially thought it made sense, but hearing the end, he couldn’t help frowning. “What ‘same thing happening to Brother Rong’? Brother Rong and the Villa Master aren’t in that kind of relationship.”

Shen Bingsi, however, felt the words were deafening. Long Shaoye’s unintentional words hit exactly on what happened on the Southern Island.

“Hey, wasn’t I just making an analogy? For example, Brother Rong goes out for a scenic tour, gets in the mood, and expresses a tiny bit of affection to the Grand Villa Master. Result? He hits exactly one of the Grand Villa Master’s eight hundred taboos. The Grand Villa Master suddenly has an episode and harshly criticizes Brother Rong…” Long Shaoye continued his analysis incessantly, unaware that every sentence accurately stabbed into the heart of the eavesdropper outside the door. After listening to this, Shen Bingsi actually broke out in a cold sweat!

“I don’t think that’s possible either. Brother Rong knows the Villa Master’s taboos best. How could he knowingly violate them?” Shen Yan was still judging this matter with common sense.

“That’s true too!” Long Shaoye agreed with Shen Yan. “I was just guessing randomly, haha, don’t take it seriously!”

Seeing that the three little ones stopped mentioning this matter, Shen Bingsi became anxious.

He pushed open the door with a bang and strode into the front courtyard.

The three little ones were startled, like small tits stared at by a suddenly lunging python. Their working movements froze. looking closely, one could discover slight trembling.

Shen Bingsi stared at Long Shaoye and went straight for him.

Long Shaoye’s face turned pale, thinking to himself: My life is over!

The anticipated flying sword piercing his heart didn’t appear. Shen Bingsi just walked up to him, stared at him for a while, and asked dryly, “You seem to understand a lot?”

“Villa Master Shen,” Shen Yan defended his best friend who was too scared to speak. “Shaoye spoke unintentionally. He always speaks without thinking. Villa Master Shen, you are magnanimous, please don’t hold it against him!”

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Shen Bingsi waved his hand, and Shen Yan felt an invisible wall of air blocking him. He couldn’t make a sound or move.

Although Fang Renji didn’t say anything, he received the same treatment.

Shen Bingsi left only Long Shaoye and asked again, “You seem to understand a lot?”

Long Shaoye had already prepared his own burial in his heart and said with a face like dead ashes, “Villa Master, this lowly one was wrong! This lowly one shouldn’t have spoken wildly…”

“No, I think what you said makes sense,” Shen Bingsi interrupted him impatiently. “Do you have rich experience in this area?”

Long Shaoye was blank. What area? Analyzing people? Was the Grand Villa Master speaking sincerely or sarcastically? Was he really asking him or digging a pit for him to jump in?

“I… don’t have much experience…” Long Shaoye stuck his neck out and said, “But if the Villa Master needs it, I can have it…”

Shen Yan, hearing Long Shaoye’s incoherent words, sweated for him.

Unexpectedly, Shen Bingsi didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with this answer. He reached out and patted Long Shaoye’s upper arm. “Good!”

Long Shaoye didn’t expect things to develop into survival from a desperate situation. The moody Grand Villa Master actually expressed appreciation for him directly. Could it be that his talent for analyzing worldly wisdom was finally discovered?!

Shen Bingsi paused and asked, “I’ll test you with a question first. I have a friend. He… someone liked him and told him, but because he cultivates the Heartless Path, he said to that person: ‘You’re possessed by evil!’ Was this sentence wrong?”

“…” The eyelids of the three little ones jumped simultaneously.

This… did the question even need asking?

This friend cultivating the Heartless Path is you, right!

The answer was obvious, but answering it required deliberation. Mainly because Shen Bingsi’s way of thinking was different from ordinary people. Answering truthfully might very likely anger him—Shen Yan thought so.

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“Of course it was wrong! Completely wrong!” Long Shaoye blurted out. “How can anyone answer someone else’s affection like that? Do you know how anxious one is when liking someone, how afraid of that person’s denial? It’s fine if you reject, but scolding them for being possessed is simply stabbing a knife into their heart!”

Shen Bingsi stared at Long Shaoye in astonishment. After a while, he said, “…My friend.”

“Right, this lowly one meant him too.” Long Shaoye hurriedly tried to patch it up.

“So, you think what he did was wrong? If he still wants to keep that person, what… should he do?” Shen Bingsi paused and asked somewhat difficultly.

“This is hard… but saying it’s hard, it’s not hard either.” Long Shaoye rubbed his chin—Shen Yan looked at the two with amazement, never expecting these two to converse so smoothly—Long Shaoye looked up and said confidently, “The key lies in whether that person still likes your friend.”

“Likes!” Shen Bingsi said immediately.

“Likes… then it’s not hard. It’s hard for people to resist the person they like. As long as that person isn’t seriously ill or causing too much pain, they will want to be with that person.”

“Then what… should my friend do?” Shen Bingsi asked humbly.

“That’s easy. First, formally apologize to them, admit his mistake, say he shouldn’t have spoken in such a hurtful way, and promise to change in the future. Then, show it through actions, like doing things for them—troublesome, trivial things, anything works, as long as it shows the sincerity of the apology. When they forgive your friend, then solemnly respond to their feelings. If he doesn’t want them to leave, say he will consider them carefully and hope they give him some time. This way, they will definitely follow your friend devotedly.”

“Really?” Shen Bingsi wasn’t sure. “But my friend cultivates the Heartless Path. He doesn’t know what to consider?”

“Consider—of course, consider whether to be with them!” Long Shaoye slapped his forehead. “Almost forgot, your friend cultivates the Heartless Path! Then it depends on what your friend wants. Does he want to keep that person, or explain clearly to them?”

“…” Shen Bingsi was silent for a while. “What else?”

“Also, actually the one who likes is the passive party. The person being liked has a huge advantage. As long as he is a bit gentler, neither agreeing nor rejecting, the person who likes him will be helpless, finding it hard to extricate themselves.” Long Shaoye said somewhat bitterly, recalling an unforgettable unrequited love when he was six years old.

“…”

The invisible air walls pressing on Shen Yan and Fang Renji disappeared. The two breathed a sigh of relief, able to move and speak freely again.

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However, they didn’t say anything, watching Shen Bingsi walk into the middle gate mumbling like a ghost.

Brother Rong clearly said the Grand Villa Master’s number one taboo was romance. But what happened just now? Shen Bingsi asked Long Shaoye for advice on romance.

What… was all this!

Time arrived on the day Rong Xie returned.