UCTOOT CH104

All night long, Shi Shu couldn’t sleep, checking Xie Wuchi’s wounds repeatedly.

Early the next morning, as soon as Shi Shu opened his eyes, he hurriedly cleaned up and washed his face. Taking out the steamed buns and dry rations from the bundle, he squatted aside, watching the sleeping Xie Wuchi.

Xie Wuchi’s eyelids were closed, his sitting posture while sleeping very upright. The wounds on his legs had scabbed over, but with the hot weather and large area of broken skin, the possibility of infection was high.

Shi Shu was the first to notice something unusual—Xie Wuchi was sleeping deeper than usual.

Looking at him, Shi Shu took a small sip of water, his throat making a gulping sound. Even though Xie Wuchi held a high position in modern times, since transmigrating, he had never uttered a word of complaint about suffering. He merely treated everything as garbage to be cleared in the progress, hurdles to be crossed on the road forward, nothing more.

Although he was a young master, his mental fortitude was incredibly tough.

Shi Shu looked at him, unconsciously noticing Xie Wuchi’s face. His handsome brows and eyes were somewhat cold, radiating a nobility one dared not look directly at—quite a handsome appearance. Wait, with my bro’s conditions, who couldn’t he pursue with just a look? Wouldn’t a crook of his finger be enough?

So what’s the situation?

Am I just too hard to get?

Shi Shu’s face was fair and handsome, wearing a somewhat complex expression as he stared intently at him. Suddenly, Xie Wuchi opened his eyes.

Shi Shu hurriedly handed him water: “Awake? Drink some water first. Half a cup of water in the morning aids urination and detoxification. You need to drink a lot of water today.”

Xie Wuchi took the water and drank two mouthfuls. In his line of sight, Shi Shu was breaking the dry ration flatbread into small pieces. The dark, rock-hard flatbread revealed dense layers when broken. Logically, they could have brought some refined bread, but they feared being questioned during luggage inspection: You, a servant, eat so well?

So Shi Shu only brought the coarsest flatbread, made of corn and millet—ordinary taste, rock-hard, but with the advantage of a long shelf life.

Shi Shu broke it into pieces and handed it to Xie Wuchi: “Eat.”

Xie Wuchi looked at the dry ration he offered.

Shi Shu: “I washed my hands; they’re very clean. I’m someone who loves cleanliness very much, okay?”

Xie Wuchi seemed to want to say something with his eyes. Shi Shu squatted aside looking at him, then glanced outside. It was just morning; faint morning light shone on the mountains and roads, the village presenting a peaceful and harmonious scene.

Xie Wuchi didn’t speak, just raised his eyebrows, his meaning very obvious. Shi Shu understood instantly and said, “I’ve become a little wife again, having to feed a man.”

Feeding him small pieces of flatbread one by one, the two took advantage of the break to rest and chat casually. Xie Wuchi chewed the dry, hard flatbread lightly and said, “In the sequel to that TV drama you watched, the little wife waited on the man to dress and eat. Besides wiping his body, she had to feed him, help him urinate, and finally get into bed.”

Shi Shu: “There was no bed scene. It was cut; anyway, I didn’t see it.”

Xie Wuchi: “Even if it’s cut now, you still don’t understand?”

Shi Shu stared at him.

Xie Wuchi said: “Although the screen went black, in the story, the two were copulating on the bed, inserting one thing into another. From childhood to adulthood, have you never fantasized about it?”

“Bro, even this flatbread can’t stop your mouth.” Shi Shu quickly fed him the remaining small half of the flatbread.

Xie Wuchi stopped talking, lowered his head to take a bite, and with a crunch, seemed to chew on sand in the bread. Shi Shu couldn’t help but say, “Such terrible food. Once we’re out of the defense line, let’s eat something good.”

This flatbread, hard enough to crack walnuts, made Shi Shu’s cheeks hurt from chewing. Chewing like a little sheep, he ate half a piece and wrapped the rest in cloth. Seeing pedestrians starting to appear on the road, he stood up: “Ready to go?”

Xie Wuchi had finished packing: “Let’s go.”

It would take another day to reach the foot of Mount Meng. Who knew what dangers lay in this day. When Shi Shu reached the thoroughfare, several patrol squads ran past, making his heart beat like thunder instantly. But these patrol squads just ran past quickly, probably having discovered last night’s bandits and going to check the situation.

