The egg chamber was lit brightly in a warm golden glow by the flames dancing along the edges of the room. The reflections of the flames twisted and swayed on the shiny surfaces of the eggs, adding more depth to the colors and new dimensions to the patterns on the shells.
A few months ago, after using a random method, they had decided as a family that they would start inducing hatching in that greyish-blue and silver egg first.
Zheng Xuan had advised that though the warmth in the egg chamber produced by the campfire talismans would be enough for incubation, it was still recommended that they let the egg feel the warmth of a living person, ideally its family, to familiarize the unborn wyvern with the feel of their presence. It was a way to let it bond with its family while also letting it feel secure enough to be born, though the progress would be slow.
And so, the people of the Feng household had decided that whenever they had time, they would come and affectionately hug the egg to let it feel their presence.
Currently, Qinghe was sitting with the egg, letting his stomach, chest, inner thighs, arms, and cheek press against it as he wrapped himself around it. He wore only a thin robe, wanting the egg to feel as much of his body heat as it could.
He'd been sitting like this since that morning, waiting for Wei Xiang to finish helping Feng Huixin with a very urgent matter in the Offices of Judgment so that he could return to take Qinghe with him to the mortal realm. Then they would go to the Order of Sentinels together and solve an important case that had been plaguing Wei Xiang's lieutenants for a while. There seemed to be a lot of very serious matters troubling the law enforcement agencies in both Heaven and the mortal realm right now.
Currently, as he was hugging the egg, the quiet hush and comfortable warmth of the egg chamber made Qinghe drowsy. And as he sat there motionless, his head resting on top of the egg, his eyelids slowly began to droop, his mind on the verge of drifting off to sleep.
This was when the door opened silently on well-oiled hinges, letting Wei Xiang in. He carried a wooden tray with two cups of steaming tea in it and silently entered, closing the door behind to stop the heated air in the room from leaving.
Seeing his beloved beginning to doze on the egg, Wei Xiang smiled and called out softly, "Qinghe, do you want to return to our room and sleep on the bed?"
Hearing his beloved's voice suddenly, Qinghe roused. He yawned, then lifted his head sleepily and blinked at his lover. "…Xiang? …You…came back?"
Wei Xiang nodded. "Why don't you sleep a bit more if you're tired?"
Qinghe shook his head and yawned again. "I want to go with you and quickly finish that haunted fortress thing… Then we can sleep on the bed together."
Shaking his head affectionately, Wei Xiang walked over to his beloved and offered one of the cups of tea on the tray. As Qinghe took it while looking at it curiously, Wei Xiang explained, "Mother-in-law gave this to me and asked us both to take a cup to refresh ourselves before leaving. While I can't help but be cautious of anything she gives, I'm tenuously hoping that she wouldn't poison us." Then after a doubtful pause, he continued, "At least not right before we set out for an important task."
Qinghe let out a laugh at the uncertainty in his beloved's tone. "I guess we can consider it safe then. It smells nice and feels hot enough to help me wake up fully."
With that, he raised his cup and slowly sipped the light colored tea, savoring each mouthful of liquid filled with delicate flavors as it washed over his tongue and down his throat, leaving a pleasant warmth in its wake.
Wei Xiang shrugged and also began drinking his tea. Within minutes the two cups were empty and placed on the tray again.
Qinghe sighed and let out a happy breath before getting up and stretching his muscles. "I feel much better now. We should set out soon."
Wei Xiang nodded and headed towards the door. After giving the egg he'd been hugging one last pat and a kiss, Qinghe also followed his beloved.
After the couple washed their cups and put everything away, they headed for the transportation array and used it to appear in the mortal world. After heading off to the Sentinel headquarters, they gathered a few more personnel and immediately set out to complete the task.
During the task, however, something strange happened. Wei Xiang discovered that his beast aspects started manifesting on their own, refusing to subside.
Though it was annoying for him, it still didn't interfere in his work, so Wei Xiang simply ignored it and continued on with his long black nails, slitted gold eyes, elongated and pointed canines, and a layer of fine scales on his skin.
As for the reason behind this strange occurrence, Wei Xiang knew without a doubt that it was because of the tea his mother-in-law gave him!
But that still left the question: Since Qinghe drank that tea as well, why weren't any special side-effects manifesting in him?
Though Qinghe only reacted with amusement towards the discovery about the tea, Wei Xiang still remained wary. And since the side-effects quickly disappeared within the day, Qinghe felt even less cautious.
Three days later, after the task was over, Qinghe took Wei Xiang to the Heavenly Peak Sect to make love in his room before the couple cuddled and fell asleep.
And the next day, the tea's side-effects finally manifested in Qinghe.
...
When Feng Qinghe opened his eyes, he felt very disoriented. Everything felt wrong.
As he sat up on the soft bed, he felt his too-loose robes sliding down, baring everything above his waist. With a look of distaste, Qinghe pushed away the robe and happily sat naked. Hmph, he didn't like clothes anyway!
Feeling something soft sliding against and draped over the entirety of his back, he reached a small hand behind him and pulled forward that soft thing. It was hair. Really long hair. Just when had his hair grown this long?!
And now that he looked at it, his skin looked so clean! And his body felt so light and fresh! And even that heavy and rough collar was gone! And he could even feel… No, it can't be… What was happening?!
Qinghe felt endlessly confused, then shrugged and let it go for now.
As he turned his head to survey the other side of the bed, he saw a stretch of smooth skin. A naked man was lying beside him, with sheets gathered at his waist, hair that was even longer and nicer than his own scattered on the bed, and his even-toned skin looking faintly golden and tinted with honey.
Qinghe really wanted to lick that skin, but held himself back. Licking people without asking was bad manners! Even he knew that!
But that bared skin looked so warm and comfortable…
And so, Qinghe happily leaned into the back of the sleeping person, snuggling into that warmth and closing his eyes. If he slept like this against skin that reminded him of honey, he'd surely get only sweet dreams!
On the other hand, feeling something warm pressing into his skin and wriggling, Wei Xiang slowly woke up. He could sense that the person leaning against his back right now was undoubtedly his little lover, but why did his shape and size seem wrong?
Frowning, Wei Xiang roused himself and sat up, turning to see what was wrong with his beloved.
What he saw made Wei Xiang's eyes widen with shock.
Leaning on his back was a child, his features bearing a strong resemblance to his little lover. The little boy's eyes as he looked up at him were wide and clear, sharp intelligence and curiosity shining in them. His lips were raised in a slight smile, his tender and round cheeks flushed a healthy pink, while his chin was tilted up with a mixture of confidence and pride. The child's expression was open and barely bore hints of the coldness that Wei Xiang had grown so used to seeing in those almost familiar features.
Wei Xiang opened his mouth, then closed it again, not knowing what to say or what to make of this situation.
But seeing Wei Xiang's blank face, the little Qinghe hastily leaned back from the warm skin he was pressing his cheek into and showed a guilty expression. His gaze shifted about as he wracked his brains trying to search for an excuse for why he was taking advantage of a stranger like this.
His eyes suddenly lighting up, Qinghe declared, "I was only eating tofu because I was hungry!"
"…" Wei Xiang felt even more speechless.
Qinghe remembered how sometimes, when his father touched his mother by mistake, his mother would whisper with a strange smile, "Ah-Xin, are you eating my tofu in broad daylight? How bold!"
And so, to the little Qinghe, 'eating tofu' became synonymous with touching someone by mistake. As for saying he was hungry…he added that on because he thought it would make a better excuse.
Faced with Qinghe's proud look as if he'd just come up with something ingenious, Wei Xiang felt complicated. His Qinghe's weird statement was definitely like a case of a child misunderstanding something they'd heard.
And seeing how Qinghe had already turned his attention to the room, looking around with bright and curious eyes as if studying a foreign place, Wei Xiang felt all too sure of his conjecture—
Qinghe had reverted to a child, his memory also corresponding to his physical age.
Calming himself down after realizing this, Wei Xiang decided to take a wait-and-see approach. After he determined a few things, he would call his master and ask his help about reversing this. After all, in the cultivation world, there were various spells, curses, and poisons that could turn a person into a child, so it was not that rare of an occurrence. No matter what it was that made Qinghe turn into a child, there was sure to be a cure.
After Qinghe had finished taking in the room, he turned to look at the other person on the bed who had a frown creasing his brows. Wanting to cheer him up, Qinghe complimented him with an earnest tone, "You have very nice skin."
Coming out of his thoughts as he heard the sound of his beloved's clear, child-like voice, Wei Xiang blinked. "Uh…thank you. I was born with it."
But in his heart Wei Xiang suddenly realized something. Even if Qinghe was now a child, once confronted with this situation where he woke up with a naked man, shouldn't he feel at least a little cautious? Would someone immediately take advantage of the other person like this after waking up in such an unfamiliar environment?!
Meanwhile, Qinghe huffed and rolled his eyes with childish exaggeration. "Of course you were born with it. If you had been born skinless, then that would have been much more interesti― ehem, I mean horrifying! By the way, why aren't you wearing clothes? Are you having a naked party? My mother said that adults love having naked parties with their partners. So do you have a partner too?" Then he continued with round eyes brimming with excitement, "No, wait! Do you and your partner have cute little babies?!"
Wei Xiang's mouth twitched.
