The peace in Kunlun was far too great a temptation to resist. However, as Gui Yin woke up to another day, he couldn’t ignore the dread that gnawed on his mind. He left Langxia in their bed and went to write a quick reply to Li Fangyin. By the time he returned, Langxia had already awoken. His hair was tied loosely by a ribbon and he had a coat against his shoulders. He met Gui Yin’s gaze and slowly sauntered over.
Gui Yin was pulled into Langxia’s embrace and a soft kiss landed on his lips.
“Did you leave me in the large cold bed to write a letter to another man?” Langxia asked.
His voice had yet to recover and, in the mornings, it was at its worst. Rather than subject Gui Yin to the horrible sound, Langxia projected his voice into Gui Yin’s ears instead. Though, Gui Yin wasn’t sure if he preferred this alternative.
“What are you saying? If anyone heard you, they’d misunderstand,” Gui Yin sighed.
“Yesterday, you said you wouldn’t leave me, but today you’re already making plans to go,” Langxia said. He kissed Gui Yin again. Contrary to his mournful words, there was a smirk on his face. “My dear, how could you be so cruel?”
Gui Yin rolled his eyes. “You’re no longer running a fever, right?”
“I’m running a fever still,” Langxia said. He took Gui Yin’s hand and placed it over his chest. “In my heart—ah!”
Gui Yin broke away from Langxia’s embrace after he had pinched Langxia’s hand. “Why are you saying such cheesy things so early in the morning? You’re giving me goosebumps.”
“I have to express my love to you before you go off with another man,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin held his head as he walked towards Langxia’s closet. “I can’t handle you when you’re like this.”
“Like what?” Langxia asked curiously. He followed Gui Yin to his closet and leaned against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. “When are you planning on leaving?”
“The letter should take a few days to reach Yin Hua Palace. I told him that we should meet in Xinggang City, so that there’s less of a chance of others spying on us,” Gui Yin said. He shifted through Langxia’s closet and pulled out a set of red robes. “I’ll probably set off today, so that I can also discuss matters with Sect Master-shixiong and the others.”
He turned and put the robes into Langxia’s arms. “Are you coming with me?”
Langxia looked at the carefully chosen clothes in his arms and then lifted his head to look at Gui Yin. “I don’t think I can.”
Gui Yin’s expression fell. He had been sure Langxia would agree. “Why not?”
“After the fourth furnace, our trail completely went cold,” Langxia said. “I suspect that the last furnace is in Yongxiu, but since that territory is difficult to navigate, I will be investigating it myself.”
Gui Yin frowned. “Can’t you wait? I’ll come with you.”
“These things shouldn’t be delayed,” Langxia said. “If the ghost cultivators have truly infiltrated into ranks as high as Li Huanwei and are even in the Beidou Alliance, we no longer have the upper hand. Not to mention, the fact that you saw Qiao Ceng’s projection means that we might have even less time than we previously estimated.”
Gui Yin reluctantly nodded. “Then…fine. I’ll finish my business quickly and then I’ll go meet up with you.”
Langxia smiled. He held Gui Yin’s head in his hands and raised a brow. “What’s with this expression? It looks like you really miss me.”
Gui Yin broke from Langxia’s hold and gave him a kiss. “I can’t? Recently, we’ve always been together. When have we been apart?”
Langxia’s smile grew. “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
“If I grow even fonder for you, I’ll end up being taken advantage of,” Gui Yin said.
“I’m already being taken advantage of,” Langxia said with a long sigh.
“What do you—”
“You can experience what it’s like to long for me like how I longed for you,” Langxia teased. He took a step back. “I’m going to get changed.”
“Alright.”
Langxia glanced at Gui Yin, who was still standing in the same place.
“What?”
“You’re not even going to turn around?” Langxia asked in amusement.
“Who knows how long we’re going to be apart?” Gui Yin sighed. He crossed his arms seriously. “I have to look at you for as long as I can.”
Langxia laughed, but he set aside his robes and began to take off his sleeping clothes nonetheless. “It won’t even be longer than a few days.”
Gui Yin sighed. “You won’t miss me?”
“Oh, I will,” Langxia nodded. “But let’s just say being apart from you is something I’m quite used to.”
Gui Yin scoffed. “Are you going to keep bragging?”
“What could I be bragging about?” Langxia asked with a raised brow.
Gui Yin stepped closer and helped him pull his shirt on. “About how you’ve liked me for longer.”
“Liked you for longer?” Langxia echoed. He shook his head. “There’s something wrong with that phrasing.”
