“You never told me you can’t hold your alcohol,” Gui Yin whispered as he hoarded the bottles from Langxia.
Langxia’s eyes narrowed. He hummed with a small pout on his face and leaned over Gui Yin. “Gege, what are you doing? Shixiong gave me that.”
Gui Yin closed his eyes painfully as he held the wine away from Langxia. He set the cup down in front of Ye Liuxing and stood. “I think it’s time we leave.”
Langxia pouted. His attention had been on the wine before, but when Gui Yin stood, Langxia immediately turned to him.
“Are you leaving me?” Langxia asked.
Gui Yin glanced at Lin Cangyuan and the others before patting Langxia on the back and pulling him up. “No, you’re coming with me.”
Lin Cangyuan looked at Langxia with a hint of guilt. “Yes, you…take him back. I didn’t think the pear blossom wine would be so strong.”
“Well, by our standards,” Jiu Jingyi poured herself a cup. “It’s just average, isn’t it?”
Gui Yin sighed. Yunjing Pavilion housed a load of alcoholics. Of course, none of them could distinguish between what strong wine was anymore. The entire sect was filled with strong wine!
Deng Yenuo glanced at the disciples who were still running around wildly and looked at Langxia a little awkwardly. “I don’t think it was that strong…”
No matter if the wine was strong or not, Gui Yin was still determined to take Langxia back. He got Langxia steady on his feet, but before they could leave, he flopped over Gui Yin’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Gui Yin asked.
“My lantern,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin glanced back. He sighed and held out his hand as Deng Yenuo hurriedly walked the lantern over. He forced a patient smile and held the lantern in front of Langxia. “Do you see it? Let’s go now, okay?”
Langxia nodded obediently. Once the lantern was in his hands, he quietly followed Gui Yin. He only stumbled a few times on the way back.
“Yin-gege,” Langxia drawled, “Let’s release this when we get back home.”
Gui Yin glanced at Langxia quizzically. His words not only slurred together, but the way he pronounced everything was wrong or was pitched oddly. It sounded like he had suddenly pasted a different accent onto the wrong language. But even if it was difficult to understand, it was oddly endearing.
“Gege,” Langxia rushed forward a little and tripped over his feet.
Gui Yin quickly caught him. The lantern was nearly smashed, but it was saved at the last second by Gui Yin’s free hand. He sighed and supported Langxia.
“Qinle,” Langxia drawled. He rubbed his head against Gui Yin. “Qinle, I love you.”
Gui Yin scoffed quietly as his lips lifted into a smile. “Hold your lantern properly, Palace Lord Sun. We’re going up a hill.”
“We’re fated,” Langxia drawled on as his eyelids drooped. “You see? We’re holding hands.”
Gui Yin laughed. He glanced back at Langxia. Despite how drunk the man was, he walked steadily without Gui Yin’s help. His gaze was concentrated on their interlocked hands as they slowly traveled up the hill.
“Qinle.”
“Hm?”
“You’re the world’s brightest star,” Langxia slurred. He gave Gui Yin’s hand a tug as they reached the top of the hill.
Gui Yin stumbled slightly and fell into Langxia’s arms. He tried to stand properly, but was held in place. He looked up at Langxia, whose eyes seemed more golden today than usual.
“You lit up my night sky,” Langxia said, his head lowering and burying against Gui Yin. “I knew I would be okay as long as I had you in my sight.”
Gui Yin listened to Langxia’s steady heartbeat and felt the warm hand holding him tightly against Langxia’s chest. His lashes fluttered slightly and his heart skipped a beat. He calmly cleared his throat and gently nudged Langxia awake before straightening.
“Just listen to you. Anyone can tell that you’re drunk,” Gui Yin chided softly.
“I’m drunk,” Langxia admitted. His grip on Gui Yin’s hand tightened. “But my words are not false.”
“Alright, whatever you say,” Gui Yin said. He patted Langxia’s head. “Come on, didn’t you want to release the lantern?”
Langxia hummed and followed Gui Yin sleepily. The lantern was carefully lit. Gui Yin guided Langxia’s hand to hold the edge of the lantern. He watched Langxia silently and wondered what the man was so piously praying for. A moment later, he released the lantern.
The wishing lantern joined the many others that floated over Xinggang City tonight.
