ALL NOVEL Epilogue – The sect’s leaders
The meeting was going to be a pain and they all knew it. It was exchanging information once more, with every important person, and deciding how to continue. Even worse, Shi Yue was going to take part as basically the sect leader - the current one was going to announce his retirement.
Shi Yue had been fretting about it for days, running around and preparing things, while Xie Yi lazed on the sofa in his office or distracted him with kisses.
It was sweet, but also a problem.
When the day was finally there, Shi Yue put on a violet robe in a darker tone and strapped Ying Hua around his waist. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. “Ah Yi, are you ready?”
That Xie Yi was his beloved was known to everyone by now, but just like the sect members, no other sect wanted to say anything against the ones who bombed the headquarters. It was… acceptable.
And so Xie Yi was of course invited to sit right beside Shi Yue, and everyone would stare at him even worse than the last time.
That was why Xie Yi had to dress up too.
“Am ready”, Xie Yi said, stepping into the room and stretching.
Shi Yue felt jealousy bubble up within him, turning all of his insides bitter.
It wasn’t right to feel that way - the thought that someone could take away something that was yours. Ridiculous. He knew that Xie Yi wouldn’t turn away from him.
However, that did not stop him from turning sour at the first sight of his beloved.
“Can’t you wear something different?”, he asked with a deep frown.
Once Tiankong had begun to mutate, he had covered up his body more, but in the beginning, he was quite the sloppy person.
Xie Yi saw no problems with his dishevelled clothes. Especially not the type he wore right now, which was quite tight around his body and only broader around his torso and shoulder, where it kept on slipping off since it wasn’t worn correctly.
The warm, reddish brown tone also made him look softer and cuter, especially if he was in a tired mood like right now.
Blinking his limpid eyes, Xie Yi yawned and wiped a tear away. “No way, too troublesome. It took me forever to decide on this.”
Shi Yue felt annoyed - he was stressed anyway about a lot of things, and jealousy wasn’t helping in any way. He clenched his jaw. “Wear something else.”
Maybe it was his tone, but Xie Yi noticed that something wasn’t right. Tilting his head, he walked over to Shi Yue.
He still wanted to look outside, so he leaned his back against the broad chest and pulled Shi Yue’s arms to the front to hug his waist. Now, if he leaned back, he could put a comfortable lot of his weight on Shi Yue.
Miffed, Shi Yue leaned his chin on his shoulder.
Xie Yi’s hand reached up to curl one of the longer strands of silvery white hair hanging over his shoulder.
“Why are you upset?”, he asked in a low tone, almost purring.
Shi Yue kissed his neck softly. He would have loved locking Xie Yi up. “...Too revealing. Too good-looking.”
“I’m a man. What’s this with too revealing, even if I walk around without a top and showing my legs, no one would care.”
Shi Yue glared at him. “Maybe if it was another man, but not if it’s you.”
Xie Yi gave a tiny smile, then tugged at the hair and twisted his head to look at his lover. His eyes were calm. “I will not change my clothes.”
Shi Yue opened his mouth but Xie Yi interrupted him.
“I will never change my clothes for this reason. And I will walk around as I please - whether that means showing a lot of skin or not. Shi Yue, I belong to you, but the first right over my body goes to myself.” He spoke quietly and without any room for discussion. “I understand you not liking others staring at me, but I will not restrain my freedom for something as ridiculous as the gaze of another. Where would I end if I kept on caring about that? Should I stop going out at all? I’m growing past blindly following your words.”
A tiny, angry spark formed in Shi Yue’s heart. “Xie Yi, you can’t be serious. Are you letting everyone stare at you like you’re a slut? It’s only changing your clothes! Do you have to fight me over this!”
The eclipsed eyes darkened and Shi Yue felt in an instant that he had managed to anger Xie Yi. Still, he did not want to back down, if only because his irritable temper from stress did not allow it.
The black-haired cultivator did not move out of his lover’s arms to show that he was not actually willing to fight, but his voice turned into a snarl.
