On the second day of the New Year, the two of them got up early in the morning and rushed to the airport. After flying for a while, a message came from He Aiyue, who had just woken up and was asking where they were.

He Aiyue: [Hurry back, we’re going to discuss whether to go hiking or see the ice sculptures.]

He Aiyue: [Oh, right! There’s a third option now, going to the snowy mountains to soak in the hot springs!]

He Chuzhou: [I choose option four.]

He Aiyue: [Where did a fourth option come from?]

He Chuzhou: [/location]

He Aiyue: [ ? ? ? ]

He Chuzhou: [Tell this to Mom: Your sons will not be joining you on the New Year’s tour. We’re on our way to Finland to see the Northern Lights.]

He Aiyue: [ ? ? ? ? ? ]

He Aiyue: [Damnit! You!]

He had a feeling there would be a string of unpleasant messages appearing in the chat box. He Chuzhou wisely turned off the notifications.

He put down his phone and gently leaned the swaying head next to him against his shoulder as a pillow.

Outside the window was a vast expanse of white clouds and bright sunshine.

A good sign, he thought with satisfaction.

Then he would just hope that this trip would be, um…..what he wanted it to be.

After more than ten hours of flight time, Pei Xi caught up on his sleep. He ate a delicious airplane meal, listened to his boyfriend talk excitedly about their travel itinerary after landing, then closed his eyes and successfully fell asleep again.

When he awoke again, the plane was circling the airport in preparation for landing.

It was 4:00 China time and 10:00 Finland time. Pei Xi looked out the window and saw a world covered in white snow. This was a rare visual treat for a person who seldom saw snow.

Of course, the temperature was also “a treat.”

“You’ve been planning this trip for a long time, haven’t you?”

Standing in the negative ten degree air, Pei Xi felt as if his mind was entirely refreshed: “The temperature in your hometown is so high, but you still brought so many sweaters and thick jackets.”

He Chuzhou gave him a thumbs up: “My wife is wise.”

Pei Xi: “Why did you want to come here all of a sudden?”

He Chuzhou: “Huh? Does there need to be a reason? Seeing the Northern Lights is just a whim.”

Pei Xi’s eyes narrowed. He Chuzhou blew out a breath and rubbed his hands together, then walked forward with his arm around the other person: “Aiyo, it’s so cold. Honey, look, my hands are about to freeze off. Take me inside to warm up.”

Pei Xi was hugged by him all the way inside. Perhaps his brain had frozen in the cold air. After thinking about it, he actually felt that it made some sense.

Watching the Northern Lights was indeed worthy of a sudden whim.

Phone cards, shuttle bus, hotel, and lunch – He Chuzhou had arranged everything. Pei Xi didn’t need to use his brain at all. He just had to follow He Chuzhou and accept his arrangements.

There was plenty of annual leave, so the two of them weren’t in a hurry to return home, and spent a day and a night lavishly adjusting to the jet lag and the icy weather here.

The next day, they slept until they woke up naturally, and ate a breakfast meticulously prepared by the hotel, then set off for the first stop of their journey. It was a must-see attraction in Rovaniemi – Santa Claus Village.

An hour later.

The two people stood in front of a wooden house covered in snow, watching in silence as another Santa Claus drove past them on a reindeer sleigh carrying three tourists.

The parents on the reindeer sleigh were so cold that their eyes were dull, devoid of the will to live. Only the child sitting between the two of them, covered up snugly, was cheering with hands raised.

“……”

“……”

“Xinxin, do you want—”

“No, I don’t.”

“Good. I don’t really want to either.”

With two votes, Santa Claus Village was directly passed by. The two bought some postcards at the store entrance to send back home. After He Chuzhou confirmed the route, their destination changed to the Christmas Park not far away.

The Christmas Park was built in an underground cave, with a distinctive theme. It could be said that there was a pervasive atmosphere of Christmas everywhere. The most important factor was that it wasn’t exposed to the wind and cold, so it was very suitable for a leisurely stroll.

He Chuzhou’s little SLR started out functional, but after taking a few photos, he started to regret not bringing his Polaroid camera. It would be perfect if he could send photos along with the post cards.

Pei Xi swept a dried Christmas flower across his brow: “Gege, need I remind you why you didn’t bring the Polaroid?”

He Chuzhou: “Huh?”

Pei Xi: “Because your suitcase was so full that there wasn’t even room for a bottle cap.”

“Really? I brought so much stuff?”

He Chuzhou recalled what he’d brought with him. When passing by a souvenir stand, he didn’t neglect to buy two reindeer ornaments: “I’ll give them to Xingxing and Yueliang, one per person. That is, one per dog and cat.”

While selecting some seasonal dried flowers, they met a French couple.

The other party was currently in intense conversation, and the main reason the two couples began interacting was because the blond-haired, green-eyed man said angrily in Chinese: “Fuck!”

“Fuck?” This sentence came from He Chuzhou.

The other two were very happy to hear that they were from China. They said that they loved China and were working hard to learn Chinese, excitedly endeavoring to communicate with them in the language.

However……

“Fertile, tender chicken not a pink drinking house, milk department jelly rice, yo. What fun to mix with here we are!”

Pei Xi: “……”

He Chuzhou: “……”

They looked at each other in silence, then back at the cheerful, talkative international friends who were speaking gibberish:

“I’m sorry, but what are you saying?” 

The pleasant Chinese exchange they had imagined was aborted. Pei Xi learned from them that they had just gotten married, and had taken special leave to come here for their honeymoon.

The one with green eyes was named Leo, and the one with blue eyes was named Wilma. It was evident that they were very much in love. When they showed the matching wedding rings on their fingers, their faces were overtaken by ecstatic smiles.

“What a coincidence. It’s the same for us.”

He Chuzhou replied thus: “Plus, it was just the Chinese New Year, so my wife and I wanted to take advantage of the holiday to see the Northern Lights.”

Leo and Wilma were very interested in both the Chinese New Year and the Northern Lights, and asked He Chuzhou many questions about them.

Pei Xi wasn’t a talkative person, and was absent-minded for a while as they chatted. He looked down at Leo and Wilma’s wedding rings, then at his and He Chuzhou’s bare knuckles.

Honeymoon…..?

Perhaps only Pei-calico would be able to confidently call this a honeymoon.

After saying their goodbyes, He Chuzhou and Pei Xi left the Christmas Park. It was snowing heavily outside the cave, and the world as far as the eye could see had become a snow globe.

But it was only suitable to be viewed from a warm room with a burning fireplace, so they quickly returned to the hotel room and took many pictures of the snow globe through the window.

The next two days, they maintained their leisurely schedule. Rather than a tour, it might be more appropriate to call it a vacation – although it was rare to go to the northern hemisphere on vacation during the winter.

The Northern Lights were a rare sight to behold. He Chuzhou had been paying attention to the aurora forecast, but to this day, there was still no definite news.

On the fourth day in Finland, they planned to visit the Aurora Museum. If they didn’t end up being able to see the actual Northern Lights, they could at least experience it at the museum.

On the way there, they passed by a Lutheran church. Coincidentally, a warm, exquisite wedding was taking place inside.

Pei Xi saw from afar that the two newlyweds were both tall, handsome men. Wearing clean white suits, they walked to the altar with the blessings of their relatives and friends, exchanged rings and vows, and kissed each other.

He Chuzhou was buying hot cocoa from a dessert window twenty meters away, and waved him over when they were ready.

Pei Xi turned back three times on the short journey until the scene entered his blind spot. When he could no longer see it, he withdrew his gaze and took the hot cocoa He Chuzhou handed to him.

“Do you like that church a lot?” He Chuzhou asked. “Then do you want to go over and take a look?”

Pei Xi shook his head: “No need. I just finished looking around, it’s not very big. Let’s go.”

The heat of the cocoa transferred through the paper cup to his palm, and Pei Xi just then remembered that he was standing in Finland, where same-sex marriage was entirely legal.

The Aurora Museum was really interesting. It told the history of Finland and the origin of the aurora, but Pei Xi was a little distracted. The hot cocoa went from hot, to warm, to cold, and only a small amount was gone.

It was actually very obvious that he was distracted, but He Chuzhou didn’t notice at all, as he was distracted for once too. 

While admiring the simulated aurora, He Chuzhou would occasionally reach into his pocket. He looked like he was going to take something out, but his expression was conflicted, hesitant, and indecisive.

In the end, he took his cell phone out of his other pocket. Biting his cheek, he refreshed the news over and over, waiting for a miracle to happen.

The two people had their own thoughts, and neither noticed the peculiarities of the other.

When leaving the experience center, He Chuzhou happened to see a message, and his expression turned overjoyed: “Honey, we have hope of seeing the Northern Lights.”

Pei Xi was about to respond, when two familiar voices sounded behind him. Wilma and Leo called out their Chinese names with distorted accents, striding happily toward them.

Fortunately, Leo consciously switched to English during the conversation: “There’s a good chance we’ll see the Northern Lights tonight. Have you signed up with an aurora-chasing group?”

He Chuzhou responded in the negative: “We just received news.”

Leo cheered: “Great, then come with us!”

Wilma: “We signed up with the best aurora-chasing group in Rovaniemi. And we heard that the chances of seeing the aurora tonight is seventy percent, so with the addition of their keen insight, we should have a one hundred percent chance!”

*

*

The aurora convoy set off at 8:30. After getting in the vehicle, Pei Xi discovered that there were more than their two groups, and more than one car.

There were six or seven of them in total, and others joined during their journey. It seemed there was a large number of tourists chasing the aurora tonight.

Everyone in the vehicle chatted excitedly in differently-accented English. He Chuzhou didn’t join in. He touched Pei Xi’s face to confirm his temperature, asking in a low voice if he was sleepy.

“Are you sleepy?” Pei Xi returned.

He Chuzhou: “You don’t understand my biological clock yet. I don’t sleep until the moon sleeps.”

Pei Xi smiled and squeezed his hand.

His fingertips were cold. He Chuzhou brought them to his mouth and blew on them, then rubbed them between his hands to warm them up.

Leo: “Some people make wishes on the Northern Lights. Is this the same as wishing upon a shooting star or cat whiskers? It’s rare for those wishes to come true.”

Wilma: “Maybe when the aurora appears, you can make a wish for a rainbow to appear outside the window tomorrow morning to test it.”

Leo: “Forget it, I’d rather wish for you to help me pick out every last black pepper in tomorrow’s breakfast.”

The driver laughed: “My friend from afar, if that’s the case, I would rather say that a wish made under the aurora will last as long as the ice and snow in the Arctic Circle.”

Pei Xi’s heart moved. He glanced up at He Chuzhou.

The latter grasped his fingertips and muttered to himself: “It has to come out, ah. Otherwise, this trip would be in vain…..”

Pei Xi: “Why would it be in vain?”

He Chuzhou: “Hm? It’s nothing, just that we’ve traveled so far in the freezing cold just to see the aurora. If we can’t see it, it would all be in vain.”

The process of aurora-chasing was not as smooth as expected. From 8:30 to 9:00, then from 9:00 to 10:00 and 10:30, they changed locations three times in total until they finally stopped upstream of a frozen river. 

There was an endless field of snow, with only dead branches left on the trees. Occasionally, the frozen surface of the water reflected a slight, flowing blue radiance.

Pei Xi sat slightly above water level and waited. He guessed that the aurora must have appeared here more than once, because there were wooden chairs built around the area that weren’t covered in snow.

He Chuzhou crouched beside the vehicle and asked the driver some questions, then quickly climbed up and sat next to Pei Xi.

The others gathered on the river below, extremely interested in the fish they could see swimming below the surface of the ice.

“Maybe we could add an aurora design to the aquarium,” Pei Xi said. “The aurora, the universe, and the ocean. Nobody could dislike that.”

“Makes sense. I’ll tell them when we go back.”

He Chuzhou took a thermal hand warmer from his pocket. He broke the small metal sheet inside, and the liquid began to solidify and emit heat.

He placed it in Pei Xi’s hands to keep them warm.

This thing was very convenient, but unfortunately very short-lived, and cooled down faster than a hot water bottle. But there was nothing to be done. People in the Arctic Circle didn’t seem to be afraid of the cold, and there were no hand warmers or hot water bottles to be bought, so he bought this item when he passed by the children’s toys area. 

It was Pei Xi’s first time seeing such a hand warmer. He turned it over in his palm, wanting to know what the hot substance inside was.

He Chuzhou looked toward the horizon and abruptly posed a question: “Xinxin, do you think the gods have national boundaries? Do they usually communicate with each other?”

Pei Xi looked up: “What?”

He Chuzhou: “If I make the wish I wished on the river lanterns again to the aurora, will it cancel out or be doubled?”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi: “Are you considering a job in theology?”

He Chuzhou laughed: “I’m just kidding.”

“Hey, guys, why are you up there?”

Wilma looked up at them and called out: “Want to come down and see the fish? There are a bunch of fat ones here. It seems like they’re waiting for the aurora too.”

He Chuzhou waved a hand in refusal: “No thanks, it’s freezing cold. I’ll get hungry if I look.”

Pei Xi noticed that He Chuzhou’s fingers were red from the cold and couldn’t help but frown, reaching out to warm them up. In the next second, He Chuzhou put his hand in his pocket, and the backs of Pei Xi’s fingertips hit something solid through the layer of down. 

It didn’t feel like a hand. The SLR camera was around his neck, and He Chuzhou didn’t usually put his hand in his left pocket, so Pei Xi asked: “What else did you bring?”

He Chuzhou: “Nothing, ah.”

Pei Xi: “Then what’s in your pocket?”

He Chuzhou moved his fingers through the cloth: “My hand, of course.”

Pei Xi didn’t believe him. He tried to reach into his pocket and feel around, but before he could even touch it, He Chuzhou suddenly bent over and said it tickled, covering his pocket to prevent it from being touched.

What a contrived performance.

Pei Xi was now completely certain that He Chuzhou was doing something behind his back, but what exactly it was, he didn’t know.

As he was dithering over whether to give up or pursue his curiosity to the end, the crowd below suddenly burst into an uproar. Pei Xi raised his head to see a green band of light floating and flaring silently in the sky.

The surprise came so suddenly that people were taken off guard.

The fish-watching crowd hurriedly took out their cameras and began to take pictures. With the sound of shutters clicking, they sighed over the natural phenomenon: 

“It’s a big flare-up. You’re so lucky, Dear.”

“I figured we wouldn’t be able to see it!”

“God, it’s like a floating green galaxy, stretching and curling!”

“Is it in the shape of the wind?”

“So beautiful! So novel! So spectacular! Wilma, look, the edges are purple!”

“I swear, this is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life!  An unparalleled view!”

“Oh my god, it’s so beautiful I forgot what I wanted to wish for.”

Pei Xi stared upwards unblinkingly. The gorgeous aurora meandered all the way across the sky to the polar horizon, the unique green light illuminating his preparations for reckless action.

As he listened to the crowd’s passionate exclamations, he felt his heart beating increasingly harder.

As a different-colored streak of light passed overhead, amid the grand scenery and loud exclamations, he clenched the cold hand warmer in his hands.

Filling his lungs with a silent breath of cold air, he closed his eyes and abruptly turned to He Chuzhou: “Let’s get married.”

He Chuzhou paused blankly mid-action.

Their eyes met, and Pei Xi slowly lowered his gaze to find that He Chuzhou had taken out a small black box at some point, silently extending it to him.

The ring had a blue pattern at the base, inlaid with gemstones that looked like a wave of pearls held up from the depths of the sea. It shone brightly under the aurora.

“……”

“……”

“I, um, prepared this.”

He Chuzhou scratched his head, feeling awkward: “Baby, how about you take yours back and let me ask?”

THE END

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T/N: Stay tuned for the extras!

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Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter 72 << Table of Contents >> Extra 1

Early in the morning the day before New Year’s Eve, He Chuzhou moved the previously packed luggage into the car.

Pei Xi wanted to help. He Chuzhou considered it, then hung a small, exquisite SLR camera around his neck: “You can help by taking pictures of your husband working hard.”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi raised the camera to capture this person’s inexplicable boasting.

“The temperature in my hometown is actually higher than in the city. I suppose the sweaters will be useless. Wait, they’re fine, they’re fine.”

“Fortunately, there’s snow in Wancheng. Although we won’t be able to see any when we go, we’ll still see wintersweet flowers all over the small hill.”

While He Chuzhou was putting the luggage into the trunk, he chattered to Pei Xi about their trip home.

“The food is pretty much the same as here, but it tastes better. Lots of delicacies from small places are unpalatable when they’re brought to big cities.”

“There are quite a lot of New Year’s customs, which can be a bit troublesome, but you should have fun seeing them for the first time.”

“Oh, right, there’s one more important thing.”

He clapped his hand and turned to Pei Xi, emphasizing: “Several of my uncles are alcoholics. Especially at New Year’s reunions, they won’t leave until they’re drunk. If they try to make you drink, don’t do it, just give it to me. Or we can just run away.”

“Don’t think it’ll be difficult to refuse a toast from an elder. In my family, we don’t have that elders-over-youth thing going on, so don’t even think about having a drink or two to show respect. The wine in my hometown is homebrewed, and the alcohol content is so high that you couldn’t even handle a sip.”

“Well…..if you really want to drink, I’ll be there. I’ll cover your mouth and take you back to the bedroom before you start attacking indiscriminately like last time. Oh, in that case, we’ll have to bring some condoms, otherwise you won’t be able to ravage me—”

Pei Xi pinched his upper and lower lips together, his cool features revealing some shame and anger: “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t bring that up?”

What made him despair wasn’t revealing his true colors after getting drunk, or waking up to discover that he didn’t have the habit of forgetting things after drinking, but that there was a person by his side who deserved a beating and repeatedly helped him recall his glorious deeds.

He Chuzhou’s eyes were curved in joy. He said nothing, just raising his hands in surrender. Only then did Pei Xi let him go.

