Not A Stranger

Night came.

Several lanterns were spotted among the thick foliage in the heart of the forest. It was getting late, but Er Yuen had not yet returned to the hut. Elder Oei, along with Mei Lan and A He, searched the forest where Er Yuen used to look for medicine. Did he get lost? Elder Oei wondered, but it seemed nearly impossible. The boy grew up in the valleys and forests, and he still knew the way home even if he closed his eyes. Something must have happened to him.

"Yuen'er!!" Elder Oei shouted.

"A Yuen!"

Mei Lan was so worried, it was already very dark what if something happened to the young man?

"Yuen'er!!" A He joined the search. They shouted all the way but found no trace of Er Yuen anywhere.

"Yuen'er!!"

.....

Sparks from the wood burning are faintly heard. The wind gently caressed the fire that warmed the empty house near the foot of the Golden Cloud Valley.

Dai Yang sat by the fireplace where the sweet-faced youth lay resignedly in front of him. His sweet face, with long eyelashes as his big eyes closed. A sharp nose with seductive red lips. Dai Yang raised his hand slowly to brush away the hair covering Er Yuen's cheeks. So nice to keep looking at the cute face that weirdly attracts him, and keeps spinning inside his head for a couple of days. 

His heart was beating very fast. He could even hear it playing in his head. What's this? He had never felt this before. He thought that his heart, which was made of the strongest stone in the universe, would never be able to beat this passionately in his entire life. Not to mention, he lost half of it years ago. However, this was an incredibly pleasant feeling that made him unable to stop smiling. It was as if his whole body was doused by warm water from his toes to the top of his hot head.

Dai Yang subconsciously pushed his head down right in front of the young man's face, so close, and almost kissed him were it not for the young man moving. He straighten up immediately.

Er Yuen who was lying on the dry grass opened his eyes slowly, narrowing his eyes to try to figure out where he was now since everything he saw was so unfamiliar, especially what happened.

His head hurts so bad, have no power left in his body which aches all over the place. Er Yuen pulled his leg and slowly sat up.

"Ekh" his body felt crushed, it felt awkward. He opened his eyes wide and saw someone who was already sitting in front of the bonfire not far from his feet, holding the long stick as if he were burning something.

"Eh, excuse me, this..."

Dai Yang turned his head, he smiled at Er Yuen who had regained consciousness.

"Hey sweetie you're awake, how are you feeling?"

Er Yuen pulled his leg and sat down, the man's face in the dim light of the bonfire as if he had seen him somewhere.

"Eh, you, the young master from that time huh?"

Dai Yang smiled, he approached while carrying a hot ripe sweet potato stabbed with a twig.

"Hehe, you do remember me. You don't seem to be able to stay away from trouble, do you? Yesterday you fell off a cliff, and today you were almost harassed by bandits. Why is a cute kid like you always hanging around in the forest instead of just staying at home?"

Er Yuen pushed Dai Yang who was too close to him. He looked at Dai Yang with big eyes.

"Then, what about those bandits? Did you manage to chase them away?"

Dai Yang took the still-hot sweet potato in his hands whimpered in the heat and almost threw it from his hand.

"Aw aww it's hot"

Er Yuen grabbed a dry leaf not far beside him and gave it to the young man to hold the hot sweet potato.

"Here"

Dai Yang accepted the leaf with a wide smile until his eyes disappeared. He was amazed at how considerate the young man in front of him, so sweet.

"Em, those bandits well, they're all dead"

Er Yuen held Dai Yang's hand.

"Dead? You killed them?"

Dai Yang nodded.

"Yeah, of course, I killed them. And because their blood was so much and I didn't want them to pollute the waterfall I dumped their bodies in the valley. They probably already become the supper for the wild animals"

Er Yuen looked at Dai Yang with big eyes, unable to believe what he just heard. Does this man mean it or just joking? He released his grip.

"Young master, you're not kidding right?"

Dai Yang smiled. He shook his head.

"Joking? What do you mean? Why should I? Which part?"

"But Young Master shouldn't have killed them, they are just petty criminals. Em, they might still be helped, I'll get to see them"

Er Yuen was about to stand up but Dai Yang's hand held him back.

"Eits where are you going, they're dead it's useless for you to go there. You better think about yourself and I'll take you home tomorrow morning when the sun rises. Your body is still weak, and I don't know where your house is so I have no choice but to take you here. Let's just sit down and eat."

Er Yuen complied. No matter what, the young man helped him, again. He must not be stubborn and make things difficult for him. However, he still thought that the bandits shouldn't just die like that. He may not understand this, but maybe the martial world is like that, kill, or be killed.

Er Yuen received half a large round sweet potato that was still steaming hot, though it was nothing compared to the current cold air. His teacher must be very worried about him now, he must go home as soon as possible earliest tomorrow.

Dai Yang couldn't stop smiling at Er Yuen's cute and sweet face, he sat and looked at the young man so close makes Er Yuen was a bit uncomfortable.

"Um, is there something weird on my face?" Er Yuen asked while feeling his face.

Dai Yang lowered Er Yuen's hand, holding it for quite a long time.

"Hemh you, have a cute face, fair skin, smooth chest, slim waist, soft hands, sweet lips" Er Yuen swallowed his saliva, and he pulled his hand away.

"W-what do you mean?" Er Yuen tightened his clothes. He widened his eyes. He remembered earlier when he jumped into the water he took off his clothes and now he was fully clothed. His basket of leaves was placed not far beside him, and that person, helped him put his clothes on.

"Eh Y-you" Er Yuen backed away.

Dai Yang smiled mischievously.

"Hehe, I thought you were a girl but turned out to be a boy, this, is so interesting, you do look like a girl, and your face is so cute"

Er Yuen pulled his clothes closer.

"I-I'm not like a girl, my body is like this. Please don't insult me."

Dai Yang laughed amusedly, Er Yuen's reaction made him even more furious.

"Hahahaha you, I don't think of you as a girl, I just said you are like a girl, but, um, I seem to prefer this one"

Er Yuen pushed Dai Yang whose face was getting closer.

"P-please don't come closer!"

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