Chu Wanning’s taste was really terrible—boring, dull, hopeless. Just look at this shelf, filled entirely with a range of lousy books!

     Catalog of Ancient Barriers, An Illustrated Guide to Rare Flora, Guqin Scores of Linyi Rufeng Sect, Compendium of Plants… The only ones that could be considered acceptable for enjoyment were probably only a few, such as Travel Notes From Shu and Sichuan Recipe Chronicles.

     Mo Ran picked up a few books that looked to be in relatively mint condition, ones that Chu Wanning clearly didn’t read often, and drew a bunch of erotic pictures across the pages.

     He thought to himself as he drew, This library has eight thousand, if not ten thousand books. It’ll be a long time before Chu Wanning discovers that several of them have been turned into taboo books, if he ever finds them at all. By then, Chu Wanning will have no possible way to figure out who did it and will only be able to fume with anger. It’s so brilliant! It’ll be wonderful!

     He held the book in his hands and couldn’t help but laugh loudly, full of mischief, when he thought about it.

     Mo Ran filled more than ten books with drawings, boldly letting his imagination run wild and unconstrained as he drew all kinds of erotic scenes. His brushwork was very elegant and refined and could even be said to be reminiscent of the way Cao-style paintings depicted clothing clinging to soaking figures emerging from the water and the way Wu-style paintings depicted ribbons seeming to flutter in the wind.

     If someone were to ask Yuheng Elder to borrow some books and, by great fortune, happened to take one of these, it would be expected for certain phrases to begin circulating:

     “Yuheng Elder has a human face but a beastly heart. He actually has erotic pictures of men and women in the Art of Purifying the Mind book!”

     “Yuheng Elder is impertinent to put on the act of a mentor. He even has a short story of paintings in his sword manual illustrating obscenity between cut sleeves!”

     “What so-called Beidou Immortal? He’s a beast in man’s clothing!”

     The more Mo Ran thought about it, the more hilarious it became.

     At last, all he could do was double over with laughter, clutching his stomach as he held onto the writing brush and rolled around on the ground. He kicked his feet and laughed so uncontrollably that he didn’t even notice when someone appeared at the entrance of the library pavilion.

     And so, the sight that greeted Shi Mei when he arrived was Mo Ran rolling around in a pile of books and laughing like a lunatic.

     “A-Ran… what are you doing?” 

     Mo Ran was startled and immediately sat up, covering up all those lewd drawings in a flurry and assuming a more sensible expression.

     “W-wiping the floor.”

     Shi Mei suppressed a laugh. “Wiping the floor with your clothes?”

     “Ah, I actually couldn’t find a rag. Don’t worry about it. Shi Mei, what are you doing here so late?”

     “I went to look for you in your room, but you weren’t there. I asked around and figured out you were here with Shizun.”

     Shi Mei stepped into the library pavilion and helped Mo Ran put away the books scattered all over the floor with a soft smile. “I didn’t have anything else to do, so I came to check on you.”

     Mo Ran was delighted but a little surprised by the special attention. With his lips drawn into a thin line, this person, who had always been a charming smooth-talker, was unexpectedly rendered speechless by emotion.

     “Then… um… Then you can sit down!” After joyfully spinning around in place for a bit, Mo Ran said nervously, “I—I’ll go pour you some tea.”

     “No need. I came here secretly. If Shizun finds out, there will be trouble.”

     Mo Ran awkwardly scratched his head. “You’re right…”

     Chu Wanning, that freak! I’ll personally conquer him sooner or later and save Shi Mei from having to submit to his abuse of power!

     “You haven’t eaten dinner yet, have you? I brought you some dishes.”

     Mo Ran’s eyes brightened. “Wontons?”

     “Pfft, you’re really not tired of them, huh? I didn’t bring any wontons. Red Lotus Pavilion is too far away, and I was afraid they would clump up and get stuck together by the time I arrived. Here, I brought some stir-fried dishes. See if you like them?”

     Shi Mei opened the food container next to them and indeed revealed several small dishes topped with bright red inside. There was spicy pig ear salad, yuxiang shredded pork, kung pao chicken, smashed cucumber salad, and a bowl of rice.

     “Ah, you added chili peppers?”

     “I was worried you’d go crazy with craving, so I added a little bit,” Shi Mei said with a smile. He and Mo Ran both loved spicy food, and the saying “there is no enjoyment without spice” was naturally a notion they well appreciated. “But your wounds haven’t healed enough, so I didn’t dare to add too much. Just a little bit to enrich the flavor is better than no trace of chili at all.”

     Mo Ran happily bit onto the chopsticks, his emerging dimples sweet as honey under the candlelight. “Wow! I’m so glad I could cry!”

