Chapter 23 · Admiring the City’s Scenery Together
However—
Just as Long Qinghan was about to express his feelings, a hand forcefully pulled him into an embrace, and in an instant, an unguarded kiss landed on his lips.
By the time he realized it, he was completely lost in the touch of their lips. A gentle breeze brushed by, carrying with it snow-like petals of plum blossoms that landed on their shoulders. A rainbow appeared in the sky after the rain, painting a picturesque scene for this beautiful moment. Time seemed to stand still for them at this very moment, with only the wind singing their song and the flowers dancing their dance.
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But now that they were in separate rooms, the atmosphere was off, and he couldn’t just burst into Feng Xuan Yang’s room and shout his feelings at him.
Long Qinghan sighed heavily, deciding to not overthink it for now, and believed that one day he would successfully confess.
After returning, both Long Qinghan and Feng Xuan Yang learned about the incident at Mei Mountain Villa. Following the news, Xiang Qian fell seriously ill, deeply affected by the tragedy. As Heavenly Sword Sect (Tianjian Sect) and Mei Mountain Villa were close allies, Long Qinghan felt genuine concern for Xiang Qian’s condition.
As a result, Long Qinghan’s plans to return to the Heavenly Sword Sect were postponed. Naturally, Feng Xuan Yang stayed as well, taking care of Xiang Qian during her illness.
Unbeknownst to them, they ended up staying in Handong City for almost half a month. During this time, their relationship had evolved from strangers to a state of ambiguous affection at a rapid pace. Long Qinghan couldn’t help but doubt the authenticity of it all, as everything seemed to be happening too quickly.
Although Feng Xuan Yang had not explicitly confessed his feelings, Long Qinghan could sense that there was mutual interest between them. With this realization, Long Qinghan’s confidence surged, and his desire to confess his feelings to Feng Xuan Yang intensified.
One day, after Xiang Qian’s condition stabilized, Long Qinghan sought out Feng Xuan Yang, inviting him to go out together. Feng Xuan Yang readily agreed, happy to accept the invitation.
Handong City, neither overly vast nor incredibly small, but for Long Qinghan, it seemed he had nowhere to go. After wandering around aimlessly for a while, he became unsure of where to head next. Despite his familiarity with the place, having traversed its streets many times before his rebirth, the landscapes had become monotonous.
Feng Xuan Yang noticed Long Qinghan’s frustration and promptly moved to his side, using the hem of his robe to discreetly grasp his hand.
Long Qinghan was taken aback, raising his gaze to meet Feng Xuan Yang’s gaze, full of deep affection. He smiled slightly and, in turn, firmly held the robust hand with his own. “Xuan, do you have a destination in mind?”
Feng Xuan Yang arched an eyebrow, teasing, “You’re the one who dragged me out here, and yet you haven’t the slightest idea where to go?”
Long Qinghan hesitated, turning his head away slightly, embarrassed. “I… hadn’t thought about it.”
With a scoff, Feng Xuan Yang burst into laughter, gripping Long Qinghan’s hand and starting to walk. “Then come along with me.”
Long Qinghan paused, feeling slightly awkward being led by Feng Xuan Yang in such a public setting. He tugged at his hand, trying to break free, but Feng Xuan Yang’s grip remained strong, preventing him from shaking it off.
A faint blush crept onto Long Qinghan’s face as he found himself walking beside Feng Xuan Yang, their hands hidden beneath the ample folds of their robes. His thin-skinned nature and lack of experience in matters of affection left him somewhat disoriented. While same-sex relationships weren’t uncommon in the progressive culture of the Great Chu Dynasty, he still felt uncomfortable under the public’s gaze.
However, Feng Xuan Yang’s arrogance and confidence prevailed, ignoring societal conventions. He continued to lead Long Qinghan, ignoring the potential discomfort his actions caused. Annoyed, Long Qinghan gave Feng Xuan Yang a swift kick.
“Ouch!” Feng Xuan Yang pretended to cry out in pain, his exaggerated response drawing the attention of onlookers nearby.
This situation further compromised Long Qinghan’s dignity. He shot Feng Xuan Yang a cold glare, pulling his hand away from Feng Xuan Yang’s grasp and ignoring him. However, it seemed Feng Xuan Yang had anticipated Long Qinghan’s reaction, as he immediately crouched down, clutching his side as if in agony. Many people nearby became curious and gathered around, inquiring about the commotion. Some bold women even approached, wiping sweat from Feng Xuan Yang’s brow and expressing concern for his well-being.
This only fueled Long Qinghan’s frustration. As he watched those hands fussing over the person he cared about, his eyes suddenly burned red, and he wished he could just cut those hands off with a single stroke of his sword.
