The citizens of Tian Du Cheng had all been gossiping quite a bit recently.
The root of all the gossip was from the City Governor’s Palace, which was raised to be the holy ground.
Because their unapproachable, cold, magnificent, god-like, ice-like, snow-like, unreachable flower city governor, Zi Ju Shu Bai, had suddenly been overly intimate with another man.
It was said that they, “share the same bed and pillow, live together, eat together, return together, leave together,” and the city governor also taught the other martial skills by correcting him with his own hands?
That good of a bestie was truly out of the ordinary.
Then just like so, recently, that became…might’ve also become a topic that would last for a long, long time.
Rumor had it that this bestie of the city governor’s was very handsome and had an extremely good voice.
Rumor had it that this bestie of the city governor’s was very kind and well mannered towards anyone and everyone.
Rumor had it that this bestie of the city governor’s martial skills weren’t as good as the city governor, but yet, he was extremely eager to learn.
Rumor had it that this bestie of the city governor’s treated the city governor with extreme delicate care, everywhere.
Rumor had it that this bestie of the city governor’s had a very high IQ and was already the city governor’s left and right hand.
Rumor had it that this bestie of the city governor’s was one that even the Da Guan Jia approved of silently, so that he could be the city governor’s personal bodyguard…
Many rumors passed around the citizens and raised that man to an unbelievable height.
But of course, someone would ask: why did the city governor trust that man so much?
Then a person would tell them mysteriously, “Ai, you haven’t heard, but when the city governor escaped after being abducted when he was young, it seems like that was the time the city governor got to know him, and also established a deep friendship…”
Anyway, now, Qi Guan Rui was famous in Tian Du Cheng.
Famous enough, that when he would randomly go outside, he would hear many people discuss about him.
Even though Qi Guan Rui was also surrounded by people in the Town of the Blue Goats, he was an individual that could get hundreds to reply with one call, but he had never met such a…situation.
So even though he had deep thoughts right now, rarely enough, his emotions had become a bit odd.
This means that he…rubbed off some lights from Zi Ju Shu Bai, right?
Half a year passed by again, Qi Guan Rui didn’t leave the house frequently and usually, he was never really separated from Gu Bai.
Gu Bai’s pointers for Qi Guan Rui weren’t sloppy at all, as he used all his ability to teach the other, he hadn’t held back from giving any rare treasure, medicine, or items from the treasury to him. He really couldn’t have treated this childhood friend of his any better. He was literally taking out his organs, being delicate to the extreme with the other.
Qi Guan Rui initially had some doubts, but under the constant corrosion of the sugar-coated shells, he gradually became…accustomed to it.
Even though, when he thought about how Gu Bai’s personality hadn’t changed much from when he was young until now, it seemed a bit stupid, but at other times, he also thought it was pretty good if Gu Bai just stayed that dumb…As long as he didn’t act that dumb towards others.
For this unapproachable person, who was high above all others, to only expose his bad sides in front of him, this feeling…it was as if he was the only special one, this had really increased Qi Guan Rui’s vanity. He couldn’t help but want it to rise even more.
Once Gu Bai had taken care of the day’s work, he lifted his head, and once in a lifetime, he actually saw Qi Guan Rui spacing out.
He blinked and looked over, “Xiao Shan, what are you thinking about?”
Qi Guan Rui replied casually, “Thinking about you.”
…Boi, you’re being ambiguous again.
Gu Bai spoke calmly, “Thinking about me?”
Qi Guan Rui smiled softly, “Thinking that it’s about time for you to eat.”
Gu Bai, “…”
In reality, I just found myself another caretaker, isn’t that it?
Then the Da Guan Jia, Qi Xiu Bo knocked from the outside and as expected, the first thing he said when coming in was, “lunch is ready, please quickly enjoy your meal” and such, he was really on time.
Qi Guan Rui still had a smile on his face as he walked over, he grabbed Gu Bai’s hand and returned to the room with him.
Gu Bai walked in silence and ignored all the bystanders’ expressions.
Okay, so he always thought, Xiao Shan was always smiling without a break. Smiling kindly, smiling lightly, smiling calmly, having a soft smile that could let one experience a soft spring breeze…of course in his eyes, they all looked like normal smiles. But to always have a smile on his face, didn’t that mean he had facial paralysis for smiling then?
He, himself, had a reason to be facially paralyzed, but for Xiao Shan to have a paralyzed smile, what was the reason for it? Didn’t he get tired…?
Qi Guan Rui just happened to pull Gu Bai into the room then, and still had a smile, “I’m not tired.”
So apparently, Gu Bai had already spoken out loud.
Good thing that when he’d said it, they were already in the bedroom.
Qi Guan Rui was already used to Gu Bai spacing out in front of him, and so he set up utensils for the other on one side, and explained with a soft voice from the other, “If I always face people with a smiling face, then the other’s mood would also get a little better. Then to do business like this, it would also be more convenient.”
Gu Bai instantly entered his imaginary world; So did that mean he was always forcing a smile? For survival, he hadn’t had any other choice other than to smile at everyone, no matter how vicious the other was, he had to get on their good side. Xiao Shan must’ve had it hard trying to get around being in the bottom chain, ah ah, I should’ve taken Xiao Shan in after I secured my position as city governor. Everyone listens to me, so it would’ve been fine for me to have him follow me everywhere. Yet such a careless mistake caused him to suffer so much…
Gu Bai looked at Qi Guan Rui silently, he felt way too guilty.
To receive Gu Bai’s sympathy and pitiful look, Qi Guan Rui’s smile stiffened unbearably for an instant.
…What was this Zi Ju Shu Bai thinking about now?
