Chapter 50 The Country Boy is Strong - Bai E is usually not very...
Bai E doesn't usually drink much—nor is he particularly good at it. But today, perhaps because the atmosphere was so good, he was persuaded by the enthusiastic villagers to drink some, and two red blushes rose on his cheeks.
You paused in your dance, about to say something, but to your surprise, he didn't stop dancing. He took another step forward, and the distance between you suddenly became even closer.
He was so close... he lowered his head, as if trying to find your eyes. You hesitated and looked up, but you could smell the indescribable, hazy intoxication between you.
His blue eyes seemed to be veiled in mist.
"Partner..." The voice was much lower and hoarse than usual, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
You loosened your grip on his arm, hesitatingly asking, "Xiaobai, aren't you a little drunk?"
Bai E muttered to himself, unwilling to admit defeat, "Drunk...? No way."
He paused, and somehow the topic shifted back to you, looking quite aggrieved. "Why won't you answer my question? Are you unhappy dancing with me...?"
This is absolutely intoxicating!
"I'm not unhappy. But is Xiaobai feeling unwell? Let's go back early..."
“…Don’t go back.” Hearing this, Bai E became a little anxious, stammering and his logic becoming muddled, “If I go back, you’ll run away again…I don’t want you to leave…I won’t leave!”
You sighed helplessly, "Where am I supposed to go? Where else can I go besides the Elegant Secret Pavilion?"
"Then you're saying you're not leaving!"
Bai E is very stubborn.
"Okay, okay, I won't leave."
You watch with a sense of novelty as your childhood friend acts so unruly and emotionally expressive, finding it strangely endearing. He's usually the one taking care of you, so this reversal is quite refreshing.
To protect him from being hurt by the spinning crowd, you pulled him to the edge of the campfire, away from the crowd.
It's darker and colder here. The firelight and noise have been left far behind you.
In the distance, villagers dance freely or simply lie drunk under the shade of trees, their tapping steps and fluttering skirts intertwining, while here you are completely silent.
He leaned against you as if he had no bones, his cheeks turning even redder, like the little sweet potatoes Aunt Odatta baked. His sapphire blue eyes swayed and swayed, and you saw a tiny version of yourself in them—no, rather, it was all of you, nothing else.
He paid no attention to the startled birds, the burning bonfire, or even the laughter and chatter among the crowd, as if he hadn't heard a thing, only stubbornly holding you close.
...Actually, Bai E wasn't drunk. Although he wasn't a heavy drinker, he wasn't so bad that he would pass out after just a few sips. At most, he was a little tipsy, but not much.
He had underestimated the power of alcohol. Though he managed to maintain his composure, certain emotions were more...more difficult to suppress than usual. They clamored to burst from his heart, along with the laughter and playfulness of his childhood, and the tender gaze you now cast upon him—
"...I don't want to stay here anymore."
The firewood crackled and popped.
"Shall we go home?"
*
You went and knocked on the door of the Bai family.
Odatta and Hilonimos had both gone dancing, and the house was dark. You waited patiently for a while longer, but still no one answered.
Bai'er hugged you from behind, buried his head in the crook of your neck, and murmured some spoiled and pleading words. His nose rubbed against your shoulder, and his breath sent shivers down your spine.
You shuddered and tried to push his head away, but his arms tightened around you.
"Xiaobai—wake up! Where are your house keys?"
"The key...?" Bai'er opened his hazy, drunken eyes, as if his consciousness had briefly returned, but he was quickly drawn back to the sweet fragrance on your skin. "...I don't know. I...don't have it..."
You sighed.
There's no other way. Since no one's home and you can't unlock the door, you'll have to go back to your own place first.
Bai E is obviously very familiar with the layout of your house, after all, he has been here countless times since he was a child.
He groped his way to sit down on the sofa, and you poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. But just as you were about to turn around and leave, he grabbed your wrist.
You turn around and see the sorrowful eyes of Bai E.
Perhaps it was because he was drunk and spoke his true feelings, or perhaps it was for some other reason, but in any case, he seemed somewhat sad.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating your figure, while Bai E, sitting on the sofa, was completely shrouded in shadow.
"……partner."
Under the moonlight, your body was outlined with a layer of soft silver.
Bai E, in a daze, called your name softly.
Sometimes I feel... I can't hold onto you. You... seem not to belong here, I always have a feeling...
You paused for a moment.
"Then where do I belong? I grew up with you all in the Elegant Secret Pavilion—"
“It’s not the same,” Bai’er stubbornly denied your words. “It’s just a feeling…especially…”
"Especially when you're standing under a shimmering starry sky."
Looking out your small window, you see a vast and spectacular Milky Way.
