Wen Tian opened his eyes in horror and stepped back, his fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of his clothes. “I won’t!”
Chu Xiangtian found his pitiful appearance even more interesting. He deliberately took two steps closer to scare him. “Are you going to take it off yourself or should I do it for you?”
He was already tall, so when he stood closer, Wen Tian had to look up at him. With his sharp eyebrows raised and his thin lips pursed, he looked like he was about to get angry at the next second. Wen Tian had been pretending to be calm before, but with a sullen Chu Xiangtian approaching, the calmness he had barely held onto suddenly collapsed.
Shaking his head, Wen Tian retreated to the wall. His bruised back accidentally rubbed against the wall. The pain made him jolt. When he came back to his senses, he was face-to-face with the fierce Chu Xiangtian again. His eyes reddened again in anxiety, as if he was a cornered rabbit, pitiful and helpless.
Chu Xiangtian originally just wanted to tease him; he didn’t expect to actually scare him. He coughed awkwardly and took a few steps back. “Don’t cry, I’m just joking with you.”
Wen Tian clutched the hem of his clothes tightly and huddled in the corner. His back was still hurting. The fear in his heart wouldn’t stop. He squatted down and buried his face in his arms, whimpering.
Chu Xiangtian: “…”
Unexpectedly, he actually made someone cry. Wen Tian’s small whimper reached his ears, making him feel a little panicked for some reason. He placed the medicinal wine on the table and said, “Hey, don’t cry, I’m really just teasing you. I just wanted to give you some medicinal wine.”
Wen Tian continued to cry regardless, as if he wanted to vent out the fear and panic of being kidnapped. The small sobs continued, like heavy rain on a cloudy day, hitting Chu Xiangtian’s heart heavily.
Chu Xiangtian tried to persuade him to no avail, and in the end he could only sit with a wooden face beside him, hoping that he would stop, while also thinking how this young master really could cry so well.
After a while, the sobs gradually subsided. Chu Xiangtian glanced at him and saw Wen Tian huddled in the corner. His hair had loosened because he had been getting ready for bed. At this time, raven-black locks were scattered behind him. Dressed in red robes, he looked like a fragile and enchanting flower.
Chu Xiangtian shook his head and sighed in his heart that this young master really was a beauty. At the same time, he tried to reason with Wen Tian, “Don’t cry. If you cry again, your eyes will swell.
“If you don’t want me to give you medicine, I’ll ask Xiao Qiao to come in and help you later.”
Wen Tian sniffed, buried his head and ignored him.
Chu Xiangtian was speechless, thinking that this really was a little master. He had never had to coax anyone like this in his almost twenty-seven years of life; still, he was the one who made this person cry, so he had to clean up the mess by himself.
After frowning and thinking for a long time, Chu Xiangtian made the biggest concession, “If you stop crying, I can grant you one promise.”
The sniffling stopped for a moment. Wen Tian raised his head, with tears still on his face, and said hoarsely: “I want to go home.”
Chu Xiangtian: “…”
He had dug this hole for himself. He coughed and glanced at Wen Tian, fearing that he would cry again after hearing his words, and said quickly: “I can’t do that now, but I promise to send you back in ten days at the most.”
Wen Tian’s eyes were red. He thought about whether what he said was true or not.
Seeing his pitiful appearance, Chu Xiangtian couldn’t help but feel a little soft-hearted, and explained to him: “I just want to take the opportunity to do some things that will keep you in this mountain. After things are done, I promise to send you back in one piece.”
Wen Tian looked at him suspiciously for a moment before confirming in a low voice, “Ten days?”
Chu Xiangtian nodded and said firmly: “Ten days at the most.”
His expression was very certain; it didn’t look like he was trying to fool Wen Tian. Moreover, Wen Tian was in the bandit’s den now. Chu Xiangtian really didn’t need to go through all the trouble of lying to him. Curling his fingers, Wen Tian nodded slightly. He raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face.
Seeing that he finally stopped crying, Chu Xiangtian’s uneasy heart fell relaxed, and he remembered his purpose for coming here. He pushed the medicinal wine to Wen Tian. “I’ll let Xiao Qiao come over and apply medicine on you. This medicinal wine needs to be rubbed hard in order to work.”
Taking the bottle of medicinal wine, Wen Tian pursed his lips and said, “Don’t bother Xiao Qiao, I can just put in on myself.”
“How would you put it on your back by yourself?” Chu Xiangtian frowned in disapproval, “It’s going to be either Xiao Qiao or me, you choose.”
Wen Tian bit his lower lip and raised his long eyebrows. He thought for a moment and concluded that he was still too embarrassed to let Xiao Qiao apply the medicine on him. He hung his head and handed the medicinal wine to Chu Xiangtian. “Then I’ll trouble Master Chu.”
Chu Xiangtian laughed, took the medicinal wine, and pointed to the bed. “Take your shirt off and lie down.”
