Xiao Xunrui hadn’t seen Xiao Guo all day, but he knew that she had most likely run off to play with the children who loitered around Black Scales Palace. Wuma Qiongling had reassured them that those children were just beggars, who’d stop by once in a while for food and clothing, or to see if they could get any work. Since the arrival of Xiao Xunrui and his daughter, most everyone knew that Black Scales Palace had welcomed home their empress and a little princess, so many of the more daring beggar children had come in hopes of becoming Xiao Guo’s servant, maid, attendant, or even body guard.
The sight was overwhelming, but seeing the beggar children, Xiao Guo couldn’t help but be a little soft-hearted. Since then, there were even less children on the streets of Fengya than before.
At first, Xiao Guo had been reluctant to leave her father’s side, but after encouragement from Xiao Xunrui and Wuma Qiongling, she began to leave with her new friends to explore more often.
With Xiao Guo away from Xiao Xunrui and Wuma Qiongling busy ruling his own empire, Xiao Xunrui couldn’t run off on his own. He didn’t know the place well and he didn’t know the people either. He spent most of his time in the western wing, where Wuma Qiongling resided. A few maids followed him from afar, and he knew some shadow guards watched him, but he usually kept to himself.
Today, after seeing that Xiao Guo had run off again, he headed to the gardens with a book and curled in a peaceful nook to read.
Winters in Fengya were bitingly cold, but the garden here was warm and forever in bloom. Xiao Xunrui hadn’t seen Wuma Qiongling much recently, but when the two men met again, he knew that he had to ask how this was done.
Hours flew by as Xiao Xunrui read. The maids had left a while ago to prepare lunch for him. The shadow guards were changing shifts. A soft wind brushed against Xiao Xunrui’s ears. When he looked up, he realized that, in a time where he should have been alone, there was someone watching him.
Xiao Xunrui shifted his posture.
Although it was odd, he wasn’t concerned.
This was Black Scales Palace. Wuma Qiongling was paranoid to the max. Every nook and cranny were well protected, not to mention that this was the wing his precious “princess” and “empress” resided in. Outsiders wouldn’t be able to get in. In Xiao Xunrui’s mind, it was at most a curious servant or even a wild animal that had wandered in.
But reality was different from what he expected.
An arrow shot out from the bushes, but the trajectory was off. Xiao Xunrui leaned back, his back flattening against the bench as the arrow flew into the column behind him. He frowned slightly, but managed to dodge again when another arrow came. He looked in the direction of the attack and easily flew forward, using qing gong. What came out next wasn’t another bout of arrows, but a wicked sword.
Xiao Xunrui blocked the sloppy attack with his jade flute. He lured the person from the shadows as he avoided each attack. Eventually, the person stopped charging forward. Instead, they stomped their foot angrily and pointed the sword in Xiao Xunrui’s direction.
“Vixen, why don’t you attack back!?”
“…Vixen?” Xiao Xunrui readjusted his robes and fixed his hair.
The voice was high-pitched, but contained a husky quality that most women didn’t have. If he squinted slightly and looked closer, he noticed that the person in front of him didn’t have a chest. They were short, but their proportions were close to that of a teenager’s.
“That’s right! You’re the one who seduced my Royal Uncle!”
“Royal…” Xiao Xunrui’s voice trailed off.
Royal Uncle? Who else was royalty in Fengya aside from Wuma Qiongling? But uncle? When did Qiongling have siblings?
“I…seduced?” Xiao Xunrui asked incredulously, returning to the more important point. He scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “How do you know I’m the one who seduced him and he didn’t seduce me?”
The boy’s face flushed. “T-that’s because you’re beautiful!”
Xiao Xunrui paused.
“You’re more beautiful than all those tasteless toys everyone sends to my uncle’s doorstep! And my uncle is a man of good integrity! He wouldn’t kidnap anyone or force anyone, so…so you must have seduced him!”
“Man of good integrity”—Xiao Xunrui nearly laughed. How did Black Scales Palace raise this little rabbit?
Although he loved Wuma Qiongling dearly, he wasn’t delusional about him. He knew just what sort of person Lord Wuma was. He was a man of integrity, but forcing and kidnapping was not below him. If Xiao Xunrui really was just a plaything, instead of his prospective husband, Xiao Xunrui could imagine a scenario where Wuma Qiongling would forcefully bring him back.
…Fuck, it was a bit thrilling.
“What are you smiling about!?” the boy shouted.
“…Child, what’s your name?”
“…What?”
“Your name. I just came here, so I’m not familiar with anyone. You already know who I am, so will you at least give me your name?”
