At dinner, Xue Laohu announced his plans with a voice that carried both excitement and authority. "Tomorrow," he said, his gaze sweeping over the table, "I'll be taking you all to Lake Taohu to view the peach blossoms." His tone left little room for argument, but the announcement was met with mixed reactions.
Shudu, however, had no intention of letting the moment pass without mischief. He leaned forward, grasping Xue Laohu's hands with an exaggerated flourish and bringing them close to his lips. His smile was infuriatingly smug, his eyes glittering with amusement. "If Grandmaster Xue wishes to profess his love to this venerable one," he began in a low, teasing drawl, "there is no need to go to Lake Taohu. He can confess his admiration righ—"
Before he could finish, the sharp crack of a fan smacking his head echoed across the room, silencing him mid-sentence. Shudu winced, releasing Xue Laohu's hands to rub his now-throbbing skull.
Xue Laohu stood, his patience visibly worn thin. He'd had enough of Shudu's antics. He had spent weeks meticulously crafting opportunities for Shudu to fall for Xue Tuzi, yet here he was—blatantly ignoring every setup and shamelessly making moves on him instead.
This pervert, Xue Laohu thought furiously, his grip tightening on the fan, has the gall to exploit every romantic gesture I've orchestrated for him, indulging himself in intimate moments with A-Tuzi and is still trying to woe me? Unbelievable!
Shudu, of course, was unrepentant. If anything, the reprimand only emboldened him. A notorious flirt, he seemed to take delight in aggravating everyone around him. His roguish advances toward Xue Laohu weren't entirely sincere—they were meant to provoke, especially since it drove Xue Tuzi into silent fits of jealousy.
Xue Tuzi sat stiffly, his eyes fixed on his plate. He didn't speak, but the faint tremor in his hands as he gripped his chopsticks betrayed his frustration. His cheeks were tinged pink, a mixture of anger and resentment bubbling under his calm exterior.
On the other hand, Li Zhameng, ever the stoic observer, kept his expression neutral. But his eyes told a different story. There was a cold sharpness in his gaze as he regarded Shudu, his fingers lightly drumming against the table. If looks could kill, Shudu would have been dead twice over. The tension in the room was obvious, the air thick with barely restrained hostility.
Yet Shudu seemed entirely unbothered, as though he thrived on the chaos he sowed. Xue Laohu sighed, the weight of exhaustion heavy in his tone as he gazed at the chaotic scene before him. His patience was wearing thin, though he fought to maintain his composure. "I just wanted to enjoy the peach blossoms with all of you," he said, his voice low but steady. "But if you're not interested, Shudu, I suppose you can stay behind."
Shudu's response came swiftly, his lips curling into a sly smile that revealed his sharp canine teeth. They gleamed in the soft, flickering glow of the lanterns, adding a predatory edge to his expression. "How could this venerable one refuse such a heartfelt offer from Grandmaster Xue?" he purred, still attempting to stroke Xue Laohu's hand.
Xue Tuzi, already teetering on the edge of his restraint, snapped. His hand slammed against the table with enough force to make the dishes rattle. "Shizun!" he burst out, his voice trembling with frustration. "Please stop appeasing that insect!" His usually soft-spoken demeanor was gone, replaced by a rare display of raw emotion. His cheeks flushed, whether from anger or resentment, no one could tell.
Shudu turned his attention to Xue Tuzi, his expression now one of amused curiosity. He opened his mouth, ready to deliver one of his cutting retorts, but Xue Laohu raised a hand, silencing him with a single, sharp look. "No fighting," Xue Laohu declared firmly, his voice brooking no argument. "We will be departing tomorrow."
With that, he stood, the motion fluid and deliberate. Taking a napkin, he wiped his lips with calm precision before placing it neatly beside his plate. "Rest well," he added, his tone final, as he turned on his heel and strode out of the room.
The room fell into a tense silence in his absence. Xue Tuzi glared at Shudu, his fists clenched tightly in his lap, while Shudu simply reclined in his chair, entirely unbothered.
Xue Tuzi's arrived at his dimly lit room, the lone candle on the table casting a warm, golden glow that softened the shadows dancing along the walls. He sat on his bed, his slender arms wrapped tightly around his legs, head resting atop his knees. The chill of the evening wind seeped through the slightly ajar window, ruffling his auburn-brown hair and sending a shiver down his spine.
"The peach blossoms…" he murmured softly, his gaze lingering on the delicate arrangement of blossoms sitting in a porcelain vase on the table. Jiao Jiao had painstakingly curated them, their pale pink petals radiant even in the dim light, a fleeting beauty that seemed to mirror his own fragile feelings.
