UCTOOT CH5

Shi Shu naturally knew that Peking University and Tsinghua University students were far beyond ordinary people in terms of potential, but he hadn’t expected them to be this capable of making waves.

Shi Shu chewed on the steamed bun in his mouth and saw Xie Wuchi put down the book, put on a monk’s robe over his undergarment, and said, “I’m going out first, you take your time.”

Shi Shu: “Where are you going?”

“To the East Niu Li Gate of Xiangnan Temple, to the Ma Family Martial Arts Hall. The head of the Imperial Guard’s military department, who was demoted, opened a store there to teach martial arts. It’s impossible to work out here, so I go there every morning to practice with the disciples of the martial arts hall.”

“Work out? You’re into body management?”

“Part of the reason,” Xie Wuchi said calmly, “Cultivate the spirit with civilization, and the body with barbarism. A strong physique is indispensable. Your arms and legs will be sore tomorrow, but it will get better in a few days. You can join me then.”

Shi Shu: “Gege, let me think about it.”

Xie Wuchi nodded slightly: “I’ll head out now. If you wake up early, come to the Cangjing Pavilion to find me. If not, just stay in bed. I’ll bring you lunch when I come back around noon.”

“Thank you… Xie Wuchi, you’re truly one of a kind.”

“No need. In this ancient time, we are the only friends we have, so it’s only right that we help each other.”

Xie Wuchi lowered his gaze, smiling faintly. “You staying here is good for both of us.”

Xie Wuchi walked out the door, and even the dog didn’t bark—he must have fed the dog a steamed bun earlier, winning its heart.

“A man who thinks of everything…” Shi Shu thought, “Like the class nerd, everything is arranged neatly, with extraordinary execution skills.”

One could only say, he truly met a good person.

Heaven has eyes, I’ve always said I haven’t done any bad deeds, so how come I end up farming and meeting a gay man? This is such bad luck!

Shi Shu tossed over, feeling a sense of peace he’d never felt before, sinking into the bed and drifting into a deep, blissful sleep.

He slept all the way until midday. The sunlight filtered through the window and hit his eyes. Shi Shu suddenly opened his eyes, about to turn over and get up, but after a painful scream, he slowed his movements.

“Ah!!!!”

“Pain, pain, pain! It hurts so much!”

“Marathons really aren’t meant for people to run, so painful…”

Shi Shu struggled with his arms and legs, painfully getting out of bed, hearing the sounds of lively chatter outside. He pushed open the door.

“My god…”

The soft, light white sunlight shone on his face, and his eyes reflected the bustling city of the Eastern Capital. The Buddhist pagoda looked even more ancient and lively than he had seen at night, with the shade of the Bodhi tree covering the white walls and gray tiles. Monks walked by, and donors moved in parallel.

Not far away was the market of Xiangnan Temple, with shops and stalls selling all sorts of goods, roasted chicken, roast goose, marinated food, golden-threaded satin, multicolored fabrics, pastries, toys, cosmetics, gold, silver, copper, and iron, weapons like knives, swords, and spears. There were also street performers in circles, breathing fire, walking ropes, and swallowing swords.

“…This is the city? The capital of a feudal dynasty? It’s like the ‘Dream of Hua’…”

A rural person entering the city, had I known the city was this good, I would have come earlier.

Shi Shu wanted to stroll around, but then remembered his aching body after last night’s mad dash, so he hurriedly stopped a novice monk. “Excuse me, where can I take a bath?”

“Go down this road to the end, there’s a bathing pool behind the meditation hall.”

Shi Shu thanked him repeatedly and headed in the direction indicated.

At the front desk, he took a hand token, grabbed half a bucket of hot water, and entered a room separated by wooden partitions.

The steamy bathhouse was filled with people who had come for meditation and to pray before Buddha, burning incense and bathing to wash away their filth. Some temples offered hot water and bathhouses for this purpose.

Shi Shu slipped into the farthest corner, stripped off his clothes, and in a contorted posture, gently splashed some water on himself, his waist and abdomen aching so much that he wanted to laugh…

His legs hurt, his waist hurt, his lower abdomen hurt, and his arms hurt…

As he wiped himself down, he muttered like a ghost, sighing, “It hurts… I can’t stand it… How can it hurt this much… so painful… hissing… ah… it’s killing me…”

He grumbled, and a monk washing nearby glanced at him.