Gui Yin watched the lanterns that were brighter than the night sky and sighed. “I hope the world can experience peace again soon.”
“I wish…”
Gui Yin glanced at Langxia. “Hm?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“You.”
“Qtja jybea wf?”
“P klrt…sbe,” Ojcuzlj wegwegfv.
Xel Tlc’r ilqr qegrfv rilutais yfobgf tf yegra bea ijeutlcu. “Cigluta, jigluta. Zf. P’w jigfjvs sbegr, jgfc’a P?”
Ojcuzlj’r fzqgfrrlbc aklrafv lcab mbcoerlbc. “Zlcf?”
“Prc’a atja ktja sbe klrtfv obg?” Xel Tlc jrxfv.
Ojcuzlj rkjsfv rilutais jcv fnfcaejiis rtbbx tlr tfjv. “Tbe…klii yf olcf.”
Gui Yin raised a brow. “Aren’t I fine now?”
Langxia shook his head again. “You…aren’t like me…you’ll be fine.”
Gui Yin frowned. He quickly caught Langxia, who nearly tripped into the pond. “What are you talking about?”
Langxia stared at Gui Yin. His golden eyes had definitely brightened. He lifted a hand and gently cupped Gui Yin’s face. “A Heavenly body suited for cultivation with merit from ten lives before. A very…very, very kind person.”
Gui Yin stared at him in confusion. He felt a pair of lips touch his and tasted the strong pear blossom wine at the tip of his tongue. He attempted to kiss back, but Langxia pulled away.
“I owe you,” Langxia said, his eyes blurring again. He straightened before pulling Gui Yin into a tight hug. “You saved me. So, I’ll help you.”
“What are you saying? You don’t owe me anything,” Gui Yin said. He thought about it a bit. “Besides, even if you did, you’ve already paid everything back.”
Langxia shook his head adamantly. “You don’t understand.”
“Of course not! You’re talking in riddles again,” Gui Yin said with a click of his tongue.
Langxia pulled back and muttered something in a language Gui Yin couldn’t understand.
“What…what did you just say?”
“Heaven’s Will cannot be worn out,” Langxia said. He released Gui Yin and swayed a little before he started walking away.
Gui Yin clicked his tongue and quickly followed. “A-Xia, watch where you’re going!”
Langxia walked slower until Gui Yin caught up. He glanced over and smiled brightly. “Qinle, when did you get here?”
Gui Yin rolled his eyes. “You’re so drunk. Alright, let’s go to bed. How about that?”
“Do you want to sleep?”
“Mn! I want to sleep,” Gui Yin faked a yawn. “Look, I’m so sleepy!”
“Mm…if you want to sleep…let’s sleep,” Langxia said. He took Gui Yin’s hand. “As long as you’re happy.”
Gui Yin sighed and followed Langxia down the cobbled path. “I really don’t have a handle on you. Mumbling all sorts of weird riddles. Not only that, I can barely understand a word you’re saying! What language are you even speaking?”
Langxia looked back at Gui Yin as he pushed the door open. He nearly tripped as he walked on, but was saved by Gui Yin once again. Langxia remained in Gui Yin’s arms and silently hugged him. The man stared over Langxia’s shoulder tiredly.
“A-Xia, let’s get you changed, alright?” Gui Yin said softly.
Langxia’s eyelids drooped.
Seeing this, Gui Yin could only sigh. He walked Langxia over to the divan and put him down. The man had completely fallen asleep.
“Ten lives of merit?” Gui Yin scoffed. He began to take Langxia’s clothes off. “I say, I have ten lives of karma. I must have owed you all ten lives.”
Gui Yin placed Langxia’s belt to the side and managed to strip the first layer. He sighed and stood back before grabbing clothes from his closet and setting them to the side. He got off the second layer and irritably fumbled with the third.
“Why do you wear so many layers?” Gui Yin grumbled. “Even Jingyi doesn’t dress as tightly as you!”
Gui Yin untied the last layer and opened up Langxia’s shirt. His movements stilled and he took a sharp inhale.
In the center of his chest, blooming down to his abdomen was a large scar. Its edges were frayed and blackened. Despite the fact the scar itself had long healed, it was a darker color than the rest of his skin. Aside from the scar in the middle of his chest, there were other scars around his abdomen that traveled to his back.
