The next morning, everyone gathered in the dining room after helping Ying Lei serve the dishes and waited patiently for the great demons to appear. It didn't take long, except that Zhu Yan came down from the third floor alone and sat in his usual chair with an pout expression as he looked at Yichen, who blushed at the memory of his conversation with his brother.
"Xiao Zhuo... I missed you last night..." Zhu Yan said, and the others smiled, already expecting something like that from him, even at that time of the morning.
"You have your own company, don't make a fuss now." He said in return, averting his gaze from him to stare at the food on the table.
"He's an old friend, and he got drunk pretty quickly after... a shocking sighting. I tell you, Ying Lei, your pomegranate wine is the best, and I don't know what spell you use, but it works perfectly. Even a grumpy great demon was knocked unconscious after... well, let's say quite a few glasses. Congratulations, you outdid yourself." He said happily, which made him smile in turn, glad that Zhu Yan had enjoyed his wine, which was his pride and joy, just as the pear soup was for Yichen and the peach tree was for Bai Jiu.
"Zhu Yan, speaking of which, last night Ying Lei had an idea that I think fits our current mood. Since great demon Li Lun has agreed to join us, how about a welcoming party? We can all go to the Citadel, buy things, decorate the mansion, and celebrate the completion of our team and our hard training. Besides, exchanging gifts will strengthen our relationships, and it's been a while since we've done anything but train. I know we still have a big task ahead of us, but a day and a night of celebration wouldn't hurt, right?" Pei Sijing asked.
Zhu Yan was momentarily surprised at the request, but he was overjoyed by the suggestion and the many possibilities it could bring. Outside, the golden snow had stopped falling, but it still hadn't melted and was sparkling on the ground like a field of golden clouds. It was such a beautiful sight, so fitting for a celebration, and he wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
"I'm fine with a celebration, though you can forget the welcoming. Li Lun just arrived, so he still holds a grudge against humans and won't appreciate your efforts, even if they are made full of good intentions. That said, it doesn't mean you can't show him how humans enjoy life, care for others, and celebrate special occasions. You can go down and enjoy your free time. I can do the decorations myself while you're away."
"Ah, great demon Zhu Yan, but it's better if we do it as a team. If we all join in, it will be more meaningful, more special..." Ying Lei said with a broad smile.
"And we can take the opportunity to bring gifts from the Citadel, go looking on the market like on a date..." Wen Xiao suggested, and Zhu Yan glanced at Yichen, who blushed again. Yixuan, beside him, was about to laugh. Wen Xiao was getting bolder, but it was a good opportunity, even for him.
"That's even better, the gifts sound great. I wish everyone a good time in town." Zhu Yan said, and Yichen stared at him.
"Wait, aren't you going with us? For real?"He asked Zhu Yan in disbelief, who smiled sadly.
"I can't leave the gate, and as a great demon, my presence in the Citadel could cause trouble. After all, it's a town made of demon hunters." He explained.
"But you... I thought..." Yichen was speechless, as he was looking forward to strolling through the town market with him, giving himself the opportunity to be closer to him in a different way. He was going to make the effort to stop pushing him away for once, as this was the best opportunity so far. That damn monkey was now playing hard to get!
"It will only be for a short time, and you can hide your demonic energy quite well. Besides, the Citadel already knows about you and that we've misjudged you, so even if you go there in a parade, it won't be a problem anymore." Yixuan said, giving Zhu Yan a surprised look, like what are you thinking of wasting such a heaven-sent opportunity for both of you? For one, to go to the town like he had always wanted and second, to be around his brother who was quite eager to start anew after their conversation. He worked hard to make that happen, yet... Zhu Yan, you fool.
"It's not that I don't want to go, but I've already failed once to sense a great demon crossing the gate. I can't let my guard down again, for everyone's sake, please understand." Zhu Yan said as he looked at Yichen, who he thought was on the verge of tears. Did he really want him to go to the town with him so badly? He would love to spend time with him in the Citadel, but guarding the gate was his task, his responsibility, and if anything happened while he was gone, it was entirely on him. He couldn't risk it, not even for his beloved, who for once seemed eager to go somewhere without protest.
