Shen Huarong did not visit Su Li often. In most cases, he came with Qi Changying, and he had no time to play with the cat. Besides, Shoumo liked to sleep during the day and did not pay much attention to him.
Su Li was only gone for half a day, but when he returned, this person and this cat had actually become so intimate and right in front of him.
Su Li knew that when a civet cat rolled onto its back, it was showing affection and trust. In the past, he was also very happy to interact with Shoumo this way.
He fed the kitten until it was full and kept it by his side, giving it a warm place to live so it would no longer have to endure the elements outside. He was the cat’s owner. The cat should only grow close to him, show its completely unguarded side only to him, and listen only to him.
But now, this cat had actually taken the initiative to give its warmth and softness to someone else.
Su Li watched the cat purring comfortably beneath Shen Huarong’s hand and narrowed his eyes slightly.
He struggled on Qi Changying’s back. “Put me down.”
“All right… Can you walk?” They were already at the entrance to the tent, so Qi Changying indulged him and put him down. However, he still loosely supported Su Li’s arm, afraid he might place his foot incorrectly and fall again.
Su Li did not answer. He limped around from behind Qi Changying to stand beside him.
When Qi Changying looked up, he finally noticed that Su Li’s expression was a little off.
It was very cold, as if a layer of frost had settled over his brows and eyes. This was not the usual expression he put on to keep strangers away. He genuinely seemed to be angry.
Qi Changying quickly thought back over what had happened and was certain that everything had been fine between them just now. He really didn’t know what had upset Su Li this time.
“What are you doing here?” Su Li asked, looking at Shen Huarong.
“Me?” Shen Huarong stood up and stretched.
“I originally came to find Ah Ying. I went from his place to yours, only to hear when I got here that you two had gone out early this morning. Where did you go to have fun? You stayed out until so late. You went out to play without bringing me along, so naturally I had to wait for you to come back and properly demand an explanation!”
“Boring.” Su Li frowned, his tone unpleasant.
On seeing him, Shoumo meowed and came over to rub against his ankle, expressing how much it had missed him during their half-day apart.
Su Li acted as though he had not seen it. He coldly lifted his foot and limped into the tent, leaving the cat rubbing against empty air.
“Hey… Did you upset him again?” Shen Huarong had no idea why Su Li was acting like he had swallowed firecrackers again, so he could only ask Qi Changying.
Qi Changying looked at the curtain of the tent, which swayed slightly. After a moment, he thoughtfully lowered his gaze to Shoumo at his feet.
He bent down, picked Shoumo up, and said to Shen Huarong,
“He seems unhappy. You should head back first.”
“My dear Ah Ying, you really are good to your brother. You don’t want your brother to get scolded, so you’ve chosen to face the storm alone?”
Shen Huarong habitually spouted nonsense. Qi Changying smiled helplessly and gave him a push.
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Shen Huarong naturally had no particular desire to rush into being scolded. After joking around for a bit, he left in a grand, carefree manner.
Qi Changying looked up at his retreating figure, then lowered his head to look at the little black cat in his arms before lifting the curtain and walking inside.
Su Li was already sitting on the soft animal-fur rug, taking off his shoes and socks to examine his ankle.
Seeing this, Qi Changying placed Shoumo in its bed and hurried over. He knelt on one knee in front of Su Li, gently supporting his lower leg through several layers of clothing with one hand. With the other, he picked up the candleholder from the table and held it nearby to illuminate the area.
Su Li instinctively tried to pull his leg back, but Qi Changying gently held it in place.
“Don’t move.”
After examining it for a while, he put down the candleholder and gently pressed the skin around Su Li’s ankle again. Only after feeling several points along the bone did he say, “It’s dislocated.”
Su Li frowned. He did not care whether it was dislocated or not. He only wanted Qi Changying to let go of him as soon as possible.
Despite the cold weather, this person’s hands were warm. Even his fingertips felt hot to the touch.
“It’ll heal on its own in a few days. Hurry up and get lost. I’m going to sleep.”
Hearing him sulk again, Qi Changying sighed softly, looking somewhat helpless.
“…Silly Ah Li, a dislocation won’t heal on its own.”
Hearing Qi Changying’s way of addressing him, Su Li’s brows twitched, and he immediately prepared to lose his temper.
“Who are you calling…?!”
“Wait a moment. Don’t go to sleep yet.”
Qi Changying stood up and, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, gently rubbed the top of Su Li’s head.
“I’ll go get the military doctor.”
“…”
Su Li was completely stunned, his mind going blank.
He watched Qi Changying’s back. Once he came to his senses, he snatched up the shoe beside him and threw it at Qi Changying with all his strength in a fit of anger.
What did he just do to him?
Touched his head? How dare he?!
“Qi Changying! Who gave you permission…?!”
Unfortunately, it was already too late. Qi Changying had already lifted the curtain and gone out. The shoe flew out of Su Li’s hand in a graceful arc before landing on the ground with a thud.
