Heavenly Soul

It had been more than two years now since Zhang LiYing gave birth to their daughter, Yan Minglan. Since then, Qinghe had come to visit from time to time, bringing child-safe snacks and toys to win his G.o.dchild"s favor. Most of the time, Wei Xiang accompanied him as well, with Jing Shui, Chen Xiande, and the others joining in occasionally.

Currently, Qinghe and Wei Xiang were walking along a neat dirt path, with the doorway of Yan Lin"s cottage just a few dozens of steps away.

The small vegetable garden in the front and the scattered fruit trees around the house were all thriving. In the distance, one could vaguely see the pointed edge of a roof belonging to an inst.i.tutional building that was built to house the people who had once been trapped and abused in the imperial palace. Less than a year after they were freed by the Sentinels with Qinghe"s help, that building had been built to shelter and feed the victims who had nowhere else to stay, since this place was deemed peaceful enough to aid them in their mental and physical recovery.

Of course, the fact that Yan Lin stayed nearby also had a role in it. Because of how the victims had flourished in his temporary care, it was decided that it would be beneficial to have him nearby.

After the recovery facility was built, the people running that establishment had struck a deal with Yan Lin and his wife. Once a week, as a healthy exercise, a few of the recovering people would willingly come to learn the proper and most efficient method to pick fruits from the trees near Yan Lin"s cottage, along with how to deal with the particular type of insects that were attracted to each variety of fruit and other such issues.

Once they were done, the people would be allowed to take back a portion of the fruits they"d managed to pick while Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing would be paid generously for their time, guidance, and the fruits that were taken back from their fruiting trees. This was a very beneficial deal for both sides. And because Yan Lin wanted to help these traumatized people in his own way, he also went over to the recovery facility in his spare time and helped them plant non-toxic flowering bushes and fruit saplings.

And so, the Yan family"s life went on.

In these past few years, Qinghe had visited Yan Lin"s family many times. On one such time, he gave Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing an elixir brewed by the Deity of Medicine himself, who"d agreed to do it to pay back a favor that Feng Chunyi had done him long ago. This miraculous elixir could act as a cure-all for all physical illnesses and also negate poisons and toxins of most types. On top of that, it also had the effect of healing a body from all the damage done to it by aging, which meant that it kept the people who took it young and healthy, essentially granting them immortality.

However, Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing didn"t want to take the elixir, politely turning Qinghe down and telling him that they wanted to live out their natural lifespan.

Because of this, Qinghe had to live with the constant fear that they would one day pa.s.s away. He didn"t want to see his friend and friend"s family slowly age and die while he remained young and healthy forever. And so, not wanting to waste the time he had with them, he tried to visit his friend"s family whenever he could to make as many memories with them while it was still possible.

As Qinghe pondered over all this, he and Wei Xiang, while walking hand-in-hand as usual, had finally reached the Yan family"s doorstep. But rather than heading in, they paused and looked to the side.

Sitting there in front of a pile of damp and loose sand was an adorable little girl. She was looking up in Qinghe"s direction with antic.i.p.ation gleaming unhidden in her eyes as she energetically waved her hands. "Big Brother Qinghe! Big Brother Xiang!"

Seeing her cute smile and adorable dimples, Qinghe felt his heart melt as a doting smile spread on his face. Every time he interacted with this little child, he felt antic.i.p.ation welling up within him at the thought of the wyvern egg hatching to give him a kid of his own to pamper and protect.

Meanwhile, Wei Xiang gave the cute child a smile and a nod before pushing open the door and heading inside the cottage, leaving his little lover to keep the child company.

Qinghe went over and crouched before the little girl. Poking her nose, he asked playfully, "What is little LanLan doing? Look how you"ve gotten dirt even on your face."

Yan Minglan giggled and rubbed a chubby fist on her round cheek in an attempt to clean it. "I"m making mountain houses in the mud! Do you also wanna play?"

Seeing her hopeful eyes, Qinghe smiled affectionately and sat down on the other side of the pile of sand. A portion of it had been carefully flattened and a small mound of dirt was built by the child"s small hands. Round holes signifying a door and several windows were pressed into it with fingers.