     Shi Mei suppressed a laugh. “By the time you’re done crying, the food will be cold. You can cry after you finish eating.”

     Mo Ran cheered and dug in with his chopsticks as fast as he could. He always ate with the urgency of a starving dog. Chu Wanning was bothered by his obsessive table manners at every turn, but Shi Mei never showed any aversion to it. Shi Mei was always gentle and caring and would smile as he told him to eat more slowly while offering him a cup of tea.

     The dishes were quickly cleared, and Mo Ran patted his stomach, closing his eyes to let out a relaxed sigh. “That’s just what I needed…”

     Shi Mei asked with a semblance of casualness, “Which tastes better, the wontons or these dishes?”

     Mo Ran was passionate about culinary delights in the same manner as his obsession with his first love, unwaveringly devoted. He tilted his head, his soft black eyes gazing tearily at Shi Mei as he beamed. “The wontons.”

     “…” Shi Mei smiled and shook his head. After a long time, he said, “A-Ran, let me help change your bandages.”

     The medicinal salve he used was personally made by Madam Wang. In her youth, Madam Wang was once a disciple of the medicinal sect, Guyueye, meaning "lone moon night." Her martial skills were weak, and she was disinclined to fighting and killing but truly enjoyed studying medicine. She planted a medicinal herb garden on Sisheng Peak, which nurtured many precious rare herbs and plants, so there was never a shortage of medicine for injuries in the sect.

     Mo Ran took off his top and sat with his back towards Shi Mei. There was still a dull ache from the injuries on his back, but Shi Mei’s warm fingers dipped in the ointment and gently dabbed it into his skin little by little until he was gradually distracted from the pain and instead grew a bit restless as he was lost in thought.

     “Alright.” Shi Mei wrapped new bandages around Mo Ran and carefully secured them. “Put your clothes on.”

     Mo Ran turned around and glanced at Shi Mei. Under the dim glow of the candlelight, Shi Mei’s fair skin deceptively appeared white as snow, making him look even more enchanting. Mo Ran’s tongue suddenly felt dry at the sight. He really didn’t want to put his clothes on, but after hesitating for a moment, he still lowered his head and quickly draped his outer robe over his shoulders.

     “Shi Mei.”

     “Hm?”

     In such a remote and private library, the atmosphere between the two alone in the room was quite pleasant. Mo Ran initially wanted to quote some sentimental lines of romantic poetry to evoke a scene of gentle wind, blooming flowers, falling snow, and the serene moon. But he was an illiterate man who could even title his own reigning era “Ji Ba,” so after a long time of blundering over finding the right words and his face turning bright red from the endeavor, he only managed to utter three words. “You’re so good.”

     “It’s nothing. This is how I should be.”

     “I can be very good to you too.” Mo Ran spoke with a deliberate calm, but his palms were clammy with sweat, betraying the billowing waves of emotion in his heart. “When I become stronger, no one will be able to bully you. Not even Shizun.”

     Shi Mei didn’t understand why he spoke like this all of a sudden. He was stunned for a moment but still replied gently, “Okay, then I’ll be counting on you in the future.”

     “Mhm…” Mo Ran muttered in response, Shi Mei’s captivating gaze like a thorn aggravating his nerves. He didn’t dare to maintain eye contact any longer and lowered his head. He had always paid extreme care and attention towards this person, even to the point of single-mindedness.

     “Ah, Shizun wants you to dust this many books and catalog them in one night?”

     Mo Ran still had to do everything in his power to save face in front of the person he liked. “It’s not too bad. I can still make it if I pick up the pace.”

     Shi Mei said, “Let me help you.”

     “You can’t. If Shizun finds out, he’ll punish you too.” Mo Ran was very firm. “It’s late. You should go back to rest. We have training early tomorrow morning.”

     Shi Mei took his hand and chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, he won’t find out. We’ll be quiet…”

     Before he could finish his words, they heard an ice-cold voice. “What use is being quiet?”

     Chu Wanning had silently emerged from the machine workroom at some point, with his face cold as ice and an unceasing storm of frost and snow within his phoenix eyes. He stood at the doorway of the library pavilion in a simple white robe and looked at them with a wooden expression. His gaze lingered briefly on their clasped hands before shifting away. “Shi Mingjing, Mo Weiyu, you have a lot of nerve.”

     Shi Mei’s face turned white as snow in an instant. He abruptly let go of Mo Ran’s hand and said so softly his voice was barely a whisper, “Shizun…”

     Mo Ran also knew the situation was bad and lowered his head dejectedly. “Shizun.”

