When Yankui woke up, he was facing a rather prominent Adam’s apple. His lashes fluttered and he glanced at the arms that still remained hugging his waist. His head was laid comfortably against a muscular arm and a soft breath brushed the top of his head. He risked a glance up and found that Gui Linghuo was still asleep.
Perfect.
Last night, Gui Linghuo’s illness not only acted up, but he had been very drunk. Yankui wasn’t sure if he would remember any of it, but it would be better if he didn’t. That way, Yankui wouldn’t have to question this change in their relationship because there would be no change. Besides, if Gui Linghuo remembered, he would most likely be apologetic and embarrassed. So, really, it was really, definitely, absolutely better if none of this was remembered.
Yankui was determined. He carefully moved away from Gui Linghuo’s arm, then his chin, and when he had fully sat up, he began to move Gui Linghuo’s arm. When the arm was partway lifted, it suddenly fell back down. Yankui let out a yelp and was suddenly flipped onto his stomach. His eyes widened as he took in Gui Linghuo’s narrowed eyes. The warm hands at his waist were a burning reminder of their current position.
“Where are you going?”
“You…are you still…” Yankui looked at him cautiously.
Gui Linghuo’s gloomy expression remained, making it difficult to tell if he was still in the throes of his illness or if he was now hungover. Regardless, the grip on his waist prevented him from moving. Even if he had the guts to kick Gui Linghuo right now, he somehow felt that the grip would still be ironclad.
Gui Linghuo rubbed his cheek against the top of Yankui’s head. “It’s been a while since I’ve hugged anyone.”
Yankui’s face flushed. He finally sat up and pushed Gui Linghuo away. “What’s wrong with you? Acting all weird first thing in the morning. Ugh, so annoying.”
Yankui quickly got off of Gui Linghuo and rushed off into a corner with his shoes still in his hands.
“You—stay there! I’m going to get you food,” Yankui said. He clumsily shoved his feet into his shoes and glared at Gui Linghuo. “Stay!”
Gui Linghuo sat up and watched as Yankui ran off, his hair still a mess. A small smile touched Gui Linghuo’s lips. He pushed a hand through his hair as he recalled last night’s incident. He looked down at his hand and slowly clenched it.
Yankui had a very slim waist.
He definitely needed to be fed more.
When Yankui returned, Gui Linghuo had already tidied up for the day. He gulped slightly and shoved the bag of buns into Gui Linghuo’s hands.
“I’m uh…going to find something to eat,” Yankui said.
Gui Linghuo watched him silently. “You could just eat these too.”
“Huh? No, those are yours,” Yankui quickly said.
Gui Linghuo stepped in front of the door and blocked Yankui’s way out. “What’s wrong?”
“What?” Yankui looked up at Gui Linghuo. “Hm?”
“What’s wrong, A-Kui?” Gui Linghuo softly asked. He paused a moment before asking, “Did I scare you last night?”
Yankui quickly shook his head, his ponytail swinging so hard it smacked his own cheeks. “No! No, it’s not that.”
“Then, what is it?” Gui Linghuo asked. “Is it because I hugged you all night?”
“That’s…that’s not it,” Yankui took a step back as Gui Linghuo moved forward.
“Then, what did I do wrong?” Gui Linghuo asked. “Why are you avoiding me?”
“I’m…” Yankui’s next words died in his throat. He looked at Gui Linghuo’s concerned expression and felt his heart squeeze again.
Avoiding him?
In Yankui’s entire life, he had never avoided anything or anyone. Even if he would be thrown into the Water Prison, he never took a step back and relented. That was how he made it to where he was today. He took what he wanted and destroyed anything that laid in his path. However, just like how last night it had been the first time he had ever called someone’s name so softly, right now was the first time he felt so scared.
“It’s because you’re weird.”
“I’m weird?” Gui Linghuo stared at him blankly.
“Yes. You’re weird,” Yankui said. “You’re stupid and you’d sacrifice yourself to save people and you’re kind to everyone, but you still think that no one likes you or whatever. You’re very open-minded to the point that it’s naïve, but you obviously understand the way of the world, yet you keep those dumb ideals. You’re too gentle and it weirds me out. I’ve never had anyone talk to me like you do or take care of me like you do. It makes me feel so uncomfortable that I want to rip off my own skin. You’re too different from anyone I’ve ever met in my life and it’s throwing me off balance.
