“Cough…”
A gentle breeze brushed past, startling the lanterns along the entire long street into swaying. It was like a sea of fire rising in waves, a sight of incomparable beauty.
Yu Heng had no heart for the scenery; the moment he heard that low cough, he had already turned around. His beautiful eyes were tinged with worry. Under the firelight, he looked even more radiant than the lanterns filling the street.
“Brother, are you alright? Is it the cold?”
As he spoke, he moved to untie his own cloak, but before he could act, Jiang Xuning reached out to stop him.
“No need, I’m fine.”
The evening breeze of early summer was not that cold. Moreover, given Guangling’s unique location, the night was not much different from the day, making it quite comfortable.
Yet, for some reason, since a moment ago, his heart had begun to beat violently without cause as if something terrible was about to happen. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of apprehension.
Thus, looking at the person before him, he said, “A-Heng, it’s getting late. Let’s head back first.”
“Is Brother tired?”
At this moment, the worry in the youth’s eyes had not yet fully dissipated. Hearing Jiang Xuning’s words, his brow furrowed again toward the center, an impossibly handsome sight.
Seeing that the two of them had already drawn the attention of most people on the street, Jiang Xuning had no choice but to pull him toward a side alley, only letting go once they reached a secluded spot.
“Brother?”
The youth seemed not to realize just how eye-catching he was at this moment. Beneath his ink-black eyes was an unmaskable “spring air” (allure). From the beginning, his gaze had never left the person before him, as if in all the vast world, he only cared whether his brother’s body was well.
In truth, Jiang Xuning was fine and not tired. After all, his health had improved significantly since entering the Tianyan Sect. Coupled with the daily nourishment of medicinal vapors at the herb garden though it was only temporary he was already quite different from how he was in Yue City. Thus, walking this short distance was actually nothing to him.
However, that sense of unease came with such force that it blew away the bit of excitement he had managed to muster for going out. Added to the caution gained from living his life over again, he instinctively felt the urge to retreat.
But he didn’t know how to explain it. He knew how much Yu Heng worried about his health, so he didn’t want to lie to him, especially not about his body, and particularly not while facing that gaze. Therefore, he could only offer a muddled explanation: “I’m not [tired], it’s just that we’ve been out for so long, it’s time to go back. If it’s any later, I fear the sect…”
The Tianyan Sect had strict rules. He vaguely remembered that disciples were not allowed to stay out overnight.
To his surprise, the youth only laughed after hearing this.
“Brother, you gave me a fright.”
Yu Heng grumbled a few words of mock reproach, but his features relaxed, and his tension swept away. He let out a complete sigh of relief in his heart.
“I thought it was something else,” the youth explained. “While the sect has many rules, it isn’t heartless. Tonight’s Spring Tour Festival is a unique holiday for the Guangling area, and it only happens once a year. The sect knows disciples will descend the mountain for this, so they’ve relaxed the rules. For this one night, one does not have to return to the dormitories.”
Jiang Xuning, having just arrived, naturally didn’t know the ins and outs of these matters. But the one thing he did know was that this seemingly open-minded decision caused him distress.
“A-Heng…”
He wanted to persuade him further, but Yu Heng didn’t give him the chance.
“Brother.”
The youth tugged at the other’s sleeve, a hint of grievance appearing in his shifting gaze. “We finally managed to get out for once, and we haven’t even played much yet.”
They hadn’t seen each other for a long time. He had worked so hard to convince him to come to the Tianyan Sect, thinking they could see each other every day and spend every night together. Who would have thought that shortly after returning, the sect would urge them to go exorcise evil, and for half a month at that?
One must know that originally, he had planned to use the opportunity of their reunion to properly cultivate their feelings. That plan had completely gone down the drain, leaving him with an unknown amount of pent-up resentment.
It was precisely because of this that he was even less willing to let go of such a good opportunity now. Furthermore, knowing full well that his brother had a soft heart for him, he took advantage of the lack of people around to badger him relentlessly.
“Besides, this is the first time Brother has come out with me like this. Just play a little longer, just a little while. Say yes, alright? Please, Brother?”
If anyone else were present, they would be stunned by the youth’s behavior. He was already born with such fine features; utilizing them intentionally like this would make anyone watching him flush with embarrassment.
Fortunately, Jiang Xuning was used to this and wasn’t entirely lost in the youth’s beauty. But being stared at like that, he still couldn’t help but blush a thin layer of red that added a touch of charm.
He turned his face away. Luckily, the alley was dark, hiding most of the light so it wasn’t too obvious.
And just as Yu Heng said, Jiang Xuning’s heart indeed softened. However, it wasn’t due to the youth’s beauty, but because he suddenly remembered things from their childhood. In a sense, this truly was the first time he and A-Heng had come out to play like this.
When they were young, he rarely went out because of his health. To accompany him, A-Heng also stayed in the courtyard all day.
At that time, he didn’t understand; he simply thought A-Heng was afraid of strangers and thus unwilling to go out. Only when he grew up did he realize it wasn’t that A-Heng didn’t want to go out, it was just an excuse to stay with him.
After all, they were small then, at an age where they should have been lively and active. Even with his own quiet personality forged by illness, he had longed for the world outside, let alone the younger A-Heng. How could he have the patience to stay in one place for long?
Thinking of this, he felt a wave of guilt, and his stance was no longer as firm as before. He thought that since he and A-Heng had finally made it out, he really shouldn’t be such a wet blanket.
As for that mysterious unease from earlier, Jiang Xuning thought perhaps it was just his imagination.
Having made up his mind, he reached a final decision. He looked at the youth before him and nodded in agreement.
“Alright.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Heng was stunned, as if he hadn’t expected the others to agree so easily. It took him a moment to react, smiling as he said, “I knew it. Brother is always the best to me.”
His eyes were deep, making it impossible to see what he was truly thinking.
……
“I’ll take Brother to a great place.”
Just as they stepped out of the alley, a gentle breeze swept through. The flowering trees across the city were awakened, showering down a floor of petals. The two were drenched in them; petals caught in their hair and sleeves, filling them with fragrance. Jiang Xuning was in a rare good mood, allowing Yu Heng to pull him into the crowd, while he couldn’t help but ask, “What ‘great place’ are we going to?”
Yu Heng didn’t answer the question, only looking back as he ran. “Brother will know once we get there.”
He was smiling. On the radiant long street, the two of them ran together toward the spring light.