Chapter 68: The Sigil
Jiang Hong kept re-reading the confession on the wall several times.
"Why is it a guy?!" Jiang Hong exclaimed, receiving a confession from the same sex for the first time in his life. Although in college it seemed quite common, and no one ever made a big deal of it, especially in a school mixed with humans and demons, where cross-species love was the norm, let alone same-sex relationships.
But Jiang Hong was still very shocked, perhaps because he was surprised that someone in this school liked him, or maybe because it was his first time being confessed to by a guy, with the former being more impactful than the latter.
Could it be Lu Xiu?
Ahhh, what if it’s Lu Xiu? What should I do?
Confessed to by a dragon?!
Yet deep down, Jiang Hong felt it made sense, because who else but Lu Xiu would be so sweet and clingy with him all the time?
[Finished with your work?]
A message arrived on his phone.
Jiang Hong sat bolt upright, bouncing off the bed, and replied seriously: [Ready to head out.]
Then he lay back down, rolling around in turmoil. Ah, what to do? Since when did Lu Xiu start liking him? Jiang Hong vaguely felt that, during this period, they had been in a relationship.
Jiang Hong's heart rate began to race again.
Lu Xiu: [Where shall I wait?]
Jiang Hong: [At the school gate, I guess.]
Thinking about it, it did seem like they were really dating! Jiang Hong sat up again, quickly getting dressed... Confessed to by a dragon, should I accept?
Jiang Hong was conflicted. Did he like Lu Xiu? He went to the mirror to fix his hair. Undoubtedly, he did like Lu Xiu, incredibly so, but was that “love”? He couldn’t quite accept being in a relationship with Lu Xiu like many couples, like... kissing, even... Thinking of kissing, Jiang Hong remembered that dream again, where he didn’t resist but rather welcomed it.
What is happening to me?! Jiang Hong cried out inwardly.
But refuse Lu Xiu? Jiang Hong didn’t want to reject him... He seemed to glimpse his own heart; rationally, he felt it wasn’t right, but emotionally, he indeed liked Lu Xiu.
Does that mean I’m gay? Jiang Hong realized another issue. How would he explain this to his parents? Wouldn't they be furious? Well, maybe not furious, his parents would probably, most likely accept it, but be as shocked initially as Jiang Hong was.
This is getting more complicated.
Lu Xiu: [I’m downstairs of your dorm building.]
Jiang Hong shouted towards the outside, "I’ll be right there!" and hurried out.
What should I do? Jiang Hong thought to himself. Today is 520... Will Lu Xiu do something? Will he kiss me like last time?
Jiang Hong's mind was always filled with drama; his thoughts were chaotic and disorganized. Passing by a nearby dorm, he saw Lian Jiang playing a guitar alone.
"Hey!" Lian Jiang said, "Where are you going tonight?"
Jiang Hong stopped, "Not sure yet. Aren’t you going out? No date?"
Lian Jiang: "Nope, Xiao Pi is coming over. We’ll eat at the cafeteria, okay?"
Jiang Hong: "Be careful or his father might chop you into four pieces with his divine powers."
Lian Jiang: "We’re not like that. You got a confession, didn’t you? I saw your name."
Jiang Hong was about to deny it, but realized denial was pointless, so he said, "I don’t know who that is. It's not you playing a joke, is it?"
"You’re kidding, right?" Lian Jiang said. "Who else but Professor Lu?"
Jiang Hong facepalmed, while Lian Jiang exclaimed in surprise, "You two haven’t… haven’t…"
Jiang Hong quickly said, "I never thought about it that way! It’s that obvious? Really?"
Lian Jiang seemed more shocked than Jiang Hong, saying, "I thought you two were… since you enrolled, you’ve been a pair! Wasn’t he the one who accompanied you?"
Jiang Hong: "How could that be! He was just the senior responsible for guiding me!"
Lian Jiang: "But aren’t you two always together? Professor Lu always seeks you out."
Jiang Hong: "Isn’t that normal? Can't you have good friends? You and Xiao Pi hang out all the time too, right?"
Lian Jiang was surprisingly left speechless.
Lian Jiang said, "You guys haven't… made it official yet? Wasn't it destined since your past lives? Even Xiao Pi knows about it."
Jiang Hong: "It is... well, talking about past lives does make sense, but why would Xiao Pi know?!"
Lian Jiang: "His dad mentioned it..."
Jiang Hong: "Why would the head teacher discuss such things?! Never mind, I won’t talk about it... I have to go. He's waiting for me downstairs."
Lian Jiang blew a kiss to Jiang Hong: "Have fun."
After a few words with Lian Jiang, Jiang Hong's feelings became even more complicated.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, Lu Xiu, bathed in the afternoon sun, sat on a low wall behind the dormitory building.
Jiang Hong, looking around for someone, heard a voice from above: "Over here, where are you looking?"
Jiang Hong jumped in surprise, and upon seeing Lu Xiu, he became inexplicably nervous.
Jiang Hong scratched his head, saying, "Sorry for being late."
"No problem," Lu Xiu said casually. "Shall we take my bike or the school bus?"
Jiang Hong blurted out, "Let's take the bus, we can talk."
Although riding with Lu Xiu on his bike was cool, Jiang Hong could only hold onto him, and with the wind noise, they hardly talked during the ride.
Lu Xiu then hummed in agreement and slowly headed towards the school gate to take the bus.
"How did the exam go?" Lu Xiu asked again.
Jiang Hong: "It was... okay, I guess?"
Jiang Hong kept stealing glances at Lu Xiu. If he had harbored even 1% thought of rejecting the confession when not in Lu Xiu's presence, it completely vanished upon seeing him. Being with someone like Lu Xiu was pure happiness, leaving no room for any other thoughts.
His need and dependence on Lu Xiu were like the air, omnipresent and indispensable.
"Have you been staying up late these days?" Lu Xiu asked.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Jiang Hong rubbed his face, asking, "Do I look exhausted? Is it that obvious?"
Lu Xiu stopped, scrutinizing Jiang Hong's face, then instinctively averted his gaze, saying, "Your dormitory balcony light was on until three in the morning yesterday."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, do you watch my dorm with binoculars?"
Lu Xiu: "No! What are you thinking? From my room, even though it's two kilometers away, it's clear at night."
At the school gate bus stop, the bus had arrived. Many people were looking at Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong. Jiang Hong then realized they were wearing matching shoes and similar clothes because they had bought summer T-shirts together. Sometimes when Jiang Hong bought a white one, he would also get a black one for Lu Xiu.
They really looked like a couple... Jiang Hong glanced at the nearby stares, but the students seemed not to focus on them being two guys, as male couples weren't uncommon here.
On the bus, row after row was filled with couples.
Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong sat in the last row of the bus. The girl sitting in front seemed eager to talk to Lu Xiu, looking back several times but ultimately restraining herself.
"What exams are you having next week?" Lu Xiu asked again.
Jiang Hong: "Still the talisman class, submitting a paper, which is almost done. Then a demonology history class and finally, exploring the inner worlds and Principal Cao's comprehensive studies."
