UCTOOT CH4

The rain pounded down, stinging his face as thunder and lightning raged through the courtyard.

Shi Shu’s ears buzzed. The torrential downpour had already soaked through his thin clothing, sending an electric chill straight down his spine, making him stiff and numb.

“Run, run, run…!”

Behind him, the third young master kicked at the door, failing to break it open. Someone else took over, slamming against it with a loud bang bang bang. Shi Shu sprinted toward the front entrance, yanking the latch free, and rushed into the outer courtyard.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

“The dog! I almost forgot the dog!”

Shi Shu spun back, dashed to the kennel, and unchained Laifu. The dog let out a confused whimper, wagging its tail hesitantly.

“Now’s not the time for cuddles. You’re coming with me! You’re not staying in this house anymore!”

Shi Shu nudged the dog forward, racing toward the main gate. As he ran, he hesitated—the sheep? Should he take them too? No, that’d be stealing… right?

A sudden crack came from behind. The third young master’s furious face pressed against the window frame, his bloodshot eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

The image was straight out of a horror movie—like a ghost peering out from a furnace.

“He’s running! Catch him!”

“You bastard son of a bitch! You cunning little rat! You think you can escape me? Once I get my hands on you, I’ll break your legs and lock you up forever!”

The storm drowned out Shi Shu’s retort. He let out a sharp whistle, coaxing Laifu to follow him as they bolted, blindly running through the heavy rain. He barely registered himself slipping through the main gate of the Zhou family estate.

—The world went silent, and all he could hear was the sound of himself breaking down.

The rain kept falling, relentless and deafening.

It blurred everything, cold droplets running from his forehead to his chin, his vision constantly obscured. The taste of bitter rainwater seeped into his mouth. The village roads, the forests, the winding paths—everything was pitch black.

“No stars, no moon, no lights.”

“So dark, so terrifying…”

Shi Shu ran into a pine forest, his body both freezing and burning at the same time. Only then did he realize—he had forgotten to open his umbrella.

Ahead lay a burial ground, a mass grave. Crows circled above, owls hooted in the distance. Even in daylight, this place sent chills down his spine. But to get to the Eastern Capital, he had to go through here. Without thinking, he dashed in.

A night of raging winds, torrential rain, and desperate flight.

Laifu stayed close, sometimes running ahead, sometimes falling behind, his tail wagging the entire time.

“Laifu, thank god you’re here.”

“I wouldn’t have survived alone!”

His exhaustion was bone-deep, yet adrenaline kept him awake. After running for thirty miles, when the gates of the Eastern Capital finally came into view, his knees felt like they were filled with lead—heavy, unmovable.

“Excuse me, where is Xiangnan Temple?”

The dozing city guard stirred, shifted his spear, and pointed in a direction.

Another half-hour of running.

Through the rain, the faint silhouette of the temple complex emerged—its layered rooftops rising in graceful curves, wooden brackets stacked elegantly beneath them. Greenery wove through the temple grounds, and at the very top of the pagoda, a single eternal lantern burned, casting a soft glow, as if guiding lost souls home.

Dragging his weighted legs, Shi Shu climbed the endless stone steps.

“Knock, knock, knock!” “Knock, knock, knock!” “Knock, knock, knock!”

The sharp knocking shattered the temple’s midnight silence.

The world had fallen still, nothing but the sound of rain filling the void.

In the back courtyard of Xiangnan Temple, within a secluded, walled-off residence, an ancient bodhi tree spread its branches wide, sheltering a row of quiet, austere rooms. One of the doors was struck repeatedly.

Inside, the occupant abruptly opened his eyes. He lit the oil lamp on his desk, stood, and called through the door:

“Who is it?”

His voice was clear but tinged with exhaustion.

“It’s me, Shi Shu. The guy you saved at Zhou Manor today. Study new ideas, strive to be a modern youth—“

The door creaked open.

Xie Wuchi stood inside, a robe loosely draped over his shoulders, his tall frame blocking the dim light. His deep eyes softened slightly as he looked down at the drenched figure on his doorstep.

