Gu Shi Does Not Understand, But He Is Greatly Shocked
After the dual cultivation ended, Feng Yingbai had already fallen asleep. Gu Shi sat by the bedside, astonished to find that Feng Yingbai’s complexion was no longer as rosy as before. Doubt arose in his heart: could dual cultivation be harmful to him? However, what was done was done, and overthinking was useless. Besides, this was not something he could control, so he might as well seize the opportunity to double down on his cultivation.
Gu Shi sat cross-legged right there, closing his eyes to absorb and refine the surrounding spiritual Qi. The spiritual Qi here was indeed abundant, thick like the all-encompassing morning mist in the mountains. But the moment he closed his eyes, his mind involuntarily recalled the seductive demeanor of Feng Yingbai wrapping his arms around his waist, a moment saying, “It tickles,” and another saying, “It feels so good.”
He looked less like a man and more like a spirit, making one’s blood run hot just thinking about it. These disobedient memories were far too annoying, making it impossible to calm his mind. Gu Shi frowned and opened his eyes, turning his head to look at Feng Yingbai sleeping sweetly on the bed. Even though he had done his best to tie his clothes neatly, that thin gauze covered practically nothing, leaving his curves fully exposed. If one leaned in close, even the patterns on his skin could be seen with absolute clarity.
What an absolute spirit.
Gu Shi endured and endured, barely holding back the impulse to drape a piece of clothing over him, but he could not stay in this place a moment longer. He strode toward the cave entrance. He didn’t walk far, instead sitting down right at the mouth of the cave. A cool breeze blew in from outside, finally lowering the heat inside Gu Shi’s head, and only then did he begin to cultivate.
After cultivating for an entire day, Gu Shi felt hungry in his stomach and finally stopped, taking a bowl of rice from his storage bag to eat. Just as he was eating, he suddenly heard movement coming from inside the cave. Gu Shi quickly put down his bowl and walked over.
Feng Yingbai had already woken up, but his complexion was still somewhat pale. Staring at the corner of Gu Shi’s mouth, he stood up, reached out, and brushed a grain of rice from the edge of his lips. “What is this?”
Looking at the glowing white grain of rice on his fingertip, Gu Shi lowered his head in bashful annoyance and hurried to cup his fists in salute. “Forgive this junior for letting Senior see a joke. This junior’s cultivation is shallow, and I have yet to achieve inedia.”
Feng Yingbai’s gaze drifted past him, landing on the bowl Gu Shi had casually left on the ground. With a flick of his finger, a wave of fiery red spiritual energy pulled the bowl over, causing it to land steadily in his hand. Looking at the food inside the bowl, he wore a curious expression. “I have seen this before. They eat it.”
Listening to his childlike words, Gu Shi could not figure out whether Feng Yingbai truly lacked worldly knowledge or was toying with him. On second thought, given Feng Yingbai’s cultivation level, there was really no need for him to toy with him.
“Senior’s cultivation is unfathomable, so naturally you would not eat such mortal snacks.”
Feng Yingbai pinched the chopsticks, intending to pick up some vegetables, but holding them tightly together like a sword, he could not pick anything up at all. He frowned. “I saw them holding it like this every time. Why is it not working?”
Seeing him like this, Gu Shi’s doubts grew even stronger. Being so oblivious to human affairs, could Feng Yingbai perhaps be a mountain spirit?
Gu Shi took out another pair of chopsticks from his storage bag and set an example for Feng Yingbai. “Senior, chopsticks should be held like this.”
Feng Yingbai looked up and imitated his grip on the chopsticks, successfully picking up a piece of leafy green. Seeing him about to bring it to his mouth, Gu Shi hurriedly stopped him. “Senior, that is what I have eaten. I have plenty of clean ones here.”
“Can something that has been eaten still not be eaten?” Feng Yingbai tilted his head and looked at him, his normally seductive phoenix eyes clear and bright, like a newborn child.
Gu Shi explained, “I have already eaten from it. It is dirty.”
