When You Siqi first heard Shen Muzhi's arrangement, he thought it was quite good.
Leaning in the other's arms, he could use the other's firm chest muscles as a backrest. His hands were free, and someone would help him turn the pages. He only needed to look and learn. Was there anything more comfortable than this?
Naturally, there wasn't.
So You Siqi agreed to Shen Muzhi's arrangement without much struggle.
However, after a while, when he realized what this position actually entailed, You Siqi began to regret it.
How was he using Shen Muzhi as a backrest? It was clearly the other person completely encircling him in his arms!
Moreover, the two were so close in this position that he could clearly hear Shen Muzhi's heartbeat and breathing.
The ambiguous atmosphere reached a new peak. How could he possibly learn anything like this?!
No, he could still learn.
Take the book they were looking at now, for instance.
As for the cultivation techniques, incantations, and circulation of energy, You Siqi skimmed through them, remembering nothing. But he clearly remembered the postures and movements in the illustrations. After just a few pages, You Siqi found his own breathing starting to become erratic.
But unlike him, under his careful observation, Shen Muzhi's breathing and heartbeat were both remarkably steady, as if he were completely unfazed by the situation, remaining calm and composed.
This was exactly the state he had wanted.
Yet, realizing he was the only one blushing and with a racing heart, You Siqi felt a pang of annoyance.
Didn't Shen Muzhi say he liked him very much?
If he liked him so much, and was holding him in his arms, and they were this close, and looking at such a book, why could he remain so unmoved?
You Siqi never believed in "sitting by the river and not being tempted" in this world.
If one truly remained unmoved, it was merely a sign of not caring.
Because there was no emotion, no interest, it didn't matter how close they were. This was the true meaning of remaining unmoved. So what was Shen Muzhi's situation now?
You Siqi bit his lip, suddenly feeling a little angry.
He glanced back at the man leaning on his shoulder and asked, "Muzhi, you..."
The words reached his lips, but You Siqi didn't know how to ask. If he truly asked, it would feel like he was admitting defeat, which was incredibly embarrassing.
Seeing Shen Muzhi look at him, their distance closed even further. You Siqi couldn't hold back and changed to a more indirect approach: "Um... those things we just looked at, did you remember them all?"
Shen Muzhi blinked.
Did this require a pop quiz?
He suddenly felt a surge of panic. After a long hesitation, he truthfully replied, "Actually, I didn't dare to open my eyes, so I didn't see anything..."
You Siqi: ...
Didn't you suggest we read together? If you don't open your eyes, what are you looking at? Loneliness?
A lump formed in his chest, and You Siqi was utterly bewildered.
Afraid of angering the other, Shen Muzhi quickly explained, "You can't blame me for this. It's like this... This is the first time you've been willing to sit in my arms, with us this close, and you're letting me hold you. If I had done anything disrespectful, who knows if there would be a next time? So... so I didn't dare to look at the book. I closed my eyes and recited the Sutra of Purity, thinking that if I didn't show it, perhaps next time it would be like this again. Anyway, I can secretly learn the content of the book myself, but opportunities to hold you are truly too few..."
By the end of his explanation, Shen Muzhi's face was completely red.
The Sutra of Purity he had been silently reciting stopped, and his heart, which he could control well, immediately lost its rhythm.
You Siqi leaned against him, listening to the speed of his heartbeat.
After a moment, he suddenly started to laugh.
See, Shen Muzhi's heart was beating just as fast as his.
So it wasn't just him who was moved, and it had never been just him who was in love.
Perhaps this was what it felt like to be in love?
Unable to control the smile on his lips, and seizing the opportune moment, You Siqi turned his head and quickly kissed Shen Muzhi's cheek. He said, "This time, you open your eyes, and we'll properly look. If you learn it, we'll try it when we get back. I promise, I won't lie."