Wang Dong looked at him seriously, as if he was thinking of something, but hesitating. However, he didn’t continue.
Huo Yuhao looked at the weather outside and said, “It’s not early anymore. Let’s rest, I’ll be leaving early in the morning tomorrow. Let’s not cultivate today either. I’ll sleep here tonight; we haven’t slept together in a while.”
Wang Dong’s face turned crimson, “Who’s going to sleep with you? Scram.”
Huo Yuhao laughed and said, “Aren’t you happy? I don’t even remember how many times we’ve slept together. Anyway, I’m not going to leave. You can sleep on the floor.” As he spoke, he leapt onto Wang Dong’s bed before removing his shoes. Following that, he stripped and laid down.
Wang Dong watched his roguish look and found it funny, “Why are you so shameless?”
Huo Yuhao asked, “Don’t you want to sleep barefoot with me? I still remember the first time we slept like this. You’re still a clean freak after so many years.”
Wang Dong rolled his eyes and said, “Does my obsession with cleanliness bother you? Since when did you care so much about it?”
“Uhh… I’ve always respected you! Come on, I’ll leave some space for you.” As he spoke, Huo Yuhao shifted a little and patted the bed space beside him.
Wang Dong’s face turned red. However, Huo Yuhao didn’t notice, as it was getting dark outside, and the room wasn’t well-lit.
He turned around to put the Class 1 soul tool lamp that Huo Yuhao had made out, then stripped to his outerwear. Following that, he walked towards the bed and laid down.
Huo Yuhao covered both of them with the blanket.
“What’re you doing?” Wang Dong sat up like a terrified little deer. “I have more blankets; I’ll go get another one.”
Huo Yuhao pulled his shoulder back and pressed him back onto the bed. He also tugged the blanket over him and said, “Enough, don’t be such a spoilsport. Let’s share the bed tonight. I’ll be leaving for two and a half years tomorrow. Let’s sleep together and have a good talk tonight, alright?”
The room had become completely black. The two of them were squeezed into a single bed, and their bodies were touching each other. Huo Yuhao felt that Wang Dong’s body was a little stiff. However, it loosened up after he heard Huo Yuhao’s words. He didn’t insist on getting another blanket anymore either.
“Wang Dong, you’re already fourteen. Sorry! I’ve been a little crazy during this period of time, and didn’t celebrate your birthday with you.” Wang Dong’s birthday had passed in the three months that Huo Yuhao had gone mad.
Wang Dong snapped, “At least you still remember! Eldest senior and the rest celebrated it with me. Eldest senior, second senior, third senior, fourth senior, and fifth senior were all there. You were the only one missing.”
Ever since Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan had joined the Tang Sect, there’d been a change in how the Shrek’s Seven Monsters greeted one another. Bei Bei had proposed that they call each other based on their seniority.
Bei Bei was naturally the eldest, while He Caitou was the next. This was followed by Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan. Xiao Xiao had become Wang Dong’s fifth senior. The youngest two were Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. Huo Yuhao was the sixth oldest, while Wang Dong was the youngest.
“What birthday present do you want?” Huo Yuhao asked guiltily.
Wang Dong almost shook his head, but seemed to think of something and said, “Will you give me anything I want?”
Huo Yuhao laughed, “It has to be within my capability first!”
Wang Dong turned to face Huo Yuhao. They were in such close proximity that they could hear each other’s breathing. Wang Dong was very fragrant, and had a child-like milky fragrance; even his breath held the scent. Huo Yuhao had a manlier smell, but it was one filled with youthfulness.
Wang Dong said, “Of course it’s within your capabilities. Yuhao, you’ll be nearly seventeen when you return in two and a half years. You won’t be young anymore. You have to promise me one thing when that time comes. Take it as your birthday gift to me for this year.”
Huo Yuhao chortled and said, “Why’re you being so mysterious? You’re even planning to only receive your gift then!”
Wang Dong chuckled and said craftily, “In case you forget me! Wait a minute, I think I’m going easy on you if it’s only one thing. You’ll also miss my fifteenth and sixteenth birthdays. That’s three birthdays, so you owe me three things! Don’t’ worry, you’ll be able to fulfil all three things. Hurry up, let’s hook our pinkies!” As soon as he finished speaking, he extended his right hand and wiggled his pinkie in front of Huo Yuhao. Although the room was very dark, Huo Yuhao could see his pinkie with his Spirit Eyes.
Huo Yuhao was a little amused. “You’re a classic bully! I haven’t agreed yet!”
“So are you going to agree?” Wang Dong said unyieldingly, “It’s going to be two and a half years, and I didn’t mind your stinky smell too. Can’t you agree to such a small request?” Wang Dong’s face turned a little red when he said this.