Jiang Hong yawned again, really tired. He had been sleeping only a little over three hours each night lately, and now that he had finished an exam, he felt relaxed.
Lu Xiu put on wireless earbuds and handed one to Jiang Hong.
Leaning on Lu Xiu's shoulder and looking out the window, Jiang Hong was lost in thought when the song Lu Xiu was playing, the Cantonese version of "I Need You Every Minute," seemed to hint at something.
Once Jiang Hong started sensing the extraordinary nature of their relationship, everything seemed to hint at it. Perhaps Lu Xiu was accustomed to it, and only he was still clueless?
But being with Lu Xiu indeed satisfied a sense of vanity... No, how could such a pure relationship be measured by vanity? But being with a dragon was an achievement unparalleled, wasn't it?
What would happen if his parents found out?
Jiang Hong's mind was turning over these thoughts. Only in Cangqiong University did everyone seem indifferent. But once back in the real world, to open up about his relationship with Lu Xiu to his parents...
One strange thought after another filled Jiang Hong's mind. When he fantasized about facing his parents with Lu Xiu, enduring the family pressure like a dramatic scene, he couldn't hold on any longer and fell sound asleep.
"We're here," Lu Xiu said.
The bus was empty, with Jiang Hong now asleep in Lu Xiu's arms.
"Oh..." Jiang Hong said, waking up. "What time is it? Shall we eat?"
Lu Xiu had booked a fancy restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere, on a terrace where they could see the garden outside. It was even busier than Valentine's Day, with not a single empty seat in the terrace restaurant.
After ordering a set meal, Lu Xiu quietly watched Jiang Hong. Usually, Jiang Hong was the one to start conversations, as he could talk non-stop for half an hour even without a topic. But today, or in recent days after everything that happened, he seemed at a loss for words, struggling to find something to say and blushing slightly.
"Ding Dong," a message arrived on Jiang Hong's phone.
He checked immediately, grateful for the interruption. The message was from Xiao Pi.
Jiang Hong glanced at Lu Xiu and then started replying to the message. He never checked his phone when with Lu Xiu; it was Lu Xiu who occasionally paid attention to messages in case of emergencies.
Xiao Pi: [Hey, Jiang Hong, I heard from Lian Jiang. It's not what you think, he didn't explain it clearly. I'm really sorry if it confused you!]
Jiang Hong: [It's okay, we were just chatting.]
Xiao Pi: [Listen to me, only the teachers know. Lian Jiang has always been tight-lipped! We never mentioned it to anyone else, aside from me and Lian Jiang. Only Principal Cao, my dad, and Si Gui know about you guys. Professor Ke Da guessed it himself, no one told him!]
Jiang Hong: "..."
This explanation doesn't help at all! Jiang Hong thought, feeling even more frantic inside.
Xiao Pi: [My dad said that Professor Lu waited for you for over a hundred years, so he stayed at Cangqiong University for you, guided by fate. He just mentioned it casually once, and we really didn't expect it to trouble you, so sorry.]
Jiang Hong replied [It's okay, really] while sneaking a glance at Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu: "?"
Jiang Hong stopped replying to the messages.
"Are you busy?" Lu Xiu asked with a hint of confusion, noticing Jiang Hong's unusual behavior these past few days.
"No," Jiang Hong quickly replied, gazing at Lu Xiu, lost in thought. "I'm just a bit sleepy…"
Lu Xiu nodded understandingly, and they sat in silence for a while. Jiang Hong noticed a candle on the table, next to which was a single rose. He observed the couples around them. The tables were separated by plants and glass, giving the illusion of semi-private booths. The terrace restaurant had a special atmosphere; everyone was quiet, with only occasional snippets of conversation. The men weren’t overly intense, and the women didn’t show excessive enthusiasm.
Only their table had two men sitting together for a couple's meal, but no one seemed to find it odd, not even the waitstaff.
"Did the principal give you the Soul Stinger?" Lu Xiu started a new topic.
"What's the Soul Stinger?" Jiang Hong remembered the small knife Cao Bin had given him, took it out, and handed it to Lu Xiu. "How did he know we would be together tonight?"
Lu Xiu casually took it, saying, "What else?"
Jiang Hong asked, "Oh, okay, but what kind of talisman is this?"
He watched Lu Xiu's skilled fingers play with the small sheathed knife. The knife, only five or six centimeters long, was accompanied by a leather sheath.
Lu Xiu gently pulled it out of the sheath, revealing the blade shaped like a scorpion's sting.
"Soul Stinger can inflict damage on special creatures," Lu Xiu explained. "I'll teach you a spell."
"Here?" Jiang Hong looked around.
Lu Xiu got up and sat next to Jiang Hong, shielding him from the other side. Jiang Hong became nervous and said, "I don't know if I can master it..."
"It's a simple spell," Lu Xiu explained. "No incantations needed, just a rune, but it might hurt a bit."
Then, Lu Xiu used the Soul Stinger to make a cut on his own ring finger.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
"Shh." Lu Xiu signaled Jiang Hong to be quiet.
Jiang Hong watched in amazement as Lu Xiu's finger began to bleed, but the blood was not crimson; it was golden!
Golden blood! Jiang Hong had only seen it once before, in the Qilian Mountains, when Lu Xiu, in his true form, was injured and bled golden blood. Even when facing a clone, Lu Xiu had never bled gold.
The Soul Stinger had pierced through Lu Xiu's human form, directly injuring his true form!
It was beautiful... Lu Xiu's blood wasn’t the color of golden paint or varnish, but a bright gold-red, glowing faintly in the dark, the color of flames.
"Give me your hand, any hand," Lu Xiu insisted. "It will hurt a bit. The power of dragon blood is too strong; it will scorch your soul."
Jiang Hong immediately nodded and extended his left hand to Lu Xiu, who then pressed his bloodied finger onto Jiang Hong's hand.
Jiang Hong felt his soul torn apart, the pain was unbearable! This was far from "a bit painful" – it was a deep, soul-shaking terror!
Quickly, Lu Xiu drew a rune, and the dragon blood in the shape of the rune sank into Jiang Hong's hand, disappearing in a matter of seconds.
The pain vanished instantly, leaving only a burning sensation, then warmth, and finally, no feeling at all.
"Ow, it really does hurt a bit." Jiang Hong broke into a sweat on his forehead.
"It's done," Lu Xiu said, gently brushing Jiang Hong's cheek with the back of his hand.
"What is this?" Jiang Hong asked excitedly, lifting his left hand to examine it closely. "Can it shoot fireballs?"
Lu Xiu sat back down opposite him, sheathed the Soul Stinger, and replied, "This is a space brand unique to the dragon race, similar to the 'fissure' cultivated by the demon race. It allows you to store items."
"Oh!" Jiang Hong understood. He had often seen classmates conjure items like crystal balls from seemingly nowhere, similar to Xiao Pi pulling out a huge sword from thin air.