Qi Changying naturally had no idea what had happened inside the tent behind him after he left.
He went straight to the military doctor. He thought that the doctor might already be asleep at this late hour, but unexpectedly, the tent was not only lit but also full of noisy commotion. Only after entering did he learn that five or six soldiers had eaten something wrong during the evening gathering. Every one of them was vomiting, suffering from diarrhea, and running a fever, leaving the physicians overwhelmed.
There were only three military doctors on duty in this camp tonight, and none of them could leave. So Qi Changying could only wait and lend a hand in taking care of the sick soldiers.
As a result, by the time the military doctor finally had some free time, half an hour had already passed.
Afraid that Su Li would become unhappy from waiting too long, Qi Changying hurried back to Su Li’s tent, carrying the physician’s medicine box for him.
Fortunately, Su Li was still awake, and the lamp inside the tent was still lit. However, the sounds coming from inside seemed ominous.
“Get lost! Get away! Don’t come near me!”
Then came a clatter of things being knocked about, and a black shadow darted out amid the noise.
It was Shoumo.
Shoumo circled around outside the tent a few times, tentatively trying to go back inside. But before it could even poke its head in, the boy’s voice rang out again from within.
“Get lost! Go die!”
“Ah, what happened…?” The military doctor who had caught up with him also heard the commotion and murmured to himself.
He had heard his colleagues talk about the name Qiyueban. They said the child was surrounded by a ghostly aura, had a strange temper, and did nothing all day except hide in his tent drawing bizarre talismans, which was frightening.
He was already apprehensive when he learned that he would be following Qi Changying to examine Qiyueban. Now, he was even more reluctant to approach.
“Don’t worry. It’s fine.”
Qi Changying noticed the military doctor’s hesitation and casually reassured him before leading him toward the tent.
When they got closer, Shoumo recognized Qi Changying and immediately came over, rubbing against him pitifully and meowing, “Mew, mew.”
“What’s wrong?” Qi Changying gently stroked its head, then said to it,
“Wait outside for a little while. Don’t run around.”
It was unclear whether the little civet cat truly understood him, but it actually followed Qi Changying’s instructions and silently curled up beside a rock outside the tent, remaining still.
Seeing this, Qi Changying sighed and led the military doctor into the tent.
A dislocated ankle was not difficult to treat. Once the bones are put back into place, the patient can walk normally again. Therefore, after completing his task, the military doctor did not want to stay another moment. He immediately picked up his medicine box and hurried away from this troublesome place, leaving only Qi Changying and Su Li sitting quietly by the candlelight.
“What are you doing?” Su Li asked with a frown, his tone unpleasant.
“Why haven’t you left? Are you staying to sleep with me?”
“…” Hearing this, Qi Changying did not respond, but silently stood up and left.
Su Li thought he had successfully driven the man away with his harsh words. Who would have thought that Qi Changying would soon return, with the annoying civet cat in his arms?
“Why did you bring it inside? I told it to get lost! You get lost too!!”
The anger that had already subsided a little surged up again. He wanted to throw something at Qi Changying, but there was nothing within reach that he could use.
“Ah Li, let’s talk properly first. Don’t lose your temper.”
Qi Changying put Shoumo back in its little bed, then walked over and knelt on one knee beside Su Li. Looking straight into his eyes, he asked gently, “Why are you angry? Aren’t you and Shoumo very close? Did it do something to upset you, or is it something else? Can you tell me?”
“Why should I tell you? What are you?!”
“Of course, I’m nothing to you.”
Qi Changying always seemed to speak calmly. No matter what attitude he faced, it never disrupted his mood or rhythm.
He was like a soft ball of cotton. No matter how harshly someone beat him, he would always appear as white and soft as ever.
“But, Ah Li, anger is like a dislocation. If you leave it alone instead of dealing with it, it won’t get better by itself. Instead, it will become more serious. Just as a dislocation requires finding the point that has gone wrong and putting the bones back in place, anger always has a cause, too. If you don’t resolve it, it will remain an unresolved knot in your heart, blocking your body day after day and disturbing your good mood. Although I can’t set bones and can’t help you with your dislocated ankle, I think I’m fairly good at helping people work through things. So, if something is making you unhappy, could you tell me about it?”
Seeing that Su Li was still barefoot, Qi Changying worried he might get cold, so he casually picked up a thin blanket and covered him with it.
Knowing that Su Li would find it difficult to bring up such matters, he took the initiative to suggest a topic.
“Is it because you saw Shoumo getting along well with Ah Rong and you weren’t very happy about it?”
“…” Qi Changying’s words struck a nerve. For a moment, Su Li did not know how to respond.
He could only habitually retort,
“What’s it to you?”
“It’s fine. This is a very normal feeling, Ah Li.
“Listen to me. I delivered my horse, Qianshan, with my own hands. The first thing it saw when it opened his eyes, apart from its mother, was me. It’s very special to me. It’s one of my best friends, and we’re partners who understand each other perfectly. It’s very well-behaved and only recognizes me and the people I personally bring before it. If one day I saw it being ridden by a stranger, and saw how affectionate and in sync they were, I’d feel uncomfortable too.”
