Bones violently cracked in the quiet of the cellar.

Someone was yelling but he couldn't hear them he couldn't hear anything but the crack.

Crack.

Crack!

Qing Xiashu hit the floor hard. He woke just enough to give Hong Chunji the glare of his lifetime.

"Immature!" He spat, shooing away the serpent that peered down at him curiously.

The scoff the hero made was impressive and though his face was red, he ground out something about Qing Xiashu being shameless and hopeless.

"Not my fault you wake up at the ass crack of dawn. Just because they call you dawn-whatever doesn't mean you have to be awake at dawn!" Qing Xiashu scolded, crawling back into the bed when Hong Chunji climbed over him to the floor.

"Right, whatever, shut up." Hong Chunji huffed, cheeks stained red still.

"You'll kiss me but you freak out about a head on your shoulder?"

What an odd man...

•••

Back again were the trickling bubbling streams and the farm house.

And again they shattered with the scene of his own death. This time in a town full of burning bodies.

•••

The second time Qing Xiashu woke from his rest, it was well into the morning.

The smell of food floated about the room and he rather quickly sat himself upright.

"Good morning..." Hong Chunji rumbled out in greeting, stiffly settled on the far side of a low table with two meals set out before him.

"Morning, have you counted the money yet?" Qing Xiashu asked as he rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes and stood so he could sit down to eat.

"Well... I have, but I'm not really... sure how much horses cost... so..." Hong Chunji just gestured to the open pouch sitting on the table while Qing Xiashu dug into his food.

"Alright alright, I'll check in a moment, the harder thing might be someone willing to part with decent horses. On that note. You have ridden horses before, yes?" Qing Xiashu questioned, watching the feathered wyrm wind its way up the prince's arms and settle comfortably around his neck.

"Not... really..." Hong Chunji admitted after a few moments of hesitation. "Not since I was a child, my brother would occasionally take me riding."

"Eh, no time to learn like the present." Qing Xiashu shrugged, this was either going to be ridiculously funny with many mishaps or horrendously depressing.

"Um... I am... sorry for kicking you off the bed this morning." The hero mumbled, gently scrubbing the serpent's head.

Qing Xiashu couldn't help but grow a little bit of a smug smile. "It's fine, I get it, my beauty can be startling."

"You're shameless..." Hong Chunji muttered again, shoulders stiff and face burning once more, it only made Qing Xiashu's smile widen.

"I know."

"How are your injuries?"

Qing Xiashu blinked, then waved off the inquiry. "Don't worry about that, they'll be fine for another day, we should get moving before we worry about stalling anymore."

The only answer was a faint nod.

When they were ready to leave the inn, Qing Xiashu collected a bit of money from the pouch that Linhung Xianshen had given them the day before. "How much time and trouble do you think your uncle saved us?" He asked in a teasing tone,

"I don't even want to think about all that..." Hong Chunji sighed, rubbing his head and watching as Qing Xiashu bought parchment to cut for talismans.

"I think it's cool." Qing Xiashu chuckled, buying a knife and inks. "I mean, think about what kind of powers you might have that no one else does."

"It explains why I survived..." Hong Chunji mumbled while they walked towards the edge of town.

A demigod born from the frolicking of a sun god sure did explain why one might survive a massacre perpetrated with ice...

"Come on, let's see if some of the farmers are selling any horses."

The search didn't take long, they found an elderly couple that was selling a few pack horses.

Not quite the same as the riding steeds Qing Xiashu was used to but they were at least durable. And more importantly significantly cheaper.

The two horses didn't seem to mind when Qing Xiashu led them both from their stables and out of the pastures they were familiar with, he was just glad the boots he was wearing would be suitable for riding.

"Hong Shaoye!" Qing Xiashu called when he returned to the spot he'd left his companion, only to hear the man hiss out a shushing sound.

Cocking his head, Qing Xiashu peered across the road to where Hong Chunji was crouched.

"Hong Shaoye, I've got the horses~!"

Slowly Hong Chunji looked over his shoulder and grimaced lightly. "Shaoye this, Shaoye that, but you have no issue mercilessly teasing me?"

"I wouldn't say I'm not merciful." Qing Xiashu said with a soft huff. "Just that you're rather easy to tease. Now come on, meet the horses so we can get going."

Hong Chunji slowly stood, moping the whole way.

Qing Xiashu spotted the iridescent scales of the wind serpent as it dove back under Hong Chunji's robes.

"It's seriously grown."

"She." Hong Chunji grumbled as he walked over to the horses, holding out a cautious hand. The tan horse turned its nose up at him and stepped in a circle to show him she wasn't at all interested. The dappled one thankfully actually walked forward to greet him.