"Channel your spiritual energy to the rune to activate it. Make the energy converge inward from outside the rune," Lu Xiu instructed. "Then you can summon stored items into this special fissure. Want to try?"
Lu Xiu took Jiang Hong's hand, positioning his palm over a plate on the table. Following Lu Xiu's instructions, Jiang Hong activated the rune, and the plate silently vanished.
"Reverse the flow," Lu Xiu continued. "Channel the energy from the center of the rune outward, that's the reverse activation."
With a "swoosh," the plate shot out like a flying saucer, which Lu Xiu quickly caught and placed back on the table.
"Wow, wow, wow!" Jiang Hong exclaimed. "Can it store anything? If I put my whole family in there, we could avoid paying for plane tickets, right?"
"Stop!" Lu Xiu halted Jiang Hong's silly attempt to use the rune on him, explaining, "It can't hold living things, and the space is very limited, influenced by your spiritual power..."
"Right, right," Jiang Hong sighed a bit disappointed, knowing his limited magical power couldn't alter living beings. Then, an idea struck him, "At least I could perform magic tricks on the Spring Festival Gala, right?"
Lu Xiu: "..."
"What did you give me this spell for?" Lu Xiu asked patiently.
Jiang Hong chuckled, "Are plants considered living things?"
Lu Xiu said: "The Book of Everything."
"Oh—!" Jiang Hong, as if suddenly enlightened, exclaimed, "Right! That way, it won't get stolen!"
Lu Xiu said: "I initially thought about making you a ring, since a magical artifact can hold more, but if the ring gets stolen, it's the same problem. So, using the Dragon Blood Seal is actually safer."
"Exactly, exactly!" Jiang Hong, who always carried his single-shoulder bag with the Book of Everything inside, finally understood. He took out the book, trying to fit it into the crevice, and then stylishly drew it out like unsheathing a sword.
Then he started practicing placing his left hand on his waist and his right hand on the back of his left hand, like a swordsman, stylishly "drawing his sword."
Lu Xiu watched Jiang Hong's actions and suddenly burst into laughter.
Jiang Hong also found it fun and very cool!
"This way, unless someone chops off my hand," Jiang Hong said, "they'll never be able to steal the Book of Everything again."
"Although that won't happen," Lu Xiu replied, "even if they cut off your hand, they still won't be able to take it, because the Dragon Blood Seal isn't on your 'hand,' but in your soul, precisely, on the 'hand of your soul.'"
Jiang Hong nodded, not fully understanding. Lu Xiu observed him for a while, then suddenly looked a bit uneasy and said, "You don't mind having the Dragon Blood Seal, do you?"
"Of course not!" Jiang Hong replied. "Why would you say that?"
Lu Xiu explained: "It's like leaving a mark on your soul. Some people don't like having marks left on them…"
"Not at all!" Jiang Hong said, "I really like this mark!"
Lu Xiu appeared somewhat relieved, nodded, and said, "Then that's good."
Jiang Hong suddenly found it amusing, thinking, if you were worried I'd mind, shouldn't you have asked me before?
"Let's eat," Lu Xiu said. "The food is served, stop playing around."
Jiang Hong, still not quite over the fun, played with it a few more times before starting his dinner. Lu Xiu said, "You should only put the most important things in there, ideally just the Book of Everything. Don’t just stuff it with everything for convenience."
If Lu Xiu hadn't mentioned it, Jiang Hong would definitely have treated it like a carry-on bag, but stuffing it with too many things would turn it into a cluttered mess like Doraemon's magic pocket, always frantically pulling out a bunch of unnecessary items when needing something.
"Got it!" Jiang Hong said.
"Keep wearing my scale," Lu Xiu reminded him again.
"Mm."
"Today…" Jiang Hong thought for a moment, then suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm?" Lu Xiu replied without looking up.
Jiang Hong asked, "Did you see the confession wall?"
Lu Xiu suddenly stopped his actions and didn't speak.
Jiang Hong had intended to make a joke and said, "A lot of people confessed to you."
After a brief pause, Lu Xiu resumed his usual demeanor, glanced at Jiang Hong, and said, "Those are just students playing pranks, don't mind them."
Jiang Hong's heart suddenly started racing again. In the past, he might not have paid much attention to this conversation, just seeing it as casual chit-chat, but now every word seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
"Are you afraid I'll get jealous?" Jiang Hong laughed.
"Aren't you getting jealous right now?" Lu Xiu countered.
Jiang Hong had no reply. Lu Xiu's reaction seemed to confirm his guess, but he surprisingly felt happy to hear it.
"Principal Cao..." Jiang Hong said, "gets even more confessions than you!"
Lu Xiu: "Hmm, but it's of no use, he’s still single."
Jiang Hong laughed a few times and said, "I also saw Xiang Cheng."
"General Wa?" Lu Xiu replied. "Yeah, he's quite popular too, even though you haven't met him."
"Why do they call him General Wa?" Jiang Hong asked. "Is he good at building houses?"
Lu Xiu shrugged and said, "I don't know, that's just what they call him."
Jiang Hong curiously asked, "What kind of person is Principal Xiang?"
Lu Xiu thought for a moment, finding it hard to describe, and finally said, "He's someone who really understands others."
Jiang Hong nodded, and Lu Xiu added, "He puts himself in many people's shoes, empathetically understanding them."
Jiang Hong asked, "For example?"
Lu Xiu: "Like understanding others' loneliness, pain, the difficulties of having no choice but to act in certain ways, and the dark sides that many people don’t even want to admit to themselves. He is undoubtedly a guardian martial god."
Jiang Hong thought, Lu Xiu rarely had such complete affirmation for anyone else, even for their master Cao Bin, Lu Xiu only showed respect, not unconditional admiration; and for the members of the Demon Hunting Committee like Chen Zhen, it was even more different.
Only for Xiang Cheng did Lu Xiu have genuine respect. Perhaps Lu Xiu also felt Xiang Cheng's understanding of him?
So, what were the loneliness and pain understood by Xiang Cheng that Lu Xiu experienced?
Sometimes Jiang Hong felt he could grasp something; he couldn't help comparing himself with Xiang Cheng, wondering if he really was the one who understood Lu Xiu the most in the world.
Putting oneself in someone else's shoes... Jiang Hong's mind wandered again.
"Where do you want to go after dinner?" Lu Xiu asked. "Shopping? Is there anything you want to buy?"
"No, no," Jiang Hong replied, "I don’t need to buy anything."
Lu Xiu said, "Didn’t you ask me how much money I had during World Exploration class the other day? Tell me if there's anything you want to buy."
Jiang Hong laughed, "You remember that?"
It was a bit muggy in the summer night. Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu walked under the dense tree shade on a path lit by orange-yellow lights. Lu Xiu plucked a leaf and flicked it into the air with a spell, making it flutter like a butterfly in the night sky.
Jiang Hong replied, "I was just asking casually. I really don’t want anything."
Lu Xiu gestured for Jiang Hong to watch as the leaf suddenly lit up. Then, all the leaves on the path shone like fireflies, dancing in the air as if in a waltz, before returning to the branches, creating a magical atmosphere.
