Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 12

Chapter 12: Touring the Villa

In the flower hall.

Rong Xie stood behind a small painted screen, brewing tea. The aroma of herbal tea permeated the air.

He couldn’t help but think that the current Cui Xingmiao was very different from her future self. It wasn’t about her facial features, but her temperament.

The future Cui Xingmiao, with her fluttering white clothes and detached aura, looked like a Guanyin Bodhisattva untouched by worldly dust, clearly a cultivator of extremely high realm.

Because she was so detached, Rong Xie found it hard to imagine what she was like when she was with Shen Bingsi.

Now, he had a reference for that imagination.

The quirky young girl patted a bunch of wildflowers into the young man’s arms beside her, with a light smile on her face, talking to him without looking back. There seemed to be a relaxed understanding between the two that no one else could penetrate.

Rong Xie’s fingers tightened around the handle of the teapot. He should be happy for his best friend. Traveling the Jianghu and making a lifelong companion so early was truly fortunate.

But for some reason, he just couldn’t feel happy.

This depressed mood had lasted for three days. From the moment he heard the name “Fairy Xingmiao,” until she actually appeared before him, Rong Xie’s heart had been in turmoil, forcing him to divert his attention by busily preparing for the guest’s arrival.

“Hiss.” Rong Xie felt a sting on his hand holding the teacup and realized the hot tea had overflowed. He hurriedly cast a spell to wipe the water off the cup and the table, then carried three cups of hot tea on a tray into the flower hall, serving tea to Shen Bingsi and Cui Xingmiao.

The flower hall was quiet. Neither Shen Bingsi nor Cui Xingmiao had spoken since just now. Rong Xie didn’t notice anything wrong, as he was preoccupied with his own thoughts.

In fact, Cui Xingmiao and Shen Bingsi had just exchanged brief physical communication. Though not very friendly, they conveyed their meanings to each other.

Shen Bingsi had added a condition at the last minute, forbidding Cui Xingmiao from touching Rong Xie unnecessarily. Cui Xingmiao found this hilarious, thinking that when she checked his pulse later, she would have to touch Shen Bingsi’s “forbidden treasure” all over.

“Steward Rong, there’s no need to be so polite. I’ll pour the tea myself… Mm, what kind of tea is this? It smells so fragrant!” Cui Xingmiao held up the teacup, instantly filled with a refreshing herbal scent.

“Careful, it’s hot,” Rong Xie smiled.

“Mm, why don’t you tell me about the origin of this tea, Steward Rong? It looks like flower tea,” Cui Xingmiao asked, looking at the small petals floating in the tea.

“It’s a herbal tea blend of Spirit Cage Grass and Jasmine,” Rong Xie stated the recipe directly.

Cui Xingmiao waited for the tea to cool slightly, then eagerly took a sip. Her brows relaxed, and a look of surprise and joy appeared on her face: “This taste is amazing! Steward Rong, you’re incredible. How did you know Spirit Cage Grass and Jasmine could create such a wonderful flavor!”

“Miss Cui is skilled in herbs. Since you like this taste, you would have come up with it sooner or later,” Rong Xie smiled, but sighed inwardly.

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Because this recipe came directly from the comments section of “Offering the Dragon Aotian to the World” in his dream.

Rong Xie had glanced at it back then and saw a reader named “Fairy’s Running Dog” had compiled a list of Fairy Xingmiao’s preferences, one of which was this Spirit Cage Grass and Jasmine herbal tea.

There was no other tea house in the world that could blend such a flavor yet, because this was a herbal tea Cui Xingmiao would create based on her own taste sometime in the future.

When he first heard “Fairy Xingmiao is coming to visit Huanxue Villa”, Rong Xie had to use all his strength just to remain standing. He responded to the contact with great restraint, and only after the golden light on the jade faded did he slowly crouch down, supporting himself against the wall.

Just as Rong Xie decided to work hard on cultivation and treat the dream as the Sky Mirror’s urging for Shen Bingsi, reality ruthlessly slapped him in the face.

Why, why did Shen Bingsi, who never brought people home, bring someone home this time?

And why did it have to be Fairy Xingmiao? The most transcendent of Shen Bingsi’s confidantes, the one who occupied the most significant part of his magnificent life.

