UCTOOT CH114

Sitting on the bed, the place that had been breached still felt tender and sore.

Pitch darkness masked the burning red on Shi Shu’s face.

Once the quiet settled, the wanton absurdity of what had unfolded in bed became painfully clear.

Averting his eyes, Shi Shu mumbled awkwardly, “So that’s how it is. Everyone who interacted with the game got dragged in… Some kind of paranormal glitch? This game is out of its mind.”

No one knew whether this was a mutation of the game, or a rupture in the fabric of reality itself.

Setting down the small oil lamp, Xie Wuchi sat close beside him: “Since it is a parallel universe derived from a game, it will inevitably have an end and an outcome. We might as well wait and see together.”

“What kind of outcome will it be?”

“No one knows.”

Absolute silence reigned. Having been here for so long, Shi Shu turned it over in his mind, finally grasping the true nature of this world. Yet it was no longer merely a world; these were living, breathing human beings.

Where did their future lie? Did they truly have to follow the system’s design to achieve some “perfect ending”?

While lost in thought, Shi Shu was scooped into Xie Wuchi’s arms, his face heating up: “…I can walk on my own.”

Xie Wuchi: “I want to hold you.”

Flustered by the intimacy, Shi Shu cast about for something to do: “I’ll go check on the fish in the water vat—”

Before the words fully left his mouth, a low murmur brushed his ear: “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle it your first time. Turns out, your constitution is remarkably sturdy.”

A sudden shiver ran down Shi Shu’s spine. The dead of night outside the window was steeped in eerie stillness.

Without bed netting, the pungent scent of smoldering wormwood hung thick in the air, and the windows remained barred tight.

The mattress had been changed with clean bedding. Before Shi Shu could register the shift, he was already lying down, gathered securely into the man’s embrace.

Midsummer sweltered.

Cradled against his chest, Shi Shu fished for conversation: “You figured it out the moment you transmigrated?”

“Mm. The very first thing I did was study the administrative framework of the nation and its commanderies. It looked familiar back then.”

“…” Hearing that, Shi Shu scratched his head: “I was herding cattle and sheep in Zhou Family Village.”

Xie Wuchi kissed the tip of his nose: “I deduced this world was far from simple, which was why I adopted an antagonistic stance toward other transmigrators.”

Like Du Zihan, or that Zhang Tong. Looking back from today, one had to admit Xie Wuchi had been entirely correct.

Embracing in the heat grew somewhat stifling; the clean tunics they had just put on felt cumbersome, so they were stripped away once more. Shi Shu’s leg was lifted, draped across his waist.

This posture… The moment Shi Shu looked up, Xie Wuchi’s voice dropped beside his ear: “Red and tender. And still wet.”

“……………”

Shi Shu’s vision blacked out, trembling all over: “Y-You, you, you…”

Holy shit, is there anything this man doesn’t dare say? Blushing furiously to the roots of his ears, babbling incoherently, Shi Shu was caught by the chin, tilting up his handsome, youthful face to reveal eyes both refined and fiercely unyielding.

Lids half-hooded, Xie Wuchi’s breathing grew heavier. Shi Shu froze for only an instant before heat radiated across his thigh, feeling himself parted once more as if by an unyielding blade.

The tender passage took in the rigid shaft, slick and wet, grinding against raw nerves.

“Xie Wuchi…” Shi Shu’s fingers clenched the sheets, his flushed face turning aside, shivering as the pale line of his spine arched into sharp relief. This summer was suffocatingly hot, yet he was gathered close and kissed without mercy.

“Nothing pressing tonight. Keep me company and let me celebrate my birthday to the fullest,” Xie Wuchi rasped.

Outside the window, cicadas chorused in the quiet dark as the wind stirred through the bamboo grove, trailing muggy echoes. On the bed, long legs tangled together, venting all their inner heat and desire into the night.

