doTranslator: kiribold
editor: sarah
His heart was clearly hidden inside his chest, but Chi Xiaochi felt as if his heart was being held in the palm of this person’s hand, and his palms were growing numb from the intense beating of his heart.
Chi Xiaochi said cautiously, “Can I ask?”
“I am your Shifu, your Laoshi. Lecturing, teaching…” Wen Yujing, 061 or Lou Ying, took his hand and said, “…and dispelling any doubts are my responsibilities.”
Chi Xiaochi looked at their five interlocking fingers. “Shifu is injured and needs to rest, so I’ll just ask five questions.”
Lou Ying pursed his lips and smiled softly. “Okay.”
He had said it many times. He liked Chi Xiaochi’s strong tone very much. It was very cute.
Chi Xiaochi asked, “Is that demon cultivator really the one who killed Shujue’s parents?”
Lou Ying was unsurprised by this question.
Chi Xiaochi’s first concern was always the task itself.
“Yes, but not all of them.” Lou Ying leaned back and sat up straighter, “I wanted to investigate this matter earlier, and I found traces of demonic activities on Dongshan Island near the East Sea. After escaping, I thought I couldn’t go home empty-handed, so I broke into the island. We needed a demon head as evidence.”
Lou Ying said it plainly without mentioning his tragic appearance when he arrived on the island.
Before he went, Ji Zuoshan, who escorted him from the Valley of Lost b.u.t.terflies to the East Sea, asked, “Liu-laoshi, do you not need me to accompany you?”
He squatted down on one knee, stretching his hand to caress the surging tide, and said, “Go find Xiaochi.”
Ji Zuoshan still couldn’t rest a.s.sured. “But you are badly injured.”
He said, “I’m fine. I have a number on myself, but I worry about him.”
…Even if he knew his capabilities, he still couldn’t be at ease.
Ji Zuoshan said, “Then I’ll go tell him about you…”
“Don’t tell him, he’ll be uneasy if he knew I’m breaking into the island.” 061 said, “Also, I don’t know if my boss is watching him. If you communicate with him, maybe he’ll be caught by my boss. I can only trouble you to stay by his side for a while and take care of his safety for me. …Many thanks.”
When he finished speaking, he slowly pulled a water sword out from between the snow-white foam of the sea tide. “What should be said, I will go back to say to him personally.”
A water sword condensed from the late tide of the East China Sea was in the hands of a man covered in wounds, accompanying him to walk through a seemingly endless b.l.o.o.d.y path.
He acted as a demon hunter, walked over alone, carrying a head, and retreated.
Lou Ying could read Duan Shujue’s memories. He had seen the faces of those murderers through Duan Shujue’s panicked eyes.
He forced his way into the island, found a face in the vast sea of demons that appeared in Duan Shujue’s memory, and slashed his head off with his sword. He wrapped the blood-stained long hair around his wrist and crossed the ocean to seek his Xiaochi.
He didn’t kill all the demons because he was injured, and his strength wasn’t enough.
Xiaochi was his weak spot, so he won’t pretend to be strong.
Moreover, a blood feud should be avenged by Duan Shujue himself.
Chi Xiaochi asked the second question. “Shifu already knew about the rumors?”
“The matter concerns you and me, of course.”
The rumors were rampant, and he was aware of it. He left the sore in no hurry to remove it.
Even if he had brought the painter and the swindler up to the mountain earlier to make clarifications to Chi Yunzi, the rumors had already spread. He couldn’t pull the two of them and go door-to-door to clarify, nor could he hold a clarification meeting. It would be counterproductive to make a big fuss. It was better to leave the trump card, let it ferment, wait for a major occasion such as a public trial, and then break this matter apart and clean up all the previous rumors in one fell swoop.
Chi Xiaochi nodded and asked the third question. “What happened with the injury?”
Lou Ying didn’t want to discuss this issue in detail. “It’s just me being careless. I’ll get better soon, don’t worry.”
Chi Xiaochi: “…Hmm.”