"Alright, I"ll play. How does LanLan want to continue? Do you want to build a bigger house?" Qinghe asked.

Yan Minglan pouted and glared at the little "mountain house" she"d built. "I wanted to make it bigger, but it all fell down!"

Qinghe chuckled. "Then let me help you make it bigger. But first, we have to collect some sticks and stones to structurally reinforce the construction. After all, mud with this consistency doesn"t hold together all that well."

Though the little girl felt like tilting her head uncomprehendingly, she still cooperatively looked around for pebbles and twigs along with Qinghe. After all, her big brother always knew best!

...

Meanwhile, Zhang LiYing had already conscripted Wei Xiang to work in the kitchen to make lunch. The Yan Lin with unskilled hands had long been kicked out by his wife to peel and cut a few fruits for later.

Inside the kitchen, Wei Xiang let out his strings and used them to mult.i.task. While his hands were busy chopping vegetable into appropriate sizes, his strings sliced out thin noodles with extreme precision, which Zhang LiYing then began cooking with the ingredients she"d prepared before.

Once he was done cutting vegetables, Zheng LiYing asked, "Sentinel Wei, can you please wrap that chicken filling in that container over there with some of that dough in that bowl in front of you to make dumplings?"

Giving a nod, Wei Xiang wordlessly took the dough, rolled it into little b.a.l.l.s, then flattened it into thin circles.

Zhang LiYing added a sprinkle of condiments to the noodles boiling in its soup and looked up. "So, when are you both planning on marrying?"

Wei Xiang paused, then continued his actions of scooping out some of the fragrant chicken filling to place at the center of the rolled out circle of dough. In a casual voice, he answered, "We"ll marry when the entirety of the Feng household has the time to pause our lives and plan the wedding."

Zhang LiYing wiped away the layer of sweat on her forehead with a nearby cloth and turned to peer at Wei Xiang strangely. "Are you sure that"s it?"

His hands halting, Wei Xiang narrowed his eyes. "What other reason would there be?"

Zhang LiYing chuckled dryly as she put away the cloth and continued stirring the noodle broth. "To me, it seems like you"re waiting, Sentinel Wei. It"s like you"re dreading something, so you"re waiting to see if your relationship can withstand that. Are you doubting Qinghe?"

Wei Xiang stayed silent for a moment, then resumed placing the lumps of the chicken filling in the center of the remaining few dough circles. Once that was done, he finally replied. "It"s not that I"m doubting him, I"m just…doubting myself." Then sighing tiredly, he continued in a lower volume, "Qinghe is too good. He might feel afraid or hurt, but he might also just accept whatever I do to him. However, I"m not sure I can bear the guilt of treating him like that and continue as if nothing happened."

Zhang LiYing froze and looked up at him with a frown. "What do you mean? Just what are you expecting to happen?"

But Wei Xiang shook his head, unwilling to tell her. Lifting up the edge of the circle of dough in front of him with careful fingers, he gathered it at the top before gently twisting and pinching it closed to form the dumpling.

Ma.s.saging her temple, Zhang LiYing shook her head. "No matter what you think you"re going to do and what Qinghe might or might not accept, you should remember to not be too hard on yourself. Talk it out with him rather than bottling it up. His insight and point of view might surprise you."

Wei Xiang stayed silent for a while, sunken in thought, before shaking his head resolutely. "No, it"s better that he doesn"t know. I can take care of it myself. Madam Yan, please don"t tell him anything we spoke about just now. He"s too clever to not be able to figure it all out from just a few suggestive words."

Zhang LiYing sighed, but nodded. This was an issue between two people who loved each other very much and wanted only the best for each other. She would not interfere in the matters between them out of some misguided goodwill and risk splitting them apart. She knew better than that.

For a few moments, there was a hushed silence as Wei Xiang continued to pinch closed the dumplings while Zhang LiYing tended to the stove. Then, in a quiet voice, Wei Xiang said, "Thank you for your concern and advice."

