Chapter Text
Li Xiangyi wakes up with a mild headache. He takes care of it quickly, by circulating his internal force, before even opening his eyes. Once he does open his eyes, he comes to the far more worrying conclusion that he doesn't know where he is. The ceiling above him is entirely unfamiliar. He can smell food. Perhaps he's at an inn? He frowns as he sits up, trying to remember what he'd done after the wine.
He quickly determines that there's no one there. And frankly, it doesn't quite look like an inn either. In fact, it looks more like he's in someone's home. He stands up from the bed, and takes a moment to look around in more detail. No matter how he looks, the place doesn't seem even vaguely familiar, even though something about it makes it feel like he should know it.
The place isn't very large and not exactly… Well, it seems a little shabby if he's honest. But he has to admit that it's cosy in a way Li Xiangyi's rooms at Sigu Sect aren't. Not that cosy is something Li Xiangyi had been looking for in his rooms.
He takes a step closer to the door. He hears a voice from outside, and stops to listen.
"Eat," whoever it is says bluntly. Something about it seems to tickle at his memory. There's something very familiar about that voice, he thinks. He waits for more to be said, hoping recognition will dawn on him. A moment later the voice goes on, "I'll have to listen to the brat complain forever if I let you skip a meal." This time the voice is a little less abrasive, not quite gentle or teasing, but… there's something about it that—
He doesn't usually sound like that, Li Xiangyi thinks, before his brain has even quite put together the whole picture. He frowns, and then it's like a bolt of lightning strikes his head, the suddenness of the memory making him gasp softly.
Di Feisheng.
Li Xiangyi remembers drinking, he remembers the sword dance and then— Motion and confusion and his head reeling and somewhere in there he remembers looking at Di Feisheng and then there's—nothing.
What had happened to him? He considers that Di Feisheng might be responsible, but that doesn't seem to quite ring true. Besides, Di Feisheng wants to challenge him, not do… whatever this had been. Di Feisheng is far too straightforward to concoct a plan of drugging Li Xiangyi. Had he been drugged?
He frowns to himself. Why is he so sure something had happened to him? The obvious conclusion should be that he'd simply had too much to drink. Except, even the strongest wine shouldn't leave his memories blank like that.
But if Di Feisheng isn't involved then why is he here? If this is Di Feisheng's doing somehow, why would he have rendered Li Xiangyi unconscious in the first place? And why doesn't Li Xiangyi remember what had happened? No, if it was Di Feisheng, then the unconsciousness must have been a mistake, something must have gone wrong. He can hardly challenge Li Xiangyi, if Li Xiangyi isn't even conscious for it!
Li Xiangyi's mind doesn't feel all that much clearer, but he feels relatively certain with his conclusion that Di Feisheng is not the one responsible for his current condition. At least enough to decide that he will act like Di Feisheng's presence is a simple coincidence, at least until he's proven wrong.
Li Xiangyi takes a deep breath, and with his next exhale dispels whatever lingering doubts he has. He'll simply walk outside and thank Di Feisheng for the assistance he's provided and be on his way, before anyone notices he's gone. He really doesn't need another lecture from his Shixiong about how a sect leader should behave. Li Xiangyi can't even dismiss his concerns, because he knows that this time Shan Gudao might have a point.
Li Lianhua hasn't said anything at all since he started cooking. He hadn't said anything when Di Feisheng had set the table outside, or when he'd taken the pot from him and carried it out. He'd just wordlessly followed Di Feisheng outside and sat down at the table without argument. He seems marginally more relaxed now that Li Xiangyi isn't sleeping within his sight, but you'd hardly notice it if you weren't as familiar with Li Lianhua as Di Feisheng is. Still, so far he hasn't really eaten anything as much as just poked at his food, but that is probably more due to his health than Li Xiangyi's presence.
Li Lianhua still isn't saying anything, but that's entirely fine. Di Feisheng doesn't need him to talk. What he does need him to do however is eat.
There are only months left of the time he's been given. Not that Li Lianhua will actually tell anyone that, even though Di Feisheng knows there is no way for Li Lianhua to be unaware of it. He would know his own body better than anyone, and besides Di Feisheng knows Guan Hemeng had been over to see Li Lianhua. He is not one to hold back whatever his conclusions are from Li Lianhua himself.