The boy looked at Xiao Xunrui skeptically. “You really don’t know my name?”
“Have we met before?” Xiao Xunrui asked.
The boy slowly shook his head. After confirming, Xiao Xunrui wasn’t making fun of him, the boy straightened to his full height. “My name is Wan Rong (万荣). The servants here call me Palace Lord Heir.”
Xiao Xunrui slowly connected the dots.
On their way here, Wuma Qiongling had mentioned a boy who lived with him. It was all vague, as if he cared very little for this child. The conclusion was that this boy was the child of someone who had helped Wuma Qiongling before, but had long passed. The child was raised in the palace, but from what Xiao Xunrui heard, he had not been the best dad. Yet, this child was still attached to him, even going as far as to call out Xiao Xunrui for “seducing” his uncle.
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.
“…Glv Fcmif cba wfcalbc jcsatlcu jybea wf?”
“Rb, tf vlv,” Wljb Wecgel rjlv. Lf rwlifv. “P pera vlvc’a gfjilhf sbe kbeiv yf atlr jvbgjyif.
“C—P’w atlgaffc!” Qjc Ebcu fzmijlwfv, tlr ojmf oiertfv tbggfcvberis. “P-P’w ojg qjrrfv atf juf bo yflcu mjiifv jvbgjyif!”
Wljb Wecgel mtemxifv. Lf mjgfoeiis jqqgbjmtfv atf ybs. “Ktlgaffc lr ralii delaf sbecu—kf’gf meialnjabgr joafg jii. Dea lo sbe’gf Hlbcuilcu’r cfqtfk, atja wfjcr sbe’gf jirb ws cfqtfk.”
“I-I-I—since when?!”
“The ceremony hasn’t been held yet, but your uncle and I have already sworn we’d be each other’s one and only,” Xiao Xunrui said, somewhat troubled. He looked at Wan Rong. “You know this, don’t you?”
“Wed…but you’re still not my uncle!” Wan Rong snapped.
The more Xiao Xunrui listened to Wan Rong, the more prickled he felt. This child reminded him greatly of Wu Lingtian when he was younger. And the younger Wu Lingtian had always been fun to tease. Before he had grown steady and cold, he was always rambunctious and full of energy. Even just the smallest little thing would set him off. His reactions were golden. Xiao Xunrui loved poking fun at him more than he did at Situ Hong.
Wan Rong’s round eyes widened in shock when he felt a pair of warm hands cup his face and squeeze.
“Cute,” Xiao Xunrui exclaimed as he kneaded Wan Rong’s cheeks. “What’s this? Are you scared I’m going to steal your uncle away?”
“I—”
“Or are you scared that you’ll be cast aside because I arrived?”
Wan Rong’s expression fell. A pout emerged on his lips as he allowed his cheeks to be squished this way and that.
Xiao Xunrui observed the boy in silence before sighing. “That won’t happen. I have my own place to take care of. I won’t stay here forever, so you don’t have to worry about losing your position as heir.”
“That’s not…”
“Then, what is it?” Xiao Xunrui finally released Wan Rong’s cheeks. “Tell gege what’s on your mind.”
It was shameless for Wan Rong to call Wuma Qiongling uncle, while calling Xiao Xunrui gege, but the reality was Xiao Xunrui appeared a bit more youthful. The child was tricked in an instant.
“Uncle…doesn’t like me. I know he thinks I’m a burden. Now that…now that you’re here, he’s going to kick me out,” Wan Rong mumbled. The expression on his face was quite pitiful. As someone else’s father, Xiao Xunrui felt a hint of pain looking at him.
“He doesn’t dislike you,” Xiao Xunrui said confidently. “And he doesn’t think you’re a burden.”
Wan Rong looked at Xiao Xunrui skeptically. “How do you know?”
“I know Qiongling,” Xiao Xunrui said. “If he doesn’t like something, he’ll discard it. If he thinks something’s a burden, he’ll get rid of it. He wouldn’t keep you around just for the sake of an old friendship. To him, you’re useful. And at the very least, you aren’t an eyesore.”
Most people would feel offended by Xiao Xunrui’s bluntness, but when Wan Rong heard him, his eyes lit up. He was straight to the point. But he was also a great deal like his uncle!
“So?” Xiao Xunrui amusedly glanced at the weapon in Wan Rong’s hand. “Do you still want to kill me?”
Wan Rong fidgeted with the bow. A moment later, he shook his head.
“Then, what should you say?”
“…I’m sorry, Gege,” Wan Rong said. He glanced at Xiao Xunrui, his cheeks slowly flushing as he pulled away from the hands that still held onto him. “I didn’t scare you, did I?”
