Shen Gurong was terrified.
No matter how humiliated or frightened he had been before, he had never been this disheveled. This time, whether it was because he was a child easily moved to tears, or because he was completely unprepared to encounter his most fearsome demon, he was so frightened that his eyes reddened, and a few tears clung to his eyelashes, threatening to fall.
Su Xiyan was startled and quickly asked, "Eleven?"
Shen Gurong was still shaken; that uncontrollable scream had almost choked him. He coughed for a long time, clutching his throat, before the tears finally fell.
Su Xiyan gently patted his back to help him catch his breath. He glanced at the ice silk on the ground, roughly guessing what was inside, and sighed softly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Next time I'll go to Xianyun City and teach him a lesson."
Shen Gurong's heart was still pounding, his eyes misty and unfocused.
Su Xiyan comforted him for a while, and seeing that his breathing had finally calmed down, she handed him the ice silk he had previously worn.
Shen Gurong was terrified and desperately tried to shrink back, refusing to wear it.
Su Xiyan said, "This is yours, not Sixth Junior Brother's."
Shen Gurong still refused.
Seeing his pale face, Su Xiyan realized he was truly frightened and tenderly patted his head, "Okay, then we'll wear it in a few days, okay?"
Shen Gurong nodded.
Su Xiyan carried his trembling legs back to the bed, saying, "Then don't move around too much, I'll have Sanshui come and take care of you."
Shen Gurong was burrowing under the covers when he heard this and mumbled, "Mmm."
A moment after Su Xiyan left, footsteps finally sounded outside.
Shen Gurong lifted the corner of the blanket and glanced out, only to belatedly realize that everything was shrouded in a white mist, and he couldn't see anything at all.
The man entered the room and walked skillfully to the bedside, his footsteps light and deliberate.
Shen Gurong was startled. Sanshui was always decisive and efficient, his footsteps audible from miles away. Why had he changed his nature this time?
As he was lost in thought, Mu Zhe's voice came from beside him: "Master?"
A hand reached out and lifted the corner of the blanket above his head, revealing a small opening so he could breathe easily. Mu Zhe said softly, "Senior Brother Sanshui has gone down the mountain. Martial Uncle sent me here. Is there anything you need me to do, Master?"
Shen Gurong hesitated for a moment before whispering, "No, nothing. You... you can just sit here."
Mu Zhe was puzzled but obediently followed his instructions, bringing a stool to sit on the edge of the bed.
Shen Gurong peeked out, his eyes unfocused as he stared at him, as if afraid he would run away.
A four-year-old's eyes are usually at their clearest and brightest, but Shen Gurong's light pupils seemed veiled in dust, staring blankly into the void without a trace of light.
Mu Zhe had seen Shen Gurong without his ice-silk mask a few times before, but his imposing aura was so overwhelming that no one dared to look him in the eye.
This time, Mu Zhe was bolder, staring intently into Shen Gurong's eyes.
Shen Gurong's eyes were long and narrow, and traces of red from the earlier fright lingered at the corners, making him appear even more pitiful and helpless as he stared timidly into the void.
Mu Zhe thought, 'Master's spiritual power is boundless; how could anyone possibly harm his eyes? Even if they were, Sixth Uncle in Xianyun City should have countless ways to heal him.'
Shen Gurong had been forcing himself to keep his eyes open to look at Mu Zhe, and although all he could see was a moving mass of color, he could still find some semblance of security in him. He watched, and before he knew it, he was drowsy. But every time he closed his eyes, a scene of countless ferocious demons roaring and grotesque before him flashed before him, terrifying him so much that he immediately opened his eyes wide, too afraid to sleep any longer.
Mu Zhe watched for a long time, feeling a strange pang of heartache. He moved a stool closer to the bed, mustered his courage, and reached out to gently take Shen Gurong's small hand from under the covers.
Shen Gurong looked at him blankly.
Mu Zhe whispered, "I'll stay here and watch over Master."
For some reason, simply holding the hand of a six-year-old child, Shen Gurong suddenly felt inexplicably no longer afraid.
Shen Gurong held his hand tightly, buried half his face in the covers, and softly said, "Mmm."
This time, when he closed his eyes again, the roaring demons no longer appeared before him.
Shen Gurong slept for half a day. When he woke up again, it was already dark outside.
The room was dark, but the hand still gripped him tightly, as if it would never let go.
Shen Gurong groggily sat up, wrapped in the blanket, and instinctively groped around for a moment.
Mu Zhe, who was meditating with his eyes closed, immediately opened his eyes at Shen Gurong's movement, took out a neatly folded piece of ice silk from the side, and stuffed it into Shen Gurong's hand: "Master, ice silk."
