Sure enough, by next week, all the sects and clans had heard of the great hero. The young thirteen-year-old who wasn't even a cultivator but had claimed the head of a demonic beast. The young lad who saved the heir of the YunmengJiang sect. The Jiang disciples at Lotus Pier drowned him with attention whenever he came there.

"Haoxuan, you're so amazing!" A girl clapped.

"Haoxuan's the best!" A group of boys proudly cheered.

"How did you do it?" A disciple only one year his senior asked.

"Are you really that good at sword-fighting?"

"What was the beast like?"

"Imagine! Saving the great White Lotus! Heiress to a sect!"

"You're making it sound like I saved an ancient Emperor's only Princess daughter," Haoxuan sighed, exasperated with all the talk.

"But think, boy! It is like that!" A shijie exclaimed. "Our Jiang sect owns the widest lands. A vast region under our control. It really is almost like our Sect Leader's an Emperor. And you saved the Princess!" She chuckled.

While they praised him for saving her so valiantly, he gulped. True, Meilien was, more or less, a princess. And who was he?

He sighed and shook his head, turning back to answer their endless questions.

Suddenly, someone answered the exact question he had been pondering over. "And you are the great chivalrous hero! Hey, at this rate, you could marry the Jiang heir without any problems!" They laughed.

"A typical betrothal in a typical fairytale," a Jiang boy rolled his eyes. "Seriously?"

"But come on! It makes sense!"

Zhao Haoxuan flushed red. "I... Ahaha, what nonsense! Excuse me for a while," he slipped deftly away from them and fast-walked in the direction of the Healing Hall to see his Susu.

**********

"Hmph," Jiang Meilien, watching it all from a distance, flipped her hair.

"Hey, Meilien!" Two of her friends, fellow Jiang Shimei and Shijie, walked up to her. Each slung an arm around a shoulder and watched with her. "He's famous, isn't he?"

"Hmph."

"Ah?" The Shijie turned to her. "Jealous?"

"Hmph, why would I be jealous!" Meilien smirked and looked on.

The younger disciple grinned. "Jealous of the mighty Lianhua Meiren's fame being snatched away?"

"Of course not! He deserved it, he's just as great. As are you all," Jiang Meilien honestly answered.

"Then..." the elder martial sister laughed. "Jealous of him being surrounded by his new fangirls?"

"Nonsense!" She shouted and shoved their shoulders away, huffing and puffing like a fiery dragon as she stomped away from the scene and her martial sisters' incessant laughter. 

**********

"Jingyi? Jingyi! You in there?"

Jin Xiyi looked up from her book to the sound of knocking. Leaping with glee at the familiar voice, she rushed to the door. "Jin Ling!"

"Hello!" Jin Ling waved with his free hand.

"Oh, you brought my dear niece!" She beamed and picked Mingxia up, cradling her. "Do you mind?"

"Absolutely not," Jin Ling smiled and nodded.

"What brings you here?"

"Oh, Jingyi sent a letter asking me to come pay him a visit with Mingxia. Something about wanting to see her."

"Ah, I was whining to him to go to Lanling to come see you and my niece, he wouldn't let me travel distances."

"Well, well, isn't he the caring husband," Jin Ling grinned. "Where is he?"

"At his study. We'll go there," Xiyi walked with him and her niece to Jingyi's study.

"Where's Daddy and Father?"

"Daddy's still recovering at Lotus Pier. Father's staying with him."

"Obviously," Jin Ling smirked. "Tell me one day Father's let Daddy be on his own."

"Haha! But anyways, yes, they're there. You've heard of A-Xuan's wonders haven't you?"

"Why not! Saved my meimei, I'm ever grateful to him. Oh that reminds me, I wanted to get A-Xuan something..."

"Token of gratitude?" Xiyi smiled.

"Guess so. Mind helping?"

"No use asking Yiyi, he's as idiotic with gifting as you are. Hm... he's got a dagger and a sword, and now a pretty ring... how about something for his hair? Or a tassel on his robes?"

"Tassel. Belt with a tassel, should do," Jin Ling nodded.

