Su Yu hid in the shadow of the tree branches. His slender fingers rested against the jet-black trunk, looking sickly pale under the moonlight.
Looking at the inn not far away, Su Yu tightly pursed his lips before gliding toward it like a wisp of green smoke.
Chu Liuxiang was lying on the bed looking at a painting when he suddenly heard a gust of wind blow the window open.
He turned his head to look, and under the bright full moon, a person clad in white drifted lightly inside, spinning around before landing on the edge of the bed.
“Muqing?” Chu Liuxiang looked at the visitor in surprise, hurriedly tucking the painting into his robe.
Su Yu raised his eyes to look at him. “I came to tell you that you must leave this place tomorrow.”
“Why?” Chu Liuxiang asked in confusion. What harm was there in his staying in this town? Why did he have to leave?
“There is no why,” Su Yu said, his eyes filled with sorrow and worry. “Why must you ask about everything so clearly? Just leave when you are told to leave.”
Chu Liuxiang looked at him for a good while before suddenly chuckling helplessly. “If you want me to leave, you at least have to give me a reason. If you ask me to leave for no rhyme or reason like this, how can I leave in peace?”
“You fool!” Su Yu could not help but stand up and scold him. “Are you truly not afraid of death?”
Looking at his handsome face flushed with anger, Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, “As the saying goes, ‘To die under a peony flower makes one a romantic ghost.’ If I can see you day in and day out, Muqing, I would willingly swallow such poison.”
“You!” Su Yu repeatedly retreated a few steps, as though Chu Liuxiang had said something utterly shocking. “Nonsense! How frivolous!”
Chu Liuxiang stood up and walked over to him, suddenly asking, “Then what about you?”
“You have urged me to leave this place time and time again, and tonight you even braved the late hour to come and remind me to leave as soon as possible. We have met by chance less than three times, so why do you care so much about my safety?”
Su Yu lowered his eyes and turned his face away, whispering, “You are a good person. I simply cannot bear to see a man as young as you lose his life here.”
Chu Liuxiang raised his hand toward Su Yu’s cheek, cupping his chin gently to turn his face back around.
Warm fingertips touched his cold face. With a complex mix of emotions, Su Yu looked at the handsome man before him, who possessed sword-like eyebrows and eyes as bright as stars.
“Does it still hurt?” Chu Liuxiang’s soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
Snapping back to his senses, Su Yu took a step back to avoid his hand. “Remember my words and leave this place as soon as you can.”
“Well, well! I wondered why you came back empty-handed every time you went out these past few days. It turns out you were running off here to rendezvous with a man!” A charmingly seductive voice suddenly came from outside the window.
Su Yu and Chu Liuxiang turned their heads to look. Outside the wide-open window stood a beautiful woman in red, smiling with smugness and malice.
“Qiao Mei?!” Su Yu turned pale with shock. “You misunderstand! I didn’t!”
Chu Liuxiang shielded Su Yu behind him, frowning as he spoke. “Miss, Muqing and I are completely innocent. Do not hurt others with harsh words.”
“Innocent?” Qiao Mei sneered. “Canoodling and embracing each other, I saw it with my own eyes. No wonder you always dragged your feet whenever you were sent out to do tasks these past few days. It turns out you took a liking to this handsome face and couldn’t bear to leave him.”
“That is not true, stop talking nonsense!” Anger was hard to conceal on Su Yu’s face. “I have no special relationship with him!”
Qiao Mei twirled a strand of hair by her temple, smiling bewitchingly. “In that case, let it be him then. This man is brimming with vital energy and blood, making him an excellent tonic. We shall present him as an offering to Master.”
“No!” Su Yu blocked the way in front of Chu Liuxiang, glaring angrily at Qiao Mei. “You are not allowed to harm him!”
“And you still say you have no relationship? If you have no relationship, why would you protect him like this?” Qiao Mei narrowed her eyes slightly, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping over Su Yu and Chu Liuxiang one by one.
“You should know Master’s methods. The last few times you returned empty-handed, Master was already very displeased. It was only because I mediated on your behalf that you were given another chance. If you fail to bring back a tonic again, you know the consequences.”
