Jing Yi left the house in a much better mood. Right now, even though he couldn't start really learning alchemy or brushing up his skills immediately, he was at least one step closer to being able to do so. Right now, he just needed to wait a bit longer and then, he would be able to start.
Seeing his beloved happy, Qiu Ling was happy as well. It seemed that coming here to ask for help had been the right decision after all. Regardless of what happened with that matter about the Chun Feng Sect, this trip definitely hadn't been wasted. "So … he might need some time until he has managed to take care of all that. What do you want to do until then? Just read over the manual on your own?"
Jing Yi nodded. "I think it can't hurt to do that. At the very least, it might jog my memory a little. Before that though … Maybe we should take a look around the sect and maybe meet with Niu Hai?"
Qiu Ling pursed his lips. "We just arrived here and one of the first things you request to do is meeting up with another man. I really don't know what to think about that."
Jing Yi laughed. "If it makes you feel better, I didn't even think of that before. But since Yue Lin already mentioned him, I think we should go and have a look. After all, he was the person that helped me get settled in the Hei Dian Sect back then and explained a lot of things to me. Also, I don't really think he would still want to go against you. Didn't you beat him pretty bad back then?"
Qiu Ling thought back and remembered that he had indeed taught this person a lesson. "Well, I guess it's alright. But when we get there, you definitely have to get close to me!" He reached out and grabbed Jing Yi's hand, interlacing his fingers with his. "It really can't hurt to show him just how much of a happy couple we are. Don't you think so?"
Jing Yi scoffed but still stood on his tiptoes and gave Qiu Ling a kiss. "You're certainly right with that. We're so happy and so close that not even a piece of paper would fit between us. Not to mention a big person like Niu Hai."
Qiu Ling beamed and then followed him over to Niu Hai's division. Anyway, if this person really hadn't given up, then he didn't mind teaching him another lesson. There was no reason to go easy on him by then. Those who didn't learn their lesson the first time around should definitely be educated twice.
Jing Yi had no idea what Qiu Ling was thinking and was sure that the matter was off the table and they would just go to meet an old friend. When they arrived, quite a few people were looking over to find out who the newcomers were. Judging from the unembroidered robes they wore, these disciples were just fringe disciples and Jing Yi couldn't remember seeing any of them ever before. They might have joined the sect in the past decade since they left.
Jing Yi gave them a smile. Anyway, just because he didn't know them, there was no reason to be worried. "Excuse me, I am searching for senior martial brother Niu. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"
The disciples continued to look at him but then, their gazes drifted to his hand that was still being held by Qiu Ling and finally up to Qiu Ling's face and back again. "Who is he?"
Jing Yi's lips twitched. This … was exactly how he remembered the blade division to be. Niu Hai had been this happy to meet him for the first time and just as hostile to Qiu Ling as well. His other martial brothers hadn't been any better. How come nothing about that had changed in ten years?
"He's my f—" Jing Yi suddenly stopped and then awkwardly turned to glance at Qiu Ling. He had wanted to say that he was his fiance but … The wedding was off the table. Could they really be called each other's fiances?
Qiu Ling tensed at Jing Yi's gaze, the same implication coming to his mind as well. Right, if they didn't get married, there was no kind of official relationship between them. They weren't each other's anything anymore. They were … two strangers who happened to spend time together.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, wondering if his decision had really been the right one. But imagining Jing He's face when he found out that he had married somebody else, imagining the hurt in his eyes, maybe even tears … He couldn't bring himself to insist on calling Jing Yi his fiance after all. He couldn't do that.
He opened his eyes and cleared his throat. "I'm his lover. Do you have a problem with that?"
The disciple looked a little unwilling and glanced from Jing Yi to Qiu Ling and back again once more. They didn't get cute juniors very often and if they did, they were normally grabbed and hidden away by one of the seniors in the blink of an eye. Now, that finally another one had come by without any of their seniors being around, they were a bit unwilling to give up.
Qiu Ling furrowed his brows. "Will you get that Niu Hai here for us or not? Anyway, I don't mind teaching you lot a lesson as well!"
Seeing his reaction, the disciples mumbled some curses but one of them finally spoke up. "Well, I'll go and get him. No need to be like that."
Qiu Ling scoffed and turned away from him, looking at Jing Yi instead. His beloved … seemed a bit sad. Well, it probably wasn't a wonder. Even though they had just made up, he was always reminded of what he had just lost through no fault of his own. Maybe coming here hadn't been such a good decision after all.