“Master Xie has opened the door,” the night monk announced, bowing before leaving.

Shi Shu turned his head.

He was drenched, his clothes soaked with rain and mud. His long, jet-black hair stuck to the sides of his face. His usually handsome features were now pallid from the cold, but his dark eyes still shone as they looked up at Xie Wuchi.

“Xie Wuchi… Gege, here’s your umbrella back.” He exhaled, his voice hoarse. “I might need to stay with you for a while.”

Xie Wuchi raised an eyebrow. “Middle of the night, you came all the way from Zhou Manor? If I remember correctly, that’s thirty miles from here.”

“Fu-ck, something happened—too much to explain!” Shi Shu clearly had a lot to rant about.

A tall and a short figure stood in the dim light.

Xie Wuchi glanced to his left, where a panting, utterly exhausted Laifu lay sprawled on the stone floor, tongue hanging out, wheezing.

Both master and dog were a mess.

Xie Wuchi withdrew his gaze and pushed the door open further, his eyes tracing over Shi Shu’s soaked, clinging clothes.

His voice was low and slightly rough. “Come in. You’re drenched to the bone.”

—

The guest quarters of the temple were simple.

A large heated brick bed lined with thick cotton padding, a small low table sitting atop it. Against the wall was a sturdy, timeworn Eight Immortals table.

Storage chests were stacked neatly at the bed’s end. The entire room was spotless—no dust, no clutter. Though sparse, it was clear that the resident had an obsessive cleanliness streak. Not a single item was out of place.

A book sat open on the table, its lamp still burning halfway through its oil.

“Thirty whole miles—hell, I basically ran a marathon!” Shi Shu groaned.

Xie Wuchi walked to the chest at the end of the bed, rummaging through his neatly folded monk’s robes. “Do you want to bathe?”

“Let me start—I’m seriously at my limit. That young master at Zhou Manor is a complete scumbag. Do you know what he tried to do to me?”

Xie Wuchi: “What did he try to do?”

“He tried to sleep with me. Scared the hell out of me—I ran for my life.” Shi Shu plopped onto a wooden bench. “Give me some water.”

“There’s only one teacup, I’ve used it,” Xie Wuchi said. “Drink if you don’t mind.”

Shi Shu gulped down three bowls of tea in a row, unable to calm down, and couldn’t stop venting. “It was terrifying. These gay guys are terrifying! It’s men harassing women, and it’s still men harassing men! Do you know what he tried to do? He got other people to help him hold me down—several of them against just me!”

At those words, Xie Wuchi looked up at him. He continued folding his monk’s robes, but there was a cold glint in his eyes.

If Shi Shu had ever read danmei (boys’ love) novels, he’d understand just how much his breathless rant sounded like a voice actor doing an erotic ASMR script.

“That bastard had already gotten handsy with me before. I thought it was just guys joking around. Then he started pulling at my clothes, just like this…”

Xie Wuchi continued folding the robes. Shi Shu, noticing he wasn’t paying full attention, clapped his hands to draw his focus. “Eyes on me. I’m talking—look at me.”

“…”

Xie Wuchi: “I’m looking at you now.”

“Right, so he pulled at my clothes! We were just playing leaf cards,” Shi Shu tugged at his collar, sliding it off one shoulder, revealing his pale collarbone. “He yanked my shirt down to my forearm, sniffed me, and even tried to lick me.”

The room fell silent.

The flickering candlelight was reflected in Xie Wuchi’s dark pupils, tinged with red.

Xie Wuchi stared at him, unblinking, saying nothing.

“Luckily, I reacted fast and kicked him away!”

“Some people climb Mount Kongtong overnight—meanwhile, I ran straight to Xiangnan Temple in the dead of night. Oh, and I stole their family dog too. I swear, I just want to create a world without men liking men.”

“Ugh, I’ve been attracting guys since I was a kid. It’s exhausting.”

Xie Wuchi lowered his head and picked out a robe in the right size. “Wear this. There’s no hot water at night, so just wipe yourself down with a cloth and bathe tomorrow.”

