Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Enjoy this final chapter :)

- Chapter Start -

Ye BaiYi gains consciousness in slow degrees, unsettled to find himself cocooned in unfamiliar warmth and not alone.

There're two slow and steady heartbeats, one in front and one at his back. There're two sets of deep breathing, one above his head and the other beside his ear. There's also lots of smooth, warm skin. He even has his arms and legs wrapped around the body in front, like how a young clings to its mother.

The thought that he had finally gotten himself drunk was followed by a slew of memories. Finding the World Armoury with Wen KeXing and Qin HuaiZhang's disciple, transferring the LiuHe Kung Fu to Wen KeXing so he could save his soulmate and then later, repairing his burned out meridians.

Breath catching in his throat, Ye BaiYi's eyes fly open. Before him is an expanse of pale skin, slowly rising and falling. Just below his chin is a flat pink nipple which tells him it's a male chest. Thank Heavens! Not that there's anything to be thankful about in such a situation. He just doesn't know what he'd do if that nipple sat atop a female breast.

He looks further up, trying not to move his head, going past well shaped collarbones and a long neck until the face comes into view.

Wen KeXing.

Of course. There're no scars on this chest left from those pesky nails. Which means the warm body behind him is Qin HuaiZhang's disciple. Even if Ye BaiYi's eyes play tricks on him, his nose doesn't and he's familiar with these two brats' scents.

Recalling the qi being poured into him earlier, he rolls his eyes. Young people nowadays, so impulsive and reckless!

Why had they wasted their precious qi on him?

They needed it to maintain their immortality!

And whose bright idea was it to cuddle up naked?!

A blush suffuses Ye BaiYi's body from head to toe. This is, by far, the most embarrassing situation he's ever been in, including the time he and Rong ChangQing were holed up in a small, leaky tent during a thunderstorm.

Irritated, he pushes that memory away. At least these two brats are sleeping. He just needs to extricate himself without waking them up. He won't say a word, they won't, and the three of them can put this mortifying incident out of their minds for good.

Unfortunately, his left arm and leg are pinned under Wen KeXing while Qin HuaiZhang's disciple's right leg is flung over both of theirs. Ye BaiYi tries anyway, carefully sliding his right leg free. Before he can move more than an inch, Qin HuaiZhang's disciple stirs behind him.

"Lao Wen," he mumbles into Ye BaiYi's ear.

Ye BaiYi freezes at once, heart thudding a mile a minute and gaze trained on Wen KeXing's sleeping face. He counts from one to fifty, barely breathing, before tying to free his leg again. This time, it's Wen KeXing who stirs, nose scrunching before his eyes open, gaining lucidity in the space of a heartbeat.

"Old monster, you're awake."

Ye BaiYi hears the aborted inhale from Qin HuaiZhang's disciple and clenches his teeth so hard they squeak. Wen KeXing's gaze travels a bit to the side, face softening in a sappy smile.

"A-Xu, you're awake too?"

"... no."

Wen KeXing laughs, eyes dancing in merriment and stops only at the sharp 'Tsk!' from Qin HuaiZhang's disciple.

"Well, this is quite an awkward predicament," he remarks to Ye BaiYi. "How're you feeling?"

"I'll answer that after I'm dressed, brat," Ye BaiYi replies through still clenched teeth.

Wen KeXing laughs again.

"Well then, let's get dressed!"

For a moment, all three remain still. Then there's a flurry of movement. The blanket over them is tossed in the air, and pale limbs are untangled and shoved into trouser legs and robe sleeves at top speed. All the while, heads remain dipped and eyes are averted.

Well, Ye BaiYi's are. He doesn't know, or care to know, about those two.

He only turns back to them when he's fully dressed. His hair is messy, but that can wait. He's relieved to find the other two are clothed as well and wonders if his face is as red as theirs. Probably.

"So," he says, arms crossed over his chest and eyebrows up. "Who's big idea was it to suffocate me?"

Wen KeXing snorts, hands on hips.

"You were shivering worse than a plate of jiggly tofu. The moment I touched you, you latched onto me!"

Ye BaiYi scowls at him.

"I did not! And who's idea was it to remove all our clothes, hmm?"

Wen KeXing bats away the accusing finger Qin HuaiZhang's disciple points at him and tips his chin up, unfazed.

"We had no idea how long you were lying on the floor. Your qi was almost completely depleted and you were burning up!"

"So you brats decided to waste all your qi on me?" Ye BaiYi demands next.

"It's not wasting, Ye-qianbei," Qin HuaiZhang's disciple protests. "You saved our lives. How could we do anything less?"

"Such ingratitude," Wen KeXing mutters.

Ye BaiYi snorts.

"If I'd known you two would squander your qi like that, I wouldn't have bothered to help!"

Qin HuaiZhang's disciple quickly puts a hand on Wen KeXing's arm to forestall further arguments.

"We are deeply grateful, Ye-qianbei. We owe you our lives." He bows low with a hand at Wen KeXing's back to bring him down as well.

"Hmph! Mind you remember that."

"We will. You are family," Qin HuaiZhang's disciple assures him.

"We'll see about that. We're never speaking of this to anyone by the way," Ye BaiYi says, just to make sure. "Not ever."

"You're right about that," Wen KeXing agrees.

A long moment of awkward silence follows until Wen KeXing turns to smile at Qin HuaiZhang's disciple.

"A-Xu, your hair is a mess. I'll comb it for you."

"And then I'll comb yours."

Ye BaiYi rolls his eyes at that.

"Hair can wait. I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

- Story End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it :)