Zhou RenShu never returned to Liu Yong’s work. When painting the flora field he both loved and hated he wanted Liu Yong to feel the same love and hatred as him. He had spent an eternity in that field, whether the dream he had met Fan Lei in was real or not, the constant fear and loneliness he was forced to bear was real in his soul. Whenever he saw Liu Yong in the field during his dreams he would feel nothing but bliss but once the man left to enter the river, the fear crept up into his soul, turning his heart cold.

 

His love for Liu Yong was the same though. He hated Liu Yong but he loved him more. When they were apart it felt as if the eternal loneliness would never leave, almost suffocating him. One month had passed but it felt longer to Zhou RenShu, his body had become weak from lack of food and the vials Liu Yong had placed in his bag were all empty, once Zhou RenShu was able to read the list everything had been summoned.

 

The clothes were folded neatly and placed in the small closet, these were the only clothes he wore. The vials added up to almost thirty but they had all been used. Most times they had replaced a meal or two, Zhou RenShu felt warm whenever the essence inside the vial passed through his lips since it reminded him of the times Liu Yong had fed him. Now that all the vials were empty his body always felt cold, even the warmth from his stone necklace felt cold to him.

 

His tutor had also become worried since whenever she arrived Zhou RenShu would be wearing the same thing, winter pajamas and woolen socks. Although autumn had just begun, the weather was still warm, it always amazed her to see Zhou RenShu wear the hot clothes without breaking into a constant sweat.

 

“RenShu, do you want to try reading this poem out loud?” The tutor handed over a book but Zhou RenShu wasn’t in the mood to learn, it had been close to one week after handing over the painting. He wanted Liu Yong to come answer his question but the man he missed never came to see him. “Teacher, I’m too tired. Can we end it early today?”

 

“You’ve been saying the same thing everyday, read this poem and re-write it then we can finish.”  Zhou RenShu reluctantly held the book of poems in his hand. He stared at the words before speaking slowly, the beautiful poem losing its vitality with the lackluster voice.

 

This spring morning in bed I'm lying,

Not to awake till the birds are crying.

After one night of wind and showers,

How many are the fallen flowers?

 

(by Meng Haoran (689-740) of Tang Dynasty (618-907)

 

“RenShu, is everything okay?” Zhou RenShu weakly nodded his head but his tutor wasn’t convinced, he didn’t want to talk about his pains and troubles so he kept his head down and focused on copying the symbols on the page. Only once everything was written correctly did his tutor leave. The room fell into a lonely silence as Zhou RenShu carried his cold body back to his bed. If his weight was heavier, a small hollow would have appeared in the mattress from all the time spent there.

 

Zhou RenShu could no longer cry after 5 weeks of separation, the amount of tears he had shed had dried his tear ducts. He was lying in bed trying to fall asleep so he could see Liu Yong again but a loud knock sounded at his door. Zhou RenShu didn’t want to get up but the knocking wouldn’t stop. His fear of answering doors had cleared quickly whilst living at the apartment since the building was under the protection of officers, if you weren’t a resident or registered visitor then you couldn’t enter. Although the fear was no longer there he was still reluctant.

 

The knocking persisted until the door was finally opened, Zhou RenShu thought it would be his tutor or Ms Wu since they were the only people to visit him but instead it was the officer that had offered to deliver his gift to Liu Yong. Officer Yu stared at the small boy wearing baggy winter pajamas. “Hello, I’m officer Yu. May I come in?”

 

There was no answer from Zhou RenShu, he also didn’t step aside for the officer to enter. Officer Yu chuckled at himself awkwardly, thinking Zhou RenShu didn’t remember him. “Eh, I gave Liu Yong your gift. I actually have a favour to ask you. Do you mind if I come in?”

 

Zhou RenShu actually remembered the man, the reason he didn’t say anything was because he was scared the man had come here with a message from Liu Yong, however after hearing the man was looking for a favour he stepped aside. Officer Yu gave a polite thank you before walking in, removing his shoes. He was surprised to see there weren't any slippers, even more surprised to see Zhou RenShu walking around in only socks. Doing the same he sat down at the small table. “I came here since I wanted to ask you how you’re able to hide your snake identity.”

 

Intense fear troubled Zhou RenShu’s heart as he heard these words. No one has been able to feel that I am a snake, how did he find out? What does he want to do to me? Officer Yu could see the fear written all over Zhou RenShu’s small body and he was quick to try and calm the small boy. “You misunderstand, I am part of an investigation and we’ve been trying to find this woman but we’ve been struggling. Liu Yong has also been working hard to find a way to hide a demons identity but so far he hasn’t had any luck.”

 

Hearing the explanation, Zhou RenShu calmed down a little but he was still unsure if he should say or not. “How do you know I’m a snake?”

