“Did Lingtian leave?” Tian Xiewen massaged his neck as he fell back down beside Ren Yizhou.
“Mn. He said he was worried about Fan Yi and that he wanted to head back to check on him,” Ren Yizhou said.
Tian Xiewen clapped his hands together. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Ren Yizhou knocked their knuckle against Tian Xiewen’s head. “Did you drink too much already? How are you spouting nonsense so early in the night?”
Tian Xiewen leaned against Ren Yizhou’s shoulder and whined. “Ren-ge, why are you always so mean to me?”
“Because you’re unbearable,” Ren Yizhou gently nudged Tian Xiewen’s head away, but when the man clung on, they sighed and allowed him to stay. “What’s wrong? Tired of drinking? That’s not like you.”
“I don’t like them,” Tian Xiewen murmured, his eyes taking on a ferocious light.
“Aw, what could have gotten our little wolf cub so riled up?” Ren Yizhou lightly massaged the back of Tian Xiewen’s neck as they stuffed a grape into his mouth.
“Can’t you feed me gentler?”
“Give me money and I’ll do whatever you want,” Ren Yizhou pressed a faint kiss to Tian Xiewen’s forehead.
Tian Xiewen flinched and glanced at Ren Yizhou, but their entire person seemed natural. He leaned back against Ren Yizhou’s shoulder and fiddled with their robes. “You’re not wearing the pretty ones today.”
“If I were, what do you think they would say?” Ren Yizhou asked with a subtle smile. “Don’t you remember what happened last time?”
Today’s Ren Yizhou wore a set of arrow-sleeved martial arts robes with a simple coat over it. On normal days, they would wear the most beautiful brocades with the highest quality of embroidery. Their hair would be done up by hairpins that matched their elegant temperament. However, whenever they attended conferences, Ren Yizhou normally dressed on the more masculine side, their hair only held up by a simple jade crown that Tian Xiewen had gifted to them one birthday.
Tian Xiewen’s gaze darkened as he recalled a not so distant memory. “I should have killed him.”
“You crippled his wrists and ruined his meridians,” Ren Yizhou ran their finger over Tian Xiewen’s ears and gave it a light tug. “That’s more than enough revenge. He’s living a life worse than death now and everyone treats him like garbage.”
Tian Xiewen’s anger subsided, though he still felt bitter. Before he could say anything else, a cup was placed into his hands. He looked up at Ren Yizhou’s gentle smile. “Drink up, wolf cub. To cool your nerves.”
Tian Xiewen drank the entire cup in one gulp and placed it back on the table. Ren Yizhou leaned forward to pour him another when they felt a hand over their own. “Yizhou…tonight…”
“Can’t you wait till we get back home?”
“You’ve been leaving the sect so often recently, when can I catch you?” Tian Xiewen asked, sounding wronged. He accepted the cup Ren Yizhou poured for him and moved closer again, his voice containing a whine. “Yizhou, I’ll make you feel good.”
“I reject.”
Tian Xiewen downed the cup and placed it back down. “Then, can you at least tell me where you’ve been going?”
“Out.”
“But where?”
“Are you getting possessive?”
“I’m just worried,” Tian Xiewen said, a look of hurt flickering through his eyes.
Ren Yizhou chuckled. “Bufan, when have I ever need you to worry for me?”
Tian Xiewen felt his ears burn at the sound of his childhood name. “…I shouldn’t have told you.”
“Why? It’s a good name. Your mother was very romantic,” Ren Yizhou smiled.
“And where did that get her?” Tian Xiewen scoffed. He grabbed the pitcher of alcohol and began to pour himself another cup.
“But I can see where you’ve gotten it from,” Ren Yizhou said. “Bufan, listen to me.”
Tian Xiewen glanced at Ren Yizhou. “Hm?”
“Fan Yi doesn’t even stick his nose into my business, so you should stay out of it even more,” Ren Yizhou said sweetly. “You can worry, just don’t ask. At any rate, I won’t be killing myself.”
Tian Xiewen stared at the white cloth covering the other’s eyes and lowered his gaze. “…I know.”
“So long as you know,” Ren Yizhou went back to fiddling with Tian Xiewen’s neck and pouring him drinks.