"Well we know which one you're not riding." Qing Xiashu chuckled. "Hong Shaoye, do I need to pick you up or can you get up there with a step up?" Qing Xiashu teased.

"Shut up, could you even pick me up? You're shaped with the integrity of a fish bone!"

"Mm, sharp and surprisingly flexible, now do you want help or to just stand there and waste time?"

The prince scoffed. "Fine. Help me."

"Put your foot here, then step into my hands and I'll push you the rest of the way up." Qing Xiashu explained as he knelt down to offer a temporary stepping stone.

The moment Hong Chunji hit the saddle; the horse tapped its hooves happily, practically prancing about, beyond ready to get moving and go on an adventure.

"W-what's it doing?" Hong Chunji asked anxiously, Qing Xiashu kept hold of Hong Chunji's leg as he led the dappled horse back towards the other one.

"It's just excited, calm down." Qing Xiashu snorted, sweeping himself into the saddle of the standoffish tan mare. He could hear Hong Chunji make a quietly distressed sound as they began moving, especially as they sped into a steady pace.

Qing Xiashu kept his laughter silent.

They made much better time with the horses, taking a few breaks here and there.

While settled on the saddle, Qing Xiashu went to work splitting the parchment and drawing out talisman after talisman, preparing quite a few as well as leaving a few blank.

"Could you please wait until we aren't riding to do that-?" Hong Chunji's voice cracked when he spoke,

Qing Xiashu looked over his shoulder and raised a brow. "What am I supposed to be doing right now if not this?"

"Look- you might ride anything you can get your hands on, but some of us are not so comfortable with your multitasking when you should be driving." The prince hissed, an amused little serpent resting around his arm and flicking her tongue out at them both.

Sputtering, Qing Xiashu miserably failed to come up with a response. "Fine." Was all he came out with, carefully stowing away all the talismans.

"Thank you!" Hong Chunji huffed, still rigid in the saddle.

"You know, even A-Ying wasn't so bad on a horse the first time. And she's barely eight now." Qing Xiashu noted, this time maintaining his focus forward.

"Well Northerners are naturally more comfortable with animals- you rely on their services regularly."

Qing Xiashu rolled his eyes dramatically, glancing over his shoulder just so Hong Chunji could see the exasperated action. "Horses aren't going to hurt you unless they're scared. So don't ride at night, and don't do anything dumb."

"How am I supposed to know what's dumb?"

"Common sense? Don't slap them in the butt and they'll probably do fine."

"So I should slap you instead?"

Again Qing Xiashu sputtered. "I mean-- if you must slap something in the behind, I am less likely to respond with violence. So I suppose yes." He said, coughing lightly into his hand.

Hong Chunji took his turn to give a smug smile.

"Where are all these dirty jokes coming from, Hong Shaoye?"

"Ahh, it's the only way to stay sane around you."

Qing Xiashu huffed but once more failed to come up with a reply.

What did he even do anyway?

Many hours slid by in similar fashion, one coming up with any reason to harass the other and finding little issue at all with how it flowed.

They even chose to mostly skip the first town they came across, pausing only to pick up some fresh warm food from the market and eating it while they walked, horses trailing behind each of their riders.

A small child ran past with a yapping puppy and Qing Xiashu sighed in a near wistful manner. "I miss Hefeng and A-Ying..." He murmured.

"Who even is this A-Ying?" Hong Chunji asked, mouth mostly full of a piece of meat off a skewer they were passing back and forth.

"Hei Xianying. She's a huan I picked up a few years ago. She's my Shimei now but I think she likes being called A-Ying better. She practically refuses to call me Qing Shixiong like she's supposed to. It's always Shu-gege this Shu-gege that. I think it's sweet. So if I'm Shu-gege, then she's A-Ying. I'm not sure if she's my little sister or my daughter, but either way."

"I see. She sounds kind."

"Very, most of my juniors are a bit like her. They're surprisingly sweet and affectionate. I must say there's something to be said about their humility. Perhaps it's because the palace sect has the tradition of adoption, but children come from all walks of life, the streets, auctions, poor, rich, cultivators, yao, anything really."

"...The south only accepts blood ties as inner disciples. Exceptions only get made for extreme talent and personality."

"When you become King you should change that, a lot of street kids have surprisingly good cultivation."

Hong Chunji's expression twisted with confusion and then with slight distaste.

