The finalized version of the ceremonial robes rested against Wu Lingtian without making their presence known. Despite being made of five layers and a significant amount of fabric, Wu Lingtian found that he was still able to move around freely. He pulled out Yu Lan and spun the sword a few times. He was delighted to find that the flowy fabric didn’t even get in the way. He turned over his shoulder and looked at Situ Hong.
“What do you think?”
“Are you going to put your hair up like that?” Situ Hong asked.
“Or else?”
Situ Hong shook his head. “Put it in a bun. That way your face is distinct from your robes.”
“Alright, I’ll do that,” Wu Lingtian said, his fingers resting against the overly intricate crown on his head. He glanced at Situ Hong again. “Are you really not staying?”
“No, I have to go,” Situ Hong said with a helpless smile. “Being able to see you in these robes before I go though is quite the treat. I never thought I’d see you in anything other than martial robes.”
“Well,” Wu Lingtian fiddled with the pendants on his waist, “Sect Leader said that I should dress up for the initiation.”
“Listening to your husband already, I see,” Situ Hong nodded.
Wu Lingtian scoffed. He put Yu Lan away and exchanged a few words with the tailor before turning to take the robes off. “When will you be leaving?”
“Tonight, probably,” Situ Hong said.
“So soon,” Wu Lingtian murmured. He finished putting his robes on before he grabbed Yu Lan and walked with Situ Hong out of the room. “Don’t leave without a word.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not you,” Situ Hong said.
Wu Lingtian shot Situ Hong a glare, but the other man only laughed it off. Wu Lingtian let out a long sigh and held his head.
Snow had begun blanketing Screeching Sparrow Sect. A thick coat rested on Wu Lingtian’s shoulders as they walked, staining the pure snow with their footsteps. The year was one month closer to ending. The leaves of the trees had long become bare and the skies seemed to constantly be a cloudy gray.
“Next year should be better, right?” Wu Lingtian murmured, more to himself than to Situ Hong.
Situ Hong glanced at Wu Lingtian. “If it isn’t better, we can just make it better.”
“Make it better,” Wu Lingtian echoed. He glanced at Situ Hong, somewhat amused. “How are we going to do that?”
Situ Hong shrugged. “We’ll find a way. Both of us always have rotten ideas in our minds, don’t we?”
“Far too many to count,” Wu Lingtian nodded.
The two men fell silent.
Side by side, they looked out over the vast, unfamiliar land. The sound of disciples cheerfully going about their day sounded in the distance. Neither of them felt the need to speak. The silence was comforting and any excess words would only make the both of them unnerved.
A long time later, a third person joined them.
“What are we looking at?” Xiao Xunrui asked.
“The dead trees,” Situ Hong said.
“I was reminiscing about the past.”
Situ Hong and Wu Lingtian shared a glance.
Xiao Xunrui laughed. “How come you two are never on the same page?”
“It’s this guy,” Wu Lingtian carelessly threw the blame to Situ Hong. “His head is empty.”
“Oh, yes, because your mind is so profound,” Situ Hong mockingly praised Wu Lingtian. He scoffed. “I bet you were just looking at the birds or something. Reminiscing about the past, my ass.”
“Not everyone’s brain is empty like yours.”
“My head is full. I’m always thinking about something,” Situ Hong quipped.
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.
“That’s what you say,” Wu Lingtian shook his head skeptically and turned to head down the hill.
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Situ Hong fell silent. He looked between the two men in front of him and briefly reflected upon himself. “Probably not.”
“If we changed, how could we still remain such close friends?” Wu Lingtian asked. “At most, we’ve just gained some new experiences.”
“‘New experiences’ seems to be a severe understatement for you,” Xiao Xunrui said.
Wu Lingtian paused before adding, “And a few new scars.”
Xiao Xunrui rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t say we haven’t changed, we’re just too similar to our past, that’s all.”
“It’d be nice if it could stay this way,” Situ Hong said.
“The first person who says that is the first person who dies,” Wu Lingtian said mercilessly.
Situ Hong glared at Wu Lingtian. “Do you want me to die that badly?”
“I’m just saying,” Wu Lingtian said. “Not only are you leaving us, you’re saying all of this sentimental stuff. If this were a novel, you’d definitely die in the next chapter.”
Situ Hong took a deep breath. “I’ll ask you again—do you want me to die that badly?”
“Of course not. You haven’t experienced the joys of finding the love of your life yet,” Wu Lingtian said. “We can’t just let you die so soon.”
Xiao Xunrui nodded. “The readers will be disappointed by such a conclusion.”
Situ Hong pinched the bridge of his nose. “On such a frigid, snowy day, you two both dare to talk about my death. If I do end up dying, I hope you two are guilty for the rest of your life.”
“Do you really mean that?” Wu Lingtian asked over his shoulder.
Situ Hong met Wu Lingtian’s gaze. He glanced at the dark circles under Wu Lingtian’s eyes and his pale lips. He irritably averted his gaze. “No. If I did die, I wouldn’t want you to feel guilty.”