He Chuzhou smacked his lips upon regaining his freedom. He originally didn’t plan to say anything, but when he saw Pei Xi’s red ears, he couldn’t help but comment: “Honey, will there be a next time?”

Pei Xi: “A next time for what?”

He Chuzhou: “Where you just sit on me and move yourself—aiyo!”

Pei Xi went around to the front of the car and got in, leaving He Chuzhou there alone, crying and hugging his leg where it was numb from being kicked.

Father and Mother He were leaving on the same day as them. The amount of luggage Mrs. Chu and He Aiyue had was frightening, so much so that their SUV couldn’t even accommodate three people. He Aiyue had to come over and ride with He Chuzhou.

Her parents left early to refuel, and He Aiyue waited at the door for her brother to pick her up. From a distance, they could see the young girl squatting there like a big red dumpling, frenetically playing on her cell phone.

He Chuzhou stopped the vehicle next to her and honked.

He Aiyue climbed in, not looking up until she finished what she was doing. Holding onto the passenger seat, she tugged on Pei Xi’s arm enthusiastically: “Pei-ge, Pei-ge, why haven’t you joined the group yet? Come on, I’ll pull you in to grab a red envelope!”

Without giving Pei Xi time to react, she pulled him into the [Loving Family] group chat. Pei Xi’s phone began to vibrate wildly.

Red envelopes interspersed with text messages flashed rapidly across the screen in the chat, and the notification of him joining the group was soon visible.

Pei Xi guessed nobody had noticed him. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, the chat was silent for two seconds before a string of exclusive red envelopes appeared. The words on the red envelopes were all warm welcomes to him for joining the group.

Pei Xi’s breathing stagnated as his introvert self was murdered through the screen.

He Aiyue cheerfully patted his shoulder: “You’ve made a fortune! Pei-ge, come and get it! The red envelopes from the uncles and aunties are huge!”

At somewhat of a loss, Pei Xi turned to look at He Chuzhou.

Driver Xiao He looked straight ahead with a smile on his face: “It’s alright, just accept them. If you don’t accept them, people will ask why you didn’t when we get there. Then they’ll turn around and pack an even bigger one with cash and force you to put it in your pocket.”

Pei Xi was frightened by the scene he described. After a moment of silence, he replied with a well-behaved ‘thank you’ and accepted the string of exclusive red envelopes.

The amount was indeed too large for New Year’s money, the smallest being 18,888.

He Aiyue had spent the previous night scrambling for red envelopes until midnight, then got up this morning to continue scrambling. She’d achieved less than six hours of sleep in total and was currently feeling sleepy, but she was reluctant to put down her phone. The dragons on the red envelopes turned into double images before her eyes.

The car stopped at a rest area on the way, and He Chuzhou got out to buy milk teas for them. He Aiyue grabbed hers and took a sip, eyes curving briefly as she waited for the next wave of red envelopes to rain down.

Pei Xi took the milk tea, and was about to retract his hand when his wrist was grabbed and pulled closer to the driver’s seat. He could guess what this reckless man intended to do, and with the knowledge that his sister was behind them, he automatically tried to evade.

“It’s okay, the kid fell asleep.”

He Chuzhou held his neck to prevent him from retreating, and kissed him while murmuring soothing words. It wasn’t until Pei Xi’s breathing became disordered that he released him. Tilting his head, he met a pair of sharp black eyes in the back seat.

Pei Xi: “……”

He Chuzhou’s mouth twitched: “Weren’t you asleep?”

“Nope, I’m just waiting for red envelopes.”

He Aiyue shrank her neck and accepted the red envelope that had just woken her up, then closed her eyes and lay back: “Okay, I’ll continue sleeping. Just pretend I don’t exist.”

Pei Xi glared at He Chuzhou, then sat back in the passenger seat and turned to look out the window with a red neck.

He Chuzhou touched his nose in disappointment and drove out of the rest stop, not daring to speak a word.

It was nearly a three-hour drive. His hometown was also in Wancheng, a port town that hadn’t been commercially developed. Built next to the water, the house’s white bricks and blue tiles were very picturesque.

It was located upstream of the river, and the Lantern Festival was held at the temple street downstream. Making use of a traffic jam, He Chuzhou pointed it out to Pei Xi: “See the red lanterns at the Guanyin Temple over there? It’s actually a bit far to walk, but you can take a boat and float straight down.”

Pei Xi rolled down the window and looked out. Layers upon layers blocked his view, and he could only see a little of it.

“It looks so good when it’s lit up at night!”

He Aiyue eagerly introduced it to Pei Xi: “They’re still getting ready today. There’s a stage that’s going to be set up, and it won’t start until the night of New Year’s Eve. We’ll come out and watch after the family reunion tomorrow night. It’ll be fun.”

“But Pei-ge, do you get seasick? I brought a friend before who was really seasick, and she puked from upstream to downstream.”

Pei Xi wasn’t sure. He had never been on a boat.

“If you don’t get motion sickness in a car or airplane, you probably won’t get seasick,” He Chuzhou comforted. “If you do, Grandma has motion sickness medication at home.”

There were a great many young people returning to their hometowns for the New Year. The roads in the town were narrow, and traffic was jammed for over half an hour. Once they arrived and parked in the courtyard, they were forced to offer sacrifices to the car. Grandma urged them many times, saying that the chicken blood was about to clot.

Pei Xi had never known of such customs.

When he was still young, he had followed Pei Yansong’s family to the southern city of Haicheng for the New Year, and only felt that he had changed residences for a short period of time. Other than the taste of the foods, nothing else had changed.

Once he grew up, he was no longer willing to follow them and force himself to fit in. He would rather stay alone in Wancheng, watching the lights of thousands of homes outside and the brilliant fireworks by the shore.

He felt no envy. After all, he had never experienced a normal New Year. It was nothing more than taking a short vacation, eating good things, and watching fireworks from a high location. Nothing special.

But this year was different.

He had a strong intuition that the New Year he spent here would be completely different than the past, something he had never experienced before.

It stood to reason that at his age, having gained so much social experience, it would be difficult for him to be interested in ordinary things. But in fact, he still found everything he saw and heard here very fresh and novel.

They used chicken blood and talisman paper to offer sacrifices to the car, lit candles and burned incense next to the white walls, placed a pig’s tail as an offering in the direction of the river, and let the children pass first when sweeping the dust in front of the door…..

He didn’t voice his curiosity, but the others could see it.

He Chuzhou participated in these rituals passed down by his ancestors, taking Pei Xi with him wherever he went.

A few people didn’t know what some of these things meant, so they took their wives to ask Grandma, who proceeded to talk for a long time. When they couldn’t understand after quite a while, the two of them exchanged glances and silently turned toward the kitchen to help make dumplings.

Glutinous rice balls were also being made, and some young children were given small handfuls of glutinous rice dough to play with. But He Chuzhou felt that making them required too few technical skills, and wanted to show off his ability by making dumplings in front of his wife.

Pei Xi naturally didn’t know how to make them, so he could only learn by following He Chuzhou step by step.

“A little flour won’t hurt.”

“Don’t add too much meat filling, otherwise the dumplings will explode in the pan before they’re cooked. And don’t add too little, or you won’t be able to get two bites out of it.”

“From here, go up like this and crimp the lace. See?”

“Right, rub the front two times like so.”

“The back point should be sharper, and the tail should be longer.”

“Add four legs to it and it’s a dinosaur, see? So cool!”

Mrs. Chu was rolling out dumpling wrappers nearby, and the more she listened, the more she felt that something wasn’t right. When she turned around, she saw that there were only a handful of dumplings on the tray. The rest were all strange-looking creatures with eyes and long legs.

He Chuzhou was still holding his dinosaur dumpling proudly in one hand. Pei Xi was seated next to him with a perplexed look on his face, holding a dumpling that looked like a steamed bun in one hand, and two floury legs in the other with no idea where to put them.

He Aiyue and Yun Ji were shrieking in delight and holding the dinosaur dumplings at different angles to take a slew of photos.

Mrs. Chu: “……”

Mrs. Chu: “Boss He, are you looking for death?”

Realizing that something was wrong, He Aiyue and Yun Ji put away their phones and fled.

He Chuzhou also knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to stay here long, and quickly retreated with Pei Xi: “Mom, we’ll eat what we made later, don’t overcook them for us. I’ll go call those outside to come back for dinner.”

The ones outside were some cousins who were still in primary school. It was rare for everyone to get together, but they’d gone out to have fun before their feet were even warm. They had bought some firecrackers and were throwing them everywhere. A dog bowl was blown away, and they received a scolding from the owner.

When He Chuzhou found them, they were squatting in a circle with their heads touching, studying how to put a small cannon into a pit and turn it into a mine.

They proceeded to chase each other toward the house, laughing and joking. One little brother dropped a small cannon from his unsteady arms, and He Chuzhou picked it up. He weighed it in his hand and planned to give it to Pei Xi.

“Be careful not to blow your hand off.” Pei Xi didn’t like these little safety hazards, always feeling that one would go off accidentally.

“Don’t worry, Gege is an expert.”

He Chuzhou didn’t smoke or carry a lighter, so he lit the firecracker using the blue incense that was still burning at the roadside.

The flying sparks turned out to be bigger than he’d imagined, causing the cannon to fall to the ground. He tried to kick it away, but missed.

A vein pulsed in Pei Xi’s forehead. Before he could do anything, He Chuzhou hastily pulled him away: “Even experts slip up occasionally. Run!”

There was a loud bang behind them. Pei Xi was startled, and his trust in He Chuzhou, the master of fireworks, dropped to zero.

However, he could just barely qualify as a dumpling-making master. Although he’d made a mess of it to show off his skills, none of them were overcooked or had the stuffing exposed, and they tasted pretty good.

The next day was New Year’s Eve. They heard it would be even busier than today and that they had to get up early, so tonight was a no-drinking night. After eating and cleaning up, everyone was sent upstairs to sleep and recharge their energy for tomorrow’s busy day.

One child was full of energy and couldn’t sleep, so he went to the yard to set off the fireworks they hadn’t hadn’t finished firing during the day.

He Chuzhou took Pei Xi back to their bedroom. Seeing as it was still early, he found a photo album in the desk drawer and let him flip through it to pass the time.

There were photos of him when he was very young. At that time, He Chuzhou was still a genuinely naughty brat.

Eight out of ten photos showed him getting smacked, and in two, he was about to be. He was so frightened by Mrs. Chu’s smacks that his neck shrank into his collar, but he still didn’t forget to make the V sign at the camera.

The collected photos went from cover to back, and the person in the photo grew younger as the pages turned. He Aiyue disappeared, and He Chuzhou became a small, bare-butted baby crawling on the floor.

His boyfriend looked very cute with his short arms and legs, and Pei Xi couldn’t help but want to look some more.

He Chuzhou was sitting cross-legged beside him, sending messages in the group. When he turned and saw him looking at just this one page, he quickly covered it with his hand: “Aiyo, give the child a little respect. Just look at these ones, okay?”

“No.” Pei Xi mercilessly pushed his hand away and carefully observed the naked child: “So it turns out you didn’t have a mole on your left butt cheek when you were a kid. Did it grow later?”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Thanks very much. It turned out he had a mole on his left butt cheek and didn’t even know it.

Pei Xi looked at his suddenly quiet boyfriend: “Are you shy?”

He Chuzhou rubbed his face: “It seems I am, a little bit. Look, am I blushing?”

Pei Xi touched his head and smiled: “Don’t be shy. In any case, I’ve seen every part of you.”

“En, that’s true.”

He Chuzhou put down his hand. While Pei Xi wasn’t paying attention, he abruptly turned and pushed him down on the carpet, grinning: “In any case, I’ve also seen every part of you. Oh, not only have I seen it, I’ve also kissed and bitten it. I know that when I bite the root of your thigh, you scream beautifully…..”

“He Chuzhou, stop talking!”

Pei Xi was once again defeated. He had to admit that he stood no chance of winning against this guy when it came to thickness of face.

The child in the yard was calling for assistance. He shouted at the top of his lungs for a long time before finally calling the two big brothers out to the balcony.

The younger brother who had just graduated elementary school waved vigorously at them and threw a box of fireworks upward with force, easily sending it up to their second floor balcony.

It was a box of fairy wands. He Chuzhou was endlessly amused, and leaned over the railing: “He Jiajia, you’re only giving me these?”

He Jiajia giggled and said: “There’s nothing wrong with giving a fairy a fairy wand.”

He Chuzhou: “Come here, I promise not to beat you.”

“I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about Xiao Pei-gege.”

He Jiajia pointed at Pei Xi beside him with a bit of embarrassment and then immediately covered his face with his scarf. This macho man was shy.

He Chuzhou went back to the room and found a lighter. Upon returning to the balcony, he opened the box and lit two fairy sticks, handing one to Pei Xi: “Here’s your award. Take it, Fairy-gege.”

Pei Xi really liked this firework. It was beautiful, safe, and didn’t explode. He gave it a perfect score.

When a breeze blew from the south, he subconsciously shielded it with his hand. He looked at it blankly for a moment before realizing that this kind of firework couldn’t be blown out.

He Chuzhou was struck by his cuteness, and suddenly called out: “Xinxin?”

Pei Xi turned his head, and He Chuzhou quickly pressed the camera button. The young man frozen in the picture looked a bit confused, wind ruffling his hair on one side as the sizzling firework illuminated the other.

How beautiful.

He Chuzhou set it as his new phone wallpaper and admired it with satisfaction.

*

*

Nighttime in the small town was exceptionally quiet. Pei Xi slept very soundly. When he woke up the next morning and opened the door, he was stuffed with red envelopes bearing the names of various unfamiliar elders. In this way, a chaotic day kicked off. 

They ate glutinous rice balls with red peanuts, held white and yellow chrysanthemums to worship the ancestors and the gods, and went home for lunch. Then they moved the fireworks to the yard and waited for the procession worshiping the Dragon God to pass by, gave out red envelopes, and then busied themselves preparing dinner.

The tables and chairs were moved to the courtyard, wine was placed on the tables, and the lively New Year vigil began from there.

The He family didn’t have a drinking tradition, nor did it require every child to hold a cup and toast the elders while offering auspicious words. Even moreso, they didn’t talk about work or urge marriage or childbirth, nor bring up various annoying topics.

Everything was perfect except for one thing: all of the uncles looked like the reincarnations of wine barrels.

He Chuzhou was seized and brought over to the table every year, but this year was different. He had brought someone home, so he had a good excuse to leave the table early and go to the Lantern Festival with his boyfriend and the younger generation.

The stalls in town were all set up at people’s houses, so that they could be open for business while eating New Year’s Eve dinner.

He Chuzhou bought lotus lanterns for everyone. He bought three for his wife, because he took into consideration that they might break when his wife played with them for the first time, so two extra were needed for scrap.

There were stone steps leading beneath an arched bridge to the river, where one could board a boat. One black-sailed boat could hold six people, and there were nine of them, so they required two boats.

He Chuzhou and Pei Xi fell behind and waited for the others to board first. The five little ones took the first boat. He Aiyue and Yun Ji considered themselves adults, and neither of them wanted to ride in the same boat as the chattering little brats, so they simply waited to get on the second boat with them.

After boarding, the two of them were determined not to be lightbulbs and tactfully went to the bow to fold their river lanterns, leaving the stern for the young couple.

It was Pei Xi’s first time riding on this kind of boat, and he felt a little unsteady when he first boarded. He Chuzhou held him and sat down near the water, patiently teaching him step by step how to fold the flat river lantern.

At this time, many young people had escaped from the drinking tables to watch the Lantern Festival, and there were many black-sailed boats along the river.

There were many folded river lanterns with lit wicks placed by the water, along with red lanterns hanging along both sides of the river, casting flickering reflections across the water.

Pei Xi was a slow learner, but he succeeded on his first attempt. When he lit it and was placing it into the water, he heard the sound of a young couple quarreling in the boat behind them.

“How are you so stupid that you can’t even fold a lantern?”

“It’s my first time doing this.”

“It’s lucky my dad isn’t here, or he’d be disgusted with you again.”

“Then don’t tell Uncle, I’ll learn.”

Something touched the palm of his hand. Pei Xi withdrew his gaze and found that there was another folded river lantern placed there.

“My wife is so smart. He learned it right away.”

He Chuzhou happily lit a lantern and told Pei Xi to light another.

Pei Xi bent down close to the water and placed the river lantern. With a gentle push, the lantern slowly floated a short distance and collided with other lanterns.

When the boat passed by the stage, they could hear the sound of singing. The people sitting in the audience were all elderly and wearing the same small, knitted hats. They listened with great enjoyment, nodding their heads.

“Aiya! He Jiajia!”

He Aiyue’s angry voice suddenly came from the bow: “Try that again and see if I don’t beat you to death later.”

Pei Xi looked over to find He Aiyue patting away the droplets of water on her head as He Jiajia made faces at her from the opposite stern: “Do it, do it — ah!”

Before he could finish speaking, Yun Ji splashed water into his face.

Yun Ji: “You got what you asked for.”

He Jiajia: “Enemy attack! You have no morals!”

He Aiyue felt better and made a face back at him: “Didn’t you just attack me? That means you have no morals.”

He Jiajia: “That’s called ‘there’s no limit to deception in war.’”

He Aiyue: “You deceived your sister. Is this how that word is used?”

He Jiajia: “Hmph, I’m going to put out your river lanterns.”

Yun Ji: “Then don’t even think about lighting yours.”

He Jiajia: “Brothers, follow Jia-ge, ah!”

He Aiyue rolled up her sleeves and said: “Get out of the way, Yun Ji! I’m going to soak him like a drowned chicken!”

A baffling water war began. He Chuzhou immediately took Pei Xi and moved a little farther away to avoid being affected.

The boat happened to pass by the white walls of houses. Pei Xi looked over, and his eyes suddenly lit up. Not far away, colorful lights were hung above the streets. Vendors gathered on both sides of the road, people coming and going with a lot of noise and bustle.

