The Golden Umbrella

The arrangement was put to the test immediately. The Sect Leader summoned them an hour later.

"A disturbance in the Forest of Misfortune," the Sect Leader announced, looking down from his dais. "Dark Qi is gathering. We need a reconnaissance team."

"I volunteer!" Luo Yi shouted, raising his hand. He grabbed Shen An’s sleeve. "And Shen An volunteers too, because we are inseparable soulmates."

The Sect Leader frowned. "Luo Yi, that forest is a manifestation of bad luck. You stepping foot in there is like throwing a torch into a powder keg."

"That is why I am going," Shen An interrupted. His voice was firm. "I will balance him."

Luo Yi felt a strange flutter in his chest. He squeezed Shen An’s arm. "See? He can’t live without me."

They set out at noon.

The journey was a study in contrasts.

Luo Yi tripped over a tree root. Before he could hit the ground, Shen An’s arm was there, catching him around the waist and hoisting him up.

"Careful," Shen An murmured.

A mile later, a rogue flying sword fell from a passing cultivator’s pack, plummeting straight for Luo Yi’s skull. Shen An didn't even look up; he simply raised two fingers, catching the blade between them inches from Luo Yi’s nose.

"You have a magnet in your head," Shen An noted dryly, tossing the blade aside.

"And you have a horseshoe in yours," Luo Yi laughed, breathless. He leaned his weight against Shen An. "My hero. What would I do without you?"

"Die," Shen An said. It wasn't a joke.

They camped that night at the edge of the forest. The air was thick and cold. Luo Yi sat by the fire, poking the embers. He watched Shen An polishing his sword, the firelight dancing on his sharp cheekbones.

Luo Yi felt a pang of guilt. He was using Shen An. He was a leech, draining the luck of the sect’s brightest star just to keep his own heart beating.

"Hey, Shen An," Luo Yi said quietly. "You know I'm... a lot. Why do you let me hang around?"

Shen An looked up. The fire reflected in his dark eyes, making them look like molten gold.

"You are not 'a lot'," Shen An said. "You are simply loud."

"I'm a disaster," Luo Yi corrected. "I'm jinxed. People usually run the other way."

"I do not run," Shen An said. He sheathed his sword and walked over, sitting next to Luo Yi. Close. Closer than five paces. Shoulders brushing.

"Maybe I like the noise," Shen An whispered.

Luo Yi swallowed. He looked at Shen An’s lips. For a terrifying moment, the flirtation felt real. He wanted to lean in. He wanted to test exactly how much luck Shen An had.

* Crack.*

A branch above them snapped for no reason, falling directly toward the fire.

Shen An caught it with his bare hand before it could scatter the embers onto Luo Yi’s robes. He tossed it aside.

"Sleep," Shen An ordered gently. "I will keep watch."

Luo Yi lay down, his back to Shen An. He clutched his chest. The coldness in his core had receded, replaced by a warmth that terrified him more than any curse.