Di Feisheng doesn't need anyone to tell him what the situation is when he can read Li Lianhua's pulse all on his own. Li Lianhua can't stop him from doing that. He could have once, but no he doesn't have the strength. In fact, Li Lianhua doesn't even try to stop him. Oh, he'll protest loudly enough, but he doesn't so much as attempt to pull his wrist out of Di Feisheng's grip, and his gaze, as he looks into Di Feisheng's eyes, as Di Feisheng's fingers press against his skin, already tell Di Feisheng everything he needs to know.
Li Lianhua doesn't want to talk about it, but they both know he doesn't have long left. And what Di Feisheng can see in his eyes is that he's—he doesn't even plan on fighting it. Di Feisheng can't accept that. If Li Lianhua isn't going to fight for himself, Di Feisheng should have given up on him a long time ago. Instead, for some reason, he finds himself even more determined to fight for him.
Whenever Fang Duobing finally returns from attending to his family matters, Di Feisheng will leave to personally find the Wangchuan Flower. In the meantime however, someone needs to be here to make sure Li Lianhua doesn't decide to do something stupid. At least, that's what Fang Duobing had said, and Di Feisheng can't entirely disagree with that.
In the meantime, Li Lianhua can't afford not to be eating. No matter how little appetite he might have.
"I'll have to listen to the brat complain forever if I let you skip a meal," Di Feisheng tells him and despite his bad mood Li Lianhua's lips twitch ever so slightly into the shadow of a smile.
Di Feisheng looks meaningfully at the bowl, sitting almost entirely untouched in front of Li Lianhua. He'll feed Li Lianhua himself if he needs to. Li Lianhua looks into his eyes and then his lips flatten out and slowly, reluctantly he picks up the bowl. His fingers tremble a little, and Di Feisheng reaches out to steady his grip, his hand covering Li Lianhua's.
Maybe he shouldn't have let Li Lianhua do the cooking. Not after they'd walked all the way back here from the village. It must have tired him out too much. Not to mention the emotional upheaval he seems to have gone through with Li Xiangyi's unexpected appearance.
Li Lianhua's fingers feel too cool under his, especially so against the warm bowl. The heat of the bowl should be warming him up, but it's like his body just rejects all the warmth.
Li Lianhua sighs, his gaze meeting Di Feisheng's and—
The sound of Li Xiangyi stepping outside draws Di Feisheng's attention. Their eyes meet, and Di Feisheng sees the recognition in Li Xiangyi's gaze, followed by confusion that he quickly tries to hide. Something twists faintly in Di Feisheng's belly. His brow furrows ever so slightly, and then he dismisses the feeling, turning his gaze back to what's somewhat more important at the moment. Li Lianhua's gaze has grown shuttered again, his expression tight and closed off.
"I can hold my own bowl, Di-mengzhu," he says, his voice quiet but determined.
Di Feisheng nods, and pulls his hand away. There's no reason to argue, not as long as Li Lianhua actually eats something. Di Feisheng watches him long enough to be sure he actually gets some food into his mouth, ignoring Li Xiangyi for the moment, even though he's walked closer to them and is now standing there watching them.
Li Lianhua is suddenly concentrating on eating, like he can neither see nor hear anything beside his food.
Finally, satisfied that at least Li Lianhua isn't going to stop eating, Di Feisheng turns his gaze back to Li Xiangyi. He looks almost blatantly bewildered. The expression seeming far too open and unhidden. Di Feisheng nearly glances back at Li Lianhua, wondering to himself, if Li Xiangyi truly had always been that easy to read.
"Di-mengzhu," Li Xiangyi says a little stiffly.
"Sect Leader," Di Feisheng answers with a little nod. "There's food," he offers. It might not be quite as necessary for Li Xiangyi to eat as it is for Li Lianhua, but some food will probably do him good after the alcohol. "And water," he adds, which seems to get a bit more reaction from Li Xiangyi, his face suddenly betraying the fact that he'd probably very much like some water to drink. It doesn't however make him move.
