What I wanted to say was...!

Dawn was soon arriving but Liu Sumeng couldn't sleep. They agreed it was best to get some rest before they set out to enact their plan but for some reason, his heart couldn't find any will in him to relax. It was odd, his mind was running but going nowhere. He knew that in the end, nothing should be a problem. And yet, why couldn't he shake off the feeling that something was off?

At least someone was getting much-needed rest. Liu Sumeng looked over to see Chen Anyue curled up next to A-Ling and Baozi, her chest rising and falling the languid rhyme of restful sleep. Opposite to him, Yuan Xuelan was leaning against the wall. But despite his closed eyes, Liu Sumeng had a feeling he couldn't find peace either. His assumptions were proven true when a small red butterfly fluttered towards him and landed on his finger. A small strand of spiritual energy flowed through.

Yuan Xuelan's voice echoed in his head the moment he accepted the communication spell, "Hey."

"...?"

"...Dammit. I knew this would be awkward." Despite the grumbling voice that came through the communication spell, Yuan Xuelan was still aside from his brows furrowing a little deeper than before.

"...Sorry," Liu Sumeng said through the spell.

"...Don't apologize. You're making it even worse."

"..."

"Anyways!! I just wanted to say…Don't bring trouble to Shijie dammit!"

"...I won't."

"Argh! No that wasn't what I meant to say at all! Why are you like this?"

That was something he really didn't know. In fact, Yuan Xuelan would continue asking that question for his entire life and Liu Sumeng never found anything to provide as an answer. He also had a nagging feeling Yuan Xuelan actually had something important to say, so he only sat there and waited patiently.

"Okay, shit, well what I actually wanted to tell you was that I really don't trust that Feng Yu guy. Something about him is off."

"...I see."

Yuan Xuelan shifted in his 'sleep', "Just I see!? You're not going to say anything else Ivory Sword Saint?!"

What else was he supposed to say…? He did, in fact, think that there was something strange about Feng Yu but his intuition also told him that Feng Yu probably wasn't a bad guy, "…I understand." But perhaps those words weren't right either, "…I also think there's something strange."

"...Good. At least we're on the same page on this."

"No."

"What the heck?!" The words echoed in his mind while Yuan Xuelan's expression turned into a full-on scowl.

"...There's something strange," Liu Sumeng paused, wondering what words he should use, "but…" Feng Yu wasn't bad? Probably? Could he even word it like that?

"...Never mind. I…think I understand what you're trying to say."

"...Okay." Liu Sumeng let out the smallest breath of relief.

"...As long as you're being cautious I guess it's fine. Just don't…ugh. Forget it. Anyways, I'm only telling you this because I'm worried about Shijie's safety! She's too kind-hearted and trusting for her own good."

"Okay," he replied plainly.

"Right. And one more thing."

"...?"

"Is there anything you could do about that awful personality of yours?"

"...No." Sorry Yuan Xuelan, Liu Sumeng really didn't know how he could appease Xuelan on that front. However, he privately thought that even if his personality would be forever grating and Yuan Xuelan would find him annoying, Liu Sumeng would find a way to remain at his side, just as he had in his previous life. Maybe this life he could actually be of some use, even if he couldn't be liked.

Ah, that was right. The thing they ended up bonding over had been the tragedy of Chen Anyue's death. But Liu Sumeng didn't have the intention of letting that happen a second time. Which would mean…perhaps his relationship with Yuan Xuelan would never move out of this distant, lukewarm phase.

Liu Sumeng suddenly felt extremely tired and gloomy and even swatted away the butterfly off his finger, he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. In front of him, Yuan Xuelan was no longer pretending to sleep and instead stared at the Ivory Sword Saint with a frown.

"...Is he actually angry?" Huh. For a fleeting moment, he thought this Ivory Sword Saint was actually kind of funny but then shook that thought away. He only wanted to reconvene his suspicions to someone else, so that he wasn't the only one alert of unknown threats. Since there was no way Yuan Xuelan was going to trouble his Shijie over this, Liu Sumeng was his only choice, even if that man was extremely difficult to talk to.

But even though he managed to achieve his goal in making Liu Sumeng aware of his suspicions, he couldn't help but feel very dissatisfied! Actually there was one more thing he wanted to talk to Liu Sumeng about but found himself tongue-tied when the matter was brought up.

Earlier that night, when Liu Sumeng told them to run without the slightest bit of hesitation with the full intention of remaining behind…

Was he stupid!? Did he want to die!? Did he want Yuan Xuelan to suffer a life debt towards a person he didn't even like and didn't even have hopes of repaying!? How the heck could he sit well with that? Yuan Xuelan decided that Liu Sumeng's personality was extremely problematic. After all, how could the most favored disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect just casually risk his life like that? Stupid!

