Cultivation Retirement Plan (BL)

25. Practical Experience

The next instant, a shadow fell across him and Nan Wuyue's head snapped up to see Mo Yixuan. Without his ornament, the peak lord's hair was in full disarray about his face, giving him a pleasant, fresh-out-of-bed tousled look. The boy swallowed before presenting the hairstick with both hands.

"Shizun, your hairstick," he said simply.

"Mm," Mo Yixuan was still wielding a sword and looking miffed. Nan Wuyue thought he was annoyed at him, but Mo Yixuan only muttered, "It looks like I haven't mastered my hair as well as my sword skills..."

"Shall this disciple help you tie it up?" Nan Wuyue offered.

Mo Yixuan was silent. He refrained from excessive contact between them and didn't need a servant to wait on him, which was why he'd been dressing and looking after himself. Still, he didn't immediately refuse the offer.

Sensing him wavering, Nan Wuyue pushed forward. "Disciple has sensed that this item contains some qi of its own. With a proper infusion of aura, it should stay in shizun's hair without falling out."

That got his master's attention. "Show me," he nodded before walking towards his quarters. Nan Wuyue hastened to follow.

They ended up strolling into Mo Yixuan's bedroom, where the latter set his sword on the dressing table before sitting down in front of the mirror. Nan Wuyue next stepped forward with a small bow. "Shizun, may I borrow a comb?"

Mo Yixuan found one on the table and handed it over. Nan Wuyue carefully set the hairstick down next to his sword before moving to detangle Mo Yixuan's strands. He was careful not to tug too hard, though Mo Yixuan's face didn't betray a single iota of emotion throughout the process.

Internally, the peak lord was feeling awkward all around. Who made men leave their hair long in ancient times? Confucian values and filial piety aside, it was damned hard to style anything past shoulder length.

"If shizun finds it troublesome, this disciple can take care of such matters for you in the future," Nan Wuyue went on carefully.

"No need," Mo Yixuan rejected instantly.

Nan Wuyue broke into a brief, bitter smile. But he continued with his work, explaining the process in detail as he brushed, gathered, twisted, and secured. The last step was using an infusion of qi to seal the hairstick within the strands of Mo Yixuan's own updo.

"Shizun seems especially fond of this hairstick," Nan Wuyue observed casually when all was said and done. "Disciple doesn't remember seeing it at Mt. Jingting before."

"It was recently acquired," Mo Yixuan said and left it at that.

Nan Wuyue's eyes flickered thoughtfully. The only "recent addition" he could think of was that half-immortal Shi Feng barging into Mo Yixuan's life. From the rumors he'd heard around the sect, Mo Yixuan had even stayed with him to recover at Jadecloud Peak.

"Senior Shi Feng's tastes are indeed cultured and refined," Nan Wuyue couldn't help murmuring.

Mo Yixuan wasn't surprised that he figured it out. "Mm," he agreed.

Nan Wuyue's fingers on the hairstick lingered slightly before he withdrew his hands. "Shizun seems to value his gift very much?" To be wearing it every single day...

"It has its uses," Mo Yixuan remained vague, but that was enough to make Nan Wuyue smile wryly again.

Though you met him not long after me, your treatment of us differs so much, shizun. If...

...if we had started on the right foot, would you treasure me as much as you treasure this ornament now?

Ultimately, it was useless to dwell on regrets. For now, the best thing he could do was train to get stronger and learn to repent in his own way. Only then could he move to undo the knots between them.