Di Feisheng frowns, looks at Li Lianhua, who's concentration seems to be entirely on his food, and on very slowly getting some of it down. Di Feisheng stands up.
"Sit down," he tells Li Xiangyi, and then goes to get him a bowl, and a cup of water.
Li Lianhua glances up from his bowl and sees the other one frowning in distaste as he picks at the food in front of him.
You've had time to get so picky already, he thinks with distaste and wants to say something about the food not being good enough for Li Xiangyi. Time was Li Xiangyi would have eaten anything put in front of him. He's not going to have the luxury of being that picky for long, Li Lianhua thinks and then bites his tongue and says nothing.
Instead, he looks down at his own bowl and forces himself to take another bite. It tastes like nothing in his mouth, and the texture without any taste is less than pleasant. But he has no intention of admitting that he doesn't enjoy his own cooking, least of all in front of Li Xiangyi. There's nothing wrong with the cooking, it's just Li Lianhua's missing sense of taste and the nausea that keeps roiling in his gut.
Swallowing the food down makes the nausea rise up in his gut, threatening to make him throw up, but he swallows anyway, forcing the bite down. The thought of having to swallow a single bite more makes the nausea worse, but he does it anyway, one slow mouthful after another, until he simply can't stomach a single bite more and simply pushes the half full bowl away from him.
He feels winded, he can feel the cold sweat beading unpleasantly on his forehead. It's ridiculous how just the act of eating feels like an exertion that's almost too much for him. Even now he can feel the way his stomach is working far too hard, digesting the sustenance he'd forced on it. And having to sit right across from him, letting him see the way Li Lianhua struggles to—
It makes Li Lianhua want to laugh. Or cry. He's not going to do either. He very much wants to get up and find his bed and lie down for a while however. He needs to rest. Instead, he can't quite help himself. His gaze lifts up to look at him, as he eats with a look of distaste on his face.
Li Lianhua doesn't have much use for gods, but one of them must be mocking him, to drag Li Xiangyi out of time just to shove him in Li Lianhua's face right now.
Di Feisheng says nothing of the food Li Lianhua doesn't finish, just settles a bowl of some dark liquid that looks wholly unappetizing in front of him. Some concoction from the Medicine Demon no doubt. At this point, Li Lianhua can't even be bothered to be curious about what might be in the things Di Feisheng and Fang Duobing both want to make him drink. None of it will make any difference in the end anyway.
"I'd prefer water," Li Lianhua says primly, trying not to let the resignation that has settled under his breastbone sound in his voice. He meets Di Feisheng's gaze, and hates the worry he can see in his eyes. He doesn't look at Li Xiangyi again.
Di Feisheng says nothing and Li Lianhua thinks about arguing. There's no medicine that will do anything for him at this point, both he and Di Feisheng know that. And here Di Feisheng is, trying to make him drink some anyway. He thinks about arguing, but the resignation sits too heavy in his chest, and arguing seems like too much effort. Besides, Li Xiangyi is sitting right across from him, and all of this is humiliating enough as it is. He doesn't need to sound like a petulant child in front of him, and make it even worse than it is.
If it makes you feel better, he thinks, but doesn't say, as he looks at Di Feisheng. He doesn't really want Di Feisheng to worry about him. He doesn't want anyone to worry about him. There's no point.
With a tired sigh, he lifts the bowl to his lips.
At least he can't taste any of the medicine either, he's sure it tastes vile. Even tasteless, it still somehow feels disgusting as it slides down his throat, too thick and cold. When he sets the bowl down, and gives Di Feisheng a glare, there's a sweet held in Di Feisheng's fingers, held out towards him.
Li Lianhua feels his eyebrows rise a little despite himself. He won't be able to taste the candy either, and Di Feisheng most likely knows that. This isn't like Di Feisheng at all.
"Did Xiabao give that to you?" he asks, his voice softening a little. It is quite like Fang Duobing however, to leave some of the sweets with Di Feisheng, so he can give them to Li Lianhua.
Di Feisheng's expression shifts a little. Do you even need to ask? It seems to say without Di Feisheng uttering a single word.
"If you don't want it—" Di Feisheng starts to say and Li Lianhua snatches the candy from his hand.