These actions were practiced, as if they had performed them many times before. Tian Xiewen leaned against Ren Yizhou’s chest lazily with his eyes half-lidded as he drank and ate whatever Ren Yizhou placed near his mouth. A certain person’s tutting brought Tian Xiewen from his drowsiness. He opened an eye and looked up at the burly man in front of him.
“Why haven’t you come over to drink?” Hu Rongming asked in displeasure.
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.
“It’s nicer here,” Tian Xiewen murmured lazily as he nipped the grape from Ren Yizhou’s fingers.
Le Ebcuwlcu uijcmfv ja Efc Tlhtbe jcv atfc ab Kljc Wlfkfc yfobgf rlaalcu vbkc. Lf ifa bea j ibcu rlut. “P wlrr ws klof.”
“Glv P jrx?” Kljc Wlfkfc cjggbkfv tlr fsfr. “Snfgs vjs kf ajix ab sbe, jii sbe vb lr yglcu eq sbeg klof. Po rtf’r atja ugfja, pera vbc’a ifjnf atf rfma.”
“Why are you getting angry at me?” Hu Rongming stared at Tian Xiewen. He glanced at Ren Yizhou. “Just because your own love life isn’t going well, don’t take it out on those of us who are happily married.”
“Who says my love life isn’t going well?” Tian Xiewen glowered at Hu Rongming. “It’s going great! Every night is like a spring dream. I walk down the streets and the peach blossoms start blooming.”
Ren Yizhou laughed.
Hearing the sound, Tian Xiewen’s aggression melted away a fraction.
“Right, right, right,” Hu Rongming rolled his eyes. “The great dandy of WuYe City, how could I forget? Conquerer of brothels, just the greatest drinker in all of Jianshi.”
“Now, if you put it like that, it makes me sound like a ruffian,” Tian Xiewen grumbled in discontent. “I’m a proper gentleman.”
“Mmhm, you’re a proper gentleman,” Hu Rongming smirked and continued sarcastically. “You’re the prodigal son, a well-bred prince.”
“Try this cake,” Ren Yizhou stuffed Tian Xiewen’s mouth before turning to Hu Rongming. “Xiewen is only upset because he hasn’t found the one he wants to marry yet.”
Hu Rongming looked as if he wanted to beg to differ.
As if sensing his intent, Ren Yizhou changed the subject. “How has your wife been? And your son?”
Hu Rongming’s expression brightened.
It was well-known throughout the cultivation world that, other than being as horrendous as a tiger, Hu Rongming was a slave to his wife. At the beginning, many thought that Hu Rongming taking a wife meant that the wife would suffer, but who knew that, in just a few years, Hu Rongming’s wife, Xun Pianhe had not only gained softer skin, but even a fuller complexion. This man, though his appearance was a bit fierce, spoiled his wife to the Heavens.
Despite having tried for a child for a long time, it was only recently that they welcomed a healthy boy into their lives with Fan Yi having the honor of helping them deliver him.
Everyone knew, if there was a chance, Hu Rongming would speak about his wife and son until the people’s ears fell off. This was one of the reasons that Hu Rongming stopped being invited to get togethers—the main one naturally being that he stopped wanting to go himself. After all, his wife and son were the most important now.
“He’s learned how to walk recently!” Hu Rongming said excitedly. “He’s such a strong boy. He tripped a few times, but each time, without us saying anything, he’d stand back up and run right over.”
Ren Yizhou chuckled. “Yun’er sounds quite intelligent.”
“He is! Before I left, he already learned how to say mommy,” Hu Rongming grinned, his expression showing just how fortunate he was in life.
Tian Xiewen glared at him and burrowed further into Ren Yizhou’s embrace. He was reluctant to interact with this man. Not only could he not have a certain someone’s heart, he couldn’t even hold their body.
Ren Yizhou felt the man in their arms shift until he was completely hugging them about the waist. They didn’t seem fazed and only hugged them back as they continued to listen to Hu Rongming’s rambling.
As the night drew on, there were fewer people left. Hu Rongming eventually left as well, saying that his wife told him to sleep early.