With a bang, the first fireworks of the night bloomed above their heads.

The first thing Pei Xi saw was the reflection of the fireworks spreading across the surface of the river. He turned his head to look up at the starry sky. Thousands of tiny sparks disappeared beneath the stars, soon replaced by more that rose into the sky and bloomed, illuminating this section of the river.

It was truly beautiful. Very pretty.

Pei Xi could boast that he’d seen much grander fireworks, but none were as beautiful as tonight’s.

Firelight fell into his heart and turned it molten. This was the first time he intuitively felt that the fireworks were not just fireworks, but contained infinite joy.

“Do you like it?” he heard He Chuzhou ask in his ear.

“En, I like it.” His surging joy didn’t allow him to hide or hesitate at all. He turned his head, eyes sparkling with fire: “Chuzhou, I really like it here.”

He liked the wind here, the water, the people, the lights, and the small boats. He liked the fireworks here, and the quietness, as well as the noise.

Pei Xi: “If it were possible, I’d really want to stay here forever.”

“Forever? That won’t work.”

He Chuzhou rubbed his head: “But it’s definitely okay to come back anytime. Have you decided where to go for the New Year?”

Mrs. Chu had asked them where they wanted to go for the second day of the New Year. Mr. He wanted to go hiking, but He Aiyue and Yun Ji weren’t interested in physical exercise. They would rather go to a northern city to view the ice sculptures.

Pei Xi: “Do you want to hike a mountain or see ice sculptures?”

He Chuzhou: “Only these two options?”

Pei Xi: “Weren’t these the only two mentioned?”

He Chuzhou: “That’s for them. I have a third option – how about it, do you want to go with mine?”

Pei Xi: “What is the option?”

He Chuzhou: “It’s…..”

He Chuzhou waited for the next round of fireworks to burst, then whispered as He Aiyue and Yun Ji were talking loudly: “Instead of going with them, let’s secretly go to northern Europe to see the Northern Lights.”

---

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Chapter 71 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 73

The frequency of Pei Xi’s episodes of confusion had decreased a lot, but they weren’t completely gone.

Sometimes when he woke up, he wondered how time had passed so quickly. He went to bed one night when the tree outside had half its leaves left, but when he woke up in the morning, it was completely bald and unsightly.

Breakfast was placed in the dining room, along with a mesh cover to prevent Xiao Yueliang from disturbing it.

Pei Xi saw someone in the study through a crack in the door. He heard some noises and figured they were busy, so he didn’t go in and disturb them.

He sat quietly at the dining table and finished his breakfast, cleaned up, and only pushed the door open when he didn’t hear further conversation in the study.

“Chuzhou, are you still busy?” he asked.

There was a clear difference in his demeanor and tone between when he was in his right mind and when he wasn’t. He Chuzhou saw through his current state at a glance and hooked a finger at him with a smile: “Xinxin, come in.”

Pei Xi walked over, and He Chuzhou picked him up and set him on his lap: “Take a look, which of these options do you like best?”

On the computer were the design documents for the aquarium, with pages that could be flipped through. There were five or six of them in total, each with a different structure and theme.

Pei Xi: “You’re building an aquarium?”

He Chuzhou: “Yeah, I bought a piece of land and it seems like a good fit. I’ll build it as you like.”

Pei Xi nodded. He compared several designs back and forth before finally choosing the universe and starry sky theme: “I like this one.”

The colors of the sky and sea matched perfectly, the starlight and waves shining together. In such an environment, schools of fish seemed to be swimming through the vast universe, shocking the imagination.

He Chuzhou: “Okay, that one it is.”

“……?” Pei Xi stared blankly: “You’ve decided just like that?”

He Chuzhou: “How else would I decide?”

Pei Xi: “I don’t understand these kinds of things. Isn’t it too careless to let me make the decision?”

“It’s not careless, ah. Isn’t the wedding dress chosen by the bride herself?”

Pei Xi didn’t get it: “What?”

“Nothing.” He Chuzhou smiled and scrolled back to the first page of the designs. “Do you not like this one? I was initially going to choose it.”

Pei Xi looked back at the computer. When he saw the design He Chuzhou had chosen, he choked up. “……You like this one?”

The overall design was pink and white, with decorations that consisted mainly of crystal pendants and bows. The floor tiles were patterned like a Mysterious Girl magic circle, and the arches connecting each venue were in the shape of large, bright red hearts.

He Chuzhou: “I like it, ah. Isn’t it pretty?”

Pei Xi: “How did you convince the design team to draw this for you?”

He Chuzhou: “I didn’t. It’s just that this designer was in a good mood because of a recent happy event. He and I had a lot to talk about, and we agreed on the same things.”

Pei Xi: “What happy event?”

He Chuzhou: “He just got married.”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi: “The two of you shouldn’t be so romantic. It’ll affect other people’s work.”

He Chuzhou’s eyes curved in a smile. Suddenly, he raised a hand to touch his ear: “You heard all that, right? Just go with Plan 3, no need to worry. Send me a more detailed plan for the design later. That’s all, meeting adjourned.”

Pei Xi stared at him blankly, eyes wide: “You’re still in a meeting?! Then you—”

He Chuzhou didn’t wait for him to finish. He pushed the laptop aside and picked Pei Xi up, placing him on the desk. Then he lowered his head and kissed his collarbone where a mark had not yet disappeared: “It’s over. I’m about to start doing something excessive now.”

Pei Xi: “ ? ? ? ”

Pei Xi struggled in a panic: “No way, it’s still daytime. And this is the study…..”

His refusal was like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot. Even at the moment of rebuff, he felt a chill on his legs. 

He Chuzhou bit the back of his neck. In contrast to his increasingly excessive actions, his tone was pitiful: “Xinxin, you’ve been ill for so long, and I haven’t eaten meat in a long time. If I hold back any longer, I’ll get sick.”

Pei Xi couldn’t resist such a tone. His heart softened, and he hesitated: “But I’m still not well…..”

“You’re well.” He Chuzhou’s fingertips penetrated his clothes. When Pei Xi’s waist softened, he grabbed him in a timely manner and leaned him against his body, laughing softly: “You’re just fine. This is your proof.”

The braid-addled Pei Xi believed He Chuzhou’s lie that he was about to starve to death. Even though he was made so miserable that there wasn’t a single piece of good skin left on his body, he was reluctant to tell him to stop.

As a result, the entire morning was inexplicably wasted. When he awoke in the afternoon from an exhausted sleep, a head immediately pressed into his arms. 

“Sorry, Honey. I was wrong.”

“I forgot that you would remember once you woke up……”

Pei Xi was silent for a long time. Feeling his anger build, he raised his left hand and smacked He Chuzhou on the head.

*

*

At the end of the month, Wancheng welcomed its first snow. The year was drawing to an end.

He Chuzhou was bringing his boyfriend home for the New Year. He was so happy that he started packing their luggage two weeks in advance, stuffing two large suitcases full of inexplicable things.

The more he packed away, the more he felt like something wasn’t right, so he took everything out and packed them again, and two large suitcases became three.

Pei Xi couldn’t be bothered to say anything, and simply let him be.

However, there was something important he had to do. He needed to go to the neighboring city and visit his grandfather before the New Year.

This winter was particularly cold, which wasn’t easy on the elderly. When they went, the old man was in a room on the second floor, having a routine checkup with the family doctor. They waited in the living room for over half an hour before going up.

The old man appeared very energetic, and grinned ear-to-ear when he learned that Pei Xi was going back to He Chuzhou’s hometown to celebrate the New Year.

He really hadn’t wanted Pei Xi to go back and spend the holiday with Pei Yansong’s family. It would be boring and tasteless, and he would be wronged. If Pei Xi wasn’t going somewhere else, he would definitely invite him over here for the New Year.

But he wasn’t sure Pei Xi would be willing. Because this year, in addition to them, there was…..

“Xinxin,” Shen Congfeng said carefully, “Your mother is back. She wants to see you if possible…..”

“No need.”

Pei Xi smiled: “There are a lot of matters to deal with at the company at the end of the year, and Chuzhou still has work to do. We can’t stay long, so it’s better not to waste time.”

They chatted with the old man for a while and asked the caretaker to look after him well, then the two of them went downstairs and out the gate of the villa. As they were being led to the parking lot by the housekeeper, a young boy suddenly ran over and blocked Pei Xi’s way.

He looked to be around eight or nine years old, holding a half-deflated balloon as he looked curiously at Pei Xi. His large eyes were fifty percent similar to Pei Xi’s: “Are you my gege?”

Pei Xi was taken aback, and subconsciously asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Chen Xiaofan,” the little boy said. “I’ve seen you in photos on my mom’s phone. You’re my gege, right?”

Pei Xi hadn’t previously known whether Shen Xi had formed a new family, but the answer was now in front of him.

He sized up the little boy before him and shook his head indifferently: “I’m not. You’ve got the wrong person.”

The little boy didn’t believe him. He started to say something else, but the person he firmly believed was his brother didn’t give him time to speak again, walking straight past him along with the person at his side.

He didn’t understand why his brother wouldn’t talk to him, and stood there blankly, gazing after his receding figure. The small balloon fell out of his arms, and he squatted down to hold it.

“Xiao Fan.”

Shen Xi came over and said: “Why are you playing alone at the door? It’s dirty here, come in quickly.”

Chen Xiaofan pointed into the distance: “Mama, look. That’s my gege, but he ignored me when I talked to him.”

Shen Xi was startled, and immediately looked up. She couldn’t help but straighten up when she caught sight of that figure, but her feet seemed to have grown roots, and she couldn’t take a step.

“That’s my gege, I’m not wrong.”

Chen Xiaofan stood up holding the balloon, distressed and frustrated: “He’s exactly the same as the picture on Mama’s phone. But why won’t Gege acknowledge me? Mama, did you not show my photo to Gege?”

Shen Xi had no words. She could only stand there in silence, staring at that figure until he got into a vehicle and left.

He Chuzhou saw the two people in the rearview mirror as he drove, one big and one small. He glanced at Pei Xi in the passenger seat, who was silently looking out the window.

He knew Pei Xi had seen them too. The side mirror reflected them clearly.

The vehicle turned prematurely after 200 meters, and the two figures completely disappeared from sight. He Chuzhou said a little aggrievedly: “Honey, you misremembered my schedule.”

Pei Xi returned to his senses and turned his head: “What?”

He Chuzhou: “You told Grandpa I have things to do, but I obviously don’t have work today.”

Pei Xi’s eyelashes trembled: “I was only—”

He Chuzhou: “You have to make it up to me.”

Pei Xi: “Make it up to you……how?”

He Chuzhou winked at him: “By going for a drink with me. How about it?”

He Chuzhou took him to a bar in Wancheng where the environment was very good. The music wasn’t too loud, and most importantly, smoking wasn’t allowed indoors. He Chuzhou was very satisfied with it.

Aware that his wife couldn’t drink much, he ordered colorful low-alcohol cocktails that looked even better under the lights.

He just didn’t expect that his wife’s alcohol tolerance was even worse than he’d thought. After just a few glasses, his eyes began to lose focus.

“Are you drunk?” he asked in amusement.

Pei Xi mentally analyzed the meaning of these words, then shook his head slowly: “No.”

He Chuzhou was about to speak further when a provocative-dressed beauty came over with a glass of wine and flirted charmingly: “Handsome guy, would you like a drink?”

He Chuzhou leaned back to avoid her outstretched hand. Before he could open his mouth, Pei Xi answered in his stead with a cold expression: “He has a wife.”

“What? Coming to a place like this when you have a wife?”

The beauty immediately revealed her disdain and turned her attention to Pei Xi: “Then would this handsome guy like a drink?”

Pei Xi: “I’m his wife.”

The beauty: “…….”

The beauty cursed as she left, and He Chuzhou’s shoulders shook with laughter. He couldn’t drink anymore, so he just took the bill and went home.

Pei Xi’s phone rang on the way there. It took him a long time to take out the phone, and he stared at the caller ID for an equally long time, so long that He Chuzhou couldn’t help but lean over and take a look for him: “It’s your dad. He probably wants you to go home for the New Year. Are you going to accept?”

Pei Xi swiped down to answer the call.

In order to prevent the drunken Pei Xi from feeling uncomfortable in the car, He Chuzhou asked the driver to slow down and opened a window. It was very noisy outside. He Chuzhou couldn’t hear the voice on the phone, and could only hear Pei Xi’s calm tone: 

“I won’t go. Seeing you annoys me.”

“Yes. Pei Zhen is annoying, Jiang Ting is annoying, and you’re annoying too.”

“You know, you look like a crazy old duck when you yell at people.”

“I have nothing to be ashamed of. You’re not afraid of losing face, marrying a woman who could be your daughter when you have wrinkles all over. Isn’t it nauseating? Are you really not afraid of being laughed at for being impotent in bed?”

He Chuzhou was stunned silly when he heard this.

…..With such fighting power, was this still his introverted, taciturn, quiet wife?

After arriving home, he got out of the car in a daze and lifted out the person in the passenger seat, calling uncertainly: “Xinxin?”

Pei Xi hummed in his arms.

He Chuzhou: “Do you remember where we went during the day?”

Pei Xi: “Didn’t we go to see Grandpa?”

Oh, good. This was his proper wife for sure.

His drunk wife was so funny. He Chuzhou teased him all the way. When he reached the living room and was about to carry him into the bedroom, his cell phone rang. It was Wu Qing.

Pei Xi was unwilling to be put down, so He Chuzhou simply directed him to take his cell phone out of his pocket.

Pei Xi answered the phone. He didn’t put it to his ear, but turned on speakerphone and interrupted Wu Qing as soon as he began to speak: “No appointment, scram. You’re a decades old person and have nothing else to do but call someone else’s boyfriend in the middle of the night? Do you not have your own husband? If you don’t, then go get one. If you come onto my husband again in the middle of the night, I’ll punch you in the head.”

Wu Qing: “……”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou: “No appointment, Bro. My wife drank too much tonight and his s-type attribute exploded. He’ll probably forget about this in the morning. Have some patience, hahahahaha!”

After saying this, he freed one hand and hung up the phone.

In the next second, Mrs. Chu called.

Pei Xi got off He Chuzhou and was about to answer the call, but He Chuzhou hung up again.

Picking up was not a good idea.

Pei Xi frowned unhappily: “You hung up on Mom?”

He Chuzhou: “……”

This should be a simple rhetorical question, not a scolding, right?

He Chuzhou: “No, Mom didn’t call for a specific reason, just to remind us……that we should bathe!”

“Bathe…..”

Pei Xi chewed on this word. His brow relaxed, and he hooked He Chuzhou’s collar and walked toward the bedroom. “Together.”

He Chuzhou wanted nothing more than to go along with him without a struggle. He Xingxing followed them with a wagging tail and was locked outside the bedroom. 

Pei Xi particularly enjoyed using declarative sentences tonight. With an imperative tone, he ordered He Chuzhou to start the hot water, take off his clothes, and carry him to the bath. He pressed his fingertips against He Chuzhou’s chest to prevent him from touching him, but Pei Xi himself unscrupulously played around in the water, pressing against him either lightly or heavily.

He Chuzhou was about to explode. He forced himself to follow his wife’s instructions to stay still, other than the occasional whining and begging for his wife to press against him harder.

In the end, Pei Xi was carried out of the bathroom with a calm and composed look on his face. On the contrary, the person carrying him had unsteady steps and was exactly like a shrimp just plucked from hot water.

He Chuzhou set him down on the bed, then lay face-down on the blanket and didn’t move. He was overly excited and needed to calm down.

Pei Xi regarded him for a moment, then opened the bottom drawer by the window with his foot. He took out a stack of something from inside, then turned around and gently rubbed He Chuzhou’s lower back.

The latter immediately flipped over. Pei Xi sat on his hips and observed his beautiful, smooth, tight abs. Satisfied, he dropped a box of something on his chest and said: “You’re not allowed to sleep until you finish these.”

After saying this, he narrowed his eyes slightly when the other’s breathing grew rapid, and softly tapped his fingertips over his heart: “Behave yourself. I’m going to be on top tonight. I’ll do it myself.”

With the sound of static, He Chuzhou’s head exploded!

He grasped Pei Xi’s fingertips, eyes flashing with unprecedented excitement: “Damn. Honey, you’re so hot.”

“Face me head on!”

---

T/N: I’m releasing the last three chapters at once! Enjoy!

---

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Chapter 70 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 72

Qin Yu trembled all over as he was pressed down, but gritted his teeth and said: “Instinctual pleasure is nothing. Are you, He Yundu, still short of people around you? Just find someone to accompany you.”

He Lan paused. The force of his grip lessened, and Qin Yu seized the opportunity. He turned around and pushed He Lan away, but when he looked up, he was stunned.

The He Lan in front of him was different than before. He seemed to have been dealt a heavy blow at this moment and was momentarily unable to digest the damage, his eyes turning red.

This image of He Lan was something Qin Yu had never before seen or imagined.

He was He Yundu, a playful, frivolous, willful, and overbearing man.

Qin Yu’s heart ached, but he turned his face away and said without mockery: “He Lan, perhaps you don’t understand your feelings for me at all. We were brothers, and only became entangled by happenstance. That kind of stimulation was novel to you, like you couldn’t put it down because you hadn’t had enough. I’m now considered a half-fugitive in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and you’re the famous deputy commander of the Jinyiwei. You are a noble in the capital, and I’m an exiled eunuch. There is no possibility of anything between us, so don’t mention affection.”

At this point, Qin Yu gave a bitter smile. He was a base person, and had come here knowing that he would meet He Lan. Knowing clearly that He Lan was stubborn and would not easily let him go, he still delivered himself to him.

Perhaps he was also unable to let go, and wanted to see He Lan one last time. From now on, there was really no need for them to see one another again.

He was just a lowly eunuch, not even a complete man. He was lucky enough to be his brother.

