AN: I'm super happy ya'll enjoyed my smutish scene. I tried my best. Personally, there are things I'll change about it later on but for now, thank you for your feedback. It means a lot to me~

*****

The sun rising was a beautiful sight, bringing to the world a shimmering light to end the seemingly endless night. After hours of darkness, the light was a welcome sight to Xieren as he watched the rays of sunshine dance along the floor.

He'd been staring at the ceiling for a while now, too dazed to move. His limbs were stone, too heavy to lift and his desire to move was nowhere to be seen. He was perfectly content to lie there, enjoying the afterglow of his evening.

He'd had such a lovely spring dream, one that left him exhausted but happy as he sleepily opened his eyes. It was a wonderful dream, where his master had returned to him and told him that he hadn't been abandoned. That Shizun had done everything he could just to return to him, because of that promise.

He also recalled the less than innocent parts.

His face flushed as he recalled just how much 'playing' had happened. His master, as stubborn as he was, refused to stop until his student's erection was relieved. Xieren, being a demon and being fondled by the object of his affection, had a lot of energy.

The night was very eventful.

But even so, the morning had come and the cruel realities of the day would reveal themselves. His dream, sordid as it was, was only just that. A dream.

He should have known better than to hope against such a thing. His master, his loving and wonderful master was gone. He knew that when he opened his eyes, he'd be alone.

At least he had his memories to tide him over before he-

"Ugh..." 

Xieren's eyes widened, his breath stopping as he listened for another sound. He should be alone. Xieren was a man raised in a city where sleeping near another human being was a dangerous act that could lead to death.

There was no way he'd fallen asleep near another person unless...

He sat up, looking for the source of the sound. It didn't take long, having spotted a mound of fabric nestled against the far wall. Soft snores drifted from the mound, filling the room with a sense of ease.

Was it truly...? Xieren moved to check, only notice his robes were still open. He rushed to fix them, still trying to come to terms with the reality of his situation.

If that person had somehow rolled all the way over there like that, then this person was absolutely his Shizun. Only that man slept in such away. Even now, he wondered how he'd gotten past everything in the room to that far corner.

Drawing closer, he realized his master must have been cold, as he had rolled away from the window, nestled between the wall and a cabinet. Seeing the man, bundled in a blanket and squeezed into a tight spot, Xieren couldn't help but think his master looked adorable just then.

He spent the next minute staring, basking in this moment of complete comfort and joy. Had he space, Xieren would have gathered the elder man in his arms and held him close.

Unfortunately, he knew better than to try that. He'd learned long ago that Shizun didn't like to be held when he was nestled against a wall like this. Shizun had very strict criteria on what would surround him as he slept.

Too soft...

Shizun sleepy words from so long ago still stung Xieren's pride, making him unconsciously clutch his chest. He had improved his body but his master was very fickle in his sleep. Perhaps even this, a muscular chest that many had fawned over, wouldn't be enough.

That just means I'll have to try harder! He promised himself, reaching out to test it. If he could hold his master without being denied, that would be the best thing ever!

Gurgle~

Xieren froze, surprised by the sound. It hadn't come from him and he couldn't sense anyone else nearby so...

His gaze fell onto Liang Fei, who let out a grumble as he rolled onto his back. While he had gotten a very good look at this man the night before, seeing him like this was entirely different. Even while he was asleep, his expression was indomitable, making one think they were looking at a doll.

Yet that doll-like face, just hours before, had been staring up at him and speaking lewd words. Those soft lips were wrapped around his shaft and wringing him dry

No, wait! Don't get distracted by how lovely and handsome Shizun is! Don't think about things like that right now! You can look upon him all you like but for now, you have to focus, Xieren! He chastised himself, feeling ashamed for lusting after Shizun like this.

He'd already humiliated himself last night by crying out the way he did. Had anyone heard them, it would be easy to assume that the one being eaten was Xieren.

It was too embarrassing!

