"But you're missing a surname." I looked at Honger, who looked a little annoyed. Oh no, is he really being petty about who his brother focuses his attention on? "Yong'an's national surname is Lang. So, what do you think of the name Lang Ying?"
I looked to Lang Ying. He looked at my brother with the same odd expression.
"Xiao Ying's last words were for me to take care of you." brother explained. So that's what happened when I got there. I couldn't help her, and I couldn't at least find some closure for Lang Ying. "I basically accepted, but I want to ask for your input as well. From now on, would you like to follow me in cultivation?"
Lang Ying's eyes widened with the question. He just stared blankly at the flower sword as he continued with his words.
"My conditions aren't exactly good, but there would be no need for you to hide anymore and get beaten for stealing food. How about it?" I looked at my brother while he smiled. Not even a second later, Lang Ying's stomach growled. I saw that Honger was glaring at Lang Ying.
"It sounds like the kids are hungry." A-song commented. I looked up to her, and she was carrying a sleeping Kiyoshi. I remembered the mochi in my pocket. Before I could say a word, Honger snapped his fingers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thank you, San Lang." brother thanked Honger as ghost maidens brought out this amazing meal! chicken legs, ribs, fish, dumplings, and so many other dishes. I could see Lang Ying holding back. I was sitting beside him, while A-song and Kiyoshi sat on the other side of me.
I set up bundles of mochi for everyone. A-song, Honger, and Xie Lian have had these, but Lang Ying and Kiyoshi haven't. When they both had one, they practically shoved all six mochi treats on the fabric in their mouths. I gave a little laugh. I have not met a single person who hasn't fallen in love with the mochi I make. It's the only thing I can make correctly without messing up, burning, or freezing it. brother put together a plate for Lang Ying.
"Here," the brother said to the young man before he took a gulp. "eat. it's alright."
Lang Ying took a set of chopsticks in one hand and the dish of chicken, assorted meat, and little pieces of vegetables. Lang Ying lifted the dish to his face and began to stuff his mouth full of the food. Most likely, he's hundreds of years old. Looking at him now, he looks a lot like Honger did when he was ten years old. small, dishevelled bandages over his face, specifically covering his right eye, and his hair was a knotted mess. I miss the little kid who was so attached to my brother. I remember he showed me his face when Flower Sword was out and everyone else wasn't in the hearing range. He had the most adorable face I had seen at that time. His heterochromia was just a plus to the little boy's already cute face.
"Gege, Jie Jie." I blinked back to reality after I heard Honger speak. I turned to him, and he slid a glass toward me before holding up another for Xie Lian. "Would you like a glass?"
My brother took the cup from Honger, and I brought it to my lips. A sweet smell trailed from inside the cup holding a cherry-red liquid. The liquid was a sweet cherry wine. I haven't had this wine for years. I glanced at A-song, and she was helping Kiyoshi with his food. He has shaky hands when it comes to eating or holding something.
"PFFT!" I was scared almost out of my skin by my brother spitting his wine back into the cup.
"what happened?" Honger asked as he reached for his brother as he coughed. "Is the alcohol not to your liking?"
"No, that's not it." brother coughed as Honger patted his back. Oh yeah, I forgot about brothers cultivation. He and I had the same path at one point, but that was before I turned fourteen, when I began to think about what I would do after ascending. At first, I thought just being by my older brother's side was enough, but when I thought about what I would do with him as a goddess, I didn't think of what we could do as brothers and sisters if I pretended to be what my mother and father wanted as a perfect daughter. So I gave up on the method of cultivation gradually as I created a whole new method of cultivation. brothers method forbids alcohol (except on certain occasions), hatred, and promiscuity. meaning, brother wouldn't be able to have a baby, or kids for that matter. He's probably explaining this to Honger, from what I can tell from the look Honger is giving him. I looked to A-song as my brother explained the whole forbidden hatred of cultivation.
"speaking of which... San Lang, your gambling skill is quite something." I smirked at Honger with a knowing gaze. He didn't look my way since my brother was talking to him. "In comparison, I..."
"It's just good luck." Honger said it with a laid-back voice. He had his eyes closed as he held the cup of tea. "But I do have a shortcut... that can guarantee you victory every time, Gege."
"Eh?" my brother questioned.
"here." Honger had his hand outstretched. "Give me your hand."
brother reached out his hand and placed it in Hongers. He gave his brother's hand a gentle squeeze. Honger placed some dice on the table with a clatter.
"wanna try?" Honger asked as he gestured to the dice. brother looked from Honger to the dice set on the table. He reached his hands to the dice to roll them and test the luck Honger just gave him. With a single toss of the dice, the flower sword rolled two sixes.