What is he looking at?

The more it hurt, the more Shi Shu felt angry about what happened last night at Zhou Family Village: “I hate these idiots who mess with men, all because of that beast…”

The monk glanced at him again.

Shi Shu wiped his back, swinging his arm too fast, and suddenly a sharp pain hit him—“Damn!”

Behind him, footsteps changed direction, approaching him. A calm and slow voice sounded: “Shi Shu.”

Shi Shu suddenly turned around. In the swirling steam, Xie Wuchi had no idea when he had arrived. He had changed into a snow-white, simple monk’s robe, his long black hair tied up high. He wore a string of Bodhi beads on his left wrist and held a plate of prayer beads in one hand. His eyebrows were lowered, his expression calm, and his gaze carried an air of indifference.

“Xie Wuchi? You’re done with your business?”

Shi Shu covered his lower body with a towel, too sore to argue: “Hold on, I’m taking a bath right now, I’ll talk to you later.”

But Xie Wuchi didn’t leave.

Shi Shu hinted, “I’m busy right now, you can see that, right?”

“I can,” Xie Wuchi lowered his eyes, scanning his shoulder, then looked away. “But you should know that hot water costs money, ten copper coins per bucket. I was afraid you’d get stuck here, so I came to pay for you.”

Shi Shu: “How did you know I was taking a bath?”

“Your clothes are missing a piece.”

Shi Shu, though no longer afraid of bathing with a group of men, felt uneasy under Xie Wuchi’s inexplicably dominant gaze: “Handsome gege, you can cover for me this time, I’ll repay you later. But, bro, could you turn around? That dog-like look in your eyes is making me uncomfortable.”

Xie Wuchi: “There are people bathing from the back too.”

Shi Shu: “So, you’re looking at me?”

Xie Wuchi: “Ты красивее его.” (You are more beautiful than him.)

Shi Shu: “What language is that?”

“I long for you.”

The pronunciation was clear, seductive, and grabbed his attention. Shi Shu was momentarily stunned, feeling as if he should understand but couldn’t quite grasp it: “Ge, stop playing around, can’t you tone it down a little? I haven’t passed my Level 4 exam yet.”

Xie Wuchi: “When you have time, maybe you can study some English?”

Shi Shu suddenly went wild: “You want me to study English now? You teach it then!”

“If you want to learn, I can teach you,” Xie Wuchi replied. “Or Russian, German, Japanese, French, Portuguese, Spanish. It’s better to be able to talk in those languages, you know, so you can say bad things about people without trouble.”

Shi Shu: “You know eight languages just for that?”

“Otherwise? I didn’t expect you to know nothing. I thought I’d at least get a teammate who was somewhat stronger than me.”

Shi Shu: “…That hurt my pride. Get out, I’m busy.”

Xie Wuchi turned, glancing at him one more time. “I’ve paid the fee, I’ll be waiting outside.”

“Got it, Tsinghua Gege.” Shi Shu turned back, watching Xie Wuchi walk out of the bathhouse, clutching the towel tightly with a raised eyebrow.

Xie Wuchi had taken him in, and now he needed to properly thank him later. Shi Shu thought so, but didn’t expect the monk next to him to hesitate, giving him a long look, before clicking his tongue heavily, tying his scarf tightly around his waist to cover himself, avoiding him as he left.

Shi Shu reflected on it, his face flushing awkwardly: “He doesn’t think I’m gay and that Xie-gege is doing something to me, does he?”

“Ah!!!!!!! Nonsense!” Shi Shu cried out in frustration, quickly drying himself off and hurrying out of the bathhouse.

“Xie——Wu——Chi——”

Outside the wooden bathhouse, there was a large ancient cherry blossom tree. It was now nearly April or May, with a few petals drifting down while the branches were mostly sprouting fresh green. Under the clear, blue sky, everything appeared fresh and lively.

The temple walls stacked up against each other, with a branch of a pear tree sticking out above the wall, casting shade. Under the white wall corner, two figures stood facing each other.

When Shi Shu ran out, Xie Wuchi was chatting with someone.