"How ironic, you're so madly in love with your precious Yichen, yet you refuse to go with him to the place of your dreams? And only because of the gate? Are you seriously this tragic on your old age? I have several of my leaves around it, go and make a fool of yourself with the humans, I'll stay here and guard the gate for you. It's not that I like a town full of demon hunters, but you do, so go." Li Lun said from the door, taking everyone by surprise, making them stood and Zhu Yan to walked over to him and hugged him tightly.
"I knew I could count on you, old friend... thank you..." Zhu Yan said, making Li Lun a little uncomfortable. He wasn't used to hugs, much less one from Zhu Yan, whom he always avoided them, even when they were children.
"What old friends? Just yesterday we were enemies, so let me go, you clingy monkey." Li Lun tried to push him away, but the damn monkey was too strong.
"No, I'm showing my gratitude for having you back. We were never real enemies, we just drifted apart for a while."
"Zhu Yan, don't you have any shame? What would your beloved Zhuo Yichen think of this?"
"He knows I'm completely devoted to him and you need this hug. You are not avoiding it this time." Zhu Yan said, and Yichen sighed.
"You! Don't just stand there, sighing like it's nothing for your lover to hug others in front of you. Get your monkey back before I blast him away along with this dimension!" Li Lun shouted at Yichen, who was on the verge of laughter. There was no way he could blast Zhu Yan, nor his dimension when one of his powers was that of creation and Zhu Yan looked kind of cute when acting like a child. However...
"That's enough, Zhu Yan. Let's go down to the town together, alright? Isn't that what you've been waiting for so long?" Yichen asked, and instantly Zhu Yan let go of Li Lun to hug Yichen instead, squeezing him even tighter as he inhaled the scent he'd missed so much last night.
"What's wrong with you? This isn't like the usual you..." Yichen asked, patting him on the back.
"Is the lingering effects of your brother's spell. It affects me more than others, as I understand his feelings and am more sensitive to them than anyone else here. Is it Bing Yi's spell, after all, and it also bring back memories from my past of a happier time with them. I miss it..." At that, Yichen closed his eyes and let him hold him for a while longer before gently pushing him away without resistance. He then looked at his brother, who smiled at them both.
"I'm sorry, Zhu Yan, I didn't know the spell will last so long." Yixuan offered him a small bow in apology, and Li Lun narrowed his eyes at the respectful gesture. Was he finding it hard to believe that humans could respect demons?
"But I'm glad that it did! We can have a fight in the warm, sparkling snow! Let's enjoy the feeling a little longer, because this is a once in a lifetime chance. Let's go!" Ying Lei said as he grabbed Bai Jiu's hand and pulled him along, laughing as Bai Jiu yelled in protest as they stepped out to the mansion's entrance.
Unable to resist Ying Lei's contagious enthusiasm, his unit followed them, only to watch them playfully fight. However, Ying Lei wanted more than just to make Bai Jiu happy, so he threw golden snow at them too, who soon joined them in laughter, taking advantage of the opportunity to play with the only warm snow they would ever have in their hands. The battle was Bai Jiu against Ying Lei, Wen Xiao against Pei Sijing, and Yichen against Zhu Yan, who threw several snowballs at him, drawing him into the game.
As they chased each other and threw sparkling balls, Yichen's heart beat even faster, because a happy Zhu Yan was a sight to behold, too beautiful to stop admiring, and his smile was enchanting. And seeing that, he thought that maybe they were truly meant to be together, because he couldn't contain his own happiness, his feelings were also running wild, maybe from playing with a spell full of emotions or simply because he had truly fallen in love with the monkey, despite his best efforts not to.
Zhu Yan for his part, could barely keep his hands off the younger Zhuo, but unlike before, Yichen didn't push him away and instead sprinkled snow all over the great demon's clothes and once even gently put some on his cheek, giving Zhu Yan a chance to pull him closer and almost kiss him, but a wild shot from Ying Lei caught them both and they separated while laughing. Yichen ran away to get Ying Lei and Zhu Yan to rescue Bai Jiu from Wen Xiao and Pei Sijing.
