“Is it good?” Gui Linghuo asked.
Yankui nodded, his cheeks bulging slightly.
“That’s good. But don’t eat too fast. No one’s going to steal from you,” Gui Linghuo said, obviously amused.
Yankui skeptically glanced at Li Fangyin, who was watching Yankui with slightly narrowed eyes. The pair of chopsticks quickly darted out to retrieve another piece of fish, before he shrank back.
“They must have starved you there,” Li Fangyin said. He tried to soften his expression and do away with his skepticism. “Eat more, kid. You’re still growing after all.”
“…I’m twenty-one,” Yankui said, his displeasure obvious in the way he stabbed the duck drumstick.
“I’m thirty-four,” Li Fangyin said, grinning. He placed another piece of duck into Yankui’s bowl. “Eat more, child.”
Yankui almost choked. Not on the food, but on Li Fangyin’s snarkiness.
Gui Linghuo lightly cleared his throat. “Cultivators’ appearances sure are deceiving, aren’t they?”
Li Fangyin smiled. “Sure, they are. I’ll forever look this youthful. A shame, isn’t it?”
Yankui rolled his eyes, shoving more rice into his mouth. Whether it was on purpose or not, the young man shifted himself closer to Gui Linghuo and leaned further from Li Fangyin. It was clear that Li Fangyin had bothered their new little guest.
Once dinner was finished, Li Fangyin sighed. “Linghuo, I have bad news.”
“What is it?” Gui Linghuo asked.
“Gege has to go back,” Li Fangyin said. He rubbed Gui Linghuo’s head familiarly. “Father’s threatening to throw out my wine collection. What a petty old man.”
“Just throw him out instead,” Gui Linghuo said, irritated at just hearing about Li Huanwei.
“I just might. How dare he interrupt our little trip?” Li Fangyin smirked. He stood and glanced at Yankui. “I was a bit worried to leave you alone again, but now that you have a little friend, I’m more reassured.”
Yankui’s brows furrowed, but before he could say anything, Gui Linghuo stood. “I’ll walk you out.”
When the two men were at the gates of Yunjing Pavilion, Li Fangyin turned to Gui Linghuo with a serious look on his face.
“I know,” Gui Linghuo said.
“I haven’t even spoken. What do you think I want to say?”
“That he’s not A-Yan. Don’t worry, I know. I was just…confused for a moment in the smoke. You don’t need to worry.”
Li Fangyin hummed. He gave Gui Linghuo a light pat on the shoulder. “Alright. I believe you. But still, be careful around that person. It’s a bit odd that he was the only person left alive.”
Gui Linghuo’s smile turned a bit odd. He nodded. “Rest assured, Li-ge. I know what I’m doing.”
Li Fangyin watched him skeptically for a moment before sighing. “I know. You’re very capable. Ah, whatever. I won’t nag you anymore. If it turns out to be something you can’t handle, just write to me. I’ll be there immediately.”
“I know,” Gui Linghuo said. “You’re welcome back any time. You know I get lonely.”
Li Fangyin’s eyes widened a fraction. He chuckled and gave Gui Linghuo a quick hug. “Alright! Gege will try to be back as soon as possible.”
Gui Linghuo nodded. He watched Li Fangyin walk away for a moment before returning back to Shuangye Peak.
Eventually, his footsteps slowed to a stop. He stared at the scene ahead with a flicker of amusement.
The young man stood beside the gazebo with a small frown on his face. On the table was a plate of snacks, accompanied by a teapot and two teacups. His fists were clenched tightly at his side and his feet were turned away from the table. He looked to be hesitating about something. He looked towards the gates. When he saw Gui Linghuo, there was a flash of relief, but the relief quickly faded again.
Gui Linghuo recovered his smile and walked over. His hand casually brushed against Yankui’s forehead. “You’re still a bit feverish. You shouldn’t be out here.”
Yankui flinched at Gui Linghuo’s touch before he cautiously tilted his head into his hand. “Someone dropped those off. It was a pretty looking lady.”
Gui Linghuo stilled for a split second. He pulled back his hand and glanced at the snacks. “It must have been Pan-shijie. Do you want some?”
Yankui shook his head. “It was for you.”
“But I can’t finish all of this,” Gui Linghuo said, taking one of the pastries from the plate. “Besides, it’s so late now. If I eat all of this by myself, I’ll be lethargic in the morning.”
