Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 213 | Quiet Moments in the Rain | Novela.app

Nie Shiyun escorted the Phoenix cultivator to the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Zhai Bairong inside the shop, his gaze drifting toward them. She couldn't help but feel that she was definitely in the way. After leaving the pill shop, the two walked together for a distance toward the outskirts of town. Nie Shiyun inconspicuously inquired about some internal affairs of the beast tribes, and the female cultivator carefully picked out a few things she could share. Speaking of which, Nie Shiyun’s reputation within the Phoenix Clan was actually quite good. Everyone knew the Phoenix Emperor was somewhat displeased because Xuanyang was close to Nie Shiyun but not to him, so they avoided discussing Nie Shiyun in the Emperor's presence. However, over the past few years, many of the small gadgets Nie Shiyun had sold—items that ordinary artifact refiners would disdain to craft—had circulated into the Phoenix Clan and even the entire beast race. Many young cultivators were very fond of the things he made. Take the convenient cup she was bringing back, for example; the things Nie Shiyun came up with always managed to spark a small trend within social circles. She had no idea how this man’s head could be filled with so many strange and wonderful ideas. "Fellow Daoist Nie, you made quite a splash at the beast race banquet back then, and your level of artifact refining is obvious to all. Why is it that nowadays you rarely craft magic treasures and instead focus on these elegant little trifles?" the female cultivator asked curiously. "Magic treasures are naturally better the higher their grade. At my current level of cultivation, I am not yet capable of creating truly great works, so I simply practice in private as I please," Nie Shiyun replied honestly. "But these little gadgets are different. They don't require much energy, and they make people happy to use. Many people have come to remember me as an artifact refiner because of them, so why not?" The female cultivator pursed her lips. She didn't know if Nie Shiyun was aware of how others spoke of him behind his back—saying he only made useless playthings, that he only knew how to use clever tricks to please women and children, and that he was an artifact refiner in name only. However, she personally quite liked the things Nie Shiyun made. Fearing that if she spoke up, Nie Shiyun might lose heart and stop putting effort into them, she decided after a moment's thought to keep her mouth shut. "What Fellow Daoist Nie says makes sense." Nie Shiyun curled his lips in a silent smile. How could he not know that other artifact refiners had their eyes on him? Peers in the same trade were truly difficult to please. Zhai Bairong refined high-quality pills and was called greedy for wealth. He himself made cheap and interesting toys, only to be accused of not cherishing his reputation. Once they had finished talking, the female cultivator, knowing Nie Shiyun was very busy and a man with a partner, avoided any suspicion by not letting him escort her further. She quickly said, "I won't trouble you to walk me any further," and hurried away. Nie Shiyun turned to head back up the mountain, but glancing at the sky, he felt it was still early... This was a territory the White Tiger Clan had acquired in the early years, but it had remained vacant. The town was quite empty, with few shops or cultivators. Even from a distance, one could vaguely see the plaque of Zhai Bairong’s pill shop. For some reason, Nie Shiyun thought back to the warmth of Zhai Bairong’s skin when his fingers had brushed the back of his hand earlier, and he felt a bit restless. Inside the shop, Zhai Bairong was flipping through an account book. There weren't many people in town; most who came to his shop traveled specifically to seek pills. It was rare for someone to just happen to be wandering by and drop in, so it was quite peaceful. Hearing footsteps, Zhai Bairong thought to himself that the shop was quite lively today. