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Xiao Xingchen woke to an unfamiliar absence beside him.
Normally, there would be a warm body pressed close against his side. Half-awake, he reached out by instinct, only to touch a small curled-up lump hidden beneath the blankets—more like a stray cat sneaking in to steal warmth while someone slept.
“…Little friend?” he called uncertainly.
His little friend was not someone who enjoyed getting up early. If Xue Yang had actually gone out at dawn to buy groceries, the sun would sooner rise in the west.
Just as Xiao Xingchen thought he had guessed correctly, a drowsy voice answered him—soft, blurry, and unmistakably childish.
“…Mn?”
Xiao Xingchen immediately sensed something wrong. He sat up and leaned closer in concern.
“Little friend, are you feeling unwell somewhere—”
At last, Xue Yang himself became fully alert. Looking down, he found a child’s body where his own should have been, and cursed viciously in his head.
Unfortunately, Xiao Xingchen was right there, so he could hardly say it aloud.
After turning a dozen malicious thoughts over in his mind, he finally spoke in a pitiful voice instead.
“Daozhang, I turned into a kid.”
“Why?” Xiao Xingchen’s first reaction, naturally, was concern. His brows drew together faintly; without the blindfold, his lashes trembled visibly. “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Probably backlash from one of those techniques he’d been practicing before. But obviously he couldn’t say that.
So Xue Yang simply shook his head.
“No. Maybe I got hit by some curse during a night hunt before. It’ll probably wear off in a few days.”
And Xiao Xingchen, idiot that he was, believed him immediately. Guilt surfaced on his face.
“It is my fault… I failed to protect you properly.”
Xue Yang hated hearing sentimental nonsense like that. The more he heard it, the stupider Xiao Xingchen seemed.
He shoved half his body out from beneath the blankets——and immediately watched his clothes slide clean off his shoulders.
Taking a slow breath to suppress the urge to swear, he grabbed Xiao Xingchen’s hand instead.
“Daozhang, my clothes are too big now. I can’t wear them like this. What should I do?”
Sure enough, Xiao Xingchen’s attention was diverted at once.
“…Mm. I cannot exactly conjure fitting clothes out of thin air either.”
Honestly, since Xiao Xingchen couldn’t see anyway, Xue Yang himself didn’t care much what he wore.
He watched Xiao Xingchen rise with a grave expression as though worrying over the fate of the world, completely oblivious to his own sleep-mussed hair. Xue Yang nearly burst out laughing.
Still, in an unusually charitable mood, he reached out and tugged at the strand sticking up.
“Daozhang, your hair’s messy.”
“I know what to do. Little friend, wait here a moment.”
Xiao Xingchen seemed utterly unconcerned about his own appearance. He gently caught the small hand and lowered it before turning toward another room.
Xiao Xingchen in such an unkempt state was a rare sight. Xue Yang, having nothing better to do, sprawled on the bed and watched his figure moving back and forth, grinning silently to himself.
But when Xiao Xingchen returned, the smile froze on his face.
Because of the clothes in his hands.
—What the hell?!
How dare this damned Daoist make him, Xue Yang, wear something like that?!
And yet Xiao Xingchen looked utterly innocent, his face holding nothing but concern and earnest determination to solve the problem—not a trace of mockery.
“Little friend, after thinking it over, given your current size… you can probably only wear A-Qing’s old clothes. They’re all clean. If you don’t like them, I’ll find another way.”
Luckily that little blind girl wasn’t around—off who knew where playing. Otherwise, she’d laugh herself to death at him.
Xue Yang stared at the ruqun in Xiao Xingchen’s hands, grinding his teeth, refusing to take it.
Xiao Xingchen lowered his head slightly, apologetic.
“I’m sorry. I should have known you wouldn’t want to.”
For some inexplicable reason, Xue Yang reached out anyway, took the clothes, and held them up against himself. Just imagining wearing them sent a chill down his spine.
He snorted.
“Too small. Don’t want it.”
Fortunately, Xiao Xingchen couldn’t see.
Otherwise, that would’ve been a real disaster.
Taking the excuse at face value, Xiao Xingchen folded the clothes neatly and set them aside.