The scorching sun was like fire; princes and young masters waved fans. Shi Shu was sweating profusely from pure heat, but Xie Wuchi had many small wounds on his body, as well as the scars on his legs.

Shi Shu looked at him every two steps: “Xie Wuchi.”

Shi Shu became increasingly nervous, but Xie Wuchi was very calm: “I’m fine. Don’t stop. We must reach Mount Meng before tonight.”

Shi Shu had to nod. The water in the flask was finished. Seeing a clear stream, Shi Shu hurriedly ran to fill the water.

Such a scene was very familiar. After Xie Wuchi gained power, Shi Shu rarely did things with him, so now it felt somewhat like returning to the past. However, in the reflection, besides the scenes of running around the land of Great Jing with him, the scene of corpses strewn all over Yunzhou City also emerged—

War, slaughter, corpses. Stepping on them made bloody water ripple; white bones exposed in the wild. Yet in just a few short days, that had also become a distant past.

Yunzhou was victorious, and he and Xie Wuchi stepped onto a path deep into enemy territory to probe intelligence and negotiate, full of new hope.

Shi Shu plugged the cork into the water flask and immediately handed it to Xie Wuchi: “Thirsty? Drink a couple more mouthfuls.”

“This flatbread isn’t tasty either. When we get to Mount Meng city, let’s have a good meal and get you some medicine.”

Xie Wuchi’s spirit wasn’t as good as yesterday, but not greatly affected. Finally, around four or five in the afternoon, Shi Shu saw the walled village ahead in the distance—Xie Wuchi had found Min POWs and asked about the transit city with the most traffic on the defense line, where merchant caravans lined up row upon row.

“We’re here. Finally can have a good meal!”

Shi Shu hurried to find a roadside restaurant and ordered a few dishes. After eating flatbread for three days, they could finally have a good meal. But the weather was too hot, so they ordered a bowl of cold noodles.

Shi Shu borrowed a fan from the boss, fanning Xie Wuchi while secretly checking the wounds on his back. Sure enough, they were stained with some sweat and now appeared slightly red and swollen.

“Cold noodles are here!” Shi Shu handed the noodles to Xie Wuchi. The bowl was ice-cold to the fingertips, emitting a fragrant aroma: “After eating, sit and wait for me a while. I’ll go to a pharmacy to buy some things.”

Shi Shu hadn’t tasted these noodles before. They were softer and cooler than roasted flatbread, topped with beef, mutton, and pickled vegetables. Shi Shu slurped his down. Xie Wuchi ate half a bowl, his appetite average: “Not eating anymore.”

“It’s okay,” Shi Shu looked at his bowl. “It’s too hot to eat. Let’s go to the inn to rest first. If you’re hungry tonight, I’ll get you something else.”

Xie Wuchi: “Indeed can’t eat now. We’ll talk tonight.”

Shi Shu took Xie Wuchi’s bowl and ate the remaining few chopsticks of noodles.

When he moved his chopsticks, Xie Wuchi lowered his eyes, his gaze stopping on him, seemingly not expecting this. Shi Shu held the chopsticks and scratched his head: “Wasting isn’t good, right?”

Xie Wuchi didn’t speak. Shi Shu said, “Although my dad disliked it, he still ate what my mom left.” He lifted the bowl again and drank the remaining soup. “I need to eat more to have strength to take care of you.”

Shi Shu instantly felt filled with strength. After settling him down and fanning him a bit more, he went to the pharmacy on the street to buy medicine. Entering the shop, he said: “Buy some borneol, dragon’s blood, and camphor—” Just as he finished speaking, a figure behind him also walked in.

“Boss, buy some heatstroke medicine.”

“Xin Bin?” Shi Shu turned and saw him.

Xin Bin met his eyes, obviously relieved. After buying medicine, they walked out together: “Second Young Master, this lowly one finally waited for you! Why buy these medicines? Is Second Young Master injured?”

“I’m not injured,” Shi Shu gestured to the noodle shop not far away. “My brother suffered some superficial wounds.”

“…”

After Shi Shu finished speaking, for the first time in his life, he saw an expression of “vision going black, sky falling” on a person’s face. Xin Bin abruptly questioned: “My Lord came too?!”

Shi Shu: “He was worried about me and escorted me all the way.”

Xin Bin was speechless. The quietest three seconds in history. As Xie Wuchi’s guard, Xin Bin didn’t just feel the sky falling; he even wanted to die a little: “…My Lord actually came personally.”

