Wen Xiao/Pei Sijing
"Commander Pei, what was that we did tonight? What an awful way to dance! Too stiff for an occasion that should be much more relaxing." Wen Xiao remarked, sitting on the edge of her Commander's bed.
"I've never been any good at dancing, I have spend most of my time training to excel as a demon hunter, anything else, like learn how to dance was not important. There was no good music to inspire, either." Pei Sijing defended herself, testing the strength and string of the bow Wen Xiao had given her.
"Ah, but having Ying Lei and Bai Jiu making fool of themselves, was so much fun and we had a great time, more or less doing the same. It was so silly, but special at the same time. Although Mei Lin danced with her fan so gracefully despite the noise, so we should have done at least a little better..."
"You have a good eye for weapons, this bow is very good, and Ying Lei's magic arrows are the perfect match."
"Pei Sijing, are you listening to me?" Wen Xiao pouted, causing Sijing to look at her adorable, pretty face, which soften her expression an little bit.
"I am, but even so, I'm still not good at dancing, let alone in public. We could have done the same thing as Cao Wei, Huang Yiming, and Jiang Ren did, a demonstration of skills. We both have them, it's just that we haven't reached their level of coordination yet."
"Are you only thinking about weapons on such a beautiful night? Commander Pei, don't be so cold with me. No one is around, and I know you're warmer than this in private." Wen Xiao said, looking at her with fire in her eyes.
"You're drunk." Pei Sijing asserted, seeing her flushed face and excitement.
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you were drunk before we danced in public. That was the only reason I let you convince me to do it. I didn't want you start crying if I refuse it, because when drunk you are more sensitive."
"Ah, so you care about me that much... Come here, Commander, let me show you my love too..."
"Wen Xiao!" Pei Sijing shouted, making Wen Xiao laugh as she stood up and hugged her anyways.
"I mean, let's dance again, but better this time. A dance where we just enjoy each other's company, hold each other, move softly and just talk. It'll be closer and less silly..." Wen Xiao smiled at her, and Pei Sijing sighed. That young woman was pleading with her eyes in such a charming way that once again she could not refuse, or to be more honest, she didn't want to refuse her at all.
"Okay, but I'm warning you, it will still be bad."
"It won't be, let me guide you."
"We don't even have that awful noise..." Pei Sijing pointed, but as the words left her mouth, a puff of smoke rose, revealing Pei Siheng next to his sister, startling Wen Xiao for a moment before she realized it was her brother and giggle.
"Were you listening to us?" She asked embarrassed, blushing a bit harder this time.
"I always am, but I don't mind. I know my sister is happier with you."
"Why didn't you go out earlier? You could have celebrated with us. Don't you feel lonely? You know that we don't mind you around, you are one of us too." Wen Xiao told him sadly, but Pei Siheng just smiled.
"I thank you you guys, but I am never alone. I always talk to my sister every day when she had time for herself, also before she goes to sleep, so I don't feel as lonely as you think."
"Oh? Then, I'm taking your time with her now? For the gods, please forgive me, I didn't know. This is the first time I've entered her room, I will go now." She let go of Pei Sijing and turned to leave, but Pei Siheng stopped her before she could give more than a few steps away from his sister.
"Why are you leaving, Wen Xiao? Didn't you ask for a dance? You exchanged gifts tonight, so let me give you mine. I play the flute rather well, perfect for dancing. I still have the flute my sister gave me before I became like this... and will gladly use it for you two, to have a good time." Wen Xiao's eyes filled with tears. Perhaps she was indeed, drunk, as she was feeling very emotional at the moment, and the siblings' tragedy was heartbreaking.
"Why are you crying? My brother plays very well, and he is offering it to you us a gift. He and I have all the time in the world to talk. He's not going anywhere, and neither am I, so don't be sad..."
"But you must miss each other a lot... the dance Xiao Zhuo and his brother performed was so beautiful, and it showed how much siblings love each other..."
"Indeed, it shows how profound it can get and it is the same with us, we just do it in a different way that's all. Now, let's dance Wen Xiao. I will be honor and I promise to try harder for you."
"But..."
"Come on, it's okay, like you said before, this is a special night, so enjoy it. I'll play for you, and I'll enjoy it too, because my sister's happiness is also mine."
"That's... so beautiful, yet so sad... Come here, brother, let me dance with you first." At that, Pei Siheng panicked as he looked at his sister, who simply smiled at him.