“And what’s that?” Gui Yin asked with a raised brow.
“I’ve known that I was meant to be yours from the moment I was born,” Langxia said. He grinned as Gui Yin’s face slowly took on a pinkish hue. “It was love even when I forgot what love meant.”
“Stop it,” Gui Yin said. He groaned and snapped his fan open. “You can’t say that while you’re speaking right into my ears. It’s off putting.”
“Off putting?” Langxia smiled. “Then, why are you still smiling?”
“It’s a reflex,” Gui Yin said with an irritated glance in Langxia’s direction. “If you keep talking like this, I’ll lock you to my side.”
“Perfect,” Langxia said as he tied the strings of his shirt. He picked up the outer layer. “Then, we can hide away from the rest of the world and ignore everything that goes on outside. It’ll be just the two of us for eternity, even when the skies break and the ground crumbles. It’ll be so romantic.”
“You’re crazy,” Gui Yin said with an exaggerated sigh.
Langxia gave Gui Yin’s cheek a loud smooch. “Many have said so.”
Gui Yin leaned against the wall with a longing sigh. “If only we could do that.”
“We can,” Langxia sang. “If I have you, I won’t care about anything else.”
He pulled on the belt and allowed Gui Yin to help him tie it. Once the belt was properly tied, he draped his arms over Gui Yin’s shoulders and pinched his chin up. Gui Yin raised a brow and pressed the tip of his fan to Langxia’s chest. Despite the forced distance, Langxia still managed to give Gui Yin a quick peck on the forehead.
“But you’re not the same,” Langxia said. “My Qinle, is a kindhearted person who pretends not to care about anything, but really cares about everything and everyone. Even the person he dislikes and treats as his rival is within this periphery. He’s a silly person like that.”
“You make me sound like a great person.”
“You are the best person in this world,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin narrowed his eyes, but Langxia returned his skeptical gaze with a grin.
“The stars told me so,” Langxia said with a firm nod.
“Just because you say the stars said so doesn’t mean I’ll actually believe you,” Gui Yin said.
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.
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“I’ll send you,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin hummed hesitantly.
“Hm?”
“Mm,” Gui Yin hummed again. He sighed. “Let’s at least have a meal before I leave.”
Breakfast was served and the situation was explained to Langxia’s attendants, as well as Yankui. Yankui’s eyes widened when he heard that both Langxia and Gui Yin would be leaving soon. He frowned and glanced between the two of them.
“You’re all leaving?”
The reluctance in his voice couldn’t be hidden. He had long grown attached to these two mentors of his. Even if he spent most of his time learning on his own, he had grown used to their presence. And in the large Huigu Palace, where he was an outsider, how could he feel comfortable without the owner of the house here? And if Langxia’s attendants were also going with him…well, he couldn’t help but feel a little out of place again.
“You can stay here or go to Lord Xun’s residence,” Langxia said. “The choice is up to you.”
Yankui pursed his lips. Even if he went to Lord Xun’s residence, it wasn’t as if he could be with Gui Linghuo. Instead, he would just get in Lord Xun and his disciple’s way. Not to mention, according to Gui Linghuo, Lord Xun was rarely even at home most of the time—so he really would only be getting in a stranger’s way!
Seeing Yankui’s vexed expression, Gui Yin offered a third option: “You can also come back to Yunjing Pavilion with me.”
From what he had learned, Yankui had gotten along with those at Yunjing Pavilion quite well. Even when Gui Yin had to leave again, Yankui would most likely be comfortable there on his own.
Yankui’s head shot up. He looked at Gui Yin with wide eyes. “I can?”
“Of course,” Gui Yin chuckled. “Yunjing Pavilion and Huigu Palace’s doors are always open to you. You don’t have to look so surprised.”
Yankui’s cheeks warmed a little. He nodded in understanding. “Then, I’ll go with you, Laoshi.”
“Alright,” Gui Yin hummed. He looked at Langxia. “That’s okay, right?”
“Whatever he’s most comfortable with,” Langxia said.
He understood Yankui’s reservations. Besides, Huigu Palace was so large—without even a few familiar places, one would feel extremely isolated. It would be better to go with Gui Yin to Yunjing Pavilion.
Yankui breathed a soft sigh of relief. He quickly finished his breakfast and stood. “Then, I’ll send a message to Linghuo real fast!”
“Take your time. We’ll wait for you in the common area,” Gui Yin called after the hurried Yankui. Once the doors to the dining hall shut, Gui Yin sighed. “I’m a bit worried about him.”