Zhang LiYing smiled. "Of course I"d be concerned for you both. We"re all practically family by now. Ah, if you"re done with the dumplings, can you give them over? I"m almost done with the noodles and I can start on them next. In the meantime, can you help me set the tables, please?"

Wei Xiang smiled, but did as requested.

Peaceful quiet descended on the kitchen once again.

...

Soon, lunch was ready and set out to eat.

Yan Lin, Zhang LiYing, and Wei Xiang went out to call Qinghe and Yan Minglan inside. As the three stepped out the door, the two people happily playing in the sand looked up with similar faces bearing happy smiles, wide gleaming eyes, and dirt-smudged cheeks. Needless to say, their clothes were dusty and smeared with dirt as well, though it was more prominent on Qinghe"s white robes. In front of them was a waist-high structure constructed of mud, looking like an intricately carved imperial palace.

Wei Xiang chuffed out a laugh as Zhang LiYing smiled helplessly. With an expression that said he didn"t know what to think, Yan Lin asked, "Minglan, what are you doing?"

Yan Minglan looked at her father with her childish face flushed with delight. "We"re making secret escape routes for the palace now!"

Yan Lin"s mouth twitched.

Qinghe chuckled and patted the little girl"s head. "We"re almost done anyway, and it seems that lunch is ready. Let"s go and eat, shall we?"

Yan Minglan cheerfully nodded and got up, running over to her parents while Qinghe tried to adjust some finer details on the mud palace with his fingers.

Near the doorway, Zhang LiYing told her husband, "I cooked, so bathing her is your responsibility."

Yan Lin nodded ruefully. Then lifting his daughter and letting her snuggle into his shoulder, he looked at Qinghe and Wei Xiang. "Well, I"m going off to bathe her, then."

Wei Xiang nodded and said in return, "I"ll go and bathe my lover, then."

Chuckling, Yan Lin simply said, "I"ll have some warm water prepared in the backyard in a few minutes after I wash Minglan, if you don"t mind waiting."

After Wei Xiang a.s.sured him that they wouldn"t mind, Yan Lin walked into the cottage with his lively daughter.

Near the mud palace, still sitting on the ground, Qinghe folded his arms and huffed at his beloved, "I"m perfectly capable of bathing myself. Xiang, you should stop trying to find excuses to touch me."

Wei Xiang chuckled amusedly and walked over to his little lover. Bending, he brushed off a smudge of dirt on Qinghe"s cheek with his thumb. "Oh? Are you saying that you don"t like it when I find excuses to touch you? Especially when you"re naked? And seeing how much mud you"ve gotten on yourself, I can see that I"ll have to very thoroughly wash you this time."

Qinghe"s eyes sparkled as he grinned mischievously. "Well, doing those things can be enjoyable, I"ll admit. But where"s the fun if I"m the only one being washed?"

Before Wei Xiang could reply, a large shower of loose dirt rained down on him from above, having been brought over sneakily by Qinghe using his wind. As the rain of sand washed over him, Wei Xiang froze with an expression of disbelief.

Qinghe laughed happily at the sight of his dirt-covered beloved, then got up from the ground. "Now we"re both dirty, so we can bathe each other," he declared smugly.

But how could Wei Xiang be content with just silently becoming a victim of his beloved"s mischief?

Narrowing his eyes, Wei Xiang slowly reached down and lifted up a handful of mud, slowly rolling it into a ball. "Love, if this is how you want to play, then fine, let"s play."

Seeing the evil grin blooming on his lover"s face and understanding what he meant, Qinghe let out an involuntary bark of laughter, then turned around and quickly fled. Wei Xiang gleefully chased him down, rubbing dirt over Qinghe"s white robe or smooth skin whenever he managed to catch him even as his little lover struggled to get away before escaping again.

As they ran circles around the cottage, Wei Xiang stealthily sent his strings underground so that they"d come up out of the ground in front of the unwary Qinghe. Though Qinghe managed to dodge one of them in time, the other string attacking from the opposite side ended up wrapping itself securely around his left leg, tripping him successfully.

Qinghe couldn"t help but think how much fun this was even as he tried to remove the string holding his leg down while wriggling on the ground.