Shen Gurong was still somewhat dazed, and was about to tie the ice silk to his eyes when he suddenly realized what was happening, immediately ripped the ice silk off, and threw it away.
Mu Zhe picked up the ice silk again: "Master?"
Shen Gurong patted his chest, his face pale: "I won't wear it..."
Mu Zhe had no choice but to say, "Alright, you won't wear it."
Shen Gurong paused for a moment, then glanced around at the darkness outside and asked, "What time is it now?"
"It's three-quarters of the hour of Xu (7:45 PM)."
Shen Gurong was stunned. He had slept for four hours?
Feeling Mu Zhe's hand still gently holding his, Shen Gurong felt a little embarrassed. Had he been holding the other's hand while sleeping?
He coughed lightly, released Mu Zhe's small hand, and whispered, "You...you should go back and rest."
Mu Zhe shook his head: "Martial Uncle said Master can't be left alone without the ice silk, so I'll stay here to take care of you."
Shen Gurong was still embarrassed.
Although he had been served by servants since childhood, he had never been cared for by such a young child before, and he inexplicably felt a sense of child abuse.
Shen Gurong told him to leave, but Mu Zhe still wouldn't go.
Finally, having no other choice, Shen Gurong couldn't let Mu Zhe remain sitting on that cold bench with him. He patted the bed and said, "Come on, get on."
Mu Zhe's legs were numb from sitting so long. Hearing this, he was stunned, unusually speechless: "What?"
Shen Gurong had been quite frightened that day and didn't really want Mu Zhe to leave, but he couldn't let a six-year-old sit on a cold bench all night to keep him company. Otherwise, tomorrow the whole of Liren Peak would be buzzing with rumors of Shen Feng Xue abusing Mu Zhe.
"Come to the bed," Shen Gurong repeated.
Mu Zhe was stunned for a long time before groggily taking off his outer robe and shoes, and Shen Gurong pulled him onto the bed by the hand.
Shen Gurong had always been afraid of the cold. Before he was ten, he often ran to his older brother's bed in the middle of the night to warm up. His brother was a gentle scholar who never got angry no matter how much he misbehaved, and would even warm his icy little feet in his lap.
Until Shen Gurong was twelve, his elder brother married a beautiful woman, and from then on, Shen Gurong was too ashamed to seek warmth from his brother.
Mu Zhe was burning hot, and after pulling him into the quilt, Shen Gurong couldn't help but press himself against him.
Mu Zhe came to his senses, his face full of embarrassment. He wanted to push him away but couldn't bring himself to do it, and could only stammer, "Mas...Master..."
The little master was so small that he barely took up any space next to Mu Zhe.
Since arriving in this world, Shen Gurong's hands and feet had always been icy cold when he slept. This was the first time he'd felt so warm. He sighed contentedly, his voice slightly nasal as he lazily said, "Hmm?"
Mu Zhe whispered, "You're too close."
Shen Gurong opened his eyes, looking at him blankly. "But I'm cold."
Mu Zhe: "..."
What could Mu Zhe say? He could only say, "Well, okay then."
Shen Gurong pressed closer again, gently rubbing his cheek against Mu Zhe's arm, like a little animal being affectionate.
Mu Zhe stiffened at the touch.
Shen Gurong was completely oblivious, nestled against this warm source, and soon drifted off to sleep comfortably.
Perhaps because he had finally warmed up for a while, Shen Gurong had a sweet dream this time.
In his dream, he trained Mu Zhe into a powerful Daoist master, and Yu Xinghe was spared from being possessed by a demonic cultivator. Shen Feng Xue thanked him and finally sent him home.
At home, everything was as before.
During the Lantern Festival, he played freely with his younger sister on the streets of Huitang City, and even bought two lanterns for his brother and his pregnant sister-in-law who couldn't leave the house.
A gentleman in a wide-sleeved blue robe sat by the river in Huitang City, playing a bamboo flute.
The lanterns were bright, and the gentleman's profile was like a work of jade.
After he finished playing, the girls releasing lanterns around him, their cheeks flushed, screamed silently.
Shen Gurong, holding his younger sister's hand, hurried over. The teacher tilted his head slightly and smiled at him, "Gurong."
Shen Gurong's eyes narrowed with laughter. "Teach me to play the bamboo flute again, sir."
The teacher's smile froze, as if recalling a painful memory. He coughed lightly and said gently, "The bamboo flute isn't something that can be learned overnight. Gurong needs more patience."