When Gui Yin managed to tug the rest of Langxia’s shirt off, he saw the bicep that was completely blackened. It reminded Gui Yin eerily of Gui Linghuo’s appearance when he was on the verge of Qi Deviating as a child. The veins on his bicep protruded more than normal and were somewhat gnarled. The skin against his shoulder seemed to have been burnt. The arm that was connected to it was pristine, but it felt unnatural, set against the overly scarred body.
Gui Yin felt his chest ache slightly. His arms felt weak and the shirt he was holding fluttered to the ground.
He stepped forward and gently touched the largest scar on Langxia’s chest.
This must have been where they removed Langxia’s emotional root.
Then, there were the scars around his throat too. They were much more faded and had been barely noticeable. He didn’t know how long these scars had been in place, but it almost looked as if someone had taken a knife and had tried to mutilate Langxia’s throat.
Gui Yin sat down on the edge of the divan to gather himself for a moment. He glanced at Langxia, who was sleeping so peacefully and found it in himself to smile a little.
He brushed Langxia’s messy hair away from his face and chuckled.
It’s true, he had gone through a lot, but now he could sleep so defenselessly. This was also a good thing.
Gui Yin took a deep breath and stood. He changed Langxia into a set of sleep wear and pulled him up to the bed again.
He carefully set Langxia down and pulled the covers over him. He remained at his bedside for a moment before he decided that he should go and make him something for the potential hangover tomorrow. Just as he had stood, his hand was caught.
He looked back and found Langxia looking up at him.
“I’m going to make you some hangover tea,” Gui Yin whispered.
Langxia hummed.
Gui Yin pursed his lips and gently patted his hand. “I’ll be right back.”
Langxia’s grip remained as strong as before, making Gui Yin look back at him uncertainly.
Gui Yin sat back down. “What’s wrong?”
“I won’t get a hangover,” Langxia mumbled.
Gui Yin laughed. He softened his voice, “I know. But just in case.”
“I won’t,” Langxia mumbled. He tugged Gui Yin onto the bed. “Let’s sleep…you said you were sleepy.”
Gui Yin looked at Langxia helplessly. “But what if it hurts up here in the morning?”
Langxia closed his eyes and leaned into Gui Yin’s touch. “It won’t.”
Gui Yin thought about just breaking out of Langxia’s grip, but he knew that the other man would follow him if he did. Gui Yin eventually conceded. He set his fan aside.
“Then, will you let me get changed first, before I join you?”
Langxia nodded.
He let go of Gui Yin and sat up to watch Gui Yin move to the opposite side of the room. When Gui Yin started taking his clothes off, he covered his eyes, his brows furrowed somewhat. Until the sound of cloth rubbing against each other stopped, he didn’t open his eyes.
Gui Yin walked back to Langxia’s side, took off his shoes and rolled onto the bed. “Happy?”
“Mn,” Langxia nodded.
“I am too,” Gui Yin chuckled. “Who knew that I would learn so many sides of you after just a few bottles?”
Langxia’s brows furrowed. “It was a lot of bottles…”
“Mn, right. My bad. After a lot of bottles,” Gui Yin said seriously. He looked at Langxia’s serious expression and smiled. “You’re such a treasure. How can there be someone as cute as you?”
Langxia was having trouble keeping his eyes open again. He stared at Gui Yin through his half-lidded eyes. “You’re…much more.”
Gui Yin laughed. “You can’t even form a proper sentence.”
Langxia shook his head. “Did though.”
“Yes, you did,” Gui Yin chuckled. He gave Langxia a quick kiss and rubbed his head. “Alright, let’s sleep. You…I mean, I’m tired.”
Langxia nodded. He pulled Gui Yin against his chest and gently patted Gui Yin’s back, as if he were trying to lull him to sleep.
“Do you want to hear the story of the big wolf and the little deer?”
Gui Yin raised a brow. “A bedtime story?”
“Mn…”
Gui Yin chuckled but he didn’t expect much. “Alright, tell me.”
“Once upon a time, there was a very imposing tiger—”
“I thought it was a big wolf and a deer.”
“I changed my mind.”
Gui Yin bit back his laughter. “Alright, continue.”