Inwardly, Xieren was chastising himself for acting like that. He should have been cooler. He was one of the most powerful cultivators in the land yet he... All the things he said were too much.

Another gurgle sound brought Xieren back to the present. He scolded himself for getting distracted again. Truly, his love for Shizun was getting in the way of taking care of the man.

He'd forgotten that he never got to feed Shizun last night. Xieren had left to take control of the raid and he doubted those damn women had bothered to feed the man. On an empty stomach, it was no wonder he got so drunk.

Xieren stood up and headed to the kitchen. He considered putting Shizun back in bed but he knew the man would somehow find his way back to that corner.

Even when asleep, the man was determined.

Smiling to himself, Xieren happily warmed up some leftover soup. While his skills in the kitchen were exceptional and he wanted to cook for his master, Xieren also didn't want to be away from the man for too long.

He had finally found his master, his Shao Liang Fei, after so long. He had so many questions to ask but just having him back in his life was enough to ease the tension and darkness in his heart.

Thinking about how he had thought this last trip was going to end, Xieren felt such relief that he'd chosen to leave. Had he remained in the darklands, he would have never seen his master again.

Had things continued that way, he was sure this world would have ended by his hand soon enough.

"But Shizun is back so there no need to do all that." He chuckled, not in the least bothered by the notion of the world ending. He'd tried to live without his master for this long. Every day was grim and empty.

He'd been a good student though. He'd given the world a chance to show itself was worthwhile even when his master was gone. In the decade he'd waited, the world was still dull and empty.

Yet within a few days, the world finally felt decent and filled with light. Mornings, which were just noisy and tedious, felt hopeful. He wondered if Shizun liked mornings. If he did, Xieren didn't mind waking up early just to watch the sunrise with him.

Even if Shizun was too tired to stay awake, Xieren was completely fine with just snuggling with his master as the sun rose.

Yet an hour later, when Xieren had returned with Shizun's food, he was met with an empty room and an apprehensive heart.

***

Yao Da had been watching Xinyi since she'd fallen asleep. The demoness had no clue why though. Sure the silly little thing was cute and smelled nice but there was no reason to stick around.

Recalling the warm press of the human's body against her own, the smell of honey and oranges drifting past, Yao Da couldn't help but flush. She wasn't... she didn't have those kinds of interests!

Her heart belonged to Lord Xieren!

"Hear that, human!?" She grumbled, leaning in close. The fact that Xinyi's scent was surrounding her now was definitely not the reason why she did so.

"How can I not?" Xinyi grumbled back, shocking the demoness away. Xinyi opened her eyes, dazedly staring up at the red-faced woman. "You make a lot of noise, you know."

"Y-you heard me?!"

"You talk out loud a lot." She said, yawning as he sat up. Her robes hugged her body, showing off her figure in such a way that tempted any who watched her.

Yao Da was no exception. Seeing her like this, the desire to reach out and touch rose within her. She wondered if the human was as soft as she looked. The fact this silly human was managing to seduce her, the most beautiful demoness in the darklands, was impressive.

(AN: And humble too)

Xinyi looked around, realizing they were in a cave. "Where are we?"

"Not far from where I found you." She explained, sitting back. "You fell asleep soon after I caught you."

Yao Da chose not to mention that she carried the girl to their shelter. It wasn't necessary. She could have left her there but... Ugh, ever since she met that uncle, she's been getting soft.

Next thing she knew, she'd be falling for some weak human or something. How gross.

"I see." Xinyi turned to look at her companion and smiled. "Thank you then."

Seeing the young miss bow and smile so serenely, how was Yao Da to react. She was used to certain reactions from the sexes. Men ogled and desired to taste her while women looked down on her with scorn and envy.

Yet this girl, there was no scorn, envy or even the slightest bit of malice. Like she wasn't a demon or just an instinctual enemy.

"For what?" She pressed, feeling out of sorts for the first time in a while. Xinyi, seeing her flustered reaction, chuckled.

"For taking me here. It was very kind of you."

