“Very Sweet.”
Ji Chaoyun put nearly all his strength into that embrace. Feng Qi had currently lost all his cultivation and was actually held so tightly that he could barely breathe.
He remained stunned for a moment but did not struggle. He only slowly rested his hand on Ji Chaoyun’s thin shoulder. “What’s wrong? Who bullied our little dragon? Did my brother say something to you? Or are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Ji Chaoyun’s voice was muffled as he said fiercely, “Stop asking.”
“All right, I won’t ask.” Feng Qi wrapped an arm around Ji Chaoyun’s shoulders, lowered his head slightly, and pulled him firmly into his embrace. “I won’t ask anymore.”
Ever since birth, Feng Qi had been raised in luxury. Whether within the clan or at the academy, he had always lived a peaceful, carefree life and had never before experienced anything as perilous as what they had just endured.
Now that he had escaped death, how could he not also want to hold this person properly?
Feng Qi had awakened a day earlier. After hearing that Ji Chaoyun still had not regained consciousness, he had worried about him for an entire day. At this moment, his stomach was full of words he wanted to say, yet before he could even speak, he suddenly felt the fabric over his shoulder grow slightly damp.
“...” How had he never noticed before that this person could cry so much!
All the words Feng Qi had wanted to say clogged in his throat. He could neither advance nor retreat and could only silently hold Ji Chaoyun tighter.
After quite a while, Ji Chaoyun finally calmed down and gently pushed Feng Qi away.
Feng Qi looked at him cautiously without saying a word.
Ji Chaoyun’s eyes were completely red, and his gaze darted away awkwardly. “W-What are you looking at me for?”
“To see whether you have cried enough.” Feng Qi wiped the wetness from the corner of his eye with his fingertip and smiled. “You really can cry. Are all you aquatic folk actually made of water?”
“...” Ji Chaoyun slapped his hand away and turned his head aside. “I am not usually like this. I only...”
He could not finish the sentence. Feng Qi did not press him and instead took his hand and led him deeper into the hall.
“Your complexion looks this terrible. I truly cannot tell whether you were poisoned or I was.” Feng Qi pressed him down to sit beside the bed, then somehow produced a bag of pastries as though performing a trick and stuffed it into Ji Chaoyun’s arms.
It was an entire paper-wrapped bag of osmanthus cakes, and they were even still warm.
“This... where did you get this?”
“I specifically had someone go to Changyuan Pavilion to buy them for you.” Feng Qi said proudly, “It’s a pity Fengming Valley is too far from the mortal realm. Otherwise, I would have bought them there. They would surely taste even better.”
He picked a pastry from the paper bag and held it to Ji Chaoyun’s lips. “Try it?”
Ji Chaoyun stared steadily at him.
Only then did Feng Qi notice that his gesture was somewhat intimate. He hesitated slightly, wondering whether he should put the pastry down, when Ji Chaoyun suddenly lowered his head and took a small bite directly from his hand.
Half of Feng Qi’s body went rigid. He could only stare as Ji Chaoyun ate the pastry in tiny bites from his fingers. On the final bite, Feng Qi distinctly felt the tip of Ji Chaoyun’s tongue brush over the pad of his finger.
The warm, soft touch vanished as quickly as it came. Feng Qi awkwardly looked away, the roots of his ears turning faintly red.
Ji Chaoyun slowly finished chewing the pastry and said quietly, “Very sweet.”
“...” Feng Qi’s breath caught, and even his neck was nearly turning red.
Ji Chaoyun held the bag of pastries and waited for a moment. When Feng Qi still made no move, he finally looked up and asked quietly, “What’s wrong with you?”
“N-no, nothing’s wrong.” Feng Qi barely dared look at him. “Hurry and eat them while they’re warm. They’ll get cold soon.”
“...Oh.”
Ji Chaoyun lowered his eyes. A faint sense of disappointment rose in his heart, though he did not let it show.
He quietly ate the pastries by himself. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, “Was it because you wanted to bring me these that you were just...”
Feng Qi hurriedly interrupted him. “Don’t bring up what happened just now. I am not usually like that.”
He sat beside Ji Chaoyun and said indignantly, “It’s only because I have no cultivation right now. Otherwise, I would like to see who could possibly stop me.”
“Even like this, no one dares stop you.”
Thinking of Feng Qi’s heroic display earlier, Ji Chaoyun could not hold back and laughed softly.
Seeing that he had finally smiled, Feng Qi relaxed. He reached out and pinched Ji Chaoyun’s cheek. “Who do you think I was doing all this for? Little ingrate.”
“For me.” Ji Chaoyun looked at Feng Qi and said seriously, “Thank you, Feng Qi. You saved me.”
Feng Qi was not accustomed to Ji Chaoyun speaking to him like this. He turned his head aside and said vaguely, “It was not that serious. The immortal physician said the poison was not dangerous. At most, I would lose my cultivation for a few days. Another seven or eight days and I should recover completely.”