"You do plan to take power, don't you?" Qing Xiashu asked, head tipping and flicking his ponytail over one shoulder to rake his fingers through the ends, ensuring they weren't too tangled from their time in the wilds. "I mean right now the head of state is the citadel sect leader, you could let the martial sect keep political power. But I assumed you'd rather take over the throne."

"I'm not sure... as of yet the South doesn't really know I survived at all. I'm not sure if they should."

"Why not?"

"There would be a war."

"What do you mean?" Qing Xiashu asked as he bought another little pouch of sweets from a street vendor, again passing the bag to Hong Chunji to take from.

Hong Chunji just gave him an almost apologetic look.

"Ah.. right..." He murmured around the sugar candy in his mouth.

He'd been choosing to forget about that for days now.

Pretending Hong Chunji wasn't going to kill Xue Feiyi was significantly easier than grappling with his own conflicting emotions.

He held his hand out for the meat skewer and took a bite of it as soon as it was set in his palm.

"I hope there isn't a war." Hong Chunji muttered.

Qing Xiashu nodded slowly in agreement. "People seldom do unless they stand to make significant financial gains."

"Or for en masse revenge."

"That is true..."

That cut the conversation there.

Returning to their ride on horse back didn't take as many antics this time. Hong Chunji climbed atop the horse all on his own under Qing Xiashu's watchful eye, and the two set off.

The wyrm was eyeing their sweets as they passed them back and forth. "Do you want some?" Hong Chunji asked a s he held up a small piece of sugar candy.

"I don't think she should eat that."

The prince only shrugged as the wyrm investigated the little snack, slowly grabbing hold and dragging it back into his sleeve.

"What are you going to call her?"

"She probably already has a name."

"So a nickname then."

Another shrug. "Miantiao, I guess."

"Original." Qing Xiashu laughed.

Wherever exactly Linghun Xianshen had dropped them, it was relatively well populated with small towns. Each village was only about five hours apart and had large roads connecting them.

These roads weren't paved, but they were relatively well kept. It made their travel easier. Certainly much more so than their time in the wilds.

"We should slow our pace unless you want people to know about your uncle." Qing Xiashu mentioned as they passed through a particularly empty plain.

Hong Chunji looked towards the clouds for a moment. "I suppose you're right. That certainly would bring even more unwanted attention." He said more to himself than to Qing Xiashu. "If we stayed in one place for a few days it certainly couldn't hurt. Especially if we were then able to spend some time making money."

"We would need to board the horses a while assuming we'll be staying at an inn for that long."

"Mn, should we pay some farmers to use their stables?"

Qing Xiashu nodded. "Alternatively, depending on the farm we might be able to get room and board for ourselves as well if we do some work for them. In addition some inns have stables. We'll have to ask around."

"That part I'm familiar with." Hong Chunji said with a soft chuckle. "I'm relatively certain half of my life was spent in arrangements like those."

"Ah I suppose that's true, how did you handle those first five or six years anyway?"

"Somehow I made it to a family over in Tian Yang Village in the Eastern Borderlands. They called me Yin Liming. Their family name was Yin, and Liming eventually made it into my title."

"A family in the Eastern borderlands..." Qing Xiashu echoed. It never had made much sense for Xue Feiyi to have traveled so far east on his way from the citadel to Chaoting, such a route would take twice as long. "How did you get all the way in the borderlands?"

"Truthfully I'm not sure, I remember being on a sword. I don't even remember the sword. Just being in the air and getting wrapped up in cloaks to keep warm." Hong Chunji said with a faint shrug. "Probably someone from the sect who escaped and then deserted their post. That's my theory anyway."

"Why would they just leave you after that?"

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

"I'm not sure. Maybe they were afraid of repercussions."

"Perhaps that makes sense." Qing Xiashu silently surrendered his opinion to the back burner in preference of placating the prince. "What happened to the people who took you in?"

"Ah, they couldn't afford to take care of me when their daughter grew ill so I ran away instead of letting them struggle harder."

"Did you ever go back? Check on them and all that?"

Hong Chunji shook his head after a long hesitation.

"Well." Qing Xiashu hummed. "We are headed East, instead of taking a break, we could take a mini detour and stop there..."

For a long few seconds, Hong Chunji contemplated the idea before nodding. "Mn, I think that could end up being for the best." He acknowledged, a warm expression appearing on his face.

Qing Xiashu's face split into a smile.

For a moment Hong Chunji did nothing but watch, stuck momentarily still before smiling again with a soft amused huff. "You almost seem happier about it than me."

"It's a little like meeting your parents isn't it?" Qing Xiashu teased as he righted his posture and turned his face and shoulders again toward their path.

