CH 136

Xiahou Lian recuperated from his illness for five entire days. As a person who hadn’t caught a cold in eight hundred years but had unexpectedly gotten sick, it took Xiahou Lian several days to recognize this reality. When he could finally go outside, Lian Xiang said that Xie Jinglan had called him over. He went to the neighboring courtyard. There was a new layer of red paint on the wooden door, and the columns were so bright one could see their reflection; he could tell that it had been newly repaired.

Pushing open the door, hot air was steaming inside. There was a large pool in the center, walls built with marble, and a candleholder on either side. The dim candlelight shined on the hazy water vapor, making it seem like heaven on earth. 

“How about it, do you like it?” Xie Jinglan walked in and asked.

“You built a bathhouse?” Xiahou Lian said in surprise.

“In the future, come here to bathe, it’s more comfortable than your cold water.”

Xie Jinglan closed the door and began to undress. Xiahou Lian watched with wide eyes as his plain cloud-patterned gauze robes slid down from his shoulders, revealing his shoulders and arms flowing with luster.

“Young Master, are you taking a bath?” Xiahou Lian asked him.

“What else? Undressing to do you?”

Xiahou Lian: “…”

Xie Jinglan walked to the edge of the pool and took off his trousers, submerging himself into the steaming mist with bare legs. Xie Jinglan leaned against the wall and poured water onto his body, his smooth and fair skin. His black and shiny hair stuck to his face, making his features shrouded in the mist even more gorgeous.

In the candlelight, Xie Jinglan lifted his eyes to look at him, the slightly uplifted corners of his eyes appearing dark and profound across the hazy lights and mist. He leaned against the wall of the pool, the light in his eyes glittering like waves.

“What are you standing there for? Come in.”

He had lived for half a lifetime, yet he had never bathed with his lover, and Xie Jinglan was so beautiful that Xiahou Lian couldn’t even find north. Xiahou Lian didn’t know if it was the heat or impatience or nerves, but sweat dotted the tip of his nose. He held the wall as he calmed the surging tide in his heart for a while, then undid his buttons and took off his belt, entering the water and going next to Xie Jinglan.

What were they going to do next, probably kiss and intertwine their tongues. Xiahou Lian’s hot blood surged, and he wanted to lunge at him, yet he also felt that he couldn’t be impatient. 

“Turn around,” said Xie Jinglan.

How could they kiss if he turned around? Xiahou Lian asked, “Why?”

Xie Jinglan impassively lifted a handkerchief. “I’m massaging you.”

Xiahou Lian: “…”

He really meant massaging when he said massaging. It was his first time receiving something like this, so Xiahou Lian grimaced from the pain. Actually, Xie Jinglan had also massaged Xiahou Lian when he passed out, though he had been unconscious at the time so Xiahou Lian couldn’t feel it. After massaging for a while, streaks of red marks appeared on his back, bright red like peach blossoms on his wheat skin. Xiahou Lian leaned against the short table at the edge of the pool, resting his head on his arms, and gradually felt comfortable. Sleepiness washed over him, and he could barely keep his eyes open. He didn’t notice that Xie Jinglan was rubbing more and more downward. In the end, he threw away the handkerchief and his fingertips lingered at his waist. 

He caressed the scars on Xiahou Lian’s back bit by bit. Over the years, some were already so faded that they were unrecognizable, yet some still seemed to be as deep as a fissure in the sky. These scars recorded his past years of difficulty, his moribund struggles. Xie Jinglan leaned down, closed his eyes, and outlined them carefully with his tongue. The person under his palms was sleeping unaware, seemingly letting him fiddle with him. Xie JInglan pursed his lips in a smile, and the color of his pupils gradually deepened.

“Ah——” A scream sounded in the bathhouse, as Xiahou Lian was startled awake as if someone had stabbed him with a saber. “What are you doing?!”

Turning his head back, Xie Jinglan’s jet-black pupils were extremely close.

He panted softly by Xiahou Lian’s ear. “I’m doing you.”

I’ll do your uncle! Xiahou Lian said angrily, “Young Master, you’re being lewd during the day!”

