It's a day that Xiao Xingchen knew was coming, one that filled him with dread. It's a day where there isn't much for him to do. There are no home repairs that need his attention. There's plenty of firewood. He's even started baking, no less than a dozen loaves of bread that he intends to share with friends and neighbors. His last few night-hunts have been uneventful too. Any monsters or trouble around town seem to be keeping their distance.

So when Xue Yang tells him over breakfast that he has the day off, the blind man is visibly relieved. Xiao Xingchen isn't someone who necessarily needs company, but he enjoys the right kind. He enjoys his.

It's mid-morning before the volley of 'let's do what you want to do' finally comes to an end. It's too nice of a day to stay inside, and while they've both explored much of the town separately, reasons have kept them from exploring it together.

Xingchen waits while Xue Yang looks at something, listening to a few village children whispering nearby before they scamper off. It leaves him with a question for when the other cultivator is finished with his browsing.

"Xue Yang, would I be the 'wife'?"