Old Friends' Menace

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/43992771.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: 山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021)
Relationship: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu, Jing Beiyuan/Wu Xi
Character: Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu, Jing Beiyuan, Wu Xi (Qi Ye)
Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Canon Compliant, Romance, Romantic
Comedy, Fluff, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Jealousy, Teasing
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-01-01 Words: 5230

Old Friends' Menace

by AkatsukiShin

Summary

The timely arrival of Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi, in Wen Kexing's opinion, was something he
should be extremely grateful about.

They saved him from a qi deviation, they helped him stage a rescue operation to retrieve
Zhou Zishu safely from Jin Wang's captive, and they provided them all with shelter when
they had nowhere else to go. And if that was not yet generous enough, the pair from
Nanjiang, particularly Wu Xi the Great Shaman, apparently knew of a way to save Zhou
Zishu's life that had previously been doomed to premature death due to the "Nails of Seven
Apertures for Three Autumns."

Wen Kexing felt that he was greatly indebted to Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi.

However, as thankful as he was for their tremendous aid, Master Wen soon came to the
realization that towards these two old friends of Zhou Zishu, he couldn't help but feel a
particular "grievance."

Notes

Written for "Gong Jun's 30th Birthday Charity Giveaway."

Congratulations to our second winner: JellyfishShoes (@ZellyfishShoes)! <3

See the end of the work for more notes

To Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu was the only treasure he ever had in his life.

Anything that A-Xu wanted, he would give to him. Anything that A-Xu hated, he would get rid of
it for him.

He wanted only the best for his A-Xu. He wanted Zhou Zishu to live comfortably like the spoiled
princess that he was.

A-Xu’s enemies were his enemies. Likewise, A-Xu’s friends were his friends, too, especially if
those friends were the ones who lent them a hand in their time of need.

For Wen Kexing, who spent more than half of his life crawling in the hell that was the Ghost
Valley, matters related to the jianghu were like something written in the back of his hand, but such
was not the case with matters from the imperial city. The palace was so far out of his reach; he
wouldn’t know the various political intrigues taking place behind those grandiose walls that
commoners like him could only see from outside. Even the kind of life Zhou Zishu was leading
during his time in Tian Chuang, Wen Kexing knew very little of it, nothing more than the tiny part
that Zhou Zishu had willingly revealed.

He had no idea that the then-apprentice of Nanjiang's Great Shaman used to be a political hostage
in the imperial city. He had no idea that this misfortune brought the then-young apprentice to an
encounter with an unlikely soulmate, a prince of the nation.

He knew even less that these two prominent figures were actually good friends with his A-Xu,
much like he didn’t know that these people were indebted to Zhou Zishu for the life free of
burdens and chains they were living now. So much so, that they were willing to come all the way
back to the Central Plains from Nanjiang despite the risks when they heard that Zhou Zishu’s life
was in danger.

Wen Kexing was, in all honesty, extremely grateful for the arrival of Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi.
When he discovered that the Nails of Seven Apertures for Three Autumns were already embedded
in Zhou Zishu’s flesh far before they met, it felt as though the ground had collapsed beneath his
feet, his entire world crumbling to dust. What was the use of him finding his soulmate when that
person was already dying when they met? Wouldn’t that leave him only with a lifetime’s worth of
regret and sorrow?

Thankfully, the Lord Seventh and Great Shaman arrived just in time. Thankfully, they knew of a
way to save his A-xu’s life. If it weren’t for them, perhaps he, too, would’ve long lost his sanity
and died horribly due to qi deviation.

But as much as he was thankful for their help, after some time, Wen Kexing came to realize that
toward these kind old friends of his A-Xu, he couldn’t help but feel some grievances.

***

Lord Seventh’s Saijun Manor stood as grand and beautiful as ever. The Chinese scholar trees in the
garden were at their full blooms; the dense clusters of white flowers spread a delicate fragrance in
the air. The pavilion was comfortably shaded beneath the rustling leaves; light breeze was blowing
across the courtyard like a whistling bird.