Jiang Hong stood under the tree, the sky filled with dense clouds, and twinkling lights all around.
"Where do you want to go?" Lu Xiu asked. "If you don't say, I'll decide."
Jiang Hong yawned, "I want to sleep, anywhere is fine."
These past few days, Jiang Hong was really tired, looking at Lu Xiu with sleepy eyes like a child, almost rubbing his eyes.
Lu Xiu thought for a moment and then suggested, "Then... how about sleeping in my dorm?"
"That's the best suggestion ever," Jiang Hong replied. He really wanted to catch up on sleep and longed to sleep holding Lu Xiu... Ah, such a thought was too intimate. But Lu Xiu's suggestion was exactly what he desired, as only in a familiar environment full of safety could he sleep deeply.
"Shall I fly us back, or wait for the bus?"
"Let's wait for the bus," Jiang Hong replied. "I ate too much, I might throw up if we fly."
So, Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong walked slowly to the bus stop.
Empathizing... Jiang Hong was still thinking about what Lu Xiu had said. If I were Lu Xiu, what kind of loneliness would I have?
Have you ever waited for someone for a hundred and sixty years?
For some reason, Jiang Hong's thoughts drifted to this phrase, and then he remembered Jin Yong's "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," where Zhang Sanfeng, a grandmaster who lived over a hundred years, reminisced about Guo Xiang, the founder of the Emei Sect whom he once loved.
"Looking at Guo Xiang's letter, Zhang Sanfeng seemed to see the bright and free-spirited girl once again."
"But that was a hundred years ago."
That was the line that had shaken him the most.
"You don't need to be jealous," Lu Xiu suddenly said.
Jiang Hong snapped back to reality, "Ah, I... am I? I'm not, right?" He hadn't expected Lu Xiu to still be thinking about the confessions on the wall.
Jiang Hong didn't dare to look at Lu Xiu, who had his hand on his shoulder, waiting for the last bus back to school at 8:40 pm.
"You were jealous back when Yuan Shiyu was around," Lu Xiu replied.
Jiang Hong didn't dare to look at him, but he could hear a hint of laughter in his voice.
"That's different!" Jiang Hong argued.
Lu Xiu's hand moved over Jiang Hong's shoulder, playfully pinching his ear.
"My feelings are only for you," Lu Xiu finally said, "I won't give them to anyone else."
It was as if fireworks exploded in Jiang Hong's mind.
"Ah, oh my God! This is so embarrassing!" Jiang Hong blushed, pushing away Lu Xiu's hand.
"Didn't you say the same thing last time?" Lu Xiu looked at Jiang Hong, puzzled, as if to say, why didn't you find it embarrassing then?
Jiang Hong felt both embarrassed and amused, staring at Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu was first taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter, as if he wanted to say something, and then his face turned red too.
He hesitated to speak, his gaze falling on Jiang Hong's lips, breathing softly.
Just then, the bus arrived. It didn't honk, but both of them heard it. As the doors opened, Jiang Hong quickly boarded, heading to his usual spot — the last row by the window.
Lu Xiu immediately followed, sitting next to Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong's breathing quickened, so Lu Xiu remained silent.
As the bus started moving, dense clouds gathered in the distance, with faint flashes of lightning within them. Five minutes later, Lu Xiu said, "Looks like a storm is coming."
"Hmm." Jiang Hong calmed his emotions and shifted closer to Lu Xiu, who then wrapped an arm around him, letting him lean into his embrace.
Putting oneself in another's shoes...
Jiang Hong was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Even the thunder and lightning that followed seemed like a minor interlude in the vast sea of his subconscious.
What does it feel like to wait for someone for a hundred and sixty years? Ten, twenty years are enough to blur a person's memory, making it hard to recall the other's face.
"Let's go!" Lu Xiu said. "We can shower when we get back!"
The downpour was relentless over the Qinling area. When Jiang Hong woke up, he and Lu Xiu got off the bus, preparing to run back to the dorm from the main entrance.
But Lu Xiu whistled, and a Kawasaki H2 sliced through the rain, drifting skillfully, summoned to the school gate.
"Get on!"
Back at the school, no longer worried about using magic off-campus and attracting the inspectors' attention, Lu Xiu mounted the bike, and Jiang Hong jumped on the back, holding tightly around Lu Xiu's waist, leaning against his back.
The Kawasaki H2 roared like a speedboat, raising white waves of rain under the thunder and pouring rain, crossing half the campus. In the dark night ahead, limitless and vast, only the motorcycle's headlights illuminated the flying rain, like thousands of shattered lightning bolts streaking through the darkness.
Underneath Lu Xiu's soaked shirt, the warmth of his skin conveyed a sense of safety, and Jiang Hong could feel Lu Xiu's strong heartbeat.
"What are you thinking about?" Lu Xiu slowed down as they circled the teaching building. "Are you awake?"
Jiang Hong shouted back, "I won't tell you!"
Lu Xiu drifted, stirring up a nearly one-meter-high wave, "Do you know what I'm thinking?"
"What are you thinking?" asked Jiang Hong.
The Kawasaki H2 slowed down and gently drove into the faculty dormitory area, coming to a stop.
"I felt your heartbeat," Lu Xiu answered in the silence.
In the elevator, both drenched from head to toe, Lu Xiu still holding Jiang Hong's hand. Back in the dorm, turning on the warm light, the storm raged outside the balcony. Jiang Hong immediately went to shower to avoid catching a cold. Midway, Lu Xiu came in, his movements natural, standing under the shower, turning the hot water to its maximum.
Jiang Hong: "!!!"
It wasn't his first time seeing Lu Xiu's body, but for some reason, he found it incredibly sexy today! Long hands and legs, distinct collarbones, clear abs, and very fair skin.
He was surprised to find himself thinking a man's body could be so sexy, maybe because Lu Xiu, despite having the body of a young man, carried certain subtle dragon-like traits, such as in some contours of his muscles.
"I... I'm done showering," said Jiang Hong.
Lu Xiu turned off the water and in a mist of steam, vigorously towel-dried Jiang Hong's hair before saying, "Go ahead."
Jiang Hong dried his hair and casually wore Lu Xiu's clothes, then sprawled on the bed.
One hundred and sixty years...
No, not one hundred and sixty years, but forever.
It was only at this moment that a thought deep in Jiang Hong's heart finally made him truly "put himself in Lu Xiu's shoes" and understand him.
He never knew that this search would end after one hundred and sixty years, nor did he ever know for certain if the person he was waiting for would come after one hundred and sixty years... For Lu Xiu, every day in it was filled with uncertainty, maybe tomorrow, maybe never.
"Asleep again." Lu Xiu, after taking a shower and drying his hair, saw Jiang Hong already asleep on the bed.
He casually turned off the light, sat by the bed, glanced at his phone, then lay down next to Jiang Hong. Moments later, he gently nudged Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong instinctively turned over, subconsciously embracing Lu Xiu, entwining himself around him to continue sleeping.