Hong Chunji clicked his tongue, tossing up his hands. "How does your daughter handle you as a guardian?"

"She likes corny jokes mostly." Qing Xiashu hummed out the explanation like it made leagues of sense.

"I suppose it can't be hard to appeal to an eight-year-old's sense of humor."

"Oh that's what you think, she's only satisfied by the worst of dad jokes, and most obnoxious of knock-knock jokes." The head disciple announced, holding a finger up before grinning again.

"Your humor is being negatively affected in your old age, Qing Xiashu."

"Yes, yes, Hong Shaoye, I am certainly sure." Qing Xiashu laughed lightly, shutting his eyes for a moment and letting the horse lead along the road on her own.

"Stop calling me Shaoye, I mean it." Hong Chunji huffed.

"You're a prince. I ought to be calling you by higher titles than Shaoye."

"Not here. Not now. For now, Hong Chunji. When in town, Yin Liming." Hong Chunji decreed as though it were law.

Perhaps he was getting practice for his future as a royal.

"Alright, alright, I suppose kissing on a prince might give me some privileges. Even if he's so grumpy and petty." Qing Xiashu hummed with a faux huff of annoyance, flicking his ponytail off his shoulder so it could retake its usual position of waving behind him.

Hong Chunji scoffed again, eyes tracking the motion. "Your hair is dirty."

Qing Xiashu puffed a cheek and gave Hong Chunji a lighthearted glare. "Well yes. Chunji didn't help me take care of it even though I helped him." He grumbled with an exaggerated pout, mimicking Hei Xianying.

"Who was the petty one again?

"Still you."

"If I must take over caring for your hair as well as your wounds, you will find that I am prepared to do so." Hong Chunji declared, still averting his gaze.

Qing Xiashu couldn't help the warming in his cheeks. It wasn't that no one did anything for him. It was just that Hong Chunji was so adamant about helping him. "Well if you'll bathe me, you won't find me complaining."

"Not all of you, pervert. Just your hair."

The accusation did nothing to banish the warmth collecting in Qing Xiashu's rib cage. He only laughed, shaking his head. "Clean my hair and I'll care for yours and tie it up for you in the morning, deal?"

"Fine." Hong Chunji was picking up the reins that Qing Xiashu had left crossed over the saddle before him, apparently finally comfortable being in control of the animal. "Let's move faster, my butt is already sore."

This cracked Qing Xiashu into laughter. "Oh dear Chunji, you poor weak old man."

The town they'd chosen to stay in wasn't very far out, it was just past noon by the time they arrived.

They rode through the gates before dismounting, moving through the busier parts of town to reach the emptier stretches. The edges of the town were more likely to have inns with space to tie horses and allow them some rest.

"I know this town." Hong Chunji mentioned as they walked. "We're in the middle of the Borderlands. Just past Yang Xin."

Qing Xiashu's head tipped a bit. "Your uncle is seriously handy... Everyone else is probably still in the wilds."

"Mn, probably." The prince agreed as he led the way through the town. "This should do." He said with a small nod to an inn on a relatively large estate.

Qing Xiashu spoke to the innkeeper and paid him for their room without any difficulty. Hong Chunji didn't question the acquisition of only one room. They'd both come to expect the forced proximity.

"This room even has a kitchen." Qing Xiashu was saying eagerly as they ascended the staircase towards their room, turning half towards Hong Chunji as he spoke. "I call cooking dinner."

"Fine, I'll cook breakfast, we can buy lunch from a vendor." The prince agreed, opening a door with their key and walking into the room that was arguably much more like a little home than anything else.

The head disciple nodded as he explored the room. "Should we call for a bath now or after we kill time in town?"

At first Hong Chunji shrugged, checking what supplies they would need for cooking, eventually answering. "I vote after. We'll need some things. It's just a shame we don't have any kongjian bags."

"Alright, alright. We should buy proper first aid supplies, maybe new robes... you're still without under robes aren't you?" Qing Xiashu personally was quite ready to go and keep adventuring about.

"Mn, that's true... I'd appreciate some new ones... the seams on this layer aren't the most comfortable." Hong Chunji explained as he patted the second layer of his robes. "We can afford the time to stay long enough for them to be made if we put a rush order on them. Heavens know we have the funds."

Qing Xiashu nodded as he dropped off the inks and parchment before preparing to depart again, keeping the talismans he'd already made securely in his sleeves to be thrown out whenever necessary.

"Your stain is getting dull." Hong Chunji mentioned as they walked in the warmth of the sunlight.

