GU MANG DIDN'T LIKE drinking the medicine Jiang Fuli had prescribed. The reason was very simple: it was too spicy. Jiang Fuli's formulation triggered coughs at the first sip. The master himself had said that the medicine's flavor absolutely couldn't be changed without sacrificing its efficacy.
This left Li Wei at a loss. "Don't they say sweet fragrances are cleansing? Shouldn't emotional troubles be treated with sweet medicine?"
When word of this reached Jiang Fuli, his response was, "The hell does he know? Who's the medicine master, him or me?"
Thus, the sight of Li Wei chasing Gu Mang in desperation, begging and pleading with his noble self to please take his medicine, became a daily occurrence in Xihe Manor. It was a scene of utter chaos that never failed to take up at least an hour.
Mo Xi liked peace and quiet and hated noise, so Li Wei usually tried to force-feed Gu Mang his medicine only while Mo Xi was at court. But today, Gu Mang's resistance proved to be too much. Li Wei had crashed into a dozen other servants, and he still hadn't nabbed Gu Mang. To add injury to insult, Gu Mang had even kicked Li Wei squarely in the chest, nearly causing him to break the medicine jar.
Seeing that Gu Mang was about to escape the yard, Li Wei shouted as he chased after him. "Grab him! Grab him! Use the immortal-binding ropes! God damn it!"
As Gu Mang sprinted away, he turned to glance behind him. With a sudden thud, he crashed into something both hot and hard. He hissed in pain and clutched his forehead. When he looked up, he met Mo Xi's dark eyes, which leveled him with a cold stare.
"What are you doing?" Mo Xi asked, towering over Gu Mang.
Panting, Li Wei caught up to them and shouted, "My lord! My lord, he won't take his medicine!"
Mo Xi had just returned from court and was still wreathed in the icy chill of the outside air. For a moment, he stared at Gu Mang in silence. Just as Gu Mang realized he was in deep trouble and prepared to flee, Mo Xi grabbed his wrist. His eyes fixed on his quarry, Mo Xi raised his other hand. "Li Wei."
"I'm here!"
"Give me the medicine jar."
Mo Xi hauled Gu Mang into the side room, kicked the door shut with a boot, and shoved Gu Mang against the wall. The room was dim behind the hanging bamboo curtains. In the darkness, Mo Xi's eyes glowed with a gloomy light. After staring at Gu Mang for some time, he bit out, "You've lost all your good habits, yet your bad ones haven't changed in the slightest."
Gu Mang had had the same trouble in the past. He'd rather remain sick than take his medicine—exactly like he was right now. Mo Xi recalled a time he paid Gu Mang a visit back then. Gu Mang had been curled up in his tent, grumbling as he lay wrapped in blankets, only an errant lock of black hair visible. When he heard someone come in, he thought it was Lu Zhanxing. Without even bothering to open his eyes, he muttered, "Zhanxing, don't bring me more medicine, I won't fucking drink it... The smell is gross enough..."
The young Mo Xi walked over to him, put the steaming medicine on the table, and sat down next to the bed. "It's me," he murmured.
"Holy shit." Gu Mang stuck his head out from the blankets, drowsy- eyed and scarlet-cheeked with fever. "What're you doing here?" he mumbled.
Mo Xi didn't respond. He reached out and touched Gu Mang's face. "Take your medicine."
"I won't!" Gu Mang rolled his eyes and tried to burrow back into his blankets, but Mo Xi pulled him out again.
"Fine then, keep burning up."
"Sure, whatever. Once the fever cooks me through, I can eat myself. The medicine is too disgusting; I won't touch it."
Mo Xi frowned. "Are you even a man...?"
Now this bothered Gu Mang. He whipped his head around and glared as sharply as he could through hazy and feverish eyes. "You don't know if I'm a man?" he grumbled. "You couldn't tell when you slept with me? You little bastard, your gege's a selfless patriot who's fuckin' burning up to high heaven. It's one thing if you're not clapping for me and giving me flowers, but you're actually questioning my sex, you little scoundrel..."