“He’ll be fine. It’s only been a few weeks,” Langxia said. “He’ll learn how to stand on his own eventually. Besides, he’s still young.”
“He is,” Gui Yin mumbled. He shook his head and returned to his breakfast. “No, you’re right. He’ll be fine.”
About half an hour later, Yankui found his way back to Gui Yin and Langxia. He was slightly out of breath, but there was nothing else out of sorts about him. He straightened and expressed that he was ready for travel.
“Has Huo’er returned to seclusion?” Gui Yin asked.
Yankui nodded. “He’ll…be there for another month or so. Then, Lord Xun said his condition will be stable enough to leave. He’ll still need to visit twice a year and stay for two months at a time.”
Gui Yin hummed. “That’s good. He’s finally getting better.”
Yankui nodded with a bright grin. “He even looks a lot better. The black stuff in his veins have faded. Unless you’re really close, you won’t even notice!”
“And you noticed?” Langxia asked.
Yankui slowly closed his mouth. He gave Langxia a timid glare.
“Er’lang.”
Langxia softly cleared his throat. “Alright, I won’t tease him.”
Gui Yin sighed and shook his head. “Then, let’s go.”
“Ah, before we leave,” Langxia said. He pulled out a white jade pendant and handed it to Yankui. “This grants you access to Kunlun and Huigu Palace.”
Yankui stared at it, wide-eyed. “You’re giving this to me?”
“You’re a member of Huigu Palace, aren’t you? What, are you going to wait for us to escort you back every single time you want to come home? It would be inconvenient.”
Home.
The word echoed and swirled around Yankui’s mind. He shakily took the pendant and squeezed it tightly in his hand. “Thank you, Yìfù.”
Langxia hummed casually, as if he hadn’t just given Yankui a precious gift.
Gui Yin glanced at the two and quietly hid his smile. He softly cleared his throat. “Then, are we ready?”
The two men nodded and the group set off for Yunjing Pavilion.
Because they had taken Gui Yin’s flying boat, the trip there was quite quick. The journey lasted a day and two nights. By the time they landed, Yankui’s legs felt like jello. He wobbled unsteadily and held a tree. Gui Yin and Langxia watched him with a hint of amusement, but the young man pouted.
“It’s because I’m not used to flying,” Yankui awkwardly explained.
He had spent all his life traveling through shadows. He was suddenly thrown into the wide sky for several days, so he was a bit unused to it.
“It’s understandable,” Gui Yin said seriously. But it didn’t make it any less cute.
Langxia lowered his gaze, as if to hide his smile. He then turned to Gui Yin, who was still watching Yankui struggle, and reached out to hold his hand. Gui Yin stilled and looked over curiously. His brow raised slightly as Langxia smiled. His lips moved slightly and his voice echoed in Gui Yin’s ears.
“I’m leaving.”
Gui Yin’s fingers unconsciously gripped Langxia’s hand tighter. “So soon?”
Langxia hummed. “If Lord Xun finds out I slipped away, he will be furious.”
Gui Yin’s gaze darkened. “Hold on, then your condition—”
“Isn’t that bad,” Langxia quickly explained. “I should have just…rested a while longer. That’s all.”
Gui Yin glared at him, but when he felt the familiar warmth brushing soothingly against his knuckles, he couldn’t find it in himself to admonish him.
“Fine, you…go back quickly,” Gui Yin said.
Yankui glanced between them for a moment before he stepped away. He didn’t want to interrupt their farewells.
“I’ll send word for you as soon as I’m ready,” Langxia reassured him.
“I know,” Gui Yin hummed. “Stay safe. And don’t push yourself.”
“Speak for yourself,” Langxia said with a raised brow. “You know, even though I was more injured, your condition is more unstable.”
“I don’t need you to remind me,” Gui Yin said. “I can admit when I’m hurt, unlike someone.”
“But you’ll feel it if I get injured, so I’ve been very careful,” Langxia said. He smiled. “And I will continue to be.”
Gui Yin sighed. He wished that Langxia would be careful for himself, rather than for Gui Yin.
After another few words, Langxia departed. Yankui slowly walked back to Gui Yin’s side. He glanced at Gui Yin and then up at the broad skies that Gui Yin still had his eyes on.
“Um,” Yankui softly cleared his throat. “Linghuo said he’ll be joining us next week.”
Gui Yin immediately frowned. He turned to Yankui. “Is he really allowed?”
