Chapter 139: Shizun, Pleasant Dreams

Mo Ran froze immediately.

He could smell the familiar scent of haitang, and though Chu Wanning wore a straight-faced expression, the sleeve on his eyelid was gentle and careful as it wiped his eye. But most importantly, this white-robed person was standing so close that he could see the fine lines in the texture of his lips, so close that all he had to do was dip his head down to kiss those lips, to take those tender petals between his own.

"You may have won, but you didn't wake me up, so it wasn't a fair match." Chu Wanning voiced suddenly as he finished wiping the sweat at his brow.

Mo Ran blinked, then smiled, "But I didn't win. Shizun won." "You didn't reap any more crops all afternoon?" "Nope, and there's not much left either, so I went to the market, bought some things for the winter, and made a round through the village, which took up some time," Mo Ran said. "So Shizun reaped more than I did." Chu Wanning hmph'd coolly, seeming satisfied.

He asked, after a moment, "What did you buy at the market? Mattresses?"   Before Mo Ran could answer, Ling-er, not wanting to be left out, cut in with a smile, "Xianjun bought so much stuff that I felt bad for the poor horse that had to drag it all back." "It wasn't that much, just coal and such, some meat, and some sweets."   "Not only that," Ling-er said, "Xianjun also went and bought a mattress for each and every family! It was so many that the old cotton grandma just up and came back to the village with him, bringing the whole cartful of them." Chu Wanning was a bit astonished. "Where did you get all that money from?" "I had some savings," Mo Ran said with a smile, "and the mattresses were pretty reasonably priced, too. Much cheaper than the ones they sell in the upper cultivation realm." "What's the meat for?" "Impulse purchase. I gave it to the village chief to roast and share with everyone tomorrow." Chu Wanning's face remained neutral and impassive as he asked, "And the sweets?"   Ling-er clapped her hands together with a giggle. "For the kids in the village, of course. Mo-xianjun gave out the sweets first thing when he got back, there was malt sugar candy[21] and osmanthus cake[22]. The kids were delighted, lots of them have never even had treats like these before." She paused, then said, happily, "I got one too."   The girl was a people person, and had a knack for getting close to others.

Chu Wanning didn't mind the other times she cut in, but this time he shot her a cold glare.

"Was it good?"   Ling-er answered freely, "Super good, very sweet."   A sardonic grin seemed to tug at Chu Wanning's lips, and he tossed out a,

"Then help yourself to more," before walking away with a sweep of his sleeves.

Mo Ran didn't know what he had done to upset him again this time, and was just about to give chase when something black suddenly covered his entire range of vision—Chu Wanning had tossed the robe draped across his shoulders at his face. Mo Ran pulled the robe down and looked anxiously toward him.

"Shizun?" "What are you doing naked like that! I'm cold just looking at you!" Chu Wanning snapped. "Put on your clothes!" "..." Mo Ran really was hot, but he put the robe on anyway, quickly and without saying anything, since Chu Wanning said so. The fabric got drenched by the sweat and stuck uncomfortably to his skin. He looked up from beneath his eyelashes, gazing toward the other at a loss.

Chu Wanning furrowed his sword brows. "Close your collars! Don't just leave it open for the world to see! Indecent!"   "..." Mo Ran immediately pulled his collars together, folding them tightly and high up, leaving not a peek of skin exposed, but all that did was give him an untouchable kind of allure instead. The sight of it made Chu Wanning even angrier for some reason; he cursed under his breath and walked away with a flick of his sleeves, leaving Mo Ran to stare blankly after him like a dumb dog.

The village chief, his wife, and Ling-er were all bewildered as they looked on from the side. Ling-er said, somewhat disconcerted, "This xianjun…sure is scary... I've never seen such a strange-tempered person before…" She spoke in a quiet voice, a little pitying and a little favor-seeking.

"Your master is so mean to you...you're really patient, to be putting up with all th——" She muttered while turning her head, only for the words to die in her throat as her eyes met Mo Ran's—there was a dark expression on the face of the usually smiling and easygoing Mo-xianjun, and a terrifying, wolf-like ferociousness in his eyes.

She abruptly shut her mouth, and Mo Ran also immediately turned his face away, the look in his eyes no longer so discernible from this angle. Ling-er could feel her heart racing, unsure if it was her imagination just now, or if this person in front of her, who was calm and laid-back like a sturdy mountain, had shown an altogether different face of savagery in that instant.

Mo Ran mumbled, "Sorry, you guys go ahead first, I'm going to go check on him," before walking off in broad strides.

He found Chu Wanning by the bank of the river, reeds dancing along the shores and the setting sun half-sunk into rippling waters.

