When Gu Baiqing woke up, he immediately felt something pressing down beside him.
He opened his eyes and saw Mo Xuanli sleeping right next to him. His handsome face carried a faint smile, peaceful in slumber. He was lying on his side, body pressed closely against Gu Baiqing’s. One hand rested on Gu Baiqing’s waist, the other tangled in his hair. His chin brushed against Gu Baiqing’s shoulder. And… something was pressing into his waist.
Gu Baiqing’s mind froze for several seconds before jolting fully awake. He almost kicked the man off the bed, almost.
But he stopped himself midway.
All right, this was the “BG world.” Two men sleeping on the same bed, other than being a bit cramped, wasn’t something to overreact about. Morning reactions were normal, after all.
Still… why were they in the same bed?
Last night, he seemed to—
Now that his head had cleared, Gu Baiqing quickly realized it hadn’t been the aftereffects of using spiritual power, it was drunkenness.
That d*mned Half-Step Mad! The drink he’d given him must’ve contained alcohol!
Gu Baiqing groaned inwardly, annoyed, just hoping he hadn’t done anything strange after losing consciousness.
As for the barrier, it should have been dispelled, right?
He touched his own neck but couldn’t be sure, so he reached out to pull at Mo Xuanli’s robes, checking for the mark.
Lifting the fabric, he saw only pale jade-like skin, a firm chest, the once-bright scarlet spell mark had completely vanished.
Gu Baiqing was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when his wrist was caught by a hand.
Startled, he looked up and met Mo Xuanli’s black eyes, hazy with sleep, faintly moist, cheeks tinged with red. It was impossible to tell whether he was shy or embarrassed.
“Master… you… want to…” Mo Xuanli stammered, heart racing uncontrollably.
Morning light spilling in, and his master, pulling at his clothes, surely meant… he wanted him, right?
“Can’t I take a look?” Gu Baiqing said with a perfectly calm face.
Mo Xuanli’s face flushed even redder. Master wants to look at my body… and he said it so openly, in broad daylight… It was truly more than he could handle. Yet he couldn’t help but muster some courage and say, “Then… Master, let me look too.”
His heart was pounding so hard it almost leapt out of his chest. He actually dared to say something like that to his Master, such rebellious words made him both terrified and exhilarated.
Gu Baiqing assumed Mo Xuanli was referring to checking his own mark, so he simply sat up, turned his back to him, lifted his long dark hair with one hand, and exposed the slender curve of his nape.
Mo Xuanli trembled with excitement. This posture… is Master letting me undress him myself? Even his breathing began to burn.
Does Master really have no experience with this kind of thing? Everything he did was so smooth and daring, it was driving Mo Xuanli insane.
So this is how it feels after our relationship is confirmed? If he had known it would be like this, he would’ve confessed long ago. He’d missed out on too much happiness in this world.
Mo Xuanli’s trembling hand brushed over Gu Baiqing’s shoulder, gliding along the graceful butterfly bones, tracing down toward his collar so he could peel back layer after layer of his Master’s robes.
Gu Baiqing didn’t react to the touch on his collar; he simply assumed Mo Xuanli was seriously inspecting the area. He didn’t realize the person behind him was so moved his eyes had turned red.
Gu Baiqing spoke calmly: “Was the barrier successfully lifted?”
Mo Xuanli paused, feeling that the question really spoiled the mood.
“Yes. I won’t do anything to upset Master again,” Mo Xuanli murmured softly, coaxing, “I’ll listen to you from now on.”
Gu Baiqing didn’t catch the change in his tone. He only felt the boy was clinging to him even more than before and perhaps standing too close. When he spoke, his breath brushed Gu Baiqing’s ear, tickling him.
Behind him, Mo Xuanli gazed at the reddening tip of Gu Baiqing’s ear. His eyes darkened, and he leaned closer, opening his mouth, ready to give a gentle bite—
But Gu Baiqing suddenly said, “By the way, why were you sleeping in my bed?”
Mo Xuanli froze. His thoughts scattered. Why is Master asking that? Was he confused about what happened this morning, or…
Perhaps the happiness had come too easily; deep down, Mo Xuanli still felt uncertain. The slightest hint of doubt made him uneasy, he wanted to stamp it out at once.
“Can’t I sleep with you?” Mo Xuanli asked directly. “Master hasn’t forgotten what you promised me last night, right?”
Gu Baiqing still remembered, but from Mo Xuanli’s tone, it sounded like there was more to it than that. Uneasy, he turned and looked at him.
Mo Xuanli was staring at him nervously.
“I remember. I promised that when we return to Zixiao Sect, you’ll move back to Luofeng Pavilion. And I also promised that, when the time comes, you can hold your wedding banquet there, right?”
Mo Xuanli immediately relaxed, muttering under his breath, “Master, don’t scare me like that, I thought you’d forgotten.”
Gu Baiqing also sighed in relief. “Didn’t I fall unconscious afterward? You should’ve gone back to rest properly. Why insist on squeezing in here with me? What if someone sees us? What about propriety and decorum?”
