The next day was strange for Huo Huli. Not just because of the ache in his belly that persisted after getting the heat inducing poison out, but the villagers all appeared...happier? Everyone had a light spring in their step. The only logical explanation is that everyone was thrilled because Mu Yi and Fan Su were forced out. He was concerned about the villagers acting so aggressively on his behalf, but knowing that they were the ones responsible for his condition and their general bullheadedness...he wasn’t too upset about the whole thing.

 

What really upset him was the fact he still felt out of sorts, and they were still no closer to figuring out any threats. So far the night watches have been uneventful, and no reports of strange things have come in. For now, it felt like a peaceful moment.

 

“I think this cultivator isn’t so strong,” Huo Huli mused outloud to his cousin. They sat by the river together so he could try to stabilize some of his energy that felt stuck in his dantian. His golden core felt fine, but something electric was going on inside him. 

 

“What makes you think that?” Huo Cheng lifted his head up from the ground where he was stretched across to look at him.

 

“I was thinking about it on the day I was poisoned.” He looked at the water’s edge as he explained his theory, “There were very few calamities in the area, and he had to summon exactly two hundred and fifteen. If we pretend that he summoned them all that day, it still doesn’t explain how they could have gotten here so fast from any of the locations the people gave us where things had happened.”

 

Huo Cheng sat up now, looking more interested. “You don’t think he summoned them all at once.”

 

He shook his head and kept his eyes fixated on the water, feeling calmed by the gentle current as it washed over the rocks. It helped him piece together his ideas into a bigger picture.

 

“I think this cultivator has been summoning corpses for a while, and I think he’s storing them in a location. He can’t control that many for so long, so the ideal thing to keep a drought corpse at bay would be a stronger type of undead to deter it. Like…”

 

“A jiangshi.” Huo Cheng picked up exactly what he was implying. “He could be storing the corpses in the mine and the jiangshi are convenient jail keepers since the corpses would avoid jiangshi. We also know they are feeding them, which would keep them in the area. But...this still doesn’t explain why.”

 

“I don’t think this cultivator is well versed in the demonic way, and needs a secondary source for all that ill will in order to practice or pull off whatever they are trying to do. While I do think they were trying to test me, they were taking a very big risk. Best case scenario they would have succeeded and wiped us all out, and they would go undisturbed. Worst case is that I am indeed how strong they say I am and now they have to come up with something else, which is what worries me.”

 

Huo Cheng rubbed his chin, “The reports before we came here spoke of missing people...it’s possible they might try to snatch people again to compensate for the loss.”

 

“That’s exactly what I am worried about,” his shoulders lifted and fell with his heavy sigh. “I think we should be vigilant, and if something happens we may need to implement a curfew.”

 

“I will speak with Elder Ming about it. Do you think we should check out mine?”

 

“Soon, but this person is crafty. They may have changed locations, especially since we killed the jiangshi there.”

 

“Mmm...that’s smart. But let me ask you, what do you think of Zhou Rong?”

 

His head whiplashed at the sudden change of topic and he stared blankly at his cousin, “Z-Zhou Rong?” His cheeks automatically flushed as the name left his lips. “W-why are you asking about Zhou Rong?”

 

Huo Cheng lifted a finger and pointed to somewhere behind him. “Because he’s coming up this way.”

 

He whirled around to see Zhou Rong slowly making his way over. His long hair swayed in a tail held up by a ribbon that reminded him very much of the Dream Zhou Rong’s black wolfish tail. Blood pooled in his cheeks, making them iron hot.

 

Why is this happening?! He knew he would have to say thank you for rescuing him - yet again - but he’d hoped to have put it off for another day. Or two...or three…

 

Huo Cheng was the one to stand up and greet Zhou Rong when he approached, each of them clasping the other’s forearm in a show of comradery. He darted his eyes between the two alphas, confused as to when they had gotten so familiar with one another.

 

After they nodded to one another, Huo Cheng turned to him next. “I’ll see you at Aunty Li’s at dinner tonight.”