The final outcome was still the same as at the beginning.
Wen Tian hesitantly put his hands on the lapels of his robe. Chu Xiangtian did not urge him or even look at him. Wen Tian let out a soft breath, pulled down his robe, and laid it on the soft quilt. He found a more comfortable position and lay down, then gestured to Chu Xiangtian behind him.
The fingers in Chu Xiangtian’s sleeves twitched. His eyes fell on Wen Tian and saw that his fair back was covered with large bruises.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his thoughts of being charmed suddenly dissipated. Wen Tian’s injury looked truly concerning.
“Why are your bruises so bad?” He frowned and pressed lightly on the prominent shoulder blades. Wen Tian, who was lying face down, trembled, and tiny goosebumps appeared on his skin. He turned his face sideways and said vaguely: “Since I was a kid, with the same level of impact, I always got injured more seriously than others.” The pain he felt was also greater than what others experienced.
Thinking of how delicate the young master was, Chu Xiangtian poured medicinal wine onto his hands and rubbed them briskly to warm it up, then gently pressed on Wen Tian’s bruised areas, reminding him: “I’m going to have to press down hard on these bruises. It’s going to hurt a little. You can bear it.”
Wen Tian nodded, his fingers subconsciously gripping the quilt.
Chu Xiangtian was afraid of hurting him, so he only used a third of his strength when he started, but when he pressed down, Wen Tian still couldn’t hold back the pain and screamed.
Startled by the cry of pain, Chu Xiangtian immediately stopped and asked in confusion: “Does it hurt? I haven’t exerted enough force yet.”
“It hurts…” Tears rolled down uncontrollably. Wen Tian had lost count of how many times he had cried. He sniffed and asked softly, “Be gentler.”
Chu Xiangtian looked at his lower lip, which had been bitten white due to pain, and carefully pressed and kneaded it with less than 10% of force.
The bruises on Wen Tian’s back were really serious. If he didn’t rub the medicine in hard, he didn’t know how long they would take to heal on their own. A long-term pain was worse than a short-term pain. Chu Xiangtian tried his best to control his strength, and without looking at Wen Tian’s reaction, he slowly rubbed at the bruises with the medicinal wine.
“Boss is really a bully…” Chang Xi secretly leaned on the window and looked inside. The candlelight shone through the window paper and showed the silhouettes of the figures inside. He could vaguely see the tall man half-kneeling on the bed, his palms rubbing up and down. Low sobbing could be heard in the room from time to time.
Thinking of that handsome young master, Chang Xi found it unbearable and said to Zhou Chuanqing beside him, “This is not good…”
They had all been drawn by Wen Tian’s cry of pain at the beginning. Zhou Chuanqing only took a few glances to realize that there were no shocking events going on. He yawned and said, “There’s nothing wrong. Go back to bed early.”
The others also dispersed in a hurry. Only Chang Xi still stuck his butt out and tried to look inside. After all, he was the one who had brought the person up the mountain. If the boss messed with the person, he would still feel a little guilty.
After Chu Xiangtian rubbed the medicinal wine on Wen Tian, he noticed the sneaky shadow on the window. He made Wen Tian’s put his clothes back on, calmly walked outside the door and saw Chang Xi lying on the ground like a bear, peering in intensely through the window.
“What are you looking at?”
“I’m not looking at anything…” Chang Xi waved his hand, suddenly realized something mid-wave, and turned his head in horror. “B- b- Boss!”
Chu Xiangtian looked at him, remembered the injury on Wen Tian’s back, and immediately felt even more displeased with him. He kicked him rudely. “What are you doing sneaking around without sleeping at night?!”
Chang Xi’s thick skin resisted the beating. He took a small step back, pointed inside, and bravely asked, “Is he okay?”
Chu Xiangtian frowned, “What could be wrong with him? If nothing’s the matter, get back to bed.”
Chang Xi glanced inside again; there was no silhouette through the window, and even the sound was gone. He wanted to ask again, but seeing the impatient expression on Chu Xiangtian’s face made him weak-willed, so he turned around and walked back towards his own home.
Chu Xiangtian narrowed his eyes and loosened his clenched fists. Had Chang Xi dawdled any longer, he probably would have gotten a beating.
When he returned to the house, Wen Tian had already gotten up. He was fully dressed, but his hair was disheveled and his face and neck were covered with sweat.
He couldn’t sleep like this. Wen Tian didn’t want to trouble Chu Xiangtian, but he was so sticky and uncomfortable that he could only shamelessly ask Chu Xiangtian there was a place to take a bath.
“You just sweated and it’s easy to catch a cold in the shower.” Chu Xiangtian did not agree to his request, but instead turned and went out to bring him a basin of hot water. “You can just wipe yourself off.”
