"I think I have heard about him while cutting lines at the walls."
"What did the guards say about his name after pulling us out of the beds?"
"Lìngxiāo Gōngzǐ, perhaps?"
"But was any dàoist or future dàoist here named that?"
"His robes have no symbol."
"They said he is an exorcist."
"Descriptions of the outfit do not match. But he does have those hair and eyes. Even a smile which kinda feels..creepy right now. Is he cursing us?"
The older children also murmured between themselves. Mostly the boys. Their tone both bitter, fascinated and curious.
"He looks..simple but also have the swan neck. Looks like any siren with those callugraphy bursh-legs."
"What do you mean by that? I thought it was chopstick-legs. "
"Almost same thing. It is male beauty standards. Not like I was brought here at too young age. Only at seventeen, you know. I knew much about the world outside. Respect me."
"How did he..fits at all standards? He doesn't look like he eats crystals or something. He eats rice like us, right??" One said with raised eyebrows.
"Have you two got insane? He is a normal humble man! Not..average but still. What is Fēi Gōngzǐ then if he is not normal?" Another one peeked from the talking people, analizing Lìngxiāo up to down with an excited grin.
"He surely has twenty-step skincare routines day and night, like rich people have."
"Is he uncomfortable around us—young-aged criminals?"
"He is handsome without even trying."
"I want to marry him after growing up."
"I like Fēi Gōngzǐ more. He could easily win hearts—if he wishes. I like dominating men."
"I like humble men more. But Fēi Gōngzǐ is..not out of the list too—only to fancy."
"Keep fantasizing. Fēi Gōngzǐ treats us only like children. He is from a royal family. Why would he look at us that way? It is not any romance novel." One huffed with a rolled eyes.
"He looks twenty-two though." Another muttered over Chóng Fēi's age and looks.
"The other soft green-robed man looks more gentle..but also older. Is he even older than Fēi Gōngzǐ?"
"I think so."
The girls seemed to have seen anyone elegant after Chóng Fēi here for the first time. Their curiosity also touched the high walls of the prison.
Some females were just insecurity hiding behind. Too insecure while their criminal status didn't match with their behaviors.
Lìngxiāo swallowed at so many gazes on him, like the meeting again. This one had its own different air and weight. Different yet similar.
'What..are they talking about like this?'
He looked at himself for a second.
'Féng Xiānsheng have given too much..gorgeous robe for this day.'
'I must be looking too prideful like this.'
'Might be even looking miserable while standing like this..while I do not act this way to children or anyone else.'
'Why is he showing this side to me even..while the guards are shut off to not see?'
'Does he actually have the trust issues or was he acting the whole time? Is he actually extrovert?'
'But that is clear.. he e does not look like he has the intention to make things easy for me.'
He took an invisible deep breath within his sleeve, revealing his face. His smile softened a little forcefully for the children. A small nod followed like a gentle hello. Still couldn't make himself say something. He felt his hand move too vividly by Chóng Fēi's critical gaze.
He was still analyzing him.
But it looked more like the gaze which looked like Lìngxiāo's words didn't scare—no, didn't make him much distant at all. The eyes didn't dim at all. It was sharp. A little emotional in the moment of course, but seemed like cracking into Lìngxiāo's secrets was this young guy's another mission.
Those old questions were clear within each line of his pupils even from far. The faintest golden hue of the frozen ice—which he voted spot only because it was his energy, he could fix or ruin—was the reminder that he wasn't free from that gaze even more.
He won't stop watching him like a caterpillar slowly growing wings which might not be a normal one.
'Sometimes I wished..if I had the ability of hearing thoughts too.'
'Just as he cannot read me fully, I cannot too. Not because he could not show more than a smile—but because he shows too many things all at once.'
'And it is confusing. Misleading. Even more for me while I have not paid much attention to human behavior more than the basic ones. Mostly were read by the ancient books for some profession requirements.'
'Learning about two people's story feels unreal to me even now. Have I really asked it by myself?'
'Why is he spread so far into this town which is not large..but also much smaller than Chéng Yùe itself..?'
'I cannot be sure about where his mind or..heart is really paused on.'
After hearing all of their opinions and curiosity over both of them, Chóng Fēi just smirked slow and faintly like nothing even happened—nor did he get any blow from something he himself might really never know.
"Indeed. This is Lìngxiāo—the Smiling Exorcist." Chóng Fēi spoke. "Also the one I have worked with on the rule to make things happen. He has also spoken from your sides with much stronger evidence I didn't have before."
Just when he explained who Lìngxiāo was, surprised gasps filled the hall.
"Really?"
"Then he really is him!"
"He sounds like a good guy."
"I know my guess was right!"
The children spoke among themselves with a kind of joy which came closer to relief and appreciation.
Chóng Fēi smiled faintly, stroking two of the random innocent heads before patting at their shoulders. His words were gently pointed and suggesting, as if he knew what Lìngxiāo liked. "He likes hugs too—much tighter ones. Do you like too?"
The kids flushed as they looked with wide eyes up to him. Maybe nervous but not unwelcoming. They nodded anyway.
Lìngxiāo blinked almost with wide eyes, narrowed just faintly. His lips parted with a faint "What?"
'How does he..no, he has just guessed it all. If someone likes kids, of course it would be the tight one.'
'I..actually never had one..all used to mostly run away, thinking I am any smiling gûi, cursed or any kidnapper. Mō Qīn would scare playfully too that ended up..nothing would have happened.'
'This hug..might not even trigger the powers either.'
'I might never have one from my own child since I do not want to ruin any woman's life by my personal problems. Nor could I root at one place.'
'So all children are my own..even if they are not truly mine.'
"So, what are you waiting for? Go, go, go." Chóng Fēi said with uncharacteristic playfulness—or maybe the unknown one again.
He turned towards Lìngxiāo with the children, his expression had no track of pain from earlier in a strange way, and pushed the kids towards Lìngxiāo this time. "Welcome him properly."
The children didn't wait or judge. Both of them were their life saviors after all. They smiled widely and ran towards Lìngxiāo this time like a wave of the sea.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SAVING US, LÌNGXIĀO GŌNGZǏ!!" They all cried out together so loudly that it echoed through the walls till it reached straight to Lìngxiāo's heart.
Too deep to his heart that he felt his eyes had gone watery. His throat tight as he swallowed tightly.
'He cannot be serious..!'
'He did not look affected at all. What is he really trying to do and thinking?'
Lìngxiāo barely got a moment of breath before all the children hugged him tightly. He almost lost his balance from so many kids. His eyes fluttered shut, kneeling slowly to their height. All barely fit in his arms as he tried to frame all of them. They squeezed him so tight that it felt like his emotions would leak from his cracked expression. He forgot the tightness in his chest.
'This..is the best hug I could ever receive..'
Chóng Fēi crossed his arms, watched them like his any tiny plan succeeded—as if he knew exactly what he was doing.