TSMITB Chapter25

“En, I don’t blame you. I guess I was just f*cking unlucky.” Shen Que shifted his butt again. After sitting up and holding his posture for a few minutes, he only felt more uncomfortable. “You didn’t tell Old Qiu and the others about this, did you?”

Sheng Qixiao shook his head. “No, I was afraid you’d be upset.”

“Good. Don’t let anyone know about this. You should also forget about it as soon as possible. We’ll pretend nothing happened.”

“Do we really have to pretend nothing happened?” Sheng Qixiao asked in a low voice while recalling everything from last night. It was so wonderful; how could he possibly forget?

Shen Que pretended not to hear. He leaned back against the headboard with one hand bracing his lower back while still remembering to tug the quilt up to hide the biting and nibbling marks a certain someone had left scattered across his neck and shoulders.

Sheng Qixiao suddenly stood up. Shen Que flinched before instinctively recoiling further into the quilt. The movement was too sudden, making him wince in pain. He almost cursed but managed to maintain his expression by gripping the bedding tightly and not crying out loud.

“You go out too. I’m tired. I’m going to sleep for a bit.”

“Alright, then I’ll come back later to put ointment on you.”

“Put what ointment on?”

Sheng Qixiao touched the scratch on the side of his face that was already starting to scab. “It’s split open a little. I’ll be more careful next time.”

F*ck your next time. If I don’t finish you off next time… Shen Que gnashed his teeth in hatred but still spoke gently, “No need. You go out now.”

The room fell utterly silent yet the fierce anger surging in Shen Que’s chest had nowhere to be released. He could only bite his tongue and force himself to swallow it down.

He never expected that bastard Sheng Qixiao, who looked so beautiful, would have a thing that was so f*cking monstrous and nothing like a human’s.

Shen Que lay in bed, seething in silence, mentally throwing every curse he had ever learned at Sheng Qixiao. He felt like he had been blind to ever think he was gentle and kind.

As he fumed, a thought suddenly flashed in his mind. He remembered that he seemed to have put the pill bottle Gang Zi gave him in his pants pocket. He had thought that would be the safer approach, figuring he could always add more if the dose proved insufficient; but now, the shredded remains of his pants were nowhere to be found.

If it fell into Sheng Qixiao’s hands…

Shen Que sighed while tossing and turning uncomfortably. He wanted to go and retrieve the medicine yet he didn’t want to return to the “scene of the crime.” He had never felt so humiliated in his life. Unless absolutely necessary, he would rather die than go back to that small herbal room. In fact, he wished this entire little building would be reduced to ashes.

As the evil thoughts took root in his mind, a knock interrupted Shen Que’s train of thought. “I’m sleeping. Don’t disturb me. Get out.”

Gang Zi paid no mind to being told to leave before pushing the door open anyway before shutting it behind him and saying, “It’s me.”

“You get out as well.” Shen Que buried himself in the quilt, his voice sounding muffled. “Whatever it is, say it later.”

“I know what happened last night.” Gang Zi’s voice sounded somewhat heavy with sorrow.

The figure beneath the quilt stirred. Shen Que revealed the upper half of his face, his dark, deep-set eyes reflecting his foul mood.

Gang Zi continued on his own, “You weren’t actually hurt by someone else beating you, right?”

Shen Que frowned.

Gang Zi’s eyes sparkled with excitement: “You slept with Sheng Qixiao.”

“……”

“I saw the marks on his neck. It must have been you biting him. I told you to keep your distance, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look, you got beaten up, right? Men who can’t control their lower body all end up like this.”

“……” Shen Que listened quietly as he clenched his jaw without arguing. The more he listened, the more relieved he felt, and even the look in his eyes towards Gang Zi carried the affectionate care given to someone with an intellectual disability: “You mean, I slept with him, and he beat me to a pulp?”

“Isn’t that right?” Gang Zi pouted, practically wearing the words “Stop pretending” and “Don’t deny it” on his face.

Shen Que closed his eyes and contemplated for a moment, weighing whether his pride mattered more or setting the record straight about others’ misconceptions of his moral character. Finally, he said, “Yes.”

Anyway, he had already decided that sooner or later, he would let Sheng Qixiao know the meaning of “technology benefits humanity.” Rushing in recklessly with that thing of yours is the conduct of a barbarian.

“So, you disturbed my sleep just to say this bullsh*t.”

“That’s not entirely it either.” Gang Zi bent down and leaned in closer while lowering his voice, “We have to behave for a while. I heard that starting this afternoon, the entire village will be organized for round-the-clock patrols.”

“There really is a traitor?” Shen Que thought for a moment. He originally thought Sheng Qixiao was making it up. “What happened with you and Old Qiu last night?”

“It seems there really is one. Old Qiu and I were caught by Ke Di as soon as we went out. He asked us to help stake out for the traitor. We staked out all night for nothing.” Gang Zi became angry as he spoke, “That Ke Di clearly has it in for us, somehow he manages to bump into us every single time.”

“Your skills are inferior, practice more if you’re incompetent.” Shen Que evaluated.

Gang Zi scoffed, extremely unconvinced, and was about to retort a few more words when the sound of the door opening interrupted him.

Sheng Qixiao stood straight in the doorway with his head slightly tilted. His gaze fell squarely on Gang Zi’s loosely clenched fist, which was attempting to intimidate Shen Que.

Gang Zi didn’t hesitate at all. He spread his hands and lifted them above his head, inwardly sighing, no wonder he had suddenly felt a searing heat, like his backside was on fire. “We were just fooling around…”

Shen Que didn’t move his head but lifted his eyelids to glance at the doorway, immediately pretending to be asleep. He was indeed a bit exhausted, and seeing Sheng Qixiao made him even more tired.