"Don't think too much about it." Yao Da blushed, feeling strange. Why was this silly girl acting so nice all of a sudden? It was too strange. "I just didn't want your death on my conscience."

Hearing those words, Xinyi couldn't help but recall Xieren saying something similar. When they had met, he had shown her kindness despite how hard things were for him. When she tried to thank him, he said something akin to this woman.

People can be so silly. She thought, chuckling to herself.

"You sound just like my brother." Now openly laughing at the look on Yao Da's face. "He too used to pretend he wasn't a nice person."

"Maybe he actually wasn't and you were being misled." She shot back, not thinking about it. Yet she felt immediate regret, seeing the shift in Xinyi's expression. Gone was the bright smile, replaced with a look of shock.

Had she said too much? Yao Da reached out, wanting to say something but unable to speak a word. 

Xinyi closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "...Perhaps so. I guess I won't know until I find him."

Xinyi felt a bit hurt by the words but she couldn't get mad about it. It was true, after all. Xieren had left her behind. She was obviously still mad about it but she refused to assume such things. After she properly punished that willful child, she would have a long conversation about it.

Elsewhere, Xieren shivered, a strange sense of dread rushing through him.

Meanwhile, Yao Da watched as Xinyi seemed to recover from whatever dark mood she had fallen into. The demoness sighed with relief, happy to see she hadn't ruined the mood.

"Find him?" She echoed, now curious about this human. "You are looking for him?"

"Yes, but I need to find someone else first."

"Another man?" She teased, smiling despite feeling a slight twinge of jealousy. "Quite the adventurous girl, aren't you? Be careful now, little one."

"I'm an adult, I'll have you know." She huffed, placing her hands on her hips. Seeing such a sight, one couldn't help but think this girl was quite cute. 

That much was obvious. Yao Da thought, resisting the urge to openly ogle the human. Really, since when were human females this attractive? Was there something wrong with her?

"I'm looking for Lord Han, he was my travel companion."

"And you think he's lost in the woods?"

"I don't know!" She cried, feeling distressed. "I heard rumors of people being kidnapped and the last time I heard from him, some shady woman stopped us in an alleyway."

"So he was either killed or taken, is what you assume?"

"Yes, but I don't think he's dead." She declared, looking confident, if not a bit worried. "Lord Han is quite strong for a mortal."

"If his opponents were mortal too, perhaps." It was clear Xinyi was confident in her companion's strength. Yao Da was less so.

"I know he's alive!"

"I see. So you plan on rescuing him?" 

"Yes."

Yao Da's eyes looked over Xinyi's body. No sword. "Alone?"

"Of course." Confidence radiated from her in waves. The demoness huffed, amused.

"You, who can't even defend yourself against a bear?"

"I don't think that's fair!" She huffed. Really, would she let it go with the bear already? "Bears are huge."

"And you are a cultivator."

"K-kind of..." Xinyi flinched, not wanting to get into it. Alchemists weren't fighters. At best, they were doctors, hence why she had spent so long in the sect grounds. To venture out on her own like this, technically she had to sneak out. 

If she got caught, she would be punished for leaving since there were very few who could become a proper alchemist of her level.

Yao Da didn't think much about her response. She was clearly a cultivator so there wasn't anything to doubt. Perhaps she was just upset that she was so weak.

That made sense.

"Either way, you don't have to worry about your friend." She reassured the human, wanting to ease her worries. If she said nothing, the poor thing was bound to rush off on her own. "He's probably fine by now."

"How do you know that?"

"My boss went to retrieve some guy. " Much to her own chagrin.

"So..."

"So, if your Lord Han was taken by the same people, which is most likely the case, my boss must have taken the place already." Yao Da had no doubt about it. She had sensed a massive crowd of people,  human and demon, passing by after Xinyi had fallen asleep. A few had even drawn close to their shelter to question her.

It goes without saying that Yao Da didn't allow anyone to get close to Xinyi. Not because she cared or anything but because it was none of their damn business. When someone tried, she made sure they regretted their attempt.