“So what?” said Xie Jinglan.

Xiahou Lian struggled strenuously, but Xie Jinglan pressed his neck and pushed him onto the short table, laughing lightly. “See? You’re so weak you have no strength left. A-Lian, are you done for?”

These words were infuriating. Xiahou Lian’s blood surged, and gritting his teeth, he abruptly caught Xie Jinglan’s hand that was pressing on his neck, kicked his ankles with his right foot, and fought to turn around at the same time. His hand turned and flung Xie Jinglan’s arm, instantly flinging Xie Jinglan entirely into the water.

Xie Jinglan was defenseless and was soaked into the pool headfirst. He drank a mouthful of bathwater and held the wall as he slowly stood up, water dripping down his cheeks, and unable to open his eyes. Xiahou Lian was still crossing his arms elatedly. “See? I can still beat you even when I’m weak.”

Xiahou Lian waited for a while, but Xie Jinglan’s back was toward him and he didn’t respond. Xiahou Lian gradually felt perturbed and stretched his head over to look. His lips were pursed and his face was cold, a storm brewing between his brows. Xiahou Lian knew that he had accidentally been too excessive, so he hastily smiled placatingly. “Did you get hurt from the fall? I thought falling in the water would be fine. Where does it hurt, I’ll blow on it for you?”

Xie Jinglan ignored him and went up the ladder to the ground. He used a towel to wipe his body and put on his clothes layer by layer.

Xiahou Lian felt apprehensive and lifted his head to look at his expression. The corners of his mouth were lowered impassively, but Xiahou Lian saw a faint anger in his eyes. “Xiahou Lian,” he finished on his clothes and turned his head to look at Xiahou Lian, “I really don’t know why I like you. You’re dirty, and you’re stupid.”

These words were too hurtful. Xiahou Lian grimaced and said, “But for my entire life, I’ve really never rubbed the dirt off me.”

Before Xiahou Lian was twenty-five years old, Xie Jinglan had never bathed together with him before, which meant that he had never scrubbed himself in twenty-five years. However, they had kissed and hugged with ups and downs, and they had already done everything that should be done. Xie Jinglan became silent and took a long time before saying, “All right, stop talking.”

Xiahou Lian pulled his trousers. “Young Master, don’t be angry.”

Xie Jinglan picked up his outer clothes and put them on, walking outside as he said, “Find someplace to sleep tonight, if you dare to enter my room I’ll break your legs.”

Xiahou Lian stood in the bath pool, watching helplessly as he disappeared outside the door.

He had originally hoped that Xie Jinglan would cool off by himself in a few hours, but when it was night, Xie Jinglan really didn’t allow Xiahou Lian to enter the room. Xiahou Lian squatted at the doorway, holding his head and moping and sighing. Turning his head, he saw that the light in the room had already been extinguished, a dark expanse. He pressed his ear to the door panel but didn’t hear a sound, so he had probably really gone to sleep. He turned his head back and looked at the two tanks of lotuses, swaying with the wind, only one lotus in each tank, desolately looking at each other with a solitary aura. 

Lian Xiang passed by holding a lantern. Seeing Xiahou Lian squatting dejectedly at the doorway, she walked over and asked, “Xiao Lian, why aren’t you going inside?”

“The young master isn’t letting me go inside.” Xiahou Lian picked up a branch and drew on the ground.

“The wind is cold at night, you can’t be outside.” Lian Xiang knocked on the door. “Young Master, Xiao Lian’s health has just recovered, please let him wait inside.”

The two of them waited for a while, but there was still no sound inside.

Lian Xiang said to Xiahou Lian, “Why don’t I tidy up the neighboring room for you, you can sleep for the night first.”

“Never mind,” Xiahou Lian sighed, “I’ll just wait here.”

Lian Xiang knocked on the door a few more times, and the two of them stared at each other for a long time under the eaves before a voice finally came from inside. “Come in.”

Xiahou Lian sighed in relief, thanked Lian Xiang, and opened the door to go inside. There was still light by the alcove bed, and Xie Jinglan hadn’t put down the curtains. He was lying on his side on top, his satin-like black and shiny hair meandering on the bed.

