Back to the Countryside

(Love Dearly) 

 

Leaning close into his embrace, He Ling’s tears were already flowing all over his face. He bit his lip without making a sound. His heart ached as if he had been stabbed a thousand times, making his entire body tremble.

 

Sensing his trembling body, Qi Yue held him even tighter. Even if He Ling was scared of him, he was unwilling to let go of him. He wanted to hold him even more tightly to himself, so that he could not go anywhere.

 

How could his tone be so flat? How could he tell such a painful and heartbreaking past story as if it were someone else’s?

 

He Ling gripped the clothes around his chest with such force, as if it was about to tear the fabric under his hands. He could not breathe from the pain he felt just by listening to it. Then what about Xiang Gong who had gone through all of this? How much pain he must be feeling?

 

A child of only five years old, witnessing with his own eyes how his loving parents were slaughtered like livestocks. A home where life was once carefree, everywhere was full of bloody corpses, each one of them were the people he knew well.

 

All of his strength had been built up from the pain and suffering he had experienced over and over again. He could not imagine what was going through his mind when the other party told him the grief of losing both his parents.

 

The pain he had endured was ten million times greater than his but each time, he had always held him in his embrace, gently comforting him and lightly wiping away his tears.

 

The last time he concealed his unwell body condition and something happened to him, Xiang Gong lost his temper with him like that because he was afraid in his heart ba! He knew better than anyone the pain of losing someone close to him, didn’t he?

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry …” Every time he thought back on it, the regret in He Ling’s heart grew stronger. He had taken it for granted that he had enjoyed his partner’s affection, but he had never been more attentive to him.

 

Qi Yue heard his voice hoarse from crying, he was stunned for a long time before he slowly lowered his head, the person in his embrace was red-eyed and the tips of his fingers, clutching his clothes were turning pale, “Why do you say sorry?”

 

However, He Ling did not answer him. He lifted his hand and stroked his cheek as the other party did to him every time he touched him, a smile so gentle that it melted his heart bloomed on his still crying face. He said softly, “It’s all right, it’s all in the past. I’ll always be with you.”

 

Qi Yue’s eyes quivered, not knowing how to respond to his sudden comfort. Why is he treating him so gently? After all, didn’t he hear that he had killed so many people? He could make a person experience a life that is worse than death without blinking an eye! Is he … not afraid?

 

“I’ll also be there wherever you are, that’s not merely just a talk …” He moved his fingers to stroke his eyebrows, his eyes and finally lightly touched his high nose. His tearful eyes were filled with doting, “Even if you have to go to hell one day, I’ll follow you too,okay?”

 

“Why, why …?” Qi Yue asked with trembling lips for a long time, but he could not ask the next words.

 

But as if He Ling understood what he meant, He Ling reached out his hands and wrapped his arms around him, pressing his head lightly into the nook of his shoulder, tenderly stroking the hair at the back of his head, “Because you are my husband ah, you are my everything.”

 

The hand on his waist tightened violently, as if to break his bones. The breath that sprayed on his neck turned a little rushing and in a short while he felt a little frustrated.

 

He Ling gently patted the back of his shoulder while his eyes looked out the window at the snowflakes that had begun to fall again at some point. The look on his face was unclear. Those who died at the hands of his Xiang Gong, innocent or not innocent, he was really sorry that he couldn’t be compassionate to them. All his softness and kindness was intended only for the person in his arms. If he could live this life safe and sound and in good health, nothing else would matter, right?

 

He closed his eyes and buried his face in the other person’s neck too. All he could smell between his nostrils was his scent. He was glad that in Jiang Hu where life and death are decreed by fate, his Xiang Gong had become the slaughterer, not the slaughtered one.

 

The next morning, when Qi Yue opened his eyes, he unexpectedly found that his little Fu Lang was already awake, staring at him with unblinking eyes, “Why are you awake so early?”

 

He Ling smiled and didn’t say anything. He came up to him and kissed him on the lips, unlike the sloppy kiss1 approach he used to take. This time, sticking out his tongue as he lightly traced the shape of his lips, this titillated him, tickling Qi Yue’s heart.