“I don’t like being thrown off balance. I like being in control but there’s nothing I can properly control in this situation because it all ends up back on you,” Yankui said. He glared at Gui Linghuo in the face. “This is the only thing I can decide, so I’m going to do it now.”
Yankui jabbed a finger into Gui Linghuo’s chest. “You made me fall for you. It’s horrible.”
Gui Linghuo stared at Yankui in a stunned silence for several beats.
When he still didn’t speak, Yankui pushed Gui Linghuo to the side. “I’m going to get breakfast.”
“Wait!”
“I already gave you time to speak and you didn’t say anything, so it’s fine,” Yankui said. He placed his hands on the doors that were being kept closed by Gui Linghuo. He turned around and faced him again indignantly. “You don’t like me and you shouldn’t. So, it’s fine. I’ll…leave once I’ve figured out what to do next. You just…forget it.”
“How can I just forget about that?” Gui Linghuo asked incredulously.
“Just do it. I don’t want to hear your answer,” Yankui said.
It was absolutely ridiculous to fall in love with someone under just two weeks of meeting them. Even Yankui wasn’t sure what he liked about Gui Linghuo. Therefore, Gui Linghuo had even less reason to like him. The other man clearly knew what he was and most likely had an inkling as to why he was approached. Even if Gui Linghuo was willing to let Yankui stay, there was absolutely no way he would share the same feelings.
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.
Ktflg gfijalbcrtlq vlvc’a tjnf atja yjrlm agera. Snfc Tjcxel xcfk rbwfatlcu ilxf atja kbeivc’a ijra.
Ktf wbgf tf kjr obgmfv ab vkfii bc la, atf wbgf tlr mtfra tega. Lf aegcfv jgbecv jcv kfjxis rijqqfv ja Xel Olcuteb’r kglrar.
“Zbnf. P’w tecugs.”
“Ktfc, fja atfrf yecr.”
“Let me out, you as—”
“I,” Gui Linghuo quickly interrupted Yankui. His arms left the doors and immediately pulled Yankui into a hug. “I…don’t like you. You’re right.”
“Then, just—”
“But I know I can.” Gui Linghuo hugged Yankui tightly to his chest as his heart hammered loudly in his ears. “I just have a feeling that I will. If you spend a little more time at my side and you let me take care of you more, I’ll…I’ll definitely fall for you.”
Yankui’s ears burned. “Take care of me? Are you crazy? What am I? A dog?”
“I meant,” Gui Linghuo squeezed Yankui, “you…take care of me. Like last night. When you hugged me last night I suddenly didn’t feel so alone. It was nice. I think…I started liking you a little bit.”
Yankui wanted to die from embarrassment. He remained silently against Gui Linghuo’s chest and listened to his frantic heartbeat. His fingers curled at his side and he lifted his hands to push Gui Linghuo away.
“I know why you think it’s impossible,” Gui Linghuo said. “I get it, but we’ll work something out.”
Yankui hesitated.
“You have faith that my shizun will come back, right? Then, why can’t you have faith that it’ll work out between us?”
Yankui’s hands fell back to his side. He pursed his lips and felt his nose sour. “That’s different.”
“It isn’t. It’s the same.”
Yankui weakly pushed against him. “Why does it sound like you’re the one in love? You just said you don’t like me.”
Gui Linghuo pulled back. He carefully cupped Yankui’s face. “I just said I’ve started to fall in love with you.”
In this position, Yankui had no way of escaping. Gui Linghuo’s eyes softened as he watched Yankui’s face flush red. His eyes darted away frantically, but he was unable to do anything else as he shrank lower and lower under Gui Linghuo’s scrutinization.
Just when he thought Gui Linghuo would pull away and laugh in his face, he felt something soft touch his forehead. He heard himself gasp.
A hiccup escaped him.
Gui Linghuo chuckled. “Today, I like you a little more too.”