 

“I read your file, I asked Ms Wu to hand it over for Liu Yong and she gave it up like it was nothing. Although hiding your demon identity is legal, it is still written on your file since it is part of your identity.” Zhou RenShu felt a little bitter, he didn’t like Ms Wu since she was too harsh with her words, hearing that she handed over his personal information like it was nothing didn’t help shed light on her name. Even if it had been Liu Yong personally asking for the file, shouldn’t there be rules? Officer Yu was waiting for an explanation on how Zhou RenShu was able to hide his identity so flawlessly but it never came. “RenShu, how did you do it? It is rare to find such a flawless seal.”

 

“Liu Yong did it, I don’t know how.” This news confused Officer Yu. If Liu Yong was the one to do this then why did he forbid me from seeking out Zhou RenShu and why hasn’t he been able to replicate the results? Zhou RenShu wouldn’t be able to answer these questions so he moved to asking about his favour. “Before, when I explained our situation with not being able to find the woman we are looking for, well Liu Yong has asked me to find a snake demon to lure this woman out. There would be a whole team waiting so the whole mission would be safe for the demon but so far we haven’t had any luck finding anyone willing.”

 

“I thought Liu Yong was looking for Wu Yun?” Zhou RenShu didn’t understand. If Liu Yong was wanting to use a snake demon to lure their target out. Why didn’t he come find me himself? “Although you don’t have the aura of a snake demon, I’ve found proof that the woman we’re looking for actually knows you.” 

 

Officer Yu pulled a picture out of his uniform pocket and handed it to Zhou RenShu. The woman that had taken an interest in him was on the piece of paper in his hands, Zhou RenShu thought back to when this woman was able to fill his entire body with fear with only one look, Zhou RenShu continued to stare at the picture until it was removed from his small hand. “If you are willing to help, I believe we can capture Li Qing.”

 

_ _ _ _ _ _

 

Liu Yong was sitting in his office with the large snake in his lap, his eyes glued to the painting hanging on his wall. The contrast between the beautiful field of flowers and faces of dead snake demons would be too jarring for anyone, but Liu Yong had only one thing in his sights. The snake was sleeping in his lap, even when the phone rang loudly the large head stayed still. Liu Yong didn’t want to answer the phone but when he saw it was a private number he couldn’t help being curious.

 

“Wu Yun?” Liu Yong wasn’t in the mood for games today, his guess had been right but the voice that replied to him sounded different, tired. “Liu Yong, I want to have dinner with you. Come to the same room I brought you to. If you don’t want to, then I’ll just say goodbye now.” beep, beep, beep.

 

Liu Yong was left feeling conflicted and confused. Although he didn’t want to fall into another one of Wu Yun’s games, he felt the man wasn’t in the mood to play anymore. After returning the snake to his case, Liu Yong left his office and drove to the hotel he hadn’t been to since leaving Zhou RenShu. 

 

Painful memories spread across Liu Yong’s mind as he entered the elevator, even though he was trying to think of something else, the events from that night pushed themselves into the spotlight, Liu Yong felt cold and his hands trembled as he knocked on Wu Yun’s door. The Wu Yun that answered was not the same one from that night he visited Liu yong, his strong body looked worn and while his face was no longer cold and stiff it didn’t look well. “What happened to you?”

 

Wu Yun stepped aside to allow Liu Yong to enter, he laughed but it seemed forced, the smile never reaching his eyes. Once the two men sat at the table with plates sitting in front of them, Wu Yun explained his haggard appearance. “I no longer work for Li Qing, I made a gift for you which is why I look so scary. In a few days my usual handsome appearance will return.”

 

“What do you mean?” There was a lot of information to break down. Why did Wu Yun decide to stop working for Li Qing and what is this gift he is talking about? Wu Yun drank a bowl of soup with frail hands before he started talking again. “I’ll be leaving the country, I won’t be returning once I leave. Although I have faith in your abilities to catch criminals, I am a criminal at the end of the day and once Li Qing is taken care of, I will be next on the hit list.”

 

Liu Yong sat quietly, watching Wu Yun eat between sentences. The food in front of him were all foods he loved to eat but he didn't have much of an appetite. Forcing his chopsticks to pick up the braised pork he listened to Wu Yun without interrupting. “Li Qing is growing weaker, Wang Ling is dead thanks to me too, leaving her unable to gather essence from snake demons.”

 

Hearing that Wang Ling was dead came as a shock, hearing that Li Qing wasn’t able to cultivate herself was also surprising. “Isn’t Li Qing a cultivator, why doesn’t she go after snakes herself?”

 

Wu Yun smiled naturally as he placed more food into Liu Yong’s bowl. “She doesn’t cultivate because she can’t. Demons can only dual cultivate but what Li Qing needs isn’t Yang energy. She needs Yin energy.”