Meanwhile, Wei Xiang slowed down his run to a stroll as he leisurely headed towards his struggling little lover, his lips quirking up into a wicked smirk. In a smug voice, he said, "This is why you shouldn"t underestimate the hunting skills of a predator beast, my dear Qinghe."

Qinghe laughed even as he complained, "Xiang, let me go! It"s not fair, you"re cheating!"

Wei Xiang"s eyes gleamed brightly. "I didn"t think we had rules, love. Either way, it"s too late for you. After getting my little lover into my clutches like this, bound and helpless on the ground, how can I let you go before I have my evil way with you?"

Trying to rein in his laughter, Qinghe asked, "Xiang, what are you planning to do?"

Wei Xiang kept on smiling smugly as he cheerfully flipped his beloved so that he"d be lying on his front, then straddled his back. Puzzled, Qinghe tried to twist his neck to look back as he called, "Xiang? What―"

Just then, Qinghe felt his hair being brushed away from his nape before the collar of his robes was pulled back, then…a fistful of cold dirt was unceremoniously shoved inside under his clothes. Qinghe jerked in surprise and let out a startled squeak. The d.a.m.n mud was too chilly and damp!
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Seeing his reaction, Wei Xiang chuckled with satisfaction. "How does my revenge feel against your skin, love? I bet it"s really cold."

Qinghe furiously wriggled under him. "Xiang! You see if I won"t pay you back!"

Wei Xiang only laughed happily.

Witnessing this scene from nearby were Yan Lin and Yan Minglan. Standing under the sheltering eaves of the cottage, Yan Lin was bathing his daughter in a shallow basin with gentle hands. Looking at Qinghe and Wei Xiang playing around on the ground, he shook his head with a small, affectionate smile.

In a soft voice, he told Yan Minglan, "Young ones in love are crazy. I hope that you"ll one day find someone to be that crazy with as well."

Not understanding, the little girl just looked at her big brother and the other big brother with her wide, liquid eyes shining curiously. In a befuddled voice, she asked, "Big Brother is crazy?"

Yan Lin chuckled. "Yes, but only with Sentinel Wei."

Yan Minglan nodded seriously. Looking at them both currently, she guessed it to mean that her big brother liked playing with the other big brother a lot.

Meanwhile, as Wei Xiang continued to take advantage of Qinghe"s helplessness to add another handful of dirt under his clothes, Qinghe extended an arm towards the nearby Yan Lin and beseeched, "Yan Lin, help me!"

However, letting out a soft chuff of laughter, Yan Ling ignored him and continued to bathe his daughter while imparting words of wisdom, "Minglan, you have to understand, if two lovers are playing around, you should never get in between them and ruin their fun."

The little girl giggled cutely in response to her father while waving cheerfully at a struggling Qinghe. Her big brother looked like he was having so much fun!

"Yan Lin, aren"t you my friend?! How can you abandon me like this?!" Qinghe called out, then abruptly began laughing again as Wei Xiang started tickling him. "X-Xiang! K-Keep your…muddy fingers…away from me!"

Wei Xiang happily refused, "Not a chance, love."

As he finished bathing her, Yan Lin began drying his daughter carefully with a soft towel. Sighing wistfully, he continued talking to her, "Minglan, it"s truly a pity that your mother dislikes dirt so much, or we would"ve been able to play like that in our younger days too. Ah well, we had our own little silly games at that time. And I suppose we still have them now."

Between bouts of uncontrollable laughter, Qinghe threatened in a strained voice, "Yan Lin…you betrayer! Just see if I don"t…shove dirt down your back…before leaving!"

Yan Lin merely smiled as he dressed his child. After having her fill of gazing at the adults playing on the ground, Yan Minglan turned to her father and waved her hands energetically. "Big Brother"s flopping around with lots of mud!"

"Yes, apparently that"s how he likes to play while on the ground with Sentinel Wei. We shouldn"t keep on disturbing them," Yan Lin said with an affectionate expression. Then acting as if he couldn"t see or hear his friend wriggling on the ground under the torment of Wei Xiang"s ruthlessly tickling fingers, Yan Lin gently squeezed his daughter"s chubby pink cheeks. "And don"t worry, your Big Brother Qinghe can"t be childish enough to do something like putting mud under my clothes. Now, let"s get you in and feed you lunch, shall we?"