Hearing this, Su Li sneered. “You, the great saint, would feel uncomfortable too?”
“Naturally.” Qi Changying smiled.
“People compare this feeling to being jealous, because it makes your heart feel sour and uncomfortable. It’s only human nature.”
“But, Ah Li, you can’t blame it.”
“Why?!” Su Li immediately bristled.
“I feed it, give it water, and provide it with a safe place to live. It belongs to me! It should listen to me. It can only depend on me. I hate sharing things with others, and I don’t want things that belong to other people. I want something that can belong completely to me! No matter what it is!”
“But it’s not a cold, lifeless object, Ah Li.” Qi Changying sighed helplessly.
“You can refuse to wear clothes that other people have worn or use swords that other people have used. These things can all be made to suit your needs, so they should naturally belong to you from the beginning. But living creatures are different. No life is born to belong to someone or depend on someone. They have their own thoughts, their own likes and dislikes. They have the right to show kindness and affection to anyone. That is a right they are born with.”
“You gave it food, warmth, and shelter, so it recognizes you as its master and lives as your cat. But you cannot completely control its thoughts and choices, because it has the ability to think. The more you try to control it, the more you’ll achieve the opposite effect and scare it away.”
“Then I’ll make it lose the ability to think.”
Su Li curled his lips coldly.
“Let it die, and then it can only belong to me.”
“…Don’t say things out of anger.” Qi Changying gently held his wrist.
“Think about it. Even though it gets along well with Shen Huarong, it hasn’t left with him, right? Because it knows this is its home, and because you’re the person it loves most.”
At the mention of a certain word, Su Li frowned.
“I don’t need that sort of thing.”
“What? A home, or love?” Qi Changying thought this child’s temperament was truly awkward. If he did not slowly guide him and simply let him grow freely like this, he really did not dare imagine how extreme he might become in the future.
“Everyone needs a home, and even more so, love, Ah Li.”
“Shoumo loves you. If you hurt it like this, it will be very sad. If love is used up completely, it will be hurt, and so will you.”
“So, stop being angry, all right? Shen Huarong was only playing with it for a while. The most important person in its life is you, Ah Li. The person it loves most is you, too.”
“…Stop talking about love this and love that.” Su Li really could not stand hearing that word.
Qi Changying was amused by his awkward little manner.
“Being loved and loving someone is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Love is a wonderful thing. It’s the strength that supports people in living their lives earnestly. Ah Li, let’s give it a try. Let’s learn to listen, to accept, and to express ourselves. All right?”
“I don’t understand.” Su Li frowned and turned his face away.
“It’s fine. I’ll teach you. We’ll take it slowly.”
“…”
Hearing this, Su Li blinked very lightly and slowly.
After a moment, he gave a soft snort.
“Don’t make grand claims.”
“I’m not making grand claims. I really will teach you.”
“What if you can’t teach me?”
“Then I’ll teach you slowly until you learn.”
“What if you die before you teach me? Who am I supposed to complain to? Get lost while you still can!”
“You silly child…” Qi Changying shook his head with a smile and sighed.
“All right, all right. Even if I die and become a ghost, I’ll keep teaching you. How about that?”
“…”
Su Li didn’t speak. He suddenly raised his eyes and stared straight at him.
Su Li’s eyes were very large and very dark, like an unfathomable abyss. When he stared at someone without moving, he could look somewhat ghostly and sinister, enough to make one’s hair stand on end.
But Qi Changying was not afraid.
At least, Su Li did not see the slightest hint of wavering in his eyes.
The man simply met his gaze with a faint smile, open and sincere.
“A person like you could never become a ghost.”
“…Hmm? Why?” Qi Changying was slightly taken aback.
“Because the most important thing in becoming a ghost is resentment. But you seem to have none of that at all. Even if someone pulled out your tendons and bones and drained all your blood, you’d probably just sigh and say, ‘Forget it.’”
Someone who had no temper at all while alive…how much could one expect him to achieve after death?
“Qi Changying, I want to create a kind of curse.”
Without waiting for Qi Changying to answer, Su Li continued to stare directly into his eyes, slowing his speech.
“When you die, I’ll summon your soul back and keep you by my side as a ghost, a ghost who belongs completely to me alone. Then I’ll bind our lives together. If I’m injured, you’re injured. If I die, you die. Either we live together or we die together. You’ll never be allowed to leave or find release. That way, you’ll learn that some things shouldn’t be said lightly, and some promises shouldn’t be made lightly.”
Su Li raised his hand and gently clasped Qi Changying’s neck with his cold fingers. His fingertips felt the warmth of Qi Changying’s body and the pulse beating at the side of his neck.
He raised his eyebrows slightly and called the young man by his full name once more.
“Qi Changying,
“…Are you afraid?”
