When Bradley and he first got onto Mount Huai - after a journey of Bradley attempting to explain to him how the society worked and how he should behave unnecessarily and Xiao ignoring him - they were told that they would share a room. Back then, the servants lived in the disciple hall too. Bradley and Xiao both balked at the idea. Bradley was used to being alone and Xiao didn't want to share a room with this know-it-all who didn't know how annoying he was.

"Now that you are both on Mount Huai, you will follow orders," Grandmaster Liang said. "If you can't even stand sharing a room, how would you stand the hard training?"

Both disciples hung their head and apologized. Then once their mentor left, Bradley and Xiao argued over who would have which cot for an hour until a few servants came in and told them to stop. Even though they were called servants, they knew martial arts too and were treated by the disciples as equals because they were older and buffer than either of them. Bradley and Xiao then calmed down and decided that the cots both looked uninviting. Even in his neighbour's house, Xiao had slept on a real bed, so it was an uncomfortable experience.

The good thing was that once they started the chores the next day as part of their conditioning before the training, it was evident that Xiao was more experienced in that sort of thing and Bradley stopped lecturing Xiao on everything. He didn't know too much himself, anyway. In addition, because of the good adaptiveness of young children, Xiao and Bradley got used to their living conditions very fast. With Bradley acting less like a superior, the two became friendlier with each other. So even though they complained about each other, fought, and argued, no one paid them any real attention because they would resolve it on their own in a few minutes' time. 

Bradley took up the job of lecturing Xiao on the rules of chivalry, rules of Mount Huai and the mentor's orders, since Xiao would break one at least once a week - coming back too late from the back of the mountain at night, forgetting to trim the flower bed ... In turn, Xiao would not let Bradley down for any mistake he made, rule he broke, and fight he lost, and he teased him relentlessly on all matters of things.

When Stephanus came three years later, Xiao and Bradley both attempted to take him under their wing. Stephanus drifted towards Bradley as Bradley seemed more reliable, to Xiao's malcontent. It was confusing for Stephanus too, as he didn't know whether his two older brothers were friends or what. Stephanus had his own room, and either Xiao or Bradley would go there when they had an argument.

Two months after Stephanus came, Xiao and Bradley had came back from downhill with heavy spices and flavours. On Mount Huai, the foods were usually bland due to Grandmaster Liang's preference. Thus Xiao and Bradley would go down hill once in a while to buy food for themselves. That day, Xiao had wanted to try a bottle of wine. It was the cheapest thing - mulled wine for three coins.

"Come on, Bradley," Xiao said. "Let's buy it. It's not like we don't have enough money."

"I rather not," Bradley said. "We'll get in trouble with mentor. Alcohol is prohibited for us."

Xiao tsked. "Who will tell him? If you don't act like a tattletale that you are - "

"I'm not a tattletale!"

"You told on me for not cleaning the seclusion wing last year because you were angry that I beat you in swimming."

"Yeah and you told John that I took his sword for five minutes!"

"You started it!"

Bradley rolled his eyes. "We are not buying it. If we save more money, we could buy alcohol from the wine house."

Xiao nodded slowly and appreciably. "You know, that's not a bad idea. I can't believe that thick skull of yours actually holds some real intelligence."

"Who's the one who can't sit and read poetry for more than five minutes?"

Their arguments were usually like this. One thing would lead to another. "So what if I don't like all these supposedly beautiful pieces by these supposedly great scholars?"

"It means you're uncultured! Look at your hair, for example."

Two years into their training, Xiao started letting his hair down instead of tying it all up into a tight bun on top of his head. It was a sensitive topic with both of them.

"I do what I want. Don't call me uncultured."

"You are uncultured. Look at your choice in wine!"

That sentence eventually led to Xiao buying all types of wine from the wine house using Bradley's money, but that was later.

That night, when they came back in a thick silence, Xiao went straight into Stephanus' room, proclaiming how lucky he was to be charged with chores today instead of being sent off hill with Bradley.

"It's your free time," Stephanus pointed out. "You could have helped me with wiping down the weapons."

Xiao nodded. "Yeah, Steph, I should have. Next time even if Bradley prepared me a carriage, I would choose to manage the little farm with you. And I'll talk to mentor about moving in with you."

Stephanus was cheered at the thought that he would have less chores but didn't particularly like the thought of sharing with the notoriously messy roommate. But on a second thought, Xiao and Bradley both have said things like this but never followed through with their words. The two had gone as far as to packing their things up but never actually moved.

Xiao and Stephanus were sharing some red bean paste buns and talking, Xiao remarking that Stephanus and him would share food all the time, when the door opened with a furious looking Bradley. "Xiao," he called. "Mentor wants you."