“Then… I’ll try fixing your original clothes. Perhaps they can still be worn.”
That was far more acceptable than wearing A-Qing’s clothes. Xue Yang leaned in without resistance, letting Xiao Xingchen drape the oversized garments over him, fastening them temporarily with clips and ties.
“I cannot see what you look like now. If anything feels wrong, tell me,” Xiao Xingchen said, carefully adjusting the shoulders and waist.
Xue Yang blinked, saying nothing. Then suddenly, he tilted his head up.
“Daozhang, whose turn is it to buy groceries today?”
Xiao Xingchen didn’t pause his hands.
“I believe it is yours. But in your current state, how could you go out to buy food? I will go instead.”
Xue Yang’s eyes darted, already scheming. Staying alone in the coffin house sounded unbearably dull. He grabbed onto Xiao Xingchen’s hand and refused to let go.
“No. I’m going.”
“How come you’re so diligent today?” Xiao Xingchen tapped lightly at his nose. “You always come up with excuses before. Can you even walk on your own like this?”
“Of course not. Carry me.”
Xue Yang leaned into him as if it were only natural, burying his head against his chest.
Really—he was regressing. Being stuck in a child’s body had even given him a child’s habits.
Still, he was curious. If Xiao Xingchen carried him out like this… what would the people of Yi City think?
Xiao Xingchen seemed a little helpless, though the smile at his lips was impossible to hide.
“You… becoming a child has only made you more spoiled.”
After adjusting Xue Yang’s clothes and tying his hair into a short, bouncy ponytail, Xiao Xingchen finally took a moment to fix his own robe.
Only when everything was once again neat and proper did he come over, carefully lifting Xue Yang into his arms. Placing the basket in his lap, he carried him out.
When Xue Yang usually went out to buy groceries, the vendors barely dared speak to him, afraid he’d threaten them into lowering prices again.
But facing Xiao Xingchen, they became chatty, greeting him warmly. Some couldn’t help but sneak glances at the child in his arms.
Xiao Xingchen remained perfectly at ease, indifferent to their curious looks.
Xue Yang, thick-skinned as ever, simply focused on picking vegetables for this soft-hearted blind man, ignoring everyone else entirely.
He refused to eat wilted greens, and even less so those shriveled, mealy apples that had clearly been sitting around for days.
Xiao Xingchen knew nothing about such things. If Xue Yang didn’t come along, who knew what they’d end up eating tonight?
He was still sorting through the produce when a woman suddenly asked:
“Daozhang, is this your son—”
Alarm bells went off instantly in Xue Yang’s head.
Son? Was she about to say son?!
Absolutely not. That would be unbearable. How could he suddenly drop a whole generation below Xiao Xingchen? Besides, he’d always found that old-fashioned air of Xiao Xingchen’s irritating enough already.
A-Qing liked calling himgege, and Xue Yang had never even been fond of that—let alone being shoved straight into the role of his son.
Between two evils, choose the lesser.
He immediately cut in:
“Gege, I’ve picked everything.”
Xiao Xingchen seemed to pause for a moment, then a smile spread slowly across his lips.
“If you say you’re buying the groceries, then you should be the one to pay.”
Xue Yang glanced at him, suddenly suspecting that the man’s usual pure and spotless demeanor might just be an act—taking advantage of him in terms of seniority and even making a child pay.
If he didn’t know Xiao Xingchen so well, he might’ve actually believed it.
As he paid, he heard Xiao Xingchen explain:
“This is a child I rescued during a night hunt. I am taking care of him for now, until his parents come to find him.”
Fine. As long as there was an explanation.
Cradling the basket again, Xue Yang settled comfortably in Xiao Xingchen’s arms as they wandered on.
Fortunately, the vendors behaved themselves today—no sneaky price hikes or short measures.
Just as Xue Yang was thinking that, he heard whispers behind them:
“Don’t you think that child looks a lot like the one living with the Daozhang…”
“Yeah… could it be their—”
Xue Yang couldn’t hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing so hard Xiao Xingchen nearly dropped him.
With Xiao Xingchen’s keen hearing, he definitely caught it too. The tips of his ears and cheekbones flushed faintly pink.