“The perks of being ill,” Xiao Xunrui said in wonder. He turned to Situ Hong. “What about me?”
“You’re the worst for spurning him on!” Situ Hong exclaimed.
As promised, Situ Hong left later that night. Wu Lingtian walked him down the steps, past the sect’s arrays. Situ Hong turned once they reached the end. He raised a brow at Wu Lingtian’s expression and chuckled.
“What’s wrong? Really think I’m going to die?”
“It’s not that,” Wu Lingtian said. He met Situ Hong’s gaze. “Thank you.”
“Thank me? For what?” Situ Hong raised a brow.
“For everything you’ve done for me and everything you’re going to do for me,” Wu Lingtian said.
“It’s not like you were completely at fault,” Situ Hong said with a casual wave of his hand. “If you really want to be punished, you can donate some of your wealth to Frost Cliff Pavilion. In the end, you were also a victim.”
Wu Lingtian offered a dry smile. He shook his head. “I’ll give you a big part of my wealth.”
Situ Hong clicked his tongue. “Now it feels like you’re paying me off.”
A bright laugh left Situ Hong’s lips as he dodged Wu Lingtian’s weak punch. He hopped back a few steps and waved as he produced his sword. “I’m off then.”
Wu Lingtian hummed. “Safe travels. Be sure to contact me if anything happens.”
“Alright, alright. You nag more than A-Min,” Situ Hong chuckled.
Wu Lingtian watched as Situ Hong flew off. The cold, winter wind was the only thing that remained. It accompanied him as he walked up the stairs. Along with the warm lights that floated on either side of the staircase, Wu Lingtian could only listen to his own thoughts.
The sound of snow crunching against his feet echoed in his ears. The darkness seemed to close in on him, but Wu Lingtian was all too familiar with his feeling. He paused for a moment, his hands tightening on the cloak on his shoulders. As he was about to force himself forward, the sound of crunching snow reached him from up ahead.
He lifted his head and watched as the lights in front of him lit up one by one, meeting the lanterns by his side. Fan Yi looked at him quizzically as he took his hand. His thumb rubbed against the back of Wu Lingtian’s hand.
“He’s gone?”
“Mn. He’s gone.”
“Well, you’ll see him again soon, I bet,” Fan Yi said.
“Maybe.”
Fan Yi remained on the same steps as Wu Lingtian. He observed the other man silently before tilting his head to the sky. “It’s going to snow again.”
“We should head back then.”
“Shall we?”
Fan Yi led Wu Lingtian quietly, only the sound of their walking filled their surroundings. “Something on your mind?”
“Not exactly,” Wu Lingtian said, his eyes on the hand that held his. He gave it a light squeeze. “It’s just loud.”
Fan Yi slowed his pace so that he could walk beside Wu Lingtian. “Was it loud before?”
“No.”
The walk back up the stairs felt long and arduous, but neither of them suggested flying back up. As they neared the top, snow began to fall gently from the skies. Wu Lingtian paused and looked up. Fan Yi stopped as well, but his gaze remained on Wu Lingtian. His heart, which was always frozen around this time of year, warmed slightly. He smiled and pulled Wu Lingtian towards him.
“Do you like the snow?”
“Mm, I feel ambivalent about it,” Wu Lingtian said. “I just find it a little fascinating.” He turned to look at Fan Yi, his gaze softening slightly. “Do you like the snow?”
“When I was younger, I’d always take my siblings out on the first day it snowed and we’d play outside all day,” Fan Yi said, resting his chin against Wu Lingtian’s shoulder. “I haven’t liked it as much after I got injured though.”
“We should hurry back in.”
“If you like the snow, we can stay for a while longer,” Fan Yi said, his eyes closing as he held Wu Lingtian in place. “It’s not like staying out here will make any difference. I’ll be cold either way.”
Wu Lingtian hesitated. Seeing that Fan Yi said nothing more on the subject, Wu Lingtian stopped being persistent as well. He watched as the snow slowly filled the footsteps they left behind. He felt Fan Yi pull away from him and reacted belatedly only when he heard his name called. He turned, his eyes widening slightly at the object that was held in front of him.
“A snow person,” Fan Yi said. He tilted his head so that he could look past the mini snowman. “Do you like it?”
“Your hands will get cold,” Wu Lingtian said, hurriedly reaching for Fan Yi.
Fan Yi jerked away from him and held out the snow person again. “Do you like it?
“…I like it.”
“Really?” Fan Yi raised a brow.
Wu Lingtian nodded.
A smile lit up Fan Yi’s face. He waved a hand over the snowman. Wu Lingtian watched curiously as it glowed warmly, but nothing happened after. Fan Yi passed the snowman, which was only the size of his palm, over to Wu Lingtian, and took the man’s free hand into his.
“Alright, let’s head back.”
“This—”
“It won’t melt now. We can set it in the courtyard until winter ends,” Fan Yi said.
“Why only until winter?” Wu Lingtian asked curiously.