Chapter 68: The Sigil
Jiang Hong kept re-reading the confession on the wall several times.
"Why is it a guy?!" Jiang Hong exclaimed, receiving a confession from the same sex for the first time in his life. Although in college it seemed quite common, and no one ever made a big deal of it, especially in a school mixed with humans and demons, where cross-species love was the norm, let alone same-sex relationships.
But Jiang Hong was still very shocked, perhaps because he was surprised that someone in this school liked him, or maybe because it was his first time being confessed to by a guy, with the former being more impactful than the latter.
Could it be Lu Xiu?
Ahhh, what if it’s Lu Xiu? What should I do?
Confessed to by a dragon?!
Yet deep down, Jiang Hong felt it made sense, because who else but Lu Xiu would be so sweet and clingy with him all the time?
[Finished with your work?]
A message arrived on his phone.
Jiang Hong sat bolt upright, bouncing off the bed, and replied seriously: [Ready to head out.]
Then he lay back down, rolling around in turmoil. Ah, what to do? Since when did Lu Xiu start liking him? Jiang Hong vaguely felt that, during this period, they had been in a relationship.
Jiang Hong's heart rate began to race again.
Lu Xiu: [Where shall I wait?]
Jiang Hong: [At the school gate, I guess.]
Thinking about it, it did seem like they were really dating! Jiang Hong sat up again, quickly getting dressed... Confessed to by a dragon, should I accept?
Jiang Hong was conflicted. Did he like Lu Xiu? He went to the mirror to fix his hair. Undoubtedly, he did like Lu Xiu, incredibly so, but was that “love”? He couldn’t quite accept being in a relationship with Lu Xiu like many couples, like... kissing, even... Thinking of kissing, Jiang Hong remembered that dream again, where he didn’t resist but rather welcomed it.
What is happening to me?! Jiang Hong cried out inwardly.
But refuse Lu Xiu? Jiang Hong didn’t want to reject him... He seemed to glimpse his own heart; rationally, he felt it wasn’t right, but emotionally, he indeed liked Lu Xiu.
Does that mean I’m gay? Jiang Hong realized another issue. How would he explain this to his parents? Wouldn't they be furious? Well, maybe not furious, his parents would probably, most likely accept it, but be as shocked initially as Jiang Hong was.
This is getting more complicated.
Lu Xiu: [I’m downstairs of your dorm building.]
Jiang Hong shouted towards the outside, "I’ll be right there!" and hurried out.
What should I do? Jiang Hong thought to himself. Today is 520... Will Lu Xiu do something? Will he kiss me like last time?
Jiang Hong's mind was always filled with drama; his thoughts were chaotic and disorganized. Passing by a nearby dorm, he saw Lian Jiang playing a guitar alone.
"Hey!" Lian Jiang said, "Where are you going tonight?"
Jiang Hong stopped, "Not sure yet. Aren’t you going out? No date?"
Lian Jiang: "Nope, Xiao Pi is coming over. We’ll eat at the cafeteria, okay?"
Jiang Hong: "Be careful or his father might chop you into four pieces with his divine powers."
Lian Jiang: "We’re not like that. You got a confession, didn’t you? I saw your name."
Jiang Hong was about to deny it, but realized denial was pointless, so he said, "I don’t know who that is. It's not you playing a joke, is it?"
"You’re kidding, right?" Lian Jiang said. "Who else but Professor Lu?"
Jiang Hong facepalmed, while Lian Jiang exclaimed in surprise, "You two haven’t… haven’t…"
Jiang Hong quickly said, "I never thought about it that way! It’s that obvious? Really?"
Lian Jiang seemed more shocked than Jiang Hong, saying, "I thought you two were… since you enrolled, you’ve been a pair! Wasn’t he the one who accompanied you?"
Jiang Hong: "How could that be! He was just the senior responsible for guiding me!"
Lian Jiang: "But aren’t you two always together? Professor Lu always seeks you out."
Jiang Hong: "Isn’t that normal? Can't you have good friends? You and Xiao Pi hang out all the time too, right?"
Lian Jiang was surprisingly left speechless.
Lian Jiang said, "You guys haven't… made it official yet? Wasn't it destined since your past lives? Even Xiao Pi knows about it."
Jiang Hong: "It is... well, talking about past lives does make sense, but why would Xiao Pi know?!"
Lian Jiang: "His dad mentioned it..."
Jiang Hong: "Why would the head teacher discuss such things?! Never mind, I won’t talk about it... I have to go. He's waiting for me downstairs."
Lian Jiang blew a kiss to Jiang Hong: "Have fun."
After a few words with Lian Jiang, Jiang Hong's feelings became even more complicated.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, Lu Xiu, bathed in the afternoon sun, sat on a low wall behind the dormitory building.
Jiang Hong, looking around for someone, heard a voice from above: "Over here, where are you looking?"
Jiang Hong jumped in surprise, and upon seeing Lu Xiu, he became inexplicably nervous.
Jiang Hong scratched his head, saying, "Sorry for being late."
"No problem," Lu Xiu said casually. "Shall we take my bike or the school bus?"
Jiang Hong blurted out, "Let's take the bus, we can talk."
Although riding with Lu Xiu on his bike was cool, Jiang Hong could only hold onto him, and with the wind noise, they hardly talked during the ride.
Lu Xiu then hummed in agreement and slowly headed towards the school gate to take the bus.
"How did the exam go?" Lu Xiu asked again.
Jiang Hong: "It was... okay, I guess?"
Jiang Hong kept stealing glances at Lu Xiu. If he had harbored even 1% thought of rejecting the confession when not in Lu Xiu's presence, it completely vanished upon seeing him. Being with someone like Lu Xiu was pure happiness, leaving no room for any other thoughts.
His need and dependence on Lu Xiu were like the air, omnipresent and indispensable.
"Have you been staying up late these days?" Lu Xiu asked.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Jiang Hong rubbed his face, asking, "Do I look exhausted? Is it that obvious?"
Lu Xiu stopped, scrutinizing Jiang Hong's face, then instinctively averted his gaze, saying, "Your dormitory balcony light was on until three in the morning yesterday."
Jiang Hong: "Oh, do you watch my dorm with binoculars?"
Lu Xiu: "No! What are you thinking? From my room, even though it's two kilometers away, it's clear at night."
At the school gate bus stop, the bus had arrived. Many people were looking at Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong. Jiang Hong then realized they were wearing matching shoes and similar clothes because they had bought summer T-shirts together. Sometimes when Jiang Hong bought a white one, he would also get a black one for Lu Xiu.
They really looked like a couple... Jiang Hong glanced at the nearby stares, but the students seemed not to focus on them being two guys, as male couples weren't uncommon here.
On the bus, row after row was filled with couples.
Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong sat in the last row of the bus. The girl sitting in front seemed eager to talk to Lu Xiu, looking back several times but ultimately restraining herself.
"What exams are you having next week?" Lu Xiu asked again.
Jiang Hong: "Still the talisman class, submitting a paper, which is almost done. Then a demonology history class and finally, exploring the inner worlds and Principal Cao's comprehensive studies."
