Yue Xichen had no idea how long he had been asleep. He only knew that he had been dreaming.
In the dream, he was initially alone, kneeling on muddy ground in a torrential downpour, with thunder and lightning overhead. He felt cold all over, as if he were about to freeze to death. But then, someone came. He couldn’t see the person’s face, only that they held an umbrella for him, shielded him from the wind and rain, and warmed him with their own body. Gradually, he wasn’t cold anymore; a warmth from within seemed to melt his entire being.
His long eyelashes, still beaded with water, blinked gently. Yue Xichen woke up. He felt he might have been woken by the heat. As soon as he opened his eyes and the surrounding scenery came into view, he immediately realized he was still within the Beiyun Secret Realm.
“A-Yin…”
Turning to look at the person beside him, Yue Xichen’s dark eyes suddenly widened in shock.
“Master, you’re awake!” A-Yin was about to say good morning, but he found Yue Xichen staring at him with wide eyes as if he had seen a ghost. “M-Master, what’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that… did you have a nightmare?” A-Yin scratched the back of his head.
“No…” Yue Xichen shook his head, his gaze still filled with astonishment. “A-Yin, do you feel unwell anywhere?”
“Me?” A-Yin pointed to his own nose and shook his head. “I don’t feel unwell at all. But you, Master… you didn’t catch a cold, did you?” After saying that, he reached out and touched Yue Xichen’s forehead.
It was a hand large enough, with long fingers and distinct knuckles, almost covering Yue Xichen’s entire forehead. “Mm, it’s okay, no fever.” A-Yin withdrew his hand, completely unaware of the abnormality.
Yue Xichen stared at him for a long while, his thin lips moving slightly. “Master, do you have something you want to say to me?” A-Yin asked proactively, noticing his hesitation.
Ever since he woke up, Yue Xichen’s gaze had been lingering on him. A-Yin couldn’t help but feel nervous, fearing that Yue Xichen had discovered his secret kiss. His heart was pounding with guilt, and beads of sweat even formed on his forehead.
Then, Yue Xichen’s ethereal voice rang out leisurely: “A-Yin, go… go look at that puddle over there.”
“A puddle?” A-Yin looked in the direction Yue Xichen was pointing. There was indeed a large puddle there, likely formed during the thunderstorm. Though puzzled, he didn’t dare disobey his Master’s command.
A-Yin walked toward the large puddle, one hand still resting on the hilt of Yinyue, his entire body radiating alertness. Yue Xichen followed two or three steps behind. Seeing A-Yin’s “facing a great enemy” posture, he knew A-Yin had misunderstood.
A-Yin circled the puddle, thinking there was some danger or evil spirit inside, but nothing happened.
“A-Yin, look into the puddle.” Yue Xichen’s voice came from behind, sounding as gentle as water.
A-Yin had thought there was danger, but since Yue Xichen said so, there must be another purpose. Anyway, Master wouldn’t harm me. With that thought, A-Yin approached the puddle, leaned over, and looked in.
He was struck dumb, standing as still as a wooden chicken. Yue Xichen stepped forward to his side, gazing into the water with him.
“Now do you understand? Why I looked at you with such surprise when I woke up.”
Staring at his reflection in the water, A-Yin was speechless, finding it hard to believe his eyes. “Master, I… I’m…”
The reflection in the puddle was no longer that of a ten-year-old child. He looked about the same age as Yue Xichen, a young man in his early twenties. There was a hint of heroism between his brows, his features were upright and handsome, and his long silver hair shone like a cloak woven with silver threads under the light.
A-Yin touched his face. His initial surprise and confusion gradually turned into excitement.
“Master!” Suddenly, he turned and grabbed Yue Xichen’s hand. Yue Xichen froze, not knowing what he was doing. “I’ve grown up! I’ve really grown up!”
A-Yin held Yue Xichen’s hand tightly and jumped for joy, his bright eyes curving into crescents. Yue Xichen hadn’t expected him to be this happy, but caught by A-Yin’s excitement, he also became happy, the corners of his lips turning up.
“Master, you look so good when you smile.”
“…Is that so?” Yue Xichen hesitated slightly. Since he went up to Lingyun Mountain, he had rarely smiled. On one hand, there wasn’t much worth smiling about; on the other, he was afraid of contact with people, and a stern face suited his image of keeping others at a distance.
“I love seeing Master smile most, so please smile more often!” A-Yin shook Yue Xichen’s hand twice. Yue Xichen felt his disciple was acting spoiled, so he nodded: “…Mm, then I will try my best.”
A-Yin grinned with satisfaction, showing his two sharp little canine teeth. His Master really dotes on him!
His heart accelerated again, and A-Yin instinctively touched his chest. He felt the Beiyun Secret Realm was truly his lucky place. Not only did he learn about Yue Xichen’s past and fall in love with him here, but he also grew up overnight.