Wen Kexing was walking down the wide corridor. Occasionally passing by the servants of the
mansion, he nodded every now and then to return their greetings. This was quite a novel feeling; as
the Master of the Ghost Valley, most people he knew were either too afraid to look at him or were
ignorant of his true appearance. Suffice to say, Wen Kexing did not experience much with people
sending him a respectful greeting like this, but Lord Seventh’s servants only knew that he was an
honorable guest of their master. As the result, for the first time in his life, Wen Kexing discovered
how it felt to have people actually greeting him out of respect rather than fear.

And he must say it was quite a pleasant feeling.

In his hands, Wen Kexing had with him a tray of tea and snacks. The day was warm and pleasant;
it would be a good time to invite A-Xu out to sit on the veranda while enjoying the drink and
sweets he’d prepared with his own hands. After all, Zhou Zishu was still recovering from his
injuries, following his return from the Prince of Jin’s prison. The Great Shaman had strictly
forbidden him from participating in exhausting activities and drinking alcohol. The first was
alright, but the latter had dampened the wine-loving Lord Zhou’s mood by quite a lot. That was
why Wen Kexing wanted to comfort him a little, in hope that he could somewhat improve Lord
Zhou’s spirit.

Who would’ve thought that someone else already went a step ahead of him to keep Zhou Zishu
company?

“Ah, Master Wen. We were just talking about you. Won’t you come and join us?”

Jing Beiyuan’s cordial smile was the sight that greeted him upon arriving at the house where Zhou
Zishu was staying in the residence. Wen Kexing, who was still standing in the courtyard, was
struck dumb for a brief moment before he managed to gather himself and return the smile.

“I didn’t know that Lord Seventh is here,” replied him, “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, no. Zishu and I are just talking to pass time. We’ll be more than happy to have Master Wen
joins us. Isn’t that right, Zishu?”

A familiar voice drifted out from inside as a response.

“Sure. Why not?”

Zhou Zishu’s voice was as calm and nonchalant as always, but there was no mistaking the evident
sign of fatigue in it. Not many days had passed since they brought him back from the Prince of
Jin’s prison, and even if Zhou Zishu had been putting put up a strong front all this while, the
unspeakable tortures he’d received while held captive aggravated his existing injuries so much that
he was bound to spend most of his days in bed. He did not leave this part of the house much; it was
always Wen Kexing and the others who came to visit him.

As the two men walked past the side chamber into the inner chamber, Wen Kexing could faintly
recognize a soft and relaxing fragrance in the air. It appeared that Jing Beiyuan’s visit this time
around had been to bring some medicinal herbs to be burnt in the incense burner, and his guess was
right. The unique-looking incense burner, perhaps something Lord Seventh had brought back from
Nanjiang, was sitting on a side table in the room. In the meantime, the chamber’s occupant was
still bound to his bed.

Zhou Zishu was half-sitting, half-lying down on the mattress with his back resting against the
headboard. The window was opened beside his bed; the view of the beautiful garden was spread
outside and the delicate fragrance of Chinese scholar tree blossoms wafted into the room, mingling
with the pleasant scent from the incense burner. His complexion was pale, but Wen Kexing felt
that he already looked better than the first day he was brought back to Saijun Manor. The lower
half of his body was still under the quilt. When he saw Jing Beiyuan returning with Wen Kexing in
tow, the corners of his lips were lifted up somewhat, creating a fond, yet teasing smile.

“What have you brought for me this time, Master Wen?” he asked; the tone of his voice was
playful despite his weakness.

“A pot of tea to warm A-Xu’s tummy, and an assortment of sweets prepared by yours truly,” Wen
Kexing put the tray he was carrying on the table, “How are you feeling today, A-Xu?”

“Well, why don’t you come and check for yourself?”

Who was he to refuse his A-Xu’s personal request? Obediently, Wen Kexing went over and settled
down on the bedside. He placed his palm on Zhou Zishu’s forehead, feeling his temperature. Then
he also checked the other’s pulse, feeling the life force flowing under the skin of his wrist.

