Two or three things about Xiao Shen Laoye's New Year's Day (extra sweet cookies)
The morning light shines through the carved window lattices, casting tiny golden spots on the bed curtains.
Shen Qing moved his stiff fingers, and a sour feeling spread from his limbs to his bones. The afterglow of last night was still surging in his body.
He slowly opened his eyes, and dimly saw a pair of amber pupils filled with stars.
Yeluvis was lying on his side, propped up by his arm, his silver hair cascading down the dark-colored quilt, his fingertips gently tracing the faint dark circles under his eyes.
Noticing that he had awakened, that smile became even gentler, with a tenderness that even the fires of hell could not dissolve.
"woke up?"
Shen Qingze's earlobes instantly felt hot, and the memory of being held in Yeluweisi's arms and brought back to his residence last night suddenly became clear.
At this moment, the undisguised love in the other's eyes almost drowned him. He turned his eyes away, stammering with a tight throat.
"Morning... Good morning."
"It's rare to see you so shy."
Yeluvis smiled softly and moved closer, his warm breath brushing against his flushed cheeks, and the faint scent of his hair enveloped him;
Only then did Shen Qingze notice that the other party did not change into his usual luxurious robe, but was only casually wearing a loose nightgown, revealing a large area of his cold white chest. There were still red marks on his collarbone from scratching him in a panic last night.
"Not handling Ghost Mansion business today?"
Shen Qing hurriedly changed the subject, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart.
Yeluweisi pulled him into his arms, resting his chin on the top of his head and rubbing it gently.
"Official business is not as important as you."
When the words fell, a hot kiss landed on his forehead.
"I'm going to use all my time to make it up to you."
Yeluweisi's low teasing sounded like a feather brushing past his ears, and Shen Qing felt his whole body burning, even the tips of his ears were flushed like cherry blossoms.
He frantically tried to push away the hot chest in front of him, but Yeluweisi took the opportunity to grab his wrist, and held him in his arms with a chuckle.
"Where are you trying to escape to in such a hurry?"
"New Festival... The arrangements for the new festival have not yet been made..."
Shen Qing struggled and stammered. The more anxious she became, the more uncontrollably her face flushed.
He suddenly exerted force, broke free from Yeluweisi's arms like a frightened deer, and jumped to the bed without even putting on his shoes.
The hem of his robe tripped him and he almost fell to the ground.
Yeluweisi leaned against the bed, watching him frantically adjusting his clothes with interest.
Shen Qing caught a glimpse of the undisguised mockery in his lover's eyes and glared at him in shame and annoyance.
"It's all your fault! You kept lying in bed for so long!"
"Okay, okay, it's my fault, but the lady is really seductive."
Yeluvis smiled and raised his hands in surrender, but his eyes were full of indulgence.
He reached out and handed over the robe that was scattered on the edge of the bed.
"Madam, can you give me some compensation?"
Shen Qing bit his lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward quickly.
Yeluvis pulled him into his arms, holding the back of his head with his slender fingers, and their lips touched lightly.
This kiss is long and gentle, with the laziness and attachment unique to the early morning.
Shen Qingze felt his heart beating so fast that it was about to burst out of his chest. He reluctantly separated from her until his breathing became short.
"Come back in the evening."
Shen Qing blushed and whispered, and when she turned around, the hem of her clothes raised a gorgeous arc.
He trotted through the palace corridor, and behind him came the low, soft laugh of Yeluvis, whose lingering aftertaste echoed in the empty palace.
Faint phosphorescent lights floated on the bluestone slabs of the Netherworld Ghost Market. Shen Qing wrapped himself tightly in a cloak embroidered with dark patterns, and followed the Black and White Impermanence as they shuttled among the bustling ghosts and monsters.
Yeluvis followed behind him slowly, his black robe sweeping across the ground, raising a few wisps of black mist, attracting awe-inspiring glances from the little ghosts setting up stalls on the roadside.
"This lantern needs to be replaced with a neon style!"
Shen Qing stood on tiptoe and pointed at the giant palace lantern at the entrance of Yin Yang Gate, then turned to look at Yeluvis.
"What do you think of adding some holograms? They're all the rage in the living world right now."
Yeluweisi raised his hand to tuck the scattered hair behind his ear. The remaining warmth from his fingertips made Shen Qingze's ears burn.
"Madam has the final say."
His amber pupils scanned the electronic offerings on the stall, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"But these new things from the living world are more interesting than the paper-made things of previous years."
When we patrolled to Mengpo Bridge, we could smell the fragrance of medicinal herbs floating in the thick fog.
Meng Po leaned out from behind the soup pot with a jujube wood cane, and her cloudy eyes suddenly lit up.
"Oh, it's Xiao Shen!"
She tremblingly handed the soup spoon in her hand to the kid beside her and said with a smile,
"You are finally sensible enough to spend your honeymoon with His Majesty?"
Shen Qingze's face flushed instantly, and he felt even more embarrassed when he saw Yeluweisi's half-smile.
"Mrs. Meng, please stop teasing me..."
"Not teasing you!"
Meng Po took out a carved sandalwood box from her wide sleeves and stuffed it into his arms mysteriously.
"This is a gift from the old woman. Remember to open it with your Lord when you go back to bed!"
When Shen Qingze took the box, his fingertips touched the raised mandarin duck pattern on the box surface.
Just as he was about to ask, Meng Po turned around, snatched the soup spoon from the little ghost's hand and stirred the soup pot, muttering "The secret of heaven cannot be revealed".
He turned around and handed the box to Yeluvis.
No one noticed that when the Ghost King took the box, the curve at the corner of his lips was hotter than the underworld fire.
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As the dusk permeated the eaves of the palace, Shen Qing was so tired that he didn't even want to move a finger. He dragged his legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, towards the bathing pool.
Yeluvis's slender arms blocked the door frame first, his bony fingers still holding the carved sandalwood box.
"Open it first and take a look."
The ghost king's deep voice was full of a tone that could not be refused, and his amber pupils glowed with an eerie light in the dim light.
Shen Qing turned around helplessly. The moment the sandalwood box was opened, a few faint scents of cassia bark wafted out.
Several pieces of translucent thin cloth were neatly stacked in the box.
The golden rope knots are intertwined and pieced together into strange geometric shapes.
"This is……"
Shen Qing reached out to touch the cloth. As soon as his fingertips touched the cold silk, Yeluweisi leaned over and picked up the cloth.
The hair brushed across his hot earlobe, and the Ghost King's bony fingers deftly shook open the cloth, drawing an ambiguous arc in the air.
"Meng Po is advancing with the times."
Yeluweisi chuckled, and the cloth gently fell on Shen Qingze's shoulder. The cold touch made him tremble violently.
When the golden rope knot slid along the collarbone into the collar, Shen Qing finally saw the faintly visible hollow design.
This is clearly an extremely provocative nightgown!
Blood rushed to his head instantly, and Shen Qing stumbled back, his back hitting the carved screen hard.
"Meng Po Po!... I, I'm going to take a bath!"
Before he could finish his words, he turned around and tried to escape, but Yeluvis quickly grabbed his waist.
The ghost king's warm breath sprayed on the back of his neck, and the rustling sound of the cloth being gently pulled apart mixed with a low murmur,
"Madam's shy look is more attractive than this gift."
Shen Qing's body was stiff, and the tips of his ears were red as if they were dripping blood.
The man behind him had already tied his wrists with a golden knot.
In the flickering candlelight of the Nether Palace, a lingering silhouette is outlined.
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Day 2
Just as Meng Po and the little ghosts were getting ready to go to work, they received the good news that Naihe Bridge's salary would double next year.
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