During the fifteen days Rong Xie worried about whether Shen Bingsi would encounter danger after leaving in anger, Shen Bingsi was with Fairy Xingmiao, having a happy time, too lazy to even answer his calls.

Rong Xie drifted like a ghost from the study to the bedroom, then from the bedroom to the study, not knowing what he was doing or what to do next… until the two high-ranking disciples arrived to take back the livestock, knocking on the main gate’s barrier.

After three days of busy preparation, Rong Xie felt he had calmed down.

But he couldn’t help but masochistically brew the recipe from his dream, wanting to verify if even such future details were exactly the same.

“Steward Rong?” An ethereal, clear female voice came from beside his ear. Rong Xie snapped back to reality, meeting a pair of curious eyes.

“Hm?”

“How did Steward Rong know I am skilled in herbs?” Cui Xingmiao tilted her head curiously.

“Uh…” Rong Xie instantly became nervous. Hadn’t Cui Xingmiao mentioned she was skilled in herbs? Sure enough, he shouldn’t speak carelessly about things from his dream. Fortunately, he was quick-witted. “Because the Second Young Master said you are a medical cultivator, so I guessed… you must also be skilled in herbs.”

“I see,” Cui Xingmiao glanced at Shen Bingsi with a smile. “I thought he talked about me in private too.”

Shen Bingsi returned a baffled look to Cui Xingmiao.

Watching their secret interaction, that subtle sourness welled up in Rong Xie’s heart again.

After tasting the tea and chatting briefly about daily life at Huanxue Villa, Cui Xingmiao suddenly felt inclined to talk about when she and Shen Bingsi met in the Dragon Cave. They each had a different alias and, despite recognizing each other, pretended to be strangers, which was hilarious.

Cui Xingmiao laughed until tears came to her eyes, frequently looking at Shen Bingsi, then turned to tell Rong Xie that it was the first time she saw him back then.

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“Hearing about someone is not as good as meeting them,” Cui Xingmiao laughed. “Shen Bingsi always mentions his best friend, how learned and talented he is, how reliable. I thought he would be a bookworm, but I didn’t expect such a considerate beauty.”

“Is that so?” Rong Xie thought. So that’s how Shen Bingsi evaluated him to others. It was a very normal evaluation, one Shen Bingsi would give to a best friend. “Your life outside sounds very exciting.”

“It is indeed very interesting! Actually, I’ve always been curious why Shen Bingsi doesn’t take you out. You know so many things; deciphering ancient texts is as easy as eating and drinking for you. If you came with our expedition team, we would treat you like a treasure.” Cui Xingmiao looked back at Shen Bingsi again, as if seeking his opinion.

Shen Bingsi… indeed had never mentioned taking Rong Xie out.

The adventurous life outside remained only in the stories told during their bedside chats after each return, and in the batches of antiques and heavenly treasures he brought back. When Rong Xie organized these “specialties” Shen Bingsi brought back, he couldn’t help but imagine what the places they came from were like.

It wasn’t until the last Same-Heart transmission that Rong Xie saw such a huge Dragon Cave for the first time, the dusty expedition team, and the mysterious cave revealed behind the stone door… wondering what was inside.

“That’s because… my magical power is low, I can’t be of much help, and I might hold everyone back,” Rong Xie explained himself. “Besides, I don’t like going out myself.”

“Oh, is that so,” Cui Xingmiao expressed slight regret. “But Huanxue Villa is indeed very nice. If I had such a villa, I wouldn’t want to go out either. By the way, Steward Rong, can you show me around the villa?”

Rong Xie breathed a slight sigh of relief: “Of course.”

Although it was said that Rong Xie was showing her around, it was actually Cui Xingmiao looking around, stopping to ask Rong Xie whenever she encountered something curious.

The villa was kept spotless and orderly by Rong Xie, and the flowers and trees in the courtyard were trimmed just right. Cui Xingmiao praised everything she saw.

Walking along, Cui Xingmiao turned into a small courtyard. Beneath the eaves, drooping crabapple trees were planted, like a floral tassel curtain, half-concealing two wooden doors facing each other.