“It seems that your condition has improved,” Wen Kexing commented afterward while pouring
Zhou Zishu a cup of tea, “But we will still need to hear what Da Wu says later. Here, drink this.”

“Just this? Where’s my wine?”

“Don’t be picky. Do you want to be cured or not? What did Da Wu tell you about avoiding alcohol
during your recovery?”

To his words, Zhou Zishu scoffed and rolled his eyes, but he still drank the tea nonetheless.

Jing Beiyuan, who was sitting at the sight, found the scene unfolding before him amusing.

“It has been many years since I last met Zishu. I did not expect him to have changed so much,” he
rested his chin on his hand, “Zishu used to be quite wild and rough. Master Wen must’ve taken
very good care of him to have been able to make Zishu mellow so much like this.”

“Who’s mellow?” the subject of his commentary was certainly not amused.

“A-Xu, your tea,” Wen Kexing reprimanded him softly. He then shifted his gaze to Jing Beiyuan
and smiled. “Alright, so … Lord Seventh, you said the two of you were just talking about me?
What was it about?”

“I was just telling Beiyuan how much of a nuisance you are,” Zhou Zishu, instead of drinking his
tea as told, slipped in another complaint. Nevertheless, when he said this, the corners of his lips
curled up slightly.

Jing Beiyuan decided to play the peacemaker.

“Now, don’t be mean, Zishu. Master Wen here has gone to great lengths to save you from the
Prince of Jin. How could speak like that to him?”

“Don’t worry, Lord Seventh. A-Xu’s mouth is foul, but his heart is soft. Even if he speaks ill of me
in front of others, he actually appreciates this humble Wen greatly. Isn’t that right, A-Xu?”

“Shut up. Who has a soft heart?”

If looks could kill, Wen Kexing would’ve had his throat pierced by that sharp, and very pretty,
glare of Zhou Zishu. Thankfully, A-Xu could do nothing more but glare at him right now, so Wen
Kexing calmly gave him a few pats on the legs from atop the blanket.

“Alright, alright. I was wrong. I was wrong. Don’t be angry, A-Xu. Here, have you tried this cake
before?”

He picked up one of the little snacks he’d brought and held it up to Zhou Zishu’s mouth. The latter
was glaring at him, but when faced with a delicious-looking offering, his stomach growled and he
chomped on it straight for his loyal servant’s hand without thinking.

“Indeed, Master Wen is right,” Jing Beiyuan chimed in, “Zishu, you always refuse to admit this,
but even Wu Xi and I know that you are only mean ever on the outside. Contrary to what other
people think about you, you’re actually a very kind person. Didn’t you always punish all your shidi
whenever they made mistakes, but secretly had the servants of the manor prepare a banquet full of
their favorite dishes at night?”

“Oh, did he?” Wen Kexing’s ears perked up.

“He did. Have you never heard about it, Master Wen?”

There was a little sting in Wen Kexing’s heart when this question was uttered at him. Naturally, he
knew Jing Beiyuan had no ill intention behind his words, but he couldn’t stand to find out that
there were other people who knew something about his A-Xu that he didn’t unless they were Zhou
Zishu’s parents or teacher.

A petty little thing it was, but he couldn’t help it, okay?

“It saddens me to say that Manor Lord Zhou is, unfortunately, a man of very few words. Even
though this humble Wen has followed him for a long time, he is still unwilling to open his heart to
me,” Wen Kexing shook his head in despondency, “Would Lord Seventh be so kind as to share this
story with me?”

“I’m warning you, Beiyuan,” Zhou Zishu pointed at him, “If you say any more than this, I swear
I’ll break your leg–”

But his menacing threat was soon cut off by a string of coughs. The tea in his cup dripped onto the
blanket as his body shook. Seeing this, Wen Kexing immediately rose to soothe him, but he was a
step too late.