You've played countless times with Bai Erxilian under the Milky Way, but you never imagined you'd become connected to this cosmos. For you, beyond the celestial knowledge about planets and galaxies your teacher taught you, it was mostly just—
I was startled awake from a dream that day, and a train flashed through my mind.
You were silent for a few seconds.
“I’ve read a book,” you said. “It’s called… Night on the Galactic Railroad.”
Bai Er wasn't quite sure why you suddenly brought this up, but he nodded anyway, "...It's very famous. I know it, but I haven't read it."
You cast your gaze out at the deep blue night sky, dotted with a dazzling array of stars.
It all feels like a dream.
It's like in a parallel world, you wake up on a train on the Galactic Railway, push open the door and stretch, and the rabbit-shaped train conductor walks over, grumbling, and hands you a sandwich. You take the opportunity to rub its head, which elicits its embarrassed and annoyed complaint.
Amid the noise, the pink-haired girl joined the fray, pinching its ears. The black-haired youth shook his head helplessly yet indulgently. The red-haired and brown-haired, more mature elders sat aside listening to the phonograph.
You said, "...If there were another life...I would probably prefer to travel, on the railway between the Milky Way. What would the stars look like up close?"
Bai'er tightened his grip on your wrist. "...Then I want to go with you."
You laughed, "Didn't Xiaobai say he wanted to become a hero who protects the village and Onpharos?"
Bai'er hesitated, "...But...but..."
The stars shone even brighter. You turned back, your eyes looking at him, yet it felt as if you were about to leave him.
Bai E was somewhat mesmerized by what he saw.
He seemed to have made up his mind, "Then let's wait until the world no longer needs heroes. I'll go with you, wherever you go, I'll go."
He said it was almost a plea, “...don’t leave me.”
Just don't abandon me.
You moved closer, looked down at him, and ruffled his hair. "I won't leave Xiaobai. We're partners."
Bai E wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you into his embrace. His tall and muscular build made your relatively healthy body appear frail in comparison, yet he always looked up at you as if you were the one truly in control of the relationship, and he was merely declaring his submission.
"...Then I need to confirm."
How do we confirm this?
He didn't speak, but for some reason you thought of the question he had asked you by the campfire earlier:
"Can I kiss you?"
So you stopped talking, and just lowered your head slightly to press your lips to his.
...You all seem a little drunk.
That's strange, you didn't drink any alcohol.
His breath, mingled with the scent of alcohol, drifted over. Neither of you spoke, but you both understood—this was no longer a pure, innocent kiss, the kind that would make you blush for ages with just a light touch of lips; it was a deep, irresistible kiss, one that seemed to devour you entirely.
As you take a breath, you vaguely think, "This guy is really like a dog. The moment he kissed me, it was almost reckless and rude. He bumped into me and made my lower lip feel numb. He even accidentally bumped his teeth, which made me complain in a spoiled way."
He quickly softened his grip, simply holding his lips and slowly grinding them together.
"……Feel sorry."
Bai E apologized, but didn't stop.
You know that what initially drove him was an uncontrollable, unbearable urge to see you escape.
But what happened next? What made him suppress this surging emotion, simply holding you close and gently stroking the back of your neck with his fingers?
Perhaps it's about cherishing. Because I like you so much, even though I'm in pain myself, I still can't imagine the possibility that you might get hurt.
You hug him back, and he pulls you onto his lap. At first, you're thinking how well he's trained his legs, how soft and relaxed his muscles are. But then you're overwhelmed by his advances and can't speak. Your mind is a complete blank, and you can only clutch the fabric of his clothes tightly behind him.
...
The moon was setting in the west.
"...My back aches."
"Partner, hang in there a little longer. Almost there..."
You think we can't trust his "immediately"? How many times has he said "immediately" already?
"...So now you're sure I won't leave?"
"Mmm." He leaned in and kissed your sweaty neck, his Adam's apple bobbing. "...But I need to confirm this more thoroughly."
It felt as if starlight exploded in your mind, dazzling your eyes and making you feel like you were sinking deeper and deeper into a vast ocean, only able to futilely grasp at a sliver of blue in the depths of the other person's eyes—but little did you know that your dazed state was entirely caused by him, and by the time you realized it, you had already been dragged even deeper into the ocean by him.
...Wait a minute. Something seems off.
Isn't it true that men shouldn't do that when they're drunk?
As you were thinking this, before you could even grasp that spark of inspiration, Bai E moved closer, supporting your limp body, kissing the corner of your lips, and letting out a satisfied sigh.
*
After that, Xi Lian noticed a strange, sticky atmosphere between you, which seemed different from usual.
She asked you curiously how you felt, then waved her hand, saying it was okay if you didn't want to talk about it; she was just a little curious.
You thought about it.
"...Rural lads are really strong."
That's all you ended up saying.
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