"You.. kept manhandling me.. I do not..like that." Lìngxiāo mumbled as he slowly raised his head.
The hand on his forehead moved to Chóng Fēi's shoulder to steady himself, gripping it like he needed to create holes with his fingers just to hold on properly. "I told you not to go there too."
"Um.. you left me no choice. That's it." Chóng Fēi muttered, swallowing down his fear. He couldn't produce words like arrows anymore—his usual sharpness felt dulled, shallow.
Perhaps his way of lightening the mood was even more fragile than before. "And I was fine. You think too much about ghosts like relatives."
His fingers gently loosened Lìngxiāo's grip from the mirror, then awkwardly took it away from his hand. His vision was still bouncing—something that happened every time he encountered that specific ghost.
He didn't wish for any of the glimpses that still made him sob with panic attacks.
He just started to drag him back to bed carefully, not meeting his gaze, though the tension in it was probably clear enough.
"It's not.. like that. Do you know how.. r-risky it is?" Lìngxiāo said. His shaky voice still carried firmness. His tired eyes were suspicious even now.
When Chóng Fēi still didn't answer, Lìngxiāo gave a little resistance against his feet to stop being dragged.
"The gûis are strong. Who will catch you if they pull you elsewhere again while my condition is like this? Your people would be worried about their Highness. You better not hide anything from me."
'Again that Highness. He is doing this on purpose.'
Chóng Fēi's jaw tightened faintly. This wasn't an insult—but it still hurt the same.
'He is as much trouble to me as I am to him. Still pushing me about that gûi.'
'Thankfully this skull mummy isn't the kind that would drag me somewhere. But.. those new ones probably would—like last time.'
"It is fine now. It is gone. Let it go. Lay down without arguing more." He said quickly, breaking the thin tension.
He laid him back on the bed, covering him with the blanket and placing the towel over his forehead—which was thankfully already wet enough to cool him down after the chaos in the washroom.
Lìngxiāo didn't fully rest just yet.
He lightly peeked from under the towel. The rims of his eyes dimmed like: explain your behavior with me earlier.
Chóng Fēi felt the faint heat of that gaze at his side. He couldn't ignore it much longer.
They met each other's eyes with a side glance.
"Stop always bringing up that title. I know what you are implying." He added softly, eyes narrowed elsewhere, poorly changing the topic from the ghost.
But this topic for him wasn't any less important.
"If you are a Highness, why would I not call you this, Gōngzǐ?" Lìngxiāo asked like he meant nothing. Though the way he acted innocent—while his fingers tried to hide the lightly clipped lock of hair behind his hair—said everything.
"I just said you should not have gone inside while your needle dose is not done yet. The gûis will try to get closer to you." His voice softened, as if melting under the cold towel, finally allowing himself to rest.
Chóng Fēi exhaled.
Of course he knew the ghosts had been up to something with him in a strange way. They didn't directly hurt him—but they never let him stay in peace either. And that one which had just given him a jump-scare—he wasn't even sure if it was real or just a hallucination, because no one else ever saw it.
This was the darkest part of his daydreaming.
And his father? He was already out of the list of this ghost matter. He wasn't even born a cultivator.
But no matter what, he did feel a bit.. bad for making Lìngxiāo sick this way.
He feared ghosts just as much as needles—yet he had still gone inside to get water. He didn't know if it was because Lìngxiāo had voiced his embarrassing phobias, or if he actually wished to help. But pinching his veins with that question was useless too—all he had to do was stay peaceful and try not to let another argument start from nowhere.
Lìngxiāo wasn't his disciple, who would just listen and nod. He had sense—which was exactly what Chóng Fēi had been looking for. But it was also hard for him to have even one extra conversation beyond the professional. Doing this much already felt unbelievable to him.
The room returned to its earlier peaceful self. Lìngxiāo didn't press this time—as if he was actually feeling much better now, just sleepy. He thoughtfully watched Chóng Fēi like he was reading the trembles of his lashes and pupils.
After a few moments of collecting himself, Chóng Fēi sat straight, straightening his robe like he was preparing for something almost too big and unexpected—but necessary.
Lìngxiāo tilted his head, perhaps sensing he wanted to ask something deep or important. He deliberately moved the damp towel all over his face, especially his eyes—as if wanting to see or hear this moment much more clearly.
"You can be honest with me.. as I said, Gōngzǐ." He muttered while cleaning his eyes. Then added, "It would help the needle with the herbs to catch the darkness better."
Chóng Fēi immediately looked at him through his lashes. His eyes flashed with the gentlest form of relief. His chest felt a mix of lightness and tightness—both stretching him open.
'Perhaps.. I do need to vomit up those things from me..'
He finally spoke, softer—as if the question would cost him more than he could afford:
"Am I evil?"
Lìngxiāo blinked slowly, like the question was unexpected.
His never-leaving smile paused in a way Chóng Fēi could catch as the emotion of unexpected recognition—the same one he had seen when he had noticed the "odd shades" of Lìngxiāo's smile.
But this one was about him this time.
Chóng Fēi felt how awkward and open it suddenly sounded—especially after everything he had just done while Lìngxiāo was tending him. So he quickly added, "I mean.. because I can't handle ignorance when I desire to know something from them."
Lìngxiāo didn't answer immediately.
His gaze went to Chóng Fēi's cheek. The same one where his handprint had landed. Not too visible—but if his father looked really closely, he would know that this thin long hand belonged not to a woman, but to a man—while he was the royalty here.
"You asked.. for sharing a little if I share." Lìngxiāo spoke, careful with the boundaries again. There was no pressure. "I shared one secret that.. I do not really know what is my root. Now.. You tell me something.. if you wish, Gōngzǐ.."
Chóng Fēi felt his nerves gripping his muscles tight. His fingers gripped the sheets a little harder
than he intended.
'Secrets?'