Qing Xiashu frowned, tapping his forehead as if to confirm the fact, despite that there was nothing to feel either way. "I usually repaint them every few days..."

"Should we try to find more?"

The head disciple shook his head. "It's not that important, just a tradition. That and it really might drain our money. The further south you buy, the more expensive it runs for."

Hong Chunji nodded slowly and glanced towards a small vendor, becoming distracted by the wares. Charms carved from the shells of what Qing Xiashu would be hard pressed to assume was a relative of an abalone. "Do you want one?" Qing Xiashu asked as he followed the prince's fascinated gaze. "We have enough."

"No, they're just pretty, we should pick up ingredients and get new robes fitted."

Qing Xiashu nodded. "I suspect there will be plenty of outer robes pre-made, I only need new pants otherwise, so I can probably get those fitted and then fetch groceries, you have a few more problems." He chuckled.

Hong Chunji rolled his eyes rather dramatically. "Fine."

Having them each fitted for new garments didn't take as long as either honestly expected it would. Qing Xiashu went first. Measurements were jotted down rather fast, then he left for the market.

He picked out fruits and vegetables suitable for their next few meals, and bought some fresh meat from the butcher a few buildings down.

Then it was off to find first aid supplies. That was a bit of an adventure down the side streets and asking around a wine pavilion.

Bandages were cheap so close to the textile empire that the East was. Even disinfectant ointments and cooling salves were easy to come by. It would have been better to find a cultivator specializing in herbal alchemy, but unless they came across a minor sect by chance, they weren't likely to find one.

Next he picked up kitchen utensils.

By the time he had finished all that and wandered back to the tailor, he found Hong Chunji finishing up and stepping out of the shop.

"How long did they say?"

"Day after tomorrow."

Qing Xiashu nodded over this and the two meandered their way back towards the inn, stopping to pet a woman's sweet elderly dog at Qing Xiashu's behest.

"She's a very good judge of character, keeps my family quite safe from undesirables." The woman explained as the dog rolled at their feet for tummy rubs.

"They're absolutely lovely." Qing Xiashu mentioned as he knelt down to rub the dog's belly, handing all of the things he had bought to Hong Chunji in an unorganized heap, leaving the man to scramble before anything had the chance to tumble from his hold.

"If you plan to have children just make sure the dog isn't too old, they get snappy you know."

Qing Xiashu laughed softly. "Oh, I know, my girls are very good with one another though, they know not to get too crazy."

"Oh? How old?"

"The child or the dog?"

"Well... both, I suppose!"

"Dog is thirteen, child is eight."

"Eight? You two don't seem old enough to have a child of such an age!"

Off to the side Hong Chunji choked on his air.

Qing Xiashu laughed again, a bit nervously this time. "We're not- she's just mine. I adopted her when she was five." He wasn't exactly going to call Hei Xianying his daughter but he was her guardian and he would have been only fifteen when she was born. That technically made him old enough to be her dad... not that he loved thinking of the logistics of that.

But she certainly treated him like her dad.

He decided he didn't mind that.

"Whatever you boys say." The woman chuckled, finally collecting her dog and heading on her way.

"Well..." Hong Chunji turned to continue their path to the inn. "That was an interesting conversation."

Qing Xiashu laughed again, head tilting to one side almost sympathetically. "Ah, yes sorry. Sometimes I forget how acceptable fluid sexualities are outside of royal circles."

"Uhg." Was the only thing Hong Chunji bothered getting out.

As they returned to the inn, Qing Xiashu requested a bath for them and the two began stowing away the food and utensils they'd bought. Hong Chunji spent time fiddling with the appliances in the room, deciding just how the oven would be best used to heat the surface as well. Meanwhile chattering mindlessly at Qing Xiashu about the biscuits he would make for their time on the road.

"Do you like sweets, Qing Xiashu?" Hong Chunji asked, crouched before the stove and poking at the fire that was heating the oven.

"Mm, I do, not as much as my siblings, but I still find them nice on occasion. Only with other things though, sugar upsets my stomach." Qing Xiashu mentioned flopping back on the bed and resting his hands on his stomach.

"How?"

"What do you mean?"

"How does sugar upset your stomach, aren't you capable of inedia?"

"Ish, I've always had trouble with it. But that aside, it still tastes good."

"Well I'll make some sweet biscuits too then. But you aren't allowed to have too many."

Qing Xiashu laughed softly, amused by the domesticality of it. Hong Chunji perched over the oven talking about making desserts while Qing Xiashu lazed about and thought about exactly what he should make for dinner.

"Hong Chunji?"

"What?" Hong Chunji straightened and stood to look over at the other.

