Wuye was waiting outside the gates of the graveyard. He was toying with the string of the little silk brocade pouch that contained the talisman that he made for Xueye, alongside a few materials that would help keep it active without someone giving it qi. He had been thinking about the situation he'd found himself in. He couldn't help but wonder if his part in all this was in fact to protect the Moon Goddess's children or there was something else he wasn't aware of.
He wished he could speak with her. He had so many questions about the little strings she'd been plucking. Most of all he wanted to know if she was aware of whether Jinse would be successful or not, but likely she wouldn't reveal the truth of that. She guarded the outcome of events she'd seen in the stars closely, only ever revealing what was necessary as a warning to dangers on the horizon. He would be having a long conversation with her once it was all over. He'd have to bring back a few delights from the mortal realm since she wasn't allowed to wander it in exchange for the gifts she grants.
"Maque?" Jinse called out to Wuye as they were finally leaving. "You finished already?"
"I told you it would be quick," Wuye chuckled, shoving off the fence and joining them. He held out the pouch for Xueye who took it carefully. "Keep it nearby when you sleep and it will be dreamless. It goes without saying but don't open it. If the contents inside are removed it might not work the same way anymore."
"Thank you, Maque." Xueye held it close to his chest like it was precious. He was looking forward to a peaceful night's sleep especially after such an intense day.
"I'll take my leave now," Wuye stepped back and bowed dramatically. "You know where to find me, Boss."
"Wait!" Jinse called out and Wuye stopped. "I'd prefer if you came with me to the meeting I have to attend after this."
"Is that wise?" Xinhua raised a brow.
"Don't worry, he's good at keeping secrets," Jinse smirked. "Besides, he's been helping me with what you want to know. He can provide way more insight on it that I may not be able to."
Xinhua glanced over at Yushi. Yushi nodded. If Wuye could help Xueye sleep better then he should help Shizhe if it was indeed the same source, so who was he to deny this request.
"Very well," Xinhua sighed and shrugged.
"I'll escort Xueye back," Yushi stated. "No need to delay longer than you need to."
"We aren't far now," Xinhua nodded. She turned to Xueye and took his hand. "Please get some rest tonight. I'll visit you tomorrow."
"No need to rush," Xueye smiled weakly. "I'm sure you have plenty to do."
"Don't worry about that," Xinhua squeezed his hand. "Everything will be taken care of."
"Take care of yourself as well," Xueye squeezed her hand back. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Lady Meigui," Yushi drew her attention before she left. He leaned in and whispered, "No need to wait for me later. Do what you need to."
"Understood," Xinhua nodded. She quickly turned and wrapped her arm around Jinse. "Come along you."
"What, I don't get to say goodbye?" Jinse huffed bitterly.
"You are going to see him tomorrow too right?" Xinhua giggled but she let him go anyway.
"Yeah, and?!" Jinse grumbled. He looked back to Xueye, "Don't go into the office tomorrow, okay? Let me take care of anything you need."
"Okay, I'll rely on you," Xueye nodded. He didn't want to face his father alone anyway, not with the way he acted today. "Do you want this back?" Xueye asked, tugging at the purple robe around his shoulders.
"Keep it for now," Jinse smiled. His expression tensed as he made eye contact with Yushi, "Take care of him."
"You don't need to tell me," Yushi shrugged with a smirk. Yushi placed a hand between Xueye's shoulders, "Let's get you back."
"Mn," Xueye nodded, he glanced back at Jinse with that tired but sweet smile that pulled on the heartstrings. "See you tomorrow."
After a short while of walking, Xueye had latched onto Yushi's arm and rested his head on his shoulder, just letting Yushi guide them through the early evening crowd. Yushi kept a slow and steady pace so as to not push the young man more than necessary.
Seeing how drowsy Xueye was had reaffirmed Yushi's decision to bring Xueye back to Dr.Jingji's. It also was much closer than Xueye's home or even the Crystal Estate. He was worried about leaving Xueye alone overnight. As much as he'd like to keep an eye on Xueye personally, there was much he had to do to help ease Xueye's travels and assure his safety.
Xueye was so out of it that he hadn't even realized Yushi's intended destination until Yushi knocked on the side door to the apothecary shop.
"What? Back here?" Xueye tried to rub the drowsiness from his eye with one hand.