“Scare me? Your gege is a very powerful person,” Xiao Xunrui said, straightening with a tilted chin. “You know, back in the day, I was the one who saved your uncle.”
Wan Rong’s eyes widened. “You saved him?”
“Mn! I can fish people back from the brink of death and I can also fight really well. I’m not afraid of Heaven or Earth—there’s barely anything that can get in my way,” Xiao Xunrui said, tooting his own horn.
The child, who knew nothing of the world, looked at him with sparkling eyes. Xiao Xunrui felt amusement bubble in his chest. If this Wan Rong could grow up so naïve and adorable, then that must mean Wuma Qiongling actually quite cared about him. Otherwise, this child would constantly be chased after by assassins or even shoved aside by servants. Only with the endorsement of the great demon lord could someone grow up like a little white lotus in a dirty place like Fengya.
This child was worried for nothing.
When Wuma Qiongling had finally concluded his meeting and returned home, he found Xiao Xunrui with the child he had adopted. His steps slowed and he watched from a distant.
“My Lord.”
“What happened? Why’s he in the Empress’s courtyard?”
“He…wanted to have a few words with Lord Xiao,” the maid replied softly.
Wuma Qiongling glanced at the maid with a raised brow.
“…Lord Xiao offered his forgiveness for the Young Heir’s rudeness.”
“So, you won’t tell me what happened?” Wuma Qiongling scoffed. “I see. Your loyalty sure changes quickly.”
The maid’s legs trembled slightly. “L—”
“A-Huan, don’t give the servants a hard time.”
Wuma Qiongling looked over to see Xiao Xunrui making his way over. The cold look vanished from the demon lord’s face. A bright smile appeared as his hand instinctively reached out to hold onto Xiao Xunrui.
“You recognized me so quickly?” Wuma Qionling asked, his eyes sparkling.
“We’ve been together practically every day. I’d have to be an idiot to not recognize you at this point,” Xiao Xunrui said. He allowed Wuma Qiongling to pull him closer as he lightly waved away the maid.
A hand snaked around his waist and a new weight was added to the crook of his neck. Xiao Xunrui glanced down at the white hair that spilled over his shoulder and let out a soft huff.
“Can’t you be nicer to the servants?” Xiao Xunrui asked, brushing the white hair from Wuma Qiongling’s face.
“I’m plenty nice. See how I didn’t cut her tongue?” Wuma Qiongling murmured, eyes already closing. “A-Rui, you can’t be too nice to people in Fengya. They’ll take it as a weakness.”
Xiao Xunrui felt his heart clench. No matter how great of an actor Wuma Qiongling was, there was no way he could hide if there was true violence in his heart. Yet, during the few months he was with him and Xiao Guo, Xiao Xunrui could still sense that naïve kindness he had harbored when he was younger. It was just buried far too deep now and was marred by mud. It could only shine for a select few people now.
“Then, why do you treat that child so kindly?” Xiao Xunrui whispered into Wuma Qiongling’s ear.
Wuma Qiongling nuzzled against Xiao Xunrui’s neck. “Atonement.”
“Just atonement?” Xiao Xunrui asked.
“Mn.”
“Alright,” Xiao Xunrui twisted a lock of Wuma Qiongling’s ear around his finger. “What if I told you I want to kick him out? Would you do it?”
“Alright.”
Xiao Xunrui’s smile grew. The answer hadn’t been immediate. There had been a long, noticeable pause, and this agreement lacked the enthusiasm he would normally carry when fulfilling Xiao Xunrui’s request.
“You’re so cute,” Xiao Xunrui said, laughing as he pressed several kisses against Wuma Qiongling’s cheek.
Wuma Qiongling pulled back, a small frown on his face. “A-Rui…”
“I won’t try to convince you to act otherwise, but when you’re around me, you can tell the truth, okay?”
Wuma Qiongling looked down at the warm smile on this beautiful person’s face.
Every day since he had returned to Xiao Xunrui’s side was like a dream. It was a lovely dream that he had had many times before through the years. He wasn’t sure what happened or how he even got here, but even if he was risking his life to be here, he never wanted to wake up. Some days, he almost believed that this was a reality that would last, but when that thought came, he would stop himself. Nothing lasted forever. If he grew too comfortable and he woke up…he really would rather die then.
“A-Huan?”
“Hm?”
“What are you thinking about again?” Xiao Xunrui asked softly.
“…You’re pretty.”
Xiao Xunrui’s brows furrowed. He cupped Wuma Qiongling’s face and gave it a small squeeze. “I won’t hide again. You’ll always be able to find me. I promised you, didn’t I?”