"I suggest you get something from your Lanling. Jin golden flashy stuff are nice on him, since all he wears is decent Jiang purple and aqua blue."

"I was thinking of getting something from Caiyi, for a change."

"Great! Caiyi Town's market has this store for hair ornaments and tassels and belts, the one you went to get ribbons back in school days, remember?"

"Ah, right. Thank you, Xiyi."

"Anytime! Here we are," she pushed open the doors.

"WHO does not know the knocking rule? Oh. Xiyi! Sorry, sorry, I thought it was more disciples– Jin Ling!"

"Hello."

"Thank goodness you came, she was blasting my eardrums out," Jingyi sighed and walked to them, beckoning towards the table. Sitting around his table, Xiyi poured out tea while Mingxia lay in Jin Ling's arms and Lan Jingyi played with her. "Isn't she a fluff ball of cheer?"

"You make her sound like Daddy's Little Ying!"

"The bunny," Jingyi laughed. "Still, how are your eyes so wonderful?" Jingyi grinned, tapping her nose.

"Ah-goo!" Mingxia squealed, making grabby motions at Jingyi's face.

Jingyi frowned. "Huh?"

"Oh such a dunce head, BEND down!"

"The hell for?"

Jin Ling grabbed him by the hair and bent his head down.

"OI!"

"Goo-goo!" The baby clapped her hands against his cheeks and pulled at them harshly, shrieking in delight.

"OW! Ow-ow-ow, XiaXia!"

"XiaXia?" Xiyi chuckled. "Nice nickname."

"SHUT UP!" Jingly shouted in pain.

Jin Ling smirked. "You barely got to fight with me and have your face punched. She's doing it for me, hahahaha!"

"Why you brat!" Jingyi gawked at him and pulled him too by the cheeks. "Happy?"

"OUCH!"

Mingxia burst into giggles at them both screaming in pain.

"Wow, this child's sadistic!" Xiyi laughed, making the two boys stop fighting and double up with laughter at the schadenfreude of a baby.

"Yiyi, Jin Ling was saying he wanted to get a gift for A-Xuan. Belt with a tassel. That shop we usually went to since old days should do, right? You know Caiyi Town better than I do."

"Ah, yes," Jingyi nodded. "Come to think of it... I've a gift for you myself," he spun around and pulled out a drawer. Bringing out two boxes, he placed them on the table. "This one's for XiaXia," he pushed the smaller one to him.

Jin Ling opened it with his free hand and picked up the velvet golden ribbon in it. Adorned with designs of pale blue dragons embroidered into it, the hair ribbon emanated a sense of power and beauty blended beautifully together. "Azure Dragon?"

"Precisely," Jingyi nodded.

"Thank you, it's gorgeous," Jin Ling smiled and tucked it into the box. "Next time, you'll be seeing her in that. She loves hair ribbons."

Jingyi grinned. "And this one's for you."

Jin Ling undid the lid on the second box to find a delicate hair ornament sitting inside it. Shaped like three lotus petals, gold at the centre, lavender at the borders, it had a magenta ribbon around it.

"You just have to tie it into your ponytail, easy to wear, since Xiyi told me you train half the day. Won't fall off easily."

"Thanks again! Since when are you so great at gifting?" Jin Ling laughed. "Or giving at all? The one thing you're expert at giving is..." he rammed his fist into Jingyi's cheek cheekily.

"Hey! True, though, I won't deny it. Let's just say Wen Shushu taught me a thing or two."

"Back then? To woo Xiyi?" Jin Ling smirked.

"Shhh!" Jingyi shut his mouth with his palm.

Jin Xiyi sighed and shook her head, nonchalantly sipping tea. 

**********

"Safe journey home, then," Jingyi patted Jin Ling's back as the three walked to the gates, Mingxia asleep with her head on Jin Ling's shoulder.

"It's not like I'll get killed on the way," Jin Ling smirked. "You better take care of my sister."

"Definitely, without fail," Jingyi saluted him mockingly.

"Cut it out!"

"You started it!"

"I don't believe it, stop it, you two!" Xiyi stood between them. "Oh, look, shouldn't you at least drop by to say hello to– Sizhui!" Xiyi waved.

