Chapter 134 - Hundred And Thirty Four - One question; Why you? (1/2)

Two black eyes narrowed as he saw the scene before him; a youth sleeping peacefully against a wall, surrounded by flowers.  However it was not quite the romantic picture one would think.  The boy's pink lips were slightly parted and there was the clear line of wetness from the corner of those lips leading down to his chin.  As Jin Li's expression twisted in distaste, he could not stop the thought that trailed across his mind; ”Why you?”

After the confrontation in the training grounds, Jin Li had tried to consider Justin's reasons for liking that girl... but gave up after two minutes.  These sorts of reasons (he hadn't listened beyond the initial points)... the same sort that his uncle used to explain away why he had fallen in love over and over again... might as well be describing a pet.  Just as he had come to see Leon.

After all, did his small alchemist not have those large black eyes that seemed aggrieved when not wearing his ugly glasses?  Such as that second day Jin Li had known him and had been abandoned by him in favour of swimming in a cold lake?  And then there was the way he often required protection; his meridians could have been trashed beyond repair if those fools had disturbed him while he broke through into secondary cultivation and his body had been at risk when that cutsleeve took a liking to him.

Leon would curl up against his body at night, uncaring that he was using the great him as a pillow or source of warmth.  He was too trusting and too naive.

Granted, he was more useful that an ordinary pet, his cooking had improved as had his brewing of tea.  He sought to improve more pills for him, thus the side effects would be less when he took them.  But still...

Jin Li squatted had down before the boy he'd labelled as a pet, while he considered these things and noticed that his small alchemist was beginning to awaken.  He had long lashes for a boy; Jin Li could see them fluttering as his glasses had fallen askew as he slept.  The movement grasped his attention for several moments, before Leon opened his eyes completely and adjusted his glasses, obscuring his view.  Despite his eyes becoming hidden, the dazed expression was still apparent as Leon took a deep breath of air, wiped his chin upon his sleeve and glanced about himself.

He froze as he saw the youth before him and stuttered out; ”J-J-Jin Li!  W-What are you d-d-doing here?”

Jin Li sneered slightly as he replied haughtily; ”This Lord has found that the tea brewed in the martial arts school is not to his liking, thus came here.  It seems you have some skill.”  Actually, this was not the case, though he admitted he did actually prefer Leon's tea.  It was just, he had been running through the tree tops and over the mountain slopes to burn off a little energy built of irritation and had found himself stepping into this garden in the end.

”Oh,” Leon replied and began to ungracefully push himself off of the ground.

”Never mind,” Jin Li told him, ”this Lord will brew the tea this time and forgive your complacency.”  He stormed out of the garden and into the hut, leaving Leon to stare blankly at his back.  The alchemist tried to ignore the heart skipping in his chest as his mind repeated all the martial artist had said since he woke.

Don't get any hopes up, he told himself.