If that guy can't have kids after this, that was his own fault. She had clearly said not to get any closer.

Yet she hadn't sensed her master among the crowd. Whether that was a good or bad thing was still up in the air.

"S-so Lord Han is..." Xinyi regained her attention, staring up at her beseechingly. Yao Da looked away.

"Probably fine." She muttered, feeling a bit dizzy. Why did this little human have to smell so nice?

"Ah, that's great! I was so scared."

"Yet you went off into the woods alone?" She chided, wanting to be harsher. This weak human had wanted to go in alone? Her master had utilized his best men to make sure he took back everything that had been stolen from his hands yet this little thing that didn't even have a sword tried to go by herself.

This little one was too much!

"What else could I do?" Xinyi retorted, stepping closer. "I can't sit around waiting for things to happen. I don't want to be left behind again."

What could Yao Da say to that? Wasn't that the reason she disobeyed her master's orders to remain in the darklands? She hadn't wanted to be left behind. The fact that her disobeying led to her master rejecting her to chase after some uncle was...

She didn't want to think too much on that subject.

She decided to inform Xinyi about the group that had passed them in the night. After confirming they too had been kidnapped, Xinyi was relieved. She couldn't be sure if Lord Han was among the crowd but decided it would be best to return to the city.

If it was him, he was bound to return there, looking for her.

Upon hearing this, Yao Da felt a bit reluctant to leave the human by herself. She was helpless on her own and who knows how she'd fare once the demoness left.

"Do you know how to get back?" She asked, wondering how far this little one had wandered. she said she was from the city but did she know just how to get there.

"Of course." She proclaimed, looking smug. If there was one thing Xinyi could be confident in, it was her navigation skills.

What Xinyi didn't know was that her navigation skills were only a few degrees off from nonexistent. While she could find her way to her destination eventually, she tended to take the most roundabout way of getting there. This ended up adding hours and perhaps days to her trips then a straight forward path

Hence why when asked which direction she would be heading off to, she pointed in the opposite direction. She would indeed eventually get to the city but most likely long after everyone else.

Seeing Xinyi's planned route, Yao Da was horrified. How... How had she made it this far on her own if she traveled this way!?

"So not only do you have no idea how to evade predators, but you also can't find your way home." She hid her face in her hands, trying to figure out this came about. "How have you lived this long?"

Xinyi huffed, feeling indignant. It couldn't be helped that she was bad at this kind of thing. She'd spent most of her time in the office with her master and rarely left the sect. The few times she had left, it was with either Xuejie or Xieren.

After years of isolating herself in her study, she'd chosen to venture out on her own because she had heard rumors of someone resembling Xuejie was running around. If Xuejie was there, surely Xieren was close too.

Xuejie was never far behind Xieren.

She's gone on her own because she didn't want to be taken care of. She knew she relied on her sworn brothers too much when they were young and she didn't want to do that anymore. This journey of hers was one of closure.

She would surely give her brothers a firm smack on the head for leaving without a word to her.

Seeing the pretty girl's deep frown, Yao Da felt a bit guilty for teasing her. She shouldn't be dismissing her efforts. She was clearly a sheltered young miss who chose to set off on her own for some reason.

As an independent woman herself, she should be helping this silly girl.

"If you want, I can help you."

"I don't need any-"

"I mean, allow me to show you how to survive on your own." She explained, holding up a hand to stop her prompt refusal. "It's fine to be self-sufficient but if you are also ignorant of the dangers around you, you'll only end up dead, right?"

"That true." Xinyi crumbled under Yao Da's words. Amused, Yao Da offered a hand to the younger girl.

"So allow me to show you what not to do when you're alone. You are a cultivator, so I think you can handle it."

"I'm an alchemist actually." She admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed to confess such a thing. It wasn't a shameful position but she was sure this woman had assumed she was a warrior.

She couldn't let her go on thinking that.

"An alchemist?" Yao Da echoed, frowning. She wasn't one who was very interested in the affairs of human cultivators so the word was unfamiliar to her. "What do they do?"