 

 

Qi Yue’s eyes darkened as he turned over and pressed himself against him to deepen the kiss. The other side cooperated by wrapping his arms around his shoulders and back. He opened his mouth and allowed him to move. The atmosphere between them was gradually rising.

 

He didn’t leave his lips until there was a change in his body. Looking at the person who was especially enthusiastic today, he said, “If I had known earlier that my story would make Ah Ling so active (to take the initiative), I should have told you earlier!”

 

He Ling took two light breaths, hooked one hand around his neck while he moved closer to him and the other hand went down, “I’ll help you …”

 

Qi Yue’s breath raised. His breath was disordered, “Fu Lang is really good at seducing people …”

 

The two people who ‘lie down in the bed’ managed to miss the morning meal time. Shen Juming, who had already memorized a volume of book, looked at the door of their room which was still tightly closed. He wondered, in the past Shi Xiong had always got up early when he was still in the valley but now had he become lazy?

 

Yun Su rubbed his flat stomach and pouted at him discontentedly “I’m hungry!”

 

Shen Juming was now in a difficult position, as he could only help (act in a supporting role in helping someone to cook) but he could not cook (by himself). He thought for a long time before asking, “Why don’t we bake some sweet potatoes to eat?”

 

This stuff was easy to make, just throw it into the firepot (炉膛: firebox, furnace chamber, or stove chamber) and roast it, so it was probably the only food he could make.

 

Hearing that, Yun Su’s eyes lit up and he nodded his head. He still remembered the taste he had yesterday. It was sweet and soft. With one bite, eating it while it was still hot, warmed him straight to his stomach. It was really delicious!

 

So when Zheng Yue Feng came to visit them again with Xu Hua, the person who opened the door for them was Yun Su who was holding half a sweet potato and eating with both of his cheeks puffed out, the other party frowned as soon as he saw him, “Why is it you?”

 

This was also what Zheng Yue Feng wanted to ask: How can this petulant and fussy little Ger open the door for him while he was chewing on a baked sweet potato in such a disgraceful manner? Moreover, the one he happened to open is the door of Qi Yue’s house?

 

“You guys know each other?” Xu Hua looked back and forth between them with a bewildered expression.

 

“We happened to meet once in my family’s restaurant!” Zheng Yue Feng explained it to him, then turned back and said, “We’re here to find Qi Gongzi and Ling Ge’er”

 

This person actually Shi Xiong’s friend?

Yun Su looked at his pampered young master’s style and still disliked it, so he was a little impatient, “They are still sleeping, why don’t you guys come back again another time?”

 

“Xiao Su, who’s out there?”

 

Just as he was about to close the door behind him, Shen Juming’s voice came from behind him. He pouted, knowing that there was no way to shoo him away.

 

Zheng Yue Feng was speechless, ‘Would the disappointment on his face be a little too obvious? Let me get it clear, who is the regular guest in this house? !’

 

Xu Hua, on the contrary, thought this ger was quite cute. The thoughts in his heart were written on his face and he could see through it by just a glance, very easy to understand. Although his temper did not look very good, he was not a bad person.

 

Shen Juming came out and saw the man outside the door. He was very surprised to meet him here, “What a coincidence! How come this young master is here?”

 

Zheng Yue Feng looked at his ash-stained cuffs and understand in his heart that he knew how that ger’s sweet potatoes came from, but he didn’t show it on his face and said, “We know Qi Gongzi and Ling Ge’er who live here, so we came to visit them.”

 

“So you are my Shi Xiong and Xiong Fu Lang’s friend! Nice to meet you, this humble one’s name is Shen Juming and this is my Shi Di, Yun Su.” When Shen Juming heard his words, he cupped both of his hands in greeting, “I didn’t expect you to be acquainted with Shi Xiong. We are considered meant to meet by fate.”

 

Shi Xiong? Zheng Yue Feng was a bit surprised by the way he addressed Qi Yue. What kind of weird relationship is this? Do Qi Yue have the same Shi fu? (Master/Teacher of the same sect)

He was thinking a lot in his mind, but he didn’t lose his manners on his lips. He also cupped his hand in greeting and said, “This humble one’s name is Zheng Yue Feng and this is my fiancé, Xu Hua!”

