Next day.
The faint rustle of roots beneath the tree had long since stopped. Mist curled lazily around their ankles, and the air felt lighter now, though the memory of the tree's whispers lingered like smoke.
Xiuyuan took a measured breath, eyes sweeping the clearing. The ground bore scars of the struggle, scorched earth and blackened sap still faintly smoking, but the tree itself had quieted, its hollow dark and silent.
"Enough for now," Xiuyuan said, voice calm but carrying an unshakable authority. "The spirit has been subdued, but do not assume it sleeps peacefully. Its binding will last only until dawn."
Nie Xiaohuan stepped forward, inspecting the roots with a trained eye. "It won't stir tonight," he confirmed. "But anyone careless tomorrow could provoke it again."
Lin Wuyue's gaze lingered on the tree. "We should report back immediately. The sect must be aware in case of… residual danger."
Shen Lianxiu's hands were still trembling slightly, though the blush in his cheeks remained. He followed Xiuyuan's lead silently, careful to keep the distance between them measured — yet the warmth of the night lingered.
Xiuyuan cast a final glance at the silent tree, his calmness masking the thrum of his pulse beneath the surface. "We leave now. Step lightly."
The path back through the forest was tense, but quieter than the journey in. Mist clung to the undergrowth, and faint shadows seemed to watch them, yet nothing moved. Lianxiu walked just behind Xiuyuan, careful to mimic his measured steps, though he dared a glance now and then, lingering on the sharp, composed line of Xiuyuan's profile.
Hours passed as they retraced the forest trails. Only the faint call of a night bird broke the silence. Xiuyuan's mind remained focused on the case, the talismans still vibrating faintly against his palm, but the presence of Lianxiu behind him — quiet, patient, flushed — tugged subtly at his composure.
By the time the outline of the sect rose ahead of them, pale in the first light of dawn, fatigue had settled into their bones. Nie Xiaohuan exhaled sharply. "Finally," he muttered, a faint smile touching his lips. "I was beginning to think the forest would never let us go."
Lin Wuyue remained stoic, but a trace of tension left her shoulders. "The tree's influence lingers," she said softly. "We must remain alert."
Xiuyuan nodded, eyes scanning the familiar contours of the sect. "Rest first," he said, voice calm. "Report later."
Shen Lianxiu's steps slowed as they entered the courtyard. He lingered slightly behind Xiuyuan, hesitant, yet unwilling to leave his side. His flushed cheeks betrayed the restless night, the mix of fear, excitement, and longing still lingering.
As the gates closed behind them, the whispers of the forest faded completely, leaving only the quiet hum of life at the sect. The disciples, unaware of what had transpired in the shadowed woods, moved about their morning routines, and the sun began to stretch across the peaks of Jingshou.
Xiuyuan's gaze remained distant for a moment, lingering on Lianxiu's hesitant expression. Then, with a slight adjustment of his robes, he stepped forward into the courtyard, leading them back into the rhythm of the sect — the calm, the rules, the familiarity — even as the echoes of the night and the tree still hummed faintly beneath their skins.
The forest behind them was gone, but its mark lingered in ways more than one — in roots, in whispers, and in hearts quietly racing.
...
The room was still, heavy with the exhaustion of the past night. Ling Xiuyuan lay on his bed, eyes closed, yet sleep eluded him. His mind kept returning to the tree, the spirits, the trembling roots, and the subtle weight of responsibility pressing on his shoulders.
He needed rest. He needed to recharge. But the moment he exhaled, the soft shuffle of footsteps broke the silence.
"Shixiong…"
Xiuyuan's eyes snapped open. Shen Lianxiu stood at the edge of the bed, cheeks flushed, eyes pleading.
"I… I want to stay with you," the boy said, voice low.
Xiuyuan sighed, exasperation clear in his tone. "Shen Lianxiu… You must rest in your own room."
"But I can't sleep," Lianxiu insisted, stepping closer. "Shixiong. Just for a while."
Something in Xiuyuan stiffened — a line he always held, the barrier of propriety — yet beneath it, a soft, unyielding tug he could not resist.
Before Xiuyuan could protest further, the boy slipped quietly onto the bed beside him.
Xiuyuan's eyes went wide, and his brows furrowed. "What are you doing?!"
"I… I swear, Shixiong," Lianxiu said, shaking his head earnestly, "I'm just going to watch you sleep. I have no… thoughts of anything else!"
Xiuyuan's ears burned crimson, and he turned slightly away, muttering a soft, "I...don't care." before settling back against the pillows.
The room fell quiet again, save for the soft, even rhythm of Xiuyuan's breathing. Lianxiu lay there, eyes wide, a faint, unstoppable smile tugging at his lips as he watched. The golden glow of candlelight brushed over Xiuyuan's face, highlighting the fine arch of his brows, the curve of his jaw, the calm serenity that seemed almost impossible to approach.
How beautiful he looks… Lianxiu thought, heart hammering in his chest. Each line, each shadow, each exhale fascinated him. Every detail seemed impossibly perfect, and his heart ached with a longing he could not suppress.
Something stirred within him, a pull he could not resist. Without thinking, almost as if guided by some invisible force, he leaned closer. The distance between them vanished, and for a heartbeat, his lips brushed Xiuyuan's in a quick, impulsive kiss.
The moment passed, and he recoiled immediately, falling sideways onto the bed with a small, shocked thump. His face burned hot, and his hands shook as he pressed them to his cheeks.
I… I actually… he whispered to himself, unable to believe what he had just done.
Without a second thought, Lianxiu scrambled to his feet and bolted from the room, heart pounding, breath ragged. Behind him, the door clicked softly shut, leaving Xiuyuan still asleep, oblivious, and the room filled with the quiet, lingering tension of a night interrupted.
Outside the door, Lianxiu leaned against the wall, trembling, unable to stop the mix of exhilaration, guilt, and fluttering anticipation that coursed through him.