Feng Yingbai pressed further. “Where is it dirty?”
In all his life, Gu Shi had never had to explain this kind of problem, especially to someone of high and mighty status. This gave Gu Shi a surreal, dizzying sensation, but he could only bite the bullet and explain. “It has saliva on it.”
Feng Yingbai became even more puzzled. “I ate a lot of your saliva. Am I dirty too?”
Such intimate words spoken so openly made Gu Shi’s face turn crimson on the spot. “Th. That is different.”
Feng Yingbai pursued the question: “How is it different? Are they not both your saliva?”
Gu Shi was so flustered he could barely lift his head, and he could only change the subject. “This does not taste very good. Senior, take a look at something else.” With that, he dumped out all the food from his storage bag in one go, spreading it all over the floor. Prepared by Wen Qingtang’s custom storage bag, all the food was piping hot and aromatic, just like it had just been taken off the stove.
The aroma of food filled the entire cave dwelling, instantly bringing the cold, lofty immortal abode down to the mortal realm.
Feng Yingbai’s eyes lit up. Full of high spirits, he leaped off the bed barefoot and circled around the plates of food. He tried to use chopsticks, but since he was clumsy at using them just after learning, he simply threw the chopsticks aside and used his hands.
Feng Yingbai picked up a lotus pastry. His slender, fair fingers were even prettier than the brightly colored lotus pastry itself. Not daring to look too closely, Gu Shi hurriedly lowered his gaze, staring only at Feng Yingbai’s jade-white toes.
Feng Yingbai took a bite, his eyes lighting up like shining stars. “So delicious.”
Gu Shi took over the conversation. “As long as Senior likes it.”
Feng Yingbai tasted every single dish, finding the various pastries to be his favorite, so Gu Shi left the pastries out and put the rest of the dishes back into the storage bag.
Sitting on the bed with a row of pastries laid out in front of him, Feng Yingbai slowly ate an osmanthus cake as he watched Gu Shi’s movements, asking with curiosity, “Did you not say it was dirty? Why are you packing it up again?”
It was another embarrassing remark. The heat on Gu Shi’s face surged up once more, and he bit the bullet to reply, “Senior is not dirty.”
Feng Yingbai looked thoughtful. “But you did not lick me.”
Gu Shi raised his head in shock, but the moment his gaze met Feng Yingbai’s, he quickly lowered it again. Even though he fancied himself thick-skinned, he had no idea how to respond to this.
Yet Feng Yingbai had no intention of dropping the subject. “Why did you stop talking? What are you keeping your head down for all this time?”
Gu Shi truly did not dare to look up at him. “This junior’s state of mind is unsteady, and I am afraid of offending Senior.”
Feng Yingbai narrowed his eyes. “You speak very poorly.”
Gu Shi’s heart beat wildly. He had been humble to this degree, and it was still poor?
Feng Yingbai continued, “Out of ten sentences, I do not understand eight. I told you to call me by my name, and you forgot that too.”
Gu Shi was stunned, but he still had to explain. “This junior did not forget. It is just that I would not dare to be presumptuous with Senior.”
Feng Yingbai slowly ate a mung bean cake. “That sentence is poorly spoken too.”
Gu Shi desperately wanted to say that this should be called difficult to understand, but he lacked the courage to say it right now.
“Senior’s instruction is correct.”
Ignoring him, Gu Shi brought up the real business. “Senior, this junior wishes to cultivate here for a period of time. I wonder if it would be convenient?”
Feng Yingbai asked him, “What do you mean?”
Gu Shi pressed his lips together and said it again, “I want to stay.”
Feng Yingbai gave a response, “Oh.”
Thinking to himself that this probably meant yes, Gu Shi cupped his fists in gratitude. “Many thanks, Senior. This junior will not disturb Senior any further.”
Feng Yingbai did not speak, so Gu Shi turned and walked toward the cave entrance. Behind him, Feng Yingbai asked a question: “Did you not want to stay? Where are you going?”