Being saved by He Lan and having this kind of relationship with him for a short time was a blessing from heaven. He wasn’t greedy. Why should he drag He Lan into the water with him? He Lan had a bright future.

No matter how Qin Yu usually scolded He Lan, he still felt inferior deep down.

Suddenly, He Lan said in a hoarse voice: “Don’t you understand what I’m saying? I’m saying that I like you, and there won’t be anyone else at my side except for you!

Qin Yu was taken aback. He looked up at He Lan, and his gaze became resolute. Leaning against the windowsill, he suddenly reached down and untied his belt, taking off his clothes in front of He Lan.

He Lan was initially struck dumb, and then his expression turned extremely ugly.

“Forget it, I won’t argue with you. Do as you please.” Qin Yu was somewhat mentally prepared – if he really met He Lan and the other wouldn’t let him go, he would just enjoy it. This was the last time, after all. 

He Lan’s eyes were fierce, and he laughed almost cruelly: “Qin Zichuan, you’re really the best at angering me. What? You want to disappear after spending one night with me again? What exactly do you think of me? You really are good at insulting people.”

After saying this, he turned to face away from Qin Yu.

Qin Yu stared. Did this mean he was being rejected?

Fingers shaking as he pulled his robes together, Qin Yu couldn’t tell exactly how he felt. He was a little embarrassed, but said: “If you don’t want it, just get out.”

Did he not want it anymore? This was obviously the only thing he could give him.

He Lan said: “Heh, how could I not want you? I want you even in my dreams. You just don’t understand.”

Qin Yu slowly raised his head to stare at He Lan’s almost desolate back.

He Lan said in a forlorn tone: “This is my first time falling in love with someone, and you don’t believe me? When events happened last year, I wanted to go with you, but it couldn’t be done. For Zhanyuan and the others, I had to stay in the capital.”

“Do you know why I asked Zhanyuan to bring you messages, and let you come find me instead of me seeking you out?”

Qin Yu was frozen. His eyes flickered slightly.

“Because I wanted to give you the opportunity to choose. Because I don’t know how you feel about me. One year. I waited for one year. I wanted to wait for you, so that I would know that I wasn’t just being hot-headed. If I were to catch you, it would be the complete opposite. I don’t want our relationship to be limited to sex.”

Stunned, Qin Yu took an involuntary step forward. He didn’t know that He Lan had put so much thought into it. Given He Lan’s free and easy personality, how could he be this unwilling to let go?

“This past year, I did a lot of things other than waiting for you. I didn’t seek power or promotion in the capital – I just tried my best to help erase all traces of you and Zhanyuan. It will be even more difficult than climbing to heaven for anyone to find the two of you again after that year.”

Qin Yu’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected this. After all, he had only heard about He Lan’s promotion.

“This year, I have indeed become the emperor’s new favorite, and many people want to marry their daughters to me,” He Lan spoke again.

Qin Yu paused mid-step and returned to his senses. That’s right, Bai Su had also said that. He ought to get married and have children. They didn’t have a relationship like Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie. There was no need for He Lan to…..

“But if you returned to the capital once, you would be aware of the rumors about me. I tell every woman who likes me that I have someone in my heart, that he is a man, and I’m a cutsleeve. That I will only marry him in the future. My uncle beat me up several times, but it didn’t make me obedient.”

He Lan spoke in a murmur. This was totally unlike his usual self. Such an aggrieved narration of his friendship and dedication flustered Qin Yu. 

He didn’t know how to respond. He had liked He Lan and secretly watched him for so long, but he had never seen him like this.

“I’ve already resigned from my position in the capital, and I have no plans to go back. If I was still unable to meet you here, I had made up my mind to search for you all over the world.”

Qin Yu couldn’t stop shaking all over. He never could have imagined that He Lan would do this for him. He Lan was really……Qin Yu was caught in a storm of complex emotions, being blown endlessly around until he was disoriented and didn’t know what to do.

He Lan said with deep feeling: “Even if you don’t have me in your heart, I couldn’t let you go.”

“He Lan, you……” Qin Yu’s voice had become hoarse.

But He Lan sucked in a deep breath, and his shoulders trembled as if he was about to cry.

“But I can give up now. It turns out that you really don’t like me at all. You only want to avoid me, guard against me, and get rid of me. It was me who made up the affection between us. Qin Zichuan, I won’t bother you anymore. I’m leaving now. I won’t appear in front of you ever again.”

When He Lan finished speaking, Qin Yu felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. He stood there in shock, his clenched fists unknowingly shaking. Since childhood, his heart had been trained to be cold and hard. He could be habitually indifferent even when facing the person he secretly loved, but at this moment, he felt heartbroken.

He saw He Lan’s tall figure walking out without looking back, but every step he took was difficult, and he staggered as if he couldn’t bear the pain.

Had he really hurt He Lan so much?

He Lan didn’t look back, and where Qin Yu couldn’t see, his expression was ferocious. It took every bit of his patience not to tie the person behind him to the bed and fulfill his promise, making sure that the man couldn’t get out of bed until he surrendered and agreed.

But now, Qin Yu’s appearance hadn’t changed at all. He also understood that if they went through with it, they would just be repeating the past. He could only possess Qin Yu for a short while with this method, not for a lifetime. How could he just want to be with him for a short time?

So he had to change his approach and do the opposite in order to capture this cold snake.

He just didn’t believe that this cold-blooded creature couldn’t be warmed up!

But after walking a few steps, there was still no movement behind him. He Lan couldn’t help but panic. Could it be that Qin Yu was really so heartless? Since he didn’t like Huo Fenglie, he must like He Lan a little bit, ah! Had he really made the wrong judgment and dropped a stone on his own foot?

“Stop me now, ah!” He Lan muttered to himself. The moment he pushed open the door, He Lan had already made up his mind. If Qin Yu didn’t react when he stepped out, then don’t blame him for settling for the next best thing. If he couldn’t obtain his heart, he would possess this person forever and not let Qin Yu’s body separate from him. He didn’t believe that there was no way to open the man’s heart!

Just as He Lan was viciously pondering his revenge plan, there was suddenly a strong breeze behind him.

He Lan paused, feeling a weight on his back. Someone was hugging him from behind.

His heart finally fell back into its original place. He Lan’s face filled with ecstasy, and his body shook with excitement, but he couldn’t help wanting to get more.

“If you don’t like me, don’t hug me. I, He Yundu, am not so cheap as to let you play with my feelings.”

“……Like.”

Even though Qin Yu’s voice was naturally cold, it carried a hint of aggrieved tenderness at this moment. He Lan, who had just calmed down, was instantly stimulated by the sound of it.

“W-what did you say?” He Lan’s voice was unsteady.

“It wasn’t Zhanyuan who saved me as a child. It was you. The person I like has always been you, He Yundu. Do you really……want me?”

Qin Yu buried his head in He Lan’s back, as if he couldn’t face the things he had said and done on impulse. If he had been more sober tonight, he would have let He Lan leave, but he had eventually lost all self-control. He thought he was drunk.

He was like a venomous snake that had lost its fangs, and no longer had the ability to protect itself.

Suddenly, the person in front of him turned around and embraced him. The extreme, overwhelming force of the hug seemed to be trying to embed him into the other’s body, and a kiss came down like a fierce wind.

Qin Yu could no longer speak. He Lan held Qin Yu with one arm, pulled down his own belt, then hooked his foot on the door and slammed it shut. Twisting around, he pushed Qin Yu against the door.

He Lan’s patience had truly reached its limit. He was like a person in the desert taking their first sip of water.

When the door could no longer bear the weight, He Lan said in a hoarse voice: “Zichuan, you’re mine. You can’t run away anymore.”

Qin Yu’s eyes seemed weak and unable to focus. He hugged He Lan’s shoulders and gave a soft hum.

Where Qin Yu couldn’t see, the corners of He Lan’s mouth curled up. He lifted Qin Yu up and carried him to bed, where he would fulfill his promise.

The eagle had finally caught the snake! He would take it back to his nest and enjoy it slowly.

This night, it was as if He Lan had taken an aphrodisiac for the first time. As if to punish Qin Yu, no matter how much he couldn’t bear it, begged for mercy, or even was made to cry, He Lan thoroughly fulfilled his promise.

In a daze, Qin Yu finally realized something was wrong, but in the next second, he was drawn into He Lan’s rhythm and was unable to dwell on it.

When the mighty Qin Yu was rendered unconscious, it was already daybreak. He Lan took out a special torture device of the Jinyiwei, the Thousand Mechanism Lock, and locked their wrists together.

It seemed there would be no need to go out these days.

Leaving aside the fierce combat here, Huo Fenglie fed porridge to the starving Liu Zhenqing when he returned.

Liu Zhenqing ate until he was full and had some strength, and took the initiative to pull Huo Fenglie into bed.

The light in Huo Fenglie’s eyes was deep and gentle. They were going to continue their wedding night.

However, Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Er-gou, shall we play something else?”

Liu Zhenqing was more open-minded in this regard than Huo Fenglie, and it was always he who drew Huo Fenglie to play. The other could only nod shyly.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes slowly narrowed, and he smiled maliciously. This sort of expression immediately gave Huo Fenglie a bad feeling.

His hands were tied to the headboard. This was fine. They had played it before.

Huo Fenglie knew that Liu Zhenqing wanted to take the lead, so he cooperated. However, Liu Zhenqing sometimes agitated him on purpose, leaving Huo Fenglie with no choice but to endure it.

But this was all within his tolerable range.

Just as he was lost in thought, he saw Liu Zhenqing take the Rubik’s Cube beside him and dangle it in front of Huo Fenglie. This was irregular.

Huo Fenglie stared blankly.

“Have you memorized it?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Before Huo Fenglie could answer, his eyes were blindfolded and the Rubik’s Cube was placed in the hands that were tied above him.

“Qing-ge?” Huo Fenglie asked in confusion.

“Little thing, you dared to lie to me. You’re pretty good with the Rubik’s Cube, aren’t you? Solving it blind shouldn’t be difficult for you. Just solve it well and return it to its original state, and the game will be over. Otherwise, I won’t make you feel good.”

This kind of childish game could usually be completed in a few seconds, but it was simply impossible for Liu Zhenqing to make him twist blindly in this situation. But since Qing-ge had spoken, he had to obey.

Huo Fenglie could only try with shaking hands to solve it as soon as possible. He was made to apologize for deceiving him in the past, and in the end, he had to endure…..

After some time, Liu Zhenqing looked at the Rubik’s Cube that had been returned to its original state. Huo Fenglie asked in hoarse voice: “Did I get it?”

Liu Zhenqing’s breathing was slow, and his movements were gentle. For him, this was a slow, easy pleasure, but for Huo Fenglie, it was torture.

“Nope. Try again.” With a click, the Rubik’s Cube became irregular again.

In the end, the Rubik’s Cube wasn’t solved, but Liu Zhenqing made him lose his mind. For the first time, he was disobedient and rough for a while, asserting his authority as husband.

The candles in the bridal chamber never went out.

The sun was rising above rolling waves and a pavilion on a quiet coastline.

Huo Fenglie came to this place, carrying an unconscious Liu Zhenqing. He sat down, wrapped this person up in a blanket, and held him in his arms.

He then said: “Qing-ge…..”

He had promised Qing-ge last night that he would take him to see the sunrise. It was supposed to commemorate their marriage.

Liu Zhenqing had just slept for a while and was a little grumpy when he woke up. He gave Huo Fenglie a hard smack, but then he smelled the scent of the seaside and opened his eyes.

He immediately saw the beautiful scene of the sun rising, its brilliant light soon dying the sea breeze.

Reclining leisurely in Huo Fenglie’s arms, Liu Zhenqing said: “From now on, let’s watch the sunset. I can’t get up at sunrise.”

Huo Fenglie responded affectionately, “The sunset in the desert is the most beautiful.”

“We’ll go and live in the desert after a while,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile. “This is the life I wanted. Everywhere is home, as long as you’re by my side.”

Huo Fenglie could only tighten his embrace and lower his head to kiss the person in his arms: “Wherever Qing-ge wants to go, that’s where we’ll go. This is also the life I originally wanted.”

Liu Zhenqing suddenly said with a smile, “I heard from Junior Sister that you wanted to be my personal bodyguard before, so you should naturally follow me wherever I go.”

Huo Fenglie said, ill at ease: “En, I wanted to be your bodyguard at first, but later I just wanted to be your husband.”

Holding back his laughter, Liu Zhenqing said: “If there hadn’t been so many difficulties in the past, I feel like you wouldn’t be my bodyguard or my husband.”

Huo Fenglie froze, suddenly anxious over Liu Zhenqing’s hypothesis: “Why not?”

“You have so much talent, how could you just be my bodyguard? Even if your brother agreed, the Huo family and the court wouldn’t go along with it. If you didn’t become a general, you would have had to become a top scholar and enter the court. As for a husband…..” Liu Zhenqing thought for a moment, then said with a smile, “If there hadn’t been so much delaying me, by the time you were old enough to be with me, I’d probably have been married and had children at my age.”

Liu Zhenqing made a thorough analysis. If the crown prince hadn’t died, Great Zhou would have been stable. Although he and his junior sister had broken off their engagement, they were too old to delay for too long. He was ten years older than Huo Fenglie, so he wouldn’t have been able to wait for his confession. It was impossible for either of Huo Fenglie’s wishes to become reality.

He had only said this casually, but he noticed Huo Fenglie’s silence and turned to find him with a desolate look on his face. Liu Zhenqing was shocked, and said hurriedly: “What’s wrong? Er-gou, Baby, everything’s fine.”

Huo Fenglie suddenly said: “So if everything was peaceful and sound, you wouldn’t have fallen in love with me or accepted my confession, is that right?” 

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly, then pinched Huo Fenglie’s straight nose with an amused look: “What are you thinking, Baby? You’re this upset about a hypothetical question?”

“It’s not really hypothetical. Didn’t Qing-ge say that there are parallel universes? Doesn’t that mean there are worlds where we aren’t together? Where you didn’t accept me, and chose to be with someone else?” Huo Fenglie was seriously upset.

Liu Zhenqing immediately panicked, inwardly cursing himself for explaining parallel universes, transmigration, and rebirth to Huo Fenglie.

He quickly took hold of Huo Fenglie’s face and gave him a comforting kiss. When Huo Fenglie’s body was no longer tense, he said: “My dear Er-gou, don’t worry. In a hundred different worlds, no matter how things developed, I would still like you. I’m no ordinary person, so I certainly wouldn’t follow an ordinary path. And with Er-gou right next to me, how could he watch me be taken away by someone else? So we must still be together. I was only teasing you just now.”

Huo Fenglie stared: “Really?”

Liu Zhenqing nodded firmly: “Think about it, ah. There were so many people around me before, but was I ever attracted to any of them? But I met you as soon as I came back, and fell in love with you within a few months. We are destined by fate, so no matter which world we’re in, I’ll only love you.”

Liu Zhenqing naturally excelled at coaxing people with sweet words, and Er-gou was soon coaxed back to happiness.

Not long after, noise sounded from the other end of the coast. The two of them turned around to find that Li Xingruo had brought the twins out to watch the sunrise. The children ran over happily when they spotted them, and Li Xingruo followed.

The five of them watched the sunrise leisurely and chatted about daily life.

Liu Zhenqing nestled in Huo Fenglie’s arms, savoring the warm moment. Looking at the somewhat illusory reflection of sunlight on the water, he suddenly thought of the topic he had just been discussing with Huo Fenglie.

If there really was a parallel universe where the crown prince was alive, then everyone would have certainly lived a simpler, cleaner, happier life than here.

Did such a world exist?

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T/N: Up next is an alternate universe story where the crown prince lives and all the royal infighting doesn’t tear the country apart. It’s 22 chapters, so basically its own mini novel!

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Wedding Extra 6 << Table of Contents >> (Alt Universe) Extra 8

Pei Xi drove away with He Chuzhou. He’d thought he would be able to have a peaceful night, but not long after tidying up and lying down, he couldn’t get used to it.

Since when had he gotten accustomed to someone hugging him from behind in bed every night?

But he couldn’t let He Chuzhou know this, not because he feared it would feed his ego, but because he feared he wouldn’t be able to get rid of him the next time he made trouble.

Drizzle fell onto the windshield and was wiped away by the wipers. The night was covered in a watercolor filter, with layers of gorgeous, entwined halos of light.

He Chuzhou tilted the passenger seat back a little on the way back and lay there with his eyes closed, talking to himself illogically.

“Aiya, they envy me.”

“That bunch of single guys are jealous of me for having a wife. My wife is gentle and kind, and cares about me…..”

“Actually, he’s not my wife, he’s my boyfriend.”

“But that’s not a big problem. One day, he’ll have that title.”

“I’ve looked into the marriage certificates of many countries, and they’re all unique. I don’t know which one my baby will like best. Might as well try to get all of them and make a collection……”

Pei Xi: “……”

Taking advantage of a red light, Pei Xi lay He Chuzhou’s cast-off jacket across his legs: “Dimwit, what an idea. Stop thinking about it.”

When he arrived home and got out of the car, He Chuzhou was no longer drowsy, but couldn’t be considered sober.

With a word from Pei Xi, he obediently waited outside with an umbrella like a big dog who was ordered by his owner to wait outside the supermarket.

He waited for Pei Xi to get out of the car and lock the door, then took a couple steps toward the garage and tilted the umbrella completely toward Pei Xi: “What a cool way to reverse into a parking space! You didn’t even need to confirm the position. You deserve to be called my wife.”

There was no wind at this time, and the raindrops fell vertically to the ground.

Pei Xi held He Chuzhou’s hand and tilted the umbrella upright, covering his shoulders that were already moist: “There’s no need to praise me.”

He Chuzhou retorted at once: “Why not? There are so many things I could praise you for that I could talk three days and three nights without stopping. Do you want to hear it? Wait for me to find the perfect place to start—”

Pei Xi directly switched off his microphone by pinching his mouth shut: “Be quiet, Gege. Don’t make me regret bringing you back.”