So, while pretending, he effortlessly fell asleep, completely unaware that someone else had quietly slipped into the bed beside him.

When he opened his eyes again, the window was flooded with the brilliant glow of sunset. The curtain hung half-drawn as the warm golden light casting layered floral shadows across it.

Having lain down for too long, his already uncomfortable lower back felt even worse now. Shen Que reached out to rub it but another hand was quicker than his, its dry, hot palm pressing tightly against him without hesitation before massaging slowly and steadily.

Shen Que squinted his eyes and enjoyed it for a few seconds. It wasn’t until the soft breathing of the person beside him grew distinct that he suddenly snapped his eyes open and recoiled, wrapping himself in the quilt and pushing away the arm draped around his waist.

Sheng Qixiao remained where he was, the narrow bed surface making the division between them obvious.

“Why are you here?” Shen Que’s eyes were full of vigilance, and his tone was not friendly either.

Sheng Qixiao dropped his arm in vain, his expression sad and aggrieved. “Do you hate me that much now?”

Shen Que cleared his throat softly, thinking Good, you know that, and blinked twice slowly while feigning drowsiness. “I mean, do you need something from me?”

Sheng Qixiao fixed his gaze on the pair of fox-like eyes, which were straining to open wider in a bid to appear more innocent. He gracefully chose not to pursue the matter but instead sat up with his back to Shen Que, sweeping his long hair behind him, and made a casual request, “I want you to help me braid my hair.”

“?” Shen Que turned his head to look at the sky, not quite understanding. “It’s almost dark and time for sleep. Why are you braiding your hair?”

“I just have to braid it.” Sheng Qixiao insisted.

Shen Que continued to refuse, “I don’t know how. Didn’t you always braid your own hair before?”

That’s different.

Sheng Qixiao retorted in his heart but didn’t say anything more. He just slowly stood up and walked towards the door. His back seemed slightly forlorn, his steps heavy, and his voice hushed, “Alright, then I’ll just go like this to find the culprit. It’s fine if others see me without my hair braided and laugh at me.”

“……” The logical structure and even the tone of this speech were full of the pure fragrance of ’82 Longjing tea. Shen Que actually wanted to ask where he learned this.

“Oh, right,” Sheng Qixiao suddenly turned his head as if he had just remembered something. “I found a small white bottle on the floor of the small herbal room.”

Shen Que immediately plastered a smile on his face, patted the bed beside him, and gently said, “Sit closer, I’ll braid a unique big pigtail for you.”

“Alright.” Sheng Qixiao was satisfied and obediently sat down as told without a second of hesitation.

Shen Que secretly ground his teeth fiercely while getting up and half-kneeling on the bed, his slightly curved fingers intermittently wove through Sheng Qixiao’s hair.

The black hair scattered like a waterfall in his hands. Shen Que maliciously tightened his grip and yanked backward. Sheng Qixiao was caught off guard and nearly fell backward entirely.

He was forced to tilt his head up as his adam apple bobbed a few times, his chest rose and fell slowly, each breath was drawn out extremely long. Shen Que’s prank had worked perfectly, and he didn’t hesitate to compliment, “You look amazing.”

Sheng Qixiao also smiled: “You look the best, Shen Que; I like you.”

It’s good that you like me. Shen Que curled his lips coldly while twisting the black hair around his fingertips to play with, “That small bottle is mine. I don’t sleep well and have to take calming medicine every day.”

Sheng Qixiao slightly raised an eyebrow without replying.

Shen Que couldn’t gauge his attitude or whether he had discovered anything so he couldn’t organize his words. He could only angrily pull the painstakingly braided pigtail crooked, tie it with a silver thread, and let it hang diagonally on one side of Sheng Qixiao’s back.

Sheng Qixiao didn’t mind his little actions. He gently pulled the pigtail to the front, examined it closely, and sincerely praised, “You braided it really well, thank you, Ah Ya.” The last two words were deliberately slurred.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Sheng Qixiao lowered his head, his voice unusually bright, and the smile in his eyes warmer and more genuine than ever before.

Shen Que couldn’t be bothered to beat around the bush anymore and reached out directly, “Give me the thing.”

“What thing?”

“My small bottle.”

Sheng Qixiao said ‘Alright’, and somehow took out the small bottle, pinching it between his fingers and holding it far out of Shen Que’s reach, “In exchange, tell me, what do outsiders call their wives?”

Naked threat.

Shen Que was speechless and choked up. The hand he extended to snatch back the bottle landed on Sheng Qixiao’s arm, giving it a light but firm pinch. He finally conceded, “They are called Laopo.”

“Laopo?” Sheng Qixiao mimicked Shen Que’s pronunciation while repeating “Laopo” several times.

Shen Que suppressed his impatience and hummed, “Yes, that’s what they are called. Can I have it now?”

Sheng Qixiao tilted his head and thought, “What about the husband?”

“They are called Laogong.” Shen Que was out of patience. Why hadn’t he noticed Sheng Qixiao’s intense curiosity before?

Sheng Qixiao’s expression was a bit odd as the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, looking like he was trying not to laugh. Seeing Shen Que staring at him blankly with his patience about to run out, he quickly pursed his lips and asked sincerely, “What? I didn’t hear clearly.”

“Laogong, did you hear clearly?”

The smile on Sheng Qixiao’s lips fully bloomed. He didn’t repeat the word as before but just nodded and placed the bottle into Shen Que’s palm. “I’m going to make dinner.”

Holding the bottle, Shen Que remembered Sheng Qixiao’s expression just now; so bright and beautiful, his eyes nearly overflowing with satisfaction and joy, a pure happiness that came straight from the heart.

It’s just a title.