Shi Shu could understand the other implications: “…Mm. Have you eaten? Those noodles were pretty good. Should I order a bowl for you? We’ll rest in the city tonight and travel tomorrow.”

Xin Bin was even more silent: “Replying to Second Young Master, just ate. But this lowly one didn’t hear clearly. You said: We?”

Shi Shu: “My brother plans to go together.”

Xin Bin fell completely silent, the scene of their Lord holding his own brother in a passionate kiss he saw not long ago floating in his mind. After a silence that made one’s scalp numb, he said: “Second Young Master go first. This lowly one will go notify the others immediately to redeploy.”

Many guards were in disguise, protecting them from the shadows. Shi Shu nodded and said, “Thank you.”

After finishing speaking with him, Shi Shu hurried back to the noodle shop with the medicine packet. Xie Wuchi sat in the shade, fan beside him, dressed in simple cyan robes, yet wearing them with an otherworldly air.

Xie Wuchi propped his chin with one hand, the fan handle resting against his wrist bone. Shi Shu approached and lowered his voice: “I met up with Xin Bin. They are in the shadows, probably disguised as porters or passersby, all around us.”

“Mm,” Xie Wuchi said. “We are temporarily safe.”

Shi Shu’s suspended heart finally dropped: “Let’s quickly find an inn to rest. I’ll brew the anti-inflammatory medicine for you.”

The next part of the journey was to Yuan County in Yong’an Prefecture under Dongping Ridge, which was precisely where King Zhouchi’s troops were stationed, to contact many people within the entire prefecture. Now that they were out of the defense line, the danger was certainly reduced, but there would still be other dangers along the way.

Take one step, calculate one step.

For three whole days, Shi Shu and Xie Wuchi traveled at high intensity, not getting a good sleep at night. Especially Shi Shu, whose nerves were taut to the point of mental exhaustion. What he and Xie Wuchi craved most now was a bed, to have a good sleep.

However, Shi Shu couldn’t book a high-end inn room. According to his and Xie Wuchi’s disguised identities, they could only book an ordinary, common lodging.

Shi Shu looked around and stopped at a small alley resembling residential houses. Entering and walking through winding sheep-gut paths, they found a narrow bedroom. The boss said: “Please fetch water yourself.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as the boss left, Shi Shu borrowed a medicine pot to boil medicine. He stepped out to check the courtyard while Xie Wuchi was organizing the bundle inside. Shi Shu went in and lay on the bed: “Good, good!”

Xie Wuchi: “Good what?”

“I’ve really had enough of sleeping on stone slabs these two days. My back hurts. Finally have a place to rest.” Shi Shu straightened up. “Xie Wuchi, come here.”

Xie Wuchi approached, and Shi Shu reached out to take off his clothes, completely exposing his upper body.

Xie Wuchi raised an eyebrow: “What is it?”

People came and went in the courtyard; this small inn had quite a few guests. Shi Shu pulled open his upper garment: “Take off the clothes and wash them. You don’t have other clothes, but luckily it’s hot. Just stay naked for now while I treat the wounds on your back.”

Xie Wuchi said: “It’s afternoon now, people coming and going outside. Ever heard of it? Ancient families wouldn’t close their doors during the day.”

Shi Shu: “Why?”

“If the door is closed, others will think: broad daylight, is this family engaging in daytime lewdness?” Xie Wuchi said. “Are you sure you want to close it?”

Shi Shu endured for two seconds, turned around and blocked him: “I don’t care about anything else; I’m definitely closing the door. I won’t let you show others. Besides—who would think two men are engaging in daytime lewdness?”

Shi Shu went forward to close the door and saw Xin Bin not far away, disguised as a passerby also coming to stay at the shop, walking to the backyard: “…”

Xin Bin looked away.

Shi Shu averted his gaze, closed the door, and sat under the eaves to brew medicine. Using charcoal fire, it took a long time. Xin Bin guarded the alley entrance, disguised as a passerby cooling off, but actually constantly watching for any disturbance around. Needless to say, there were messengers outside the inn too. Once danger was encountered, they could report faster than patrol squads.

Shi Shu made eye contact with him several times, finally stood up, entered the door, and closed it again: “Can’t stand it!”