Ren Yizhou removed their hand from Tian Xiewen’s neck and patted him. “Bufan, let’s go.”
Tian Xiewen hummed drunkenly and placed a light kiss on Ren Yizhou’s jaw. He sat up and stretched his waist before standing. He turned back to Ren Yizhou. “Yizhou, I’m gonna go pee.”
“Hurry then. I’ll wait for you up front,” Ren Yizhou said as they stood and left the banquet hall.
Ren Yizhou found a step to sit on as they waited for Tian Xiewen. They listened to the footsteps that walked past them, not taking note at all of who they were. They listened to their garbled conversation and leaned their head against the railing of the stairs, feeling that the world was too loud. A soft sigh left their lips. Their fingers tingled, still reminiscing on the warmth of Tian Xiewen’s neck. They let out a quiet chuckle and shook their head as they sat straight again.
Ren Yizhou recalled the first time they had met Tian Xiewen.
Fan Yi brought home a man who was dressed in clothes that were different from the ones normally worn by the people in this region. The stench of blood coming from him was so strong, it made Ren Yizhou recoil. Fan Yi had felt apologetic, but still asked Ren Yizhou to call someone to draw a bath.
In garbled voice with quite the thick accent, Tian Xiewen said one phrase as he watched Ren Yizhou’s retreating back: “That one’s pretty.”
It was safe to say that Ren Yizhou’s first impression of Tian Xiewen was horrible. The thing they disliked the most was someone mentioning their appearance. For a while, Ren Yizhou avoided Tian Xiewen at all cost. Even during his ceremony, Ren Yizhou only attended for less than an hour before leaving. Soon, Tian Xiewen began to soften himself around Ren Yizhou, even lowering his arrogant speech.
Fan Yi had laughed when it was all over, saying that was the first time he had seen Tian Xiewen so timid.
Ren Yizhou smiled to themselves and pulled themselves from their honey-soaked memories. They stood and wandered back into the banquet hall. However, the moment they stepped in, they realized something was wrong.
“Someone’s dead!”
Ren Yizhou stopped. They reached out and grabbed onto a waiter. “Excuse me, do you know where the restroom is?”
“Sir, it’s probably best if you don’t go over there right now. Someone was found dead and another person was found unconscious.”
Ren Yizhou felt their blood running cold.
Tian Xiewen rested his cheek against the back of his knuckles as he looked at the group surrounding him. He had one leg propped up with the other tucked by his side. Rather than looking like a criminal, he appeared more like a prince who had been interrupted during his afternoon nap. The cultivators around him appeared antsy, but they had already disarmed him, so there was nothing to worry about.
“So, you’re telling me me,” Tian Xiewen lifted his shackled wrists and gave them a shake, “that I killed that guy?”
A cultivator gulped and straightened himself up to appear taller. “Yes! You did!”
“How? Why? Where?” Tian Xiewen leaned back, his long legs unfolding as he rested his hands against his lap. “Proof? Where’s the proof?”
“You were by him in the restroom! A-and earlier—earlier you were in an argument with him!”
“Just because I fainted by his corpse in the restroom, I’m suddenly guilty of murder? I got into an argument with him?” Tian Xiewen laughed. “Have you ever used your brains? I get into an argument with people every day around lunch time—why don’t you go see if they’re dead? Besides, if I was a murderer, I wouldn’t have just shoved him and fainted myself. Do you know how I would have done it?”
Tian Xiewen shifted forward, the chains tugging him slightly back into place. He smirked. “I would have taken my knife and pinned him down to the ground. Then, I would have cut out his tongue and driven my saber through his fucking skull.”
He watched the cultivators tremble with a maniacal glint in his eyes. “I wouldn’t have spared this trash a hint of flesh.”
He smiled, somewhat content with their reactions and sat back. “But murder isn’t my style. I wouldn’t have killed him. That’s pitying him, isn’t it? If I really wanted to deal with him, I would have broken one limb at a time, crushed his cultivation and then exploded his meridians. Then I would toss him in front of his family—what can they do to me? They—”
“Shut up,” the door banged open.
