TSMITB Chapter16

Sheng Qixiao’s small building had three stories, backed against the mountain wall and half-hidden in the bamboo forest. Whenever the wind rose, the bamboo leaves would rustle.

 

In the courtyard in front of the building, Sheng Qixiao had planted many flowers and herbs that others couldn’t name, enclosed within a fence covered with green vines, making for a pleasant sight.

 

Shen Que was leaning on the railing of the second-floor balcony with his eyes fixed on Sheng Qixiao, who was bent over tending to the flowers and herbs in the small garden.

 

To facilitate his movements, Sheng Qixiao had gathered his dark, long hair into a braid tied at the back of his head, with silver chains interwoven and a circle of small silver bells at the end. Shen Que vaguely recalled a period when he was quite averse to men having long hair. Now it seemed that as long as it was well-groomed and paired with a good appearance, it possessed a unique kind of beauty.

 

Sheng Qixiao seemed to sense Shen Que’s gaze. He stood up, wiped his hands, and looked up at Shen Que while curving his lips. Two small dimples faintly appeared on his cheeks: “Shen Que, you are looking at me. Am I good-looking?”

 

“You are good-looking.” Shen Que’s gaze was direct as he scrutinized him again from head to toe. “Am I not allowed to look?”

 

“As long as you enjoy looking.” Sheng Qixiao knew Shen Que quite liked his appearance and was never stingy about showing it off. His seemingly casual daily attire was actually carefully considered. He casually plucked a dew-kissed light-blue flower and held it out to him. “Do you want to come down? I’ll take you out for a walk.”

 

Shen Que’s eyes lit up, and he immediately turned and went downstairs.

 

Passing the first floor, Old Qiu and the rest were each perched on small stools, neatly lined up outside the restroom door, waiting to draw lots to decide the order.

 

After taking the antidote, they indeed stopped vomiting blood; it was all replaced by diarrhea.

 

Sheng Qixiao explained that the antidote had dissolved the bloodworms, halted their reproduction, and that once they were fully expelled from the body, the affliction would be cured.

 

Three pairs of resentful eyes made Shen Que feel a little guilty.

 

He had asked Sheng Qixiao if there was a more dignified method.

 

At the time, Sheng Qixiao, who was preparing the last dose of medicine, paused in his movements. When he lifted his gaze, his eyes shone brightly, and his smile was radiant, joy spilling from the corners of his eyes and brows. He gently hummed, “Of course there is, but I think this way, they might be a little quieter and less likely to instill some bad ideas in you.”

 

Shen Que: “……”

 

Sheng Qixiao showed no guilt for having done something bad. Every word he spoke was high praise for his own method and an affirmation of his “medical skill.” “Don’t frown, and don’t worry. It won’t cause any additional harm to their bodies.”

 

Shen Que quietly averted his gaze, not daring to make eye contact with Gang Zi at all. He hadn’t forgotten that Gang Zi was a young man with hemorrhoids.

 

The sunlight in the courtyard was just right. Sheng Qixiao tucked the flower into the handle of a brand-new small bamboo basket and handed it to Shen Que. The two of them stepped outside, moving through sunlight broken into fragments by the dense branches and leaves of the bamboo forest.

 

Though he said they were going out for a walk, he only took Shen Que to the herb field less than fifty meters from the house.

 

Shen Que was bored. He squatted on the edge of the field while listening to the murmuring stream in the irrigation ditch. He absentmindedly pulled the grass bare beneath his feet, his gaze wandering over the surroundings while secretly memorizing the routes and layout.

 

As he was building a simple map in his mind, his view suddenly darkened. A shadow moved over him before Sheng Qixiao placed the fully loaded basket in front of Shen Que.

 

“This is all for you.” His tone carried a slight hint of seeking praise.

 

“What for?”

 

“These are all to nourish your body. You look…” Sheng Qixiao paused as he spoke, realizing the topic might be sensitive, and carefully glanced at Shen Que’s expression, organizing his words, “You look a little weak.”

 

“What?” Shen Que was stunned for two seconds before slowly digesting and trying to understand the meaning of the sentence. Swear words cycled through his mind, but mindful of the current situation, all that came out was a lifeless, “I’m, weak?”

