Chapter 41. Formal Cohabitation
After the little boy kowtowed three times, he felt dizzy and lightheaded. Suddenly, he heard a voice coming from above him, and his eyes lit up.
He looked up, his lips turning purple from the cold wind. The next second, he gripped the young novice's sleeve tightly, as if grasping at a lifeline. "Little Master, I've come to ask for a peace charm..."
Before he could finish speaking, his eyes reddened, and his voice trembled with sobs at the end.
Upon seeing the boy's face clearly, the young novice monk was stunned for a moment. The boy had a pair of beautiful, large eyes, a rare amber color, clear and bright, untouched by the filth of the world. Yet, those eyes were now brimming with tears, filled with sorrow.
He wanted to reach out and wipe away the boy's tears, but as soon as he stretched out his hand, he seemed to remember something and withdrew it.
The young novice sighed inwardly. To come in such weather, one must have encountered a major life-altering event. He asked softly, "May I ask, young benefactor, for whom do you come to seek a peace charm?"
“My…my brother.” The boy sobbed, his whole body trembling, whether from crying or from the cold, it was hard to tell. “He’s in the hospital now, the doctor said he might…” He couldn’t finish his sentence, tears streaming down his face, mingling with the rain.
The young novice led the boy to a slightly warmer hall and said to him, "Please wait a moment, young benefactor, I'll be right back."
Two minutes later, he hurriedly returned to the hall with a box in his hand. "This is a peace talisman blessed by our Master Mingguang. Take it quickly."
He handed the box to the boy and bowed deeply, saying, "May Buddha have mercy, your brother will be safe."
The boy opened the box, inside which was a yellow amulet. He carefully tucked it into his clothes, said thank you, and ran out as fast as he could.
The young novice monk wanted to give the umbrella to the boy, but before he could speak, the boy disappeared in a flash. He could only call out to the boy's retreating figure, "Slow down, the road is slippery!"
The little boy left a deep impression on the young novice monk. He often wondered what kind of important older brother was that made him risk his life to hike up the mountain in the pouring rain just to get a piece of paper with no real effect.
The little boy must have been at his wit's end to place his hopes on ghosts and gods.
The eyes of that benefactor were so similar to those of the little boy from back then that he could mistake one for the other just by looking at the other's eyes.
Such pure and untainted eyes are extremely rare in this world. That benefactor must be the little boy's older brother. The young novice felt very gratified. The little boy who had nowhere to turn back then had finally gotten his wish.
I wonder how that little boy is doing now. He must be very tall by now, probably taller than me.
It was mealtime, and the young novice monk thought to himself as he walked toward the dining hall.
--
Bai Xiao ran to a terrace before stopping.
Song Huai hadn't done such strenuous exercise in a long time. He was so tired that he almost couldn't stand up and could only support himself on his knees, panting heavily.
Bai Xiao turned around and laughed at him: "Your physique is too poor. You really have to get up and run with me every day from now on."
Song Huai was still panting, "You...you're...bullying me!"
Bai Xiao placed Song Huai's hand on her shoulder, letting him lean on her, and said earnestly, "I just want you to stay healthy, and how could I dare to bully you, my little darling?"
In just a short while, it was completely dark. Gradually, a vast array of stars appeared in the sky, the Milky Way stretching endlessly, bringing a few points of light to this dark world.
At the summit of this mountain, the Milky Way seemed so real that it appeared right before their eyes. Song Huai had the illusion that he could pluck a star from the sky if he reached out his hand.
Song Huai leaned his head against Bai Xiao's shoulder, and Bai Xiao wrapped one arm around Song Huai. The two stopped talking at the same time and quietly admired the dazzling Milky Way in the distance.
Nature's artistry is so breathtaking that it breaks your heart.
After a long silence, Bai Xiao suddenly spoke: "Song Huai."
"What's wrong?"
"Let's go on our honeymoon when I'm less busy in a while?"
"Honeymoon?"
"Yes, we haven't gone on our honeymoon yet since we got married. Is there anywhere you'd like to go? Hawaii? Maldives?"
When marriage was mentioned, Song Huai's eyes dimmed, and he hesitated before saying, "Let's talk about it later."
Bai Xiao didn't understand what Song Huai meant. Just as he was about to ask, Song Huai said, "Bai Xiao, let's take a picture."
Bai Xiao: "...Okay."
Bai Xiao leaned her head close to Song Huai and smiled at the camera.
"Crack".
Song Huai stared at the photo for a long time, then said with dissatisfaction, "Bai Xiao, your smile looks too stiff."
"...Huh?" Bai Xiao was puzzled. He always smiled like that when facing the media. "Then how should I smile?"
Song Huai's eyes darted around, and he unexpectedly kissed Bai Xiao's cheek.
Bai Xiao was completely unprepared and froze the moment Song Huai's lips touched hers.
