The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 150: Master Switched Rooms with Me

Speaking of which, this town had once been famous because of Xuying Peak. However, after the incident with the fake Chongxu, Jin Chengchi's weapons were destroyed, and as the years passed, the town gradually fell into obscurity. Many inns that catered to sword seekers closed down due to poor business, changing their occupations.

But the inn where the master and disciple had once stayed, the one with the hot springs, stubbornly remained open. With Prince Nangong's wedding approaching, guests traveling to the Confucian Wind Sect to celebrate would first stop at Dai City, reviving the inn's prosperity.

Xue Zhengyong pushed aside the bamboo curtain and entered the lobby. "Landlord, we'd like to stay!"

"Four people?"

Before Xue Zhengyong could reply, a low voice came from behind him. "No, five."

Turned out Mo Ran, having hurried, had caught up just in time.

Seeing him, Xue Meng was slightly surprised. "That fast?"

Mo Ran was initially taken aback, then his face darkened as he inwardly seethed. Was it slow for you to calm down? It was just sitting at a tea stall reciting a few calming incantations.

He knew, however, that Xue Meng wasn't referring to the same thing, so he couldn't react too overtly and could only nod subtly.

"You swallowed all the melon seeds, even the shells, didn't you?"

Mo Ran: "..."

"Five guests, how many rooms do you need?"

Xue Zhengyong said, "My wife and I will share one, and we'll take three more superior chambers, making it four in total."

Hearing his uncle's arrangement, Mo Ran maintained a calm expression on the surface, but inwardly, he felt a faint restlessness. He secretly hoped that the same scenario from years ago would unfold—the owner would tell them that all rooms were occupied, forcing them to share, which would then give him the opportunity to...

Well, in truth, he still couldn't do anything. But just being alone in a room with Chu Wanning made his heart feel warm, a mix of unease and excitement coursing through him. In the end, the blood that ran through his veins was still that of a predator.

However, coincidences didn't often repeat themselves. The innkeeper cheerfully announced, "Very well, four top-notch rooms!" He fetched the keys from the cabinet and called out melodiously, "Guest, the second floor, please make your way up—"

Mo Ran gave him a silent, somewhat gloomy look.

He thought to himself, Stupid fool, you're happy just because we're getting four rooms? What's so happy about that? What's so great about it! What's so pleasing about making a little extra money!

"Mran, why are you squeezing the countertop?"

"..." Mo Ran calmly withdrew his hand and gave a faint smile. The surface of the board he had held was already cracked; any more pressure, and it would have shattered. "It's nothing."

After retrieving the key from Xue Zhengyong and ascending the stairs, Mo Ran paused in front of the room assigned to him. He was momentarily taken aback.

He turned his head and saw Chu Wanning looking at him as well.

"You're staying here?"

"Mm... yes." Mo Ran hesitated for a moment. Lowering his eyelashes, he eventually couldn't resist lifting his gaze to meet Chu Wanning's. His bright black eyes gazed at Chu Wanning's face. "Master, do you still remember?"

"...Remember what?"

Mo Ran pointed at his own door. "When we came to seek the sword, Master stayed in this very room."

"..."

Mo Ran watched him cautiously, his voice barely holding back a hint of anticipation. "Master, do you still recall?"

Chu Wanning thought to himself, How could I forget?

Ascending this level, memories tumbled down the creaking, dilapidated staircase, their sounds echoing with the scent of aged wood, decaying with the passage of time.

He could almost see the young Mo Ran opening the door, his face bearing a nonchalant grin, revealing shallow dimples amidst the depths of years.

Noticing his silence, Mo Ran seemed to be disheartened, lowering his gaze as he spoke, "Perhaps I remembered it wrong, got confused..."

"That's right."

Mo Ran suddenly lifted his head.

Chu Wanning gazed at him, a faint smile playing on his lips, "You didn't remember wrongly, it is this room."

Those words were like a spark igniting the darkness in Mo Ran's eyes. A sweet smile gradually bloomed on his face, as if he had just savored an exquisite candy. He then pointed at the room Chu Wanning was currently occupying and said, "Also, Shifu, the room you're staying in today was mine back then."

He was genuinely happy, speaking without pretense.

However, Chu Wanning felt slightly embarrassed upon hearing this, his smile fading as he rebuked, "I can't quite recall that."

With that, he pushed the door open and entered the room, leaving Mo Ran outside.

"..."

Hmm... where had he gone wrong again to provoke his displeasure?

That night, Mo Ran didn't dare to go to the bathhouse for a hot spring soak. Some things were better safe than sorry. He felt that he was on the verge of desire, and if Chu Wanning were to reveal even a hint more of allure, he wasn't sure if he could restrain himself from acting like a gentleman and resist plucking this flower on the high peak.

Lying in bed with his head resting on his arm, he was incredibly bored and began contemplating how he should interact with Chu Wanning.

He wasn't a particularly smart person. He felt that Chu Wanning was like a large white cat. He wanted to be kind to Chu Wanning, to take care of this snowy feline, but every time he stroked its fur, he'd receive a swat from the cat as if it found his touch uncomfortable or inappropriate.

