Lingqi stepped out of the door, his heart a drumbeat echoing through his chest. His cheeks were a deep crimson, and his lips could not resist the pull of an upward curl. His head was in the clouds, and he floated towards the kitchen, his steps airy and light, to fetch dinner for both himself and Yuyan. The aroma of the meal — pork and rice — filled the air, drawing him closer.

Yi Ming, the custodian of the day’s rations, stood tall and lanky. Lingqi's curiosity, unrestrained and wild, could not be tamed.

"Where were you earlier, Yi? We played Cuju without you," Lingqi inquired, his voice laced with innocence.

"I was visiting my family in the capital," Yi Ming replied.

Lingqi gave a slow nod. He hadn’t known that Yi Ming’s family was in Huadu.

"Oh, I see. What were you doing there? I didn't know we were allowed to leave," Lingqi said, surprise evident in his wide eyes. For the past couple years the junior student had never ventured outside of the academy walls.

"It's a privilege if you have family nearby. And well, you can too, actually. It's easier if you have a relative to stay with or family in the area," Yi Ming explained. "Otherwise, you'll have to pay your own way, and that can be pretty expensive."

"What were you doing with your family?"

Yi Ming chuckled, a deep, hearty sound. "You're a curious kid, aren't you? I was visiting my sister; she just had a baby. Another son."

"That's great!" Lingqi's eyes sparkled with fascination.

"Next, are you going to ask me where babies come from?" Yi Ming teased.

"Well, actually—"

"It's a joke, Lingqi," Yi Ming laughed. "You're a funny kid. Alright, take this and run along. One for you and one for Yuyan. Try to go easy on her next time, alright?"

"Right," Lingqi nodded, taking the two bowls of rice and pork. He thanked his senior and headed back to the girl's dormitory.

"Yuyan, it's me. Can I come in?" Lingqi asked, knocking on her door.

"Sure," came the soft reply.

Lingqi entered, finding her in the same spot as before. He placed the bowls beside her.

"Here, Yuyan," he said, handing her one of the bowls.

"Thanks," Yuyan smiled, taking the bowl and beginning to eat. Lingqi did the same, and they ate in silence. The question that had been gnawing at his mind finally escaped his lips.

"Yuyan, where do babies come from?"

Her chopsticks paused mid-air. The question caught her off guard.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired, regaining her composure.

"Yi Ming mentioned that his sister had a baby. I've always wondered about it. You know, how a child is born," Lingqi answered earnestly.

"Oh, right," Yuyan said, unsure of how to proceed. "I think it would be better if Master Zhang told you about that."

"Why? Can't you just tell me? I won't tell him that you told me. It'll be our little secret," Lingqi promised.

"Lingqi, please. This is serious stuff," Yuyan explained, her voice firm. "It's not really appropriate for me to tell you. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Lingqi's eyes fell, a shadow of disappointment crossing his face.

"It's nothing against you, Lingqi. It's just something that... adults can tell you. When you're older. You'll understand."

"Right, okay," the boy replied, a forced smile tugging at his lips.

"But I can tell you a different kind of secret," Yuyan said, leaning in.

"What?" Lingqi asked, eyes wide with anticipation.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, okay? Especially not Master Zhang," Yuyan whispered, leaning in even closer.

"Of course," Lingqi answered eagerly.

"Good," Yuyan replied, and kissed him on the cheek once more. His cheeks flushed red, and a smile broke out.

"Alright, I think I'm gonna get some sleep," Yuyan announced.

"Are you feeling any better?" Lingqi asked, concern in his voice.

"I think so," Yuyan nodded, flexing her foot. The pain had subsided, and the swelling had gone down.

"Let me take the bowls and put away the ointment," Lingqi offered, and Yuyan nodded in gratitude.

"Thank you," she replied.

Lingqi collected the bowls and the jar and returned them to the kitchen. As he placed the bowls in the water basin, Gao and Li Bie approached him.

"How's Yuyan?" Gao asked.

"She seems okay," Lingqi replied.

"Did the cream help her at all?" Li Bie questioned.

"Yeah, I think so. She's going to sleep now," Lingqi informed them.

"That's good to hear," Li Bie nodded.

"So the question is, are we going to tell Master Zhang what happened?" Gao asked.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"He'll know something is wrong when he sees her limping. We might as well come clean," Li Bie suggested.

