UCTOOT CH13

When someone explicitly states that doing something will make them angry, it clearly demonstrates their boundaries and bottom line.

Shi Shu had read somewhere that such people have a sense of structure, making them seem difficult to bully, and that crossing them would lead to offense.

Xie Wuchi’s speech had always been that of a powerful superior to a subordinate. Including his behavior, it was clear he had received a very good education and came from an upper-class family.

Only those who are sought after can look at everyone as if they were dogs.

Shi Shu scratched his head. He actually agreed with Xie Wuchi’s words. After all, he was living with him now, and it was indeed not good to cause him trouble.

Since Xie Wuchi had said it clearly, Shi Shu frankly said, “Alright, I’ll be back early.”

After speaking, Shi Shu ran away from the Sutra Depository in a few steps under Xie Wuchi’s gaze. He left Xiangnan Temple, the young man’s figure quickly weaving through the roads, lighter and more agile than a swallow, and quickly ran towards the street of the Northern Slaves.

I should give a kind reminder.

A righteous angel like me is truly rare!

Shi Shu leaped down the steps and rushed to the door of Yuan Guan’s house. The whole building was quiet. There were two or three yamen runners standing in front of the stone slab at the entrance, talking about something.

“…” Shi Shu stopped abruptly, pretended to be passing by, and noticed a pool of blood on the ground. It had coagulated, and mosquitoes were buzzing around it. The splashed blood covered a large area, flowing in winding patterns in the crevices of the stone slabs.

The blood was bright red and glaring. It had flowed from a person, just like it would from an animal.

Shi Shu’s mind went blank, and the back of his hand turned cold.

Human blood, it must be human blood.

There had been a fight here.

The two door panels were sealed. The quaint little wooden building, which had been cool and quiet before, now seemed like a dead thing, the people gone and the tea cold.

“Yuan Guan, Yuan He, and Xiao Shu                                           , are they dead, or were they arrested?”

Shi Shu’s heart trembled. Only then did he realize that all the doors on the entire street were tightly closed. Someone was secretly peeking out from a crack in a dilapidated door, looking outside in terror. A sense of impending doom lingered among this group of rootless, stateless ethnic slaves.

Shi Shu wandered for a long time and left the Northern Slave street.

His heart felt empty. He didn’t know if this family was alive or dead, and he was also a little unfamiliar with this kind of search and arrest. It was just a one-sided encounter, but Shi Shu also felt a little emotional.

He lowered his head and walked back to Xiangnan Temple. The sound of people was noisy, and he didn’t notice a girl standing by the steps.

Xiao Shu                                            was carrying a flower basket, her face red from crying. When she saw him, her tears couldn’t stop, “Brother…”

Shi Shu was surprised, “You’re here. Are you looking for me?”

Xiao Shu                                            was crying so hard she was gasping, “Yes, my parents were taken away by the yamen. I came back from selling flowers and only saw the blood on the ground. I don’t know how my parents are now.”

“You, this, hey, hey, don’t cry,” Shi Shu was suddenly flustered. “Let’s think of a way.”

When people encounter difficulties, they will subconsciously seek out those who they think will help them. The neighbors on the Northern Slave street, for their own self-preservation, were already being kind by not reporting her. How could they help her?

Shi Shu: “I think it’s better for you to leave the city quickly. Do you have any other relatives?”

“Not in the city, but I have a great-aunt outside the city. Great-aunt is good to me.”

“Alright, then you go to your great-aunt’s house first. Your parents have been arrested. You’re not safe now, and you have nowhere to go. Is your great-aunt’s house far?”

“Twenty miles outside the city, Little White Tiger Village.”

Shi Shu: “Then you go and hide for a while and wait for news of your parents. Go quickly.”

Xiao Shu                                            stood there crying, “…I’m scared. There are a lot of dogs on that road. I’ve been bitten by a dog before.”

Ancient villages were like that. Many families kept dogs, and they would occasionally rush out and chase people, scaring them to death and leaving two bloody holes with a bite.

