PINING FOR THIS MASTER

Old people often spoke about warfare when they tried to describe the bad times in a romantic relationship. There was only peaceful silence when both were sleeping. As soon as both parties woke up, they either argued with their mouths or fought with each other.

That being said, it's best to sleep to avoid conflicts.

Mo Ran disagreed.

He might not yet be in a relationship with Chu Wanning, but he had already experienced the bad times over and over again.

He did not want to sleep through the bad times. He wanted to bug his wife until his wife got sick of him. Until he deigned to glance at him instead of shutting the door of Red Lotus Pavilion in his face.

It was possibly because other couples had a relatively healthy relationship, just like a tender seedling that took root one day and grew into a magnificent tree.

The relationship between Mo Ran and Chu Wanning was comparable to a seedling that grew in desolate and infertile soil. It tried its best to survive, but it was trampled upon cruelly until it died.

After its death, it was revived by force, placed in a new, better environment, and fed all sorts of fertilizer and water.

Every day, the dog zongshi came over to demand the seedling to quickly grow up, to be healthy and beautiful, just like every other seedling around it.

So many expectations for the poor seedling.

After coming back from Yuliang Village, Chu Wanning again kept to himself in the Red Lotus Pavilion.

In the past, he allowed all of his disciples to come and go through his barrier. This time, after Mo Ran insisted to disturb his shizun's peace three days in a row, he was barred entry into the Red Lotus Pavilion.

"Shizun, A-Ran is so pitiful," Shi Mei one day said, trying to plead on Mo Ran's behalf. "Just what did he do wrong? Can't Shizun just whip him as punishment and then allow him to come in...?"

"Pffft," Xue Meng scoffed before taking a sip from his cup of tea.

"Shi Mei, stop defending him. Mo Ran must have done unspeakable things to Shizun. Shizun reserves the right to punish him as he sees fit."

That's right.

Mo Ran stuck his finger inside his Shizun and then sucked him until he came inside his disciple's mouth.

Outrageous.

The tips of Chu Wanning's ears turned red in an instant. The red color slowly crept to his face. Although Chu Wanning tried to hide behind his sleeves, he could not stop his blood from rising to his face.

"Shizun? Why is your face so red?" Xue Meng asked with a frown.

"..."

"Shizun...? Are you having a fever?"

Chu Wanning put down his cup on the table a little too loudly, startling his two disciples.

"Xue Ziming, are you here to drink tea only? Didn't you say that Sect Leader Xue has something to share with me?"

"Oh, right," Xue Meng hastily said.

"Shizun, Ye Wangxi and Elder Xu Shuanglin already left while Shizun was at Yuliang Village."

"I heard. Why?"

"That... Young Master Nangong Si came to pick them up. They asked to be left alone to chat. After they re-emerged from the room, Ye Wangxi and Elder Xu thanked Sisheng Peak for the hospitality and then bade their farewell."

It's none of his business, really.

"Mo Ran must be distraught about losing Ye Wangxi. My Dad is going over to Rufeng Sect to ask for Ye Wangxi's hand in marriage on Mo Ran's behalf."

"Ah."

If what Mo Ran said was true, they were going to be quite disappointed.

"Honestly, Dad is so open-minded. If it were me, I would break Mo Ran's legs."

"Why?"

"Well..." Xue Meng squirmed in his seat. He looked at Chu Wanning and Shi Mei alternately. "Ye Wangxi is a guy. Isn't it disgusting?"

"..."

Both Shi Mei and Chu Wanning assumed an ashen face.

"I mean... How can two men even fall in love with each other? How can they have kids? I pity Ye Wangxi to have to deal with Mo Ran. Ye Wangxi is so good-looking."

Xue Meng's judgment was clouded by his distaste for his cousin. Ye Wangxi was good-looking, but Mo Ran was exceedingly handsome.

But that was not what disturbed Chu Wanning the most.

It was the part where Xue Meng said that the relationship between the two men was disgusting.

In both lives, Chu Wanning had never been interested in women. They might be dainty as a fairy and lovely as a blooming lotus in the morning, but they did not interest Chu Wanning.

Chu Wanning appreciated the beauty of men more.

That was when he knew that he preferred men. His desire had only been awakened by Mo Ran and no one else.

But Mo Ran was different.

Taxian-Jun had entangled with both men and women alike. He even made one of them his Empress.

Mo Ran was normal.

Chu Wanning was not.

In Xue Meng's words, Chu Wanning was disgusting.

Even more so because he preyed on one of his disciples, a man ten years his junior.

No longer in the mood for a discussion, Chu Wanning dismissed his two disciples.

"Go and train in the Bamboo Forest. I will come in an hour to see your progress," he said. Both of his disciples exchanged looks in confusion, but they knew Chu Wanning well enough. Better leave while the shizun had yet to summon his golden willow vine.