"Xiao Xuan, I think what whatever you said to your brother last night, pay off. He looks very happy..." Yiming said as he watched them play.
"I'm glad... because the less he resists, the happier he'll be." Yixuan whispered and looked at Li Lun for a second before a set of snowballs were thrown at him by both Yichen and Zhu Yan, causing Yixuan and his team to join in the fun in the sun bathed golden battlefield.
From the steps at the entrance of the mansion, Li Lun watched them laughing, playing, and simply having a good time, so free of malice or anything negative as he would expect to see in any human, and he watched Yixuan's every move with a kind of hunger. To him, his smile was the warmest. His white and gold robes blended with the snow, giving him an ethereal look, and happiness washed over him like rain.
However, all good things must come to an end, and the snow fight ended a while later when everyone heard Bai Jiu's hungry stomach growl and they laughed, ending the war for breakfast and preparing to teleport back to the town. Since there were gifts involved, once in the Citadel they would separate to choose them in private, so it would be a surprise for later that evening. However, just as they were ready to teleport away, Yixuan announced that he would not be joining them at that moment, as he did not want to leave Li Lun alone in the mansion.
"I can take care of myself, Zhuo Yixuan. Go with them." Li Lun demanded, but Yixuan simply smiled at him.
"Didn't you say you were going to teach me? Then we can hold the student-teacher tea ceremony while they go to the city, and when they return, I can go alone."
"What nonsense, I won't allow you to call me Master in every sentence."
"Then what should I call you?" Yixuan asked, almost letting out a mocking smile. The sudden question startled Li Lun for a moment, unsure of how to respond, as he had never accepted an apprentice before, but he didn't want to hear the word "master" come out of his mouth at every single time. It didn't feel right for some reason.
"Li Lun should do it, or grumpy tree head, if he protests." Zhu Yan offered, and Yixuan smiled.
"That will be interesting... but kind of disrespectful, Zhu Yan, please don't be mean with my Master." Yixuan mocked.
"Don't call me that! Just leave already, you annoying bunch of mortals, and don't come back until nightfall or never at all." He suggested, but since everyone simply staried at him, he snorted.
"It's no secret that I'm not a fan of humans, so stop staring and leave now." Everyone ignored him and looked at Yixuan instead.
"Can you handle it yourself, Commander?" Cao Wei asked with a mischievous smile.
"Of course. Have fun and take care of Zhu Yan, he may be a bit lost as to how to use human money. Whatever he wants to buy, it will be on the Bureau without limits, but only his, Cao Wei... I warning you, no tricks to make him buy stuff for you. Yichen and Commander Pei Sijing will be there and all the expenses will have to get their approval." He said looking at Yichen, who assented in understanding.
"Wait, maybe I should stay with the Commander, it will be rude to leave our leader alone..." Mei Lin began, but Yiming hastily interrupted her.
"Who said he is alone? He have his Master now... I mean the great demon Li Lun, so no can do, Xiao Mei. I'm sure they can entertain themselves. Let's have some fun, we might not get another chance for a long time. Why waste it now?" He asked, and she looked at Yixuan, who turned serious as he looked back at her. He was aware of Li Lun's gaze on him, so he remained steadfast in his cold stare.
"Yiming is right, Mei Lin. Go have fun, real fun... don't worry about me, my path has always been this one and nothing can change it..." He said as softly as he could, but he still sensed a hint of dark energy at his back.
"That's right! Now, let's buy something nice for our Commander." Cao Wei said, and Ren Jiang took Mei Lin by one arm and Yiming by the other, leading her away from both their Commander and the great demon who was glaring daggers at her.
"Come on, Ying Lei, use the incense thing right now." Cao Wei urged, and after a few seconds, they disappeared in a storm of golden sand, leaving behind an amused Commander and a tense great demon that didn't know what to do with a handsome human he ask to take as an apprentice out of anger. He sighed, while Yixian smiled.
AN: This chapter was inspired by the cast of FOF playing with the snow in the behind scenes. I though it was very cute, fitting for the happy atmosphere of this chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy their fun, as the real cast looked happy while playing like kids