- Chapter Start -
Yun BiQiu gets the briefest glimpse of angry eyes and clenched jaw before he's pushed back down on the rock. His arms are released, but a hand cups the back of his head, bringing it forward and down between his legs.
All without ceremony, without hesitation and definitely without permission. Affronted despite his dizziness, Yun BiQiu tries to straighten back up, but the strong fingertips digging into his scalp don't allow it.
"Stop struggling and breathe," Guan HeMeng orders in a tight voice. "I am not carrying back an unconscious man. Li LianHua would-"
He breaks off abruptly with a sharp exhale like he's said too much.
Yun BiQiu weighs one ignominious scenario against the other – his current position or being carried back to Lotus Tower. He decides on the former and takes several deep breaths, smelling grass, earth and some medicinal herbs. When Hulijing presses against his side with a whine, Yun BiQiu curls an arm around him, grateful for his warmth.
A couple of minutes later, his head stops spinning. When he raises it, the hand on his hair falls away. He straightens up to see Guan HeMeng crouched before him.
"Better?"
"I…" Yun BiQiu wets his lips and nods. "Yes. Sorry to-"
"No. It is I who should apologise," Guan HeMeng cuts him off in a curt voice.
Yun BiQiu shakes his head, feeling weary and hollow inside.
"Guan-shengyi, you don't have to apologise for speaking the truth. Or because Li Xiang- Li LianHua asked you to."
With a decidedly rude snort, Guan HeMeng stands up.
"I don't answer to him or anyone else. I'm apologing because I misunderstood."
Yun BiQiu gets to his feet, noting the faint flush on Guan HeMeng's sharp cheekbones.
Oh.
He tries for a smile and fails.
"There was no misunderstanding. You spoke the truth."
"I didn't take into account other, equally important factors." Guan HeMeng still looks annoyed.
"Like how I was bewitched?" Yun BiQiu doesn't care how bitter he sounds. "It doesn't matter. The outcome is still the same. I poisoned Li XiangYi and he - Li LianHua - is dying. He's suffered the effects of the Bicha poison for the past ten years."
"So you punished yourself by hiding away for the same number of years?"
"It's hardly a punishment," Yun BiQiu protests. "How can you even compare - wait, who told you that?"
"Who else, but that self-sacrificing idiot! And you are no better!"
"What-'"
Guan HeMeng cuts him off again, this time with an impatient wave of his hand.
"Look at the two of you! Carrying useless deadweight for a decade, refusing to let it go! Letting it eat at you from the inside out!"
Yun BiQiu stares at him, eyes wide and breath shallow. He should be furious at letting this healer – divine or not - insult him and Li XiangYi like this, but he's too shocked to even think of getting angry. And truth be told-
"It doesn't matter," he mutters. "I can only put the past behind me if Li LianHua – if he –"
"If he's cured."
Yun BiQiu nods, trying to swallow past an inconveniently tight throat.
"Your heart is too soft." Guan HeMeng tips his head to one side, regarding him with a quizzical air.
Yun BiQiu ducks his head when his eyes start to sting.
"I wish I could heal him, but I can't," Guan HeMeng continues. "That idiot has already ruined my hardearned reputation. The only thing I can do is prolong his life and maybe ease it with the help of his friends."
"Thank you." Head still bowed, Yun BiQiu places trembling hands together and bows. Two hands grip his forearms, preventing him from going lower.
"Yun-yuanzhu. Look at me."
Yun BiQiu obeys. Guan HeMeng's eyes which had looked flinty earlier are gentle now, even sorrowful.
"You are a fellow master. Do not bow to me."
- o –
Back at Lotus Tower, the mood is subdued. Fang DuoBing pours tea for everyone.
"Thanks, XiaoBao," Li LianHua says. "Everyone, let's eat before the bao gets any colder."
They each help themselves and start eating. Su XiaoYong puts aside one for Guan HeMeng and Li LianHua adds another for Yun BiQiu.
"Li-dage?" Su XiaoYong finally breaks the silence. "So Yun BiQiu is the one who used Bicha poison on you?"
Li LianHua sees Di FeiSheng's hand tightening around his cup and nudges his arm lest the cup shatters.
"Yes, but I don't blame him and I don't want any of you to either."
Su XiaoYong and Fang DuoBing nod but Di FeiSheng doesn't.
"Di-mengzhu?"
No response.
"Lao Di?"
Still nothing.
"A-Fei?" Li LianHua isn't above using a cajoling tone. "You of all people should know how devious that woman was."
Di FeiSheng's lips twist at that and he gives a curt nod.
Silence again.
"Should we go see what's taking them so long?" Fang DuoBing finally asks.