 

Sheng Qixiao hesitated, struggled, and finally nodded: “Will saying this hurt your self-esteem?”

 

Shen Que gave a mocking laugh, momentarily unable to tell if he was being deliberate or unintentional.

 

“You’ve been too self-indulgent before, so being weak is normal. I will help you.”

 

Shen Que clenched his fists, grinding his back teeth, barely managing to keep a gentle expression. “Should I say thank you?”

 

Sheng Qixiao blinked hesitantly, waved his hand, and turned to squat down to continue picking the remaining herbs. However, he smiled slyly in secret, not daring to let Shen Que see his expression.

 

In truth, Shen Que’s body was far from needing such tonic supplements, but he had frequented bars and clubs for years, with a chaotic schedule that turned day into night. Over time, it was inevitable that his body would suffer some depletion.

 

Sheng Qixiao felt that for their future happiness, it was better to be prepared and plan ahead.

 

When a person is angry, they barely feel the passage of time. Shen Que thoroughly cursed Sheng Qixiao in his mind. When he looked up again, he met Sheng Qixiao’s intense gaze, filled with undisguised tenderness, devotion, and a hint of anxious concern.

 

Forget it.

 

After returning to the small building, Shen Que voluntarily took on the task of drying the herbs, spreading them out in a bamboo sieve. To facilitate drying, the third floor of the small building was not completely enclosed, with only one room partitioned off near the mountain side, which was Sheng Qixiao’s small herbal room.

 

A brass lock, faintly gleaming with metallic luster, hung on the door. The door was slightly ajar, and the wooden shelves inside were filled with various medicinal materials.

 

Shen Que gazed down from the balcony, finding no trace of Sheng Qixiao. His heart stirred, and he turned to push open the heavy wooden door.

 

The room was small; one could see to the end at a glance. Bottles and jars that Sheng Qixiao had used and hadn’t had time to put back on the shelves were on the table. While the air was filled with a strong herbal fragrance.

 

His gaze swept around the room, then fixed on the simple wooden ladder in the corner. Following the ladder up, Shen Que discovered that a skylight had been opened on the roof.

 

Shen Que carefully positioned the wooden ladder, climbed the rungs, and from his angle looking out, he could just see a section of iron chain, like a cableway, connecting the area outside the skylight to the mountainside behind the house.

 

The topmost rung of the ladder was still some distance from the roof. Shen Que exerted himself before poking his upper body out of the skylight, and just as he was about to push hard to climb up and find out what was there, a chilling sensation came. His ankle was suddenly seized by a hand, the sensation like a snake flicking its tongue before coiling tightly around him. A chill ran down Shen Que’s spine, and he instantly broke out in goosebumps.

 

His heart began to pound wildly. Shen Que held his breath and hesitated for a moment before lowering his head to meet Sheng Qixiao’s gaze.

 

“Shen Que, what are you doing?” Sheng Qixiao looked up, his body half-submerged in shadow, his eyes subdued, while the other half was washed in sunlight, a faint trace of gold glinting in his pupils. His entire hand was pressed against the skin of Shen Que’s ankle, feeling his slight, uncomfortable tremble, he lightly rubbed the warmth beneath his hand with his thumb. He didn’t insist on an answer and asked again, “Are you coming down? Climbing so high, is very dangerous.”

 

Sheng Qixiao’s voice was calm, even gentle, without any unusual tone, yet to Shen Que’s ears, it sounded inexplicably eerie.

 

Shen Que swallowed, inevitably feeling the embarrassment of being caught doing something sneaky. His chest tightened and rose a few times as he tried to tell himself to relax. Seeing that he couldn’t think of a suitable excuse right away, he simply gave up: “Let go of me. It’s difficult for me to come down with you grabbing me like this.”

 

Sheng Qixiao shook his head: “I’ll guide you, don’t miss a step.”

 

Shen Que refused without thinking, trying to use impatience to conceal his guilt: “No need. I’m not a three-year-old child who needs help getting down stairs. I’ll come down by myself.”

 

Sheng Qixiao didn’t move and only tightening his grip: “Mhm, a three-year-old child wouldn’t move my ladder to climb up to the roof to play.”