“This is what you get for not being honest, my friend,” gently, Jing Beiyuan rubbed Zhou Zishu’s
back, “What is there to be embarrassed about admitting that you have a kind heart? It won’t make
you look any less proud and manly. Now that I think about it, you are also secretly fond of children
and often carried candies in your pocket when you know you were going to visit an acquaintance
whose family have little kids, didn’t you?”

“What grudge do you have against me that you must dig up all these old stories as soon as we met
again?” despite his grumbles, Zhou Zishu did not swat the other’s hand away and let his old friend
rub his back some more.

“How could I have grudges against my benefactor? Hmm, your shoulders are also stiff. Stay still,
Zishu.”

Wen Kexing would never have imagined that there would come a day when he would be sitting
dumbly, unable to do a thing while watching another man giving his A-Xu a shoulder massage. In
his head, he knew that Jing Beiyuan was a good friend of Zhou Zishu. But in his heart, he could
never, ever, in his good conscience, be happy seeing someone else touching his A-Xu so casually
like this, no matter who they were.

And this was made worse because Zhou Zishu did not seem to mind it in the slightest bit, even
indulging Jing Beiyuan in more of his talks about the good old times.

When he first met Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi, Wen Kexing had initially thought he would be able to
dig for more information about Zhou Zishu from them, but not only he ended up often being left
out in conversations, he also received another, a more major disturbance that was the irritation of
seeing someone else hoarding his A-Xu all to themselves. Even though they were old friends, how
dare they?! Wen Kexing normally loved looking at beautiful people, but now faced with Jing
Beiyuan, who was so ethereally beautiful that one wouldn’t easily find another person like him in
the whole Central Plains, he felt as if he was looking at a scheming huli jing whose mind couldn’t
be read.

As this unpleasant situation continued to unfold in front of Wen Kexing’s eyes, they heard the
servants standing watch outside extending their greeting to someone. Zhou Zishu and Jing
Beiyuan’s conversation came to a halt. They, as well as the unhappy Wen Kexing, turned their
gazes toward the door in unison.

A solemn figure dressed in all black, bearing a staff in his hand and ornaments unique to the people
of Nanjiang on his attire, was stepping over the threshold and heading into the inner chamber.

“Ah, is it Wu Xi who’s coming? Do you also want to join us for tea on this fine afternoon?” Jing
Beiyuan called him over; a pleasant smile was instantly drawn on his face at the sight of the Great
Shaman’s arrival.

Wu Xi was a man of few words. He saw the three of them, one a patient still half-covered under
the quilt, one was in the middle of giving him a shoulder massage, while the last one was sitting at
the foot of the bed, likely as an audience of the other two. He then saw the assortment of sweets on
the table and shook his head in disapproval.

“Lord Zhou, have I not reminded you times and again that you must consume healthier meals
during your recovery?” the Great Shaman did not mince his words, “Beiyuan, Master Wen, why
have the both of you not reminded him?”

Wen Kexing, who had been burning with annoyance at having his A-Xu taken away from him,
became even more upset to be admonished by a new person who had just arrived. On the other
hand, Jing Beiyuan did not seem bothered in the slightest bit.

“Ah, my dear, Wu Xi … Why do you speak as if this is your first time meeting our Lord Zhou?” he
replied in a soothing voice, “Have you forgotten? Back then, when he came back from a mission
with a broken arm, you advised him not to engage in dangerous activities for three months, but
three days later, we saw him beating a group of outlaws in the back alley of the capital for
attempting to steal his money pouch.”

“Well, was I supposed to just sit still and let them strip me down to my socks then?”
unsurprisingly, Zhou Zishu was not besoothed at all, “Those bunch of useless idiots … I could still
teach them a lesson even if both of my arms are broken.”

Wen Kexing could not bear listening to these talks any longer. Schooling his expression, he cupped
his hands and bowed toward the Great Shaman.

“My apologies, Da Wu . The cakes were my idea. As A-Xu has been eating very little these past
few days, I thought I would bring him something easy to eat today. I will be more careful next
time,” he said.

