As inner disciples of major sects, each of them naturally had their own private quarters. However, upon their return, the group crowded into Duan Mingyu’s room.
Duan Mingyu’s mood had improved slightly, though he still felt wronged. He brewed tea for the others and sat down, sipping his own in silence.
“Don’t be upset. He simply lacks discernment,” Rong Lü said, his voice softening as he comforted Duan Mingyu—ironic, given that Rong Lü himself was notoriously blunt and lacked discernment when it came to anyone else.
Xu Yehua’s temperament seemed to have finally returned to normal, his face once again wearing his usual cocksure, playboy smirk.
“You really can’t let a man rest for a moment, can you? What did I tell you earlier? Did it go in one ear and out the other?” Xu Yehua pulled Duan Mingyu into his arms, asking in a mock-stern tone, “Are you trying to get me to punish you on purpose?”
“We were just going to the artifact shop and happened to run into him... Ah, stop it, don’t mess with me, mm...” Duan Mingyu’s weak struggles were naturally futile; their only effect was to further stoke the fires of the man holding him.
Seeing Xu Yehua’s hands begin to wander, Zhai Bairong took the opportunity to sit nearby and asked casually, “I noticed your behavior was quite unusual today. He is but a mediocre talent from a small sect; did he really put that much pressure on you?”
His words didn't sound like concern so much as they carried a hint of superiority. When Nie Shiyun had failed in his pursuit of Duan Mingyu, Rong Lü and Xu Yehua had not yet entered the picture. If anyone was qualified to speak of the man as a "defeated rival," it was perhaps Zhai Bairong.
Xu Yehua had calmed down by now and wasn't easily baited by Zhai Bairong’s provocation. However, Duan Mingyu also felt that Xu Yehua’s attitude had been strange and joined in, asking what exactly he meant by "feeling off."
“It’s hard to say. I just have a vague feeling that the man is dangerous, and...” Xu Yehua narrowed his eyes, his tone uncertain. “I have this nagging sensation that he stole something that was supposed to be mine. It shouldn't be like this...”
Zhai Bairong’s heart skipped a beat.
He didn't know what other treasures Nie Shiyun might have obtained, but within the scope of what they both knew, he remembered that in the Misty Secret Realm, the other man had taken the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover and warned him never to reveal it. Xu Yehua had already met them by then and was a cultivator with a single Fire Spiritual Root; could it be related to that...?
Furthermore, Nie Shiyun had never revealed how he knew that the scroll was the entrance to the immortal's cave. That teleportation scroll was clearly a one-time use item; there was no way he could have scouted the location beforehand.
“Actually, I’ve had a similar feeling, though it had nothing to do with him,” Duan Mingyu said suddenly, blinking as he turned his head to look at Xu Yehua behind him. “Do you remember? One night I woke up with a start, feeling as though my heart was empty, like I was missing something important... You even said I was overthinking it! Now look at you, being just as paranoid!”
“Then I suppose I blamed you wrongly.” Xu Yehua felt that Duan Mingyu’s sensation and his own were likely not the same thing, but with a beauty in his arms, he simply went along with whatever Duan Mingyu said.
Zhai Bairong frowned slightly. “When was this? How come I didn't know?”
Duan Mingyu thought for a moment, reminiscing. “You were still traveling abroad then, Senior Brother. It was about a month before I contacted you.”
Roughly... around the time of the Flower Viewing Festival. Doubts lingered in Zhai Bairong’s mind, but he suppressed his wandering thoughts for the time being.
“Back then, it wasn't easy getting you out of Mount Lingfeng, and you said you’d come back with me. Yet I waited at Red Rock Cliff for ages, only for you to say your Senior Brother had returned and you had to stay at the Moon-Reflecting Sect for a while. I haven't settled that debt with you yet, have I?” Xu Yehua suddenly went on the offensive, picking Duan Mingyu up in a bridal carry.
Duan Mingyu gave a startled cry, his fists thumping against Xu Yehua’s shoulder. “Quick, put me down!”
Zhai Bairong turned his head away slightly, sensing that the atmosphere in the room was heading in a direction he had no desire to participate in...
The two over there were already heading toward the bed in a display of feigned resistance. Rong Lü, who hadn't seen Duan Mingyu for over a year, didn't take his cue to leave. Instead, he approached as well. After a brief, fruitless verbal spat between the two men, they quickly reached a consensus—evidently, this wasn't the first time. Before long, Duan Mingyu’s clothes were in disarray and his face was flushed, looking for all the world like he had been fished out of water.
Zhai Bairong watched, but his imagination wandered elsewhere—what did he look like in that person's eyes... when they were in bed?
Seeing that the others were about to start shedding their clothes, Zhai Bairong could no longer sit still. He set down his teacup and stood up.
“Senior Brother...” On the bed, Duan Mingyu propped himself up, calling out to Zhai Bairong with hazy eyes. “Is Senior Brother leaving?”
Zhai Bairong deliberately gave Xu Yehua and Rong Lü a cold look, then forced a smile for Duan Mingyu. “I shall head back to cultivate for the night. Don't mind me.”
