CH 6

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Fu Wangzhi stood at the entrance of the house, leaning lightly against the doorpost as he silently watched Xie Chang’an's back hunched over and crying, watching his slightly trembling shoulders, the pain from his heart spreading inch by inch throughout his entire body.

The two of them spent the next ten years basking in the sun in their courtyard, leaning on each other and eventually using up all their savings.

The two old monsters with grey hair had no choice but to pick up the large bamboo basket, which was collecting soil and dust in the woodshed, and gather herbs.

After taking a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, Xie Chang’an remembered the decades they had spent on the mountain in the past, and it felt like a lifetime ago.

Thinking this, Xie Chang’an reached out and pinched the soft flesh on Fu Wangzhi's stomach that had become softer with age. He couldn't resist reaching out to Fu Wangzhi's crotch and teasing, "You can't do it anymore, can you?"

Fu Wangzhi wanted to say that he could do it, but he held back the words that were about to leave his lips and rubbed Xie Chang’an's head gently instead.

The old pharmacy, closed for decades, was reopened. The two old men worked hard inside and out; surprisingly, business was no worse than before.

His partner followed soon after Old Zhang's death. Their old friends of similar age in the neighbourhood passed away one after another, and the children of those people gradually grew old. Eventually, even their grandchildren got married and had children.

In the pharmacy, Fu Wangzhi observed Xie Chang’an's smiling face, which had aged beyond recognition, and even suspected that the Carp Spirit had lied to him in the first place. Didn't it say that the mortal's life would be shortened if they spent too much time with him?

Xie Chang’an could not understand either. Was it because he had nourished Fu Wangzhi's body too well?

As the years passed, the two of them were already about 160 or 170 years old, twice the life expectancy of a mortal. Even the funerals of the "children" in the neighbourhood were completed.

Xie Chang’an began to wonder again why Fu Wangzhi was the only one who could live so long; he could even walk, count money, and even go into the mountains to gather herbs.

Xie Chang’an really couldn't understand and couldn't hold his tongue. One fine day, he finally blurted out his question and asked Fu Wangzhi, "Why aren't you dead yet?"

Fu Wangzhi could only open his mouth in response but had no answers. A deathly silence fell over the room.

Fu Wangzhi was the first to realise something was wrong when they turned 200 years old. He sought out his old friend behind Xie Chang’an's back and asked, trying to insinuate, "Can a mortal live till 200 years old?"

His old friend was shocked by Fu Wangzhi's old appearance. The old friend patted his own chest, trying to calm himself before shaking his head in response, "Of course not."

Fu Wangzhi mused, "How is it possible that Xie Chang’an can live to be 200 years old and still have the energy to joke with me?"

His old friend also began to wonder about this unnatural phenomenon.

The two pondered for a long time until the sun went down. It turned out that the bystander could see the situation much more clearly, "He's not human."

"Impossible," Fu Wangzhi unconsciously refuted at first, but as he followed this train of thought, he could not say another word.

"Test him out," his old friend suggested seriously.

"...How?" Fu Wangzhi's question revealed his suspicion.

"The demon-revealing mirror."

"But I don't want to do this to him," Fu Wangzhi frowned.

"Or you can just swallow the question and go on with your acting for the rest of your life," his old friend laughed, teasing Fu Wangzhi as he looked at his own black hair and young body while the old snake demon who had far overshadowed him back then was an old man. It actually felt quite good.

Fu Wangzhi thought through it and made his decision.

Xie Chang’an couldn't afford to wait any longer and started raising chickens again. That day, as he crouched on the ground feeding the chickens, he felt a flash of bright light pass by. He unconsciously turned his head to the side but didn't pay much attention.

He had no idea Fu Wangzhi had been standing behind him for a long time.

Xie Chang’an stood up and saw Fu Wangzhi looking straight at him. Fu Wangzhi remained silent for a long time before he slowly asked, "Does your back hurt after squatting for so long?"

