Ming Zhu leaned half his body against the soft couch, resting his cheek against his hand. He let out a lazy, "Oh?" then added, "With something this major happening, is Ye Weiyang just doing nothing?"
Zhou Fuxue replied, "He is investigating as well, but he hasn't found a single shred of evidence."
"Tsk," Ming Zhu scoffed. "That useless waste."
Ming Zhu raised his hand, pressing the back of it against his forehead. He felt a faint, simmering heat but didn't pay it much mind. "Once you find Xiao Jiu, will you return to Rizhao?"
At the mention of Rizhao, Zhou Fuxue immediately remembered something. He pulled a jade token from his robes and said, "Yes, we’ll return as soon as we find Ninth Senior Brother. I’ll inform Master first that you—"
Ming Zhu suddenly reached out and pressed down on the jade token. Zhou Fuxue looked up to see Ming Zhu shaking his head at him. "Don't tell the others yet."
"Why?" Zhou Fuxue asked.
Ming Zhu withdrew his hand and turned his head to watch the dark clouds drifting past the window. "A dead man returning to the world... have you never wondered how exactly I survived?"
Zhou Fuxue had wanted to ask that ever since their reunion, but he instinctively felt that Ming Zhu didn't want to talk about it, so he had been forcing himself to stay silent.
He pursed his lips. "I don't want to know. I only know that Senior Brother is alive now, and that is enough."
Ming Zhu didn't move. His eyes, misty as if shrouded in fog, remained fixed on the window. His voice sounded as though it might scatter in the wind.
"It is an act of defying the heavens, Fuxue," he said softly. "Aren't you afraid that I might be a malevolent ghost crawled up from hell?"
Zhou Fuxue was startled.
Sensing the sudden shift in the atmosphere around the younger man, Ming Zhu abruptly closed his eyes, not daring to look at the expression of dread or alarm that might be on Zhou Fuxue’s face.
But in the next moment, his thin frame was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace.
This hug wasn't like the clumsy, powerless one from before. Zhou Fuxue held him like a protector, locking the fearful and despairing Ming Zhu within his broad chest, shielding him from all cold and harm.
A searing heat seeped through Ming Zhu’s robes and into his skin, making his whole body tremble. Traces of lingering despair and panic still flickered in his eyes.
Ming Zhu murmured blankly, "You... you aren't afraid of me?"
Zhou Fuxue stroked his soft hair, his voice deep. "I will never be afraid of Senior Brother. Whether you are human or ghost, as long as you are alive, it is enough."
Ever since Ming Zhu had ascended from the Sun-Shielding Cliff, this question had hung over his neck like a suspended executioner's blade. The slightest disturbance would make him curl up in fear. He had been living in trepidation for days, but finally, within Zhou Fuxue’s warm embrace, that fear vanished completely.
Trembling, he reached out and gently hugged Zhou Fuxue back, burying his face in the other's chest. "Thirteen..."
Zhou Fuxue’s heart softened completely. He kept his voice extremely gentle. "If Senior Brother doesn't want to talk about it, then don't. I don't care."
Ming Zhu nodded fervently. "Mm..."
Zhou Fuxue reached out to brush the crimson corners of Ming Zhu's eyes. "Are you tired, Senior Brother?"
Ming Zhu nodded, then quickly shook his head. "Not sleepy, not sleepy at all. I don't have to sleep."
Zhou Fuxue’s brow furrowed. He forced Ming Zhu down onto the soft couch. "How can you not sleep? Your body is already weak; you won't be able to hold up if you don't rest."
Ming Zhu couldn't win against him and was forced to lie down. However, his posture wasn't the carefree, sprawling way he used to sleep in Zhou Fuxue’s memory. Instead, his hands were clasped over his chest and his body was curled into a ball, looking extremely guarded.
Zhou Fuxue’s eyes darkened. He knew this posture was a sign of extreme insecurity.
