CH 60

Peach Fairy Arc #19

Editor: noot

Proofreader: XavierForest

“Which part of me is good-looking?” Su Tang tilted his head back, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Everywhere is good-looking.” Qian Zhu poked Su Tang’s forehead and said, “Your eyes are good-looking—they’re big and bright, and every time you look at me, my heart starts to race.”

Su Tang’s face turned red. He’d never thought that Qian Zhu would gush over his beauty with such sincerity. Qian Zhu’s flattery was so excruciatingly detailed that it was enough to make anyone on the receiving end flustered.

Qian Zhu noticed Su Tang’s blushing countenance and only continued to sing his praises. He smiled, “Your mouth is nice to look at as well; it’s pink like a peach petal and very soft. Did you know, every time I look at you, I feel the urge to bend down and kiss you?”

“Stop it!” Qian Zhu’s words made Su Tang feel like his entire body was burning up. He quickly covered Qian Zhu’s lips that then planted a kiss on his hand. It made Su Tang’s palm itch and burn, to the point that even his heart started to itch.

“Your little hands are also lovely, fair and tender to the touch. You also have a tendency to hook your finger on my hand; each time you catch it, you hold on tightly and don’t let go. Every time I hold your hand, I feel like holding it for all eternity.”

Though Su Tang hurriedly withdrew his hand, Qian Zhu continued to speak. “You’re attractive from top to bottom. I like the scent of your body, I like your voice, I like the way you smile, I like everything about you. In my heart, you’re the best-looking.”

“I…” Su Tang felt his heartbeat accelerate and start to go haywire. It was akin to a drum which had lost its tempo, the rhythm chaotic and all over the place. And yet, Su Tang still enjoyed this feeling.

He didn’t know what was up with Qian Zhu today—he liked to spew this kind of sweet nonsense and it made Su Tang feel as if he was bathing inside a can of honey. It left Su Tang afraid to breathe or speak, and it’d only take a single move for the sweetness to overwhelm his heart.

“Do you remember that time you said I was good-looking? How did I reply to you?” Qian Zhu asked.

Su Tang’s heart shot straight into the heavens with a swoosh, and it had no intention of landing. He was thrilled to the point that his speech might’ve been impaired had he opened his mouth to utter even a few words.

“You said, said there was no one better-looking than you.” Su Tang replied in a low voice.

“Wrong.” Qian Zhu shook his head. “At the time, I said that you were the best-looking.”

“You didn’t say that then…” Su Tang quietly glanced at Qian Zhu and thought for a while before weakly saying, “But the meaning is the same.”

“Correct, they’re one and the same.” Qian Zhu resisted the urge to smile and pinched Su Tang’s face. “Little cutie.”

Su Tang puffed out his cheeks, but he didn’t look mad at all. It instead looked like a way to cover up his embarrassment. He muttered ‘rogue’ under his breath, cursing at Qian Zhu, though it looked more like flirting.

Qian Zhu lifted him higher, and Su Tang, without thinking, wrapped his arms around Qian Zhu’s neck. He buried his face in the crook of his shoulder and spoke in an almost inaudible tone, “I’m reluctantly letting you carry me, en, I’ll praise you.”

“Ai, then thank you baby for your praise.” Qian Zhu smiled, his eyes forming the shapes of crescent moons. It felt as if the sun had shone its rays over a frozen snow cap on a mountain, slowly melting the frost away.

“Good-looking.” Su Tang lifted his head and stared at Qian Zhu for a while. He rushed to peck Qian Zhu, speaking coquettishly, “I want to get down and walk. Good Qian Zhu, put me down.”

“Okay. If you’re tired, tell me, and I’ll carry you.” Qian Zhu finally gave in to Su Tang and agreed to put him down. The only reason he did so was because Su Tang had kissed him.

The number of times Su Tang had taken the initiative to kiss him wasn’t many, and they were often fleeting and light, like a dragonfly grazing the surface of the water. Despite its briefness, Qian Zhu still liked Su Tang’s kisses beyond words, especially because of the cautious look on the other’s red face. He’d speak coquettishly and make Qian Zhu forget everything—no matter what Su Tang asked him to do, he would agree without hesitation.

Let alone if it was such a small request.

Qian Zhu held Su Tang’s hand and leisurely strolled about the streets. The sun rose slowly, so summer days were hot and devoid of breeze, and although the heat was enough to drive some people crazy, the two continued to hold hands; even when their hands were covered in sweat, they wouldn’t let go.

Su Tang discreetly scratched Qian Zhu’s hand, which then retaliated by kneading its fingers into Su Tang’s palm. Su Tang stared at Qian Zhu, who sent back a smile. He mumbled something again, and Qian Zhu put his ear next to Su Tang’s mouth, prompting him to speak louder.

At moments like this, Su Tang wouldn’t pay any attention to him. He’d pretend to be upset but wouldn’t let go of Qian Zhu. Sometimes, if he was really angry, he would shake Qian Zhu’s hand around. If he wasn’t able to shake his hand off, he’d bite it. After he’d bitten it, his anger would dissipate.

There were times where Su Tang found their dynamic rather strange; it didn’t matter if it was lovers or married couples, their days of living together would be filled with trouble. But he and Qian Zhu had never experienced that. This was because Qian Zhu always coaxed Su Tang and looked after him.