Looking at his reflection again, A-Yin turned his head left and right, becoming more confident in his appearance the more he looked. “It would be better if this scar weren’t here…” A-Yin’s fingertip fell on his left cheek.
There was a deep scar there. A-Yin couldn’t remember how it got there; it had been there since his earliest memories. Every time he saw it, he felt an indescribable sense of dread, followed by unease and anxiety. But if he remembered correctly, when Yue Xichen punished him with the discipline whip, the marks healed quickly. He figured it was because he was a half-demon.
“Then why did this scar…” A-Yin muttered to himself. When he was a child, the scar looked out of place and ruined the beauty of his face. But now that he had grown up, he felt it added a bit of maturity and wildness, so he let it go.
“By the way, A-Yin…”
A-Yin turned at the sound and saw Yue Xichen handing him something. “This is…”
“A hair ribbon.” Yue Xichen held a long white ribbon. “This is one I used before. If you don’t mind…”
“Of course I don’t mind.” A-Yin took the ribbon without a second thought and tried to tie up his cascading silver hair. “Thank you, Master.”
For ten years, A-Yin had always had his hair down. This was his first time trying to style it himself. Though he had grown up and his hands were larger with long fingers, they were incredibly clumsy. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t do it right, looking more comical the harder he worked.
Yue Xichen didn’t laugh but felt that even though A-Yin had grown into an adult, he was still as cute as a child.
“Let me do it.” Speaking softly, Yue Xichen moved behind A-Yin and took the white ribbon from his hand.
A-Yin stood blankly. Even though he couldn’t see what Yue Xichen was doing, he had an intuition, Yue Xichen’s fingers were very nimble, expertly tying his hair into a high ponytail.
“It’s done.”
A-Yin tossed his long silver ponytail, smiling happily. “Master, you’re truly beautiful, kind, and skillful. Whoever marries you will definitely be the happiest person in the world!” Facing Yue Xichen, A-Yin spoke impulsively. After finishing, he saw Yue Xichen’s sharp eyebrows furrowing more and more.
“Ah, wait!” A-Yin quickly corrected himself: “I misspoke, let me say it again… I mean, you’re so good, Master, whoever you marry will definitely be the happiest person in the world!”
“…” Seeing A-Yin’s face turn red with excitement, Yue Xichen remained silent for a moment before speaking in a faint, indifferent voice, “I am devoted to cultivation and have no wish to marry.”
“But… even if you’re a cultivator, you can have a Dao companion!” A-Yin was puzzled.
“Mm, that is true…” Yue Xichen nodded, leaving the sentence half-finished. That might be true, but he didn’t have anyone he liked. As the Sect Leader of Lingyun Mountain and the leader of the cultivation world, he had countless pursuers, regardless of gender. Yet in all these years, no one had truly entered his heart.
He didn’t believe those who said they liked him actually did. In his view, they only admired or respected him. What they truly liked might not be him, but his strength. But Yue Xichen never felt he was truly that powerful. He just… had to appear powerful.
Lifting his eyes, Yue Xichen’s gaze met A-Yin’s. For some reason, he felt a bit afraid to tell A-Yin that he didn’t have anyone he liked.
Meanwhile, A-Yin was thinking: Master said he doesn’t want to marry a wife, but he can be a husband! A-Yin secretly vowed to become the most powerful existence in the cultivation world, then marry Yue Xichen with all the traditional formalities. The image of Yue Xichen in red wedding robes bowing with him at the altar flashed through his mind, and he couldn’t help but giggle.
“A-Yin… A-Yin?” Yue Xichen didn’t understand what was wrong with him, laughing like that. Could it be a side effect of growing up overnight? “A-Yin… do you really not feel unwell anywhere?”
Coming back to his senses, A-Yin pinched his face, adjusted his expression, and cleared his throat: “I’m fine, don’t worry, Master.”
“That’s good.” Yue Xichen looked into the distance. Although it was clear, the sky had turned from azure to blood red. “The Beiyun Secret Realm is about to close. I have delayed you,” Yue Xichen said with deep apology. If not for him, A-Yin could have obtained more resources or even the divine weapon Jinglei.
“Master, what are you saying? You were the one who went alone to kill the corpse puppets for everyone. If anyone was delayed, it was us delaying you. Besides, I stayed by your side voluntarily. If you feel this guilty, I’ll feel like I did something wrong, so…”
“Enough.” Before A-Yin could finish, Yue Xichen’s finger landed on his lips.
A-Yin froze, his heart pounding. Yue Xichen’s finger was cool, but that coolness only served to contrast the heat of his lips.
“I understand.” The moment he withdrew his hand, A-Yin seemed to see a fleeting, knowing smile on Yue Xichen’s face.
“Master!” Just as A-Yin was thinking he could continue spending time alone with Yue Xichen in the secret realm, a familiar shout came from the distance.