"Crack".
The camera perfectly captured Bai Xiao's stunned moment.
When Bai Xiao saw the photo, he never dreamed that he could be so stupid. He gritted his teeth and said, "Song Huai, delete the photo."
"I don't want to," Song Huai said, clutching his phone tightly. "Look how funny you are..."
Song Huai stared at the photo, looking at it again and again, and finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Bai Xiao initially tried to keep a straight face, but when he saw Song Huai's beaming face, he couldn't hold back any longer. He tapped Song Huai's head and silently laughed along.
That night, Song Huai moved to the master bedroom.
He had originally planned to rest for a couple of days before moving, but after spending the afternoon out, he collapsed onto the sofa when he got back, too tired to even move a finger. However, he couldn't resist Bai Xiao's repeated urging. Although he didn't understand why Bai Xiao was so insistent on moving rooms, he didn't want to disappoint him. So, after struggling for a while, he reluctantly got up from the sofa and dragged himself back to his room to pack his luggage.
Bai Xiao was in the study, saying that there was important business to attend to at the company, and asked him to pack up by himself first. Fortunately, he didn't have much stuff to begin with, and soon he dragged his suitcase to the master bedroom.
This is the second time Song Huai has entered the master bedroom since moving here—the first time was last night.
The master bedroom was more spacious than Song Huai had imagined, and the entire room was even cleaner than the show flat. On one side of the room was a huge floor-to-ceiling window, which made the room even more refreshing and bright. Looking at this window, Song Huai suddenly remembered that last night... when he and Bai Xiao were on this bed, it seemed that... the curtains were not drawn. Even though the room was pitch black and nothing could be seen from the outside, Song Huai couldn't help but blush whenever he thought of yesterday's scene.
The room also has a walk-in closet, where clothes are neatly arranged. Coats, suits, shirts, trousers, cufflinks, and watches are all categorized and placed in their designated places. Each compartment of the wardrobe has a space specifically reserved for Song Huai, and it's clear that Bai Xiao made these spaces for him. It's unclear when he tidied up these spaces.
Looking at the neatly arranged wardrobe, Song Huai's head throbbed with pain. He was afraid that if he put his clothes in, it would disrupt the harmony of the place. After standing there for a while, he simply put his suitcase down on the spot and left it alone.
Song Huai returned to Bai Xiao's bed, ready to continue lounging there—and to be honest, Bai Xiao's bed was really comfortable. Once Song Huai lay down, he didn't want to leave, wishing he could spend the rest of his life on this bed. The bed was fragrant and soft, and sleeping on it felt like lying in a cotton ball. Even... doing *that* in bed was incredibly pleasurable.
Bah, Song Huai, what nonsense are you thinking!
While despising himself, Song Huai's attention was drawn to a stack of books on his bedside table.
He became curious and wanted to know what kind of books Bai Xiao usually read.
One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Republic, Blue Ocean Strategy, and... How a Harvard Professor Teaches You How to Successfully Confess Your Love?
Song Huai: ? ? ?
The book "Harvard Professor Teaches You How to Successfully Confess Your Love" was at the very bottom, but it was the most wrinkled book. Song Huai opened it, and his eyes widened instantly.
The room was filled with markings, and every now and then there was a note: "Maintain a sense of rhythm, balance tension and relaxation." "Proceed step by step, without rushing." "Seize the opportunity to deepen the connection..."
One page was marked by Bai Xiao. Song Huai turned to that page and saw a bold title at the top: "Lecture 4: How to Plan a Surprise Date". Song Huai quickly read through it. This chapter included topics such as how to plan a date, how to create small surprises during a date, and one hundred little things couples can do on a date.
Song Huai searched through those hundred little things and, sure enough, found items such as mountain climbing, cable car rides, and stargazing.
In an instant, all of Song Huai's questions were answered. There were no coincidences. Everything he experienced that afternoon was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the result of someone's careful planning.
Looking at Bai Xiao's childish yet earnest notes, Song Huai's lips curled into a silent smile. As he smiled, his eyes began to well up with tears.
Just then, Bai Xiao's voice suddenly rang out from behind, "What are you looking at?"
Song Huai's heart skipped a beat. He quickly stuffed the book under the covers and looked up at Bai Xiao.
Bai Xiao had just finished dealing with the work she had missed yesterday and today when she returned to her bedroom and saw Song Huai with red eyes and tears welling up in them.
He was visibly panicked. "Why...why are you crying?"
Bai Xiao was truly helpless. Song Huai's face was even more unpredictable than the weather in the city. He was fine just a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, it turned from sunny to drizzly without warning.
But every time Song Huai cried, Bai Xiao felt as if his heart was being tightly gripped. He even wondered if he would have a heart attack if Song Huai cried a few more times.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com