     Chu Wanning stepped into the room, ignoring Mo Ran to glance down at Shi Mei, courtesy name Mingjing, meaning “bright and pure,” who was kneeling on the ground. He said flatly, “Red Lotus Pavilion is set with a number of barriers. Did you really think I wouldn’t know if someone entered unannounced?”

     Shi Mei fearfully kneeled to a proper kowtow. “This disciple was wrong.”

     Mo Ran said hurriedly, “Shizun, Shi Mei only came to help me change my bandages. He was just going to leave. Please don’t blame him.”

     Shi Mei also rushed to say, “Shizun, this matter has nothing to do with Mo-shidi. This disciple alone is at fault. I am willing to receive the punishment.”

     “…”

     Chu Wanning’s complexion nearly went green. He’d barely said more than a few words, and these two were already eager to protect the other, both seeing him as a fearsome monster as they united in opposition to their shared enemy.

     Chu Wanning remained silent for a while, barely suppressing the twitch of his brows. He said flatly, “It’s so moving to see such deep compassion between fellow disciples. From the looks of it, it seems I am the only villain in the room.”

     Mo Ran started, “Shizun…”

     “…Don’t call me.” Chu Wanning flicked his wide sleeves, unwilling to continue speaking.

     Mo Ran had no clue what was going on with him and what he was so infuriated about. His only guess was it being because Chu Wanning had always loathed lovey-dovey behavior, regardless of the nature of affection, and likely felt that his eyes were dirtied by all of it.

     The three of them were silent for a long time until Chu Wanning unexpectedly turned around to leave.

     Shi Mei raised his head, his eyes slightly red, and asked, at a loss, “Shizun?”

     “Go copy the sect rules ten times. You may go.”

     Shi Mei lowered his eyes for a moment, then whispered, “…Yes.”

     Mo Ran still knelt in place.

     Shi Mei stood up and hesitated after glancing at Mo Ran. After a long pause, he knelt down again to plead with Chu Wanning. “Shizun, Mo-shidi’s wounds have only just healed. It’s bold of this disciple to ask, but please don’t be too hard on him.”

     Chu Wanning didn’t say a word, standing alone under the flickering candlelight of the hanging lamp. After a while, he suddenly turned his face to the side, and all they could see was a hint of his sharp, swordlike brows and blazing eyes as he said in a furious rage, “So much nonsense! You’re still not leaving?!”

     Chu Wanning was incredibly handsome, though lacking in gentleness, but when he grew hostile, he was absolutely terrifying. Shi Mei trembled in fright. Afraid of angering their shizun further and causing more trouble for Mo Ran, he quickly bowed and left.

     With only the two of them left in the library, Mo Ran was inwardly relieved and said, “Shizun, this disciple was wrong. I’ll continue cataloging your books right away.”

     Chu Wanning didn’t turn to look at him and only said, “If you’re tired, you may leave.”

     Mo Ran’s head suddenly snapped up.

     Chu Wanning said frostily, “I won’t keep you.”

     How could he have the good intention to let me off so easily? It must be some kind of trick!

     Mo Ran said quick-wittedly, “I’m not leaving.”

     Chu Wanning paused, then sneered, “…Fine, do as you wish.”

     After saying this, he flicked his wide sleeves and left. Mo Ran was stunned—he wasn’t tricking him? He thought for sure that Chu Wanning would inevitably repay him with another round of lashings from the willow vine. 

     Mo Ran worked well into the night until he finally completed the task and strode out of the library pavilion with a yawn. Though it was quite deep into the night by now, there was still a dim yellow light emitting from Chu Wanning’s bedroom.

     Huh? That foul demon still hasn’t gone to sleep?

     Mo Ran walked over to bid Chu Wanning farewell before leaving, but when he entered the room, he found that Chu Wanning had already fallen asleep. Only, this man with a lousy memory had really forgotten to put out the candle before going to bed. Or maybe he’d been in the middle of building something and just passed out from exhaustion. 

     Mo Ran glanced at the Holy Night Guardian prototype pieced together at the bedside and considered this possibility. He finally noticed that Chu Wanning hadn’t taken off his metal gloves and was still grasping half of a mechanical clasp in his hands, confirming this to be the truth.

     Chu Wanning wasn’t so austere and frigid when he slept. He was curled up on the bed piled with mechanical parts, saws, and axes. Honestly, there were so many items strewn about that there was barely any space left for him at all, so he was curled up in a very small ball, huddled tightly with his lashes lowered. He strangely looked a little lonesome.

     Mo Ran stared at him absentmindedly for a while. Chu Wanning… just what was he so angry about earlier? Could it be that he wasn’t only angry because Shi Mei snuck into Red Lotus Pavilion and wanted to help organize the books?

