So, is it Really Because of the Apparition of Frozen Lake?

Luo Yu looked deeply into Gu Feidi’s eyes, yet he then turned and left without answering.

Without getting an answer, Gu Feidi sighed, and tightened his arms to hold Su Yang closer.

He surrounded the sleeping man with his warm internal energy slowly, inside and out. When he felt the cold aura coming from the body in his arms, Gu Feidi couldn’t resist the urge to bite his bottom lip.

He mumbled, “...How much did you sacrifice…in order to save me?”

Naturally, he didn’t get an answer.

He lowered his head, buried his cheek in the crook of Su Yang’s neck, closed his eyes and tried to suppress the choking feeling in his throat.

Deep into the night...

Without the moon in the sky, a thin layer of cloud obscured the twinkling stars. There were only blurred and dimmed spots of light in the sky.

After an unknown time, the candlelight in the lanterns by the hot spring flickered and went out suddenly.

Making the whole courtyard fall into an eerie darkness.

Gu Feidi was still sitting quietly in the water with Su Yang, who was motionless, in his arms. None of the inseparable love was present. 

It was not until the eastern sky lit up in a grey-blue that Su Yang’s body temperature and his pulse finally stabilised, a sign that he was out of immediate danger. But he still didn’t wake up, still deeply asleep.

Gu Feidi rotated his stiff limbs for a bit, moved him and Su Yang to the edge of the pool, wrapped him in a quilt prepared by the disciple, carried him back to the pavilion, and placed him on the bed.

The heated pot in the room had burned all night. Gu Feidi took advantage of the warmth to put a dry middle robe on Su Yang. Then he lay down next to the other man, pulling the thick quilt over them.

With Su Yang in his arms, Gu Feidi finally took the time to study the sleeping man’s calm profile, followed the slow breathing, closed his eyes and joined the other in dreamland.

* * *

Su Yang was standing on the top of a mountain, surrounded by sheer cliffs and precipitous rock faces. The ground below was nowhere in sight—as it was swallowed by the abyss.

Wearing his signature red robe and with his thin sword in his hand, his long hair and clothes were moving along with the breeze as if dancing with the wind.

He listened to the mayhem of sword crossing and metal screeching, and the angry shouts and dying screams in the scuffle at the foot of the mountain. The skin over his face was calm as if he was void of emotion.

A faint, almost indistinguishable sound of footsteps echoed on the mountain path, only a few meters behind Su Yang.

Su Yang turned toward the sound.

Gu Feidi was dressed in white, standing as tall as a pine tree against the downward wind. His eyes were like the starry night as their eyes met.

Su Yang said with a smile, “You came.”

Gu Feidi replied in a deep voice, “For your life.”

The corner of Su Yang’s lips raised as a smirk appeared on his face. He raised his sword and entered a battle position.

“Please.” He voiced.

Gu Feidi moved lightly on his toes at the next moment. He arrived before Su Yang like a sharp arrow being released from the bow. Unsheathing his long sword, he opened the fight with Soaring Scarlet Falcon, the first mark of Flying Kite Technique, as he sliced upward toward Su Yang’s face.

Su Yang blocked the blade with Divide Lotus Technique’s Half-Opened Bud and countered it by connecting Prolong Pigment and Flourishing Fragrance, forcing Gu Feidi back.

Gu Feidi took two steps back, drawing back his long sword, and stared at Su Yang. “I practised long and hard, day and night, just to kill you. The Hunting Phoenix is the fruit of my labour. This is the sword technique that I created. Any feedback is welcome…”

Su Yang was stunned hearing this.

Something was wrong.

What kind of sword technique was this Hunting Phoenix? Why had he never heard of it? Weren’t Flying Kite and Returning of Waterfowl the only techniques that Gu Feidi knew of?

Even in the drama script, there wasn’t such a thing as the Hunting Phoenix!

In the blink of an eye, Gu Feidi flew forward like a bird of prey. 

Flaming Tailwind!” He called out his next move, which was fierce. It gave a sense of self-sacrifice.

Su Yang had to change to Gliding Blossom Art’s sequence to hold out against that blow, but he was still forced to step back by the fiery internal energy behind the move.

Gu Feidi narrowed his eyes slightly as he followed it with his next move. “Thousand Claret Feathers!”

A blade flurry surrounded Su Yang, leaving him no room to escape.

Su Yang struggled to parry. Although he managed to get out of the sticky predicament, it was obviously not without a stretch, as he was facing an opponent who far exceeded him.

A chill rose from his chest, so intense that made him shiver.

