For Shen Muzhi, You Siqi's words were clearly the best help, nothing else.
As long as he learned diligently and mastered it, he could try when he returned.
This was a promise he hadn't dared to dream of.
Now that he had obtained it so easily, if he gave up this opportunity, he would be an utter fool.
He turned the book back to the first page and began to study it word by word.
He had never studied anything this seriously in his life.
Even when he first joined the sect and learned the basic medicinal recipes, he relied on his photographic memory, skimming through them quickly. He never pondered the depth of each word like he was doing now.
Now, by calming himself and studying diligently, Shen Muzhi discovered that the saying "there is gold in books" was indeed true. For instance, in this book he was currently reading, the content and the movements described were things he had never considered before.
His diligence, in You Siqi's eyes, was extremely bizarre.
Who would study such a suggestive book word by word? What kind of cultivation manual was this? It was just simple incantations with diagrams. He had seen those diagrams passed around by classmates in middle school. There hadn't been much innovation from ancient times to the present. Was it necessary to study it so seriously?
You Siqi's mind was filled with complaints, but he didn't voice a single one.
After all, Shen Muzhi was studying with such earnestness.
He felt that if he said anything inappropriate from the side, it would tarnish Shen Muzhi's sincere desire to learn.
Time ticked by in this strange atmosphere. After flipping through half the manual, You Siqi finally couldn't stand it. He said, "I think what's taught in the first half is enough, don't you think?"
Shen Muzhi paused.
After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "If I feel it's not enough when I try, adding more learning at the last minute might disrupt the mood."
He spoke very seriously, his fingers continuing to turn the pages.
You Siqi's scalp tingled. He reached out and held Shen Muzhi's hand, saying nervously, "You've already learned over a dozen moves. What's not enough? Didn't you promise to be gentle? Is this what you call gentle?"
His eyes were wide, like a startled little rabbit.
The two were so close that Shen Muzhi, finding the sight delightful, couldn't help himself. He reached out, cupped You Siqi's head, and kissed his lips.
Shen Muzhi's initial movements were gentle.
He was afraid the other person wouldn't like his touch, so he was tentative and didn't dare to be too wild.
But after a while, realizing that You Siqi had no intention of stopping him, Shen Muzhi grew bolder and deepened the hard-won kiss.
This time was different. You Siqi seemed to have truly convinced himself, acting exceptionally well-behaved, showing no resistance at all. At the height of their passion, he even reached out with his hands, wrapped them around Shen Muzhi's neck, and drew himself closer into Shen Muzhi's embrace.
The kiss lasted for a long time. When they finally parted, both could feel the atmosphere between them becoming more intimate.
The light in Shen Muzhi's eyes dimmed slightly, and his voice became hoarse as he spoke. "Siqi, do you feel it?"
Holding each other so tightly, of course, he felt it.
But it wasn't just Shen Muzhi who had changed; he himself was the same.
Yet, when he looked at Shen Muzhi, You Siqi still felt a surge of uncontrollable panic. He said, "I..."
"I know, I won't scare you," Shen Muzhi smiled, stroking his head, kissing his lips again, and then extending his long, beautiful fingers. He said, "Use this. I've already learned it all. Don't worry."