Shi QingXuan took the bottle in his palm and smiled brightly. If someone looked at him now they would think Shi QingXuan might have just won a lottery.
"Keai gege, you're the best." He Xuan felt his ear turning red as he heard him saying that abrupt name again. He Xuan actually had gone to steal a bottle of wine and it was of course extremely easy for him to steal a bottle from the drunk merchant.
"Do you want some?" Shi QingXuan asked him. He scrunched his nose and shook his head, sitting beside Shi QingXuan on the bank of the river.
Shi QingXuan slowly put the outer robe on him again and opened the lid of the bottle.
"Here he goes." He Xuan muttered to himself.
Shi QingXuan had a very low alcohol tolerance and he would forget everything he did or said when he was drunk.
Shi QingXuan said to him, "Take good care of me, Gege." He gulped the alcohol.
Shi QingXuan felt his throat burning as the liquid was pour into his mouth. He felt like it was pouring direct into his soul. The bitter taste made him cough.
How long has it been since he drank alcohol? Who cares.
He Xuan saw him gulping the liquid and waited for him to talk nonsense and puke out everything.
As expected not less than a few minutes. Shi QingXuan felt his vision get blurry and he felt like he was floating in the air.
"Ming-xiong! Ming-xiong!" He Xuan was stiffened hearing the name but he understood. Back in heavenly realm whenever Shi QingXuan was drunk he had taken care of him. But still being call out in his previous given name he felt a ache in his heart.
"Can you give me a glass of water? Please~"
He Xuan looked stunned for a bit but as there was no water for Shi QingXuan to drink he was about to stand up to bring him water. But as soon as he tried to get up Shi QingXuan grasped his hand with both of his hand.
The empty bottle of wine fell on the ground from the grasp of Shi QingXuan and made a dull tang sound.
"Don't go. Don't go! Don't leave me again! Ming-xiong, it's my fault. I'll be good, trust me!"
He Xuan looked at him. He felt like Shi QingXuan would start sobbing now. It wasn't strange for a drunk person to cry right.
"I'm not leaving," He Xuan said calmly.
"That's good. That's great. Ming-Xiong, what's it in your face?
As he said he instantly took away the mask. It was night time. Many people weren't present there, as they were celebrating the lantern festival. Who would mind two homeless people? But there was light of lanterns and moon and those scars of He Xuan glowed.
"You..." He Xuan was about to snatch that mask away when he felt a hand cupping his face.
"Who hurt you?" Shi QingXuan asked quietly.
He Xuan remained silent. Although it was hard to calm himself he still let Shi QingXuan touch those scars.
Shi QingXuan moved his thumb over them.
"I will kill them. Who did that? So ugly."
He Xuan closed his eyes and was about to move away his face but he heard the voice saying again, "But it's ok. You're beautiful anyway. Ming-xiong I-I missed you a lot."
He Xuan was about to open his eyes and look at the person when he suddenly felt a soft touch on his scars. Softer than those hands, a warm breath could be felt as well.
He shot open his. His mind went in disarray.
"You..."
Shi QingXuan actually cupped his face and kissed those scars.
.....
Those scars, which resembled his most embarrassment in lifetime.
For a scholar nothing could be more shameful than to be written something on their face.
When he went to the rich merchant for justice, that merchant tortured him till he wanted to die.
The ugly man said in a voice, "You dreamt of becoming more successful than my son. I will make you destroy it with your hand. If you want your family back, take that knife and write down the word that describes you best now. Failure? Disappointment? Foolish? Or ugly? Hu, ugly seems good. Do it now."
The man threw the knife st him. He Xuan took that with his own shaky hand and brought them to his own cheeks.
Why was it so hard to write the word ugly?
I can never be beautiful again.
.....
"Ming-Xiong, you look so beautiful." Shi QingXuan looked at the eyes of He Xuan and spoke up.
He Xuan looked at the slightly blurry beautiful eyes. His eyes moved from his eyes to his lips.
They were a bit wet. He Xuan moved his thump over the lips that just kissed all of his scars. They were soft and wet.
"I missed you too." As his gaze fell on the parted lips again, without thinking much He Xuan leaned and kissed the lips.
Spark flew through his whole body instantly.
You've changed so much yet why do I still find you so familiar?
....