He Chuzhou obediently shut up and kissed Pei Xi’s fingertips as he withdrew his hand.

His drunken eyes were unfocused, but his heart was full of contentment.

From the garage to the door, one had to walk across a short section of pavement. He Chuzhou opened his mouth again after two steps: “Someone asked me about the riverside land just now.”

Pei Xi could accept a work-related topic: “Really? What did they say?”

He Chuzhou: “They asked me if I wanted to snatch it from you, and I said there was no need, because you’ve already given it to me.”

Pei Xi: “It was a business transaction, not a gift.”

He Chuzhou was persistent: “It was too a gift. You’re my wife, not a foreign mob boss. What business transaction could I have with you?”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi: “Okay, I gave it to you. Then what did they say?”

He Chuzhou: “They asked me what I was going to build.”

Pei Xi: “What will you build?”

He Chuzhou: “What do you think I should build?”

Pei Xi gave it serious thought: “Building a shopping mall in that area would maximize the benefits. The favorable environment and air quality are good enough to build a high-end residential area, but Wancheng has no shortage of those, so it wouldn’t be a good idea to oversaturate.”

He Chuzhou: “My wife is so amazing!”

Pei Xi: “……Stop praising me. So you really plan to build a shopping mall?”

He Chuzhou: “No, ah. I’m not gonna build a shopping mall. I’ve already made up my mind. I’m going to build…..that.”

Pei Xi: “Hm? That what?”

He Chuzhou lowered his head and remained silent. After a moment, he said in a mysterious voice: “It’s a secret. I’ll tell you later.”

Pei Xi’s eyebrows twitched, and he sent him a mild glance: “Another secret. Whose secret is it this time?”

He Chuzhou hummed: “Mine.”

It wasn’t just humans who saw improved sleep quality on a rainy day. Cats and dogs did too.

When they opened the door, the excited He Xingxing was laying in his doghouse with his tongue out, wagging his tail at them. But considering that Xiao Yueliang was still sleeping on his stomach, he didn’t get up to greet them.

He Chuzhou gave him a thumbs up and praised him for being a good dog. If you knew how to love your wife, the future was limitless.

Pei Xi led him toward the bedroom: “Stop talking nonsense. Your hands are so cold, go take a shower.”

He Chuzhou hooked his fingers: “Together?”

Pei Xi released him and stuffed clean clothes into his arms: “I already washed before picking you up.”

He Chuzhou: “It was so cold outside, ah. Shower again to get rid of the cold.”

Pei Xi pushed away the head nuzzling against him as he spoke, giving him a half-smile: “Do you think I don’t know what you want to do? Don’t even think about it. It’s not happening.”

He now had psychological trauma from bathing with He Chuzhou. It wouldn’t be forever, but at least for a while, it was impossible for him to step into the bathroom with He Chuzhou again.

Because once he went in, there was no turning back. Every place and every object inside it would become a tool for someone to unleash his beastly nature, which was simply his nightmare.

He Chuzhou raised his right hand and pledged: “I won’t do anything but shower. Just shower.”

Pei Xi: “No way. Go by yourself.”

He Chuzhou: “I can’t scrub my back.”

Pei Xi raised an eyebrow: “Are your hands so short?”

He Chuzhou: “…….”

He Chuzhou embraced Pei Xi and buried his head in his shoulder, acting like a hooligan: “I’m drunk. What if I fall when you leave me all alone?”

“I’ll wait until you fall, then go in.”

Pei Xi mercilessly pushed his head away: “Go shower quickly. Don’t get the smell of alcohol on me.”

He Chuzhou wilted, entering the bathroom dejectedly.

Pei Xi gazed at the closed bathroom door. After a second or two of thought, he turned and walked to the bedside, where he opened a drawer to find two letters of guarantee inside.

He kept the one with He Chuzhou’s name on it and put the other back, intending to add a line of words to it.

But He Chuzhou’s handwriting was so flamboyant that all the blank space was filled up, and there was no way to squeeze in any more.

He could only turn to the blank page on the back and write down two lines while thinking.

The drunk in the bathroom was restless even while showering, and his messy voice rang out from time to time:

“Wife, Wife, are you asleep?”

“Wife, don’t go to sleep. I’m already thawed. Wait for me to come out and warm your bed.”

“Hiss – how come this water is hotter than my love for my wife? Are you trying to cook me, Brother?”

“Wife! Wife! It’s too hot!”

Pei Xi finished writing and covered his ears, then put down the pen and went to the bathroom.

When he pushed open the door, He Chuzhou was half-dressed with one leg in his pants.

Just as he was about to put his right leg in, he saw Pei Xi coming in and immediately took out his left leg as well. He pointed at the reddened skin on his chest and said aggrievedly: “Look.”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi: “Why did you take off your pants for me to see your chest? Put them on.”

He Chuzhou obediently put on his pants.

Pei Xi took the hair dryer from the closet and told him to come over and lower his head. He helped him blow dry it until it was half dry, then set the device down and said, “Come out first.”

He Chuzhou liked this kind of activity where he followed his wife’s instructions without thinking. He happily followed Pei Xi back to the bedroom, and saw him bend down to pick up a piece of paper and a pen from the bedside for him: “Sign your name.”

“Huh? What’s this? My slave certificate?”

He Chuzhou shook the paper. Just as he was about to take a closer look, Pei Xi covered his eyes, hooked his neck, and kissed him: “Don’t worry about what it is, just sign it. Don’t worry, Gege, I won’t sell you.”

He deliberately lowered his voice with the intent to deceive. This drunkard already had a faulty brain, and couldn’t endure such a thing. He was immediately enchanted, and carelessly signed his name before hastening to pick Pei Xi up and press him down on the bed.

This dog had no sense of propriety.

However, Pei Xi endured. He let him take off his clothes and do as he liked to him.

He would finally let this hungry wolf with an alcohol-numbed brain run wild for a night, then teach him a good lesson tomorrow.

But when he fell asleep from exhaustion, he couldn’t help but wonder if this man was actually drunk.

Wasn’t it said that drunk people couldn’t get it up? Then why……

After a full night of deep sleep, he opened his eyes drowsily at a time he usually wouldn’t wake up, and saw He Chuzhou sitting on the bed with his back to him, doing who knows what. Pei Xi was too tired to even raise a hand: “What are you doing?”

He Chuzhou turned around and waved the note in his hand at him: “I promise not to do it more than three times per week, and for no more than an hour each time. Honey, is this what you tricked me into signing?”

Pei Xi lifted his eyelids to take a look, then closed them with a smile: “So what? Once you sign it, you must abide by it.”

He Chuzhou suppressed his laughter: “How fierce, coercing me into a deal, ah.”

Pei Xi: “En, I dealt with you.”

“Oho, so domineering.” He Chuzhou: “Three times is too few, and one hour is too short for anyone to have their fill. Tsk, tsk. Fortunately, Xiao He still had some brains left and didn’t sign his name.”

Didn’t sign his name?

Pei Xi opened his eyes at once: “What did you say?”

He Chuzhou smiled and showed him the note: “Here. He Chuzhou with the 州 character instead of 洲. Do you know this person? I sure don’t. When my mom gave birth to me, a Taoist priest said my destiny lacked water, and it would be unlucky not to have a water radical in my name.”

Pei Xi: “…..”

Pei Xi: “…….”

He ground his back molars hard, propped up his torso, and smashed a pillow into He Chuzhou’s head.

*

*

Pei Xi didn’t experience an altered state of mind for many days in a row.

The two of them picked a day with good weather to go to the hospital. The doctor said this was a good sign, and that his sequelae would soon be completely healed.

When they got back, He Chuzhou received a call from Mrs. Chu. Pei Xi didn’t hear what was said on the phone, because as he was standing at the entrance of the yard, he spied from afar Mr. Zhang, his wife, and their dog approaching from the other side.

What a coincidence.

Mr. Zhang had previously been abroad, and the original plan had been to discuss the land project after his return to China. Who could have expected that the situation would change so drastically in the meantime?

Mr. Zhang was back now, and there was no need to fight for the land. Pei Group had long expressed their willingness to withdraw from the competition, and He Group successfully bought the property and was already making development plans.

He Chuzhou also saw them and put his phone away, grasping Pei Xi’s hand: “Let’s go and say hello?”

Pei Xi nodded.

The two walked forward side by side. He Chuzhou spoke first: “Long time no see. Mr. Zhang lives here too?”

“My father-in-law does. We came to visit him.”

Mr. Zhang saw their tightly entwined hands, and his cheerful eyes gained a hint of surprise: “The two of you…..”

He Chuzhou nodded with poise: “As you can see, you are actually our matchmaker.”

“Ah, is that so?” Mr. Zhang smiled even more brightly. “Then you must prepare a big red envelope for me at the wedding.”

He Chuzhou: “Absolutely.”

Mr. Zhang: “By the way, I hear you plan to use that piece of land to build an aquarium, right? Very good. The upstream water source is clean and the area is quiet. There’s only one aquarium in such a big city, and it’s located in the remote western district. One really isn’t enough.”

The secret he had wanted to surprise his wife with was abruptly revealed. He Chuzhou was silent for a long moment before giving a helpless smile: “Yes, that is indeed the plan. Mr. Zhang is well-informed.”

“I’m not well-informed, my assistants are.”

Mr. Zhang said with a smile: “Those young people know more. They said you intend to build an aquarium for your wife. I was surprised when I first heard it, and asked when you’d gotten married.”

He Chuzhou: “…….”

Sensing a gaze from beside him, He Chuzhou could only smile bitterly: “You’ve really dug up all my secrets.”

Mr. Zhang’s expression was innocent: “Huh?”

Mrs. Zhang to the side immediately understood: “Why did you say it right in front of them when it was a surprise prepared for his loved one?”

Only then did Mr. Zhang realize his mistake and apologize repeatedly.

What could He Chuzhou say other than that it was fine? They exchanged a few more pleasantries and then said their farewells.

When he turned around, Pei Xi was giving him an unreadable look: “So what you were being all vague about last night was an aquarium?”

He Chuzhou touched his nose and shamelessly kissed his wife again: “Aiya, a surprise revealed is still a surprise. Do you like it?”

Pei Xi didn’t answer, and He Chuzhou didn’t ask further: “Mom asked us to come home for dinner. She also has gifts for us. Should we go in and change our clothes, then leave?”

Pei Xi: “Gifts? Is today a special occasion?”

“No,” He Chuzhou said, “She just wants to give gifts. Why not pick today?”

He unlocked the fingerprint lock and led Pei Xi into the courtyard: “There will be more during the New Year.”

“Let’s do the math, ah. There’s New Year’s Eve, New Years Day, and the Lantern Festival. There might be gifts on more than one day.”

“Mrs. Chu’s sense of tradition is engraved in her bones. Classmate Pei, remember to mentally prepare yourself, and be sure to take an empty suitcase when we go.”

---

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Chapter 69 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 71

Chapter 10 – Family

Fang Yang stood aside, watching in silence as the two childish brats swept fallen leaves toward each other.

So focused were they on their work that they completely ignored Fang Yang watching nearby.

As the saying goes, there is a reason similar people become a family, Fang Yang ridiculed inwardly. After he was done ridiculing, he felt that there was something wrong with this sentence.

What was wrong exactly? Fang Yang shook his head. Never mind. He had come to see his Useless Shixiong for something important.

He jogged forward a couple of steps, using his body as a wall to stop the silly war between the two men.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen stopped at the same time, but it was only their actions that stopped, not their words.

“Fellow Daoist Hao Chen, we’ve known each other for such a long time, but I just discovered today that you have skill with a broom.”

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye is joking. Your broom skills are truly superb.”

“I dare not compare myself to Fellow Daoist Hao Chen. The move that Fellow Daoist Hao Chen used is called ‘Secretly Crossing the Wei River,’^[1] isn’t it?” Sweeping up fallen leaves on the surface, but secretly sweeping them to the other side.

“By saying this, is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye preemptively accusing others of his own crimes?” It was clearly you who swept first.

The two men casually cast accusations at each other, leaving Fang Yang confused and completely unable to understand what they meant.

Seeing that Feng Ye was about to strike back again, Fang Yang hastily called out to stop him: “Shixiong!”

Feng Ye’s words stuck in his throat. Fang Yang quickly explained his reason for coming here: “They’re calling all junior disciples for a meeting. I came here to get you.”

A meeting? Feng Ye raised his eyebrows. It seemed he had guessed correctly. For Cao Zirui and Xue Ren to come back one after another, something big must have happened.

With this in mind, Feng Ye no longer paid attention to Hao Chen. He tossed his broom aside and gestured for Fang Yang to lead the way.

After just two steps, Hao Chen caught up with them.

Feng Ye couldn’t help but glance back at him. He wanted to directly drive Hao Chen away. After all, Hao Chen was a disciple from outside and wasn’t qualified to attend this kind of inner sect meeting.

But…..Feng Ye wanted to see Hao Chen be rebuffed, so out of spite, he didn’t warn him.

When they were about to arrive, he would watch as Hao Chen was stopped, and wave to him with feigned helplessness.

Just thinking about it made him happy.

The meeting place was the main hall square near the mountain gates. Behind the square was a thousand-step staircase leading directly to the peak of the mountain. Although not many people would walk it, those who would ascend to the top were all inner disciples, most of whom had already established their foundation and could fly on their swords. There was no need to climb the mountain via the stone staircase.

This stone staircase was just for face. Others would see this thousand-step stone staircase as soon as they stepped through the mountain gates and see its magnificence, with the style of a first-class sect.

Although Lingxiao Sword Sect was about to fall out of the ranks of those first-class sects, they still had to save face. At the least, they could bluff people and attract more talented new disciples.

Feng Ye’s plan was very good. When they reached the entrance to the main hall square, they were stopped by their fellow disciples on duty.

With a feigned look of regret on his face, Feng Ye gave Hao Chen a shrug: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen, it appears you and I must separate for a while.”

His expression was one of regret, but his tone was clearly one of enjoyment.

Hao Chen raised his eyebrows, and was just about to reply when the voice of a middle-aged man interrupted their conversation: “What are you doing here? Go gather up.”

Fang Yang greeted the man as he walked over: “Greeting the administrator.” This was the person he had gone to borrow a key from that night.

The administrator then noticed Fang Yang, and belatedly glanced at the two people standing next to him. First, he looked at Hao Chen. The white daoist robe with golden trim was from…..Tiangong Pavilion…..

So that was to say, the one next to him was…..the administrator’s eyes lit up, the flames of gossip burning within them.

The disciple on duty briefly explained the situation to the administrator, who simply gave a casual wave: “Let him in. The topic of discussion isn’t a secret. Besides…..”

The deacon gave Hao Chen a kind look, then looked at Feng Ye and said: “He’s family.”

Family?

Feng Ye: “ ? ”

Hao Chen: “ ? ”

Fang Yang: “ ? ”

The three of them had identical question marks above their heads as they were inexplicably allowed to pass.

But they very soon found their own reasons. Fang Yang believed that his words had convinced the administrator that night, and that the administrator also felt that his Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage had a good relationship and were as close as brothers. Thus, they were considered family.

However, Feng Ye and Hao Chen understood matters more simply: Tiangong Pavilion and Lingxiao Sword Sect had been friendly for generations. Thus, they were considered family.

One the reason had been deduced, Hao Chen could only wave his fan and continue the previous topic of discussion, the corners of his lips tilting up: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, it seems the heavens do not wish for us to part.”

Feng Ye: “……” Heaven is blind.

The three of them walked to the center of the square, where quite a number of people had already gathered. They stood in twos and threes, discussing with their companions what the meeting would be about.

“Why did they call us all here in the middle of the day?”

“Yeah, I want to cultivate a little longer so that I have a better chance of passing the inner sect assessment in three days.”

Two junior disciples griped while another junior disciple next to them wore an unfathomable smile: “Inner sect assessment? This year’s assessment will have to be delayed. After all…..”

He stopped at the best moment, and those drawn in by it felt as if a cat’s claws had scratched their hearts, making them uncomfortable with curiosity.

Feng Ye and the other two happened to be standing nearby, and couldn’t help but prick up their ears when they heard this.

The two junior disciples urged in unison: “Chen-xiong, do you have any inside information?”

“Yes, ah. Chen-xiong, we’re friends, so don’t keep us in suspense.”

The junior disciple surnamed Chen saw that the suspense was almost over, and since it wasn’t a secret anyway, he spoke truthfully: “Do you know about the Floating Island Secret Realm?”

Floating Island Secret Realm?

Never heard of it, Feng Ye and the other two thought in unison.

“What’s the Floating Island Secret Realm?”

One of the disciples speaking with Junior Disciple Chen didn’t seem to be aware of it either.

The other one looked at his companion with contempt and said: “You should know that there are three thousand worlds in this universe.”

His companion nodded.

Standing nearby, Feng Ye and Hao Chen also nodded subconsciously. Fang Yang was even more confused. He came from an ordinary family background, and before coming to Lingxiao Sword Sect, he didn’t even know that there were still cultivators in this world.

Therefore, he was very lacking in basic information about the cultivation world. Lingxiao Sword Sect had only taught him basic techniques and knowledge this year, and everything else was placed in the library for disciples to study by themselves.

And one needed to have trained within the sect for one year before being granted access to the library. Fang Yang had not yet completed that year of training, so he had never been inside and naturally lacked knowledge of the three thousand realms, which was of no use in basic training.

Fortunately, the person explaining feared that his companion was only pretending to understand, so he explained further: “The world we live in is just one of three thousand worlds. In addition to this one, there are also three thousand worlds, big and small, within it.”

“Some worlds are vast and boundless, filled with spiritual energy, such as the heavens where the gods reside. And some worlds may seem vast, but compared to the heavens, they can only be considered average. And their spiritual energy is also less, just like the world we live in. Below this, there are countless smaller worlds.”

“The Floating Island Secret Realm is a small world. The entire world is only the size of a floating island, but despite its small size, it contains many secrets, and the richness of spiritual energy is comparable to some spiritual oases.”

