Hachin sat crossed leg in a meditative pose, but he was not able to concentrate at all. His eyes would unknowingly wander over to the tall young man sitting in the same posture in front of him. Qu Wren was seriously cultivating to even sense him.
He slowly crawled closer and peered up at him. Yes, you heard him right before he looked up. No one knew how, but Qu Wren had a sudden growth spurt right after he started cultivating. He grew taller than his first brother Ren, who was known to be the tallest of their clan.
Hachin gulped audibly and glanced at Wren's bicep and abs exposed from because of his loose clothes. 'He even grew muscular,' he thought with a small smile. 'Whereas I grew fatter,' he glanced down at his flabby tummy resentfully.
"Hachin, are you getting sick again?" Qu Wren suddenly said, startling the poor oyster.
Hachin stumbled back and shook his head. "N—no, I am totally fine. Totally," he mumbled with a slight blush.
But Qu Wren did not buy his reasoning. He moved closer and touched his forehead. "You don't feel so cold. I guess you don't have the ice fever again,"
Hachin was slightly regretful. 'if I had said I was sick, I would have got a hug,' he thought with a pout. This was their routine. Two months earlier, his ice fever went rampant now and then, freezing everything at sight. Even brother Diago's hands almost froze because of him.
But Qu Wren hugged him tightly to his body, heating up him up entirely. From then on, it became a ritual between them. If one of them felt like their fever was acting up, they would hug each other to control it.
And so for these two months they had been able to keep the fire and ice in control.
Just thinking about those hugs, Hachin slightly got hot. "Well, how was your cultivation today?"
"Good, I feel the heat coursing through me. Qi condensation is very starting now. I think I might even advance into foundation stage." Qu Wren happily whispered.
"That's great," Hachin exclaimed in glee. But soon he controlled his expression. "I mean that's nice and all."
"Aww Hachin, why are you so cute," Wren hugged him tight.
The sudden physical contact startled Hachin a little. It made his heart pound like crazy. He pushed Wren's head away with a frown. "Don't touch me!!"
Felling his distaste, Wren moved back with a wronged expression. "Why do you hate me?" he mumbled and before Hachin could answer, he walked out with his back slumped.
Hachin bit his lips, holding back his tears. 'I don't hate you silly, I like you so much. So much that my heart is overwhelmed by your presence,' he thought, but the words did not come out. He sighed and stood up, cleaning the mess Wren left behind. "When will you understand me?" he mumbled, holding Wren's wrinkled up shirt.
On the other side, Qu Wren walked back to his house with a pout. 'What's wrong with him? I thought we were back to being friends but.... he hates me more now,' he trotted tiredly inside.
His second brother spotted him immediately. "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling good? You look down," he said quickly, holding his shoulders. "Wren?"
"Nothing, just.... I am upset," he mumbled, leaning against his brother's shoulders.
Diago gently patted his back. "What's wrong? Who wronged you or what upset you? Tell brother hmm?"
"Nothing, I am just upset that I expected too much," Qu Wren mumbled and went over to his room and closed it.
"Leave him be," their mother jade, whispered with a soft smile. "I think he might have fought with Hachin again,"
Diago frowned. "What do they even fight about? Goodness, they don't do anything or even go anywhere? These two months they stuck to each other like glue now they are fighting again. Mother, I don't understand youngsters anymore,"
Jade laughed out loud. "Dear, don't talk like you are ancient. You are just a few years older than Wren."
"I know, but he is my baby brother. I can't watch him be sad like this. What if the fever comes back," he anxiously scratched his head and walked out the house.
Jade silently glanced at the closed door of her youngest son. "I wonder what they fought about as well,"