Love, right now, you are not much older than a cute little baby yourself.
Wait, that wasn't even the biggest issue here!
Wei Xiang felt very lost when confronted with his little lover's child self.
Just when Wei Xiang was floundering, Qinghe suddenly asked, his tone serious, "Anyway, so did you kidnap me from that orphanage? If you did, then can you go kidnap my friend Yan Lin as well? He doesn't like it there. Oh, and the other kids too."
Wei Xiang froze. Realizing that Qinghe only remembered up to that point, his mind flashed through the various excuses he could use before settling on the scenario that sounded the least suspicious.
"I didn't kidnap you, I…rescued you…under orders from your father. The other kids are all safe and sound now as well."
Qinghe's eyes widened in shock, making him look like a startled owl. His small lips parted and trembled, his expression as if he was unable to process this.
Was this why he was clean now? Because his rescuers had washed him? And was this why his collar was gone too?
But why couldn't he remember anything? And…why was his hair so long?
Taking a breath and releasing it, Qinghe decided to put it out of his mind for now. Trying to regain his composure, he finally replied, "Oh, that's…that's really good. If everyone's safe now…that's very good."
Wei Xiang sighed in sympathy and patted his literally little lover's head. Well, he supposed he shouldn't use the term lover to refer to a child.
Not willing his beloved to wallow in his thoughts for long, Wei Xiang began, "Alright, I have a few things to confirm, so I want you to cooperate, alright?"
Shaking his head to clear away the doubts clattering in his mind, Qinghe nodded cutely. "Okay."
"Do you remember your full name?"
The little boy raised a hand and answered, "Yes. It's Feng Qinghe."
Wei Xiang's lips softened into a smile. "Good. Now tell me your age as accurately as you can."
Qinghe tilted his head and hummed. "Hmm, gimme a moment."
Then immediately bowing his head, Qinghe furrowed his brows, the tip of his tongue cutely peeking out from the corner of his mouth in concentration. He raised and lowered his little fingers one by one, his expression adorably serious as he calculated using some strange method.
Wei Xiang smiled at this, wondering if this was too much for such a child to calculate.
Looking up, Qinghe finally answered, "I'm six years, nine months, and fourteen days old. I can't tell you the exact hours, minutes, and seconds 'cos I don't know how long I was sleeping."
"…"
Wei Xiang felt that he really shouldn't have doubted his beloved!
As a pair of eyes shining with expectation looked up at him, Wei Xiang solemnly nodded and praised, "Very good."
Qinghe beamed. This person was so nice despite being an adult! Not at all like those mean people at the orphanage!
Wei Xiang smiled warmly. But as Qinghe shifted around happily with the restlessness of a child, Wei Xiang's attention was drawn to how he wasn't wearing anything.
"Do you want me to get you some clothes?" Wei Xiang asked.
Qinghe scrunched his brows before shaking his head. "I don't like clothes."
Wei Xiang's expression turned amused. "It's cold today. What will you do if you got sick?"
Qinghe halted, looking conflicted. Getting sick was very bad. Most sick kids in the orphanage died. And if they slept beside a sick child one night, it wouldn't be strange if they woke up to a cold and dead body lying beside them the next morning. The dead kid might be still and grey, or he could have his eyes bulging, veins popping, and foam dripping out of a grimacing mouth as well. It was horrifying, to say the least. On top of that, everyone who had been lying around that sick child would catch that sickness too.
Qinghe himself had experienced the situation of waking up next to a cold body more than once. He'd thankfully only gotten slightly sick, since his body usually seemed hardier than most other kids' for some reason. But he definitely didn't want to test his luck by getting sick now just because of his dislike for clothes!
And so, reluctantly, Qinghe nodded, his expression declaring his unwillingness loud and clear.
Wei Xiang chuckled. Not wanting his beloved to feel forced, he asked kindly, "Do you want anything in return for putting on clothes?"
Qinghe brightened. "Then can I lick your skin?"
"…" Wei Xiang felt speechless one again, while Qinghe felt proud of himself for not forgetting his desire to lick that light honey-colored skin and even being good enough to ask permission first.
Wei Xiang sighed, giving up, and nodded. "Fine, you can."
Qinghe felt happy at first, then narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "If you let me lick you first, I'll let you dress me after that."
Shaking his head with a helpless smile, Wei Xiang bowed his head, presenting his cheek to his beloved. His eyes gleaming with joy and curiosity, Qinghe leaned forward and gave the honey-hued skin a light lick.
Wei Xiang straightened again and raised an eyebrow at Qinghe's thoughtful look.
After a minute of contemplation, Qinghe finally gave his verdict: "Hmm, it's not sweet like honey, but it still tastes good!"
Wei Xiang couldn't help the laughter that burst out of him.
After that, Wei Xiang dressed quickly and went to find some children's clothing. When he returned, he saw a very well-behaved Qinghe still sitting on the bed, a pleased smile still curving his lips at how he finally got to lick Wei Xiang's skin.
With Qinghe's cooperation, Wei Xiang carefully began putting on the clothes on him. The Qinghe who, in truth, was actually able to dress himself, just grinned happily at the feeling of being taken care of with so much gentleness by another person.
Just as Wei Xiang was putting on Qinghe's outer robe on him, the sound of footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor outside their room along with a pair of familiar voices.
"Wu Xiao! At least knock first! What if they're going at it again?" a voice came from afar.
Unheeding of Jing Shui's warning, Wu Xiao barged in, throwing open the doors to the room as he started in a cheerful tone, "Xiao Feng, I've come to visit―"
Wu Xiao abruptly halted at the doorway, his wide eyes fixing on the Wei Xiang who still had the lapels of Qinghe's outer robe in his hands, a belt still strewn beside them.
To Wu Xiao, this unquestionably looked like Wei Xiang was disrobing the child.
His hand lifting to point a finger at Wei Xiang, Wu Xiao burst out, "S-Sentinel Wei, this is too much! Not only are you cheating on Xiao Feng, you are even doing it with a child! Have you no shame?!"
Moving swiftly, Wu Xiao snatched a confused Qinghe out of Wei Xiang's evil clutches and backed away.
Wei Xiang, "…"
Now that the innocent boy was out of the culprit's hands, Wu Xiao began interrogating, "Answer me, Sentinel Wei! What the fu― heck were you doing with this child?!"
The little Qinghe lifted both his hands up high and answered cheerfully, "We were having a naked party!"
Wei Xiang covered his face and sighed miserably. Would his beloved even leave him any face to meet with others after this?
"Sect Master Wu, it's not what you think. Just give me a moment to explain―"
But having heard Wu Xiao's shouting from far away and finally having caught up with his long-legged lover, Jing Shui barged in furiously. "Wait, what?! You're cheating on my friend?!"
Becoming the focus of two heated glares, Wei Xiang sighed once again and massaged his forehead.
At the side, held in Wu Xiao's arms, Qinghe giggled happily at this chaotic commotion. Then reaching out a hand, he grabbed some of Wu Xiao's gleaming silver hair and commented wonderingly, "Your hair is very bright and shiny!"
Wu Xiao paused his glaring and turned to the child in his arms with a smile. "Thank you! And you have a very cute smile."
Qinghe nodded solemnly. "I know."
Before he ended up in the orphanage, his father, mother, all their friends, and even several strangers, had constantly told him how cute he was. And so, by now, he took compliments regarding his cuteness as his due.
Seeing the little boy's pridefully puffed cheeks and lofty expression, Wu Xiao felt like his heart would burst at how adorable he was.
Turning to his lover, Wu Xiao said with sparkling eyes, "Ah-Shui, someday, I hope we can make such an adorable little child together too."
Jing Shui's face reddened, a hint of shyness showing in his eyes even as he admonished, "Y-You shut up! It's not that easy for two men to have a child!"
Wu Xiao's dark eyes shone with tender warmth. "I know, of course I won't force you to. But it would be nice if we could do it someday. I can just imagine how happy and satisfying raising a child together with you will be."
Jing Shui looked at Wu Xiao's sincere gaze and blushed harder, averting his eyes bashfully.
Seeing this, Qinghe gasped, his little hands covering his mouth as he looked wide-eyed at Jing Shui. Then with wonder, he announced loudly, "That person is so cute!"
Everyone, "…"
Jing Shui felt even more embarrassed at being called cute by a child than by his own lover. And so, puffing up, he shouted back, "Y-You! Who are you calling cute, you little brat! You are the one who's even more cuter than me!"
Jing Shui suddenly paused to think about how weird what he just said was.
Qinghe smiled and replied, "I already know that I'm the cutest. But thank you for the compliment anyway."
The indignant Jing Shui, "…"
Who the heck was complimenting him!
But then again, it wasn't like it sounded reasonable for him to say that he was trying to insult a child by calling him cute either.
What was this mess? What the heck was even going on?!
Jing Shui felt like he would go dizzy from confusion.
At the side, still sitting on the bed, Wei Xiang gave a short laugh. "Qinghe, you little imp. Are you having fun teasing everyone?"
In answer, Qinghe gave a bright, mischievous smile and nodded. For a moment, he pondered about the familiar way that honey-skinned person called him. Deciding that he liked it, Qinghe let it be.
On the other hand, having heard how Wei Xiang addressed him, Wu Xiao and Jing Shui looked at the little boy in shock.