Gu Shi replied, “This junior is going to the cave entrance to cultivate.”
Without saying anything else, Gu Shi walked over on his own to the spot where he had just been meditating, sat down, and resumed his cultivation.
After some unknown amount of time, a scorching body pressed against Gu Shi’s back, and a pair of hands climbed up his neck. Gu Shi opened his eyes almost instantly and saw Feng Yingbai coming around from behind to sit in his lap. With fragrance filling the air, Gu Shi blushed all the way from his face down to the root of his neck, his wandering gaze refusing to meet his eyes.
“S. Senior.”
Feng Yingbai reached out and touched his face. “Do you have fire inside your body too?”
Gu Shi did not know how to answer. No matter what, he was still a normal man; being teased like this by a beauty, he would naturally have a reaction. “Does Senior need something?”
Feng Yingbai stated, “I am sick of eating those things you gave me. I want to eat something else.”
Gu Shi’s face turned even redder. The hands resting on his knees stiffened for a moment, and then he picked up Feng Yingbai in his arms, stood up, and walked toward the bed.
Feng Yingbai asked him, “Are you going to eat too?”
Gu Shi was slightly stunned, but then realized that what Feng Yingbai meant by wanting to eat something else might not be the kind of eating he had in mind, so he hurriedly asked, “What does Senior want to eat?”
Feng Yingbai replied with a deadpan expression, “Those things you packed away just now.”
Realizing he had misunderstood and feeling somewhat guilty, Gu Shi quickened his pace and placed Feng Yingbai onto the bed. “Alright, I will take them out right now.”
Gu Shi took the food out of the storage bag once more, watching as Feng Yingbai picked and chose what to eat. The previous pastries were already mostly gone, and Gu Shi knew he was probably already full and was just finding it novel.
Holding a bowl of white fungus soup and drinking it slowly, Feng Yingbai looked toward Gu Shi. “If you are hot, take off your clothes.”
Gu Shi shook his head. “Many thanks for Senior’s concern, but I am not hot.”
Feng Yingbai asked him, “If you are not hot, why is your face so red?”
Gu Shi’s wandering gaze accidentally glanced at Feng Yingbai. Remembering that he still had to stay here for a period of time, he finally mustered the courage to blurt out, “I. Senior, why do you not wear clothes?”
Feng Yingbai lowered his head to glance at his own attire. “Are these not clothes?” Then he looked back at Gu Shi. “They are different from yours, huh? I saw someone dressing like this, and it looked quite pretty, so I learned it.”
Gu Shi was far too curious. “Where did Senior see that?”
With a wave of Feng Yingbai’s hand, a pale white ball of light appeared in midair, beginning to project images like a movie: red candles and embroidered quilts, the character for double happiness pasted on the windows, the man completely naked while the woman wore only a single layer of thin gauze, consummating their marriage. The sound was intermittent, coming in fits and starts.
Gu Shi was shocked. “Th. Where did this come from?”
Seeing Gu Shi’s reaction, Feng Yingbai looked somewhat puzzled. “Is it not fun? I saw that they looked very comfortable, which is why I played with you.”
This statement was no different from a meteorite falling from the sky, nearly smashing Gu Shi’s brain to pieces. “Play? So you were never poisoned at all, and you just did it for fun?”
Feng Yingbai clearly did not understand his words. “How could I possibly be poisoned?”
Gu Shi’s gaze finally stopped wandering. Solemn and earnest, he stared at Feng Yingbai. Seeing not a shred of joking in his expression, he finally dared to believe that what he said was true, that he really had just done it for fun.
“Then what about the cracks all over your body?”
Feng Yingbai replied, “I could not hold down the array formation anymore, obviously.”
Gu Shi knitted his brows. “Dual cultivation held it down?”
Feng Yingbai shook his head. “No, it just felt too good, so I burned my origin source to forcefully suppress it.”
Gu Shi did not understand, but he was greatly shocked.