RIIDMDR chapter 87

 

Nan Xu was a bit slow, his mind numbed by alcohol. The beauty before him captivated his attention. Therefore, when his lips were gently bitten, his body flinched instinctively.

Before he could feel the next sensation, Tingchuan loosened his grip, stood up, stared at Nan Xu for two seconds, and kissed him.

It was soft, and the sweetness of rice wine lingered on Nan Xu’s lips, along with a faint fragrance.

Nan Xu came back to his senses amid the caress of lips. He stared intently at the person kissing him, seemingly awake yet suspecting that he was dreaming.

This state didn’t last long. He relaxed into the increasingly passionate kiss, fluttering his eyelashes a few times. He narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his hand.

He didn’t push Tingchuan away. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Tingchuan’s neck and gently parted his lips to respond to the wine-scented kiss.

Nan Xu thought Tingchuan must be drunk. But even if he was, why would he kiss him? It was like when you have feelings for someone—even if they don’t do anything—you find them inexplicably endearing and can’t help but want to get closer.

He could sense that Tingchuan wasn’t acting recklessly or drunkenly. His kiss was filled with affection, as if he were trying to draw them closer. Could this mean that Tingchuan had feelings for him too?

The thought exploded in Nanxu’s mind like fireworks soaring into the sky, rising for a long time before suddenly exploding and leaving a dazzling display of light.

He liked Tingchuan, and with each passing day, his affection grew stronger. The more he indulged, the clearer it became.

Perhaps sensing Nanxu’s initiative, Tingchuan paused briefly before pressing forward like a siege lord, not giving Nanxu a moment to breathe. The light and shadow of the candlesticks flickered, casting an intertwined shadow of the two of them on the wall. Nanxu’s arms were tightly wrapped around Tingchuan; neither was willing to give in.

After an unknown amount of time, Nanxu’s mind went blank from lack of oxygen. A low moan escaped his throat, hinting at sobbing. Tingchuan finally released him, and Nanxu gasped for air, feeling completely satisfied. His lips were stained with saliva from their struggle. Their redness and swelling made them appear even more translucent.

In that moment, Nanxu felt regretful about his human identity. He had no magical powers, and even kissing had to stop due to lack of oxygen. He wanted to continue until dawn.

He panted, breathing in deep breaths of fresh air while Tingchuan kissed his brow, cheeks, neck, and collarbone. Where Tingchuan’s lips passed, Nan Xu’s skin felt like it was on fire.

His arms, which had been wrapped around Tingchuan’s neck, fell limply and then curled up unconsciously due to his body’s sensitivity. He grasped the blankets beneath his hands and tilted his head back slightly.

It was too much. The mere touch of lips made him tremble, his eyes reddening. His emotions were so overwhelming that they seemed to overflow.

With his shirt spread open, a cool breeze washed over him like a rush of cold water on his fevered skin. For a moment, Nan Xu’s mind cleared.

“Are you drunk?” Nan Xu asked, half-raised on his elbows.

Tingchuan looked up, his dark eyes meeting Nan Xu’s. He kissed him on the lips. “I like you very much.”

Nan Xu suddenly lay back down, grinning, and started laughing foolishly.

However, soon, Nan Xu’s laughter died down. He had never seen Tingchuan’s body before and had no idea that his seemingly frail frame could be so strong. As Tingchuan unbuttoned his pajamas, Nan Xu regretted his rashness. If he had tried to escape, he would have lost his way. A sudden pain brought him to tears, and Tingchuan gently kissed him.

Tingchuan held his hands in his palms and placed them above his head. Curling up made it easier for Tingchuan to move. By the time the pain subsided, Nan Xu had lost most of his strength. The candle burned out, but Tingchuan’s figure remained on his body. He could no longer hold back, and a broken moan escaped his lips.

The previous day, at dusk, the sky had been ablaze with the glow of the sunset, yet tonight, Zhuyu Mountain was met with relentless rain. By midnight, the downpour had given way to a continuous drizzle that continued until dawn.

—

The next morning, Zhixing woke up early after having a good night’s sleep following a drunken night. When he opened the door to the main hall, he saw a mist shrouding the mountains that resembled a fairyland.

He was stunned for a moment, wondering if it was because he had woken up too early or if autumn in Zhuyu Mountain was simply different from the rest of the world. It just didn’t seem right. The stone slabs in the courtyard were still damp from the previous night’s rain. As he walked out the door and headed for the herb garden, Zhixing felt as if the mountain’s spiritual energy had intensified for some reason.

When he returned, he found Senior Tingchuan tending to a chicken in the courtyard. Senior Tingchuan looked cheerful today; his sharp features were softened. He must like him have slept soundly, soothed by the alcohol.

Zhixing prepared breakfast and waited a long time, but he heard no movement from the owner’s room. He glanced outside several times. The sun had risen and dispersed the mountain mist. It was well past the owner’s usual wake-up time.

Zhixing couldn’t help but feel worried. Humans are physically fragile. Could the alcohol have been too much?

He was about to ask when Senior Tingchuan stood up to check on the chicken soup simmering on the stove. It had been simmering all morning and was now golden brown. He scooped out a bowl and carried it to the bedroom.

Zhixing was puzzled; the owner never ate in the room.

Tingchuan pushed open the door. Nan Xu was lying in bed, having lifted the thin blanket, and held Tingchuan in his arms. Because of his sleeping position, his pajamas exposed the skin on his arms and back, and the red spots caught Tingchuan’s attention.

