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

Several female disciples with dark circles under their eyes hurried past and caught a glimpse of the two people confronting each other at the door. They lowered their heads and walked past quickly, pretending not to see the scene.

Yan Ruchen maintained a polite smile, but inwardly he felt uncomfortable with his wounds being exposed in public. But then he thought, since Si Hongyin had brought it up, he might as well take this opportunity to talk it out so that neither of them would harbor any resentment.

Yan Ruchen gently patted Si Hongyin's shoulder to comfort her, but unexpectedly, Si Hongyin leaned into his arms and started crying. The female disciples passing by were surprised and embarrassed when they saw this, and they all glanced sideways but dared not look any further. Yan Ruchen smiled helplessly and said, "I'm not angry, don't think too much. I've just been helping Senior Brother Song these past two days, so I haven't been able to pay attention to you."

Si Hongyin lifted her head from Yan Ruchen's embrace, carefully studying his expression, trying to decipher whether he had truly let go. But Yan Ruchen's usual gentle smile made it difficult for her to discern his true feelings. Considering that Yan Ruchen might not be aware of the complexities within the sect, Si Hongyin decided to further explain the importance of "following."

She wiped away her tears and said seriously, "Ruchen, the sect has many rules, and the elders may not have explained them in detail. But I grew up in the sect and know that this selection of acting elders is no small matter. It's not just about acting as an elder, it's also about establishing prestige. Factors like martial arts proficiency and the disciples' backgrounds are all important. An elder not only convinces people and reduces internal disputes, but also connects with external resources and helps the sect develop. So, even if I don't mention it, the elders will pay attention to this."

Yan Ruchen looked at her painstaking explanation, smiled faintly, nodded, and said: "Yes, I know, thank you Hongyin for taking the trouble to explain."

It was that smile again. Si Hongyin didn't know what he was thinking.

But she also knew that this incident would be a blow to him. After all, losing the title of acting elder was a small matter, but now it was a big deal to let the spread in the sect that he was the son of a prostitute.

How can I survive after this...

Si Hongyin felt a little annoyed at herself for being so talkative. This was cutting off the path for her beloved. She carefully grasped Yan Ruchen's hand and continued, "Ruchen, don't lose heart. When we get married, I will definitely recommend you. I know better than anyone that you are suitable for that position."

Yan Ruchen smiled and nodded, but instead of making a direct promise, he changed the subject and said, "It's getting late. You should go back and check on your fellow apprentice sisters. If they are too tired, it wouldn't hurt to rest for a while."

Seeing that he was intentionally avoiding the topic, Si Hongyin stopped asking and said, "I heard from Brother Ziye that you're going on a long trip tomorrow. Can I see you off?"

Yan Ruchen nodded in agreement and patted her shoulder gently: "Okay, I'm naturally happy to have you to see me off."

The moon was hanging in the middle of the sky, Guan Shanyu opened his eyes wide and stared at the night sky intently.

I was not good at science in junior high school and I still can't tell the difference between the waxing moon and the waning moon. But why do you stay up late at night to study astronomy here? Guan Shanyu really has something to say.

I tried to find Song Ziye during the day, but he didn't show up. Instead, a Cheng Yaojin Yan Ruchen showed up. Despite hinting at him, he didn't seem to understand, or perhaps he did but played dumb. If it was the second case, it would be fine. If it was the first, it would be a serious matter.

After all, the identity of the bad guy has not been found yet. He is really afraid that something will happen to Yan Ruchen. If he dies, Guan Shanyu may not even be able to live a stable life as a poor farmer.

He'd been having nightmares for several nights straight, the horrific experiences he'd endured in his dreams so horrific he wouldn't even dare write about them in his own novels. Now, he couldn't sleep well at night, and felt listless during the day. When he looked in the mirror, his once rosy face was now completely gaunt.

Guan Shanyu tossed and turned in bed for a long time, counting sheep and then hitting his head to try to knock himself out and fall asleep, but it was all in vain. So he simply gave up and decided to wait until dawn to bribe Neng Fan to go look for Song Ziye.

By then, even if Yan Ruchen didn't understand what he meant, Song Ziye should be able to understand it. Anyway, at least one of the two protagonists should be able to understand it.

In order to ensure that nothing goes wrong this time, Guan Shanyu even thought of a plan B.

