Chapter 123 - Hurry And Become An Adult

As he focused, he could hear a sad song being played. He laid there for a moment, not wanting to interrupt the playing of plucked threads and the purring of the snow leopard. He took in the smell of something sweet and he felt his lips spread. He could imagine Wang Li with a pastry beside him as he moved his long fingers, lifting and moving along silk strings. Snow would be lying beside his master, relaxed and content.

He opened his eyes and turned over slowly, to peek over the bed. The only thing he got wrong from what he imagined, was the sadness on his lover's face. Silver eyes glazed, staring blankly at fingers as they moved. Hair draped down his lover's back and Ying Yue just stared.

Why was his husband looking so sad? Was it because he was small? Although Wang Li looked this way, it still did not deter how beautiful his king was.

"Did you sleep well, Ah Yue?"

He smiled and lifted himself out of the bed. Heading to his lover, he kissed the man's cheek and sat beside him. Taking in his husband's natural smell, he exhaled slowly. He leaned against the arm and watched fingers plucking silken strings.

"I slept well enough, Ah Li."

"You were crying."

"…"

"I did that to you."

"I… I had a dream…" he mumbled, "... of the past. That is all, my love."

"…"

"..."

Wang Li sighed and bent down to press a kiss to Heaven's mark. He paused there for a moment, before letting out a sigh as he sat back. Ying Yue saw that same sadness, the one he wished he could wipe away, clean away, prayed away, but it clung onto his husband like a shadow.

"I am alright, Ah Li. You worry too much, don't you think?"

"As a husband should," Wang Li smiled slowly, "You are my wife... This... sounds different now that you look... the way you are."

Ying Yue flushed and he smacked his forehead against his lover's shoulder a few times, before Wang Li held his head in place. The platinum blonde sighed and looked up to see silver eyes watching him. He offered a smile and he was rewarded with a peck on his petite nose.

"Even as a child, you are beautiful, Ah Yue."

"Ah Li," he whined out softly, "I wished I can kiss you."

Ying Yue pouted and felt a hand squeezed the back of his head.

"You do not know how much I wish it was, my love."

Wang Li kissed his forehead down to his temple, holding him there for a moment before cleaning them up. Feeling embarrassed, he curled his shoulders inward and pulled up his knees. His husband sighed and sat beside him, placing a cold palm at his lower back. He leaned against his lover's side and sighed.

"This song… is it one you wrote?"

"Mm."

"It is… so sad, painful… heartbreak. What caused you to write such a song?"

Wang Li stopped playing and looked at him and smiled, but his eyes were still clouded with sadness that Ying Yue wished he could erase.

This look of his lover's… it had never truly left since they were young, did it? What was his king holding in that caused him pain? The blonde ran his small palms across scarred face, hoping to ease what he could of how his husband was feeling.

"When I killed you."

Ying Yue's throat dried up. Lips opened and closed unable to produced words. Silver eyes said so much and the platinum blonde shook his head.

"It wasn't…"

"Yes. It was. I killed you and that is a burden I must bear."

"Ah Li…"

His small wrists were held and his big golden eyes watched as moonlit eyes closed. His palms were pulled to be kissed by thin lips and breathed in. Ying Yue saw his lover's eyes opened and Wang Li moved to lay a kiss on his forehead.

"Shall we go to the sectors? We will find you decent clothing there."

He nodded silently and helped pack what was needed, before he held onto the half mask Wang Li had wore as a painter. He glanced at his lover in blue and the man smiled at him. Kneeling down, the raven-haired man closed his eyes and offered his face. Ying Yue grinned and placed the mask against his lover.

His husband smiled and wrapped a red ribbon, the one that held up dark hair, around his forehead to hide his mark.

"People should not know Heaven's Chosen had become a child," Wang Li finished tying a knot and ran a thumb underneath his eye, "Your eyes would give you away… We should grab a mask as well."

"I want to pick it," he grinned and Wang Li let out a laugh.