Lan Sizhui was standing near the gates, talking with a female disciple only two years his junior. Hearing Xiyi's shout, he turned and waved to her. Spotting Jin Ling standing there, he waited to see if the latter would wave to him too.

Jin Ling gulped and looked away. Reminding himself they were still courteous colleagues, he turned back to Sizhui and bowed low, careful to hold Mingxia tight when he bent down.

Sizhui sighed. He still isn't relenting? Sect Leader courtesy, eh? Nodding, Sizhui bowed back and returned to his chat with the young girl.

Lan Jingyi saw Jin Ling gazing at the girl and smirked. "Ahem, ahem, someone seems to be in a trance... Is that jealousy I smell in the air?"

"Jealousy? Of a Lan teacher? Two years my senior? I'm not an idiot, I'm a bloody sect leader."

"I wasn't talking about comparing professions, dummy. I meant jealousy as in... I don't know, someone's dalring Sizhui talking to a girl so merrily?"

"Oh shut up," Jin Ling tore his eyes away from the sight. It wasn't worth staring at — all it did was send pangs of pain through him. I myself cut off all ties, I shouldn't be worrying over this, damn it, Jin Ling bit his cheek. "I should get going."

Lan Jingyi turned to Jin Xiyi, who shrugged. "Fine, then. Goodbye! Bye-bye, XiaXia!" Both lightly touched Mingxia's hair and let the two walk out of Cloud Recesses, past the gates and the sadly watching Sizhui.

"Sizhui, ah, Sizhui," Jingyi walked up to him.

Xiyi elbowed him in the stomach.

"What?"

"Don't say anything stupid in front of the Lan disciple."

"Chill, I won't," he whispered back and threw his arm over Sizhui's shoulder. "Anything the matter?" He asked the Lan girl.

"Er, no, Head Elder, just lesson matters."

"So do as I said, the books left in the Library's second highest shelf should help," Lan Sizhui instructed her.

"Thank you, Sect Leader," she bowed to Sect Leader, Head Elder and Madam Lan, and walked away.

"Now that she's gone, what did you want to say?" Sizhui looked at Jingyi with a smile.

"If you don't take the initiative, things between you and Jin Ling will never be sorted out."

"Jingyi, we've talked about this."

"Yes, we have. And that time, you said it's probably over because he's done with you, and would appreciate his own alone time. He asked to be left alone, right?"

"Yes, I told you so."

"And you said you figured he didn't want you anymore?"

"I..." Sizhui gulped. "Yes, why else would he say all that? He has his reasons."

"Sure he does. And that's what you need to find out."

"Huh?"

Xiyi crossed her arms over her tummy. "Sizhui, you know how he is. I bet he's just being 'I-am-a-trouble-to-people-so-I-should-stay-away' again. You've got to go speak to him. Ask him outright what the bloody reason is."

"Why are you guys saying all this now?" Sizhui asked. "All of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden? Because though you keep saying your A-Ling doesn't want you anymore, we both saw the forlorn look on his face when he saw you talking to a girl," Xiyi smirked.

Lan Sizhui blinked.

"Aish, don't give that dumb gaze," Xiyi whacked his head. "Get some sense into this cotton brain of yours. Come on, sort things out. TODAY."

Sizhui nibbled his lip, wondering. "I'll be a bother if I go now, he's busy in the morning. As am I. I'll visit tonight."

"Ah, now that's even better," Jingyi winked.

"Tch, just to make things clear," Sizhui shot him a glare and walked away.

"See? This is why I want them making up," Jingyi sighed. "He's never been so... angry. Frustrated isn't a Sizhui thing."

"Mhm, agree," Jin Xiyi nodded. "Hey, got work?"

"Bored the minute XiaXia left? Let's go home for an hour," Jingyi took her hand and walked her home. 

**********

Jin Ling strolled along the streets of Caiyi Town's ever-bustling market. Walking past the familiar ice-cream stalls and sweet stores, he smiled. Oh, the endless train of memories the streets ignited. Seeing a shop that used to be his favourite chocolates store back when he was in school here, he rushed to it and peeked at the counter.

