The stars littered the dark sky, and a half moon stood in between them. Few stars, as if shy to show up, covered themselves with the curtain of clouds.

Spring was gonna end soon and summer would arrive.

The street alley was becoming lonelier. But a boy was walking alone aimlessly.

He was clenching his fist so tightly that the crimson blood was dripping from his right hand. The wound that had just been aided had opened wide again.

He was adorned with golden robe and a vermillion mark between his brows.

JinLing walked by himself in the dark alley. There were seldomly any passerby right now.

He walked, just straight ahead.

He thought, 'What did I do just now?! Wasn't it too obvious?! Why am I making such a big deal out of such minor things?! Am I really a kid?!"

He walked being mad and embarrassed. Mad at himself. And embarrassed because of his actions.

Such a stupid fellow!

He wasn't even sure of his feelings. If he just admired him as a friend and wanted to be with him or was it something more than that, something else.

Did he really wanted to hold intimacy for him or was it just his affection as a friend? But then what about those spring dreams, since when did he actually started having such erotic dreams, that he could never think of.

But most important was what he thought of him?

He walked, he was walking without looking at front. And the alley was already dark.

It was only when the bang sound came, and he felt his forehead was in pain, did he realize that he crashed onto a sturdy tree.

He touched his forehead and groaned in pain. He really got furiously mad, his forehead was gonna grow a red potato on it now. Won't it be so embarrassing to go like this now?

He shook his head and sighed, and went to the other side of the tree and sat down.

He snaked his arms around his knees and curled up himself. He gazed above at the dark sky, which wasn't dark. It was shining beautifully with glittering stars and the half moon.

He tried to think if he, even by a little, was able to remember his mother and father's face. But however hard he tried, he couldn't. It only added more headache.

He only had his uncles in his memories- Jiang Cheng and Jin GuangYao.

But he wanted to remember his mother and father. He wanted someone to be by his side. He needed someone.

"JinLing."

Did I even started hallucinating his voice now or what? He thought.

"Jin Ling."

But the voice came again.

"Jin Ling!"

This time he was snapped back into reality and subconsciously turned around to check if his ears weren't betraying him.

He gasped and unintentionally gulped.

He saw a brilliant figure under the moonlight, adorned with right robe and a forehead ribbon. He held two swords in his hand, one was his own. The other was Suihua.

The phoenix sitting behind the tree, peeped out, meeting with the gaze of those gentle and worrisome eyes in an instant.

"Finally found you." He said.

"What? You weren't supposed to come in search for me, Sizhui." JinLing retorted, while crossing his arms and turning his gaze away.

Sizhui lightly shook his head, walked towards him. He sat in an upright manner beside JinLing.

At that moment JinLing froze. He turned into a statue yet again. He didn't dare to move an inch. Reason... It was unknown.

"What happened? Why are you so stiff?" Sizhui asked tilting his head.

"I-I'm not stiff." He said monotonously.

Sizhui was even more confused seeing him like this. He turned his head around him and asked, "Why are you stuttering?"

JinLing was really out of his limits now, he turned towards Sizhui and shouted, "I'm not stuttering!"

Wrong decision.

He just now shouted.

At him!

But what was even more wrong decision was that he turned his face.

Sizhui wasn't sitting at the distance, their shoulders were an inch apart. Sizhui was already looking at him, and he... He turned around at the exact moment.

Sizhui still had a calm expression. It was like he didn't felt anything.

But on the other hand, Sect Leader Jin was panicking inside like hell.

He was about to retreat, when two firm hands embraced him into a warm hug. JinLing was startled, and his eyes widened in confused manner.

Sizhui closed his eyes, smiled, and spoke softly near the ear of the person in his embrace, "Are you sad? Then don't be."

JinLing's mouth was still opened, he silently closed his mouth and swallowed his saliva. He didn't do anything either. He neither hugged back nor push him away. Just silently allowed the Sizhui to embrace him. To provide the warmth that he had yearned for.

Sizhui continued, "If you are missing your parents, then I will play inquiry for their soul."

Even JinLing didn't know what got into him, but this time he hugged back. The salty water leaked from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, but were wiped away by the white robe.

The tears only appeared in one of the most unfavorable conditions. When it was cold, when he felt alone. But this time these tears appeared because of the warmth, that he missed very much.

The last time his uncle hugged him, he couldn't remember. It was a very long time ago.

Sizhui was shocked when he felt the side of the robe that covered his left shoulder becoming wet. He caressed JinLing's hair and said apologetically,  "Did I hurt you? Then sorry."

This time JinLing broke the hug, but his hands were still around Sizhui's waist.

His head was hung low, but he looked up with his eyes. He said, "No its not your fault!"

JinLing was still innocent, though he had some spring dreams. He would never think of doing such things in real life.

He thought he was being firm and manly. But little did he know that Sizhui was repeating 'self control, self control, self control' in his mind.

Through Sizhui's perspective, JinLing was looking very intoxicating.

His eyes were still moist, his cheeks had a tint of red because of weeping. A little frowned brows, plus a bump on his forehead, it was overloaded adorableness. Not to mention his bare neck and a little part of color bone was revealed through his robe.

Sizhui coughed and said, "Ah fine. Now lets go, its gonna be midnight soon. And you haven't eaten anything yet."

"I don't have appetite."

"Then aren't you feeling sleepy? In cloud recess everybody would have gone to sleep already."

JinLing released his waist and brought his hands to himself and said, "So what? If you wanna sleep then sleep."

Sizhui was speechless. He questioned himself about his liking. But at the end he couldn't help but find this behavior of his adorable. He unintentionally smiled.

Then as if came to a sudden realization, he stopped smiling and looked above to gaze at those glittering stars, and few shady clouds.

A cold breeze passed by, fluttering his forehead ribbon and few strands of his and JinLing's hair.

He asked in a calm voice, "Do you hate Ghost General?"

JinLing was baffled because of such question specially during such a moment. He too gazed above at the sky and asked, "Why?"

Sizhui replied, "Because he killed your father."

JinLing eyes seemed to have filled with pain at those words, but he somehow suppressed those feelings. He said, "I don't hate him. It wasn't his fault. He didn't wish to kill my father."

Sizhui was silent for a while. The tree leaves ruffled as the wind blew.

He turned around to see the love of his life's face. He smiled and said to himself 'That's why I like him'.

JinLing too turned around and said, "What? Why are you smiling."

"Because I want to."

"..."

"Oh lets return." Sizhui said as he held the injured hand of JinLing "Your wounds are opened again. And also your forehead needs to get massaged with warm oil otherwise it will get more swollen."

Upon suddenly hearing  about his swollen forehead he was embarrassed to hell. He was angry but his anger didn't had anywhere to go. So that got collected on his face, and made it flushed red.

He turned his gaze away but didn't retreat his hands and said, "Whatever."

Sizhui squinted his eyes in amusement, but held himself from laughing. He said, "Okay lets go back then. Take your sword. Don't forget it next time."

JinLing took his sword and responded with "Mn"

They both got up and walked their way back to their host's home.

Either they didn't notice, or they didn't want to leave the warmth that transferred to them through each other's touch. They still held each other's hand and silently walked through the dark alley which no longer felt dark.

A/N
Yo everyone! My results of previous exams are out and thankyou dear god I passed in every subject, for now. Dunno what will happen in future.

Btw enjoy reading the story! And ofcourse Yunmeng brothers for sure will reunite, but that'll come a little later.

And thanks for taking your time and reading this story. Thankyou very much ♡

Its midnight now, so imma gonna sleep godnight zzz