Light up

This is extremely strange.

Xie Lingxi thought about it carefully, and something seemed to flash through her mind, but unfortunately, the clue was like fleeting clouds, hard to grasp.

She hadn't forgotten the wound on Liu Xu's back, and her eyes were filled with heartache.

"It's my fault, I've dragged you into this."

If it weren't for her poor eyesight, which forced her to take such a treacherous, thorny path and reach level ground sooner, Liu Xu and she wouldn't have had to endure a miserable night in the rain.

The woman before him looked dejected, her bright eyes narrowed, making her appear pitiful.

Liu Xu wasn't in much pain; at least for now, all he could think about was "wanting to go up and hold his wife properly." He grabbed Xie Lingxi's hand.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Does Lingxi want to distance herself from me?"

He guided Xie Lingxi's hand to his back, "Look, it's nothing... It hurt a little just now, but if you touch it, it will be fine soon."

What kind of dirty talk is that...?

Her delicate hand was held firmly, and she was gently guided up her husband's broad back.

Everything around her froze. Xie Lingxi could only feel the muscles and bones beneath her hands piled up like small mountains, faintly visible yet incredibly sensual, while Liu Xu's shameless murmur echoed in her ears—

"Just touch it... touch it."

A few beads of sweat appeared on Xie Lingxi's forehead. She quickly pulled her hand back and covered it under the quilt. "Since everything is alright, I'm relieved."

Seeing her flushed face, like peach blossoms glistening with dew, Liu Xu chuckled, "Won't you check again, my lady?"

Before Xie Lingxi could answer, he heard him sigh regretfully, "Alright then."

"Speaking of which, I noticed that Lingxi seems to be unwell as well. Now is a good time, so let me examine my wife."

As he spoke, he pressed down on Xie Lingxi's shoulder and reached down.

"you--"

This is blatant taking advantage of someone's misfortune!

Xie Lingxi couldn't see and had no idea where Liu Xu's hand was going next. The sun was getting high, and the room suddenly became hot, making her sweat all over.

Liu Xu's fingers still had thin calluses, left from reading and writing. These calluses rubbed against her clothes, and soon, through her inner garment, they caressed her heart.

"Um……"

Xie Lingxi couldn't stand the tickling and trembled, only to see that the culprit was still looking completely serious:

"Lingxi, are you feeling uncomfortable here?"

No, no.

Last night, she did experience severe chest pain and vomited blood several times. After that, she felt dizzy for a while, and the discomfort disappeared.

On the contrary, it was Liu Xu's wicked hands that teased her so much that she could hardly speak. She had to bite her teeth to keep from letting out a few whispers. Helpless, she could not break free.

Seeing that this man was going further and further, even stripping off her shoes and socks and grabbing her bare feet, Xie Lingxi leaned back, her eyes glazed, and frantically tried to block Liu Xu's hands—

"That's enough, isn't it?"

Her entire body was touched, and under the guise of "checking her injuries," the man treated her like a soft persimmon, freely kneading and groping her, doing everything he could to molest her.

How come I never realized Liu Xu was like this before? He's full of evil intentions!

But this young man seemed completely unaware of what he was doing. He got up, went to the kitchen, brought back a bowl, picked up the medicine, and smeared it on her legs.

Does it hurt?

Xie Lingxi: "No."

Unaware of the extent of her injuries, she comforted Liu Xu, who was muffled by his sobs, saying, "It will be fine in a few days; it's not serious."

This can no longer be called "not very serious".

There wasn't a single patch of good flesh on her ankle; it was covered in cuts and lacerations, some so deep they reached the bone. It was a shocking sight, and if it wasn't properly treated, she would suffer from it for a long time.

His wife was a pampered young lady, spoiled since childhood, but now that she's with him, she's been plagued by misfortune and is often injured.

Liu Xu carefully wrapped Xie Lingxi's feet with gauze and put them inside the quilt.

He recalled that dream: "If I were to find a high-ranking official to marry, I could live a peaceful and stable life, without the hardships of life."

Xie Lingxi: "What?"

Liu Xu remained silent.

Xie Lingxi understood now, straightened up and took Liu Xu's hand, "That day you clearly said you wanted to hold my hand for life and share the joys and sorrows with me, now you regret it?"

“No,” Liu Xuhui grasped her hand, their fingers intertwined, “I…”

This person hesitated verbally, yet acted so recklessly, which is truly dishonest.