Frankly, the food tastes horrible, but—there's something about it that Li Xiangyi can't quite put his finger on, something almost familiar. The taste doesn't seem to stop Di Feisheng, who eats his portion quickly, without his expression so much as twitching. Li Xiangyi pokes at the food. He notices the disdainful little glance the other man, who's name Li Xiangyi still doesn't know, gives him as Li Xiangyi fails to put more food into his mouth. And well, now that he has accepted the food, it seems rude not to eat it.
Not that rudeness seems to be a consideration this man, seeing as he has still not so much as introduced himself. His distaste for the food is also quite obvious, even though he keeps eating, until he finally just pushes the bowl away from him. So, he really shouldn't have any room to judge Li Xiangyi. But he's not the guest here, Li Xiangyi is.
Li Xiangyi keeps eating.
The medicine that Di Feisheng puts down in front of the man once he's clearly done eating is pungent, and looks supremely unappetizing, which is why Li Xiangyi assumes it's medicine. Nothing else manages to be quite as vile as medicine. Unless perhaps it's poison, but that seems rather unlikely on this occasion.
Li Xiangyi realises abruptly, that perhaps the other man's lack of appetite isn't just distaste at the food itself. He feels suddenly grateful that he hadn't declined the food, otherwise that realisation would have been even more awkward than it is. This man must be sick and that's why he has trouble eating. Li Xiangyi has no such excuse to refuse the food.
The stranger gets rewarded for drinking the medicine with a piece of candy that Di Feisheng holds out to him. For some reason, Li Xiangyi suddenly has to force himself not to glare at the man. He doesn't even eat it! He just holds it in his fingers and stares down at it. It's such a waste.
Li Xiangyi finishes his own food, and no one rewards him with candy.
So childish, a voice in his head says, sounding remarkably like his Shixiong, which reminds him—
"Thank you for the food. And for the help," he says, even though he's still not entirely sure what had happened to him. It feels awkward to speak after having been silent for so long, but he can't simply leave without saying anything. He's not that rude.
Di Feisheng's gaze turns to him. The other man, who still hasn't been introduced to him, doesn't even look up. This whole situation feels extremely awkward, and Li Xiangyi doesn't quite know how he ended up here, eating horrible food with his supposed enemy and… well, whoever the other man is.
"I should be going," Li Xiangyi says, getting up. The sooner he leaves, the sooner he can forget about all of this. He can forget about the way there's something off about Di Feisheng, about the way he looks at the other man like—
"Where?" Di Feisheng asks.
It makes Li Xiangyi stop, mostly because the answer to that is obvious, isn't it? Why would Di Feisheng even need to ask? Why would he think Li Xiangyi would be going anywhere but back to Sigu Sect?
He watches as the stranger lifts his hand and places it on Di Feisheng's shoulder. He notices how the fingers tremble slightly, and wonders about the frailty of the man. He just doesn't seem like anyone Di Feisheng would bother to spend his time on.
Di Feisheng's attention immediately turns to the man. Something twists in Li Xiangyi's gut, and he has no idea why he feels so… annoyed. It's just— He's not really used to Di Feisheng paying attention to anyone else around Li Xiangyi. Most people tend to pay attention to Li Xiangyi.
"He doesn't realise," the stranger says softly, and Li Xiangyi knows he's talking about him, even though the man doesn't even have the courtesy to so much as look in his direction.
"I don't realise what?" Li Xiangyi demands before Di Feisheng can say anything. They're talking about him, and he's right here. There's no reason for him not to say something, if only to remind them he's actually here and can still hear them. Li Xiangyi is rather quickly coming to realise that he doesn't particularly like the feeling of being ignored.
His words do draw the stranger's gaze to Li Xiangyi for a heartbeat, and then he looks away almost as quickly, clearly dismissing Li Xiangyi as unimportant in a way that makes Li Xiangyi's pride sting. He's definitely not used to people looking at him and then deeming him unimportant, and beneath their notice. And coming from this… this nobody. He doesn't even look like he'd be strong enough to hold a sword. Or maybe even stand without support, Li Xiangyi thinks disdainfully, as he looks at him a bit more closely.
