As soon as lessons had finished, the young and feisty disciple Mo Ran uncharacteristically left in a hurry.

"Where are you going, A-Ran?" piqued Shi Mei, the gentle-mannered disciple gathering his medicine books in hand.

"Uh, I have something important to do today! I'll see you later, Shi Mei!" the other called hastily over his shoulder.

Sorry Shi Mei! I'll treat you to dinner next time! thought Mo Ran guiltily as he ran towards one of the many forests situated throughout Sisheng peak.

For the past few weeks, Mo Ran had run out of lessons as soon as they had finished, not even stopping to talk with Shi Mei or bicker with Xue Meng.

Everyone had thought it strange, but casually dismissed it as him indulging in his scandalous pastimes. Little did they know that it was something much, much more innocent.

------

The disciple’s soft-soled shoes pounded against lush grass and hard stone until he finally arrived at the wide entrance to one of the dense forests of Sisheng Peak. Stopping for a few moments to catch his breath, he wiped sweat off his forehead with an arm before starting to run again, his memory jogging as he slid smoothly under low-hanging branches and swerved around numerous trees. He had already memorised the route, his mind going through the twists and turns many times before he went to sleep at night.

After all, he desperately wanted to see him again.

------

It wasn't too long afterwards that Mo Ran finally stopped at a small clearing, deep in the forest.

The clearing glowed under the sunlight - the area was practically brimming with magical energy. And at the very centre of that clearing, where the energy was the strongest, grew a gigantic enchanted haitang tree, towering high over the other trees that surrounded it. Something like this was easily missable, despite being so large - the forest that housed it was much, much larger and dense with foliage.

The long, thin branches of the tree swayed gently in the breeze, the haitang spread along the branches bloomed brightly, the scent the flowers exuded intoxicatingly sweet as if beckoning him to come closer.

Mo Ran inhaled that scent fully as he walked over to stand beneath the tree.

Tilting his head up to look into the uppermost branches, the small disciple called in a loud voice - “Little fairy, come out! I'm here!”

At first, there was no reply.

Then all of a sudden, the small breeze that had been blowing picked up and started to become stronger, the haitang petals from the tree falling and swirling around and around beautifully in that wind, the sweet scent of haitang blossoms permeating the very air.

Finally, a miniature figure burst forth from a haitang flower and descended gracefully towards the disciple, his bright red butterfly wings flapping gently. The fairy was small in height (only four centimetres tall!) yet had the appearance of a thirty-year old man. He was beautiful as can be, his phoenix eyes alluring, his skin porcelain-white, his long hair dark and smooth, the flowing pale robes he adorned made of the softest satin, contrasting with the gorgeous red haitang that he was eternally surrounded by. He wore a small frown on his face, yet Mo Ran still found him beautiful.

Finally coming to a stop in front of Mo Ran, the fairy spoke.

“How many times do I have to say this? When conversing with one’s elders, one must speak with respect,” the tiny haitang fairy tittered, hitting Mo Ran softly on the nose. Mo Ran scrunched up his nose.

It tickled.

“Such a small fairy like you only looks to be three years old!” exclaimed the puppy, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Chu Wanning gasped, his small shoulders shook as he crossed his arms and turned his head away. “Shameless!”

"Haha, don't be mad! Here, I brought something for you," Mo Ran laughed, dropping a small crumb onto his palm next to the small fairy.

Chu Wanning glanced over in cautiousness and curiosity, but soon his eyes shone brightly.

It was his favourite treat, the sweet osthmanthus cake! Mo Ran had went and bought some in town before coming here. It was still slightly warm, the delicious scent lingering in the air, so tempting to the fairy with a sweet tooth.

Chu Wanning tried to conceal his excitement but failed, his bright eyes and rosy cheeks giving him away as he picked up the piece of osthmanthus cake and started to eat it. Mo Ran watched him with a satisfied expression on his face.

And so they spent the rest of the day chatting, Mo Ran telling Chu Wanning about his day, complaining about lessons and his idiot cousin Xue Meng, gushing about his close friend Shi Mei, with Chu Wanning occasionally berating him - "You should not be slacking from lessons in the first place!" - and - "How immature…"

As Mo Ran listened to Chu Wanning talk, he started to reminisce on when he first met the small fairy.

------

Mo Ran had found him sleeping all curled up in a haitang blossom that he had picked, wanting to gift one to Shi Mei.

The pretty red butterfly wings on his back had fluttered ever so slightly every now and then, the small breaths he took almost inaudible.

Mo Ran had stared, entranced, for so long that it was only when the sun had started to set and the little creature’s eyes fluttered open that he realised he had been standing underneath the haitang tree for hours.

Mo Ran had blinked. The fairy had blinked.

