Xie Shuci picked up the king and saw a swing made of vines by the roadside, so he sat down.
Golden sunlight bathed the streets, falling on pedestrians' shoulders like a layer of radiance. Tiny dust particles floated in the air, and butterflies fluttered by.
Xie Shuci, his head resting on the vines, stared blankly, lifting the Great King up to his eyes, seemingly talking to himself or to it:
“He hasn’t slept well for two days, and we’re just leaving him to go out and have fun by himself. That’s not right.”
"Huh?" The king stuck out his tongue in confusion.
"Look how pitiful he is. Do you think we should stay with him?"
"Ouch!" No! Baby wants to go out and play!
Xie Shuci shook its body and said, "Think about it, with that little blind guy's bad temper, he runs away from home at the drop of a hat. What if he's already packed his bags and run away by the time we're done playing and come back? You tell me, how pitiful he is, all alone, being a blind man."
"Aww!" Not pitiful at all! He's not pitiful at all! The pitiful ones are the babies he's exploiting, okay?
Xie Shuci continued talking to himself, "How about we go back? We can always go out and play again after he wakes up, okay? Look how sunny it is today, how about we go out tonight?"
"Ouch!" Oh no!
"You think it's good too, don't you? Your Majesty, you really are a kind and understanding dog."
"Aww..." Even though I'm not a dog.
Xie Shuci swung his legs on the swing, then landed on the ground with a forward motion. "Find someone to tell Xiao Xianlan that we're going back to the inn to keep the little blind man company."
The king was taken back to the inn without any chance of resistance.
Back at the inn, Xie Shuci found a waiter, gave him some silver, and asked him to run an errand to inform Luo Xianlan.
He first went to the central hall to take a look. Minghuan was tidying up her painting tools inside, while Xie An had already gone back to his room to rest.
So Xie Shuci carried the king to his room. Worried that Xie An was already asleep, Xie Shuci did not knock but gently opened the door a crack so that the king could go in and take a look.
"Awooo!" The king let out an impatient cry as soon as he rushed in.
"Your Majesty!" Xie Shuci, worried that it would wake Xie An, hurriedly pushed open the door and went in to pick it up.
As soon as the door opened, Xie An was seen sitting motionless at the table, his expression gloomy, coldly staring in the direction of the door.
Although his eyes remained empty and lifeless, Xie Shuci felt as if his skin had been burned. For a moment, he stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say to ease the oppressive atmosphere around him.
Looking at Xie An's gloomy face, the king let out a timid whimper, slowly retreated to Xie Shuci's feet, and lay down behind him, not daring to move.
However, neither he nor Xie An spoke, and they remained in a silent standoff, reminding Xie Shuci of the confrontation in his room yesterday.
Yesterday, it was Xie An who broke the silence first.
Thinking of this, Xie Shuci took a deep breath, forced a smile, slowly took a step forward, and asked, "Didn't you not sleep well last night? Why aren't you resting yet?"
Hearing his voice, Xie An lowered his eyes and said softly, "I can't sleep."
"Would you like to eat something first? Or should I go to the clinic and get you some sleeping pills?" Xie Shuci said.
Xie An slightly raised his eyes, his face still expressionless, and said, "Weren't you going to find Luo Xianyu? What are you doing back here?"
Xie Shuci frowned, walked to the table and sat down, muttering, "I'm not going to see her."
"Whatever you want, have fun."
After saying that, Xie An got up, walked to the bedside, and lay down with his back to Xie Shuci.
Xie Shuci sighed and followed.
"I'm not going. I'll stay home with you today."
"Don't force yourself."
"I didn't force you, I just wanted to spend time with you."
Upon hearing this, Xie An chuckled but remained silent.
Xie Shuci sat down and fiddled with the bell at his waist. "Why didn't you tell me you couldn't sleep? I thought..."
"It's none of your business. Go have fun. I want to rest." Before he could speak, Xie An dismissed him.
Xie Shuci was utterly helpless against his attitude. If he were to throw a little tantrum, Xie Shuci would know how to coax him, but now that he was completely unyielding, Xie Shuci truly felt powerless.
He leaned down, resting his chin gently on Xie An's shoulder, and said listlessly, "Don't do this, how about I sleep with you for a while?"
"Luo Xianyu is still waiting for you, don't keep her waiting too long."
"She didn't wait for me. I don't know her well. I'm not going out today, I'll stay with you."
Xie An was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Is this a good idea?"
"Why is it not good?"
Xie An shifted his body and turned to face Xie Shuci.