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Nie Shiyun had returned. "Didn't you say you were going up the mountain? Did you forget something?" Zhai Bairong guessed. But then he remembered that Nie Shiyun kept all his important belongings in his storage space, and there were only some daily necessities in the shop. "Yes, I forgot something." Nie Shiyun came in and casually closed the door behind him. Seeing this action, Zhai Bairong thought he had obtained some important news from the Phoenix cultivator and was anxious to discuss it. He hurriedly closed the account book, pushed it aside, straightened his expression, and stepped out from behind the counter with concern. "What exactly happened..." Before he could finish his question, he was pulled into a full embrace by Nie Shiyun, followed immediately by an unexpected kiss. "I forgot this." Nie Shiyun touched his lips against Zhai Bairong’s as he spoke. Coming back to his senses and seeing Nie Shiyun’s relaxed expression, Zhai Bairong realized there was likely nothing wrong at all. "Just for this?" Zhai Bairong said helplessly. "Won't you be back by evening anyway?" "I intended to go up the mountain, but halfway there, I suddenly missed you so much that my legs moved on their own before I could think. Why do you think that is?" Nie Shiyun’s feigned look of distress was a bit clumsy. Even though he knew it was intentional, Zhai Bairong was still amused. Zhai Bairong usually wore a smile when facing others, a smile that always carried a gentle warmth. Many young female cultivators couldn't look away when they saw him, yet few dared to approach. Everyone felt he looked like someone from the clouds, beyond reach. Only at times like this was Zhai Bairong’s smile very different from his usual one. His eyebrows and eyes would curve with genuine joy. Seeing it would make one realize he had stepped down from the clouds. Watching Zhai Bairong laugh because of his teasing, Nie Shiyun felt very happy as well. To him, Zhai Bairong had never been some person from the clouds; he had always been vividly alive by his side. Nie Shiyun’s heart stirred. His original intention to leave after a kiss wavered. He took another step forward and reached out to grasp Zhai Bairong’s hands, which were hanging at his sides. He decided not to go back up the mountain today. He hoped the group of workers wouldn't slack off just because he wasn't there. The workers on the mountain were actually quite professional. Once the beautiful lady had left and there was nothing more to see, they resumed their work shortly after Nie Shiyun departed. However, in the past, when Nie Shiyun took a trip down the mountain, he would usually be back within an hour. One had to understand that not all clients would be so hands-on and dedicated. These workers could feel how much Nie Shiyun valued Yunqing Pavilion and were happy to have him supervise. It was more efficient than being told of dissatisfaction halfway through, wasn't it? "It's strange today. Why hasn't Senior Nie returned after so long? He didn't leave us a message when he left." The person in charge happened to hear the cultivators under him gossiping and told them to get back to work. "Why should we laborers care about a client's private affairs? Young Master Xuanyang is still in the back mountain anyway. If there's anything you're unsure about, go ask for his opinion." Xuanyang had sulked for a while, but later, when his mood improved, he returned to the front mountain on his own. Scanning the area and seeing that Nie Shiyun hadn't returned, he knew Nie Shiyun and that Phoenix woman couldn't possibly have that much to talk about. He checked his communication stone again to see if there was any emergency from Nie Shiyun. "Young Master Xuanyang, is Senior Nie not coming back today?" Hearing someone ask him, Xuanyang said helplessly, "You're asking me, but who am I supposed to ask? He hasn't contacted me, so it's probably nothing major. If he's delayed this long, he's probably just unable to restrain himself and has run off to be all lovey-dovey with his partner." At this moment, the object of Xuanyang’s own affection was who-knows-how-far away, so his tone was clearly a bit sour. His guess was almost spot on, but the cultivator across from him didn't believe him. He laughed and said, "Young Master Xuanyang really knows how to joke. Senior Nie has always been serious, and Alchemist Zhai has such a transcendental, immortal aura; he doesn't look like that type of person at all. There must be some official business." Xuanyang gave the man a cold look, feeling as if he had a mouthful of dry steamed bun he couldn't swallow, his throat feeling blocked. *Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong really know how to put on a front,* Xuanyang thought to himself. He couldn't mention to outsiders that those two were not like that at all in private, so he had to swallow his words and take up Nie Shiyun’s burden of directing the crowd. ... By the time the sky had darkened and Zhai Bairong emerged from the bath, the rain outside was still falling steadily. However, the heavy downpour of the afternoon