Pff. Of course, was a yes.
So, Song Yewan took the pair of young foxes with him to his room. He tucked himself in next to them and took the pills his kind father handed him; when he finished chewing them, the sleep immediately enveloped him and he fell asleep.
It was not until the sun began its descent and the sky was tinged with warm colors when he just woke up. He really needed that long rest and they all knew it, so none of his shixiongs or shijies had the heart to go wake him up early in the morning as they were used to, and they just waited patiently for him, attentive if something were to be needed his younger brother.
When they saw him finally emerge from his room with a more renewed countenance, their worries subsided. They spoiled him a bit by serving him lunch and preparing clean towels and robes for after his bath in the hot springs... Eh? With the huxians?
—Stop playing, I cannot brush you if you keep moving.
After bathing with them, he even carefully dried and untangled their fur. Wan-didi had never done it! Is this a sign that their little brother is maturing in taking responsibility for pets?
Although their shifu told them about the adorable request of their didi last night, they cannot help but see this scene as so strange! He actually came back different, acting kinder, calmer, and also softer and more lovable than they were used to before he went abroad. They saw those foxes being as clingy as ever, but Song Yewan did not seem to mind right now; giving off calm as if he was used to it, he even patted their heads from time to time instead of pushing them away as he had done before.
And what to say about what happened later.
What they believed would be something that would not happen again soon, was repeated that night at dinner's time and in front of them: Song Yewan asked shifu if he can to sleep with the huxians again. An exchange of glances was enough to know that his master agreed; he thanked him with a bow, said goodbye to his elders politely, and the three of them marched back to the bedroom, with the animals escorting the human gladly and proudly.
Those who remained in the dining room did not know how they must feel seeing the youngest of the Song act like this. It should be mentioned that it is not as if they see any problem with this small change; after all, it was even ideal that he has it, as he was bonding with the pets of the goddess they served.
So…
Well, what does it matter?
After a week, watching his Wan-didi go to sleep with the foxes became natural. And also find him hugging the white fox when the seniors took a look at his room. And later to witness how, during recesses, the albino huxian takes the form of a cute young man with blue eyes, porcelain skin, and long black hair to chase Yewan.
—…?
If it were not that everyone knows that this human image was not the true one (because they know it), they would not be so curious about it. Especially when this new look is so similar to the young man who appears in several of the paintings that Song Yewan made outside and continued to do during art classes.
Except for the long, flirtatious eyes and fluffy, white, and (clearly) non-human ears and five tails... the look was undoubtedly identical to Xiao Qingchen's.
A week later, they even found out that their little martial brother made beautiful white robes to which he embroidered delicate details with silver threads. Locked in some room to make them, he used the white huxian as a model when this fox takes the form of his friend. However, the fox never kept them; when Song Yewan finished his work, he kept it neatly in a qiankun pouch that grown-ups had never seen before. Only a couple of times did he give robes embroidered by him, but these were from the sect and he just decorated them. Also, you could say that with those he just wanted to practice his skill.
However, the young white fox followed him around happily wearing the given outfits.
On the one hand, it was not at all strange that a huxian began to become attached to one of the disciples of the immortal Song Baihua; after all, this was a tradition between them to act as a guardian-protégé in the future. These immortal foxes live together with the young apprentices from birth and watch them grow; along the way, they would take one under their protection and aid in their cultivation. And then, when its human reaches the age of majority or a particular cultivation level, they would both take a soul oath.
This was an old custom; according to teacher: older than himself. Song Baihua has his guardians and his teacher also had her own long ago.
On the other hand... that the sacred animal has taken that form —apparently— to become close to Song Yewan… And all those adorable actions of their didi…
—A-Qing~
There is no response or reaction.
—Shidi.
Not yet.
—Qingchen.
Still.
—Xiao Qingchen! —She finally gets a start that indicates that this time he did hear her. The young woman continues—: What do you think about? You are going in the wrong direction; dashijie said the teacher is in the garden, not in her office.
—Ah? —As if a dream had just come out, the youngest of the Xiao was somewhat confused.
—Ay... xiao shidi...—The maiden sighs, putting a hand to her cheek as she looks at her younger martial brother with concern—. That path you are on leads to the office of shifu, but we must go to the gardens next to the spring. You... you are a little distracted lately, is something wrong?
—Ah, no, yes! I mean-! I'm sorry, shijie, I'm sorry... I just did not realize it, but there I go!
Quickening his pace, he advances to the small bridge when he just notices that his companion is not at his side.
—Shijie? —He stops and returns his gaze to see her.
—Ah, shidi, I forgot something. You can go on, okay? Shijie will catch up with you later.
