He couldn't help but groan, his own composure slipping away in embarrassment and by that damn cup of wine—half wine, actually.
He hardly turned at Chóng Fēi again. "Stop. Calling. Me. Those! We are just short time cultivator partners!"
Chóng Fēi blinked like he got sad immediately and then sat up, suddenly kneeling in front of him like he was really any..your highness.
"Shhh, darling. Your angry face scares me. It is not good for your beautiful health.." He said—even about to hold Lìngxiāo's hand.
'What is this again?!'
The kneel made Lìngxiāo gasp and stumble back, one hand on his heart like it would come out, his hand quickly moving away before it touched like it already burned.
And then Mō Qīn's laughter rippled into the necklace like he was dying from this drama. "You two are the best comedians sometimes, Gōngzǐ."
His head was so fried that he could only yell in his mind.
'I have not asked for your opinion here, Mō Qīn! Do NOT call me that. He is just drunk!'
"I know~ and that is what makes the moment more fun." Mō Qīn said.
Lìngxiāo was about to get pissed off more seriously this time before Mō Qīn quickly added, "Alright alright, Gōngzǐ! I am not interfering again. And if I give any quick tiny idea, try to distract him. It would be easier. But he would not easily lose his drunkenness."
'Fine..'
His breath caught again when Chóng Fēi just—just managed to press his fingertips with him. He took another step back.
"Excuse me! Why is the water not arrived yet?!" Lìngxiāo called like he had gotten trapped into any cage with a lion he couldn't tame.
But he wouldn't have even been able to do this if the place was full of people. Those people at least didn't recognize him, or they heavily stalked Chóng Fēi like any other obsessive common human here did to spread false news.
Oh, false news...
He hoped it wouldn't spread anything like that again.
The man—this time the shop owner immediately came with the water, a little panting. "Pardon me, Gōngzǐ. Water was ended back then from the main container. So I was refilling the bowl."
Lìngxiāo exhaled, nodded shakily, "Pardon me.."
his eyes on Chóng Fēi who was now pouting again because his 'darling is angry with him'.
So he was waiting for him to break his anger.
"Kindly..could you make him drink it instead? I am new with him to handle properly.." He requested the man awkwardly.
"Of course, Gōngzǐ." The owner went and managed to feed him water. It didn't looked too much hard for him to do too—as of his own son.
It calmed him down but he still wasn't himself and..didn't want to drink too much at all.
Too much liquid drinking instead of food.
Perhaps he was now feeling what 'poor people' felt from luxurious foods. He sometimes blinked tightly like holding it back stubbornly.
Lìngxiāo hoped nothing more dangerous was waiting for him then this—being spoiled suddenly by him.
He slowly moved like a penguin on snow, sitting down where he was sitting, trying to act like nothing had happened.
Chóng Fēi was a little less jumping without warning now, but his intense gaze on him..it was dangerous and he couldn't tell what could be going on in his head.
His hands also seemed to have a mind of their own. They lazily moved close to himself like thinking if he should grab Lìngxiāo again or not.
'I really should..try to distract him instead..'
His eyes shut tight, squeezing the space between his brow out of pain and desperation.
'Come on, come on, come on..'
And then he found a crazy idea which might work but..it was embarrassing to do in front of those people.
But it still could work.
It was about the siren crown prince and pirate—from that book he got gifted which he had barely managed to read only first few chapters. There was something similar to this.
But then his mind paused at mid-thinking by another thought.
'Does he..read..cut-sleeve stories..?'
But he thought he might be overthinking again since the time he had learned about that past about him which kept pinching him and now it felt incredibly bitter already.
He quickly dropped it aside before it started to eat him again, just because he couldn't simply take the term easy while it seemed almost—almost common among today's cultivation world because men were more comfortable with men more than women—mostly because females were low in number.
But also the choices of males..seemed problematic to Lìngxiāo personally.
He made a quiet and quick sound of clearing his throat, making Chóng Fēi look at him while his chin was up, his look like: I am all ears.
"Do you know, Gōngzǐ..that both the pirate and his..siren crown prince could..sing?" He asked him carefully.
Chóng Fēi paused a bit and then nodded. "Of course. I damn know about it because I am also a pirate and you're—"
He was about to throw those overly sweet words which didn't belong between them, Lìngxiāo said, "So can you sing if you are..that pirate?"
Chóng Fēi paused sharply again. He looked like he couldn't really do it. His expression went blank.
Lìngxiāo felt like he made himself guilty instead by..saying a thing which he could do a bit but others usually couldn't.
"It is—" Lìngxiāo was clipped by Chóng Fēi again when he was about to comfort softly.
"No. I can." He said with the purest confidence.
Lìngxiāo blinked, not expecting it. "You..could..?"
Chóng Fēi held his palm open, his eyes still hazy but firm. "Five gods. Five nature elements. Five fingers. So as five topics for a song."
And then he listed. "the dynamic of the play, the wish, the loss, the symbolic element, and a symbolic place. Once you have it, I can make a song right here and now."
He gave a light but firm slap at the table like sealing his promise here, didn't forget to say. "And I, Chóng Fēi—do not lie about my abilities."
Lìngxiāo silenced like it embraced him too tightly.
Dedication was fine...
But this was one of the best overconfidences he had ever seen—which didn't feel like it was going to lead to fire like the moth on the flame.
***