"Young Master Yuan came by earlier," there was a look of distaste on the servant girl's face. "I understand that he's friends with Lady Chen's fiance but…"

Nan Chang tilted her head, innocently, "But what?"

"It seems a little inappropriate, you know?"

"Hmm…" She hummed thoughtfully, "Do you truly think it's possible…they're like that?" She wiggled her brows suggestively.

The servant frowned, looking around to make sure that no one was in their vicinity and leaned in, "Have you not seen the way they look at each other? Plus, Young Master Yuan is always finding an excuse to hang out with the Ivory Sword Saint's study during the day and night! You can't tell me that's not suspicious."

Nan Chang knew that Xuelan was hanging out with Liu Sumeng a lot during the day but…at night as well? That rumor seemed rather far-fetched, and Nan Chang knew that it wasn't true. "Really? Did you hear or see them yourself?" She leaned in with a hushed voice, eyes wide with interest. 

The servant shook her head, "No, but the new Sect Leader was heard talking about it so…"

So it had to be accurate, in their minds.

Nan Chang didn't really understand why everyone around the manor was always so willing to readily the Immortal of Luck's words and whispers. But perhaps that was simply another side effect of his absurd fortune. So she simply nodded and played along, "Oh, how curious…"

The servant blinked, suddenly remembering a particular detail, "I know that Lady Nan is close to Young Master Yuan…"

She giggled a little and shook her head, "Young Master Yuan is a good friend of mine, but that doesn't mean I can't tell when he's in the wrong. Don't worry. I won't alarm him of the gossip going around. I know that he can be a little hotheaded at times."

The servant sighed in relief, "You know, even though people say a lot of weird things about you, I know that you have a sound head on your shoulders, Lady Nan."

"Wow, you sure know how to make me blush." She winked and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, making sure to reinforce the ditzy nature that she had painted for herself in the manor. It earned her an eye roll before the servant finally bid her farewell.

Nan Chang continued down the hallway. Liu Sumeng's office was just around the corner, but she wondered if it was safe to interrupt them now. To be safe, she leaned her ear against the door. 

"..." but it was hard to hear anything.

Hm, Xuelan was typically quite talkative when he was bothering the Ivory Sword Saint. Nan Chang pulled away and decided to circle to Liu Sumeng's window to see if she can catch a glimpse of something going on.

It was a totally sound plan; she smiled happily at her schemes and bounced off.

...

They were leaning over the desk, a distance that felt especially annoying when Liu Sumeng wanted to lean in closer. Yuan Xuelan devoured his lips like a hungry dog, licking and biting at his lip; tentatively as if fearing to hurt him. Liu Sumeng's heart swelled with heat and impatience, remembering the pa.s.sionate encounters in another life. 

Did this younger Xuelan have less of a s.e.x drive than when he was thirty years old?

Nonsense!

Liu Sumeng grabbed hold of the hem of his robes and yanked him forward.

A startled squeak left Yuan Xuelan's throat, as he stumbled over Liu Sumeng's desk, knocking over his rice bowl that he'd failed to put away earlier. He pulled away, looking down at the mess in embarra.s.sment, "s.h.i.+t! Sorry, I didn't mean to--"

Liu Sumeng did not care and yanked him harder this time, distracting Yuan Xuelan from the mess and diverting his attention back to kissing. Yuan Xuelan was half on the desk, with his knee against it for balance as he leaned over Liu Sumeng. Their tongues were entwined in a sensual dance, teasing, sucking and biting. They parted, but only for a second to catch their breaths.

A whine left Yuan Xuelan's lips, needy. Everything that he'd worked so hard to hold back was bubbling to the surface, like a beast allowed freedom for the first time. His self-control wavered as he leaned in, winding a hand around the side of Liu Sumeng's jaw to angle him for easier access. 

When they pulled away, a string of saliva connected their lips. A wonderful splash of rose painted Liu Sumeng's cheeks, all the way p to the tips of his ear. He trembled a little under Yuan Xuelan's touch.

A part of him still beheld fear and apprehension. A lifelong wound born out of the relations.h.i.+p he once had with the same person before him was difficult to erase. Emperor Taixu was desperate and insane. 

But Liu Sumeng was coming to terms that his Xuelan now was different. Cuter, softer and while he still had the same intensity and tiny flicker of madness in his eyes, he was considerate as well. Loving and even patient.