“Oh, this porch setup is interesting. What is this place?” Cui Xingmiao lightly hopped up the steps, looking left and right.

“This is… the bedroom.” Rong Xie felt slightly awkward. Although Jianghu people were more uninhibited, visiting a member of the opposite sex’s bedroom felt a bit inappropriate.

His reminder had an effect. Cui Xingmiao didn’t go further, turning around and hopping down the steps with her hands behind her back, laughing: “Then I won’t visit. But you two actually sleep in separate rooms?”

“Ah…?” Rong Xie was caught off guard by the question.

“I thought you would emulate those famous figures of old, eating at the same table and sleeping in the same bed as your best friend.” Cui Xingmiao smiled meaningfully.

“…” Rong Xie’s ears grew slightly warm, and he subconsciously denied it. “Resting separately is better.”

“So you’re saying sleeping together means not resting well?” Cui Xingmiao suddenly leaned in and whispered in Rong Xie’s ear.

Rong Xie jumped in fright, realizing he seemed to have said something with a huge loophole. His body went cold halfway down. By the time he recovered, Cui Xingmiao had already walked away giggling.

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Rong Xie couldn’t help but glance worriedly at Shen Bingsi.

Shen Bingsi frowned the entire time, not saying a word, and looked at Cui Xingmiao with a strange expression. Rong Xie felt he might have misunderstood; it looked like… watching someone having a fit of hysteria?

Maybe people outside who were close looked at each other like that.

Coming out from the backyard, along a small path, the three arrived at the front courtyard.

“I saw it just now,” Cui Xingmiao looked up at the tall Dragon-Coiled Weeping Plum Tree in the courtyard, exclaiming, “Too magnificent.”

Although the blooming season had passed, one could still glimpse the grandeur of the time from the remaining flower branches.

“Living in a place like this, what kind of celestial life is this!” She stretched her arms, relaxing her body comfortably. Suddenly, a fragrance wafted past her nose, and Cui Xingmiao perked up. “What is this smell? Is there a food shop outside?”

Rong Xie replied: “The kitchen is just ahead. If Miss Cui is hungry, please sit in the courtyard for a moment.”

“It’s the kitchen.” Cui Xingmiao showed a slightly troubled expression.

“Does Miss Cui not want to eat here?” Rong Xie asked. “Eating in the flower hall is also fine.”

“Ah… no.” Although Cui Xingmiao had a good impression of Rong Xie, looking at his frail appearance and his scallion-like fingers, he didn’t look like someone who could cook. Even if he was ingenious, preparing a large banquet would probably be very difficult. That required hard skills. Which head chef wasn’t burly and strong, wielding an iron wok like spinning a handkerchief? It just didn’t look like something the clean-clothed, elegant young man before her could do.

Someone who couldn’t cook forcing themselves to do so was possible, but the people eating would suffer. To make matters worse, before coming, Shen Bingsi had instructed her to eat as much as possible and finish it, regardless of whether it suited her taste or not.

“…” Thinking of this task, Cui Xingmiao felt immense pressure. “I’m not too hungry right now, maybe eat later?”

Before she finished speaking, her stomach growled loudly.

The atmosphere became awkward.

“It’s already three quarters past Wu hour (11:45 AM), time for a meal.” Rong Xie didn’t know what Cui Xingmiao was worried about but still gave her an out.

“Then… alright, right there!” Cui Xingmiao pointed at the stone table under the weeping plum tree.

Rong Xie went into the kitchen. Shen Bingsi wanted to follow him in but was grabbed by the hem of his outer robe by Cui Xingmiao.

“Where are you going?” Cui Xingmiao asked Shen Bingsi in a suppressed voice. “Private communication is forbidden.”

“How long are you going to play? Hurry up and check his pulse after eating, then leave.” Shen Bingsi had been holding back from talking to Rong Xie. Seeing Rong Xie’s pale face and floating walk, he was about to explode. Now he finally caught a chance to vent his anger at Cui Xingmiao.

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“Cough cough…” Actually, Cui Xingmiao also felt a bit unbearable, but she had her reasons for doing so. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a big problem with Rong Xie.

While the atmosphere was tense, Cui Xingmiao suddenly looked up: “Steward Rong, what is this? It smells so good!”