Gu Mang was half-awake and delirious, sniffling and mumbling a stream of pure nonsense. Mo Xi took this all in with amusement and tenderness. He gazed with gentle eyes at his shige curled up in his messy pile of blankets.
"It's easy for you to say," muttered Gu Mang, his cheeks flaming red. "You have no idea how bitter this goddamn medicine is..."
This was meant to be a complaint, and if he were fully awake, Gu Mang would definitely have used a swaggering tone, full of brash arrogance. Alas, he wasn't in the right state to pull it off. His eyes were unfocused and his lips were wet; his manner as he upbraided Mo Xi wasn't the least bit imposing. Rather, all that remained was boundless softness.
If Mo Xi had voiced his thoughts at that moment, Gu Mang would have definitely flown into a rage, sickness be damned, and throttled him. Because to Mo Xi, Gu Mang seemed like he was acting pouty on purpose. This flight of fancy made him feel warm and impulsive. He looked down at Gu-shixiong tangled up in the blankets, and for a long while, he stared. Then, with his eyes still fixed on Gu Mang's face, he picked up the bowl of medicine on the table.
Gu Mang thought Mo Xi was going to force it down his throat. He was so mad he started yelling: "Mo Xi, get the fuck out of here! I said I won't drink it and I mean it! I—mmph—"
The rest of the sentence never left his mouth. His Mo-shidi had actually taken a sip of the medicine and then dipped his head to kiss him. The bitterness of the medicine filled both of their mouths, but Gu Mang's senses were completely drowned out by Mo Xi's blazing breath and his rough and insistent tongue. Gu Mang felt disoriented, like he was blackout drunk. His eyes flew open.
The medicine was highly concentrated, so there wasn't much in the bowl, but Mo Xi kissed him at least a dozen times before it was gone. By then Gu Mang had finally returned to his senses and wanted to call him a little madman. But that rough tongue, having fed him the last few drops, pressed into his mouth. As their lips entwined ferociously, some medicine even dripped from the corner of Gu Mang's mouth...
Back then, they had been young and reckless, their newborn love flourishing so fearlessly in their hearts that, when they were caught up in each other, they didn't even care that someone might lift the tent flap and see.
When Mo Xi finally let go of Gu Mang, he nuzzled his Gu-shige's cheek. He stared at Gu Mang, the flushed face beneath him reflected in his dark pupils. It was as if he wished to build an impregnable cage in his eyes and trap this singular reflection within it for the rest of eternity.
Mo Xi's voice was a little hoarse. He caressed Gu Mang's lips, which his kisses had left wet and slightly swollen. "Is it bitter?" he asked, his voice low and captivating. "Why do I then think...that Shixiong's very sweet?"
Gu Mang gritted his teeth. "M'not candy! Sweet, my ass!
Mo Xi gazed into his eyes. They were so close that every time they blinked, their lashes nearly brushed. He murmured, "If I hear about you making a fuss like this when you need to take medicine, I'll feed you like this each and every time. That way, you can't tell me I have no idea what it's like. I know you don't like bitter things, so I'll share in all your bitterness."
Gu Mang rolled his eyes. "Me, afraid of bitterness? Ha ha, funny joke. Could your Gu Mang-gege be scared of a little bitterness? Heh heh heh—"
In response, Mo Xi only tapped his forehead and rose, wiping the corner of his mouth.
Gu Mang squinted at him. After a long pause, he snickered. "I've realized that you're not actually a proper gentleman. Although you're stuffy, you've sure got quite the imagination."
The young Mo Xi was prone to embarrassment. He tried his best to feign calm, but this assessment of himself still made his ears flush red.
"Once you get married," Gu Mang continued, "I'll count it as that maiden's good fortune."
Mo Xi whipped around to stare at him. Back then, he'd wanted to say —No, that's not true. When I choose someone, I mean it for a lifetime. In life or death, in poverty or in riches, I'll only follow in his footsteps. I'll only want him and him alone. Don't you understand?
