Qiguan Cheng Da took his leave after another few words. He regretted not having more time to make a lasting impression on Qiu Ling but he felt like he had already done the best that he could. Most likely the Grandmaster's disciple would remember him the next time they met. Especially considering he'd be the one to come back the next month.
Qiguan Cheng Da naturally was too optimistic: Qiu Ling already threw his visit to the back of his mind as soon as he turned around and vanished from his sight. Instead, his whole attention was on Jing Yi.
He grabbed his beloved's hands with glittering eyes. "How was I?"
"Mn, very good." Jing Yi smiled rewardingly but his fiance didn't seem satisfied at all. Jing Yi's lips twitched. This kind of thing … Did Qiu Ling really need to take it this seriously? No, wait, he probably didn't. This was just him being shameless again. "You did especially well. As expected of my fiance." Even though he knew this was a ploy, he still tiptoed and gave Qiu Ling a kiss.
A beautiful smile instantly blossomed on Qiu Ling's lips. "Mn, my love!" He encircled Jing Yi's waist with both arms and held him in place. "Don't be hasty! Why would you want to step back already? Didn't you just say I did especially well? Why do I only get such a short kiss? I demand a second one!"
Jing Yi took a measuring look at his fiance who seemed extremely serious for once if one didn't consider what he was talking about. "You demand it?"
Qiu Ling pondered if his beloved would get angry if he said yes. Most likely … he wouldn't. Thus, he nodded curtly.
Jing Yi barely held back another smile. "What if I don't intend to fulfill your demand?"
Qiu Ling's expression blanked. Somehow, he hadn't thought of this scenario. He had only considered if Jing Yi would get angry or fulfill his request.
Jing Yi couldn't help but laugh out loud at Qiu Ling's dumbfounded expression. Even though he had seen him in many moods, he didn't really get the opportunity to see him like this often.
Indulgently, he circled Qiu Ling's neck with his arms and gave him the second kiss he had wanted. He even made sure it was a bit longer than the one before lest his fiance complained.
Qiu Ling definitely didn't think of complaining right now. His lips lingering on Jing Yi's, he held him in his arms and closed his eyes in satisfaction. Feeling his beloved's warmth at his body, hearing his steady and maybe slightly faster than normal heartbeat he really was in an exceptionally good mood.
When Jing Yi finally managed to disentangle himself from Qiu Ling the first thing he saw was a brilliant smile and a pair of eyes overflowing with love. His heart gave a loud thump while his own gaze unconsciously singled in on Qiu Ling's eyes. He had no idea why but he had always felt that they were somehow special, something he should look at. Even when he first met Qiu Ling at the Gathering of Practitioners this notion had crossed his mind.
Qiu Ling bent a little closer again and the corners of his eyes crinkled with mischievousness. "How about a third one?"
Jing Yi needed a moment to understand what his fiance was asking for. As soon as he did, his brows furrowed. He was already breathless right now! "Don't you think you're being too much?"
Qiu Ling pursed his lips in contemplation. Then, he pursed them a little further. He obviously didn't think that way.
Unfortunately, Jing Yi's resistance against that kind of gaze was just as bad as Qiu Ling's against … Jing Yi in general. He indeed met Qiu Ling halfway but this time he only settled for a peck.
"Alright, enough now. We should return before anyone finds out that we were here. They can't find out that we're spies, after all."
Qiu Ling sighed but still complied. He flew up into the air, carrying Jing Yi in his arms and returned to their house. Mn, well, it was also nice having something like a home he could return to with Jing Yi. There would always be other chances for getting a kiss.
He gently put Jing Yi down in front of the door and looked at him expectantly. "What are we going to do now? Since the mission is actually finished there shouldn't be anything to do besides asking that Hong Bao for a letter."
Jing Yi smiled and went in first. "The mission might be finished but we'll still be staying here for a while. Furthermore, I should learn whatever I can. Senior Martial Brother … Yue," he emphasized with a look at Qiu Ling, "is really helpful. He gave me another assignment."
That said Jing Yi took out the cauldron he had gotten from Yue Lin on his first day in the division and then searched for the bag with the herbs. It hadn't been that long since they came to the Hei Dian Sect but he felt like he had already learned a lot.
Naturally, he still couldn't refine pills but he was already able to process herbs into powdered or liquid form. Those weren't nearly as strong as pills, especially in regard to healing abilities, but it was better than nothing. At least this was way more than he had learned in the five years at the Yun Zou Sect. Thus, Jing Yi was always happy when he could practice a bit more.
This time wasn't an exception. A happy smile hung on his lips while his hands swiftly moved about, picking up the right herbs, cutting off whatever he needed, processing it and finally throwing it into the cauldron. The atmosphere around him seemed to radiate good feelings.
On the opposite side of the room, the situation was also the total opposite. Qiu Ling had stepped this far away so as to not disturb Jing Yi but he was radiating a special kind of gloominess that seemed to dim the light and lower the temperature in the room. If anybody came by at that moment, the person would probably feel desolate at once.
Nobody could feel as desolate as Qiu Ling though. At this point in time, only one thought remained in his heart: After chasing him for so long and finally managing to wrest a bit of his attention away from his family and becoming his fiance I actually … lost to a bunch of smelly flowers.