“He wants to,” Yankui said, a sort of whining quality to his voice. “Besides, Lord Xun said that having a happier mentality is actually more conducive to his healing process than bathing in the springs for months on end. The springs are only important if he is cultivating, and if he can’t concentrate, he can’t cultivate properly.”
“Tell me honestly—how are his heart demons?”
Yankui’s mouth opened and closed. He shook his head.
“What does that mean?”
“I…don’t know,” Yankui said. “He says he’s gotten better.”
“That’s also what he told me. But what is your opinion?”
Yankui fiddled for a moment. “Linghuo has…some issues. He’s very possessive and territorial.”
Gui Yin nodded slightly. He had seen those qualities in Gui Linghuo since he was a child. Though, whether those were the side effects of his ailments or his true personality, Gui Yin had never been able to figure it out.
“Lord Xun says that as long as the people he is protective of are safe, then he’ll be fine,” Yankui explained. He shook his head. “Laoshi, I think it’s best that you ask him when he’s here.”
The few times Gui Yin had been able to speak to Gui Linghuo over the past few weeks, he had been avoiding the current topic. It was partially because Lord Xun said Gui Linghuo needed more time to relax and partially because Gui Yin didn’t want to pester him about his recovery process.
“We should talk,” Gui Yin softly agreed.
Yankui glanced at Gui Yin. “He cares very much about you.”
“I know,” Gui Yin said, his gaze lowering slightly. He held the fan carefully in his hands and chuckled. “I know he cares.”
Yankui looked at the wistful expression on Gui Yin’s face and was reminded of Gui Linghuo for a brief moment. He pursed his lips and tried to think of any type of comfort he could give, but came up empty.
Another week passed.
Gui Yin had fallen back into his routine of being Shuangye Peak’s Peak Lord. With his new little assistant at his side, his work went by swimmingly. He made it a routine to check the mail hall every day, just in case Li Fangyin had sent a response, but he usually returned empty handed.
As the days drew by, Gui Yin started to wonder how long it had been since he had spent his days like this—mundanely, as he watched the red maple leaves fall to the ground. The quiet was like a soothing balm on his soul, quieting his loudest thoughts, yet at the same time the silence magnified the worries he had about the state of the world. With each day Li Fangyin didn’t respond, the antsier he felt. And with each passing day that Langxia didn’t send for him, he began to grow worried about the situation with the ghost cultivators.
It was halfway through the next week when Yankui gently knocked on Gui Yin’s door.
Gui Yin looked up. “What is it?”
“Laoshi, you have a guest,” Yankui whispered.
Gui Yin stood and followed Yankui out of his study. He only walked a few steps when he saw the young man, standing under the maple tree.
The young man was dressed in his standard robes. His long hair was tied up into a partial bun. Everything about him was as usual, but the grip he held his hands in were tighter. His lips were pressed into a stiffer line and his bright eyes had darkened significantly since they last met. Gui Yin suddenly realized why Yankui had seemed so cautious. This man carried a repressed air that warned people who approached that he might explode at any moment.
“Fangyin.”
The moment the name fell, the darkness in the man’s expression lifted slightly. He turned and watched as Gui Yin slowly made his way over.
“I’ll go brew some tea,” Yankui quickly said.
Li Fangyin watched as Yankui scurried off. “The yellow robes suit him. Have you accepted him as your disciple?”
Gui Yin chuckled. “Not exactly, but I fear I’ve been more of a mentor to him than I have any of my own disciples.”
Li Fangyin smiled sadly. “There were circumstances that couldn’t be avoided.”
“I suppose,” Gui Yin said. He gestured towards the gazebo. “Shall we take a seat?”
Once seated, Gui Yin snapped his fan open.
Li Fangyin’s lips curved upwards at the familiar sound. “How have you been, Qianbei?”
“Me?” Gui Yin asked. He smiled. “Not too bad.”
“Really?”
Gui Yin raised a brow. “Why do you ask?”
“You just,” Li Fangyin’s words fell off halfway. “You look a bit pale, Qianbei.”
Gui Yin touched his face. “Do I?”
Li Fangyin only smiled silently and lowered his gaze. Gui Yin observed Li Fangyin quietly for a while before sighing.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Do I seem troubled?” Li Fangyin asked.
“You say I look pale, but you also look quite tired,” Gui Yin said, his voice softening. “Is it to do with Yin Hua Palace?”
“I…” Li Fangyin’s voice trailed off. He forced a smile. “Qianbei, in a while, I might…not be around anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Gui Yin asked.
