The Privilege of a Hug

“Chen Gui! You’re too strong! Terrifyingly strong!” Dan Fusheng frantically rubbed Chen Gui’s head as if he were a pet.

“Keep your distance, you demon.” Chen Gui’s brows furrowed deeply.

Dan Fusheng planted a loud kiss on his cheek, making Chen Gui’s frown deepen even further.

“Give me one too! Give me one too!” Jade Mastiff bounced around Dan Fusheng’s legs, a blur of rainbow fur.

Dan Fusheng scooped up the fox and kissed his furry face. “Still trying to snatch them? They left on their own, and now they want them back?! Dream on!”

“Exactly! Trying to snatch from us?! How many guts do they have?! Kiss me again!” Jade Mastiff flapped his legs, his massive tail wagging back and forth. He was no longer hiding anything. Before, he had feigned hatred for the demon; now he was simply a big, rainbow-colored dog.

Chen Gui felt this was inappropriate. “You are, after all, a thousand-year-old demon beast with awakened sentience. This isn’t good.” He had reprimanded Jade Mastiff many times. In the past, the fox would have restrained himself, but now he had completely let loose.

Jade Mastiff looked at Chen Gui. Just as Chen Gui thought he might briefly rein himself in, the fox declared, “Kiss me on the forehead again!”

Dan Fusheng complied, leaning in for another kiss.

“You spoil him too much!” Chen Gui couldn’t bear to watch. “He has already opened his emotional aperture; this is improper.”

“Improper?” Dan Fusheng placed Jade Mastiff on the ground. He vigorously rubbed the fox’s head. “Is it improper?”

Jade Mastiff panted with his mouth open, and within moments, he lay sprawled on the ground, belly-up. He thrashed his four paws in the air as Dan Fusheng gave his belly a thorough rub. Afterward, he buried his head in the fox’s neck fur, taking a deep breath.

Chen Gui: “…You two?!”

Bai Yu returned just in time to witness this scene.

Dan Fusheng cradled Jade Mastiff’s face. “Who’s the smartest doggy in our family?! Who’s the most sensible doggy in our family?!”

Bai Yu quietly halted his steps.

Dan Fusheng declared, “It’s Jade Mastiff!”

Jade Mastiff barked, “Woof woof woof!”

Bai Yu offered a faint smile. How heartwarming. After his brief moment of sentimentality, he headed into the side room to sleep. Having been up all night assisting his colleagues with an investigation, he was on the verge of collapsing.

“Don’t you find it strange?” Chen Gui asked Bai Yu.

“At first, I felt something was off, but then I got used to it.” After all, Dan Fusheng and his companions were powerful cultivators, while Bai Yu had only lived for a little over a hundred years. “While I do think a thousand-year-old demon acting so spoiled is a bit odd, you powerful cultivators live without taboos, don’t you?” Bai Yu had pondered it. “Since being naked in a dog cage is perfectly normal, then hugging and cuddling must also be perfectly normal.” Perhaps even kissing on the mouth was normal, though Bai Yu couldn’t quite grasp it yet.

Bai Yu dragged his weary body into the room to sleep. Meanwhile, Jade Mastiff and Dan Fusheng were still engrossed in their play.

Chen Gui felt this was wrong. Later, he sought out Jade Mastiff privately, hoping he would maintain some distance from Dan Fusheng.

“Why don’t you try persuading Dan Fusheng?” Jade Mastiff asked him.

“I’ve never succeeded in persuading him.” Dan Fusheng had never once listened to Chen Gui in his entire life.

“But he listens to me,” Jade Mastiff said, mentioning how Dan Fusheng would buy him hair dye if he asked, and make him clothes if he requested.

Chen Gui fell silent.

Jade Mastiff flicked his foxy tail. “You’re his junior brother; you should have special privileges, you just haven’t realized it.”

“What special privileges?” Chen Gui didn’t understand such things.

“Let me ask you something. Have you ever cried in front of him?” Jade Mastiff used his paw to toy with the small bell on his neck.

“Why would I cry in front of him?” Chen Gui had shed tears before, but never in front of others. Only once, during a near-death struggle with Dan Fusheng, when both had been consumed by bloodlust. Chen Gui, tears streaming down his face, had struck at Dan Fusheng with his sword, blow after blow. Dan Fusheng, meanwhile, had laughed maniacally. Chen Gui hadn’t felt his tears served any purpose then.

He recounted this to Jade Mastiff, who grimaced helplessly. “That’s not crying; that’s an emotional outburst.”

Jade Mastiff truly felt Chen Gui was being wasteful. “You possess two of the three great privileges, yet you don’t know how to use them.”

“What three great privileges?” Chen Gui was bewildered.

“Neither of you has parents; you are like his brother, his closest kin. He raised you, which in some ways makes you like his child.” Jade Mastiff was also raised by Dan Fusheng, but Chen Gui held a different significance. ‘How could he not leverage this? How could he not act spoiled?’

Chen Gui humbly sought guidance. “Then what is the third privilege?”

Jade Mastiff paused, remaining silent for a long moment before sighing. “A lover. That’s the most special one.” It transcended blood ties and kinship.

“But you don’t need to worry about that; Dan Fusheng couldn’t possibly have a lover,” Jade Mastiff declared cheerfully. “You just need to be a little softer around him.”

Chen Gui still couldn’t comprehend; he disliked exposing his vulnerability.

Jade Mastiff added, “Think about it: if one day Dan Fusheng suddenly came to you, tears streaming down his face, and said he was exhausted and wanted a hug, what would you think?”

“Conspiracy,” Chen Gui replied instantly. “I’d be wary.”

Jade Mastiff: “…”

‘Forget it,’ Jade Mastiff decided, no longer intending to converse with Chen Gui. He flicked his tail and walked away, returning to Dan Fusheng to continue acting spoiled. ‘My heart is wounded; I need to heal myself.’

