Liu Yang

Finally, the spellcaster broke the prolonged silence.

— Yes, you are right, — after a short pause he asked, — do you often walk alone so far in the forest?

He was really curious about how it happened that the son of the Head Orders ended up in such a wild place all alone.

Gong Sheng Li (Li Xin)

— No, — Sheng Li sighed and smiled sadly, — but sometimes I want to be away from the hustle and bustle of people and collect my thoughts.

It is unknown why, but Liu Yang inspired trust, and the young man relaxed.

— And you, — like a fascinated does not take his eyes off the fiery highlights reflected in eyes as dark blue as the night sky, — aren’t you afraid to go so far into the forest alone?

Liu Yang

Yang patted his comrade on the shoulder. He evoked very unusual feelings, and he wanted to stay in his company longer.

— No, I'm not afraid. Let those who carelessly get in my way be afraid, — laughed quietly. Looking thoughtfully into his deep, forest-lake-like eyes, he continued, — Sheng Li, will you tell me what made you look for loneliness today?

Gong Sheng Li (Li Xin)

Li Xin hadn't felt so easy and safe for a long time, so without thinking too much, he told about the latest scolding he had received from lady Gong. As if apologizing for complaining, he quietly added:

— In general, nothing special, I just felt unpleasant.

Liu Yang

Yang pressed his lips tightly together, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He had recently become a disciple of the Order and was not interested in the relationship between members of the Gong family, focusing on gaining knowledge.

— Did you quarrel with lady Gong? And your father and brothers?

Gong Sheng Li (Li Xin)

Sheng Li shrugged, laughing softly.

— They don't care. I'm just a concubine's son. And no matter what I do, that's what I'll always be to them, — the poison oozing from the voice clearly spoke of the resentment accumulated over many years.

Liu Yang

 — Really? — take thought about how to use the information received, — if you are not dear to him, then why do you need such a father?

A dazzling smile blossomed on his lips, completely at odds with the meaning of the words and the tone in which they were spoken.

Gong Sheng Li (Li Xin)

— I have no choice, — looked as if he had not understood the question. Still, the new acquaintance was frankly strange and, wary, he once again looked at Liu Yang with an attentive glance, trying to make out who knows what. But the bright smile is disarming, and Sheng Li relaxed again, completely forgetting that he had just recommended to himself to be more careful.

Liu Yang

He clearly understood that there was a certain tension between father and son. The young man decided not to pester him with questions any more, noticing how reluctantly his new acquaintance answered such questions, but to take a closer look at the situation when they returned to the palace.

Gong Sheng Li (Li Xin)

Maybe Sheng Li would have stayed here a little longer. The unexpected meeting, which he had not liked at first, suddenly turned out to be very pleasant. Remembering the accidental touch, he blushed deeply again and looked away.

— I think it's time for us to go, — He frowned, trying to hide his own embarrassment behind a stern expression, and, getting up, quickly walked towards the exit.

Liu Yang

Yang stood up reluctantly. As it turned out, they had been sitting in the cave all night. A new day was beginning. The sun had just barely appeared over the horizon, painting the sky in pink and gold tones and causing the drops of dew on the branches of the trees and withered grass to shimmer in different colors. The piercing wind subsided and, after the chilly dampness of the cave, it seemed that it was warm outside. The spellcasters walked silently along the stream, each of them thinking about their own things.

Gong Sheng Li (Li Xin)

Li Xin stopped abruptly and took Yang's hand. 

— Look what a beauty, — he plucked a few dried purple flowers that remained on the plant from last year.

Liu Yang

— Beauty? — Yang looked at the withered bush in surprise, — although, wait... Be careful, these "beautiful" flowers are very poisonous.

The young man intercepted the hand in which several withered petals were clutched and looked at his comrade.

— They can easily poison a person, and his death will not be easy. First, foam will come from the mouth, nausea will appear, consciousness will become confused, and the heart will go crazy, and very soon the person will leave this world. By the way, I recently came across a recipe for an interesting poison. It does not act immediately, but somewhere in 2 weeks. Until that time, there will be no signs of poisoning. Everything looks like a natural death, one of the main ingredients is just these "beautiful flowers", I already have everything else...

The caster suddenly fell silent, and after a moment continued,

— In general, you have to be careful with them, Sheng Li.

Yang extended his hand and also picked several inflorescences, watching with interest from under his lowered eyelashes how his interlocutor would react to such information.

— Don't tell anyone what I told you. Let it be our little secret, — smiling sweetly, he patted me on the shoulder.

They walked side by side in silence for some time. The spellcaster did not miss the strange gleam in his fellow student's eyes and the unkind smile when he spoke of poisons. The desire to take the poisonous flowers with him also spoke volumes.

It seemed that his conclusions about his new acquaintance were correct. So much the better, everything was becoming even more interesting. Yan was silent for a little while longer and after a while, he looked attentively at his classmate walking calmly next to him and, taking him by the hand, stopped him.

— Sheng Li, tell me, why are you doing this? — catching an almost imperceptible fleeting expression in the light green eyes, he continued, — If you're interested, we can try to prepare the poison I was talking about together.

Gong Sheng Li (Li Xin)

Joy sparkled in the young man's eyes. The unexpected offer could help solve many problems.

— Of course I want to. You know that not everyone is taught how to make poisons. Although this discipline is very useful, — smiled, openly looking at his interlocutor, after all, he was quite handsome. Interrupting his own thoughts, Sheng Li, as if by chance, stroked Yang's hand.

Liu Yang

— Okay, then we have an agreement, — he breathed a sigh of relief, having received consent. He really hoped that his interlocutor would answer exactly like that, because the recipe he was talking about had not yet been tested, and there was no doubt that Sheng Li would definitely test the resulting potion.

— Let's go faster then, maybe we'll get lucky and no one will notice that we've been out all night.

Having arrived, they safely passed the gates and the park area, and, having said goodbye on the approach to the palace, went to their rooms.