107. They grow up so quickly

afflinghaze

Since many others started making banners, Wen Zhihao made their banners light up for Sun Fuyu’s match on the third day.

By the end of the third day, the other banner-makers had followed suit.

And so on the morning of the fourth day, banners with glowing words made the stadium seating a riot of colour.

Wen Zhihao looked around, dumbfounded. “How can our support for Xiao Yu be seen now?”

Old Tang shook his head and laughed. “Oh, Xiao Wen, I’m sure it’ll be alright. Any more and the banners would become distracting.”

Wen Zhihao, who had just been thinking about making flashing colour-changing banners, was enlightened. “Old Tang is right!”

Their show of support should be supportive, and not be a main attraction. It wasn’t as though Wen Zhihao was competing with others to make the biggest, flashiest support banners.

Relieved that he didn’t need to do more work, Wen Zhihao leaned forward and enjoyed Sun Fuyu’s next match.

Lin Yijun, sitting in a seating-box at the top of the stadium, felt a pain when he saw all the bright banners.

Zhou Sheng, seated next to him, laughed when he saw Lin Yijun’s expression.

“The tournament is a serious event,” Lin Yijun scowled.

“If the cultivators cannot focus due to the banners, it’s their own fault,” Zhou Sheng said with a shrug. He stood up and peered down. “It appears that Disciple Sun has won his battle. I’ll be going too.”

“...To see Disciple Sun? Or Disciple Wen?”

“To see the cats,” Zhou Sheng said, with an upward curl of his lips.

“Then I’m coming too,” Lin Yijun said immediately.

They left the seating box and flew over the stadium wall and down to the exit where Wen Zhihao, Sun Fuyu and their entourage were gathered. Lin Yijun flew just behind Zhou Sheng, secretively swallowing down an anti-cat-allergy pill.

Zhou Sheng landed on the ground first. He nodded to the two cultivators in greeting, and turned to Sun Fuyu. “Congratulations on your fourth win.”

“Thank you. This junior also congratulates Senior Zhou for your fourth win.” Sun Fuyu bowed respectfully to Lin Yijun. “Senior Lin, the tournament has been very good.”

Unlike Zhou Sheng, Lin Yijun was not participating in the tournament matches—tournament management was still needed, after all.

“Yes, thank you for your hard work, Senior Lin,” Wen Zhihao said.

“We have you to thank for all the banners,” Zhou Sheng said teasingly. “Junjun’s grumpy about how it affects the sanctity of the tournament.”

Lin Yijun snorted. “I’m not grumpy.”

Wen Zhihao smiled guiltily and cleared his throat. “Do you want to come back for lunch with us?”

“Yes, I have some food to share too,” Zhou Sheng said.

At the reminder of food (and all the food he had been ‘encouraged’ to eat by Zhou Sheng), Lin Yijun stiffened. But he couldn’t let Zhou Sheng spend time with Wen Zhihao alone…so he could only come along.

Lin Yijun knew when they had arrived by the sheer number of demonic beasts. There were also many cultivators, one of whom had buried his face into the side of one cat. Lin Yijun had a moment of inexplicable jealousy. The cats never liked Lin Yijun enough to tolerate that.

Wen Zhihao inwardly sighed. “Xiao Yu.”

“En.” Sun Fuyu turned to the two seniors. “Senior Lin, Senior Zhou, come into the house first. There are more cats inside.”

The kitchen staff and the children also followed Sun Fuyu inside, leaving Wen Zhihao to slowly approach the figure with his face buried in cat fur, and whose qi was spiralling despite the calming presence of the cat.

“Wang Li Wei, what’s wrong?” Wen Zhihao placed a gentle hand on the young man’s head.

“Wuwu!” came Wang Li Wei’s muffled sob. “I lost!”

The cat flicked her fluffy tail and meowed. Poor weak baby!

“Tell me about your battle,” Wen Zhihao said.

Wang Li We’s bottom lip quivered from suppressed sadness. After a while, his mind cleared, and he was able to quietly narrate what had occurred. How his opponent had defeated him extremely quickly with a thin whip. He had been completely suppressed. It was even worse than when Sun Fuyu defeated him.

“…It was only my fourth match,” Wang Li Wei said, his eyes red.

“That means you defeated three others,” Wen Zhihao said. “Next year, you can go further.”

“Next year?” Wang Li Wei’s eyes brightened. He looked down, petting the cat in his lap, his mind whirring. But instead of the negative spiral, he was filling up with determination. In one year, he could train every day! He could learn exactly how to counter a whip-wielding cultivator, he’d definitely win his bracket next time…

“Now come in for some lunch.” Wen Zhihao petted the cat on the head. “You come in too and have a snack.”

“Meow!”