 

And just like that, he was left alone with Zhou Rong. He jumped onto his feet and brushed the grass off from his back and knees, hoping to avoid eye contact. Zhou Rong still hadn’t spoken yet, just quietly waited as he took much too long to flick every blade of grass off his robes. Thoroughly clean now, he had no excuse to keep being so rude so he lifted his eyes up to Zhou Rong’s face. 

 

His cool demeanor was still there, though Zhou Rong’s brows were unfurrowed and his expression relaxed. There was a touch of warmth in his eyes that made them look like drops of honey they gentled his typically stern appearance. Huo Huli’s heart did a funny thump against his chest.

 

“Are you still unwell?” Zhou Rong finally spoke, startling him a little at the sudden deep voice that broke the quiet.

 

“I...I’m still recovering.” He felt that was a vague enough but still accurate response. He cleared his throat and reached up to tuck a bit of his own hair behind his ear. “It appears I have to thank you for a second time. I promise to not be such an inconvenience in the future…”

 

“You are never an inconvenience.”

 

“Th-thank you for your kindness.” He didn’t know what to do with his hands and crossed his arms. That looks unfriendly...He quickly dropped them and clasped his hands behind his back instead. “I’m sorry about the incident, with your sect brothers.”

 

“I’m not.”

 

Zhou Rong’s short, matter of fact statements were unnerving for some reason. He decided to ask a question instead, “Is there anything I can do for you? I owe you a sincere debt.”

 

Those yellow eyes glinted as something flashed over them that made Huo Huli’s throat go dry. Zhou Rong’s long brow twitched on the left side just faintly, and in a smooth voice he asked a question in return, “How much do you remember about yesterday?”

 

He managed to push sounds out of his dry mouth. “Yesterday? Remember?”

 

What he remembered were all about his dreams, from the moment Zhou Rong was touching him and telling him he wanted him all the way up to when he changed into a man beast. He couldn’t reveal all that.

 

“I...I only remember my dreams, sadly. I am sorry that I could not thank you properly then.”

 

A slow, captivating smile split apart Zhou Rong’s lips. It was almost unbearable to look at him, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

 

“There’s something you could do for me,” his smile didn’t fade as he spoke. “Would you be able to teach me something today? If not, I can wait until you have recovered more.”

 

“Teach you...something?”

 

He wasn’t sure he heard correctly or understood. What would Zhou Rong want to learn from me? He was from a martial sect, so perhaps it was some sort of battle related thing, but he truthfully didn’t know what would be of use to the man. That, and, his energy was too unstable to really try anything right now.

 

“Yes.”

 

Huo Huli raised a brow, “Anything?”

 

Zhou Rong took a second, then answered with a firm nod. “Anything.”

 

With such a strange request, he didn’t know if his idea of what to teach was any stranger. It could possibly offend Zhou Rong, but he was at a loss for what to do. He was about to reach for Zhou Rong’s hand before he jerked it back, remembering himself.

 

“Uh...umm, follow me!” He spun on his heel and walked along the river, not needing to look back to make sure Zhou Rong was following because he could feel him like a shadow. He led Zhou Rong up river to a spot he found before - the location of the plum blossoms.

 

He casually spoke over his shoulder, though his voice cracked. “I-it's not too far.”

 

“I’m not worried,” Zhou Rong’s voice felt so close like it had whispered in his ear.

 

He took a deep breath to try and steady himself as he passed the first plum tree of the grove and moved closer to the center of the small collection of trees. He stretched his arms out and motioned to their surroundings.

 

“Um, I found this the other day…” He dropped his hands to the side while Zhou Rong stood a few meters away and looked around.

 

Zhou Rong’s eyes settled back onto him after stopping. “Do you like this place?”

 

“Yes...yes, I do.” He rubbed his chest as his heart fluttered. Why am I so nervous? “You wanted me to teach you something, so I can teach you a poem. Is that a problem?”

 

Again Zhou Rong answered his question with one of his own, “Is it what you want to teach me?”

 

He answered with more conviction than he felt, “Yes.”

 

“Then I will be agreeable.”

 

That sentence was like a thunderclap, recalling his feverish dream from last night. His mind raced through the details, how he asked for Zhou Rong to be agreeable, and then wolf Zhou Rong said he would be, and now ---

 

“Huo Laoda?”