"I'm worried about leaving you alone tonight," Yushi slipped his arm from Xueye's hold and wrapped it around his shoulders. "I'd stay with you personally if I could, but I have a few responsibilities to take care of."
"You were supposed to go with them, huh?" Xueye realized belatedly. If Xueye realized sooner, he would have insisted that Yushi let him return alone even if it would have resulted in likely the same outcome, given Yushi's stubborn streak.
"It's alright. My presence isn't necessary right away," Yushi smiled gently. "You matter more and every person there would say the same."
"If you insist," Xueye sighed, leaning more against Yushi.
The door opened to the worried expression of the doctor, "Back so soon? Are you alright, Xueye?"
Xueye nodded slowly, "Just tired."
"Inside with you," Dr.Jingji waved them in.
"I'm worried about leaving him alone with how much his condition fluctuated today," Yushi explained, guiding Xueye to sit upstairs to sit by the hearth once more. "I would feel more at ease leaving him in your care tonight."
"He's always welcome to stay here," Dr.Jingji nodded. Once Xueye sat down the doctor touched the back of his hand to Xueye's forehead, feeling he was just a little cooler to the touch than normal, even if it wasn't as bad as when they had first arrived earlier in the day, it was still a bit concerning. He immediately went to fetch spare blankets to bundle Xueye in once more. "I had left the invitation open for a reason. I would feel more at ease if you remain here as well, Xueye."
"I don't want to be alone tonight anyways," Xueye voiced softly, fiddling with his sleeves once more.
"Then you are staying tonight," Dr.Jingji said as he wrapped the blanket around Xueye once more. "I know you must be exhausted but try not to fall asleep until you've warmed up. This fragment is causing hypothermic reactions but it isn't as though we can do much about it aside from what we have been and perhaps feeding you something warm."
"Do you have what you need?" Yushi asked.
"I could make something simple with what I have but there's a few things I'd rather throw in that I don't have on hand," Dr.Jingji glanced towards the kitchen as he thought about what to make. He had been making simple soups and congee for Qingkong so he had a little bit of supplies left. "If you don't mind keeping an eye on him while I pick up a few things, I'll be quick."
"Of course I don't mind," Yushi smiled warmly.
"Qingkong hasn't woken from his nap yet, try not to make too much noise." Dr.Jingji gathered up his coin purse. "Make him some tea. There should be some regular blends in the kitchen pantry. Don't let him fall asleep even if he warms up. We should get some food in him first."
"I'll take care of him," Yushi pat his shoulder reassuringly. Yushi found it quite sweet that Dr.Jingji treated Xueye and Qingkong as family. Dr.Jingji was very much the father that Lord Meigui never was to them. Yushi suspected it would have been the case even without what he suspected about Qingkong. Dr.Jingji had also been that way for Yushi and Riluo when they each lost their last remaining family. He cared, often too much, but he was always there for those who needed him most.
Yushi joined Xueye once he set the kettle over the fire. Xueye was staring at the dancing flames, his expression distant and weary. Yushi carefully wrapped an arm around his shoulders and without even urging him to, Xueye leaned against him.
"What's on your mind?" Yushi asked as the tension left Xueye as he melted against Yushi. Yushi suspected Xueye might actually fall asleep if they didn't keep a conversation.
"Just that, we may be apart for a while yet again," Xueye admitted quietly. "Maybe it's a little selfish but I'm glad we get just a little more time today."
"I think after everything you are allowed to be a little selfish," Yushi chuckled softly. "I wish I could keep you company through the night once more but I want to do what I can to make your travels easier if I can't arrange to accompany you."
"I can't ask you to drop everything to come with me," Xueye shook his head slowly. "Still, I appreciate the sentiment."
"You have no idea how much I want to do just that," Yushi huffed. "I have wondered what it would be like if I could leave behind everything I built just to remain at your side."
"Don't do that," Xueye laughed lightly in disbelief. "It would be such a waste."
"You don't even know the extent of it," Yushi smirked.
"If I did, I would say the same thing," Xueye giggled. "If anything I would be more likely to say it."
"I know you would," Yushi brushed some of Xueye's hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear. "There's no doubt in my mind that you'd push for me to remain at my station."