Jiang Hong yawned again, really tired. He had been sleeping only a little over three hours each night lately, and now that he had finished an exam, he felt relaxed.
Lu Xiu put on wireless earbuds and handed one to Jiang Hong.
Leaning on Lu Xiu's shoulder and looking out the window, Jiang Hong was lost in thought when the song Lu Xiu was playing, the Cantonese version of "I Need You Every Minute," seemed to hint at something.
Once Jiang Hong started sensing the extraordinary nature of their relationship, everything seemed to hint at it. Perhaps Lu Xiu was accustomed to it, and only he was still clueless?
But being with Lu Xiu indeed satisfied a sense of vanity... No, how could such a pure relationship be measured by vanity? But being with a dragon was an achievement unparalleled, wasn't it?
What would happen if his parents found out?
Jiang Hong's mind was turning over these thoughts. Only in Cangqiong University did everyone seem indifferent. But once back in the real world, to open up about his relationship with Lu Xiu to his parents...
One strange thought after another filled Jiang Hong's mind. When he fantasized about facing his parents with Lu Xiu, enduring the family pressure like a dramatic scene, he couldn't hold on any longer and fell sound asleep.
"We're here," Lu Xiu said.
The bus was empty, with Jiang Hong now asleep in Lu Xiu's arms.
"Oh..." Jiang Hong said, waking up. "What time is it? Shall we eat?"
Lu Xiu had booked a fancy restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere, on a terrace where they could see the garden outside. It was even busier than Valentine's Day, with not a single empty seat in the terrace restaurant.
After ordering a set meal, Lu Xiu quietly watched Jiang Hong. Usually, Jiang Hong was the one to start conversations, as he could talk non-stop for half an hour even without a topic. But today, or in recent days after everything that happened, he seemed at a loss for words, struggling to find something to say and blushing slightly.
"Ding Dong," a message arrived on Jiang Hong's phone.
He checked immediately, grateful for the interruption. The message was from Xiao Pi.
Jiang Hong glanced at Lu Xiu and then started replying to the message. He never checked his phone when with Lu Xiu; it was Lu Xiu who occasionally paid attention to messages in case of emergencies.
Xiao Pi: [Hey, Jiang Hong, I heard from Lian Jiang. It's not what you think, he didn't explain it clearly. I'm really sorry if it confused you!]
Jiang Hong: [It's okay, we were just chatting.]
Xiao Pi: [Listen to me, only the teachers know. Lian Jiang has always been tight-lipped! We never mentioned it to anyone else, aside from me and Lian Jiang. Only Principal Cao, my dad, and Si Gui know about you guys. Professor Ke Da guessed it himself, no one told him!]
Jiang Hong: "..."
This explanation doesn't help at all! Jiang Hong thought, feeling even more frantic inside.
Xiao Pi: [My dad said that Professor Lu waited for you for over a hundred years, so he stayed at Cangqiong University for you, guided by fate. He just mentioned it casually once, and we really didn't expect it to trouble you, so sorry.]
Jiang Hong replied [It's okay, really] while sneaking a glance at Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu: "?"
Jiang Hong stopped replying to the messages.
"Are you busy?" Lu Xiu asked with a hint of confusion, noticing Jiang Hong's unusual behavior these past few days.
"No," Jiang Hong quickly replied, gazing at Lu Xiu, lost in thought. "I'm just a bit sleepy…"
Lu Xiu nodded understandingly, and they sat in silence for a while. Jiang Hong noticed a candle on the table, next to which was a single rose. He observed the couples around them. The tables were separated by plants and glass, giving the illusion of semi-private booths. The terrace restaurant had a special atmosphere; everyone was quiet, with only occasional snippets of conversation. The men weren’t overly intense, and the women didn’t show excessive enthusiasm.
Only their table had two men sitting together for a couple's meal, but no one seemed to find it odd, not even the waitstaff.
"Did the principal give you the Soul Stinger?" Lu Xiu started a new topic.
"What's the Soul Stinger?" Jiang Hong remembered the small knife Cao Bin had given him, took it out, and handed it to Lu Xiu. "How did he know we would be together tonight?"
Lu Xiu casually took it, saying, "What else?"
Jiang Hong asked, "Oh, okay, but what kind of talisman is this?"
He watched Lu Xiu's skilled fingers play with the small sheathed knife. The knife, only five or six centimeters long, was accompanied by a leather sheath.
Lu Xiu gently pulled it out of the sheath, revealing the blade shaped like a scorpion's sting.
"Soul Stinger can inflict damage on special creatures," Lu Xiu explained. "I'll teach you a spell."
"Here?" Jiang Hong looked around.
Lu Xiu got up and sat next to Jiang Hong, shielding him from the other side. Jiang Hong became nervous and said, "I don't know if I can master it..."
"It's a simple spell," Lu Xiu explained. "No incantations needed, just a rune, but it might hurt a bit."
Then, Lu Xiu used the Soul Stinger to make a cut on his own ring finger.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
"Shh." Lu Xiu signaled Jiang Hong to be quiet.
Jiang Hong watched in amazement as Lu Xiu's finger began to bleed, but the blood was not crimson; it was golden!
Golden blood! Jiang Hong had only seen it once before, in the Qilian Mountains, when Lu Xiu, in his true form, was injured and bled golden blood. Even when facing a clone, Lu Xiu had never bled gold.
The Soul Stinger had pierced through Lu Xiu's human form, directly injuring his true form!
It was beautiful... Lu Xiu's blood wasn’t the color of golden paint or varnish, but a bright gold-red, glowing faintly in the dark, the color of flames.
"Give me your hand, any hand," Lu Xiu insisted. "It will hurt a bit. The power of dragon blood is too strong; it will scorch your soul."
Jiang Hong immediately nodded and extended his left hand to Lu Xiu, who then pressed his bloodied finger onto Jiang Hong's hand.
Jiang Hong felt his soul torn apart, the pain was unbearable! This was far from "a bit painful" – it was a deep, soul-shaking terror!
Quickly, Lu Xiu drew a rune, and the dragon blood in the shape of the rune sank into Jiang Hong's hand, disappearing in a matter of seconds.
The pain vanished instantly, leaving only a burning sensation, then warmth, and finally, no feeling at all.
"Ow, it really does hurt a bit." Jiang Hong broke into a sweat on his forehead.
"It's done," Lu Xiu said, gently brushing Jiang Hong's cheek with the back of his hand.
"What is this?" Jiang Hong asked excitedly, lifting his left hand to examine it closely. "Can it shoot fireballs?"
Lu Xiu sat back down opposite him, sheathed the Soul Stinger, and replied, "This is a space brand unique to the dragon race, similar to the 'fissure' cultivated by the demon race. It allows you to store items."
"Oh!" Jiang Hong understood. He had often seen classmates conjure items like crystal balls from seemingly nowhere, similar to Xiao Pi pulling out a huge sword from thin air.