 

“Huh?” His head snapped back to Zhou Rong, blinking through the brief fog of confusion.

 

“I would like to learn my lesson now.” Zhou Rong’s lips turned up into the faintest of smiles which could have been explained away as just a twitch of muscle, but the gentleness from his eyes made it something more.

 

“Right, right…” He bobbed his head up and down and took a moment to catch his breath, feeling as if he’d run ten li in just a few seconds. He turned towards the tree and reached up to touch one of the plum blossoms that were bright red like blood. He grazed his finger over the petals as he recited a poem he memorized.

 

“When everything has faded they alone shine forth encroaching on the charms of smaller gardens. Their scattered shadows fall lightly on clear water, their subtle scent pervades the moonlit dusk. Snowbirds look again before they land, butterflies would faint if they but knew. 

Thankfully I can flirt in whispered verse, I don’t need a sounding board or wine cup.”

 

Huo Huli paused after he finished to admire the flower then flinched when a hand joined his. Somehow during his little recitation, Zhou Rong had come up beside him. Zhou Rong’s long fingers reached for the plum blossom he touched and plucked it from the branch. He turned to face Zhou Rong and took a half step back, but the trunk of the tree prevented him from escaping further. Zhou Rong brought the blossom down and looked at it like it was a curious specimen.

 

“Is that poem about this?”

 

“Yes...it’s an old poem about plum blossoms. My, ah...mother made me write the poem down as punishment, and it stuck with me ever since.”

 

“Punishment?” Zhou Rong’s sleek black brow arched high and his gaze turned from the blossom to him.

 

He smiled at the memory, “I dared my brother to climb up a plum tree in my mother’s courtyard and he got stuck. He was crying and I didn’t want to get caught so I climbed up with him to get him down…” Huo Huli chuckled and shook his head, remembering how small and chubby Huo Ningjing used to be. “The branches broke from under us and we landed in the pond.”

 

“Ah…” Zhou Rong’s smile turned thoughtful. “Hence the punishment with plum blossoms.”

 

He nodded slowly, though his own smile remained. “She told me to appreciate beauty more so I often collect flowers whenever we travel.”

 

Zhou Rong then reached his hand out, holding the blossom to him. He blinked, confused at the gesture, then he balked.

 

“Oh! No, no, you keep this one.” He placed both hands onto Zhou Rong’s and gently pushed his hand back towards him. “I have one already for my journal.”

 

Zhou Rong looked back down at the flower and relaxed his arm, severing the connection between their hands. Huo Huli dropped his own down as well, unsure of what to say next, but Zhou Rong spoke first.

 

“If my lesson is over, then I won’t trouble you further. Thank you, and I hope you feel better.”

 

Zhou Rong turned away and by its own accord, Huo Huli’s hand lunged forward and grabbed Zhou Rong’s sleeve by the elbow. When he stopped moving, Huo Huli let go of the fabric like he’d been burned and words tumbled out of him.

 

“It seems everyone is good friends, and perhaps we should regard each other more familiarly. What should I call you?”

 

Zhou Rong only turned half way, looking at him over his shoulder. He was quiet for a beat longer, then let out a throaty whisper. “You can call me Zhou Lieren.”

 

Zhou...Lieren...Xiao Lieren! Huo Huli’s body seized and he pressed himself against the trunk of the small plum tree until a small knoll dug painfully into his back. He stared wide eyed at Zhou Rong’s back as he turned again and walked off.

 

It was a dream...it was a dream! He would be able to lie to himself more, if it weren’t for what Zhou Rong -- Zhou Lieren -- tossed over his shoulder next.

 

“Get well soon, Huo Huli.”

Chibi Theatre 2

 

Zhou Lieren: Tianshanghuo-jun gave me a flower! ✧♡(◕‿◕✿)

 

Huo Huli: But...but it was just a dream! '(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

 

The Author: NOW KISS. (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง

 

Author’s Note:

That poem is in fact real, titled Little Plum Blossom of Hill Garden (山园小梅) By Lin Bu (林逋) (Song Dynasty, 960–1279).