“As long as it is not too much, it is still allowed,” Wu Xi’s response was straight to the point, “I
have come for Lord Zhou’s daily examination. Lord Zhou, if you please?”

“Yes, yes, I understand. Beiyuan, Lao Wen, get off the bed.”

Once he kicked the two disturbances away, Zhou Zishu let the Great Shaman sit on his bedside to
do his job.

Speaking of the examination, the Great Shaman had indeed spared no expense in pouring all his
skills and knowledge into curing this old acquaintance of his. Wen Kexing never heard in detail
what kind of past the three of them shared; he only knew that Jing Beiyuan used to be a prince in
the capital city, just like the Prince of Jin, and that Wu Xi was a political hostage from Nanjiang
who lived in a mansion near Jing Beiyuan’s residence. He hadn’t had the chance to ask more of
their story to Zhou Zishu, but regardless of what happened in the past, the aid that Zhou Zishu had
given to these two friends of his must be so great that they were willing to go to this length to help
him today.

Being the son of the “Sacred Hand” Wen Ruyu and the youngest disciple of the Immortal
Physician Valley, Gu Miaomiao, Wen Kexing naturally had his fair share of knowledge in the arts
of healing, but he must admit that the Great Shaman’s capability was on an entirely different level.
He had been standing by to watch every time Wu Xi came to perform his daily examination on
Zhou Zishu, from the day after they rescued him all battered and bloodied from the prison to this
moment when his complexion had significantly appeared better. Truly, Zhou Zishu’s health had
never been any better before Wu Xi became his personal physician.

And what would be a better news than the fact that Wu Xi was capable of neutralizing the Nails of
Seven Apertures for Three Autumns in Zhou Zishu’s flesh?

Thinking about it this way, Wen Kexing felt that if Wu Xi could truly save A-Xu’s life, he would
give him a lifetime’s worth of gratitude.

But it did not mean that the current situation was ideal in his opinion either. In fact, Wu Xi’s daily
examination had recently become something Wen Kexing disliked the most about these two old
friends of his A-Xu.

“Try breathing in,” Wu Xi instructed calmly.

Zhou Zishu was now lying on his back. They had removed his robes from the upper part of his
body, so they would not stand in the way of the Great Shaman when examining the state of his
injuries. Wu Xi placed his hand on Zhou Zishu’s abdomen, feeling the rise and fall of the body
beneath his palm. Afterward, he manually supported him to sit upright, taking off the dressings
covering Zhou Zishu’s injuries before applying medicine to every wound. He then put up the new
dressings on them before helping Zhou Zishu to dress himself once more.

All the while, once again Wen Kexing had no choice but to watch from the sideline, wishing that it
was him who was handling Zhou Zishu’s direct treatment instead of watching another person doing
it.

Zhou Zishu had, despite the line of work he’d been working in for more than half of his life — and
the careless way he treated his own health — a very beautiful physique for a man. Putting aside the
obvious holes on his front caused by the nails, his build was finely toned with just the right amount
of muscles so as to give him enough physical strength, but not so much to make him look too burly.
He had thinned considerably due to his illness; combined with his naturally pale complexion, his
slender figure looked even more delicate to the eyes and god forbids anyone to speak badly of his
shoulder blades. Wen Kexing didn’t care what others thought, but to him, Zhou Zishu possessed
the most beautiful shoulder blades in the world, as though it was molded to perfection by a master
craftsman.

If only he could stand in the Great Shaman’s position right now …

“Your condition is stable,” Wu Xi said while feeling the pulse in his patient’s bony wrist, “I will
write a lighter prescription for you than the first one. After you have finished the previous batch of
medicine, you can start drinking this new prescription two times a day after breakfast and dinner.”

“Many thanks to Da Wu for your help,’ Zhou Zishu said.

“Still, you may not drink alcohol and consume an excessive amount of sweets. As for other food
and drinks, they are allowed, as long as it’s in moderation.”

“ … I take back half of my thanks, then.”