Yankui lowered his head as another hiccup escaped. He held a hand over his mouth as his heart raced. Was he dying? He had to be dying, right?
“Then…you’ll stay, right?”
Yankui hiccupped again. He watched as Gui Linghuo carefully held his hand.
“You don’t have to leave,” Gui Linghuo whispered. “Stay. Please?”
The soft plea in his voice was Yankui’s last straw. He looked up at Gui Linghuo and lifted their hands to his eye level.
“This is what you said. You said all of it. You’re the one who wanted to be with me. You’re the one who wanted me to stay.”
Gui Linghuo nodded. “I said it.”
“So, you…don’t blame me for anything that goes wrong in the future,” Yankui weakly said.
Gui Linghuo grinned. He kissed the back of Yankui’s hand and hummed. “I won’t.”
Yankui embarrassedly shook him off and pushed him back. He snatched the bag of buns from Gui Linghuo’s hands and grumbled his way over to the divan.
Gui Linghuo sat down beside Yankui and took a bun. He watched the younger man eat with a small smile on his face. Yankui’s cheeks bulged as he stuffed his mouth, hoping that Gui Linghuo wouldn’t try to make any conversation.
Gui Linghuo didn’t like him. It was just because of last night. Last night, he was weak and vulnerable and Yankui finally gave him a way to experience his anger again. That was the only reason Gui Linghuo accepted Yankui’s confession.
Although it hurt a little, this excuse finally let Yankui calm down.
So, then, it was fine. He just needed to be useful to Gui Linghuo. Like this, he could experience a little of something he never thought he could have. And when it was finally time for him to leave, he would just quietly leave.
It was better for the both of them. And Gui Linghuo could get the comfort of another person without suffering any heartbreak again.
Gui Linghuo and Yankui returned to Yunjing Pavilion hand in hand.
Yankui’s expression puckered as they drew closer to the gates. He tugged at his hand. “Let go.”
“There’s still a few steps.”
“It’s about time you let go,” Yankui warned.
Gui Linghuo looked at Yankui with a small pout. “You don’t want to hold my hand?”
“It’s not that,” Yankui hissed in a low whisper. “It’s just—let go!”
“A-Kui,” Gui Linghuo sadly frowned. He squeezed Yankui’s hand. “Are you ashamed to be with me?”
“What? What are you—”
“Oh! Xiao Gui, Xiao Kui, you’re back!”
Yankui immediately yanked his hand away from Gui Linghuo. He looked up as Jiu Jingyi approached them. A bright smile lit up her face as she looked between the two men.
“How was it? Did you beat anyone up?” Jiu Jingyi asked with a light pat to Gui Linghuo’s shoulder.
“I didn’t. But A-Kui broke a table.”
Jiu Jingyi’s eyes widened. She turned to Yankui. “You broke a table? On accident?”
“On purpose,” Gui Linghuo said. “They were going too far, talking about Shizun and…Li Yan, so A-Kui got angry.”
Yankui’s ear twitched at the formal address of Gui Linghuo’s former significant other. He glanced at Gui Linghuo judgmentally, but couldn’t say anything in Jiu Jingyi’s presence.
“They did?” Jiu Jingyi scoffed. “I bet they think their lives are too long. Good job smashing the table. Next time, if anyone talks like that again, don’t hold back and directly smash their face.”
Jiu Jingyi gave Yankui’s hair a light toss. “You’re one of our people now, so we’ll back you up if anyone tries to start trouble.”
Yankui stilled. He tentatively glanced up at Jiu Jingyi and smiled hesitantly. “Your people?”
“Mn! A member of Yunjing Pavilion,” Jiu Jingyi laughed. “I heard Xiao Gui say that you don’t have anywhere to go. Stay here for as long as you like. Treat it as your home! Of course, you can leave and come back at your own will. No need to feel pressured.”
Yankui slowly hummed. He nodded and muttered his thanks.
He didn’t pay attention to the next conversation, but he was eventually pulled away.
When he snapped out of his thoughts again, he found himself staring into a pond of red, fallen maple leaves. Gui Linghuo returned to Yankui’s side and placed a warm cup of tea in his hands.