Li Fangyin looked up at the expansive sky, as if he were trying to search for the correct words in the clouds. Gui Yin’s heart hammered against his chest.
“Is it your father?” Gui Yin asked. “Did he threaten you?”
“I’m about to find out some things that I shouldn’t have touched,” Li Fangyin said. He looked at Gui Yin again. “He’s working with the ghost cultivators. As for how…I’m not sure yet, but it seems to be far deeper than anything you or I imagined.”
“…Deeper?”
“The Beidou Alliance has fallen apart,” Li Fangyin said. “The Upper Realm…has a lot of rats. I don’t know if there is even a possibility of weeding them out without another war.”
Li Fangyin lowered his head. A trace of sadness appeared in his eyes. The silence continued until Yankui returned with the teapot. He glanced at Li Fangyin worriedly and placed the tray down.
“Is Linghuo doing fine?” Li Fangyin asked.
Yankui jumped. He quickly nodded. “He’s okay. He’s doing a lot better now.”
“That’s good,” Li Fangyin said. “Everything with my sister…I hope he can finally forgive himself.”
Yankui averted his gaze. “Well, that…I wouldn’t be too optimistic about that.”
He softly cleared his throat and excused himself. Li Fangyin watched him go as Gui Yin poured them each a cup of tea. The sound of the cup touching the table before him drew Li Fangyin out of his thoughts. He took the cup and gently blew at its contents.
“I’ll be safe,” Li Fangyin whispered. “I can’t die until I get my revenge.”
Gui Yin looked at Li Fangyin. “What do you mean by that?”
“My father knew about the sacrifices,” Li Fangyin said. “I think he must have been with them since before everything started. I don’t know how long he’s been working with the ghost cultivators. I can’t even possibly fathom why. But they killed his daughter.”
Gui Yin pursed his lips. “Fangyin—”
“Did he…ever even get revenge for her?” Li Fangyin asked, his voice cracking a little. “Did he ever even think that…her soul could have…been sacrificed along with the thousands that were taken during the war?”
Li Fangyin looked up at Gui Yin, his eyes rimmed red as tears threatened to fall. “Do you think he even cared?”
Gui Yin’s grip on his fan tightened. “I…”
“Qianbei, Li Yan existed, right?” Li Fangyin asked. His breath trembled the more he spoke. “She…did live, right? I didn’t just make her up?”
“She did. Of course, she did—”
“But then why do I feel absolutely insane every day?” Li Fangyin asked. “Why does everyone in Yin Hua Palace act like there was never another child born to the palace lord and his wife? How can that man, who had a part in her birth, be so complacent with these evil people who had a hand in her death?”
Li Fangyin tilted his head upwards a little. “I don’t know. I just think I’m going insane. I thought I was fine after all these years, but after I saw all this information about what that wretched man was doing, I started…I don’t think I’m in my right mind anymore, Gui-qianbei. Nothing makes sense. I don’t think…I can make anything make sense either.
“I just thought he was a horrible husband and a horrible father,” Li Fangyin said. “I didn’t think that…he could be anything beyond that. Gui-qianbei, I really…really want to kill him.”
Gui Yin sat silently as Li Fangyin cried. He lowered his head for a moment and sat a seat closer. He held out his handkerchief and drew Li Fangyin into him. He closed his eyes and gently patted Li Fangyin’s back.
“Is there nothing you can say?” Li Fangyin asked.
Gui Yin shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“There has to be some advice that you can give me, right?” Li Fangyin said, his voice bordering a plea. “Tell me that there’s a way I can change his ways. Or maybe that patricide is wrong. Tell me what to do. I just feel so disgusted and dirty and every time I think about him, I want to throw up. I feel bad for my poor little sister and for my mother. Then, when I have those horrible thoughts, I wonder if I’m just like him. What should I do?”
“You’re not like him,” Gui Yin said. “You’re different. You care about the common people. You’ve always wanted to help them. Even the thought of harming the innocent has you trembling, doesn’t it? You want to get rid of him because he’s hurt so many people. That doesn’t make you like him.”
Li Fangyin’s throat bobbed. He wanted to say something, but it hurt to speak.
“Stay here for now,” Gui Yin said softly. “Stay here. Linghuo is supposed to come to visit in a few days. Just spend some time with the others around your age. Don’t think about this matter anymore. We’ll hide you from Yin Hua Palace, so don’t worry about it.”
“Then, I would be running away from the problem,” Li Fangyin said. “That’s not solving anything.”
Gui Yin’s jaw clenched. “Right now, you don’t have the power to solve this problem. And that’s fine. We’ll take care of it for you.”