He half-expected to meet Mo Ran in the Bamboo Forest, but Mo Ran was not there. Xue Meng told him that Mo Ran went to Butterfly Town to run some errands.

That was good because Chu Wanning did not want to see him.

Mo Ran came knocking at the Red Lotus Pavilion gate a few times in the evening, but he received no answer. Eventually, he stopped knocking.

Afterward, Chu Wanning stepped out to grab some food from Mengpo Hall. As soon as he opened the gate, the fragrant smell of roasted food reached his nose.

Chu Wanning stared at the sight before him.

Mo Ran, this scoundrel, dared to roast food over a pile of leaves in front of his prized Red Lotus Pavilion!

"You!!!" The shizun snapped. "Get out! Get out! Take all of these with you!"

He was not at all aware that the younger disciples of Sisheng Peak were around, waiting for their shixiong to roast sweet potatoes and corn for them. They looked so disappointed.

"Shizun, I am sorry. Can I just roast a few things for the shidis and shimeis here? I will go right after, I promise."

Chu Wanning was beyond displeased.

So Mo Ran had so much free time that he could make food for every disciple in Sisheng Peak? See that Chu Wanning cared!

"Whatever!" He said angrily before he stomped off to the Mengpo Hall.

Once he arrived at Mengpo Hall, he was amazed by the selection of food. All of them were to his liking. There were stewed crabmeat balls, lotus crisps, sour-sweet roasted fish, and seaweed soup with tofu and egg.

Who needed Mo Ran?

The aunties at Mengpo Hall could cook Jiangnan-style dishes just fine! The seasoning, the crispness, and the taste were all perfect. Chu Wanning could not ask for more.

For once, he had nothing to complain about.

There was only something missing to make it perfect.

A delicious dessert.

Something sweet that would melt in his mouth.

If Yuheng Elder did not recall having an elders meeting that night, he would have gone to Wuchang Town to raid the sweets shop. Alas, there was not enough time.

A little disappointed, Chu Wanning walked back to Red Lotus Pavilion to get ready.

The young disciples had all but scattered, leaving Mo Ran alone with his makeshift kitchen.

The younger man beamed when he saw his shizun.

"Shizun, do you want some milk pastries?"

Milk pastries? Chu Wanning's interest was quickly piqued.

"What are those?"

Mo Ran smiled.

"This is a brand new kind of pastry that they sell at Butterfly Town. It needs to be roasted before we can eat it."

He held a creme-colored pastry before Chu Wanning's eyes. It looked so soft. And so promising. Chu Wanning swallowed his saliva.

He sometimes cursed his sweet tooth. To get a bite of this new dessert, the shizun decided to neglect his pride and sit in front of Mo Ran while the latter roasted the milk pastry for him.

The delicious smell of milk wafted through the air as the white pastry slowly gained golden-brown edges from the caramelization process.

Just looking at it was enough to make Chu Wanning drool.

Just one, he told himself. Just one and then he would go.

"Shizun, it is ready."

Mo Ran held the roasted milk pastry in a stick before his shizun.

"Shizun, taste it. It's very sweet."

Chu Wanning took a bite. The rich flavor of sweet milk quickly filled his oral cavity and made him moan from delight. Unprepared for the filling inside the pastry, Chu Wanning failed to suck it all into his mouth.

Some of it dropped into Mo Ran's hand. The latter hissed from pain when the hot liquid scalded his fingers.

"Mo Ran!"

Chu Wanning grabbed Mo Ran's hand and licked the remaining sweet milk from his fingers. When he sucked on his disciple's fingers, he made a lewd, squelching sound.

It was too sexy.

Mo Ran turned bright red.

The dragon head between his legs too raised its head in full interest.

"We need to cool it under running water," Chu Wanning said.

"N-no need," Mo Ran stammered.

Chu Wanning glared at him.

"I said, come!"

"... Yes, Shizun."

He could not use a hand to cover the bulge in his pants. It would make his erection even more obvious. He could only follow his shizun into the Red Lotus Pavilion helplessly, all the while praying that his shizun would not look down.

Chu Wanning made Mo Ran put his scalded hand under running water while he went to grab a jar of ointment.

"This will provide a soothing effect on the skin," Chu Wanning said. "Apply thrice a day, alright?"

Mo Ran nodded and took the ointment from Chu Wanning. "Many thanks to Shizun."

Instead of applying the ointment right away, he asked, "Shizun, do you want more milk pastries?"

"... You are hurt, do you still want to roast more?"

Maybe Chu Wanning overestimated the burn wound on Mo Ran's hand.

Mo Ran pulled his lips into a pout.

"I haven't tasted them yet..."