He and Xie Wuchi hadn’t slept well these two days. Besides his nightly activities, it was almost impossible to lie down in the desolate temple. Stones were hard against the back, and sleeping leaning against the wall wasn’t good either. When Shi Shu entered, Xie Wuchi’s clothes were already washed clean and hanging in the ventilated window area. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, having almost nothing to do.

Shi Shu brought nothing. A handwritten letter from Xie Wuchi was hidden in his inner pocket. The bundle was full of dry rations, clothes, and silver taels; nothing inconsistent with their identity was brought.

Shi Shu closed the door and approached: “You can sleep for a while first. I’ll call you when I’m done. It’s best to rest more when injured, give the body time to recover.”

Xie Wuchi: “It’s 5 PM now. Can’t sleep.”

Shi Shu approached: “What do you mean can’t sleep? When my roommate isn’t training, he sleeps from morning till night, then till morning again. We have to travel slowly for the next few days; need to recover now.”

Xie Wuchi: “Alone, don’t want to sleep.”

“…”

Shi Shu scratched his head, understood, and sat close to the bed: “I’ll lie down with you, okay?”

Truth be told, needing company even to sleep, Bro, you really have a lot of face. As soon as Shi Shu finished speaking, he lay on the kang bed, instantly feeling his limbs glued to the bed: “Damn, so comfy!”

He pulled Xie Wuchi down until Xie Wuchi lay on the inner side and Shi Shu on the outer side. The pillow had the scent of grass seeds, actually an Eastern Capital style, reminding him of the beds at Xiangnan Temple and Liushui Nunnery.

Lying on the bed with him, Shi Shu said: “I’ll keep you company, but I can’t fall asleep. The stove outside is still burning; I can only lie with you for a little while.”

However, the moment Shi Shu lay on the bed, he felt the merciful Earth Mother calling him: Sleep, rest in peace… Shi Shu suddenly opened his eyes wide, fighting desperately with his will: “I can’t sleep, I can’t sleep.”

Finally, Shi Shu carp-skipped up. “I can’t lie down anymore. If I lie down, I’ll really fall asleep! I have to stand. Your medicine—”

But the next second, his wrist was pulled again, and he was hugged into an embrace. Shi Shu crashed into scalding skin, collarbone, and chest. Xie Wuchi said: “Don’t force it. Besides you, someone else will watch the medicine outside.”

Shi Shu smelled his scent—a hot, young, vigorous male body seeming capable of catalyzing countless chemical factors. Shi Shu stared at the shadow under his Adam’s apple, the texture of his skin: “Xin Bin?”

“Why, sympathizing with him?”

“……”

Leaving other things aside, only when lying in Xie Wuchi’s arms did Shi Shu realize how tight his nerves had been these past few days. He turned slightly, thinking of the defense zone with constant patrols and checkpoints. The current Mount Meng city was by no means absolutely safe. Even on the road ahead, any pursuit could start their flight.

Shi Shu’s hair was messed up into a fluff. He half-raised his head, revealing an extremely handsome, fair face with a bit of boyishness: “Then let’s sleep together for a while. I happen to be very sleepy too.”

Life-and-death fatigue. A grogginess attacked Shi Shu’s mind, and he actually fell asleep. Perhaps because he kept smelling Xie Wuchi’s scent—whether like when they first met or now—it made him sleep very deeply.

Shi Shu breathed steadily, limbs gradually stretching out until he formed a “large” (大) shape, until he had to be pulled into an embrace. He pushed back a couple of times in resistance, but the force confining him was irresistible.

Shi Shu’s shoulders were fair and thin. Held in the arms of a bare, dark upper body, their sizes were hardly equivalent. Xie Wuchi closed his eyelids. He had a terrible headache right now, in a moment of extremely sharp mental anxiety.

Perhaps related to the inflamed wounds, perhaps related to worrying about Shi Shu these days. Once his mind became sharp, he would have insomnia. Following him was a good decision; otherwise, every day ahead, he would have spent in insomnia and anxiety.

However, the habit of insomnia could be traced back to long ago.

With his mind highly active, Xie Wuchi thought through everything on the other side of the defense line. Arrangements were watertight; no problems would arise. His confidant would write the letter stating the war situation to His Majesty. The Northern Army would return to Yanzhou in an orderly manner. The morale of the victorious army was solid, and the generals were in their positions, absolutely loyal and supportive of him; order would be stable.