Then, there was a long silence.
Chi Xiaochi’s palm remained gently pressed against his heart, and his eyes also rested on his fingertips, as if something was on his mind.
By now, Lou Ying also noticed that Chi Xiaochi was deliberately avoiding the question he really wanted to ask.
He was a little nervous. He was afraid that Chi Xiaochi would retreat again, so he unconsciously clenched his hand. He immediately suspected that he was using too much force and hurriedly relaxed the strength of his hand.
However, Chi Xiaochi grabbed the front of his clothes.
He asked the fourth question. “Shifu, why were you gone so long?”
Lou Ying’s throat clogged, and his heart wrinkled at his question.
Chi Xiaochi’s voice didn’t fluctuate much, and the tip of his thumb rubbed back and forth, sensing the subtle heartbeat in his chest. “&#k2026;Three days, it’s like a decade has pa.s.sed.”
Lou Ying sat up straighter and bent forward slightly. “It’s my fault for not informing you in advance.”
Chi Xiaochi looked up at him. “I don’t blame you. I won’t blame you. It’s just, it’s been a long time.”
Lou Ying felt more pain in his heart and wrapped his arm around his waist, pressing him to his chest to listen to the sound of his heartbeat.
“…I’m sorry.”
Lou Ying lowered his head, his free hand slowly holding the back of his head and stroking Chi Xiaochi’s slightly longer hair. He pressed close to Chi Xiaochi’s ear and voiced his apologies slowly, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
He should have tried harder. He should have gotten back earlier.
“It’s okay.” Chi Xiaochi buried himself in his arms. His tone wasn’t sad; it was even a little unbelievably happy. “You made me wait a few decades less.”
Chi Xiaochi said, “I used to think, if I get too old to act or can’t read the script, I’ll stop acting. At that time, I’d be in the tube building, cooking and watching TV every day, waiting for you to come pick me up one day…Now, I’ve only waited more than ten years to come to you, and I found you, how wonderful.”
That fateful chandelier, impartially, fell on his head. How wonderful.
Lou Ying stroked the back of his head, his heart aching slightly.
He didn’t want to be grateful for the chandelier even though the falling chandelier accidentally sent Chi Xiaochi to his side so that he wouldn’t turn into a boring machine little by little.
His heart only ached for his Xiaochi.
He asked, “Will you feel uncomfortable if I hold you like this?”
“No.” Chi Xiaochi buried his head lower, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been like this. I’m not used to it.”
Lou Ying felt the warmth radiating from his chest. His heart softened, and he coaxed him in a low voice, “I didn’t see anything. Just do what you want.”
After an extended period of silence and embrace, Chi Xiaochi raised his head.
He had controlled himself well. His eyes were a little bloodshot, but there was no redness and swelling around them and no sign of crying.
“061.” Chi Xiaochi calmed down and asked the final question solemnly, “Are you Lou-ge?”
Lou Ying wasn’t ready, and the wrong answer rushed out before he was conscious, “I’m not.”
061’s expression changed slightly.
Even without entering Chi Xiaochi’s body and not activating the connection with the main system temporarily, secrecy security was still in play.
The Lord G.o.d was indeed surveilling them!
Chi Xiaochi looked at his slightly annoyed expression and put his hands around Lou Ying’s neck. “Dong Feihong isn’t you?”
“…No.”
He c.o.c.ked his head and narrowed his eyes slightly. “Blue isn’t you?”
“No.”
“Hmm? Neither is Gan Yu?”
Lou Ying returned to his senses and couldn’t help laughing, “I don’t think so.”
“Ah.” Chi Xiaochi nodded. “Boss Coal must not be either.”
“I don’t think so either.”
Chi Xiaochi smiled and pressed his forehead lightly against Lou Ying’s forehead. “Hmm. I see. Shifu, you take this medicine three times a day, I have to get the next bowl quickly. This disciple will retire now.”
After saying that, he held the jade bowl and wooden tray and bowed before leaving.