"Right," Gao agreed. "We should apologize as a group. We all agreed to use Prana during Cuju matches."

"I can't help but think it's my fault," Lingqi sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"Hey, you don't need to blame yourself. It was an accident. If anything, we're more to blame. We're your seniors. We should have known better," Li Bie explained.

"We'll apologize to Master Zhang together first thing in the morning. So don't worry about it," Gao reassured him.

"Thanks, guys," Lingqi smiled softly.

"No problem," Gao replied, patting his back. "Now, go get some rest."

Lingqi nodded and headed towards the boys' dormitory. He laid upon his bed, staring at the wooden rafters. Thoughts of his day swirled in his mind, but they always drifted back to Yuyan.

Her kiss lingered, and he pressed his hand against his cheek, his skin reddening once more.

He closed his eyes, unplagued by nightmares of his past.

----------------------------------------

"Master Zhang, we need to report something."

The following morning, Li Bie, Lingqi, Gao, and Chen stood outside Master Zhang's study, their faces grave.

"Come in," a voice from within beckoned.

The four stepped inside, Master Zhang's eyes surveying them.

"What is it you need to report, my students?" he questioned.

"We have something to confess," Li Bie stated.

"Go on," Master Zhang prompted, intrigued.

"We have been using our Prana without your supervision, Master," Li Bie admitted. "We were playing Cuju and accidentally injured Yuyan."

"Oh? Continue," Master Zhang urged.

"Lingqi struck the ball using a Shui-enhanced strike, and Yuyan tried to stop it with her foot. It's sore and swollen but not broken. Lingqi applied ointment."

"I see," Master Zhang stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"I'm really sorry, Master," Lingqi bowed apologetically.

"We all are," Gao added. "As his mentor, I should've had more foresight."

"Yea, what he said," Chen mumbled.

"We came to apologize, Master," Li Bie informed. "And we'll accept any punishment you deem fit."

"Is that so?" A faint smile tugged on the headmaster’s lips.

The four nodded in unison, their heads low.

"I'm not upset, my students," Master Zhang said finally, pressing his fingers together.

"Wait, really?" Chen asked, looking up with astonishment.

"Indeed," Master Zhang replied, leaning back in his seat. "If anything, I am proud of your honesty."

"So... we aren't in trouble?" Chen asked.

A chuckle escaped the headmaster, and he raised his hand to them. "I did not say that," he clarified.

"I knew it was too good to be true," Chen muttered.

"Master, what are you going to do with us?" Li Bie asked, his brow furrowed.

"It's not what I'm going to do, but what you are going to do," Master Zhang replied.

"What do you mean, Master?" Gao inquired.

"This is an important lesson. If you have a skill, you must learn to wield it wisely. The power of Prana is not to be taken lightly. You must be aware of its true capabilities," Master Zhang lectured.

"Yes, Master," Li Bie nodded.

"Good. I will not punish you for using Prana, but you will take care of Yuyan," Master Zhang instructed.

"What?" The group was surprised.

"But, Lingqi was already doing that," Chen pointed out.

"Now you shall do it as a group. It is a chance to reflect on your actions," Master Zhang explained. "You may begin by bringing her breakfast."

"We can do that," Li Bie nodded.

"Then go tend to her needs," Master Zhang instructed.

The group of boys bowed and swiftly exited the headmaster’s study. They walked towards the mess hall with their shoulders and head held high, free of tension.

"That wasn't so bad," Chen said as they walked. "I didn't expect him to be so understanding."

"Right," Gao agreed. "None of us did. But I'm glad. I don't want him disappointed in us."

"I'm kinda glad too," Lingqi chimed in.

"Why?" Gao asked.

"It means I get to spend more time with Yuyan," Lingqi replied, twiddling his thumbs.

"Oh, I see. Is that the only reason?" Li Bie teased, patting his head.

"Of course not. I feel bad for her, but I enjoy being around her," Lingqi admitted.

"Not as much as you enjoy being around me, right?" Gao joked,wrapping his arm around him and pulling him close.

"Of course not, Gao. No one likes you more than I do," Lingqi joked back, and they laughed.

"Enough teasing," Li Bie said, grabbing bowls. "Let's take this to Yuyan."

"Yeah, before the pork gets cold," Chen added.