As Xie Lian took Lan Ying back with him Shi QingXuan was free again so he went back looking for Ming Yi.
"Ming-xiong~" as he sang his name, the person who was stuffing his mouth with food furrowed his eyebrow.
"Aiyoh! Stop eating food here. They are all boring. Let's go to mortal realm."
"You go," Ming Yi rejected coldly and was about to eat again when Shi QingXuan snatched the pie away and ate himself.
He wasn't least discouraged. "Ming-Xiong~ look I was so happy for your winning that I forgot to eat in the banquet. Let's go and treat me."
"Liar. You were happy for your brother."
"Who said? Hahaha. Let me tell you a secret. I was just happy for myself hahahaha. But Ming-xiong you need to do good. You can't just unheard the prayers you don't like. Or can't be lazy, sitting here all day eating. You'll become pi....mphhhhh! Mphh."
As he was talking nonsense, Ming Yi stuffed the egg roll in his mouth and stood up.
"If you wanna come then come, stop talking nonsense. I don't have free time like you."
Shi QingXuan ran toward him and grasped his hand, "Wash your hand first. Stop wasting spiritual power."
As he said he poured water into his hand. Ming Yi didn't take back the hand. It was useless. "Says who? You? Who wastes merits like spoiled kid."
Shi QingXuan laughed and looked up at him, "I know Ming-Xiong will like me anyway if I'm spoiled or not. I just genuinely like to hold your hand." Shi QingXuan laughed again.
He Xuan felt his heartbeat quicken and he took back the hands. Nevertheless they were clean now.
"Stop talking nonsense. Who likes who."
As they stepped into mortal realm Shi QingXuan was already in his female form. He even tried to pursue He Xuan but he refused firmly and surprisingly Shi QingXuan didn't pursued further.
Whether it was his female form or male form, Shi QingXuan was beautiful anyway. No darkness or dirt can hide his beauty. Beautiful in a very elegant way. All the jewelers he wore was probably ashamed, as their beauty wasn't even slightest close to Shi QingXuan's own beauty. It was soft like moonlight and sharp like stars spark.
He Xuan gazed at him or her for a while and shook his head.
"Ming-xiong let's eat here." Shi QingXuan grabbed his hand and pulled him into the small but elegant restaurant.
Ming Yi sat down with him and when the waiter came Shi QingXuan ordered as usual. Ming Yi didn't like to talk with people much.
"Two bowls of YuanXiao* please. Do you have them?"
"Yes yes, we have them. Anything else for beautiful lady?"
As the waiter gave creepy look to Shi QingXuan he felt a deep, dark gaze on him and looked at He Xuan. He immediately backed away and went to the kitchen directly.
"I told you not to transfer into female form!" Mingxiong coldly gazed at Shi QingXuan.
Shi QingXuan even didn't gave him a look before waving her hand, "They will give me look anyway. Whether I'm in my male or female form." Shi QingXuan opened his fan and waved it slowly.
He Xuan didn't say anything as it was really the truth.
As the order came finally, Shi QingXuan happily took a bite of the special yuanxiao.
He Xuan also took a bite of yuanxiao. It was sweet and warm. Like it melts in mouth. The filling was warm and good. He Xuan felt like no matter how much good foods he had tried, none of them was near it.
"Does it taste good?" Shi QingXuan said and wiggled his eyebrows like a curious cat perking it's ear.
He Xuan didn't lie and nodded his head, "it's pretty good." He took another bite and looked at Shi QingXuan who was now smiling brightly.
"What?"
"Ming-Xiong and here you say you don't like me. Don't you know the speciality of yuanxiao? Well I also didn't know. I just knew it from the mortal realm a few days ago. It says, if you eat yuanxiao with your loved ones, only then you can taste the taste of yuanxiao. Otherwise, you won't be able to tell whether it's tasty or not." As Shi QingXuan told it to him, his eyes were so bright and he couldn't stop smiling as if he just ascended to heaven.
"Nonsense. You are a god and you believe those nonsense of mortal realm. What a shame."
Shi QingXuan laughed and said nothing but He Xuan felt his ears turning red.
Author's Note:
*yunxiao: It was mentioned in TGCF extra chapter 245 (maybe I don't remember the name)
Extra update for no reason. Please forgive the typos and errors. Thank you for supporting the story <3