So hopping onto his lover's waist, he wrapped himself tightly and snugged in with a smile. A straw hat was placed on his head and he blinked before a grin spread across his face. Letting out a giggle, he hummed happily as they went on their way. Villagers had stared at them and he looked over at Snow who was walking beside them unperturbed. Making sure his eyes weren't visible, he looked around under his hat.

They had entered the vicinity of the South Sector where Sect Leader Zhi was located. The South Sector was known for their many supplies of clothing, the place Sheng Shui loved. The seam master had stated he wanted to live in this village but chose to stay with Wang Li.

Ying Yue understood.

When one loves another, sacrifices were to be made.

"Hello Sir Painter," the round elderly man smiled, "Oh, who is this? A child?"

"I would like clothing for him. Would you prepare one?"

"Of course! Which would you like for her?"

Ying Yue grimaced.

'Does everyone just see me as a girl even when Wang Li said 'him' and not 'her'?'

"Hm, red."

"Alright. Please place her down so I can measure her correctly."

Wang Li placed him down and whispered for him to close his eyes. Ying Yue followed and let his arms be lifted and the long fabric pulled up until his feet was shown. Then, it was over and Wang Li had picked him up once again. this time he was wrapped around the side and not the back.

"It will be ready soon, Sir Painter."

"I thank you, Sir. I shall pay you-"

"No, no," the man waved him off, "You had painted my beautiful daughter without payment. This is nothing compared to it. Come back soon."

Wang Li bowed and continued down the street and smiled at people who greeted him.

"Ah Li, red? Do you not want any other color? I… would like the blue you wear now. We can match, Ah Li."

"Hm, but you look beautiful in red, Ah Yue."

Ying Yue flushed and grinned widely.

"You look more beautiful."

"I know."

He laughed and his husband tickled his side, making him squirm happily. He cupped his lover's face and leaned in, but Wang Li turned so his lips touched his cheek. His king reciprocated by kissing his smooth cheek.

"Hurry and become an adult, my love. I will please you, eat you, pleasure you truly."

He inhaled sharply and tucked his face into his lover's cold neck, helping to cool his heated skin.

"Your fault," he mumbled against pale skin.

"I will forever regret it," Wang Li sighed and rubbed his back.

He saw the masks stall and walked over. His silver eyes rolled over each mask and the woman who made it brightened seeing him.

"Ah! Sir Painter, you have returned! I made something special for you. Look."

The woman picked up the mask under the stall to reveal a red laced mask with golden jewels and emeralds. Wang Li was pleased with such intricacy, as much as he was pleased with his seam master's robes.

He saw small arms pointing at a mask with two koi fishes around each eye.

"This is beautiful, Miss. I would like this as well," Wang Li smiled and reached into his pouch of coins he received for painting clients, "20 gold coins enough?"

"Oh, you bless me, Sir Painter. Please, only 10 is enough."

Wang Li nodded and exchanged the coins for the masks. He took them to an area where wandering eyes would not see their faces. He placed Ying Yue down to the ground and placed the mask on him.

Smiling, he handed his mask to the child and bent down. Small hands removed his current one to trade for the red one. He felt a kiss to his cheek and Wang Li returned it, before standing and holding his lover's small hand.

"Ah Li, thank you for the mask! I feel super cool. This must be how you feel, right?"

His lover chuckled and looked at him from above, tightening his hand. Ying Yue swooned and moved closer to the raven-haired male and walked with light steps. He looked over at Snow to see the big cat casually beside them and hummed.

"Ah Li, Snow is big now, but no one is worried about him like before…"

"Before?"

"Mm, when my brothers and I started traveling, the villagers feared him, so Ah Mo had given me the pink candy to give him. That was why Snow was a kitten and… now me."

"How long did it take for Snow to return big again?"

"Mm, many moons Ah Li. Almost as long as you were gone."

"I see," his lover said and there was a pinch at the corner of his silver eyes.

'Must I wait that long?'