Do you really think you can get me with just a banana?

A sudden thunderclap sounded outside the house, and Guan Shanyu involuntarily moved closer to Yan Ruchen. The moment his palm touched his chest, he actually felt a little scarlet.

Guan Shanyu stared at Yan Ruchen in a daze, while Yan Ruchen quickly wiped the blood off his hands with his sleeve. Seeing that he didn't say anything, Guan Shanyu suddenly shook off his hand, turned around, locked the door, and then pulled him up to the second floor.

This small clinic is very old, and the wooden boards creak when you walk up the stairs.

Yan Ruchen followed Guan Shanyu's back silently, with a serious expression and without saying a word.

Although the clinic looked old, it was spotlessly clean, with no cobwebs or dust even on the door panels and corners.

From the backyard guest rooms and the second-floor bedrooms, the disciples' snoring and sleep talking could be heard constantly. Awei's room was especially noisy, with the sleep talking being the loudest. The two walked straight past and stopped at the door of a room. Guan Shanyu released Yan Ruchen's hand, pulled out a key from his pocket, and unlocked the door. Yan Ruchen stood silently behind him, watching his movements.

A moment later, the door was pushed open and Guan Shanyu walked in. Seeing that Yan Ruchen didn't follow, he pulled him in again, pressed him on the stool, and ordered: "Take off your shirt."

Yan Ruchen was still sizing up the small room when he heard this. He looked up in surprise. Seeing Guan Shanyu had already taken out a medicine box from the cabinet and placed it on the table, he realized Guan Shanyu's intention.

Noticing Yan Ruchen's hesitation, Guan Shanyu explained, "Aren't you injured? I'll apply medicine for you."

Yan Ruchen came back to his senses and lowered his head to untie his belt. But before he took off his clothes, he hesitated and secretly looked up at Guan Shanyu.

Seeing this, Guan Shanyu sighed softly, then sat in front of him and reached out to help him take off his clothes.

The fair skin was instantly exposed to the air, and three clear and deep claw marks on the chest were stained with blood, emitting a faint salty smell. Guan Shanyu's expression darkened, and he dipped a cotton swab in medicine and extended it over, but when it touched Yan Ruchen's chest, he paused.

This kid is only sixteen years old in this body and already has pecs?

Guan Shanyu gently raised his eyelids and looked at Yan Ruchen. Yan Ruchen's face was calm and unmoved, he just looked back at him quietly. Seeing Guan Shanyu looking over, he smiled at him. Guan Shanyu saw this and lowered his eyelids again, no longer hesitating, and carefully applied the ointment to him.

"What kind of monster can actually hurt you?"

Guan Shanyu asked as he lowered his head to apply the medicine.

Yan Ruchen stared at him quietly, their heads so close together that Guan Shanyu's breath seemed to faintly brush against his chest. Yan Ruchen's throat churned before he softly replied, "It wasn't a powerful monster. I just didn't notice it."

Guan Shanyu chuckled softly, noticing Yan Ruchen's left hand tightly gripping his trouser leg. He softened his movements and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Yan Ruchen shook his head: "It doesn't hurt."

Guan Shanyu nodded, said nothing more, and continued to apply the medicine. Yan Ruchen stared at him for a while, his expression slightly dim. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "A few days ago, Jin Yu and the others came back from the North Sea. They said the weather was perfect and the beach was very comfortable. They could pick up shells and eat seafood. They also mentioned you when they came back. Do you want to go?"

Guan Shanyu asked, "Do you organize any outings in Wangshuiling?"

Yan Ruchen shook his head slightly, a hint of tentativeness in his voice: "No, I'm just asking if you want to go?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Shanyu paused for a moment, hesitated for only a moment, then immediately looked up and threw the cotton swab at Yan Ruchen with an expressionless face.

Yan Ruchen didn't expect him to react like this. He hurriedly sat up straight, wondering if he had said something wrong. But then he saw Guan Shanyu approaching him, pressing one hand on the wall behind him, half-circling him in his arms. Yan Ruchen was stunned and looked at him nervously. But then he heard Guan Shanyu staring at him with a sinister look and asked, "Yan Ruchen, are you trying to seduce me?"

Yan Ruchen stared into his eyes, his heart beating like a drum, and asked softly, "What does 'bubble' mean?"

Guan Shanyu replied, "That's what he meant by wanting to pursue me."

Hearing this, Yan Ruchen immediately turned his head, turned his face to the side, and replied softly: "I..."