Tian Xiewen’s smile fell. He lowered his head as Fan Yi stepped in, carrying a stern look on his face. Behind him were the members of Frost Cliff Pavilion as well as Sect Master Zhong, Wu Lingtian, and Ren Yizhou.
“You always run your mouth don’t you,” Fan Yi glared at Tian Xiewen. He wrapped the chains of Tian Xiewen’s shackles around his hand tightly and yanked him forward. “How about I cut out your tongue and destroy your meridians? Then, you won’t be going around running your mouth!”
Seeing Fan Yi’s anger directed at Tian Xiewen, one of the bolder cultivators stepped forward. “Sect Leader Fan, the Third Pillar became embroiled in a drunk fight tonight and—”
“He didn’t.”
“Wh-what?”
“You heard me,” Fan Yi looked over his shoulder with the calm of a skilled hunter. “He didn’t.”
“B-but—”
“He said it just now, didn’t he?” Fan Yi tossed Tian Xiewen back to the chair. “He would have broken each of his limbs, cut out his tongue, crush his cultivation, and then exploded his meridians. He’d still leave him alive, meaning he doesn’t even have the intention to kill the man.”
Situ Hong fanned himself silently to the side and glanced at Wu Lingtian and Ren Yizhou. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. At least there were these two normal ones running the sect.
“B-but that doesn’t discount the fact that they had both been drunk! An accident could have happened!”
“It was an accident then,” Wu Lingtian spoke up, shocking Situ Hong and Zhou Ying’an. He looked coldly upon the cultivators. “Accidents happen all the time. It was just a human life—let him go.”
“What—what are you even talking about!?”
“This is the cultivation world,” Wu Lingtian continued icily. “If that man picked a fight, then he should take responsibility for it. Who says deaths don’t happen all the time?”
“Even if it was Xiewen, he would have deserved it,” Ren Yizhou said softly.
Situ Hong and Zhou Ying’an turned to Ren Yizhou. What now?
“That man harassed me,” Ren Yizhou whispered tearfully.
The scene froze.
“So that’s why you got into a fight with him,” Fan Yi sighed sympathetically. He shook his head. “Seems like he really got off too easily.”
The previous conversations had quieted. No one dared to make a move as they watched the scene unfold before them. Everyone looked at Sect Master Zhong and his group, but they didn’t move. They glanced to Frost Cliff Pavilion, but they didn’t speak either. The atmosphere turned colder and colder and colder until one of the cultivators from the deceased’s sect spoke up.
“What ludicrous things are you talking about? First and foremost, how could you treat a human life so lightly—you! Lord Yu Lan! And secondly, what’s this about harassment? Did anyone see it? If no one saw it, then how do we know it happened? Excuse me for saying this, but Third Pillar’s temper is so bad, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to kill someone in a fit of rage during an argument while he was drunk!”
“But did you see it?” the person who spoke was Wu Lingtian again.
“What?”
Wu Lingtian stepped further into the room, the pressure exuding from him enough to make the legs of the targeted cultivators’ legs tremble. “I asked you if you saw it.”
“S-saw what?”
“Saw Third Pillar lose his temper, as you said,” Wu Lingtian stopped when he was right in front of the cultivators. He exerted a bit more force and the cultivators directly collapsed onto their bottoms. He knelt down on one knee. “Did you see it?”
“N-no.”
“Then, how are you so sure he was the one that killed him?” Wu Lingtian asked. His wooden expression, along with his monotone voice, sent shivers down the cultivators’ spines. “You said so yourself—no one saw Ren-jie get harassed, so it must not have happened. No one saw Third Pillar kill someone, so he must not have done it—isn’t that right?”
“W-well—”
“Well, what?” Wu Lingtian quirked an eyebrow. “It’s a yes or no question.”
“A-Tian.”
Hearing Fan Yi’s voice, the pressure surrounding Wu Lingtian immediately disappeared. He stood again and walked over to Fan Yi, appearing quite docile.
“There you have it,” Fan Yi shrugged. He lifted the chains and jangled them. “So, release him.”
Situ Hong finally snapped back to his senses. He laughed and stepped forward. “Hold on, hold on.”
