Song Fengwan felt that the food was tasteless during the entire meal. Occasionally, her eyes met Qiao Xiyan’s, and she would get the misconception of a guilty conscience…

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“I am eating.” Song Fengwan lowered her head and pushed her rice around.

She had to meet Fu Chen secretly again. She felt that she was doing something bad, but he could still remain calm and act as though nothing had happened. He made it seem as if she was the only one sneaking around.

As soon as they finished eating, Duan Linbai’s people arrived. They brought some children’s daily necessities and even a complete set of books and stationery. Under Uncle Nian’s arrangements, they arranged them properly before Uncle Nian took Huai Sheng to the bedroom to take a look.

His former room was poor and simple, so naturally, it was incomparable to this one. Uncle Nian taught him how to use the various things step by step and helped him take a bath.

Qiao Xiyan naturally returned to his room to continue polishing his jade. Meanwhile, Song Fengwan paced around her room nervously.

**

At around 1 p.m., her phone vibrated twice…

Why aren’t you here yet?

What’s wrong with this person? He’s urging me again.

Why don’t I go to your room instead?

Song Fengwan was horrified and ran out with her phone.

She looked around sneakily like a thief before knocking on Fu Chen’s door timidly.

Usual place? What the heck kind of usual place? Since when did we have a usual place?

With a glance, ordinary people would think that they had done something shameful.

“The door’s not locked.” Fu Chen’s voice came faintly through the door.

Song Fengwan hurriedly pushed the door open and entered before turning around to lock it.

“Why did you lock the door?” Fu Chen let out a low laugh and shot a look at her clothes.

Last night, when they had stayed in the mountains, everyone had gone to bed in their clothes. Now, she had changed into her ivory white pajamas, and she shuffled along with a pair of open-toe slippers. Fu Chen suddenly remembered the feeling of her rubbing against him last night…

It was smooth and tender.

“I…” Song Fengwan was rendered speechless by his question.

“It’s not like we’re doing anything shameful.” Fu Chen smiled softly and patted the spot beside him. “Come and sit.”

Fu Chen was wearing a thin gray shirt, which was simple with smooth lines, while sitting on the edge of the bed.

Sit on the bed? Song Fengwan hesitated, stopping in her tracks.

“Why are you in a daze? Come here. I’ll apply some medicine on the wound on your hand again.” Fu Chen took out the medicine box behind him. Song Fengwan hadn’t seen it because his body had been blocking it.

“Apply medicine?” She coughed twice.

“What else did you think we’re doing?” Fu Chen tilted his head and looked at her with a mischievous expression.

Song Fengwan shook her head and sat beside him obediently, separated only by a so-called safe distance. He should have explained it clearly if he’s just applying medicine. Why did he have to come up with a ‘usual place’? It’s like a secret code shared by an underground organization.

As soon as she sat down, Fu Chen suddenly moved an inch forward and reached his hand out, brushing past her neck. He seemed to have just washed his hand, and his fingertips were very cold. She was so shocked that her breathing stopped, and she subconsciously moved back to avoid…

“Don’t move.” His tone was inexplicably threatening.

Song Fengwan’s fingers tightened around the bedsheets as she watched Fu Chen get closer and closer until his whole body pressed against hers…

His fingers pulled her hair back and gently pushed the collar of her pajamas down an inch, revealing a small portion of her exquisite collarbone. His breathing splashed down like boiling hot oil, causing sparks to fly everywhere in her heart.

“Does it hurt?” he asked in a low voice, as though he was pressing against her ear.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Song Fengwan tilted her head, facing her back to Fu Chen.

“I’ll apply some ointment.” Fu Chen got to work. Soon, she felt his fingertips cover the wound and slowly spread the ointment.

His fingertips were chilly, mixed with the cooling ointment.

The chill penetrated her bones.

“Phew—” Fu Chen suddenly blew hot air on her neck.

Song Fengwan’s body stiffened, and her heart stopped beating. She couldn’t move.

“It’ll dry quickly if I blow on it. Otherwise, it’ll get on your clothes and make them smell.” Fu Chen always spoke with his own reasoning.

Then he started blowing hot air on her neck again.

Song Fengwan shrank back. The hot air seemed to land beside her ear, making her feel itchy all over. The strange feeling made the pores all over her body scream and her blood flow backward.

Her ears rapidly flushed red, and the brilliant shade spread to her entire neck at a visible speed…

It was gorgeous.