What if Dan Fusheng cried one day? Dan Fusheng cried often. Hadn’t he cried when he tricked Si Chen into thinking they were lovers? Si Chen was currently undergoing interrogation. ‘Would those tears elicit genuine concern?’ Probably not. Dan Fusheng just enjoyed crying for fun.

So, what was Dan Fusheng like when he was truly distressed?

…

After dining with the disciples of the Qianyu Sect, Dan Fusheng hummed a tune on his way home, where he found Chen Gui sitting on a stone stool, staring at the unhatched eggs.

Chen Gui seemed troubled, but Dan Fusheng couldn’t be bothered with it; he was off to check on his vegetable patch.

Chen Gui listened as Dan Fusheng’s footsteps receded, recalling Jade Mastiff’s words. So, he sniffled. The sound was faint.

Dan Fusheng, who had already reached the vegetable patch, instantly appeared beside him. He pinched Chen Gui’s chin, lifting his head. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Chen Gui was a little startled. ‘Was Jade Mastiff telling the truth?’

“Oh…” Dan Fusheng released Chen Gui and took a few more steps toward the vegetable garden. Then he stopped, turning to look back. “Are you really alright?”

Chen Gui lowered his head slightly. “No.” His voice trembled. This wasn’t intentional acting, yet it achieved the same effect.

Dan Fusheng couldn’t leave. He returned to Chen Gui’s side, once again cradling his head. “What exactly is wrong? I was only gone for a moment; have you been affected by inner demons?”

“No inner demons.” It was simply that the moment Dan Fusheng arrived, Chen Gui realized that some of Dan Fusheng’s emotions might not be an act. Chen Gui needed some time to process this new discovery; he needed to calm his emotions. However, the more he reacted, the less likely Dan Fusheng was to leave him alone.

Dan Fusheng noticed Chen Gui’s lips trembling, and he felt a pang of helplessness. ‘What immense grievance had his rigid junior brother suffered to become like this?’ He wasn’t even calling him a demon anymore.

“Just calm down for a bit; tell me when you feel better.” Dan Fusheng ran his fingers through Chen Gui’s hair.

Chen Gui opened his mouth, nearly calling out ‘Senior Brother,’ but he held it back. “You…”

“Me?” Dan Fusheng waited, but Chen Gui’s words didn’t follow. Chen Gui’s eyes were already red-rimmed from holding back.

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” Dan Fusheng couldn’t take it anymore. Though he didn’t understand what Chen Gui’s crying had to do with him, he immediately went along with it. “Senior Brother was wrong! It’s all Senior Brother’s fault!”

“No.” Chen Gui shook his head. “Are you… tired?”

Dan Fusheng was slightly taken aback.

“Do you… want me to hug you?” Whether it was a lie or a joke, Chen Gui still asked.

Dan Fusheng curled his lips into a smile and immediately said, “Yes, I’m tired. Go ahead and hug me.”

Chen Gui stood up and embraced him.

“Do I have special privileges?” Chen Gui asked.

Jade Mastiff entered the courtyard, intending to ask Dan Fusheng for a hug himself. Upon hearing Chen Gui’s question, he spun around and left. ‘Damn it!! Such things should be implicitly understood! Why did he have to ask out loud?!’

“What special privileges?” Dan Fusheng asked.

“Jade Mastiff said I have special privileges, and mine are higher than his,” Chen Gui reported truthfully.

Dan Fusheng understood. “Oh? You were testing me?! Your acting is that good?!”

“I wasn’t acting,” Chen Gui confessed. “I just sniffled once, and then you came over and touched my face.”

“Are you replaying the process of how you manipulated your Senior Brother?” Dan Fusheng asked.

“No, it’s just that I didn’t expect you to truly care about me.” Chen Gui’s left arm was around Dan Fusheng’s head, and his cheek rested against the back of his own left hand. “I didn’t expect you to truly like me.”

Dan Fusheng didn’t know what to say.

Chen Gui held him for a very, very long time, from afternoon until evening.

Finally, Dan Fusheng couldn’t resist. “It’s normal for cultivators to lose track of time, but how much longer do you plan to hug me?”

“I don’t know. I’m afraid that if I let go, you’ll revert to your old self again.” Chen Gui was evading. “I told you I have special privileges, so you definitely won’t fall for this trick again.”

“Then what can I do? Give you a guarantee? But you don’t trust me anyway,” Dan Fusheng said helplessly.

Chen Gui didn’t know. He just held Dan Fusheng even tighter.

Dan Fusheng had no choice. He directly broke free from the embrace. Before Chen Gui could pull him back in, he cupped Chen Gui’s face and planted another loud kiss on his cheek. “Alright! Consider this sealed! When I wake up, I’ll still be your good Senior Brother!”

“You have special privileges. They’ve always been there. Rest assured.” Dan Fusheng patted Chen Gui’s shoulder.

Chen Gui covered the side of his face, staring at Dan Fusheng. It wasn’t surveillance; there was no defensiveness. Chen Gui’s eyes were wide, seemingly anticipating something.

Dan Fusheng reiterated, “Truly.”

Chen Gui blinked. “Will you listen to me?”

“Yes, I will!” Dan Fusheng noticed Chen Gui’s eyes turning red again; he was most afraid of his junior brother’s genuine emotions.

“Then next time, don’t be overly intimate with Jade Mastiff?” Chen Gui tentatively offered his suggestion.

Dan Fusheng replied, “Alright, alright, no problem.”

Jade Mastiff, who had been hiding outside the door, barked, “Woof woof woof!!!” ‘Damn it! Damn it! This is repaying kindness with enmity! This is repaying kindness with enmity!’