     Mo Ran rolled his eyes and walked over to the bedside. He leaned close to Chu Wanning’s ear and, in a very, very soft voice, experimentally called, “Shizun?”

     “…Mm…” Chu Wanning hummed softly and hugged the chilly mechanical pieces in his arms tightly. He was in a deep sleep, his breathing even. The metal gloves were still on his hands with the sharp pointed fingertips resting by his face, looking like the claws of a cat or a leopard.

     Seeing that he didn’t appear likely to wake up any time soon, Mo Ran’s heart stirred, and his eyes narrowed as the corners of his mouth curved into a mischievous smile. He pressed in close beside Chu Wanning’s ear and lowered his voice to test his theory. “Shizun, wake up.”

     “…”

     “Shizun?”

     “…”

     “Chu Wanning?”

     “…”

     “Heh, you’re really sound asleep.” Mo Ran was elated and propped himself up with his arm on the pillow, looking at him with a face full of smiles. “This is perfect. I’ll use this opportunity to settle the score with you.”

     Chu Wanning was wholly unaware that someone wanted to get even with him. His eyes remained closed, and he continued sleeping soundly, his handsome face giving the impression that he felt at ease.

     Mo Ran assumed a mighty pose. It was a pity he’d grown up in a pleasure house from a young age and barely received any sort of formal education. He was thereby influenced by the street brawls and folktales he was regularly exposed to as a child, and the words and phrases he ended up piecing together often sounded inarticulate and ridiculous.

     “You brazen, unruly subject Chu, you betray the emperor, you pay no respects to the emperor, you… hm, you…”

     He scratched his head and found himself at a loss for words. When he’d proclaimed himself emperor, the only curses he’d spout were either “lowly servant girl” or “dog servant,” which didn’t feel suitable for Chu Wanning.

     After racking his brains for a long while, he suddenly thought of a saying frequently used by the older sisters at the pleasure house. He didn’t fully understand the meaning, but it seemed good enough. And so Mo Ran’s brows furrowed, and he said sternly, “You fickle, inept little cheap-ass, do you know your wrongs?”

     Chu Wanning: “…”

     “If you don’t speak up, This Venerable One will treat it as an admission of guilt!”

     Chu Wanning was probably disturbed by the noise. He let out a muffled hum but continued sleeping while clutching the mech pieces.

     “You have committed such grave transgressions. This Venerable One will sentence you according to the law… uh, you are sentenced to word punishment! Liu-gonggong!”

     He had called him by force of habit, and it was only after he spoke that he remembered Eunuch Liu was a person from the previous lifetime.

     Mo Ran thought for a moment and decided to embarrass himself a little and play the part of the eunuch as well. So he flattered himself, “Your Majesty, this old servant is present.”

     Then he cleared his throat and said sternly, “Deliver the punishment immediately.”

     “As Your Majesty commands.”

     Good, the scene had been set, and Mo Ran eagerly readied himself to “deliver punishment” upon Chu Wanning. In truth, this so-called “word punishment” didn’t actually exist. It was something Mo Ran had just made up on the spot. So how should he carry out this impromptu mouth punishment?

     Mo Ran, the sole tyrant of the era, actually cleared his throat in earnest and put on a cold, fiendish look. He slowly leaned in close to Chu Wanning’s face, pristine as a clear spring in a snowy valley, and steadily drew closer to his pair of light-colored lips. And then… Mo Ran stopped and stared at Chu Wanning before cursing, each word with measured intent, “Chu Wanning, fuck your mother; your pettiness is unmatched.”

     Slap. Slap. Two fake slaps to the face met air.

     Hehe, the punishment was delivered successfully! Excellent!

     Mo Ran was happily enjoying himself when he suddenly felt a tingle on the back of his neck. He sensed a shift in the atmosphere, and his gaze abruptly darted down only to be met with a cold pair of noble and mystified phoenix eyes.

     Mo Ran: “…”

     Chu Wanning’s voice sounded like jade shattering on an icy lake, and it was impossible to tell whether it was more otherworldly or piercingly cold. “What are you doing?”

     “This Venerable… pah. This old servant… pah, pah, pah!” 

     Luckily, these two sentences were as quiet as the buzz of a mosquito. Chu Wanning’s brows knitted slightly, apparently not having heard him clearly. Mo Ran suddenly had a brilliant idea. He raised his hand again and gently slapped air near Chu Wanning’s face a couple more times.

     “…”

     Met with his shizun’s darkening expression, the former emperor of the mortal realm gave him a full, amenable grin and said, “This, this disciple was swatting mosquitos for Shizun.”