Back in the Yun Zou Sect, Leng Jin Yu took a deep breath. He wouldn't respond to that. He would just ignore it and get back to the point. "Longjun."
"Don't Longjun me! Isn't it true?!"
"You're not even listening to me!"
"Longjun …"
Qiu Ling wanted to interrupt again when he noticed that Jing Yi had stopped struggling in his arms and had instead turned especially still. He looked down only to find his beloved stare at his lapel with a contemplative gaze. Qiu Ling drew his brows together and tried looking at his robe. Uh … It seemed normal?
Jing Yi wasn't actually looking at the robe. Instead, he was remembering something. Back in the secret realm, he had seen so many things in his spiritual self. Too much to remember all of it. Especially many of the details eluded him. But there were some scenes he remembered quite well because they had impacted him that much.
One of the things that had caused his emotions to run wild had been the moment when his past self was cold to Tian. Back then he hadn't yet understood how recovering his memories worked so it hadn't been obvious to him that the fragments weren't in the right order. He hadn't been able to understand why his past self could pine for Tian one moment but then treat him like a stranger the very next.
At that moment, what had he said to him?
Jing Yi closed his eyes and the memory slowly resurfaced in his mind. They were standing in his gardens, Tian holding a flower in his hands that would soon be given to him. He had looked at that plant with a tranquil gaze and said: 'Longjun has come by again? I'm honored by your visit.'
Longjun … Longjun …
And then, later on, on that day when he collapsed because of his endless worry after he had fallen in love with that man …
'Aren't you afraid … that we'll be like Tian and Xing? A pair of star-crossed lovers that will just bring misfortune to each other?'
Like Tian and Xing. Like Tian. Like Xing. Just like the names in the story that Qiu Ling told him. So could it be … Was all of this his misunderstanding? Had Qiu Ling told him the truth before?
Jing Yi took a shaky breath and got up from Qiu Ling's lap. This time his former lover let him go. He was too puzzled by the way Jing Yi looked right now.
"I … I'll wait outside. You can … you can …" Jing Yi stopped talking and stared blankly at Qiu Ling's figure that was clad in a black robe.
Just like Tian.
He turned away and ran out of the house, leaving the three men to stare at his back.
Jinde lifted his golden brows. "Well, your fiance certainly leaves the same way you enter. Quite dramatic."
Leng Jin Yu looked at his husband but kept quiet. He felt like he didn't have the right to say anything to this.
Qiu Ling looked at the door and finally turned to Jinde. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Who knows? It wouldn't be a wonder. There's only one way to find out though."
Qiu Ling eagerly waited for his stepfather to enlighten him but was disappointed. Jinde just leaned over the edge of the tub and grabbed a towel. He picked it up and held it up in front of Leng Jin Yu.
"Jin Yu, my dear, why don't you lend me a hand?"
Leng Jin Yu looked at the towel and then at the slight smile on Jinde's lips. Oh no. This was boding ill. Don't tell him …
The towel was thrown to the ground and Jinde stood up, the water in the tub rolling off his skin.
Leng Jin Yu bent down and hastily pulled the towel up, stepping in front of Jinde at the same time to make sure Qiu Ling wouldn't see anything he shouldn't. "Does this really have to be now?"
Jinde stepped over the edge and turned around, falling back against the towel and into Leng Jin Yu's arms. He looked up at his lover's face and smiled. "It does."
Behind them, Qiu Ling frowned. "I don't think so. You didn't tell me the way yet!"
Jinde peered over Leng Jin Yu's shoulder and lifted his brows again. "Oh, you're still here?"
"Of course! You haven't told me anything yet!"
Jinde sighed as if this was a great burden to him. "You've grown so tall and so old and you still don't know what to do in such a situation? What did your father teach you?"
"Nothing!"
"Obviously, you should run after him. Call out to him, wrap him into your arms, whisper some sweet nothings into his ears. Something like that."
Qiu Ling wanted to speak up but Jinde shook his head.
"Stop talking already and go. The farther he gets away, the less effect it will have. Don't worry, you'll know what to do as soon as you see him."
"Oh." Qiu Ling got up, turned around and ran outside.
Leng Jin Yu watched him before turning to Jinde. "Do you really think this is a good idea?"
"Sending Qiu Ling away while I'm naked and in your arms? I think it's one of my best ideas today. Although … I already had quite a few of those." He turned in Leng Jin Yu's arms and reached down again. "Everyone who could come to disturb us has already come by so … shouldn't we have time for us now?"
Leng Jin Yu gulped. "I don't think my Master was here yet."
"Mn, that's true. In that case, you should hurry up. Not that he comes in halfway."
"That would indeed … be very bad." Leng Jin Yu looked down and gently started wiping Jinde's body with the towel.
His lover didn't seem to like the idea though. He grabbed his hand, took the towel from him and threw it back onto the ground. "Since nobody else is here anymore there's no need for that thing either. Just wrapping me up in your arms will be enough." With that, he tiptoed and kissed his husband.