And so, ignoring Qinghe"s desperate shout of "Yan Lin!", he cheerfully carried his daughter into the house and closed the side door.

Finally stopping his tickling, Wei Xiang chuckled. "Even your friend has abandoned you. Now you"re completely at my mercy, love."

Qinghe stilled, panting to recover his breath after laughing so much. Then looking up sideways at his lover, Qinghe grinned slyly. "Xiang, if you can cheat using your strings, then why shouldn"t I cheat using my wind?"

Wei Xiang barely had the chance to raise an eyebrow before Qinghe quickly flipped their positions and captured his beloved"s wrists. Rather than resisting, Wei Xiang instead had to focus his concentration on loosening his tightly wound strings to prevent them from twisting and dislocating Qinghe"s leg when his beloved was moving with them still on. Because of this, Wei Xiang was unable to muster a retaliation in time, which was of course as Qinghe had planned. Realizing this, Wei Xiang felt both amused and delighted at his little lover"s cunning.

With his back on the ground now and Qinghe straddling him, Wei Xiang tried to move his arms to throw off Qinghe"s grip. But he immediately found that his arms were securely pressed down into the ground by Qinghe"s wind.

With a cheeky smile, Qinghe began pulling apart his lover"s lapels while smugly saying, "Now who"s at whose mercy again, my dear Xiang?"

As Qinghe raised handfuls of dirt to merrily begin rubbing it on the exposed skin of Wei Xiang"s chest, it was now Wei Xiang"s turn to struggle in captivity while laughing.

Hearing these cheerful sounds flowing into the cottage from outside, Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing looked at each other and smiled.

...

By the time Qinghe and Wei Xiang were done playing in the mud like two ill-behaved children, their clothes, hair, and skin were all practically caked in dirt.

Laughing at their own ridiculousness, the pair went over to the cottage"s backyard where Yan Lin had already prepared some warm water for them. After quickly setting up a bath by filling Wei Xiang"s large tub with the warm water, the couple settled down to soak in it to soften the dried mud on them before starting to wash themselves and each other thoroughly.

Since they were in someone else"s house, Qinghe and Wei Xiang politely refrained from doing anything s.e.xual, just reveling in the warmth of each other"s skin, luxuriating in the quiet contentment brought on by their lover"s careful touch while being bathed intimately, and basking in each other"s familiar and comfortable presence.

Leaving their creased and dirt-stained clothing in their spatial storage to clean later, Qinghe and Wei Xiang dressed in fresh clothes, quickly dried and neatened their hair using heat or wind, then set off to eat the prepared lunch.

By the time Qinghe and Wei Xiang arrived at the table to sit down and begin eating, Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing had already finished feeding Yan Minglan and were just finishing up with their own lunch.

While they ate, the four adults chatted amicably about various things, recounting funny happenings or discussing any new developments in their lives. Bored, Yan Minglan wandered here and there restlessly, then finally plopped down on Qinghe"s lap when her little legs grew tired.

Qinghe carefully held the little girl with his arm supporting her to ensure that she wouldn"t lose her balance while perched on his thigh.

Pulling on Qinghe"s lapel, she asked, "Big Brother, do you have sweets?"

Zhang LiYing joked, "Look how you"ve turned her into a sweet-lover as well by giving her all those treats."

Qinghe chuckled and tickled the child under her chin. As she giggled, he said, "You"ve just eaten lunch, so no sweets for you now. Wait until it"s evening."

Yan Minglan pouted cutely.

Pausing, Qinghe suddenly remembered something. "I always forget to say this, but LanLan, you should call me Uncle and not Big Brother, alright? I"m old enough to be your father, after all."

Scrunching up her little brows, she patted Qinghe cheek. "But Big Brother looks like a Big Brother, not like an Uncle at all!"

Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing burst out laughing while it was Qinghe"s chance to pout now.