Though he didn't know what Ming Zhu had endured over the years, seeing him kill people in the lower decks without blinking and witnessing his obvious vigilance toward the outside world made Zhou Fuxue realize something. The noble, unrestrained, and headstrong Senior Brother of the past had vanished. The years that had flown by could never be brought back.
Zhou Fuxue felt both heartache and sorrow. The wasting of time was the one thing over which one was most powerless.
He gently brushed aside the long hair behind Ming Zhu’s back so he wouldn't lie on it.
Despite the smallness of the movement, Ming Zhu’s eyes snapped open, filled with terror and alertness.
Zhou Fuxue’s gaze was full of pity. He softened his voice as much as possible. "Are you cold?"
Seeing it was Zhou Fuxue, the guard in Ming Zhu’s eyes vanished instantly. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he could only nod slightly. "Yes, a little."
Ye Weiai was already asleep, and Ming Zhu didn't want to disturb him to get a blanket. He smiled and said, "It’s no matter. I won't notice it once I'm asleep."
Zhou Fuxue froze. He slowly closed his eyes to hide the pain within them.
Fifty years ago, when would Ming Zhu ever have wronged himself like this? If he felt cold, never mind if someone was sleeping—even if a crowd were sleeping, he would have barged in boisterously. He would never have allowed himself the slightest discomfort.
Zhou Fuxue wrapped a cloak around himself, then climbed onto the soft couch. Without a word, he pulled Ming Zhu into his arms, wrapping him tightly within the voluminous cloak.
The couch in the outer room wasn't like a bed; it was narrow and small. Zhou Fuxue was tall and broad-shouldered, and the space was at its limit holding two people. Being suddenly held, Ming Zhu was startled and looked up in shock. "Fuxue?"
Zhou Fuxue pressed him against his chest and said in a low voice, "You won't be cold like this."
A flush of embarrassment appeared on Ming Zhu’s face. He struggled slightly. "No... there’s no need for this. I wasn't that cold to begin with."
Zhou Fuxue remained unmoved. His hands were like iron clamps, holding Ming Zhu’s waist and back firmly. He said flatly, "Then does Senior Brother intend to let me sleep on the floor for the night?"
Ming Zhu stopped struggling instantly. He dazed for a moment before shrinking back into Zhou Fuxue’s embrace, resting his head on the younger man's shoulder. He whispered, "You weren't like this before."
The Zhou Fuxue of the past would blush the moment Ming Zhu teased him. He did whatever his Senior Brother said. Even when his secret kiss was discovered back then, he had been so scared he sat by the cold pond for half a day, crying from the fright.
He was nothing like he was now—cold, authoritative, and refusing to listen to a word Ming Zhu said. He was so overbearing that one couldn't resist.
Holding the soft body in his arms, Zhou Fuxue took an imperceptible breath. Hearing this, he asked in return, "Does Senior Brother not like it?"
The feeling of having his limbs forcibly stretched out wasn't pleasant, but the warmth flooding in from all sides made his usually cold body feel incredibly comfortable. Ming Zhu shook his head. "No."
Zhou Fuxue said, "That’s good. I am here guarding you, Senior Brother. Don't be afraid."
Ming Zhu nodded. He gripped the front of Zhou Fuxue’s robes and was about to close his eyes when he felt Zhou Fuxue suddenly take his hand. Slowly, the younger man wound the sash of his robe around Ming Zhu’s pinky finger several times.
Ming Zhu dazed for a moment. He vaguely remembered that back in Rizhao, if he was scared, he would childishly wrap himself in someone’s robe sash and refuse to let go.
As the memory surfaced, Ming Zhu’s face heated up. He tried to withdraw his hand, but as expected, it was held fast by Zhou Fuxue.
Ming Zhu whispered, "I... I'm not afraid. You don't have to do this."
He felt that this action of wrapping the sash was too shameful and childish. How had he done it with such a sense of entitlement back then?