 

With this introduction, Yun Su took a closer look at Xu Hua. He looked like an ordinary ger from a village. He thought that a pampered young master like him would like a rich young master or young lady with the same status as him. It was beyond his expectation.

 

“Both of you, please come in too!” It was outrageous to have people standing at the door all the time so after they finished introducing each other, Shen Juming stepped aside and invited them in.

 

Coincidentally, they had just stepped into the courtyard when the door of the main room was opened. Qi Yue walked out of the room with a contented expression, raising an eyebrow when he saw them.

 

“Qi Gongzi, it’s already late in the morning and you’re only up?” Zheng Yue Feng rarely saw him get up late. It was such a rare occasion so when he did, he naturally had to tease him a little.

 

Qi Yue curled his lips, took the shovel leaning under the eaves, walked over to him and threw it into his arms, “Zheng Gongzi since you’re already here, why don’t you help shovel the snow then?!”

 

Zheng Yue Feng’s face immediately fell, feeling that he was simply enslaving him and treating him like a retainer/footman, “I haven’t even had a sip of tea, and you’re making me work!”

 

Qi Yue, who had already stepped into the kitchen, waved his hand at him without looking back, “Be quick! I still have to make some food for Ah Ling. There is so much snow on the road. How can he get out and walk around like that?!”

 

Zheng Yue Feng gritted his teeth and reluctantly bent down to shovel the snow. In his past life, he must have owed the other party!

 

Shen Juming and Yun Su looked at each other and felt in their hearts at the same time that Shi Xiong was indeed living a good life here. Not only did he have someone he loved but he also had this kind of friends who he could tease each other like this, truly living like a normal person.

 

After Qi Yue had finished making the food, he went inside the room to get He Ling wake up, helped him wash up and then took him to the hall. When He Ling saw the people sitting there, he smiled shyly, “I woke up late today.”

 

“It’s alright! Since you are pregnant, it’s normal to sleep more!” Xu Hua saw that he looked quite well and was relieved that he didn’t seem to have any more discomfort recently.

 

Qi Yue helped him sit down, served him red bean porridge, peeled the skin of the egg and told him to eat it quickly while it was still hot.

 

He Ling, however, brought the eggs to his mouth first, his eyes as gentle as a pool of spring water, “Xiang Gong, Eat!”

 

Looking into his eyes, Qi Yue lightly bit into it, looking satisfied, as if he had eaten some kind of luxury foodstuff from distant locations: “You should eat it quickly, don’t starve yourself!”

 

Zheng Yue Feng pinched his arms fiercely as he watched the two of them eating while being very affectionately or romantically to each other. With a tangled face, he said: “Why do I feel that, after a few days of not seeing them, the two of them have become more lovey dovey?”

 

This time not only him, the other three people also felt the different atmosphere between them (which was different from the past). They seemed to blend even more, making it impossible for anyone else to intervene.

 

Shen Juming’s heart moved and he had a vague suspicion that if that was really the case, then his Shi Xiong was finally put away the last stone in his heart that weighed him down.

 

“Hua Ge’er, look at them!”Zheng Yue Feng indicated he was jealous again. Those two were already an old married couple, but they were still so sticky. They hadn’t even gotten married yet, however the other side didn’t care about him!

 

Seeing that he was having another childish tantrum, Xu Hua sighed speechlessly and reached out to stroke his head in order to calm him down, “Come on! Don’t make a scene, so many people are here!”

 

Zheng Yue Feng was slightly comforted, he wasn’t satisfied with the small gains2 so he took hold of the other party’s hand, touched it ah and stroked it, not letting go even after that he was being glared at.

 

Yun Su looked at the pairs of couples in front of him. He then glanced at the person next to him who was reading a book seriously, unhappily, Yun Su kicked his stool. When the other party looked at him in confusion, he turned his head away and ignored him, leaving him to be at loss.

The author has something to say:

I feel that in this chapter, He Ling’s character setting has indescribably changed from a good behaved Shou to a seductive Shou.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

[蜻蜓点水/ qīng tíng diǎn shuǐ : lit. the dragonfly touches the water lightly / superficial contact (idiom)]

2

[得寸进尺 /dé cùn jìn chǐ : lit. win an inch, want a foot (idiom); fig. not satisfied with small gains / give him an inch, and he’ll want a mile]