At dawn, when Gu Baiqing woke, half his body was numb from being pressed. Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, he saw Mo Xuanli practically half-lying across him in an embrace.
The moment Gu Baiqing stirred, little Xuanli lifted his head, his eyes sparkling bright.
“Awake so early?” Gu Baiqing, seeing how alert he was, asked: “Why didn’t you call me?”
Little Xuanli’s lips stayed curved. “I just woke up. I saw this thing got tangled, so I wanted to undo it.”
Gu Baiqing looked down—at some point, the red cord of God Nine Transformationsbian had gotten wrapped together with his belt.
“This thing…” little Xuanli asked hesitantly.
“It’s your spirit sword. It’s mischievous, that’s all,” Gu Baiqing said, reaching to pull. But somehow God Nine Transformationsbian had wound itself so, and with one tug he ended up yanking his inner robe open, exposing a stretch of pale, cold-white skin.
Little Xuanli froze. He didn’t quite know how to describe it—but ever since last night when he had kissed brother, he had felt this sensation, like some part of his body heating up, unbearably uncomfortable.
Gu Baiqing hadn’t thought much of it at first, but seeing little Xuanli’s eyes staring fixedly at him made him uneasy.
“What are you looking at?” Gu Baiqing’s tone turned a little sharp.
“Brother… you’re so white… so good-looking,” little Xuanli said, hesitating.
It reminded him of the tender white tofu made by a family in the village. Their tofu was famous far and wide—once set out, it sold out quickly. He didn’t know how they made it, but when steamed it was smooth, delicate, and faintly sweet. The big sister selling the tofu was also beautiful—people said her skin was just like the tofu she sold. But now, he was certain brother’s skin was even more so.
Looking at little Xuanli’s strikingly handsome face speak such blunt praise, Gu Baiqing really felt a bit ashamed, even wanting to pull his clothes tighter.
“All right, get up. It’s the festival today—I said I’d take you out to play,” Gu Baiqing said.
Little Xuanli instantly answered with joy.
Gu Baiqing took a new set of clothes from his storage pouch for little Xuanli. Since right now he couldn’t use spiritual power, it was safer for him to wear garments inscribed with protective spells.
Gu Baiqing dressed while checking the system. He was a little worried. Normally, Mo Xuanli cultivated diligently, meditating without rest, so his cultivation base kept steadily increasing. At that rate, by the time the plot reached the required stage, his level would just meet the upgrade requirements. But now his cultivation had stalled at 20% of the early Golden Core stage.
The mission required mid-Golden Core—that meant 33%. Could they really make it in time?
As Gu Baiqing pondered, his gaze suddenly froze. His spiritual power… wasn’t it only two digits? His last memory was it being at 25, but overnight it had jumped to 789.
Just from yesterday’s contact, and hugging him to sleep for one night? It had recharged that much?!
Gu Baiqing was stunned. He really hadn’t expected this. Looking at the numbers now, his feelings were a tangled mess.
Shouldn’t he be happy? After all, such intimacy came with no psychological burden. It was basically getting a bargain.
His mood lightened a little. After finishing dressing, he suddenly realized that little Xuanli hadn’t followed him. Walking back in puzzlement, he saw the boy standing at the bedside, struggling with a set of new clothes.
When Xuanli saw his elder brother come back, he grew even more flustered and tried harder to put them on quickly.
The clothes he wore before were simple, just a couple of pieces—slip them on, tie the sash, done. Yesterday’s clothes he had memorized when taking them off, afraid he wouldn’t know how to put them back on the next day. But now it was a brand-new outfit, completely different from yesterday’s, and no matter how long he studied it, he couldn’t figure out the right order. With his brother waiting, he was about to burst into tears. He didn’t want his brother to think he was a stupid child.
Seeing him like this, Gu Baiqing’s sword brows nearly wrinkled into a caterpillar. It was both funny and heart-wrenching. He quickly stepped forward, saying, “Come, I’ll teach you how. It’s my fault for taking out such a complicated one. Honestly, when I first wore these complex robes, I messed up too.”
Gu Baiqing smiled easily, recalling his own first experience with the original body’s cumbersome Daoist robes—it had been enough to make his head spin.
But little Xuanli, overthinking as always, didn’t believe him. He was certain his brother had never made such mistakes and was only saying it to comfort him. Thinking this, he felt his brother was truly gentle.
Gu Baiqing didn’t even need to step in directly. Just giving instructions at the side, soon the clothes were neatly in place, and before him stood a handsome, elegant young man.
Then came the matter of combing hair. Gu Baiqing thought a moment, then said, “As for combing your hair… you probably don’t know how either. Let me—”
“No need, brother. I can comb hair. I can even comb yours. Let me do it, all right?”
Gu Baiqing was a little surprised. A six-year-old didn’t need to tie up their hair, so how would Xuanli know? But seeing the child’s eager expression, he went along with it.
Soon Gu Baiqing was seated before the mirror, while little Xuanli stood behind him, one hand holding a wooden comb, the other gently smoothing through his hair.