“What’s wrong? Are you spacing out because Jiu-shigu touched you?” Gui Linghuo asked. He smiled sheepishly. “She’s overly friendly like that. I’ll tell her not to do that next time.”
Yankui silently looked at the cup of tea in his hands and shook his head. “It’s fine.”
Gui Linghuo observed Yankui for a moment. He set aside his own tea cup and sat closer to Yankui. He put an arm around his shoulder and tugged him against his chest. He felt Yankui stiffen before slowly leaning back against him. Gui Linghuo smiled and gently patted the side of Yankui’s head.
“I should have never come here,” Yankui mumbled.
Gui Linghuo chuckled. He pressed a soft kiss to Yankui’s head. “Little liar.”
Yankui pursed his lips and buried himself further into Gui Linghuo’s warmth. “I’m in trouble.”
“No, you’re not,” Gui Linghuo softly soothed. “If there really is any trouble, I’ll solve it for you.”
Yankui wanted to slap Gui Linghuo again, but he couldn’t even lift his hand. He harrumphed and shifted in Gui Linghuo’s arms. “Whatever.”
Gui Linghuo looked at the young man against him and chuckled. He leaned close to Yankui’s ear and whispered. “Today, I also like you a little more.”
“You said that already,” Yankui scolded.
“That was yesterday,” Gui Linghuo said. He smiled. “I’ll tell you every day until you believe me.”
Yankui rolled his eyes. He sat silently for a moment before he bounced away and held Gui Linghuo at arm’s length. If it weren’t for the topic he was about to discuss, he would have been amused by Gui Linghuo’s perturbed expression.
“Earlier, you referred to…Miss Li by her full name,” Yankui said.
“I did,” Gui Linghuo said.
“Why?”
“Because…your ‘Yan’ and her ‘Yan’ sound the same,” Gui Linghuo said. “I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“It makes me more uncomfortable if you do that!” Yankui said. “Besides, the character’s probably written differently anyway. My ‘Yan’ is for swallow.”
“Hers was the ‘Yan’ in feast,” Gui Linghuo said.
“Exactly! So, it’s different. So, you…just call her like you used to,” Yankui said. He lowered his gaze and fiddled with his thumbs. “If you call her differently, it’ll make me more upset.”
Gui Linghuo slowly smiled. He rubbed Yankui’s head and hummed. “Alright, I understand, my little swallow.”
Yankui stared at Gui Linghuo. He downed the rest of his tea and stood.
Gui Linghuo laughed and quickly followed him. “Was it too much?”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad,” Gui Linghuo protested. “It’s cute.”
“What’s so good about a swallow? They’re tiny and weak. Anything can eat it up,” Yankui said, his steps quickening. “I don’t like swallows.”
“I like swallows. They’re small, cute, and fly very fast,” Gui Linghuo said as he caught Yankui by the waist. He placed his chin on Yankui’s shoulder. “They can escape really fast too.”
Yankui’s ears reddened again. “Get off me.”
Gui Linghuo cuddled closer. “You smell nicer without that perfume of yours.”
Yankui stilled. Every fiber of his body was screaming at him to pull away, but once he relaxed, he found that it wasn’t actually that bad.
Gui Linghuo had a warmth that belonged to the living while his own body had always carried a coldness that belonged uniquely to those who were born and raised in Yinfeng Valley. Yankui’s eyes dimmed a fraction. He shifted closer to Gui Linghuo and heard the man chuckle. A soft kiss was placed on his cheek.
“Your body temperature is so much lower. It seems that I’ll have to hug you more often from now on,” Gui Linghuo declared.
Yankui’s cheeks warmed again. “You don’t make any sense.”
“I think I make plenty of sense,” Gui Linghuo said. He waddled to Yankui’s room with him still in his arms. “I’ll be your personal heater.”
Yankui couldn’t stop the chuckle that left him. He nudged Gui Linghuo off of him as soon as they stepped into the room. “Well, I don’t need a personal heater like you in this room. It’s nice and warm.”
Gui Linghuo looked around at the braziers he had set up before turning to Yankui seriously. “Should I get rid of the braziers?”
