Shen Gurong was quite adept at taking care of children.
Xiwu was someone he had raised from a young age, so he felt that taking care of Shen Wanglan would be no problem at all.
Shen Wanglan: "Uncle! Uncle! What do you and Mother Mu do every night? Why won't Mother Mu let me see?"
Shen Gurong: "..."
"Uncle! Uncle! Mother Mu seems to have received another gift. What are those porcelain vases in those little compartments?"
Shen Gurong: "..."
"Uncle! Uncle..."
Shen Gurong, unable to bear it any longer: "Shen Wanglan, have you finished copying your books today? Have you practiced your sword techniques? Have you carved the array talismans that Mother Mu set up for you?"
Shen Wanglan: "..."
Shen Wanglan said aggrievedly, "Not, not yet."
Shen Gurong said, "If you haven't, then go copy, practice, and carve!"
Shen Wanglan ran away crying.
Shen Gurong rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on, thinking that the child was too difficult to take care of.
Mu Zhe, who was doing the hard work of copying ancient books for Shen Gurong, leaned forward and flattered him, "Master, wasn't I very well-behaved when I was little?"
"Yes," Shen Gurong glanced at him and said, "So well-behaved that you didn't even pay attention to me and secretly cursed me."
Mu Zhe: "..."
In Mu Zhe's view, his childhood misunderstanding that his master was a sinister sadist was a very shameful dark history, and he blushed whenever he mentioned it.
He coughed and said, "I was wrong."
Shen Gurong snorted: "Keep copying, don't stop."
Mu Zhe had no choice but to continue copying.
Shen Gurong rested his chin on his hand and pondered for a long time before suddenly suggesting, "Tonight I want to sleep with Wanglan."
Mu Zhe's hand veered off course, leaving a sharp mark on the paper, and he looked at Shen Gurong in astonishment.
Shen Gurong casually tapped the table: "You ruined one page? Give me ten more."
Mu Zhe hurriedly said, "Master, didn't we agree tonight..."
"Agreed what?" Shen Gurong glanced at him indifferently. "You just came back from Suihan City. Don't think I don't know you've stuffed a bunch of stuff into your storage ring again."
Mu Zhe: "But...but..."
Shen Gurong curled his lips and said lightly, "You'll be alone in your room then."
With that, he got up and left, leaving Mu Zhe alone, waiting anxiously.
Until his uncle was going to sleep with him, Shen Wanglan was overjoyed. He quickly finished copying the book and eagerly climbed into bed early, waiting for Shen Gurong to come.
After bathing, Shen Gurong got into bed carrying a storybook.
Having been in the Three Realms for so long, Shen Wanglan finally developed a good eye for beauty. Shen Gurong, dressed in red with white hair, was stunningly beautiful. His eyes lit up, and he immediately praised his uncle for being handsome.
Overjoyed by the praise, Shen Gurong pulled Shen Wanglan into his arms and began telling him stories from a tale book.
As far as he knew, telling children bedtime stories was very helpful for their development.
Shen Wanglan nestled in Shen Gurong's arms, his face full of curiosity as he looked at the strange things in the tales, marveling at them.
Reading to the child was incredibly rewarding, and Shen Gurong relaxed, soon drifting off to sleep along with Shen Wanglan.
When he awoke again, he didn't know why, but he was sitting in the courtyard of Fanjiang Residence, holding a bamboo scroll in his hand, surrounded by blooming evening mist flowers.
Shen Gurong was startled, wondering what was going on, when he saw a small figure run towards him and bump into him.
Looking down, Shen Gurong saw little Mu Zhe looking up at him expectantly.
Shen Gurong: "..."
Little Mu Zhe called out to him in a clear, crisp voice, "Master!"
Shen Gurong then realized he was dreaming. For some reason, the birthmark on Little Mu Zhe's face had disappeared, and his fair face was full of joyful smiles, showing none of the gloomy innocence of his childhood.
Shen Gurong hesitated for a moment before reaching out and pinching Mu Zhe's cheek, saying lightly, "Was it fun?"
Seeing he'd been exposed, Mu Zhe could only snuggle against Shen Gurong's chest, saying with a sour tone, "Master told Wanglan stories, you've never treated me like this when we were little."
Shen Gurong chuckled, "When we were little, you avoided me like the plague, how could I tell you stories?"
Mu Zhe tugged at his sleeve, looking at him expectantly, "Then Master, tell me now."
Shen Gurong looked at him strangely, not knowing his disciple had this kind of childhood fantasy.
Seeing his enthusiasm, he couldn't refuse, so he gently lifted him onto his lap and opened the bamboo scroll in his hand.
Mu Zhe sat on Shen Gurong's lap, his face flushed with shyness, but he endured it, leaning against Shen Gurong's chest, listening to Shen Gurong tell a story, fulfilling a childhood expectation.
The content on the bamboo scroll in Shen Gurong's hand was what he had told Shen Wanglan before bed, and he patiently repeated it again.
Shen Gurong had traveled through the Three Realms for many years, encountering almost everything and everyone, his experience far richer than that of younger generations like Mu Zhe. As he spoke, the topic somehow shifted to other things, recounting his experiences like a story, which was quite interesting.
Mu Zhe, who had initially been teasing him, unknowingly became engrossed in listening.
The stories were interesting, but they were all based on Shen Gurong's true experiences. Mu Zhe listened for a while, then felt a pang of sympathy. He didn't want to play the child anymore and try to gain that pointless pity, so he transformed into his original form and sat heavily on Shen Gurong's lap.
Shen Gurong was enthusiastically recounting the human-faced tree in the Gu Hong Secret Realm when he suddenly felt a weight on his leg, followed by a tall figure looming over him.
Shen Gurong… Shen Gurong was caught off guard, and his leg nearly broke.
Shen Gurong grabbed Mu Zhe's waist, barely managing to steady himself, and looked at him speechlessly.
Mu Zhe's cheeks flushed, and he whispered, "Master, from now on, wherever you go, please take me with you."
Shen Gurong pinched his waist playfully, "Where do I go without you now? You're like a little tail following me everywhere. How could I shake you off?"
Mu Zhe whispered, "You didn't take me to bed tonight."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong said, speechless, "Mu Zhe, have some shame."
Mu Zhe flipped over and pinned Shen Gurong to the stone table, leaning down to kiss him, smiling as he made a vow: "I will never let Master suffer even a little bit again..."
Before he could finish, Shen Gurong patted his back urgently, saying, "My waist, my waist is stuck on the corner of the table, it hurts, it hurts!"
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe's vow had barely faded before he himself caused his master to suffer.
Mu Zhe quickly picked him up, guiltily rubbing his lower back.
Hmm, this vow might as well start tomorrow.
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