That only improved Xue Yang’s mood further.
He tugged at Xiao Xingchen’s sleeve.
“Right, Daozhang—could it be ours…?”
Xiao Xingchen lowered his head slightly and cleared his throat.
“Little friend, mind your words.”
But Xue Yang refused to let it go. Leaning close to his ear, he murmured softly:
“Gege.”
He might not like using that term in daily life—but that didn’t mean he didn’t use it on the bed.
And besides… calling him something so embarrassingly intimate always got a stronger reaction.
Sure enough, Xiao Xingchen’s ears trembled faintly, flushing even deeper.
Satisfied, Xue Yang lifted his head, returning to his obedient child act.
But Xiao Xingchen didn’t continue being flustered as expected. Instead, after walking a while, he asked:
“Little friend… you used to say you could never get sweets as a child. Do you still want them now?”
Still basking in his earlier victory, Xue Yang blinked, then laughed.
“Of course. Free sweets are free sweets.”
With the basket in his arms, he couldn’t reach out, so he simply leaned in and rubbed his face against Xiao Xingchen’s chest.
“Daozhang, the basket’s heavy. Let’s put it back first, then go buy candy?”
Xiao Xingchen smiled, softer than before, and did exactly as he wished—returning home to drop off the basket before taking him out again.
He really spoils me too much, Xue Yang thought——and then something sweet was pressed against his lips.
A milk candy.
The rich, creamy taste melted across his tongue.
…Not bad.
His eyes blinked slowly, momentarily forgetting what he’d originally come out for, letting Xiao Xingchen continue feeding him.
“Is it good?” Xiao Xingchen asked, already stepping into a pastry shop to pick out more.
Swallowing the syrupy sweetness, Xue Yang leaned against him, clearly pleased.
“If Daozhang bought it, of course it’s good.”
Xiao Xingchen seemed to notice the small gesture and laughed softly.
“I always remember you saying you liked sweets as a child, yet could never have them. Now that you can… is there anything else you’d like to eat?”
“Well, since Daozhang put it that way—of course there is.”
The fragrance of pastries in front of him stirred Xue Yang’s appetite. He licked his lips and began pointing without restraint.
“This, and this, and this—I want all of them… Oh, and Daozhang, you’re not allowed to give any to that little blind girl.”
Xiao Xingchen was, unsurprisingly, amused again.
“You used to split one piece of candy with A-Qing. Now that you’ve turned into a child and your appetite is smaller, how have you become even stingier?”
Xue Yang immediately put on a spoiled, willful tone.
“I don’t care. You’re just not allowed to give her any.”
Xiao Xingchen didn’t argue further. He simply broke a piece of pastry in half and stuffed one side into Xue Yang’s mouth.
With his cheek puffed full, Xue Yang still insisted on talking.
“Daozhang, you should eat some too.”
Not even waiting for an answer, he grabbed the other half and shoved it into Xiao Xingchen’s mouth.
Caught off guard, Xiao Xingchen coughed lightly before managing to swallow, sounding a bit helpless.
“It really is quite sweet.”
Only then did Xue Yang narrow his eyes in satisfaction, his expression full of triumph at having tricked Xiao Xingchen into buying so many sweets.
“Truly… a child.”
The words came from above him, so soft they were almost lost, tinged with unmistakable amusement.
Xue Yang wanted to retort you’re the child, but his mouth was too full to speak. Xiao Xingchen reached out and gently patted his head.
“I know your childhood was difficult. Now that you have the chance, don’t dwell on it anymore. If you want sweets, then we’ll buy them.”
Xue Yang clicked his tongue silently, automatically dismissing the first half of that sentence.
Still… this wasn’t something he had ever imagined before.
And, unexpectedly—it wasn’t bad.
So he asked instead,
“If I want them, we buy them? Since when is Daozhang so rich?”
“I won’t buy too much. You mustn’t ruin your teeth,” Xiao Xingchen replied with a soft smile. “But feeding you is something I can afford.”
There was a trace of tenderness in his thoughts—pity, perhaps. This child before him had suffered in the past. Now that there was a chance, he wanted to make it up to him, if only a little, to soften the harshness in his heart.