Xinyi's eyes widened, feeling a strange sense of giddiness rush through her. How long had it been since she had had someone ask such a thing? Years? Surely the last time was when Elder Shao had asked the same thing, with equal confusion.

A smile bloomed upon the alchemist's face and Yao Da had to suppress a gasp as her face went from attractive to beautiful in seconds. Oi, don't go making faces like that! How can you expect anyone to stay focused when you smile so sweetly?

And thus, Xinyi began to tell Yao Da all about her work, starting from the basics to all the amazing medicines she made. Anyone listening would be able to sense the young lady's passion and joy for her work as she spoke.

They would also note how long she spoke and would probably get bored after the first hour. Yet Yao Da felt no such impatience, thinking that seeing such passion and drive in someone was perhaps a very attractive trait.

***

Elsewhere, the morning air was chilling a certain man to the bone. The snow was thin and barely covered the ground as he knelt next to a riverside. His reflection stared back at him, silently pleading with him to have mercy on them.

No one deserved this.

Yet Liang Fei, with a weary sigh, dunked his head into the water, ignoring the biting cold that raced through him. After a few moments, he resurfaced, gasping as the water dripped down his body.

"Ugh... Xuetian lied to me, that bastard." He grumbled, holding his head in his hands. "He said cold showers help but that did nothing~" 

Liang Fei chose to remain curled up, the pain racing through his head overpowering his need to get warm. It was at this moment Liang Fei decided that alcohol was evil and should be destroyed. Why would anyone put themselves through this!?

Everything hurt! The sun burned his eyes and his head felt like someone was trying to break out of it using a jackhammer.

This was hell.

If not for the fact that had to run, he might have chosen to stay where he'd woken up. At least then he'd be in pain but warm. But he couldn't stay.

Hours before this moment, Liang Fei woke up, with no memory of the night before. Yet from the headache he suffered, he figured he must have gotten drunk and was now suffering from a hangover.

Liang Fei very rarely drinks, for this reason. That and he was told very adamantly to never, under any circumstances, drink.

The one time he recalled drinking was the day both he and Xuetian came of age and could legally drink. The two, upon being released by their families, raided the first convenience store for beer. Liang Fei was not as excited as his friend but fearful of what a drunk Xuetian could do if left alone, he tagged along.

He has no clue what happened after the first bottle, though he's sure he drank more than that.

The next morning, he woke up tied up and locked in a closet. It took several minutes of convincing to assure Xuetian that he was not drunk anymore and wouldn't 'jump' him, whatever that meant. Upon release, he failed to notice his state of undress, being more concerned about Xuetian's glare. The man's words were forever etched into Liang Fei's mind.

"A-Fei, from now on, you are not to touch alcohol, you got me? No beer, whiskey, scotch hell, I'm wary of handing you a soda! Whatever that was, ain't happening again so no alcohol! Not until we make sure you get laid or something."

Xuetian never did tell him what had happened that night, though he assured him that they had both kept their chastity. That and the laid comment made him wonder if he was perhaps more the clingy drunk.

He wasn't sure how drunk he'd gotten but he could only hope he hadn't been too much of a bother. The person who had redressed him and removed his makeup, he wished he could stay and thank them but he really had to leave.

After he woke up, he'd wandered about for a few minutes to find the brothel abandoned. He wasn't sure how but the bloodstains on some of the walls indicated something must have occurred. The only assurance he had that the girls had survived was just how little blood there was in the dressing rooms.

So no matter how he looked at it, the girls were gone from this place. He couldn't be sure why he was left behind but he definitely couldn't stay.

He had to find Xinyi and retreive his pendent.

He was tasked with leaving the Shuzhui in the moonlight for a week. There was no way to know how long it'd take to get back so he couldn't waste time waiting for someone who might not be returning.

So he left. His pain addled brain never bothered to inform him that he could have looked around to find a better means of transportation than just walking. By the time it had occurred to him, he was a good distance away.