His mouth hanging open, Jing Shui called hesitantly, "…Brother Feng?"
Hearing that address, Qinghe tilted his head confusedly. "But I don't remember having such a cute elder brother?"
Jing Shui, "…"
Gah! Stop calling me cute already!
Wu Xiao chuckled. "I should have known. With that sort of naughty personality, it can only be our Xiao Feng. But what happened?"
Wei Xiang shook his head, not willing to talk in detail about his suspicions in front of Qinghe and risk alerting him that something was wrong. In a low voice, he just replied, "I'll have to consult with master about this."
And so, Wei Xiang used his telepathic connection to Feng Huixin to relay the situation. Since they were both of deity level, this means of communication that the Sentinels usually used was thankfully rendered possible even between realms.
Within half an hour, Feng Huixin put on hold the urgent task he was working on and rushed over.
The second Feng Huixin stepped through the doorway, Qinghe's eyes widened as a strong wave of relief swept over him. No matter how nice these people were, the little Qinghe had still sneakily kept his guard up against them just in case they were lying to him to take advantage of him. After all, his time in the orphanage had taught him to be very cynical to survive.
But now that his father was here, Qinghe could finally be assured that everything was all right.
Jumping down from Wu Xiao's arms, Qinghe rushed up to his father, his gaze intently fixed on his familiar face as he raised his arms in a silent demand to be held.
Feng Huixin barely had time to process his son's appearance before he instinctively bent to lift the child as asked, holding him up so that he could snuggle into the crook between his shoulder and neck as he used to love doing.
Feng Huixin hesitated, then slowly raised a hand to pat his little son on his small back, gentle love visible in his eyes. Qinghe leaned back to meet his father's gaze, raw emotions swirling in those round eyes.
Just when they were all basking in this warm scene, with Feng Huixin trying to think about what to do next, Qinghe suddenly burst into tears, pressing his cheek to his father's shoulder.
Everyone looked at Qinghe with surprise. Even Feng Huixin had on a shocked expression. Even when he had been younger than this, before he fell from Heaven, his son had never been one to cry easily. If he encountered a problem, he would either stare at it with a blank face until it went away, try to fix it himself, or if that didn't work, he'd promptly go to ask his parents for help.
But now, seeing Qinghe's soft cheeks wet with tears, his eyes and nose red while his little body shuddered with the force of his unrestrained sobs, Feng Huixin felt like his heart was breaking a thousand times over.
He quickly asked, his tone frantic with worry, "Qinghe, what happened? What's wrong?"
His voice turned nasally and coming out muffled due to his face buried in his father's shoulder, the little Qinghe complained haltingly, "Y-You promised! You and M-Mother…p-promised you'll always be with me! And I-I waited there…everyday! But you d-didn't come… A-And…those people were so m-mean to me…" In a small, uncertain voice, Qinghe asked, "Father…why didn't you come?"
Feng Huixin had no answer.
For his little six-year-old son, already a little more than one year had passed in the orphanage. It had been one year since he fell and was separated from his loving family. And in that one year, it was obvious how much he had been waiting for his parents to come and help him out of such a horrible predicament. And yet, day after day, his hopes remained unfulfilled, leaving nothing but the brutal reality of that orphanage.
For such a young and pampered child, how cruel must that reality have been? During all this time, just how betrayed by his parents would he have felt?
Thinking all this, Feng Huixin's eyes grew red-rimmed, his shoulders curving as distress was very clearly apparent in his expression.
Patting his little son on his back in an attempt to soothe him, he finally replied, "Qinghe, I'm sorry. Your mother and I are very, very sorry. If I could, I would go back in time and make sure you never left us and that nothing hurt you. I'm sorry that I can't do that, and I'm sorry that I failed you."
Qinghe buried his face deeper into his father's shoulder and cried his little heart out.
Wei Xiang watched from the side, not daring to interrupt his beloved.
He still remembered what his beloved had said that night after their visit to Silver Mist. While his face was twisted with pain and grief, his little lover had recalled how he would escape the orphanage and run to the clearing where he had fallen long before. He would wait there for his parents, hoping against hope that they would come take him away from that wretched place.
The image of that small figure looking up hopefully at the night sky, only to be greeted by the cold glint of the starts and endless darkness day after day, was too heartbreaking to imagine.
However, when he met his father for the first time after the second stage of the Hundred-Year Tournament and spent the night talking away, Qinghe had been smiling so calmly, stowing away all this hurt and pain as he silently decided to absolve his father and mother of all that blame.
And now, Wei Xiang supposed that it was about time his master also knew of just how much hopeful expectations his son had placed on him back then.
At the side, watching the always smiling Xiao Feng crying like this, Wu Xiao had on a serious and concerned face.
On the other hand, Jing Shui was both surprised and pained. The Brother Feng he knew was always so calm and composed, seeming to have the world in his palm. Even when his past occasionally came to haunt him, he dealt with it coldly and with grace.
But now…Jing Shui finally understood that before he was forged into becoming the person he was now, even Feng Qinghe must have once been a scared little boy who cried when he was hurt and looked with confused eyes at the adults who hurt him.
Just what feelings would have filled his heart when that sheltered young boy who'd only known love till then had first been hit and kicked so cruelly by the adults he had been looking at with trust? Just thinking of that… Jing Shui's fists clenched and trembled as he buried his face into Wu Xiao's back to hide his discomposure.
Wu Xiao did not say anything, just reaching back to hold his Ah-Shui's hand in silent comfort.
Soon, Qinghe's sobs subsided into small hiccups, his little fist rubbing his reddened eyes sadly. Looking up from his father's now soaked shoulder, Qinghe saw how Feng Huixin looked beyond anguished.
In a somewhat choked voice, Feng Huixin asked, "Qinghe, do you hate me? Do you…hate your mother?"
Due to his crying jag, Qinghe's eyes and face were still red, and in his distress, he was absentmindedly chewing on the hem of his sleeve. Letting go of the cloth in his mouth, Qinghe looked up with his innocent wide eyes and shook his head. Raising a little hand, he patted his father's cheek comfortingly. "Father, I'm not mad at you or Mother. So don't be sad, okay? If you get sad, then I'll get sad!"
Feng Huixin let out a shuddering breath. Just how many lifetimes of good fortune had he accumulated to have such a wonderful son?
Lifting up his little son and leaning his forehead against his, Feng Huixin finally said, "Thank you. Qinghe, I will cherish your trust, and I will never let anything like this happen to you ever again, I promise. Do you believe me?"
Qinghe tilted his head cutely and nodded.
Feng Huixin gave his son a small smile. Retrieving a soft handkerchief from his storage space, he carefully wiped his little son's face and held it over his nose for him to blow into. Qinghe did, and Feng Huixin put away the used cloth.
By now, despite some redness, Qinghe's eyes gleamed with liveliness again as he reached out his hand to take a lock of his father's long hair, playing with it cheerfully. His father was here and he and the other kids had finally gotten out of that horrible place, what more could he want?
Feng Huixin bent to place a careful kiss on his adorable son's head before leaning back to ask, "Qinghe, do you see that person wearing black who is sitting on the bed?"
Qinghe looked back. Oh, his father meant that honey-skinned person? Qinghe turned to Feng Huixin and nodded.
Feng Huixin hesitated a bit before saying, "I can't stay with you for long right now, though I very much want to. That person is someone who will be your future husband, so I want you to stay by his side and listen to him, alright?"
Qinghe once again looked at that honey-skinned person, curiosity in his gaze. Then turning back to his father, he obediently nodded. "Okay."
After all, if that very nice person became his husband, then he'd have to stay with him forever! So why wouldn't Qinghe agree?
Not knowing his son's thoughts, Feng Huixin looked at him with surprise. "Qinghe, do you really not mind that he's going to be your husband?"
Qinghe shrugged casually, then grinned. "He's very nice and his skin is also very comfy and tasty."
Everyone, "…"
Why does it sound like you want to skin him and either use his hide as a blanket or just eat it?! Can't you put it more pleasantly?
After a thoughtful pause, Qinghe continued, "Oh, and he's also almost as cute as me." Then he deliberately emphasized, "Almost."
The people in the room were once again rendered speechless.
Meanwhile, the Wei Xiang who was called cute by the child version of his beloved felt very complicated right now, while the Feng Huixin who had long since gotten used to this sort of eccentric phrasing from both his wife and child, and thus didn't react.
Coughing, Wei Xiang suddenly spoke, "Alright, then. Master, I have something I need to talk to you about."
Wu Xiao immediately responded, "Well, then let's leave you two to it." Turning to Feng Huixin, he continued, "Grandmaster, I don't think a small child would enjoy lengthy talks, so how about he come with us and breathe some fresh air outside?"
Feng Huixin immediately understood that Wu Xiao wanted to help them by making sure that Qinghe couldn't overhear what they were about to discuss.
Turning to his son, Feng Huixin asked, "Qinghe, do you want to go outside with them?"
Qinghe pondered, then nodded.
As his father gently placed him on his feet, Qinghe walked over to Wu Xiao and Jing Shui. After giving his father and his future husband a small wave, Qinghe followed them outside and the door closed behind them.