The group walked to the girl's dormitory with Lingqi leading the way, serving tray in hand.

"Hey, Yuyan. Are you awake?" Lingqi knocked.

"Lingqi?" Yuyan yawned. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, I'm here with food. Everyone else is here too," Lingqi said.

"Except for Yi Ming, as usual," Chen added snidely.

"Come in," Yuyan invited.

Yuyan lay on her cot, her foot elevated. Her hair was in a ponytail, her robes loose but modest. It seemed that she had taken the time to dress herself this morning. A positive sign for her recovery.

"Here," Lingqi handed her a bowl.

"Thanks," Yuyan took the bowl with a smile and began to eat.

"We told Master Zhang what happened. He wants us to take care of you today," Li Bie said, taking a seat with a bowl in hand.

"Oh?" Yuyan replied, her brow furrowed as she chewed.

"Yep, ask and we'll help. Even walk you if needed," Chen said in between bites. "And by 'we' I mean Lingqi, since he likes hanging around you so mu—gah!"

Gao elbowed him, nearly causing the portly teen to spew the food from his mouth.

"What he means is, we're here to help," Gao clarified, ignoring Chen's glare.

Yuyan's gaze met Lingqi's, whose cheeks reddened. His sweet and tender countenance touched her, but guilt gnawed at her conscience, nipping at her mind.

"Lingqi, could you fetch a scroll from the library for me? The one I read to you before with the red thread attached to it," Yuyan instructed.

Lingqi placed his bowl down and quickly stood onto his feet, his demeanor that of an eager pup. “Of course, I’ll be right back.”

He quickly scurried off through the door and closed it behind himself, leaving the senior students to their own devices.

Yuyan spoke up once the sound of Lingqi’s footsteps vanished. "I'm actually healed. It's no longer swollen, and I can walk fine." She flexed her foot to and fro.

"What?" Li Bie's eyes widened. "The ointment couldn't have worked that fast."

"Unless you used your Prana?" Chen's eyes narrowed, cupping his chin.

Yuyan nodded, smiling proudly.

"But Master Zhang warned us about cultivating alone. How did you do it?" Li Bie questioned.

"I remembered Lingqi's words during our match. He visualized and then acted. So, I meditated and visualized my Prana healing my foot. I felt the energy flow, and the pain vanished," Yuyan explained. "I got dressed this morning and didn’t feel any pain."

"Wait, it's that simple?" Chen inquired.

"Simple, but not easy," Yuyan clarified. "It took most of the night."

"That's amazing," Gao praised, impressed.

"You could have hurt yourself," Li Bie pointed out. "Using Prana unsupervised is dangerous."

"But," Yuyan began, "I think Master Zhang knows more than he's told us."

"What do you mean?" Li Bie asked.

Yuyan chewed on her bottom lip, and she contemplated revealing what Lingqi had told her. Master Zhang didn’t want them to know, and Lingqi had sworn her to secrecy but the information seemed rather harmless enough. It didn’t make sense in her mind to leave her fellow senior students in the dark.

"I'm not the only one jealous of Lingqi's talent, am I?" Yuyan sat up and leaned against the wall, her eyes shifted to each one of the boys as she tested the waters.

"No," Chen admitted glumly as he finished up his meal. "He's gifted. I feel like a chump compared to him."

"Right, he's five years younger. It's hard not to feel inadequate," Gao agreed, crossing his arms. He was proud of his mentee, but he also could not help but feel as if there would come a time when he would no longer be of use to him. And that time was rapidly approaching.

"Exactly. I've studied under Master Zhang the longest, and I can't do what he can," Li Bie chimed in.

Yuyan was glad to see that she wasn’t alone in her thoughts. Lingqi was special, but he was an enigma in a lot of ways, his ability was anomalous to Master Zhang’s teachings. She leaned in, her lips pursed, her grave visage caught her fellow senior’s attention.

"Lingqi's village was raided by the Khalkans. He witnessed his parents' deaths in the attack," Yuyan revealed.

The boys were stunned to silence, their eyes widened in shock.

Gao’s hands curled into fists, white-knuckled with anger.

Chen was quiet, his head low, eyes downcast.

Li Bie’s mouth was ajar, his eyes sparkled with surprise.

They had not known the weight their precious junior carried on his shoulders.