Would Qian Zhu one day grow tired of indulging him? The thought made Su Tang’s heart fill with dread.

However, his sadness was short-lived; the streets were bustling with people and filled with various interesting toys. It was different from the immortal realm.

Qian Zhu bought Su Tang some peach-flavoured candy, and when he bit into it, he found that it was sweet.

“Was it tasty?” Qian Zhu asked, cocking his head to the side.

“It’s tasty, and a little sweet.” Su Tang nodded his head. Qian Zhu wordlessly ushered Su Tang to a shaded spot to let him finish his food.

After all, it was a hot day and sugar melted easily, making a mess of Su Tang’s clothes. It wasn’t a comfortable experience.

Su Tang couldn’t wait to go out and explore the streets, so he hastily shoved a few more candies into his mouth. But his mouth was small and couldn’t contain much. As a result, his cheeks bulged so much that they even revealed the outline of the candy, still intact.

Qian Zhu used his finger to poke Su Tang’s cheek, causing it to bulge out more. Then, he covered Su Tang’s mouth, afraid that the candy wouldn’t stay in his mouth and would fall out.

He used his eyes to try and convey to Qian Zhu that he currently couldn’t empty his mouth to speak while making ‘wu’ and ‘en’ sounds. Qian Zhu nodded and said, “I’ll help you clear your mouth.”

Su Tang barely had time to react before the candy in his mouth was taken by Qian Zhu’s tongue, which quickly became entangled with his own. It was as if Qian Zhu wanted to taste Su Tang instead of the candy.

It was sweet and greasy. Qian Zhu wasn’t a fan of the candy’s intense sweetness, but he didn’t let go as he enjoyed Su Tang’s own sweetness.

It was extremely soft, like milk candy dissolving in someone’s mouth. The taste was delicate and gentle, hooking people on the flavour and leaving them addicted.

It was more addictive than poppies.1

After who-knows-how-long, Su Tang wasn’t able to finish all his candy. Perhaps it was because the candies had long been eaten by them both. If it wasn’t for the fact that Su Tang pushed Qian Zhu away, perhaps this milk candy kiss would continue until the stars filled the skies.

When they came out, the candy vendor smiled and said to Su Tang, “One look and I know you’re the son of a rich family. No sun ever touches you, and when it does, you turn red. Your family’s treasure is too spoilt, too delicate.”

Qian Zhu also smiled and teased Su Tang, “Did you hear that? Even the elders can see that you’re both delicate and spoilt.”

“You spoil me.” Su Tang raised his head and noticed he’d garnered the attention of a few curious gazes. He was unable to resist overthinking and finally pulled Qian Zhu away.

The market streets were winding. Even if you missed something, you’d probably come across the same thing being sold further down the street. This time, Su Tang made Qian Zhu buy two of everything, lest Qian Zhu – under the guise of getting a taste – pull him into a corner for a kiss.

Time flew when they were having fun. Night soon fell and the darkened sky was filled with clouds that looked like fire. It brought with it countless numbers of people’s passions and hopes.

After the two ate at Ling Long Pavilion, they rented a boat but not a captain. There were only the two of them on it, and the lake’s breeze was so strong that they had no need to use the paddles. All they had to do was follow the direction of the water and wind to slowly drift to the middle of the lake.

The number of people who rented boats weren’t few, but still, the Moon Lake was long and wide. The lake was in the shape of a crescent moon and it encircled the capital, while the boat they’d rented was akin to a flat boat, one which had a sense of tranquility to it.

Su Tang sat on the edge of the boat, his bare feet dangling in the water and generating small splashes. Under the clear, radiant moonlight, Su Tang rested his head on Qian Zhu’s shoulder and glanced up at the flickering kong ming2 lanterns in the sky. He listened to the sounds of the pipa3 that was carried down the river by the wind, slowly drifting into the distance after gracing one’s ears with its gentle melody.

“It’s so pretty here.” Su Tang whispered.

“En.” Qian Zhu nodded and put his arm around Su Tang before asking, “How does it compare to the immortal realm”

“They’re both beautiful. The immortal realm is desolate while the human realm is full of life. Although both sceneries are beautiful, they are very different places.”

Su Tang’s comparison was rather interesting. Upon hearing his reply, Qian Zhu asked again, “If you had to pick, which one do you prefer?”

“En…” Su Tang thought for a while before he replied, a little confused, “How do I say it, I like it when you smile at me, but I don’t like it when you smile at others; the best way to treat others is when you’re cold to them like ice. It’s, It’s similar to this logic.”

Qian Zhu raised his eyebrows. Su Tang continued, “I like bustling places, but when you’re not by my side, I have no interest in them. Even though the immortal realm is rather barren, when you’re beside me, I feel that place is good.”

When he finished speaking, he slowly looked down, his thoughts still jumbled. Su Tang noticed that Qian Zhu had yet to respond even after a few moments of silence, and he began to grow anxious. Unable to resist it, he tugged on the corner of Qian Zhu’s clothes and quietly asked, “What are you thinking about? Why aren’t you speaking?”

“Me?” Qian Zhu finally looked back and said to Su Tang, “I was thinking about how I really wanted to kiss you. What should I do?”