Inside, Wei Xiang narrated what happened in greater detail and told his master his suspicions about how Qinghe turning into his six-year-old self could have been a side-effect of the tea Feng Chunyi had so 'kindly' given them.
After hearing everything, Feng Huixin sighed. "Yes, I agree that it must be the tea. Just four days ago, Chunyi's friend—the Deity of Romance Ai Li—paid a visit. She usually gives strange things to Chunyi that makes her mischief-making worse. This time, I definitely saw a pouch of tea leaves among them. From what I heard Chunyi say, it seems to have harmless yet unpredictable effects on different people, with its side-effects starting three days after consuming it and lasting up to a day. I'm assuming that since she knew that your task with the Order will be over before three days, she thought it would be safe to give it to you back then before you left."
Wei Xiang frowned. "That certainly makes sense. But if it is only supposed to start working three days later, why did I manifest those side-effects immediately?"
Feng Huixin thought for a few moments before coming to a conclusion. "It must be because of the higher metabolism rate of a spiritual beast."
His brows smoothening, Wei Xiang nodded. "Since the side-effects will fade on their own after a day, I suppose we don't have to do anything."
Feng Huixin agreed, "Yes. And Xiang-er, I'd like to leave him to you during this time. The matter I'm currently working on involves the safety of too many lives for me to put aside for now. But if Qinghe needs me for anything, don't hesitate to call me."
"Understood, I'll take care of him." Then pausing, Wei Xiang asked doubtfully, "Master, since you're busy, why not ask Mother-in-law's help instead?"
Feng Huixin's eyes showed his exasperated affection and helplessness as he thought about his wife. "Since Chunyi didn't know what side-effect would manifest in Qinghe, she decided to not take the chance and escaped into the army barracks to lay low until Qinghe recovers and his desire for revenge fades."
Hearing this, Wei Xiang didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. His mother-in-law really was too childish!
But then again, after she found out that the side-effects of that tea actually turned her son into an adorable little child and that she'd missed out on that because of her cautious hiding, Feng Chunyi was sure to cough out a mouthful of blood in frustration.
And thinking this, Wei Xiang felt incredibly smug.
...
As Feng Huixin and Wei Xiang discussed, outside, Qinghe was looking around the Heavenly Peak Sect with interest gleaming in his eyes.
Not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention to Qinghe's current situation, Wu Xiao and Jing Shui took him to places that were deserted at this time of the day.
As they were walking through peaceful gardens and over neat stone paths, Qinghe suddenly stopped, his gaze lighting up with excitement as he spotted something.
It was a square stone platform surrounded by narrow and shallow water streams on all sides. Little fishes frolicked in the clear waters underneath the wide lily pads. Three stone benches were placed on the platform, leaving one side open. Short, railing-less bridges extended over the streams and led to the platform from four sides.
Qinghe quickly ran over to one of the streams and crouched down, happily peering into the water as he announced, "I can see fishies! There are lots of fishies here!"
Then looking back at Wu Xiao and Jing Shui while beaming brightly, he said, "There's water near my house too! And it has bigger fishies in shiny colors!"
Then he turned back to watching the fishes swimming in the artificial stream.
Wu Xiao and Jing Shui couldn't help the soft and warm smiles that spread over their faces.
In a cheerful voice, Wu Xiao announced, "Then we'll take a break here for now."
Jing Shui nodded, then walked up to the Qinghe who was completely engrossed in fish-watching. Thinking that the little one must not have eaten anything till now, Jing Shui concernedly asked, "Are you hungry? Do you want to sit down and eat something?"
Wu Xiao grimaced at how his lover had unthinkingly said something that might rouse the boy's suspicion. After all, though he had turned into a child for now, Feng Qinghe was still a deity, so he would no longer feel hunger and thirst like mortals. But Jing Shui obviously didn't think to take it into consideration and just treated Qinghe as he would any other child.
Qinghe looked up from the little fishes swimming energetically and stared at Jing Shui's worried express. His lips bent into a small smile at the care he saw there. "I'm not hungry, but do you have sweets? The mean people didn't give us any at that place, only stinky-smelling soup water."
Jing Shui's heart clenched, his distress showing openly on his face as he replied in a kind voice, "Yes, I have lots of sweets. Come and sit down, I'll give you some. You can have as many as you want."
Qinghe smiled up at him. "Thank you! You're very cute, but you're also very nice!"
Jing Shui's lips twitched as his cheeks turned pink. "Y-You brat! Stop calling me cute already!"
Wu Xiao laughed, both relieved at how the little boy didn't seem to have noticed anything strange and amused at how even the little version of their Xiao Feng loved teasing others so much. It seemed that some things truly never changed.
And so, the three people walked over the connecting bridges and onto the stone platform before sitting down on the benches. Jing Shui retrieved a box of sweets that looked like small, round balls and began giving them to the child one by one. He was afraid that Qinghe would end up dropping the heavy box otherwise.
In truth, this box of sweets made with rich cream and milk was one of the things Jing Shui had wanted to give his friend during this visit, since he after all knew about Qinghe's preference for these types of sweets by now. But seeing a tiny version of his friend eating it with obvious relish on his face was even more satisfying.
Between eating the sweets, Qinghe talked constantly, his childish voice clear and expressive as he kept up a stream of incessant chatter relaying the fun things he remembered doing with his parents or the little pranks he'd pulled on his friends before in Heaven. His feet kept swinging to and fro as he waved his hands in the air to accompany his words. The corners of his mouth and cheeks were dusted with crumbs that Jing Shui would carefully wipe now and then, his smile remaining wide as he listened to the little boy's voice.
"…and then, Father told me I shouldn't have put that leaf into the back of Ah-Mu's clothes, because what would I have done if it didn't just give him rashes, but also hurt him some other way? And I told Father that I wasn't stupid! Because I already saw that leaf with Mother once and I asked her. She told me it gave people itchy skin and if someone annoys me, I should look for those butterfly shaped leaves with yellow edges and throw it at them. But Ah-Mu was not just annoying, he was really annoying and also so mean to the smaller kids! So I put it into his clothes. He wasn't mean after that, but his parents didn't let him play with me from then. But at least he―"
Qinghe abruptly stopped, and hearing two pairs of nearing footsteps, the three people on the platform turned to watch the incoming people as one.
Walking around a bend in the path ahead, two identical figures stepped towards them. A moment later, the twins suddenly stopped talking with each other and looked at the platform at the same time, their eyes wide and nostrils flaring.
What they smelled was definitely the scent of their senior brother, but why did it seem somewhat strange? And why was it coming from a child?!
As Fei Yin gaped at the child, Fei Jin stuttered out, "S-S-Senior…Brother?"
Qinghe tilted his head confusedly. Were they calling for him?
Beside him, Wu Xiao sighed. "Yes, it's Xiao Feng."
The twins stood shocked for a few moments before they suddenly rushed over.
Fei Jin immediately hugged the little Qinghe with a silly grin on his face while Fei Yin rubbed the small and round head peeking out from Fei Jin's tight embrace.
"Senior Brother, you're so cute!" Fei Jin squealed exuberantly.
"And your hair is so soft!" Fei Yin's whispery voice added with awe.
With a long-suffering look, Qinghe let these two strange people hug him and ruffle his hair. After all, he was long since used to being fawned over like this.
As enthusiastic as they were, even the twins eventually realized that something was wrong when their senior brother just kept silent as they fussed around him.
As the twins finally let go, Fei Yin asked, "Senior Brother, what's wrong?"
Wu Xiao coughed at the side and said, "That's…not your senior brother."
Fei Jin and Fei Yin looked at him questioningly.
Wu Xiao continued, "He's Feng Qinghe, aged six, and he was just recently rescued from the orphanage, isn't that so?" He turned to ask the little boy.
Qinghe looked up at the twins and nodded. "Yes, so I'm not your big brother! I'm only six, and I don't even know you."
The twins looked at him, stunned. So their senior brother not only turned into a child, but also lost his memories? He…only remembered what happened till when he was six?!
In a choked voice, Fei Jin suddenly asked, "Senio― No, uh, Xiao Feng. How many years were you in that place? In that orphanage, I mean."
Qinghe tilted his head. "One year."
Fei Jin and Fei Yin looked at him with complicated expressions. One year was technically very short when compared to the seven years their senior brother had actually spent there. But it was not a small duration either. Even just a year in that cesspit of an orphanage was definitely enough to give a young child enough issues to last a lifetime.
The twins' hearts ached.
Seeing the little Qinghe still looking up at them with an adorably befuddled expression, Fei Jin and Fei Yin immediately decided to pamper him to make up for all the bad things he'd suffered.
And so, the twins suddenly crouched in front of the bench Qinghe was still sitting on. Fei Jin took the box of sweets from Jing Shui's hands and Fei Yin immediately took one of the small round sweets and held it up to the little Qinghe's mouth.
"Here, we'll feed you, so eat as much as you want, okay?" Fei Yin said kindly.
Qinghe beamed and nodded, his small feet swinging under him happily as he opened his little mouth to be fed. This place was so nice! There were so many people trying to take care of him!
With his mouth full, he said in his childish voice, "You both are also very, very nice!"
Fei Jin and Fei Yin glowed at the praise from their senior brother's child version.
But sitting beside them, Jing Shui scowled and reached over to pinch the little boy's puffed cheeks. "What do you mean they're nice? They're not doing anything special. I was the one who brought those sweets!"