Xie Shuci blinked rapidly, staring at him expectantly.
Xie An pursed his lips, took the bell from his hand, and said, "Didn't you want to distance yourself from me? Didn't you feel that I was holding you back? Xie Shuci, you can just say what you want to do, and I won't bother you."
Xie Shuci was taken aback. Did he want to distance himself from Xie An? No, he just…
"No, I just..."
He lowered his head dejectedly, feeling increasingly abnormal and not wanting to hurt the little blind boy.
"But what?" Xie An asked.
How could Xie Shuci tell him that it was because his thoughts were becoming increasingly impure, and because he felt guilty, that he dared not sleep in the same bed with you?
"Anyway, I don't want to distance myself from you, nor do I think you'll bother me. I just... I just want to be alone for a while. I didn't know you would think that way," Xie Shuci muttered.
"Then what am I supposed to think? You suddenly distanced yourself from me, and were even willing to sell yourself into a brothel to see Luo Xianyu. You still care about her. How am I supposed to think?"
“I didn’t…” Xie Shuci felt he couldn’t reason with the blind boy. The world the blind boy lived in was too dangerous; everyone was in danger, and they were lucky to even protect themselves. They had no energy to care about the lives of others. But Xie Shuci was different. His environment was too wonderful. When he saw the misfortune of others, he felt pity and empathy.
“Xie An, it’s not that I care about her, it’s just that when I think about it, Xiao Xianlan was standing right next to her and she couldn’t even see the blood on her handkerchief, and it makes me feel really bad. Even if it wasn’t her, if it were any ordinary person, I would feel bad too, do you understand?”
Hearing his words, Xie An remained silent for a long time.
"Then can you calm down?" Xie An asked after a long while.
"No……"
He thought that seeing Luo Xianyu would bring him back to his senses, but he found that it was no use at all. He couldn't wake up at all and even thought about giving up and not caring what happened.
Upon hearing this, Xie An's breath hitched: "Then you should leave."
"Oh dear, why are you making me leave again?"
Xie Shuci was speechless. Why was it that when this person got angry, he would either leave on his own or be told to leave?
"Didn't you want some peace and quiet? I'll wait until you calm down."
"I'm not going to stay still anymore. It's just like that anyway. I'm not going to struggle anymore. I'm going to lie down and give up."
Anyway, with his guts, he only dares to think about it in his heart. He would never actually do it. Even killing him is impossible. As long as the little blind man doesn't know, he can hide for the rest of his life.
Thinking about it this way, lying next to the little blind man doesn't seem so hard to accept.
"Sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Not hiding anymore?"
"I'm not hiding anymore."
After answering, Xie Shuci felt a little embarrassed and retorted in a low voice, "I didn't avoid you."
Xie An asked with a half-smile, "Didn't you dodge?"
Seeing his expression, Xie Shuci sighed and said, "Okay, I only hid for a little while."
Xie An raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.
Xie Shuci felt a little embarrassed, so she lay down next to him and covered her feverish face. "Okay, you should go to sleep."
Xie An didn't respond, but gently placed his hand on Xie Shuci's waist and moved a little closer. Xie Shuci stiffened, not daring to move. Xie An's breath was close to his ear, and his body temperature was on Xie Shuci's skin through his clothes.
Where did you fall yesterday?
Xie An's gentle, deep voice rang in his ears, causing Xie Shuci to catch his breath. He lowered his head quietly, his Adam's apple bobbing unnaturally. "I...I didn't fall."
"real?"
Xie An's breath gently brushed against his ear, and Xie Shuci felt a tiny bit of relief at that moment. Xie An was blind, otherwise he would have seen Xie Shuci's face turn as red as a boiled crab.
Xie Shuci shrank her neck, pressed her hand against his chest, and mumbled, "It's too close, it tickles."
But what answered him was Xie An's breathing, which was close at hand and had become even.
Xie Shuci was taken aback. She secretly lifted her eyelids to take a look. Xie An's eyes were lightly closed, his expression peaceful, as if he had already fallen asleep.
"What..." Xie Shuci couldn't help but murmur. Who falls asleep while talking?
But Xie Shuci also wanted to laugh. The little blind man was probably extremely sleepy and had been waiting in the room for a long time before he finally came back.
Xie Shuci lay flat on the bed, while Xie An turned to face him, one hand on his waist and one leg gently pressing down on his leg, as if afraid that Xie Shuci would leave after he fell asleep.
