"Gōngzǐ?" The man who was guarding them earlier even came back with a confused look when he saw them biting against each other with their eyes.
Both of them didn't answer right away. Chóng Fēi just held up a hand to the man for a moment.
Lìngxiāo kept his calm, composed, close-to-truth, adult but youthful gaze on Chóng Fēi with the unshakable smile—which felt within its cold and dark shade now.
"I can lead him there." Chóng Fēi spoke to the man without looking at him. "You prepare the child we would take. All guards will not come out until I say so. Only the kids."
The man could only bow and quickly leave.
Once he left, Chóng Fēi leaned closer a little—not the dangerous one.
They looked like the exact moment when they were challenging more than becoming friends who had achieved something.
"You have something to ask, Gōngzǐ?" Lìngxiāo asked calmly before taking a small step back, his hands going behind to fold with each other.
"You all exorcists are these power-sucker bugs..if I actually own something from your 'theory' you just dropped out of nowhere?" Chóng Fēi threw the words as coldly too.
Then added with a faint cold huff, "Just asked..because I did not read this topic since it was never my subject to even think of touching. I just knew they catch or..eat curses."
There was a flicker of hurt too—perhaps. Or Lìngxiāo was seeing too much for seeing him too little from before.
Lìngxiāo's hand clenched at his side for lord knows if it was for anger or worry. But he just said, "No."
"Which one could you be?" Chóng Fēi almost whispered, eyes narrowed. Words were sharp and almost mocking. "They say you are an angel. 'Golden one'. Do they stab from back?"
Lìngxiāo felt his mouth bitter as if he could taste his own words—so unlike him. So cruel. But the only way to keep things clean and fine.
"I have the ability. What if..I ever need to stab back..if you stand in my way..?" He finally answered in a careful low tone.
A sharp silence filled only the space within where their breath meets.
Chóng Fēi's expression darkened. His mouth shut with impossible silence. He wasn't worng on that thing—when he actually gets annoyed or disturbed, he doesn't react.
Was this the hardest point where Lìngxiāo have hit?
Hurt was more visible here too as he turned away, masking it. His mouth rolled over any mumble which Lìngxiāo didn't hear over the sound of his own thoughts and heartbeat.
Then Chóng Fēi walked forward silently, didn't turn at him, arms spread like any hero for some reason—when some muffled joyful sounds of children filled the hall.
'C..children?'
Lìngxiāo didn't see that coming till the unexpected joyful sounds of children filled the hollow halls. The moment immediately got mixed within the happiness and his own heaviness left trapped within himself.
'They all got released like this into the hall?'
'I..did not expect them to do this either..'
'Did he mean this by..releasing them only and the guards not yet..?'
He slowly turned towards where Chóng Fēi stood within this posture—confident, as if somehow the children were his second home.
"FĒI GŌNGZǏ!"
"FĒI GĒGE!!"
"YOU ARE BACK!"
"WE MISSED YOU!"
"WHY DID YOU GET SO LATE?!"
All the children cried out together. Some addressed him like others did. Some called him older brother. Behind the older boys stood still, like they were still recovering from the debilitating news that their execution was canceled—and now they were standing alive there.
All were eighteen.
The younger children ran closer and hugged Chóng Fēi, almost making him fall over his back. Some short ones clung to his things or his waist. He had that boyish, older-brotherly half-smirk as his two hands managed to cup only two small heads.
"Ah, I just got a little late. You all are clinging to me as if I did and came back reborn. This does not work like this." Chóng Fēi said playfully. "I would rather come back reincarnated into a better body."
For a moment, he seemed to forget his arrogance mask and just enjoyed himself here. There was nobody even more than Lìngxiāo to see him cuddling the children like a young single father. Or maybe a kind of father figure he wished his own one to be.
His voice was softer, excited, emotional too perhaps. But still it had the scratch Lìngxiāo intentionally left. He sounded numb a little, which wasn't only emotional.
"STOP." The kids cried out again at Chóng Fēi's dramatic words. All seemed to puff their faces at his sad talking. They seemed to know he would say something like this.
Chóng Fēi chuckled fondly, stroking the kid's head. "Joking, joking." Then he added with a little hesitation. "I just enjoy testing how much you all missed me. Or if you ever did—for the place. The situation."
The kids stayed silent for a moment at the last statement, just hugging. Chóng Fēi swallowed quietly. His gaze moved to Lìngxiāo who was still standing at his place.
Lìngxiāo didn't look right over his eyes. Nor tried to call the children as he usually did when he saw them. It both felt strange right now after their conversation and because of thinking the kids would end up getting scared of his smile again—which might be looking strange and hollow right now for saying something from someone's good which he didn't mean a single word of.
Yet Chóng Fēi was still impossible.
Lìngxiāo didn't know he could actually be..this complex at this young age. His next move just proved him wrong—that his words would have worked properly to keep their friendship at the normal distance.
"Do you know who this guy behind me is?" Chóng Fēi said to the kids, his tone still calm.
The kids peeled from his waist and looked at Lìngxiāo. Their innocent eyes wide, a little watery.
"Not much."
"Grass fairy?"
"No, ocean fairy."
"Have you even seen the ocean? It is green, so it is grass fairy."
"Why is he smiling at the walls?"
The kids muttered between them in silent curiosity, confusion, and admiration because of the way Lìngxiāo looked within this robe—and with that tight expression like he had lost his rights to meet the children even.
He hated the way his own words felt sharper to himself than to Chóng Fēi. This guy might be used to those. But he was never used to using sharp words without really meaning to. It brought nothing more than guilt.
But still he tried his best—though it felt as painful as any fish trying to go against the wave while he was never mad enough to cross it.