His fingers that were curled around the hair tightened and pulled it down strongly.
“You do not get to decide over me, Shi Yue. Never again will I allow someone to do that”, he growled darkly. “You may suggest, but listening is my own decision. You can be jealous. But that is the limit.”
Shi Yue winced at the sting but angrily retorted. “I am your lover!”
“You are”, the other agreed readily. “So? This game can be played by two. Shall we?”
“What do you-”
“I don’t like the fact that you teach classes. The disciples feel like they’re special to you and can stare at you all the time. Stop doing it. Also, wear more clothes in ugly colours. You don’t need to look good in front of anyone other than me. Stop smiling in public. Stop talking kindly. Stop giving advice.”
“This is not-”
“Not the same? But it attracts them. They think they have a chance to climb into your bed. I don’t like it. So? Will you stop? If you do, I will do the same. Let’s move into the mountains and never appear in front of anyone ever again. I would do that, Shi Yue. Don’t try to force me to make concessions when you won’t do the same.”
Shi Yue was stuck with his mouth open.
...Was it the same?
The men that stared at Xie Yi were disgusting because they imagined having him, and him revealing skin only spurred them on.
...So, being kind to someone who was interested in him, was it the same as Xie Yi walking around like this?
He could not argue with virtues or anything - Xie Yi was a man with the same rights as himself.
Shi Yue’s face turned dark and bitter.
The fingers that were pulling his hair loosened and instead stroked his cheek. Xie Yi’s voice was back to being soft.
“I will change my clothes, because I don’t want you to be unhappy. Only because of that. Not because of people staring. You don’t have the right to order me, Shi Yue. Ask me if you are unhappy and I might agree, but never demand it. Please.”
Xie Yi softly kissed the side of his eye. Shi Yue’s jaw slowly unclenched.
“I always thought I’d have an obedient little wife one day”, Shi Yue mumbled quietly.
“I’m human”, Xie Yi snorted in amusement. “I think you like that better than having a pet.”
In a pacifying manner, Xie Yi began to paste tiny kisses all over Shi Yue’s face until the crease between his brows lessened and he responded.
“Dear husband, what kind of clothes can I wear that will leave you happy, hmm?”, Xie Yi asked with a chuckle.
Shi Yue pursed his lips and tugged at the other’s open lapel. “...These are fine. But wear them properly, please.”
“I will. Help me fix them?”
“Hm. ...They look good on you.”
“Honestly, Shi Yue, you do know that I wear those for you, right? You don’t really think I care about colours and that stuff. I only go through the trouble so people can’t find any fault with me and say you have chosen badly.”
Shi Yue felt a twinge in his heart. Right, Xie Yi had never truly cared about wearing what looked good on him.
“I’m sorry. It’s…” Shi Yue exhaled in a sigh.
“I know it’s stressful right now. I won’t deny that. So, maybe teach me a bit so I can take some of your burdens?” Xie Yi smiled sweetly and earned a loving kiss in return.
“Time to go. Let’s show them what this pair of husbands can do.” Shi Yue straightened his back and Xie Yi wrapped their arms around each other.
When they stepped out of the building, the sect members made place.
Near the building where they’d have the meeting, Xu Yan was waiting with a stack of paperwork. He gave Xie Yi a reassuring smile and handed it to Shi Yue with a bow. He was getting used to the task of helping out.
The door opened and closed behind them. Xie Yi ignored the stares that were much more calculating than the last time.
They walked to the end of the room and sat down.
Shi Yue closed his eyes and breathed in deeply before opening them again and speaking in a calm voice. At his side, Xie Yi snuggled against him.
“Good morning everyone and thank you for coming. For those of you who are not yet acquainted with me, let me introduce myself - my name is Shi Yue and the one beside me is my disciple and husband Xie Yi.” Shi Yue smiled, letting a second pass for people to truly put their attention on him. “We welcome you to the Virtuous Sect as its leaders. Now, let us begin the meeting.”
