Mysterious Lotus Casebook [BL Version]

Chapter 19: Bonding Over Bicker

The next day, Fang Duobing opened his eyes to find Li Lianhua standing beside him, holding out a thick book. "Here," Li Lianhua said, offering him the book. "It's filled with martial arts techniques for you to practice."

Fang Duobing raised an eyebrow in surprise. "How do you know all this stuff?" he asked, flipping through the pages of the book. "You're not exactly a martial arts expert."

"Ah.. this," Li Lianhua explained casually, his tone nonchalant as he watered the vibrant green leaves of his plants. "It was from a patient I once treated. They shared some insights with me."

Li Lianhua chuckled. "I have my ways," he replied cryptically, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"You keep saying that, but I just can't believe it," Fang Duobing persisted, his voice tinged with playful skepticism. "Are you sure you're not just making up stories to impress me?"

Li Lianhua chuckled softly, shaking his head at Fang Duobing's persistence. "You ask me questions, and when I give you answers, you still don't believe me. What's the point of asking if you won't trust my words?"

Fang Duobing scratched his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "I guess I just like hearing your stories," he admitted, his tone light and teasing. "Even if they sound too good to be true."

Li Lianhua chuckled again, casting a fond glance at Fang Duobing. "Well, believe what you want, but I assure you, there's no need for elaborate tales. Sometimes the truth is simpler than you think."

Fang Duobing's expression softened as he watched Li Lianhua, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "Maybe you're right," he conceded, a playful glint in his gaze. "But where's the fun in that? I prefer your imaginative stories."

Li Lianhua chuckled, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "I should have known you'd say that," he teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, if you want stories, I'll make sure to come up with some good ones."

Fang Duobing grinned, feeling a warmth in his chest as he looked at Li Lianhua. "I'll hold you to that," he replied, his voice filled with playful anticipation. "But for now, just focus on mastering these techniques."

Fang Duobing stood up with exaggerated confidence, tossing the book aside dramatically. "I don't need this," he proclaimed with a swagger, puffing out his chest. "I'm practically invincible! That poison Fei gave me is like a tickle to me!"

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Fang Duobing's bravado backfired spectacularly. His knees buckled, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap, unconscious. 

"Always the show-off," Li Lianhua muttered under his breath, bending down to check on him. Despite Fang Duobing's stubbornness, Li Lianhua couldn't help but feel a pang of concern for his well-being.

Fang Duobing stirred from his slumber to find Li Lianhua standing over him, his expression a mix of concern and sternness. Li Lianhua wasted no time in launching into a gentle lecture, cautioning Fang Duobing about the effects of the poison Di Feisheng had slipped him.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," Li Lianhua began softly, his voice carrying a hint of worry. "You've got to be careful with that poison Fei gave you. It's going to slow down your martial arts progress, okay? So take it easy for a while."

Fang Duobing nodded, still a bit groggy, but his curiosity soon got the better of him. As Li Lianhua turned to leave, Fang Duobing scrambled to his feet, a playful sparkle in his eyes.

"Wait up, Li Lianhua!" he called out, trotting after him like an eager puppy. "You can't leave me hanging like this. What was in that potion, huh?"

Li Lianhua chuckled at Fang Duobing's persistence, trying to evade the question with a dismissive wave of his hand. But Fang Duobing wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily.

With a playful glint in his eyes, Fang Duobing closed the distance between them, trapping Li Lianhua against the wall. Their breaths mingled in the small space, creating a charged atmosphere as they stood inches apart.

"Come on, Li Lianhua," Fang Duobing teased, his voice low and intimate. "You can't keep secrets from me. Tell me what that sneaky potion of Fei's was all about."

"Oh, you're relentless, aren't you?" Li Lianhua countered, his voice barely a whisper and as if grappling with the weight of his words, before finally summoning the courage to speak.

Li Lianhua's heart skipped a beat at the closeness between them, his cheeks flushing slightly under Fang Duobing's gaze. Fang Duobing's eyes widened in realization as he noticed the faint mark on Li Lianhua's lips, a memory flashing back to the moment when he had accidentally bitten him while playing the role of Mr. Zhang. With a sudden gasp, he instinctively drew back, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry," Fang Duobing stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, as he awkwardly attempted to apologize for the unintended injury. The air between them felt heavy with tension, the intimacy of their proximity suddenly replaced by an uncomfortable silence.

Li Lianhua, his own cheeks tinged with a faint blush, waved off Fang Duobing's apology with a small smile, trying to diffuse the awkwardness of the situation. "It's alright, Fang Duobing," he reassured him, his voice gentle. "Accidents happen."

Li Lianhua chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood further. "Well, you were so convincing as Mr. Zhang that I almost forgot it was you," he admitted with a playful twinkle in his eyes.

Fang Duobing's curiosity piqued at Li Lianhua's words. "What were you doing there, though? You don't know any martial arts, and yet you wanted to see what was happening at Yipin Tomb. You're quite the enigma," he remarked, his tone teasing yet intrigued.

"Well, Fang Duobing," he began, his tone more serious now, "the truth is... it was a child bearing elixir."

"A child bearing elixir?" Fang Duobing repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. "But... what does that mean?"

Li Lianhua swallowed hard, his cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment as he struggled to find the right words. "It means that if you were to... well, sleep with a male, you could become pregnant," he explained, his voice barely above a whisper.

Fang Duobing, still reeling from the revelation, sat on the bed with a mixture of shock and anger. "That's absurd! Fei is disgusting!" he exclaimed, his face flushed with indignation.

Li Lianhua maintained a calm demeanor, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Yes, well, you might want to be careful not to do anything that catches Fei's attention," he quipped, unable to resist poking fun at Fang Duobing's predicament.

Fang Duobing's confusion etched deeper lines on his forehead as he stared at Li Lianhua, searching for understanding. "But why is Fei doing this?" 

Li Lianhua hesitated, his eyes darting away as he wrestled with the weight of his words. "Fei wants me to save someone."

"Then don't do it," Fang Duobing insisted, his worry palpable in the air. "If Fei wants you to save them, they might not be worth it."

Li Lianhua managed a weak smile, though it did little to mask the ache in his heart. "You're right," he conceded softly, his gaze dropping to the floor. "That person... they don't deserve saving."

In that moment, Fang Duobing remained unaware that the person Fei wanted to save was none other than Li Lianhua himself, a revelation that hung between them, unspoken yet heavy with implications.

Li Lianhua shook his head, a mock-serious expression on his face. "And also Fang Duobing, if you keep talking like that, your veins are going to burst like a firecracker!"

Fang Duobing's eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly clamped his mouth shut, looking at Li Lianhua with a mixture of confusion and amusement. He gestured frantically with his hands, as if trying to argue his point without speaking.

Li Lianhua couldn't help but chuckle at Fang Duobing's exaggerated reaction. "There, there," he said, patting Fang Duobing on the back. "No need to worry. Just let your actions speak louder than words for once!"

Fang Duobing nodded enthusiastically, still unable to resist gesturing wildly to express himself. From that moment on, he made a concerted effort to limit his verbal outbursts, much to Li Lianhua's amusement.

To be continued...