"But there's no music..."
"I can hum a tune. It's not very pretty, but better than the wild rhythms of Ying Lei and Bai Jiu together." And remembering their disastrous 'music', Pei Siheng laughed.
"Okay, then give me your hand, sister." He said to Wen Xiao as he extended his hand, which she took and allowed him to gently pull her closer. As they moved, she hummed with pleasure and laughed when he turned her around or did some unexpected moves.
Pei Sijing watched them dance, with her heart filled with happiness for her brother, as it was rare for him to have such opportunities, but her unit was nothing like any other she had before. These young people were very protective of each other, and one smile on their faces was a source of joy for everyone.
After their brief dance, Pei Siheng kissed her hand gallantly and left the room to play the flute on the balcony, while admiring the great demon tree. It was so massive it was impossible not to stare at it when outside, and its glowing flowers were so beautiful that it was difficult not to gaze at it and lose yourself in its beauty. He could understand why Zhu Yan like it so much, so whith such enchanting sight for inspiration he played an old tune, soft but sweet, filling the room with the music. This time, Pei Sijing offered her hand to Wen Xiao, pulling her towards her, and they slowly danced in circles with Wen Xiao's head resting on Pei Sijing's chest.
"This is so much better..." Wen Xiao said with a satisfying smile.
"It is. Are you sleepy? I can tell you can barely can keep your eyes open."
"You are so observant, Commander. I'm just a little tired, but this dance, along with the soft and relaxing sound, it feels like a dream. I feel like I'm inside one of my novels. You're my heroine, and I'm the damsel in distress, escaping the clutches of an evil demon when you came to rescue me." She giggled.
"You read too much, besides, in this real story we're living, you're not a damsel in distress, but the one who defeats the demons who want to harm us, shoulder to shoulder with me." Wen Xiao chuckled.
"That's oddly sweet. Did you enjoy our date at the Citadel?"
"Of course I did. Did you doubt it?"
"No, really. By the way, I loved your gift, it's a beautiful hairpin. I think I'll give the one I'm wearing now to your brother. He can compose beautiful music with it, since it's a brush made into a hairpin by my father. Since I always tend to lose mine, my father thought of that way for me to always have one within reach and not have to buy me a bunch of them every week." Wen Xiao smiled.
"A gift from your father is something you should keep."
"I have several more, and I think your brother can use them better than I can, so he won't feel so lonely when he is not out, to keep you company at night."
"Then he will love it."
"Of course. I have yours right here. Will you put it on for me?"
"Sure." She said, and after Wen Xiao gave it to her, she gently placed it on her soft hair and gazed down at her. The hairpin was a masterpiece, but it only complemented her natural beauty.
"You're pretty too, and it suits you."
"Ah, Commander, are you trying to seduce your subordinate?" Wen Xiao asked with feigned innocence, and Pei Sijing chuckled.
"Isn't it the other way around?" She asked, and Wen Xiao laughed.
"Maybe? Is it working? I don't know, sometimes you're too serious and..." But the next thing she knew, her Commander was gently lifting her head, placing her hand under her chin, and then kissing her as they stopped moving around.
Wen Xiao was surprised, first because, although they had been interacting for a while and the attraction between them was palpable enough to dare to do some things, it was mainly on her part. Secondly, her brother was outside playing a tune for them, and since she was so introverted, it was surprising that she dared to kiss her while her brother was watching.
Still, she didn't mind, because she wasn't shy, nor one to reject a delightful offer for the possibility of been watched. Otherwise, she would never have invited her on a date in the Citadel, where she had held her hand quite often while strolling through the market street, bought her things, eaten together in a more than friendly closeness, as she teased her with the food, and called her by her Xiao Sijing when they split up to buy gifts. To everyone who saw them on the street, it was obvious that they were, or at least appeared to be, a couple.
So she wasn't going to give her a reason to stop kissing her, and she placed her hand on her neck to make sure Sijing didn't pull away just before she could truly enjoy the kiss from her beloved. However, Pei Sijing was in her own world, a world where only Wen Xiao existed and the intense surge of feelings that the kiss awakened. For her, training was everything; it was a way to keep her surname honorable and protected, and she had been content with that until she almost lost her brother. After that, things changed, and she tried to be more flexible with herself and others, which was why Wen Xiao entered her heart so easily, when in the past she would never have allowed a romantic relationship with a member of her unit, male or female.