At the side, Wu Xiao chuckled silently. His Ah-Shui was so cute! Look at him so seriously fighting for the favor of a little child!
Meanwhile, the Qinghe who had his cheeks pinched and stretched by Jing Shui finally managed to pry away those obnoxious fingers. As he rubbed at his tender cheeks that had gone pink, Qinghe scolded in an indignant voice, "You! How dare you touch me so disrespectfully! My cheeks are a heavenly treasure! How can you treat them this way? So rude!"
Hearing this, Jing Shui's discontent vanished as he tried to stifle his laughter. "A heavenly treasure? Did your mother tell you that?"
Because from what Jing Shui had seen of her till now, his friend's mother certainly seemed like the sort who would say something like that.
But the little boy shook his head and announced proudly, "No, my father said that!"
Everyone, "…"
They tried to imagine that cold, poker-faced Sentinel Grandmaster, an old being feared and revered by many, gently squeezing his son's cheeks while saying in his solemn voice, "Qinghe, your cheeks are a heavenly treasure."
All four of them had to immediately clamp their hands over their mouths to stop themselves from laughing. That image was too ridiculous!
As they spent time like this, laughing and playing with the adorable little child and showering him with their attention, Wei Xiang and Feng Huixin finally finished their talk and ambled over.
As they walked onto the platform, Qinghe immediately turned his shining gaze to his father and that honey-skinned person beside him.
Feng Huixin directly made for his little son and hugged him. In return, he also felt his son's arms trying to squeeze him back with as much strength as he could as well. After placing a peck on Qinghe's forehead, Feng Huixin leaned back and asked, "Qinghe, did you enjoy your time here?"
Qinghe nodded and said happily, "They had sweets! Tasty sweets!"
Wei Xiang chuckled while Feng Huixin's eyes shone warmly. "That's good. Do you want to stay with them or do you want to spend some time sightseeing with your future husband?"
Qinghe looked up at Wei Xiang, then looked at the Fei Jin holding the box of sweets with a torn expression.
Wu Xiao stifled a laugh and spoke, "I think it's time we returned anyway. And the twin brats must also have a lot of work to do at the sect hall to cover for their senior brother, I presume. So we'll all have to take our leave now."
Feng Huixin nodded, then turned to his son. "Do you mind staying the day with your future husband then?"
Qinghe stared at Wei Xiang with big, assessing eyes.
With a twinkle in his eyes, Wei Xiang told him, "I'll buy you how many ever sweets you want."
"Yes!" Qinghe burst out with a grin, totally won over.
As he saw this exchange, Jing Shui smiled, but it was tinted with melancholy. He wanted to spend more time with this little version of his friend, but he also knew that it would be more meaningful if his Brother Feng could make memories like this with his Sentinel lover instead.
The twins had already left with expressions that looked less than thrilled at the prospect of missing out on spending more time with their little senior brother while also dreading all the work waiting for them. As Wu Xiao also turned to leave, Jing Shui followed him with a heavy heart.
Suddenly, Jing Shui felt a tug on his clothes and stopped. As he looked back, he saw Qinghe clutching the end of his robe. Blinking his wide eyes, he asked pitifully, "Do you have to go?"
Jing Shui's heart melted as he tried to smile, "Yes, so be good and stay with your future husband."
Qinghe hesitated, then nodded his little head. "Fine, but at least give me the box of tasty sweets before you go."
"…" You brat! This was why you looked so reluctant to let me go, didn't you!
"Hmph! Fine then, take it," Jing Shui spoke ill-temperedly and gave Qinghe the box of sweets before turning away with a huff.
But just as he was about to leave, he felt another tug. Jing Shui turned and looked at the now-smiling kid. "What now?"
While clutching the box to his chest with a hand, Qinghe extended the other arm towards Jing Shui.
Puzzled, Jing Shui bent down, only to feel that arm wrapping around his neck as a pair of small lips pressed against his cheek. A soft "Thank you" sounded in his ear before the small body hugging him withdrew.
Jing Shui looked at the cutely smiling Qinghe with wide eyes.
Then smiling a brilliant smile at him in return, Jing Shui ruffled Qinghe's hair affectionately. Straightening himself, he began walking away once again. But this time, his chest was filled with a gentle warmth.
...
For a few minutes after they left that platform, Jing Shui and Wu Xiao walked in silence, small smiles on their faces.
The day was bright and sunny, the breeze pleasant as it brushed their faces. As the pair walked together, they slowly linked their hands as peace and contentment washed over them.
"Wu Xiao," Jing Shui called softly. "Maybe…we really should have a child."
Wu Xiao almost stumbled. "A-Ah-Shui?!"
Jing Shui was looking down, his cheeks red. "I mean, spending time with Brother Feng's child form…it really makes me feel that…having a child of our own wouldn't be a bad thing."
Wu Xiao stared at him with a dazed expression. Letting go of his hand to hug his beloved close, Wu Xiao spoke, "That… I really want to agree immediately… But Ah-Shui, you do know that children are usually not as well-behaved as Xiao Feng, right? His is a special case. Children in general, and infants in particular, will need a lot of care. They might throw tantrums for no perceivable reason and keep crying for long periods of time. It will be difficult and harrying without even considering how much we'll have to educate ourselves about the needs of children and methods of child-rearing… Then there's also the issue of you growing a child inside you and giving birth… Ah-Shui, this isn't a commitment to be made lightly."
Jing Shui nodded. "I know, I'm not… We don't have to do it right this moment. We'll think about it. I don't even know how two men can have children, so we'll have to spend a lot of time just finding a way to conceive. Let's take this slowly and talk it over with the people we know and ask their advice and help. We…we don't have to have a child immediately. We can take our time to prepare ourselves for this. It doesn't matter even if it takes years or decades until we feel ready, we'll wait. Since I'm considering bringing a child into this world, I'll naturally try to be as responsible about this as I can."
Then looking up nervously, Jing Shui asked, "But Wu Xiao, what about you? Do you really want to do it? Having a child…"
Wu Xiao suddenly stopped walking and hugged his beloved tightly, burying his face into a startled Jing Shui's hair. "Yes! Ah-Shui, I would really, really love that."
As he heard the fervent enthusiasm in his lover's voice, Jing Shui's face melted into a soft smile as his arms rose up to hug his Wu Xiao back.
Some day in the future, they'd have a child of their own, and Jing Shui and Wu Xiao couldn't look forward to it more.
...
As they strolled through the streets leisurely, Wei Xiang had on a wry smile as he saw his little beloved running around, pointing excitedly at every insect, animal, flower, or interesting pebble by the roadside.
In one hand, Wei Xiang held a large basket filled with the various sweetmeats Qinghe had insisted on buying, with some of the shopkeepers even having given some extra on account of how adorable and polite the lovable little boy had been when asking for the sweets. Meanwhile, Qinghe carried around a small box filled with various treats like candied fruits, nuts, and honeyed dates, constantly munching on them with delight.
Every time he saw this, Wei Xiang had to hold himself back from telling the child to stop eating so many of them. After all, though it might have been harmful for ordinary children, since Qinghe was actually a deity right now, that many sweet snacks shouldn't be an issue.
As constant worries about taking care of his beloved's child form filled his mind, Wei Xiang could only sigh. Was this how it would be after the first of the eggs hatched and a baby wyvern was born? Would he feel this anxious about all the things that could potentially hurt the child as he tried to hold himself back from hovering over the hatchling?
Just as he Wei Xiang was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly felt a little hand slipping into his own.
Wei Xiang looked down and saw Qinghe's face peering up, his cheeks flushed with all the excitement of running around as his hair was being tousled around in the breeze. In his cheerful voice, the little boy asked, "There's a place I want to go. Will you come with me?"
Wei Xiang raised an eyebrow curiously and nodded. "Do you know how to get there?"
Qinghe nodded and began pulling on Wei Xiang's hand, leading him towards the line of trees on one side of the street and farther in until they entered a forest. It was apparent that humans treaded this forest often by the many footprints pressed into the soft soil and the trail of broken branches and crushed leaves marking the vegetation. But as they went deeper, these signs vanished, until there was nothing left except for the undisturbed wilderness of nature.
Wei Xiang frowned. Though it was obvious by Qinghe's confident stride that he knew where he was going, it still didn't explain how he had the chance to know this route leading from that busy marketplace. After all, till now, he must have never once left the orphanage for any great distance…at least not enough to know such a long route.
An hour of walking later, Wei Xiang was still confused while Qinghe finally came to a stop.
To their left was the gentle rise of a slope, blanketed with dark green moss. Rounded grey rocks covered with patches of more moss were littered on it. Small white and yellow wildflowers with orange centers grew out from behind the boulders in tufts, gently waving in the breeze.
Directly in front of them was a five-meter-wide bowl-shaped indentation in the ground. It seemed as if a huge boulder had been moved from here to leave behind that imprint. Enough time had passed from then for nature to claim that place again, covering it with a layer of grass while small plants and saplings thrust out of the concave earth there.
Surrounding them on all sides were tall trees, holding up a canopy of green leaves far above and letting streaks of mild sunshine spill down through the gaps between the tightly-woven branches, dissolving into the air and giving the space a soft and nostalgic atmosphere.