He swallowed hard, his voice a whisper as his thoughts spiraled. "If I don't confess my love to Shizun… Meng Meng will." The words hung in the air, a weight he could hardly bear. He let out a soft sigh, his grip tightening around his legs as if to anchor himself. "But if Shizun… if he rejects me…" His voice broke, trailing into silence. Slowly, he opened his eyes, the faint shimmer of unshed tears clinging to his lashes.
His gaze lowered, and a single tear escaped, sliding down his cheek. "I don't think I'll be able to handle it," he admitted to the emptiness around him, his voice trembling. He shut his eyes tightly, clutching his legs as though trying to shield himself from the ache swelling in his chest. "Shizun… how do you feel about me?" he whispered. "Do you think of me the way I think of you?"
The flicker of the candle cast shifting patterns across the room, and for a moment, it seemed as though the blossoms in the vase were swaying. Xue Tuzi rested his cheek against his knees, his breath hitching as he let out a small, forlorn sigh. The wind stirred again, brushing against his tear-streaked face, carrying his unspoken hopes and fears into the night.
"Hey." The sultry, deep voice slid into his ear like a forbidden caress. Xue Tuzi jolted, the sensation sparking down his spine. He whipped his head around, his sharp glare landing on none other than Shudu. The man's grin was wide, his sharp canines glinting like a predator who had cornered his prey. The warm glow highlighted the golden tan of his bare skin, his muscular frame relaxed as he lay sprawled beside Xue Tuzi, his shirt conspicuously absent. One strong hand idly played with Xue Tuzi's hair, the long strands twirling between his fingers as if they belonged to him.
Xue Tuzi's brows knitted together in sharp disdain. He yanked his hair free from Shudu's grasp, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Get out," he spat, his tone cold and venomous. The sheer hostility in his words could have slain a weaker man. But Shudu was not so easily cowed.
Instead, he chuckled, the sound low and rich, as he stretched languidly on the bed, entirely unfazed by the fuming beauty beside him. "If you're thinking of professing your love to me, there's no need," he murmured, his voice a teasing purr as he leaned closer. His hand darted out, cupping Xue Tuzi's chin, his thumb brushing lightly over the delicate mole at the corner of his lips.
Xue Tuzi slapped his hand away with a sharp flick of his wrist, his glare intensifying. "Please," he scoffed, rolling his eyes as he gathered his long hair over one shoulder, the movement exposing the curve of his pale neck under the dim light.
Shudu's gaze darkened with mischief, leaning in, his nose grazed the bare skin of Xue Tuzi's neck as he inhaled deeply. "You can confess your love to me right now," he whispered, his voice dripping with seduction, "there's no need to wait for Lake Taohu." His lips brushed the curve of Xue Tuzi's neck, the touch light but lingering, enough to send a shiver down his spine.
Xue Tuzi shoved him away, his tone icy and sharp. "Confess to you? Not even as a joke." He tugged at the neckline of his robe, pulling it up to shield his neck from further advances, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.
Shudu leaned back lazily, watching him with a grin that was equal parts infuriating and captivating. "You plan to confess to Grandmaster Xue, don't you?" he asked, his brow arching as he reached under the pillow to retrieve the dagger Xue Tuzi kept hidden there. He twirled it between his fingers with practiced ease, the blade catching the flicker of the candlelight.
"Don't." His voice was calm, but the smirk curling his lips betrayed his amusement. "He's not interested."
Xue Tuzi's eyes narrowed further, his irritation mounting. "Oh, and you plan to?" he snapped, snatching the dagger from Shudu's fingers with a swift motion.
"Maybe," Shudu replied softly, his voice dipping just enough to be disarming. He pushed himself upright, leaning over to blow out the candle, plunging the room into darkness. Before Xue Tuzi could react, Shudu slipped under the blankets, snugly cocooning himself in the warmth, his audacity knowing no bounds.
The room was silent for a bit before Xue Tuzi's rage boiled over. Grabbing a pillow, he launched an assault, smacking Shudu repeatedly with enough force to flatten the pillow into a deflated mess of feathers. Shudu curled into a ball, laughing quietly at first, then more openly as the feathers settled around them like fallen snow.
"Get out!" Xue Tuzi hissed again, his chest rising and falling with the effort. But Shudu, still grinning despite the beating, simply nestled deeper into the ruined bed, entirely unapologetic.