This movement made it difficult for Xie Shuci to move. He was also afraid of waking Xie An, but Xie An's breath was tickling his ear. He tried to move his upper body back a little to create some distance, but as soon as he moved, Xie An's hand on his waist tightened unconsciously, bringing the two of them even closer. Xie Shuci paused and dared not move again.
To avoid Xie An's feather-like breath, he had no choice but to bury his head in Xie An's arms, his nose filled with Xie An's unique scent, which made Xie Shuci feel extremely at ease.
He now feels incredibly stupid for what he was like a day ago.
What's wrong with sharing a bed? You can't see into someone's heart; how could a blind man possibly know what he's thinking?
Besides, it's so comfortable being with Xie An!
So, in such a comfortable environment, Xie Shuci, who had slept soundly the night before, also fell asleep without realizing it.
In the quiet room, only the sound of soft breathing could be heard.
The king slowly walked to the bedside, propped his head up and glanced at the bed. He found a spot where he could sleep peacefully, and was just about to muster all his strength to jump up when a leisurely voice came: "Stay put."
"Aww..."
The king paused, let out a pitiful cry, and lay down by the bedside.
Look, this human is lying to you.
Xie Shuci slept for almost an hour. When he woke up, his head was resting on Xie An's shoulder and neck, his legs were wrapped around Xie An's knees, his hands were neatly folded in front of his chest, Xie An's chin was on top of his head, and Xie An's hands were wrapped around his waist. The two of them were intimately close together.
Xie Shuci was stunned for a long time. Since he was completely encircled in the little blind boy's arms and could not move, he could only blink his eyes to express his confusion.
No……
no……
Isn't this pose a little too intimate?
Xie Shuci slowed his breathing and carefully pulled his leg back, trying to destroy the evidence of his actions before Xie An woke up. Xie Shuci knew he was a bad sleeper, but he didn't realize he was this bad—he was practically a koala clinging to Xie An's neck.
However, as soon as he breathed lightly, the person above him noticed something was wrong.
"Awake?" came the slightly hoarse voice of the little blind man.
Xie Shuci stiffened, and chuckled dryly, "Did I wake you up?"
Now that she was awake, Xie Shuci shrank out of his arms, somewhat afraid to look at Xie An's expression.
"No, I woke up a long time ago."
Xie An released his hand, letting him create distance.
"You were awake a long time ago? Aren't you sleepy?" Xie Shuci sat up and asked suspiciously.
Xie An propped himself up slightly, straightened his clothes, and said calmly, "I'm not sleepy."
"Oh." Xie Shuci nodded, straightening his clothes while observing Xie An's expression. Seeing that he looked normal, he smiled and said, "Well... I'm sorry, I tend to get handsy when I'm asleep, please don't mind."
At this point, Xie An said helplessly, "You seem to particularly enjoy being held by me."
Xie Shuci: "..."
Xie Shuci blushed and quickly lowered his head. "You, you're talking nonsense! I was asleep! What would I know if I was asleep?"
Xie An nodded, then put it another way: "You seem to especially enjoy being held by me when you're asleep."
Xie Shuci: "..."
Actually, Xie An didn't mean anything by it, but Xie Shuci was feeling guilty, and he said with a bit of embarrassment and anger, "I didn't, that wasn't me!"
Xie An smiled noncommittally, "I tried to get up, but you stuck to me and wouldn't let me move."
Xie. Her face flushed bright red. Shu Ci: "Shut up! I was just..."
"Huh?"
The king was awakened by their conversation and lay by the bed, looking at them with an innocent expression.
What is this human saying?
He's so shameless! Even though Diedie was feeling hot and wanted to push him away, he shoved Diedie's hand back in, preventing her from pushing him!
Xie Shuci was teased by him for a while and felt extremely embarrassed. She jumped off the bed in a flash, picked up Da Wang and walked out. "I'll go downstairs first and ask the waiter to prepare some food. You come down quickly when you're ready."
"Mm," Xie An responded.
Xie Shuci dashed out of the room, and even as he reached the central hall, the heat on his face had not yet dissipated.
Damn it! Xie Xiaoci! Can't you control your hands and feet?!
Ugh! This blind little guy, couldn't you just push him away?!
"Aww!"
The king reached out his paw and touched Xie Shuci's face.
"Do you think Brother Xie An did this on purpose?"
Is he a bad guy?
"Awooo!"
He's a bad guy!
"Yes, he definitely did it on purpose! He's actually really bad."
It was almost noon, and there were quite a few guests eating and listening to music in the hall. Xie Shuci casually found a table to sit down, and by the time Xie An finished getting ready and came down, Xie Shuci's attention had already been diverted.
