25 A stroll

Yuan Xuelan was taking a stroll.

There were dense forests around Wangyun Peak, sullen and lonely aside from the ambient calls of insects and small animals. There wasn't much there but Yuan Xuelan did find some interesting herbs. He knelt down next to a vibrant blue flower and carefully extracted it, stem and roots intact. Not the highest of quality but it was still an interesting little find, a good sedative could be created out of this small flower, but Yuan Xuelan was no alchemist.

Still, he pocketed it for now, and resumed his stroll, farther and farther away from the Heavenly Sword manor.

His mind was a mess and when he tried to talk to Shijie about it this morning, she was uncharacteristically quiet. She had smiled at him and said, "Yuan Zhang, think for a moment about what you did. Why are you so intent on not getting along with Liu-ge?"

His mouth flapped open, face embarrassed and no longer had the appetite for breakfast. She even called him Yuan Zhang! "It's not like I'm trying to antagonize him," he grumbled while prodding at his congee.

"But you're not trying to get along with him either," she accused.

And Yuan Xuelan couldn't really refute her. It was just that Liu Sumeng was an incredibly difficult person for him to get along with! Unfortunately for him, Chen Anyue wasn't interested in his excuses and instead told him to cool off and think sincerely about what he was going to do next.

Like a good Shidi, he did as he was told and wandered around the mountain to see if he could discover anything interesting.

As for actually thinking about what he should do next…

Well, that was a bit more difficult.

The thicket thinned and Yuan Xuelan walked to an area where the trees became more sparse. The ground was littered with fallen leaves, yellow and orange beckoning the coming of autumn.

He surveyed the area, there was quite a good amount of space to run around and the ground wasn't littered with dunes and crevices. Yuan Xuelan thought that this wouldn't be a bad place to come practice his swordplay in peace, without fear of being caught by Liu Sumeng.

A scowl came upon his face, thinking about that Liu Sumeng again. He sighed, noting the location before walking on.

Though the summer months had come and gone, the frosty promise of winter chill had yet to set in. It wasn't that cold, especially when the winds were calm. The scenery was filled with earthy majesty, basked in the glow of late morning, the leaves sparkling in their new-found warm colors. But Yuan Xuelan cared about none of that. Even when he tried, he couldn't seem to keep his mind off of that one Liu Sumeng.

Liu Sumeng who always looked cold and distant.

Liu Sumeng who didn't even blink when he threw himself into harm's way, protecting him and his Shijie.

Liu Sumeng who, despite his aloof expression and blunt words couldn't bear to be detested.

…

Dammit.

The more Yuan Xuelan thought about it, the more he couldn't help but think this person was actually kind of cute.

Shit, did his mind really just put Liu Sumeng and cute together? Maybe he was really going insane. Yuan Xuelan thought he should probably take a knife and stab through his hand so he could come back down to reality.

And then there was the issue of their strained relationship. Sure, Liu Sumeng might have a terrible personality but he was able to get along with Shijie. And if he was to be honest, this whole mess was kind of his fault.

Yuan Xuelan sighed, hating to admit to his own mistakes.

And what was he supposed to do now? Apologize to Liu Sumeng?

The thought made him a little nauseous. Finding a long stick, he picked it up and used it swat at the ground as he as walked. His cloudy mood refused to relent, heavy and suffocating. As much as he wanted to blame that Liu Sumeng, the more he thought, the more difficult it became.

You win this time, he sullenly thought, Yuan Xuelan was the one in the wrong.

Which lead to another dilemma of his.

It meant that he had to apologize. And that meant he had to face Liu Sumeng.

Argh! No, his heart wasn't ready for that yet!

While his mind was scrambling about in a torrent of thoughts, he'd found a narrow path that slowly brought him back towards the Heavenly Sword Sect Manor. The wooden gate was spectacularly maintained with stone carvings of a tiger and a dragon prowling on each side. But just as he was about the step back onto the main road and return, the gates opened to revealed two familiar figures.

Yuan Xuelan instantly ducked behind a tree, his heart thudding wildly against his chest due to some sort of unspeakable embarrassment within.