“Wanwan—” Fu Chen suddenly called out to her.

“Mhm?” Song Fengwan’s voice choked as she bit her lips.

Her skin was very fair, so dyed red, it made her look even prettier. His fingers caressed her neck.

One day, I’ll have to take a bite and see if I can get some moisture. It’s unbelievably tender.

“Previously, Huai Sheng said…”

Song Fengwan wanted to cry. What should come would come eventually.

“Third Master, it wasn’t like that at the time. Cheng Lan kept forcing me not to like you. I only said that because I was forced into a corner by her.”

“She forced you? She told you not to like me?” Fu Chen’s eyes darkened.

“Yeah.”

“You can just say that you don’t like me. Wouldn’t that be the end of this matter? Why did you have to say that in particular?”

Fu Chen’s words made Song Fengwan speechless. That seems to make sense.

However…

To make me swear never to like the person in front of me my entire life… Her heart trembled. I can’t say it.

She didn’t know how to describe this feeling, but she was unwilling.

“If you had said that, Cheng Lan wouldn’t have pestered you. She kept forcing you? You’re usually very quick-witted. Why didn’t you fulfill her wish and escape? Why did you have to provoke her by saying this kind of thing?”

Song Fengwan bit her lips, not knowing how to answer.

Fu Chen suddenly reached out to touch her face and exerted some force to pull her head to his side…

The distance between the two of them instantly shortened. They were so close that their breathing entangled and brought about chaotic ambiguity.

“You’re usually so smart. Why couldn’t you be flexible at a critical moment? If I hadn’t arrived in time, you would have suffered.”

Since she was unwilling to say it, she probably likes me a little. Upon thinking of this possibility, Fu Chen was exceptionally cheerful.

His fingers slid gently from the side of her face into her hair and caressed it gently.

It was a very affectionate feeling.

It was so ambiguous that it made her heart tremble.

“Third Master…”

“Am I that unpleasant to you?” Fu Chen frowned. “Or do you not like me?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“There are usually many people around, so it’s fine if you call me Third Master. But now…” His fingertips touched her neck and caressed it, making her heart pound.

“There’s only the two of us now. Can’t you call me Third Brother?”

His face was handsome, and his voice was seductive. Not many people could bear such intimate interaction.

“Why are you so obsessed about a title?” Song Fengwan held her breath as she spoke, afraid that her breath would land on his face.

“I feel comfortable hearing you call me that.”

Song Fengwan felt that she shouldn’t comply with his wishes, but she still opened her mouth and muttered…

“Third Brother.”

“Mhm.” Fu Chen lowered his head and smiled. His fingers withdrew from her hair, and his body had already moved away from her. He opened the bottle of povidone-iodine, took a cotton swab, and dipped it a little. “Give me your hand.”

Song Fengwan was a little indignant in her heart.

Why am I led by the nose every time?

Why should I make him feel comfortable?

When she passed her hand over, Fu Chen grabbed it and lowered his head to treat her wound…

She thought of Cheng Lan’s hysterical appearance, shouting wildly that Fu Chen liked her. Does he really like me?

“If there are outsiders around, you can call me Third Master or Third Uncle. That’s up to you. In private, you can call me Third Brother.”

Fu Chen had also thought about it. If the young lady was shy, he would wait…

… for her…

He had a lifetime of patience and time to grind with her.

“In private?”

“When it’s just the two of us.” Fu Chen lowered his head and blew onto her palm.

“Is this your request? Can I use it to pay the debt?” Song Fengwan’s mind spun. She owed Fu Chen a lot of promises, so she had to pay him back quickly.

Fu Chen tilted his head and looked at her. She’s still thinking about repaying her debt even at a time like this.

“Sure.”

“Okay, it’s decided then.” Song Fengwan suddenly felt that her brain was very nimble and that she was very talented at doing business.

Fu Chen leaned close to her, and his voice was hoarse. “This is a secret that belongs to the two of us.”

His voice was low like a devil’s as he coaxed her.

Song Fengwan nodded stiffly.

When she returned to the room later, she realized that something was amiss. Why is there a secret between me and Fu Chen now?

It was as though she had done something sneaky. Her heart raced, and her face was terribly flustered.

**

Not long after Song Fengwan left, someone knocked on Fu Chen’s door.

“Third Uncle.” Huai Sheng was being cautious.

