Later, Lìngxiāo left Chóng Fēi waiting at the table with breakfast with Qì Hán while he was at the shower in the lower dining area.
His robe was fully covering his body like the way he had worn last night. His hair was half-dried and tied up, which he had done within the moment Lìngxiāo took for his shower.
Men didn't usually take too long at shower. Not even more if they were in a hurry. Chóng Fēi possibly took longer for his luxury, but he seemed to have forgotten everything else today, just focusing on the task ahead, having a soft warm chat with the man while waiting with the food in front of them.
"Thank you for waiting.." Lìngxiāo appeared with a faint smile.
His skin felt much more calm, and his hair was still a little wet, so he kept it tied up into the towel. His swan neck was a little visible, which he couldn't hide properly more than with the collar of his robe. His ocean-green robe was also fully in wear, ready.
'I hope it is not..much visible...'
"It's alright. You are..not much late this time." Chóng Fēi muttered almost casually after seeing him.
Lìngxiāo had a feeling that Chóng Fēi looked at his neck for a second like it wasn't anything human. Well, maybe because he barely kept it a little more in visions.
Right now, it couldn't be fixed immediately just because he was always hyper-aware of everything.
He watched Chóng Fēi shift in his seat to serve food himself now. The gentle warmth of the food rose as he parted the fried fish from the bowl and rice. Ordinary, gentle, but home.
"Let me serve you both, Gōngzǐ." Qì Hán said humbly, looking at Lìngxiāo too. "Kindly have your seat here, Gōngzǐ. I hope you would feel as comfortable as my hospitality."
He even took out a new set here too after learning from last night that Lìngxiāo struggled to be comfortable with others' used things even if cleaned—unless it was totally his own and he knew it. The food was served there.
Lìngxiāo just..couldn't handle so much care and respect which felt beyond professionalism. It had been a while since he felt this way.
But definitely—not unpleasant.
His heart swelled deeply.
"Even if I thank you ten times more, it still would not be enough." Lìngxiāo said to Qì Hán as he sat on the cushion which was in front of the opposite spot where Chóng Fēi sat.
They were face to face.
Lìngxiāo gave a tiny bow with an appreciating smile after receiving it from the man. They started eating together.
Sometimes Chóng Fēi asked the man about things like if he needed more help with the popularity of the shop, since Qì Hán didn't want to receive any financial benefits. But the man just appreciated as much as he had done without revealing himself.
Lìngxiāo watched them while calmly eating. Listening more than sharing anything. It was more like listening to conversations which revealed about others instead of trying to do anything professional here.
Just enjoying the light moment.
'So..the place is also famous somehow because of Fēi Gōngzǐ too..?'
'They really do seem close.'
'I wonder since when.'
'He really is a humble man who..does not really act like anyone else in the town.'
"If you do not mind.." Lìngxiāo started gently after swallowing his food, his eyes warm. "May I know how you two..have been so good like this? I am curious about how things turned out to be this heart-warming."
Chóng Fēi, who had stopped chewing at his question, blinked twice a little and went back to eating his food, seeming too dried out from last night.
The man chuckled fondly first at the gentle question. Affectionate. He turned at Chóng Fēi first. "May I share it with him?"
Chóng Fēi tilted his head lightly—agreeing—and then went back to eating while his eyes silently roamed over them, perhaps watching reactions.
Qì Hán nodded once like a bow, seeming happy to share, his hands folded in front of him. "The Sealess Sand Chén Xiè..once actually used to be my Mǔqīn's land, which was later destroyed by a natural disaster until there was nothing left. And I was at the mountain areas of the town for earning back then."
Lìngxiāo listened carefully, his attention unwavering. "Disaster..? When did it happen..?" He paused before adding hesitantly. "And..she?"
"Just three years ago." Qì Hán answered. His tone was calm, accepting. "I came back after a month of this incident, for some road problems and other difficulties. By the time, she had already left this world."
A soft silence.
Chóng Fēi turned to Qì Hán, his gaze unreadable on the surface, but it somehow had the stars of care, as if he had been doing it for much longer. The way his gaze settled..it was like a habit.
"Pardon me for what happened to you.." Lìngxiāo muttered, his gaze on the half-finished food, his chopsticks not moving right now.