“Hah, you really do think I’m a kid.”
By the time they returned, Xue Yang muttered under his breath, then slipped out of Xiao Xingchen’s arms and ran off somewhere.
Behind him, he could hear Xiao Xingchen reminding him not to wander too far.
Stretching lazily, Xue Yang felt his body begin to lengthen again. The bindings on his clothes loosened and fell away on their own.
A silent grin spread across his face.
Once fully returned to normal, he crept quietly behind Xiao Xingchen and suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder.
“Daozhang—am I still a child now?”
His voice had returned to its usual lazy sweetness, his warm breath brushing against Xiao Xingchen’s neck.
Xiao Xingchen instinctively struggled for a moment, but didn’t use force. Realizing who it was, he relaxed and smiled.
“You’ve changed back so quickly?”
Tilting his head slightly, his cheek brushed against Xue Yang’s in an intimate gesture.
Xue Yang hummed low in response, then leaned in, brushing the tip of his nose against Xiao Xingchen’s lips.
“I still have accounts to settle with you, Daozhang.”
Letting go of his waist, he pressed closer step by step.
“Do you like me better as a child? Why were you smiling so happily just now?”
Xiao Xingchen caught his wrist gently and shook his head, the warmth in his expression unchanged.
“No. It makes no difference—so long as it is you.”
“So long as it’s me?” Xue Yang leaned in even closer, his lashes almost brushing Xiao Xingchen’s cheek. “Then why did you indulge me more when I was little? Buying all those sweets and all that.”
Xiao Xingchen paused, a faint flush rising on his face. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed softly, strands of hair falling beside his cheeks.
“Little friend… are you perhaps jealous of your younger self?”
“I’m not jealous.”
There was a trace of annoyance in Xue Yang’s voice. He leaned forward and bit lightly at the corner of Xiao Xingchen’s lips.
“I just think…”
His voice grew quieter and quieter.
“It would’ve been nice if I’d met you when I was younger.”
The words were so soft that Xiao Xingchen didn’t catch them clearly. He simply smiled, letting Xue Yang press closer.
“Just think what?”
Only then did Xue Yang realize how intimate, how unguarded that sounded—as if he truly cared far too much about this foolish Daoist.
He scoffed.
“You guess.”
He didn’t wait for Xiao Xingchen to guess. His hand slipped straight inside the collar, fingertips tracing over collarbone and chest. Through the fabric, Xiao Xingchen caught his wandering hand and shook his head, voice carrying a trace of embarrassment.
“Little friend, it’s daytime…”
“Daytime isn’t allowed?” Xue Yang stared at him for a moment, then let out a low chuckle. “Are you afraid that little blind girl will come back and catch us? She can’t see anyway. We’ll just be quiet.”
Without giving him a chance to protest, Xue Yang pushed him back against the door panel. Xiao Xingchen had little room to refuse and could only half-resist before yielding. He released Xue Yang’s wrist.
“Don’t make too much noise…”
Even as he said it, he knew the warning was useless against Xue Yang right now. He lowered his head first, kissing him deeply, tongues tangling until both of them were dizzy and breathless.
Xue Yang had already pulled his collar wide open. Calloused fingertips wandered slowly along the grooves of his abs, stirring ripples of sensation. Xiao Xingchen raised a hand to cover Xue Yang’s mouth.
“Gentler… It wouldn’t be good if you leave marks.”
Xue Yang hummed obediently in reply, but inwardly he was already planning to leave a nice big one when Xiao Xingchen wasn’t paying attention. His fingers slipped under the hem of the dao robe, not rushing to strip everything off—just tugging at the sash and quietly pulling the inner trousers down.
Xiao Xingchen felt the chill and instinctively pressed closer to the source of heat, only to brush directly against Xue Yang’s erection.
“You… why are you already…”
“I just want to. Can’t I?” Xue Yang grinned, sharp canines grazing lightly along the side of his neck as if measuring the best spot to bite. His hand, already slick with precum, sneaked downward to start opening him up.