"Are you some secret member of the upper court, like how Xinhua doesn't have an official title?" Xueye asked out of curiosity. The idea had been on his mind for a little bit now, especially now that he fully processed the way he spoke when they parted with the others. It occurred to him that it could be how he knew Shizhe and Yuliang so well. He then thought that it could be the secret he was so worried about before. "Wait, you don't have to answer if you aren't allowed to say."
"Such a clever one you are," Yushi was starting to wonder just how much Xueye would be able to figure out the more he inadvertently revealed. "The name Shujing is only known by the upper court and the imperial guard within the palace. Ask around there elsewhere and they won't likely have heard of me. Not even the clans know Shujing as anything other than some regular information broker."
"I see," Xueye nodded. "It's clever to have some members hidden in plain sight."
"I'm curious, what would you do if you had such a position? If you had the opportunity to do anything for this country, with no restrictions, what would you do?" Yushi had half a mind to offer such a position but he knew Xueye had his hands full enough as it was.
"A bit of a loaded question there," Xueye huffed amusedly.
"I promise it's just curiosity," Yushi squeezed him a little closer. "You have enough stress to deal with. I wouldn't dare wish for you to take on the burden of such responsibility if you weren't ready for it."
"Do you really think the opportunity to help people is a burden?" Xueye asked with a mixture of worry and apprehension.
"Not in the way you think," Yushi sighed softly. "It can be difficult, but I don't see this burden in a negative light. I will gladly take such a burden so those that can't, or don't want to, never have to worry about it."
"You really have such a noble heart," Xueye looked up at him with such deep admiration. It was something he already suspected of Yushi but hearing his genuine words on the matter filled him with a sense of pride.
"You have no idea how honored I am to hear you say such a thing," Yushi melted under that warm gaze. Such praise from that sweet voice filled Yushi with a deep seated need. Never before had he cared when people sang praises but with Xueye it was different. He'd never tire of hearing Xueye's voice, but hearing Xueye speak so highly of him fulfilled a craving he didn't know he had. "I could listen to you say such things for eternity."
"And what do I get out of this trade?" Xueye teased with a smirk tugging the corners or his lips.
"Greedy little Snowdrop," Yushi leaned his head down. Yushi savored the way Xueye sucked in a breath. "Were you not just begging for me to call you that earlier?"
"F-fair point!" Xueye quickly looked away, feeling a heat rise in his cheeks.
"However, I do enjoy spoiling you," Yushi drew his attention back, urging the young man to look at him once more. "So what is it you want from me, Snowdrop?"
It took a bit for Xueye's mind to catch up to the moment. So easily he finds himself getting lost in Yushi's words, even worse when he had been forced to look him in the eye.
"Could you tell me what your life was like before?" Xueye had found his curiosity about Yushi only growing as of late so he was quite keen on finding something about Yushi's past that he'd be able to speak of. "I'd love to hear a story from your past."
"My past, hmm?" Yushi closed his eyes a moment to think of a time he could unveil that wouldn't entirely give his true identity away. While he wanted to tell Xueye eventually, at the very least it would have to wait until Xueye returned.
When Yushi opened his eyes again he could see Xueye looking at him with a mixture of anticipation and worry. Apparently Yushi had been silent for too long, to the point that Xueye was starting to fret a little.
"I'm just trying to think of where to start," Yushi caressed Xueye's cheek comfortingly. "I've plenty of tales I am overdue to share with you."
"There's no rush," Xueye leaned into his touch as he was hit with a sense of relief. He'd started to worry he was overstepping and that Yushi's past was just going to be out of reach aside from the scraps he'd been given thus far. He was glad his worries were baseless. "It doesn't have to be now."
"I want to," Yushi smiled warmly. "I've brought it up before, haven't I? I came from much humbler origins."
"Yes, I admit I've been quite curious," Xueye giggled softly. That gentle laugh and sweet smile over getting something he actually wanted from Yushi filled the older man with such warmth. He looked forward to the day he could witness it again.
"My father and I traveled around a lot when he was still alive. We moved from town to town mostly across Northeastern Meihua ever since I could remember. However, when we met the doctor in a town not far from here we stopped moving around. Dr.Jingji was able to provide relief for the condition my father and I shared. Neither of us thought it was even possible."
"That's wonderful," Xueye flashed the sweetest smile.