Li Fangyin showed a moment of softness.
When Gui Yin didn’t respond he prompted him: “Leave it to us, okay?”
After a while, Li Fangyin hummed.
“Good boy,” Gui Yin mumbled. He pulled back, but was kept in place. He glanced down at Li Fangyin’s arms and relaxed.
“Stay like this for a while longer,” Li Fangyin whispered. “Just a little longer and I’ll let go.”
Gui Yin hummed.
When Li Fangyin finally let go, Yankui had returned with two bowls of noodles. One was almost larger than his head and it was placed in front of Li Fangyin. Li Fangyin glanced at it, then looked at Yankui curiously.
“I don’t have many memories of my mother,” Yankui awkwardly said, “But I do remember that she said warm food always staved away the hardest problems. So, um…I don’t know what you’re going through, but…I hope this makes you feel better.”
Li Fangyin’s blank stare morphed into more tears. Yankui straightened and glanced at Gui Yin questioningly until he heard a few soft chuckles. Yankui snuck a glance back over and found that Li Fangyin had started to eat.
“It tastes good,” Li Fangyin said, his voice still slightly nasally. “Did you make it?”
“It’s not that great,” Yankui awkwardly cleared his throat.
Gui Yin chuckled and started to eat as well. “You can sit.”
Yankui sat immediately. He glanced at Li Fangyin. “Um, I also…had something I wanted to tell you.”
Li Fangyin looked at Yankui with a brotherly gaze and nodded. “What is it?”
“Your little sister…I…I managed to get her body before it was taken,” Yankui said. He looked a bit awkward. “I was planning on returning it to you or Linghuo when I could, but a lot of things happened, so it ended up not happening. I-it’s preserved! I…used a spell, but it’s not harmful or anything. So, um, later, when you have the time, do you want to come with me to get…her…?”
Li Fangyin stared at Yankui for a long time. The silence made the boy fidget. He was beginning to wonder if he had said something wrong.
“Is her soul intact?” Li Fangyin asked.
Yankui stared at him blankly before answering, “What should remain on the body is still there. I made sure she was able to pass on properly. I promise! You can check when we get her body back.”
“You…really…” Li Fangyin felt a large weight lift from his chest. He laughed like a mad man as he placed his chopsticks down. He ran a hand over his tear-stained face and peaked at Yankui over the top of his hand. “If you weren’t with Linghuo, I would have kissed you by now.”
Yankui’s face flushed. He scooted back and nearly fell, but was propped up by Gui Yin. “That—um, that would be a bad idea. Linghuo gets j-jealous really—Um! I have chores to do!”
Li Fangyin laughed as Yankui scurried off. His smile faded slowly, leaving the impression of joy behind in the stillness between the two men. His eyes finally met Gui Yin’s and a trace of sadness appeared within the lightless depths of his eyes once more.
“I’m fine,” Li Fangyin finally said. He drew in a deep breath and nodded to himself. “I will continue to be fine until I’ve avenged my sister’s death.”
Gui Yin stood after Li Fangyin. He took a few steps in the younger man’s direction, but stopped when he turned. A hand was held out haltingly. Li Fangyin was refusing to look at him now. His eyes closed slowly as he drew in another deep breath.
“I’ll be careful.”
Gui Yin’s mouth opened and closed silently. He squeezed his fan and finally hummed. “Alright. I understand.”
Li Fangyin smiled bitterly. “I’ll be fine.”
“You will,” Gui Yin said, echoing the same sentiment. “You definitely will be.”
“Tell Xiao Kui that I will be looking for him after…after this is all settled,” Li Fangyin said. “I want to bring my sister back to a peaceful home.”
“Of course,” Gui Yin said.
“There is no need to see me out, Gui-qianbei.”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Li Fangyin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! T-T …i’ll commit patricide on your behalf. lemme at him
(also Yankui is so wonderful, i need to squeeze him)
LMAO PLEASE thanks for reading!
Ughhh I feel like something bad is going to happen to Fangyin😭😭 my poor baby
Man, I just love when characters break down (not literally), like, seeing Fangyin question if he was crazy and crying, so relatable… I’m glad that he saw hope in the end
Ugh I am do concerned for Fangyin (in more ways than one)
I’m crying for FangYin 😭😭 Please keep this precious boy safe
My previous comment on fangyin being sus is gone ig .. but still let no harm befall to him or our every other babies seriously. Give him someone he can kiss or be happy with author!!!! Why is he still single … Give him to me then ..