 

“……”

 

Shen Que closed his eyes with an indescribable, strange feeling settling in his heart. He stopped arguing, following Sheng Qixiao’s guidance, and descended the wooden ladder step by step.

 

The moment the soles of his shoes touched the floor, his legs went weak, and he nearly fell.

 

Sheng Qixiao quickly supported him: “If you’re so scared, how dare you still climb up? Shen Que, don’t do anything dangerous.”

 

Was that scary? That tiny height? It’s not enough to scare Laozi[mfn]I, used in an arrogant way[/mfn] to death! Isn’t it because you’re so unpredictable…

 

Shen Que roared inwardly, but kept his head down and pretended to be docile while secretly observing Sheng Qixiao’s expression and reaction out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he felt a heavy warning undertone in Sheng Qixiao’s calm voice.

 

Sheng Qixiao did not let go of Shen Que’s hand. He led him out the door and then locked the small room in front of him. He offered no explanation, only giving him a meaningful look when the lock clicked shut.

 

Shen Que allowed himself to be led without asking a single word.

 

In the evening, Sheng Qixiao was called away again by that ‘dried cured meat’ guy. As he left, he only gave Shen Que a faint look before turning and walking away in silence. Shen Que’s strained nerves were temporarily relaxed, yet he felt as if something was missing.

 

Although Sheng Qixiao never asked any more questions, Shen Que’s heart remained uneasy.

 

Old Qiu and Gang Zi had participated in a full day of the ‘toilet supremacy challenge,’ and were so exhausted they were practically collapsing. During dinner, they could barely scrape down a mouthful, looking as if they had lost their last expectation for life. However, the moment Sheng Qixiao left, they immediately became lively again.

 

“Old Qiu and I are going out for a reconnaissance trip. You two stay in the house, got it?” With that, they finished their meal in two bites, pushed their bowls aside, and headed out the door.

 

Shen Que watched the bowl spin a few times on the table before coming to a rest, exchanged a look with Ah Chao, and had reason to suspect that these two left to escape washing the dishes, but had no proof.

 

The small building quieted down. Ah Chao had always been the best at reading Shen Que’s mood, and knowing he was holding back anger, he didn’t approach to court bad luck, only praying silently not to be caught in the crossfire.

 

However, after only a few quiet minutes, Old Qiu and Gang Zi returned, looking disheveled, followed by another person—the same tribesman who had carried the lantern and led them into the village the first time.

 

The newcomer stood steadily at the doorway. A small blue-green snake with a scarlet forked tongue was coiled on his shoulder, the edges of its tiny scales flashing with a cold light. Shen Que immediately thought of Sheng Qixiao’s icy fingers, and the skin he had gripped involuntarily felt hot.

 

“Didn’t he tell you, not to leave the house?” The man’s voice was hoarse and rigid, his Mandarin halting and awkward. His gaze was sharp as he stared at Shen Que, his tone carrying an undeniable hostility: “You all, don’t bring him any more trouble.”

 

Shen Que raised an eyebrow, momentarily taken aback, then set down his bowl and chopsticks, rested his elbow on the table, cupped his chin in his palm, and lightly tapped his brow bone with his fingers as he asked lazily, “And you are?”

 

“I am My Lord’s…”

 

“Ke Di!”

 

Sheng Qixiao’s sudden appearance interrupted Ke Di’s words and broke the strange atmosphere.

 

The instant Shen Que heard his voice, he sat up straight, abandoning his previous arrogant posture, and lowered his eyes to look at the ground.

 

Sheng Qixiao observed Shen Que’s movements and then said something to Ke Di in the Miao language. Ke Di looked indignant, as if he was holding his breath and absolutely had to say it to Shen Que, and continued passionately in Mandarin: “If it weren’t for him, how could you have been…”

 

“Leave here.” Sheng Qixiao issued a final ultimatum.

 

After Ke Di left, Sheng Qixiao pulled out the chair next to Shen Que and sat down.

 

Shen Que continued to keep his head down, scouring his mind for all the ‘how to act like a perfectly fake victim’ knowledge points while trying to cover for his companions: “Sheng…”

 

“Shen Que, did I not tell you, not to leave at night?”