Chapter Text
There’s a strange package in his Master’s courtyard.One that is covered with silk cloth and golden embroidery, that makes it look out of place on the wet grass.
Jiang Huan has been Bo Ya-daren's [1] attendant at a tender age of ten up until his ripe age of 50. He has seen all manners of strange apparition’s just outside Jingyun temple but this is the first time he has seen a peculiar object inside his master's own private garden.
His first instinct is of course, to scream for his Bo Ya-daren. He himself has cleaned the courtyard the previous day before and as an attendant, he had made sure that it was spotless. Such an unusual item, no matter how decorated, is suspicious and he voices this opinion once Bo Ya-daren is by his side.
Bo Ya-daren frowns at it with an intensity to kill and Jiang Huan doesn’t even wait for the order.
He steps back.
Bo Ya-daren mutters a spell, and Jiang Huan can feel the energy engulf him. It was probably a defensive spell but Jiang Huan has never bothered to learn.
As his Master untangles the cloth, Jiang Huan waits with bated breath for a powerful demon to appear or even just a powerful spell to explode, but none of the two ever happens.
Instead, sitting inconspicuously outside his master’s inner garden, is a black box. In the wide expanse of grass, it is unassuming and out of place but once his master opens it, the smell of sweets drift into the air.
“For someone who teases me to be painfully expressive, he is not exactly subtle himself.” Bo Ya-daren comments.
Jiang Huan ears perk at the admission but he stops himself just in time from asking about who his master had been referring to. In all his years of service he has never known his master to be pleased by disciples asking him more than what is necessary or what he is willing to give. Jiang Huan had learned in time, that in getting to know his master, waiting and observing was the best way he would know about the matter further.
Truth be told, Jiang Huan doesn’t hope to understand the whims of a powerful master like Bo Ya-daren. He is but a mortal who will die when he is 80 or 90 while his master will live on, decades until his death. Jiang Huan can only hope that his meager life is a life well-lived and he has found his purpose in the side of the man before him.
To serve Bo Ya-daren is one of Jiang Huan's greatest pleasure and he makes sure to do his utmost best. So when Bo Ya-daren tells him to take the sweets to his room, Jiang Huan obeys without another word.
He holds his tongue, despite his burning curiosity of what had just happened and soon forgets about the gift.
After all, strange isolated incidents that occur in Jingyun temple are not given much thought, otherwise Jiang Huan will not be able to sleep at night, thinking an intruder can pass the temple’s barrier.
“You don’t have to worry. It’s a friend playing a prank,” his master reassures him.
Jiang Huan believes him.
Jiang Huan thought it was an isolated incident but another gift appears just a week after.
Jiang Huan wonders how one man is able to pass through his master’s barrier easily and unnoticed but his Bo Ya-daren does not care to elaborate.
As both of them stand once again in the garden, underneath the early morning light, Jiang Huan himself unveils the scroll in the garden once his master checks that it’s safe.
His hands however shake once he realizes what the picture in the painting is.
Could it be? Was his master in danger.
Jiang Huan is about to go in a frenzy, ordering the servants to become more vigilant but a hand on his shoulder stops him from flying off the handle.
“It’s alright,” his master says. “It’s not an intruder. Just an annoying friend who delights in unsettling me.”
By all accounts, there is no reason for anyone to smile when uttering those words. For an unknown person to gift a painting of his master’s own private study overlooking the garden is a large invasion of privacy. Yet his master’s eyes soften as he calls the unknown person “friend” and despite his irritating tone, Jiang Huan could feel that it was full of mirth.
Whoever this “friend” was, is clearly dear to his master.
Jiang Huan’s was once suspicious but now his heart softens at the thought.
In all his years of service, his master has been compared to steel. With sword-like brows forever set in a frown and a brusque attitude, the other servants have always had a hard time approaching him because of his personality.
Now a smile is set on his master’s face, making his handsome face appear even more youthful and Jiang Huan can’t help but be in awe.
Whoever can melt his master’s cold personality is surely extraordinary.
The exquisite painting soon finds a home inside his master’s own private study.