Yankui remained silent, but his eyes stayed on the pastry. Gui Linghuo moved it slightly to the side and held back a smile when Yankui’s eyes followed.
“Try it,” Gui Linghuo said, holding the pastry closer to Yankui. “It’s sweet.”
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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“How is it?” Gui Linghuo asked.
“Sweet,” Yankui hummed.
“Mn. Sweet,” Gui Linghuo chuckled. He lifted the pastry closer again. “Do you want the rest?”
Yankui pursed his lips. He tentatively took it from Gui Linghuo, as if he were afraid the other man would snatch it away again. When he saw that Gui Linghuo wasn’t making a move to, he quickly ate the rest. His eyes sparkled with ill-concealed excitement. It was as if he had never eaten anything sweet before in his life.
When this thought occurred to him, Gui Linghuo’s eyes darkened. He watched Yankui finish the pastry and handed him another. When the second one was finished too, Yankui couldn’t help but glance at Gui Linghuo expectantly.
The one look pushed away any dark thoughts in Gui Linghuo’s head. The corner of his lips lifted again.
“Let’s save the rest for tomorrow.”
“Oh…okay,” Yankui muttered. He was clearly trying to not appear too disappointed.
Out of pure instinct, Gui Linghuo’s hand shifted to Yankui’s head and gave his head a few rubs.
“You can’t eat too many sweets or else your teeth will rot,” Gui Linghuo patiently explained. He took the plate. “Be sure to clean your teeth thoroughly before you go to bed tonight.”
Yankui glanced at the plate of sweets and nodded somewhat reluctantly.
Gui Linghuo withheld a laugh. “I’ll bring you a set of sleepwear. Do you need anything else?”
Yankui shook his head.
“What about more light? Are you afraid of the dark?”
Yankui shook his head. “The candles should be enough.”
“Candles will eventually melt,” Gui Linghuo said. “I’ll stop by with more light too.”
Yankui hummed absentmindedly. His eyes remained trained on Gui Linghuo as the older man left his side. He lowered his gaze and quickly scurried back to his assigned room.
Gui Linghuo’s steps slowed. He glanced back at Yankui and then down to the plate of pastries. A small smile played at his lips.
Maybe it was because the young man looked like Li Yan, but Gui Linghuo couldn’t help but be reminded of her again. Except Li Yan didn’t really like sweet things. This young man clearly did, yet he was acting as if he didn’t.
A while later, Gui Linghuo knocked on Yankui’s door. He heard the sloshing of water and stepped back to wait. The door creaked open and Yankui poked his head out to look at him. His long hair was still wet, soaking the robes he haphazardly threw on. Gui Linghuo’s brows furrowed. He pushed the door open all the way, entered, and tightly closed the doors again.
Yankui pursed his lips, but didn’t reject Gui Linghuo’s sudden invasion of space. In fact, it was almost as if he expected it. He watched Gui Linghuo tensely for a moment, but when the man didn’t move any closer to him, his gaze finally flickered to the bag in his hands.
Gui Linghuo hadn’t noticed Yankui’s changes and had begun setting up braziers all around the room.
Yankui hesitated for a moment before following him curiously, his bare feet leaving wet marks on the ground. “What’s that bag?”
Gui Linghuo glanced at him. His gaze grazed over Yankui’s chest when the young man squatted down beside him. Gui Linghuo handed the bag over. Yankui held it confusedly and watched as Gui Linghuo tugged off his coat and threw it over him.
“It’s a Qiankun pouch,” Gui Linghuo said. “It has a spatial spell written on it, so it can fit many things.”
Yankui’s interest in the bag halted. He glanced at Gui Linghuo suspiciously. The coat that was a size or two too large for him suddenly felt heavy against his back. However, the older man didn’t pay him any attention. Gui Linghuo seemed to be far too engrossed in finding the perfect places for each brazier. Only when Yankui was sure did he finally turned back to the bag. His slender fingers ran over the delicate embroidery.
“It’s winter,” Gui Linghuo said. He opened the bag while it was still in Yankui’s hands. “Even if it’s not snowing, you should be careful. You’re still sick, after all.”
Yankui watched Gui Linghuo’s natural movements and remained silent as he watched Gui Linghuo pull out a new set of clothes. The new set of clothes were thicker than the ones Yankui had come in and even the ones Gui Linghuo was wearing. They were brighter colors that Yankui had never worn before in his life, and yet, these clothes were suddenly placed into his hands.