"Channel your spiritual energy to the rune to activate it. Make the energy converge inward from outside the rune," Lu Xiu instructed. "Then you can summon stored items into this special fissure. Want to try?"
Lu Xiu took Jiang Hong's hand, positioning his palm over a plate on the table. Following Lu Xiu's instructions, Jiang Hong activated the rune, and the plate silently vanished.
"Reverse the flow," Lu Xiu continued. "Channel the energy from the center of the rune outward, that's the reverse activation."
With a "swoosh," the plate shot out like a flying saucer, which Lu Xiu quickly caught and placed back on the table.
"Wow, wow, wow!" Jiang Hong exclaimed. "Can it store anything? If I put my whole family in there, we could avoid paying for plane tickets, right?"
"Stop!" Lu Xiu halted Jiang Hong's silly attempt to use the rune on him, explaining, "It can't hold living things, and the space is very limited, influenced by your spiritual power..."
"Right, right," Jiang Hong sighed a bit disappointed, knowing his limited magical power couldn't alter living beings. Then, an idea struck him, "At least I could perform magic tricks on the Spring Festival Gala, right?"
Lu Xiu: "..."
"What did you give me this spell for?" Lu Xiu asked patiently.
Jiang Hong chuckled, "Are plants considered living things?"
Lu Xiu said: "The Book of Everything."
"Oh—!" Jiang Hong, as if suddenly enlightened, exclaimed, "Right! That way, it won't get stolen!"
Lu Xiu said: "I initially thought about making you a ring, since a magical artifact can hold more, but if the ring gets stolen, it's the same problem. So, using the Dragon Blood Seal is actually safer."
"Exactly, exactly!" Jiang Hong, who always carried his single-shoulder bag with the Book of Everything inside, finally understood. He took out the book, trying to fit it into the crevice, and then stylishly drew it out like unsheathing a sword.
Then he started practicing placing his left hand on his waist and his right hand on the back of his left hand, like a swordsman, stylishly "drawing his sword."
Lu Xiu watched Jiang Hong's actions and suddenly burst into laughter.
Jiang Hong also found it fun and very cool!
"This way, unless someone chops off my hand," Jiang Hong said, "they'll never be able to steal the Book of Everything again."
"Although that won't happen," Lu Xiu replied, "even if they cut off your hand, they still won't be able to take it, because the Dragon Blood Seal isn't on your 'hand,' but in your soul, precisely, on the 'hand of your soul.'"
Jiang Hong nodded, not fully understanding. Lu Xiu observed him for a while, then suddenly looked a bit uneasy and said, "You don't mind having the Dragon Blood Seal, do you?"
"Of course not!" Jiang Hong replied. "Why would you say that?"
Lu Xiu explained: "It's like leaving a mark on your soul. Some people don't like having marks left on them…"
"Not at all!" Jiang Hong said, "I really like this mark!"
Lu Xiu appeared somewhat relieved, nodded, and said, "Then that's good."
Jiang Hong suddenly found it amusing, thinking, if you were worried I'd mind, shouldn't you have asked me before?
"Let's eat," Lu Xiu said. "The food is served, stop playing around."
Jiang Hong, still not quite over the fun, played with it a few more times before starting his dinner. Lu Xiu said, "You should only put the most important things in there, ideally just the Book of Everything. Don’t just stuff it with everything for convenience."
If Lu Xiu hadn't mentioned it, Jiang Hong would definitely have treated it like a carry-on bag, but stuffing it with too many things would turn it into a cluttered mess like Doraemon's magic pocket, always frantically pulling out a bunch of unnecessary items when needing something.
"Got it!" Jiang Hong said.
"Keep wearing my scale," Lu Xiu reminded him again.
"Mm."
"Today…" Jiang Hong thought for a moment, then suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm?" Lu Xiu replied without looking up.
Jiang Hong asked, "Did you see the confession wall?"
Lu Xiu suddenly stopped his actions and didn't speak.
Jiang Hong had intended to make a joke and said, "A lot of people confessed to you."
After a brief pause, Lu Xiu resumed his usual demeanor, glanced at Jiang Hong, and said, "Those are just students playing pranks, don't mind them."
Jiang Hong's heart suddenly started racing again. In the past, he might not have paid much attention to this conversation, just seeing it as casual chit-chat, but now every word seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
"Are you afraid I'll get jealous?" Jiang Hong laughed.
"Aren't you getting jealous right now?" Lu Xiu countered.
Jiang Hong had no reply. Lu Xiu's reaction seemed to confirm his guess, but he surprisingly felt happy to hear it.
"Principal Cao..." Jiang Hong said, "gets even more confessions than you!"
Lu Xiu: "Hmm, but it's of no use, he’s still single."
Jiang Hong laughed a few times and said, "I also saw Xiang Cheng."
"General Wa?" Lu Xiu replied. "Yeah, he's quite popular too, even though you haven't met him."
"Why do they call him General Wa?" Jiang Hong asked. "Is he good at building houses?"
Lu Xiu shrugged and said, "I don't know, that's just what they call him."
Jiang Hong curiously asked, "What kind of person is Principal Xiang?"
Lu Xiu thought for a moment, finding it hard to describe, and finally said, "He's someone who really understands others."
Jiang Hong nodded, and Lu Xiu added, "He puts himself in many people's shoes, empathetically understanding them."
Jiang Hong asked, "For example?"
Lu Xiu: "Like understanding others' loneliness, pain, the difficulties of having no choice but to act in certain ways, and the dark sides that many people don’t even want to admit to themselves. He is undoubtedly a guardian martial god."
Jiang Hong thought, Lu Xiu rarely had such complete affirmation for anyone else, even for their master Cao Bin, Lu Xiu only showed respect, not unconditional admiration; and for the members of the Demon Hunting Committee like Chen Zhen, it was even more different.
Only for Xiang Cheng did Lu Xiu have genuine respect. Perhaps Lu Xiu also felt Xiang Cheng's understanding of him?
So, what were the loneliness and pain understood by Xiang Cheng that Lu Xiu experienced?
Sometimes Jiang Hong felt he could grasp something; he couldn't help comparing himself with Xiang Cheng, wondering if he really was the one who understood Lu Xiu the most in the world.
Putting oneself in someone else's shoes... Jiang Hong's mind wandered again.
"Where do you want to go after dinner?" Lu Xiu asked. "Shopping? Is there anything you want to buy?"
"No, no," Jiang Hong replied, "I don’t need to buy anything."
Lu Xiu said, "Didn’t you ask me how much money I had during World Exploration class the other day? Tell me if there's anything you want to buy."
Jiang Hong laughed, "You remember that?"
It was a bit muggy in the summer night. Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu walked under the dense tree shade on a path lit by orange-yellow lights. Lu Xiu plucked a leaf and flicked it into the air with a spell, making it flutter like a butterfly in the night sky.
Jiang Hong replied, "I was just asking casually. I really don’t want anything."
Lu Xiu gestured for Jiang Hong to watch as the leaf suddenly lit up. Then, all the leaves on the path shone like fireflies, dancing in the air as if in a waltz, before returning to the branches, creating a magical atmosphere.
