Chapter 58 (continued)

"Okay, you can go out now!" Shan Heyuan said sullenly.

Shen Duheng gently closed the door, making a "click" sound.

Shan Heyuan was sure he had left, he pulled back the blanket covering his head and let out a long sigh of relief.

Shen Duheng likes him.

Shen Duheng actually likes him!

Shan Heyuan couldn't help but feel excited.

As expected of Brother Shen, he has excellent taste.

He lay in bed, recalling the past one by one.

The more he recalled it, the more he realized that Shen Duheng's kindness to him was indeed extraordinary.

Who would be so considerate and attentive to their brother?

You only show this much thoughtfulness to someone you like!

Shan Heyuan rolled around on the bed, clutching his blanket. He had been so slow to react, and he felt really bad for Shen Duheng.

He took out his communicator and sent a message to Shen Duheng, who was on the other side of the wall: [Brother Shen, what are you doing?]

Shen Duheng: [Practicing swordsmanship in the sea of consciousness. What's the answer?]

[I think I made it pretty obvious, didn't I?]

I've come to find you.

Shan Heyuan was startled and quickly texted Shen Duheng: [Wait, you said you'd give me some peace and quiet.]

[Change the way you address them.]

[What? Isn't that too fast?]

[No, Brother Shen.]

[That Shen Duheng?]

[Can.]

Shan Heyuan sent the message, the smile on his face grew wider and wider.

Even though it was just some nonsense and not ambiguous, he couldn't help but blush.

When he looked in the mirror on the table, he noticed that his eyes were constantly curved, and the joy in his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes was obvious.

He went through two different time periods before finding his first love.

This is indeed a joyous and happy occasion.

They chatted for a while, Shan Heyuan couldn't take it anymore. He ended the chat, put the communicator aside, and went off to do something he was secretly excited about.

When Shan Heyuan woke up the next day, he went out as if nothing had happened.

Shen Duheng was practicing his sword in the courtyard when he saw him.

Shan Heyuan: "Good morning."

Shen Duheng turned to look at him and beckoned him over.

Shan Heyuan: "What?"

Shen Duheng: "I'll show you how to practice swordsmanship."

"Didn't you say it was too powerful and you needed to find a place to practice?"

"Having only the moves but not the internal energy cultivation is fine."

Upon hearing this, Shan Heyuan obediently sat down to the side and watched him practice swordsmanship.

Shen Duheng has broad shoulders, a slender waist, and long legs. When he practices swordsmanship, he moves with the grace of a dragon, and the sword shadows and his white clothes complement each other beautifully, making it a very artistic piece.

If someone else were practicing swordsmanship like this in front of him, he would only praise it as beautiful.

Now the focus shifted to Shen Duheng, and as he watched, his breathing became somewhat unsteady.

My newly minted boyfriend is so tempting first thing in the morning, who could resist?

Shan Heyuan quietly circulated his inner energy to forcibly calm his surging Qi and Blood and qi, lest he accidentally bleed from his nose, which would be truly embarrassing.

Just as he was focusing on the Qi and Blood within his body, he suddenly met Shen Duheng's eyes, which seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

Shan Heyuan asked nonchalantly, "What's wrong?"

Shen Duheng, who had sheathed his sword at some point, was standing in front of him. Upon hearing this, he extended two fingers and gently tapped his chest. "Soon."

It would have been better if this person hadn't done that.

When his finger tapped his chest, he felt as if the door to his heart had been opened.

The movement of his fingertips reached his heart, sending a shiver down his spine.

This person is so skilled.

Shan Heyuan's face was practically steaming. "Shen Duheng, have you ever had a lover before?"

Are you jealous?

"I was just wondering, where did you learn all this from, with one set of tricks after another?"

"Take this as a compliment." Shen Duheng's smile faded. "I've been raised as a sect leader since childhood, surrounded by seniors thousands of years old. Where would I find a lover?"

Shan Heyuan: "That's hard to say, there must be some companions, right?"

"No. Ji Li probably avoids trouble by never assigning me companions, for fear that one day he might impersonate me and be seen through by my own companions."