“Still as stubborn as ever. Zishu, have you forgotten that it was thanks to Wu Xi that you could
start a business in the capital back then?” Jing Beiyuan commented.

To this remark, Wen Kexing couldn’t help feeling curious.

“What business?” he asked.

“Ah, have you not heard about it from Zishu? Back then in the capital, Zishu and Wu Xi secretly
set up their drug chain business together. Wu Xi was the one who crafted the goods while Zishu
took care of the distribution. The two made quite an admirable profit from this business. One of the
drugs they sold that had the most demand was the ‘Drunk Like a Dream.’ This one Master Wen is
surely familiar with.”

“The business largely succeeded thanks to Lord Zhou’s effort,” Wu Xi responded quietly, “I did
nothing but make the drugs. Lord Zhou took care of the rest.”

“You are being humble, my dear Wu Xi. I know the two of you spent days staying up and
researching together that Zishu often spent the night in your residence. I lived just across the street.
Did you think I didn’t find out?”

“ … I suppose that did happen.”

Wen Kexing did not miss this line.

“In any case, I hope Lord Zhou will heed my advice this time and truly refrain from excessive
consumption of unhealthy food. It is bad for your health and will greatly hinder your recovery,”
Wu Xi stated as a matter of factly, “Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes, I understand. This patient will listen to Da Wu ’s advice,” replied Zhou Zishu with a
wave of his hand.

“That will be for the best. Otherwise, Beiyuan and I will be forced to bring an apprentice of ours
from Nanjiang to keep a strict watch over Lord Zhou’s lifestyle. Her skills are second only to my
successor and she happens to fit Lord Zhou’s criteria of a slim-waisted Nanjiang beauty. Perhaps
then, Lord Zhou may finally find the will to behave and we would fulfill our promise of finding
said beauty for Lord Zhou.”

The Great Shaman took his leave after speaking this far, taking the still-smiling Lord Seventh
along with him.
Their departure was what Wen Kexing had been waiting for this entire time. However, instead of
relief, he felt as though he’d been struck by thunder in broad daylight.

There was no describing the bitterness brimming in his heart right now. Was it not already enough
suffering that he had been left out of the conversations for the entire day? Had he not suffered
enough, knowing that there were others who knew something about his A-Xu that he didn’t? Was
it not enough that he had to watch other people touching his A-Xu all they wanted? And now he
had to hear this?

“Lao Wen.”

At this point, Zhou Zishu called him weakly from the bed. As irritated as he was, Wen Kexing still
could not ignore his beloved while knowing full well that the other was ill. So he came over to the
bed to attend to him.

“What is it, A-Xu?”

“I’m thirsty,” Zhou Zishu sighed, “Could you pour me another cup of tea?”

His voice might be weak, but there was no mistaking the slight tease in his tone. All of a sudden,
realization dawned on Wen Kexing and he felt extremely wronged.

“You really have no conscience at all, do you?” he complained, “Did you let me see and hear all
that on purpose?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand.” There was not even the smallest sign of remorse
on Zhou Zishu’s expression. “Lao Wen, hurry up. I’m thirsty.”

“You look healthy enough to be playing around with Lord Seventh and the Great Shaman just now.
Why don’t you get it yourself? The teapot is just over there.”

“Lao Wen … “

Zhou Zishu dragged the last syllable softly. His round, pitch-black eyes stared at Wen Kexing with
a pleading look and his pale lips were pursed into a line. Wen Kexing could not believe that this
man still had it in him to pout and seduce him while in this situation. The word “conscience” must
truly not exist in Lord Zhou’s dictionary.

“You really–!”

With a flick of his sleeves, Wife Wen headed back and sat on the bedside with a huff. He took the
teapot, poured the warm brown liquid into the cup while grumbling, and handed it over to Zhou
Zishu. The latter, however, did not take the cup from his hand.

“What now?” he asked.

“I’m sick. I cannot get up from bed. Won’t you help me?”

This was obviously a lie, but Lord Zhou’s pleading gaze was a lethal weapon. If that was not yet
enough, he was also tugging at the hem of Wen Kexing’s sleeves as he said this.

