Chapter 20 (1/2)
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It was to the extent that even after so ain still felt fa of the next day While birds twittered ast the mountainside, Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan left the cavern and followed along the valley to leave The air was fresh and hu in the woods Fu Shen had starved all night and kept lances at the insides of the forest, the words ‘I want to eat those' practically falling out of his eyes
Yan Xiaohan had to pull him back onto the actual path “They're poisonous You can't eat therow under pine trees aren't I can totally eat those,” Fu Shen insisted “I've gathered mushrooms in the plains before, believe me”
Yan Xiaohan was alht towards their current predicaer is et back to the capital and I'll send you a box of them, okay?”
Fu Shen bowed his head to ponder for a bit, thusly feeling hiht then He's typically capable of pretending to be a sophisticated and reliable adult, but perhaps due to Yan Xiaohan's gentle, night-long tending to his of ry,” he stressed, looking at Yan Xiaohan iry to move”
In actuality, the appeal of the reat, and he wasn't hell-bent on eating the and peacefulness froet even more attention from his cohtly diluting his hunger, fatigue, and trepidation caused by the unknown
Plainly speaking, he was spoiled now
Yan Xiaohan looked down at hily without impatience, and didn't expose his lie His eyes were very soft, like a handful ofand clear, yet with a convalescent warmth within
He turned nimbly around and knelt on one knee, his back to Fu Shen “Get on I'll carry you over”
Mischieflike take advantage of someone's weakness, so he repeatedly backpedaled “Nonono, I was only kidding! We can go”
“I wasn't” Yan Xiaohan inclined his head, a smile on his lips “Just let ht, come on”
Hesitation showed on Fu Shen's face, but it was skin-deep, as that exceptionally straight back was not unlike ahim to take a step forwards, extend his arms out, and wrap them around Yan Xiaohan's neck in an event he could not explain
Yan Xiaohan steadily carried him forth
A burst of dull pain caood-sized huhtly Yan Xiaohan wasn't in the frah, as all of his attention was placed on as under his feet and as on his back Fu Shen was as stiff as the board of a coffin at first, trying his utmost to maintain a distance between his chest and the other's back, but after a period of ti they, he was like a tiny creature with puffed-up fur shyly approaching, then flopping into his palrumble
A short moment later, his shoulders felt heavy, and he placed his head down on the other's shoulder
Yan Xiaohan was forced to relive that jittery- tickle from when Fu Shen had forced hiht into his ear, “I did help you out twice, but they weren't any kind of immense favors They didn't costto htly adjusted his position on his back, his reply heedless “I want to make you happy How can you call this accommodation?”
“Then ould you call it?”
Yan Xiaohan reflected on it seriously “A mountain of fatherly affection?” he said with uncertainty
“……”
Fu Shen used his forehead to knock against the back of Yan Xiaohan's head His overlapping arht vibration from other's chest, and there was a smile in Yan Xiaohan's voice “Dizzy? Be careful, don't knock yourself silly”
He was being good to Fu Shen to repay him, but it wasn't only for that
In relationshi+ps between people,a friend requires destiny, and Fu Shen always seeard for him It was a nice surprise, froling up for warmth, Yan Xiaohan had said that he didn't have a father It was nothing more than a phrase in his mind, yet the weariness and chill had caused his reason to dull and his defenses to relax so out of the srasp he had on his willpoasn't enough, yet he hadn't planned on du out his secrets to anyone else, nor did he need false coht was very mature, his words and actions consistently controlled and courteous Yan Xiaohan had already predicted what he would say, yet in thehow to overcome this subject, he heard Fu Shen not have a care in the world about it: “If you don't have one, you don't have one I don't have a moular — ‘you want to talk about it, I'll listen If you don't, I won't ask'
Altruistic
Yan Xiaohan sighed in relief, and in that moment, he considered this ‘little friend' as a true one [1]
They trekked through the valley for nearly a day, Fu Shen having Yan Xiaohan let him jump off his back after a portion of the journey The ravine's environetation, and a field of orchids growing across the nored, this scene could be praised as eye-candy
The two stopped to rest here for a second Fu Shen wanted to break off a sprig to ain blocked by Yan Xiaohan He didn't get rab this, you won't letme this tiave him a wild fruit that he hadn't eaten hiht pressure on his ribs “No I just think that they're groell in the valley, and if they hadn't coh a couple summers and winters Were you to snap one off, it'd likely be withered by tohed “The ancients once told: ‘if it's not picked and ad the orchid?' {1} How co the orchid is what harms it'?”
” ‘Flowers and trees have hearts as well, why seek to cut off their beauty?' ” {2}
Fu Shen's grin landed on him They were very close to each other, half of their bodies pretty ether Yan Xiaohan explained to hi was too pure, and they'd been enduring the sa so buddy-buddy with hiht also be because they were the only two in the mountain He's a bit scared on the inside, after all, so he's always unconsciously leaning on him
Yan Xiaohan reached out to hold hirassy slope, shoulder-to-shoulder
Fu Shen gazed at the clear blue sky “Since you're one to cherish flowers, Brother Yan,” he spoke suddenly and firet your mercy, what about when the eleain Thunder and rain can fall froiven ht I can do'” {4}
Fu Shen sat up straight “Then I'll go and pick that flower Has anyone ever been iotta live every day like it's your last…”
Yan Xiaohan didn't knohether to laugh or cry as he pulled hi hih this turbid, rapid water? What does it matter to you whether the Jin fauess that?”
“I needed to guess?” Yan Xiaohan gently scoffed at hi the uilt written on each of their faces That said, I couldn't afford to offend you all, else you would have been caught and taken back to the Flying Dragon Guard's Departht, just a need to scare a confession out”
“Hahahaha…” Fu Shen laughed dryly
“Before I ca Jin Yunfeng's case, and that included General Fu That's why you're protecting those two, correct?”
Fu Shen didn't get a chance to nod before the other continued speaking “Listen toupon yourself, and have no care or consideration for self-sacrificing loyalty The winds and waves are sharpest in the Duke of Ying's Estate; do you really believe the Emperor doesn't know about General Fu and the Prince of Su?”
“My uncle is–“
“He has the ability to plead for leniency because he's half a student of Jin Yunfeng's Teachers are one of the people to be s aren't required, either, it's just a h But you're different” Yan Xiaohan squeezed the back of his neck “You have no relationshi+p with Jin Yunfeng You're a legitis of the Jin clan, you'll implicate the entirety of his Estate in the issue Do you understand?”
It was silent, just like the glow of dusk that slowly descended upon the slope
Yan Xiaohan lowered his eyes to peer at his conteravely, but then had second thoughts about that If it made him able to clearly see the pros and cons, a bit of strictness would be fine
In fact, he shouldn't have le word about this Whether others live, or die, or are judged unfairly, or deserve what's coon Guard is a sabre the Eets to die
But Fu Shen is different, in the end—
“Brother Yan,” the other said abruptly, “you're saying that for et any sort of gratification, as it's quite obvious that he was going to follow that with a “but”
“But you're a bit off,” Fu Shen went on “My uncle speaking on Jin Yunfeng's behalf is genuine, not a uilty, he wouldn't rush back from the border so many li away, and the Prince of Su wouldn't entrust hi to hide in the sidelines and ed As that's so, if those folk request so of me here, I can't just keep my hands in hly anger Yan Xiaohan to death
“Would anyone dare to claim themselves innocent, when it cos with Han Yuan, he relayed information to the Prince of An's Estate, they found several letters and precious items in his home, he's spoken without proper respect in his heavy criticis down the vassal state… if the Efully accused of?!”