"Did you grow up alone?"

Shan Heyuan thought of him practicing swordsmanship alone and living alone, he felt a pang of sadness.

"More or less." Seeing his expression, Shen Duheng added, "I've been busy since I was a child, so I haven't really felt it."

Humans aren't plants or trees, how could they not feel anything?

Shan Heyuan sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat indignant for him, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply said, "We were saying we were going out to celebrate yesterday, but we didn't have time. How about we go out for dinner this morning?"

"Okay." Shen Duheng cast a Dust Removal Instruction and tidied his clothes. "Let's eat outside the Sword Reverence Academy. I'll take you to the academy after we eat."

"Alright."

The two left side by side. It was still early, so they didn't fly on swords or ride cats or dogs.

That way we can spend more time together.

Upon arriving at the college, Shan Heyuan had two classes in the morning.

After class, I'll meet up with Jiang Zhi and the others.

Jiang Zhi stopped several steps away, looking him up and down with a subtle expression on his face.

Shan Heyuan thought he had figured out that he was about to advance again, and was bracing himself for his sarcastic remarks, but unexpectedly, he asked with a teasing look, "Something's up?"

Shan Heyuan feigned ignorance. "What?"

Jiang Zhi: "Stop pretending, look at you, all smiles and beaming with joy—what were you doing yesterday?"

Li Jian murmured from the other side, "She's blushing."

"..." Shan Heyuan rolled his eyes at each of them. "Why do you all want to join in on every little thing?"

Jiang Zhi: "How boring would it be if we didn't join in the fun?! Tell me, what happened to you? Did you spend a night with Senior Shen?"

Shan Heyuan bristled. "No!"

Jiang Zhi observed his expression. "If not, then something's up. Are you two together? Who confessed?"

Li Jian: "Most likely it's Senior Shen."

Jiang Zhi: "I think so too. Judging from his hesitant manner, he doesn't seem like the type to confess his feelings proactively."

Shan Heyuan couldn't take it anymore. "Are you not going to eat lunch or not?"

"It's okay if I don't eat, I can just go back and take a Grain Avoidance Pill." Jiang Zhi didn't let the topic go, and pressed on with a smile, "Tell me quickly, who confessed first?"

Shan Heyuan: "Is it not allowed for me to be with other people?"

"Ha," Jiang Zhi said with a look of disdain, "With a swordsman as powerful as Senior Shen guarding you, how could someone else beat you to it?"

Shan Heyuan: "... If you had used all that gossip energy on cultivation, you definitely wouldn't be at this level now."

Jiang Zhi: "Core Formation stage is sufficient."

Under their combined interrogation, Shan Heyuan finally couldn't help but reveal the truth. "We are mutually in love."

Jiang Zhi: "I told you long ago that Senior Shen likes you, but you didn't believe me. Now you do, right?"

Shan Heyuan was speechless. "Let's stop talking about this. Let's go get lunch. What do you want to eat? It's on me."

Li Jian: "This is such a joyous occasion, we should have a good meal. Let's go out to eat. Cloud Accord Pavilion has just received a new batch of century-old apricot blossom wine, I've heard it's quite good, shall we go and try it?"

Shan Heyuan no longer cared whether they were being ripped off; he just wanted to get the topic over with quickly. "I know their manager. I'll send a message to have them prepare the dishes."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi was successfully diverted from the conversation. "The manager of the Cloud Accord Pavilion is a Nascent Soul cultivator, how do you know her?"

Shan Heyuan: "Last year, she contacted me and said she wanted me to grow a batch of spices, so I did, and that's how we met."

Jiang Zhi nodded. "So that's how you two got in touch. It's about spices. Your Spirit Plant are indeed well-cultivated; she has an eye for talent."

Shan Heyuan: "Mainly, she wanted to enhance the aroma of the spices, so I put in a lot of effort to grow the spices she requested."

The three of them went off to drink, and that's another story.

Two days later, the artificial spiritual spring in Shan Heyuan's Dantian Small World successfully reached the Nascent Soul stage.