“The imposing tiger…lived a long, hard life. Out of the many paths he chose, he chose the most difficult one. He became very sad for a long time,” Langxia murmured. “But one day, he found a little white fox. The white fox was loved by everyone who saw him, but the place he was raised in was cruel and difficult. The imposing tiger saw this and asked the little white fox if he wanted to leave…the little white fox agreed…then…”
Gui Yin raised a brow. “And then?”
“Then…one day, when the little white fox was out playing…he found an injured snake…unlike the little white fox, nobody liked the snake. People fear snakes the moment they see them and will run away, screaming. Snakes are ugly and unpleasant and this snake in particular…wasn’t even liked by the other snakes…but because the little white fox was too kind, he took the injured snake in…
“The imposing tiger didn’t like the snake. This snake was unlucky…the imposing tiger knew it would eventually harm his white fox disciple in some way…but the kind little white fox insisted…”
Gui Yin pursed his lips. He waited for the story to continue, but Langxia’s grip on him had relaxed and his breath had smoothed out. He smiled slightly and tilted his head up to look.
Langxia had fallen asleep.
“Who are you to insult snakes?” Gui Yin scoffed as he poked Langxia’s chest. “I think snakes are cute.”
He watched Langxia for a while longer before closing his eyes as well. He cuddled up to Langxia and let the man’s warmth slowly lull him to sleep.
When morning came, Gui Yin was still tucked safely in Langxia’s arms.
Gui Yin tried to shift away, but the arms around his waist tightened. He looked back. “Awake?”
“No.”
“Hungover?”
“No.”
“I’ll go get us breakfast,” Gui Yin said.
“No,” Langxia whined. He rubbed his head against Gui Yin’s back. “Why do you always have to get up so early?”
Gui Yin laughed. “Haven’t you heard the saying?”
“I don’t care about sayings,” Langxia groaned. He wrapped his legs around Gui Yin’s legs and pulled him back in. “Let’s sleep some more, the sun just rose.”
“I’m sure it’s risen for a few hours now.”
“You don’t know that,” Langxia grumbled.
Gui Yin twisted over to the opposite side so that he could look at Langxia. “You’re so intimidating and powerful outside, but you have so many small bad habits at home. This isn’t befitting of a Palace Lord, you know.”
“I’m not a palace lord right now,” Langxia said. “I’m your boyfriend. I’m not even wearing my crown, who would know I’m a palace lord?”
Gui Yin’s cheeks warmed slightly. He let out a light cough. “Alright. Stop acting cute. It won’t work. Now, let go.”
Langxia kissed Gui Yin’s chest up until his throat. “Does this work?”
Gui Yin wiggled away a little further. “No, it’s even worse.”
Langxia harrumphed and burrowed himself against Gui Yin’s chest again. “I’m going back to sleep.”
“Let me go first!” Gui Yin laughed.
“I can’t sleep without you,” Langxia murmured.
Gui Yin rolled his eyes. “Then, how did you sleep the last few centuries without me?”
“Badly.”
Gui Yin let out a long, exasperated sigh. “My little ancestor, can’t you cooperate with me a little? I’m still a peak lord! I have things to do!”
“Just a little longer,” Langxia mumbled.
“…Fine. A little longer,” Gui Yin finally said.
He gave up and laid in bed, fiddling with Langxia’s hair as the man fell back asleep.
Who would have guessed Palace Lord Sun would have such a spoiled side to him?
[unfurls my theory board] okay so its pretty clear to me that this drunk story features Kui Wanming (imposing tiger), Gui Yin (little white fox), and Langxia (injured snake) amd now that i have it written out, it doesnt feel groundbreaking ajxajdhs i felt really clever for a few minutes rearranging this board at least. well what is groundbreaking to me is from when i went back to the drunk mumblings to see if there’s anything in particular i wanna note down and the “brightest star” stuff is so incredibly cute im gonna dieeeeeeee 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 ….wonder if it’s literal tho since he reads the stars akchsjxhs
thanks for reading : D
They are a whole bunch of alcoholics haha.
This cuteness overload really got to me.
Thanks so much glowingreverie!
thanks for reading!!
Drunk Langxia is adorable 😆.
Thank you for this chapter!
thanks for reading!!