Different but same

The library was a calm and peaceful place. Which was good, because Liu Sumeng's mind was neither of those things. All he could think of was Yuan Xuelan and Yuan Xuelan.

Look at his emperor, all cute and flustered, arguing with the old Auntie from Baiyun Hall.

How he curled his fists and apologized…

How he chivalrously walked Chen Anyue back to her room…

He was feeling a little guilty towards Chen Anyue. Originally, when he first met her, he had neither bad nor good feelings. Though he did do her best to take her into consideration. Liu Fumao had told him to be a good husband so he had spent the majority of his time trying to figure out what that entailed. That was to say, he really never spent this much of his mental power thinking about Yuan Xuelan.

Maybe he should have. Because if he did, maybe he could have actually stopped Yuan Xuelan from falling into madness. Maybe, he could have actually done something if their relationship was better earlier on.

"..."

Another wave of depression crashed into him. He closed his eyes and sighed but then remembered why he came to the library in the first place. Actually, he wanted to find something on a Forbidden Technique…

Of course, being a Forbidden Technique, the Heavenly Sword Sect wouldn't just have books and manuals lying around about it, but Liu Sumeng looked anyway. Any information he could find would be better than none.

After scouring almost every title in the library he came upon something suspiciously titled, "The Forbidden Karma". It was, in fact, a book about Forbidden Techniques.

But when reading it, Liu Sumeng realized that it was just a book about how each technique would negatively affect one's karma.

"..." It didn't seem very useful. Still, he flipped its pages to the part about Rebirth and diligently read word by word.

In the end, all it really was, was just a long essay about how rebirth was bad for one's karma because it tempered with fate.

Right.

However, the longer he stayed at Wangyun Peak, the more Liu Sumeng began to believe that he really had been reborn.

He had a lot of questions and no answers. For one, why had he been reborn? Just what did he do to achieve this Forbidden Technique? For it to happen so suddenly he could only think that it was very strange. Was there a reason why he specifically was reborn? Was it a freak of nature or was someone behind this situation? And now that he'd been reborn…could he…change what was to come?

Could he possibly mold fate into a different outcome?

The thought was both invigorating and absolutely terrifying.

Light filtered through the sliding door but no one stepped inside. Liu Sumeng looked up, seeing Yuan Xuelan's frowning figure standing at the entrance, as if uncertain about coming in. But he'd been seen already, and it would be even more awkward to run away. Almost reluctantly, Yuan Xuelan entered the library, nodding only the barest as a greeting to Liu Sumeng.

"..." He nodded back, wondering what he could say to this younger Yuan Xuelan. One of the regrets he took to his death was never saying all the things he wanted to Yuan Xuelan. But now that the man(although at the moment, he was just a boy) was in front of him once more, he couldn't say anything.

In his memories, an older Yuan Xuelan, one that went by Taixu and was hailed as emperor, smirked at him and chided, "Silly Sumeng, why are you so awkward? Can't you do something about that personality of yours?" But even when Liu Sumeng was short of words and facial expressions Yuan Xuelan still read him like the back of his hand.

Sorry Yuan Xuelan, this Ivory Sword Saint was probably the most awkward person in the world.

"If you're looking for manuals on weapon enchantments they're on the south wall. For magical tool crafting, you might need a ladder. They're on the top three shelves next to the westward pillar." His voice was soft and monotone, eyes gazing back at the book in his hand but he couldn't seem to recognize any of the characters at all.

Yuan Xuelan narrowed his eyes. All he saw was the beautiful Ivory Sword Saint sitting down at a long wooden table with a book in his slender fingers, lashes downturned and face set like polished jade. With pristine robes draped over a tall, fit body, this Ivory Sword Saint really lived up to his name in appearance, for he was no different than one of those cheap romanticized paintings of heroes and deities that women secretly collected behind their husbands' backs.

Who in the world could trust a man with such an appearance? Not to mention, Yuan Xuelan couldn't help but get a creepy feeling from this guy who was supposed to be his Shijie's future husband. Why did he know what Yuan Xuelan came to look for anyways? Ok sure, Young Master Yuan of the Ascending Dawn Sect had a well-known interest regarding magical tools and weapons but still.

Yuan Xuelan bit his lip, feeling uncertain, "I don't need your help."

Long lashes fluttered, Liu Sumeng peered up from behind the pages of his book, "I know." His voice was like the first coming of winter.

Yuan Xuelan flinched and instantly turned away, facing the stack of books and scrolls. Silently, he still refused to admit defeat, even as he slowly shuffled towards the pillar the Ivory Sword Saint spoke about earlier, "I'll be honest with you, since no one else is around," he boldly said, "I don't trust you with my Shijie."

"..." Liu Sumeng inwardly pointed out that actually, he had already said the same thing in public. Thinking about it, the Yuan Xuelan that died in his arms trusted him with not only his life but also his death. Ah, didn't that happen just days ago? Suddenly, Liu Sumeng's throat felt dry.