Ming Zhu almost groaned in shame.
Zhou Fuxue said calmly, "It’s fine. Sleep."
Ming Zhu still wanted to pull his hand back and struggled a bit. However, he felt Zhou Fuxue’s hand gently pinch his chin. With a gentle but irresistible force, Zhou Fuxue tilted his face up, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his brow.
Ming Zhu: "..."
Ming Zhu was so startled his hair nearly stood on end. He stared at him in a panic.
Zhou Fuxue acted as if nothing had happened, saying coolly, "If you keep tossing about, it will be dawn."
Ming Zhu felt he had to reclaim the imposing manner he used to have when he told Zhou Fuxue to get lost. He widened his eyes and was about to speak when he saw Zhou Fuxue lean in again, placing another kiss on his cheek.
Ming Zhu: "..."
Whose brat is this?! How can he be so shameless?
Ming Zhu wanted to scream, decorum be damned.
Zhou Fuxue said flatly, "If you don't sleep, you can probably guess where I'll kiss next."
Ming Zhu froze, then immediately covered his mouth with his hand in alarm.
A slight vibration came from where he was pressed against Zhou Fuxue’s chest. Only then did Ming Zhu realize the other was laughing. He felt a sudden surge of indignation.
He muttered under his breath, "You... you really weren't like this before."
Zhou Fuxue didn't speak again. He reached out and gently patted Ming Zhu’s back, coaxing him to sleep just as he had done countless times in the past.
Perhaps it was because Zhou Fuxue was by his side, or perhaps the robe sash wrapped around his finger provided a sense of security, but Ming Zhu actually slept until the sun was high in the sky. When he opened his eyes again, he felt an unrealistic sense of having lived another lifetime.
The rain had stopped the previous night. The Xingyuan flew steadily through the sky, passing through swirling mists. The spring sunlight spilled through the window, feeling warm against his body.
Ming Zhu looked around and found that he was lying on the bed in the inner chamber at some point. Zhou Fuxue was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at a book in his hand. His robes weren't tied tightly; one end of the sash was still wrapped around Ming Zhu’s pinky.
Seeing Ming Zhu wake up, Zhou Fuxue put the book down. "Ye Weiai went out. Does your body still feel uncomfortable?"
Ming Zhu hadn't slept for a long time, so he was a bit groggy upon waking. He blinked at Zhou Fuxue, his voice as soft as a kitten's. "Little Thirteen."
Zhou Fuxue, who had already grown into a true man, showed no dissatisfaction with this intimate and childish nickname. Instead, he responded with a straight face, "Mm."
Ming Zhu sat there blankly for a long while before finally coming to his senses. The first thing he did was clumsily unravel the sash from his pinky, his cheeks flushing slightly.
He hesitated for a long time before whispering, "Fu... Fuxue, don't do this again in the future."
Zhou Fuxue remained expressionless. "Do what?"
Ming Zhu: "..."
Zhou Fuxue lowered his head and gently rubbed Ming Zhu’s bright red pinky. Even though it had only been wrapped in soft cloth, the pale finger was covered in frightening marks. The moment Zhou Fuxue touched it, Ming Zhu flinched violently.
"Does it hurt?"
Ming Zhu wasn't quite used to such a forceful Zhou Fuxue. He shook his head dumbly and pulled his hand back, saying vaguely, "It’s fine—what time is it now?"
"Just past the hour of the Monkey. We will arrive in Shishen in another hour."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
实沈 | Shishen | A state or region mentioned in the text.
日照 | Rizhao | Likely the name of the sect or the home region of the protagonists.
行鸢 | Xingyuan | A flying vessel or "Flying Kite" used for travel.
申时 | Hour of the Monkey | The period from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
小九 | Xiao Jiu | "Little Ninth," referring to the Ninth Senior Brother.
十三 | Thirteen | Referring to Zhou Fuxue, the thirteenth disciple.
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