Mo Ran came to a stop behind him, a little short of breath from how fast he had run. "Shizun." "..." "Did I do something wrong?" Chu Wanning said, "No." "Then why are you so displeased?" "I'm plenty pleased." Mo Ran blinked. "Wha?" Turning to look over his shoulder, Chu Wanning said grouchily, "I'll be as displeased as I please." Mo Ran: "..." Not wanting to play word games with Chu Wanning, Mo Ran studied his expression instead and then couldn't help smiling as realization dawned on him.

"I know why Shizun is upset." Chu Wanning's hands clenched into fists in his billowy sleeves, and his shoulders tightened almost imperceptibly even as he maintained a calm expression. "I already said I'm not——" But Mo Ran had already walked over to stand under the tree with him,

grinning as he held a hand behind him. The old banyan tree at the riverbank had thick roots protruding above-ground like hardy veins that burrowed deep into the earth.

Standing one of the protruding roots, Mo Ran looked even taller than he already was.

Somewhat alarmed and a touch displeased, Chu Wanning demanded, "Get down here." "Okay~" Mo Ran hopped lightly off the root to land right in front of Chu Wanning—the tree was so massive and sprawling that there was very little space not occupied by its roots; Chu Wanning stood in one such spot, and the only way for Mo Ran to avoid the high ground was to stand right there next to him.

Standing there with his head lowered, Mo Ran's breaths were practically caressing Chu Wanning's eyelashes, and so Chu Wanning felt discomfited again, demanding with a gloomy expression, "Go stand up there." "..." Mo Ran couldn't help grinning. "Up and down and up and down, is Shizun toying with me?" Chu Wanning knew he was being unreasonable in his irritable mood. Being thus exposed, he simply said nothing, remaining gloomily silent.

Mo Ran took his hand out from behind his back, holding a handful of candy that had seemingly come out of nowhere, a colorful little pile of ricepaperwrapped sweetness cupped in his palm.

"Don't be mad, I saved some for you."   "..." Chu Wanning only grew even more mad, so mad he could spit blood, flames of rage burning high into the heavens. Sword brows furrowed in anger, he bellowed, "MO WEIYU!!!!!" "Present!" Mo Ran hurriedly snapped to attention.

"Who wants your stupid candy? What am I, a three year old or some village maiden? I don't wan——mmf!" A piece of candy had been stuffed into his mouth.

Chu Wanning froze in shock.

The tips of his ears flushed bright red alongside his face—whether it was out of anger or embarrassment was anyone's guess—and his phoenix eyes were open wide as can be as they glared at the grinning person in front of him with a mix of shock and fury.

"It's milk flavored," Mo Ran said, "your favorite." Chu Wanning suddenly found himself a little speechless, and a little powerless, like a cat with its claws clipped, completely non-threatening despite the hissing and bristling.

He savored the milk candy in his mouth, a small strand of hair by his temple that had come loose when he stomped off earlier fluttering softly like a small leaflet in the gentle breeze. Staring at it, Mo Ran had the irresistible urge to reach out and tuck it back in.

Mo Ran was a man of action.

He thought it, and so he did it.

Chu Wanning: "..."   Mo Ran said with a smile, "I got some candies and pastries for everyone in the village, but I saved the best ones for Shizun. The candy's tucked away in my sleeve and the pastries are in your room—I got you lotus crisps, really pretty ones—eat it in secret when you get back, don't let the little ones see or they'll want to try too."   Chu Wanning said nothing, and a long moment passed before he rolled the melting milk candy on his tongue and lifted his eyes where he stood in the field of reeds beneath that banyan tree to look at the person standing before himself.

After a while, he tossed out a haphazard, "Honey glazed lotus root." Mo Ran grinned. "Got it." "Stewed crab meatball." "Got that too." "..." Chu Wanning turned his head away. He felt like he had dropped a little too much of his dignity today, and that he should pick it back up and dust it off, so he pointedly straightened his posture, lifting his chin slightly as he said, "Too bad there isn't any pear blossom white." He probably thought he looked very stern and imposing like that.

It might have had that effect in the past, when Mo Ran had been younger and shorter than him.

But little did he know that this posture now served only to show Mo Ran his gently sloping jawline, his exposed throat, and his porcelain-fair neck.

He was like an arrogant cat flaunting its softest spot right in front of a wolf's fangs, conceited and oblivious, thinking it was intimidating the wolf when in truth the wolf wanted nothing more than to take his throat between his jaws, to lick and to kiss, to eat him whole.

What a dummy.

It took a lot of willpower for Mo Ran to move his gaze away from the underside of Chu Wanning's jaw, but his eyes were a little darker and his voice a bit deeper as he looked at the person in front of him.