His brain did decide that he should, at the very least, leave a note behind. His handwriting was not the best but as legible as a hungover man could muster in his sullen mood.

Truly, alcohol was the seed of evil.

To my caretaker,

 thank you for watching over me. 

My apologies for any trouble I might have caused while inebriated. 

Please excuse my absence but there is a very important matter I must attend to. 

Please stay warm. If possible, perhaps we'll meet again.

Looking over the note, Liang Fei was satisfied by it and headed out, taking some supplies with him to weather the storm. He considered raiding the kitchen but considering the likelihood that the food was tainted, he didn't bother.

That and the thought of food at that moment made him feel sick.

So Liang Fei left the building, not noticing the plume of smoke emanating from the building just out of sight.

***

Xieren read over the note that his master had left behind. His mood was unreadable as the words drifted through his mind.

A very important matter?

Perhaps we'll meet again?!

"Shizun, you really are too much." He growled, gently placing the note in his robes. "You tease your poor student then leave as if we are strangers. What am I to think?"

He turned back toward the door, his sleeves flashing through the air as he stomped from the room. A humble bowl of soup was splattered across the floor, having long since grown cold since it was dashed.

How long had Xieren been standing in the middle of the room, reading the letter over and over? Who could say? It didn't matter anyway. His master wasn't here anymore.

"Perhaps we'll meet again?" He said, his smile nothing more than a shimmer of sharp teeth. "If that is your wish, Shizun, then allow this disciple to grant it!"

He absolutely refused to allow his master to slip from his grasp after all this time. It was the one thing he couldn't grant to that man.

***

It took 3 days for Liang Fei to return to the city.

It would have taken less time but his hangover made navigation difficult. That and there was something pursuing him as he traveled. He noticed it the first day he was out, sensing a malevolent looming over him.

The fact that he, a non-cultivator noticed this meant this person must not care who notices them. Liang Fei hid just as a figure floating over him passed by. They remained for a while, looking to be searching the area. The elder wasn't sure who the person was, so he hid, sneaking away whenever he could.

For the next two days, he managed to slip past this person's survey. Whoever this person was looking for must be important for that cultivator to spend so much time. After being pinned to one spot a few times, Liang Fei only barely resisted the urge to curse this person.

He really wasn't in the mood for this kind of stuff. He just wanted to regain his abilities and find his wayward student. He didn't need to deal with this too.

Part of him considered just ignoring the person but since he didn't know who that person was, he wasn't sure if he could remain uninvolved.

If he was attacked, he'd be helpless. 

So Liang Fei spent two days hiding. Strangely, on the third day, the man flying above him seemed to give up and fly away. It was because of this that Liang Fei was finally able to move forward unimpeded.

When he arrived, he was happy to be someplace relatively warm. He wasn't sure how, but the city was always much warmer than outside the gates. It was the dead of winter, so it was still frigid but it was the difference between a fridge and a freezer.

When he arrived at the hotel, he was told that his room had been vacated but open to him. This confused Liang Fei but when questioned, the innkeeper, sweating and nervous, shook his head.

He wanted to press the matter more but he truly didn't need anything from the room. It'd be nice to get warm but he had to make sure his treasure was safe. For that, he just needed access to the top floor window.

As he ascended the stairs, he felt a peculiar sense of dread filling his gut. The inn was strangely quiet for this time of night. He could hear other guests but there were no boisterous calls for refills or lustful cries from lovers. If anything, it felt like the guests were all trying to be as quiet as possible.

Much the way children do when they sense their parents nearby at bedtime.

Liang Fei wasn't too bothered by this, as he disliked all the noise. Perhaps something had happened while he was gone and new rules had been put in place? It was a fair assumption and Liang Fei found himself liking the quite.

So like a helpless fly, Liang Fei wandered deeper into the web, unaware of what was awaiting him.

What awaited him was an elaborately decorated room filled with treasures and foods. The food steamed lightly, as if just placed there moments before. Yet the room was empty.