Xie Chang’an bent over and rubbed his back as he walked wobbly back to his rocking chair, "...It hurts so much. You do it next time."

At the dinner table, Xie Chang’an licked his lips in satisfaction and took another spoonful of chicken soup. He then picked out another chicken leg.

Fu Wangzhi picked up his chopsticks and helped him move the chicken leg to Xie Changan's bowl. He couldn't help but ask, worried, "Can you chew it?"

Hearing this, Xie Chang’an put down his chopsticks and pointed to his few remaining teeth with a trembling hand, seemingly pitiful, "I'm just tasting it with my tongue..."

Fu Wangzhi nodded, "Take it slow."

Xie Chang’an didn't really get to eat much meat with Fu Wangzhi there, which made him crave it even more. He ended up sneaking into the kitchen late at night to gnaw on the unfinished chicken leg.

And that was when he heard Fu Wangzhi speak suddenly, "You're a glutton, aren't you, you little fox."

Just as Xie Chang’an was about to respond to that, he realised something was wrong suddenly, dropping his bowl and chicken leg as he jerked his head up to look at Fu Wangzhi in disbelief. His hand on the stovetop squeezed harder, his knuckles turning white.

"Fu Wangzhi... what are you saying?"

"...You used the demon-revealing mirror on me?!" Xie Chang’an thought about the bright light he saw in the afternoon. His expression became angry as he glared. His expression turned furious as he glared. His eyes were as sharp as back in the day.

When Xie Chang’an looked again, Fu Wangzhi was already wearing a black robe embroidered with gold bamboo patterns, just like when they met first. Xie Chang’an was stunned. He wanted so badly to ask where his old lover was hidden.

But he knew in his heart that the person standing before him was Fu Wangzhi.

The imposing and dignified Fu Wangzhi.

Fu Wangzhi waited patiently for Xie Chang’an to speak first, but Xie Chang’an's red lips just kept opening and closing, and only after a long, long time was he able to utter a phrase: "What kind of demon are you?"

"Black snake from the Lingwu Temple on the Evergreen Mountain."

Xie Chang’an stood still. Without saying a word, he pursed his lips and glanced at Fu Wangzhi before knitting his brows and falling into deep thought. After a long time, he finally asked, "You don't have to die?"

Fu Wangzhi nodded.

"But I've even picked a coffin for you."

Fu Wangzhi couldn't believe his ears. He could only laugh as he held up Xie Chang’an's chin, his fingertips greedily rubbing the tender cheeks, "How can you wish for your lover's death?"

Xie Chang’an held in his laugh, "Well, I guess we can use it as firewood if we chop it up."

Fu Wangzhi suddenly recalled the woodshed at Evergreen Mountain.

Xie Chang’an took advantage of Fu Wangzhi's distraction and climbed on top of him, and wrapped his arms around his neck. Xie Chang’an raised his chin and pointed towards the door as he gave orders, "Fu Wangzhi, let's go."

"Where?"

"Where do you think?"

Before they could even get on the bed, Xie Changan was pinned against the door and stripped of his trousers. His strong, slender legs were wrapped around Fu Wangzhi's waist, and his neck was pressed against the door. Xie Chang’an felt an unknown emotion seep into his heart as he looked at the other man from top to bottom, at his handsome face, his sharp nose and soft lips.

__________

[SMEXY TIME]

__________

Xie Chang’an's dry lips trembled with pleasure and the muscles of his inner thighs spasmed with exhaustion. Too exhausted to wrap his legs around Fu Wangzhi's waist, he began to slide down but was caught by Fu Wangzhi instead.

"Keep them inside. What if you can give birth?"

"Then you're not shooting enough." Xie Chang’an bared his teeth, the provocation evident in his smile, filling Fu Wangzhi's eyes. Just like how it was in the past.

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Translator's note:

And... that's the end!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE!!

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