Qi Guan Rui, with the original intention of using a smiling face as a mask to get a greater benefit out of lowering other people’s guards, suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling grow in him.
Of course, at that time, he didn’t know that this feeling was called “pressure as big as a mountain.”
After finishing lunch, the two went to the training field.
This was the schedule they’d established, before noon was for work, the afternoon was for training, night was for a stroll then training their citta. This was a really effective and healthy lifestyle.
After Gu Bai walked in, he gestured with his hand to dismiss others, leaving only Qi Guan Rui behind, standing in front of him.
He looked at Qi Guan Rui and felt a bit gloomy.
He had grown during the past half-year, but how had Gu Xiao Shan, that guy, grown even faster? He was originally only half a head taller than him, now he was almost an entire head taller.
…Could it be that the things he fed him were too much, and it had the effect of fertilizer?
Gu Bai sighed, then looked at Qi Guan Rui again.
He really makes him want to beat him up.
He then thought again darkly, instead of just thinking, action would be better, so let’s beat him!
Qi Guan Rui raised his brow.
Even though Zi Ju Shu Bai was always expressionless, after the amount of time they’d spent together, he could see some of his emotional changes.
Right now, did it count as not being content? Uh, that “I wanna beat you up” expression couldn’t have been more obvious.
But unexpectedly, even though what Qi Guan Rui hated the most in his life was to be shamed by others, bullied by others, but at this time, he didn’t feel the slightest bit of anger.
It was probably because Zi Ju Shu Bai didn’t have any ill intentions…probably. He thought.
It was actually pretty interesting.
Then Qi Guan Rui got ready.
As expected, in the next moment, the eyes of the youth across from him turned sharp, and cold air steadily built up around him.
That’s right, Gu Bai’s Wu Ti’s special point was that he could absorb any type of martial energy, but he had to select a certain element to proceed training.
So, he picked the ice element.
As for why he picked that? Did he even need to explain?
As a tall, rich, and handsome man, who wore white clothing, obviously, only the ice element could show off how fresh and clean he was!
…Or else, could you imagine a god-like person rolling in the mud while fighting with someone else?
Though, of course, a man in white clothing’s best equipment was a sword, but for the Gu Bai who wasn’t upright on the inside (note: he also feared death), he hadn’t ever wanted to learn how to use a sword.
That would definitely waste his time.
So going for the next best option, the ice element was obviously the most suitable ~\\(≧▽≦)/~
Qi Guan Rui didn’t know what kind of brain hole Gu Bai opened this time, all his concentration focused on…looking at Gu Bai’s hands.
That was a pair of hands crafted to the utmost perfection, it could be seen that they were extremely skillful, each finger was fine and clear, every part was slender, long, and strong.
At the same time, it was a hand with no mistakes, just like a ten-thousand-year-old unmeltable ice carving, it was so white that it was almost transparent.
But that pair of hands also held enormous amounts of power.
When that power exploded, it made the owner of those hands even more unreachable, making people even more afraid of getting close to him.
Gu Bai’s fingers quivered and at the tips, a thick layer of frost formed.
Then, following the movements of his body, it’d already been clenched into a fist, in an instant, it reached the front of Qi Guan Rui.
The fist was just about to land a punch to his abdomen.
In an instant, Qi Guan Rui’s body turned into a bow shape and dodged the punch.
But the coldness still condensed into a white mist on his clothes.
Gu Bai spoke with his stone face, “That dodging wasn’t too bad, come at me straight on.”
Qi Guan Rui smiled, and suddenly, a flow of air spiraled from under his foot. Then his whole body acted like an arrow leaving its bow and abruptly appeared in front of Gu Bai abruptly.
His speed was no slower compared to Gu Bai’s speed from earlier.
Then Qi Guan Rui went for a punch.
His fist seemed to be carrying a windstorm, the strength of the punch was fierce and when it punched out, the sound of the space being squeezed could be heard, making it seem strangely violent.
This kind of strength, if it were to hit right on target, then it could definitely pierce through a person’s skull.
But Qi Guan Rui didn’t hold back, because the person across from him didn’t need him to hold back.
Gu Bai’s feet went into position, he released his five fingers and went to grab it.
Suddenly, his palm stopped the punch harshly, it was just like a steel hoop, clamping down onto the other tightly.
Though under the impact of force, he slid back for a little over ten meters.
Qi Guan Rui was about to retrieve his hand, but Gu Bai’s other hand moved and locked in on Qi Guan Rui’s abdomen once again, and used a huge amount of power to punch.
But Qi Guan Rui was already prepared for it, as his feet moved, his limbs seemed to have turned into countless after images. He was as agile as a leopard in the wild, under the illusion, he dodged it once again.
Gu Bai’s punch missed again, so he snorted.
Then he kept holding onto the other’s fist, and with a swipe of his long leg…disrupted Qi Guan Rui, who was still deep in his Leopard Shadow Walk’s flow and made him accidentally trip.
Then Gu Bai exercised the muscles on his right arm very naturally, in the posture of grabbing ahold of Qi Guan Rui, he threw him out hard!
“Snap!”
Qi Guan Rui was flung out just like that.
Then countering, the figure that was flung out used his arms’ power in midair and turned his whole body around.
But he wasn’t able to stand up and still fell to the ground.
Gu Bai sighed.
What a pity, he didn’t fall on his face.
Qi Guan Rui patted away the dust on his body, then smiled kindly, “Gege, did I improve this time?”
Meeting the pretty boy’s pure and innocent eyes, Gu Bai suddenly felt a bit guilty.
…Even though he’d originally wanted to give him a harsh beating.