Chapter 90: Don't watch someone else's engagement

Xi Ming jolts away from Huan Xuan, and springs up to his feet blocking Su Xueyi's view of Huan Xuan in the river.

"Yi-ge, just leave us alone," he says with with an exasperated sigh.

Su Xueyi grabs him by the sleeve of his practical cotton robe and tries to pull him along. "You know the problems he's been causing for our village, how can...you lower yourself-"

Xi Ming cuts him off with a growl. "Watch your tongue, Su Xueyi!"

Huan Xuan rises from the water, it runs down in rivulets over his defined chest, and into the deep v-line of his hipbones.

Xi Zirui averts his eyes before he can see any lower than that. This situation feels intrusive enough without him seeing frontal nudity.

Han Yu's hand tightens around his wrist. "Shizun shouldn't look."

Now it's Xi Zirui's turn to smirk. "His body reminded me of Han Yu's, it's all," he says, hiding his smug grin behind Untold Sorrow when a scowl furrows Han Yu's eyebrows.

"Shizun is very cruel," Han Yu says, a slight whine to his tone and a pout to his lower lip.

He shouldn't make it so fun to tease him, then.

Xi Zirui slaps his arm gently with his fan. "Silly disciple."

Su Xueyi's raised voice draws their attention back to the scene taking place in front of them.

"You're coming with me," he says, pulling Xi Ming by the wrist.

Xi Ming fights his hold, but goes still when Huan Xuan comes up behind him and wraps a possessive hand around his waist. "It's fine Ming-er, what Fate has brought together neither man nor the Gods can separate," his red eyes flashing, his next words are directed at Su Xueyi. "We'll see each other soon."

Su Xueyi glares at him one last time before pulling Xi Ming along.

Huan Xuan watches them go before turning back to the river and disappearing into the clear waters, when he next surfaces he's once again the magnificent white dragon.

"He doesn't seem the type to put a curse on an entire village," Xi Zirui says, thinking over Huan Xuan's cool voice and calm demeanor.

Han Yu hums. "He has probably felt lonely all his life, and now he has found the person who completes him. I understand his despair at losing him."

His charged gaze lands heavily on Xi Zirui who can't take the vulnerability behind his dark eyes, and has to avert his own.

He learns more about Han Yu in each world. As if each one peels a new layer of him, dissecting him under Xi Zirui's eager gaze.

The raw tenderness of this Han Yu's longing hurts Xi Zirui like a silk whip. Stinging as much as it caresses.

How intimately can you know a person?

Xi Zirui thinks that by the time he finds a way for him and Han Yu to stay together he'll have an answer.

---

Even hours after Xi Ming disappears down the hill with Su Xueyi and Huan Xuan vanishes under the river's surface, Xi Zirui and Han Yu are still stuck in the same place.

They exhaust themselves trying to see how far they can go, but they can maybe walk one hundred zheng in any direction before hitting an invisible wall.

"Well, it doesn't look like we're going anywhere," Han Yu says, after slamming his fists into the invisible barrier for the umpteenth time.

Xi Zirui sits down on the grass with a drawn out sigh. He crosses his legs and rests his hands palms down over his knees, closing his eyes in silent meditation.

Han Yu sits down across from him. "Is Shizun going to meditate at a time like this?"

"What else is there to do?" Xi Zirui asks.

With a sigh, Han Yu closes his eyes too and tries to meditate as well. A dutiful disciple for once.

In truth, Xi Zirui wants to have a little chat with Ni Ni and doesn't want Han Yu to notice his far off gaze.

"Ni Ni wake the fuck up, I'd appreciate some insight into what's happening!"

He doesn't get an answer.

"Ni Ni! This isn't funny," he thinks, frowning even with his eyes closed.

Again, complete silence.

His fingers tighten on the robes over his knees. Why is Ni Ni never around when he needs her?

Although, she usually replies when he calls for her directly. It's an odd thing that she isn't doing it now.

Maybe it's a result of the realm they are in now? A world within a world? Could that interfere with Ni Ni, as a system.

Xi Zirui opens his eyes and looks around the green field and coursing river. 

There's something he's missing.

He and Han Yu have tried every possible way to get out of there, yet the invisible barrier keeps blocking them.

Even though hours must have passed since they came here, the sun is still in the same position in the sky. 

If it wasn't for the gurgling river and the wind rustling the grass, Xi Zirui would think time was standing still.