But Feng Xuan Yang remained unaware of Long Qinghan’s irritation. He continued to mutter to himself, “Ah, my wife is so wild, so difficult to… ah!” Before he could finish speaking, he was struck by another forceful kick, causing his bones to ache. When he looked up, he met Long Qinghan’s fiery gaze.
Feng Xuan Yang pursed his lips, pointing at Long Qinghan with mock seriousness. “Look, my spouse is too untamed, too hard to handle… ah, Long Qinghan!” Before he could continue, another kick struck his other leg, causing him to wince in pain.
As the crowd approached with smirks on their faces, Long Qinghan’s cheeks flushed even more deeply. Although the martial artists in Handong City were not numerous, the thought of him, the young master of the prestigious Heavenly Sword Sect, being dragged around like a wild and unruly woman was too embarrassing to bear. With annoyance, he kicked Feng Xuan Yang once more and swiftly walked away.
Suddenly, a gust of wind and sand swirled around. Feng Xuan Yang squinted and cleared his throat a few times. When he looked up again, only a few women who had been clinging to him remained by his side, while Long Qinghan’s figure had disappeared. Feng Xuan Yang froze for a moment before jumping up, stomping his feet in frustration, and hurrying off in the direction Long Qinghan had gone.
It didn’t take long for Feng Xuan Yang to find the person leaning against a tree. Long Qinghan shot him an accusing glare as if scolding him for taking so long to catch up. Feng Xuan Yang awkwardly smiled, sighing internally. Indeed, Long Qinghan was quite a handful to deal with.
He stepped forward and grabbed Long Qinghan’s hand, giving it a light squeeze, and this time, Long Qinghan didn’t pull away.
Feng Xuan Yang led Long Qinghan along the shores of Handong City’s lake. They walked in silence, but even without words, a sense of simple contentment bloomed between them.
Long Qinghan gazed into the distance, lost in thought. Suddenly, something tickled his nose. He sneezed several times in succession. Annoyed, he realized there was yet another plum blossom in front of him. Meanwhile, Feng Xuan Yang was already doubled over in laughter, thoroughly amused by the situation.
Frustrated, Long Qinghan was about to scold Feng Xuan Yang when he reached for the plum blossom. However, as he pulled the blossom aside, he froze. The flower was in full bloom, vibrant in color, showing no signs of wilting.
“This…” Long Qinghan couldn’t help but be surprised.
“How is it? The plum blossoms here are lovely, aren’t they?” Feng Xuan Yang grinned mischievously, approaching Long Qinghan with an expectant look, seeking praise.
Brushing off that playful face, Long Qinghan surveyed his surroundings. He realized that he had followed Feng Xuan Yang to a spot near the base of the mountain. The area was surrounded by a serene lake and adorned with several flourishing plum trees. The air was fresher and more natural than that of Handong City.
Long Qinghan was astonished. “How did you find this place?”
“Hmm? On a day when I had nothing to do, I wandered around and stumbled upon this spot by accident. Seeing the vibrant plum blossoms, I plucked one and thought of giving it to you. Little did I know…” Feng Xuan Yang raised an eyebrow, leaving his sentence hanging.
Long Qinghan blushed, unable to believe he was allergic to plum blossoms. However, since there were such beautiful and vibrant plum blossoms here, then…
He glanced at Feng Xuan Yang deeply, suddenly understanding and smiling knowingly. Perhaps he had over thought things. The plum blossom was likely unrelated to Mei Mountain Villa. As for Feng Xuan Yang’s words from that noon with Blood Shadow, they must have referred to someone else.
After reflecting for a moment, Long Qinghan couldn’t help but smile inwardly. He had talked about trusting Feng Xuan Yang, yet he had kept a trace of suspicion within himself. It was truly unnecessary and unwise.
With these thoughts in mind, he scolded himself silently and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he immersed himself in the natural ambiance that surrounded him. The scent of nature enveloped him, and he immediately felt a sense of relief within his previously stuffy heart.
Seeing Long Qinghan’s mood gradually improving, Feng Xuan Yang’s smile grew warmer. He walked over, stepping lightly, and wrapped his arms around Long Qinghan’s waist from behind. He whispered into his ear, “How about it? Isn’t this place I brought you lovely?”
The voice of his beloved, so close to his ear, sent a tingling sensation throughout Long Qinghan’s body. The hand that held his waist was warm and powerful, igniting a fire within Long Qinghan’s heart.
“Hmm? Isn’t the scenery here nice, madame?”
“Yes.” Long Qinghan subconsciously replied, but soon realized what he had just agreed to. Annoyed with himself, he swiftly turned around and forcefully pushed Feng Xuan Yang away. “Feng Xuan Yang, what nonsense are you talking!”
However…
With a splash, Sect Leader Feng stumbled and was pushed into the lake once again by Long Qinghan…
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Thank You for the new chapter (๑°꒵°๑)･*♡