"What should I make for dinner? I'm not sure what sounds good." Qing Xiashu turned his head toward Hong Chunji to look at him, unconcerned with getting up.

"What kind of meat did you pick up?"

"Water fowl."

Hong Chunji seemed to think about it for a few moments before responding. "Boil it."

"Soup?" Qing Xiashu asked, sitting up. "I suppose this is probably the only time we're going to be able to have anything so difficult to transport. And there's always the chance for extra broth and using it for congee."

"What is it with you and congee?" The prince laughed, plopping himself down beside the head disciple.

"It was one of the few things my father knew how to cook. I like it best with jungle fowl and lotus root but that's awfully hard to get in the North." It was undeniably simple to make and was one of the few ways to placate him as a child.

"I see."

There was a knock on the door of someone bringing the water for their bath.

Qing Xiashu let the attendant in and left the door open for him to come in and go until he was done.

"You first." Hong Chunji ordered, turning his back to the tub and the privacy screen by focusing on mixing and kneading out sweet dough for the biscuits.

The water was comfortably warm when Qing Xiashu slipped into it, sinking into the sweet scented bath, eyes closing in peace while he relaxed and began carefully scrubbing away dirt and blood from his skin and hair.

After about fifteen minutes of Qing Xiashu doing nothing but lazing in the comfortable water, Hong Chunji stepped around the privacy screen, eyes averted.

"You haven't washed your hair yet?" It was phrased less as a question and more an observation.

"No." Qing Xiashu jerked his head to beckon Hong Chunji over, who grabbed a stool and settled down at the back of Qing Xiashu's head, gently running his fingers through the hair that was trailing to the ground outside the tub.

"Your hair is soft..." The prince mentioned as he rinsed and detangled the dark strands.

"I try to take care of it, this far south the humidity makes it weird though." Qing Xiashu was appreciating the comfortable massaging hands in his hair, eyes falling shut again.

"Don't doze off, I need to check your injuries and you need to make dinner."

"Mm..."

The order did nothing to dissuade Qing Xiashu from growing drowsy and letting his mind become fuzzy.

"Done, get out and put some pants on so I can check on everything." Hong Chunji said, standing and drying his hands on a small cloth, taking it with him when he went back to the kitchen.

"Awe..."

"I don't want to bathe in cold water."

"It's not like a few heating talismans wouldn't do the trick either way."

Qing Xiashu just knew Hong Chunji rolled his eyes.

He put on his first layer of robes along with the pants, mostly to provide himself the illusion of coverage. His pants that were still torn from Hong Chunji having had enough of his stubborn resistance hardly helped. He could probably leave them on for the most part and let the prince just ensure they were well on their way to healing.

When Qing Xiashu dropped himself into a seated position on the bed, Hong Chunji appeared over him to glance at all the closing wounds, choosing to rebandage the one on his leg, apply some burn cream to the burn on his shoulder.

Otherwise he was given a doctor's seal of approval.

Qing Xiashu piped up with a teasingly disappointed voice when Hong Chunji had moved away from him. "Eh? No kisses? See, this is why I get injured, you reward bad behavior." He said, waving a hand and leaning back on the other one.

Hong Chunji glared over his shoulder at the grinning head disciple. It wasn't intimidating, the man's cheeks had turned red far too quickly for that.

With a quiet chuckle, Qing Xiashu stood up. "Don't look at me like that. You're the one that did it. I'm right you, just don't like i--"

The prince scoffed quietly as he sharply turned, planting a light kiss on Qing Xiashu's forehead.

"Have you no shame?" He asked as he pulled away and returned to his tasks in the small kitchen.

Qing Xiashu's brain went on a vacation, hands frozen where they were, half raised.

Why was that so nice?

He stood staring at a wall as Hong Chunji finished in the kitchen and walked back to him, setting the wyrm on Qing Xiashu's shoulders before disappearing behind the screen to bathe.

Why did that even happen?

The wyrm crawled into the collar of his robes to curl up against his ribcage. All the while he was frozen there with burning cheeks for long enough that the biscuits had had plenty of time to cool.

That was lovely.

"Alright..." He finally said before getting off his butt to finish dressing and start preparing dinner.

"Alright?" Hong Chunji asked from beyond the privacy screen, pausing his movement in the water to listen to the answer without straining his ears over the sound.

"I just- mm, alright." Qing Xiashu couldn't offer up a proper reply even if he tried. Instead he simply went to work washing the vegetables in a pan of water and chopping everything before setting in on cooking their supper.