"She deserves better than," Yuan Xuelan twisted back gave Liu Sumeng the good old up and down sweep with a scowl on his face. He quickly clicked his tongue and turned back to the bookshelves. "…"

"...than what?" Liu Sumeng couldn't help but ask. The book in front of his nose was purely decoration now, his full attention was on Yuan Xuelan who was reaching for the ladder to reach the taller shelves.

The insult he was expecting didn't come his way… The emperor from his past life had many insults for Liu Sumeng compared to this younger version, though most of the time he was simply called silly or stupid. He forgot that Yuan Xuelan, at age sixteen had so little to say to him, he could barely come up with insults.

Yuan Xuelan, who turned quiet was now gazing at the titles on the top shelves but soon his eyes lifted higher and brows knit together, "Huh? What's that?"

Following the line of his sight, Liu Sumeng knew exactly what he was talking about. Though it was faint there was a distinct trance of spiritual energy hovering within a tiny crevice where the pillar met the ceiling. In his past life, he didn't meet Yuan Xuelan in the library and thus had no idea about the thing hidden within the pillar.

Liu Sumeng was going to kill Xu Hexian, "Don't touch that."

Yuan Xuelan narrowed his eyes and smirked as if he found some sort of amazing treasure. There was no way he wouldn't touch it. With a few simple hand seals, the weak barrier instantly became undone. A book that was carefully stuck within the crevice was revealed.

Liu Sumeng's face was dark, glaring at that wretched book with fire in his eyes. He wanted to yell that it wasn't his! Truly! But who would believe him at that point? "Give it to me. I will destroy it." He stood up from his seat and started walking over in brisk steps, hand held out.

Yuan Xuelan was grinning from ear to ear, and of course, refused to hand over the book he had in hand. However, when he peeled open the pages, what he wasn't at all what he expected and let out a girly scream, stumbling off the ladder.

Before Yuan Xuelan knew it, he fell. The ladder following him with a crash and a few books tumbled out of their place on the shelf. However, he wasn't that hurt. Because the ground he landed on wasn't that hard and in fact a bit warm-

A large hand was on Yuan Xuelan's waist, holding him there, and his head was nestled against a solid chest. The hand that held him there tightened its grip and Yuan Xuelan almost had a heart attack when the book in his hands was ripped out of his grip.

When he looked up, he saw the Ivory Sword Saint make the most expressive face yet, with brows furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. A light dust of pink was on his cheeks and his ears were bright red. It was Yuan Xuelan's turn to be speechless.

"I-It's…" the Ivory Sword Saint stuttered, "not…" His fingers curled so tightly around the book that his nails were clawing into the paper, "n-not mine!"

Yuan Xuelan bit his lip in an attempt to stop the torrent of laughter threatening to assault him, "Who knew…that the Ivory Sword Saint was this kind of filthy person?" He said in a low voice.

If possible, Liu Sumeng flush turned deeper, his lips parted and eyes turned wide, his body frozen.

In his memory an older Yuan Xuelan purred as he gripped his hips with enough force to bruise, "Who knew…that my Ivory Sword Saint was this kind of filthy person…?"

"I said…!" His voice was trembling and found it difficult to continue.

"There's no need to lie about it, Second Young Master Liu. I've already discovered your secret after all! Plus who would even know that the pure-looking Ivory Sword Saint would spend his time in the library looking at pornographic art!"

"...No!" He couldn't take it anymore and violently shoved Yuan Xuelan off his body. Being bullied by the twenty-eight-year-old emperor that had the world bowing at his feet was one thing. Being bullied by a sixteen-year-old Young Master Yuan was a whole different thing!

Liu Sumeng shot up to his feet and called his sword, Mingshui, to his hand and was quick to use his Sacred Weapon to cut the already crumpled volume into unrecognizable paper shreds.

The library became an absolute mess and Yuan Xuelan was laughing while Liu Sumeng's heart was thumping like a jackrabbit. Even though the fog of embarrassment and disbelief he thought to himself, "He's the same, Yuan Xuelan will always be the same…" A mysterious feeling of relief washed over his heart.

Eventually, when the trembling subsided enough, Liu Sumeng began to clean up the mess, "Help too," it had meant to be a question but sounded more like a pointed command.

Yuan Xuelan rolled his eyes, "Now that I have some quality blackmail against you, don't think I'll let you off that easily." He smirked, both playful and sinister. He picked out another book from the shelf and ignored the mess around them while he read.

This tyrant. Liu Sumeng could only frown and keep cleaning, still doing his best to calm the beating of his heart.

Ducked outside one of the windows that peered into the library, Xiao Hei had her hands mouth. Just- What! Was! This!? She couldn't accept this! Not when Second Young Master Liu was already taken by her mistress! Not when she already shipped Young Master Yuan with Young Master Peng of the Hidden Mist Sect! This was unacceptable!

And yet…!

It was so, so good!

Dammit! Once one had a taste of the forbidden fruit, there was no way they could stop lusting after it, after all!