Xiao's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you tattled on me! I didn't do anything!"

Bradley sneered. "Just come. Stephanus, shouldn't you be doing something more productive? Have you mastered the Prowess sequence yet?"

Stephanus looked down abashedly. On the contrary, Xiao was feeling wronged. "But why does mentor want me?"

However, Bradley led him to their room instead, with a pot of beef stew in the middle. Xiao's jaw dropped and tackled Bradley onto his cot. "Brad-Ge! You're a saint! What would I do without you!"

Bradley slowly smiled and pushed him off. "Don't move to Steph's room, alright?"

"You know I never mean those things."

"A man should live up to their own words," Bradley instantly said.

"You've said it countless times too!"

The two grinned at each other and dug in.

Six years later, Xiao and Bradley sneaked into the cellar. 

"The safest place is usually the most dangerous place," Xiao whispered.

"You could have hid it by the lake," Bradley complained quietly. "Then we could head straight there."

"We would have needed some food," Xiao argued. "We can't just drink all night."

"We have food in our room."

"I was trying to play the hero, alright?" 

Bradley laughed quietly. Both of them were already giddy, even without the help of alcohol. Their mentor was coming back tomorrow, after a month long journey to Ming City to meet some friends. The whole month, the two eldest disciples had trained their younger disciple-brothers diligently. It was the last day, and they were determined to have some fun. 

In the afternoon, they charged their disciple brothers tasks of cleaning the front of the mountain and the residence, and assigned themselves the work of cleaning the whole of the back of the mountain.

"What do you intend to do?" Lucas demanded. "What's to clean?"

Xiao furrowed his eyebrows at Lucas. "What do you mean by asking that, Lucas?"

"There are bridges, stairways, and trails to be swept," Bradley told Lucas.

"Do you know how many steps are on each staircase? Do you know how many stairs are in the back of Mount Huai? Hundreds of steps, Lucas! Say thank you to us for not letting you clean the back," Xiao said.

"Some infrastructures are decaying in the autumn rains," Bradley added. "We need to inspect them and possibly repaint. It's quite a big project."

Xiao nodded at all the disciples, trying really hard to keep a straight face. "Go and work!" Xiao ordered. "Do our words not mean anything to you?"

Lucas muttered something that sounded like "bullshit" and Peter whispered a "no", but they all went off. Stephanus and Jonah glared at them, knowing they were up to no good. Once they left, Xiao and Bradley dropped to the ground and bursted out laughing.

"We are such a great team," Xiao said, slapping his leg and wiping away a tear. "Oh man!"

"How did they find it suspecting, though?" Bradley wondered.

"Yeah!" Xiao sat up straight, all trace of laughter gone. "We didn't even do anything!"

"It has to be you. You're always up to no good," Bradley declared. "They must be suspicious."

Xiao rolled his eyes and threw his head back dramatically in exasperation. "Why do you accuse me of everything? I've been nothing but a great teacher for the past month. Not one drop of alcohol. Though... " he grinned at Bradley, "that's about to change."

When they got hold of the five bottles of Tianmu from the back of the top shelf, some sausages, and a pack of fried sweet potato chips, they headed to the back. "I think we should inspect the black bridge by the fishing river," Bradley said. "It's the most secluded spot."

"Right. There might be a few loose screws," Xiao said.

"Once you go there, there will be," Bradley said.

"Fuck off!"

Bradley guffawed. Xiao gave him a side kick that almost made him drop the alcohol jugs.

"Be careful!" Bradley scolded. "I'm holding stuff here... which is what you should be doing as a younger brother!" He shoved everything into Xiao's arms.

"Hey! At least let me have a good grip!" Xiao complained.

"What are you two up to?" someone demanded from behind them. It was Jonah's voice.

Bradley nudged Xiao and motioned with his chin at the yard wall just a few feet away. Then Bradley turned back on Jonah with an angry expression. "Jonah! I thought you were supposed to clean the disciple wing and the surrounding area?"

"Yeah, this is surrounding area."

"Where is your broom?" Bradley demanded. "Are you slacking off?"

"It seems that you are! I can still smell the sweet potato chips that Xiao just carried over the wall."

"Your nose needs work, then. How can you be off hill getting rid of thieves when you can't distinguish the smell of paint and chips!"

Then Bradley jumped over the wall too. 

The two scurried away into the forest that was well known to them and out to the black bridge.

They dropped down the food they were carrying and collapsed down at one end of the bridge. They fished for a while - the legs in the water with cuffs of pants rolled past their knees kind of fishing that Xiao did as a kid. Even though it was autumn and an array of orange and yellow covered the mountainous terrain, it wasn't so cold. A few mishaps did happen, for instance, Xiao scaring away one of Bradley's fish and Bradley's fish jumping out of his hands and slapping Xiao in the back, but it was pleasant.