Everything had been set to boil for the next hour or so before he mimicked what Hong Chunji had done earlier: peeking around the screen.

"Ready?"

Hong Chunji nodded as he settled again on the same stool he'd used earlier. His clothes were similarly tattered, so much so that Qing Xashu could see freckled skin below it when he stood behind him.

"Why?"

"Why oils? It will keep it soft, you'll leave it in for a while." Qing Xiashu explained as he wrapped Hong Chunji's hair up and away from his shoulders. "Take your top down, let me see your back."

The prince did as instructed, shrugging his robe off to expose his back. Qing Xiashu frowned, carefully touching the red injuries there. They were healing quickly, but the temperature was all wrong. "This one's hot... Could be infected... I have some medical training, do you mind if I go in there to sort it out?"

"Fine." Hong Chunji said with a bland shrug.

Qing Xiashu carefully rested his palms against Hong Chunji's back, running a steady stream of qi into his body. Slowly, he spread his reach to burn away any infection that might be chewing at the gash on Hong Chunji's back.

Once he was sure it had done it's work he spread his senses deeper towards the prince's core, searching for any infections or injuries that he might find.

Hot.

Qing Xiashu recoiled without a sound.

It burned.

He jerked his hands back so quickly that he stumbled into the wall behind him.

The minor meridians on his fingertips felt fried.

It was like he'd burned his fingers on a stove.

He could already feel them starting to un-restrict and allow energy flow again, but--

ouch!?

"Are you alright?" Hong Chunji had stood and reached out to take Qing Xiashu's hands and inspect the damage.

Only for the head disciple to anxiously jerk away from his touch.

The prince stilled.

"Don't! It's fine! It just burned." Qing Xiashu said quickly as he frantically avoided the contact. "It's fine, I promise-- I just didn't expect your core to be so warm! I guess that tracks! It was like the sun!" He laughed, quickly massaging his fingers to rid them of the pain.

"I'm sorry." The words sounded just a little strangled, it made Qing Xiashu finally look properly into Hong Chunji's face.

His expression was on the verge of utter devastation.

Qing Xiashu opened his mouth but didn't say a word before just wrapping his arms up around the prince in front of him. He might have worried about squeezing the air out of Hong Chunji.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was a demigod with the sun in his stomach.

"It's fine, it's fine! I'm just fine, they're already healing! See? It's fine." Qing Xiashu said quickly, pushing his face into dirt covered robes.

"Sorry, I didn't know that would happen." Hong Chunji said as he finally pulled back, wiping new smudges of dirt away.

"Has no one ever circulated your qi for you?"

The prince hesitantly shook his head.

The head disciple huffed and flicked his hands to banish the last sign of pain. "I still got the injury searched out, so let's finish with your hair and have dinner." He said, perhaps stubbornly avoiding the concern.

Hong Chunji gave a small nod and sat himself back on the stool. Qing Xiashu rinsed out his hair and carefully pressed it dry before wrap it up in silk again. The serpent slipped from the head disciple's arms and slithered up the prince's sleeves, cuddling down with a bird-like chirp.

"There." He said gently with a satisfied hum, patting the top of Hong Chunji's head and peeking over his shoulder to see his face.

"Thanks." The prince's expression was dry, eyes averted and still just a little dark and glassy.

This time Qing Xiashu only smiled, moving back into the kitchen to continue preparing dinner. Hong Chunji could be heard moving around, and closer. Qing Xiashu just didn't realize how close until arms were carefully winding around his waist and a head leaned into his shoulder.

Qing Xiashu probably shouldn't have melted into the body behind him.

Not the way he did.

Despite that he tried his best to remain focused on the dinner he was preparing while he playfully leaned back into the hold. "Sticky." He mentioned, as though offhandedly. "Hold tighter."

"Bossy." Hong Chunji echoed the other's offhanded tone. But he raised one arm to encircle Qing Xiashu's ribs and pressed his face into the back of the neck before him, taking a long slow breath.

Qing Xiashu stopped moving as he grew more comfortable, he'd been in the middle of dishing the soup, but now he only rested against the person behind him.

"'m sorry."

"I know, neither of us knew your core was bright enough to burn me."

"Not about that..."

Qing Xiashu glanced over his shoulder, head tipping. "Then about what?"

The Prince sighed, resting his head against Qing Xiashu's shoulder once more, turning his face away. "About before... for blowing up on you after... All that."

The head disciple hummed softly.

He hadn't been blameless either.

"I know, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, even if I don't agree with your assessment of the situation. I should have told you about it, you had every right to know."

"Mn." Hong Chunji nodded lightly.

