If We’re Putting on an Act, We Have to See It Through
The scene fell into a deadlock for a moment.
Feng Qi steadied the bamboo basket he had nearly kicked over and looked up at Ji Chaoyun.
Ji Chaoyun seemed to have exhausted all the strength he possessed merely to keep the expression on his face under control. He appeared perfectly composed, even meeting Feng Qi’s gaze calmly, as though what he had just said was nothing out of the ordinary.
“Pfft...” Feng Qi could not hold back when he saw him like this and burst out laughing.
A crack instantly appeared in Ji Chaoyun’s flawless expression.
Amid the awkward atmosphere, only the young woman continued to press them with questions. “Is that true? You’re both men, though. Can two men marry?”
“This...”
Ji Chaoyun did not know how to explain.
Immortals and yao did not care about distinctions between men and women. They could even freely transform between male and female forms, so naturally they could marry as well. The mortal realm, however, was different. Although there were men in the mortal realm who favored other men, neither moral convention nor the law permitted them to marry.
Holding back his laughter, Feng Qi strode forward and pulled Ji Chaoyun into his arms. “Where we come from, two men can marry as well, isn’t that right?”
Ji Chaoyun’s entire body went rigid. He barely managed to tug the corners of his lips upward. “...Right.”
“What should you call me?”
Ji Chaoyun glared at him. Gritting his teeth, he forced the words viciously through them. “Right, Husband.”
Feng Qi was thoroughly satisfied. “That’s more like it.”
The young woman looked at Feng Qi, then at Ji Chaoyun. The corner of her mouth twitched as though she was trying desperately to hold something back, but failed. “Waaah—”
Covering her face, the young woman ran away. Only then did Third Brother Xu emerge from the house and ask in confusion, “What happened to that girl?”
“Nothing.” Feng Qi withdrew his gaze and said as though nothing had happened, “Then we’ll proceed as we discussed earlier. Once I return, I’ll send someone to collect the goods.”
“Certainly. I’ll have everything prepared for Young Master Feng,” Third Brother Xu replied.
Ji Chaoyun was somewhat surprised. “You’ve settled on it already?”
Their original plan had been to use purchasing goods as a pretext and have the guide take them through several villages in the area. If they found nothing, they would simply claim they were dissatisfied with the goods.
Feng Qi’s attitude now meant that there truly was something wrong with Linhai Village?
Feng Qi turned his head and gave him a faint smile. “Third Brother Xu is straightforward, and the goods are of excellent quality. Naturally, I settled on them.”
Third Brother Xu smiled. “Second Young Master Feng has discerning eyes. You truly are an outstanding man among men. To have accomplished so much at such a young age, you are certain to achieve great things in the future.”
“At such a young age...” Feng Qi laughed and shook his head, though he did not correct him.
After a pause, he said to Ji Chaoyun, “I was just discussing this with Third Brother Xu. It is already late today, so why don’t we stay here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow?”
His arm was still around Ji Chaoyun. He lowered his head and spoke quietly beside the other man’s ear, his posture natural and intimate.
Ji Chaoyun’s ears grew hot. He instinctively wanted to move away, yet restrained himself. “I-I’ll listen to you.”
Third Brother Xu said, “Then you two, follow me.”
The two followed Third Brother Xu into the rear courtyard. Ji Chaoyun suddenly asked, “Third Brother Xu, you have two elder brothers as well, don’t you?”
Third Brother Xu’s steps paused slightly before he smiled. “Yes. My two elder brothers went out fishing and still haven’t returned.”
“How long have they been gone?”
Third Brother Xu pondered for a moment. “At least ten days or so, I suppose.”
Ji Chaoyun narrowed his eyes. “Does fishing require them to be gone for so many days? Third Brother Xu, don’t you find that strange?”
“What’s strange about that?” Third Brother Xu explained, “Young Master, you may not know this, but those of us who depend on the sea for our livelihood often cannot return for ten days or half a month after setting out. It’s normal.”
Ji Chaoyun frowned. Before he could say anything else, Feng Qi asked, “By the way, I heard that Linhai Village has an altar and temple dedicated to the Sea Dragon King. We would like to pay our respects. Could Third Brother Xu show us the way?”
At the mention of this, Third Brother Xu’s expression seemed to darken, though it quickly returned to normal. “You mean the Dragon King Temple? It isn’t very convenient to visit lately.”
“Why not?”
