Reports of victory from the front lines by General Yanchao, Shen Yunyan, came rushing in like a tidal wave. Under the pincer attack of the two armies, the State of Dai seemed to have lost all power to retaliate. For a time, the morale in Yanling was soaring.

Shen Mengzhi learned of his elder brother's recent news from Fang Hechao, and his heart was slightly at ease, feeling much more relaxed. When the night deepened, he put on an outer robe and slipped out quietly, just as he had done the past few nights.

He followed the small path and slowly walked to Qingxue Cliff. Then, he took out a Liuli Lamp from his robes and carefully placed it under a tree.

It was already late autumn. The flowers and leaves had withered, and the cliff was evenly covered with a layer of broken branches and fallen leaves. Due to the dampness from the water vapor, the blades of grass were on the verge of rotting into mud. Amidst this expanse of decaying earth, countless fireflies were scattered like tiny stars, their light spreading in all directions. From a distance, they looked like a cluster of moving stars.

Shen Mengzhi watched the small insects with concentration. One had just landed on the branch of a pear tree, glowing unconsciously. He approached without a sound, suddenly reached out his hand, and closed his five fingers into a fist. Noticing the faint light leaking through the gaps between his fingers, he breathed a sigh of relief and swiftly trapped the firefly inside the Liuli Lamp.

Just as he was about to catch a second one, he suddenly heard someone behind him say softly, "Senior Brother."

Shen Mengzhi was startled. After turning to get a clear look at the person, his pupils constricted slightly.

He asked subconsciously, "Why are you here?"

Opposite him, Chu Jin was standing not too close and not too far, watching him without a word.

"I was worried you couldn't sleep, so I came over to check," Chu Jin said. "I just couldn't find you in the Firefly Study, but I happened to run into you here."

He paused, then asked with an unreadable expression, "What are you doing?"

Shen Mengzhi felt a momentary pang of guilt, but he still feigned composure and said, "I have a medicine that requires a few fireflies as a catalyst."

Chu Jin furrowed his brow. "So this is what you've been doing these past few nights?"

Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Shen Mengzhi had to confess, "Yes."

The night was dim, and he couldn't see Chu Jin's expression clearly, only hearing his long silence. Shen Mengzhi knew he had been dishonest by using an excuse to hide things from him. After much consideration, he began, "I didn't mean to..."

But he was interrupted by Chu Jin, "How many do you need?"

Caught off guard, Shen Mengzhi paused for a moment before answering, "Ten."

Chu Jin withdrew his gaze and said no more. Having practiced martial arts for years, he was quick of eye and hand. In just a moment, he caught five fireflies and placed them all in the Liuli Lamp. When he reached out to catch another, Shen Mengzhi stopped him. The latter gently shook his head and said, "That's enough."

Chu Jin looked at the six fireflies in the Liuli Lamp. "Didn't you say you needed ten?"

Shen Mengzhi kept his hold on his wrist and explained in a low voice, "These fireflies are born between summer and autumn. They are about to die at the end of autumn, so their light grows weak, and they don't have much medicinal value."

Following his gaze, Chu Jin saw that the light from the fireflies in the Liuli Lamp was indeed faint, and even their flight seemed listless.

After a while, Shen Mengzhi looked up, met his gaze, and suggested, "Do you want to sit for a bit before we go?"

Seeing that Chu Jin didn't refuse, he smiled faintly and pulled him to sit down by the tree. The sound of the waterfall on Qingxue Cliff was rustling. It was deep autumn, and the scene of fallen flowers on flowing water added to the bleak atmosphere.

Shen Mengzhi held the Liuli Lamp. The flickering light from within softened his features, illuminating them intermittently.

After a long moment, he slowly spoke, "Did you know? These fireflies have another name. They're called Serene Nightshine."

—To burn my body and soul, to brightly light a hundred nights.

Chu Jin's gaze flickered, and he too repeated in a low voice, "...Serene Nightshine."

After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "I remember, the 'fly' character in Firefly Study was a character you chose yourself."

Shen Mengzhi was taken aback. He hadn't expected him to know this. After a moment's thought, he let out a soft laugh.

"Qi Yu must have told you, right?"

"Mn." Chu Jin looked at him, asking persistently, "So what does it mean?"

