Every so often, he would naturally find his gaze falling back onto his hunting partner. Song Lan hesitated to use the term ‘cultivation partner’, even mentally. It felt too intimate. They were close, closer than he’d been with anyone before. That twist in his core would haunt him at the oddest moments, like when he’d make a particularly dry remark and Xiao Xingchen would laugh so free and gleeful. And like now, as he watched those warm eyes slip his way and a reassuring smile meant only for him graced those soft features. But, despite their closeness, it still felt like a step further than where they were. A sacred title for those connected on a soul-deep level. Ah, but perhaps he was being too stringent about the terminology.
A lovely peek into Song Lan’s mind.