Unable to do anything else, Xiao Xingchen could only relax and let him explore. He bit down on his own sleeve, unwilling to let out any louder sounds.
Xue Yang clicked his tongue, resting his chin in the crook of Xiao Xingchen’s neck while his hand kept working without mercy, deliberately stroking the sensitive spots.
“Daozhang is really something. So many rules and restrictions… where’s the fun in this?”
Xiao Xingchen trembled under his fingers like he’d been shocked. It took him a long moment to force out a reply.
“Little friend… we’re right at the entrance of the mortuary. You… should restrain yourself a little…”
Indeed. The upright Xiao Xingchen was now pressed against the front door in an extremely indecent position, being taken from behind. If it were in the past, he wouldn’t have dared imagine it. Xue Yang withdrew his hand and deliberately smeared the slick fluid across Xiao Xingchen’s cheek.
“But there are advantages to doing it at the door. If someone comes… Daozhang would definitely hear them crystal clear.”
Xiao Xingchen bit harder on his sleeve and stayed silent. Finding it boring, Xue Yang switched to his cock, pressing the head against the still partially opened entrance, intending to push in just like that. Seeing Xiao Xingchen frown, he actually softened for a moment.
“Daozhang… is it not okay?”
“It is… just…” Xiao Xingchen didn’t pull away. Instead, he shifted forward slightly, the shallow friction making both of them itch with need. “Be gentle.”
Xue Yang drew in a slow, deep breath and steadied him, entering slowly. Xiao Xingchen had indulged him to an absurd degree—even allowing this.
Only when they were fully joined did Xiao Xingchen’s brows smooth out. He reached up to stroke Xue Yang’s slightly sweat-damp hair.
“You always push further and further.”
“Yeah. Who told Daozhang to spoil me so much?” Xue Yang smiled with narrowed eyes, rolling his hips to enjoy the tight heat enveloping him. He kept holding Xiao Xingchen’s hand, refusing to let go, and even took one of his fingers into his mouth to nibble on like a teething toy.
He wanted to say more, but sudden voices and footsteps outside startled them. Xiao Xingchen flinched hard, clenching tightly around Xue Yang and nearly making him lose control. The footsteps stopped right outside the wall. Then someone knocked.
“Is Daozhang Xiao Xingchen here?”
Xiao Xingchen instinctively tried to push him away, but stopped halfway, afraid of making any sound that would alert the person outside. His hand hovered awkwardly in mid-air. Xue Yang pressed a finger to his lips in a silent “shh” and stopped moving. For a moment, the only sounds in the room were their breathing and heartbeats.
After a while, the person outside seemed to decide no one was home and turned to leave.
“Strange… I thought I heard voices…”
Xue Yang buried his face in Xiao Xingchen’s neck, laughing softly.
“Daozhang, you squeezed me so tight just now when you got nervous—it felt amazing. Do it again for me.”
Xiao Xingchen ignored him, face flushed deep red, a few drops of sweat clinging to his hair. He kept biting the cloth tightly. Finding it uninteresting, Xue Yang kissed him again. In that brief moment of distraction, he sank his teeth into the side of his neck and left a small red mark.
Only then did Xiao Xingchen release the sleeve. He turned his head as if to speak, but it took him a while to catch his breath. His voice had gone hoarse.
“If someone saw you like this… what would we do…”
“Mosquito bite,” Xue Yang said, nipping at his ear. “A really big mosquito.”
It was completely ridiculous, yet Xiao Xingchen still laughed softly.
“Then… we’ll say it was a mosquito.”
He pulled Xue Yang in for another kiss.
“I really do indulge you too much.”
The sudden kiss left Xue Yang a little dazed. He held him tightly, thrusting deep a few more times before reaching climax. He didn’t finish inside, instead spilling across the front of Xiao Xingchen’s robes. That dao robe was clearly unwearable now.
Xiao Xingchen turned his face aside somewhat helplessly.
“Little friend… you’ve made such a mess… it’ll be hard to clean.”
But Xue Yang’s mind worked quickly. He smiled, looking both innocent and sly.
“I’ve got a solution. Daozhang took care of me all day, so I’ll handle the cleaning.”
“After all… I’m not a child anymore.”