Xiahou Lian was about to go inside, but Xie Jinglan said, “Only outside, you’re not allowed to come in.” After saying this, he blew out the candle and lowered the curtains, rolling over and going to sleep.

His foot that had just stepped past the floor-to-ceiling screen stopped, and Xiahou Lian took it back in resignation, sat on the stool, and looked at the shadow behind the curtains from a distance. The bluish-white moonlight shone inside, outlining his figure that was lying on his side in the bed, which rose and fell, containing an indescribable beauty.

Ah, it’s a pity his temper is just a little big.

Xiahou Lian placed his chin on the table and sighed deeply.

He couldn’t fall asleep by resting his head on his arms, so Xiahou Lian’s position changed seven or eight times, the stool creaking because of his shaking. The color of the night silently flowed inside, a faint black in the room, and Xiahou Lian put his head in his palm as he stared blankly at the white porcelain garlic-head vase on the incense table. Outside, there were sporadic insect chirps, one noise following another. Xiahou Lian inclined his ear and listened, his eyelids fluttering up and down. His face slowly slid down from his hand and accidentally fell out, his forehead hitting the table and making a thud. Xie Jinglan’s sleep was light, so he turned around and lifted the curtains to look over, where Xiahou Lian was laying on the table and rubbing his forehead.

He had waited for an afternoon yet this guy hadn’t come to coax him, so for whom was he putting on an act now? The more Xie Jinglan thought about it the angrier he became, and he humphed coldly. “Why didn’t you go and sleep in the neighboring room when I told you to?”

“I can’t fall asleep without you,” Xiahou Lian said in a low voice.

“What were you doing in the afternoon?”

“Waiting for you to cool off,” said Xiahou Lian.

It was quiet at the bed for a while before Xiahou Lian heard Xie Jinglan sigh. “Forget it, I’ll spare you for now, come up.”

Xiahou Lian received the order and happily undressed and undid his belt before getting onto the bed. Xie Jinglan moved inside, clearing out half of the bed for him to sleep in. He finally got into the bed, and the two of them lay close together, but Xie Jinglan pursed his lips and lay face-up, ignoring him. Xiahou Lian shook his arm and said, “Are you still angry? Be careful your mood affects your health, I’ll relieve your anger.” He stroked his chest with his hands, and after stroking for a bit his hands became muddled, so he didn’t know if he was relieving his anger or taking advantage.

Xie Jinglan swatted his hands away and glanced at him coldly. “Do you know what you did wrong?”

“I know, I know,” Xiahou Lian rubbed his hands and said, “I’ll definitely bathe properly in the future, I won’t be careless.”

“And?”

Xiahou Lian said, “And I shouldn’t have hit you, I was really wrong to do that, how can I hit my wife?”

“And?”

“And?” Xiahou Lian was out of ideas, and he scratched his head as he pondered, saying in confusion, “There shouldn’t be anymore.”

Xie Jinglan suddenly propped his body up and leaned on him, pinching his chin. “And you shouldn’t spoil your man’s good spirits!”

Without waiting for Xiahou Lian to react, Xie Jinglan bit his lip. His long satin-like hair flowed down from his shoulders, wrapping around Xiahou Lian’s elbow. Xie Jinglan carefully ground against Xiahou Lian’s lips, meticulously kissing deeply all the way to his tongue. The temperature gradually rose, and they heard each other’s heartbeats and panting.

“Wife,” Xiahou Lian panted as he said, “my health is already fine now, I won’t trouble you to be on top this time.”

Xie Jinglan straddled his body as he slowly rolled up his sleeve.

“I yield, I yield,” Xiahou Lian wailed, “I’ll listen to you, anything you do is fine!”

Xie Jinglan was pleased and hooked his lips up in a smile. He pulled Xiahou Lian’s legs apart and straightened his back, and Xiahou Lian instantly seemed to be struck by lightning, and he gasped.

Moonlight dimly shone inside, and the bed boards creaked, the autumn-colored bed curtains swaying like waves. Xiahou Lian was tearful amid the turbulence; his life was really even more bitter than a goldthread plant.