 

Seeing the shock on Liu Yong’s face made Wu Yun even happier and he drank a cup of wine, he had always loved being able to make the cold faced man break his stone expressions, whether it was in anger or happiness, if he could get Liu Yong to show any emotion he felt happy. “She’s a snake?”

 

“Bingo!” Wu Yun clinked his glass to Liu Yong’s before downing what was left, Liu Yong also brought his cup to his mouth. Why couldn’t I feel her demon aura when we first met? Is this why she was able to hypnotise people? “She’s a snake yet her Yin energy is unstable, if she doesn’t absorb it on a regular basis then she grows weaker.”

 

Wu Yun had quickly eaten his fill and lazed back in his chair, Liu Yong also placed his chopsticks down though he could only stomach a few mouthfuls. “Why are you telling me? Inviting me here, what is it all for?”

 

Liu Yong could never fully understand Wu Yun, the man had a lot of faces, he also liked to play games. Liu Yong had been hurt or tricked more times than he would care to admit by Wu Yun. 

“I’m leaving and I don’t want Li Qing looking for me, not only that, but I no longer feel the need to hurt you anymore. I know how much you miss that small snake, yet you’re forcing yourself to stay away. That pain in your heart is enough for me.”

 

The words brought back the ache in Liu Yong’s heart, his eyes shifted as he tried to control the trembling in his hands, although Wu Yun knew how to play cruel games and twist peoples minds to see the world how he wanted, Liu Yong knew he was the only one that could see what was hiding in his heart, only Wu Yun could look past his cold face and see the broken man he really was. 

 

Wu Yun stood up from his chair and walked to his already packed suitcase. “I didn’t know if you would really come, I picked this room to be extra cruel. If you hadn’t come then I would have sent your gift once I was at the airport.”

 

After sitting back down, a small box was handed over to Liu Yong. He slowly opened it. Inside was a handful of black pills. Liu Yong had no idea what they were or what they did. “I don’t know if you’ll be willing to use them. Just like those cultivation pills I fed you, those black pills were made after killing someone, Wang Ling to be exact.”

 

Had Liu Yong been of sound mind back then, he would have refused Wu Yun’s cultivation pills, he knew that the pills sliding down his throat were in fact the life essence of various snake demons. Now in his hand were the life essence of a strong cultivator, although Wang Ling was guilty of mass murder, there was a line Liu Yong was still not willing to cross. “Those pills aren’t for your consumption though, they would only be wasted on you.”

 

“Who are they for then?” Liu Yong placed the box on the table, Wu Yun stretched his tired limbs and filled both their glasses before speaking as if he was stating the obvious. “They’re for your snake demons, I know you’ll never be able to find a way to create a seal to change or hide the identity of demons, I also know you’re not the type of person to look into dark cultivation because if you were then you would have found that the life essence of a cultivator can hide a demons identity, much like what happened to your small lover….well ex-lover.”

 

“Zhou RenShu’s identity is hidden because of the seal I placed on him.” Wu Yun slowly shook his head. “No, you of all people should be able to feel the difference between the energy of a seal and an essence. Your life essence is what hid his snake aura, had you not been gifted with such high cultivation you would have died. Why do you think I look so ugly today? Wang Ling was only enough to make three pills. I used a lot of my own cultivation to create the other five.”

 

“I can’t give these to people, although it could save their life, isn’t this just doing what Li Qing is currently wanted for?” Wu Yun was becoming bored with their conversation and started to ignore Liu Yong until he sighed heavily. Both men sat in silence. Wu Yun placed the countless plates outside then sat down again, looking at Liu Yong curiously. “You never told me why you didn’t show up to that dinner.”

 

Liu Yong gazed at Wu Yun sadly. “That was the day I found out about the crimes you had done, I knew I wouldn’t be able to face you without trying to kill you.”

 

“I figured as much, a call would’ve been nice though.” Liu Yong rolled his eyes while Wu Yun smiled at him. Seeing that there was nothing else left to be said, Liu Yong stood up. The small box grasped in his hand. Wu Yun followed Liu Yong to the door before placing a light hand on the man’s shoulder. Liu Yong’s hand holding the handle paused and he turned around.

 

“Remember this is the last time we’ll be seeing each other, Liu Yong.” Wu Yun stared into Liu Yong’s eyes softly, had it been two years ago Liu Yong would have felt breathless at the beautiful sight but now he only felt nostalgic. With his free hand Liu Yong slid his rough fingers across Wu Yun’s pale cheeks. Placing his lips onto the slightly chapped ones in front of him, Liu Yong felt free. The kiss wasn’t deep or emotional, only a way of saying goodbye to both the man and the resentment towards him in his heart.

 

When he left he felt Wu Yun had truly returned to his usual self as well, the last of the bitterness between them floating away with the last of the summer breeze.