Ji Chaoyun froze. “The immortal physician... told you that?”
“Yes. What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
Ji Chaoyun shook his head and did not explain.
He knew that was not the truth.
Back in that stone cave, if not for the power of the dragon pearl within Feng Qi’s body, Feng Qi would already have lost his life.
This fool had no idea that one impulsive act had nearly cost him his life.
Ji Chaoyun said, “From now on, you’re not allowed to do that again.”
“Do what?”
“What if that poison had been fatal?” Ji Chaoyun lowered his head, his voice muffled. “If you died because of me, what would I... what would I do afterward?”
Feng Qi lowered his gaze toward him and tentatively reached out. Seeing that Ji Chaoyun did not pull away, he gently placed his hand over the back of Ji Chaoyun’s. “I didn’t think that much at the time.”
“...Thinking back on it afterward, watching you suffer before my eyes and doing nothing would have been more tormenting than death.”
Ji Chaoyun’s nose stung, and his eyes instantly reddened.
“No, don’t start again.” Feng Qi hurriedly pulled him into his arms in a fluster, his palm gently stroking down Ji Chaoyun’s back. “Can we negotiate something? Don’t cry anymore in the future, all right? I truly cannot bear it. It hurts more than being poisoned hundreds of times.”
Ji Chaoyun blinked and forced back the moisture in his eyes. “Who said I was crying? I was not.”
“Mm, you were not crying.” Feng Qi lowered his voice and said fiercely beside his ear, “If you cry again in the future, I’ll cry with you. We’ll see which one of us can outcry the other.”
Ji Chaoyun laughed at that. “You know how to cry?”
Feng Qi said, “I’m terrifying when I cry. The entire clan could come coax me and still fail. Are you afraid?”
“Afraid.” Ji Chaoyun leaned against Feng Qi’s chest and smiled. “I hope I never have the chance to witness it.”
Perhaps because of his rebirth through nirvana, Feng Qi’s spiritual power had undergone a complete cleansing of marrow, and the power of the dragon pearl had fused into his flesh and bones. Feng Qi himself could not sense it. If the demonic poison had not unexpectedly stirred the dragon pearl’s power this time, even Ji Chaoyun would never have discovered it.
With things as they were, however, perhaps the dragon pearl could never be taken out again.
Ji Chaoyun turned his head and looked at that familiar profile. Almost imperceptibly, he rubbed his head against Feng Qi’s chest.
After so many years, he had long since stopped caring whether he could retrieve the dragon pearl.
There had only ever been one person he cared about.
Everything that had happened over the past few days had sent his emotions through repeated rises and falls. Now that he looked back, however, the only thing left in his heart was gratitude for his good fortune.
How fortunate that when he thought he had actually fallen for someone else, he discovered after all those twists and turns that the person he loved was still the same man.
How fortunate that when he thought those several hundred years had all been spent waiting in vain, he discovered that this person had long since returned to his side.
This was the finest gift the Heavenly Dao had bestowed upon him after all the hardships and tribulations of this life.
“Awoo... awoo...” Suddenly, a low whimper sounded beside them.
Ji Chaoyun released Feng Qi.
At some point, a small mound had risen beneath the blankets beside them. Under their gazes, the mound shifted slightly, and a tiny head pushed out from the edge of the quilt.
It was a little white tabby cat no bigger than the palm of a hand.
The little white cat laboriously crawled out from beneath the blankets. Its two short forelegs hooked over Feng Qi’s thigh as it stretched its head upward, trying to climb onto him.
A pair of round, damp eyes stared pitifully at Feng Qi, so adorable that anyone’s heart might soften.
Feng Qi’s expression, however, was dark. He remained utterly unmoved by the little white cat’s attempts to act cute.
He had finally gotten a fragrant, soft beauty into his arms. Why had this little beast come out to ruin everything?
Feng Qi picked up the little white cat by the scruff and narrowed his eyes as he scolded, “Did I not tell you that you are not allowed on my bed? You refuse to listen, do you, Xiaohua?”
“...Xiaohua?” Ji Chaoyun froze. “It’s that spirit tiger?”
“Yes.” Feng Qi held the kitten in one hand and lightly scratched its belly with the other. “Elder Brother said this spirit tiger insisted on following us back. The moment we left Mount Sumeru, it turned into this. Its own master abandoned it, yet it is terribly attached to me and climbs into my bed every day.”
Feng Qi casually placed the little white cat on his lap and absentmindedly stroked its fur with one hand, paying it no further attention.
Ji Chaoyun could not stop glancing toward the little cat. When he saw it roll onto its back comfortably beneath Feng Qi’s hand, even the tips of its ears trembling, a faint sourness arose in his heart.
Having a small animal around... could sometimes be quite convenient.
The two did not get to talk much longer. Feng Ji could no longer hold off the others outside and repeatedly knocked on the door, saying that the immortal physician had heard Feng Qi was causing trouble again and was already on the way with two senior clan elders.
