On the way back, he couldn't help himself, he kept on thinking on how he wanted the ground to swallow him at that very moment. Soon he hears the sound of wood banging, it was Chi Meng, he had long since returned to the abandon temple.
"Oh, you're back just in time." Chi Meng says, and he finishes installing the last pillar. As he turns to keep the tools Yi Rong grabs his arm.
"Wait, uhh..." Yi Rong trying to form a sentence but it seems that it just can't come out from his mouth.
Chi Meng raises his eyebrow, "What is it ?" he asks.
Yi Rong tilts his head, not wanting to make eye contact to make it awkward, he raises up his left hand, holding the 2 bowls of tang yuan. "Let's eat first."
Chi Meng confused at such reaction, but reluctantly sets his tools on the floor first. They used a thick wooden block as their table. While eating Chi Meng looks up at Yi Rong, "What ?" Yi Rong says in an annoyed tone. "Chaenk chwe (Thank you) ." Chi Meng says while chewing onto his tang yuan. "Don't talk when you eat tang yuan, you'll choke..." Yi Rong scolds Chi Meng, "...No problem" Yi Rong replies, flustered at the unusual response.
After finishing dinner, Yi Rong clears the 'table' as Chi Meng sets a flat mattress made of dried bamboo and rope. Yi Rong yawns, as he looks down he realises, "Wait... we're gonna sleep together ? !" he shrieks. "I only have time to make one mattress, if you want to make another one, be my guest, there's a bamboo forest right behind the temple." Chi Meng scoffs as he folds his coat into a pillow. Chi Meng then turns around and realises that Yi Rong was gone, did he actually went to get more bamboo to make another mattress. Chi Meng slaps his hand on his face and sighs, he uses his cultivation powers to ignite a light on is right palm and walks to the bamboo forrest behind the temple.
Meanwhile with Yi Rong, he looks tough hold a sword reading to cut bamboo, but deep inside he's one second away from screaming his lungs out. Suddenly, he hears twigs breaking and dried leafs getting crush, is there a demon here to capture him ? Who else in the right mind would be out here in the middle of the night. Yi Rong raises the sword up, ready to fight. As Yi Rong takes a few steps to retreat back to the temple, he slips over a vine. In the nick of time, Chi Meng grabs Yi Rong tightly. Yi Rong still frightened immediately turns his body around and grabs Chi Meng tightly, while shaking. Chi Meng gently holds Yi Rong, and helps him to walk back inside.
Back at the temple, Chi Meng locks the door as Yi Rong stands at a far corner away from any windows or doors, afraid something out there will capture him, he's definitely still scared from the sounds of earlier. "Don't be afraid, the cracking sounds from earlier were my footsteps. Take the mattress, I'll sleep on the floor." Chi Meng tells Yi Rong, as he lays at least a meter apart from the mattress, he groans and stretches after being sore from working soo hard. Yi Rong then slowly walks to the mattress and settles down right before Chi Meng finally lights off the candle light.
After a few minutes in the pitch dark, out of a sudden, "This temple is built for your mother, right." Yi Rong says, but gets no response, it seems that Chi Meng has already fallen asleep, which makes sense since he worked so hard that day. A few moments after Yi Rong turns over, Chi Meng finally responds, "Yes, this temple is for my mother... But she passed several centuries ago..."
Awkwardness once again feels up to space in between them, Yi Rong contemplating whether to ask Chi Meng or not, as he opens his mouth, Chi Meng says "My father killed her, the Heavenly Emperor... a heavenly deity told him that my mother was cheating on him with my uncle, his brother. Due to rage, my father was so mad he didn't even bother to confirm if it was true or not. My mother was unlucky as that time, she was helping my uncle fix his torn shirt in his residence, I was there helping her too... I still remember my father walking in and swung his mighty sword that he still uses today at my mother throat, giving her instant death. My uncle dropped to his knees and cried, calling him a monster, which aroused my father's suspicion even more. He then informed the heavenly guards to escort my uncle to the dungeons to torture him and left the room. Moments after my father left, my guoshi came flying in and immediately brought me out and comforted me... Days after, it was reported that it was all a lie and that heavenly deity did so, as she liked my father. In order to keep his image, he forbid anyone to speak of the truth, and to go on with the lie that my mom was committing adultery. To avoid any speculations, he decides to put on a masks and acts like a kind and gentle person... But he isn't."
Chi Meng tells the whole story while trying to hold back his tears. Yi Rong not knowing what to do tries to think of ways to comfort Chi Meng. "I'm sorry... for what happened..." Yi Rong tries to break tension. But all he gets back are sniffles and whimpers from Chi Meng. Out of the blue, Yi Rong quietly rolls over while pulling along the mattress, he then lightly pulls Chi Meng on it. Chi Meng stunned as they both make eye contact again, which immediately reminds Yi Rong of what happened earlier...
Yi Rong immediately pushes Chi Meng till his back is facing him, and says, "I hope things get better for you..." while placing his hand on Chi Meng's back for a brief moment before rolling away to the other end, feeling completely embarrassed. On the other hand, Chi Meng stunned of what just happened, but silently smiles at the warm interaction as they slowly finally fall asleep after such a long day...
The next morning, Chi Meng wakes up, still completely sore after cutting down for big trees yesterday. As he turns to his side, Yi Rong seems to be gone. He quickly dresses himself and walks out. While exiting, he realises the sign board of the temple's name is missing, as he looks up, he realises that it's been fixed and replenished. Could it be that Yi Rong felt soo pitiful of him that he fixed it ?
Just right in time, Yi Rong , appears to return from the market with breakfast. Chi Meng noticed him wearing what seems to be a farmer's hat, rolled his sleeves down and wrapped bandages around his hands and ankles, where his pants aren't covering, and ask Yi Rong, "What's with the coverage, are you perhaps afraid of getting tanned ?" But Yi Rong avoids the question, walks in and sets the food on what used to be a thick wooden block, but has been transformed into a table. "Here, chicken porridge for breakfast and some chrysanthemum tea." Yi Rong tells Chi Meng as he sets down the farmer's hat aside. Suddenly, Yi Rong lifted up his right hand to scratch his neck, Chi Meng looks over, seems that his neck that wasn't covered had a terrible scar, looks like he was burnt... Chi Meng decided to dismiss it as he could tell Yi Rong wasn't in the mood.
After breakfast, they decided to venture out into the big city, to start earning points in order to shorten Yi Rong's imprisonment time. "For your information, you earn 5 points from yesterday for replenishing and finding the temple. Every 20 points you earn, you loose 1 year of imprisonment time." Chi Meng informs Yi Rong while reading from a scroll. "Uh... you also earned bonus of 3 points yesterday night for bonding..." Chi Meng continues to read as his voice slowly turns softer, still embarrassed about yesterday night. As he clears his throat and keeps the scroll.
"Your goal today is to earn at least 50 points in the city, every problem that you solve, depending on the difficulty will range from 3 points onwards, at most 15, if you can defeat a group of thugs by yourself." Chi Meng sarcastically says. Abruptly, screams of a young maiden can be heard nearby, which alarms the both of them as they hurry over to check was the commotion was all about...