Two Old Monsters

Xie Changan’s impulse came incredibly quickly. In no time, he was already panting uncontrollably, as he wondered whether this bold beauty was from the Western regions. Fu Wangzhi slipped his hand into Xie Changan’s inner clothes, finding it unsatisfactory how flat this beauty was. Despite this, he still pinched a tender tip with two of his fingers. Xie Changan’s whole body went soft in an instant, not entirely understanding the situation. When he felt a standing, hot thing poking stiffly between his legs, Xie Changan was shocked and sobered up completely. He straightened his body immediately and finally took a good look at Fu Wangzhi’s face in the dim moonlight. Unexpectedly, he found a handsome man with a majestic appearance. The man had very proper facial features, giving off an impression of someone with much control, and yet, there was a more intense desire buried in those seemingly bottomless dark eyes. The gears in Xie Changan’s then-empty brain turned quickly. He opened and closed his lips repeatedly as they stared at each other; not a single word could come out of that usually skilful mouth. Seeing that Fu Wangzhi wanted to keep going anyway, he bent his knees and used all his strength to kick Fu Wangzhi before picking up his shoes and running away in embarrassment. What shocked Xie Changan the most was how that piece of meat between his legs grew so erect that it hurt from merely a kiss. He was unable to curb his desires even after a long while. In truth, Fu Wangzhi saw Xie Changan’s face as well, finding him a pretty interesting person. That was why he used similar techniques and took back his broken bracelet from Xie Changan without a sound. With this, Xie Changan would owe him something. They would definitely meet again. Xie Changan was not an unreasonable person either. He had heard that mortals were highly respectful towards their ancestors. He was indeed regretful that he had lost Fu Wangzhi’s jade bracelet that had been passed down to him from his ancestors, and yet, Fu Wangzhi did not mention a single word about how Xie Changan should compensate. Xie Changan could only wait. And just like that, the two became close. They were two old spirits who had just left the mountains, and it just so happened that they were both fond of new experiences and excitement. They often met up to amuse themselves in the mortal world. Neither knew that the other party was also a spirit who had never left the mountains before. They merely took it as a fortunate encounter between two intimate friends. One day, they went to the street together, wanting to find a good bar in one of those deep alleys and have a good time. Instead, they heard suonas* being blown loudly, accompanied by the rumbles of drums. (T/N*: A traditional Chinese musical instrument used in festivals and processions.) Out of curiosity, the two decided to step out of the alley to join in the excitement. They could only see the long, red trail and a squarish marriage sedan moving across in front of them as it swayed side to side. The tall horses cloaked in red cloth pulled the heavy mahogany boxes laboriously behind them. The faces of the surrounding crowd were full of smiles and joy. Xie Changan found it novel: what was that ceremony? He could not help but squat down and tap the shoulder of a beggar sitting on the side of the road and ask as he pointed at the red marriage sedan, “What are they doing?” The beggar rolled his eyes, “How can someone your age not know a marriage when you see one?” Xie Changan looked ashamed and slightly embarrassed. He extended his neck and raised his chin. He looked like a little ruffian as he responded, seemingly justified, “I’m from the countryside and haven’t seen a ceremony of such scale. What are you gonna do about it?” The beggar rolled his eyes at Xie Changan again. The beggar called him a bumpkin under his breath before he continued, “Marriage in the city is always of a large scale. Take a good look!” Xie Changan glanced at the trail of red filling up the street. As his curiosity got the better of him, he asked again, “What are marriages for?” Hearing that, the beggar could not help but scan Xie Changan head to toe. Finding it unbelievable, the beggar asked, “Don’t country bumpkins like you even get married?” Xie Changan spoke nonsense, “We don’t get married back home. We only eat chickens.” The beggar began speaking as if he was telling a story, “When two persons fall in love, they get married. One party will give a betrothal gift, while the other will contribute a dowry. The two will then enter the bridal room after a red and joyous ceremony. After that, the two will become married, never doubting their love for each other and spending the rest of their lives happily ever after.” Xie Changan was surprised that there was such a thing in the mortal world. He then asked shortly after, “What is the bridal room? Does the whole group need to walk into a cave*?” (T/N*: The bridal room, or the act of having the first night between the couple after marriage, is known as 洞房 in Chinese, which means “cave room” when directly translated. This is why Changan, who did not know about mortal customs, thought it as a literal cave.)