The Gu Feidi he was faced against didn’t hold back his punches as he shouted out his next move. "Faithful Inferno!” Cherished Heart freely advanced as the blade drove straight toward Su Yang’s chest.

Though using his equally powerful internal energy to block the sword, his heart was hit hard by the fierce cold. He reflexively groaned and swallowed a mouthful of blood.

But that didn’t stop Gu Feidi.

With clear eyes, as if Gu Feidi almost integrated all his internal energy into the next sword move, he clenched his teeth and shouted, “Ashes of Blazing Phoenix—!”

The thin sword trembled within the hand holding it, as Su Yang lacked the strength to lift his weapon up again.

As if burned by an endless flame, the scorching long sword passed through his chest thoroughly. Even then, he uttered not a single sound.

He raised his gaze toward Gu Feidi’s face.

The serious, focused eyes were filled with hatred—resolution, resistance and rage deep in those eyes.

However, right at this moment, all those strong emotions suddenly froze…Then, as if time had stopped, Gu Feidi’s expression slowly melted into one of weakness, confusion. 

As if his entire being was blank for a moment.

While Su Yang was almost completely swallowed up by the bitter cold. 

With great difficulty, he gave a smile, a very sad smile toward Gu Feidi.

Somehow, a thought popped into his head, He had done it, he was killed, he had finally finished the plot...

But there was no one there to call ‘cut’.

Gu Feidi’s movement didn’t stop either.

The young man stared at Su Yang, eyes unmoved as he slowly fell to the ground. Was that fear in those dark eyes or were they covered in nothing but resentment?

Gu Feidi stepped forward, and he held Su Yang in his arms the next moment.

His throat was choked with emotion. After a long and hard effort, he finally was able to find his voice from his tight throat, even if it was hoarse, “...Why didn’t you block it…?”

The fear in his eyes grew more intense, as terror bubbled up, for he had no idea of his next action.

He held Su Yang rigidly and stretched out his hand to touch where his sword was inserted into the other man’s chest, but he hesitated and dared not to worsen the injury. 

Su Yang worked hard to suppress the cold inside and gazed at Gu Feidi’s eyes through the black spots that covered his vision. 

He smiled weakly. “...It’s over…”

The shooting was over, he could go home—this thought appeared indescribable, but Su Yang thought in a daze. Things should have ended like this.

A hot tear landed on Su Yang’s cheek.

Gu Feidi sobbed, “...Why didn’t you stop me? You…I…I didn’t want you to die…I didn’t really want to kill you…”

A tugging feeling at Su Yang’s heart as he muffled his coughs. Ignoring the iron scent that assaulted his nose, he comforted, “Don’t cry…”

In a daze, he felt that where he was at, there was no set, no camera, and no one to shout action. 

Everything around him was too surreal. There was no way to fake the chill he felt inside, and the warmth from Gu Feidi’s arms…Yes, they were not filming. He remembered now, he transmigrated into the script…right?

That meant, how did the plot suddenly skip to the last scene?

He was at a complete loss.

But one thing was certain—he was going to die.

Su Yang didn’t have any remaining strength to raise his hand to touch Gu Feidi’s face. He could only settle for the second-best and went for the hand, grabbing a finger, not enough to interlock their fingers.

“I’ll be leaving.” He whispered. “But I won’t die…don’t worry, I won’t die…”

Gu Feidi tightly squeezed on the other’s hand back.

Su Yang tried to give a reassuring smile as he closed his eyes. “I’ll…be alive and living in another world…”

Gu Feidi buried his head in Su Yang’s ear and begged in a trembling voice, “No, you’re not allowed to leave!”

Su Yang chuckled, “You were the one who wanted to kill me, why are you acting so coquettish?”

As if Gu Feidi was speaking through his clenched teeth, “How could I kill you? What are you talking about? I…Why would I have the heart to kill you?”

Su Yang felt a slight headache and a stuffy chest. The latter must be from Gu Feidi holding him too tightly.

He reached out and tried to push the other off, muttering, “...Let go.”

But the next moment, a pair of hot and soft lips shut him up. 

The cliffs and abyss around him gradually faded. This hidden rage behind the kiss was too intense. Feeling the pain on his lips from a bite more ruthless than a peaceful nibble, it pulled him out of his dream.

Su Yang was in a daze for a moment. He instinctively struggled for a moment. After he pushed Gu Feidi away, he took a deep breath. 

“Are you…trying to eat me?” He licked his lips, tasted the metallic flavour, and reflexively glared at Gu Feidi.

