As the sky shifted into hues of orange and violet, Han Yu sat beneath the old plum tree near the edge of the courtyard, lazily flicking pebbles at the stones lining the pond.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Each pebble rebounded with satisfying precision. He wasn’t training—just... thinking.
"Li i still hasn’t co to see ..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "She cried when I ’died,’ didn’t she? So why hasn’t she barged in yet, demanding explanations or poking in the ribs to see if I’m real?"
It was unlike her. Li i, the stubborn alchemist with the gentle yet sassy eyes and a temper that could lt cauldrons, had always been outspoken with him. Too outspoken, sotis.
"She was sad... then happy. I even saw the energy myself—sadness, then joy," Han Yu recalled. "So where is she? Don’t tell she’s... ignoring ?"
He clicked his tongue. "I’m not so ghost to be forgotten. Hmph."
Just then—
BAM!
The courtyard gate slamd open.
Han Yu jumped and almost hit himself in the face with a pebble.
"H-Han Yu!" a flustered voice called.
He turned and blinked. "Speak of the cauldron demon..."
Li i stood there, flushed from running, hair slightly ssy, holding a large box wrapped in cloth. Her eyes locked onto his and for a mont she just stared, visibly trying to find the right words.
"You... look surprisingly alive," she said at last.
Han Yu bead. "Why thank you. You look surprisingly delayed."
She scowled. "Delayed!? I’ll have you know I was—ugh, never mind!" She stord forward and shoved the box at him. "Here! For you!"
Han Yu caught it, raising a brow. "Is it a bribe? Are you trying to poison ? Or... is this your confession?"
Li i’s face went crimson. "Y-you!! It’s dicine, you idiot! Pills! For healing! I—I thought you were injured or sothing!"
He opened the box slowly and peeked inside. Neatly arranged within were four jade bottles and a folded slip of paper with instructions written in her neat calligraphy. The pills had a soft fragrance to them—he could already tell they were high-grade.
"...So you made these for ?" he asked.
"Yes!" she huffed, arms crossed. "I was working on them when I heard you’d co back. But then I saw you walking around all fine, strutting like a peacock! So I thought... maybe you didn’t need them anymore."
Han Yu closed the box and clutched it to his chest dramatically. "I shall treasure these forever. If I get even the smallest bruise, I’ll think of you and chew one with tears in my eyes."
Li i rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you haven’t changed a bit."
SHUA
A strand of yellow—Joy—fluttered into Han Yu’s chest.
He smirked. "You’re happy to see ."
"I’m relieved, not happy!"
SHUA
Another wisp. Joy again. Stronger.
"Uh-huh. And when exactly did ’relief’ start slling like cinnamon buns?" Han Yu teased. "Co on, you missed ."
Li i turned and started walking off. "I missed the quiet."
"I missed your yelling," he said cheerfully, following behind her like a shadow. "No one calls ’idiot’ the way you do."
She snorted despite herself. "Be grateful I didn’t put laxatives in that bottle."
Han Yu grinned. "Don’t tempt . That might be how I unlock the ninth emotional energy: Panic."
Li i stopped and looked over her shoulder, her voice softer. "But seriously... it’s good to see you alive."
That sincerity caught him off guard.
He blinked, then gave her a small, genuine smile. "Yeah. It’s good to be alive."
They stood in companionable silence for a mont before Han Yu tilted his head.
"Hey, since you’re here and all—wanna help figure out how to ss with Murong Xie’s lackey again?"
"...Why am I not surprised?" Li i sighed. "Fine. But if you get caught, I was never here."
"Deal."
SHUA
Two thin streaks of Joy.
Han Yu’s grin widened.
’Yup... This is definitely the way. I just need to make everyone feel sothing. Whether it’s rage, laughter, embarrassnt, or admiration... emotions are my cultivation fuel now.’
He tapped the pill box lightly.
And if a few healing pills ca with the package, even better.
But Li i was not done yet, as a scheming smile appeared on her face.
"I’ll help you out with your ’mortal foes’ but I’ll want so favors in exchange." Li i spoke.
As soon as Han Yu heard it, his eyes twitched.
"Uhhh..." He got a bad feeling about it.
"No, uhh, ahh and oofs." Li i shut him up right away. "You’ve been gone for far too long and I’ve been missing my most valued pill tester. Do you know just how many experintal pills I have stocked up?
Not a single bit of research done in this ti." Li i tutted away.
"umm... Didn’t you use the animals for tests?" Han Yu asked. "I’ve seen several animals being sent to your place. If those were not for testing then were they for eating?" he wondered.
"Those don’t count!" Li i shook her head. "Those were animal tests. Just the first step in testing. Human trials are still irreplaceable." She said with the air of a wizened scholar or a PHD researcher.
Seeing the look she was giving him, Han Yu knew there was no way to get out of this.
SIGH
"Alright, what do you want to test?" Han Yu asked.
While his contract with Li i had ended once he beca an outer court disciple, he still wished to help her out for old tis sake. Plus her pills had helped him a lot too. They might have side effects but they were also quite potent, allowing him to break through quite fast.
"Just the reply I was looking for!" Li i was pleased and had a wide smile on her face.
But to Han Yu that smile looked like that of a devil instead of an innocent little girl.
’I’m fucked, aren’t I?’ Han Yu knew his peace was gone for now.
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