“As we all know, many rare spiritual plants like to grow in places rich in spiritual energy. Therefore, this Floating Island Secret Realm can be described as a treasure trove, with elixirs everywhere. Although it’s a bit exaggerated, the description isn’t far off.”

One companion nodded in sudden realization: “Oh, so this Floating Island Secret Realm is a really good place. I’m sure one could gain a lot just by going inside once.”

“That’s right,” the companion who had just explained said, then changed the subject: “But when it comes to a place like the Floating Island Secret Realm, people will probably be scrambling to get inside, and those like me who are only at the Qi Refining stage may not have the opportunity.”

The topic turned back to the junior disciple surnamed Chen, who shook his head and smiled: “Zhang-xiong only knows one side of the story, but not the other. The entrance connecting the Floating Island Secret Realm to our world only opens once every ten years, for one day.”

“Once the ten-year period was up, countless cultivators used to rush in and plunder its resources without restraint. But those natural treasures often take decades or hundreds of years to grow.”

“Once all of its resources were exhausted a hundred years ago, the Floating Island Secret Realm finally showed signs of collapse. The excessive influx of cultivators not only plundered its spiritual energy, but because those cultivators didn’t belong there, their own spiritual energy also destroyed the balance of such a small world.”

“Some bigshots asserted that the Floating Island Secret Realm can no longer accommodate cultivators above Foundation Establishment stage, and even within this stage, the power level must be strictly controlled within a certain amount. Otherwise, the Floating Island Secret Realm will really collapse, and this treasure land that opens once every ten years will no longer exist in this world.”

“So our Lingxiao Sword Sect, which was ranked first at the time, took the lead in working with the other top ten sects to establish a set of rules. Those who enter the secret realm can only be in the Qi Refining stage or Foundation Establishment stage. And the number of available slots must also be limited to a certain range.”

The other two gradually understood his meaning: “Chen-xiong, you mean that…..this year is the tenth year?”

Surnamed Chen nodded and said affirmatively: “And it opens in five days. Therefore, our inner sect assessment will inevitably be postponed. This meeting is likely to discuss how to select the list of disciples who will enter the Floating Island Secret Realm.”

The eyes of the other two lit up. This was a hard-won opportunity.

In contrast, Feng Ye and Hao Chen eavesdropping in the corner wore unusually calm expressions.

It’s only a small world rich in spiritual energy, Hao Chen thought with disdain.

Feng Ye was also disinterested in such a small world, but he vaguely felt that this place sounded familiar. Where had he heard about it before?

---

[1] Secretly crossing the Wei river = cheating under cover of diversion. ⮐

---

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Chapter 9 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 11

Chapter 9 – Childish

“Ohhhh~”

A high-pitched cry reached his ears, and even though it was so far away, it was so shrill that it nearly pierced his eardrums.

Feng Ye couldn’t help but stop what he was doing and look toward the chicken coops in the back mountain.

The idea of killing the rooster because he didn’t want to get up was undoubtedly a stupid way to deceive himself while burying his head in the sand.

When one rooster fell, a thousand more stood up.

And even if they didn’t stand up, the rising of the sun and the setting of the moon wouldn’t come to a standstill because of their extinction.

Feng Ye was certainly not that naive. His words that morning were just half-conscious dream talk. After all, he knew the rooster was innocent.

However, Feng Ye thought while leaning on his broom, it’s fine for the rooster to crow in the morning, but now it’s crowing almost at noon. It’s just as annoying as Hao Chen, so I’ll make soup out of it.

Speaking of Hao Chen, Feng Ye couldn’t help but look around, but there was no sign of him.

Had this sticky fellow actually discovered a conscience and left?

Of course not! Feng Ye rejected this idea the moment it occurred to him. Hao Chen had come all the way here and hadn’t done anything yet. How could he leave empty-handed? 

That fellow must have gone to seek out Fang Yang. Feng Ye easily predicted Hao Chen’s movements. It seemed that Hao Chen also knew how to change his strategy and advance from another angle.

Compared to himself, Fang Yang’s mouth was like a city with its gates wide open, lacking any defensive capability at all. Given Hao Chen’s cunningness, that fool would probably tell him how many piglets his aunt and uncle’s pigs gave birth to last year.

But there’s no point. My disguise is flawless. It’s impossible for Hao Chen to discover anything about me from others, Feng Ye thought somewhat pridefully.

He looked at the leaves piled up by his feet. The floor was nearly swept. It was a good time to go find Fang Yang, and Hao Chen beside him.

Feng Ye was almost a little eager. It wasn’t that he had any feelings toward Hao Chen, the fake friend he’d only known for a day. He just couldn’t wait to see Hao Chen’s frustrated expression after asking a bunch of trivial questions for a long time.

Just the thought cheered him up, and Feng Ye couldn’t help humming a song.

However, just as Feng Ye was about to stow away his broom and depart, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew over his head.

Feng Ye subconsciously looked up at the sky and saw someone flying overhead on a sword, exactly the same as yesterday.

Yesterday, it was Cao Zirui, the second personal disciple of the sect leader. Today, it was the head disciple, who was also the default successor to the sect leader – Xue Ren.

Unlike Cao Zirui, who had just entered the sect a year prior, Xue Ren had been a disciple for more than twenty years. By virtue of his natural gift of gold and wood spiritual roots, he had reached Golden Core stage and was considered preeminent among his peers.

The speed of cultivation slowed down the more one progressed. It took about two to three years for a person to go from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, and the time from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core was extended tenfold, twenty to thirty years.

This was only the case for those who were able to cultivate to Golden Core stage. Most people would be stuck at Foundation Establishment for a lifetime. For example, the administrator who managed the junior disciples was at the Foundation Establishment stage.

After cultivating for most of his life, he was still unable to break through to Golden Core stage. Knowing that his talent was limited, he no longer went out to fight for opportunities, and just quietly served as the sect’s gossip-monger.

Xue Ren, who had cultivated to Golden Core stage in twenty years, could be considered a genius. It was just that there existed geniuses among geniuses, and compared to his genius shidi, who had reached Foundation Establishment in just one year, Xue Ren’s achievements weren’t quite as impressive.

If nothing unexpected happened, it would definitely take Cao Zirui fewer than twenty years to cultivate to Golden Core stage.

It was said that comparing oneself to others led to despair.

But all of this had nothing to do with Feng Ye, who was gifted with five spiritual roots and had spent three years cultivating to the third level of Qi Refining.

Not to mention Golden Core, with his qualifications and his habit of doing things in fits and starts, the fact that he was able to achieve a foundation was considered a miracle in the world of immortal cultivation.

But Feng Ye wasn’t concerned with this. He looked away from Xue Ren flying above him after recalling his identity.

Cao Zirui had returned from outside yesterday, and now Xue Ren had returned today. Did something happen in the sect recently?

Although the inner sect examination would be held in three days, there was no need to call back the sect leader’s personal disciples for such a matter.

Feng Ye leaned on the broom as he pondered.

After some time, he belatedly registered the tragic sight of messy leaves all over the ground in front of him.

Feng Ye, who had worked all morning in vain: “……”

Damn it! A vein bulged on Feng Ye’s forehead, and he squeezed the broom handle tightly. He yearned to grab both of those Cao Zirui and Xue Ren brothers who had flown over yesterday and today, point at their noses, and teach them that civilized sword-flying didn’t include flying at low altitudes.

But he was just an outer sect junior disciple. Generally speaking, he couldn’t even meet these two personal disciples of the sect leader, let alone teach them a lesson.

Today, Feng Ye finally understood what it meant to fall into one’s own trap.

In short, he had wrapped this cocoon around his own body, and until he achieved his goal, Feng Ye was not going to remove it. Thus, his only choice was to endure.

Endure! Feng Ye thought bitterly. Resigned to his fate, he resumed swinging the broom.

Not far away, Hao Chen and Fang Yang were slowly walking over from the meditation hall.

As soon as they approached, Fang Yang said in bewilderment: “Shixiong, why aren’t you done yet? The administrator will be here soon!”

Feng Ye glanced at him with a sullen expression, saying sluggishly: “There was a small accident.”

His line of sight moved a little to the left of Fang Yang, to Hao Chen. Hao Chen said nothing. This fellow was still waving his fan in a showy manner, with a playful expression on his face as if he was watching a performance.

Feng Ye had originally planned to go and see Hao Chen looking like a fool, but who could have known that the tables would turn so fast? The situation turned out the complete opposite, and he had become the one being laughed at.

This wouldn’t work. Feng Ye couldn’t stomach defeat, so when Fang Yang rolled up his sleeves in preparation to help, Feng Ye refused: “Shidi, you go eat first.”

Fang Yang asked in surprise: “But you’ll soon be too late to finish, ah…..”

Feng Ye cut in: “Not a problem. Shixiong has someone to help.”

Hao Chen stopped fanning himself. He suddenly had a bad premonition.

Feng Ye looked toward him with a smile: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen and I have a bond more solid than gold. He certainly won’t sit by and do nothing.”

Fang Yang nodded in sudden realization. He very considerately took a broom and entrusted it to Hao Chen: “Hao-dage, you can do it!”

Hao Chen: “…….”

Fang Yang retired after accomplishing his mission, leaving just the two people standing in the martial arts training square.

Hao Chen looked at the broom in his hand, then at Feng Ye, who had dug this hole for him. He tried to put up a struggle: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, it is said that visitors from afar are guests…..” Wasn’t it inappropriate to ask a guest to sweep the floor?

Before he could finish, Feng Ye interrupted him: “My friendship with Fellow Daoist Hao Chen is such that heaven and earth bear witness to it. Others who come may be guests, but when Fellow Daoist Hao Chen comes, isn’t he just like a brother?”

Hao Chen: “……”

Feng Ye built upon his good work, wanting to completely block Hao Chen’s escape route. He raised his eyebrows at him and said: “What, could it be that what Fellow Daoist Hao Chen said yesterday about missing me so much that he couldn’t sleep was a lie?”

Now that things had come to this, what else could Hao Chen do? He could only smile back: “Of course not. Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, rest assured, my friendship with you is as staunch and pure as a drink with no water added.”

Of course, there’s no need to add water to something that doesn’t exist in the first place, Feng Ye added to himself. But on the surface, he looked very moved: “Then I’ll rely on you, Fellow Daoist Hao Chen. I’ll take this half…..”

Feng Ye used his broom to sketch a line on the ground, starting from one third of the way across the martial arts square. He pointed to the other two-thirds and said: “The other half is yours.”

Hao Chen: “……Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s half is truly symmetrical.”

Feng Ye smiled shyly: “Not so, not so.”

Having successfully pulled Hao Chen into the water with him, Feng Ye’s bad mood had mostly dissipated. He stopped talking and turned around to get to work.

Hao Chen held the broom unskillfully, waving it the same way Feng Ye was doing. He felt a little strange at the thought that he was actually doing such a thing. The sight would likely shock his subordinates.

He looked at the piece Feng Ye had allocated to him, nominally half, which took up two-thirds of the square. Then he glanced at Feng Ye on the other side, who appeared delighted at his success in obtaining the upper hand.

Childish, Hao Chen appraised inwardly.

In addition to this appraisal, he couldn’t help but to resort to a few tricks to regain some ground.

He was completely unaware that his behavior was extremely childish.

With the broom in one hand and his fan in the other, he silently put the fan behind his back and waved it gently where Feng Ye couldn’t see. 

As he was sweeping, Feng Ye found that the fallen leaves in front of him were no longer gathered together, but were flying around randomly.

He took a subconscious step forward, intending to sweep back the leaves that had flown away.

But for each step he took forward, the leaves took a step back.

After three steps, Feng Ye realized something wasn’t right and turned to look in Hao Chen’s direction.

Hao Chen smiled and blinked at him innocently.

Feng Ye narrowed his eyes, then suddenly smiled and followed Hao Chen’s example, putting a hand behind his back. Where Hao Chen couldn’t see, his five fingers became claw-like and made a grasping motion.

Hao Chen’s immediately became focused. He felt a strong gust of wind heading toward him. Just when Hao Chen couldn’t stop himself from striking back, the wind changed direction and passed by him. Only…..

Hao Chen picked the fallen leaves off his head, looking at Feng Ye.

Feng Ye also blinked innocently.

This aroused Hao Chen’s competitive spirit. Wanting to teach Feng Ye a lesson, he also waved his fan vigorously behind his back.

The wind was so strong this time that it was almost impossible to keep one’s footing. Feng Ye took a step outward with his right foot to stabilize himself, looking against the strong wind at Hao Chen.

Unlike the hurricane on his side, only a gentle breeze blew Hao Chen’s sleeves, making it clear that he was the one responsible.

Behind his back, Feng Ye’s hand suddenly clenched into a fist, and several sharp bursts of wind blew in the opposite direction. This wind was so strong and sharp that it was like an invisible blade, instantly cutting off the wind storm’s path.

The hurricane scattered in the air.

This fellow had some tricks up his sleeve. Hao Chen was intrigued, and wanted to test Feng Ye’s abilities.

Just when Hao Chen was about to try again, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from afar. 

Someone was coming.

Feng Ye realized this at the same time. The hand behind his back immediately loosened, and Hao Chen also put away his fan.

The two of them tacitly stopped quarreling, picked up their brooms again, and pretended to sweep the floor. But they were also unwilling to sweep it properly. Feng Ye walked to the dividing line he had just drawn and unobtrusively swept all of the fallen leaves from his side to the other.

Hao Chen soon discovered the reason for the increasing number of leaves on his side. He followed suit and silently swept the fallen leaves over.

The two of them kept their movements small at first, knowing to be a little discreet. But later, when they realized they were exposed, they became increasingly blatant, waving their brooms vigorously as if in competition.

This was the scene Fang Yang saw when he arrived.

He saw leaves falling all over the sky, with the ground increasingly messy.

Fang Yang: “……”

Fang Yang looked at the two people – both a head taller than him – and thought expressionlessly: Two childish brats.

---

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Chapter 8 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 10

It was the hosts’ big day, so even Liu Qiao couldn’t help but drink more than usual. 

When Liu Qiao was drunk, he seemed to have a bit more of a temper. In the face of Qiao Jin’s arrogant words, he scoffed and said: “Stinky brat!”

When Qiao Jin rushed over, Liu Qiao moved to step directly on his chest. He was going to tame this wolf cub who took advantage of him being drunk to secretly climb into his bed and pounce on him.

As expected, one must not reveal weakness in front of a wolf cub, or it would take the opportunity to shamelessly bite its prey.

But the moment Liu Qiao swung his foot, Qiao Jin promptly bent backward. The kick did not connect solidly, and its force was weakened.

Qiao Jin took the chance to grab Liu Qiao calf and lift it up, and with a flick, he spun around and pushed Liu Qiao against a tree. It was impossible for a master such as Liu Qiao to lose his balance.

Although Qiao Jin’s flexible counterattack was somewhat unexpected and caused Liu Qiao a minor loss for the first time, it could be seen that Qiao Jin had truly trained hard just to make some progress in this matter.

But in the face of a true master, it was all in vain. When Qiao Jin pushed Liu Qiao against the tree, he felt a chill at his neck.

When he looked down, Liu Qiao was like a sharp blade pressed against the jut of his throat.

“You!” Qiao Jin gaped.

Liu Qiao was also a bit stunned: “It’s a conditioned reflex.”

Qiao Jin’s sudden counterattack had aroused his instincts as a martial arts master, and he used a killing move.

Qiao Jin suddenly felt very aggrieved. In a fit of anger, he pressed his neck toward Liu Qiao’s hand.

“Then just kill me!” Qiao Jin said furiously. 

But although Liu Qiao didn’t pull his hand away, he didn’t exert enough force to hurt him. Qiao Jin moved forward so that warm fingertips just brushed his throat.

The touch stunned Liu Qiao for a moment. His throat bobbed, and he experienced an inexplicably strange feeling.

Liu Qiao tutted in annoyance. He withdrew his hand and shoved the other’s chest: “Get out of here! Don’t go crazy!”

But Qiao Jin refused to do so. He was likely very drunk.

Just like a trapped beast, Qiao Jin approached fiercely with a vicious expression: “I am crazy. Liu Qiao, you’re driving me crazy. I don’t want anything in the world except you. I can’t take it any longer! How long are you going to make me wait!”

Qiao Jin would go crazy from time to time, but Liu Qiao never took it seriously. With a blank expression, he said: “I didn’t ask you to wait. If you can’t endure any longer, find someone else.”

Qiao Jin’s pupils shrank. His heart ached. He knew that Liu Qiao was telling the truth. It didn’t matter to Liu Qiao at all whether or not Qiao Jin came to pester him. Even if he crossed the sea to meet him every month, he would only be regarded as troublesome.

Liu Qiao was a man made of stone and wood, and he had no such feelings at all. But…..but Qiao Jin still felt wronged, and he couldn’t wait any longer.

His gaze suddenly turned fierce: “Fine. In any case, you gave me my life. Today, either you kill me, or…..”

“Or what?” Liu Qiao felt a strange sensation on his back, and his animal instincts alerted him that something was wrong.

In the next moment, Qiao Jin kissed him, and the hand Liu Qiao had pressed against the other’s chest suddenly became full of internal strength.

But this time Qiao Jin persisted, absolutely refusing to retreat. It seemed as if there was no way back, so at the risk of his life, he was determined to carry this romance to the end.

Qiao Jin attacked with frantic kisses, and Liu Qiao tasted blood. This was the result of the power in his palm. 

This little wolf cub was actually willing to give up his life for such a thing.

Was this truly what he wanted?

Liu Qiao was a little short of breath after being kissed, his brain dull as he pondered this question. He could clearly sense that Qiao Jin had internal injuries from his beating.

But in the next second, Liu Qiao’s eyes widened – because the little wolf cub’s hands were dishonest.

Shocked, Liu Qiao directed more force to his hand. This time, Qiao Jin was actually beaten a distance away. Blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.