Neither Feng Qi nor Ji Chaoyun was particularly willing to separate, but Ji Chaoyun was a guest from afar and, worse, a dragon who was hardly favored by the Phoenix clan. At a time like this, he absolutely could not provoke the clan elders.
Only then did Ji Chaoyun reluctantly leave with Feng Ji.
Feng Ji escorted Ji Chaoyun back to his residence in the side hall.
Ever since leaving Feng Qi, Ji Chaoyun’s expression had turned cold, completely different from how he had been moments before.
The more Feng Ji looked, the more amusing he found it. He could not resist saying, “Young Master Ji, there is no need to be like this. Feng Qi has temporarily lost his cultivation these few days, so the immortal physician is keeping a strict watch over him. Once the residual poison in his body is cleared and his cultivation returns, naturally no one will be able to control him.”
Ji Chaoyun said quietly, “I understand.”
“Good.” Feng Ji said, “Young Master should rest. I will take my leave.”
Feng Ji was just about to leave when Ji Chaoyun suddenly asked, “Your Majesty the Phoenix Lord, do you not mind... my relationship with Feng Qi?”
The dragon and phoenix clans of the Immortal Realm had been at odds for a long time. Although Ji Chaoyun had long since fled the Lingyuan Sea, he was still born of the Dragon clan.
So long as Feng Qi had not regained his memories, he would always remain Second Highness of the Phoenix clan.
Feng Ji asked in return, “Feng Qi is my younger brother. Whoever he likes, I will like as well. Why should I mind? Furthermore...”
He paused briefly before continuing, “If we truly cared about such a thing, my uncle would not have made an exception and allowed you to remain during Hongmeng Academy’s entrance examination, nor would he have instructed Feng Qi to take better care of you.”
Ji Chaoyun froze. “So... that was why...”
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying this to excuse the Phoenix clan.” Feng Ji said, “Before Divine Lord Feng Xiao fell, he entrusted you to my father and instructed him to bring you back to the Phoenix clan and protect you well. However... because of Feng Qi’s existence, we did not fulfill his command. We only sent several younger clan members to the mortal realm to secretly protect you.”
“At the time, the great war had only just ended. The Phoenix clan, and indeed the entire Immortal Realm, could barely look after themselves. I had no strength to spare for matters in the mortal realm. By the time things finally settled down, we had lost all trace of you.”
“...Even now, I still regret that deeply. Therefore, when my uncle and I learned that you had ascended again and entered Hongmeng Academy, we secretly discussed how best to protect you within the academy. We simply did not expect that you and Feng Qi would so quickly...”
Ji Chaoyun met Feng Ji’s teasing gaze, and the side of his face grew warm. “We are not... not together yet.”
“Not together?” Feng Ji looked somewhat confused. “Feng Qi told my uncle several months ago that the two of you were already mutually devoted and shared the same feelings.”
“...”
Ji Chaoyun’s expression went blank for a moment. Feng Ji noticed nothing and continued, “I heard my uncle was hardly the only one who knew. From several Immortal Venerables down to most of the academy disciples, they’ve all heard Feng Qi say it himself.”
“…………”
“All right, I won’t disturb you any longer. Get some rest.” Feng Ji paused, then suddenly seemed to remember something. He pointed meaningfully toward the only window in the inner room. “The night air in Fengming Valley is excellent. The weather has also been pleasantly cool these past few days. When you sleep at night, be sure not to lock the window.”
Ji Chaoyun froze and instantly understood the deeper meaning behind his words.
The roots of his ears grew hot as he stammered, “I-I understand.”
Feng Ji turned and left the bedchamber. Ji Chaoyun lay down on the bed. After a long while, he turned over, pulled the blanket over his head, and buried himself beneath it.
The entire Immortal Realm knew...
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Little Dragon: The whole world knows I am dating someone except me :)
Now that I’m writing these sweet little treats, I’m finally not getting stuck anymore. There’ll be an extra chapter tonight too, at six at the earliest and nine at the latest.
IsitRo: Shall we make this little reading journey a bit more fun? Hehehe. I left a tiny prediction board for you cattos, so go ahead and tap whatever makes your catto senses tingle~ 👀🐾
Your picks will stay saved locally in your browser as we go through the next few chapters. Just a little heads-up though: if you clear your browser data/local storage or switch browsers or devices, your answers may reset too. Huhuhu
Anyway, no pressure and no peeking ahead! Just make your guesses and see where this little journey takes us. Hope you'll enjoy!! :3
Catto's Little Prediction Board
What do you think is lurking in the next few chapters? Tap anything that makes your catto senses tingle. A tiny sparkle will appear whenever one of these possibilities gets an answer. ♡
Your guesses stay only in this browser. No account, no sending them anywhere, just you and your suspicious little predictions.
Jade-Slip Fortune Draw
Feeling brave, catto? Unroll the jade slip and see what the heavens have decided to bother you with today. ♡
One fortune per browser day, catto. The Heavenly Dao accepts no complaints, refunds, or angry phoenixes.
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