Finally the little creature's ears had turned a bright red before he darted away, his wings flapping hastily as he flew into the uppermost branches of the haitang tree.

“W-wait!” called out Mo Ran as he hurriedly rose to his feet, his grip still tight on the short stem of the flower. But the fairy was long gone.

Mo Ran stared dazedly at the haitang flower that still lay on his palm. It felt like a dream.

Of course mythical creatures of legend existed in this world - hell, he had met a wizened dragon at Jincheng lake! - but a fairy was much harder to come by.

Tucking the flower underneath his outer shirt, he called out for the fairy again.

"Little fairy, please come out!"

"I didn't mean to scare you!"

"....won't you pay attention to me?"

Only the branches of the haitang tree swayed in reply, the silence making the creature’s answer all too clear.

Eventually Mo Ran had left, without a single glance back at the enchanted tree.

------

Chu Wanning the haitang fairy hid in one of the large blossoms of the haitang tree. He had flown away in surprise - he had not expected that disciple’s face to be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes.

How careless! I will not sleep again. Chu Wanning thought frustratedly to himself.

A long time had passed. It seemed that the disciple had finally left.

The haitang fairy fought the sudden disappointment that rose in his chest.

He had thought that maybe, just maybe, the boy would care enough to stay. Of course he wouldn’t stay, Chu Wanning thought bitterly to himself.

He was about to retreat further up the flowering tree when he suddenly caught wind of a sweet scent.

It tickled his nose and made his stomach rumble. Chu Wanning coughed embarrassedly at that, even though no one was around.

Peeking out from behind a large red petal, his gaze scoured the ground. What he saw almost made him fall over in surprise.

The young disciple was back! And in his outstretched hands he held a small crumb of some sweet Chu Wanning had no knowledge of.

Suddenly, the boy called out again.

“Little fairy, can you hear me? This disciple heard that fairies like to eat sweets, so he brought some osthmanthus cake for you! Please, have some!” The disciple bowed his head slightly in respect.

Chu Wanning’s heart started to race.

...he brought that… for me?

Chu Wanning’s ears turned red, and before he knew it he was fluttering down to land on the boy's outstretched palm.

Mo Ran’s face brightened up with delight immediately, Chu Wanning’s heart squeezing at the sight.

The disciple cared about him after all.

Picking up the crumb in both hands (it was almost as large as his face!) he hesitantly bit into the sweet.

His eyes widened as the taste filled his tongue.

It was delicious!

Mo Ran smiled. “Does it taste good, little fairy?”

Chu Wanning nodded shyly, before whispering in a small voice - “...it is Chu Wanning.”

Mo Ran’s eyes humorously bulged, threatening to fall out of his head. The fairy spoke!

“W-what?!” he spluttered by accident.

The haitang fairy smoothly raised an eyebrow. “My name is Chu Wanning.”

“Chu Wanning…” the puppy repeated. “Chu Wanning… Wanning.”

Chu Wanning’s ears turned red again.

A few moments of silence passed as the haitang fairy quietly snacked on the sweet osthmanthus cake.

Finally finishing with the tiny crumb, Chu Wanning nonchalantly gazed up at Mo Ran under his eyelashes, his cool, phoenix eyes concealing the nervousness he felt in his heart.

“...what is your name?”

Chu Wanning, you absolute fool.

Acting so innocent, as if you did not repeat his name a thousand times in your head when you first learnt of it.

The boy's eyes seemed to sparkle as he spoke.

“This disciple is named ‘Mo Ran.’”

------

Not too long after that, the two had to part as the sun had already started to set. Mo Ran had wanted to stay, but the fairy had told him off (after all, he was still a disciple of Sisheng Peak and had a curfew.)

Mo Ran had repeated the fairy’s name multiple times on the way back, testing the name on his tongue like it was a delicious sweet. “Chu Wanning… Wanning.” he whispered dazedly.

Who knew fairies could put humans under spells too?

------

Now in bed in his sleeping quarters, Mo Ran was still buzzing with the exciting discovery he had made today.

He had befriended a fairy! And his name was Chu Wanning! And he was adorable!

The boy rolled left and right in his own excitement, like a dog happily thinking about their owner.

“Wanning, Wanning, Wanning,” he repeated over and over gleefully.

He couldn’t get enough of him.

Suddenly his thoughts took a different approach.

Should I tell Shi Mei and cousin?

The thought disappeared as quickly as it came.

No. Wanning is mine. he thought possessively.

It would be a long time before the foolish puppy would realise what these feelings of his were called.

------

“Mo Ran! Are you listening to me?” a small voice interrupted Mo Ran in his thoughts. He blinked rapidly before shaking his head comically as a dog would, smiling sheepishly at the haitang fairy standing on his palm.

“Sorry Wanning… can you say it again?”