His technique was shockingly skillful.
“How do you know how to do this?” Gu Baiqing asked curiously.
The tall figure in the mirror paused slightly, then answered softly, “I used to comb Father’s hair.”
Gu Baiqing immediately felt awkward—what a thing to bring up. Of all topics, his parents were surely the ones Xuanli least wished to mention.
He hurriedly changed the subject.
On the bed nearby, the just-awakened Three Bean lifted its head and glanced over.
That scene was very familiar. Back when Xuanli first met his father, he had desperately wanted to please him. Strangers, not knowing how to get along, he tried to find small, everyday tasks within his power to do—just for a chance to speak to his father.
So every morning, Xuanli would wake early and wait at the door, then go in to help comb his father’s hair once he woke.
“Brother, your hair is so beautiful—so soft and black. Brother, from now on, let me be the one to comb it, okay?” Little Xuanli instinctively tried to please this way.
Gu Baiqing nodded right away. Of course, this was only for a few days. Once certain someone forgot everything again, it would be over. For now, he could just humor the child.
After tidying up, he brought Little Xuanli to wash up. Just as Gu Baiqing finished, Wu Hongxi came looking for him.
Wu Hongxi had urgent business. After hearing him out, Gu Baiqing told Mo Xuanli to wait here for his return.
Little Xuanli nodded obediently, leaving Wu Hongxi dumbfounded.
“Isn’t it usually your younger brother who takes the initiative? What’s with him today? Or did he get hurt earlier?” Wu Hongxi asked with concern.
“It’s nothing. I just left him here to feed the cat,” Gu Baiqing replied.
In truth, Lu Sulan had started making a fuss again, trying to rush off to confront Hua En. Wu Hongxi couldn’t stop her, so she came to beg Gu Baiqing to intervene, hoping the Daoist’s words could calm her down.
“A pity, really. Today should’ve been the Festival of Welcoming Spring, but the Wen household…” Wu Hongxi sighed.
Gu Baiqing paused. “You’re not going home?”
Wu Hongxi blinked. “No. I’m keeping Sister Lan company. Ever since Brother Wen Jiang met with trouble, the Wen family’s attitude toward her has worsened. I don’t feel easy leaving her alone.”
Gu Baiqing nodded, then casually asked about the customs of the Spring Welcoming Festival.
Since he was interested, Wu Hongxi took time to explain, not expecting Gu Baiqing to listen so attentively.
Meanwhile, Little Xuanli sat quietly on the doorstep, waiting. Three Bean stretched lazily and came padding over.
Little Xuanli picked it up onto his lap, gently smoothing its fur.
“Three Bean, it’s really nice… with you and Brother, aren’t we going to live together forever?” he murmured.
Three Bean, who more or less understood Gu Baiqing’s intentions, thought: since he’s only six right now, no need to argue—just coax him.
“Mm, we’ll live together for a long time.”
Sure enough, Xuanli’s face lit up with a brilliant smile.
“Have I been a burden to Brother?” he asked curiously, then gave a self-conscious laugh. “I’ve lost my memory, so of course I must’ve been a burden.”
Three Bean rubbed against his arm. “Don’t worry. You’re wonderful. Otherwise, he wouldn’t spoil you like this.”
One had to know what Gu Baiqing’s usual temperament was like—Three Bean even worried that he might just lock little Xuanli away until the time came for him to recover, without the slightest regard for how Xuanli felt.
So Gu Baiqing’s behavior now made Three Bean feel like he didn’t recognize him anymore. He could hardly imagine him doting on Xuanli like this. Truly, it was a case of a sharp tongue but a soft heart—when his disciple really ran into trouble, he would still hold him carefully in his palm to protect him.
But… Three Bean suddenly recalled last night’s incident, which had given him quite a scare. Then again, thinking it over, what bad intentions could a six-year-old Xuanli have? Back then, there was a period of time when he’d even kiss Three Bean’s cat head, saying childish things like “I like you, so I’ll give you a kiss,” but still…
“Xuanli, let me tell you something in secret—don’t ever do what you did last night again, kissing your brother. If your brother finds out, you’ll be doomed.” Three Bean didn’t want to frighten him, but judging from how he’d observed this master-disciple pair, if Gu Baiqing ever found out what happened last night, he’d definitely explode. So better to warn Xuanli in advance.
Hearing this, Xuanli instantly felt a rush of shame, as if someone had seized him by his pigtail. He stammered, “I… can’t? But I really like Brother… will Brother hate me for it?”
“When you’re little it’s fine, but not once you’ve grown up. You’re already bigger now. From now on, you can only do that with your Dao partner, your wife. Your brother too—he’ll only do such things with the one he loves.” Three Bean explained with difficulty. “Anyway, just remember what I said. If you don’t want your brother to dislike you, then don’t have too much physical contact. He doesn’t like that.”
Cats weren’t under such restrictions, but Three Bean remembered Mo Xuanli once saying that his master hated physical contact with others. To keep Gu Baiqing patient, it was best to give the reminder clearly.