He felt guilty but was truly clueless about which parts of the cat were okay to touch and which weren't. He was like an inexperienced cat owner, lacking knowledge and only knowing how to cradle the white cat in his palm and lick its fur.

This resulted in a fierce growl and another slap.

Mo Ran rolled over, blinked, and felt deeply despondent.

Suddenly, he recalled that the layout of this inn meant that the bed in the adjacent room should only be separated from his own by a wooden partition wall.

With this thought in mind, Mo Ran found it even harder to fall asleep. His mouth felt dry and parched.

Has Chu Wanning taken a bath yet? Or is he about to?

But there's not much noise coming from his room... If Chu Wanning isn't planning on bathing either, then at this moment, might he already be lying down? In that case, they're actually quite close. If it weren't for the thin wooden partition dividing their rooms, they'd be lying together...

Lying together. This thought inflamed the young man's blood, like a volcano in slumber, dangerously flowing but not erupting.

He couldn't help but shift deeper into his bed, pressing against the wall. The wooden plank and mud walls were different; the wood was so thin, no more than three fingers wide.

Mo Ran imagined Chu Wanning lying just three feet away from him, unclothed or clad only in a thin undergarment... He closed his eyes, swallowing hard. His heart burned, scorching his entire body, reaching the corners of his eyes. Without opening them, he knew there would be a redness, a flush of desire.

Ah, then another memory abruptly struck him — one too exhilarating, causing his entire body to tremble with tension as blood rushed downward.

He had once pleasured himself on the very bed where Chu Wanning slept.

The memory of those distant days was damp, sinful yet sweet. Thinking back to it made Mo Ran's scalp tingle. He recalled the time he accidentally fell into Chu Wanning's arms while soaking in a hot spring, unable to shake off that fiery sensation. Helpless, he rubbed against himself, forehead pressed against the wall, releasing his desires...

Mo Ran cracked open his eyes halfway, his gaze dark and mysterious, like stone with molten lava seething beneath. He leaned his forehead against the wall once more.

His heart felt ready to burst. How could he have been so foolish back then? It was such vivid desire and love, how... did he fail to recognize it...

With one hand pressed against the wall, he tried to suppress his feelings, but it was impossible to hold back entirely.

He used to think he could indulge in fantasizing about Chu Wanning without restraint when he believed he didn't love him. But now that he was in love, he was fated to yearn for the person just on the other side of that wall, unable even to dream of them without feeling guilty and defiled. The thought of Chu Wanning was a profanation to him.

Suppressing his desires was an excruciating torment for a young, passionate body. His nose was almost touching the wall, his burning body pressing against the thin barrier with all its might. His thoughts were in disarray, his gaze unfocused. Amidst the surging tide of emotions, he began to experience a surreal sensation.

It felt as if Chu Wanning's breath, the faint scent of peach blossoms lingering on his body, had seeped through the cracks in the wood and enveloped him entirely, fitting seamlessly around him.

Chu Wanning's essence was tempting him, pitying him.

It tempted his animalistic desires and pitied his humanity.

It inflamed his passion while lamenting his unattainable longing.

Mo Ran, tormented by this seduction and compassion, knitted his brows in pain, his hand gripping the wall, his joints and veins bulging visibly.

Contrary to his fierce expression, his voice was barely above a whisper, almost a sob, as he pleaded, "Chu Wanning... Wanning..."

Unbeknownst to him, on the other side of the wall, Chu Wanning also refrained from bathing in the hot spring. Just as Mo Ran imagined, he was lying down, thinking of him, yearning for him. Chu Wanning's slender fingers caressed the cold wooden plank, his forehead resting against the heartless barrier.

The two of them, in their past lives, had such deep misunderstandings that they ended up on separate paths, with a vast chasm separating them. Thus, in this life, they filled that abyss with their own blood, swimming towards each other amidst a sea of crimson. However, a barrier obscured their view of the other's surging emotions, leaving them to let their love and desire run rampant alone.

Yet, they were so close now.

Close enough for Mo Ran to seemingly hear Chu Wanning's heartbeat, while Chu Wanning appeared to hear Mo Ran's breath.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Startled, Mo Ran snapped, "Who's there?"

His outburst startled Chu Wanning in the neighboring room as well. He soon realized that Mo Ran was indeed sleeping with his back against the wall, so close that this hoarse, low voice seemed to be whispering right by his pillow.

"…" Unconsciously, Chu Wanning's fingers curled into a tight grip, his dark phoenix eyes opening in the darkness.

"I, Xue Meng," the person outside spoke up. "My mother said she put our luggage together. Hurry up and open the door. Seriously, I'm waiting to take a bath."

Eavesdropping wasn't exactly a commendable act, but Chu Wanning rationalized that he hadn't been eavesdropping. The wooden plank between their rooms was too thin, the soundproofing was terrible, and Xue Meng's voice was just too loud.

In any case, he didn't want to listen.

Thoughts swirling in his mind, Chu Wanning nestled deeper into his blankets, closer to the wall.

