The Stone King's Lover (石王的愛)

Chapter 43

Xie Yi-jun

2004 years after The Long Night

Jingshén

<Xie Yi-jun's Room>

He watched Wen Reian yawn, the boy covering his mouth and closing his eyes tightly as his nose wrinkled. To Yi-jun it was quite adorable, so he couldn't help but smile. Apparently he'd also laughed because Reian turned to him and pouted, stretching his arms.

"Am I bothering you? I could just study in the library..."

Xie Yi-jun laid the book down on his chest that he'd been reading and shook his head.

"Everyone is in the library. You couldn't concentrate there,"

Reian paused, lowering his eyes again.

Yi-jun seemed to be noticing a lot of the boy's habits recently. Like the way he could never meet his eyes when he smiled, and covered his mouth when he laughed, how he scrunched up his shoulders when he was trying to stay awake... even the way he tied his hair up high on his head when he was doing chores and playing with the younger boys, chasing them through the forest while they giggled.

Yi-jun thought perhaps that he envied Wen Reian the most for that. His ease with children. Or perhaps just people in general-

"Well, thank you again for letting me study here. We aren't allowed to have lights on in our rooms past ten PM and my final tests are soon."

Reian and the others his age, Xie De and maybe one or two more, had been working diligently the past week to complete their requirements.

Apparently it was a series of three tests, all administered individually by the Masters. Afterwards, Reian would be free to do whatever he pleased. If he decided to leave here, it wouldn't be difficult to find work wherever he wanted, as disciples from Jingshén were known to be trustworthy and kind.

Xie Yi-jun had learned a lot about their customs here, mostly from Wen Rei. It fascinated him, hearing about how they lived. Master Hao and those who came before him, the ones who built Jingshén from the ground up, they really did save the futures and lives of more people that they realised...

"It is my honor to assist such a talented future cultivator," Yi-jun hid his smile behind his book.

When he peaked over it, he saw Wen Reian blushing.

"Will you leave here after you are finished?"

The boy shrugged, going back to his work after a moment of contemplation.

"I'm not sure. Before, I thought I'd just do what a lot of people do and work alongside the Masters, being dispatched wherever we are needed..."

"Before?"

The King was pleased when he watched Reian blink and sit up, clearly reviewing what he'd said. When the boy turned scarlet, Yi-jun just chuckled.

"You mean before you woke me up."

"No! I mean... before I started healing-"

"Before you met me."

Wen Reian was glaring at him, but a soft smile curved his lips.

Before Yi-jun could continue teasing him, the boy's eyes suddenly closed again. Yawning once more, Yi-jun ended up sighing, setting his book down and standing up from the bed.