But Lou Ying still saw his red earlobes.
Lou Ying laughed.
How could someone flirt only to tease themself into running away so fast?
Chi Xiaochi did run fast. He walked quickly through the corridor, forgetting to put on his shoes.
He thought of a winter afternoon long ago.
At that time, Chi Xiaochi was still a high school student.
He left school after asking his homeroom teacher for sick leave, backpack in hand, waiting to rush to a large shopping mall on the West Side.
He had a show in the evening and would be paid 600 yuan.
His bicycle chain fell off, so he could only take the bus.
While waiting for the bus, he took out the math workbook from his bag to do his homework for the day.
A bus stopped before him, but not the one he was waiting for.
He looked up at the logo on the bus, which was the clothing brand he was walking for tonight, so he stared a little longer.
It was before rush hour. There weren’t many people on the bus, and it started quickly.
The windows moved forward like the scale of a ruler, and in the back seat of the bus by the window, a familiar figure flashed past Chi Xiaochi’s eyes.
The exercise book in Chi Xiaochi’s hand fell to the ground with a snap.
He froze in place for two or three seconds before chasing after him.
He threw away the schoolbag banging around on his shoulders, threw off his bulky jacket, wearing only a gray pullover, and frantically chased the bus speeding down the pre-rush hour road.
Chi Xiaochi didn’t shout. He couldn’t even scream, he just chased silently.
He was scared the bus would stop, and he was scared that the bus wouldn’t stop.
A pa.s.senger on the bus noticed the high school student’s sorry figure and called the driver. The driver also saw him in the rearview mirror. He wondered if he should stop illegally.
Fortunately, there was a red light at an intersection a few hundred meters away. The bus slowed down slowly, and after it came to a complete stop, Chi Xiaochi also caught up. Because he was dizzy from the chase, his shoulder slammed against the outer carriage, making a loud, m.u.f.fled sound.
He was knocked sideways to the ground by himself like he was b.u.mping porcelain.
An auntie who bought vegetables opened the window and said in accented Mandarin, “Silly baby, there’s another behind, what’s the hurry? It’s almost the next stop.”
Chi Xiaochi looked up and found the whole bus was looking at him.
The young man he had seen was also looking at him.
That person was wearing the school uniform of the neighboring school. His eyebrows looked slightly like Lou Ying, but it wasn’t him.
Just then, the door opened.
Chi Xiaochi sat on the ground and shook his head.
He heard the driver laugh and scold him. Bratty student, foolish, must have seen the wrong car.
The red light turned green, and traffic started to move forward.
Chi Xiaochi stood on his weak legs and walked back step by step.
The cold wind blew through him. He picked up his coat and schoolbag with his frozen-red hands and finally returned to the station alone. He picked up the math exercise book blown around by the wind, and the ballpoint pen, which rolled down in a tree pit on one side. He shook the dirt off and continued to work on the problem with his head down.
…
Chi Xiaochi left the hall and dashed along the corridor. When he was about to reach the kitchenette, he suddenly turned around and rushed back.
He pulled open the door of the hall, bracing his hands on both sides of the door, panting heavily.
And Lou Ying kept the same look he had when he looked at the door when he left. His expression and movements didn’t change a bit, but with a hint of surprise. “What’s the matter? Forgot to take something?”
Chi Xiaochi shook his head until he caught his breath. After taking a deep breath, he raised his head and said, “Don’t go anywhere.”
Lou Ying said, “I’m right here.”
Chi Xiaochi continued, “Don’t go anywhere.”
Lou Ying said, “Okay, I won’t go anywhere.”
Only then did Chi Xiaochi feel rea.s.sured. He closed the door and walked back on the road.
Over the years, how many silly things had he done, how many silly dreams had he had? He had sworn that he would never be fooled again.
But now he wants to be foolish again.
This time, Chi Xiaochi stayed in the kitchen at ease, cleaned the pot, decocted the medicine, and carefully tended the fire for the concoction, refusing to leave for half a step.