Qinghe looked at this place as if carefully studying it. Then letting go of Wei Xiang, he ran over to the bowl-shape impression on the ground and crouched down, seriously poking at the grass and the plants growing there.
Wei Xiang looked at his beloved with puzzlement. If he wanted to play in the grass, then he could do that anywhere, so why come here? If it was any other child, he'd dismiss it as a childish whim. But since this was his Qinghe, he felt that there definitely must be a reason.
Just when Wei Xiang was thinking of asking him about it, Qinghe abruptly turned to him.
Looking up to meet Wei Xiang's gaze, Qinghe smiled a sharp smile unlike that of a child's, his eyes glinting as he asked, "Do you know where we are?"
Something niggled in the back of Wei Xiang's mind, but eluded his grasp. Wei Xiang shook his head. "Do you know?"
Qinghe nodded, his smile widening and eyes turning unfathomable in that expression that Wei Xiang was so familiar with. In a calm voice, the little boy replied, "This is the place where I fell. That shallow pit in the ground is where I impacted. My body was torn into oh-so-many pieces at that time."
Wei Xiang's eyes widened.
Giving a small laugh, Qinghe informed, "I've been assessing this place in detail and comparing it with the one in my memory. I remember the pattern and density of every bit of vegetation, the height and proportion of every blade of grass, since I had after all been lying here for quite a while without being able to move. But now when I examine it, the growth indicates that it has clearly been a few decades since I fell here."
Narrowing his eyes, Qinghe tilted his head and stated, "Till now, you've all been lying to me, haven't you?"
Wei Xiang's pupils shrunk with shock.
In the wake of Qinghe's confidently uttered statement, the air seemed to freeze and thicken with tension. Even the gentle breeze had stilled.
Wei Xiang reflected that despite him being mindful to not underestimate his beloved's intelligence, he still seemed to have failed to completely keep the truth from the little boy or prevent him from becoming suspicious.
But even though the growth of greenery in this place seemed to have led Qinghe to reach this logical conclusion, that still left many questions unanswered.
Opening his mouth with difficulty, Wei Xiang finally asked, "How did you know the route to this place?"
Qinghe chuckled. "The second I woke up, I felt a deep connection to the wind. It seemed that I could already use it. As I walked with you outside, I simply let the wind search for this place. When it was found, I led you here."
Wei Xiang shook his head helplessly. It seemed that though his Qinghe had seemed unguarded with him, he had still hidden such an important thing flawlessly even at the beginning, and then used it at an opportune time in a way that Wei Xiang couldn't detect.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Wei Xiang strived to maintain his composure. "Qinghe, even if you were suddenly able to use wind, it shouldn't be enough to make you think that we were lying to you."
Qinghe rose up, turned, and sat down facing Wei Xiang, his legs folded and an elbow resting on a knee while his chin rested on a palm. "Tell me, was the me you all knew before—the adult me—a stupid person?"
Wei Xiang felt even more shocked. How had his beloved figured it out?!
In a strained voice, he answered, "…No. The Qinghe I know, the Feng Qinghe we all know, is a very cunning man."
Qinghe's eyes were fixed on Wei Xiang's as he continued smiling. "Ah, then did you all think I wouldn't notice all those small signs because I was a child? Though people think that children are stupid, that is untrue. We only lack knowledge and the experience to use it. It does not mean that we don't see the little things people try to hide from us. We know and understand a lot more than the adults think."
Seeing a six-year-old child sitting and imparting wisdom like an old man, Wei Xiang felt a sense of surrealism. Was it even normal for children to be this clever at such a young age? Even the way Qinghe was speaking had changed from the slightly simple and childish way from before. Had his beloved been hiding even his speech patterns and the extent of his vocabulary?!
And yet…rather than disconcertment or vigilance, what Wei Xiang felt was a strange sense of excitement.
This was a new layer, an undiscovered depth of his Qinghe. His raw intelligence shone undimmed, wild and unhidden under politeness or caution. And Wei Xiang couldn't wait to find out more, to see how the mind of this different version of his beloved worked.
As his lips quirked up into a half-smile, Wei Xiang curiously asked, "What small signs did you notice? How were you able to deduce from them that we knew your adult self before?"
Feeling Wei Xiang's focus on him and sensing his interest, Qinghe felt intrigued. This person was so strange and interesting!
With a grin, Qinghe began, "When I woke up, I not only noticed my connection to the wind, but also how my hair had grown too long, how my constant hunger had disappeared, and how the clothes I woke up in were too big and loose. Even the belt was so loose that it had come undone. The logical conclusion is that my body must have been bigger when I was wearing it previously.
"And then came those two people. The silver-haired one definitely announced 'Xiao Feng, I've come to visit' before he entered. He also said, 'I should have known. With that sort of naughty personality, it can only be our Xiao Feng.' His cute companion also called me 'Brother Feng'. It clearly implies that they knew me, but seeing that I didn't know them, they tried to stop acting familiarly.
"Then when Father came, he was obviously startled. He should have already been informed about my presence here by you, so he should've expected me to be there. That meant that something else—most likely my smaller appearance—was the aspect that shocked him. And soon after, right when you said that you had something to talk to Father about, the silver-haired man immediately offered to take me out of the room. It was obviously an attempt to make sure I wouldn't hear what you both were about to talk about, so it was probably related to me, or more specifically, my current condition.
"Afterward, when the silver-haired man took me outside, he clearly made sure to walk through paths where there would be no one. Even if I had turned into a child, why would he do that? Maybe because if the other people in that place saw me, they would recognize me despite my changed appearance and try to approach and talk to me, which might give something away. But for even those potential passersby to be able to recognize me, it can only mean that even as an adult, I spent a lot of time there. Maybe I even lived there.
"And then we saw those twin people who were definitely a lot older than me, but they still called me their 'senior brother' the first time they saw me. They also acted as if they were very familiar with me, so I must have known them when I was an adult. With this, I was almost sure of the situation. But though I was able to guess a lot from these incidents and some other smaller indications, I still needed confirmation. The most easiest way to do that would be to find out how much time had passed between my falling and the present time. And so, I tried to find this clearing using wind.
"As I can see from the plant growth here, it has been more than three decades already, which means that I should actually be more than thirty-five years old. From the familiar way they interacted with me, all those people I met today were people I seemed to already know. The place I woke up might also be my home, the place where the adult-me has been living in."
After talking so much, Qinghe finally stopped. Unfolding his legs and stretching them in front of him, the little boy leaned back to support himself with his palms, his gaze never leaving Wei Xiang's.
In a soft, inquisitive voice, Qinghe asked, "Now, this leaves me with a few questions: How did I become a child who does not remember being an adult? How can I change back? And…who are you to me? Since Father said that you are my future husband, I will believe him. But what about just before I became a child? What were you to me then?"
After hearing all this, Wei Xiang could honestly say that no person had ever awed him as much as his beloved. His Qinghe always kept finding new ways to surprise him…
In a low voice, Wei Xiang finally answered, "Don't worry, we're sure you'll change back on your own after a day. And the reason you became a child was because of your mother, but…" Shaking his head helplessly, Wei Xiang asked, "Since she's involved, do you even need any more explanation?"
Qinghe laughed. "If it's Mother, then I'm not surprised that I ended up like this. But what about you?" With an inquisitive glimmer in his eyes, he continued, "I don't even know your name…"
Wei Xiang smiled, his eyes warming. "My name is Wei Xiang, but you call me Xiang. I'm the person you chose to spend your life together and raise children with, though I'll understand if you don't believe it just because of my say so."
"Hmm, Xiang…" Qinghe tasted the name on his tongue, then tilted his head and asked doubtfully, "So…you mean that you're like a husband to me, but without us getting married?"
Nodding, Wei Xiang asked amusedly, "Do you believe me?"
Qinghe shrugged. "I don't really understand, but you seem nice and fun, so even if it were true, at least I have very good taste."
Wei Xiang chuckled. His Qinghe was really too delightful. "So, now that you've figured it out, how do you feel?"
Qinghe's expression turned wry. "Putting aside my body, I realize that my memories and personality are incomplete now. But after the end of the day, I will become my whole self again, so there's nothing for me to worry about."
Wei Xiang raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected such a…rational observation from a child. But by now, he also understood that he should stop trying to presume his beloved's thoughts.
Shaking his head, Wei Xiang asked. "Then now that you know everything, what do you want to do?"
The little boy blinked, then smiled cheerfully. "I don't want anything to change. I still want to spend the day eating sweets and playing and having fun!"
And so, getting up and dusting off his clothes, Qinghe ran to Wei Xiang and clutched his hand again, looking up at him expectantly.
With a helpless smile, Wei Xiang finally spoke, "Then I suppose we can go and do something you like."
The little boy happily nodded and the pair soon set off again.
...
'Something Qinghe liked' ended up being splashing in water.
On their way out of the forest, Qinghe spotted a natural lake and immediately declared that he felt very dusty, so he wanted to take a bath. He also managed to cajole Wei Xiang into accompanying him. Soon, the both of them had taken off their clothes and stood in the lake, with Wei Xiang very seriously washing up while the little Qinghe splashed and swam merrily in the cool waters.
After a while of playing, Qinghe slowly stopped, his gaze drawn to the honey-skinned man― no, to his future husband Xiang standing in the lake, the waters reaching his waist.