As for going deep into the Min area to contact people, he also had some assurance. Although the future was uncertain, it was under control. Occasional crises and adventures would only increase his interest, making him more certain of his destiny.

However, letting go and letting Shi Shu do it would cause severe anxiety.

Familiar symptoms: body somewhat tired, mind highly excited. Xie Wuchi never fell asleep. He got up midway to drink the medicine. Until the night was dark, Shi Shu sat up rubbing his eyes.

Seeing the sky color the next second, Shi Shu said “Fuck” and jumped off the bed, intercepted by Xie Wuchi: “Don’t rush. I already drank the medicine.”

The room was very narrow. Shi Shu turned back. Xie Wuchi lay on his side. Shi Shu half-squatted: “Then are you hungry? Didn’t eat much in the afternoon either.”

Xie Wuchi: “A bit hungry.”

Shi Shu: “Then what do you want to eat? I’ll see if I can find it and buy it for you.”

Xie Wuchi thought of the bowl of noodles in the afternoon, propping himself on the pillow: “If we were back home, and I asked you to go downstairs at midnight to buy me barbecue, would you go?”

Shi Shu wiped non-existent sweat. No, the most terrifying partner has arrived. Shi Shu sat by the bed: “Depends on the situation. I’m not a man who makes empty promises. High probability I’d buy it for you, because I have a good temper.”

Shi Shu reached out to touch his face. Xie Wuchi was like an emperor. Shi Shu lay down and asked again: “I’ll go get you something to eat.”

Xie Wuchi: “You can’t stay idle. Once you have strength, you have to vent it.”

Shi Shu: “Huh? I’m very worried you’re hungry.”

Xie Wuchi reached out to stroke Shi Shu’s jaw: “When dating someone, you need to know how to speak sweet words, control and guide others’ emotions. Be interesting, make people happy, but with proper measure. Playboys generally have these qualities.”

Shi Shu let him pinch his face: “But I’m not a playboy.”

Xie Wuchi: “Say some sweet nothings. You only know hungry or not, hot or not.”

Shi Shu opened his eyes wide: “I don’t know how.”

What does that mean?

You like cold, boring Little Shu, the ice-free port of the Arctic, right?

Shi Shu couldn’t hold back: “What do you mean? You like that kind? Make it clear. You like romance, right? You like getting ten-thousand-word essays, right? Speak!”

Xie Wuchi leaned in to kiss him. Shi Shu grumbled: “Fine, fine, fine. Heh, I’m going to be angry.”

Shi Shu was just speaking naturally. After finishing, he was angry for two seconds before laughing at himself, realizing Xie Wuchi was flirting, then snorted again.

But actually, Shi Shu was the kind of boy who rode a bicycle through the streets in a white shirt in the refreshing summer wind, passing a superhero card shop and stopping specifically to look through the glass window.

Shi Shu paused for two seconds: “No, still have to eat.”

After speaking, ignoring Xie Wuchi’s obstruction, Shi Shu went to the shop’s back kitchen, found porridge warming in the pot, served a bowl, and picked out a white egg.

An oil lamp swayed. Two figures leaned together—two people exhausted from traveling for a long time. Shi Shu held the bowl: “Xie Wuchi, sometimes you’re like a living ancestor, but sometimes like a young master.”

Xie Wuchi: “Depends on the mood.”

“Take a bite.” Shi Shu sat on the kang. This brief rest amidst tension put him in a good mood. “At least we have a bed tonight. Must sleep well, make up for the previous days. Once energy is restored, there are many things to be busy with next.”

Shi Shu waited for him to finish eating and put the things back. He discovered Xie Wuchi had a small habit: he would subject him to some harmless control and ordering around, probably to see if Shi Shu would go along with him.

In his eyes, compliance meant love; resistance meant no love.

But this behavior might be because he had been subjected to “compliance tests” many times before he used it to test others.

Shi Shu didn’t mind; it was no big deal. If he wanted to play, Shi Shu could cooperate, giving Xie Wuchi a sense of security.

Humans are like that. Healing after repeated injuries produces calluses that hurt others.

And Shi Shu happened to be very dull. Lying on the bed, Xie Wuchi happened to finish washing and got into bed. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a figure covered him.

Shi Shu sensed Xie Wuchi’s restless breath. Opening his eyes—scorching body temperature, eye-catching chest muscles bursting with sexual tension—Xie Wuchi covered him: “Do it?”

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