Wiping off was fine. Wen Tian thanked him and found a strip of cloth on the table to carelessly tie up his hair, revealing a delicate and slender neck. He had a trim frame and pale skin, and a few strands of scattered silk-like black hair stuck to his neck with sweat, highlighting the half-exposed bruises on his shoulders, like a delicate and fragile jade sculpture, unintentionally attractive.
Chu Xiangtian couldn’t move his eyes away for a moment.
Wen Tian soaked the cloth in the water and was about to take off his clothes and wipe himself, but realized that the person next to him had no intention of leaving. He tilted his head and looked at Chu Xiangtian, euphemistically issuing an eviction order: “I want to bathe.”
Chu Xiangtian’s eyes twitched, and it was only after a long time that he answered and turned to leave.
Once he left, the air in the room seemed to become lighter, and the ever-present sense of oppression also dissipated. Wen Tian took a relaxed breath, removed his clothes and wiped himself carefully.
After cleaning up, Wen Tian lay down tiredly, and fell asleep almost as soon as he touched the pillow.
With an injury on his back, he slept on his side. The longevity lock on his neck slipped out from the collar, the dull silver body of the lock emitting a light white glow in the darkness, covering his entire body.
Wen Tian slept deeply, frowning slightly and breathing softly.
*
After a good night’s sleep, Wen Tian was woken up by the sound of chattering voices the next day.
The sun was shining, and there were constant whispers outside the window. Wen Tian muttered vaguely, annoyed greatly by the noise, so he sat up and yelled angrily, “Who’s talking?”
The sounds of whispering stopped immediately.
Wen Tian woke up a little more from his drowsiness. He rubbed at his sleepy head. For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether he was dreaming or awake.
“Did he hear us?” The whispering sounded again.
Another slightly steadier voice said: “Don’t be afraid, he can’t hear you.”
Wen Tian: “…”
He looked around warily. There weren’t a lot of big furniture in the room, and there was no place for anyone to hide. After getting dressed, he glanced under the bed and saw that there was nothing there, either.
The voice continued, “The weather is really warm this year. In half a month, I’ll be blooming!”
Wen Tian: “???” Blooming?
He searched around for the source of the sound, and his eyes finally fell on the two pots of plants by the window. There were two peonies planted in the pots, one with a small bud on the top of its main branch.
Wen Tian looked closer in confusion, just to see the peony with its bud shaking slightly. The familiar voice began to speak again, “What is this person doing so close to my bud? What a bastard!!”
Wen Tian: “…”
He looked around in shock, but there was no way the bare corners could hide anyone. Worried that someone was playing a prank, he pushed open the window to look outside, but there was no one outside the window, either.
The other peony shook its leaves in agreement. “But this person is really good-looking.”
The two voices chattered away, and Wen Tian listened to them talk about how warm the sun was today sand how many flowers they were going to bloom this year. He felt lightheaded as though he was in a dream.
He’d just woke up from a long sleep; why did everything feel wrong?
Wen Tian rubbed his brows, walked mechanically back to the bed, lied down again and closed his eyes.
However, those two thin voices did not disappear as he had hoped. Instead, they sounded more and more excited as they spoke. The entire plant was shaking slightly. If it were any other day, Wen Tian would have thought it was just the wind blowing, but now that he heard them chatting with his own two ears, Wen Tan couldn’t deceive himself even if he wanted to.
When someone was unlucky, everything could be against them1. Wen Tian didn’t know if he had run into a monster or an evil spirit, but the breath he held in his heart made him ignore these uncontrollable factors. With a puffed-up face, he angrily carried the two pots of peonies outside, then closed the door and window with force to shut out the sound of talking.
The peonies were very happy to be moved outside to bask in the sun. “The sun is so warm, how did he know that we wanted to bask in the sun…”
Wen Tian: “…”
Lying on the bed with a headache, he couldn’t sleep at all. After tossing and turning for a while, he could only sit up in frustration and punch the quilt in anger.
After venting, Wen Tian pricked up his ears to listen to what was going on outside. The sounds were almost inaudible though the wall. After trying hard to listen for a while, Wen Tian stomped out again and carried the flowers back into the house.
He squatted in front of peony and directly with a worn heart: “Are you demons2?”
The peony with buds shook its leaves and asked its companion, “Is he talking to us?”
The other peony answered with a very steady look, “It seems so.”
The peony with buds on its head let out an ear-splitting scream, its leaves rustling and shaking. “What should I do? What should I do?! He can actually understand us. Is he a monster?!”
Wen Tian: “…………”
—
Who was the monster?
——————-
===Author’s Notes===
Golden Finger is coming out hehe~ Send a red envelope =3=
===Translator’s Notes===
- “When you’re unlucky, you can’t even drink cold water.” (人倒霉了真是喝凉水都塞牙缝), which is an idiomatic expression; see also here. ↩︎
- 妖精 or yaojing, see here. ↩︎
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