From the adjacent room, creaking sounds of a bed could be heard, followed by the opening of a door. Xue Meng's voice rang out once more, "Hey, why are you already asleep? So early?"

"I'm tired," Mo Ran replied, slightly choked. "Hurry up, I was almost asleep and now you've woken me. Take your clothes and leave, leave, leave."

"Why are you in such a rush?" Xue Meng paused, his tone tinged with suspicion. "Locking yourself in so early, not wanting to come out, and getting anxious just from a few words with me... Could it be that you're..."

Doing what?

Chu Wanning's eyes widened abruptly, involuntarily recalling their accidental bodily contact by the lotus pond. That young man had been excessively fiery and aroused, as if he could consume one's life at any moment.

A man in his early twenties, not practicing the path of abstinence like him—how much seething lava was contained within his body? How often was it normal for him to release such energy? Chu Wanning had no idea; he had been detached from such desires for too long.

Now, he was curious, but his pride held him back.

Such an arrogant person as he, who could he ask such a question? He couldn't just grab a disciple and say, "Excuse me, I have a disturbance. May I inquire how often an average adult male should... you know... satisfy himself?"

...Even thinking about it seemed too bizarre to put into words.

Of course, the Peak of Life and Death had books on dual cultivation and amorous affairs, but each borrowing required registration. Chu Wanning couldn't fathom the thought of seeing entries like these in the lending records:

"Tales of a Hero on the Bed," "Records of Drifting in Desire's Sea"

Borrower: Elder Yu Heng, Chu Wanning.

...It might be easier to just kill him.

Author's Note:

Mini-Drama: "You Know What It Is, The Gentlemen's Reactions to the Cross-Dressing Suitor Xue Mengmeng"

Miss Mo Weiyu: Oh my, I feel like the matchmaker's brain has short-circuited. They didn't even bother to investigate the characters' backgrounds before arranging this blind date. I was casually enjoying my coffee in a café when who should walk in but my cousin. Are you kidding me? This is the 'handsome, wealthy, and sophisticated' guy the matchmaker was raving about? Hahaha, pardon me, I accidentally spat my coffee all over him.

Sister Mingjing: ...I gave him my WeChat out of courtesy, but I don't think I'll initiate a conversation with him. Honestly, I'm not that bothered by a guy's height, but the fact that he was wearing obvious elevator shoes and still claimed with a straight face that his actual height was 1.8 meters... I found that a bit hard to swallow. If he had just been honest, I wouldn't have laughed at him. Sigh, being short isn't an issue, but at least sincerity is crucial.

Nan Gong Si, the young miss: "I've had it up to here with this nonsense! After holding it in all day, I can finally vent! What on earth was that blind date? All I did was politely share some details about my family background, mentioning that my father is Governor Nan Gong, and he warned me about anti-corruption efforts. When I told him my family runs a factory, he started talking about recent strict regulations... In the end, I didn't know what else to discuss with him, and I was afraid of an awkward silence, so I thought I'd talk about my dog. But he pointed at my Samoyed and said, 'Your Chihuahua is quite pretty, is it a female?' Chihuahua, my foot! If you don't know anything about animals, just keep quiet, okay? After enduring that disastrous date, we exchanged WeChat contacts, and I put the whole thing behind me. Guess what happened? I posted a picture of my car on my Moments, and he commented, telling me to conserve energy and reduce emissions, saying that environmentally-conscious girls are the most beautiful. Well, bless your grandmother! I haven't even shown off our family's Weihai Fort yet! Would he have praised me by saying, 'Girls who fire cannons are the most beautiful?' Blocked him, trolls like him don't deserve an explanation."

Miss Ye Wangxi:

Seems a bit financially strained, but as long as he's a good person, I wouldn't mind treating him to a 16-yuan spicy hotpot. If that doesn't fill us up, I can invite him to the buffet at the hotel owned by our company, and just charge it to my account. In a relationship, it really doesn't matter who spends more.

...But I cannot tolerate him criticizing our CEO's daughter.

Blacklisted.

Miss Chu Wanneng:

If not for the fact that there were still sweets left on the table, I would have walked out when he said, "My mom doesn't like women with raised eyebrows." Later, I decided it wasn't worth getting upset over a fool. I'd finish my last strawberry cheesecake before leaving...

Miss Mei Hanxue:

Hmmmm, this young man looks familiar. Have I slept with him before?

Forget it, I've slept with too many people. If they didn't leave a lasting impression, there's no second time. Life is short; those who don't satisfy me right away go straight to the blacklist. What? You say I'm promiscuous? Yeah, how would you know? My WeChat Moments has categories: '10cm Playing Me', '15cm Just About Manageable', '20cm Go All Out'. Oh, and there's also a 'Exceptional, Truly Impressive' group. When I meet that person, I'll marry them. But so far, none have appeared. Sigh, the position remains empty, waiting for its occupant.

Xue Meng: "I can tolerate everyone else, but Miss Mei, please demonstrate what you mean by 20cm before you speak. 15cm is already outstanding, okay? Are you dreaming about 20cm?"

Cousin Mo Ran: "Well, actually, there have been exceptions... like me..."

Xue Meng: "???"