After assuring Li Chenyuan a thousand times that he was fine and just feeling a little sick because of the shock of the past few days, Li Chenyuan finally left him alone. Well, somewhat. As Qiu Yunru was getting dressed, Li Chenyuan stood next to the bed, staring at him with a gaze that felt like a glare, as if trying to determine what exactly was wrong with him. Qiu Yunru didn't know what else to do; he pretended he couldn't see, pulling on his outer robes.
"Where will we go back to in the Mortal Realm?" He asked, tying his sash. "This shixiong was thinking of the Jade Clouds Sect. I have some important things to talk to Shizun about."
"Important things" was a bit of an understatement. He was going to pull Liao Li aside as soon as there was a spare moment in the Mortal Realm and relay the Limited Time Event he had received to him. If there was anyone who might know how to deal with the game system creating such a cruel situation, it would be him. If he didn't know what to do, no one would! Besides that, he was planning to talk to He Yongliang about Li Chenyuan. Those people who had killed Li Chenyuan in his vision hadn't been wearing light-colored robes like those of the Jade Clouds Sect. If he mentioned Li Chenyuan being in potential danger to He Yongliang, surely he would act quickly. After all, didn't he always favor Li Chenyuan like a son? Besides that, he was incredibly powerful. With him involved, surely there was a better chance of thwarting the game menu!
Of course, he really didn't want to think about the possibility of not being able to thwart the menu at all. The idea of choosing between such things felt so heavy that considering it made him feel sick again.
Li Chenyuan's face had fallen. "Shixiong," He muttered. "I'm not welcome at the Jade Clouds Sect. I was going to bring us to Heishi Mountain."
Qiu Yunru wanted to smack himself in the face.
How could he have been so insensitive?! More than that, thoughtless and self-centered?! He had always considered himself good at remembering things, but somehow, it had slipped his mind that Li Chenyuan was a fugitive!
"Sorry..." He said awkwardly, coughing into his hand. "I got ahead of myself. Heishi Mountain isn't too far from Li Hua Mountain, right? That's a good location. If it's hidden enough, Li-shidi can stay safe, and I might still be able to visit the Jade Clouds Sect. Although..."
"Although what?"
Qiu Yunru cleared his throat. "Although, we should try to clear things up with the Jade Clouds Sect. It won't do to have everyone in Baohu Mountain Range chasing you down on sight. You didn't do anything wrong, after all."
There was a long moment of silence. Qiu Yunru finished tying his sash.
Ahem. Wasn't this moment of silence stretching a little too long?
He turned around, only to find that Li Chenyuan's eyes were full of tears.
What the--?!
Like dripping pearls, tears streamed down his pale cheeks as his lips trembled softly. "Gege," He croaked hoarsely. Just hearing that sounds was like being stabbed with a throwing knife; it was more pitiful than the wails of an abandoned newborn kitten! "You don't think I'm evil?"
Qiu Yunru had to stop himself from clutching him own chest with his hand. The sudden urge to squeeze this kid in a smothering embraced overwhelmed him, and he just managed to hold himself back, instead reaching out to rub Li Chenyuan's shaking arm.
"Of course I don't," He said confidently. "The Eight Purple Winds Sect used you to kill those people. If they hadn't brought those Demon Soul Idols, none of this would have happened."
Li Chenyuan sniffled, tears continuing to flow like rivers. "But gege saw--it was my body that killed them. In the end, isn't the blood still on my hands?"
"Don't be silly." Qiu Yunru smacked Li Chenyuan lightly on the head, scolding him. "If a kid plays with dolls and makes one tear the other's head off, isn't it still the kid's doing? Just because someone forced you to do something doesn't mean you're the one responsible. It's not your fault."
Li Chenyuan sniffed again.
Suddenly, he grabbed Qiu Yunru, smothering him in a tight embrace. He began opening weeping into Qiu Yunru's shoulder, rubbing his face in Qiu Yunru's robes. "Gege...Gege is too kind...I missed you so much..."
Qiu Yunru patted him on the back, face red. Hadn't he been considering giving this kid a hug just a minute ago? If he'd known he would be grabbed anyways, he would have just done it! What a dramatic kid...
Although, he corrected himself, He's really not overdramatic at all, is he? Didn't he get forced to murder, lose his mind, and get pulled into running a cult? It's probably good for him to be crying...Poor boy...
He sighed, lowering his head into the crook of Li Chenyuan's neck. "It's all right," He reassured quietly. "I'm glad you're safe. We'll figure it out together."
Li Chenyuan had gone strangely still. Puzzled, Qiu Yunru pulled back to look at his face. Had he suffocated to death on his own endless tears?
Looking at him, Qiu Yunru was suddenly concerned. Li Chenyuan's pale cheeks had flushed bright red, and his breathing was unsteady. What's more, his pupils seemed strangely dilated as well!
"What's wrong with you?" He muttered, worry filling his heart. In a past life, he definitely had to have been a mother. Otherwise, why did a motherly instinct overtake him whenever he saw something wrong with this kid? Pressing a hand to Li Chenyuan's forehead, he only grew more concerned. "You're too hot! Are you sick?"
Without a word, Li Chenyuan snatched up his hand. The motion was so quick that Qiu Yunru hardly realized it had happened until Li Chenyuan had already pressed his hand to his soft lips!
"WHA--!" He yelped, pulling his hand away like it had been struck by a spark. "Hahaha! Hahaha! What are you doing? Hahaha!"
