Chapter 290 The Thirty-Fifth Day of Entering a Xuanhuan Novel (End)

Chapter 290: The Thirty-Fifth Day in a Fantasy Novel (End)

Xie Xuandu curved his lips into a smile: "Master, please stop worrying about me. I will live well and will not stray onto the path of evil."

He had already slipped a leash around his own neck, willingly, and he never wanted to take it off.

His eyes turned to An Yi: "I swear here and now, in the days to come... mmph!"

From this day forward, he would never betray An Yi.

Even if he was wild by nature, he would never deceive with falsehoods, nor fear the passage of time. Should he attain immortality one day, he would follow him through eternity; should he fall into the bitter sea of reincarnation, he would burn his very soul to protect him, never letting An Yi walk alone.

Heaven and earth bear witness—though this body may be stained, this heart will not waver.

If he broke this oath...

Then let An Yi grind his bones to dust and scatter his soul to the wind—for to die at An Yi's hands would, to him, be a perfect ending.

An Yi pressed his hand firmly over Xie Xuandu's lips, frowning at him: "Shut up."

In this world, oaths held real weight—especially for cultivators like them.

Xie Xuandu's eyes sparkled with laughter, and he licked An Yi's palm several times.

An Yi couldn't stand it anymore. He pulled his hand away and warned: "Don't you dare say another word."

Xie Xuandu leaned in and gave him a quick kiss: "Alright, I won't."

An Yi pushed against his chest to shove him back: "We're right in front of your master's memorial tablet!"

"Then Master must be so jealous of me," Xie Xuandu said with a smile.

An Yi: "..."

He couldn't help but laugh, exasperated: "Unbelievable..."

After burning incense, Xie Xuandu took An Yi's hand and slowly walked through the temple.

He pointed at the stone bench in the courtyard, saying that was where he'd been made to recite scriptures as punishment; pointed at the kitchen, saying his master's cooking was so bad it rivaled poison, yet he'd eaten it for years.

He pointed at an open area on the back mountain, saying that was where he practiced his arts. Luckily, he was a genius—but that was exactly why his master worried.

Afraid he'd go out and wreak havoc on the world.

His voice was low, tinged with a distant nostalgia. Those seemingly ordinary, even slightly embarrassing memories spilled out of him in a gentle stream.

An Yi listened quietly, and only then did he lift their clasped hands to his lips and kiss them softly.

Xie Xuandu stopped mid-sentence. He looked at An Yi and leaned in a little closer: "This hand wants one too, you know."

An Yi looked at the other hand Xie Xuandu held up and couldn't resist biting down on it.

Seeing the teeth marks, Xie Xuandu blinked: "This side too, then."

And then he held out the other hand too.

An Yi swatted his hand away and turned to leave: "Don't you ever stop? Are you a perpetual motion machine?"

Xie Xuandu quickly caught up: "What's a perpetual motion machine?"

That evening, Xie Xuandu rolled up his sleeves and got to cooking.

In this area, he'd clearly outdone his master. He even showed off a little when he took the plate An Yi handed him.

An Yi leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching him show off, and finally let out a very soft laugh.

Xie Xuandu saw the smile on An Yi's face and winked at him: "Is my husband hungry~ I'll feed you up in a bit!"

An Yi frowned—was this guy making a dirty joke, or was he just overthinking it?

After dinner, the two sat under the old pine tree in the courtyard, watching the last bit of sunset get swallowed by the night, as stars slowly lit up the deep sky.

The mountain breeze was especially cool, carrying the fresh smell of pine.

Xie Xuandu sat close to An Yi, so close he could feel the warmth coming off the other man.

He reached out and gently took An Yi's hand where it rested on his knee.

An Yi's fingers were a little cool. He wrapped them in his palm, trying to warm away the chill.

"An Yi," he called softly. "Thank you for coming here with me."

An Yi turned to look at him, starlight falling into his clear eyes and breaking into specks of silver.

"Mhm." He replied, squeezing Xie Xuandu's hand back.

Xie Xuandu gazed at his starlit profile, and the suppressed longing in his heart quietly stirred again.

He leaned in, his nose almost touching An Yi's ear, warm breath brushing against that sensitive skin: "It's quiet here. Just the two of us."

"Whoosh~" He blew a soft breath right by An Yi's ear: "I want to kiss you."

An Yi tilted his head, dodging that too-hot breath: "Then kiss me?"

Xie Xuandu let out a low laugh and, without hesitation, dipped his head to kiss An Yi.

An Yi kissed him back, clearly feeling Xie Xuandu's heart race and his body heat up.

When the kiss broke, both of them were a little breathless. Xie Xuandu pressed his forehead to An Yi's, their breaths mingling, desire burning in his eyes: "Husband... we..."

"No." An Yi cut him off, leaning back: "This is where your master cultivated in peace. What are you thinking?"

Xie Xuandu froze, the flame in his eyes flickering as he realized the place really wasn't appropriate.

He frowned in frustration, then reluctantly gave An Yi one more heavy peck on the lips and bit lightly at his Adam's apple before pulling back, sulky.

His arm stayed wrapped around An Yi's waist, pulling him into his embrace.

"Fine, we'll wait until we leave then." He said in a muffled voice, burying his face in the crook of An Yi's neck, breathing in that reassuring cold scent.

An Yi let him hold on, feeling the warm breath on his neck and the tight grip around his waist, a little helpless but also a little amused.

He raised a hand and patted Xie Xuandu's back gently: "I'm tired. Let's rest," An Yi said.

Only then did Xie Xuandu reluctantly let go. He took An Yi's hand and led him to the bedroom in the temple—the room he used to stay in.

The room was simply furnished—a bed, a table, a chair—and he'd already cleaned it spotlessly.

"You take the bed." Xie Xuandu pressed An Yi down to sit on the edge, then grabbed a cushion and set it on the floor beside the bed: "I'll keep watch over you."

An Yi glanced at him: "Aren't you going to rest too?"

Xie Xuandu rested his head against An Yi's palm: "This is my master's place of cultivation. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself, so I'd better not."

An Yi turned his head without a word, pulling his hand away from under Xie Xuandu's chin, ignoring him.

He removed his outer robe, lay down wearing only his nightclothes, and turned over, his back to Xie Xuandu.

Xie Xuandu chuckled at his reaction: "I'm just teasing you."

He also took off his outer robe, lay down beside An Yi, pulled him into his arms, and pressed a kiss to An Yi's cheek.

The mountain night was exceptionally quiet, with only the rustling of wind through the pines and the occasional insect chirp.

Xie Xuandu lay beside An Yi, moonlight streaming through the window lattice, casting their silhouettes.

"An Yi, if my master were still here... he would have really liked you."

An Yi, eyes closed, turned and hugged him back.

Feeling An Yi's movement, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Xie Xuandu's lips.

The night deepened.

Xie Xuandu tightened his arms, resting his chin gently on An Yi's soft hair, breathing in the crisp scent, and slowly closed his eyes as well.