Shi Shu scratched his head. Seeing Xiao Shu                                            crying so hard she couldn’t breathe, neurotically rubbing her face over and over, her face was even bleeding from the rubbing. He said, “Forget it, I’ll take you. Don’t cry. It’s indeed not safe for you to walk twenty-something miles alone.”

Shi Shu took Laifu with him and also asked someone to pass a message to Xie Wuchi, “Please tell him that I’m taking a friend out of the city and will try to be back before sunset.”

“I’m leaving now.”

Shi Shu used Xie Wuchi’s money to buy a few steamed buns, handed one to Xiao Shu                                           , stuffed one into Laifu’s mouth, and wrapped the rest in a lotus leaf.

Heading out of the Eastern Capital, Laifu wagged his tail happily. Shi Shu would talk to Xiao Shu                                            from time to time, “Are they your biological parents?”

Xiao Shu                                           : “No, I was picked up by my parents.”

“Oh, oh, oh, that’s good.”

Shi Shu’s roommate was gay and read transmigration novels every day where men could also give birth. So when Shi Shu heard the words “male mother” that day, he was scared out of his wits. If he could really have a child, how terrifying would that be?

Besides, whose child would it be?

Xiao Shu                                           ‘s eyes were filled with tears, “Good?”

“…” Shi Shu, “That’s not what I meant.”

“Let’s go. Twenty miles, it shouldn’t be too far, right?” Shi Shu recalled, “I ran thirty miles that night. I was probably too scared. I didn’t feel anything.”

But then Shi Shu remembered, “Twenty miles there, and I have to walk twenty miles back?”

Shi Shu rubbed his face, smoothing out his wrinkled brow, and thought to himself, “I’ll just take her halfway and come back.”

A dog, a young man, and a young girl strode along the official road outside the city, shaded by grass and trees.

Shi Shu broke a stick and poked at the flowers and grass as he walked. He unexpectedly saw a snake and was so scared that he sprinted a hundred meters. Halfway through, he turned back to call for Xiao Shu                                           , and Xiao Shu                                            also ran behind him.

As they ran, Xiao Shu                                            started to laugh, but when she thought of her parents, two lines of tears fell again.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. It will be okay,” Shi Shu tried to make her laugh. “I’m not kidding. Our Laifu can count. If I say one, two, three, it can bark that many times.”

Laifu: Yes, yes!

“Laifu, one hundred and eighty-eight!”

Laifu: ? Bro, you?

He managed to lighten the atmosphere along the way. Twenty miles was indeed too long. Fortunately, the people on the road were very kind. If you were thirsty and asked any household, they would give you a bowl of water to drink.

Shi Shu stood by the well and splashed water on his face, “How far have we walked?”

“Maybe halfway.”

“Only halfway in one hour? The sky is still quite bright. Forget it, since we’re already here, let’s see it through to the end.”

Shi Shu handed her another steamed bun and stuffed one into Laifu’s mouth, then walked into the vast plain. The terrain of the Eastern Capital was vast and flat, with water bodies interspersed. It was currently May, and the paddy fields were planted with acres and acres of lush green rice. When the wind blew, the fragrance of rice filled the air.

There were many dogs. When they passed through a village, they would bark fiercely. Laifu was very brave. As long as he rushed up, the other dogs would stop barking and tuck their tails between their legs.

Before them were green mountains and clear waters, white walls and black tiles, and scattered thatched cottages. Finally, the boundary marker of Little White Tiger Village appeared. An aunt carrying a bucket of slop had just finished washing the pig feed bucket. When she looked up and saw the visitors, she stared for a long moment, “This, is this my Xiao Shu                                           ?”

“It’s me! Great-aunt!” Xiao Shu                                            threw herself into her arms.

“What’s wrong, my dear girl? Crying like this?”

Xiao Shu                                            told her everything that had happened.

Seeing that the person had been delivered, Shi Shu drank some water, “You guys reunite first. I’m going back.”

“No, no, no! Little monk, it’s getting dark. Just rest here for one night. I’ll kill a chicken and stew it for dinner. You can go back tomorrow, okay?”

Shi Shu was indeed tired, his legs were weak, and this family was also very friendly. But Shi Shu thought of Xie Wuchi and stood up, “No need, no need, thank you. Someone is waiting for me. He will be worried if I don’t go back. We’ll meet again if fate allows.”