Nan Xu was still asleep, his face stained pink. Tingchuan couldn’t help but think of last night when he couldn’t hold on any longer and called his name over and over again, his mouth slightly open and his voice tinged with tears as he snuggled into his arms.

Just thinking about it made Tingchuan’s throat go dry.

He reached out and touched Nan Xu’s forehead. Finding nothing unusual, he relaxed a little.

Nan Xu frowned, disturbed in his sleep. Tingchuan withdrew his hand and stared at Nanxu’s sleeping face, unable to look away.

Perhaps because of Tingchuan’s gaze, Nanxu reluctantly opened his eyes. The light filtering through the window irritated his newly opened eyes. Seeing this, Tingchuan stood up and went to close the window.

Nanxu stared at Tingchuan’s back as memories of last night flooded back. He couldn’t understand how someone as carefree as Tingchuan could stay awake all night because of something like that.

Then, a second later, he wondered: What if Tingchuan had been drunk last night and didn’t want that kind of intimacy with him? What would he do?

Continue the owner-employee relationship or forcefully coerce Tingchuan into submission?

“Are you awake? Are you hungry? I made some chicken soup. Would you like some?” Tingchuan closed the window and sat down on the bed, looking at Nanxu.

His eyes were still a little red and swollen. He sniffed the air. It was the same scent from his dream, and he figured it must have woken him.

“Drink,” Nanxu said, pulling himself up.

The moment he moved, he felt his bones, torn apart last night, reassemble, and he felt aches everywhere.

Nanxu frowned, and Tingchuan’s hand reached out just in time to take the pressure off. Tingchuan settled Nanxu against the headboard before retrieving the bowl of chicken soup. He blew off some of the heat and offered the bowl to Nanxu’s mouth.

Nan Xu didn’t raise his hand, instead swallowing the soup mouthful by mouthful as Tingchuan fed him. His gaze wandered to Tingchuan, who was awake and seemed to remember what had happened last night. Instead of showing any impatience, Tingchuan seemed even more concerned.

So, they were actually quite affectionate last night, right? Although it was awkward at first and they both suffered, later on…

Nan Xu’s eyelashes fluttered. He tried to find common ground with Tingchuan, but his memory didn’t hold much. The alcohol was taking its toll, clouding his mind.

Nan Xu felt a headache coming on. After all, it was his first time, so why did he remember being the one who refused to cooperate while Tingchuan coaxed him?

His face flushed as he thought about it. He accidentally swallowed a mouthful of chicken soup and started to choke. Fortunately, Tingchuan was completely focused on feeding him. The moment Nan Xu choked, Tingchuan wiped the soup away with his sleeve and gently patted his back.

His movements were gentle. Tingchuan had been kind to him before, but never as much as this time. Nanxu found this profoundly gentle.

“I’m full,” Nanxu said.

Tingchuan glanced at the nearly empty bowl of soup and said, “Then sleep a little longer. I’ll be outside, and you can call me anytime.”

Embarrassed by his own thoughts, Nanxu burrowed under the covers, pulled them over his head, and muttered, “Okay.”

Tingchuan pulled back a corner of the covers, stood up, and left the room with the bowl.

Outside, Zhixing pondered a great deal. Seeing Tingchuan emerge with a gloomy face, he looked up several times, hesitant to speak. After Tingchuan finished washing the dishes, Zhixing finally couldn’t help but ask, “Is the owner feeling unwell? Do you want me to take his pulse?”

Tingchuan glanced at Zhixing, his eyes filled with emotion.

When he didn’t answer, Zhixing continued, “It must have rained all night. I felt the temperature had dropped when I woke up this morning. I read in ancient medical texts that humans have fragile bodies and can easily catch a cold if they are not cared for properly.”

Tingchuan’s gaze became even more complicated. After all, he was a demon several hundred years old. Why did he spend every day studying medical texts?

“He’s fine. He’s just a little tired. Let him sleep a little longer,” Tingchuan said.

Zhixing paused, then nodded. He really couldn’t understand what the owner could be doing on a rainy night that would cause him to not pay attention.

“Oh, right. Help me get some ointments for bruises…and something to reduce swelling,” Tingchuan said.

Zhixing was confused but agreed without giving it much thought.

Nan Xu woke up from his nap. The sun was shining brightly, high in the sky. It must have been noon. He had just had a beautiful dream in which every part of his body felt as if it had been bathed in heavenly nectar. He was so comfortable that he didn’t want to wake up.

Nan Xu turned over and found that the aches and pains in his body had disappeared. He saw Tingchuan sitting by the bed. Tingchuan had just withdrawn his hand and reached for a palm-sized ceramic pot on the bedside table.

Nan Xu realized, “Are you using your spiritual power to massage me again?”

Tingchuan hummed, took out some white paste from a clay jar, and said, “This is the medicine Zhixing just prepared. Lift up your hem, and I’ll apply it to you.”

Nan Xu had done more extreme things with him last night, yet he was still shy. Without hesitation, he lifted his hem obediently.

Tingchuan meticulously applied the medicine to every blemish on his body. Nan Xu recalled the last time Tingchuan had applied the medicine and asked, “How is this any different from skinning a rabbit?”

Tingchuan had acted righteously last time, but he wanted to see how he would respond to the red marks he had left.

Tingchuan’s hands moved steadily, as calmly as last time, while he said, “You’re even more delicious.”

Nan Xu: …