Chuckling, Wei Xiang said, "Now, now, love. Don"t be sad. It"s not your fault that you have an immature looking baby face."

Qinghe"s jaw almost dropped open. "I-I don"t―! It can"t be true! I"ve terrified people with this face before!"

His eyes dancing with mirth, Wei Xiang nodded. "Of course you did. No one could guess that someone with such a cute face could have such scary powers."

Qinghe scowled. No way was he believing his lover! He was definitely bullying him on purpose! Deciding this, Qinghe resolutely ignored his words.

Yawning with her mouth making a little "o", Yan Minglan tried to get up from Qinghe"s lap while extending her hands towards Wei Xiang. Somehow, Wei Xiang"s lap had become her most preferred sleeping place.

With a gentle gaze, Wei Xiang lifted the little girl up and placed her on his lap, one broad palm running over her back in soothing motions. He shook his knee up and down in a steady tempo to emulate the soothing rhythm of a rocking cradle, making the child"s eyes droop even more. Resting against his warm chest on the least scratchy area by habit, Yan Minglan sleepily played with Wei Xiang"s free hand and tugged at the golden embroidery on his clothes before slowly drifting off to sleep. Soon, clear drool started dripping from her little mouth, staining Wei Xiang"s robe, as soft snores followed.

The four adults had on peaceful smiles as tranquility filled the s.p.a.ce. Soon, they continued eating, not bothering to keep down the sound of chopsticks clinking against plates and bowls since, by now, Yan Minglan was already known to be quite a heavy sleeper.

In the quiet, Qinghe hesitantly spoke up, "Yan Lin…are you sure you won"t take that elixir to gain immortality?"

Zhang LiYing paused the movement of her chopsticks and looked up while Yan Lin sighed and showed a rueful smile. Looking up at Qinghe, Yan Lin spoke, his voice tinged with melancholy, "Yes, I"m sure. Ah-Ying and I have long since decided that we would like to live and die according to a mortal"s lifespan. Immortality can be a terrible burden, one which we"re not yet sure if we can bear."

Qinghe"s shoulders drooped as he looked down at his bowl, stirring its contents listlessly. Trying his best to squeeze out a smile that only managed to make him look even more sad, he said in a subdued voice, "Yes, I…I understand. I"ll stop bothering you about it then."

The corner of Yan Lin"s eyes pinched in distress when he saw Qinghe"s disheartened appearance. He wanted to console him, but he didn"t know how. He knew that though he would have his friend"s company his whole life, for Qinghe, it would only be a few decades in his long existence. Yan Lin hoped that his friend would forget about him after he pa.s.sed away and live happily, but the more he saw Qinghe like this – so sad, lost, and desolate – the more he doubted his choice to stay mortal. Beside him, Zhang LiYing was also showing a worried frown.

Meanwhile, Wei Xiang couldn"t help but think how good his little lover was to his friends. He knew without a doubt that if Qinghe wanted, he could come up with a thousand different reasons to convince Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing to take the elixir. And yet, Qinghe used none of them, instead choosing to push aside his own wishes and respect their decision.

But as much as Wei Xiang understood this, he still hated seeing his beloved being so dejected and sad. If he had to act the role of the devil"s advocate to convince them, then so be it.

Pulling his little lover close to comfort him, Wei Xiang turned to Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing and asked, "Are you sure you don"t want to think some more about it? After all, mortal human bodies are so very fragile. They could give out at any time due to the most unantic.i.p.ated of reasons. A small accident can leave you with permanently broken bodies, and a common disease can kill you within days. Can you, as parents, really risk leaving your daughter alone like this in case something unforeseen happens to you?"

At these alarming words, Yan Lin"s expression turned worried and pensive.

Zhang LiYing narrowed her eyes and returned, "Are you trying to scare us into agreeing, Sentinel Wei?"

Wei Xiang smiled with half-lidded eyes, his gaze unfathomable. "But was any part of what I said false? As much as Qinghe tries to make sure that he"ll be here if you need his help, there might always be a time when he arrives late. How long are you going to keep burdening him like this to take care of your fragile lives?"