“Thanks. It’s so warm.” Shi Shu finally caught his breath. “Xie Wuchi, you’re actually a good person.”

Xie Wuchi walked to the table and picked up a needle, using the charred blackened end to adjust the oil lamp’s wick, making the flame burn brighter.

“I’ll change now.” Shi Shu turned his back, standing in the corner to peel off his wet clothes.

The black shadow cast on the wall slowly removed its clothing. His shoulders were smooth and well-defined, his youthful frame lean but not overly thin. His waist was exceptionally narrow, tapering down before widening slightly at the pelvis—like a flower bud beginning to bloom.

Xie Wuchi’s gaze lingered on the flickering shadow.

In the quiet, the soft glow of firelight reflected off his lashes. His hands were steady, methodically peeling away the lamp’s wick with the tip of the needle.

The silhouette of Shi Shu removing his damp garments wavered like an apparition from the underworld, enticing and distracting. At times, it resembled the fragile strands of a spider’s web swaying atop a Buddhist altar—fueling the flames of one’s heart.

Shi Shu loosely draped himself in the dry cotton robes, then sat on the heated brick bed. “I’m dressed. Can I sit on your bed?”

Xie Wuchi smiled slightly. “No need to be so polite. You’ll be staying with me for a while—make yourself at home.”

“Alright, you’re a clean freak, but living with you isn’t too bad.”

Shi Shu wrapped his head with a towel and sensibly settled on the inner side of the bed, stretching out with a deep sigh. “Man, ancient people sure are intense when it comes to relationships.”

Xie Wuchi: “Being attractive but of low status is a curse, not a blessing. Tired? Then sleep.”

Xie Wuchi walked over to the table to put out the oil lamp.

Suddenly, Shi Shu shot up, flipping off the blanket. He clicked his tongue lightly.

“Xie Wuchi, wait—I just remembered something important. Got any food? I’m starving.”

Xie Wuchi put down the needle and picked up the candleholder. “The kitchen might have some cold mantou left. How much do you need?”

Shi Shu: “Bring five. I’ll eat two, and three for the dog. Are you hungry? Want to grab a few for yourself?”

Xie Wuchi: “I never eat at night.”

“…Got it, bro.”

—

Xie Wuchi turned and pushed open the wooden door, stepping down the stone steps. The dim candlelight flickered as he disappeared into the winding temple corridors, merging into the night.

Inside, the warmth of the room stood in stark contrast to the brutal storm outside.

A distant night watchman’s wooden clappers sounded, calming Shi Shu’s nerves.

He swept his gaze around the room—simple, austere, entirely fitting for a Buddhist dwelling.

Xie Wuchi’s first impression had been like a monk—aloof, untouchable, and distant. Serious, reserved, but still somewhat friendly.

Yet, this room felt nothing like visiting a friend’s house.

It had a different, almost dangerous atmosphere.

It was like stepping into a predator’s den—a place marked with its scent, an instinctive, primal warning to any intruder.

Was it an illusion? Xie Wuchi seemed perfectly polite. Why did he exude such an oppressive presence?

Shi Shu quickly brushed the thought aside.

He took me in. I should repay him somehow. Maybe I’ll ask about his hobbies later and figure out how to return the favor.

Moments later, Xie Wuchi returned and placed a plate of mantou on the table.

As Shi Shu ate, Xie Wuchi sat beside him, flipping through a book under the lamplight.

After a while, Shi Shu slowly realized something. He looked over and asked, “Are you a monk?”

Xie Wuchi replied, “No. I just have ties to the monks here. They took me in and let me stay. I haven’t taken vows—I’m a lay disciple.”

Shi Shu stuffed a mantou in his mouth. “This temple is huge.”

“You’ll see for yourself at the market tomorrow—it’s even bigger than you think.”

Shi Shu nodded, finishing his meal. “Alright, let’s sleep. Thanks for waiting for me.”

“There’s no point in sleeping now.”

Xie Wuchi closed his half-read book.

Outside, the faintest traces of dawn began to lighten the sky. He said calmly,

“It’s time for morning prayers.”

Shi Shu: “?”