"It wasn't perfect to start off, but it took the edge off," Yushi sighed contentedly. "It improved over time, so we stayed. Eventually I met A'Luo, he helped me when I got caught in the rain. He stuck to me after that. I had trouble making friends back then, most people were scared of me, but not him. If he ever was he never showed it."
"It's hard to imagine people being afraid of you," Xueye let out an amused breath. "You are too kind."
"Well I was rather short tempered back then, I was quicker to throw a punch than use my words," Yushi laughed. "I caused a lot of trouble for my father and Master Zan."
"Who's Master Zan?" Xueye blinked.
"She was the one that taught me how to control my strength and the meaning of that strength," Yushi closed his eyes.
"What's the meaning then?" Xueye tilted his head.
Yushi smiled fondly at Xueye, "To protect those that can't protect themselves and, of course, those I care for."
"And, which do I count as?" Xueye started fiddling with his sleeves again.
"I would think it's obvious," Yushi pinned him with another overly affectionate gaze.
"Maybe I just want to hear you say it," Xueye was certainly feeling warm once more.
"I care for you, Snowdrop," Yushi's voice was filled with such sweetness it made Xueye's heart flutter. "You're my treasure."
"Y-you…" Xueye pulled the blanket up to hide his face. He was sure he was beet red now. He heard Yushi laughing. "You're just teasing me again."
"You can't blame me when your reactions are so adorable," Yushi pried the blanket back just a little to see Xueye peeking through the gap, his face was thoroughly flushed. "To think that you get so flustered over little pet names. Still, I speak the truth."
"I know you do," Xueye mumbled softly. "It's just nice to hear you say it."
"I'll say it as much as you wish," Yushi placed his hand on Xueye's head, blocking the little gap's view of him. He leaned in and pressed his lips gently against the blanket, light enough that Xueye wouldn't feel considering how thick the bundle was. It wasn't exactly the way he wanted to kiss him but it would have to tide him over until Xueye's return. "I care for you so much, Xueye."
"Okay, okay, that's enough teasing!" Xueye shook his hand off as he emerged from the blanket, suddenly feeling too hot. "Just the once was enough for now!"
"Alright," Yushi chuckled. "In exchange, I want the answer to my earlier question. What would you change in Meihua if you could do anything?"
"Ah, right, we got a little side tracked…" Xueye pressed his hands against his cheeks hoping they would cool down. He was starting to hate all the temperature swings. "Well, I think I also would like to help people, were I in such a position. I probably wouldn't be able to in the way you probably have but there's so many out there that could use a hand. A little shelter, clothes, food, medicine, money… Surely there could be a way to help people without having to make shady deals or owe someone."
"And you say I have a noble heart," Yushi chuckled softly. "You're right, there's plenty out there trying to lord assistance over others. Perhaps there should be something a little more accessible…" Yushi trailed off as he started pondering how doable it was to set up something along those lines.
"You aren't seriously considering acting on that are you?" Xueye was stunned upon seeing that he was thinking about it.
"Why not? It's a good idea," Yushi beamed. "How many of your recent problems would have been solved if the palace offered something like that?"
"Well… Yeah, you're right but-"
"There's no 'but' here," Yushi pressed a finger to Xueye's lips to silence him. They really were as soft as he imagined. "Why shouldn't you be able to use it too?"
Xueye let out a huff in defeat. He really couldn't argue against him. Yushi and Jinse helped him. He would be worse off without them. Even if he felt like such assistance would be better spent on someone more in need of it than him. He knew Yushi would try and convince him otherwise.
"You deserve help too," Yushi said as if he could read Xueye's thoughts.
"Well, I have plenty of people that actually care about me now so that kind of help could go to someone else," Xueye glanced away in a slight put.
"You can always come to me," Yushi's smile warmed. "I'll always take care of you."
"I know," Xueye giggled. It truly was such a delightful sound that made Yushi's heart feel full.
Yushi heard the door downstairs open. Yushi was a little surprised that Dr.Jingji was back so quickly. Yushi rose up as the doctor approached the top of the stairs.
"Back so soon?" Yushi joined him in the kitchen.
"I simply went to the restaurant down the road rather than the market," Dr.Jingji set down the basket of vegetables on the counter. "They were more than happy to share some spare ingredients."
"Let me help," Yushi urged more than asked.
"Very well," Dr.Jingji couldn't help but smile.