Shen Mengzhi turned his face to the side, gazing at him quietly for a long time. His eyes were profound, roiling with emotions that seemed like a mix of grief and resolution—a tumultuous storm that was hard to quell.

Chu Jin's breath caught in his throat as he heard him speak in a low voice, "If I were decaying grass, I would transform and fly as a firefly, to illuminate the long, clear night."

A firefly flitted past his face, its light reflecting in the bottom of his eyes as if they held flames. Chu Jin watched him, mesmerized. He saw him sitting on the mud and withered leaves of an autumn night, in this murky world, in this sunless darkness, yet radiating a quiet, pure white light.

It was dazzlingly intense.

He let out a low laugh and said, "I like this character very much."

Because the lights of the mortal world were not bright enough, one would set their own head ablaze. In essence, they were the same kind of person.

"Still angry?"

Shen Mengzhi sat up a little straighter. Seeing Chu Jin raise an eyebrow without answering, he simply reached out, brought his fingers to the corners of his lips, and pulled them into a smile. "Come on, smile a little."

Chu Jin had never seen his usually cold and self-possessed Senior Brother trying all sorts of ways to make him laugh. The frustration in his heart gradually dissipated, though his face remained impassive. He stared at Shen Mengzhi for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the hand on his face, saying with dissatisfaction, "Why are your hands so cold?"

Feeling the warmth from his palm, Shen Mengzhi's face broke into a smile. "Did I freeze you? Then I won't touch you next time."

Knowing full well that the man before him was saying this on purpose, Chu Jin still couldn't maintain his composure. He said through gritted teeth, "I didn't say you couldn't."

"But your expression looks like you mind a lot."

"I don't mind!"

After speaking, Chu Jin took a deep breath. Over the past few days, Shen Mengzhi's skills had clearly improved; he could stir up his emotions with just a few simple words.

Shen Mengzhi watched him without blinking, his eyes filled with a smile. "Really don't mind?"

Chu Jin said, "I really don't..."

His voice stopped abruptly because the person before him suddenly leaned over, placing both hands on the ground beside him, and gently lowered his head.

Long hair slid from his shoulders and back, hanging down and tangling with Chu Jin's strands. Behind him were specks of fireflies, pale yellow and light green, adorning his hair like jewels. They shimmered with radiant light, their flight paths like star trails, brushing against his clothes as if giving birth to flowers.

Amidst these glittering sparks, Shen Mengzhi lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on Chu Jin's forehead. The kiss carried the slight chill of the autumn night, a touch-and-go contact so light it felt like an illusion.

He didn't linger for long before straightening up and sitting back. He gathered his loose hair behind him, a rare, sly smile playing on his lips. "That's good. I was worried my lips were too cold and that you would mind."

This smile made Chu Jin freeze. He stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly rolled over, taking him down to the ground with him. The faint fragrance of grass and trees filled the air, startling a cloud of fireflies that took flight from their sides, glowing like lit lanterns and illuminating their faces.

"Senior Brother, you're being far too perfunctory. If you want to coax me, a kiss on the forehead is not nearly enough."

Shen Mengzhi, resting his head on his hand, asked softly, "Then what do you want?"

"I want—"

Chu Jin bent his leg, propping himself up with one hand on the ground, and looked down into the other man's eyes.

A smile played on his lips, his eyes shimmering. He spoke in a low, deeply ambiguous voice, "...to warm your lips and teeth."

With that, he gently lifted the jade-like chin of the person beneath him. His gaze traced the pale lips before he lowered his head, intending to kiss him.

Just as their lips were about to touch, Shen Mengzhi suddenly turned his head. Chu Jin's lips brushed past his sharp jawline and landed on his porcelain-white neck.

He raised a hand and covered Chu Jin's lips, blocking his advance. Seeing a trace of annoyance in the other's eyes, Shen Mengzhi smiled. "Aren't you still angry with me?"

Chu Jin's voice came through his palm, a little muffled. "Senior Brother, I want to kiss you."

Shen Mengzhi felt a light scratch in his heart, a fine itch spreading in an instant. He slowly propped himself up to a sitting position, his gaze gentle as he focused on Chu Jin's eyes, but his words were utterly ruthless. "No."

Sensing the intense resentment, he paused, then slowly added, "When you come back from Xiangjing, I'll agree to whatever you want."