Huo Yuhao’s heart softened, and he replied, “Okay, I promise. We’re such close brothers. Don’t mention three things, even if it were thirty things or three hundred things, I promise you that I’d do them for you. Are you satisfied now?”
Wang Dong was delighted, “Let’s hook our pinkies.”
Huo Yuhao helplessly extended his right pinkie and hooked it with Wang Dong’s. But the two of them were so close that his hand touched Wang Dong’s body.
He felt something very soft, yet very springy. Wang Dong’s body shriveled a little as he was touched, and he exclaimed furiously, “Watch out.”
Huo Yuhao twisted his lips and said, “Your chest muscles aren’t very impressive; they’re soft. Mine are what you call firm.”
“What nonsense.” Wang Dong raged and sat up, but was immediately pulled back down into the bed by Huo Yuhao.
“Stop playing, didn’t you want to hook pinkies? I won’t cave in to you later.”
Wang Dong seemed to be very bothered about the three things Huo Yuhao had promised him. He wanted to punish him for his recklessness, thus he extended his hand to tug at his pinkie with his own.
“Don’t forget that you’ve promised me. You can’t forget, no matter what. Do you understand?” Wang Dong emphasized with a domineering tone.
“Alright, alright. I know. You’re already fourteen; why’re you acting just like a little kid? You need to learn to be as mature as me.” Huo Yuhao couldn’t help but boast.
Wang Dong placed both his hands behind his back and said disdainfully, “Mature? You’re the one who collapsed under such a small setback. Who’s the one who went crazy for three months? Oh yeah, what did Elder Xuan say that made you return to normal? I don’t believe that he simply convinced you.”
Huo Yuhao didn’t reply.
Wang Dong turned his body to lie on his side, “Tell me. Otherwise, I might have to get violent.”
Huo Yuhao snorted and said, “Am I scared of you? If you can beat me, I’ll tell you.”
Wang Dong didn’t really take action. He couldn’t beat Huo Yuhao at such a close distance. He flipped his body over and laid down again. “Forget it if you’re not going to say it.”
The room went silent. Besides their breathing, no other sounds could be heard. But they both knew that the other was awake. The melancholy from Huo Yuhao’s impending departure slowly spread through the air.
“Yuhao,” Wang Dong suddenly said.
“What?”
Wang Dong’s voice sounded hoarse, “I’ve changed my mind. You have to do one of the three things that you promised me first.”
“What is it?” Huo Yuhao’s voice didn’t sound completely calm either.
Wang Dong said, “When you’re in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering academy, you have to prioritize your own body and not train so hard. No matter how much hope teacher and the academy have placed on you, you’re still only fourteen years old! You’ve already gone through so much; you might really collapse if you continue on like this.”
Huo Yuhao was silent for a brief moment, then sighed. “Wang Dong, you know we can’t back out at this point. The academy didn’t just expend money to nurture us. Over the past two years, the Soul Tool Department’s resources have been devoted to train me and second senior. We’ve also received pointers from the teachers at the Martial Soul Department. Have you forgotten the fact that teacher once mentioned that the continent won’t be peaceful much longer? I didn’t believe in the idea of destiny in this world previously. However, I started to believe in it when I obtained this Eye of Destiny. You, I, and Xiao Xiao all have twin martial souls, which is something completely innate! Can we avoid our destinies since we’re blessed with such circumstances? If we do try to avoid it, we’ll only continue to be ordinary for our entire lives. I don’t want to be ordinary.
“My goal hasn’t changed in all these years. However, I don’t want to be as reckless as I was before. At least I understand that I can’t involve innocent people in my revenge. In the end, I only have two enemies. One of them is the Duke’s wife, while the other is my father, the White Tiger Duke. Teacher once said that humans are innately kind; I believe in that. Dai Huabin may be flawed, but that’s a result of his upbringing under the Duke’s wife. I still want to take my revenge on him, but I no longer want to kill him. After all, he has similar blood flowing through his body, just like me and Dai Yueheng.
“Do you know why I’m so sad that teacher left? It’s because he was like a father to me. I’d always wanted a father who could guide me through life—ever since I was young! He was the one who taught me everything, and who dissolved my internal extremities. It was he who corrected my mindset and gave me so much guidance. Don’t worry, I won’t push myself so hard in the future. I’ll try my best and work hard. We’re fourteen years old; we’re no longer kids, but true youths now. Both of us have to work hard. Don’t lag too much behind me though.”
Wang Dong listened to Huo Yuhao’s words silently. He was internally shocked, and had an indescribable feeling. Huo Yuhao had really matured, and become much more rational and wise.
The night passed quietly. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong didn’t even know when they fell asleep. The simply knew that they chatted quite a lot that night…