Not noticing the gaze fixed on him, Wei Xiang lifted up handfuls of clear water to pour over himself, his hands slicking over his smooth skin in firm swipes. A long stretch of gleaming black hair hung heavily down his back, some of the dark strands sticking to his skin. The bright daylight reflected off of the droplets trailing down his strong body, setting them aglow. The afternoon sun shone off the wetness sheathing his skin, making him seem gilded in liquid gold.
Qinghe tilted his head, his eyes intently focused on Wei Xiang. His future husband was so pretty and shiny! He wanted to let his hands run over him to see if he could catch some of that gold on his wet skin too!
With determination, Qinghe waded over to Wei Xiang and pressed his little hands onto Wei Xiang's back. Hmm, it felt warm and nice… Maybe he should sneak in another lick too…
Wei Xiang turned just in time, catching his beloved leaning over with his little tongue extended.
Wei Xiang's mouth twitched. "Qinghe, what are you doing?"
Qinghe froze, then pulled his tongue back in and blinked up at Wei Xiang innocently. In a sincere voice, he complimented, "You're very shiny!"
Wei Xiang didn't know what to say to that, so he simply raised a hand and patted the little boy's head as he replied with a smile, "Thank you."
Beaming, Qinghe stepped closer and hugged him. For some reason, he felt that this person was very comfortable to snuggle up to. Was it because of the traces left behind in his mind by his adult self? Whatever it was, Qinghe decided that he didn't care as he blissfully rubbed his soft cheek over Wei Xiang's damp skin.
Wei Xiang carefully hugged him back. This little child was so similar yet different to the Qinghe he knew. He seemed more unbridled, without the hesitation and fear of consequences that bound adults. Yet he was also as full of surprises as his grown-up self, and just as adorable and intelligent.
Lifting his head up, his wide eyes shining with childish liveliness, Qinghe declared cheerfully, "Having a naked party is so fun!"
Wei Xiang froze, not knowing what expression to make. "…Qinghe, what do you think the 'naked party' your mother told you is supposed to be?"
Qinghe tilted his head and confidently said, "Mother told me that a naked party is when two people aren't wearing any clothes and having lots of fun together."
Wei Xiang massaged his head and sighed.
When the wyvern eggs hatched, was this the kind of education they'd receive from their grandmother?! Wei Xiang decided that he would have to have a talk with his mother-in-law in advance about the kind of things that were and weren't appropriate to teach children!
Meanwhile, Qinghe unwound his arms from around Wei Xiang and studied him once again with interest sparkling in his eyes. From up close, his future husband looked even more interesting! Qinghe's assessing gaze slipped down and down and… Qinghe blinked, his hands reaching forward.
Wei Xiang was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by the shocking sensation of a pair of small and soft hands wrapping around his relaxed member. Freezing, he looked down to see the little boy curiously studying the organ captured in his hand, his fingers rubbing here and there with interest.
Wei Xiang hurriedly stepped back, his hands quickly circling the little boy's wrists to pull them away. "Qinghe! What do you think you're doing?!"
Qinghe looked up at Wei Xiang with a confused expression. "Is something wrong?"
Wei Xiang let out a sigh. His beloved was just a child, so he obviously didn't mean anything by his touch just now. And seeing the confusion on his face, it was clear that he also didn't understand what he'd done.
Softening his tone, Wei Xiang finally said, "Qinghe, it's inappropriate to touch someone there without their permission."
Qinghe pouted at him cutely, looking wronged. "But Xiang! You said that you'll be my husband in the future. So doesn't it mean that all of me will belong to you, and all of you should also belong to me? So why can't I touch something that'll be mine anyway?"
"…" Wei Xiang could only stare at his beloved. Why did these words just now feel like those of a rogue trying to take advantage of a skittish virgin?!
But his beloved was after all only a child, so Wei Xiang firmly decided that he must have just been imagining it.
Sighing, he replied, "That's not how it works. Even if we were married, if one of us feels uncomfortable about something of this nature, then the other must absolutely not push it. Do you understand?"
Qinghe puffed his cheeks to go along with his pout, but still dejectedly nodded. Ah well, he'd just have to leave this for his adult self to take care of later!
Wei Xiang smiled amusedly. "Good. Now that we've both finished washing up, we should start heading back."
And so, they both waded back to shore, where Wei Xiang retrieved a soft towel to carefully wipe his beloved's body, then used his innate control over fire to heat the air around his and Qinghe hair, drying it quickly. After they dressed, they set out towards Heavenly Peak Sect, with Qinghe once again bouncing around while talking incessantly, shoving sweet after sweet into his little mouth in between.
And the whole time he accompanied him, Wei Xiang silently listened to his beloved's lively chatter, his lips raised in an indulgent smile.
...
By the time they reached Heavenly Peak Sect, it was already dusk.
Currently, Qinghe was holding on to Wei Xiang's hand while walking towards his room, his steps light and brisk. He could feel tiredness weighing his limbs, but Qinghe was still determined to enjoy this day to the fullest!
As Qinghe and Wei Xiang thus walked through the corridors, they unexpectedly came across another pair heading towards them.
"Sentinel Wei," Chen Xiande greeted, then looked at the adorable little boy holding Wei Xiang's hand. "May I ask who this little one is? And…why does he resemble my junior brother?"
Beside him, Hei NingYu laughed carefreely. "Little Sheep, I think that really is your junior brother. How did he shrink to become a tiny five-year-old?"
Qinghe puffed his cheeks in displeasure. "I'm six years old, not five!"
Hei NingYu chuckled while Chen Xiande just stared at the little boy.
"Sentinel Wei, is this really…"
Wei Xiang nodded. "Yes, and this is just a side-effect that will last till the end of today. He doesn't remember anything that happened after he turned six, so keep that in mind." Then looking down to his beloved, he said, "Qinghe, this is your senior brother. Why don't you greet him?"
Chen Xiande startled, turning to look at the child, only to meet a pair of wide and shining black eyes peering at him in return.
Qinghe puzzled over how one usually greeted their senior brother, whatever that was supposed to mean. After a while of pondering, he finally approached Cheng Xiande, looking up at him seriously as he extended his hands toward him.
Chen Xiande hesitated, then bent down, curious to see what his little junior brother was up to.
Qinghe wrapped his arms around Chen Xiande, then pressed a small kiss to his cheek. Leaning back, he smiled at a stunned Chen Xiande and said cutely, "Hello, Senior Brother!"
Chen Xiande's heart melted, his face softening of its own accord. His junior brother was really too adorable for words!
Beside him, Hei NingYu chuckled while Wei Xiang merely looked amused. "Qinghe, I'll go and report to Master―your father―about everything today, so can you stay here with them for a while? You can ask them to lead you to back your room after you're done playing."
Qinghe looked at Wei Xiang and nodded. "Okay, I'll be good until then!"
Wei Xiang smiled at the solemn promise. Turning to Chen Xiande and Hei NingYu, he asked, "Would you mind accompanying him for a bit?"
Knowing that he was giving his little sheep a chance to bond with this different version of his junior brother, Hei NingYu smiled wryly. Beside him, Chen Xiande quickly nodded his head as if afraid Wei Xiang would change his mind. "Yes, yes, I'll take good care of him."
Chen Xiande definitely did not want to miss this chance! And it was not just because he looked forward to playing with such a cute version of his junior brother.
Chen Xiande still remembered the first time he met his second junior brother. Feng Qinghe had been so very thin and looked only eight or nine rather than the twelve he actually was. His pallor had been sick, his hair limp, while his soulful dark eyes seemed so cautious.
By that time, Chen Xiande had already lacked human contact for more than a century and had already forgotten how to connect to or interact with others. Despite this, he had wanted to make sure his junior brother felt welcome, that he knew he had a senior brother who would care for him, so Chen Xiande had gone to try and bond with Qinghe.
If he succeeded, if he finally had someone to talk to, someone who looked at him without revulsion, a cute little junior brother to take care of, then how wonderful would that be?
And so, full of anticipation and nervousness, Chen Xiande approached his junior brother and offered a greeting. But Qinghe had simply looked at him with wide eyes, not saying anything in reply.
Seeing this lack of reaction, though Chen Xiande felt that his presence was unwanted, he still decided to push harder. After gathering his courage, Chen Xiande finally tried to get closer and pat his junior brother's shoulder in comfort and reassurance, but Qinghe had violently flinched back instead.
Having returned from his ordeal at the orphanage just a couple of months ago, his memory about the touches of those men was still all too fresh. And so, unable to hide the fear and horror in his eyes at that memory rekindled by this stranger's attempt to touch him, Qinghe had desperately fled from there.
But thinking that his junior brother actually hated him enough show that sort of expression before running away from him, Chen Xiande had felt immensely hurt.
Later, when his master found out that he'd spooked his junior brother badly, Chen Xiande ended up being severely scolded and punished. Needless to say, that was when his hatred towards his seemingly unfriendly junior brother who seemed to have somehow gained their master's regard began to take root.
It was only much later, after finding out the complete details about Qinghe's past, that Chen Xiande truly understood how much more frightening that experience must have been for his junior brother. That one disastrous meeting that had spawned such hate towards his junior brother was actually not what Chen Xiande had imagined it to be at all.
