Chapter 188: A Genius
"Why do I have to apologize to them?" Wuhen tilted his head back, staring up at the open sky above the sparring grounds.
Ningyan sat perched on the edge of the upper platform, legs dangling freely, wind tugging at his robes and loose hair as he looked down at him.
"Because you scared them," Ningyan replied flatly. "You killed their teacher, took her place, and terrified the entire class."
Wuhen frowned. "I didn’t kill her."
Ningyan raised a brow.
Wuhen shrugged, completely unconcerned. "I just put her in a position where she won’t be teaching for a long time."
Ningyan stared at him. "...That sounds exactly like killing her."
He rolled his eyes and leaned back, his gaze drifting upward.
Dragons soared across the sky above, their silhouettes cutting through the light.
Below, Wuhen’s ears perked. A faint red-gold glow wrapped around him and in the next instant, he was gone. Then right beside Ningyan.
His nine tails swayed lazily as he settled in next to him, close enough for their shoulders to almost brush.
"Apart from the war," Wuhen said, quieter now, "and Meishan... is there something else bothering you?"
Ningyan blinked. He hadn’t expected that.
"...Well." His lips twitched faintly, like he wasn’t sure whether to say it out loud.
"Back in the lower district of the Water City... Meishan and I rescued a little serpent boy. Hai Miao." His gaze softened as he spoke. "We left him at a manor belonging to one of Meishan’s acquaintances."
The wind shifted.
Ningyan exhaled slowly.
"I don’t know..." he admitted. "Seeing Haoxuan’s niece and nephew just makes me think of him... Wondering if they’d get along."
Wuhen hummed, thoughtful. "Is that so?"
"I haven’t gone to see him," Ningyan added, quieter now. "I feel horrible. So much has happened, and it was sad leaving him behind when he wanted to come with Meishan and me so much."
Wuhen turned his head, looking at him more directly. "Then why not just bring him here?" he said. Simple and straightforward, like it was obvious.
Ningyan froze. "...What?"
"My mother was adopted," Wuhen said casually. "Her parents took her in after her biological ones died in battle."
He shrugged lightly. "You could do the same. If you like the boy that much."
Ningyan stilled for a silent second before his eyes widened.
Wuhen blinked, slightly caught off guard by the sudden shift in his expression. "...are you...?"
Ningyan grabbed his sleeve. Hard. "You’re a genius!"
Before Wuhen could react, Ningyan pulled him into a tight embrace. "Thank you!"
Wuhen froze for half a second, then relaxed into it, a slow, satisfied smile forming on his lips as he wrapped his arms around him.
"I don’t know why I didn’t think of that," Ningyan said quickly as he pulled back, already energized. "It’s so simple."
Too simple.
He jumped down from the platform in one smooth motion, landing lightly on his feet.
Wuhen leaned slightly over the edge, looking down at him. "...You’re just leaving me here?"
"Stay and apologize to the children!" Ningyan called back without even turning around.
Then he was gone.
The doors shut behind him.
Wuhen stared after him for a moment.
Then sighed, his tails swaying lazily behind him. "If you insist."
^
Ningyan moved quickly through the corridors, excitement still buzzing under his skin.
But then, he slowed.
Ahead, Shen Taiyu and Liu Ruobing stood with a few attendants, speaking softly between themselves.
They stopped when they saw him.
Ningyan stopped too.
The excitement drained and was replaced instantly with something heavier.
He bowed, awkwardly and respectfully. After all, he had killed their husband.
"Ningyan!" Liu Ruobing stepped forward immediately, her voice warm, her golden reptilian eyes bright as they settled on him.
Her dark blue hair flowed behind her, so much like Haoxuan’s.
And for a moment, Ningyan didn’t know how to respond.
"Oh, Ningyan." Shen Taiyu’s voice softened as he stepped forward, his expression brightening at the sight of him. "You have returned."
Liu Ruobing followed, her gaze sweeping over him quickly.
"You seem to be in a hurry," she noted. "Did something happen?"
Ningyan blinked, caught slightly off guard. "Ah... yes. I was just about to leave for the Water City."
"Oh?" Liu Ruobing tilted her head. "I could accompany you."
Ningyan froze. "I don’t think that’s—"
Liu Ruobing laughed softly, cutting him off. "You don’t have to be so nervous around us."
Her tone wasn’t sharp. It was gentle... Certain.
"No one blames you for anything, Ningyan." The words settled heavier than he expected.
"...I see." Ningyan hesitated. He understood that.
He did.
But that didn’t make it any less... difficult.
"Well... it would be an honour," he said, more carefully this time. "I’m going to pick someone up."
Liu Ruobing’s brows lifted. "Someone?"
Ningyan nodded. "My son."
Shen Taiyu and Liu Ruobing stilled, surprise flickering openly across their faces.
Then Shen Taiyu stepped forward. "Then I will come as well."
Liu Ruobing glanced at him, then back at Ningyan. "Does Haoxuan know about this?"
"Not yet," Ningyan admitted as they began walking. "I wanted to bring him back first. But it’s not like he would refuse."
His voice softened. "He’ll be his son too."
The words felt strange but right. Very right.
As they moved through the halls, Ningyan’s thoughts shifted.
A child. His child.
It was a deviation. A clear one.
Far from the original path. And yet, this was the first decision that felt entirely his. A choice.
By the time the carriage was prepared, the sky had begun to dim slightly, clouds drifting across the horizon.
Ningyan paused briefly to leave a message behind, for Haoxuan... and Meishan. Then he stepped into the carriage with Liu Ruobing and Shen Taiyu.
As it began to move, he leaned back, the tension in his chest easing completely for the first time in days.
He couldn’t stop the small smile that formed.
For once, he wasn’t running from something. He was going toward it.