Chapter 199: Prison Part (Main Line) 88: Adding a Watch to the Dharma Sage of Longyan

Chapter 199

Si Chengyou stood in front of Shen Yue again, and the two started staring at each other.

Si Chengyou's eyes were sharp, but Shen Yue didn't back down at all, looking completely ready to adopt a "if you don't give in to me, don't expect to get any sleep" attitude.

After staring at each other for 10 minutes, No. 14 took a sip of water to calm his nerves.

After another 15 minutes, the two were still locked in a staring contest, and No. 14 took another sip of water to steady himself.

Finally, after 19 minutes, Si Chengyou conceded defeat, went to the study to fetch a book, and said to Shen Yue, "Come over."

Shen Yue walked over, and only then did No. 14 notice that on the 36th floor where the ruler of Building No. 5 resided, a bedroom had appeared out of nowhere at some point.

No. 14 hurried to follow, afraid that Elder Cousin Si would trick Shen Yue.

Then he saw Shen Yue lying peacefully on this mysteriously materialized bed, looking utterly carefree, while Si Chengyou stood to the side, book of Analects in hand, reading to Shen Yue in an appropriately paced voice.

This was what Shen Yue had meant by "telling stories".

"The commander of the forces may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him."

"If a ruler's words be without grace, they will not reverence him. If his learning be without thoroughness, his gravitas cannot remain firm. Loyalty and faithfulness are the most important things. Have no friends not equal to yourself. If you make mistakes, do not be afraid to correct them."

"I could describe the ceremonial rules of Xia, but Qi cannot serve as supporting evidence. I could describe those of Yin, but Song cannot serve as supporting evidence. There is not enough historical material. If there were enough material, then I could provide supporting evidence."

No. 14 had originally still been on guard, worried that Elder Cousin Si would do something odd, but as he listened, all that was left in him was shock.

This was storytelling? This would be an explosively popular existence in the entire sphere of storytelling.

It was almost an hour before Si Chengyou finally read Shen Yue to sleep.

When Si Chengyou emerged from Shen Yue's room, all that was left on his face was exhaustion.

As he passed No. 14, all he said was, "You can rest on the sofa." Then he disappeared into his bedroom.

No. 14 thought back to Shen Yue mistaking Building No. 5 for No. 7, and Elder Cousin Si being called up in the middle of the night to "tell stories" to Shen Yue, and he didn't know what to feel for a time.

The study became filled only with the sound of pages turning. Their earlier conversation didn't seem to have stirred up any ripples between them - this already seemed to be their accustomed daily routine.

No. 14 stood quietly behind Shen Yue. He now seemed to understand what Si Chengyou was trying to do, although he didn't know what Si Chengyou hoped to achieve through this. But all he could do was stay by Shen Yue's side, and accompany her through every hardship.

When they returned after lunch, Si Chengyou gave Shen Yue a bouquet of flowers.

Upon receiving the flowers, Shen Yue was not surprised, only asking, "What flowers are these?"

Si Chengyou explained, "These are foxglove flowers, symbolizing nobility and divinity that cannot be disturbed."

Shen Yue looked at the flowers for a while before reaching out to grab the petals.

With just a glance, Si Chengyou knew what Shen Yue was about to do. He lightly pressed her restless hands with a finger. "These flowers are not edible. Eating them causes diarrhea and slows the pulse. You can't touch them either, it'll lead to inflammation and blisters. You read the encyclopedia of flowers before, you should know."

Hearing his words, Shen Yue drew back her hand. "I know, but since you gave these to me, I thought you deliberately wanted me to feel awful."

Si Chengyou: ...

"I only wanted you to see what these flowers truly look like."

"Oh, can you give me some edible flowers next time? The floral cakes you made last time were pretty good." Shen Yue continued to push her luck, something the past her would never have dared to do when facing Si Chengyou.

"...Alright, I'll make them for you tomorrow."

In the afternoon, the two continued reading.

After reading for a while, Si Chengyou read something that made him suddenly sing a few lines of Kunqu opera. He then got carried away belting opera until the evening, forced by Shen Yue to sing an entire afternoon.

By the time night fell, Si Chengyou was already looking somewhat haggard, yet Shen Yue still said, "I drank tea again this afternoon, so if I can't sleep later I'll come find you."

Si Chengyou had a very complicated expression. "...Come if you can't sleep, I'll accompany you like I always do whenever you come."

Standing to the side, No. 14 suddenly felt confused.

He had indeed followed along because he was worried about Shen Yue, but now, he was instead unclear who he should be worrying about.