Chapter Five: An Ascension Mishap Triggered by Breakfast

The first rays of dawn spilled over the tall trees. On the second day, Su Raochen, unwilling to take advantage of others, decided to prepare breakfast for the two of them. So, at first light, he groped his way to the kitchen, and soon, smoke curled into the air.

Mo Shen, too, was up early, though in truth, he hadn’t slept a wink all night. The mere thought of those white fox ears tormented him, an itch in his heart and an ache in his body. For the first time, young Mo Shen doubted himself—how could he react this way to a boy his own age?

And so, the two met unexpectedly in the kitchen.

Su Raochen was crouched over the firewood when a pair of boots—identical to those in the cave—entered his line of sight. There was no doubt: it was Mo Shen. Su Raochen wasn’t sure what expression to put on, but ignoring him forever wasn’t an option either. Torn, he finally looked up. As expected, he felt awkward. After all, who could act indifferent after such strange events?

"Good morning. I was just about to make breakfast for us," Su Raochen said, feigning ease.

"Good morning. Let me help," Mo Shen replied, pretending nothing had happened. In this, the two were perfectly complicit. But there’s no such thing as a flawless lie; even if no one else saw, the cracks showed. After speaking with sincere eyes, Mo Shen couldn’t help glancing at the top of Su Raochen’s head, which was empty, as if nothing had happened the night before.

Last night… The thought set his ears burning red, but a lock of inky hair hid his blush, so Su Raochen didn’t notice.

"Thank you," Su Raochen said again. "Then help me manage the fire."

Mo Shen agreed without a second thought, moving to switch places with Su Raochen. But as he approached, he noticed that Su Raochen’s face was smudged with ash, a patchwork of gray making him look like a little cat.

Without thinking, Mo Shen reached out his slender hand and, pausing at the edge, gently brushed the face that had imprinted itself upon his heart, carefully rubbing away the marks. The soft, smooth sensation made him want to pinch the cheek, but he restrained the urge. No, he couldn’t take advantage of him like that. Forcing himself to stop, he withdrew his hand.

"Is it done?" Su Raochen asked, the silence growing a bit too long. As he finished, Mo Shen lowered his hand, then wiped his own face—instantly, his breathtaking features were smeared with ash. Su Raochen was puzzled until Mo Shen said,

"Sorry, I didn’t clean it off. I just made it worse. But it’s fine—we match now." His childlike words made Su Raochen smile despite himself. "Never mind, let’s finish breakfast first. Otherwise, the sun will be high before we know it."

So they busied themselves with breakfast. During the process, Su Raochen couldn’t help but ask, "About last night—"

Mo Shen’s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively not wanting Su Raochen to know he remembered, he hurriedly interrupted, "I drank a little last night, so I don’t remember anything. My head still hurts this morning."

Hearing this, Su Raochen felt a strange mix of emotions, but relief was the strongest. If Mo Shen remembered everything, he wouldn’t know how to explain himself. He let out a silent sigh.

Mo Shen, on the other hand, felt a pang of sadness. Did something between them make Su Raochen so anxious? Was it because he wasn’t strong enough? If only he were more powerful, then maybe… No, he scolded himself for such a base thought. He glanced furtively at Su Raochen, who was stirring porridge, and seeing no reaction, lowered his head to tend the fire.

Little did he know, a tiny seed had already taken root in his heart. Fate, after all, always finds a way to trouble the soul.

Suddenly, a shrill cry rang through the inner dimension of the Mustard Seed Space. Ye Laxiang, just out of bed, saw two sooty, shadowy… humans?—standing at her bedside, and nearly ascended on the spot. Once she was sure her soul was still in her body, she launched into a tirade:

"You two heartless scoundrels! I took you in out of kindness and you try to scare me to death? Oh, the world isn’t worth it…"

But in an instant, her tearful eyes lit up.

"Wait, what’s that smell? Sniff sniff… It’s delicious!"

Su Raochen was the first to explain, "Senior, we made breakfast. Please join us. We didn’t mean to frighten you."

Mo Shen said nothing, but his heart soared—he said ‘we’, not something more distant. Did that mean they were friends now? Maybe even closer?

"Forget it, you’re forgiven. I’m too hungry to be angry. Let’s eat." With that, Ye Laxiang followed them out, all the while observing Su Raochen. Clearly, this boy was no ordinary person. Would he inadvertently hurt little Shen? Still, his character seemed fine—much better than that rascal. Never mind, why worry so much? Breakfast awaits.

The three ate in silence, their manners impeccable—no chatting over meals, no talk in bed. After breakfast, seeing that Su Raochen was healed, Ye Laxiang decided to have Mo Shen take him out to explore Lingwind Sect before dawn broke outside. Mo Shen agreed at once, and Su Raochen, not wanting to impose further, planned to take his leave. He accepted without protest, not realizing this made Mo Shen even happier—though he didn’t quite know why.

With a dizzying sensation, the two found themselves outside. It had been sunrise just a moment ago, but now night had fallen. Su Raochen marveled at the wonder of it, not noticing that Mo Shen hadn’t let go of his hand since the start of the journey.

Yet, this little excursion would not go so smoothly—especially if one overlooked the pairs of eyes watching from the doorway of Mo Shen’s house.