Then I thought about it for a long time, but couldn't make any sense of it.

Guan Shanyu saw that his ears had turned red as liver, so he slowly stepped back and kept some distance from him.

Only then did Yan Ruchen dare to look up at him, but he looked away again in just a moment.

Guan Shanyu stared at the three wounds on Yan Ruchen's chest and said, "How could someone as powerful as you be scratched on the chest by a monster? These wounds don't look like monster claw marks, but more like human handprints."

Yan Ruchen looked up at him, pursed his lips and said nothing. Guan Shanyu stretched out his finger and gently scratched the wound. Yan Ruchen gasped in pain, but did not avoid it. He just looked at Guan Shanyu with concern in his eyes. Guan Shanyu ignored his gaze and said directly: "You scratched it yourself."

He clearly didn't show any injuries on the way back, but he got injured after going out for a while during dinner. It's impossible that he went out to fight a monster in such a short time?

Yan Ruchen opened his mouth and wanted to argue, but when he saw Guan Shanyu's inquiring eyes, he lowered his eyes again. The words turned around and he swallowed them back.

Seeing this, Guan Shanyu straightened up, glanced at the oil lamp beside him, made a "tsk" sound, and said softly, "We agreed to be well, but you keep sending me gifts. All four cabinets in my room are filled with your gifts. I don't want to receive gifts without doing anything. What on earth do you want to do by sending me so many gifts? Are you still thinking about me and wanting to pursue me?"

Yan Ruchen leaned half of his body back on the couch, supporting himself with his hands, biting his lips, looking at Guan Shanyu who was looking at him with a curious expression. He hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded slowly and gently.

Seeing this, Guan Shanyu immediately picked up the cotton swab beside him and threw it at him again. Yan Ruchen was so scared that he immediately straightened up and looked at him in confusion. Guan Shanyu asked dissatisfiedly: "You are talking nonsense. I have been staying in Pingshui Town all the time. Why haven't I seen you come to see me? What do you like?"

Yan Ruchen could no longer suppress his expression, and a rare panic surfaced on his face. He quickly explained, "I've been here many times, but I only secretly glanced at you and didn't dare to get close."

Guan Shanyu was puzzled: "Watching me secretly?"

Yan Ruchen nodded hurriedly, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Yes, sometimes I will disguise myself as a street vendor or a pedestrian and pass by your door..."

Guan Shanyu raised his eyebrows and suddenly realized. No wonder every time the clinic was short of something, or whenever he and Awei mentioned wanting something, Wangshuiling would send it immediately. It turned out that their leader was here to monitor him.

But then he changed his mind and asked doubtfully, "Why did you come here secretly? I wouldn't chase you away if you came openly."

Yan Ruchen hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "My current body is too young. When we parted ways, I was only fourteen or fifteen. You already think we're incestuous, and seeing my appearance will only make things more awkward. So I think it would be better to wait until I'm older before appearing in front of you."

Guan Shanyu frowned and asked, "Older? How old?"

Yan Ruchen looked into his eyes and said seriously, "It doesn't have to be that big, actually. When I grow up to be more mature and more handsome, I will definitely appear in front of you immediately."

Guan Shanyu was amused by him and asked, "Are you planning to seduce me with your beauty?"

Yan Ruchen nodded and said, "It's better than being ugly."

Guan Shanyu turned his head, smiled helplessly, fiddled with the cotton swab on the table, and asked, "How long do you plan to wait, three years or five years?"

Yan Ruchen approached him and said seriously, "Of course not. I was planning to come this winter. I grow fast, and if I work on my figure, I'll see results soon."

Hearing this, Guan Shanyu's eyes swept across the muscular muscles faintly visible under Yan Ruchen's open shirt. He turned his head and coughed, then asked, "Then why did you suddenly come here today?"

Yan Ruchen paused, the awkwardness in his eyes finally disappearing, leaving only a serious look. He replied, "I came to see you secretly today, but I heard that you went up the mountain to collect herbs. I followed you and found that you had already reached Laopan Mountain. When I saw you fall down the stone steps, I couldn't help but fall."

Guan Shanyu looked down at his legs which were still numb and thought, if you had come earlier, I wouldn't have to walk such a long mountain road.

Thinking of this, he reached out and gently tapped his calf. Seeing this, Yan Ruchen immediately stepped forward, lifted Guan Shanyu's leg and placed it on his own leg, carefully massaging his leg.

