FRIVOLOUS SNOW

15|Date

Yong Xian was known for his cultivation, blowing life to lifeless things and Yong Xian meant the live targets for Yong Jie's archery practice were paper birds that Yong Xian gives life to fly.

The three of them were in the middle of a forest inside the Yong sect land and it was for the purpose to recreate an actual scene were they were chasing enemies in the forest with only bow and arrows as their weapons.

"Jie-didi played this game before with Yi-didi too." Yong Xian said, nudging close to Yong Jie.

Yong Jie was amazed seeing those paper birds in different colors rose to life and flew around the trees.

"Really?"

"Yes." Yong Xian cleared his throat. "Okay, rules is to bring down as many paper birds after an hour. I set out three hundred paper bird around the forest. They couldn't fly farther above the tallest tree here nor go out of the forest's premises. We will meet here again in an hour." Yong Xian said.

"But I'm the only one with—ahh!" Yong Jie was surprised as he looked at Yong Xian who was handing a bow and quiver full of arrows to Yao Xue. "Where did you get those?"

"Back at the training ground." Yong Xian said and Yao Xue checked his bow. Somehow, seeing Yao Xue bringing a bow and arrows doesn't fit his graceful fugure. A sword fits him and Yong Jie could imagine Yao Xue fighting with a sword as he moves beautifully, his white clothes fluttering like wings. Truly an angel.

Yong Jie would make his nose bleed if he doesn't stop thinking about Yao Xue and his awesomeness.

Yong Xian looked at Yao Xue. "Don't disappoint me, Yong master Yao Xue." He said and Yao Xue just looked at him.

They scattered into separate directions to hunt the paper birds and Yong Jie was trying his best to hit those flying papers. He couldn't even steady his body and aim perfectly since the target was moving around but he managed to bring down five paper birds after twenty minutes. It was indeed challenging for Yong Jie as a newbie but he was having fun too.

Yong Jie imagined himself in a video game. A lame video game that shoots paper birds with ancient arrows.

Some of the paper birds were flying higher so he kicked on the ground and stride up in the air and due to some unfortunate circumstances, Yong Jie hit his body on the trees he was planning on landing. He wasn't able to control his body very well. Yong Jie hugged the tree as he steaded himself on its huge branch with his face throbbing from the impact and started aiming at his targets.

It was almost an hour and he must shot down all those four paper birds flying around that zone. He moved his weapon as he tried to calculate its next movement. Just when he was about to let go of the arrow, he saw Yao Xue flying on the wind and drawing two arrows at a time from the quiver on his back.

Yong Jie almost lost his balance as he stared at Yao Xue and how he looked so gorgeous with that stunt as he let go of the arrows and hit the two paper birds like it was nothing. He swallowed, thinking about what he thought of Yao Xue doesn't look good in bow and arrows. He could be the Archery Deity!

"Yao Xue! Those were my targets!" Yong Jie said and then the remaining two paper birds were also shot down by Yong Xian. "Elder brother!" Yong Jie pouted.

"Sorry, Ah Jie. I didn't know." Yong Xian said.

"Get down." Yao Xue said.

Yong Jie looked down and he was high above the ground. He was afraid he couldn't land properly and break his legs! How could he fly that high and didn't think about the struggle on how to go down?

"I can't. It's too high." Yong Jie said.

Yong Xian looked at Yong Jie. He couldn't believe seeing this scared Yong Jie acting like a candle in the wind when the Yong Jie that he knew doesn't know how to get scared. He just couldn't get used to it.

"I'll help you down, Ah Jie."

×××

Yong Jie's paper birds were only twenty-five while Yong Xian and Yao Xue haunted hundreds of different colors.

"As expected from a sect who produces the best archers in the world." Yong Xian said when Yao Xue's paper birds were higher than the two of the brothers making him as the winner.

Yong Jie was surprised.

He didn't know that people from Xueguo Sect were known as good archers and the best in the world too! Suddenly, Yong Jie wanted to learn archery and see how Yao Xue would fight using his archery skills!

"Third brother Yong Jie wants to learn more about archery from Young Master Yao Xue." Yong Jie said to Yao Xue.

"Your training of swords will start tomorrow, archery will be taught along the way." Yao Xue said and Yong Jie smiled as he obediently nodded his head like a puppet.

Yong Jie glanced at Yong Xian. "Will elder brother teach me too?"

Yong Xian smiled. "Of course! Elder brother will guide Ah Jie's training."

Yong Jie was glad to have two trainers. Then he should gave it his all to not embarrass himself in front of his elder brothers.

Yong Jie stretched his limbs and back and suddenly he wanted to take a soak in the hot spring. He leaned closer to Yao Xue. "How about a soak in the hot spring tonight young master Yao Xue?" He suggested as they walked back to the palace.

Yao Xue just stayed silent and Yong Jie gave up the thought of Yao Xue agreeing at the invitation. Of course, he wouldn't. If Yao Xue would want to soak, then he would choose a time were he would be alone. Yao Xue would be thinking that if he was there, then Yao Xue wouldn't have a peaceful bath.

He sighed inside his mind.

×××

An hour after dinner, Yong Jie walked out of his room and glanced at Yao Xue's room on his way to his private hot spring. The room was quiet and Yao Xue might already asleep.

He proceed to the hot spring and he couldn't wait to soak in the hot water. The place was quiet with no trace of another living soul and he choose that night to soak too because the moon was shining past its half shape, lighting the earth and it would later turn into full moon after a week.

Looking at it, he remembered that the first time he met Yao Xue was during the full moon. It was almost a month that he knew Yao Xue.

Yong Jie hurried to the hot spring and he was halfway on removing his clothes when he saw some neatly folded white robes on the stones and a white jade ornament above the robes.

Yong Jie was two hundred percent it belonged to Yao Xue! He felt so excited as he looked up, scanning the hot spring behind the thick steam, he saw Yao Xue silently soaking near the rocks and was closing his eyes.

Doesn't it feel like a date in modern times?

One inviting another to a certain place and time.

Yong Jie definitely couldn't help but feel like it was a date!

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