Qing Xishu gave a vague nod and finally resumed his food preparation.

"I don't think your face is disgusting."

Qing Xiashu snorted, tipping his head back to laugh. "I'd hope not."

"I like your face..."

"... Really?"

"Yes, you're, uhm... rather pretty..."

Once again the head disciple burst into laughter, twisting in Hong Chunji's hold to face him finally, forcing the prince to awkwardly maneuver himself backward. "You think I'm pretty?" Qing Xiashu asked with a grin, relishing in the way the prince's freckled face turned pink for the billionth time.

"Mn..." Then as if Hong Chunji felt he needed to clarify his thoughts to keep Qing Xiashu's mess of a brain in check. "Your eyes are pretty."

"Yours are too." Qing Xiashu cooed quietly, patting the prince's cheek before finally returning to spooning the soup carefully into the bowls.

"Mn." Hong Chunji gave a mild nod, stepping back towards the table and settling himself at one of the place settings. Qing Xiashu joined him moments later, setting out the dishes of their meal.

"I think you're pretty too." Qing Xiashu mentioned as he sat across from Hong Chunji, resting on his knees while he cracked an egg into the hot soup, stirring it lazily while it cooked in the broth. "Even if you're a little brat."

Hong Chunji scoffed. "Little brat?"

"Oh yes, a total brat, you hate me, you love me, you love to hate me, and you hate that you love me. So: Brat."

"You'll see who's the little brat when it comes to bedtime." Hong Chunji muttered.

Qing Xiashu coughed, covering his mouth while he sputtered. "My dear Chunji, what is it that you mean by that?"

"You flop about in your sleep when you're uncomfortable. To avoid being beaten by stray limbs I suppose I'll just have to take care of you."

Hong Chunji continued without consulting Qing Xiashu's sensibilities. "I won't throw you off the bed this time, so you'll have plenty chance to get comfortable..."

"You'll ravage me in my slumber to keep me still?" This time it was Hong Chunji choking on his breath, cheeks pink again and trying to take refuge in his sleeves.

Laughter burst through Qing Xiashu's throat again, so much so that he rolled backwards, leaning back on the floor. "Shut your face, you snake!" Hong Chunji squawked.

This only ignited more laughter, which urged Hong Chunji into crawling across the matted floor to smack Qing Xiashu's shoulder. "Shut up! I swear to the gods if you don't, I will make you!"

Ultimately, Qing Xiashu did not stop.

A hand slammed to the floor beside his head.

It startled him just enough to silence him.

Hong Chunji was perched above him, pinning him down loosely. An expression of nothing but flustered embarrassment burned on his face. "I said be quiet." He muttered, turning his eyes away.

Qing Xiashu smiled again as soon as he was no longer under the intense gaze. Gently he reached a hand toward the prince, resting a palm on his cheek he passed a thumb over the freckled skin there. "Go eat your dinner, I won't tease you anymore."

The prince picked himself up off the floor with a grumble as he returned to his place to eat.

The rest of their dinner was shockingly peaceful.

Despite promising to behave himself Qing Xiashu's eye contact was avoided by Hong Chunji as though it might make him ill.

"Would you mind if I use the broth for breakfast?" Hong Chunji asked as he collected their dishes to clean, finally adding: "I promise to make congee." When the head disciple squinted.

Qing Xiashu slowly smiled again. "Alright."

If someone would make him some good congee he would sob.

"What are you so smug about?" Hong Chunji asked as he flopped himself onto the bed, tossing the blankets haphazardly over himself.

"Nothing, nothing, sometimes when you're kind to me it makes me imagine my mother throwing a fit over how hard she worked to let me know kindness has no worth." He hummed.

"I thought you were a street kid?"

"How do you think I got there?" Qing Xiashu asked as he wiggled his way under the covers, keeping a healthy space between them.

"Did she abandon you?" Hong Chunji asked as he wrapped an arm over Qing Xiashu's shoulder in the most casual way he could manage.

"She sold me."

"Sold...?"

"Chunji, if you're trying to seduce me you should know the topic of bad childhoods makes for terrible pillow talk."

Hong Chunji made an exasperated groan and rolled away from Qing Xiashu. "Nooo come back! I'm sorry!" Qing Xiashu laughed as he wormed his way over to press his face into the center of the prince's back.

With another outraged little grumble Hong Chunji finally rolled himself back over to face the head disciple and tucked his arms closely around him. "You need to eat more." He muttered.

"You'll make me congee in the morning and I'll eat plenty of that." Qing Xiashu said softly, though the only reply was a soft drowsy hum.

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