That night, the shadows of the apricot blossoms were sparse. The sudden rain had just ceased, and in the mountains, there was no water clock to mark the passing hours. After Zhongli Zixi finished cleaning Ye Jun’s body and felt a hint of warmth return to his skin, he lay down beside him on the floor to sleep.
Zhongli Zixi had never shared a bed with anyone. In the middle of the night, when Ye Jun pressed closer, he was startled awake.
Ye Jun’s injuries were so severe that his consciousness was hazy, and his behavior was less disciplined than usual. First, he pressed his forehead against Zixi’s shoulder, burrowing into his side. Then, he traced his hand along Zixi’s arm until he reached the palm, where he eventually intertwined their fingers in a firm grip.
At first, Zixi was merely surprised by this string of childish actions. However, as the gentle sensation of Ye Jun’s breath against his shoulder became increasingly vivid and sharp, it left him feeling restless and itchy. He gingerly extricated his fingers from Ye Jun’s grasp and tried to nudge the man’s arm back.
At this slight movement, Ye Jun woke instantly. Realizing what he had done, he immediately said, "My apologies, Young Master. I have disturbed you."
Ye Jun quickly withdrew his limbs and shifted to the side, creating distance between them. However, the blanket was not large to begin with; his retreat left half of his body exposed to the air.
"It’s... it’s fine," Zhongli Zixi stammered involuntarily, forcing himself to speak. "If you are cold, it is no matter if you hold onto me."
He knew that Ye Jun had never suffered such grave injuries before, and this was no time to indulge his own fastidious temperament. Yet, he truly could not grow accustomed to such close proximity; it was, after all, quite difficult for him.
Ye Jun did not move, so Zixi said no more. His mind was a chaotic jumble of old memories, making it hard to find sleep.
This time, Ye Jun remained still and did not press closer again. Zixi lay quietly with his eyes closed for a long time. He heard Ye Jun sit up to tuck the corners of the blanket around him, before stealthily scooting even further away.
Only then did Zixi realize that Ye Jun was forcing himself to stay conscious to avoid doing anything else disrespectful. This realization immediately deepened his guilt.
"You don't need to go so far. Come back a little..." Zixi reached out somewhat reluctantly to pull Ye Jun back. Upon touching him, he was shocked to find that Ye Jun’s body was chilled to the bone. Startled, he pulled Ye Jun into his arms and wrapped the blanket tight. "Why are you so cold? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Ye Jun did not answer, only letting out a few suppressed, soft coughs. The sound tugged at Zixi’s heart, and he tightened his embrace. Only now, as he wrapped the other man in the blanket, did he realize how pitifully small it was. With the distance Ye Jun had kept earlier, he likely hadn't been covered at all. Zixi couldn't help but mutter, "Why is this blanket so small?"
Ye Jun thought to himself: *Nonsense, I chose it this way on purpose.* On the surface, however, he said miserably, "Your subordinate is incompetent and could only afford one this size for now. In a few days, when I can get out of bed, I will find some manual labor and replace it with a better one for you as soon as possible."
Zixi hurried to soothe him. "No need, no need. Your recovery is the priority. Let’s just sleep like this... as long as you don't mind the squeeze."
Mindful of the injuries, Zixi supported Ye Jun, letting him rest his head in the crook of his arm. Ye Jun finally achieved his goal, burying his face against his master’s chest and taking two deep, secret breaths. Since his youth, the Second Young Master had spent years soaking in various medicinal herbs to dispel poison, leaving his body with a constant, lingering fragrance. Ye Jun had always been extremely fond of this scent, and today he finally had the chance to inhale it up close. Zixi, assuming he was gasping from the cold, gently patted his back.
Buried in his embrace, Ye Jun said muffledly, "This period must have been very hard on you... Young Master, I will definitely recover quickly."
Zixi couldn't help but laugh. "That isn't something you can decide."
After getting his fill of his master's scent, Ye Jun pressed against his chest and said, "If the Young Master commands me to recover quickly, I will. I have always been very obedient."
"..." Zixi fell into a brief, solemn silence before saying, "Then I command you: in the future, you are not permitted to do such dangerous things on your own again."
His master, as unromantic and stoic as ever, had failed to catch the flirtatious undertone of his words. Ye Jun could only pull back his smile and respond seriously, "Yes, Young Master."
Ye Jun thought: *Sigh, I truly am shameless, and the Young Master truly is adorable.*
Once he had the man in his arms, the restless anxiety Zixi had felt earlier vanished. He slept soundly through the night and only woke when the sun was fully up.
He felt a rare urge to linger in bed, but since he had to go into town today to get medicine, an inexplicable sense of reluctance arose within him.
Zixi rose quietly and surveyed the impoverished, humble room. Only the jade pendant and silver ornaments from the clothes he wore when he arrived could be pawned for money. His gaze swept over Ye Jun’s handsome sleeping face and lingered for a moment. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind:
The most valuable thing in this house was likely Ye Jun himself.
He was the most outstanding shadow guard of the Yexing, worth ten thousand taels of silver. But while ten thousand taels were easy enough to come by, there was only one Ye Jun in all the world.