But Liu Qiao was now a little flustered. He didn’t know if it was because of Qiao Jin’s moves, the kiss, or because he drank too much and his control over his body had slackened, but Liu Qiao was experiencing a rare and unfamiliar reaction. He had a special physique, and this was his first time experiencing such a thing. His entire being was in a panic.

But in the next second, Qiao Jin suddenly crouched down and moved closer.

It all happened while Liu Qiao was stunned and unable to react.

It was Liu Qiao’s first time, and he was so stimulated that he leaned against a tree in a daze. In the end, he could only remember subconsciously grabbing onto Qiao Jin’s black hair.

Liu Qiao didn’t know what happened next. When he regained his senses, Qiao Jin had already carried him to bed.

“Liu Qiao, I like you, I really like you. Can you like me for a while? Just a little while? Don’t reject me.” Qiao Jin’s humble request sounded in his ears, with even a hint of tears in his tone. In fact, Qiao Jin didn’t want to have such an unromantic beginning, but he really couldn’t wait any longer.

“If you reject me, I won’t live!”

Liu Qiao blinked. His body gradually remembered that feeling. It seemed……rather comfortable. He didn’t hate it.

His master had once told Liu Qiao that if he really couldn’t accept this, he should reject Qiao Jin cleanly and set him free to find his own happiness. 

Liu Qiao had asked what not being able to accept it entailed.

His master told him that he couldn’t accept it if, for example, being kissed by him made him sick to his stomach.

It didn’t. 

For another example, if Qiao Jin became more intimate with him and he felt uncomfortable all over, feeling so nauseous that he wanted to vomit.

Now he knew that this wasn’t the case either. It was just that his instincts as a martial arts master made him hate the feeling of being controlled by others like prey. Qiao Jin always looked as if he wanted to eat him, which made him uncomfortable.

But just now, he seemed to have understood something…..he felt that Qiao Jin was more like a starving wolf that would die if it didn’t eat him.

In the end, when Qiao Jin made another desperate effort to kiss him, Liu Qiao felt a small tremor leak through his ferocity. He was taken aback, but still raised his hands and embraced the insecure Qiao Jin.

Qiao Jin was shocked, and his heart almost stopped beating due to excitement.

But not long after, Qiao Jin was kicked off the bed.

Qiao Jin raised his mussed head: “You’re not willing?”

Liu Qiao said with fear on his face: “I want to be on top! It hurts like hell on the bottom!”

Liu Qiao was the kind of person who wouldn’t cry out in pain even after being shot with several arrows. Qiao Jin was dumbfounded: “I’ll be careful. There’s ointment, and I’ll take my time…..”

But Liu Qiao shook his head firmly, refusing on his life as if he had some kind of psychological shadow.

Qiao Jin had truly never expected that when the meat was right in front of his mouth, such a problem would arise. It was understandable that Liu Qiao might have concerns about being on top or on bottom, but being afraid of pain?

How could a wolf cub give up the fatty meat in its mouth? After much coaxing and coercing, and promising not to do it to the end, he was allowed to climb up.

Since he couldn’t win, he could only wear away at him slowly, and one day he would be able to eat!

But Qiao Jin didn’t have to wait long, because one day, Liu Qiao took the initiative to question Liu Zhenqing. He feared that he would someday lose control and cause Qiao Jin a specific kind of pain, and wanted to ask if there was a good way to alleviate it. Liu Zhenqing finally realized what sin he had committed, but he was also very excited. He thought Qiaoqiao would be overwhelmed by the wolf cub, so he immediately explained things and gave Liu Qiao lots of ointment with a smile on his face.

As a result, Liu Qiao wasn’t able to get up the next day, which made Liu Zhenqing very depressed. Qiaoqiao failed to live up to expectations, ah. He even intended to marry that rebellious little cousin.

But in Liu Qiao’s opinion, it didn’t hurt, so it didn’t matter.

Going back to that night, Huo Fenglie was carrying a food box when he saw Liu Qiao beating Qiao Jin. This was a common scene, so he naturally dismissed them and turned to go back.

When he was passing by a rooftop, he heard a sudden roar: “He Yundu!”

“You’re not really drunk! What? Are you guarding against me? Zhanyuan’s married now, it’s time to get him off your mind.”

Upon hearing the voices of He Lan and Qin Yu, Huo Fenglie was about to leave, but stopped in his tracks when he heard his name. But after some thought, he decided to ignore the two stupid brothers and immediately set off to find Qing-ge.

Inside Qin Yu’s courtyard, an outward-facing window was wide open, and Qin Yu was being pressed against the windowsill by He Lan. It was obvious that they had just been fighting.

“What nonsense are you saying!” Qin Yu tried to struggle, but He Lan grabbed his wrists, turned him over, and pressed him down, making it more difficult for him to resist.

Qin Yu had never expected the difference between them to be so great. He also hadn’t been lazy this year, so how could he suddenly be overpowered like this?

Qin Yu was unaware that, in order to deal with this wild cat who didn’t know how to come home and only knew how to show his claws, He Lan had worked very hard this year.

He Lan forced Qin Yu to bend over with half his body leaning over the windowsill. Qin Yu barely managed to grab the edge with both hands to avoid falling headfirst, but this put him in an even weaker position.

Coupled with the extremely skillful stroking from behind, Qin Yu’s ears instantly felt hot and he tensed up from head to foot.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other in a year, and even though He Lan was doing very well in the capital, he was still a fiend.

“I’m talking nonsense? Clearly you never showed up, and I couldn’t find you even when I sent people to look for you. You didn’t come back. You hid from me, but took the risk to attend the wedding banquet. It’s obvious that anything to do with Zhanyuan is the most important to you. I actually believed you when you said you treat him as a brother and don’t like him that way. Qin Zichuan, are you playing with me?”

A look of shame and anger flashed across Qin Yu’s face. He tried to struggle, but was pinned down. Due to their familiarity with each other’s bodies, and at such a close distance, He Lan’s mood was fully revealed within a few seconds. Whenever this happened, Qin Yu’s legs would automatically weaken.

“Do I need to lie to you? I’ll say it again, I’ve never liked anyone else,” Qin Yu said scathingly.

He Lan sensed the seriousness in Qin Yu’s words and was stunned: “You’ve never liked anyone else…..anyone else. Then am I considered anyone else?”

Qin Yu froze.

“Speak! I don’t believe you can’t see that I like you!” He Lan said angrily.

But Qin Yu remained silent.

He Lan’s blood boiled. Gritting his teeth, he leaned down and said fiercely in Qin Yu’s ear: “Qin Zichuan, I don’t believe that you can forget what we’ve had in the past. Why didn’t you come back and face me? What are you afraid of? For more than three hundred days and nights, you didn’t have the heart to come see me. Do you know how I spent my time? Whenever I had a free moment, I would think, ‘Sooner or later, I’m going to catch you and do you until you can’t get out of bed!”

---

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Wedding Extra 5 << Table of Contents >> Wedding Extra 7

Pei Xi hadn’t slept so deeply in a long time. It was as if every bone and joint in his body had been overtaxed, every active cell exhausted after such extreme excitement.

He opened his eyes when the sun was directly overhead and stared at the ceiling in a daze.

He closed them again.

And opened them ten seconds later.

Dreams and reality slowly diverged, and he felt more hungry than sleepy. He sobered up, carefully and gently lifting the quilt to sit on the edge of the bed.

He was dressed in clean clothes – just a pair of white cotton underwear. A large area of skin was exposed to the air, and marks covered him from his neck to his feet.

Even in the trickiest places, he could find teeth marks that were neither too deep nor too shallow.

At the bedside, there were clean clothes prepared for him by He Chuzhou.

To say that it was clothing might be an overstatement, because when Pei Xi picked it up to take a look, there weren’t even pants, just a black shirt that was too baggy for him.

The passionate words of a certain person were embodied at this moment, rolling into his mind along with memories of the night before.

Pei Xi didn’t want to use the word ‘procrastinator’ to describe He Chuzhou, because the word was very much contrary to his nature.

But for the He Chuzhou who carried him into the bedroom, aside from this word, he couldn’t think of any other accurate description.

Unlike the urgency he had shown before, he had stretched the foreplay out so long, honing in on every detail that could help him relax and relieve discomfort. 

But overpreparing him was the opposite of torture.

Pei Xi’s shame prevented him from urging him on, and he gritted his teeth, keeping his thoughts to himself. At one point, he even wondered if He Chuzhou was a faint-hearted person hiding in the shell of a pervert.

Even the process of his advance was slowed down infinitely.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment, but his senses were infinitely magnified.

It couldn’t be called painful, nor could it be called pleasure. He just felt in an abstract way that their souls had become deeply enmeshed.

This feeling was very complicated and difficult to describe, and it easily emptied his brain.

Such was the case that when Pei Xi snapped out of his trance, he couldn’t tell exactly when the situation had spun out of control.

Waves that barely reached his ankles had become huge swells without him noticing.

His flimsy little boat swayed in the wind and rain, lifted up by huge waves one second and almost overturning the next.

A desk lamp lit the room that was originally shrouded in darkness. The orange-gold hue, similar to sunlight, cast a romantic glow across his body.

And as time went by, this layer of light was embellished by an underlying crimson.

Pei Xi struggled to turn off the light, but just as his finger was about to touch the switch, his wrist was clamped tightly and forced back to the pillow.

He Chuzhou completely put his words into practice and coaxed him patiently.

But his actions had nothing to do with tenderness. His voice got lower and lower, his words insincere and absurd:

“Be good. It’s okay, I’ll be a little gentler.”

“Baby, you’re so beautiful. How are you so beautiful even when you’re crying?”

“No, Baby, I really can’t help it. Can you hold on for just a while longer? Just a while…..”

The bed sheets were wrinkled all over. Pei Xi tried to escape, but was pulled back and nailed down to his original position.

His attempt backfired, and the soles of his feet could no longer touch the bed.

The neon lights outside the window would be on all night, but Pei Xi was exhausted before he could even watch half of it.

During his last moments of consciousness, he sat in He Chuzhou’s arms, leaning into his shoulder with eyes half open and grabbing the hair on the back of his head to vent his anger.

His grip was soft and weak, more like flirting than revenge.

He Chuzhou’s kisses and low laughter lingered in his ears. He called him his dear wife and asked him how he was feeling.

Tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes, and Pei Xi was unable to utter a complete word.

If possible, he hoped that He Chuzhou would be more single-minded and carry out his original plan from start to finish.

His stomach growled faintly. He looked down at the shirt in his hand and shook it out before putting it on. Standing up, he buttoned the shirt casually and walked a few steps to open the door.

He Chuzhou was in the living room, typing on his laptop. When he heard a sound, he clicked ‘enter’ and turned around.

Pei Xi had just come out. His body was slender and vulnerable beneath his meager clothes, his legs long and straight.

The marks had remained overnight. The black fabric also served as the best foil for his white skin, like private property that had been marked and monopolized. Fragile and beautiful, he easily aroused the urge to ravage in those who looked at him.

He Chuzhou admired him from the tips of his hair to his heels. His eyes darkened, and his lips curved silently.

Pei Xi saw him and walked closer without saying a word. There was a dull look on his features, as if he hadn’t quite woken up, or as if fatigue was pressing down on his eyelids.

He Chuzhou set the computer aside. When Pei Xi came to him, he hugged him around the waist and put him on his lap.

Positioned face to face, Pei Xi hugged him very naturally and buried his head in his shoulder with an attitude of strong dependence.

He Chuzhou encircled his waist and pressed him against himself tightly, stroking his back. His eyes were so soft that they were practically seeping moisture.

“Wife, you look really good like this.”

“I wanted to do this the night you came to see me on my business trip. I dreamed about it all night, but I didn’t dare tell you for fear of frightening you.”

“So you did it to me all night just like in your dream,” Pei Xi said in a hoarse voice.

“Not exactly.”

He Chuzhou pondered, then said as if reminiscing: “If I did, you probably wouldn’t be able to get up until tomorrow afternoon.”

He lowered his head and rubbed a mark on Pei Xi’s shoulder with the tip of his nose, indulging in the feel of his body temperature: “I was very restrained. Really.”

The person in his arms said nothing.

He Chuzhou tilted his head slightly and saw the tips of Pei Xi’s ears growing red.

He had a thorough understanding of Pei Xi’s character – he was tough when facing a strong opponent, and gentle when facing a weak opponent.

In the same way, Pei Xi was able to remain calm when he was clearly nervous, and when he was at ease, he was embroiled in the chaos and turmoil of war.

But he himself seemed to be unaware of this, which made it difficult for He Chuzhou to avoid feeling sorry for him always being at a disadvantage, so he let him off again and again.

“Are you hungry?” He changed the subject.

Pei Xi nodded weakly and asked: “Where did you put my pants?”

He Chuzhou held him and stood up, just like carrying a child: “I hid them so you couldn’t wear them.”

Pei Xi silently smacked him on the back.

He Chuzhou laughed loudly and pulled out a chair at the dining table. He sat with Pei Xi in his arms and made up an excuse for his behavior: “This chair is cold.”

Pei Xi couldn’t be bothered to fight him. Walking those few steps out of the room had exhausted all of the energy he’d mustered with great difficulty, and now he was sleepy again.

He finished his breakfast slowly, and before he could go back to the bedroom, he set down his chopsticks one second and fell asleep against He Chuzhou’s shoulder the next. 

The last time someone slept so well was when Xiao Yueliang was first brought back home. She’d put her head in the milk bowl and begun to dream, gurgling bubbles with every breath.

He Chuzhou’s heart practically melted. He tilted his head and kissed the tip of Pei Xi’s ear. For fear of disturbing his sleep, he sat there for a long while without moving.

When Pei Xi woke up again, the sun was setting outside the window.

He was still in a certain person’s arms, but they weren’t in the living room. Nor were they in the dining room or the bedroom, but rather in the study.

The computer displayed an online conference room where twenty-eight people were online.

He was a little confused about the situation. All of a sudden, he felt a pain in his shoulder.

He sucked in a sharp breath and looked up. He Chuzhou, who was making trouble on his shoulder, heard the sound and raised his eyelids to look at him. Upon seeing that his eyes were open, a slight curve appeared at the corners of his lips: “You’re awake?”

Pei Xi saw the lust in his eyes, and his fingertips curled up almost reflexively. He was too startled to dodge, and an eager kiss was pressed down on him, rudely obstructing his breathing.

“I just thought you smelled good, so I wanted to get closer and smell you more.”

“But you were so soft when I smelled you that I wanted to quietly kiss you while you slept.”

“Xinxin, I swear I had no intention of bullying you.”

He manipulated the person in his arms like a doll, pulling his hand to a certain place and holding it there with a pitiful look: “But then this happened.”

“The child has grown up to be rebellious. I can’t control it, so you should take care of it. It’ll listen to you the most.”

Pei Xi had no room to resist, and the small bit of strength he had regained through sleep was soon lost again. 

With his breathing forced into chaos, he could only struggle for his last shred of dignity: “The computer…..”

He Chuzhou bit the back of his neck and chuckled: “Don’t worry, Wife. It’s an audio conference. The camera isn’t on.

Audio…..?!

Pei Xi forced himself to swallow the groan that was about to escape his throat. He clenched his teeth tightly and refused to make any sound no matter what.

He Chuzhou sensed his intentions and deliberately played tricks. When he saw Pei Xi cover his mouth in a fluster, he grabbed his wrist and pressed it to the table.

It was unknown whether the keyboard or mouse was bumped by this movement, but the audio went from bluetooth to the external speakers. A voice unfamiliar to Pei Xi was making a summary report with clear logic and rigorous thinking.

Pei Xi was frightened and trembling. Choked sobs escaped the corners of his mouth, and the tips of his eyes were filled with moisture.

He Chuzhou instantly gasped, and a flash of scarlet seemed to appear in his dark pupils. He released Pei Xi’s wrist and kissed him with urgency.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”

“I’m just kidding, the voice chat has been turned off on our side.”

“My wife’s voice is so beautiful that I don’t want anyone else to hear it.”

Pei Xi stared dazedly at the setting sun outside the window. All of a sudden, he lowered his head and bit down hard on the sweating neck in front of him, leaving deep teeth marks that made his vexation clear.

Men who had just started having sex in their thirties were truly frightening. Pei Xi often felt that the person next to him wasn’t a human being, but a hungry wolf that had been fed carrots for thirty years.

Once the wolf got a taste of meat, it could never return to its former ignorant and unaffected self.

It only took one sentence and one night to go from a peaceful life to unbearable misery.

After that night, Pei Xi’s life fell into dire straights.

His physical endurance and mental fortitude were far inferior to He Chuzhou’s, and when he really couldn’t bear it anymore, he considered ruthlessly refusing.

But it couldn’t be helped that He Chuzhou was so thick-skinned, and would lay on top of him, whining and acting like a spoiled child. He chattered mindlessly, calling him ‘gege’ and ‘husband’ in a plaintive voice.

The result of being soft-hearted was that the ‘last time’ turned into the last hundred million times, so that everything that could be sucked from him was vacuumed clean.

Pei Xi began to wish that He Chuzhou was a little busier than he was now. It would be best for Pei Xi to sleep at work, so that he could get a decent rest and give himself a way to survive.

But reality had a mind of its own.

Wu Qing had organized another party and enthusiastically called them out for drinks.

Pei Xi didn’t want to go. He had never been interested in such gatherings. The married He Chuzhou didn’t want to go either, as he was in his golden years and just wanted to be home with his wife.

Pei Xi gave him a lengthy stare: “You’re really not going?”

He Chuzhou: “Not going.”

Pei Xi nodded. He got up and walked to the entrance, then looked back and beckoned to him: “Come here, I’ll give you a surprise.”

He Chuzhou happily followed him: “Where?”

Pei Xi opened the door: “Outside.”