But it was already too late to take back all the terrible things he did till then and to make amends.
Now, faced with an even younger junior brother who looked up at him as cutely as he'd once hoped, Chen Xiande felt both excitement and trepidation. He wanted to redo his first impression and treat this six-year-old child the way he had never managed to treat that broken twelve-year-old boy.
And though he knew that this child would turn into an adult who would still remember his inerasable misdeeds, Chen Xiande still wanted to take this opportunity to do right by Feng Qinghe, at least in this small way.
Seeing Chen Xiande's expression and finally feeling reassured that his beloved would be in good hands, Wei Xiang gave Chen Xiande and Hei NingYu a nod and left Qinghe with them. He then went off to find a secluded place to give Feng Huixin a report, knowing that his master would surely be anxious to know about his son's situation by now too.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiande led Qinghe and Hei NingYu to a small garden nearby with plenty of stone benches littering the edges. Qinghe plopped down on one of them, wriggling as if with uncontainable energy. Chen Xiande sat beside him, with Hei NingYu sitting on his lover's other side.
Qinghe looked up at Chen Xiande, and seeing that he seemed somewhat nervous, he decided to start speaking instead. In his clear and childish voice, he asked, "Senior Brother, do you have sweets?"
Hearing that respectful address, Chen Xiande felt very gratified, but facing those eyes gleaming with expectation, he also felt increasingly awkward. "Uh…n-no, I'm afraid I don't."
Qinghe shrugged and smoothly continued, "That's okay, I have some right here!"
Seeing Qinghe proudly showing him the box he had been clutching all this while, Chen Xiande smiled. "Do they…taste nice?"
Nodding cheerfully, Qinghe offered, "Do you want to share these sweets with me?"
His chest feeling warm, Chen Xiande nodded. "Yes, I would like that."
And so, Qinghe opened the box and carefully chose a candied fruit covered in crystalline sugar. Then lifting it up, he held it to Chen Xiande's lips. "Here, try this, it's very tasty!"
His eyes showing his quiet joy, Chen Xiande opened his mouth, feeling little fingers depositing something sweet and tart inside. With a happy expression, he chewed the treat. Even though he had almost bungled this up, he was both glad and grateful that his junior brother had still given him the kind of interaction he'd hoped for!
In the meantime, Qinghe chose another candied fruit and held it out to the Hei NingYu who was sitting on Chen Xiande's other side. "Here, you can also have some," he declared magnanimously.
Hei NingYu suppressed his smile and solemnly accepted it. It was only then that Qinghe began eating the sweets himself, munching on them with a blissful expression.
Even though Chen Xiande was awkward at making conversation and felt especially nervous at having to communicate with a child, Qinghe didn't mind that and kept dispensing treats while keeping up an energetic stream of chatter, maintaining a lively atmosphere.
Soon, Chen Xiande's apprehension also lessened, and under the playful banter of both Hei NingYu and the little Qinghe, Chen Xiande was cheerfully laughing and joining in with sarcastic rejoinders of his own.
The sky gradually darkened, with a few lonely dots of lights sparkling in the deep purple sky that had not yet turned completely black.
Having spent a day filled with constant activity, Qinghe had finally gotten sleepy. He was leaning against Chen Xiande, his little fists rubbing his eyes as he yawned.
With a content smile, Chen Xiande lifted his drowsy junior brother up and held him securely in his arms. "Shall we get you back to your room?"
Qinghe dazedly nodded. "My Xiang will also be there…and I can cuddle with him and sleep… He's very nice…and warm…"
Chen Xiande's eyes gleamed with affection and amusement while Hei NingYu remarked with an eye-roll, "We know, we know. Your future husband is the best, the most comfortable, the most prettiest… you've been repeatedly saying it for the last hour."
Qinghe sleepily snuggled deeper into Chen Xiande's chest. "Hmm…I just want to make sure…that no one forgets…"
Chen Xiande burst out laughing while struggling to keep himself quiet. Hei NingYu chuckled and shook his head. It seemed that with a small bribe of sweets, that Sentinel Wei had ended up securing this child's undying adoration.
...
Chen Xiande and Hei NingYu walked into Qinghe's room and were greeted with Wei Xiang already waiting there in his simple nightwear consisting of a single robe.
Coming forward to take his drowsy beloved from Chen Xiande, Wei Xiang raised an eyebrow, "Are you done then?"
Chen Xiande reddened as he suddenly realized that this Sentinel Wei had actually been giving him a chance to bond with his junior brother. Chen Xiande embarrassedly bowed. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to spend time with my junior brother, Sentinel Wei. We'll leave him to you now."
And so, after giving the droopy Qinghe a small smile, Chen Xiande quickly left the room, with Hei NingYu following behind.
Qinghe let out a long yawn and complained, "Sleepy…"
Wei Xiang smiled. "Then let's remove your clothing before you sleep. It would very uncomfortable otherwise if you return to your adult self during the night."
Qinghe nodded, then stayed limp like an over-boiled noodle as he let Wei Xiang remove his clothes before burrowing under the quilt and resting his head on the pillow. Ah, not wearing clothes was so nice…
Then remembering something, Qinghe opened his bleary eyes and looked up at the Wei Xiang standing by the bedside. Lethargically patting the empty side of the bed, Qinghe declared, "Since we'll be husbands…you should sleep here beside me. You're not allowed to…sleep somewhere else…"
Wei Xiang smiled, then replied with humor gleaming in his eyes, "Very well, then. Since my Little Lord Feng has decreed so, I shall obediently comply."
The sleepy Qinghe didn't even try to make sense of it, just feeling glad that his Xiang was finally lying down beside him.
In a hazy voice, Qinghe commanded, "Xiang…hand…"
Wei Xiang chuckled silently and extended his hand towards Qinghe, who promptly place Wei Xiang's palm over his stomach. Qinghe sighed happily. His future husband's palm felt so big and warm on his belly, its weight so comforting and steadying. Qinghe placed one of his own palms over that bigger hand and felt contentment filling him up.
Inching close to his beloved, Wei Xiang quietly asked, "Qinghe, how was today?"
Qinghe smiled sleepily. "It was…nice. Very nice. Everyone was…so…"
"Nice?" Wei Xiang amusedly finished for him.
Qinghe dazedly nodded. His sleepy mind slipped back to thinking about this last one year in the orphanage, about how he had to quickly sharpen his wits, suppress his childishness, and get rid of his naïveté just to be able to survive in there. He always had to maintain his vigilance. There was no sense of security, no assurance that he'd be able to live another day. In such a situation, there had obviously been no place for him to behave spoiled or expect warmth and care.
But here, today, he had experienced the true bliss of being a pampered and coddled child drowning in affection once again.
Qinghe struggled to keep himself awake as he finally said, "You know…acting like a child…letting myself act like my age…is such a nice luxury. I want to…thank you all…for that… Xiang…thank you for…staying with….…me…"
With that, Qinghe slowly eased into sleep, leaving Wei Xiang gazing at him with a warm expression and a soft smile.
Wei Xiang felt that he was the one who should thank his beloved for being so delightful, for showing him another side of him, and for his Qinghe just being himself.
Leaning towards him, Wei Xiang kissed the little Qinghe's plump cheek, then lay back down to sleep.
And so, as the day finally came to a close, the quiet peace of the night slowly settled over the two slumbering figures.
...
Early in the next morning, while the world was still under the blanket of hushed sleep, the side-effects of the tea finally wore off, and a certain little Qinghe slowly regained the rest of his memories and became an adult Qinghe again.
And the adult Qinghe wished more than anything that he could just erase some parts of yesterday!
Thinking about the way he had behaved in front of his friends and all the things he said and did to his lover…Qinghe finally understood why his senior brother sometimes said that he wanted to disappear off the face of the earth. He had never felt such intense mortification before!
Soon after, Wei Xiang slowly woke up and saw that as he had expected, Qinghe had really returned to his normal self.
Seeing how his little lover's face was buried in his hands, his ears a bright red, Wei Xiang let out a chuckle. "Qinghe, love, how are you feeling?"
From behind his hands came a muffled voice, "Please tell me yesterday was a dream."
Wei Xiang laughed and merrily burst his beloved's bubble, "I'm afraid everything really did happen. You really did become a six-year-old child, and you really did meet the others in that form while acting like an adorable brat."
As he thought back over all that happened yesterday once again, Qinghe drowned in abject embarrassment, wishing he could just dissolve himself into the air for a few days.
Finally taking pity, Wei Xiang gently coaxed his lover, "Qinghe, whatever happened, already happened. You can't change it. I'm sure that everyone knows that the you in your child form is not the same as the you now. They definitely won't think any differently of you just because of yesterday, so stop fretting, love."
Qinghe hesitated, then finally lowered his hands. After all, what would this accomplish? With a sigh, he admitted, "You're right. They…they'll all know that I didn't have all my memories when I acted like that."
Nodding, Qinghe tried to convince himself of that and almost succeeded.
Beside him, Wei Xiang pulled his beloved close, hugging him with one arm as he showed a cheeky grin. "Yes, so let's just forget about it and have a naked party."
Reminded of such an embarrassing thing, Qinghe covered his face once again with a miserable groan while Wei Xiang's delighted laughter rang loudly in the room.
And thus started another normal day.