The young lady at the stall didn't recognise him, although he silently recalled her to be the daughter of the woman who had been there earlier. "I knew your mother when she worked here. Is she still here?"

The girl smiled and shook her head. "Mother was one of the people who died by the Red Death."

"Ah, the plague," Jin Ling nodded. "Condolences and apologies for asking," he inclined his head. His eyes caught sight of something wonderful from his past and he couldn't help the smile. The young girl stared at his silently smiling face, wondering who this man was. She recognised the white peony on the golden robes, so she decided this was some Young Master Jin. The infant in his hands was too sweet to ignore, she thought with a smile.

Wow, that smile... cold face transformed into a flower... almost like Hanguang-Jun when he comes to the market with Master Wei, she chuckled inwardly.

Jin Ling stared at the chocolates he had spotted. Chocolate blobs cut out in the shape of bunnies. Round and shiny, fragrant and scrumptious. To the shopkeeper's amazement... usually, people would find their mouths watering at the bunny-like chocolates.

Why are Young Master Jin's eyes watering?

"Young Master Jin?"

"Oh, sorry," he cleared his throat, blinking fast. "Pack about five of that, please."

The girl did as said and accepted Jin Ling's prompt payment before watching him leave. Strange... Perhaps a lovesick Jin lad. But then, the child? Aish... cultivators are hard to understand, she scratched her head and looked away. 

**********

Jin Ling walked further down the street, looking for the accessories store. Chocolate bunnies. The number of times he had inadvertently ended up buying half the store's stocks of it just for Lan Sizhui whenever they came with school friends. Sizhui loved them. Tsk, dash it all, I had to think of that now. Forget, forget. Chant it every morning, and still I can't do it, he sighed hopelessly.

He walked up the bridge and stepped down onto the other side and turned to his right. At the foot of the bridge, just to the right. That's where it used to be... Ah, here it is! He walked to the shop.

"Belts with tassels," Jin Ling explained what he came for.

The woman showed him all her finest artefacts and he inserted them all before nodding at one of them, a purple belt with a silver tassel. The woman observed the Young Master while he fished out a block of gold and bought the accessory. Something in him... reminded her of something for years ago. She was an old woman but a young lady back then. About twenty years ago, perhaps. That Young Master from the Jiang sect who had come here to the Cloud Recesses school with the rest of his disciples... There had been two... Ah, yes, the one she'd sold the comb to. This young lad standing before her now had pretty much the same look. Not just appearance, but also expression. Related by blood, perhaps. But also by emotion. She smiled. Hm, a bit of tinkering to the heart should work this time, too.

"Young Master, would you like to buy a comb?"

"Huh? No, thank you."

"Young Master would appreciate it. Buy a comb for your girl. It's an emblem of lovesickness. Best gift for a girl."

Jin Ling's ears perked up. Canine hearing sense picking up the warm-hearted feeling behind the lady's words, he understood she wasn't mocking him. Lovesickness? Was it really that visible on his face?

"Er... you... erm..."

"Yes?"

"Would you have men's combs?"

The lady blinked for a while before grinning. "Ah, I see. Sure I do, have a look," she waved her hand over a collection of ivory, jade and ebony.

"I... do apologise for asking," Jin Ling crimsoned, knowing too well cut-sleeves weren't such an accepted thing.

"Oh, no need to," the woman waved her hand. "I don't know about where you come from, Young Master... Jin, I'm guessing. I don't know about Lanling, but our Caiyi Town's used to it. We admire both Zewu-Jun and Hanguang-Jun, we aren't that hard on those beliefs," the woman smiled warmly, reassuringly.

Jin Ling nodded. Of course, both Jades of Gusu were like him. Feeling delighted, he looked over the combs. It didn't take long for his eyes to settle on a beautiful masterpiece. Delicate jade, white as snow, a fine fan-shaped comb with a hand-painted blue floral decoration running along the edge, cyan topaz resting at the top. "I'll have this."

Thanking the shopkeeper, paying with a tip for her suggesting it in the first place, he walked away from the town. "Let's go see Jiujiu, meet your aunt and grandfathers, give this to A-Xuan, and then go home, shall we? You must be tired," Jin Ling caressed Mingxia's hair. She groaned in her sleep and cuddled closer into his neck. Jin Ling decided to take a boat ride to Lotus Pier. 