The night after the painting is hung, Bo Ya-daren orders him to hang a letter in the private garden. It is not addressed to anyone in particular but is instead marked with the Yin Yang symbol.
“Tell the servants to ignore it or not to touch it,” his master orders. “Tell them that if anyone disobeys I would know and that if they even so as much open it when the letter is not intended for them, a curse awaits them.”
Jiang Huan doesn’t need any other explanation. He hears the words "curse" and treats the letter like a firstborn child, with care and attention, until he ties it to one of the trees branches which he knows is visible to anyone.
Jiang Huan can take a guess who it’s for. It is easy enough because his Master would’ve just delivered the letter himself if it was anyone from the temple.
This letter is surely for that friend, who has changed his master in such a short time.
This only fuels Jiang Huan’s curiosity even further but again, he reminds himself that he is a loyal servant with tact. He does not pry.
When day breaks and Jiang Huan passes by his master’s garden, the letter is gone.
In it’s place is another object wrapped in fine silk.
This time Jiang Huan is not wary. He untangles it from the branches and brings it to Bo Ya-daren, immediately.
When his master opens it in his presence, Jiang Huan’s feels his eyebrows ascend up to his hairline. A comb is slotted in an ostentatious red wood box. Not even the box’s grand decorations can stop Jiang Huan from staring in amazement.
The comb is made from jade. Carved on its side are intricate peach blossoms that elevates the items elegance and worth. To gift such an item would be equivalent to lovers exchanging hair combs but Jiang Huan cannot wrap his mind around his master being courted.
“Master is that-“
“No. It’s not.” Bo Ya-daren flushes. It is the first time Jiang Huan sees red color his master’s cheeks.
His master quickly closes the box but the damage has been done.
Jiang Huan has seen the letter inside the box. Even though Jiang Huan thinks it is not necessary, with the intentions of the comb being as clear as day, Jiang Huan supposes it is to keep away any misunderstandings his master must have.
Jiang Huan would be wary and worried for his master but his mother had always told him that a man’s calligraphy revealed his character.
The writings Jiang Huan saw was an example of an upstanding one.
Beneath the comb, tucked underneath is a single paper with beautiful and elegant calligraphy, with the written words - Bai tou xie lao.
“To be with you until we are old.”
Jiang Huan still does not pry but he knows enough that the past few days where his master has left the temple, peach blossoms had started to bloom in his master’s heart. [2]
“Are you so adverse to doing things the traditional way, Qing Ming?”
Bo Ya is alone in his room. The man he is speaking to cannot see his expression but he still raises a brow in question as he expresses his exasperation with Qingming’s actions.
Qing Ming, chuckles. The sound is as clear and crisp as Bo Ya remembers it despite thousands of lis [3] separating. “I’d rather listen to your voice with this Magic Ear rather than imagine how it sounds in a letter.”
Qing Ming has never been one to do things normally. Bo Ya had seen the unnamed gifts and yet he still knew it came from the man. No other person would dare break into his private garden and only Qing Ming would ever think to give a gift without using the proper channels.
Bo Ya did not loose sleep over the gift. He has done his fair share of pondering over Qing Ming's action in the Heaven Celestial Observatory and after technically becoming his Spirit Guardian, there is little room for misunderstanding between the two of them.
Bo Ya had deduced what Qing Ming's intentions were ever since the first box of sweets had arrived. The only problem was, whether or not it was simply a gesture of lifelong friendship (never progressing into something more) or if it was Qing Ming's way of saying that he was willing to proceed. To follow the burgeoning feelings they had both felt for each other.
After all, they had parted and Bo Ya thought it was the end of the acquaintance. They each had their own homes to return to and their duties would keep them apart, far too long for love to ever blossom in Qing Ming’s part.
Bo Ya has however forgotten one crucial thing, up until he is reminded by the appearance of that box.
Distance was no issue when Qing Ming could use teleportation spells.
Now, Bo Ya regrets ever worrying rather than acting upon his desires. He didn’t even need to question Qing Ming’s affections for him because the man is stupidly earnest with his actions that all but screams affection.
Still, Bo Ya resists out of spite because Qing Ming has made their farewell more melodramatic than it needed to be. Bo Ya had genuinely believed that they would not see each other for years to come.