Shen Gurong leaned closer and whispered in the teacher's ear, "Every time you play the bamboo flute, all the girls look at you. I want the girls to look at me too."
The teacher paused, then chuckled.
Shen Gurong blushed at his laughter and muttered softly, "I mean it."
The teacher smiled and said, "Gurong."
Shen Gurong looked up slightly, "Hmm?"
The teacher, with his back to the river's lights, lowered his eyes and spoke softly.
"Have you finished copying your book today?"
Shen Gurong let out an "Ah," his eyes tightly closed, sweat beading on his forehead as he kicked his leg.
It started as a beautiful dream, but ended as a nightmare.
Mu Zhe was startled awake by his movement. Opening his eyes to the bright moonlight, he realized that Shen Gurong was already curled up in his arms.
Mu Zhe: "..."
Shen Gurong's small body was curled up in a ball, his knees pressed against Mu Zhe's lower abdomen for warmth, his face pressed tightly against Mu Zhe's neck, his arms wrapped around Mu Zhe's neck. Perhaps because of the nightmare, his hands were tightening, almost choking Mu Zhe.
Mu Zhe carefully tried to pull his hands away, but with every movement, Shen Gurong let out a soft, almost crying moan, making Mu Zhe afraid to exert any force.
Finally, Mu Zhe could only gently pat Shen Gurong's back, soothing him until he relaxed completely before finally managing to catch his breath.
Shen Gurong hugged him tightly, murmuring softly in his sleep, "Master... Master doesn't copy books."
Mu Zhe: "..."
He desperately wanted to know who his master's master was. Even after all these years, he still harbored the fear of being punished by his master to copy books; he even dreamed about it.
Shen Gurong continued to plead softly about not copying books. Mu Zhe sighed, patting his back and softly saying, "Okay, no copying today, go to sleep."
Shen Gurong frowned, seemingly considering the truth of his words.
"Master?"
Fearing his little master might suddenly wake up, Mu Zhe feigned composure, "Yes."
Fortunately, Shen Gurong didn't dwell on it. After his response, he finally settled down to sleep, his breathing soon becoming steady.
Mu Zhe finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The next morning, Shen Gurong was awakened by the morning bell. His eyes still blurry, he groped around, only to find that no one else was in bed.
At this time, Mu Zhe should have been going to his morning lessons.
Shen Gurong didn't want to wear the ice-silk robe, nor did he want to grope his way around like a blind man, so he comfortably stayed in bed and went back to sleep.
When Mu Zhe returned from his morning lessons, he saw his master arguing with himself.
"Young Master, get up."
"No lessons today, I'm not getting up."
"Get up."
"I'm not getting up."
"..."
This went on for who knows how long.
Mu Zhe: “…”
Fortunately, Mu Zhe had learned how to perfectly conceal his laughter when his master acted foolishly. He coughed lightly and knocked on the open door: “Master.”
Shen Gurong: “…”
Shen Gurong was completely awake and quickly sat up: “Come in.”
Mu Zhe stepped in.
Shen Gurong didn’t know how much Mu Zhe had overheard. He was a little embarrassed, his little feet curling up and then stretching out, wishing he could tear a hole in the bedsheet.
Mu Zhe pretended not to hear, went forward, wrung out a handkerchief, and walked to the bedside, saying, “Master, wipe your face first.”
Shen Gurong was extremely embarrassed, fumbled for the handkerchief, wiped his face haphazardly, and handed it back.
Mu Zhe sat on the edge of the bed and said softly, “Master, I’m sorry for the offense.”
Shen Gurong was a little confused. What offense?
As he was thinking, he felt Mu Zhe gently wipe the corners of his eyes with a warm handkerchief, as if wiping away yesterday's tear stains.
Shen Gurong: "..."
Let me die!
Mu Zhe almost laughed out loud.
After wiping, he took out a set of bright red clothes, intending to give them to Shen Gurong.
Shen Gurong finally couldn't bear the embarrassment any longer. He pushed Mu Zhe's hand away and said awkwardly, "The ice silk...give it to me."
Mu Zhe seemed somewhat disappointed, but still took the neatly arranged ice silk from the side and gently tied it over his little master's eyes.
Once he could see again, Shen Gurong forgot his fear from yesterday. He coughed, trying to regain his master's dignity, and said, "You can go out now. I'll change myself."
Mu Zhe nodded in agreement and turned to leave.
The moment the door closed, Shen Gurong immediately sprawled on the bed, rolling around in a panic, his face flushed.
"You're a complete blockhead!"
"If you die, you'll die a shameful death!"
Mu Zhe, who heard everything clearly outside the door: "..."
Pfft.
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