**********

Jin Ling sat on his mat in his bedroom, yawning while he went through the reports. Having paid visits to Yunmeng and Gusu all morning, all his work had been left in his chamber to be completed at night as per his own instructions.

"Who'd have thought there'd be so much!" He whined, slouching on his seat and laying his head on the table with a yawn. Cheek on the papers, face turned left, he watched the little rises and falls of Jin Mingxia's chest as she slept in her cot. Suddenly, something twitched in him.

Tsk, didn't get to transform thanks to work, he sighed. The bracelet on his hand was cooling him down, nonetheless, so he felt better. With one last, big yawn, his eyes slipped shut. 

**********

Lan Sizhui arrived at the doorstep and knocked on the door. "Jin Ling? Jin Ling, it's me. Do you mind letting me in? I... came to see Mingxia," he fibbed. "Jin Ling?"

Silence. Absolute, deadly silence. "Oh dear, is he in trouble?" Lan Sizhui wondered and quickly took out the token he had been given sometime back. Where the handle usually used to slide the doors open was, he placed the token against the gilded wood. The token lit up and the lock undid itself. He slid the door open and rushed in.

"Jin Ling?" He gasped.

Jin Rulan sat on the mat behind his table, dozing off on his work. But what was breathtaking wasn't the soft look on his face as he slept. Nor the light whimpering in fatigue. It was the... things... protruding from his body. Two beautiful and silky black ears shooting out the top of Jin Ling's head, one straight up, the other bent down, lazily slumping. Cute, Lan Sizhui couldn't resist thinking. And then he saw the long and furry tail swishing from behind Jin Ling, twirling in the wind from the window behind the table. Beautiful. All in all, fascinating, Sizhui smiled.

The fluffy fur on Rulan's wolf ears and tail danced in the cold. It was still winter; no snowing tonight, but still cold enough. What's he doing without a coat? Sizhui shook his head disapprovingly. He silently shut the door and walked over to the table.

Smiling at the unfinished work scattered all over the table, he took off his long and thick white Lan winter cloak and wrapped it around Jin Ling's back, gently tied a knot by the sleeves around his neck, shut the window to prevent the cold, and walked to the cot. Jin Mingxia was still sleeping, warmly enveloped in layer after layer of cotton wool.

Daughter's safe and sound and you're shivering in the cold. A-Ling, you silly boy... 

Realising he had just thought of the old pet name, Sizhui gulped and focussed on the child instead. Sizhui reached out and gently ran his fingers through her silky hair, and she unconsciously nuzzled against his hand. A whiff of Sizhui's sandalwood scent tingled her nostrils and her amber eyes shot open. 

"Hello, XiaXia," Sizhui whispered.

Mingxia stared at him for a while.

"Hey, don't recognise me?" Sizhui chuckled. He hid his face in his palms and peeked through a little gap between them, teasing her. "Boo! It's me!"

"BOO!" She squealed happily, recognising his face and shrieking in glee.

"Shh! Don't shout," Sizhui kept his finger to her lips.

Too late.

"Hmm? A-Xia, isn't it too early to ask for milk?" Jin Ling yawned. Too tired to open his eyes, he waited for any more sounds from her. Hearing none, he shrugged and drifted off to sleep again.

"Phew. Not a sound, XiaXia," Sizhui made 'keep quiet' motions to her and she watched intently, zipping her mouth. Sizhui picked her up and paced up and down the room, treading lightly to not wake the other up, trying to lull Mingxia back to sleep. When she finally did doze off, he placed her in the cot and sat at Jin Ling's table, watching Jin Ling sleep.

There was something in the way that that one ear bent and flapped to the rhythm of Jin Ling's whimpering sleep that he couldn't resist. He slowly reach out and stroked the tip of the soft ear. Silky as silk, he grinned.

All at once, flaxen eyes eyes shot open and the owner of the ear glowered at him, snapping his mouth at the hand that traced his ear.

Lan Sizhui yelped when Jin Ling caught Sizhui's wrist in his teeth.