He turned over in bed and sat up, ran to the desk, picked up a pen and quickly wrote two lines, and then asked Nengfan to pass it to Song Ziye. Even if Song Ziye was really too busy to come over, he could understand what he meant by looking at the content of the note.

After all, he is the second male lead of this book, a senior disciple of Zixiao Lingjing who was designed to be a love rival for Yan Ruchen. His IQ is not that low.

Guan Shanyu breathed a long sigh of relief, his eyes wide open as he sat in front of the doorway until the sky began to turn pale. After the roosters crowed three times in the yard, he suddenly stood up and began his acting again to the disciple guarding the door: "Brother, please help me find Nengfan again. I haven't seen him all day and I miss him terribly."

Night Watch Disciple: "..."

Nengfan had originally decided to beat Guan Shanyu to death this time, but when he saw the three fragrant sesame cakes handed to him, his appetite was aroused - after all, he had not had breakfast yet after getting up early.

As soon as he sniffed, he was completely overwhelmed by the tempting aroma. He took the cake and forgot his original intention. He took the note that Guan Shanyu stuffed in his mouth, then went out to look for someone while eating the cake with satisfaction.

Guan Shanyu saw him walking away and wiped the sweat from his head with relief.

Fortunately, he had bought a large box of sesame cakes the last time he came down the mountain. He had originally planned to store them as dry food for his escape down the mountain, but he hadn't expected them to become a great emergency food. It seemed like he would have to make more of these preparations in the future. Who knew when they would come in handy?

The early morning sun had just risen, and the warm light filtered through the dense leaves, casting mottled shadows on the stone steps.

There was a brisk figure on the mountain path, it was Chen Rongrong.

Chen Rongrong went to the back mountain to fetch water early in the morning. Qionghuading and Xuanshuangju were busy integrating the affairs of the sect, checking the barrier to prevent demons, driving away idlers, supplying supplies, assisting Elder Qing in repairing the Sutra Library, etc.

As the only female disciple at Qionghua Peak, Chen Rongrong should have been busy, but her fellow disciples, feeling sorry for her, divided up the work among them, leaving her with little time to spare. She had wanted to find Yan Ruchen, but every time she saw him with Si Hongyin, she felt bad, so she simply stayed at Qionghua Peak, tinkering with iron and weaponry all day.

The weather was getting hotter, and it didn't take long to stay in the furnace room without breaking into a sweat. Thinking back to the days when maids surrounded her for bathing, and now looking at how she and her fellow senior brothers were as rough as ever, crowding around the well to draw water for a bath, Chen Rongrong couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. However, she had heard that the cold spring water was both refreshing and nourishing, so she thought she'd take the opportunity to treat herself and take some water home for a good bath, so she wouldn't feel uneasy when she returned home as a rich lady.

Chen Rongrong felt a little happy at the thought of taking a bath. Her mood brightened and her steps became much lighter. She hummed a little tune while carrying water, and did not forget to look around to see if she could pick some wild flowers to take a bath.

But at this moment, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a fat figure flashing by on the right side of the mountain road. Thinking that it was the pig raised by Xuanshuangju that ran out, she trotted forward to check. Unexpectedly, it was a disciple wearing Lingcaoxuan clothes who came out. The man was holding two cakes in one hand and another cake in the other hand, chewing it with relish, his mouth full of greasy food.

Chen Rongrong rolled her eyes at him in disdain. But even though she thought he was eating in an unrefined manner, she was also tempted by the aroma of the cake and couldn't help asking, "Hey, Junior Brother, that cake in your hand looks delicious. What is it?"

Neng Fan was contentedly walking along the mountain path when he suddenly heard someone calling him. Startled, his feet slipped and he nearly dropped the pancake in his hand. Luckily, he was steady enough to stand. He looked up and saw a female disciple standing halfway up the mountain. Thinking she was asking him where he was going, he replied, "I'm from Lingcao Xuan. I'm going to look for Senior Brother Song Ziye on behalf of Lingcao Xuan's disciples."

Chen Rongrong rolled her eyes. This little fat boy must have poor hearing. She was instantly bored and didn't bother to pay attention to him. She was about to walk away with the bucket. But suddenly, the three words "Lingcaoxuan" passed through her ears. She wondered who else in Lingcaoxuan could go there to find someone instead of going there herself. Confused, she asked, "Who are you doing this for? Could it be Guan Shanyu?"

Nengfan took a bite of the pancake and nodded, "Yes."