5. Stealing a kiss
"How are you feeling? Any better?" I woke up to find myself facing my second brother's concerned gaze.
"I'm fine," I yawned. "It's just a minor injury, it's all healed." I said, waving my arm, which ached a bit; I hadn't been able to sleep all night because of the pain.
"Do you know that you've been sleeping all day?" My second brother placed his hand on my forehead.
"Is there?" Looking at the sky, it was dark and gloomy. I thought it was morning, but it turned out to be night.
"Luckily, you don't have a fever. If you're feeling unwell, go back to sleep. But after you've taken your medicine and eaten some food," he said, picking up a small bowl from the table to feed me.
"I'll do it." The door was pushed open, and Han Beiming was seen looking at his brother with a somewhat gloomy expression.
“I have hands,” I protested. “I’m not missing arms or legs, why would they need them?”
"You're not used to using your left hand, are you? Let me do it." Han Beiming was extremely domineering, pushing his brother out. He sat down by my bedside and began to administer the medicine. I gritted my teeth and swallowed the bitter medicine. But the taste was like honey.
"Thank you." I finished all the food. Lying in bed, I didn't want to make a sound anymore.
When I woke up again, I found myself weighed down. I turned over and discovered that there was someone sleeping soundly behind me. Han Beiming was sleeping so peacefully, and my face flushed red again. I felt my ears burning, so I carefully moved his hand off me, thinking about how to step over him and leave this confined space.
I didn't really want to leave. I lowered my head, observing his sleeping face, my heart pounding as if it would burst out of my chest. For some reason, I found myself stroking his face, touching his lips. A surge of restless heat washed over me, and I impulsively licked the corner of his mouth. Then I coughed and pulled away, pounding my heart. My face flushed even more. The salty, slightly bitter, yet sweet taste in my mouth melted away.
"You're awake?" Han Beiming asked lazily.
"You...you..." I immediately took a step back, bumping into the corner of the wall. "When did you wake up?" I mustn't let him find out what I just did, otherwise, he'll hate me. I actually made a lewd move on a man.
"You just woke up, what's wrong?" Han Beiming reached out and touched my forehead. "Do you have a fever? Your face is so hot."
"No, I'm fine. I've been like this since I woke up," I said, trying to explain.
“…That’s good.” Han Beiming smiled. “Fei Yu has come several times. Would you like to see him?”
"What? Okay, I'll go find him right now," I said hurriedly.
"I'll call him over. You're a patient, don't wander around." Han Beiming got up and left without looking back.
"Brother, are you feeling better?" Fei Yu's eyes were a little red. Had she been crying?
"I'm fine. Why are you crying?" I rubbed the corner of his eye.
"I...I had a fight with Brother Han." Fei Yu's eyes welled up with tears again.
"Why?"
“He hurt my brother. That’s too much,” Fei Yu said.
"Then what?"
"Then we didn't speak for several days. Brother Han kept avoiding me. I was very sad. Did I say something too harsh?"
"It's okay, he deserved it." Han Beiming patted Fei Yu's shoulder. "That guy just has a bad temper. If he ignores you, you still have your brother and me. We'll play with you."
"But?" Fei Yu looked up at Han Beiming. Her captivating, sparkling eyes captured all of Han Beiming's attention, making me feel extremely uncomfortable.
“Besides, Han Yitian seriously injured your brother, so it’s understandable that you’re angry.” Han Beiming wiped away Fei Yu’s tears. Fei Yu lowered her head and remained silent. I knew his predicament.
I haven't seen Han Yitian for a long time since then. Maybe he's sulking alone. Maybe he was just a passerby, coming and going in a hurry, not taking up much time in our lives. And what about Han Beiming? Will he also disappear from my world one day, just like him? Thinking about this makes me very sad. I don't want to lose my only friend; where else can I find such a close friend?
"Be careful when you go to the temple fair," the second brother said. "I have to entertain guests, I don't have time to go with you. Beiming, I'm entrusting my younger brother to you, you keep a close eye on him."
"Don't worry, nobody here doesn't give my family some face, there's absolutely no danger," Fei Yu said happily. He quickly forgot how kind Han Yitian had been to him and clung to us like glue. Children are fickle, just like toys.
The summer temple fair was bustling with people. I kept a close watch on Fei Yu, afraid he would get lost.
"Brother, I want to eat candied hawthorn." Fei Yu tugged at my sleeve.
"Okay," I said, and ran to the place selling candied hawthorns.
"Fei Yu?" I turned around, but Fei Yu and Han Beiming were gone. They were really lost. I wasn't too panicked, because Fei Yu was with Han Beiming and wouldn't be in danger. I ate my candied hawthorn while scanning the crowd, searching for a familiar figure.
The crowd gradually dispersed, and darkness fell. Still nothing. I wondered if Fei Yu and the others had gone home, or if they were looking for me like I was. Suddenly, I felt a sense of malicious abandonment. I walked back dejectedly. The stars came out in the sky, and in the distance behind me, there were still some scattered lights at the temple fair. As I passed the somewhat dilapidated temple, I heard a groan.
"Is anyone there?" the voice asked, with a hint of expectation.
"Are you a human? Or a ghost?" I asked curiously as I approached. The Buddha statue in the temple was still there, so even if I was a ghost, I wasn't an evil one.
“Is anyone there?” he said. “Help me.” His weak voice was mixed with coughing.
In the darkness, I could only make out a rough outline; it was a man about the same age as my father, his body reflecting a blood-red light.
"What happened to you? You're so badly injured. Who dared to do this?" I grabbed his outstretched hand. "Don't sleep, hey!" He passed out.
"Fei'er, where did you run off to?" When I got home, I saw my second brother looking at me angrily.
"It's okay." I walked back.
"You have blood on you, you're injured? Who did it?" My second brother's icy voice jolted my nerves.
"I'm really fine. That blood isn't mine; it's from when I fell. I don't know whose it is. Fei Yu's back?"
"It's good that everything's alright. They've been back for a while now. But Fei Yu is asleep. She's exhausted from playing. You should get some rest too."
I live in a secluded courtyard furthest from the main house. It has only three rooms and a yard, backed by a mountain. The yard isn't big, so I don't have many maids, just one, Xi'er. She's very well-behaved and mute, just like Fei Yu's maids are all mute. That way, Fei Yu's secret will never be revealed.
"Xi'er, please fetch me some hot water. And also, get me some towels, lots of them, and big ones."
Xi'er nodded.
The person I rescued was still asleep. I tore open his clothes and wiped his skin, trying to find out where he was injured. It seemed that his acupoints were sealed, and there wasn't much blood flowing out. I sent Xi'er away, applied some wound medicine, bandaged his wounds, and changed him into one of my older brother's clothes that I had kept all along—it fit him perfectly. Then, I also drifted off to sleep.
"Good morning?" I opened my eyes and saw a strange face. If I hadn't been unconscious when I woke up, I probably would have screamed "A ghost!"
He's very handsome, even better looking than his father. Although he's almost 40, the years haven't diminished his good looks.
"Are you hungry? I'll go get you something to eat. But I might only have steamed buns left. And they'll be cold." Having missed breakfast, I guess I'll just have steamed buns. It's strange that no one woke me up today.
"Who are you?" His voice was husky and masculine.
"Me?" I pointed to my nose. "Could it be..."
His expression changed. "This is the Mo family?"
"Yes." I was a little confused. "What's wrong? You're not an enemy of the Mo family, are you? Oh no, if my second brother finds out I'm harboring an enemy, my life is in danger."
He didn't speak, but just observed my forehead. "I'm hungry," he finally managed to utter a rather unrefined sentence after a long pause.
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