Xie Lingxi provoked him: "Just now, from what you said, it seemed like you wanted to push me onto someone else?"

Her tone was slightly cold, and her eyebrows were slightly raised.

"You must have already chosen someone? Is it Yan Ji?"

These words deeply stung Liu Xushan's sensitive heart. A fierce internal struggle raged within him, and finally, Liu Chengzhi emerged victorious.

No, I didn't mean anything by it.

"I just feel sorry for him."

Liu Xu was no longer satisfied with a simple physical confrontation; he stepped forward and hugged Xie Lingxi tightly, burying his head in the crook of his wife's shoulder.

“If I ever leave you alone again like I did last night, you must wake me up.”

Outside the window, the sun was setting, and the birds in the empty mountains fell silent, returning to their nests bathed in the new glow of the sunset.

Further on, as far as the eye could see, the great river surged and shimmered. Suddenly, two people, an old man and a young man, stood on a boat, reciting the Book of Songs. There was no wind or rain, and all was peaceful.

He repeated, "We'll weather the storm together, it's a promise again."

...

Under the bed, insects chirped at night.

On the bed, Xie Lingxi lay on the inside side by the window, with her back to Liu Xu.

Both of them listened to each other's soft breathing and did not fall asleep.

A few hours ago, Xie Lingxi told Liu Xu about her blindness. She didn't think much of it at first, but then she noticed Liu Xu pause, his hand holding the porridge trembling so badly he couldn't bear to look at her.

The usually gentle and affectionate young man threw down his bowl and hugged her tightly, with such force that he almost broke her ribs.

Having studied some medical principles, she explained her deductions to Liu Xu, saying that it was not difficult to cure, but leaving it here was somewhat inconvenient.

Although Liu Xu believed her, he still held her tightly, and as they whispered sweet nothings in each other's ears, tears streamed down his face like pearls, soaking her clothes.

The two spent a long time frolicking together, and when the old hunter returned home, he gleaned a few more pieces of information from him.

——

Because of the heavy rain that washed away the mountainside, they took a detour via the western road when they went to the city to exchange money today.

The land was flat and had an unobstructed view. In the distance, a huge wolf skin could be seen hanging on a tree branch by the stream. It was shiny and oily, and it must be a good thing!

So he picked it up and took it to the market to sell. Sure enough, within a few moments, a woman dressed in silk rushed over, handed over a large tael of silver, and took the skin.

"you say……"

Xie Lingxi, fiddling with the embroidery stitches on the pillow, stared blankly, "Could this wolf be the one that was chasing us?"

"We'll find out tomorrow."

"Um."

Seeing that Liu Xu remained silent, Xie Lingxi asked again, "When the wolf pounced on you yesterday, did you smell any fragrance?"

fragrance?

After Xie Lingxi mentioned it, Liu Xu also remembered that the wolf did indeed have a faint fragrance, which smelled like a fairyland, like entering a beautiful dream.

Liu Xu disliked incense and couldn't distinguish the many different kinds of fragrances. Xie Lingxi, on the other hand, was enthusiastic about the trip. Her eye problems at the moment gave her a chance to savor the experience.

"I think it's somewhat like Hundred Eyes Fragrance, but it smells different after you smell it."

"Tao Li said that Cui Yu was like a different person at night, devouring everything like a hungry wolf, and I had a bold guess..."

The wife's soft voice rang out continuously, like the fragrance of orchids, quietly enveloping the two in the dark room.

Liu Xufu's inspiration came from the heart—

Yes, no lights were lit tonight.

Outside, the moon was obscured by layers of clouds, and even with half a window open, not a ray of light could be seen. Xie Lingxi usually stayed at home, and because of her blindfold, there was always a faint light left on the candlestick at night.

Now that I'm staying here, it's not appropriate to make such extravagant requests.

But at this moment, even with the lights on, nothing can be seen.

Liu Xu turned over and pulled the woman beside him into his arms. The woman in his arms was clearly frightened; her body stiffened, but she did not struggle.

Xie Lingxi gladly accepted the embrace of the serene and bright moon.

She wrapped her arms around a slender, white waist and pressed her face against Liu Xu's chest, finally hearing the strong, powerful heartbeat she longed for.

"Go to sleep."

...

As the summer night grew hazy, a thin mist, carrying the fragrance of the mountains, gradually rose from the riverbank, partially obscuring the Xi Shi washing silk, revealing a touch of cool elegance.