Qì Hán clicked his tongue faintly, tenderly and gently dismissing the heaviness. A soft smile was at his lips. "It is alright. Time changes. So do we."
He exhaled before continuing while serving milk tea for themselves. "The time was bad, yes. But by then, Fēi Gōngzǐ helped me a lot. I did not have any business idea to stand on. The town is not easy to let anyone grow properly either."
Lìngxiāo now finished the rest of his food and took the teacup. All of them were done with the food by now. His gaze was on the man but also unconsciously went to Chóng Fēi when mentioned with so much care.
"And..how did he help you?" He carefully asked again after taking a sip from his tea.
"We had a tea and wine recipe which was traditional and generational among us. It was never revealed in a better way before." The man continued. "Once Fēi Gōngzǐ asked if I cared for something and it had something which others might not, because no matter what I stood for here, it would not stand out much better if it was not new. I had nothing else. So for survival, I said about the wine and tea."
Lìngxiāo tilted his head. "And then?"
"Fēi Gōngzǐ wished to taste it. I served him. He actually..liked it." The man smiled to himself thoughtfully and looked at Chóng Fēi with a fatherly gaze.
Chóng Fēi lightly flushed by the tender praise and looked away, almost sucking on the empty chopstick while his bowl and teacup were empty. Not even looking at anyone properly.
"It..it was nothing. I just said the truth.." He muttered.
The man chuckled. "But I might have been left in shadows unless you forced me to break a tradition which was no longer remembered even properly.. and turn it into a living, breathing passion."
He seemed to know that Chóng Fēi was damn hungry. So he refilled his bowl.
Then he continued. "He confirmed this business could stand really better than any other thing, and the rest I could save up since I did not have any plan of making my living totally permanent here. Then I started working hard with my old friend's son. And within those, Gōngzǐ kept promoting my business silently and naturally. Since everyone listened to what the Yùn Chóng clan said, within a few mentions, the business started to run faster. Then the rest was arranged by me."
"This is..a really memorable journey." Lìngxiāo blinked, his smile soft and a little stunned, impressed.
His palms came together as if his hands were begging to clap over the accomplishment here too. A journey like this—hard but real, tender and never giving up—was always something he wished to listen to more often.
Not dying because of failing on anything. It reminded him of something not only personal but someone else's too. He wished Qì Hán knew more about the boy beside him. He could only 'think' that after last night.
But it also..belonged to that night. That memory. Something he unfortunately had heard without warning—as if life had decided to take things slow on them while things were already difficult.
He wished he never knew it.
And now he might think an extra one hundred times before slapping that arrogant boy ever again for his dangerous misbehavior—without thinking about class or anything, but just someone who needed both lessons and extra attention from elders. Very serious way.
And now he feels like a hopelessly strict elder who have slapped a teenager for cursing—on the top he was the very son of the clan leader itself.
'Someone said it right.. life has no warnings..'
He took a deep breath—something he could only do when things were heavy but he couldn't voice them, nor keep them within his chest.
"I am..really glad that you have overcome your problems. It was..a refreshing experience to know it." Lìngxiāo said to the man, gathering his dishes like he would clean them himself.
But Qì Hán took the rest instead. "You do not have to, Gōngzǐ. You are a guest here. And careful with the robe..it might tear if you move too hard."
"Um..alright.." He let go of the things since he was told, though he wanted to help. But if the dress somehow got dirty, it would feel bad all day to stay with it.
"I should get done quickly then.." He stood up and moved back to the room where Chóng Fēi had slept, opening his half-dried hair and giving it a light slap to dry quickly.
He looked at his round watch: it was nine thirty am.
'Oh, lord! We are getting late..'
He quickly just gave soft, light combs on his hair and kept it all open to let it dry itself, and wore his bamboo hat with the ocean-green veil.
Chóng Fēi was finally done eating too, cleaning his mouth. He exhaled and leaned back like there was no space left to breathe. After a moment, he looked back at him from the doorway.
"Get done quickly. We will be taking our leave." He called to him like a light but firm reminder, and moved outside with Qì Hán while talking about something.
Perhaps goodbyes.
"On my way." Lìngxiāo half-ran out of the room, his smile soft and bright as today's sun—of Chéng Yùe perhaps.