He Chuzhou had just taken a long stride out when he heard the door slam behind him: “Go drink, and don’t come back until you’re drunk.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou rubbed his nose in dismay, then turned around and trudged down the stairs obediently. He dialed Wu Qing: “Give me the address, buddy, I’m coming. My wife kicked me out of the house. Your friend is homeless.”

Wu Qing enjoyed a lively scene. He had called many people over, including the foreign boyfriend with golden hair and eyes like glass beads, whom he had introduced to Pei Xi. When this person kissed him, he was so elated that he lost his mind.

“This time it’s for real. I think I’ve found true love. I have to marry him,” Wu Qing said in a low voice.

He Chuzhou gave a disinterested “oh,” busy texting Pei Xi.

Wu Qing: “You don’t want to give your blessing to your buddy?”

He Chuzhou: “Why are you in such a hurry? It won’t be too late to give you my blessing once you get the certificate. When the time comes, I’ll definitely give you a big red envelope to congratulate you on settling down and getting married……oh, you haven’t established a career. Ignore what I just said.”

Wu Qing was so angry that his teeth itched.

During the dinner conversation, someone asked about the riverside property. It was said that He Chuzhou’s former rival had now become his wife, so why bother fighting over the land? 

Some said they wouldn’t steal it: “Of course I wouldn’t steal it, ah. How shameless would a man have to be to steal something from his wife?”

Some said: “Even accounts between brothers should be settled clearly, let alone those with your wife. If you steal it, you deserve to kneel on a durian when you go home, and sleep in the study at night!” 

“Then I’ll have to disappoint you.”

He Chuzhou sighed pretentiously: “I definitely wouldn’t fight my wife for anything, but I couldn’t say no to him giving me something. He’s already given me that piece of land.”

“…..Fuck!”

“The president of He Group eats soft rice.”

“What’s wrong with eating soft rice? Soft rice is delicious. I love it. I’d eat it too, but I don’t have a wife.”

“Lao Liu has a wife. When he gets here later, ask him if he’d like to live off her.”

“Ai, what do you plan to do with that piece of land, He-ge? Build a shopping mall or apartments?”

He Chuzhou: “Nothing like that.”

“Have you not decided yet?”

“I’ve decided, ah.” He Chuzhou was focused on sending texts, and only occasionally took a brief moment to respond to them. “I’m building an aquarium. My wife likes them. I’m going to give it to him as a surprise later on.”

“……”

“……”

“…….tsk.”

“Would you look at that. Didn’t I say not to invite married people out for drinks? It’s just asking for trouble.”

The door to the private room was pushed open, and noise from the hall filtered in for a moment before it was quickly blocked out.

The person who came in was Lao Liu, so everyone continued the previous topic and asked him if he usually lived off his wife or husband at home, gossiping to the high heavens.

The focus had finally shifted from He Chuzhou. Wu Qing looked over silently to see what he was busy with, and happened to see Pei Xi’s two big words in reply to He Chuzhou’s screen-swiping behavior:

[Be quiet.]

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Wu Qing burst into laughter: “You’re that annoying? No wonder he kicked you out.”

“Put down your phone and stop pestering your wife. Leave him in peace for a while.”

He Chuzhou was a little wounded, but also thought his wife was really cute. As he put down his phone with mixed feelings, Lao Liu sitting opposite him was talking unrestrained nonsense.

“Soft rice, what soft rice? I don’t care what kind of soft rice it is, I’ll eat it all.”

“Nah, I don’t have any food to eat. I’m the one who feeds my wife. It’s my wife who eats my food, do you understand?”

“A man should be the master of his family, holding up half the sky. At home, if I tell my wife to go east, she doesn’t dare go west.”

“To make your partner obey you is called taming them. It’s a skill. Most people can’t do it.”

. . . . . 

A very strange phenomenon occurred – even though it was Lao Liu who was speaking, everyone wordlessly turned their eyes back toward He Chuzhou with an air of subtle inquiry.

He Chuzhou picked up his wine glass and took a sip, then set it down and looked up: “…..What are you looking at me for?”

Lao Liu naturally knew he was “married,” and happily invited his peer to chat: “He-ge, how about you?”

“Me?” He Chuzhou thought for a moment, then nodded: “Ah, yes. My wife is just as capable as you.”

“Then we’re the same, ah! Ah? No…..eh…..?”

Lao Liu stared blankly, scratching his head in confusion. How astonishing. Could this really be said?

As the party was coming to an end, the drunken Wu Qing shouted for a change of location.

Lao Liu received a call from his wife, who proceeded to scold him. Her voice was so loud that even without the speakerphone on, everyone around could hear it clearly.

Lao Liu changed his attitude and apologized repeatedly, nodding and bowing over his phone: “Yes, yes, yes, I won’t go, honey. I’ll go back to be with you.”

“I didn’t drink much, really. I won’t act crazy. I’ll come home right away. Would you like me to buy some fried duck clavicle for you to eat? Or I could get you a cup of milk tea?”

Lao Liu waited until his wife had finished scolding him before hanging up the phone. He heaved a sigh of relief and looked up, only to find a group of people who had long been standing there in silence: “What are you doing? It’s normal for a man to make himself look better outside. I didn’t do it well this time, so I’ll try again next time.”

As it happened, He Chuzhou’s phone also rang.

The person sitting next to him saw the ID and wanted to watch the fun, so he called for him to put it on speakerphone: “It’s noisy out here, you won’t hear clearly without the speakerphone.”

“Lao Liu-ge, don’t cry. Your fellow sufferer will keep you company soon, hahahaha.”

“Come on, He-ge. Let us take this opportunity to say hello to President Pei. Don’t worry, we’re all brothers here, and you’re just being scolded. We won’t laugh at you.”

He Chuzhou swiped to answer the call and turned on hands-free mode. The melon-eating crowd tacitly quieted down. One and all, they looked at He Chuzhou with gloating expressions, their grins stretching to their ears.

Unfortunately, the imagined scene didn’t play out. The voice on the other side of the phone was calm, cool, and pleasant to the ears: “Is it almost over?”

He Chuzhou leisurely leaned back on the sofa. At the sound of Pei Xi’s voice, the corners of his mouth automatically rose: “En, we just finished. I’m about to go back.”

Pei Xi: “How much did you drink?”

He Chuzhou: “Not much, I’m still not drunk. What’s the matter, honey? Are you coming to pick me up?”

Pei Xi replied affirmatively: “I’m just leaving, so I’ll be there soon. It’s drizzling outside and the wind is cold. You wait for me in the private room instead of coming out.”

He Chuzhou’s eyes curved: “Ai, okay. Thank you, wife-wife is so nice.”

After hanging up, He Chuzhou thought of something and raised his head: “Didn’t someone want to say hello to my wife? Why didn’t you?”

“……”

“I can’t go to the next place. It’s cold and rainy, and my wife is coming to take me home to sleep.”

He Chuzhou rubbed his temples: “Oh, right. What’s this talk about fellow sufferers? Who were you guys talking about?”

“……”

“……”

“……”

Lao Liu burst into tears: “Damn you, we’re not the same!”

---

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Chapter 68 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 70

From day to night, the tattoo on Liu Zhenqing’s lower back continuously swayed, gradually disappearing into darkness. The movement under the red bed tent came to a stop.

Huo Fenglie opened the bed curtain and got out to light the candles. The candlelight not only illuminated the willow leaf tattoo on Huo Fenglie’s body, but also the clearly visible marks left behind by Liu Zhenqing.

After lighting the candles, he took hot water from the stove and brought it to the bed.

“Qing-ge…..” Huo Fenglie’s voice contained a smile as he looked at Liu Zhenqing, who was lying listlessly in bed, seemingly exhausted.

The thin blanket over his body seemed to have been draped there casually, barely covering the area below the waist and above the legs. 

The smooth lines of his shoulders and neck, a beautiful butterfly back, the concave curve to his waist, and straight legs below…..

Even though he had touched and kissed it all countless times, under the warm orange candlelight, Huo Fenglie felt momentarily covetous at the sight.

Not to mention the fact that something on that body belonged to him.

“Qing-ge……” When he spoke this time, his voice had lost its clarity and become hoarse.

Liu Zhenqing cracked open his eyes and peered at Huo Fenglie through the small gap, a hint of resentment to his gaze. The 1:3 record made him rather aggrieved. It had never been so exaggerated before, ah. It seemed that after he got this tattoo, Huo Fenglie had lost all sense of control in this regard.

Although he had been somewhat looking forward to getting this tattoo, as it seemed very romantic, he now appeared to be incapable of warding off Huo Fenglie.

His voice was already halfway hoarse. He didn’t even bother to raise his hands, and just opened his mouth.

Huo Fenglie moved closer to feed Liu Zhenqing some water. After he finished drinking, Huo Fenglie said: “Qing-ge, are you still thirsty?”

“Hungry.”

Huo Fenglie smiled and kissed Liu Zhenqing’s wet lips. Those lips had long turned cherry-red due to overuse, and were parched and plump.

“I’ll go get some food and see how everyone else is doing. Qing-ge, wait for me.”

Liu Zhenqing gave a nod and gestured for Huo Fenglie to go.

A group of people drinking from day till night……the situation could be imagined. When Huo Fenglie went over, he found Yue Xuqian directing the island workers to escort Han Ye and Bai Su back to their rooms.

The slightly tipsy Yue Xuqian turned around and saw Huo Fenglie standing outside. He said with a smile: “How could you bear to come out?”

“I’m getting Qing-ge something to eat. Where are the others?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“The two kids drank a little bit of wine and were taken away by Sister-in-law. As for the others, well.” Yue Xuqian touched his chin with a complicated expression. “Each family led their family members back. But they must have all been quite drunk, because several of them passed out.”

Huo Fenglie paid no mind to this: “You’re not drunk.”

Yue Xuqian raised an eyebrow with a shrewd look on his face: “I’m not a martial artist, and would get a hangover headache, so I just pretended to be drunk. By the way, I heard from the steward that there’s millet porridge in the kitchen, ready for drunkards at any time.”

Huo Fenglie heeded his words and turned toward the kitchen. It wasn’t advisable to eat too much at night, and some millet porridge was just the thing.

As it happened, he ran into Yi Chuan as soon as he arrived at the kitchen.

Yi Chuan had dozed off against the door. His bronze cheeks were a little red, and it was obvious that he’d drank too much.

As soon as Huo Fenglie approached, Yi Chuan woke up.

“Did you come to get porridge?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Inside the kitchen, servants were busily packing food boxes.

Yi Chuan nodded, a little lacking in spirit. His tone when he spoke was extremely out of sorts: “Song Xingmu has an upset stomach. He just drank all night and didn’t eat much.”

Yi Chuan was sulking. After all, Song Xingmu had constantly blocked the wine for him, worrying that he would beat people up when he got drunk. How could he be like that, ah?

It was Song Xingmu who drank himself unconscious and needed Yi Chuan to take care of him. It was annoying to death, so much so that he really wanted to toss him into the sea and let him fend for himself.

Yi Chuan just spoke a few brief words and took the food box handed to him by a servant before leaving.

When he returned to the guest room where Song Xingmu was staying, he heard the sound of drunken shenanigans just as he pushed open the door. He had seen Song Xingmu’s unsightly drunken appearance countless times.

It could be said that Song Xingmu’s true nature was completely exposed.

He was humming a naughty little tune, searching for wine and making a fool of himself.

“Where’s Zhiwan-guniang? Bring me some wine.”

“I don’t remember the name of this tune. I want to hear Zhiwan-guniang sing a little song, find her quickly.”

“Shuyun-gongzi, are you free tonight?”

“By the way, Xi Ran, hahahaha……Liu Zhenqing got married today. Who told you not to choose me that day? If you’d chosen me, maybe……”

His words were drowned out by a loud bang. But Song Xingmu was already out of his mind from drunkenness, and was completely unaware of the murderous aura next to him. Chatting and laughing at the air, he perfectly embodied the uninhibited character of the Sea King.

The moment Yi Chuan placed the food box on the table, the bottom of the box cracked. Yi Chuan gave Song Xingmu an unhappy look and scoffed coldly.

He thought that he really should throw him into the sea and let him swim back by himself to find his lover.

However, the demented Song Xingmu soon noticed that there was someone standing there and staggered over.

“Yo, why are you standing there……are you here to find me? A pretty young boy?” Song Xingmu reached out and touched Yi Chuan’s face, which naturally provoked the latter. Yi Chuan directly twisted Song Xingmu’s hand, but realized that this hand was previously disabled. Although it had been healed, years of conditioned reflex still made him afraid to use force against this hand.

This playboy Song Xingmu was the best at teasing and flirting, and had many tricks to harass people. Thus, he took advantage of the other’s posture to pull him into his arms, his hands reaching behind him almost instinctively.

Yi Chuan felt a touch on his butt, and his tiger fur instantly stood on end.

“The arc is so perfect. How can it be so perfect? It’s just as perfect as Yi Chuan’s,” Song Xingmu exclaimed in amazement.

Yi Chuan’s raised hand paused when he heard his own name, and he didn’t know if he should proceed to hit him or not quarrel with a drunkard.

But in the next second, Yi Chuan’s face blackened as he was pinched. He attacked directly and without mercy, but Song Xingmu wasn’t easy to deal with even when he was drunk.

After several moves, Yi Chuan was temporarily subdued and pressed onto the table by Song Xingmu from behind.

“This temperament is similar to Yi Chuan’s, irascible.”

“Damn you, Song Xingmu! Scram for Laozi!”

“Don’t want to, don’t want to. If I can’t hug Yi Chuan, I might as well hug you,” Song Xingmu said, leaning close to Yi Chuan’s ear.

Yi Chuan stiffened and immediately looked back at Song Xingmu with a cold gaze: “You’re looking for death!”

As expected, this shameless bastard would do anything to anyone!

But before Yi Chuan could attack, Song Xingmu let him go and stepped back with a smile on his face, saying: “Just kidding, la. You have the same personality as Yi Chuan, so I just had to tease you. I…..how could I hug anyone else?”

Yi Chuan stared blankly. He watched as Song Xingmu suddenly sat down in a dispirited manner, hugging the table leg next to him as he muttered: “Yi Chuan……where is Yi Chuan? Where did he go? I have to find him……if I don’t keep an eye on him, he’ll definitely run off with another woman.”

Yi Chuan’s expression changed. “What nonsense! I’m not like you!” As he spoke, he suppressed his temper and kicked him with his foot, saying: “Hey, get up and have some porridge.”

“He’ll run off with her. On the contrary, I’ll have no chance to marry and have children,” Song Xingmu murmured.

Yi Chuan frowned: “I, I won’t.”

Song Xingmu seemed about to fall asleep leaning against the table: “Will so. Watching the wedding ceremony today, his eyes were full of envy. If…..if I were a woman, would…..”

Song Xingmu didn’t say anything else. It was difficult to tell whether he was a man or a woman by his appearance. Although he never shied away from this, and even joked about it, he never said he wanted to be a woman. He still had some pride. Thus, Yi Chuan was given a shock when he heard this.

Yi Chuan’s brain seemed to grind to a halt. He grabbed Song Xingmu by the collar and lifted him up, angrily scolding him: “What are you talking about! Is this something Song Xingmu should say?”

Yi Chuan thought that if Song Xingmu was a woman, he would have certainly married him, as he had fallen in love with Song Xingmu’s female disguise at first sight. But he admired him as a man more. Song Xingmu was a responsible, loyal man who would go through fire and water for his friends and righteously guard the seas, ah.

Song Xingmu was both a teacher and a friend to him……

“Song Xingmu, do you truly like me that way?” Yi Chuan looked him in the face and spoke as if in a trance, adding, “The kind of way that can’t be shared with others.”

Song Xingmu was nearly strangled. This sobered him up a bit and allowed him to see the person in front of him clearly.

“Yi Chuan?”

But he wasn’t sober enough.

So when Song Xingmu saw Yi Chuan, his eyes lit up at being asked such a question with such a fierce look.

He felt he must be dreaming. This was not the first time he’d dreamed of Yi Chuan.

And every time, how could Song Xingmu be willing to give up in his dreams what he couldn’t have when he was awake?

Song Xingmu simply pulled Yi Chuan over and kissed him. Yi Chuan tried to dodge, but was unable to. When he saw the fierce look in Song Xingmu’s eyes, he was shocked. That was an expression that Song Xingmu – who was always carefree and said nine out of ten things in an unserious manner – had never directed at Yi Chuan before. Out of nowhere, Yi Chuan was invisibly suppressed.

Just when he was nearly out of breath, Song Xingmu finally gave him a little space to breathe.

“Yi Chuan, you’re mine…..mine…..I’ll prove to you how much I like you.”

Yi Chuan was unfamiliar with intimate matters, and was in a trance. When he heard this, his cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

In the next moment, there was a bang as the table bore the weight of two people and a food box was overturned.

Song Xingmu actually took action. Yi Chuan still struggled in a panic, but he seemed to have lost all strength to resist, and was gradually made to go along with it naturally.

He gritted his teeth, prepared to endure anything, but found that there wasn’t anything to endure at all. Yi Chuan was startled to realize that even in the midst of a drunken dream, Song Xingmu took his psychological shadow in consideration and didn’t dare go all the way.

But Song Xingmu’s other moves were truly fierce, and in the end, all Yi Chuan could see was a constantly shaking scene:

Curly red hair, translucent earrings, a smiling mouth, and a face as beautiful as that of a fairy.

His name was whispered over and over, the sweet words making his ears warm.

On the other side, Huo Fenglie picked up a food box, and was about to fly back when he heard the sounds of fighting.

After taking a small detour to see what was going on, he saw Qiao Jin being slapped against a tree by Liu Qiao. Qiao Jin lifted a hand to wipe the blood from his mouth, then pounced toward Liu Qiao like a fierce little leopard.

“I like only you, I want to kiss only you, I want to sleep with only you, and I want you to marry me and be my queen!”

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T/N: I’m just over here cracking up at the fact that literally all of these dudes are gay for each other.

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