His lips moved, but he knew, without saying it, how Gu Mang would respond. Gu Mang would brush it off and subject him to a grating lecture on nonsense like "promiscuity is male instinct." Gu Mang didn't understand that some people's hearts shouldn't be touched. They never played around; rather, they were the solitary guardians of the pure affection they held cupped in their hands. They only had a little bit of romance in their hearts, just enough to lavish on a singular person in all their life. Gu Mang had enough affection to rival the rivers and the lakes. He wouldn't understand.
In the present, in the dim side room, Mo Xi stared into Gu Mang's blue eyes. After his bones had been broken and his souls removed—after so much had changed—how did he still have this infuriating problem?
"Open your mouth," Mo Xi ordered.
Gu Mang glared at him in clear refusal. Mo Xi grabbed him by the jaw and moved to pour it down his throat.
At first, Gu Mang kept his lips clamped shut, but Mo Xi wasn't planning to play nice; he covered Gu Mang's mouth and nose so he couldn't breathe. He waited until Gu Mang was red-faced and struggling before abruptly letting go. As Gu Mang opened his mouth to gasp for air, Mo Xi grabbed his chin and poured the medicine in.
Gu Mang burst out coughing and his eyes reddened as he rasped, "Why are you making me drink this?!"
Mo Xi gritted his teeth and snapped, "Because there's something wrong with you. From now on, when Li Wei asks you to take your medicine, you'd better drink it obediently," he warned. "If you refuse, and I have no choice but to administer it myself, I'll do it by force." He caught sight of a drop of medicine at the corner of Gu Mang's mouth. "Clean yourself up," he said, and then strode away without a backward glance.
After that, Gu Mang was obedient indeed. Li Wei always gave him a bowl of milk or a piece of candy after he took his medicine. Mo Xi, on the other hand, gave him nothing, but instead stared at him with an inscrutable expression after forcing him to swallow it down. Gu Mang didn't understand what that stare meant, but he felt an instinctive chill at the back of his neck.
They finished one full course of treatment in this manner. Three days before the end-of-year ceremony, Mo Xi took Gu Mang to the Jiang residence for a second examination.
Housekeeper Zhou led them through the great hall into a lavishly decorated room where Jiang Fuli was in conversation with a middle-aged man. The man wore a cultivator's robes of purple trimmed in gold, signifying his noble bloodline. However, his face was exhausted and his posture was hunched; he looked nothing like a high-spirited aristocrat. A young girl with delicate features waited at his side, also dressed in purple clothes with golden trim. She kept her head bowed and said not a word. Holding a little bamboo dragonfly in her hand, she looked endearingly sweet.
Mo Xi didn't recognize this downtrodden noble at first, but as soon as he saw the child, he realized that this must be Changfeng-jun and his heart- mad daughter.
As they walked in, Changfeng-jun was wiping his tears and stammering his thanks to Jiang Fuli. "You should go back to your manor," said Jiang Fuli. "Your daughter can stay here temporarily. Since I've been paid well, I'll take good care of her, of course. You needn't worry."
"I'm just so...so thankful to Medicine Master Jiang. The memorial ceremony is in three days. I won't be in the capital, and there's no way I could feel at ease if I left Lan-er at home..."
"Good business is good business. You're neither buying on credit nor owing me money, so what are you thanking me for?"
Changfeng-jun patted the little girl—Lan-er's—head, striving to summon some cheer on his weary face. "Sweetheart, in a few days, Papa will be going to the memorial ceremony with His Imperial Majesty. It's a hard journey, so I can't take you along. You need to be good and stay in Doctor Jiang's manor. Don't cause him any trouble, okay?"
Though Lan-er was young, it was obvious that she had already been pushed around and bullied a great deal on account of her illness. She seemed extraordinarily sensible and obedient. Her words and actions were all very soft, as if she feared she'd be left behind or bring harm to others. "Papa, how long will you be gone?"
"Not long at all. It' Il be seven days at most before Papa will be back to pick you up."
Lan-er's eyes welled with tears, but she held them back and nodded silently.