Yankui’s lip twitched, as if he had something to say, only to hold back.
“Is the room warm enough?” Gui Linghuo asked.
Yankui glanced around at the brazier filled room and nodded. “It’s warm.”
“That’s good,” Gui Linghuo said. He stood. “May I see the pouch?”
Yankui stood as well and obediently handed the bag over to him. He watched as Gui Linghuo wrote something on the bag. The bag glowed subtly for a few pulses before settling down again. Gui Linghuo handed it over again.
“For you,” Gui Linghuo said.
“…This is yours. How could I just take it?” Yankui asked, pinching the fabric of the bag.
“I undid the lock spell that made it only mine, so you can put things in it and take anything out,” Gui Linghuo said. “It’s empty for now. I mean, other than the changes of clothes I brought for you.”
Yankui lowered his gaze to look at the brocade pouch. A moment later he hummed. “Thank you.”
Gui Linghuo nodded. He looked around the room. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Nothing else,” Yankui said. He hesitated a moment longer and spoke again, “Thank you.”
The word sounded foreign coming out of Yankui’s mouth, as if he were still sounding out the syllables and making sure he pronounced it properly. A small smile played on Gui Linghuo’s lips. He thought for a moment before tugging out two large pearl-like objects from his sleeve.
Yankui’s calm expression showed a crack. His eyes widened at the luminous objects and he couldn’t help but take a step closer. “What is this?”
“Night Pearl,” Gui Linghuo said. He looked around and set it down on the bed side table. “This way, you don’t have to be scared if the candles go out.”
He took the second one and put it on the opposite side of the room.
“They won’t randomly shut off, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Yankui looked over Gui Linghuo’s shoulder and watched as he set the second pearl down. He looked at it longingly. “The Upper Realm sure has a lot of interesting things.”
Gui Linghuo froze for a brief second. He pulled on a soft smile and turned to face Yankui again. “If you would like, I can take you out to the shopping district once you’re all better. Xinggang City has a lot of little trinkets that even people without cultivation can play with.”
Yankui met Gui Linghuo’s eyes. The sincerity within them was overwhelming. He quickly averted his gaze again and hummed. “Thank you, Lord Immortal.”
“I’m not deserving of such a title. Just call me casually,” Gui Linghuo said. He glanced around the room one last time and gestured towards the door. “I’ll leave you then. You should dry off quickly.”
Yankui dumbly nodded and watched Gui Linghuo leave.
Once the door closed, his eyes darkened. His grip on Gui Linghuo’s coat tightened. He sat on the edge of the bed and observed the new trinkets he had been given. After a moment of silent deliberation, he picked up the pearl and turned it between his fingers.
It was bright light contained in a spherical object that had a frosty white surface. It was clearly a synthetic imitation of the shining night pearl that could be found only in the depths of Wangchuan Ocean (忘川海). Yankui turned it in his fingers and closed it in his palm. He could intimately feel the pulsing warmth in his hand.
He set the pearl down and dropped Gui Linghuo’s coat onto the bed. He hesitated for a moment before bending back down and carefully folded it. He tossed his hair over his shoulder, gave it a careless shake, and sat back down. His hair had already dried.
Without bothering to comb his hair, he laid down on the bed and closed his eyes.
The bed was the softest thing he had ever laid on. The room was too warm and bright. The smile of that person, that was already burnt into his memory, was a little too inviting. Something heavy and unfamiliar weighed on his chest.
Everything about this new environment made it difficult for Yankui to fall asleep.
He wanted to get up and move around—maybe even leave this place already. He sat up and looked at the coat that was set at his bedside table. He shifted to the ground, grabbed the coat from the bedside table, and wrapped it around himself. He leaned back against the bedframe and closed his eyes.
This was much better. Like this, Yankui was finally able to fall asleep.
But when the night passed and Yankui woke up, he found himself tucked into bed, with warm covers touching the underside of his chin, and the smell of food invading his olfactory senses.
Yankui jolted up. He hesitated for a moment when he realized that man’s coat was gone, but he got out of bed and walked past the silk divider anyway.
The door was partially open and the table was half set up.
Yankui stared at the table of colorful foods in silence and only lifted his head when the door opened again.
Gui Linghuo smiled. A good morning was about to pass his lips, but he noticed something wrong. He frowned and walked towards Yankui. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
Yankui glanced down. “I just woke up.”