"How far is the village?" Chen Anyue asked as she stepped through the door Liu Sumeng was holding for her.

"Not far," he answered plainly. But after receiving Chen Anyue's questioning gaze, he awkwardly brushed his hair behind his ear. Yuan Xuelan seriously thought he needed to stop peeking at them so suspiciously. "Just a little ways down the mountain. It's not long. Don't worry."

Chen Anyue's laughter was light and airy, "Of course. I trust you, Liu-ge. Even if it was a longer walk, I won't mind. There is much to talk about after all."

"...Yes. Ok." Liu Sumeng nodded. For a person with such an elegant appearance, he sure was awkward to the core. Most people simply thought him arrogant and Yuan Xuelan was annoyed to realize he to fell into that trap.

He remained, like a damned criminal, waiting for the two to walk away. When he dared to doublecheck, Yuan Xuelan was horrified to see Chen Anyue looking back at him. She raised a brow but then smiled and winked.

"...What is it?" Liu Sumeng asked. Yuan Xuelan ducked and prayed, his face now thoroughly red. Please Shijie, be kind.

Luckily, Chen Anyue was a sweet and gentle person who only chuckled at Liu Sumeng and said, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about something quite funny."

After his heart had run a full marathon, the two were finally out of sight. Yuan Xuelan exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding.

Slowly, he crept out of his hiding place. And when the fear or the whatever odd feeling that forced him to duck and hide subsided, he was horrified to realize that he couldn't even understand why he did that in the first place.

Seriously, what the heck!? Did he have something to be ashamed of? Why was he acting so stupid and strange? Was Liu Sumeng's awkwardness contagious? He wasn't sure and there was no matter how hard he thought, no answers came. Yuan Xuelan might have been a genius when it came to tinkering with magical tools, but in the face of one Liu Sumeng, he was just like any other sixteen-year-old boy.

He pulled at his hair in frustration and screamed, inviting judgmental glares from passing disciples and elders.

In the meantime, Liu Sumeng escorted Chen Anyue the village that thrived at the base of this mountain. It was were the Heavenly Sword Sect disciples often frequented for supplies and occasional bouts of entertainment.

There was quite a nice restaurant that had outdoor seating with a lovely view. Liu Sumeng had a feeling, or rather, he was certain that Chen Anyue would like it there.

That morning he was plagued with anxiety and excitement, eager to enact his newly formed plan. But he was still feeling a little awkward and he wasn't quite sure how to go about it yet. And when he searched the courtyard and the halls for Yuan Xuelan, he couldn't find him anywhere.

"He went out for a stroll," Chen Anyue kindly informed him he was passing by. Her smile was pleasant and welcoming like a wife greeting her returning husband. Liu Sumeng had felt his throat dry at the sight of her sweet appearance and was reminded that he had to speak with this person as well. And so, gathering his courage he invited her to have lunch with him in the village down the mountain.

"It's very peaceful here…" she sighed as she closed her eyes, taking in the fresh autumn breeze and afternoon sunlight that trickled through a thin canopy. "It's very different from Reling, it's always busy there. But if I'm to be honest, even though our sect manor is close to the city, I didn't go there very often."

"I see," Liu Sumeng replied, looking forward out to the path ahead. The village came into sight as the trees and ferns thinned. "I haven't been there often either."

Her eyes sparkled at those words, "But you've been there?"

He nodded, "Only twice. Not long."

She chuckled and hummed, "Even though I didn't go to the city often, to me it's still like home, you know? When I close my eyes I hear the hustle and bustle, the merchants laughing and calling for attention, the children running and playing with stray dogs and cats. All the wonderful colors and smells."

Liu Sumeng was quiet and listened. It was almost like returning to his previous life again, when Chen Anyue would speak to him about her thoughts and her dreams and he would lend her his ear. That was all she ever really asked for, and it was the one thing he was able to successfully give her.

She giggled to herself before turning to him, "But you didn't invite me to listen to little old me talk about myself did you?"

He looked at her and smiled, "No. It's ok. I don't mind," encouraging her to keep talking.