Guan Shanyu was slightly taken aback and wanted to refuse, but he tried to pull his leg back a few times but couldn't. Instead, the numbness in his leg was relieved a lot. So, he just symbolically pushed him lightly and said unhappily, "You said you liked me and that you would come to see me secretly, but you haven't written to me or seen me in a year or two. Aren't you afraid that I will be seduced by someone else?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruchen frowned even more tightly, and his movements also stopped. After a moment of silence, he raised his head, stared into Guan Shanyu's bright eyes, and replied in a dull voice, "I'm afraid."

He continued, “I’ve written you many letters, but you’ve never replied.”

Guan Shanyu was stunned: "When did you write it?"

Yan Ruchen explained, "Every time I send you something, I put a note inside."

Guan Shanyu was stunned for a moment, trying to recall if there was a note resembling a letter among the things he had received. But after thinking about it, he did see the note. It was usually placed with the items sent, and it would say something like "Jiangnan pastries, made by famous chefs, please taste it."

What's the difference between this and an instruction manual? It's actually a letter written by Yan Ruchen?

Yan Ruchen noticed the change in Guan Shanyu's expression and said anxiously, "I always write it."

Guan Shanyu rolled his eyes helplessly and laughed angrily: "Can this thing be considered a letter?"

Yan Ruchen paused for a moment, then quietly defended himself, "I've never written a letter before..."

Guan Shanyu rolled his eyes and turned away. Yan Ruchen kept looking at him, clenched his palms, and then slowly said, "I want to say more, but you already have your own life, achieved your goals, and opened a clinic. If I keep interrupting you, won't it disrupt your life? Besides, I'm not sure if you still want to contact me."

Guan Shanyu looked up at Yan Ruchen and saw a hint of grievance between his brows. He sighed softly but said nothing. Yan Ruchen continued, "However, I come here every two days. If you...someday you really find a lover, I will sincerely bless you and will never disturb you."

Guan Shanyu felt a surge of emotion, but then he rolled his eyes at Yan Ruchen's words. He retracted his legs and stood up to leave.

Seeing this, Yan Ruchen hurriedly grabbed him and asked anxiously, "Did I say something wrong?"

After being pulled back, Guan Shanyu turned around, met Yan Ruchen's anxious eyes, and asked, "Are you still thinking about me?"

Yan Ruchen was stunned for a moment, then slowly lowered his eyes and nodded slightly.

Guan Shanyu said seriously, "If you really want to pursue someone, you should express it directly. Don't beat around the bush. People who are slow to react won't understand."

Yan Ruchen raised his eyes to look at Guan Shanyu, and after a moment he said, "I dare not."

Guan Shanyu raised an eyebrow, and Yan Ruchen explained softly: "I'm afraid if I push too hard, you'll do something stupid again."

Guan Shanyu choked, coughed, and broke free from Yan Ruchen's hand. He turned and walked to the table to sit down. He pursed his lips, avoiding Yan Ruchen's gaze. After a long moment, he slowly said, "I don't know what my feelings are for you, and I'm absolutely sure I'm not interested in men, but if it's you..."

Having said this, Guan Shanyu paused and did not continue. He stared at the candlelight in front of him, as if struggling with something in his heart.

Yan Ruchen stood silently by and watched him for a long time. Hearing this, his brows finally relaxed. He slowly walked forward and asked softly, "But if it were me, could you give me a chance?"

Guan Shanyu looked up at him and saw Yan Ruchen slowly approaching, half-crouching in front of him. The candlelight danced in his eyes, and his black eyes looked at him seriously. He whispered, "Even if it's only for a month."

Guan Shanyu turned his head and watched the drizzle outside gradually getting heavier. After a long while, he softly replied, "Only one month."

Yan Ruchen was stunned for a moment, then relieved and a smile spread across his face. He looked at Guan Shanyu with eyes that seemed to be filled with tears. He nodded and said, "Okay, thank you Shanyu."

Guan Shanyu turned to look at him and said unhappily, "But you should use less tricks and stop hurting yourself just to gain sympathy. Medicine is very expensive these days!"

Yan Ruchen half-knelt on the ground, smiled and took his hand, nodded: "Okay, absolutely no tricks."

Guan Shanyu looked into his black eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, then he turned his head and looked at the drizzling autumn rain outside the window.

One night, light thunder rumbles down, and the sky clears and the tiles are green. The sky is covered with dark green silk, and the plum blossoms in front of the door seem to whimper. Looking up, the sky and the earth are a hazy color, and I can't tell them apart. Closing my eyes and listening, I hear only the heavy heartbeat.