The maiden gave him a smile from her place until she saw him disappear down the road. At that precise moment, she erased it by changing it into a pout and turned on his heel towards the trees and bushes at her side.
—Again…
She mutters in an adorable pout as a pair of shixiongs come out of hiding.
—We see. —They reply at the same time and comfort her with a kind pat pat on the head.
They are uneasy for their little brother because, since he returned from his trip, he has become more and more distracted. With his head in the clouds, he is clumsy when it comes to fulfilling his tasks. The only thing that reassures them is to see that at least it is not like that during the classes, to which now he has become more dedicated.
However, there is one more detail...
—At least this time it is not related to young Song, is it? —Asks the tallest of the three ones.
—Did he mention him at some point and we couldn't hear it, shimei? —The next asked.
—No, no. This time Qingchen didn't talk about him. He just… left. But, it is certain that he still thinks of his friend...
—Hm...
The last few weeks have been a bit strange for the Xiao's.
His young brother came back, but why does not he seem to be the same? He looks happier, but sadder at the same time. Sometimes he cannot stop training, but at other times he just wants to be apart from the rest watching the sky lying on the grass. He can talk for hours about an affair he had with his friend from abroad, but also be quiet for many others looking melancholic.
This is the way they discovered to revive him...
However, they wonder: why should they ask him about young Song so that their shidi will smile so brightly again?
And it is not just them from the Xiao family, but also those from the Song family! Both clans that do not even know each other, seeing those bright eyes lost in the stars on the rosy face of the youngest of the house, have the same question kicking their mind:
Why does it seem that their little brother was talking about the love of his life and not about a simple boy with whom he became friends?
And, well, other questions, like ...
What about that shy smile? What about those warm cheeks when they talk about each other? You could even say that they look like two perfect lovers! Of those who sigh yearning when thinking of his beloved and are distracted when she is not by his side... But that is impossible!
Since they are both boys!
Being so isolated from society from a very young age, the other disciples did not know if that was possible, so they looked for some guidance for their suspicions. But... a love between two men? They cannot find any in the romance books in the library! What will they do now ?!
These shixiongs and shijies are missing. Had their little brother really... fallen in love? From someone outside! With a man!
...
From the outside!
No, no, no. It could not be, it was definitely impossible! That should just be a close friendship between them that they are misinterpreting!
~
—Zhen'er, stop looking at the portrait you painted and focus. Are you good? You have recited the prayer wrong again and your posture is wrong too. Correct them, please.
—A-Qing, did not you like the poem of this sister? You seem more interested in that tassel that you always carry on your sword than in me :(
Ehh… But that does not mean much, does it? Besides, at no time has their little brother talked about feeling those sentiments that they assume he keeps for who he met on his trip. It even seemed that he had not even noticed those himself! Either they not exist and in truth, itis just a great friendship that exists between those two ones, or they are simply so dense that they do not realize that they fell in love.
Given that possibility, they did not dare to act impulsively and waited for a clearer view of the matter, attentive to little changes and attitudes.
—Shidi... why do you look so melancholic? You are always so serious, but now you look more like… uh… someone sad to die. What do you care about?
—Ah! A-Qing! Are you okay?! What are you doing sleeping out here? Where did you get those black coats?
Soft words to appease the concern of his seniors was the first response; followed by a brief comment on a memory of the person that occupied his mind all day. Something like "You look sad, are we going to pick strawberries to cheer you up?" Was answered with an anecdote that lit up his face when he told them about the day that he and his traveling partner picked strawberries and prepared jam with them. Then his spirits would drop suddenly, and the young man would sigh his desire to repeat the moment if he ever meets his long-awaited friend again.
And with the passing of the weeks, nothing improved; these turned out to be the same or worse, with them losing his energy and even his appetite.
At this point, there was no question. But... now what is next?
It is about their beloved little brother, the youngest of this family who is not united by blood but by heart, and, of course, the one adored by all. The thought of turning their backs on him in this situation makes their hearts ache... They conclude that it is better to support him as much as possible, so as not to feel sadness or regret later.
And so, the shixiongs and the shijies of each family went as a group to talk about this to their shifu, who were in their offices.
It was important shifu know about the situation!
They had organized their ideas and even brought evidence to support what they were going to say. They called his/her office, but whoever opened it was...
—Di... di?
Behind the door was the youngest disciple and behind him was shifu, who quickly reading the situation, laughed, and explained everything with simple words before the lost gaze of everyone:
—Just today? It was notorious since he arrived.
Xiao Qingchen and Song Yewan in the middle of everything and under the gaze of everyone—: Hm?