"This tea is barely lukewarm! Do you know who I am? I'm from the prestigious Wind Sect!"
The young master slammed his fist on the table, causing the delicate porcelain teacup to rattle violently before shattering against the floor beside the trembling young server girl.
Her eyes widened in shock as tiny shards skittered across the polished wood floor towards her feet.
"But, I made sure it was..."
"I said it was too cold! Can't you understand simple words?" he bellowed, veins bulging angrily in his neck. "You useless wench, do you know who I am? I'm from the prestigious Wind Sect! You should be honored I even grace this filthy establishment with my presence!"
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she frantically bowed her head lower, pressing her forehead against the floor.
"I-I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I'll bring another cup immediately!" She scrambled backwards on her hands and knees, her thin cotton robe snagging on a shard.
"I did not say you can leave!" He literally screamed at her. Kyle noticed that the young man was sitting with two others at the table, both young women in grey-white sect robes similar to his.
The patrons nearby exchanged uncomfortable glances, lowering their gazes to avoid catching the young master's furious eye.
A few muttered quietly amongst themselves, but no one dared intervene. They knew better than to cross someone from such a powerful sect.
Kyle's expression darkened. He recognized the type, a young master drunk on his own minor accomplishments.
"Kyle," Nuna said quietly, sensing his mood shift. "This happens every day here." He understood what she meant.
He was not some self-righteous saviour; he was rather annoyed that the commotion had disturbed them.
"Just watching," Kyle assured her, though his hand instinctively formed a fist below the table.
Kyle shifted his gaze to the other staff on the floor. He noticed the server in charge of his and Nuna's table disappear into the upper floors, probably to get help, he hoped.
Soon enough, turns out that was the case. She returned with a calm elderly man in tow, the manager.
The situation resolved itself when the teahouse manager, a late foundation establishment cultivator whose presence made the air itself feel heavy, appeared and politely but firmly escorted the troublemaker out.
"Drama follows cultivators everywhere," Nuna observed.
"Not us," Kyle said, refocusing on her. "Today is perfect."
Afterwards, they spent the afternoon wandering from vendor to vendor, sampling the city's renowned street food. Kyle watched with amusement as Nuna's eyes widened at each new delicacy:
Spirit Fruit Skewers that sparkled with condensed qi, making her lips tingle with spiritual energy after each bite.
Cloud Cotton Candy dissolved on the tongue while leaving behind a warm sensation that spread through one's meridians.
Thunder Crackers, small pastries that actually produced tiny sparks when bitten, causing Nuna to jump in surprise and grab Kyle's arm, laughing.
"You're enjoying this too much," she accused when Kyle chuckled at her reaction to a particularly fizzy Spirit Soda.
"I'm enjoying you enjoying this," Kyle corrected, wiping a drop of the glowing beverage from her chin with his thumb before proceeding to lick it.
The simple touch made her breath hitch. Even in the crowded marketplace, it felt like they were in their own little world.
At a calligraphy stall, Kyle commissioned a quick poem written in flowing spiritual ink that glowed with golden light:
"In gardens where the spirit flowers bloom,
One beauty outshines the sun and the moon.
Not jade nor gold can match her grace—
The heaven in her loving face."
"Kyle..." Nuna whispered, clutching the scroll to her chest.
"Too much?" he asked with a grin.
"Perfect," she breathed.
As midnight approached, they found themselves in the city's entertainment district, where higher-level cultivators gathered. Here, the spiritual energy was so dense it was visible to Kyle as shimmering waves in the air.
A group of young cultivators from what appeared to be a prominent sect noticed Kyle and Nuna at a wine stall that served vintages aged in spirit caves.
"Brother, that's some fine taste in companions," one of them called out, his cultivation at the mid-Qi condensation level.
Kyle looked over calmly, about to lash out at whoever that was, but Nuna placed a calming hand on his arm.
"Thank you for the compliment," Kyle replied evenly. "My wife appreciates beautiful things as well."
The word 'wife' made Nuna's heart skip, even though she knew it was not completely true. Not yet, at least.
Kyle's gaze, though, was screaming at them to scram.
The group, sensing Kyle's underlying strength despite his modest appearance, wisely decided not to press further.
"She's really something special, isn't she?" the wine vendor, an elderly man with a pipe I his mouth, said quietly as he poured them cups of Celestial Plum Wine.
"More than special," Kyle agreed, not taking his eyes off Nuna as she admired the moon rising higher, beginning to paint the sky in brilliant blues and whites.
The Hill at Sunset
As the evening wound down, Kyle led Nuna to a grassy hill just outside the city walls.
Trees dotted the landscape, their leaves rustling with concentrated qi. The spot offered a perfect view of both the city below and the vast sky above.
They settled on the soft grass, and without prompting, Nuna patted her lap. Kyle smiled and lay his head down, looking up at her face silhouetted against the golden sky.
"Thank you for today," Nuna said softly, her fingers threading through his black hair.
"Thank you for existing," Kyle replied, his voice unusually serious.
The moonlight painted everything in cold hues, the city's floating pagodas, the distant mountains, and most importantly, Nuna's beautiful face as she looked down at him with such tender affection.
"In my previous state," Kyle began quietly, "I never thought I could be this happy."
Nuna's hand paused in his hair. She had learned not to ask too many questions about Kyle's cryptic references to a "previous state," understanding that some things were better forgotten.
But it did not seem like Kyle wanted to forget his life from a few weeks ago, spanning the majority of his livelihood.
"And now?" she asked instead.
Kyle reached up to cup her cheek. "Now I can't imagine being anywhere else."
As the first stars shone brightly in the darkening sky, Kyle sat up and turned to face her fully.
Without words, he leaned in and kissed her, not the quick, playful kisses from throughout the day, but something deeper, filled with all the emotion he couldn't quite put into words.
When they finally separated, both were breathing a little harder.
"We should head back, we still have some...nighttime activities to tend to," Kyle said excitedly.
"Un," Nuna nodded, blushing deeply, but neither made any move to leave immediately.
They sat there as they were bathed in the night's calm air, the city's spiritual formations glowed like earthbound stars, content to simply exist in each other's presence.
Tomorrow would bring its own challenges. But for now, on this hill overlooking a city where spiritual energy danced through the air like visible music, they had this perfect moment.
They did not linger for longer; they walked back to the manor. At midnight, it was Kyle's birthday.
"Happy birthday." Nuna gave him the best birthday gift she could ever give him. Herself, in her entirety.
And Kyle's room echoed with erotic moans and grunts for the rest of the night, as they indulged in each others warmth.