Fu Chen got up to open the door. Huai Sheng had just taken a bath, and because the mountain breeze usually blew on him, his skin was not as delicate as an ordinary child’s, and it was a little dark. There was also star-shaped frostbite on one side of his face. He was holding something in his hand as he stood at the door, looking as though he had something to say.

“Come in.” Fu Chen turned to let him in.

Huai Sheng passed the bag in his hand to him. “Master asked me to give this to you. He said it’s a thank you gift.”

“Okay, come and sit here.” Fu Chen pulled him over to sit on the bed.

“Third Uncle, as a monk, I can’t lie to you.”

“What?”

“Third Uncle, you’ve been exposed.”

Fu Chen frowned. “Exposed?”

“Today, that skinny aunt told Big Sister you like her, but Big Sister didn’t seem to believe her.”

How could Fu Chen have known that Cheng Lan dared expose him?

He had already dropped his alias, and he had still teased her just now and pretended to be a wolf.

That woman can really cause a storm even without winds.

“Third Uncle, did I do the right thing?”

“Yes, Third Uncle is courting her. You have to help Third Uncle. After we succeed, you will also accumulate merit, and it will be beneficial to your religious practice.”

“I understand,” Huaisheng nodded seriously. It seemed like he had to work harder in the future.

Master said that monks have to deliver all living beings from suffering and help all living beings survive calamities.

This is Third Uncle’s marriage affinity tribulation. I have to help him overcome it.

With this thought, Huai Sheng suddenly felt that he was great.

**

Fu Chen sent Huai Sheng back to his room. When he thought about how Song Fengwan didn’t believe those words, he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. He lost interest in his afternoon nap and went to his study to copy Buddhist scriptures.

On another side, something even crazier happened.

Qiao Xiyan was currently carving on a piece of jade. It was delicate work, and there was no room for any mistakes. As soon as the carving knife landed, he suddenly heard the sound of knocking on a wooden fish coming from next door…

His fingers shook, and the carving knife slipped, causing a fine scratch on the jade.

His pupils constricted.

Closely following that…

The even and rhythmic sound of tapping on the wooden fish echoed.

Huai Sheng’s and Qiao Xiyan’s rooms were next to each other. They were both guest rooms, so they were very far from Fu Chen’s and Song Fengwan’s rooms. This sound could only disturb him.

Qiao Xiyan took a deep breath, gripped the knife, and knocked on Huai Sheng’s door.

When Huai Sheng opened the door, he saw him holding a sharp knife. The former maintained an innocent look on his face.

“Uncle Qiao, what’s the matter?”

“What are you doing?”

“Having my noon class.” His expression was obedient, as though he wasn’t lying.

“Noon class?”

“We have homework in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Uncle Qiao, you can also visit our monastery when you’re free to discuss Buddhism.”

Qiao Xiyan’s face was cold.

“Our monastery is on East Mountain. It’s very famous.”

Qiao Xiyan tightened his grip on the carving knife. “Go on.”

“Uncle Qiao, are you still single? You can go to our monastery to ask for marriage…”

Qiao Xiyan stopped talking to him. Does this brat know what marriage is?

After returning to his room, he was no longer in the mood to carve. His heart only ached for the piece of jade as he thought about how to save it.

Huai Sheng didn’t really want to do his homework. Children were playful, and so was he.

But he had constantly been breaking the rules recently.

Lying and eating meat…

There was evil karma from your tongue, and the flesh of living creatures was not to be devoured. Otherwise, your sins would be hard to erase…

“Buddha, your follower didn’t mean to break my precepts. Please forgive me for my sins. Forgive my sins, forgive my sins…”

This was why he had recited the scriptures to eliminate the evil karma.

Then in the blink of an eye, Uncle Nian brought him snacks. Besides candy, there was also a bag of beef jerky. He hesitated before reaching into the bag of beef jerky.

**

Around four in the afternoon, Qiao Xiyan knocked on the door of the study.

Fu Chen was bent over his desk copying scriptures, his expression serious and respectful.

“What’s the matter?” He lifted his eyes and looked at Qiao Xiyan. He took the initiative to look for me?

It was rare. Even though they stayed under the same roof and would greet each other when they met, Qiao Xiyan was cold outside and inside. Very few people would chat with him.

“I’m free tonight. I’ll treat you to dinner. I plan to take Wanwan back to Yuncheng tomorrow.”

The tip of his brush paused, and a blot of ink slid across the paper.