As they kissed, they didn't notice that the flute music had stopped playing, nor that Pei Siheng had disappeared after glancing at them and blushing.
Ying Lei/Bai Jiu
After the celebration ended, as it was getting late and they had drunk quite a lot that night, the others helped Ying Lei carry the tables and dishes back to the mansion, but since he didn't want his precious dishes to be smashed by tipsy men, he told them to rest and that he would take care of washing them. Knowing how obsessed he was with his kitchen, no one objected to his order, except for one person. That was, of course, Bai Jiu, who had rolled up his sleeves to help him clean them, whether he liked it or not. So, with a warm smile, he let the young man do as he pleased and simply enjoyed his company.
"It was a lot of fun day and night, wasn't it? Do you think we can repeat events like this from time to time?" Ying Lei asked as they finished washing the dishes.
"I think the great demon really enjoyed it, so maybe we can convince him to do a second round after a while. We still have training to do, and once the undoing of our core seals resumes, probably tomorrow, we'll be back to the pain and exhaustion."
"But it was worth it. I can say that I am a little stronger since the first three layers of my seal have been removed. Although my bones hurt a lot and burn for the first two days, I no longer feel as tired as before when training or cultivating. In addition, the amount of energy I can accumulate in my core has increased, as has my speed. How about you?"
"Pretty much the same. The divine energy released when the three layers of the seal disappeared begins to produce changes in our bodies, not too drastic, but enough to support the next layer. I must say that Zhu Yan knows what he's doing and is very careful in not to push our bodies beyond their limits. The fact that I was able to grow a peach tree from a fruit seed in a matter of seconds is proof that we're changing and that the divine energy is growing stronger. To be honest, I'm a little scared to think about how much more I'll be able to do once the twenty layers disappear."
"I'm with you on that, because it's truly terrifying to think in becoming a demigod. My sealing spells last longer, my detection spells reach further, my senses... I can do so much more, pick up so many details that previously eluded me, great distances are no longer so inaccessible. I'm starting to believe that if my energy continues to grow, I won't need the Shanhai Portal to teleport myself or a group anywhere in the world, whether I've been there before or not." Hearing that, Bai Jiu gasped.
"That would be awesome!"
"I know, right?" Ying Lei laughed proudly at his growing potential.
"It's an incredible skill to have. I wish I could do more than just grow trees."
"Who said you can't do more? Have you tested yourself in other things? You're also an alchemist, so using your divine energy, I'm sure you can create pills with extraordinary capabilities. You just need to think more about the infinite possibilities and doubt yourself less." As Ying Lei finished speaking, Bai Jiu's eyes widened in surprise. He had never thought about that before, and he had been an idiot not to realize that, by strengthening himself with his current talents in healing, alchemy, and knowledge, he was getting closer to becoming a Sage!
"Ying Lei... you... that..."
"Wait, did I say something wrong? I think you can do incredible things with more divine energy. Maybe you can achieve that traceless healing you've been longing for, I swear, I'm not kidding, you really can..." But Bai Jiu was so thrilled with his newfound enlightenment that, in his excitement, he pulled Ying Lei close without thinking and kissed him on the mouth so hard that they both ended up parting in pain, with Ying Lei's lower lip cut by Bai Jiu's euphoria.
"Ying Lei! I'm so sorry... Sorry, it was too fast..." Bai Jiu apologized as he tried to wipe Ying Lei's blood from his split lip with his sleeve, but the blond young man's heart was so frantic that he pulled away to try and calm himself. It had been a kiss, for heaven's sake! A horrible kiss, but a kiss nonetheless.
"Ying Lei... let me heal you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you... I was so grateful, so happy that you made me discover my own potential that..."
"It's okay, Bai Jiu. I understand... don't worry, even I can handle something so simple." Ying Lei turned to leave, but Bai Jiu grabbed his arm.
"It's not okay. Come, sit down and let me heal you."
"It's such a small wound. I have a remedy for this kind of things."
"Ying Lei, let me. It's my fault, after all. Sit down." Since Bai Jiu wasn't going to let him run away, Ying Lei sat down and tried not to think about what had just happened. He received a kiss, but sadly enough, it was in gratitude, on impulse, so he needed to come back to reality and not misinterpret it to what it wasn't.