Gu Feidi was propped up above the half-awake Su Yang, a hint of red around his eyes and he clenched his teeth, asking, “Why do you still dream of me killing you? How could I…ever have the thought to kill you?”

After a moment of silence, Su Yang curled his lips. “It’s just a dream. I can’t control what I dream about…”

He hadn’t had a dream from the script for a very long time. When he didn’t deliberately ponder over it, he would sometimes forget about the Young Master’s ending of being pierced by Gu Feidi’s sword.

Then why did he dream about that scene?

No, that wasn’t the right question. The Gu Feidi in his dream was not the actor who played Gu Feidi, plus there were many differences between the actual plot and the drama script…Therefore, what he dreamed of was not from the live-action, but…could what he dreamt to be the Young Master’s true ending?

Was it because of the outrageous amount of disturbance he caused recently? And the rules that governed this world couldn’t stand by and watch any longer? Was the world trying to send him a message, that he should walk down the path toward the Young Master's ending?

Before Su Yang could come up with a logical answer, Gu Feidi grabbed his chin and gave him another fierce kiss.

“It is said that the more you think during the day, the more likely it will become your dream for that night.” A complicated expression appeared on Gu Feidi’s face. It was hard to distinguish whether there was distress or anger, as he whispered in a low voice, “Have you always been afraid of me? Even after we became so intimate, are you still afraid of me killing you?”

Su Yang: “...”

Su Yang could feel his faint headache slowly becoming a migraine. “I know you won’t kill me. It’s just a dream. I also dreamed that I encountered an alligator in the swimming pool. Can there be any reason for that dream?”

Gu Feidi’s eyes were fixed on Su Yang for a while. He lay back down obliquely, stretched out his hand and brought the other man back into his arms.

After a moment of thinking, he asked, “If you aren’t afraid of me, are you afraid of your own death…?”

Su Yang finally felt impatient and pushed Gu Feidi’s chest, trying to create distance between them.

While he muttered discontentedly, “Why are you being so sensitive these days! I told you I won’t die so easily. That curse may not come true…”

“The curse may not come true, then what about the Apparition?” Gu Feidi interrogated. 

Su Yang’s heart was hit with dreadfulness.

He suddenly turned toward Gu Feidi, swallowed his saliva, and tried to mislead. “What? Wh-what does…What does the Apparition have to do with this?”

Pretending he didn’t utter that like his tongue was tied, he stared at Gu Feidi, trying to prove that he wasn’t guilty of anything with his eye contact.

Instead of replying, Gu Feidi faced the other man’s eyes quietly.

Su Yang’s heart was pounding like a drumbeat, but in order to make Gu Feidi believe, he held his gaze, trying not to blink awkwardly, and trying not to break eye contact. He remained calm and collected.

This lasted for a very long time. 

Su Yang finally couldn’t blink away the prickling sensation in his eyes or suppress the mental pressure and took the lead in losing their battle

He was so angry that he kicked the poor quilt and closed his eyes, ignoring Gu Feidi.

“So, is it really because of the Apparition?” Gu Feidi’s voice was low and hoarse. “Are the Apparition of Frozen Lake and the Half-Withered Crimson…clashing against each other?”

Su Yang…Didn’t want to answer, so he picked ‘fake sleeping’ instead.

The next moment, he was engulfed in Gu Feidi’s arms again.

Gu Feidi’s face was buried in the crook of his neck, and he could feel hot and wet moisture landing on his skin. A restrained sound by his ear that was hard to catch, it was a silent cry choked with emotion. The young man’s warm body trembled as if he was surrounded by the winter blizzard.

Authors Corner

The author has something to say:

Little angels, hold on just a little longer, isn’t spring not close behind winter? (Oy)

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2 Comments

  1. Muggelschmuggel

    Oh, that reminds me of a dream I once had lolol In it I saw a teacher walking around outside with a newspaper in hand. Suddenly there appeared a pool of water out of nowhere, a crocodile came out and ate him in one bite and then went back into the water and the water vanished again lolol I don’t remember anymore which teacher it was and if I had a conflict with him… but it was a funny and strange dream lolol

    Okay, guys… erm… things will get better… soon maybe x’D
    (But what is he always dreaming about? I thought the original novel was also BL. Or maybe he was just the villain in it and not the love interest. Can’t rember if it was mentioned or not.)

    Thx for the ch ٩(。˃ ᵕ ˂ )و

  2. Immortal Fujoshi

    I think the original novel was actually BL & there it was su yang who removed the poisonous Gu from feifei… But in the script it was changed.

    Thnx fr ur hard work ✊

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