Mo Xuanli looked at him awkwardly, feeling strange. The tender, intimate mood from before had suddenly vanished. Wasn’t it Master who started it all? He’d even cooperated boldly. Why is he suddenly lecturing me again?
Inside, Mo Xuanli felt a bit sulky. So what if someone sees? We’re going to be married anyway, what’s wrong with letting people know early? Maybe Master just wasn’t used to the change in their relationship.
“If they see, then they see. We’ve nothing to hide…”
Gu Baiqing took that as meaning Mo Xuanli saw nothing wrong with being close as master and disciple.
Looking at his childish expression, Gu Baiqing couldn’t help but smile. Remembering the thoughts he’d had the night before, he reached out and patted Mo Xuanli’s head. “There are rules that must still be kept in public. Mind your conduct. But in private, I won’t be so strict anymore. I’ll treat you well, and I won’t make things as hard for you as before. I also apologize for what I did wrong in the past.”
“Master, what are you saying? You’ve always been the best to me.” Mo Xuanli had long forgotten the early days when Gu Baiqing’s coldness had hurt him. He only knew that everything Master did was for his good. And now, hearing that he’d be treated even better, he felt blessed beyond measure. What more could he want?
As for Master’s lingering reservations, Mo Xuanli could understand. After all, their relationship was truly unconventional, it would take time for others to accept it. If Master wanted to take things slowly, he would respect that. Besides, he’d just decided: before the wedding, he needed to settle the matter of his bloodline.
As for whether to tell Master his secret… he’d thought about it yesterday, but today he hesitated. Everything was too beautiful now, too much like a dream. He was afraid that revealing it would shatter everything, not because he didn’t trust Master, but because he feared the unknown. Call me despicable if you want… just a little longer.
Following Gu Baiqing’s hand, Mo Xuanli rubbed his cheek against it, then turned, intending to press a kiss to his palm but Gu Baiqing had already pulled his hand back.
Mo Xuanli wasn’t about to give up. He grabbed Gu Baiqing’s hand again, wanting to kiss it. If in public we have to maintain decorum, then now, just the two of us, surely we can…
“Master…”
Gu Baiqing was caught off guard by the sudden movement, still wondering what he meant when a knock came at the door, shattering the atmosphere.
“Elder Luofeng, are you awake? Elder Qianren is looking for you,” came a disciple’s voice from outside.
Mo Xuanli instantly grew annoyed. He clutched Gu Baiqing’s hand tightly, refusing to let go, even as Gu Baiqing tried to get out of bed.
Gu Baiqing looked at him, bewildered, while Mo Xuanli knelt on the bed like a sulking newlywed bride, holding his hand and refusing to let him leave, his gaze full of grievance.
Another voice came from outside the door, asking again.
Gu Baiqing had no choice but to reply, “Understood, I’ll be there right away.”
Only then did the disciple outside leave.
“Master, won’t you rest a bit longer?” Mo Xuanli asked, still holding Gu Baiqing’s hand, his tone almost tinged with a spoiled sort of pleading. It surprised Gu Baiqing. “You’re already a grown man, still lazing in bed? Get up. Aren’t you all setting out for Constellation Island later today? Go prepare early.”
Mo Xuanli’s spirits instantly sank at his Master’s tone, but he still obeyed meekly, quietly following Gu Baiqing’s lead.
Fu Zhiyi had come to discuss Mo Xuanli and Nan Zhi’s trip to Constellation Island. They would be gone for three days and three nights, during which they could use the spiritual spring there to break through or search for rare treasures. Some materials could only be found on Constellation Island, and Fu Zhiyi’s intention was clearly for them to collect some while they had the chance.
Nan Zhi listened attentively to the instructions, but Mo Xuanli’s mind wandered, his entire attention was on Gu Baiqing. He couldn’t stop wanting to be near him, though in front of others, he could only act as the obedient disciple standing silently behind.
“Xuanli, did you hear me?” Fu Zhiyi’s voice pulled him back.
Mo Xuanli jolted awake, looking completely embarrassed.
“Well, that’s rare. You, zoning out, what’s the matter?” Fu Zhiyi asked in surprise.
Everyone in the room turned their gaze on Mo Xuanli.
Mo Xuanli panicked and sneaked a glance at Gu Baiqing, hoping his Master might save him. After all, his Master knew perfectly well why he was distracted.
But Gu Baiqing only looked back at him with apparent curiosity, as though unaware, and Mo Xuanli suddenly felt as if his Master were teasing him, bullying him on purpose.
“N-nothing… I’ll just follow Senior Sister once we’re inside,” Mo Xuanli said quickly.
Fu Zhiyi chuckled. “Don’t go tagging after your senior sister this time. Give the others a chance. That Zong Lei fellow has been dropping hints left and right, get to know him better. If it doesn’t work out, so be it.”