He then hurriedly rose and left, pulling the door shut behind him as he went.
Xu Yehua snorted. “It seems we vulgar folk have been looked down upon by your lofty Senior Brother.”
Duan Mingyu knew that Zhai Bairong still had a knot in his heart regarding his relationship with Rong Lü and Xu Yehua, and his face filled with worry. Seeing him distracted, Rong Lü took hold of his chin, silently expressing his dissatisfaction through his actions.
“He’s had you all to himself for a year; it’s time he shared,” Xu Yehua remarked dismissively.
Duan Mingyu felt even more distressed; Zhai Bairong clearly still harbored resentment. Throughout the past year, although his Senior Brother had been gentle and kind, even sending many gifts, he hadn't touched him once. Ninety-nine percent of his spare time had been spent immersed in cultivation.
Under the dual assault of the two men, he gave a vague denial to Xu Yehua’s words, but the two before him didn't take it seriously, assuming he was just being coy. Amidst the rising passion, Duan Mingyu thought of how Rong Lü was powerful in bed but always just put his head down and worked, while Xu Yehua was skilled at flirtation but always teased him with ill intent. For a moment, he recalled how his Senior Brother used to treat him with such meticulous care and tenderness, and he felt a pang of nostalgia.
However, it wasn't long before Duan Mingyu was pulled back to reality by the two men, gasping for breath and left with no room to think of anyone else.
***
Leaving Duan Mingyu’s quarters, Zhai Bairong let out a long breath into the cold wind.
After the chance encounter with Nie Shiyun on the street that afternoon, Zhai Bairong felt a deep sense of guilt. Although he had already told the other man that he had his reasons, he wasn't sure if Nie Shiyun fully believed him, leaving him somewhat anxious.
Furthermore, having just heard of Xu Yehua’s abnormal intuition, Zhai Bairong felt it necessary to inform the person involved. He did not return to his own quarters as he had told the others, but instead headed further up the mountain.
From the mountainside upward were the residences provided by Pinyin Pavilion for the inner disciples of various sects. There was considerable distance between the dwellings, and the courtyards were all protected by restrictions set by the occupying cultivators, ensuring excellent safety and privacy.
In the middle of the night, the paths were deserted. Only the spiritual pearls set by Pinyin Pavilion to act as floor lamps emitted a faint glow, making the snow by the roadside shimmer. Zhai Bairong sent a message to Nie Shiyun asking where he was. Soon, he received a reply saying that outside of the restrictions, walls had ears, so it was inconvenient to come out and greet him. However, Nie Shiyun noted that once Zhai Bairong reached the door, he would know it at a glance.
After walking for a while, Zhai Bairong passed a patch of blooming noble rhubarb, just as Nie Shiyun had roughly described. The natural scenery on the mountain often looked similar in multiple places, and for a moment, he was unsure.
However, he then spotted a courtyard. On a moss-covered stone before the entrance lay a branch of peach blossoms. In this frigid place, it looked entirely out of place.
A bit of snow had fallen on the crimson blossoms, but they had not withered, suggesting they hadn't been placed there long ago.
Zhai Bairong’s heart stirred. He stepped forward, picked up the branch, and shook off the snow. He pushed at the door; the courtyard gate was not locked. Zhai Bairong took a tentative step inside, and as expected, no restriction blocked his path. He quickly slipped inside and slid the bolt shut.
The courtyard was dim, but across a few feet of blue brick stood a room with lights glowing within. Losing his usual composure, Zhai Bairong ran toward it.
The owner of the house naturally sensed someone entering the courtyard. Nie Shiyun had just brewed some tea and was setting down the teapot to go and greet his guest when he heard a flurry of hurried footsteps outside. The door was pushed open from the outside.
“The busy man finally found some time,” Nie Shiyun teased, walking over.
Zhai Bairong didn't know if he was joking or truly angry and intended to explain himself. Nie Shiyun covered the distance between them in a few steps, reached out to close the door behind Zhai Bairong, and before the other could speak, he leaned in and kissed him.
“Mmph...”
Zhai Bairong had many things he wanted to say, but the longing of a whole year surged to the forefront. His mind went blank under the simple influence of this kiss. He instinctively closed his eyes and reached out to wrap his arms around Nie Shiyun, not even noticing when the peach blossom branch in his hand fell to the floor.
He still carried the chill of the outdoors; his fingertips and lips were cold.
It wasn't until Zhai Bairong’s body temperature had shifted from icy to burning hot that Nie Shiyun finally paused.
Nie Shiyun pressed his palm against Zhai Bairong’s cheek, his own breath somewhat heavy. “How long can you stay?”
Zhai Bairong paused for a beat, then replied in a raspy voice, “Tonight... I can stay all night.”
He was merely stating the truth, but under the circumstances, his words carried another meaning entirely.
No longer worried about having no time to talk, Nie Shiyun quickly decided that small talk could wait until later.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
塔黄 | Noble rhubarb | Rheum nobile, a large herb native to the Himalayas.
凌峰山 | Mount Lingfeng |
赤岩崖 | Red Rock Cliff |
桃花枝 | Peach blossom branch | Used here as a romantic signal/token.