Duan Shujue was full of envy in his heart. He dipped his finger in the water and wrote on the side, “Sir, congratulations.”
Chi Xiaochi smiled happily. “Thank you.”
Duan Shujue wrote again. “I wish the two gentlemen a long and happy life together.
Chi Xiaochi tsked. “Child, you are ignorant, what are you talking about?”
Duan Shujue: “…Sir?”
Chi Xiaochi held a small palm fan and fanned the fire more vigorously. “He was very good to me before, so good that I thought he was interested in me. But I am relieved to know that he is Lou-ge. No wonder, Lou-ge always used to take such good care of me like this.”
Duan Shujue: “…This humble one doesn’t think that’s the case.”
“Give me a break.” Chi Xiaochi said confidently, “Have you ever been in love?”
Duan Shujue took some time to understand what Chi Xiaochi meant and then very cautiously and obediently said, not yet.
Chi Xiaochi said, “Coincidentally, I’ve never been in a relationship either.”
Duan Shujue, who was waiting to be taught life experience: “…”
Chi Xiaochi continued, “But I read a lot of books, so I won’t lead you astray.”
Duan Shujue: “…” Is that so?
Although the words were easy to say, Chi Xiaochi was still a little embarra.s.sed.
Previously, when he didn’t know 061’s ident.i.ty, he didn’t know how many times he said in front of him that he liked Lou-ge and liked him very much.
But Lou-ge has always treated him as an ignorant little brother. Even with his clones, he was taking care of him most of the time. There were occasional misfires, but there was no further indication.
Lou-ge indulged and spoiled him in the past, letting him do whatever he wanted.
…It’s not like he really liked him.
Chi Xiaochi wanted to be foolish for a while but didn’t want to be too imaginative.
Even in his best dream, Chi Xiaochi didn’t dare to dream of such a good thing.
Chi Xiaochi tapped the edge of the medicine jar with the small palm fan, thinking that when this mission was over, he had to find the opportunity to explain this to Lou-ge.
After tossing a pot of medicine into a bowl, Chi Xiaochi returned to the hall with the bowl in hand.
Lou Ying was waiting for him and didn’t leave.
This made Chi Xiaochi, who suspected everything was a dream, calm down. After feeding him the medicine, he went to attend to the fire to boil water, ready to wipe his body and bathe him.
Lou Ying thought about the shocking injuries on his body and was a little worried. He drove Chi Xiaochi, who intended to undress him, to the inner room so that he could add some conditioning medicine to the water.
The heat of the medicinal spring had a calming effect, and Chi Xiaochi’s spirit had been tense for three days. With the medicinal fragrance of the water vapor, his tiredness surged, and he fell asleep leaning against the inner screen while waiting for Lou Ying to enter.
When Lou Ying entered the inner room wearing loose and light underclothes, he successfully caught one Chi Xiaochi, who was sound asleep.
Seeing this, he was stunned for a while, then smiled and picked him up. He gently put him on the bed, took off his socks and outer robe, covered him with the quilt, and immediately sat down beside the bed, slightly panting and clutching the wound on his shoulder to endure the pain.
Duan Shujue took the opportunity to file a complaint and informed Lou Ying of Chi Xiaochi’s words and deeds in the kitchenette.
Lou Ying read Duan Shujue’s words, feeling angry and funny.
Where was the guy who kept saying, “Liu-laoshi, do you like me?” and “You must be trying to pick me up”?
However, despite being angry, Lou Ying didn’t find Chi Xiaochi’s thoughts challenging to understand.
He was still running away.
And this kind of escape mentality couldn’t be corrected instantly.
Lou Ying still had a bit of the bitter fragrance of the medicine in his mouth. Thinking of this, he lowered his head across his body and kissed the hair of the sleeping man, and there was a sweetness flooding up from the base of his tongue.
He smoothed out the hair around Chi Xiaochi’s ear, and his heart was soft.
It’s okay. There’s no rush.
“…You run away slowly, I will try to chase you as fast as possible.”