Jiang Hong stood under the tree, the sky filled with dense clouds, and twinkling lights all around.
"Where do you want to go?" Lu Xiu asked. "If you don't say, I'll decide."
Jiang Hong yawned, "I want to sleep, anywhere is fine."
These past few days, Jiang Hong was really tired, looking at Lu Xiu with sleepy eyes like a child, almost rubbing his eyes.
Lu Xiu thought for a moment and then suggested, "Then... how about sleeping in my dorm?"
"That's the best suggestion ever," Jiang Hong replied. He really wanted to catch up on sleep and longed to sleep holding Lu Xiu... Ah, such a thought was too intimate. But Lu Xiu's suggestion was exactly what he desired, as only in a familiar environment full of safety could he sleep deeply.
"Shall I fly us back, or wait for the bus?"
"Let's wait for the bus," Jiang Hong replied. "I ate too much, I might throw up if we fly."
So, Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong walked slowly to the bus stop.
Empathizing... Jiang Hong was still thinking about what Lu Xiu had said. If I were Lu Xiu, what kind of loneliness would I have?
Have you ever waited for someone for a hundred and sixty years?
For some reason, Jiang Hong's thoughts drifted to this phrase, and then he remembered Jin Yong's "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," where Zhang Sanfeng, a grandmaster who lived over a hundred years, reminisced about Guo Xiang, the founder of the Emei Sect whom he once loved.
"Looking at Guo Xiang's letter, Zhang Sanfeng seemed to see the bright and free-spirited girl once again."
"But that was a hundred years ago."
That was the line that had shaken him the most.
"You don't need to be jealous," Lu Xiu suddenly said.
Jiang Hong snapped back to reality, "Ah, I... am I? I'm not, right?" He hadn't expected Lu Xiu to still be thinking about the confessions on the wall.
Jiang Hong didn't dare to look at Lu Xiu, who had his hand on his shoulder, waiting for the last bus back to school at 8:40 pm.
"You were jealous back when Yuan Shiyu was around," Lu Xiu replied.
Jiang Hong didn't dare to look at him, but he could hear a hint of laughter in his voice.
"That's different!" Jiang Hong argued.
Lu Xiu's hand moved over Jiang Hong's shoulder, playfully pinching his ear.
"My feelings are only for you," Lu Xiu finally said, "I won't give them to anyone else."
It was as if fireworks exploded in Jiang Hong's mind.
"Ah, oh my God! This is so embarrassing!" Jiang Hong blushed, pushing away Lu Xiu's hand.
"Didn't you say the same thing last time?" Lu Xiu looked at Jiang Hong, puzzled, as if to say, why didn't you find it embarrassing then?
Jiang Hong felt both embarrassed and amused, staring at Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu was first taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter, as if he wanted to say something, and then his face turned red too.
He hesitated to speak, his gaze falling on Jiang Hong's lips, breathing softly.
Just then, the bus arrived. It didn't honk, but both of them heard it. As the doors opened, Jiang Hong quickly boarded, heading to his usual spot — the last row by the window.
Lu Xiu immediately followed, sitting next to Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong's breathing quickened, so Lu Xiu remained silent.
As the bus started moving, dense clouds gathered in the distance, with faint flashes of lightning within them. Five minutes later, Lu Xiu said, "Looks like a storm is coming."
"Hmm." Jiang Hong calmed his emotions and shifted closer to Lu Xiu, who then wrapped an arm around him, letting him lean into his embrace.
Putting oneself in another's shoes...
Jiang Hong was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Even the thunder and lightning that followed seemed like a minor interlude in the vast sea of his subconscious.
What does it feel like to wait for someone for a hundred and sixty years? Ten, twenty years are enough to blur a person's memory, making it hard to recall the other's face.
"Let's go!" Lu Xiu said. "We can shower when we get back!"
The downpour was relentless over the Qinling area. When Jiang Hong woke up, he and Lu Xiu got off the bus, preparing to run back to the dorm from the main entrance.
But Lu Xiu whistled, and a Kawasaki H2 sliced through the rain, drifting skillfully, summoned to the school gate.
"Get on!"
Back at the school, no longer worried about using magic off-campus and attracting the inspectors' attention, Lu Xiu mounted the bike, and Jiang Hong jumped on the back, holding tightly around Lu Xiu's waist, leaning against his back.
The Kawasaki H2 roared like a speedboat, raising white waves of rain under the thunder and pouring rain, crossing half the campus. In the dark night ahead, limitless and vast, only the motorcycle's headlights illuminated the flying rain, like thousands of shattered lightning bolts streaking through the darkness.
Underneath Lu Xiu's soaked shirt, the warmth of his skin conveyed a sense of safety, and Jiang Hong could feel Lu Xiu's strong heartbeat.
"What are you thinking about?" Lu Xiu slowed down as they circled the teaching building. "Are you awake?"
Jiang Hong shouted back, "I won't tell you!"
Lu Xiu drifted, stirring up a nearly one-meter-high wave, "Do you know what I'm thinking?"
"What are you thinking?" asked Jiang Hong.
The Kawasaki H2 slowed down and gently drove into the faculty dormitory area, coming to a stop.
"I felt your heartbeat," Lu Xiu answered in the silence.
In the elevator, both drenched from head to toe, Lu Xiu still holding Jiang Hong's hand. Back in the dorm, turning on the warm light, the storm raged outside the balcony. Jiang Hong immediately went to shower to avoid catching a cold. Midway, Lu Xiu came in, his movements natural, standing under the shower, turning the hot water to its maximum.
Jiang Hong: "!!!"
It wasn't his first time seeing Lu Xiu's body, but for some reason, he found it incredibly sexy today! Long hands and legs, distinct collarbones, clear abs, and very fair skin.
He was surprised to find himself thinking a man's body could be so sexy, maybe because Lu Xiu, despite having the body of a young man, carried certain subtle dragon-like traits, such as in some contours of his muscles.
"I... I'm done showering," said Jiang Hong.
Lu Xiu turned off the water and in a mist of steam, vigorously towel-dried Jiang Hong's hair before saying, "Go ahead."
Jiang Hong dried his hair and casually wore Lu Xiu's clothes, then sprawled on the bed.
One hundred and sixty years...
No, not one hundred and sixty years, but forever.
It was only at this moment that a thought deep in Jiang Hong's heart finally made him truly "put himself in Lu Xiu's shoes" and understand him.
He never knew that this search would end after one hundred and sixty years, nor did he ever know for certain if the person he was waiting for would come after one hundred and sixty years... For Lu Xiu, every day in it was filled with uncertainty, maybe tomorrow, maybe never.
"Asleep again." Lu Xiu, after taking a shower and drying his hair, saw Jiang Hong already asleep on the bed.
He casually turned off the light, sat by the bed, glanced at his phone, then lay down next to Jiang Hong. Moments later, he gently nudged Jiang Hong.
Jiang Hong instinctively turned over, subconsciously embracing Lu Xiu, entwining himself around him to continue sleeping.
