It started with a whisper

Chapter One

It was a beautiful day, and a dazzling sky stretched endlessly in every direction. A perfect day for lying in the grass and enjoying the burn of sunlight along with hunting some resentful creates with his friends, thought Lan Shizui. The birds were singing, and the forest was peace-

"Jinling, you idiot, why are you so full of yourself," yelled Lan Jingyi as he bickered with the prestigious young master of Jin-clan. Shizui turned to look at the commotion, but the minute his and Jin-Ling's eyes connected, he looked away with his ears turning red, particularly resembling his Lan father.

"Shut up and call me Clan Leader Jin, you brat," came Jin Ling's voice as he clutched his sword. The yellow clothed young master was right. After the death of Jīn Guāngyáo, Jin Ling had taken control over the clan with the assistance of his Uncles; both Clan Leader Jiang cheng and Wei Wuxian had assisted the boy take full control over the clan.

"Clan Leader Jin, please refrain yourself from hurting Jingyi; let us not warn the prey of our presence here," came Lan Shizui's reply as he finally looked up to the two fighting.

"Shizui you... may call me by... my name," said a flushed Jin Ling.

" I can't, we are no longer teenagers, and I overheard my dad talking about your marriage to the Nie Clan's first daughter; I believe that only your loving spouse should have the rights to call you by name," said Lan Shizui with a smile but his eyes hid a different emotion. Jin Ling frowned at the reply and looked the other way, agitation visible in both his face and his eyes.

Jingyi understood that emotion better than anyone. He had known Shizui better than anyone else. Lan Jingyi and Lan Shizui were both in the same boat from day one of their days, both adopted by Lan's twin Jades, who they believed to be their fathers and their mothers were the twin pride of the Jiang Clan. The two Lan boys had a special bond, almost as if they were real siblings hence understood each other better than anyone else, so when that flash of pain emerges in his brother's eyes, he stops bickering with the 'jin clan leader' and walks to his brother like figure.

"Shizui, let's keep walking. Father told me that they heard some complaints from the northwest village about a possessed cave; apparently, people haven't been returning from the cave," said Lan Jingyi as he put an arm over the slightly shorter man and drags him over to the direction of the cave.

Behind them stood two unpleasant men who glared at the duo's closeness; it irked the red and yellow clothed boys greatly.

Zizhen couldn't take the sight in front of him. He quickly followed between the duo and swiftly entered among the two and standing between the two Lan lads.

Jin Ling just followed behind the three men, anger still visible in his eyes, although he had accepted having a mini crush on Lan Shizui as a teenager. He believed that the feeling would go away eventually. However, he fell deeper and deeper for the boy; he had reached a point where he had helplessly fallen for the boy.

Jin Ling was aware that his uncles were finding him, suitors, he would reject each and every one of them until he could court Shizui but he just didn't know how...