Third Brother Xu smiled. “It’s nothing. The tide rose some days ago and washed down the temple’s outer wall. The village has been repairing it these past few days, so it isn’t convenient to go there. The flood washed away the Dragon King’s own temple. Young Master, isn’t that amusing?”
As he spoke, he pushed open the door to a side room. “You two can stay here tonight. My humble home is rather simple, so please don’t take offense.”
Ji Chaoyun’s brow twitched. “One room?”
Third Brother Xu looked puzzled. “Aren’t you two already married? Shouldn’t you stay in the same room?”
“...”
Suppressing his laughter, Feng Qi nodded. “Yes, we should. We’ll stay here. Many thanks.”
Third Brother Xu closed the door and left. Ji Chaoyun immediately tried to slip away along the wall, only for Feng Qi to catch him by the collar. “Where are you going, Wi-fe?”
“...” Ji Chaoyun forced himself to remain calm and looked coldly over his shoulder. “What nonsense are you calling me?”
Feng Qi was not fooled by his act. He dragged him over to the table and made him sit down, then chuckled. “I wonder which little liar was spouting nonsense just now, claiming that we had already bowed to Heaven and Earth and become husband and wife.”
“I only said that because...” Ji Chaoyun’s ears burned, and he did not know how to explain himself.
Feng Qi leisurely said, “Because you saw other young women taking a fancy to me, and you weren’t happy about it.”
Ji Chaoyun’s breath caught.
“What a domineering little dragon.” Feng Qi leaned slightly closer. “She merely looked at me a little longer and asked about me, yet that was enough to make you so unhappy?”
Feng Qi raised Ji Chaoyun’s chin. Those handsome, smiling eyes met Ji Chaoyun’s gaze. “Tell me, what am I to you?”
What was he to him?
He was the person Ji Chaoyun had waited for through hundreds of years, thought of through hundreds of years, and worried over through hundreds of years.
He was the person who, even after losing all his memories, still protected him at every turn, cared for him, and loved him.
“I...” Ji Chaoyun felt his throat go dry. He could not utter another word.
Feng Qi was right. Those three hundred years had affected him too deeply and too profoundly, far beyond even Ji Chaoyun’s own understanding.
Three hundred years of isolation and wandering from place to place had nearly stripped him of all ability to express himself. He had withdrawn into a shell covered in sharp thorns. After living that way for so long, he had even forgotten what he was originally supposed to be like.
Ji Chaoyun stared fixedly into those eyes, his heartbeat gradually quickening.
Whenever Feng Qi looked at someone like this, there was always an invisible pressure in his gaze. Ji Chaoyun had never understood where that pressure came from before. Only now did he realize that it was the might carried in the blood of an ancient heavenly god.
It was the edge of a young phoenix who had yet to learn how to restrain himself.
To the Ji Chaoyun of today, that sharp edge was simply too dazzling. It felt as though if he drew even a little closer, he would be burned until not even ashes remained.
Ji Chaoyun’s breathing gradually quickened. The two remained locked in place for a moment before Feng Qi was the first to release him. “I won’t tease you anymore.”
The pressure lingering around him finally dispersed, and Ji Chaoyun silently released a breath.
Feng Qi asked, “I had you investigate outside earlier. Did you find anything?”
“No.” Ji Chaoyun lowered his gaze and said quietly, “There were no traces of demonic aura anywhere in the village. However...”
“What?”
Ji Chaoyun said, “I questioned Miss Xu earlier. She said her two elder brothers went out fishing half a month ago and have yet to return. That was precisely when we were attacked on Mount Sumeru.”
“When we first entered the village, I already felt something was strange, though I couldn’t determine what was wrong. It was only just now that I understood.”
Ji Chaoyun paused before continuing, “Linhai Village is rich in resources, yet throughout our journey here, most of the people we saw working were elders nearing fifty and women. We didn’t see a single young, able-bodied man. Only when the village chief tried to drive us away did that fisherman surnamed Xu suddenly appear.”
“You’re right. It is indeed too much of a coincidence.” Feng Qi nodded. “There is something else. The guide said this village earns its livelihood by selling its goods elsewhere, yet every household has goods piled high, with no sign of anything being transported out. That means that for at least the past month, no merchant has come here and left with any goods. Or...”
Ji Chaoyun’s brows drew together slightly. “Or the merchants who came here never left alive.”
The two fell silent for a moment. Ji Chaoyun said, “These are still only guesses. If we cannot detect demonic aura, we cannot draw any conclusions.”