had passed, leaving a gentle pitter-patter. A cool breeze drifted through the window, making Zhai Bairong feel refreshed after coming out of the hot water. Nie Shiyun always bathed very quickly. Having already "eaten his fill" earlier in the day, the two had just taken a normal bath, and he had come out first. By the time Zhai Bairong dried himself and walked around the screen into the bedroom, Nie Shiyun had already set out teacups, waiting for him to enjoy the rainy scenery, just as they had agreed before. A restriction had been placed on the room—invisible and intangible—but it ensured that even with the window open, the rain wouldn't blow inside. Otherwise, Zhai Bairong’s paintings on the desk would have suffered. After being busy for several years, they rarely had such leisurely, idle moments. Since Xuanyang hadn't come looking for them or sent a message this late, there was likely nothing on the mountain for them to worry about today. Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong sat by the window, sipping hot tea and chatting casually about daily trifles. "I see Xuanyang is actually quite capable. I might as well go less often in the future and let him handle everything," Nie Shiyun said, casually twirling a brush from the desk between his knuckles. Zhai Bairong took a sip of tea. He told Nie Shiyun to do as he pleased, but he also knew that Nie Shiyun likely couldn't stop worrying about Yunqing Pavilion. He probably wouldn't be able to resist going up to give instructions after just two days of rest. Nie Shiyun saw the look in his eyes and felt seen through, clearing his throat to cover his tracks. Letting Xuanyang fill in occasionally was fine, but he really wasn't comfortable handing over full authority to him. After a while, Zhai Bairong finally couldn't watch anymore and reached out to intercept Nie Shiyun’s restless hand. "You even have to twirl such a long brush?" Nie Shiyun watched as Zhai Bairong took the brush from his fingertips and gave a sheepish laugh. The brush originally belonged to Zhai Bairong; Nie Shiyun had personally collected snow wolf fur to make it as a gift for him. Aside from occasionally using it to paint, Zhai Bairong mostly kept it on the desk as a decoration. He had never once taken it out to record accounts or anything of the sort, cherishing it deeply. Seeing Nie Shiyun twirling it so casually—and dropping it with a "clack" on the table several times due to poor technique—he finally couldn't help but stop him. Seeing Nie Shiyun’s hand still resting on the table, Zhai Bairong thought that since the item was a gift from him, his reaction might be a bit much. He pulled a cheap brush he had bought outside from his storage ring and tucked it back into Nie Shiyun’s fingertips. "If you must twirl something, twirl this one." Nie Shiyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Am I a child?" Despite his words, he accepted the gesture and continued twirling. He had introduced this habit to Zhai Bairong long ago; Zhai Bairong expressed understanding but had no interest in it himself. The two sat for a while until the tea grew a bit cold. It seemed the rain had no intention of stopping anytime soon, so Nie Shiyun stood up to close the window. Zhai Bairong finished the rest of his tea and looked at him. "Are we entering the space to continue cultivating today?" Nie Shiyun shook his head and flicked his finger, extinguishing the flickering candlelight in the room. "Since I've skipped work today, let's just relax properly and not think about those things." While the daily business was important, it was also very good to relax like this occasionally. Zhai Bairong understood. The two got into bed and fell asleep in each other's arms. Listening to the sound of the rain outside, both felt a bit dazed before sleep took them. In the beginning, they had been like this too—behind the shop in Fanhu City, passing through the small courtyard to sleep together in a cramped but well-equipped room. Only back then, they were still testing each other, not knowing what the future would hold. Now, although they faced a mountain of tasks to be done, they only felt a sense of peace. "Time passes so quickly," Zhai Bairong said softly. Recalling the past felt like a lifetime ago. "It does," Nie Shiyun reached out and lightly brushed Zhai Bairong’s face. "But the days ahead are even longer..." "Mm..." The two were tired from the day's exertions and didn't bother taking any potions to recover their strength. Not long after lying down, their eyelids grew heavy, and they fell asleep together like an ordinary mortal couple.