“…Haha,” Wuma Qiongling leaned into Xiao Xunrui’s hand, his smile appearing with practiced ease. “A-Rui, what are you saying? I know.”
He knows, he says. Well, there wasn’t anything that could be done. This was yet another mistake Xiao Xunrui would never be able to make up for. The only thing he could do now was show him through his actions.
“He didn’t scare you, did he?”
“Who?”
“The child.”
Xiao Xunrui looked at the man helplessly. “At least call him by his name. This is why he thinks you don’t like him!”
“I feed him and I give him shelter. He’s my heir. What more does he want?” Wuma Qiongling murmured.
“…You obviously care about him. Even if you don’t want to be vocal, can’t you pay more attention to him?” Xiao Xunrui scolded.
“That kind of attention would be detrimental in Fengya,” Wuma Qiongling said.
Xiao Xunrui’s brows furrowed. He felt an uncomfortable squeeze in his chest again. Silence held the two of them tightly until Xiao Xunrui spoke again.
“Do you want to bring him to Yu Shui Manor?”
Wuma Qiongling met Xiao Xunrui’s eyes.
“Fengya is stable, isn’t it? You can just come back and check on it once in a while. You have enough people you can trust to watch it. Besides, you’re the one who said Fengya isn’t suited to raise children, right? Wan Rong is still a child,” Xiao Xunrui reasoned.
“…Are you suggesting I live with you?”
The hopefulness in Wuma Qiongling’s voice was like a knife to the heart. Xiao Xunrui had been avoiding this topic for a long time. Obviously, Wuma Qiongling wanted to live with Xiao Xunrui. Those few years they had spent together were the only time he felt human. Xiao Xunrui knew that, but he also knew of the responsibility Wuma Qiongling had as the Palace Lord of Black Scales Palace. But after spending a few weeks here with Wuma Qiongling, he could see the man wasn’t happy. He had to hide his true nature. He had to act like the monster he hated. The playfulness Xiao Xunrui was so used to was so easily snuffed out. Only at night, when it was just the two of them, was Wuma Qiongling happier.
“I’ll take care of you,” Xiao Xunrui said. “I can kind of cook. At least I give a decent massage. We also have spare rooms, if you want to bring Wan Rong along. You—”
“Can I really?” Wuma Qiongling asked softly.
“…Why wouldn’t you be able to?”
“It feels too good,” Wuma Qiongling said, his eyes oddly dull as he spoke. “I feel greedy if I try to take more. Actually, I think it’s already good that I get to see you once in a while. You can take Wan Rong. He’s probably not happy here anyway. If he has someone like Xiao Guo to play with, then—”
“Why can’t you come with him?”
Wuma Qiongling stared at Xiao Xunrui.
“I’m asking you to come live with me too,” Xiao Xunrui said. “You wanted to, didn’t you? Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
Because the year-round cold weather was his reality. Because if he really dared to step into the sunlight, he was afraid of getting burned.
These weren’t answers Wuma Qiongling had to say out loud. Xiao Xunrui already knew.
“You—”
“What is it?”
Xiao Xunrui’s words were interrupted by Wuma Qiongling. He glared at the taller man, but looked back at the servant who had appeared behind them.
“My Lord, a man surnamed Wu and a woman surnamed Zhou are requesting your audience,” the servant said.
Xiao Xunrui’s eyes widened. “Lingtian and Zhou-shijie?”
“Tell them to come in. Bring them to my study,” Wuma Qiongling said. Once the servant left, he turned back to Xiao Xunrui. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“No,” Xiao Xunrui frowned. “Just give me a simple answer—yes or no?”
“…A-Rui—”
“You want to and you can, so why can’t you come with me?”
“Let’s just talk about this later, okay?” Wuma Qiongling said, already pulling away.
Xiao Xunrui pursed his lips. “Wuma Huan, you’re acting like a coward!”
Wuma Qiongling gave Xiao Xunrui a mirthless smile and quickly ran away.
Only Xiao Xunrui would dare to ever call him a coward.
A/N: a little late again, but at least it’s here! On a side note, I’ve posted a four chapter preview of my upcoming story on my ko-fi shop! If you wanna take a peak, it’s only $3 ;v; here’s the link: https://ko-fi.com/s/21dea74689
If you’re curious about the new story in general here’s the overview (the first chapter is posted here for free as well!): https://glowingreverie.wordpress.com/a-dream-within-water/
Ha! I was just thinking that both Wuma Qiongling and Wan Rong could benefit from a chat with Wu Lingtian, who has some experience with both their current situations. I feel like Wan Rong should be given more weapons training, for someone who belongs to the Demon Lord.