When Fang Zheng's fever finally broke he had apologized deeply to Qing Shu who had been tending to him for the past three days and nights, "You're my junior now, it's my duty as your senior brother to help you." Qing Shu just shook his head with a smile, Patting Fang Zheng's shoulders lightly. Qing Shu had been reluctant to let him go back to class, but Fang Zheng had insisted he was fine—though his hands still shook slightly as he dressed himself in fresh robes.
The academy corridors stretched endlessly before Fang Zheng, his footsteps echoing hollowly against the polished wood. Three days of fever had left his body lighter, his thoughts clearer—yet the emptiness in his chest remained, gaping wider than before. He flexed his fingers, noting how the tremors had subsided to an almost imperceptible quiver. Almost.
He had missed when the students were Picking out their vital Gu due to his sudden illness, but again his senior brother, the heaven sent Qing Shu had already assigned him the moonlight Gu which was what most disciples got, Fang Zheng twisted his wrist slightly—the faint silver glow beneath his skin pulsed in time with his uneven breaths, he had spent a while refining it but also spend a while attempting to find his brother to no avail.
He'd almost about given up when he had returned to "home" to their aunt and uncle's house, entering the living room he saw his aunt and uncle sitting high in their chairs and surprising Fang Yuan too—who was carrying two jars of wine—his brother looked up and Fang Zheng felt his breath hitch before Fang Yuan turned away again, uninterested. His Uncle's brow was furrowed and his face showed a complex expression Fang Zheng didn't know how to read—his aunt was smiling gently as usual, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her posture perfect.
His uncle spoke first, "In the blink of an eye, you are both 15 and have grown so much. Since you both have talents of a Gu master, *especially you Fang Zheng, me and your aunt are so proud of you* i will give you both 6 primordial stones, refining Gu takes alot of effort."
As he said this a servant approached and handed Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng each a small bag.
Fang Yuan took his bag silently.
Fang Zheng's face was stiff as he opened his bag and looked inside to see 6 pieces of oval shaped, greyish white primeval stones. Flat gratitude rose in his chest—he knew it was generous—but his throat tightened when he glanced at Fang Yuan's hands, where the same bag rested. Equal. Always equal, even when Fang Yuan hadn't earned it, even when he didn't care.
"Thank you Aunt and Uncle, your nephew does need primeval stones to replenish his primeval essence! You have both raised me until today, this gratitude is engraved into my heart, I shall not forget it forever!" Fang Zheng said instead, smiling gratefully as he bowed slightly to them.
Uncle smiled and nodded. Aunt hurriedly waved her hands and said warmly, "Sit down, sit down! Although you both may not be our children directly, we have always raised you as if our own. You both are able to gain a future, and we are proud of that. Alas we do not have children of our own, and sometimes we thought that if you both could really become our children it would be the best."
Her words brought deep meaning. To Fang Yuan, it seemed as if Fang Zheng did not understand it, Fang Yuan frowned a little.
Uncle cut in and said, "I have discussed this with your aunt. We thought of adopting you both and become a genuine, real family. Fang Zheng, I wonder if you are willing?"
Fang Zheng was stunned for a second before he regained his joyous expression, and he said, "To be honest, every since both my parents died I have longed very much for a family of my own. To be able to become a family with Aunt and Uncle who have cared for me since childhood, this is too good to be true!"
Fang Zheng was sure His big brother was thinking of their actual parents, but in the long run, Shen Cui, alongside their aunt and uncle, even if the affection they gave was false, a person could delude themselves into believing that it was true. He felt he needed to delude himself to stop endlessly and hopelessly craving Fang Yuan.
Aunt's expression loosened and she softly laughed, "Then you are our good son Zheng'er, shouldn't you stop calling us Aunt and Uncle?"
"Father, Mother." Fang Zheng in a state of realization immediately changed his statement.
Aunt and Uncle laughed heartily. "What a good son, not a waste of us husband and wife to raise you since you were five years old. And we have raised you for ten whole years," Aunt wiped her tears.
Uncle looked at the silent Fang Yuan and said gently, "Fang Yuan, how about you?"
Fang Yuan shook his head without saying a word.
"Brother…" Fang Zheng's voice cracked as he turned toward his brother—his uncle stopped him, his tone unchanged.
"If that's the case, Fang Yuan my nephew, we won't force you. Since you are already 15 years old, you will need to start being independent, this way you will also easily carry on your bloodline. Uncle here has prepared 200 primeval stones for you as financial support."
'200…thats enough for Fang Yuan to leave completely,' Fang Zheng thought, a hint of jealousy in his eye as he glanced at his brother but Fang Yuan still shook his head.
The silence stretched taut as Fang Yuan lifted the wine jars again, his fingers tracing the bamboo-wrapped lids with deliberate slowness. "No need," he said at last, voice flat as a blade's edge. "I have enough."
Fang Zheng watched the way Aunt—Mother now—pressed a hand to her chest, the lace of her sleeve trembling slightly. Father's smile didn't waver, but his knuckles whitened around his teacup. The rejection of such a high amount of compensation left Fang Zheng puzzled—was Fang Yuan really so eager to leave them all behind?
"Aunt and Uncle. If there is nothing else, then your nephew will take his leave," Fang Yuan did not give them any chance to speak again. After he finished his sentence he took his wine jars and left the hall immediately.
'Ah?' Fang Zheng watched his brother leave the hall, Fang Yuan's silhouette dissolving into the afternoon light like ink in water—gone before anyone could protest.
"Ehm, Mother, Father—Brother is just being stubborn, he still cares—" Fang Zheng's voice faltered as his uncle held up a hand, lips pressed into a thin line, "atlas this matter cannot be forced, he is already grown, if he wants to leave we should respect his decision."
"Of course."
Fang Zheng had a more subdued temperament and backed off almost immediately when told to stop.
That was probably his only likable trait.