"Doctor," Yushi called out in a soft whisper. Having finished eating, Xueye was starting to drift off once more, leaning against Yushi's shoulder as they sat by the fire. Yushi really hoped Xueye could actually rest this time. "Do you think we can let him sleep now?"
"Of course," Dr.Jingji smiled at the sweet sight of Xueye dozing off, looking completely relaxed in Yushi's presence. Dr.Jingji was happy with how normalized Xueye's temperature had been since his return and if that charm did the trick there would be no triggering nightmares. "He can take my bed. I'll sleep out here."
"Xueye," Yushi voiced softly but when he got no response other than Xueye nuzzling against him to get comfier, a sense of delight stirred deep within Yushi's chest. How he wished he could be a pillow for the young man all night, however his concern for some unknown threat to Xueye was far more important in the moment.
Yushi scooped Xueye up and took him to Dr.Jingji's bedroom, which was open and already had a fire going. Yushi hadn't even noticed when the doctor had prepared that. He set Xueye down on the bed and removed the few accessories that Xueye was wearing that might have been uncomfortable to sleep with on and tucked him in his bundle of blankets once more and tucking the charm meant to help the young man sleep under the pillow. With one last stroke of that snow white hair, Yushi finally managed to force himself away, even if something was clawing inside his chest to remain to take care of him. He had to remind himself that was why he brought him to the doctor in the first place.
"I'll check in on him through the night," Dr.Jingji could practically read his thoughts with how dejected Yushi looked as he stepped out of the room. "He'll be safe in my care."
"Thank you for looking after him," Yushi sighed wistfully as he looked back at the door. "It's getting harder to pull myself away. The distance will be quite difficult."
"About that, I'm wondering if I should go with him," Dr.Jingji crossed his arms. "The problem is I find it hard to leave things here. You, Shizhe, Qingkong…"
"I'll be fine. I think…" Yushi really couldn't guarantee that much but he'd dealt with worse in the past. "Maque seemed quite intent on helping Shizhe as well tonight. Hopefully he can. Hopefully this charm works."
"I'm surprised you seem so willing to trust him when we don't know him at all," Dr.Jingji couldn't explain the strange feeling of trust he felt towards him either. It was strange how instant he felt it.
"He's something different, but not in the way Jinse or I are," Yushi ran his hand through his hair, pushing his bangs out of his face for a bit. "Yet the thing inside of me didn't want to lash out against him like Jinse."
"I'm not as sensitive to this as you are but I agree," Dr.Jingji nodded. "There's something special about that cultivator."
"I know your concern about Qingkong is his treatment, but we can arrange for him to stay either at the Crystal Estate or in the palace even." Yushi was more than happy to find some solution, not only would it put Xueye at ease to know his brother was being taken care of. It would be even more of a relief to place Xueye in the care of his most trusted physician.
"Treatment, I think, I can entrust to my assistant. She has helped me with it as of late already…" Dr.Jingji hummed thoughtfully. "Have you told Xueye yet?"
"No…" Yushi huffed. "I'd rather wait until he returns."
"Probably wise," Dr.Jingji nodded. "I'll think about this tonight."
"I would feel more at ease if you go but do not feel pressured to," Yushi stated. "I best be off. If I cannot go then I want someone else capable of protecting him alongside Xinhua."
"You best not leave with him. It would be reckless," Dr.Jingji raised a brow.
"I know," Yushi groaned. "I have duties here that I just can't leave on a whim. I should go and sort this out so I may even try to sleep tonight."
"Take this later," Dr.Jingji pressed a small packet into Yushi's hand. "I figured you might need help with that."
"Ever attentive," Yushi smiled. "Thank you, doctor."
"Now, off with you," Dr.Jingji waved him off.
⬦◈⬦
Yushi returned to the palace quite late. He was a little surprised to be greeted by Xinhua just in the courtyard, pacing. Her mind was clearly still working on something, Yushi suspected what was on her mind was the same as himself.
"Can't rest?" Yushi asked as he drew closer.
"I doubt I will be able to at all," Xinhua sighed. "Fortunately Maque seemed to help Shizhe rest at least. I just checked in after trying to find Lord Qiuji. She was sleeping peacefully."
"What a relief, hopefully it remains that way." Yushi felt a little tension leave his shoulders. "Did Jinse tell you everything? It was clear he knows what's causing those nightmares."
"I'm not sure about everything but he told me quite a bit," Xinhua sighed. "He's waiting for you in the training hall actually."
"Why there?" Yush's brow knit in concern, he suspected something was up.
