A quarter of an hour later, Jing Yi stood with three robes, a cauldron, a manual and a bag full of materials in front of the building that housed the fringe disciples of the House of Healing.
"Alright, let's get you a room!" Yue Lin was still as energetic. He could already imagine the future: If he took out two or three hours a day and diligently taught this obedient Junior Martial Brother, then in a year or two he wouldn't be the only one to do the paperwork for the Alchemy division! Ah, he'd have nights full of sleep again and maybe even — Ah, no, better forget about cute Juniors. Sleeping some additional hours was still way more important.
Yue Lin nodded with satisfaction and pulled at Jing Yi's arm but this time, his obedient little Junior Martial Brother didn't budge. He turned around and lifted his brows. "What is it?"
"Senior Martial Brother Yue …"
"Oh! Is it too heavy? Let me help you!" He couldn't let this junior hurt himself. He still needed him to save his life!
"It's not that." Jing Yi hurriedly turned to the side to evade Yue Lin. If this Senior Martial Brother managed to grab some of his things, he might just run away with it and dump it in some room. "I don't need a room."
"Huh?" Yue Lin frowned. "How can this be? Little Junior, you don't have to worry. Every disciple of the sect gets a room when they're admitted. It's not that I'm especially nice to you." Well, I certainly am. I'll even give you the best available room! You just have to do a little something in return.
Jing Yi smiled wryly. "That's not it. I'm living with my fiance."
Yue Lin's eyes went wide. "Fi … Fiance?!" He turned away and looked up at the building in front of them. Oh heavens! This cute Junior was actually engaged already! How come he himself was still doing paperwork? "Is that true? You're engaged?"
Jing Yi looked around. Maybe he was getting paranoid because he was with Qiu Ling too often but he felt that this reaction wasn't normal at all. It couldn't be that this Senior Martial Brother liked him, too, could it?
Well, even if he did, he couldn't just stay silent. Jing Yi cleared his throat. "Mn, yes. I am. We're … very happy with each other," he added on in the hopes of diffusing any interest that might be there.
Yue Lin barely held back a sigh. The Junior Martial Brother he had picked as his helper … he would be stolen away by another man! And even one that might not need his help!
Yue Lin turned around again and examined Jing Yi. Mn, this Junior was so obedient. There might still be the chance to talk some sense into him. "Which division is your fiance from? Is he also an Alchemist?"
Jing Yi shook his head. "No, he isn't. I'm afraid he isn't part of any division yet. After all, we only arrived —"
"Aiya!" Yue Lin lifted his hand to interrupt him. "Don't speak any further. Jing He, you're young and very much in love. I can see that and honestly, I do understand it. But you see …" He went over and wrapped one arm around Jing Yi's shoulders before turning him around to face the buildings behind them. "Look, this is a new environment for you. You'll learn new things and get to know new people. And you're so young. I feel like … it's way too soon for you to think about marriage. If you ask me, you shouldn't even consider that for the next fifty years or so."
Jing Yi averted his gaze. If Qiu Ling heard that someone wanted to persuade him to not marry for half a century … He was afraid this Senior Martial Brother Yue wouldn't live to see the next day.
"For now, you should completely focus on your studies. Look, there's so much you have to learn about alchemy and now I'm even teaching you how to read and write, that will take up a lot of time, too. And then you're still a cultivator besides being an Alchemist. You'll want to take some time to cultivate, won't you? Where do you want to take the time for a fiance from?" Yue Lin looked at him with a gaze that seemed really, really worried as if Jing Yi was walking down the path to his doom.
Jing Yi pressed his lips together. "That's true."
"You see! So you should move in here." Yue Lin was sure his persuasion had paid off.
"But if I did that, we'd have even less time together. Don't worry, Senior Martial Brother Yue. My engagement won't affect my responsibilities to the sect. I won't slack off." He wanted to bow but with all the things in his arms, it was impossible. Ah, it would have been nice having Qiu Ling with him right now. He would have just put it into his interspatial ring and be done with it.
Yue Lin wanted to retort but finally sighed. "Alright. I see there is no persuading you." I won't give up, though. Let's see if that fiance of yours is able to bear some hardships. Maybe he'll give up on his own.
"Eh, Junior Martial Brother Jing, how about asking your fiance if he wants to become an Alchemist, too? Then the two of you could move in here together and spend more time with each other."
Jing Yi smiled. It seemed he had been needlessly paranoid. Senior Martial Brother Yue really was just worried about him. Well, it was to be expected. Even though he could seem terrifying at first he was a nice guy. "I'll ask him."
"Mn. You definitely have to bring him over. If not as a disciple, then at least to let your new Senior Martial Brothers have a look at him, alright?"
Jing Yi smiled wryly. "I guess … you won't have to worry about that. Senior Martial Brother Niu Hai challenged him to a duel yesterday. Those two agreed to have it in front of the whole sect."
Yue Lin's eyes sparkled. "Really?"
"Yes. I'm a little worried. We just arrived and …"
"Ah, don't, don't! We'll all be there to cheer!" For Niu Hai, that is! Yue Lin smiled. "Oh, right, you should bring this home. I'll see when the duel is scheduled and prepare everything for our division. It would be such a pity if our Martial Brothers couldn't go and have a look, right?" He patted Jing Yi's shoulder and sped off.
Jing Yi sighed. How come this Senior Martial Brother was so thrilled about this? If everyone reacted like that, then Qiu Ling would attract a huge crowd. What then? He really felt like this would become a problem in the future.
He knew he couldn't do anything, though. For now, he could only go back and hope that Qiu Ling would try to hold back a little. They really couldn't make a huge fuss this shortly after arriving.
Thankfully, he had no idea what his fiance was doing at this moment.