Shi Shu arched his neck, held firm against his chest by large hands, the pristine sheets wrinkling again beneath digging fingers that rose and fell with the rhythm.

Pounded and rubbed repeatedly deep within, tender folds turned slick and milky. Pale knees braced against the mattress, his jaw held firm from behind by a powerful arm as the rigid member remained buried in damp, pulsing heat…

…

Daylight broke brilliantly—a brand-new day!

Lying on the bed, watching the cobwebs across the rafters overhead, Shi Shu hummed a couple of light tunes.

Nothing to do today; he could sleep in a little longer.

Outside the window came the rhythmic, steady thud of a knife against a chopping board. Lying there until the last trace of sleep vanished, Shi Shu dragged himself up, his whole body aching as expected, his legs barely supporting his weight.

Stumbling forward, bracing himself against the doorframe, last night’s filthy talk rushed unbidden into his mind. Sometimes, when one should be elegant, one is elegant; but when vulgarity called, vulgarity answered.

“Does getting fucked by me feel good?”

“Do you like it?”

“Is it hard? Is it big?”

Downright shameless.

Light sweat beaded on Shi Shu’s forehead as morning sun bathed his clear, handsome face. Come daytime, Shi Shu made a habit of playing dumb, acting as though nothing had happened, lounging by the doorway.

Under the thatched shelter, Xie Wuchi was cooking. A book rested nearby as he simmered soup while studying maps.

Looking at him, Shi Shu felt the morning breeze was just right.

Remembering his aloof arrogance from the modern world, he called out: “Young Master.”

The young master lifted his eyes. Spotting a soft cushion placed neatly on the chair, Shi Shu thought you’re pretty considerate, sat down, and waved a hand fan: “What are you cooking?”

“Remaking the dishes you prepared last night, so you can taste what they actually ought to taste like.”

“…Hey now.”

Shi Shu muttered, “Suit yourself. I’m taking the day off.”

Shi Shu splayed his pale hands in the sunlight to sun them, accompanied by the background sounds of Xie Wuchi cooking. Midway through, Xin Bin arrived to relay news from the city.

“My Lord, the city is in turmoil. Our informants report that the chieftains of the defeated lesser tribes are full of misgivings, intensely dissatisfied with their current state: first, they received no coin; second, they suffered a crushing defeat, burning through men and mounts; third, they have no idea what to do next. If this continues, King Zhouchi won’t be able to withstand the pressure. A little more fanning of the flames, and we might achieve our goal.”

Xie Wuchi nodded: “Have those bards circulate rumors that other tribes intend to unite and seize his authority, and ensure it reaches King Zhouchi’s ears.”

Full of admiration, Xin Bin bowed: “Yes.” With that, he departed.

Shi Shu couldn’t resist asking, “Will that actually work?”

“King Zhouchi was routed, triggering an explosion of internal contradictions. That is precisely when resolve is most vulnerable to being shaken. He will never sit by and let his power be usurped by others.”

Fanning himself, Shi Shu asked, “But will they truly defect to Dajing? Do they harbor no national loyalty toward the Min dynasty?”

“Broadly speaking, love for a tract of land requires education to instill. Many Min soldiers ride out to war because the grasslands degrade during colder eras, or their pastures are annexed, leaving herds without feed and stripping their livelihoods. They are conscripted into the army to wager their lives for basic survival resources.

“Payroll, a bite of grain, or extra horses to help build larger dwellings, taking coin back to furnish their own hearths for their wives and children. They harbor no grand consciousness of dying for a clan, let alone a dynasty.

“They may share an interdependent bond with their immediate tribe, but the imperial confederation of the Min is far too distant and lacks their trust. So long as they can achieve prosperity and ensure their clan thrives, they are entirely willing to accept benefits from other factions.”

Xie Wuchi looked up at him: “For example: tell them that the Min court’s mobilization was never meant to reward them, but to squeeze them dry of their worth, and their fury will turn into hatred toward their own dynasty.”

