Important: I am not interested in any collaboration that requires payment. Please do not ask me.

Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! My muse had disappeared for 6 months and try as I might, she refused to return... until we started watching Fangs of Fortune. Then she appeared on my shoulder and demanded that I write. So here we are, my beta and I, happily letting another black hole consume our thoughts, our free time and our souls like so much malicious energy lol

Beta: jeangirlmy

Disclaimer: Fangs of Fortune doesn't belong to me.

I am not sure if you know this but fanfiction writers are NOT paid for their stories. We do not earn a single cent so how can I afford to pay anyone for artwork? Where would that money come from?

So, no thanks.

- Story Start –

Ying Lei was dreaming.

It was a good dream with him cooking up a storm (figuratively, of course) in the large kitchen of the Demon Hunting Bureau. To be honest, it was only a quarter of the size of the mountain temple he stayed at, but he didn't want to remember that because it would mean that Wen Xiao lied to him. He had two kitchen assistants, but they only knew how to prepare vegetables and were usually short-changed whenever they bought produce. Ying Lei had to do the marketing himself, but he didn't mind because he was good at bargaining. All the sellers said so! Besides, the marketplace was full of colours and sounds and smells.

Ahh, he loved the human world!

Ying Lei was bargaining hard for a large basket of freshly picked water spinach when they shifted before his eyes, stems morphing into long snaking vines that attacked him. The marketplace and vendors vanished and all he saw as he desperately blocked and spun were the vines. They lashed at him like verdant, living whips. They pierced his shoulder, his arm, his stomach-

Ying Lei's eyes flew open, a huge breath catching in his throat before leaving his mouth as a silent gasp. He looked around him, heart slamming against his ribcage.

Where was this place?

Then he remembered - they were all fighting Li Lun. Ying Lei had been pierced multiple times by those lethal vines before using the rest of his spiritual power to cast the containment spell to hold Bai Jiu's body captive. After Li Lun's spirit was transferred to his primordial root, Pei Sijing and Wen Xiao took the unconscious Bai Jiu from Ying Lei's arms.

He remembered leaning against a rock, body torn and bleeding. He remembered fighting for breath with the taste of blood in his mouth. He remembered hanging onto every word that Zhuo Yichen was saying – that he was amazing and even better than him. Wen Xiao said that he was the best cook they ever had.

And then… nothing.

Ying Lei looked around again and finally realised he wasn't alone. A familiar head was pillowed on the mattress beside him. He stared at the colourful braids woven into the dark shiny hair. His throat hurt and his eyes stung.

Any sacrifice –any!- was worth it for Bai Jiu. He was free of Li Lun's possession at last and he was alive.

"Xiao Jiu," Ying Lei croaked.

Bai Jiu didn't move.

Ying Lei lifted a shaky hand, index finger reaching out to the tiny golden bell. He flicked it. The resulting tinkle was bright and light, just like its owner.

The head moved and stopped. Then Bai Jiu's head snapped up, eyes round in a pale face.

"Ying Lei! You're awake!"

Never had that squeaky voice sounded so good to Ying Lei's ears.

"Xiao Jiu," he choked out. Through his tears, he saw Bai Jiu's shiny eyes and beaming smile, brighter than the sun. There were voices shouting his name, the bed groaning in protest as bodies crowded in from all sides, loving hands ruffling his hair and squeezing his shoulders.

Surrounded by his family, Ying Lei's eyes overflowed with joyful tears.

- o -

Sometime later...

"Xiao Jiu, you saved my life."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did," Ying Lei insisted. "You're a doctor."

"I was unconscious for a day and night. You would have died just waiting for me to wake up!"

Ying Lei stared at the absolute certainty on Bai Jiu's face before turning the others around the bed. They all nodded solemnly.

"Then who…?"

"It was my mum who saved you," Bai Jiu announced and turned a proud smile on Bai Yan who stood a little further back.

It turned out that an infusion of Bai Yan's spiritual energy had repaired the life threatening damage from Li Lun's vines and restored Ying Lei's health.

Clasping his hands together, Ying Lei bowed deeply in thanks.

"What are you thinking about?" Pei Sijing asked, nudging Wen Xiao's shoulder.

"Oh, just wondering if Lady Bai's spiritual energy left any side effects." With a speculative smile, Wen Xiao pulled the pen from her hair and the notebook from her belt.

"You're writing this down?" Zhao Yuanzhou had one eyebrow raised.

"You mean I could be one part mountain god, part red panda demon and part tree demon now?" Ying Lei demanded.

"Given how amazing you are, anything is possible," Zhuo Yichen said. He looked solemn as usual except for the tiny smile on his lips.

"You don't mind, do you?" Bai Jiu asked, just a tad anxiously.

"Being related?" Ying Lei grinned at him and patted his hair. "Of course not! I already consider you my younger brother!"

- Chapter End –