Be Gentle, Immortal Master

I stared at him speechlessly. This shameless man … He was checking my teeth just like that! But surprisingly, I didn't find the rising whispers from the crowd as embarrassing as I thought they'd be. On the contrary, I felt … a little thrilled at his bold declaration of love …

Heavens, he was such a bad influence. I probably should've given him another glare, but instead, I glanced around, and when I made sure that the earlier attention he had attracted was no longer focused on us, I tiptoed and returned a peck at the corner of his lips. Then, without daring to look at the expression on his face, I lowered my head and quickened my steps to dash away from the people near us. "We should get window decorations now that we have door couplets," I said, hastily changing the subject.

His low chuckles rang behind me as we pushed our way through the crowd.

~ ~

The next few hours passed quickly. I forgot how many streets we had shopped across, but it must've been plenty, because we ended up with more purchases than I thought would fit in the tiny cabin. Despite my protest, Bai Ye bought me almost every type of candy and pastry that I laid my eyes on, insisting that I needed to eat more to build back my strength. He also picked a vase and a few bunches of flowers to go with it, which the seller arranged for us into a beautiful display. We didn't forget the red lanterns for the gate, and Bai Ye refused to keep them in the storage artifact, claiming that carrying them in our hands would help bring us more luck.

As to the window decorations, I was once more astounded by the superb art of papercutting that the capital had to offer. Too many different patterns kept my eyes wide and busy. Bai Ye chose a design featuring birds, with mandarin ducks symbolizing a lifelong marriage and magpies for good fortune. But I hesitated over a different piece with various fruits surrounding a large peach at the center, representing longevity.

"I like this one too," he whispered into my ear, nodding at what I was holding. "Did you pick it for the pomegranate at the top?"

"…" He skipped the peach right at the center and only saw the pomegranate that represented fertility? I had almost grown tired of glaring at him today. "We'll take both then," I ignored his smirk and waved at the expectant seller.

Evening was soon upon us as we strolled further and further. We were probably near the edge of the city center now, as the shops and stalls had started growing less dense, though the crowds didn't thin at all. Red lanterns were lit and hung all around us, brightening up the streets like it was day. I looked up dreamingly at the glow. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to prepare for New Years, to spend time with family running worldly errands like this, and I never thought that I would still have a chance to experience them again.

"Bai Ye." I squeezed the hand that was holding more bags than I could count. "I'm so glad you brought me here today … It's only been a little over five years since I left for Mount Hua, but everything from the commoner's world feels like a lost memory to me already."

He smiled. "It's because of the mindset. Although I tried my best not to teach you the same way other masters would, the canonical path of cultivation calls for a dedicated mind undistracted by worldly needs, so it's only natural that spending too much time in such an environment would estrange you from the lifestyle you were used to."

"But why did you never teach me the same way other masters would?" I asked. "Did you always know that I preferred a life like this?"

A slight wistfulness crossed his face. "When you were still the sword spirit … I never had a chance to show you everything this world had to offer. All you had ever known was the days at Mount Hua, and I could tell that you wanted something different. Something … more real, more lively." He paused. "No other cultivators I know like peonies, except you. Those flowers are symbols of family and prosperity, things that most cultivators don't spare a second thought on. But you've always been different … before, and now as well."

The reflections of a thousand lanterns twinkled in his eyes, and my heart fluttered at his words. "Bai Ye, you—"

The deafening sound of firecrackers suddenly exploded from behind us, swallowing the rest of my sentence and almost making me jump. "Best fortunes for the new year!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs. "Bring in all the good luck!"

As if on cue, more firecrackers joined in, the roars filling the entire street. "I forgot how loud these are!" I shouted, realizing that it was time for the mass celebrations to begin. People in my village had never set off so many of these all at once, and I stared at the popping strips in a daze until the air was filled with so much smoke that I couldn't see a thing anymore.

"Don't get choked on the smoke!" Bai Ye shouted back, and he finally put away all our bags, freeing his hands to hold me. "Let's go somewhere else!"

He tugged me along, and the entire crowd around us had started moving as well. Some were looking for empty space to lay down more firecrackers, and some were retreating just like us. Everyone shouted and laughed, shuffling against each other going different directions, an all too hectic but exciting scene atop of all the loud bangs. "Bai Ye!" I shouted again as the hustle almost separated us, and it wasn't until he pulled me into a side alley that I let out a sigh of relief, then started laughing again.

"It's too hard to go much farther!" I exclaimed. "And it's still smoky here. What should we do?"

Bai Ye laughed as well. "Just don't breathe then.." He took a step forward and sealed my lips with his.