Mysterious Lotus Casebook [BL Version]

Chapter 12: The Bickering Duo

Fang Duobing felt a pang of concern shoot through him as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Li Lianhua!!!" he gasped, clutching his chest where a dull ache persisted and dashed out, leaving his assistants bewildered by his sudden departure.

"What's with him now?" one assistant mused, scratching his head in confusion.

The other grinned mischievously. "Who else could it be but Li Lianhua? Those two are like peas in a pod. There's always some drama when they're involved, don't you think?"

"Definitely," the first assistant chuckled, nodding in agreement as they both shared a knowing laugh at the antics of their unpredictable colleagues.

Fang Duobing stealthily approached the Lotus Tower, tracking the thread's location until he found himself hidden from view. From his vantage point, he observed Li Lianhua having tea with the sinister figure he had recently battled near the Yipin Tomb.

"I will assist you in locating your senior's remains, but on one condition: you must agree to duel me once we've found the corpse," Feisheng declared, taking a sip of his tea.

Li Lianhua nodded solemnly, understanding the terms. "Agreed," he replied, his gaze steady as he met Feisheng's eyes.

Feisheng continued, "The last known sighting of Shi Hun was at Cailian Manor. I will accompany you there."

"He's as persistent as ever," Li Lianhua muttered quietly to himself as he raised his cup of tea.

"What happened to your lips?" Fei asked, noticing the dried blood on them.

Li Lianhua hesitated briefly, remembering the accidental kiss with Master Zhang, who turned out to be Fang Duobing in disguise. "Ah, just a minor scratch," he sighed, trying to downplay the incident.

"That stupid kid," Li Lianhua muttered quietly, taking a sip of his tea. 

"Ahh, chu!!" Fang Duobing sneezed loudly, then grumbled, "Who's badmouthing me?" Another sneeze followed. "It must be Li Lianhua."

Fang Duobing's frustration grew and he approached them, ready to confront Li Lianhua about his actions. "So, this was all part of your master plan, huh? You two are in cahoots."

Li Lianhua couldn't help but roll his eyes, rising from his seat with a theatrical sigh. "Oh, come on now, it's not like that at all. Sit down, let's have a cup of tea and I'll spill the beans," he said, gesturing towards the tea set.

Fang Duobing shook his head vigorously, his frustration evident. "Tea with this troublemaker? No way! Why is it that you're always attracting chaos and cozying up to sketchy characters?" he exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Li Lianhua, who simply grinned in response.

"His name is Fei. He hails from the South Sea," Li Lianhua began, offering his explanation. "Many years ago, we crossed paths, and recently he fell victim to Master Wei's deceit. Seeing him destitute, I offered him shelter for a time."

"So, Fei, spill it! What's your real motive for being here?" Fang Duobing demanded, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Fei, never one to back down from a challenge, smirked mischievously. "Ah, you caught me. I'm here to steal Li Lianhua's secret recipe for noodles," he quipped sipping on his tea, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Fang Duobing's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Noodles? Seriously?" he exclaimed, incredulous. "You're telling me you traveled all this way just for a bowl of noodles?"

Fei bristled at the jab, his expression darkening. "At least noodles have more substance than your empty-headed suspicions," he shot back, a sneer playing on his lips.

Fang Duobing's face flushed with indignation. "Oh, coming from someone who's about as trustworthy as a snake in the grass," he retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Listen, buddy, I don't have time for your paranoia," Fei retorted, irritation creeping into his voice and suddenly lunged forward, aiming a punch at Fang Duobing's face. 

Fang Duobing sidestepped, countering with a swift kick to Fei's stomach, sending him flying out of the lotus position and crashing hard onto the ground. With arms crossed, Fang Duobing stood proudly over him.

"Why did you hit Li Lianhua today?" Duobing questioned, his tone serious. Fei brushed off the inquiry and posed another question, "What's your motive for approaching us?"

"Why do you assume you're even worth approaching?" Fei retorted with a hint of sarcasm.

"So, you're here for Li Lianhua?" Duobing asked, surprised.

"You think I'd waste my time on you?" Fei chuckled in amusement.

Duobing, nearing his breaking point, snapped, "Forget it. I won't argue with someone who lacks intelligence."

"You-" Fei stood up and just as their fists were about to meet, they were abruptly halted by the unexpected obstacle. Confused, Fang Duobing and Fei looked at the lid in disbelief, realizing that their fists had been stopped by a simple kitchen utensil. "Can't you two just get along?"

Fang Duobing fixed Fei with a stern glare. "Listen Fei," he warned, his voice dripping with suspicion. "If I catch you pulling any shenanigans, you'll be tortured till death. Got it?"

Fei chuckled, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Oh, relax, small kid," he retorted, his tone light and mocking. "I'm not planning any mischief... for now, at least."

Rolling his eyes, Fang Duobing shot back, "I'll believe that when I see it. Just remember, I've got my eyes on you."

Fei's grin widened as he watched Fang Duobing walk away, muttering to himself, "Wow, someone's got their feathers ruffled. Must be tough to be so uptight all the time."

Meanwhile, Li Lianhua could only shake his head at the two of them, resigned to their endless bickering. "Oh, man," he sighed, "you're like an old married couple, always at each other's throats."

As Fang Duobing stormed off in a huff, Fei couldn't help but chuckle at the obvious display of jealousy. "What's his problem? Is he your lover or something?" Fei teased Li Lianhua, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Li Lianhua's cheeks flushed slightly at the suggestion, and he shook his head emphatically. "No, of course not!" he protested, flustered by the implication.

Fei raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh, I see," he replied, his tone dripping with amusement. "Then why is he so protective of you? It's like he's afraid I'll steal you away."

Li Lianhua couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Trust me, that's the last thing he needs to worry about," he assured Fei, shooting a glance in Fang Duobing's retreating figure. "He's just... a little overprotective, that's all."

To be continued...