The beggar was entertained by his words. He replied with a comical expression on his face, “It means doing the do in the room.” Xie Changan caught the drift immediately and let out a long “Ohー”. Marriage must be a good thing, then. Xie Changan’s parents had passed away when he was little, and he was ostracised by his own tribe. Since then, he had grown up pitifully as a lone fox, leading to his fear of being alone. And with that, Xie Changan stood up and adjusted his splendid outfit suavely as he said to Fu Wangzhi, “I’m going to get married.” Fu Wangzhi glanced at him, seemingly unsurprised. He did not even seem to have much reaction to his declaration, “And who are you going to marry?” “That’s up for discussion.” Xie Changan knew he was handsome and that many ladies liked him. He decided to go back and pick one carefully, especially when she would be someone whom he would be spending the rest of his life with. It was already evening by the time they stepped into the alley and decided to take a short walk after their dinner and drinks. It was May, and the Iridaceae flowers had bloomed magnificently, creating a view of a spiritual ocean of blues and purples. Xie Changan pulled up his sleeve and picked a flower in passing, lifted the flower and moved closer to Fu Wangzhi as a wide smile spread across his face, showing his rows of white teeth as he asked, “Will this be enough to make up for your bracelet, sire?” It was twilight hour. In the darkness was silence, save for the occasional crowing of jackdaws. The gentle moonlight, mixed with the light from a few shops some distance away, swayed on Xie Changan’s face. His eyes were both bright and sharp, his facial features distinct, as if carved by a knife. His smile was broad and joyous. His lack of restraint and everything about him went straight to Fu Wangzhi’s heart. Fu Wangzhi was nearly lost in his beauty. “Huh?” “That will not be enough.” Xie Changan raised his hand and tossed the flower away. He sighed as he changed the topic while mulling over how he could pay Fu Wangzhi back for his bracelet. The moon was bright that night, the wind pleasant, and the stars were shining dimly in the night sky. Heat surged into Fu Wangzhi’s heart again. He was sitting upright at the long table in the middle of his home, taking a sip of tea as he wondered if he should suppress his desires or go out to copulate. Suppressing his desires was inappropriate, as far as he was concerned. He would lose control of his desires sooner or later, given how he had gone against nature and suppressed himself for tens of years. Just as Fu Wangzhi considered this matter seriously, Xie Changan kicked open the door and broke in without a care in the world. “Brother Fu!” Xie Changan called out intimately with a large cloth bag in his hand. He tilted the bag in front of Fu Wangzhi, and the pieces of jewellery and ornaments fell out and piled up into a small hill. Xie Changan raised his neck and knocked the table with his finger a few times, acting all mighty. He could almost pass off as a local tyrant. “Anything here caught your eye?” Fu Wangzhi picked up a carved silver flower ornament, considering its price. He looked at Xie Changan suddenly and teased, “These cost a fortune. Did you get so impatient to marry that you just got yourself a batch of dowry overnight after witnessing a wedding?”
Xie Changan slapped the table as he pointed his finger at Fu Wangzhi, “I was only trying to pay back for that bracelet of yours that was passed on from your ancestors!” “I barely have any interest in these accessories used by delicate women. None of them can interest me as much as my piece of jade can.” As the gears in his head started turning, Fu Wangzhi put down the carved flower ornament and said. “Your piece of jade? What does it look like?” “Come here.” Fu Wangzhi stood up and walked toward the bed. Thinking that Fu Wangzhi would show him the piece of jade that he had hidden underneath his mattress, Xie Changan moved to follow after him. Only, Xie Changan suddenly felt a force behind him. Fu Wangzhi pressed his palm against his back and pushed him, causing him to fall directly onto the bed. Xie Changan’s facial expression changed instantly. He frowned as he placed his elbow against Fu Wangzhi’s chest, pressing down with force, and asked coldly, “What are you doing?!” Fu Wangzhi clamped Xie Changan’s slim arm tightly, locking him underneath his own body. He pressed his body closer to Xie Changan and spoke, word by word, beside Xie Changan’s ear, “I need to copulate today.” “You bastard!” Xie Changan became hostile in an instant, his usual smile completely gone from his face. However, Fu Wangzhi had been suppressing himself for far too long. He could only see how Xie Changan’s clothes were disorganised; his skin was fair as white jade under the moonlight, his chest rising and falling. The snake’s true nature was lewd, and the view in front of Fu Wangzhi only served to fan the flames of lust on a desolate wasteland. Once the flame had started, there was no stopping it. He pulled off Xie Changan’s thin shirt while his palm slid downwards, groping for the edge of his trousers. He pulled those off and tossed them on the floor, exposing his pair of long and slim yet strong legs. Xie Changan was furious. He turned his wrists and pinched Fu Wangzhi’s neck tightly with his nails. He glared at Fu Wangzhi, “You’re seeking death!” Fu Wangzhi frowned, letting Xie Changan pinch him as he pleased. Rather than a contest of strength, it was more of a test of will. Fu Wangzhi leaned down and bit that foul mouth, licking his sharp teeth and sliding deep into his mouth with his dexterous tongue. Feeling the sense of urgency, he could not help but harden his gaze, grabbed the porcelain pillow and swung it with all the strength he could muster toward Fu Wangzhi’s head. Fu Wangzhi’s head was turned sideways from the force of the hit, clearing his head a bit instantly. When his eyes met Xie Changan’s clear gaze, he could distinctly see the waves of fury in that pair of eyes. He thought he must have gone insane. But he could not stop himself.