“It’s twenty miles, child!”

Shi Shu waved his hand, “A small problem.”

The journey here had been slow to accommodate Xiao Shu                                           ‘s small steps, taking four hours to walk twenty miles. He had to walk faster on the way back. Shi Shu took his wooden stick, whistled for Laifu, and set off on the road back to the Eastern Capital.

The sun turned red and gradually fell towards the plain.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no! Xie Wuchi is going to be angry now.”

Shi Shu broke into a run. The wind whistled into his sleeves as he chased after the setting sun. He jumped over ditches, crossed bridges, and stepping stones. Sometimes he would turn back to call for Laifu, and sometimes he would run after Laifu.

—But it still got dark.

Laifu marked the way and knew the road. Shi Shu barely remembered the mileage. Seeing a familiar post station, he thought to himself that he was only halfway there.

“…………”

Shi Shu had no choice but to start imagining what Xie Wuchi would look like when he was angry, “It should be fine, right? He won’t throw things and curse, and give me a lecture that hurts my self-esteem, right? He won’t yell at me or even hit me, right?”

“If it’s not too exaggerated, I’ll apologize. If it’s very exaggerated… and he kicks me out, then I won’t stay in this temple anymore.”

“If we can’t get along, it’s not just my problem… right?”

The gate of the Eastern Capital finally appeared before him. The sky was already completely dark. It was about eight or nine o’clock as he walked towards Xiangnan Temple.

The temple was already quiet. The evening bell echoed, and the bell tower and Buddha platform, the eaves and corridors, loomed in the darkness. As Shi Shu looked up the steps, his footsteps inexplicably became heavy. It was difficult to describe the complex feeling in his heart.

Why does it feel like I’m sneaking home after playing mahjong outside for too long with my dad? It’s baffling.

Xie Wuchi is not my wife.

Shi Shu walked to the front of the courtyard, thinking of what to say. He didn’t expect Laifu to be exhausted. It barked twice and rushed into the courtyard, panting heavily. The light in the courtyard, which had been dim, was turned on after hearing Laifu’s barks, and the door was pushed open.

“…”

Xie Wuchi was waiting for him.

What was meant to be would be. Shi Shu coughed and went in, “Xie Wuchi, I’m back!”

It was as if he were saying, I’m back from messing around!

Shi Shu entered the door. The lights in the Zen room were dim, shining on Xie Wuchi sitting at the square table. But his hands were not holding a book as usual. He had changed into a thin inner garment, his black hair falling to his shoulders, the collar open to reveal a bit of his collarbones. A jar of wine was on the table.

The room was dark. His neat and capable figure was eye-catching. The candlelight flickered, turning his dark pupils crimson. The scene was calm, but there was a sense of madness that was about to be swallowed by the calmness.

Xie Wuchi said, “You’re late.”

A faint smell of wine lingered in the air. Xie Wuchi stood up. His shadow flickered in layers in the candlelight, looking quite ferocious. His gaze fell from above.

“Something came up. Did you drink?”

“Yes. I’m not a good drinker. I might be drunk now.”

Xie Wuchi’s face showed no emotion. He came to Shi Shu, his obsidian eyes scanning him from head to toe with a cold, scrutinizing look. It was that kind of punishing gaze that made one’s scalp tingle.

Shi Shu raised his hand, “Do you want to rest then?”

The young man’s dark hair was damp with sweat against his fair ears. His eyes were wide, and his pale lips looked like rose petals beaten by the rain. He even blinked, looking particularly innocent.

“Not resting. There’s something more important.”

“What?”

The next second, Shi Shu’s teeth clenched, and a sudden pain—

“Xie Wuchi! Are you crazy! Let go of me!!”

Shi Shu’s chin was held by a large hand as hard as iron. Xie Wuchi was nearly one meter ninety tall, half a head taller than Shi Shu. His fingers were strong and hot. As his figure approached, he irresistibly pinched his face, and darkness instantly flooded his eyes.

A dark shadow encroached Xie Wuchi’s eyes, “You seem to never learn to be obedient.”

