The Stone King's Lover (石王的愛)

Chapter 38

Xie Yi-jun

1303 years after The Long Night

Hêi'àn City

<Darkling Pond>

"Don't look now, but it appears we have a shadow..."

The King looked anyway, finding Songcai's whispered words to be true as he spotted the figure crouched behind the bushes.

Chuckling softly, he watched as the boy peaked out at the two of them. When he saw he'd been caught, Zhao Xingyi's grey eyes widened and he ducked down.

Beside him on the shore of the pond, Jin Songcai sighed. Yi-jun watched as the man closed his eyes and tilted his head back slowly. After having spent the afternoon with the healer, showing him one of his favorite spots by the water, the King could say that this might truly be the happiest day of his life.

"Do you know him?" Songcai asked.

Yi-jun nodded and turned again to see only the boy's eyes through the leaves. The King smiled...

"He's the son of a local merchant. Everytime I go past he runs out and offers me all manner of things, asking questions, saying he wants to join the war effort."

The healer perked up-

"Oh? And you haven't let him?"

Yi-jun scoffed, "He's just a kid."

He watched as Songcai glanced over at where the boy was hiding again, and very slowly a sweet smile appeared on the man's face. He raised his hand, calling out in a gentle voice;

"Hello there! What's your name?!"

As Yi-jun listened to Songcai's beautiful voice, the sound of the waves slowly lapping against the shore, he couldn't even find it in himself to be irritated or disappointed at being interrupted when the boy suddenly ran over to them, tripping all over himself as he juggled several papers and objects...

He stopped a few feet away, still wearing that startled expression, and then bowed several times to both Yi-jun and Songcai.

"Zhao Xingyi, My Lords! I'm sorry, My Lords... I- I'm disturbing you, I'll leave!"

Jin Songcai smiled and shook his head;

"Not at all," then he saw what the boy was carrying.

"What have you got there, Xingyi? May I call you that?"

Of course, because of Songcai's ease with people and his sweet nature, a brilliant smile spread across the boy's face and Xie Yi-jun felt like rolling his eyes.

Oh great, next thing you know he'll be following Songcai around like a love-sick puppy! As if I don't have enough to deal with-

Zhao Xingyi nodded again a few times and sputtered;

"Ah! Yes, of course! Oh, this?! I just came out to draw, but then..."

That was when Songcai caught sight of one of the pictures. He gasped, quickly going to nudge Yi-jun in the side. When the King begrudgingly turned to look, he had to pause for a moment too.

Wow, that's...

Us. He's drawn pictures of us; Songcai and me. Several, it seems-

Zhao Xingyi looked embarrassed but Songcai was too kind-hearted for anyone to remain that way around him long.