The man who once was Li Lianhua remains quiet as he's nearly bowled over by the double embrace. He has only barely managed not to spill over into the wet sand as Fang Duobing tackles his waist and Di Feisheng wraps two arms tightly around his back. The wind at the edge of the sea blows biting cold, but he believes he can feel Di Feisheng's breath against his neck, nose pressing into his hair with fierce intimacy. Even Fox Spirit approaches, pawing at the hem of his cloak.

He waits for the silence to break, closing his eyes against the surge of warmth that has enveloped him, as if letting it in too soon might open the floodgates to the tumult he's so far successfully held back.

Fang Duobing is the first to straighten himself, and shouts. "Where have you been these past three months? Do you know how hard we've been looking for you?"
「你这三个月到底去哪儿了？你知不知道我和老笛找的你好苦啊？」

He smirks, immune to Fang Duobing's scolding. He turns to Di Feisheng who is still loosely holding him, who has the look of a man who is half afraid this might be yet another dream. "A-Fei," he speaks the name like a greeting, fond of the sound of it spoken aloud, the shape of it in his mouth. "Are you still wanting our duel?".
「阿飞，你还想跟我比武吗？」

The lines of worry between Di Feisheng's eyebrows smooth, concern and fear slowly falling away. "Nevermind." Di Feisheng replies, with a soft gaze and an oddly serene air.
「算了。」

"Good," his grin widens. "Then I came back at the right time. I figured it would take about three months to get that out of your system."
「好，那我回来的正好。我就知道消了你的火气需要三个多月。」

He steps out of the circle of Di Feisheng's arms and stops for a moment, struck by the breadth of the world arrayed before him. He gestures at the sky and the shore, the mountains and the rivers, all the wide and wonderful things that he has yet to see. He takes a few more steps, Fox Spirit trotting happily after him, tongue lolling, but Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng are frozen, rooted to the spot, watching him.

He pauses, turning over his shoulder to regard them with a faintly impatient air. "Are you coming or not?"
「你们来还是不来？」

Di Feisheng's mouth quirks to the side in resigned amusement and follows after him, having promised already, in a red chamber, over shared wine, that they would never again part.

After an outraged protest and an indignant huff, Fang Duobing comes along too.