He cannot allow Qing Ming to tease him any further.
Bo Ya huffs, “I still wonder how you can say such shameless things so confidently.”
“One must be clear with their intentions, especially to their future betrothed,” Qing Ming answers. Even when the man is not before him, Bo Ya can still imagine the man’s smile as he speaks.
Qing Ming is teasing him again.
“I have not given my answer!” Bo Ya splutters.
“We need no words between us, Bo Ya. I already know.”
“Ridiculous,” Bo Ya scoffs. “We aren’t getting betrothed or married if I say no.”
Another chuckle, “Then I will wait. We have plenty of time.”
Bo Ya is reminded of a time where he found Qing Ming idly sipping wine despite the urgency of their task. Bo Ya had been furious but it had all worked out in the end.
He doesn’t fight Qing Ming on this. They do have plenty time.
However, Qing Ming soon breaks the comfortable mood by speaking and his tone is devilish, in a way that he uses his most pitiful voice to appeal to Bo Ya’s more impressionable heart.
“Will you finally put the Magic Eyes in your bedroom?” Qing Ming asks.
Bo Ya’s answer is a resounding “No!”
The man comes in a flurry of sparks. A portal opens in the middle of his master’s private garden where all the servants busily prepare for their master’s lunch.
Everyone stops and stares at the stranger but nobody screams in terror. It is hard to feel fear under the presence of a man whose gentle smile could no doubt touch a million people’s hearts. His priests robes were also a dead give away that he was not a threat.
Jiang Huan watches intently at the man before him and he spots a familiar redwood box, one he is sure contains an assortment of sweets inside.
Jiang Huan asks, “Should I tell Bo Ya-daren that you wish to see him?”
The man shakes his head. Jiang Huan tilts his head curiously at his refusal.
Was he mistaken. Did the man not come here for his master.
Then Jiang Huan hears it, the sound of hurried footsteps echoing through the hall.
“You’re here.” His master says, voice breaking the silence.
The man meets his eyes and smiles at him gently. As if reading Jiang Huan's mind and finding his hesitation, the man provides an answer, “I could not trouble you, dear attendant. A-Ya already knows I was coming today.”
At the admission, the movement in the courtyard stops. [4]
Several servants turn their heads and Jiang Huan gasps at his master name being uttered casually by this stranger whom Jiang Huan strongly suspects to be the one sending the gifts, that may or may not be hidden intentions for marriage.
There’s an unreadable expression on Bo Ya-daren’s face that makes the servants scamper in fear but Jiang Huan remains calm because he see his master’s ears flush red.
“Qing Ming, I told you not to call me A-Ya," his master says gravely.
The man just smiles even at the face of his master’s thunderous expression.
“Slip of the tongue,” the stranger says idly. Jiang Huan very much doubted it was a slip of tongue.
But instead of getting angry, like Juang Huan expects him to, Bo Ya-daren simply sighs, resigned. Jiang Huan's jaw drops. He quickly picks his up his jaw from the floor as his master turns to him and orders, ”Prepare the receiving room for me, Jiang Huan” which gives Jiang Huan the excuse to collect his shattered beliefs. Bo Yo-daren calls after him shortly as his master orders to bring out their best batch of plum wine as well.
His master has rarely exchanged cups for people out of the temple. Jiang Huan knows, from observation, that his master dislikes the feeling of inebriation. But there is something about this stranger that is slowly changing his master from the inside and Jiang Huan can honestly say that he is glad to witness it.
Jiang Huan has been a servant from the time he was ten. He has served Bo Ya-daren for 30 years and it is the first time, he has seen his master Bo Ya with a subtle bounce to his step and a gleam in his eyes.
Not for the first time, Jiang Huan finds himself in awe. He wonders who exactly his Master had fallen for, but as a good attendant he does not pry.
(Jiang Huan later founds out from the kitchen gossips that the man was actually Qing Ming the renowned Yin Yang Master who defeated the Evil Serpent. When he hears this, Jiang Huan merely nods his head in approval as he sips his tea and thinks to himself, “You got yourself a good catch master.)