The meal continued pleasantly with Doctor Liang's family, the table alive with conversation and laughter. The warm atmosphere was suddenly shattered when Liang Furen [1]leapt to her feet, dragging Liang Zheng back as she pointed at the ground in alarm. "Snake!"
Doctor Liang sprang up, his face paling when he recognized the colorful serpent slithering near their feet. "Don't move! That's highly venomous!" He turned frantically, searching for a weapon.
The child trembled in his mother's arms, his small face ashen as he stared at the creature. Liang Furen tried to shield his eyes, but he fought to watch, paralyzed with terror.
Before Doctor Liang could act, Su Ran's hand flashed. A chopstick streaked through the air like a dagger, piercing the snake precisely behind its head. The creature stiffened, then went limp.
"Dead," Su Ran remarked coolly, holding out his hand to Ji Chun. "Chopsticks."
Ji Chun wordlessly passed him a fresh pair, warmth blooming in his chest. This was new—the Su Ran of old would have watched indifferently from the sidelines unless directly threatened. That he'd intervened for strangers spoke volumes about how he'd changed.
After Doctor Liang disposed of the snake and washed up, the meal resumed with profuse thanks to Su Ran, who dismissed them with a curt, "It was nothing."
"When Liang Zheng was little, a snake bit him," Liang Furen explained, stroking her son's still-pale cheeks. "He's been terrified ever since."
Ji Chun's heart softened as he watched the trembling boy. The thought of his own child someday being this small and vulnerable filled him with unexpected tenderness.
As the evening wound down, Liang Furen cleared the table while Liang Zheng hovered near the doorway, stealing glances at Su Ran. When Ji Chun excused himself to speak privately with Doctor Liang, the boy finally gathered his courage.
"Shushu," he whispered, creeping closer, "do you know martial arts?"
Su Ran arched an eyebrow at the hopeful gaze fixed on him. "I do."
"Could you... teach me?" The child's fists clenched nervously at his sides.
Su Ran considered. A disciple would make his extended stay in this backwater more interesting. And this particular boy showed promise. "Very well," he agreed. "Come to my home every other day."
Liang Zheng's face lit up. Remembering storybook rituals, he dropped to his knees. "Shizun[2], this disciple greets you!"
Despite the child's age, Su Ran accepted the gesture solemnly. "Not in front of others," he cautioned.
"Yes, Shizun!" Liang Zheng scrambled up, cheeks pink with excitement. For a shy boy, this boldness was unprecedented. Hesitantly, he asked, "Would Shizun like some water?"
Su Ran studied his new apprentice—this delicate, earnest boy who might one day inherit his legacy. "No need," he said, unexpectedly pleased. "Sit. I have questions for you."
Their exchange flowed easily, the master-disciple rapport forming faster than Su Ran would have believed. Perhaps children weren't entirely insufferable after all.
Meanwhile, Ji Chun broached his concerns with Doctor Liang over tea. "Regarding Su Ran's condition—what precautions should we take?"
The doctor had noted Ji Chun's attentiveness. While the nature of their relationship puzzled him, he kept his observations to himself. "The same as any pregnancy: loose clothing, ample rest, gentle exercise. Avoid spices, and don't fret over morning sickness—it's normal." He retrieved a medical text. "This may ease your worries."
Ji Chun accepted the book gratefully. "Thank you. I'll be diligent."
Doctor Liang chuckled at his seriousness. "Su Gongzi is far hardier than most expectant mothers. There's no need for such—" He paused, then added in a confidential tone, "Though you should know... with pregnancy comes certain... urges. So long as you're careful, intimacy can be done."
As a man who had witnessed the intimate moment in the fields that afternoon, Ji Chun felt his ears burn at Doctor Liang's advice. His expression stiffened unnaturally as he murmured, "I... understand." After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he took his leave.
In the courtyard, he found Su Ran still conversing with young Liang Zheng. The child gazed up at his new master with undisguised admiration, while Su Ran wore a rare, self-satisfied smile—that particular brand of confidence that made him irresistibly compelling. Ji Chun paused to watch them, struck by the domestic scene. The image of their own child someday looking at Su Ran with such trust sent warmth flooding through his chest, the sudden intensity of the feeling startling him.
When Su Ran finally noticed his presence and rose to ask, "Shall we go?" Ji Chun's heart hammered violently. He turned his face away, cheeks coloring as he nodded.
They walked home along the shadowed forest path, the quiet between them unusually charged. Ji Chun struggled to reconcile his emotions—he'd believed himself capable of maintaining detached compassion toward Su Ran, but today, watching him with Liang Zheng, some long-buried yearning had cracked open. Memories of their shared days surfaced: Su Ran whispering drunken confessions in the rain, lying bloodied and vulnerable in his arms. The realization of how deeply he'd come to rely on Su Ran's presence terrified him. What had begun as pure Buddhist compassion now felt dangerously close to attachment.
Lost in thought, he barely noticed when they arrived home. Without meeting Su Ran's eyes, he went straight to the river behind the house, splashing cold water on his burning face. His master's kind visage flashed in his mind, only to morph into Su Ran's sleeping features—the conflict between devotion and desire left him gasping. He stayed there until the night chill and his own discipline restored some semblance of calm.
When he finally returned, Su Ran was reclined in his usual chair, though Ji Chun noted how his eyes kept flicking toward the door. That golden gaze caught him the moment he entered, making composure impossible. Moving stiffly, he took a seat at a deliberate distance, back turned as he pretended to study Doctor Liang's medical text.
Su Ran observed the monk's unnatural posture—the rigid spine, the refusal to meet his eyes. "What did Doctor Liang tell you?" he asked, more out of habit than real curiosity.
Ji Chun tensed. "Nothing important," he deflected, unable to admit he'd sought pregnancy advice.
Su Ran hummed, then rose smoothly. When he stopped behind Ji Chun's chair, the monk startled like a spooked deer. "What's wrong?" Ji Chun whispered, voice strained.
[1] Honorific: Proper way to address a married woman.
[2] Honorific: Master/Teacher