Xi Zirui's eyes widen in sudden realization.

The river. It's the only thing they haven't tried yet, but it makes perfect sense that it is their way out. They're seeing into Huan Xuan's memories after all, and he's a dragon.

Water is a dragon's element.

Xi Zirui gets up to his feet and walks over to Han Yu, tapping him lightly on the shoulder with Untold Sorrow.

Han Yu looks up at him in confusion, and Xi Zirui pulls him up by the sleeve.

He follows after Xi Zirui obediently but comes to a stop at the edge of the riverbank. "Shizun?"

"Does Han Yu trust his Shizun?" Xi Zirui asks, the corner of his lips twisting up.

"I do," Han Yu says, nodding solemnly as if he's taking some sort of vow.

The earnestness in his handsome makes Xi Zirui want to tease him. "Then accompany this master for a swim."

He holds out his hand to Han Yu as he steps into the river, soaking the bottom of his robes. Han Yu takes his hand without hesitation, stepping into the cold water with him.

---

It isn't as simple as stepping into the river and being taken out of the memory.

They dive into the river together, and no barrier prevents them from going further, but nothing is happening either.

Xi Zirui wonders if he reached the wrong conclusion until his eyes catch on a metallic glint.

He swims towards it, pulling Han Yu after him by their joined hands.

With his free hand Xi Zirui reaches for the source of the glint, a silver hairpin with a bright red gem dangling from it.

As soon as his fingers close around it, everything goes dark.

Moments later, he comes to on that same riverbank coughing up water, his robes and hair completely soaked.

At his side, Han Yu isn't faring much better, retching clear water with a wheezing cough.

For a moment, Xi Zirui is overtaken by panic as the thinks he did something wrong and they'll have to somehow relive the whole thing again.

But then he notices the sky has gone dark, and the two figures talking with their heads together by the riverbank.

He helps Han Yu to his feet and in silence the two walk up to the shadowed figures.

"Is Xi Ming sure about this?" Huan Xuan asks, his arms loosely wrapped around Xi Ming's waist.

Xi Ming nods, and tightens his fingers on Huan Xuan's white and teal robes. "I want to be with A-Xuan, and leaving is the only way we can be together."

A tiny smile tugs at the corner of Huan Xuan's lips, and he rummages for something inside his wide sleeve. "My people value tradition, there aren't many of us who would take a human mate, but for those of us who have, it's usual for the human to be introduced to the family after an engagement ceremony."

Xi Ming looks up at him in confusion. "But my family will never agree to our marriage. How can we have a proper engagement?"

Huan Xuan opens his fist and shows Xi Ming the silver hairpin with the dangling red sapphire. "We do things differently. In order for us to be engaged, Ming-er only need to accept this hairpin with my colors and wear it in his hair when meeting my family."

Xi Ming takes the hairpin with both hands, holding it as it were made of the most fragile porcelain. 

Huan Xuan smiles again. "Xi Ming will wear it again for all my clan to see on the day of our wedding."

Xi Ming laughs at the note of possessiveness in Huan Xuan's voice and shakes his head fondly. 

He takes off his own simple bamboo hairpin and is about to replace with Huan Xuan's gift, when he stops him.

"Allow me," he says, taking the hairpin and sliding it into the knot holding the upper half of Xi Ming's hair up.

His red eyes light up with joy, and he bends his head to kiss Xi Ming's forehead. "Perfect."

They haven't taken two steps apart when the thunderous fall of several footsteps ascending the hill startles them.

Leading a mob of angry villagers is Su Xueyi, with a sword in one hand and a flaming torch in the other.

He points his sword at Huan Xuan. "There he is, the beast who seduced Ming-di!"

A portly man walking a few steps behind him stops to spit on the grass. "Everyone has heard tales of the huli jing and how they seduce righteous men and women to steal their souls, but who knew we'd have to be on the watch-out for dragons as well."

Xi Ming turns to Huan Xuan with a panicked look. "A-Xuan, go, I don't want them to hurt you."

Huan Xuan scoffs. "They can't," he says, and remains steadfastly by Xi Ming's side.

Xi Zirui watches hopelessly as the tragedy that is sure to follow takes place.

Han Yu tightens his fingers around Xi Zirui's clammy hand, and the two of them stand together at the sidelines of Huan Xuan and Xi Ming's downfall.