Li Chenyuan's face had already fallen a little, but that hint of sadness was so brief that Qiu Yunru missed it entirely. Li Chenyuan touched his lips lightly, still watching Qiu Yunru with hawk-like eyes.
"I was kissing gege's hand," He said simply. "Because I like him."
"Hahaha! Hahahaha!" Qiu Yunru really wasn't trying to laugh. It just came out; every time he took a breathe, it escaped his body through a maniacal giggle. "Hahaha!"
He ran out of the room.
___
A little later, the three young men had reconvened outside of the Red Lotus Pavilion. Qiu Yunru stood a little ways away from Li Chenyuan, avoiding his gaze. He could feel the burning of his cheeks and didn't know what to do about it, so he awkwardly kept him face mostly turned away from the others.
After all this time in the Demon Realm, it was finally time to escape. It was funny, wasn't it? Well, maybe "funny" wasn't the correct word. "Cruel" was a much better one! After all his and Liao Li's hard work to find a method of escaping and all the progress they had made, Li Chenyuan had shown up with a route of escape of his own!
Qiu Yunru didn't mind too much, though. He had been closed to reaching 100% Friendship with Yue Fengyang, so they would have escaped soon anyhow. And to be honest, if Li Chenyuan hadn't arrived, he would have had to go searching all over the jianghu for him and the Eight Purple Winds Sect, worrying about him the whole time. Wasn't it better to have him here? Although, it would be good to keep that friendship in mind for the future. From everything he'd gathered, she was a particularly powerful demoness...
There was a whooshing noise. Everything went white; the temperature on the street dropped dramatically, then rose again.
How was it that, after just training for a few short months, Li Chenyuan could do this? Standing outside of the Red Lotus Pavilion that morning, Li Chenyuan had merely had to raise a hand for the very air itself to tear open beneath his fingers. With a casual flick of his wrist, a portal that could fit five men--no, a whole elephant!--opened up, swirling and swimming with colors and shapes.
Without so much as batting an eye, Li Chenyuan turned to Qiu Yunru and Liao Li, who were standing behind him.
"Gege?" Holding out his hand, Li Chenyuan beckoned towards Qiu Yunru.
Qiu Yunru couldn't keep hiding his face; he had to get over himself. He really didn't know if he could handle touching Li Chenyuan's hand, but it was probably safer to, wasn't it? He'd never gone through a portal in-person in Spring Blossoms, Autumn Fruits before. Maybe it would ensure they remained connected through the journey. Yes, it was probably better that way in the end, even if the idea of holding Li Chenyuan's hand sent him stomach swirling!
Clearing his throat, he stepped forward and took Li Chenyuan's hand. Li Chenyuan's elegant fingers wrapped around his own, pulling him forward firmly.
Qiu Yunru couldn't help but feel suddenly like a princess at a ball, being pulled forward by a duke. If this was a straight royal romance transmigration novel, wouldn't every girl be squealing over this? Even his own face heated up a little. What need was there to pull him forward with so much force?
Stumbling towards the portal, Qiu Yunru cleared his throat again, avoiding Li Chenyuan's gaze. "Should one of us also hold hands with Liao Li, so that we don't get separated?"
Li Chenyuan's gaze flashed darkly. "There's no need, gege. He's not coming."
"Then why are you holding--eh?"
Li Chenyuan flicked out his wrist once again, eyes flashing red.
As though rooted to the ground by some unseen force, Liao Li, who had been walking up to join them at the portal, froze. His handsome eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
"He doesn't want to come," Li Chenyuan said casually. "He's staying here."
The air rippled, suddenly thick. A wooziness passed through Qiu Yunru's head, and a chill shuddered down his spine. Standing there, Liao Li's eyes flickered from confusion to agreement. He nodded.
"I'm staying here. I don't want to come. You two should go ahead."
"Li Chenyuan!" Qiu Yunru suddenly grabbed Li Chenyuan's arm with his free hand. "What are you doing?"
Li Chenyuan tilted his head, looking down at Qiu Yunru with a crooked smile. Something was off; Qiu Yunru had never seen him smile like that. The shape of his mouth was satisfied, but his phoenix eyes were wide and wild.
"I'm taking gege back to the Mortal Realm."
"You--release him, now! He can't stay here--it's not safe for humans!"
Li Chenyuan's face twisted with pain. He shook his head adamantly, his grip tightening on Qiu Yunru's hand to the point of pain. "I can't. Gege likes him too much. If he comes, gege might forget about me. Now, gege won't have to worry about him anymore."
Qiu Yunru tried to yank his grip from Li Chenyuan's, but he couldn't. It wasn't that he'd gotten weak; it was that Li Chenyuan, in the time they had been apart, had grown incredibly strong. By channeling demonic qi into his hand, his was able to hold on tight, even as Qiu Yunru pulled and yanked.
Qiu Yunru felt panic fill his heart. "Let go! If you don't bring him, I'm not coming with you!"
Li Chenyuan's expression filled with sadness. "Gege really does hate me. Don't worry; even if you don't like me, I can keep you safe. I can't let go; as long as you're in my sight, I have a reason to live."
With that, he reached forward and pinched two acupoints on Qiu Yunru's neck and shoulders. Like a rag doll, Qiu Yunru's body went limp. He could still see and hear, but his arms and legs wouldn't move! It was a horrible feeling. All he could do was blink up at Li Chenyuan in horror as he picked him up like a bride and walked into the portal, leaving Liao Li standing, frozen, behind in the sulfuric red mists of the Demon Realm.