Fan Yi glanced at Wu Lingtian with a small smile. “Snow has an expiration date—we shouldn’t keep it from going on its natural way.”
Wu Lingtian looked down at the small snowman in his hand as Fan Yi tugged him along the rest of the way. Despite what Fan Yi said, a small smile still lit up Wu Lingtian’s face. He glanced at the man in front of him and walked a little closer. Fan Yi raised a brow: “What’s wrong?”
“Only you know how to cheer me up.”
“Do I? I haven’t done anything,” Fan Yi said, acting none the wiser. He glanced at the tall magnolia tree as they entered the courtyard. “Don’t come out here tonight, it’s too cold.”
“Alright.”
“We can move aside some furniture and just lay blankets out to sleep on the ground,” Fan Yi said.
Wu Lingtian nodded. He paused to the side and placed the little snowman down before following Fan Yi in.
Fan Yi rearranged the room as he promised. Once Wu Lingtian returned from his bath, he was faced with a room, nearly void of furniture. The table that previously sat in the middle was pushed up towards the bed, but everything was hidden by the elegant screen. The ground was laid with blankets and pillows to make a comfortable sleeping space. Sitting on the vanity was a globe-like object. It spun quietly, spilling light in the shape of stars all over the room. Upon closer examination, Wu Lingtian realized it was the toy Fan Yi had given him to fidget with.
“It’s something an uncle or other gave to my brother when he was younger,” Fan Yi explained. “He was afraid of the dark, so this helped him sleep.”
Wu Lingtian slipped out of his shoes and climbed into the sheets. “Why’d you give something so important to me?”
“That? I’m sure he would have wanted you to have it,” Fan Yi said. He stretched his arm out over the spot Wu Lingtian was about to lay down on. When he was met with a quizzical gaze, Fan Yi only groaned and stretched out further.
Feeling a little helpless, Wu Lingtian laid his head down against Fan Yi’s arm. Another hand wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer to the other man’s chest.
“Aren’t we sleeping a little early?” Wu Lingtian murmured.
“I finished my work earlier today,” Fan Yi said. He gently patted Wu Lingtian’s back. “Are you not tired yet?”
“I’m tired,” Wu Lingtian said.
“Then just sleep,” Fan Yi coaxed. He turned and pressed a light kiss to Wu Lingtian’s forehead. “It’s nice and warm in here.”
Wu Lingtian remained silent, but his eyes were still open. He listened to the faint heartbeat, pressed against his ear, and felt his eyelids getting heavier. Still, there was a question that weighed on his mind that prevented him from going to sleep. It had already been a week or so since they returned, but Fan Yi had been too quiet. He treated Wu Lingtian as normal, but there was something different. Between him and Tian Xiewen, it almost felt like there was a secret that neither of them could share.
“Sect Leader…”
“Sect Leader?” Fan Yi echoed. He frowned slightly and teasingly poked Wu Lingtian’s cheek. “Did I do something wrong?”
Wu Lingtian shook his head. “I was just wondering…”
“Wondering what?”
“…Are you planning something?”
Fan Yi fell silent. His hand continued to move, gently patting Wu Lingtian as if he were coaxing a child to sleep, but he didn’t reply. When Wu Lingtian shifted, Fan Yi chuckled. “You said you’d leave it to me, didn’t you?”
“…Mn.”
“Don’t worry,” Fan Yi said softly. “Do you remember our conversation by the lake, when you first arrived?”
Wu Lingtian hummed. He lifted his gaze and found Fan Yi staring back at him.
“I asked you if we could continue to live like this,” Fan Yi brushed the stray strands of hair from Wu Lingtian’s face. “My question still stands—as does my promise.”
Wu Lingtian clenched his jaw, but Fan Yi gently massaged it.
“If this peace has a price, then I’ll pay it,” Fan Yi whispered. He pressed a kiss to Wu Lingtian’s temple and remained there as he spoke: “I would give anything in the world to maintain something so beautiful.”
“But I don’t want you to get hurt,” Wu Lingtian said.
“I won’t get hurt. No one will get hurt,” Fan Yi promised. “I told you I’ll maintain everything, just the way it is, right? I won’t let anyone get hurt; I won’t let anyone die. Just the way it is…that’s how I’ll keep your paradise.”
Wu Lingtian looked up at the pair of determined eyes that looked back at him in the dim lighting.
“Only the person who hurt you will vanish,” Fan Yi said, pressing Wu Lingtian’s head to his chest. “That way, you’ll no longer feel pain again.”
After being controlled for so long, it’s a miracle Wu Lingtian can leave anything up to someone else. That shows how much he trusts Fan Yi. The little snowman though 😊
Situ Hong only thinking about the dead trees lol. Also, yeah, I’d be sad if this poor guy dies off before people stop mocking him for being single. He’s really one of us. And the Sect Leader being as casually loving and romantic as always, I see. As always, this chapter has been a joy to read, thanks for writing and sharing!
Breaking the 4th wall !!! Thanks for the chapter🙂
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