Liu Sumeng did not need to fear him. All he needed to do was trust him, and receive trust in turn. A euphoric warmth engulfed his soul from such a realization and a hunger sprouted that Liu Sumeng had never recognized or acknowledged before. 

Was this the true nature of what romance was meant to be? All-encompa.s.sing and feverish to behold. Liu Sumeng wondered how he lived two whole lifetimes so utterly deprived. Why in the world did it take so long for him to experience such a thing?

Yuan Xuelan looked down at him with deep intensity in his eyes. A thumb brushed loose strands away from Liu Sumeng's face. The younger was utterly entranced, "You're so beautiful, Sumeng. Did I ever tell you that?" 

Liu Sumeng didn't know what made him roll his eyes more, the cheesy words or the startling honesty behind them. "Don't be foolish," he chided but had difficulties wiping the smile entirely off his lips.

It earned him a little huff. Impatient, Yuan Xuelan used one hand to simply hop over the length of the desk to Liu Sumeng's side. "I'm telling the truth," He pouted, and now br.i.m.m.i.n.g with both excitement and confidence, wrapped his hands around the small of Liu Sumeng's waist. With a single pull forward, Liu Sumeng's body was pressed flush against him. Excitement tickled Yuan Xuelan's heart, knowing well that Liu Sumeng could easily push him away but didn't.

"The first time I ever laid eyes on Sumeng back at w.a.n.gyun Peak, I thought you were the most beautiful person in the world."

Liu Sumeng's expression stilled, he looked unimpressed but at least didn't push Yuan Xuelan away. Not only did he simply not believe the younger cultivator but who was the person who inspired Xuelan to say these generic, cheesy things? "Enough with the flattery."

"But it's true!" Yuan Xuelan's hold became even tighter, his hands trailing up the line of Liu Sumeng's spine, feeling the curves and slopes of muscles that decorated his back. It stirred up the inner beast in Yuan Xuelan's belly, making it growl from hunger and thirst. l.u.s.t was overpowering in its sway, making his hands roam freely. Suddenly, Yuan Xuelan felt that Liu Sumeng was wearing too many clothes. He too, was feeling hot, with his collar tight around his chest and neck. The trousers were feeling uncomfortable as well… In the way.

"No, it's not," Liu Sumeng's lashes fluttered as he sank into the feeling of Xuelan's hands around his body. He shuddered at the touch, tense at first. But Yuan Xuelan, while eager, was also gentle and did not push when Liu Sumeng was not completely willing. 

Liu Sumeng opened his eyes, one arm circling around Yuan Xuelan's neck to angle his head downward and the other hand grabbing ahold of Xuelan's bicep. "You hated me, remember?" He leaned up for a kiss, but Xuelan tilted his head just slightly to dodge Sumeng's slightly swollen, rosy lips.

"I was stupid," Yuan Xuelan said, "I made weird a.s.sumptions about you but I always thought Sumeng was like a beauty that rivaled ten thousand--"

Annoyed, and much too embarra.s.sed to listen to the nonsense that was sprouting out of Yuan Xuelan's lips, Liu Sumeng's grip around Xuelan's neck became a little more forceful and pulled him into a kiss.

Successfully silenced, Yuan Xuelan groaned a little in protest wis.h.i.+ng that he could have somehow convinced his Sumeng that he genuinely was the most beautiful person on the face of the earth. Alas, a kiss was too delightful for him to refuse, and soon he was pressing his lips eagerly against his beloved's. His hands roamed Liu Sumeng's body against, picking and prying at those annoying robes. 

Suddenly, Liu Sumeng tensed in his hold.

Yuan Xuelan, stunned, pulled away quickly, "What's wrong? Did I do something--"

But he quickly noticed that Liu Sumeng's still expression was pointed toward the window.

…Should Yuan Xuelan really, turn around?

He regretted it right as he did. Nan Chang's arms were propping her head up against the window ledge. She blinked at them, innocently with a sweet smile on her lips.

"Go on, just continue! I won't bother you, Nan Chang swears."

Liu Sumeng shoved Xuelan away and quickly turned his back on her to fix the state of his clothes.

Yuan Xuelan liked Nan Chang usually, but at that moment, he vowed to kill her.

Nan Chang ran off in a shrill of giggles.