After the meal, Xie Shuci saw that Xie An was in good spirits and planned to take them out to play. When they got to the counter, Xie Shuci suddenly remembered something and stopped.
He turned to Xie An and asked, "Would you like to move in with me?"
Upon hearing this, Xie An pursed his lips, raised his chin as if to look at him, but said nothing.
Xie Shuci almost immediately understood what he meant. This guy has a really interesting personality. He wants to sleep with you, but he won't say it directly. He always tries to find roundabout ways to let you figure it out yourself. Since Xie Shuci asked so directly, of course he wouldn't respond.
Alright. Xie Shuci didn't mind.
Xie Shuci changed her approach: "Why don't you move in with me? My room is spacious."
Xie An pondered for a moment, seemingly after careful consideration, and with a hint of reluctance, nodded and said, "Yes."
Xie Shuci curled his lip, walked to the counter and knocked on the table. The waiter yawned, looked at him, and asked, "What can I do for you, sir?"
"I'd like to cancel one room..."
Before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, Xie An stepped forward and pulled him back slightly, saying, "Don't back down."
Xie Shuci turned around in confusion and asked, "Why?"
Xie An pursed his lips and pointed to the king in his arms.
"Huh?" The king looked completely innocent.
"..."
Perhaps Xie Shuci was too clever, or perhaps he had spent too much time with the little blind man, because he understood his intentions without much thought.
Nevertheless, he said with a mix of disbelief and skepticism, "You mean, give it, the dog, a separate room?"
Xie An didn't speak, but his meaning was clear.
"Huh?"
The king seemed to realize something as well, and he grabbed Xie Shuci's clothes tightly, looking at Xie An timidly with his eyes.
This human is so mean, always trying to separate himself from his father.
Xie Shuci felt this was a bit outrageous, but he had only recently reconciled with the blind man and didn't want to upset him, so he said tactfully, "Well... don't you think it's a little bit extravagant to give the King a private room?"
Xie An remained unmoved: "There's not enough room in one bed."
Xie Shuci choked for a moment, then suddenly didn't know what to say. These were the words he had said back then. Xie Shuci said awkwardly, "It can sleep on the floor."
"It's too unfair to it," Xie An said.
Xie Shuci: "..."
The King: "..."
The king looked at Xie An as if he were a monster, feeling that this human must be crazy to say such a thing.
It's a pity that the little vicious dog hasn't yet experienced the wickedness of human nature.
Seeing that they were talking to themselves for a while, the waiter chuckled and said, "We have a doghouse in our backyard. If you two don't mind, you can give it to me."
Upon hearing this, Xie An pondered for a moment, seemingly seriously considering the feasibility of sending the king to the doghouse.
"Awooo! Awooo!"
Before either of them could express their opinion, the king protested loudly.
"Awooooo!"
It grabbed Xie Shuci's clothes, every part of its body protesting.
No, no!
Baby is a wolf cub, not a dog!
The baby would rather sleep on the floor than in the doghouse!
Wake up, you little idiot!
Making a magnificent Crimson Snow Wolf, a spirit beast with a naturally formed inner core, live in a doghouse felt somewhat inappropriate to Xie Shuci, and besides, he couldn't bear to do it. So he tugged at Xie An's sleeve and said, "No, a doghouse is just a bit too..."
Waiter: "?"
What did the doghouse do to you?
Isn't it natural for a dog to sleep in its kennel?
Xie An didn't insist, and asked, "Can we still cancel the room reservation?"
Xie Shuci, the king, and their dog all shook their heads.
No more refunds! If I refund, the king will have to live in a doghouse!
No refund! No refund! If I get a refund, my baby will have to live in a doghouse!
"Hmm." Xie An nodded lightly.
Both the man and the dog breathed a sigh of relief.
After struggling for a while, we finally got out the door.
Tomorrow is the fifteenth of July, the day when the startled birds return to their nests, and more and more outsiders are coming to Tianzhu City.
"I heard from Xiaoxianlan that the day before the startled bird returns to its nest, the courtesan will perform a thousand-flower dance to celebrate. It seems to be a custom. It's supposedly over at Dongya Lake. Shall we go and take a look?" Xie Shuci suggested.
Judging from Xiaoxianlan's tone, she seemed to be looking forward to today's Thousand Flower Dance.
Xie An responded indifferently, "Whatever."
"Then you're not allowed to get angry," Xie Shuci muttered.
"I'm not angry."