Chu Liuxiang’s eyebrows furrowed tightly upon hearing this, a hint of deep thought flashing through the bottom of his eyes.
Su Yu stood resolutely in front of Chu Liuxiang. “My affairs are none of your concern. Even if Master punishes me, I will accept it, but I will not harm him.”
Qiao Mei sneered, her eyes full of mockery. “You couldn’t have actually fallen for this man, could you? Don’t ruin yourself for his sake. If you know what’s good for you, bring him back quickly to present to Master, or else I will take action myself.”
“In your dreams!” As soon as Su Yu spoke, a white silk ribbon shot sharply toward Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei dodged out of the way, and by then, Su Yu and Chu Liuxiang had already flown out through the window.
“Trying to run? It won’t be that easy!” She hurriedly gave chase.
Su Yu pulled Chu Liuxiang as they glided through the air. Looking at Su Yu, who was flying completely without needing leverage, Chu Liuxiang fell silent, the suspicion in his heart growing even more certain.
“Let’s go back,” Chu Liuxiang said.
Though puzzled, Su Yu still listened to him. After circling a few times, they returned to the town. As for Qiao Mei, she had already been shaken off by Su Yu.
In the guest room, Chu Liuxiang sat on a chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. His gentle, smiling eyes occasionally glanced toward Su Yu.
“If you take me away like this, how will you account for it to your master?” Chu Liuxiang sighed softly.
Su Yu’s body trembled slightly, but he did not speak.
“I, Chu Liuxiang, have roamed the martial arts world for many years. My martial arts may not be the absolute best, but they aren’t weak either. You can try trusting me just this once.”
Chu Liuxiang’s gaze was immensely gentle, like water trickling slowly into the depths of Su Yu’s heart.
Su Yu shook his head slowly, lowering his eyes to avoid his somewhat burning gaze. “Daybreak is approaching. I should leave.”
Saying this, he turned to leave, but Chu Liuxiang grabbed his hand. Su Yu looked back at him, his affectionate yet sorrowful eyes causing a surge of pity to involuntarily well up in Chu Liuxiang’s heart.
“Muqing, leave with me,” Chu Liuxiang said with a deeply serious expression.
“Leave together?” Hearing those words, Su Yu’s heart trembled. Under the moonlight, a trace of tears seemed to shimmer in his sorrowful eyes. He shook his head slowly. “I will not leave with you.”
He pulled his hand out of Chu Liuxiang’s grip, holding back the sob in his throat.
The moonlight fell into his eyes, and a tear dropped from them, sliding down his cheek.
“Muqing?” Chu Liuxiang raised his hand to wipe away the tear on his face, but Su Yu hurriedly turned his head away. “I am leaving.”
“Will you be harmed when you go back?” Chu Liuxiang caught his hand again. Thinking back to what the red-clothed woman, Qiao Mei, had said, he couldn’t help but worry.
“That is my own affair.” Su Yu’s body suddenly swayed violently. A look of extreme pain crossed his face, and his already pale complexion turned deathly white.
Chu Liuxiang hurriedly pulled him into his arms. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I am fine.” Su Yu shook his head, raising his hand to gently brush Chu Liuxiang’s hand away before turning and stumbling off.
He looked back at Chu Liuxiang, a trace of moonlight reflected in his tearful eyes.
“Muqing!” Chu Liuxiang walked over quickly, only to see that Su Yu had already flown out the window and far away, his white-robed silhouette drifting off like a clear breeze.
Su Yu hid in the shadows of the tree branches, looking from afar at Chu Liuxiang, who stood in front of the window gazing in the direction of his departure.
He raised his hand to brush aside a branch blocking his view, gazing dazedly at Chu Liuxiang standing by the window.
Chu Liuxiang’s gaze shifted slightly, as if he had spotted Su Yu’s figure. His eyes looked straight through the dense branches toward Su Yu hidden within.
He just stood by the window like that, watching from the setting of the moon to the rising of the sun.