While Yuan Xuelan was busy complaining and cursing in his mind, the Ivory Sword Saint had really fallen asleep. His features looked much softer without the stiff tension held in his face during all his waking hours. When Yuan Xuelan looked upon such a delicate, peaceful visage that bathed in the tender glow of moonlight, he felt almost embarrassed, as though he was spying at something private. And yet, he couldn't stop himself from keep looking, secretly categorizing the details and differences between a soft sleeping Liu Sumeng and a stiff and awkward awake one…

Morning came and Yuan Xuelan hadn't managed to sleep for even a single wink. He yawned repeatedly while Chen Anyue stretched with a happy hum, petting a hyper Baozi that bounced in circles around her. "Did you not sleep well A-Zhang?"

"Ugh, I miss a proper bed…" he grumbled, refusing to meet her gaze. How was he supposed to admit that he wasted his precious sleeping time staring at Liu Sumeng's face? He wanted to stab himself in the foot just thinking about it.

Chen Anyue, who knew him since they were young could tell that he was lying. She raised a brow in his direction but didn't pry when he didn't answer. Bless her kind heart.

"So where's that Feng Yu?" Yuan Xuelan swept his eyes across the cramped cabin. With morning light filtering through, the character of the space became a little more apparent. Everything was neat and tidy, placed carefully to make use of the limited space. There wasn't anything excessive, the person living here obviously only kept the barest of necessities. Most of the furniture appeared to be carved with amateur skill but the care put into their creations made obvious as well. On top of clumsy woodwork were treated leathers and pelts. A quiver rested by a low wooden desk and arrows in mid-make were placed underneath. It was a neat little home, and a hunter's abode.

But the hunter was nowhere to be seen. "Feng Yu?" he called again. Chen Anyue looked around from her spot next to the resting A-Ling. Liu Sumeng who had been sitting quietly, also got up to take a look. Yuan Xuelan refused to turn his gaze in the Ivory Sword Saint's direction.

"Do you think he went out?" Chen Anyue asked.

"That's unlikely," Liu Sumeng said.

Yuan Xuelan cringed at the bluntness of his voice. But for some reason, he wasn't feeling as annoyed as he used to, "Yeah well, it's a bit weird just to leave a bunch of strangers in your house, and plus according to him, he should be in the body of a frog now. Unless that story was all an elaborate trap."

"Ah, no!" A tiny voice squeaked, so quiet it was barely heard, "I'm here, please look up."

Up on a shelf that held small jars and boxes, a small green body poked out from behind a ceramic pot. Almost immediately Baozi bounced and began to bark, causing the little frog to duck back into his hiding spot.

"Baozi," Chen Anyue said with a scolding tone, causing white ears to fold. The little dog bowed its head and whimpered for her forgiveness.

"Wow you really turned into a frog!" Yuan Xuelan was less interested in the barking mutt and instead peered into the shelf where a tiny frog was huddled between ceramic and the wooden wall.

"Ah yes, such is my predicament, unfortunately." Feng Yu's voice was still the same, though much quieter than before.

Busy with inspecting the curiosity before his eyes, Yuan Xuelan didn't notice Liu Sumeng approach until he stood alarmingly close in order to take a look at the frog-bound Feng Yu for himself. "You are small."

Yuan Xuelan couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, "No wonder you're hiding here, that mutt would have gobbled you right up if it saw you hopping around," he grinned teasingly at the frog, amused to see a distressed expression on the little thing.

"...Yes, Young Master Yuan is right. This is why I am hiding." He lowered his tiny green head.

"Then, I will protect you," Liu Sumeng offered with his stupid paralyzed face. He held out his pale hand, allowing Feng Yu to jump onto it.

"Thank you, Ivory Sword Saint. I shall rely on you then."

The smallest of smiles appeared on that dumb handsome face and Yuan Xuelan almost spat out blood. He tried to scowl but it turned out more like a pout instead.

"Tsk, stop pretending to be all righteous and pure. I know your real nature, Liu Sumeng," he said with a haughty voice. But of course, all he would get was that unreadable stare and he could feel Anyue glaring a hole into his back, "Ah! I was just kidding, it was a joke ok? Don't you know how to take a joke?"

Liu Sumeng's eyes were downcast, mouth pressed thin. He gave the slightest of nods. It was probably some strange hallucination but Yuan Xuelan could have sworn he saw a light brush of pink upon those pale cheeks. And for a moment, he was stunned speechless.

"A-Zhang," Chen Anyue's warning voice snapped him out of his stupor.

"Uh, sorry," he grumbled, trying as he could to erase that image now seared into his mind. Just what was that anyway!? No, why was Yuan Xuelan even wasting his time and energy thinking about a socially stunted idiot!?? Damn you Liu Sumeng!