Qinghe protested, "Xiang! That"s not―!"

But Wei Xiang interrupted him, his voice filled with exasperated affection, "Qinghe, you"re always like this. You never argue for yourself."

Qinghe turned fl.u.s.tered. "I-I do…sometimes!"

Not wanting to keep arguing with his beloved when he was only trying to help him out by acting harsh, Qinghe silently buried his face into Wei Xiang"s chest. He could hear his Xiang"s strong heartbeat along with Yan Minglan"s soft snores from where the child was resting her head on the other side of Wei Xiang"s chest. Seeming to sense the tense atmosphere in the room, the little girl frowned in her sleep while murmuring in discomfort.

Wei Xiang sighed and softened his expression. Turning to Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing, he finally said in his usual tone of voice, "You should at least consider it so that you can accompany your daughter and Qinghe for a long time in the future. Don"t let them worry about losing you while they live." Then standing up, he informed, "I"ll let Minglan sleep more comfortably in the bedroom for now. Please think it through."

With that, Wei Xiang pulled Qinghe along and went to lay Yan Minglan on the bed, carefully tucking her in. Then Qinghe and Wei Xiang exited through the side door to take a short walk outside in the fresh air.

After a few minutes of silence between them, Qinghe suddenly turned and hugged Wei Xiang tightly. "Xiang, thank you! I… I really am very scared that they"ll die and there"ll be nothing I can do. I"m so selfish, I don"t want them to leave me."

Wei Xiang carefully wrapped his arms around his beloved and consoled in a soothing voice, "It"s alright. Your friend and his family are still here. Yan Lin is not gone yet."

Qinghe"s hands clenched on his lover"s robe as he squeezed his eyes closed to trap the welling wetness. In a hoa.r.s.e whisper, he said, "I don"t want to experience Yan Lin"s death again."

Wei Xiang"s arms tightened around Qinghe, just holding him close and letting his little lover wallow in all the emotions he didn"t let himself feel in front of his friend.

In a way, Qinghe felt truly very grateful that Wei Xiang had asked Jing Shui to look into Yan Lin"s whereabouts that long time ago, and that Jing Shui had successfully located Yan Lin and brought him to visit the Heavenly Peak Sect that day. Otherwise, Qinghe might have never remembered this friend of his who had sacrificed so much for him in the orphanage. He might have kept that memory buried for decades. Even if he remembered it on his own a few decades later, Yan Lin might have already died. The memory of Yan Lin and the thought of all the missed opportunities would have brought Qinghe nothing but piercing pain and bitter regret for the rest of his life.

But at least now, whether Yan Lin drank the elixir or not, Qinghe could console himself with the thought that he still had several years" worth of time to spend with his friend.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out, Qinghe finally composed himself and straightened from Wei Xiang"s embrace. "I think I"m feeling better now. Let"s go back inside."

Wei Xiang leaned down to place a comforting kiss on his beloved"s cheek and nodded. "If you feel up to it, then let"s go and finish our lunch."

And so, they headed back into the cottage and sat down at the table again, lifting their chopsticks and digging into their food once more. Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing seemed to have just finished discussing something, their expressions thoughtful as they silently continued to eat the small portion still left in their bowls.

Breaking the quiet, Zhang LiYing suddenly asked, "Qinghe, have you decided where you"ll hold your wedding whenever you get to it? Will it be in Heaven with all those deities or in this world? You have both your sect and Sentinel Wei"s Order as options here."

Qinghe smiled, no trace of his previous sadness left as he answered, "We are planning to have one in both realms. One for the deities, along with my parents" friends and their colleagues, and the other for our friends and acquaintances." His eyes shining, he continued cheerfully, "Seeing how you"re asking about it now, Madam Yan, could it be that you already have our wedding presents prepared?"

Zhang LiYing scoffed. "I"m just eager to see you both finally become husbands, is that not enough of a reason? Or is your true purpose in holding a wedding to fish for gifts?"

Hearing her teasing, Qinghe chuckled. "It"s my wedding, so why can"t I look forward to gifts?"

"The presence of your friends should be considered a gift in and of itself, you brat," Zhang LiYing returned playfully.