Watching the people coming and going on the long street, his mind was entirely consumed by Muqing’s figure.
Chu Liuxiang felt he must be going mad; otherwise, why would he be so obsessively longing for a man? Even though he knew very well that staying any longer might bring danger, he still couldn’t bear to leave.
The pale, painful expression on Muqing’s face when he left made it impossible for him to rest easy. He wanted to see him one more time.
As night fell, Chu Liuxiang looked out the window with anticipation. He was waiting, full of anxious concern. He had not forgotten Qiao Mei’s words, nor the fear Muqing seemed to show when that so-called Master was mentioned.
The watchman’s clapper had already struck the third watch, and the long street was completely quiet.
Chu Liuxiang stood before the window, watching the white-robed figure draw closer and closer, unable to help but smile.
At this moment, the inner conflicts he had felt were no longer important. As long as this person appeared before him, he couldn’t think of anything else.
Just as he was about to speak, Su Yu crashed directly into his arms. Chu Liuxiang stumbled back repeatedly, falling onto the bed.
Su Yu pressed down on him, his waterfall of hair cascading down both sides of his cheeks. On his pale face was a pair of eyes filled with heart-wrenching sadness.
An ice-cold kiss fell upon his face. Chu Liuxiang wrapped his arms around his waist to pull him close. His lips were embraced, and his cheek was touched by wet moisture.
Chu Liuxiang lifted Su Yu’s face and saw tears glistening in his eyes.
He wiped away the tears on Su Yu’s face, his eyes filled with unconscious heartache and pity.
Su Yu’s tear-blurred eyes fixedly stared at him. A moment later, he suddenly lowered his head to kiss Chu Liuxiang. These kisses, carrying icy tears, fell upon Chu Liuxiang’s face and lips, carrying a desperate, reckless finality.
Chu Liuxiang cupped his waist, flipped over, and pressed him underneath, laying a gentle kiss upon his lips.
Su Yu hugged him tightly, responding clumsily, his supple hands sliding slowly down to Chu Liuxiang’s waist.
Just as he was about to undo the belt, Chu Liuxiang grabbed both of his hands, interlocking their fingers, and pinned them beside his cheeks.
Chu Liuxiang left his lips to kiss the fair skin on the side of his neck. Feeling the person beneath him trembling slightly, his movements halted immediately.
He raised his body slightly to look at Su Yu, and seeing tears slipping from the corners of his eyes, he couldn’t help but pull him tightly into a firm embrace.
Su Yu held him silently, his cheek pressed closely against Chu Liuxiang’s chest. Chu Liuxiang’s gentle warmth thrummed through his heart.
Feeling the trembling body in his arms, Chu Liuxiang tightened his hug even further.
“Brother Chu,” a choked voice came from his chest, causing Chu Liuxiang to unconsciously add a bit more strength to his embrace.
“I’m here,” Chu Liuxiang said softly.
Su Yu sat up slightly, his tear-misted eyes meeting Chu Liuxiang’s gaze. Chu Liuxiang gently wiped the tears from his face. “Don’t cry. Tell me, what happened?”
Su Yu shook his head without speaking, sitting up from his embrace and hanging his head in silence.
Chu Liuxiang sat up as well. “Muqing, can you tell me?”
Su Yu turned his head to look at him, his glistening eyes shimmering as if containing tiny, shattered ice crystals.
“Brother Chu, after tonight, perhaps we will never see each other again. Take good care of yourself in the future.”
Hearing this, Chu Liuxiang’s heart tightened instantly, and he immediately grabbed his hand. “Why do you say that?”
Su Yu did not elaborate further, getting up to step off the bed.
“Muqing?” Chu Liuxiang pulled him back into his arms with force. “Don’t hide things from me, alright? I am very worried about you.”
Gales suddenly raged outside, slamming the tightly closed windows wide open.
Su Yu’s face changed drastically. He turned around and pushed Chu Liuxiang. “Run! Leave this place quickly! Hurry!”
Chu Liuxiang held his hands down, his expression grave. “It’s too late.”
Su Yu turned his head back uneasily, his eyes widening in an instant.