Shudu stood tall, his long black braid flickering against the wind as he subtly leaned closer to Xue Tuzi, his voice low but steady as he spoke to the gathering demons. His gaze, however, remained fixed on one person—Xue Tuzi. His declaration hung in the air like incense smoke—visible, undeniable, and not easily brushed aside.
But Xue Tuzi's reaction was immediate and cold. His brows drew together into a sharp frown, and with a tense jerk of his elbow, he pushed Shudu away, creating a space between them as if the words had stung. He didn't speak, didn't look at Shudu—only stared straight ahead with a shuttered expression.
Around them, the gathered demons bowed their heads in a silent gesture of respect. The air was thick with reverence, but beneath it ran an undercurrent of unease.
"We honor your presence, Saozi," they murmured—a formal but warm acknowledgment of Xue Tuzi's new status.
Among the crowd, the young demon woman stepped forward. Her eyes, sharp and glassy with worry, met Shudu's. Without a word, she reached out and clasped his wrist, her grip firm and insistent. "Shu Ge," she insisted, fingers tightening. "Bing Die has fallen ill."
Another voice joined hers. "We don't know what's wrong," he said quickly, glancing between them. "Demon hunters attacked not long ago. Bing Die was injured—at first, it didn't seem serious, but… he hasn't recovered. He's fading."
Shudu's expression darkened at once. A subtle crease formed between his brows, and his jaw tightened. Centuries ago he had once set them free from chains.
Shudu had seen many horrors, but the sight of insect demons—his own kind—crammed into a rotting cart, chains rattling, their wings torn, their eyes hollow… Something inside him shattered. Xiao Zongzi hadn't even needed orders with just at the look of her master's burning crimson eye she knew what needed to be done. Together, they painted the road with the traffickers' entrails. And then—four trembling figures emerged. Two brothers. Two sisters. Too weak to even thank him.
"Mount Dingbu's barrier is strong. Your cultivation is weak enough that the barrier won't harm you." he said. "No one will hurt you again." But a century later, Xiao Hua's guards came too close. And Shudu did the only thing he could—disappear.
"Shu Ge… you left without saying a word." The young woman's voice trembled, her fingers tightening around his arm. Her brows were drawn with hurt, she bit her lip, fighting back the emotions welling in her chest. Her grip on him was not just physical—it was a plea, a question, a tether to a past she hadn't wanted to lose.
The gesture did not go unnoticed.
Xue Tuzi's entire body tensed. A wildfire of jealousy surged in his veins, hot and bitter. He bit down hard on his tongue, drawing blood in his effort to maintain composure, but his eyes betrayed him. They flickered with fury, tracking every inch of the girl's hand where it clutched Shudu's inked sleeve like she had every right to it.
"Shu Ge…" the young man beside her stepped forward now, his tone uncertain, lined with concern. "Don't tell me you've forgotten about us?"
Shudu's gaze softened. A breath passed his lips—long, steady—and a faint smile bloomed at the corners of his mouth, wistful and warm. He lifted his hands and gently placed them on the tops of their heads, a gesture so familiar and tender it made both the young woman and man stiffen before crumpling into him with relief.
"How could I ever forget my brethren?" he murmured.
Their eyes shimmered, emotions crashing over them in waves. Then, without restraint, they lunged at him, wrapping their arms around his torso, burying their faces into his chest. Their shoulders shook. Some were laughing, others stifling tears. Their joy was visceral, pure—a reunion long hoped for, if not expected.
But across from them, Xue Tuzi stood still as ice.
His jaw was clenched so tightly it trembled. The gleam in his eyes was no longer hidden rage—it was naked, burning betrayal. He glared at Shudu, every heartbeat another dagger flung in silence. His hands slowly curled into fists before he slid one behind his back, trying to hide the tension, to calm the storm in his chest. He made a subtle step back, as if trying to put space between himself and the scene, but a movement beside him mirrored his every twitch.
Tuanzhu, nestled against his side, had been watching with her bulging eyes wide and unblinking. Now, sensing Xue Tuzi's growing agitation, her entire body bristled. She narrowed her round eyes into fierce little slits and let out a furious hiss. Her heart-shaped tail flicked like a whip behind her, agitated, sharp. And when Shudu, hesitantly, reached a hand toward Xue Tuzi's wrist, Tuanzhu struck first—snapping at his fingers with a shriek of indignation.
Xue Tuzi didn't flinch. With a fluid motion, he caught Tuanzhu and cradled her in his arms like a wounded heart. His face was a mask of cold elegance, unreadable and distant. Then, in one swift motion, he slapped Shudu's hand away. The slap was quiet, almost gentle, but the sting in it was unmistakable.