“Walking around with bare feet in the winter will make you sick,” Gui Linghuo said, stepping into the room with a tray of their breakfast. He set it down at the tea table. “You’re just recovering from a fever as well. You should be more careful.”
“Okay,” Yankui murmured.
When he had put his socks and shoes on, he walked back over to the table and watched Gui Linghuo set up the rest of the table. His gaze flickered to the second pair of utensils that Gui Linghuo had put down. His lips pursed.
“You’re eating here?”
Gui Linghuo glanced up. “Should I not? It’s been a while since I’ve eaten a homemade meal with another person. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can leave first.”
“No,” Yankui blurted out. He lightly cleared his throat and averted his gaze. A moment later, he spoke again. “I was just curious. I figured you’d have other things to do as the peak lord here.”
Gui Linghuo paused. He straightened and smiled. “How did you know I was the peak lord here?”
Yankui calmly shrugged. “Or…acting peak lord? Your friend mentioned it a few times.”
Gui Linghuo seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he only turned back to the table and sat down. “You’re right. It slipped my mind. I apologize. You should get ready for the day. I’ll wait for you to eat.”
Yankui left to get water to wash his face.
By the time Yankui had changed and gotten ready for the day, the food had cooled to a reasonable temperature. Gui Linghuo ate slowly while Yankui barely took a few bites of food. His gaze met the younger man’s and he smiled softly.
“Is it not to your taste?”
“It’s,” Yankui’s voice trailed off. He shook his head. “It isn’t that. I’ve just…forgotten what real food tastes like. It’s odd. I’m not used to it.”
“Real food?”
Yankui hummed. He clumsily used his chopsticks to move the noodles to his bowl. Even his grip wasn’t right. “They didn’t feed us very well over there.”
“Over where?”
“At the place I stayed at previously,” Yankui said. He hesitated for a moment and pursed his lips. He showed a soft, yet vulnerable look.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Gui Linghuo said.
Yankui glanced up at Gui Linghuo hesitantly. His eyes seemed to shine with reluctance, as if he really wanted to tell Gui Linghuo. Yet, in the end, Yankui only hummed softly and returned to his food.
Gui Linghuo’s eyes narrowed in amusement. He decided to change the subject.
“It’s been a long time since someone has enjoyed my cooking so much,” Gui Linghuo said. He had long since abandoned his half-eaten bowl. “I think the last time I cooked for someone was…two years ago? Or maybe it was three years ago. My youngest shimei was still there. So was my shizun.”
Yankui’s eating didn’t slow, but he spared Gui Linghuo a glance. Seeing his dull-eyed look, Yankui decided to throw him a bone.
“Where are they now?”
“My shizun is missing. My shimei are off looking for him,” Gui Linghuo said. He fiddled with the nondescript fan. “It’s almost been two years. I don’t know when Shuangye Peak will return to its lively state. I’m not a very cheerful person by default. If I’m the only one here, the peak gets a little too quiet.”
Yankui finished off the last bun. He eyed Gui Linghuo silently for a moment before he averted his eyes.
“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?”
The words sloshed uncomfortably between the two men. The air seemed to tense inexplicably. One man found it amusing, while the other found it absolutely idiotic.
Yankui cleared his throat. He glanced at Gui Linghuo. “What I said before about not remembering was a lie. I actually just don’t have anywhere to go, so I was hoping you’d let me stay for a while. If you let me, I’ll accompany you. Who knows? Maybe by the time I leave, your shizun and shimei will be back.”
He offered a small, mischievous smile as he leaned forward. “And since you’re so nice to cook for me, lend me a room, and give me clothes, I’ll return the favor by being as loud as I possibly can. Isn’t that a good deal?”
Gui Linghuo’s brow raised. He chuckled softly. “That’s still freeloading, isn’t it?”
“Freeloading?” Yankui let out a long hum. “Then, how about I help you clean? I don’t have any money to give you, so I can only help you clean.”
Gui Linghuo observed him for a moment before slowly smiling. The younger man watched him with a pair of clear eyes. He did not try to hide the fact that Gui Linghuo’s previous words had garnered some degree of pity. Yet, this pity wasn’t the same as the kind everyone else gave him. It was subtler. And although well hidden, Gui Linghuo could see a flash of guilt.
Gui Linghuo lowered his gaze and shrugged. “Do as you will.”