He forced a smile, conducted himself the way a man of integrity would, and said, "I got that too."   Chu Wanning didn't quite follow at first, saying with furrowed brows, "What?" "Pear blossom white." Keeping his expression carefully steady, Mo Ran exhaled quietly as he forcibly suppressed burning desire inside of himself, but his voice came out a little hoarse.

"I got pear blossom white too." Chu Wanning: "..."   "It occurred to me on the way back that Shizun might want some," Mo Ran explained, "good thing I picked some up." Glaring at this disciple of his who was pulling out all the stops to get on his good side, Chu Wanning found himself at a sudden loss for words. He suddenly felt like there was really no point to being so difficult, no point to this veneer of coldness.

He finally relaxed by degrees, leaned his back against the old banyan tree as he studied Mo Ran. Then he said, "Mo Ran." "Hm?" "You've changed." At that, he thought he saw a hint of unease in the depths of Mo Ran's eyes for some reason, but then Mo Ran's thick eyelashes fluttered, and he asked,

"Does Shizun like it?" "..." Chu Wanning said, "I don't dislike it." Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he stood back up and lifted a hand that hesitated in mid air for a beat before touching Mo Ran's side.

Mo Ran flinched, looking down at Chu Wanning with an apprehensive confusion.

"I read about your battle with the Drought Demon of Yellow River," Chu Wanning muttered. "Is this where you were injured?" "...Mn." Chu Wanning let out a faint sigh and clapped Mo Ran on the shoulder.

"You've done well. The title of Mo-zongshi is well deserved."   "This disciple wouldn't presume." A small smile tugged at Chu Wanning's lips, and his hand poked Mo Ran between the brows before dropping back down to his side. "Then again, running around half-naked all day is indeed no way for a zongshi to behave. It's getting late, let's head back and turn in for the night. What's on the list for tomorrow?" Mo Ran thought for a moment before saying, "I think there was something about cooking the rice to make rice cake." Chu Wanning nodded, then suddenly said, "Don't just randomly take off your clothes anymore." Mo Ran's face went red. "Got it."

"Take a break if you're hot from working."

"Okay."   Chu Wanning mulled over things for a bit, then added, "Remember to bring your own handkerchief, and don't dally around with unmarried girls. Do you have a handkerchief?" "...Nope." Mo Ran felt a little self-conscious.

"...Then what do you use to wipe your face…" "...My sleeves." Mo Ran felt even more self-conscious over his own crudeness.

Chu Wanning was speechless for a moment before saying, "I'll make you one sometime." Mo Ran's eyes brightened. "For me?" "Mn." Mo Ran was absolutely ecstatic. "I can't wait! When is Shizun going to make it?" Chu Wanning's brows furrowed a little. "...After we're done here, at the very least." "Then...I want one with haitang flowers too, is that okay?" "...I'll see what I can do."   Mo Ran floated on cloud nine all night over the promised handkerchief that he'd gotten out of a handful of candy, rolling around in his newly bought quilt, too happy to sleep.

He had spent these last five years in a daze of agonizing misery.

This was the first time he couldn't sleep because of joy instead.

His heart kept racing and just wouldn't calm down. In the end, he gave in and sat up—his window was right across from Chu Wanning's; he opened it a crack and leaned on the edge, taking in the refreshing scent of night in the countryside, gazing at the small courtyard, and the candle light across the courtyard.

Chu Wanning was still up.

What was he doing?

Was he mulling over how to make the handkerchief, or was he eating the lotus crisps?

Mo Ran watched that warm yellow light glowing in the room across from his for a long, long time, all the way until the light was put out and Chu Wanning went to bed, before wistfully murmuring:

"Shizun, pleasant dreams." And something else kept tucked away deep inside, something he dared not speak aloud even if no one would hear.

Wanning.

Pleasant dreams.

Author's Notes:

Mini-theatre: What do the Shizun-disciple quartet use to wipe their sweat?

Cultured Chu Wanning: Haitang handkerchief

Neanderthal Mo Weiyu: Sleeve Beautiful Shi-meimei: Foowish, how can a beauty sweat, even if I sweat I won't let someone else spot it Birdfolk: (...)

Xue Ziming: A shameful handkerchief with the two words "Xue Meng" embroidered on it. Madam Wang embroidered it for him because he always loses his handkerchiefs, embroidering his name makes it easier for someone to return them after he loses them...

[21] 麦芽糖 malt sugar candy (check out this cool how-to-make video and one with English subs)

[22] 桂花糕 osmanthus cake (trips and drops more recipe videos, this time with English subs: flour variant and jelly variant for the culinarily inclined)