Yankui rolled his eyes to the Heavens as he listened to Gui Linghuo laugh. A large hand tossed his hair and Gui Linghuo stepped back outside.
“I have to stop by Lin Hua Peak to get more medicine,” Gui Linghuo said.
Yankui’s eyes showed a flash of worry.
“I’m fine. I just ran out,” Gui Linghuo said with a small smile. “I’ll be right back.”
“Alright,” Yankui muttered.
The doors closed and Gui Linghuo left Shuangye Peak. However, contrary to what he told Yankui, his first stop was to see Ye Liuxing.
Zi Cao Peak had little to do in the winter, since the winter herbs to be exported could not grow in snowless weather. As such, most of the disciples were seen lazing around, whether they were under trees, by gazebos, or generally observing the soil to see what else could be grown next.
When Gui Linghuo arrived, the disciples perked up and happily greeted him. Gui Linghuo smiled and entertained them all for a few minutes until Ye Liuxing heard the commotion and stuck his head out.
“Oh! Well, if it isn’t Gui-shixiong’s favorite little rascal,” Ye Liuxing announced.
“I’m hardly his favorite,” Gui Linghuo denied.
“Being overly humble is an obnoxious trait. Don’t learn it from your shizun,” Ye Liuxing said. He guided Gui Linghuo into the consulting room and sat down. “So? What seems to be the problem.”
“May I ask Ye-shishu to check on my condition?”
Ye Liuxing’s eyes sharpened. “Why? Did you have another attack?”
Gui Linghuo nodded as he tugged the gloves off his hands and the scarf from his neck. “The people at the banquet drank a little too much.”
Ye Liuxing scoffed. “Do they have the right to say anything? Useless bunch.”
Ye Liuxing took Gui Linghuo’s wrist and rested it against the small pillow. He concentrated and carefully maneuvered a strand of spiritual energy through his body. His brows furrowed, then his eyes widened. He pulled back and looked at Gui Linghuo in surprise.
“It didn’t get worse this time.”
“I see,” Gui Linghuo muttered.
“In fact, I think it’s a little better,” Ye Liuxing said. “The energy concentrated around your dantian is much purer than it used to be. The cracks in your soul don’t seem to be as prominent either. I’m sure if we could use the method your shizun suggested, it wouldn’t be as painful for you now.”
Gui Linghuo nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you, Ye-shishu.”
“Did you do anything differently this time around?” Ye Liuxing curiously asked.
Gui Linghuo shook his head with a smile. “I did not. Perhaps I was just lucky this time.”
“Well, we’ll take any amount of luck we can get,” Ye Liuxing said with a small sigh. He stood and walked Gui Linghuo out. “But be careful not to push your luck. Things like that can never be relied on.”
Gui Linghuo hummed. He bid Ye Liuxing farewell and began to make his way to Lin Hua Peak.
He glanced down at his ungloved hand and looked at the faded black veins. He chuckled and pulled his glove back on.
Luck certainly can’t be relied on, but the little thing back at Shuangye Peak could most likely be trusted.
i love Yankui so much and just;; “I’m going to regain control by confessing I have feelings for you, take that!” [Gui Linghuo takes it and expands on it] hhhhhhhhh 💜_(:зゝ∠)
i feel like i don’t usually read things where the confession is accepted like “I don’t like you but I’m beginning to” so this is also exciting from like a reader-in-general POV
AND “LITTLE SWALLOW” EHEHEHEH BIRD NICKNAMES!!!!! i do appreciate Yankui stepping up for Li Yan’s memory tho. personally i feel like you can probably never stop loving someone who is now gone, and it’s possible to honor both a late lover and a current one. especially given Gui Linghuo’s stance that her death isn’t in vain as long as Yankui is alive (count yourself in that too, son boy!! dont do anything life-threatening now- aw who am i kidding, he probably is axhajxnah;;;)
thanks for this sweet chapter!!
hehe thanks for reading!!!!!!
Slowly entangling their feelings like their fingers…
SO CUTE OMG
I feel entangledddd. i know its bren a yearrr but it doesn’t feel like a yr T-T
ALL I SEE ARE BABIESSSS