An old monk, dressed in a cassock that had layers of fabric folded like pudding, his robes bleached and faded by starch, looked frail, his white eyebrows and beard drooping, obscuring his eyes that seemed to blend with the light. But he exuded a serene and noble air, his posture straight and dignified.

A young novice monk held a meal for him, waiting with his head lowered.

“The young master is going to Kan’an Temple, what grievances does he have along the way?”

Xie Wuchi said, “The people of Huainan Road have revolted. Tens of thousands of soldiers were killed or injured, and over a hundred thousand rebels were killed or wounded. The main force of the select troops from Hedong South Road, 50,000, had 30,000 retreat, and the remaining army is now stationed outside the Eastern Capital. The chief military general entered the city, indulging in wine and revelry, lingering in brothels, the military discipline has decayed. Until the court issues supplies, they won’t leave. During their stay in the capital, they’ve caused trouble, disturbed the citizens, and broken rules.”

The old monk said, “If we convert this to silver, how much would they ask for?”

Xie Wuchi raised one hand, opening his fingers.

“That’s a lion’s share, asking for so much,” the old monk frowned. “They never think of the court. To the north, there are enemy invaders; to the east, pirates; the palace has termites; the provinces have tigers; the county cities have flies. They’ve scraped all the oil, leaving only the skin.”

Xie Wuchi responded, “The young master is going to Kan’an Temple to pray for Buddha, but he’s worried about the military supply money.”

“Afraid they can’t increase rent or taxes anymore. The Huainan Road has taxed for thirty years, scraping every bit of marrow from the people, and this triggered the revolt. If they continue to tax, it will be like a wildfire, with the masses rising up in unison. It won’t be something that a single elite army can suppress.”

Xie Wuchi’s expression was calm, silent.

Shi Shu didn’t understand fully but felt it was important, so he pretended to look at the wall behind them.

The old monk asked, “So, this bone-cutting knife, who will it fall on?”

Xie Wuchi: “We’ll have to wait. The sharp sword hangs over us, and everyone lives in danger.”

They thought for a moment, and the old monk looked up at the clear sky through the tree branches, saying, “I never intended to ask about worldly affairs, but the mirror is hard to keep clean. I’ve cultivated for decades and still find myself floating with the masses.”

Xie Wuchi: “In Buddhism, it talks about enlightenment and attachment, but not how to release attachment. Every person has their own path of cultivation, and every step they take is not in vain.”

“Hahaha, you’re good at comforting people!”

After laughing, Xie Wuchi’s gaze swept over Shi Shu, and he changed the subject. “Master Hui Jue, my ge has arrived.”

Master Hui Jue had a kind expression. “Your ge? Good, good, it’s good that you found him. After the chaos, reuniting with family is a great blessing.”

Ge?

He’s assigning me a family so soon?

Shi Shu stepped forward. “Master, hello.”

Master Hui Jue: “Your older brother is intelligent and has a heart like a child. You should learn well from him.”

Intelligent, of course, Tsinghua-ge can’t not be intelligent!

Master Hui Jue leaned on his bamboo staff and walked along the stone path.

Shi Shu only half-heard the conversation, planning to ask him later. Before that, there was something else: “In the future, could you tell them I’m your cousin?”

Xie Wuchi: “No.”

Shi Shu: “Maternal cousin?”

Xie Wuchi: “Not that either, you’re my didi (little brother).”

Shi Shu: “So, I’m supposed to change my name to Xie Shishu?! Take your surname?”

Xie Wuchi: “I can change my name to Xie Wuchi too.”

Shi Shu: “Is that even a name???!!!”

Shi Shu noticed the monk from the bathhouse earlier, holding a bowl of hot food. After seeing him, the monk quickly walked over.

“………………” Shi Shu fell silent. “Didi, such an ambiguous term.”

Xie Wuchi’s expression grew distant, as if he was still lost in thought, his mood darkening.

He turned to look at him. “What are you afraid of?”

“I… I think I might have caused some misunderstanding.”

“Be specific.”

“What if others think we’re related?”

Xie Wuchi lowered his eyes, as if understanding something: “So, you’re afraid people will say—‘brothers in a scandal’?”