Hearing Lu Wuming’s question, Liu Buli froze for a moment.
He realized that he had, unknowingly, fallen into a trap.
A trap his young disciple had specifically set for him.
Opening his mouth, Liu Buli’s cheeks flushed.
You Siqi snorted, feeling he had won this spar. He lifted his chin and said, “Daoist Liu, you shouldn’t be shipping me next time. Look at yourself, this is far more than a mutual crush, much more intense than mine.”
Liu Buli was rendered speechless by his words. He glanced back at Lu Wuming beside him, opening his mouth as if to explain that things were not as they perceived.
But his gaze met Lu Wuming’s.
He clearly saw the fervent gaze in the young man’s eyes, an emotion bordering on madness, which indeed seemed to be the “mutual crush” You Siqi spoke of.
Could it be…
Had his education truly been problematic?
Liu Buli felt a surge of panic.
Seeing their state, Shen Muzhiye, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke. With great tact, he smiled and said, “Daoist Liu, perhaps you could arrange a room for Siqi and me first? I’ll think about how to handle this over the next few days. Once I have a method, I’ll tell you, and then we can proceed to the next step together?”
Liu Buli nodded slightly.
This was, in fact, his own thought.
But the timing Shen Muzhi mentioned was incredibly awkward. If he arranged accommodation for them now and they left his courtyard, wouldn’t that mean he and Lu Wuming would be left alone, making the atmosphere even more awkward than before?
However, Shen Muzhi and You Siqi acted as if on cue. Seeing Liu Buli nod, they immediately stood up, preparing to leave.
Liu Buli pressed his temples. After a moment’s thought, he reminded Shen Muzhi, “Physician Shen, it’s certainly fine for you to stay with me. However, it would be best if you concealed your appearance. The entire cultivation world is currently looking for you, and everyone in our Dan Sect knows about it. I can guarantee that I won’t expose your presence, but I cannot guarantee that every one of my subordinates is loyal to me and obeys my command. Therefore…”
“I understand. To prevent me from being reported by others, I’ll need to disguise myself as well,” Shen Muzhi smiled. He raised his hand and wiped his face. When his palm was lowered, his appearance had completely changed.
This was a secret technique from Medicine Master Valley.
It had been mentioned a few times in the novel, so Liu Buli wasn’t overly surprised.
Unless one’s cultivation was higher than Shen Muzhi’s, they wouldn’t be able to detect his disguise. With most of the experts in the Dan Sect having been dealt with by Lu Wuming, Liu Buli felt completely at ease, not believing anyone would discover Shen Muzhi’s predicament.
Introducing them as distant relatives, Liu Buli arranged guest rooms for them.
Upon discovering that they were to share a single room, You Siqi immediately became displeased. Frowning and stomping his feet, he exclaimed, “Liu Buli, this is too much! Your Dan Sect has so many guest rooms, what do you mean by putting us both in one? I…”
He was interrupted by Shen Muzhi placing a hand on his shoulder.
Looking back at him with a hint of confusion, Shen Muzhi, with a calm and unruffled expression, explained, “Siqi, you’ve misunderstood Daoist Liu on this matter.”
You Siqi blinked.
He had misunderstood Liu Buli?
Wasn’t this guy simply trying to set them up so he could ship their romance?
However, seeing Shen Muzhi’s earnest expression, You Siqi inexplicably felt that he might be thinking too cynically. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Muzhi, if you say I’ve misunderstood him, then what’s the deeper meaning behind his arrangement?”
“There naturally is,” Shen Muzhi nodded, gently stroking You Siqi’s head as if comforting a kitten. He smiled softly and said, “Although we should be safe here and unlikely to be discovered, if someone were to sense something amiss, you would be the most vulnerable. By controlling you, they could threaten me. So, it’s better to eliminate this potential threat from the start. By living together, I can protect you at all times, don’t you agree?”
You Siqi blinked.
He felt that it did make sense.
Besides, Shen Muzhi was a straight man, a righteous and generous straight man with a strong protective instinct.
Therefore, he didn’t doubt Shen Muzhi’s intentions at all.
The fact that he would share a room with him for his protection was indeed quite touching.
You Siqi was moved for a moment and said earnestly, “Then I’ll sleep on the floor tonight, and you can have the bed!”
“Why bother?” Liu Buli scoffed from the side, saying, “The beds in our Dan Sect’s guest rooms are quite large. You can just sleep together. Or perhaps you have other thoughts in mind, afraid of sharing a bed and losing control of yourself?”