"It's better if you ask him," Xinhua shook her head. "He didn't tell me why but he said it would be better there."
"He expects a fight then? Does he think so little of me?" Yushi scoffed, setting off in that direction.
"I wouldn't say that," Xinhua followed him. "He wants to help you. Shizhe asked him to. I know that much. "
"Dr.Jingji did say he wasn't too dissimilar to me," Yushi slowed his pace a bit so she didn't have to rush to keep up with him. "Is that it?"
"It's not my secret to tell," Xinhua shook her head. "Look, I know he may seem like a jerk that just wants to pester you, but he does mean well. Try not to hold anything against him."
"I've started realizing that myself today," Yushi huffed with amusement. "Still he sure does know how to get under my skin."
"He's good at that," Xinhua couldn't help but smile. "I just want you to know that he's on our side, even if he ever makes it seem like he's not."
"I trust you," Yushi paused and looked at her. "You and Shizhe wouldn't be advocating for him if he wasn't just what I needed to deal with this." Yushi placed his hand over his chest. "You and Xueye trust him, the doctor seems to as well. So I'm willing to put a little faith in him."
"Thank you, that's all I ask," Xinhua smiled.
"Try and get some rest tonight," Yushi patted her on the shoulder. "You'll need it for your travels."
"I'll try," Xinhua sighed. She remained in place watching him go. She was grateful he didn't press her for answers about Jinse. However she couldn't help but worry about what might occur between the two of them, even if Wuye was there.
Yushi opened the door to the training hall. It was dark but he could still make out Jinse's form sitting in the middle of the floor.
"About damn time," Jinse grumbled. "I was this close to fetching you myself."
"I couldn't just drop him off and call it a day," Yushi rolled his eyes. "Not after the day he had."
"Good," Jinse jumped up to his feet. "I'd be more disappointed if you did."
"That's the last thing I'd expect to hear from you," Yushi raised a brow.
"He's vulnerable right now," Jinse closed his eyes. "If you are the support he needed tonight then I'm not going to be upset about it. Did you take him back to the doctor?"
"How'd you guess?" Yushi tilted his head.
"Because it's what I would have done, and you and I are much more similar than I care to admit," Jisne shrugged and started pacing. "Maque, would you be so kind as to sound proof the room before you go keep an eye on him?"
"Is that all?" Wuye chuckled, shoving off the wall next to the door. Yushi hadn't even realized he was there. He moves quieter than Riluo.
"Well it depends," Jinse shrugged and smirked at Yushi. "Does the unruly dragon wish to be tamed?"
"Care to elaborate what that entails?" Yushi narrowed his eyes, a faint growl in the back of his throat at the challenge.
"Funny you should ask that, if you want to know anything from me at all tonight, you first need to lay a scratch on me," Jinse grinned.
"Jinse! That's not what was agreed upon," Yushi snapped.
"And I made a promise to Shizhe first," Jinse shrugged. "What? Afraid you can't do it?"
"I know you know exactly who you just challenged, you think a scratch is all you are going to get?" Yushi groaned. The last time he spared against the General he had fractured his arm. Yushi wasn't sure he could control his strength right now.
"I do, Your Highness," Jinse sneered. "You're the mighty emperor that stormed the palace on his own. You think that makes you invincible? No. You see, you don't know who you're up against." Jinse's human form began to slip, his fox ears pinned back dangerously as his tails flicked back and forth. Yushi tensed, instinctually bearing his teeth as Jinse stepped closer. "I told you I'm not afraid to kill another dragon if I have to. I've defeated a god. You'll need a lot of luck to even scratch me, but you gave some of that away today so you won't have a chance." Jinse stopped right in front of him. "So run away now and hide in your gilded walls or just try and fucking hit me!"
Yushi clenched his fists and swung fast and hard but Jinse wasn't there and he was stumbling forward with the force of the swing.
"How pitiful," Jinse laughed in a mocking fashion as he slowly clapped. Yushi turned and tried to strike him again but Jinse wasn't there yet again. Yushi let out a deep growl in frustration. To anyone else it might have been bone chilling but to a Divine Beast and the Wind God it was just amusing. Jinse sighed and shook his head. "We have a lot of work to do. Maque, seal the room. We'll be here a while."
"Only you can open the door, boss," Wuye chuckled as he placed a freshly written talisman on the door and stepped out, closing it behind him.
The inside of the room lit up with a thin veil of energy pulsing across the surface. It was a dim light but it was more than enough for Jinse and Yushi to see clearly. Yushi hadn't noticed until that moment that he could see much better in the dark than he used to, having had very little issue before the barrier was set into place.