As dawn broke and the clouds drifted by, a flock of red-necked doves cooed in the distance, waking the two people who were still fast asleep inside.

Xie Lingxi was a light sleeper and dreamed all night.

Hearing this, she slightly opened her eyelids, reached out and patted the person beside her. She saw Liu Xu indeed let out a long sigh, his head still weakly resting against her neck, breathing warm air.

"What's wrong?"

Xie Lingxi whispered, "What time is it now?"

Liu Xu looked up and saw a faint golden light on the horizon. Outside, the cold was still raging, and the wildflowers and grasses were still asleep, wrapped in morning dew.

"It's still early," he said, putting his arms around Xie Lingxi's waist. "Let's sleep a little longer."

Liu Xu cherished this rare moment of tenderness and rest—

In the remote mountains of Jingzhou, far from the emperor's reach, he and Xie Lingxi lived like an ordinary couple, free from worries about the turmoil in the imperial court and the dangers of open and covert attacks. Although they lived a mundane life, they were content with their peaceful and carefree existence.

The ancients' aspirations of living a carefree life, like clouds drifting in the wild or cranes in the wilderness, were truly exhilarating.

He had just smiled and closed his eyes when a song drifted in from outside the window. The lyrics were intricate and the melody was soaring and magnificent, stirring the heart and inspiring a desire to compete with it.

As Liu Xu listened, he felt increasingly uneasy.

This poem is indeed adapted from a folk tale from Jingzhou, telling the story of Liu Niangzi, a widow from the countryside, who cleverly outwits a local tyrant to preserve her reputation and reclaim her family property.

However, the melody is not as melodious and smooth as the folk tunes of Jingbei, but rather like the "Grand Palace Melody," the elegant music of Chang'an.

He looked out the window and saw white dew covering the river. On the water was a small boat with a person wearing a straw hat whose face was obscured standing at the front. The person was rowing the boat to the accompaniment of a song.

"This person..."

Where did these tourists on the river come from?

Xie and Liu put on their outer garments and went out. It was already broad daylight. When they got closer, they saw that the man was still standing at the bow of the boat, his plain clothes rustling. When he saw the two of them approaching, he immediately stopped singing.

"Alas...you two look unfamiliar. You must not be from Jingzhong, right?"

Liu Xu: "..."

The man's hand holding the oar was deathly pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun for centuries. Only a thin, pointed chin was visible beneath his bamboo hat, and his rosy lips slowly curved into a smile.

"I was able to take human form because of the offerings of the mountain people. Today, I met you two young friends and we hit it off very well... I have seen you two wandering in the human world for a long time. Why don't you enter the cycle of reincarnation? Is there a wish you haven't fulfilled?"

Having said that, his entire body was suspended in mid-air, the small boat beneath his feet tilted and entered the river, wings sprouted from the back of the immortal, stirring up waves thousands of feet high, and then he tried to escape into the sky.

The sound was veiled in a thin mist, ethereal and clear, echoing through the mountains:

“Tell me your wish, and I can help you.”

The immortal floated into the air and suddenly grabbed Liu Xu's shoulder from behind. As a result of this action, his black hair fell on his inhuman hand, fluttering like butterfly wings, making the scene even more bizarre and strange.

"Money, fame, a beautiful house... or you want someone's life, or to know someone's secrets... I can help you with anything..."

Liu Xu watched quietly, then nodded, "Okay."

He glanced indifferently at Xie Lingxi, tilted his head, and whispered, "I want... to..."

The immortal didn't hear clearly. After scrutinizing Liu Xu's distant gaze, he assumed that this man was trying to avoid his wife and ask him for something extraordinary.

The young man's voice grew softer and softer, so I leaned closer to listen.

"……What?"

What does he want?

I want to see your face!

!

In a flash, Liu Xu grabbed the thin, bony hand on his shoulder and pulled it down along with his bamboo hat and outer robe—

With a "crash," the immortal in plain clothes fell heavily to the ground, his wide robe torn into several pieces, and countless white feathers, threaded by fishing line, fell to the ground.

Finally, the boat that had disappeared into the river returned, with an unknown contraption made of three or four palm-leaf fans wrapped around its oars.

"Ouch!"

Before the immortal could even curse, Liu Xu yanked off his bamboo hat, revealing a deathly pale face in his panic.

"Tao Li?!"

"..."

Tao Li lay panting heavily in the pile of goose feathers, wiping his face, which was covered in powder, revealing his originally handsome features:

"Brother Chengzhi, it's been a long time."