He smiled. “While I do agree that we cannot arrest Third Pillar on a baseless accusation, we also cannot release him on circular reasoning. Mm…how about this? Since a crime committed during the Conference is a crime that’s immediately taken care of by Frost Cliff Pavilion, how about we ensure Third Pillar to our care first? We can undo his chains, but Third Pillar must cooperate.”
“I’m not guilty, so why wouldn’t I cooperate?” Tian Xiewen scoffed.
“This is precisely what I like about you—decisive!” Situ Hong turned to the cultivators and tilted his head towards Tian Xiewen.
The shackles were unlocked. Tian Xiewen stepped forward and fell into Ren Yizhou’s arms. Ren Yizhou stiffened before reaching up a hand to caress the back of his head. Their brows furrowed. “A-Wen, you’re injured here.”
“Mn,” Tian Xiewen whined and wrapped his arms around Ren Yizhou’s waist. “I feel uncomfortable.”
Fan Yi waved away Ren Yizhou’s hand. He frowned. “It looks like a wound from a blunt object.”
“Which means that Third Pillar could have been knocked out,” Wu Lingtian looked at Situ Hong.
“It’s very likely,” Situ Hong agreed.
“It’s already very late,” Situ Hong turned to the small gathering inside the room. “How about we all rest for the day and reconvene in the morning?”
There was a grumbling amongst the members of the deceased’s sect, but they eventually dispersed, leaving those of Frost Cliff Pavilion and Screeching Sparrow Sect behind.
“This is a headache,” Sect Master Zhong sighed.
“Is it a headache for you?” Tian Xiewen rolled his eyes. “I went to take a piss and I get accused of being a murderer.”
“Do you remember anything?” Situ Hong asked tentatively.
“Mm…” Tian Xiewen scratched his chin. He glanced at Ren Yizhou. “If Yizhou gives me a kiss, I might remember.”
Without any qualms, Ren Yizhou leaned over and gave Tian Xiewen a lingering kiss on the lips. Tian Xiewen stared blankly at Ren Yizhou, his face slowly reddening. Wu Lingtian politely looked away while the others rigidly followed suit.
Tian Xiewen’s shock became elation. He grinned and pressed his lips together, as if savoring the feeling a bit longer. “I do remember something, but not much. Everything was a bit blurry. I was already really drunk at that time. I remember going into the stall and peeing, then I heard arguing that was coming into the back courtyard.”
“Any recollection of what they said?” Zhou Ying’an asked.
Tian Xiewen frowned. The silence inched by.
Ren Yizhou tugged Tian Xiewen’s earlobe. “Don’t think too hard if it hurts. Not only did you drink that much, you also got hit on the back of the head tonight.”
Tian Xiewen looked as if he had just eaten a piece of candy. “Mn,” he turned back to the others awkwardly. “I really don’t remember anything.”
Wu Lingtian frowned.
Noticing his hesitance, Fan Yi leaned a bit closer, “What’s wrong?”
Wu Lingtian glanced at Fan Yi and quietly shook his head.
Seeing that the conversation had hit a dead end, Sect Master Zhong sighed and gestured for his assistant, Mu Xing. “Let’s talk about this tomorrow. Xing’er.”
“Here.”
“Make sure to set up protective arrays around the corpse tonight. Call up a few disciples to guard the room as well. Do not let anyone in unless you’re absolutely sure it’s Feng Ling and Miss Zhou.”
“Yes, Sect Master,” Mù Xìng (木兴) bowed and left the scene to carry out the arrangements.
The group filed out of the room. Fan Yi looked back over his shoulder at the corpse that was covered by the rough cloth. His eyes narrowed slightly and he continued out, a strange premonition rising in his heart.
This Kiss!!! also never expected Tian Xiewen to be so soft and clingy lol
imagine a biiiggg fluffy doggo. that’s him LOL
Ren Yizhou seemed really concerned! Maybe they kissed Tan Xiewen after the thought of losing him.
“It was just a human life” !!!!!!!!! WOAH WU LINGTIAN!!!!!! i do see where he is coming from: cultivation world and being responsible for risks, bUT that still startled me, just !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow….. i fell more in love alxhakxbksxn
Seeing him being all cold and intimidating woke sm up in me XD
alxhakxj love that for us