“Could we detect any demonic aura when Venerable Yaoguang was possessed?” Feng Qi propped his chin on one hand and gave a slight laugh. “There is also the matter of Lingyuan Sea allowing a rising tide to wash down its own Dragon King Temple. How could that possibly happen? Surely your unlucky younger brother hasn’t finally lost patience and decided to usurp the throne?”
Ji Chaoyun ignored his nonsense and asked, “What should we do now?”
“Wait.” Feng Qi said leisurely, “If there truly is something wrong with this place, then there must be a reason they allowed us to stay the night.”
Night soon fell. With the hour already late, Ji Chaoyun sat by the window and looked out into the courtyard.
The courtyard was utterly silent. The lamps in several bedrooms had already been extinguished, leaving only the light in their room still flickering.
Feng Qi finished making the bed and turned his head. “What have you been staring at over there?”
Without looking back, Ji Chaoyun said, “Didn’t you say they would make a move tonight?”
“Even if they intend to make a move, they won’t choose a time when we’re still awake.” Feng Qi walked over to him. “The bed is ready. Go sleep. You’re an immortal. Are you really afraid of a few mortals?”
“But...” Ji Chaoyun hesitated before admitting the truth in a small voice. “There’s only one bed.”
“What, afraid I’ll take advantage of you?” Feng Qi chuckled and pushed him toward the bed. “Don’t worry. I won’t sleep. Lie down.”
“But...” Ji Chaoyun wanted to say something more, but Feng Qi half-forcibly pressed him down onto the bed.
Seeing that he still wanted to struggle, Feng Qi said in a low voice, “Have you forgotten what you promised before we left? You’re to listen to me in everything.”
Ji Chaoyun immediately stopped moving and allowed Feng Qi to pull the quilt over him and wrap him up. Feng Qi admonished, “Your body hasn’t been properly cared for in years. You’ve been traveling and exhausting yourself these past few days, and we still don’t know what may happen tonight. Why aren’t you getting some proper sleep?”
Ji Chaoyun said quietly, “I understand.”
“Good.” Feng Qi lightly pinched his cheek and rose to leave, only to be caught by the hand.
Ji Chaoyun’s fingers released him as swiftly as lightning. He asked quietly, “What about you?”
Feng Qi glanced at his face. “I’ll keep watch by the window. You rest.”
“But...” Ji Chaoyun’s gaze wandered everywhere, refusing to meet his eyes. He quickly said, “But we’re pretending to be married right now. If someone looks in from outside and sees us like this, they’ll certainly become suspicious.”
“Oh, so that’s what you’re worried about.” A hint of amusement appeared in Feng Qi’s eyes as he explained, “I can cast an illusion to deceive their eyes. They won’t notice anything.”
Ji Chaoyun asked, “What if whoever comes is a demon?”
“There’s no need to fear a demon either. If he uses magic to break my illusion, wouldn’t I immediately sense his presence?”
“...”
Ji Chaoyun had nothing left to say. He muttered, “Do as you please,” then turned over and pulled the quilt up to cover most of his face.
Feng Qi looked at the fuzzy half of his head still peeking out. His heart felt both soft and unbearably itchy, and Ji Chaoyun was nearly driving him mad.
He clearly wanted Feng Qi to stay with him, yet he kept making excuses instead of simply saying what he meant.
This little dragon...
Feng Qi lightly ground his teeth, then walked over to the table as though nothing were amiss and extinguished the lamp.
The room fell into silent darkness. Even their breathing was so faint that it was difficult to hear. Ji Chaoyun stared at the stretch of white wall before him. At last, unable to resist, he quietly turned his head...
Only to meet that familiar, faintly amused gaze.
“...Weren’t you going to keep watch by the window?”
Feng Qi knelt beside the bed and looked at him with a smile. “I changed my mind.”
One by one, he undid the fastenings of his outer robe, took it off, and hung it aside. “I thought about it again. They’re only a few mortals. There’s no need to be so cautious, much less waste cultivation on some illusion to deceive their eyes. Don’t you agree?”
“...”
Ji Chaoyun watched his movements and quietly shifted farther toward the inside of the bed. Then farther still. Just as his body was about to press against the cold wall, Feng Qi lay down and pulled him back in one motion.
Feng Qi gathered him into his arms, his burning breath falling beside Ji Chaoyun’s ear. “What are you running for? If we’re putting on an act, we have to see it through. We can’t let anyone see through us.”
Ji Chaoyun’s back rested against Feng Qi’s chest. His eyelashes trembled, and whatever thought crossed his mind made the tips of his ears turn red at once.
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Little Dragon: The... the whole act???
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