Thus, Wen Kexing had to put the teacup aside, supported His Highness into a sitting position, then
offered the cup again to him. When he saw that it was Zhou Zishu’s face that leaned closer to the
teacup, rather than his hand, he knew that this man had his mind set on being spoiled rotten today.
“You look especially close with those two friends of yours,” he mumbled while tilting the teacup
slightly, so that Zhou Zishu could take a sip, “Why don’t you ask them to do this for you, as well,
hmm?”

“I can’t ask this of another person.”

“And I’m not another person?”

“Well, you are a person,” the corners of Zhou Zishu’s lips curled up as he took a last sip of the tea,
“But you’re my person, so you’re different.”

If Zhou Zishu was saying all these sweet nothings to appease him, then he was doing a very good
job at it.

“Say, A-Xu … “ Wen Kexing muttered under his breath, “So that thing with Da Wu … It was
true?”

“What was true? The fact that I used to run a drug business with him?”

“No, that one was fine. I mean, when Lord Seventh you stayed at his place … and t-that thing with
… the Nanjiang beauty … “

“That was in the past,” Zhou Zishu answered calmly, “I’m with you now. Does that not count for
anything?”

“You just wanted to find something to laugh at, didn’t you?”

“How is it my fault when you’re the walking jar of vinegar?”

Wen Kexing snorted and helped his beloved lied down once more on the bed. He pulled up the
blanket, tucked Zhou Zishu under it, and was just about to leave when the latter pulled at his
sleeves again.

“What is it now, A-Xu? Go have some sleep.”

“Lao Wen, I’m cold … “ Zhou Zishu whined; his brows were pulled into a frown, “I can’t sleep
like this.”

“I just put the blanket on you.”

“But I’m still cold.”

Clearly, there was something else he wanted and that wasn’t another layer of blanket. Wen Kexing
internally marveled at the shamelessness of one who often called him shameless, but he didn’t say
anything about it. Kicking his boots aside, he climbed onto the bed and lay down beside Zhou
Zishu. His Highness quickly found his way to snuggle into his arms and let out the longest sigh
Wen Kexing had ever heard him make.

“So am I supposed to stay like this as your pillow until you fall asleep?”

Both of his eyes closed, Zhou Zishu answered him with a lazy “mn.”

Initially, Wen Kexing wanted to indulge him and let Zhou Zishu sleep in his arms like this. But his
mind had a switch at the last minute. He grabbed Zhou Zishu’s shoulders and pushed him down on
the bed.
 “Lao Wen, what–?”

“You said you’re still cold. I’m trying to help keep you warm.”

“But Wu Xi said I shouldn’t–”

“Oh, now you want to heed the Great Shaman’s advice?” Wen Kexing’s smile was menacing, “Be
at ease, Husband Zhou. This little wife will take very good care of you.”

Whatever arguments Zhou Zishu wanted to throw at him all ended up left unsaid for Wen Kexing
did not allow him to speak another word. As he sealed shut A-Xu’s complaining lips, those dark
eyes of his briefly traveled to the still-opened window at the side.

***

“I didn’t expect you’d play along with me,” in the corridor, Jing Beiyuan smiled while looking at
the man dressed in black walking next to him, “I must say, you surprised me today, Wu Xi.”

“Would it have been better if I didn’t?”

“No, no. You’ve done well. So well, in fact, that I’m sure those two are having the time of their
life right now.”

When Jing Beiyuan laughed, his eyes turned into a pair of crescents and the corners curled up
beautifully. Wu Xi stared at him without a word; his expression remained stoic with barely any
feeling to be read on it. However, the two of them could practically be said to grow up side by side.
What Wu Xi did not show on his face, Jing Beiyuan was capable to guess.

“Say, Wu Xi … “ with a teasing smile, Lord Seventh circled his arms around the other man’s and
stuck to his side, “It really is a little bit cold today. Won’t you help warm me up?”

End Notes

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