“Let, let go—what are you doing! Who wants to listen to you!” Shi Shu had imagined a scene of a man-to-man confrontation where he would be scolded, but it didn’t happen. It was like this. He reached out and forcefully pried at his wrist.

“Let go! Damn, what’s wrong with you, pinching people’s chins? Mmm—”

It was tightened again, the rough fingertips pressing hard against the side of his lips.

The smell of wine… the strong smell of wine calmed Shi Shu’s frayed nerves, “Xie Wuchi, are you drunk?”

Xie Wuchi: “I’m not drunk.”

“Drunk people always say they’re not drunk, so you really are drunk! You should just go to sleep!”

Shi Shu tried to pry his hand away to no avail. It was only then that he realized Xie Wuchi’s predatory advantage in terms of strength under duress. The strength of that arm was astonishing, clasping his jaw.

Shi Shu warned him, “If you don’t let go, I’ll bite you!”

“Bite, ah.”

Not only did Xie Wuchi not let go, he instead leaned all his weight down. The candlelight was dim, carrying a dark shadow that swooped down like a demon. Xie Wuchi lowered his head and examined Shi Shu’s face. The distance was compressed too close, and the high heat of his body instantly assaulted him, almost setting Shi Shu on fire.

Mixed in the air, Xie Wuchi’s unfamiliar, vigorous, healthy, and strong male scent was almost everywhere, overwhelming the senses.

Shi Shu was on the verge of tears, “Let go of me, I hate men, this feeling is so disgusting.”

“Xie Wuchi, I’m going to bite you!”

Xie Wuchi was motionless, as hard as iron.

“I’m really biting!”

Shi Shu lowered his head and bit down hard on the base of his index finger, using force. Xie Wuchi was in pain and stopped pinching his chin, letting go. But the next second, those scorching hot hands suddenly covered the lower half of his face, the calloused fingertips caressing his skin. Their noses were almost touching. Xie Wuchi’s dark, deep pupils were right in front of him.

“You, listen, to me.”

“What are you doing, bro! Why should I listen to you?”

Shi Shu stopped being polite. He was sure that Xie Wuchi was really drunk. He bent his knees and forcefully kicked up, but his legs had only made a few provocative movements before they were immediately pinned by two other powerful legs. The strong muscles held Shi Shu in place, almost motionless.

—Struggle.

—Couldn’t struggle, exhausted.

An absolute suppression in terms of strength and body size.

Shi Shu: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Xie Wuchi, are you a dog! Why are you like this when you’re drunk?!

“Let go, let go, let go!…”

Shi Shu forcefully hit him, pushed him, and kicked him, but to no avail. He finally stopped, his heart pounding violently due to his agitated emotions. His ears were filled with the booming of his heart, and the pores all over his body opened up, sweating. The night, in contrast, became quiet and silent.

Shi Shu simply did nothing, breathing lightly under his palm, his eyes red.

“…”

He wanted to see what Xie Wuchi really wanted to do.

The night suddenly fell into a deathly silence. Neither of them spoke anymore. After a hysterical confrontation, they finally realized how close they were, so close that their breaths mingled.

Shi Shu finally obeyed, not talking back, not struggling, not making a sound. He just stared with his dark, round eyes, his eyelids blinking on his fair face.

Xie Wuchi closed his eyes, feeling the tide of sadistic and violent desire in his heart recede. He had also gotten Shi Shu’s submission as he had wished.

“…”

Xie Wuchi released the hand covering the lower half of his face.

The young man’s lips, which had been pale just now, had turned the color of dogwood red from the rubbing and friction of his palm. Two red marks were left on his cheeks. He looked completely surprised, and met his gaze with an untamed look.

So beautiful…

Xie Wuchi lowered his eyes. Perhaps the alcohol had really taken effect.

A momentary stinging pain like a spark of fire.

Xie Wuchi’s brow furrowed sharply, “Mmm…”

In the silence, Shi Shu’s eyes gradually widened.

The scene was very subtle. Shi Shu let out a gasp of astonishment and despair.

“Xie Wuchi, you, what is poking me…”