Xie Shuci shrugged. "Yes, I'm not angry. You're just being a little sulky."
After asking around, we arrived at Dongya Lake.
The shores of Dongya Lake were bustling with activity, with crowds of people everywhere. Flowers of all shapes and sizes bloomed along the lake, their delicate petals scattered on the ground.
Women by the lake, some with heavy makeup and others with light makeup, gathered flowers to make garlands to wear on their heads. The myriad colors blended into one scene, dazzling the eyes and making one marvel at the exquisite craftsmanship.
Xie Shuci and Xie An walked by the lake. Petals fell from the sky and landed on their shoulders. Xie An subconsciously brushed the petals away, leaving him with nothing but a white stain on his body.
No, I kept it too.
For example, the string of blue bells around his waist.
Like a single blue lotus blooming amidst the white snow.
Xie Shuci liked it. He picked up a few flowers from the ground, tied them together with vines, and then pinned them to the king's ear.
"Aww!"
It fell off as soon as it was put on. The king turned around and nudged it twice, then asked Xie Shuci to put it back on.
Xie Shuci patiently tried to pin it on, but its round head couldn't hold it in. Just then, it passed by several women with colorful flower wreaths on their heads, and it immediately grabbed Xie Shuci's sleeve and pulled him towards the women.
"Awooo!"
I want Huanhuan! Huanhuan can't hold it! Xie Shuci had no choice but to hand the bouquet that she couldn't wear to Xie An, "Want some?"
Xie An: "?"
"Flowers look better when they're not in bloom," Xie Shuci said.
Xie An pursed his lips, a hint of displeasure in his voice: "If it doesn't want it, you're giving it to me?"
Xie Shuci: "..."
Well, this is another one who's hard to please.
Xie Shuci had no choice but to pin the bouquet to his waist and pick up a few more from the ground, intending to braid a new one.
Xie Shuci wasn't very skillful. Seeing the exquisite flower wreath on the girl's head, he haphazardly picked up a vine, tied it into a circle, and stuck a few fresh flowers on it. Fortunately, the king didn't mind and was very happy wearing the ugly flower wreath. He jumped around and shook his head in front of her, and soon the flower wreath fell off.
But this little guy was very clever. He picked up the flower wreath and went to find those kind and pretty ladies, asking them to put it back on for him.
"Don't get lost," Xie Shuci said, seeing it hopping around in the crowd.
"Awooo!" the king responded.
"Wow, there are so many people! I wonder if Luo Xianyu has finished dancing yet." Xie Shuci looked around curiously.
There are several willow trees by the lake, and the willow catkins dance gracefully in the wind.
It's quite strange, really. The plants in Tianzhu City seem to grow lushly regardless of the season. I wonder if it's because of the soil.
Perhaps it was because he had temporarily gotten rid of his troubling thoughts that Xie Shuci felt refreshed. Coupled with the pleasant scenery, he suddenly sighed, thinking that it wouldn't be bad to be able to stay like this with the little blind girl for a lifetime.
Xie Shuci glanced at Xie An, who stood beside him with no expression.
I wonder what the little blind man is thinking right now.
When Xie An reached out to brush the fallen petals off his shoulder again, Xie Shuci had a sudden inspiration and picked up a peach blossom from the ground. Unfortunately, someone had stepped on the petals, making it unworthy of the spotless little blind man.
So he looked around and saw a peach tree not far away. He said to Xie An beside him, "Don't move, wait for me."
Xie An frowned slightly, about to speak, when Xie Shuci had already dashed over.
A moment later, Xie Shuci returned with a brightly blooming peach blossom and handed it to Xie An: "Here, this is for you."
Xie An was taken aback. "What is it?"
"Flowers, peach blossoms."
"Give it to me?"
"Oh dear, I also gave one to Your Majesty. Everyone is wearing flowers, so don't look out of place."
Before Xie Shuci could take it, she directly pinned the flower branch to Xie An's waist, where the bell was tied.
Xie Shuci smiled with satisfaction as she placed the pink peach blossoms and the bell she had given him close together. "Alright, you always dress so plainly. A little more color would make you look better."
Xie An was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.
As Xie Shuci turned to walk forward, he touched the flower branch at his waist, and with just a light touch, the delicate petals fell off.
Xie Shuci gave him something meaningless and extremely fragile.
He couldn't understand what Xie Shuci was thinking at all.
He raised his head, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he gently waved his hand, and the fallen petals were lifted up by a burst of spiritual energy and returned to the peach branch.
“Boring,” he muttered.
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