"Why?" Di FeiSheng raises an eyebrow. "Do you think they might be beating each other up?"
"Of course they're not! Guan-dage is a gentleman!" Su XiaoYong glares at him.
"Yun BiQiu is a cultivator," Fang DuoBing counters. "Guan-xiong isn't."
Li LianHua sips his tea, not saying anything.
"Yun BiQiu looks like a stiff breeze would blow him away," Di FeiSheng sneers.
Li LianHua sighs and presses two fingers to his temple.
"Then all the more reason we should go look for them!" Fang DuoBing jumps to his feet only for Li LianHua to grab his sleeve.
"Sit down."
Seated opposite them, Su XiaoYong clears her throat.
"I know Guan-dage seems cold and… and unfeeling, but he has a kind heart."
"One he keeps well hidden," Li LianHua agrees in such a deadpan tone that she has the grace to look abashed.
"That's just how he is," she insists. "Trust me, he won't scold Yun BiQiu anymore."
"I know or I wouldn't have let him go after him." Li LianHua smiles at her and motions for Fang DuoBing to top up everyone's tea.
Su XiaoYong relaxes, looking a bit happier.
"Besides, he has a soft spot for… you know, the helpless type."
Di FeiSheng almost chokes on his tea.
"Yun BiQiu isn't helpless," Fang DuoBing objects at once. "Well, fine, he looked pretty helpless at the trial, but everyone was out for his blood then! Shi-jiejie would've killed him if not for Li LianHua."
"Su-guniang, why do you say that?" Li LianHua asks, curious despite himself.
"Yes, how do you know that?" Fang DuoBing demands.
Looking at him, Su XiaoYong deliberately takes a big bite of her bao, forcing him to wait while she slowly chews and swallows, even drinking a mouthful of tea before speaking.
"After we became sworn siblings, Guan-dage stayed up one night to prepare medicines for a rich merchant's son. I did what I could to help, but I kept nodding off. Guan-dage prefers to work in silence, but when he saw me yawning, he said I could ask him questions to stay awake. So I asked why he consented to be my sworn brother. He smiled and said it was because I looked so helpless and… uhm, teary eyed."
Di FeiSheng does choke on his tea this time. A bemused Fang DuoBing looks at an amused Li LianHua to a coughing Di FeiSheng and then back to an embarrassed Su XiaoYong.
"He was just humouring you!"
"No, he wasn't! Guan-dage never lies, he always speaks the truth!" Su XiaoYong tosses her head.
"So you think Guan-xiong won't scold Yun BiQiu anymore because he looked on the verge of tears?" Fang DuoBing demands. "He was the cause of it!"
Di FeiSheng lets out a snort.
"Don't you laugh, you scolded him too." Fang DuoBing reaches behind Li LianHua's back to poke Di FeiSheng in the ribs. He gets a glare in return.
"Enough, both of you." Li LianHua grabs a bao and stuffs it in Fang DuoBing's mouth. "Here, eat this."
- o –
By the time Guan HeMeng and Yun BiQiu return, only two bao remain on the plate.
"We're back." Guan HeMeng has a hand on Yun BiQiu's elbow as if he's supporting him. Judging from Yun BiQiu's skittish gaze, Li LianHua suspects it's actually to prevent an escape.
"I should go," Yun BiQiu says, proving Li LianHua right. He glances at the others, but doesn't quite meet Di FeiSheng's hard stare.
"BiQiu, at least sit down and eat something first," Li LianHua tells him.
"I'll make more tea." Fang DuoBing jumps up and carries the teapot over to the stove.
A reluctant Yun BiQiu is ushered to sit between Guan HeMeng and Su XiaoYong. He sips his cooled tea and takes a bite – more like a nibble - of his bao. Guan HeMeng ignores his breakfast in favour of snagging the basket of tonics and rooting through it, reading the labels and ignoring Li LianHua's 'tsk'.
"Mountain Snow Eagle blood tonic. Where did you get this?" Guan HeMeng holds up the tiny bottle, looking rather impressed.
"Aren't they almost extinct?" Yun BiQiu leans in to read the label and jerks back when Guan HeMeng turns to him in surprise.
"It's from me." Di FeiSheng sounds smug.
"The rest are all from Tianji Hall," Fang DuoBing adds, not to be outdone.
"They're of good quality. I hope you're taking one a day." Guan HeMeng tells Li LianHua, looking very serious.
"They're too strong to be taken daily," Li LianHua protests. "I plan to take three a week."
The incredulous look Guan HeMeng gives him makes everyone to put down their teacup.
"Li LianHua,what makes you think you even have a week left?"
The half eaten bao falls from Yun BiQiu's fingers.
- Chapter End –