Shudu exhaled softly, the rejection a blow he did not resist. His shoulders sank, and he tilted his head downward, letting the shadows hide the flicker of pain in his eyes. When he looked up again, it was only to the insect demons who still surrounded him.
He managed a crooked half-smile. "Very well, I'll come," he said softly, the warmth in his voice fading.
Then he turned toward Xue Loahu, who had been watching everything from the edge, eyes unreadable behind his fan.
"Grandmaster Xue," Shudu said, carefully formal now, "This venerable one has pressing matters to attend to. Please… continue without me."
The insect demons around him perked up, visibly relieved. Some even smiled. They tugged at his arms, ready to lead him away, their joy renewed.
But before they could move a step, Xue Loahu raised a single hand.
"There's no need," he said with smooth authority. "We'll go with you."
A long pause followed, tense and charged. Xue Loahu's voice was light, almost lazy, but beneath it lay something calculating. He smiled politely, but his gaze was sharp as a blade. He wasn't just being generous—he was protecting something. Or rather, preventing something. He could not allow this moment to spiral. He could not afford to hear about another—old marriage proposal—to resurface. Not now. Not with Xue Tuzi watching like a wounded god ready to destroy everything in his wake.
Xue Tuzi said nothing, but his silence screamed louder than any outburst. Fury simmered beneath his flawless skin. His jealousy had long passed the point of childish sulking. Every time someone from Shudu's past appeared, it was as if a new crack split across his pride. Every time, some long-lost demon or human wept and revealed that once—yes, once—Shudu had proposed to them after saving them from a demonic spider. And each time, Xue Tuzi's heart curdled with fresh rage.
This was no exception.
Shudu didn't even try to explain anymore. The damage had been done. The love he'd once hoped to salvage was now a wound—deep, unhealing, and raw. And so, as the group began to move again, the silence between them stretched, heavy as iron. And behind them, Xue Tuzi's eyes remained fixed on Shudu's back.
The hut still stood, weathered by time but stubbornly intact. It had been over a hundred years, yet its modest frame remained unchanged—humble, sturdy, and warmly familiar. Moss clung to the edges of the wooden beams, and climbing vines brushed the roof like the fingers of old friends welcoming them home. Inside, the air smelled faintly of dry herbs, old wood, and lingering incense.
The insect demons led Shudu and the others inside with quiet reverence, their movements quick but careful. Though cramped, the little home buzzed with warmth and old memories. The walls were adorned with handmade trinkets—pressed leaves, feathers, tiny bones painted with bright lacquer. A nest of nostalgia.
Xie Huo, the insect demon with a high bun twisted into a braid, immediately set to work preparing tea. She moved with the ease of someone who had done this a thousand times, her hands graceful even in the tight space. Steam began to curl up from a small clay kettle, fogging the air with a soothing scent.
They all squeezed together around the squat wooden table, knees bumping, shoulders brushing. Outside, cicadas droned in the trees.
"Shu Ge, do you still remember this?" asked Feng Li, the young man with a long, loose braid. He stepped carefully from the back room and held something out to Shudu with both hands.
An old lantern. It was small and worn, its paper sides yellowed with age, but covered in intricate drawings of insects—moths, beetles, cicadas, ants—rendered with loving, childish detail. A small candle flickered inside.
Shudu's gaze softened as he took it in. "Of course I remember." His lips curved into a faint smile, touched with both fondness and sadness.
Feng Li smiled back, his eyes crinkling. "Every time I look at it, it reminds me of you."
His voice was gentle, almost shy. The sentiment hung in the air, tender and open. Too open.
Across the room, Xue Tuzi's fingers tightened around the delicate porcelain teacup in his hand. His expression didn't shift, but the tremor in his grip betrayed him. His hair seemed to rise at the ends, charged with irritation. The ceramic groaned faintly under the strain—one second longer and it might've shattered.
Before the tension could turn unbearable, Long Yin—the shortest among the group, with her twin butterfly-braids bouncing as she moved—cheerfully plopped a stack of steaming buns onto the table. The scent of savory meat and spiced vegetables wafted through the air.
Her gaze fell on Xue Tuzi, then drifted to Tuanzhu, who sat nestled in his lap, licking her lips eagerly and staring at the buns like a starved little beast.
"Ah, Saozi," Long Yin chirped, her tone honeyed and mischievous. "You're truly blessed—Shu Ge is such a devoted man."
Xue Tuzi offered no reply, his jaw locked tight. But Long Yin wasn't done.