Zixi steadied his mind, removed his ornaments and tucked them into his robe. He cooked a large pot of porridge; since Ye Jun had not yet woken, he set aside a day’s portion within easy reach.
He didn't know when he would return, so Ye Jun would likely have to eat cold porridge. Thinking of this, he felt that Ye Jun was even more pitiable.
Before Ye Jun had left previously, he had explained the route to the town. At the time, Zixi had been distracted and hadn't remembered it at all. However, based on the flow of water, vegetation, soil, and the tracks left by hunters, it was easy to deduce where a town would be. Zixi didn't take any wrong turns, yet the journey still took him a full half-day.
He slipped and slid along the way, becoming covered in mud and filth. By the time he reached the town, the original color of his hem was unrecognizable. Zixi had no time to worry about such trifles and hurriedly asked for the location of a pawnshop. The person behind the counter was a young man known as Xiao Yu. Seeing a customer, he began to chatter, trying to strike up a conversation. Zixi was in no mood for pleasantries and pushed the jade pendant and silver ornaments onto the counter.
Xiao Yu gasped when he saw the jade. "Eh? So translucent... is this real? Let me see... how long do you plan to pawn it for?"
Zixi said briefly, "An outright sale. Seven hundred taels."
These pieces of jade were originally rare treasures, worth a fortune, but in his current haste, he had no time to haggle.
Xiao Yu was shocked into silence. "Our entire shop doesn't have that much money! I've never seen such fine things, and I can't tell if they're real or not. I... I can't make this decision." He poked his head out from behind the counter to look Zixi over. Seeing a guest covered in mud and partially crippled, he whispered, "You don't look like a wealthy man. Could these be stolen? If I take these, Uncle Liu will beat me to death..."
Zixi sighed inwardly. He had expected this. Even if a treasure was worth a kingdom, in this remote backwater, there was no market for it. He compromised and asked, "How much is the shopkeeper willing to offer?"
Xiao Yu counted on his fingers for a while, then looked through the drawer to check the silver reserves. He said timidly, "Th—Three taels."
Zixi gritted his teeth and said calmly, "Say that again?"
Xiao Yu felt a chill of killing intent that made him shiver. He waved his hands and stammered an explanation, "S—S—Sorry! I know it's not enough, but this is all the silver I'm allowed to touch in the shop. D—Don't be angry! In two or three days, our boss, Uncle Liu, will be back from his trading trip. He can make the call and will definitely give you a fairer price. Customer... please come back the day after tomorrow!"
Three days... Zixi lowered his head and sighed softly again. No matter how short that time was, he could not let Ye Jun suffer for another moment. He said dejectedly, "Three taels it is. Give it to me quickly, I am in a hurry."
Xiao Yu was even more surprised that he agreed. He nodded repeatedly. "Ah, alright! I'll write the pawn ticket for you right now. Since it's so cheap, don't make it an outright sale. Just come back and redeem it in a few days. The interest on three taels is cheap, it won't be a problem."
Zixi shook his head helplessly. He couldn't pay back a single copper now, let alone three taels.
Zhongli Zixi clutched the two small pieces of broken silver in his palm as he stepped out. Calculating this meager sum, he realized he could only afford some common blood-stanching herbs. He recognized these herbs himself; if his limbs were still sound, he could have gathered them himself. Why had he fallen to such a state?
He was lost in thought, planning which herbs to buy and what better food to get for Ye Jun to nourish him, when someone behind him suddenly spoke. "Brother, you dropped your pawn ticket."
Zixi knew he had no money and no need to redeem those ornaments, so he hadn't bothered to store the ticket properly, just stuffing it away. He replied dismissively, "No need. I won't be redeeming them."
"A gentleman does not part with his jade without cause. If you are in some difficulty, perhaps I can help?" The man folded the ticket and stepped around to hand it to him. Only then did Zixi notice that this man was tall and lean, a martial artist of excellent cultivation with an innate air of nobility—completely out of place in this remote town.
When Zixi saw his face clearly, his heart leaped. He was still marveling that *there could be two people so similar in this world* when his gaze fell upon the sword at the man's waist, the "Suihan." His heart skipped another beat.
It really was him.
*The pine and cypress in the year's cold care not for flourishing or withering.* "Suihan" and "Kurong" were originally a pair of twin swords. Kurong had been gifted to Ye Sha by the Second Young Master, while Suihan had been bestowed upon Ze Que by the First Young Master.
Because these twin swords were not distinguished by gender, Ze Que had been particularly fond of challenging Ye Sha to determine a winner. Ye Sha never accepted the challenges, which once caused quite a stir.
The person before him was truly that Ze Que, who was supposed to have died long ago.
Zixi was so stunned he forgot to speak. Seeing his silence, Ze Que lowered his head and explained, "Please do not misunderstand, sir. You look somewhat familiar to me, so I wished to make your acquaintance... I mean no ill will. If I have been forward, I hope you will forgive me."
Zixi was speechless: Not only was he alive, he apparently remembered nothing at all.
***