Yankui’s smile widened. He stood and helped Gui Linghuo stack up the bowls and plates. He carefully placed them onto the tray and turned back to Gui Linghuo.
“See? Aren’t I helpful?”
Gui Linghuo heard himself laugh. He hummed and rubbed Yankui’s head. “Very helpful.”
Mini Theater…
GLH: The cat I brought home seems to be a little naive.
YK: Hmph, this large dog is ridiculously pitiful.
A/N: Please pay attention during this arc, pals. This is my second draft of this arc and I’ve tried to make things more apparent, but I’m afraid there’s still a bit of “reading in between the lines” that needs to be done.
ngl i feel like a bit is being lost on me that will be more obvious on reread, but ya know me, i got notes [fixes the glasses on my face]:• ALXBAKDHW Li Fangyin i love youuuuu wait dont gooooo i’ll fight your dad :<• i’m ringing the warning bell at Yankui expecting and accepting Gui Linghuo’s invasion of his space >.> why you behaving like that, son boy? why do you accept it, new child whom i love? [remembers he is like 4 years younger than me and not narratively framed like a son] …..new… brother whom i love? we’ll workshop that. POINT IS! set down boundaries my guy!!• the bit about the pearls got me thinking Yankui doesn’t have amnesia and tHEN OKAY I GUESS HE DOESNT QKXHAKDH same chapter confirmation, nice• oh being a dog and a cat is perfect (…wasn’t GLH told to get a cat? i dont think this was what was being suggested)
HMMMMMM Tian Yan Palace is veeeerry suspicious ain’t it? Also I feel like the parallels between Linghuo and his Shizun are some kinda sign that the past is repeating itself, ain’t it? Also I’ve never liked deceptively docile people with dubious looks much, so I will not be joining the Yankui protection squad hmph.
ok i don’t think i got the name of li fangyin’s sect right but welp
Ok hi I do think my reasoning about the deceptively docile comment has been proved wrong, yes, but I can’t help but feel that it is suspicious that Yankui was the only one left in the……base they raided. I’m not saying that he is like the mastermind behind a maybe plot against GLH but like a pawn in the game who is ig having different feelings about what he is maybe (?) supposed to do. Yeah Yankui’s appearance may be filtered under GLH’s issues but it can be foreshadowing too, right?
oh foreshadowing for sure, i saw that too and agree it is Something even though our theories are usually rather opposite (i like to check comments every once and a while to see other theories lolol). i personally dont always understand what your comments say, but i get the general vibe they’re not always the kindest or like we read a totally different chapter. in this case, i got riled up since i like Yankui a lot (and that keeps increasing as the story goes). so like, i cant tell ya to not not dislike a character or plotpoint, but i think we could be more kind about it.
yup i will take care to be kinder as i go on 👍
so i am looking and im wishing i was more genre-savvy and could know about like, ways of changing appearance, or if there are types of beings that would do that… currently i’m assuming yankui gave himself this name after certain events (maybe he never had one before, or he forgot, because trauma) but that doesn’t explain the face ?
im kind of glad linghuo is a bit cautious because even tho i love/trust/believe in yankui Wholeheartedly this whole situation seems concerning. how is he alive. how’d he end up there. whose agenda is this playing into…?
anyway i’m having fun thinking about this but now i’ve realized i should actually be worried! ^^ i hope they’ll be okay djnjddndsd
(also, it’s a non-sequitur, but i reaaalllyy like your writing style, it’s so clear and sharp-feeling!)
omg there is so much in this comment that made me so happy to roll out of bed this morning LMAO thank you so much for commenting ;v; i’m glad you’re enjoying it so far!! i hope you’ll continue enjoying picking up the tiny hints and piecing them together!!!! and i’m glad you like my writing style hehe ;v;
I’m sus since the whole “there’s a cult over there” happened while GLH was at the helm, then they are saved and sent in the direction of this one survivor “who looks a bit like his Yan.” Just saying spider tingles. Everything and everybody may just be honest and true. Heh, heh, heh. … …
I am reading between the lines and I am deeply concerned by what I see. Please do not take him as a substitute for your white moonlight. It is unfair to everyone involved and the small catharsis will only ruin you in the end. It is most concerning because it simply hasn’t been long enough for him to have distanced himself from that relationship and what caused it to end abruptly. He hasn’t had enough time for his emotional and mental wounds to scar over.