112 What wife? (1/2)

Yuan Xuelan's eyes were misty but he forced himself to look aside.

This was something that he saw coming.

This…was inevitable. Of course, Liu Sumeng did not like him. He felt so silly for once believing that to be true. How was it that Yuan Xuelan was such a genius when it came to magical tools but a total idiot when it came to people?

He only had himself to blame. A sour taste rolled around in the back of his throat and he was a coward that felt like hiding away in a turtle's shell.

His gaze happened upon the diagrams once more, and his voice, though a bit hoarse was clear, ”Did you draw these things?”

Liu Sumeng's hands sprawled out over the parchments and slowly began to organize them into a neat pile, ”Yes…But I had other geniuses inspire me.”

What Liu Sumeng couldn't say was the fact that many of these designs were plucked out of his memory and originally created by Yuan Xuelan himself.

”They are truly marvelous, to think Sumeng was a genius in this field as well. How could I ever hope to match you?” Yuan Xuelan hummed, trying as he could to narrow his entire world to the details of the designs laid out before him. Trying not to be aware of Liu Sumeng's heat next to him.

”You will,” Liu Sumeng said with certainty. Privately he thought, 'you will surpass me as well'.

The Ivory Sword Saint set the stack of papers on the desk, allowing Yuan Xuelan to freely browse through them.

”I really like this one,” he chirped, picking at the blueprint and notes on the ballista that Liu Sumeng was trying really hard to recreate from memory. ”I can think of some minor adjustments though, to improve the efficiency of the spell work…”

”If you can think of adjustments, feel free to make them,” The Ivory Sword Saint readily encouraged.

”...You're awfully trusting of me.”

”I am.”

”...If only you were trusting enough to let me protect you as well.”

”What?��� The last sentence came out mumbled and Liu Sumeng could not catch the meaning despite standing so close.

”No, it's nothing.” Yuan Xuelan, flustered, quickly changed the subject as he flipped through all the loose pages. ”This one though,” he paused, scrutinizing it. ”This is a bit weird. I'm not so certain it would work to be honest. But the concept is really intriguing.”

Liu Sumeng's lips pressed thin. A light flush crept up his cheeks in strange embarrassment. Out of all the designs he had painstakingly jotted down, this one solely was his design alone.

”…Do you think you can fix it?”

”Fix it?”

”Make it work.”

Yuan Xuelan's head tilted as he swept his gaze over the parchment over and over again, ”I think so.”

”Okay, please do. It's important. I want to test it out.”

”Test it out?”

The Ivory Sword Saint sighed and then nodded, ”Yes. I have to leave now…” He paused, ”You need to come too.”

”...?”

Yuan Xuelan, again, was confused by these lacking explanations but he also happily agreed without any hesitation. Even rejected, he still yearned to be at Sumeng's side over all else. Perhaps this was truly some sort of sickness that had swelled up in his mind but what could he do? He was possessed.

'You're so unsightly,' the bird complained in his mind, 'Do you not know any boldness?'

He clicked his tongue, annoyed that he didn't know how to address the dumb bird now sharing his body without speaking out loud.

'Find a way to win his heart, you fool! Tell him that your love is mightier than the windswept seas and deeper than the swell of the Earth's core! It is truly not so difficult. Perhaps you are in need of a demonstration.'

But Liu Sumeng was not aware of this silent argument, and turned back around with a look of concern, ”…if you don't want to come then it's fine.”

”Huh? No! I mean yes! I mean no! I want to come, I'm definitely coming!” Yuan Xuelan's face blushed red as he floundered about, chasing Sumeng's heels out the door.

…

Around the corner of the hallway, Chen Anyue was waiting patiently for both Liu Sumeng's and Yuan Xuelan's footfalls to disappear.

When the coast was clear, she went and slipped into Liu Sumeng's study.

She was not picky with what she took and picked the first piece of parchment that had his handwriting scribbled about. Hallow gray eyes looked over the wide selection of characters littered over the document he had written detailing the effects of sacred peach tree wood, she decided that this would be perfect for her use.

The Golden God was going to fulfill her wish.