"No sound will leave this room and nor will you until you can hit me," Jinse chuckled as he slowly walked around Yushi. "So do me a favor and don't hold back or we'll be here all night. Unless of course you want that," Jinse's last words were in his usual flirtatious tone.
"Fuck off," Yushi hissed, trying to close the gap. However every swing and every step Jinse was slipping just out of reach with ease, as though Jinse were dancing. "You're the one wasting our time with this bullshit."
"Such a foul mouth on this one," Jinse snickered.
"I grew up in the dregs of Meihua's countryside. What do you expect?" Yushi rolled his eyes.
"I just didn't think you would let out this side of you so soon," Jinse shrugged. "You really aren't putting up much resistance are you?" Jinse sidestepped another swing from Yushi and shoved him hard. Yushi was half way across the massive room before he caught himself.
"You really are strong," Yushi quickly got to his feet with a faint upturn of the corners of his mouth.
For Yushi, fighting was only ever a challenge against overwhelming numbers, and even then sometimes. He was only ever trained to fight when necessary, and with how boring he often found it, that was always the case. However something deep within was stirring. The dragon wasn't lashing out in rage, it was happy to have an actual worthy opponent.
This time when Yushi closed the gap he was much faster than Jinse expected. Yushi's punch would have landed if he just dodged normally. Jinse had to snatch Yushi's wrist and toss him to the ground.
"That's it!" Jinse couldn't help but laugh. He also didn't have anyone he deemed a worthy opponent very often. The last was in fact the Water God. Something about seeing Yushi starting to enjoy this sang to something primal within Jinse. He always knew he'd enjoy tossing Yushi around but never this much. "Show me the monster you are!"
Yushi flinched at the moniker of monster. It made him realize just what was happening. He was letting the dragon take over. He was so conflicted. He didn't want to stop. He was feeling complete the more he let the dragon slip free from the weak little cage he kept it in. However he was afraid of what would happen if he set it free.
Jinse scowled upon seeing Yushi's hesitation. He knew Yushi was going to be a lot of work but it was disappointing to see how quickly Yushi tamped down on his true nature. Granted he was banking on Yushi not landing any blows against him anytime soon in order to keep Yushi from learning the truth too soon but that still didn't dampen his dissatisfaction.
Yushi's next strike, predictably, just didn't have the same heart behind it. Even easier than before, Jinse knocked Yushi over with just a shove. This time he didn't give Yushi a chance to recover either. He grabbed Yushi by the collar and pinned him against the wall. Yushi winced as he tried to push Jinse off only to be slammed harder against the wall.
"You think I am just going to wait for you to get lucky and hit me, you are dead wrong!" Jinse's voice was heavy with disdain. "You think those threats to Xueye will wait?!"
"Why aren't you telling me who's after him then?!" Yushi grumbled bitterly.
"You have to earn it," Jinse let Yushi go, walking away from him. "If you can't hold your own against me then you can't protect Xueye from him. I'm not going to bother telling you if you can't protect Xueye. It's a waste of breath if you are only going to get in the way."
"If you think this is a waste then why bother in the first place?" Yushi clenched his fists once more.
"Because if I fall I need to know that you will be able to save Xueye," Jinse's expression turned grim and full of sorrow. "Even if you can't help me stop what may come after him soon, training you like this will ensure he's just that much safer."
"But you just said-!"
"I know what I said!" Jinse yelled. "If you aren't better than me by the time I'm done with you, then you are going to take him where they can't get to him. Horde him away like the dragon you are…"
"I can't do that to him!" Yushi raised his voice. "There's nothing I want more but I won't. That's why you're supposed to help me isn't it?"
"It figures they would tell you that much," Jinse pinched his brow. He should have suspected at some point either Shizhe or Xinhua would let Yushi know something. "I know you don't trust me really and I'm not going to ask you to. Just know there is little I care about more than Xueye's safety, I wouldn't entrust him to you if I didn't think you could keep him safe. Aside from myself, only two beings currently on the mortal plane can do it. One is unable to do much as a result of a ridiculous amount of rules. The other, well he needs some work and is choosing to listen to me prattle on when he should be trying to hit me!" Jinse glared at Yushi in annoyance. "That's all you're getting. If you want more then you'll have to beat it out of me."
"Fine," Yushi grumbled. He was a little disappointed that Jinse let up but he should have figured it wouldn't be that easy to get him to spill everything. So Yushi took a deep breath, shifting his weight before trying to close the gap once more. "I'll play your stupid game!"