“Other sects have also been asking about Xuanli’s prospective dao partner,” another elder joked. “Our Xuanli’s popularity is unstoppable. Just don’t get overwhelmed by too many choices, eh?”
Mo Xuanli’s expression turned complicated. He glanced at Gu Baiqing, then couldn’t help but say, “Elders, in the future, please turn down such matters for me directly.”
The group looked at him in surprise and began to ask why.
Mo Xuanli couldn’t reach for Gu Baiqing’s hand openly, but beneath his sleeve, the divine artifact God Nine Transformations quietly stretched out a red thread, winding around Gu Baiqing’s wrist.
Gu Baiqing, however, was long used to God Nine Transformations’s little antics. He didn’t think much of it, merely watching Mo Xuanli along with the others, though his thoughts drifted far away.
In the past, he’d never been able to join in this kind of lively gossip because, in his mind, this world had belonged to the “Master-disciple cultivation novel,” and such talk was meaningless. But now, he could truly feel that this was a “BG world.” Even if it wasn’t Si Chun, there would still be someone else someday, for his disciple was now a hot commodity.
A wedding banquet at Luofeng Pavilion, huh? he thought wryly. Who will I be helping Mo Xuanli marry? A faint bittersweet feeling stirred in him, part fatherly pride at seeing his “child” grown, part something else entirely that he refused to name.
Under the elders’ insistent questioning, Mo Xuanli couldn’t hold up any longer. After a careful glance at Gu Baiqing, he blurted out, “I… I already have a Dao partner. We’re engaged.”
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone stared in disbelief. How had Mo Xuanli suddenly produced a Dao partner out of nowhere?
Gu Baiqing was momentarily startled, but then reasoned it must be false. Knowing Mo Xuanli’s previous rejection of such matters, if he’d now gone so far as to declare he had a partner, it was probably just his clumsy way of ending all those matchmaker discussions once and for all. This silly boy, doesn’t he realize how many good prospects he’s just cut off? Or maybe he’s the patient type, who’d rather simmer things slowly once he’s chosen someone himself…
“Who is it?” Fu Zhiyi asked the most dangerous question.
Mo Xuanli froze. He wanted to say, but according to his Master’s earlier words, they weren’t supposed to announce anything yet. If he said it now, Master might be unhappy.
His uneasy eyes flicked toward Gu Baiqing.
Fu Zhiyi turned to Gu Baiqing instead. “You’re always with your disciple, do you know who it is? If it’s someone decent, we could even help with the proposal.”
Gu Baiqing was caught completely off guard, shooting Mo Xuanli a reproachful glare.
Mo Xuanli’s heart thudded violently.
Gu Baiqing sighed inwardly and could only step in to smooth things over.
“Second Senior Brother, don’t worry about it, you’ll know in due time,” he said vaguely. “So please, everyone, stop trying to play matchmaker for him.”
Mo Xuanli immediately relaxed, his heart filling with warmth.
Once the discussion concluded, Gu Baiqing told Mo Xuanli to prepare for the trip with Nan Zhi, then turned to go find Half-Step Mad. Constellation Island hadn’t appeared in the original novel, and Gu Baiqing wanted to see if the author had left any hidden treasures there.
But before he could even take a step, his little disciple grabbed his hand.
Gu Baiqing thought his disciple was getting bolder by the day, always pulling at his Master’s hand like a child.
Then he saw Mo Xuanli frown slightly and say unhappily, “Why are you going to him? Master, I’ve noticed you seem quite close to that old man. Are you really that fond of him? I’m leaving tonight, and I’ll be gone three days and three nights on Constellation Island, you only have this little time left…”
This little time left and you won’t even spend it with me? Don’t you want to be with me, Master?
Mo Xuanli was nearly sick with anxiety over their impending separation. He desperately wanted to stay, to give up the trip altogether and remain by his Master’s side but he knew Gu Baiqing would never agree. And he wanted to seize every opportunity to grow stronger.
Still… they had only just gotten together, not even twelve hours ago. How could he bear to be apart already?
Seeing his master’s indifferent expression, he couldn’t help but think, was it because he was older that he could stay so calm?
“You want to do something?” Gu Baiqing asked. Though he didn’t understand the tangled thoughts running through Mo Xuanli’s mind, he could tell the youth wanted him to stay, probably wanted to do something together…
Do what? Of course, to drag his master back to the small courtyard and cherish every minute and second they had left together. But just thinking about it made Mo Xuanli’s face heat up.
When they were in bed before, it had still been easier to speak, but now he didn’t dare to say such things at all, especially when faced with Gu Baiqing’s naturally cool, composed eyes.
Still, Mo Xuanli’s mind wasn’t filled only with such thoughts. He simply wanted to have all of his master’s time and attention to himself.
“Master… Jingzhan said that from the western floating island, you can see the snow-capped mountains glowing under the golden light dome in the distance. It’s only visible these few days. Since you’re free today, shall we go take a look?” Mo Xuanli said suddenly with a bright smile.
It was their first day together, he had to make it meaningful, something worth remembering.