Bai Jiu for his part, deeply regretted the way he kissed Ying Lei so impulsively. In terms of age, they were only four years apart, which wasn't much, and he would be eighteen in a month. But above all, he didn't want to hurt his feelings by thinking he might feel the same way. He had believed it before, that they were so in tune, so close, that their feelings had begun to transform from friendship into something deeper, which is why he ended up kissing him suddenly without a second thought. But seeing how he reacted, how he pulled away when he touched him, as if he had set him on fire, he began to doubt.
He really liked Ying Lei, and when he say really, he mean a LOT, and he felt so connected to him that even that night they had behaved like fools, not caring about anything. They liked to joke around, argue, laugh, and just be themselves while helping each other achieve their goals and aspirations. They were soulmates, but now... by mistake or by fate, he had crossed the line and didn't know how to undo it.
"Bai Jiu... your lip is cut too." Said Ying Lei, interrupting the young healer who was spiraling in panic. Hearing him, Bai Jiu ran a finger along his lower lip and looked at it, cover in blood.
"Ah... I didn't notice, how strange..."
"Then let me take care of it..."
"No, yours looks deeper. Just let me wipe it to see how much..." Bai Jiu impulsively wiped the blood off Ying Lei's lip with the same finger that had his blood on it. Then, Bai Jiu watched in amazement as Ying Lei's cut healed instantly, his own blood repairing the damage without a trace.
"What... what was that? Did you use healing energy on me or something? Can you do that now?" Asked Ying Lei, feeling a strange tingling sensation as Bai Jiu touched his lips with his finger. But judging by the way he looked at him in disbelief, he wondered what had happened to him.
"I did it..."
"What?"
"Traceless healing! I did it, Ying Lei!" He hugged the man, feeling Ying Lei's arms tighten around him as he laughed, happy that Bai Jiu could do what he longed for and could only dream of. However, they soon realized their position: Ying Lei was sitting in a chair with Bai Jiu wrapped between his legs, his head resting on the young healer's chest, looking into those brown eyes, full of energy and ecstasy from his newfound ability.
"I'm sorry..." Ying Lei let go, but Bai Jiu didn't move, instead stare back at him with a blush.
"I know it was awful for a first kiss... but did you hate it that much?" Bai Jiu asked, almost in tears.
"I didn't hate it."
"Then why did you pull away?"
"I... Xiao Jiu... that it's a little complicated to explain."
"I'm a healer, a doctor as some call it, so why would it be so complicated to explain? I know the human body better than you do."
"It's not about the body."
"So you don't like me like that?"
"Wait, what? Didn't you say you kissed me because you were grateful?" Ying Lei asked in confusion.
"Idiot, did you think I'd kiss someone just out of gratitude? Should I kiss Xiao Zhuo Ge because I admire him?"
"Do that and a great demon will skin you alive." Ying Lei joked.
"You know what I mean."
"I thought... you didn't mean it the way I want it to interpret it."
"So you like me?"
"Do you?"
"I asked first."
"I'm older."
"Don't give me that excuse. By imperial law, I became an adult at fifteen, like everyone else."
"I know, must of us die young while hunting demons."
"Don't change the subject."
"Yes. I like you... more than as friends..."
"Ah, what a coincidence, I like you too... let me try again." And this time, Bai Jiu lowered his head to kiss Ying Lei, softer this time, though at the taste of blood, he pulled away and roughly wiped his lips.
"That was just as horrible..." Bai Jiu whined, and Ying Lei laughed as he pulled him closer.
"I don't mind..."
"It's disgusting. Let's clean ourselves up a bit, shall we?" But then, the beautiful sound of a flute was heard, and Ying Lei stood up.
"Who's playing that?" He asked with a hint of concern.
"This is Zhu Yan's mansion inside his barrier, so it must be one of us."
"But it's so late..."
"Who said love is only shown in the early hours? It's obviously a love melody."
"Ah... I see..." Ying Lei looked at Bai Jiu for a moment, and almost simultaneously, the two move toward the water basin and realizing they were thinking exactly the same thing, they laughed out loud.
"Perhaps we're being hasty..." Ying Lei whispered.
"Perhaps..." Bai Jiu blushed.
"How about some tea? We can drink it while listening to the flute."
"That sounds good."
"Understood." Ying Lei said as he walked away to make the tea, humming happily, as they were giving one step farther into the right direction. He smiled.
AN: Here you go, two pairs in this one, since is getting too long I decide to split it, Li Lun and Yixuan, as well as the other unit coming next. I hope you like it. I think that Bai Jiu will not shy away from Ying Lei, just like in the picture bellow, but face him head on. Thanks for reading.