Liang Fei, though tempted, walked past the array of delicacies. his hunger could wait. He could eat after scaling the building and retrieving his treasure.

The elder leaped from the top window, catching the outer ledge effortlessly as he swung to the next. The inn wasn't designed with an easy path to the roof. If anything, no one should be able to get up there.

But don't tell that to Liang Fei. Rather than taking the challenge as a clue that no one was supposed to be up there, he ignored all that. If he couldn't get up there via a clear path, he'd just find his own way.

Screw the rule, he had determination.

Having finally reached the roof, Liang Fei let out a heavy breath. While he was fine with climbing, he'd had to do so while suppressing his deep fear of heights. So he stood still for a moment, trying to recover from the pants-shitting fear he had put himself through.

(AN: LF's method of dealing with scary things is to rush through and then deal with the fear afterward. IE: rushing through a haunted house with your eyes closed and ignore anything you bump into or hear.)

"Ah, I wish I could jump up here." He sighed, his words carried away by the wind. He steadied his heart.

Once he finished the ritual for this pendant, he'd be able to do just that.

Some distance above, Xieren stood on his sword as it floated seamlessly. He'd been watching for a while now and wished to see what had caused his master to leave him so suddenly.

"So you left to climb a building?" He said to himself, watching the man skillfully scale the building. He'd hoped his master would stay inside and eat first. He'd left the food for him yet he ditched it to climb a to the roof?

Why must this man do things like this? Was whatever was up there so important that he couldn't wait for Xieren to return first?

He'd assumed that since his master had stayed in this city before, he'd return again but to think it had taken him so long. Did he truly walk the entire way? Why not just fly?

Then again, Shizun didn't have his sword so perhaps he couldn't.

There was so much Xieren wanted to ask him about. Why was his face so different? Why did his golden core disappear?

The matter of the other night was definitely on top of the list though.

While the other questions ate at him, he couldn't ignore what had occurred. His master... he had done such things and there was no way he could forget it.

He wasn't sure what feelings his master held toward him but they couldn't be so casual, right? Surely, even drunk, his feelings must run deeper. Otherwise, how could his master, usually so serious and innocent, do such lewd acts.

The thought of his master acting that way to anyone else, Xieren's expression darkened and the air around him changed. From afar, it looked like a sudden storm cloud had formed around a certain spot, filling the air with an uneasy feeling of dread.

Below, the wind had caught Liang Fei pendent and carried it from its perch. Panicked, Liang Fei chased after it, not bothering to worry about where he was at the moment. Had he been on the ground, acting in such a way would heed no danger but presently, he was on a rooftop.

A rooftop that was never meant to have people running around on it.

He feet sought out solid ground but only found air. Even as he snatched the pendant from the air, his free hand missed the ledge and he began to fall. Despite his fear, Liang Fei didn't scream.

No, it was more accurate to say because of his fear, he couldn't scream as he fell.

Air rushed past him and the elder felt regret. He should have waited until morning. He should have-

Wait, where had the wind gone?

All of a sudden, he felt warm as arms wrapped around him and effortless stopped his descent. Liang Fei kept his eyes close, still terrified at the notion of falling. Was this perhaps like one of those cartoons he'd seen others watching, where the person didn't fall as long and they didn't look down?

This was a fantasy world so why not? If so, he'd never open his eyes again!

"...Are you going to keep your eyes closed the entire time?" A deep voice chuckled, pulling him closer. The warm body, male, wrapped itself around him. "You should be more careful, Shizun. If you keep your eyes closed like that, I might be tempted to kiss you."

*****

Random idea but wouldn't this be a funny story? A 'reincarnated as the villainess in an otome game' but the MC is so wholesome and pure, that her attempts at being evil just come off as adorable. Like she is super psyched to be the villain and tries her best but she fails in the most adorable ways possible. EX: She steals someone's notes and replaces it with her own (which is better) while proclaiming her evilness. All the while, the characters let her do her thing, never telling her how nice she is actually being until someone confesses to her.