She tapped a finger to her chin, looking thoughtfully at Shudu. "Though… now that I think of it…" Her eyes sparkled with innocent malice. "Didn't he promise to marry all four of us back then?"
There was a split second of silence. Then chaos.
Xue Loahu and Li Zhameng, seated across the table, choked violently on their buns, coughing into their sleeves as they tried to suppress their horror. Shudu groaned, covering his face with one hand. Xue Tuzi, meanwhile, rolled his eyes so far back he saw the inside of his own fury. A sharp pain lanced behind his temples, hissing softly through his teeth.
Tuanzhu, who had just opened her tiny mouth to devour a bun, was scooped up into his arms without warning. Her eyes blinked in confusion as she was whisked from the table like a treasured artifact being saved from disaster.
"Please excuse me," Xue Tuzi said stiffly, rising to his feet with deadly calm.
Shudu sighed deeply. His neck cracked as he tilted it to the side, the sound echoing like the start of a long headache. He stood, his expression unreadable as he pushed away from the table. With a final exasperated sigh, he slipped outside, leaving behind a table.
Xue Tuzi cradled the fussy little Gu worm in his arms, gently rocking her in an attempt to soothe her cries. She had been moments away from devouring a steaming meat bun when she was suddenly whisked away, and now she writhed in protest—understandably inconsolable.
Shudu approached in silence, slipping his arms around Xue Tuzi's waist and resting his chin gently on the beauty's shoulder. Xue Tuzi stiffened, trying to pull away, but Shudu only smiled and hooked a finger beneath his chin, tilting his face upward with teasing intent.
"Must I carve my vows into your skin so you remember? Or will you finally believe this husband when he says no one touches me but you?"
Xue Tuzi narrowed his eyes at him. "Husband? Since when?"
Without a word, Shudu took Xue Tuzi's hand and pressed it to his chest, holding it there so he could feel the frantic rhythm beneath.
"This is yours," he said quietly. "Only ever yours. Must I bleed to prove it?"
Xue Tuzi rolled his eyes his voice bitter, trembling with suppressed rage, "How many others have you whispered those same words to? 'Only ever yours'—tell me, am I just the latest in a long line of fools who believed it?"
He paused, pursing his lips as his grip around Tuanzhu tightened, the little Gu worm squeaked hiding inside his robes before he continued with a wounded laugh.
"Do you even understand why I'm angry? Or am I just supposed to stand there, silent, while another gushes about how you once dropped to your knee and swore forever to them?"
His voiced cracked his eyes turning red, "You've promised the world to everyone but me. So tell me—what am I to you? Another fleeting fancy? Or just the one stupid enough to actually care?"
Shudu swallowed hard before stepping closer, his voice soft but unwavering "Tuzi…look at me."
He waited until Xue Tuzi's gaze met his, he cupped his face, his thumb tracing over the tiny mole at the bottom corner of Xue Tuzi's lips.
"Those promises were never real. I was young, reckless—throwing words like coins to strangers because I didn't understand their weight. But you…" He paused, his heart aching as the words caught in his throat. "You are the one I never dared to promise anything to—because you're the only one I wanted to mean it for. No rushed vows, no hollow pretty words. Just this."
He leaned in, pressing his forehead tenderly against Xue Tuzi's. His voice lowered to a whisper as he slipped his arms around him, drawing him into a slow, grounding embrace.
"My heart has always been yours. Even when I was too much of a coward to say it."
He lifted his head just enough to brush a kiss onto Xue Tuzi's lips. Their mouths met softly, melting together for a quiet moment before parting.
"Besides," Shudu added with a small, teasing smile, "Isn't the husband suppose to propose to the wife? Am I not virtuous, pleasing to the eye, and delicate as a flower?"
His voice was playful, but his eyes searched Xue Tuzi's with pleading sincerity as he planted a trail of kisses in the crook of his neck. Xue Tuzi's lips curved faintly, a breath of laughter in his exhale as he tilted his head back, exposing the pale line of his throat in invitation.
"And he should be dutiful," he murmured, eyes locking onto Shudu's. "Docile and submissive. Do you accept those conditions?"
Shudu didn't hesitate. "Wholeheartedly."
Blah Blah Blah:
Shudu never proposed to Xue Tuzi because, in his mind, that's the man's role—and he's playfully holding Xue Tuzi to his own words when he once called him 'wife.' But more than that, Shudu doesn't feel the need for grand gestures. His love for Xue Tuzi is so certain, so deep, that no ceremony could ever outweigh what's already in his heart.
Translator's Notes:
Saozi- Honorific term for Sister in Law