"It's the result I imagined," my brother observed. I smirked and finished my cup of wine. "It turns out luck can be borrowed, just like mana."
"If Gege wants to bet against anyone next time," Honger gave a fox-like smile as he raised his cup. "Come and find me. I'll lend you as much luck as you want."
And like that, everyone enjoyed their food while I ate and watched my older brother be admired by the ghost king, who would literally crush his ashes for him. I enjoyed every bite while keeping an eye on Kiyoshi and Lang Ying. Zuko nudged my arm. I looked back at him, and he made a puppy eye. I dug in my pocket and plopped down a handful of mochi. Zuko always loved the mochi I made. I looked back at my brother, who was pinching the bridge of his nose. It looks like it's time to get some rest.
"Honger, where is Lang Ying staying tonight?" I asked.
"I can send him some underlings," he said, half listening. "Gege, you and Jie Jie should rest too."
"Then please, San Lang," his brother said, pushing his chair back with ease. Before he left the table, Lang Ying grabbed his sleeve. A poor kid must be nervous.
"Hey," I say to him. He looks at me with a nervous face. "it's okay. Brother will come back for you before we have to leave. You can get cleaned up in the meantime. I can walk you to your room too."
He looked between my brother and me before hesitantly letting go. I stood with A-song and Kiyoshi. brother gave Lang Ying a pat on the head. I held my hand out to Lang Ying. He looked from my hand to my eyes. He eventually took it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I walked with Lang Ying to his room. As it turns out, Kiyoshi would be staying in the same room. They had twin beds. I took Lang Ying to the bathing area. I prepared his bath and stepped out to allow him time to get cleaned up. Meanwhile, A-song already had Kiyoshi set in bed. wiping hair from his face and kissing his forehead.
"I hope you aren't giving him more attention than me." i joked. A-song looked back at me and smiled.
"That would be impossible, A-Mei." She stood and walked to me. I reached my hands out and took hers. I pulled her closer and gave her our first kiss in thirty years. She wrapped her arms around my waist while I held her shoulders. We separated enough to connect our foreheads. "I have missed this with you, A-Mei."
"I have too, my love," I responded. I heard the door shift behind me. I turned my head to look back, and Lang Ying was cleaned and dressed in new clothes. He didn't have his bandages on. I saw red splotches covering his face instead of the small mounds forming faces. he must have cut them off after mount Yu Jun.
"Come on, Lang Ying." I said, A-song, let one arm slide off my waist. Lang Ying walked around us and slipped into the unoccupied bed. I held A-song's hand before kneeling beside Lang Ying. I brushed away the hair on his face. He was a handsome young man, looking past the red marks. "Would you like a song as you sleep?"
Lang Ying nodded. I smiled at him. and began to sing to him.
"Oh, it's alright, Oh." He widened his eyes for a moment before settling into the bedding. "Oh, hey, I had a night; I had a day; I did one million stupid things; I said one billion foolish things; I'm not okay. I have a baseball bat beside my bed. To fight off what's inside my head, to fight off what's behind my meds, I'm lonely, lost in pain."
"It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay, You're not a monster, just a human, and you made a few mistakes." He looked at me. Maybe he's trying to find something we can both relate to. "It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay. You're not gruesome; you're just human, and you made a few mistakes. It's alright, oh. It's okay, oh. Goddamn. I threw a brick right through the window. For the rest of my life, I ignored the signals. I am high and drunk on ego. I can't see straight. So I just feel my way around man; I am touching, I am grabbing. Everything I can't have, I am broken down in shame."
"It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay, You're not a demon; there's a reason. You're behaving that way. It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay. And I believe, yes, I believe, that you will see a better day. It's alright. Oh, it's okay, oh." I lifted my hand and petted his head. "It's alright, oh. I don't want to know who I am. 'Cause heaven only knows what I find. I don't want people to know I'm not capable of coming out alive. I don't want to see what's inside. I think that I would rather be blind; I don't want to know that I'm not capable; I'm capable; I'm alright; I'm okay; I'm alright; I'm okay; I'm not a monster; I'm a human. And I made a few mistakes. I'm alright, I'm okay, I'm alright, I'm okay, I'm not gruesome, just human. And I made a few. It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay. You're not a demon; there's a reason. You're behaving that way. It's alright, it's okay, it's alright, it's okay, And I believe, yes, I believe, that you will see a better day. It's alright, oh, It's okay, oh. It's alright, oh, And I believe, yes, I believe, that you will see a better day. It's alright."
Lang Ying was fast asleep. I stood up and took A-song's hand before silently leaving. glancing back to make sure that both boys were asleep.