Qiu Ling looked the other way before he turned back with a righteous expression as if he hadn’t done anything wrong. "You know as strange as it might sound to you but I think that was the energy of love reviving me."

Jing Yi’s lips twitched. "I’m amazed you can say that with a straight face."

"I’m pretty amazing all around. You’ll see." Qiu Ling smiled happily and dropped the subject, speeding up instead.

Even though he would have liked to go as slow as possible to spend more time with his beloved that would just make his beloved feel that he had been lying before. Anyway, he could spend time with him whenever he wanted to in the future. For now, he should just help him to make him happy. After all, if he managed to let him achieve what he worked for five years to do, then his beloved’s reincarnation should be grateful. That couldn’t be bad!

Qiu Ling imagined how Jing Yi might show his gratitude to him and was instantly even more motivated. Thus, he used his fastest speed to fly to the place he had chosen.

Jing Yi cried out and clung to Qiu Ling’s neck, burying his head at his shoulder. Needless to say, Qiu Ling didn’t even think of slowing down. Ah, had he known his beloved would react like this, he would have done this much earlier!

Ah, this was a day with so many realizations …

Soon, the place Qiu Ling had thought of appeared before them. He had found it accidentally when he was searching for the ingredients of the Amethyst Lightning Pill and had regretted not having Jing Yi with him right then. It was so romantic it just had to be experienced with his beloved!

Ah, speaking of which … "My love, what about that pill? Did you already take it?" Qiu Ling slowed down to make it easier for Jing Yi to answer him. After all, the wind was quite strong when they flew so fast.

"Ah, about that …" Jing Yi evaded his gaze.

"Mn? What is it?"

"I … I didn’t."

"Then you should do it now. If you have fewer spirit veins, wouldn’t it become easier?"

Jing Yi nodded. "Probably."

"Then …"

"I already gave it back."

Qiu Ling blinked. Hah? His beloved gave the pill back? How come he couldn’t remember that?

"Well, I obviously didn’t give it back directly. You’re from the inner sect, after all. I can’t go over there since I’m only an outer sect disciple. So, I gave it to a senior martial brother who knows someone in the inner sect. He said he’d return it."

"Oh."

"Are you … Are you mad?"

Qiu Ling froze. He certainly wouldn’t be mad but the expression his beloved was making just now … He gulped. "Mn. Mad. Very, very mad."

Jing Yi sighed, not sensing that Qiu Ling was messing with him again. "I know you invested a lot of time and energy into this. You must think I’m ungrateful to have given it back just like that. It’s just … If I took it and would only be able to cultivate because of that, then I would feel as if it wasn’t my own effort that enabled me to become a cultivator."

"Oh." Qiu Ling didn’t say anything else to that and just admired his beloved’s face a little longer.

Mn, who cared that this wasn’t Jing He’s immortal face? The way he expressed his feelings was just the same. And this mixture of a guilty conscience and his wish to please his lover was just too enticing! Really, he felt like kissing him right now. Not saying anything was the right thing to do or his beloved would notice and then he’d miss out on this lovely sight.

Being faced with an uncharacteristically silent Qiu Ling, Jing Yi’s guilty conscience grew. He must really be mad at me. Normally, Qiu Ling would be already gushing about him and calling 'my love' left and right while his hands wouldn’t stop moving until they managed to clasp onto him somehow. Well, not that he needed to since he was already holding him into his arms …

"Qiu Ling …" Jing Yi looked up at him with sad eyes. "Is there anything I can do so that you won’t blame me anymore?"

Qiu Ling seriously considered this question. Even though he wasn’t mad at all, he shouldn’t miss this opportunity! He pressed his lips together and looked at Jing Yi with the sternest expression he could manage. "How about a kiss?"

Jing Yi blinked, then laughed. "Aren’t you going a little too easy on me?"

Qiu Ling froze. Had he not been daring enough? Then what should he have asked for?

Seeing his lost expression, Jing Yi smiled indulgently. He cupped Qiu Ling’s cheeks, leaned upward and gently touched his lips with his own. "Better?" he asked in a low voice, his breath tingling on Qiu Ling’s skin.

Qiu Ling was too stunned to react. Could it be … his beloved … had just taken the initiative for the first time?

Jing Yi waited but didn’t get an answer. Even worse, they had stopped moving altogether, even though their destination was right in front of them. Qiu Ling would just need to go down and they would be there.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Jing Yi grew nervous. He had never seen Qiu Ling like that. Well, they didn’t know each other for very long but he still had a feeling that it needed a lot to disconcert him.

Had he felt some sort of danger ahead? Then what should they do? Qiu Ling could fend for himself but what if he slowed him down? Jing Yi panicked and tried to get out of Qiu Ling’s arms, wriggling around.

The movement finally woke Qiu Ling. He pressed Jing Yi closer to his chest and lifted his chin.

"Again."

"Huh?" Jing Yi couldn’t understand what Qiu Ling was saying. "What are you talking about?"

"Do it again. You were too fast. I couldn’t savor it enough." Just in case Jing Yi wouldn’t know what he was talking about, he pursed his lips and looked expectantly at him.

Jing Yi stared back at him exasperatedly. And here I thought it was something grave … But it was just this guy being shameless again! He shook his head and slapped Qiu Ling’s chest. "Put me down. I think we’ve arrived."

Qiu Ling sighed. He should have reacted sooner, now his chance at a second kiss was already gone. Ah, he really needed to make sure that Jing Yi would learn to cultivate with his help! That should get him another one, right?