Qinghe fell silent, then slowly nodded. His new eyes — sharper, prouder, touched by the divine — held no hesitation.
"I understand… Teacher."
"Good." Luochen turned, his robes whispering against the ground. "Go find them. From here on, your fate will intertwine with theirs. And together, you will shape the next era."
Meanwhile…
Mo Luochen landed lightly on a secluded rooftop, peeled away his disguise, and then leaped off toward the inn where the others were staying.
The moment he walked in, Renxue looked up from the edge of the bed, her golden eyes narrowing. "You're back. Meaning you instructed him to join us now, right?"
Luochen simply smirked and nodded. Then without warning, he stretched out beside her, resting his head in her lap. His hand traced along her thigh with teasing familiarity, which quickly brought a flush to Renxue's pale face.
"Yes… he'll join our little 'team' soon," Luochen said lazily. "Though I think it's more amusing that he believes it's all his own grand choice."
Renxue's lips twitched, trying to hide a smile, though her ears turned bright red. "Idiot…"
Luochen's smile deepened at her reaction. Without warning, he stood up, pulled her by the waist, and crushed her into a deep kiss. His hands roamed over her body with deliberate slowness, drawing a surprised little gasp from her lips — and then a soft moan as he pressed closer.
Renxue tried to push him away at first, but quickly melted under his touch, clutching at his shoulders. By the time he finally broke the kiss, she was left panting, her face flushed a brilliant red.
"I would keep going," Luochen murmured against her ear, "but first I need to inform the others to stay on plan."
He left her there, catching her breath and staring after him with dazed golden eyes, before stepping out into the common room.
Felicia, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Tian were there gathered around a small board game, arguing about the next move. Luochen leaned on the doorframe and smirked.
"Alright. That prince boy is coming soon. So make sure you all act like it's the first time seeing him, understand? We want him comfortable, not suspicious."
Felicia rolled her eyes with a sly grin. "We know, we know. Play nice with the royal puppy."
Zhu Zhuqing just nodded calmly, and Xiao Tian saluted clumsily, trying to look serious.
Satisfied, Luochen was about to turn away — but then paused, eyes glinting with a mischievous edge.
"And try not to mess it up. Now if you'll excuse me…"
He vanished back into Renxue's room, shutting the door behind him. A moment later muffled sounds began again — soft gasps and then a shuddering moan that made Felicia snort and shake her head.
"Really," Felicia muttered with amused exasperation, "those two… can't keep their hands off each other for more than a minute."
Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Tian both looked at her, clearly puzzled about what she meant. Zhuqing, however, quickly caught on — her mind filled with images that made her ears turn bright red. She lowered her head to hide her expression, pretending to study the game board.
Xiao Tian, clueless as ever, just scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Um… did I miss something?"
Felicia shot him a sly smirk. "You're too young, little roc. Focus on your pieces."
Zhu Zhuqing jolted a bit, her ears twitching from embarrassment at being so easily read. She gave Felicia a narrow-eyed look but didn't protest, instead moving her piece quickly — a bit too quickly, betraying her flustered state.
Felicia smirked, tapping her claws lightly on the table. "Ha. Thought so. Try not to get so distracted. I know exactly what kind of thoughts are bouncing around in that little cat head of yours."
Zhuqing's face went from pink to bright crimson. She ducked her head even lower, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Annoying lioness…"
Xiao Tian watched all this, utterly bewildered. "Why does it feel like everyone here is having conversations I can't understand…?"
Felicia leaned over and ruffled his hair roughly. "Because, little roc, you're still too innocent. Be thankful for it while you can."
He grumbled under his breath but didn't pull away, glaring halfheartedly as Felicia laughed and continued the game — the room settling back into their strangely warm, teasing quiet.
***
As the evening wore on, the door finally opened again and in stepped Xue Qinghe.
He walked in a bit stiffly, wearing a modest but elegant robe, eyes alert and cautious. His movements were polite, trained — the habits of a prince who'd spent his life under scrutiny — yet there was still a flicker of unease there.
Seeing the assembled group, he bowed deeply.
"These ones must be my seniors. My name is Xue Qinghe, the newest student of Master Mo. It's an honor to meet you all. May I know… who among you is my senior brother, Mo Luochen?"
He spoke with careful deference, though there was a little nervous slip at the end, his eyes darting from one to another as if hoping someone would rescue him from the awkwardness.
Felicia raised an eyebrow, her mouth curving into a playful smirk. "Tsk, how stiff. You don't need to be so formal around us. Relax a little, prince."
Qian Renxue gave him a nod, her golden eyes calm but carrying a trace of approval.
"It's good you understand courtesy at least."
Zhu Zhuqing just inclined her head slightly, assessing him in silence.
Xiao Tian tried to mirror Felicia's relaxed grin, though it came out awkward, and gave Qinghe a light wave.
Finally, Luochen leaned back in his chair, a faint amused glint in his eyes. "Well, seems Master Mo really picked you up properly," he drawled, his disguise flawless.
"Come here then, junior brother," Luochen continued, his voice taking on a mild teasing edge. "We were just wondering when our little prince would arrive. Sit down, have some wine — though careful, it's strong."
Xue Qinghe hesitated, then accepted the offered cup. He took a cautious sip — and instantly coughed, his eyes watering from the burn.
Felicia let out a low laugh. "Oh dear. That was almost adorable. Can he even handle being in this team?"
Xue Qinghe wiped his mouth, embarrassed, then forced a brave smile. "I will… adapt."
Luochen's eyes narrowed faintly, pleased despite himself. 'At least he's not completely spineless,' he thought.
Then he glanced at Felicia and the others. 'Seems he'll do fine. Eventually.'
"Alright then," Luochen said, raising his own cup. "Welcome to the team, Qinghe. From today, you are part of our little team."
*******
Like it?
Read More at :- patreon.com/be_king