With them bickering like this and pulling Yan Lin and Wei Xiang into the discussion as well, the atmosphere quickly lightened and turned lively once again.

After they were finished eating, Qinghe and Wei Xiang got up to leave. Qinghe gave Zhang LiYing the bag of sweets that he"d brought for Yan Minglan and said, "Madam Yan, can you give this to LanLan after she wakes up? I"d planned to give it to her myself, but she"s already asleep."

Zhang LiYing smiled and accepted the bag. From beside her Yan Lin suddenly spoke, "Qinghe, there"s something we want to tell you. We"ve made a decision regarding that elixir."

Qinghe grew tense, his expression a mix between bracing himself for the worst and hoping for the best. "Then…what did you decide?"

Wei Xiang wordlessly wrapped an arm around his little lover"s waist to offer his support.

At the side, Zhang LiYing"s smile widened as her eyes twinkled, but she remained silent, letting her husband speak instead. Yan Lin coughed and replied, "We"ve reconsidered living mortal lives. We are willing to drink that elixir and increase our lifespan, maybe even live forever. We want to spend more time with Minglan, and also with you."

Qinghe"s eyes widened. Was his friend really saying what he thought he was saying?!

Chuckling at his expression, Zhang LiYing said, "Don"t be so surprised, it"s only reasonable that we"d end up choosing this way. After all, there are so many wonderful sights in this world that we haven"t seen before. After Minglan grows up, we can take our time to wander the world and view them all without worry. Eternity doesn"t have to be boring. Also, there are so many people who would give their souls for the chance of spending forever with their loved ones like this. To reject such an opportunity when it is granted to us would be like slapping good luck on its face, wouldn"t it?"

Qinghe could only stare at them with an overwhelmed expression.

Yan Lin piped in, "However, we won"t offer Minglan the elixir until she"s come of age and can make her own decision about whether or not she wants to take it. As much as we would love to spend eternity as a family, our daughter still deserves to choose it for herself."

Suddenly breaking out of his daze, Qinghe yelled, "Thank you!" He leapt forward and hugged them both, startling them. As Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing patted his back with affectionate smiles, Wei Xiang heaved a breath of relief, his own expression growing warm.

Qinghe felt his anxiety finally settle. His friend and his family wouldn"t leave him. He didn"t have to see them wither and die. Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing would stay young and healthy. They could see Yan Minglan grow up, mature, maybe marry and have children alongside Qinghe. Hopefully, Yan Minglan would choose to take her share of the elixir as well, while saving the rest for her future spouse and children. His friend would then have a big, happy family, just like he deserved, and Qinghe couldn"t be happier about it.

But thinking of certain other things that Yan Lin deserved… Qinghe"s blissfully happy smile suddenly became tinged with impishness.

On the other hand, while he was being hugged tight by a seemingly ecstatic Qinghe, Yan Lin was just thinking about how they"d made the right decision regarding the elixir when he felt something cold and dry slipping in through the back of his collar and falling down along his spine. Yan Lin jolted in shock at the jarring sensation while Qinghe grinned mischievously.

His expression turning disbelieving, Yan Lin sputtered, "Q-Qinghe… Y-You— Did you really just pour dirt down my back?!"

Qinghe quickly pecked a startled Yan Lin and a laughing Zhang LiYing on their cheeks and drew back. Not giving Yan Lin a chance to say anything, Qinghe retorted, "I always keep my promises, my betraying friend."

Thinking back to when Qinghe had threatened to pour dirt down his back if he didn"t help him against his lover while they were playing in the mud, Yan Lin didn"t know what expression to make while Wei Xiang simply burst out laughing.

Shaking her head, Zhang LiYing commented while chuckling, "It seems that this is the eternity we"re looking forward to."

"Yes, isn"t it fun?" Qinghe cheerfully said. "Yan Lin, Madam Yan, we"ll be going then. Please give LanLan the sweets in the evening so that she doesn"t think I"m a liar. We"ll visit again later."

With that, he and Wei Xiang turned around and walked out through the door, hands entwined and smiles content.