Why is Di Feisheng paying him so much attention anyway? He's not known for fostering any kind of weakness. From what Li Xiangyi knows about Di Feisheng, he doesn't really pay that much attention to much of anyone if they can't offer him a decent challenge, like Li Xiangyi can. And yet, he keeps paying attention to this stranger.
The stranger looks at Di Feisheng, and something wordless seems to pass between them, like they know each other well enough that they don't even need words. Li Xiangyi draws his shoulders back further, his chin tilting up slightly. Fine, he can see he's not needed here. He might as well—
"Your Sigu Sect isn't there anymore," Di Feisheng says, his words blunt.
For a moment it makes Li Xiangyi stop, his posture goes stiff, fear rising in his chest in a way he isn't used to. Then he realises how ridiculous Di Feisheng's statement is. Li Xiangyi would know if he'd been unconscious for any significant length of time, he might not be aware of the exact amount of time, but it hasn't been that long. Even if he was drugged to keep him out of the way of some kind of attack, the entirety of Sigu Sect isn't that easy to take down, even the entirety of the Jinyuan Alliance wouldn't find it difficult. Maybe if Di Feisheng was with them it might be possible, but Di Feisheng has been here the entire time, hasn't he?
"What did you do?" Li Xiangyi demands, his voice tight, fighting the urge to leave immediately. It's better to know what he's rushing into, he tells himself, and somehow that too sounds like his Shixiong's voice inside his head. Because all Li Xiangyi wants to do is rush in blindly.
"That hardly made it better, Lao Di," the stranger says admonishingly. Then, clearly reluctant, he looks at Li Xiangyi. "Sigu Sect isn't under attack, Li Xiangyi," he says, and even with the need to leave screaming in his veins, the amount of disdain in the man's voice as he says Li Xiangyi's name in that soft voice, is enough to give Li Xiangyi pause.
Has he done something to this man? Is there a reason why he dislikes Li Xiangyi so much? Surely, he'd remember if he had done something to give cause to it. And Li Xiangyi can't remember ever even seeing this man before.
"You've somehow managed to land yourself a decade in the future," the man says, the contempt so thick in his voice that it takes a moment for the actual words to register in Li Xiangyi's mind.
Then Li Xiangyi just stares at him, because that's an entirely ridiculous statement. He feels like he should be laughing. It has to be a joke, but it's a rather poor one, and the man doesn't even look like he thinks it's funny.
Li Xiangyi turns his gaze to Di Feisheng, because for all that he's supposed to be Li Xiangyi's enemy, he's never tried to deceive Li Xiangyi before. Di Feisheng doesn't have any need for deception. But the moment he looks at Di Feisheng all the differences that Li Xiangyi had dismissed before, or hadn't really been paying attention to, seem to jump out at him.
Di Feisheng looks older. He acts different. He's— There's no reason why he would put up such an elaborate ruse just to convince Li Xiangyi that he's in the future.
Di Feisheng looks like he believes whatever it is this man is saying.
"I'm going to go rest. You can wash up after the meal, Lao Di," the stranger says suddenly, pushing himself up from the table.
Instantly, Di Feisheng rises, offering the man a hand in support. Li Xiangyi can hear the soft sigh from the man as Di Feisheng's arm wraps around his waist and he leans against Di Feisheng.
"I suppose, if you insist on helping, Lao Di," the stranger says quietly, even though Di Feisheng has said nothing.
Li Xiangyi watches them as Di Feisheng helps the man back inside the frankly ridiculous house on wheels, that Li Xiangyi hasn't quite paid attention to so far. Now, he stares at it in bewilderment, never quite having seen anything like it. Why would anyone want to put an entire house on a cart?
He could leave now. There's no one stopping him. He could go see for himself that Sigu Sect is fine. He could just go find out the truth of what that stranger had said. It can't actually be the truth. But somehow, when Di Feisheng steps back outside Li Xiangyi is still standing there waiting.
Di Feisheng doesn't pay him all that much attention as he starts clearing the table, apparently intending to wash up as instructed. Something twists deep in Li Xiangyi's belly. He hates being ignored.
"Di-mengzhu," he says, demanding his attention.
Di Feisheng looks at him briefly and doesn't stop what he's doing. Then, he tells Li Xiangyi to help with the cleanup.