He had developed an infuriating habit of sneaking into Xue Tuzi's bed every night, bringing along with him Xiao Zongzi. The spider demon would spin her intricate web near the open window, diligently catching anything that dared flutter inside. No matter how many times Xue Tuzi kicked, shoved, or outright dragged Shudu out of the bed, the man stubbornly refused to leave. He was a mountain—unmovable and insistent—and no amount of rage or threats could dislodge him.
To make matters worse, Shudu's presence was oddly harmless. He never crossed a line or forced himself on Xue Tuzi, which only deepened the latter's frustration. It wasn't the fear of harm that gnawed at Xue Tuzi—it was the maddening act of waking up in Shudu's arms. No matter how carefully he prepared for the night—stuffing pillows between them, constructing a fortress of blankets to keep their bodies apart—he always awoke nestled against Shudu's broad chest.
Shudu's arm would be firmly wrapped around his waist, holding him close with a protective ease that made Xue Tuzi's skin crawl. He loathed it. The thought of being so vulnerable, so entwined with an insect demon, filled him with disgust. And yet, he couldn't deny the truth hidden in the dark corners of his mind: the barriers he painstakingly built were useless because he was the one who crossed them.
Little did Xue Tuzi realize, he was the true perpetrator of this nightly intimacy. No matter how high he stacked the pillows or how tightly he tucked the blankets around himself, his unconscious self betrayed him, magnetically drawing him toward Shudu's warmth. By morning, he would always find himself curled against the man's muscular chest, his face buried in the crook of his neck.
Shudu, of course, never protested. If anything, he seemed to enjoy Xue Tuzi's nightly surrender, and never said a word. His arms would tighten around him just enough to keep him in place, his breathing steady and calm. And then there was Jiao Jiao—the tiny Gu worm who had claimed both of them as his Mama and Papa.
Jiao Jiao adored these mornings, cherishing the first light of dawn when his Mama inevitably sought his Papa for warmth and comfort, no matter how much he grumbled about it later. Nestled snugly between the two, the little worm radiated a contentment that only deepened Xue Tuzi's irritation when he woke to find himself right where he swore he'd never be: in Shudu's arms.
Tonight, Xue Tuzi found himself glaring at the lifeless, flattened husk of what used to be his pillow. Its feathers were long gone, scattered in a fit of rage earlier that night, while Shudu lay comfortably nearby, his head nestled against a perfectly plush pillow. The disparity made Xue Tuzi's frown deepen.
Turning toward the man beside him, he poked Shudu in the shoulder, whispering harshly, "Give me your pillow." His tone carried a sharp edge, though it was softened by the faint pout tugging at his lips.
Shudu cracked one eye open lazily, his golden skin glowing faintly under the pale light of the crescent moon. His lips curled into a teasing smirk as he took in the sight of the fuming beauty. "Hmph," he scoffed, voice thick with sleep. "Use one of those." He gestured vaguely toward the barrier of pillows Xue Tuzi had painstakingly arranged to divide the bed and keep Shudu at bay.
Xue Tuzi's frown deepened. "I can't," he huffed, exasperation clear in his tone. "That's the divider." His arms crossed, his earlier resolve fading into reluctant resignation.
With a determined tug, he attempted to yank the pillow out from under Shudu's head, but the man simply grinned wider, his reflexes quick. In one smooth motion, Shudu grabbed Xue Tuzi and pulled him close, pressing the beauty's cheek firmly against his sculpted chest. His skin was warm, his heartbeat steady beneath the solid expanse of muscle. "Then use this as a pillow," Shudu said, his voice low and husky, the sly smile evident even in the dark.
"It's too hard," Xue Tuzi protested, squirming in Shudu's hold. His round eyes lifted to meet Shudu's, softening ever so slightly as they reflected the moonlight. "Give me your pillow," he repeated, blinking a few times, his long lashes fluttering delicately.
Shudu's smirk widened into a full-blown grin, mischief dancing in his eyes. "If you give me your ass as a pillow," he began with a wicked snark, his hand dropping to pat Xue Tuzi's bottom lightly, "then I'll let you have it."
Xue Tuzi froze for a moment, his expression turning cold with irritation. He rolled his eyes dramatically, annoyance radiating off him in waves. With a sharp exhale, he wriggled out of Shudu's arms and retreated to his side of the bed, huffing as he lay down stubbornly.
Resting his head directly on the mattress, he muttered under his breath, "Disgusting," though his cheeks carried a faint hint of pink, visible even in the faint moonlight. Shudu chuckled softly, turning on his side to watch the beauty sulk, clearly entertained by the nightly chaos he caused.