“...My friends...I should go and watch their matches,” Wang Li Wei said, embarrassed.

“Hm.” Wen Zhihao patted him on the arm. “Then go watch, you and your friends can come by for dinner later.”

“Okay. Thank you, Wen Zhihao.” Wang Li Wei gave a wry smile. “You are really different these days.”

“You are too,” Wen Zhihao threw back. A bit late to notice that I’m not like the original Wen Zhihao, isn’t it?

Wang Li Wei nodded slightly. He farewelled Wen Zhihao and the cat and left, his back straight.

Ah, they grow up so quickly, Wen Zhihao thought with some nostalgia. He turned to the cats that were slowly gathering around him. “Snacks, come on.”

In the inner courtyard, Sun Fuyu had done a lovely job of taking out lunch and tea and fruits and snacks for everyone. The children and staff sat together eating their lunch, chatting about the battles they had just seen.

Zhou Sheng had also taken out the food he bought: a food box filled with roasted meat. Most of it was given to the cats and dogs and the bear. He kindly gave some meat to Lin Yijun to feed the animals.

And thus, Lin Yijun had the honour of cats eating out of his hand. He forgave Zhou Sheng for all past transgressions in his heart.

When Wen Zhihao came in, Zhou Sheng shoved all the rest of the food box to Lin Yijun. “By the way, Wen Zhihao, you’re not participating in the tournament? It would have surely been interesting to see you on the battle stage.”

Wen Zhihao smiled and shook his head. “Me, fighting? I’m not interested. I’m here to support Xiao Yu.”

“Aren’t I your friend? You’re not here to support me too?” Zhou Sheng said.

Lin Yijun narrowed his eyes. In his inattention, the cats crowded closer, picking food directly from the box in his hands.

Zhou Sheng pulled Wen Zhihao to sit down at one of the tables in the courtyard. “Show me your banners, I want to take a very close look.”

“Sure.”

Zhou Sheng leaned close to Wen Zhihao as he examined the banners. “So that’s how you made them glow. Using the sun’s qi to directly power it instead of enchanting it unlike the other banners…Wen Zhihao, you could make a banner for me?”

Lin Yijun tasted a sourness in his throat. The food box in his hands and the cats surrounding him (surrounding the food) no longer seemed so pleasing.

Sun Fuyu was also unhappy. He knew that Wen-ge was being nice and friendly, but was Zhou Sheng trying to dig at his wall?!! He didn’t want Wen-ge to make banners for Zhou Sheng. If Zhou Sheng wanted banners for himself, he should go and buy them from the makers in the marketplace!

“—I’ll make Lin Yijun hold the banner during my matches,” Zhou Sheng looked over to Lin Yijun and smirked.

Lin Yijun wiped his frown away. “Better me than someone else,” he said pointedly.

Wen Zhihao also looked over and saw Sun Fuyu’s sour face. He smiled helplessly. “Xiao Yu ah, come sit next to me.”

Sun Fuyu did so immediately. “Senior Zhou, you are not poor, you can buy a banner from a crafter.”

“En, then Wen Zhihao, I can pay you to make a banner for me.”

Wen Zhihao brushed some of Sun Fuyu’s hair. “My banners for Xiao Yu will always be the best, don’t worry.” He kissed Sun Fuyu lightly on the lips for good measure.

Sun Fuyu’s sourness was replaced with sweetness. “Okay, Wen-ge,” he said in a low tone. “Senior Zhou, you tell the demonic cultivators who want their pets back to go away as payment.”

“Xiao Yu is so good,” Wen Zhihao said.

Sun Fuyu smiled back at Wen-ge, soaking up the warm praise.

Zhou Sheng almost choked on the dog food. “Fine, fine, I’ll do it. Just one banner, with these words…” Even if he wanted more banners, he didn’t know if he could afford it with Sun Fuyu’s prices!

After Zhou Sheng told Wen Zhihao what he wanted on the banner, he stood up and walked over to Lin Yijun with a bitter face.

“What is it?” Lin Yijun placed the food box down on the ground. Let the cats eat their fill, ba. 

Zhou Sheng grabbed Lin Yijun’s arm and pulled him over.

Lin Yijun’s eyes widened as Zhou Sheng’s lips touched his. He softened...until Zhou Sheng bit down on his bottom lip.

“Ughhmmm!!!”

Zhou Sheng deepened the kiss. If Wen Zhihao and Sun Fuyu kissed, then he and Lin Yijun could kiss too!

It was a good thing that the children were focused on eating.

And it was a good thing that Wang Li Wei didn’t join them, or else he would have been the true single dog stuffed with dog food.

Did you know that we’re approaching the end of the main story? O_O

(I mean the next chapter isn’t the last, but soon ish???)

That said, there will be extras (^_−)☆