Understanding dawned on Shi Shu: “I see.”

Tossing the chopped chicken into the stewing pot to simmer, his fingers long and lean, Xie Wuchi said, “Humans live for themselves; in the pursuit of survival, they will perform a host of actions that defy ordinary logic.”

Shi Shu nodded: “I get it now.”

“King Zhouchi must quell the discontent and rage within his domain, even as he seethes with that same frustration himself. In such a predicament, his first option is to launch another campaign to redirect the internal crisis, but he would lose again, and he happens to lean favorably toward Dajing culture; his second option is to ally with us, whereupon I will promise him vast pastures and mountain ranges. He will weigh the choice carefully.”

Sunlight danced in Shi Shu’s eyes.

Shi Shu remarked, “Now that’s what I call kicking a man while he’s down.”

Xie Wuchi: “Subduing them through mutual interest is far superior to butchering our way across the land, inciting desperate resistance and multiplying casualties.”

Shi Shu grinned brightly.

Xie Wuchi added, “However, when you step forward as our pledge of sincerity to meet him, we must remain vigilant.”

A faint aroma wafted from the pot. Picking up his cushion, Shi Shu walked over to his side: “Understood, I’ll be careful—”

Settling onto a small stool, Shi Shu observed Xie Wuchi cooking up close. Clear water rippled inside a wooden basin. Xie Wuchi casually rinsed a wild mountain plum and held it out before Shi Shu.

Shi Shu took a bite: “Crisp.”

Xie Wuchi grazed the corner of his lips: “Delicious?”

Shi Shu: “Delicious.”

“Mine tastes better, or this?”

“…………”

Shi Shu’s vision nearly blacked out: “Ge, can you stop being so damn sudden and trying to assert dominance over literally everything in existence?!”

“Answer me,” Xie Wuchi prompted, his tone tilting upward.

Shi Shu’s cheeks flushed hotter and hotter.

After a moment, bristling, he gave in: “Yours tastes better! Happy now?!”

“Embarrassed discussing such things?” Xie Wuchi discarded the plum pit. “I assumed this was merely standard flirtation between lovers.”

Shi Shu: “Ge, you and I aren’t from the same country; people from my parts don’t flirt like this.”

Xie Wuchi cut in: “I am from the same country as you. Furthermore, who have you ever flirted with? How would you know how others talk?”

Shi Shu: “Wait, that’s not—”

As Shi Shu spoke, Xie Wuchi turned around, his shadow falling across the firewood, pinching his chin: “Just how good did mine taste?”

Shi Shu averted his gaze: “…Are you out of your mind?”

“I only want to know if you felt miserable during those moments. Unlike last night, on those previous occasions, you would only feel good if you loved me back. After all, you are a boy who never fantasized about men; naturally, you wouldn’t find taking someone into your mouth particularly wondrous.”

Shi Shu: “…………”

Shi Shu felt that dating Xie Wuchi was an endless stream of unprecedented experiences.

“Shi Shu,” Xie Wuchi called softly.

Amid the silence, Shi Shu threw his hands up in defeat: “I liked it a lot, alright?!”

“Very good.”

Xie Wuchi stroked his jaw again: “Later, I’d like to taste yours.”

“…” Shi Shu shot up from his seat, shaking these early morning conversations clean out of his ears. Though his waist remained exceedingly sore, possessed by the stubborn resilience of an eighty-year-old grandfather insisting on farming through illness, he marched off to inspect the green leaves and tiny cucumbers hanging from the trellis.

Xie Wuchi was just this kind of person; nothing could be done about it—who told him to fall for the man?

Basking in the morning sun, his irritation evaporated in no time. Who knew how many more days they would have to wait for word from King Zhouchi; time in the mountains flowed excruciatingly slow.

He would likely spend several more days here with Xie Wuchi.

Reaching out, Shi Shu caught a white butterfly, released it, and strolled back to Xie Wuchi’s side.