Changfeng-jun thanked Jiang Fuli again and turned his head just in time to see Mo Xi and Gu Mang enter the residence. Probably skittish because the other noble families had shunned him so completely, this middle-aged man with graying temples started like a bird at the twang of a bow. Trembling with a terror unbefitting his age and station, he ducked his head. "Xihe-jun..."
Mo Xi found this a difficult sight to bear. But stiff as he was, he merely uttered a word of greeting. As far as he knew, Changfeng-jun had always been honest and dutiful and never involved himself in petty conflicts. These qualities had doomed his noble lineage to cede power and influence by the day. Eventually, even some of the capital's common-born cultivators disregarded him.
After Changfeng-jun respectfully greeted Mo Xi, his fearful eyes flickered toward Gu Mang. At the same time, Mo X1's gaze shifted to land on little Lan-er, who was standing beside Jiang Fuli. Each sensing the object of the other's attention, they spoke at the same time, in the same protective tone:
"He isn't a danger," Mo Xi said.
"She isn't a danger," Changfeng-jun said.
The two of them lapsed into an embarrassed silence.
In the end, Mo Xi was the one to break it. "I understand. Don't worry."
These days, Changfeng-jun had to explain his daughter's illness wherever he went and beg each noble family not to expel his daughter from the academy and break her spiritual core. He had suffered untold hardship and humiliation. Upon hearing Xihe-jun's somewhat gracious words, he felt a twinge in his heart and was brought to the verge of tears. He lowered his head to thank Mo Xi and glanced behind him once more at Lan-er. Worried that the longer he stayed, the less he could bear to part from her, he turned to leave the manor.
Jiang Fuli took Gu Mang's pulse and adjusted the prescription anew. Then he rose to his feet. Glancing at Gu Mang and little Lan-er, he said, "Xihe-jun, let's step out to the rear courtyard to talk."
Mo Xi frowned. "And leave them here?"
Housekeeper Zhou smiled. "Xihe-jun can rest assured, I'm here to keep watch. Nothing will happen."
"If my patients are able to cause any trouble in my manor, I might as well close up shop," said Jiang Fuli. He glanced at the black ring around Gu Mang's neck and continued with audible scorn, "Besides, isn't Gu Mang wearing the slave collar Xihe-jun gave him?"
Mo Xi did in fact know that Jiang Manor's fortifications were on par with those of Yue Manor's. Nothing would go wrong if they stepped away only briefly. He just felt vaguely uneasy and fretful at the thought of Gu Mang leaving his line of sight while they were out. This feeling hadn't subsided even as they spent more time together—rather, it had grown only more stubborn and intense. If this went on, Jiang Fuli would likely be gaining yet another patient: Mo Xi himself.
The rear courtyard of Jiang Manor was home to all sorts of rare plants. Spiritual energy circulated here year-round, and it was luxuriantly fragrant in all four seasons. Jiang Fuli and Mo Xi conversed as they strolled along the meandering colonnade. "The end-of-year ceremony is in two days," Jiang Fuli said. "You pure-blooded nobles are all accompanying His Imperial Majesty to the Soul-Calling Abyss to offer sacrifice, correct?"
Mo Xi nodded. "As we do each year."
"Changfeng-jun entrusted his daughter to me, but what about you? What is your plan?"
"Gu Mang is too dangerous. I will inform His Imperial Majesty that I intend to bring him with me."
"I thought you'd say that," replied Jiang Fuli. "However, I have something important to tell you." He stopped and turned around, framed by the flowers and the sky, hands clasped behind his back. "Gu Mang's pulse is very steady and shows signs of recovery. On your way to the Soul-Calling Abyss, you must be careful—anywhere from five days to a month from now, he will remember some fragmented pieces."
Mo Xi's heart pounded, and his nails dug into his palms.
"I'll give you another seven doses of medicine. Hopefully that'll be enough for the journey. If, by chance, what he remembers is unfavorable for Chonghua, you can lock him up." Jiang Fuli added, "But life is never predictable. Xihe-jun, he'll recover his first memories in the coming days. You must be prepared."