When they were tired, they set up a fire and roasted the fish and sausages. Xiao and Bradley lied on the ground, propping themselves up by their elbows, and speculated what the others might be doing.

"I bet they are furious," Xiao said satisfyingly. "They would run around the disciples wing, cursing our ancestors in their spite and jealousy."

"You think too highly of yourself," Bradley said. "But I'm sure they wouldn't be too happy," he added. "All five bottles of Tianmu gone."

Xiao laughed. "They won't miss what they never knew they had."

"That's true," Bradley said, taking a long swig. "It's all thanks to my favourite brother that they don't know."

Xiao grinned and turned to look at Bradley to see if he was being sarcastic. In the fire light, Bradley looked a bit flushed but genuine. "Does alcohol make you spit out white lies?" Xiao asked. "Or is it the treacherous truth?"

Bradley threw a chip at Xiao, which Xiao managed to catch with his mouth. However, as he did so, he lost his balance and toppled into Bradley. 

"Why did you fall this way?" Bradley complained through a mouthful of Xiao's hair. "It would make sense for you to fall towards the fire."

"Wishful thinking, huh?" 

"Get up!" Xiao didn't move and instead his hands wandered towards the chips, head still in Bradley's lap. Bradley forcefully sat him down again. "You can't be that drunk yet."

"How can I be more drunk than you? You who barely touch a drop of alcohol."

The more they drank and ate, the more blurry the images are. Everything in the firelight was warm and comfortable. Xiao would sneak peeks at Bradley to see if he was drunk. He didn't come up with any conclusive results in the firelight, only that Bradley had a mole by his earlobe.

"This is what our future will be like," Xiao said, in an attempt to test Bradley. Perhaps if Bradley was drunk, he wouldn't scold him or be a party pooper. 

Bradley slung his arm over Xiao's shoulder and started his own rendition of folk songs in the Mount Huai area they always hear fishermen and woodsmen sing. It was just the two of them in the woods with a fire to scare away the cold and beasts and they could do whatever they wanted without a snide remark from the other because they were both too drunk.

So Xiao leaned into Bradley and sang along with him. He didn't know how long passed when Bradley spoke up.

"One last piece of fish. You eat it."

"No, you have it. You're older."

"I'm older, so I have to be nice to you."

"As if you are," Xiao slurred. In truth, both of them wanted the piece but neither wanted to take it from the other. "Just have it."

Bradley hit him drunkenly. "I'm nice to you."

"We'll each have a bite then," Xiao said.

"It's a tiny piece already. Just have it."

Xiao took a teeny bite and gave the rest to Bradley. The latter ate it all, causing the former to be upset. "Come on, you're supposed to save a bit for me!"

"You gave it!" Bradley protested. "You should have eaten it if you didn't want me to have it."

"Give it back," Xiao whined, opening his mouth.

Bradley made to lean in but the fire let out a great spark that startled both of them. They jumped and then laughed together in a heap on the ground. Everything seemed so funny.

It turned cold deep in the night when they were both tired. Bradley suggested camping out for the night and Xiao snuggled into Bradley for his warmth. "You're like a little fox cub," Bradley told him.

"Why fox?"

"You're so sneaky," Bradley answered. "And you just look like one."

"I look like a fox?"

"You know those foxes that could turn into beautiful women and cause plights in the world? You look like them."

"Have you seen one?"

"You just feel like one to me."

Xiao laughed into Bradley's chest.

When it became too cold, Bradley, ever so responsible, woke up the drunk and sleepy Xiao. "Let's head back. Mentor will come tonight."

Xiao felt dizzy. He didn't know when he fell asleep but he knew that right now, Bradley's hand was on his waist and his head was leaning on Bradley's shoulder. The smell of the fire was in the air, mingled with Bradley's scent. The leaves were soft underneath their feet due to the constant rain in the Mount Huai region. He stumbled once every two steps and his feet would somehow get tangled into Bradley's.

"Brad-ge, if mentor finds us like this, would you take the blame?"

"I will, I will take all of it."

"You'll take care of me when I get a hangover, yeah?"

"Look at you being so thoughtful about the future now that you are in trouble. Alright. I will."

As they trekked through the night, his head cleared. What was he doing in Bradley's arms? He brushed off Bradley's hand and used a tree to find his balance. "What - "

Bradley stood watching him, a weird expression on his face. "Mentor is coming back tomorrow."

Xiao hit his head with the palm of his hand. "Oh man."

Bradley came over and grabbed his hand. "Come on, Xiao."

Xiao let him pull him back to their room. But really, it didn't matter where they were going.