Little Xuanli was startled. Thinking back to what he had done before—there had been quite a lot of physical closeness. Would Brother dislike that?
Just as he was worrying, a voice came from a distance.
“Xuanli? Or should I say Little Xuanli?”
Xuanli looked up, his expression instantly taut. He knew these were their companions, his own friends, but he couldn’t feel any warmth. After all, in his memory, just a few days ago, cultivators bearing the red flame insignia had been chasing him down.
“Still afraid of me?” Jingzhan asked regretfully. “So Older Brother really does make a difference. Doesn’t this count as, in a sense, abandoning loyalty for beauty?”
“Jingzhan.” From his perch on Jingzhan’s shoulder, Xie Qingrong coughed lightly to remind him, “He’s still young, don’t talk nonsense.”
Jingzhan only found it funnier. Laughing, he held something out. “Here, have this candy.”
Little Xuanli hesitated, not daring to take it.
“It’s really tasty. Your older brother likes it too,” Jingzhan coaxed.
At once, Little Xuanli’s eyes lit up. After a moment’s hesitation, he stretched out his hand. “Thank you.”
Seeing such a well-behaved Little Xuanli, Jingzhan nearly choked on his laughter. He seized the chance while Gu Baiqing wasn’t around to tease him a few more times. “I gave you something—shouldn’t you give me a return gift?”
Little Xuanli froze. All his things were with Brother. He had nothing to give in return.
But not reciprocating felt impolite. What should he do?
“How about giving me your cat?” Jingzhan continued to tease.
Three Bean rolled its eyes and was just about to speak when Xuanli scooped it up protectively. “No! This belongs to Brother, I can’t give it to you. Here, take the candy back, I don’t want it.” He had originally planned to save it for Brother after hearing he liked it.
Seeing Little Xuanli’s flustered look, with his cheeks flushed and round eyes, Jingzhan burst out laughing. “Brother, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at you the same again. Who knew you were this cute as a child!”
Xie Qingrong covered his forehead, and said to Mo Xuanli, “He’s just messing with you. You don’t need to return the candy, and you don’t need to give a gift. Don’t bother with this bad brother.” Even he couldn’t help treating Xuanli like a child. “By the way, where’s your older brother?”
Little Xuanli didn’t actually know. He answered, “Just now a big sister in red clothes came looking for Brother, and he went with her. He said he’d be back soon.”
Xie Qingrong was about to respond, when Jingzhan chuckled again. “A big sister in red clothes—could she be someone your brother likes? What will you do then? If your brother gets married, won’t he stop wanting you? How about this—you come with us, we’ll take you.”
Jingzhan was acting just like a kidnapper. Xie Qingrong couldn’t stand it and flicked his ear with a delicate jade hand. “Stop joking around.”
But Little Xuanli was stunned. He hadn’t expected to hear such words. His mind buzzed, carefully parsing each line, finally drawing a conclusion. “If Brother gets married, he won’t want me anymore? I won’t be able to live with Brother?”
Jingzhan, having already suspected as much before, suddenly had the urge to tease further. “Of course. Once married, he’ll only live with his beloved. Even the closest relationships from before will grow distant. Unless…”
The more Little Xuanli listened, the more despair filled him. His heart grew cold. But then hearing the word “unless,” his face instantly brightened with hope, looking at Jingzhan expectantly.
Jingzhan was about to continue fooling him, when sounds came from behind—someone was approaching.
Gu Baiqing returned to see the lively scene. But in the midst of it, his little disciple looked rather at a loss. Only when he caught sight of Gu Baiqing did his eyes light up, and he ran over at once. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging.
Seeing Jingzhan and Xie Qingrong there, Gu Baiqing gave a brief explanation about Lu Sulan. It wasn’t a big deal—she was just stuck in a knot she couldn’t untangle, and outsiders couldn’t really help. It was something she had to figure out herself. He had been planning to find Jingzhan and the others once things were settled, and since they met here, he simply greeted them, left Three Bean to watch over the Wen household, and took Mo Xuanli out with him.
“Come, Xuanli.” Seeing the fine sunshine, Gu Baiqing was even looking forward to their little outing. For once, it was like giving himself a holiday.
Little Xuanli hurriedly nodded. Instinctively, he wanted to reach out and grab Gu Baiqing’s hand, but because of what Three Bean had just said, he stopped himself.
Gu Baiqing didn’t notice so much—he only cared that Little Xuanli was following along.
Little Xuanli watched as Gu Baiqing’s back grew farther and farther away, simply because he hadn’t taken hold of him. He couldn’t help but let his mind run wild with worries. He turned back to glance at Jingzhan, who had just said that “Brother will leave you.” Sure enough, Jingzhan was smiling at him, silently mouthing a sentence.
Little Xuanli saw it and was startled at once, even doubting whether his eyes had played a trick on him.
But his heart thudded violently in his chest, faster and louder with each beat.
“Unless you two get married.”
