Chapter 164 Those Who Never Return Will Grow Old and Die
Ah Jiu closed her eyes to rest. Although she couldn't see, she wasn't deaf. The girl groaned and sighed intermittently. The bathtub wasn't big, but the water was splashing as if it were in a large pool. It's just a bath, right? Does she think everyone has never taken a bath before? Is it really that big of a deal? It's really... ridiculous.
"Ah Jiu," Guan Ye couldn't help but call out.
"Hmm." Ajiu didn't even lift her eyelids. "All washed up?"
Guan Ye splashed some water. "The water's a bit cold."
"It's cold?" Ajiu shifted slightly but then stopped abruptly. "If it's cold, don't wash it. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Guan Ye didn't move, sniffed and said, "I haven't washed it clean yet, here, here... and here..." Guan Ye rolled up her arms and pointed randomly, as if A Jiu had eyes in the back of her head, "The blood scars haven't been cleaned off yet."
Ajiu jumped up and went into the courtyard. After a short while, she returned with a bucket of hot water and stood outside the threshold, saying, "Since I can't come in or look, you can carry it yourself."
Guan Ye propped herself up. "Just bring the water in, close your eyes. It's not like you've never been in here before."
Ah Jiu wanted to challenge Guan Ye, but was afraid the cold water would chill her. After hesitating for a moment, she pushed open the door. Close her eyes? She'd be foolish to close her eyes now that everyone was inside. But… the small inner room was filled with steam, and even with her eyes open, she couldn't see anything clearly. In the hazy light, she saw Guan Ye lying in the bathtub, her fingers twirling a strand of hair at her neck. Hearing Ah Jiu's approaching footsteps and the sound of water in the tub, Guan Ye changed position, curling up underwater. Ah Jiu watched, biting her lip to suppress a laugh.
"Pour the water in, then you go back to guard the area."
"Yes, ma'am." Ajiu lifted the bucket and poured in hot water. "Is it hot enough? Should we add some more?"
"That's enough." Guan Ye lowered her head. "You can leave now."
After waiting a while and seeing no movement, Guan Ye looked up and said, "It'll be ready soon, you can go out now."
It's so hot inside. Through the intense steam, Guan Ye saw A Jiu... taking off his clothes and unbuttoning his waistband. In a few moments, he was down to his undergarments... Before Guan Ye could react, A Jiu's undergarments slipped off, and a naked body suddenly slid into the bathtub, leaning down and pressing against Guan Ye.
"I told you to get out." Guan Ye met A Jiu's pressing body with no way to avoid it, so she simply leaned in and pressed against him, their two hot bodies embracing each other. "You're shameless."
"What's a face?" A-Jiu sucked on Guan Ye's neck. "Can you eat it?"
Holding A-Jiu's broad body, Guan Ye finally felt at ease. Clinging to A-Jiu's damp shoulders, Guan Ye let out a soft, contented moan. A-Jiu lowered his head and captured her lips in a warm, intertwined kiss. After a long while, A-Jiu picked up a towel and gently wiped the bloodstains on Guan Ye's body. The congealed blood was a horrifying sight. If Mu Chenbi hadn't been there tonight… and the murderer had intended to kill Guan Ye… then it wouldn't just be Song Mian who died.
When Ah Jiu thought of something horrifying, he suddenly hugged Guan Ye even tighter, pressing his palm hard against her clear spine, as if he wanted to press her into his own body.
“Song Mian…” Guan Ye was still shaken. “He died just like that, blood splattered everywhere, the walls and the floor were covered in blood…” Guan Ye spread her hands, recalling the feeling of blood seeping through her fingers, her voice choked with sobs. “Song Mian came to the tavern to see me before he died. He must have had something to say, but he realized that Mu Chenbi wasn’t you, so he left in a hurry without saying anything… He asked me to keep him here a little longer, would he have survived?”
Ah Jiu gently rubbed Guan Ye's hair, saying, "No matter how long you keep him, he will not escape death. Whether he comes to see you tonight or not, that person will kill Song Mian."
Guan Ye turned to look at Ajiu, "Song Mian won't tell anyone. If he were to say anything, he would have already. He was willing to speak up for his companions on Hu Xian's boat, so he certainly wouldn't take the lives of innocent people in Xingguo Ward. All Song Mian wants is justice. Although we are all forgotten by the world, no one should die in silence."
“If I’m not mistaken…” Ajiu said slowly, “That person killed Song Mian not because he was afraid that he would reveal the secret of smuggling teenagers in Xingguofang… but for other reasons.”
"Anything else?" Guan Ye was taken aback. "Yes, if they were going to do it, they would have done it already. It's almost the New Year, why would they want to cause a death at this time?"
Ajiu gently touched Guan Ye's delicate shoulder. "Did you see clearly that person was Lou Cangyu?"
Guan Ye saw the murderer's figure flash before her eyes. Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, his figure and gait were very similar to Lou Cangyu's. Most importantly, Guan Ye clearly saw him climb over the high wall of the inner workshop, the Jingwu Pavilion, where Wushuang lived... Wushuang and Song Mian were not acquainted and had no enmity. Why would he kill a lowly deliveryman?
Guan Ye could only think of Lou Cangyu. He had killed Song Mian and was being chased. In a panic, he fled to the inner quarters to seek Wushuang's help...
“I didn’t want it to be him either.” Guan Ye pressed down on A Jiu’s wandering hand. “But Lou Cangyu didn’t return to Xingguo Fang tonight… Besides him, I can’t think of anyone else who would kill Song Mian. And then…” Guan Ye suddenly turned around, her fingertip touching A Jiu’s brow bone. “I’ve touched the wound on Song Mian’s neck. The sword mark is exactly the same as the one on your brow bone. You were stabbed by Lou Cangyu, and I was the one who healed you. I can’t be wrong.”
"Lou Cangyu... killed Song Mian..." Ajiu didn't want to believe it, yet she had no choice but to. "Why would he kill someone tonight... besides the secret of Xingguo Ward... could it be that Song Mian knew something else..."
As the water cooled, A-Jiu stood up, dried herself, and reached out her hand to Guan Ye. Guan Ye blushed, "Turn around..."
Ah Jiu stood there, refusing to move, and said with a sullen smile, "It's not like I didn't see it, why are you getting shy again? Get up, the water's getting cold, don't catch a chill."
Guan Ye shook her head. The water was hazy, and once she stood up, everything would be exposed. No matter how familiar they were, she was still embarrassed to be naked in front of each other. "Turn around, or I won't get up. I'd rather freeze to death than get up."
"Stubborn to death." Ajiu slowly moved his feet, listened carefully to the sound of water testing in the bathtub, and suddenly turned around. With lightning speed, he picked up Guan Ye and her wet body leaped in his arms like a jumping fish. "Hahahaha, you still want to escape from my grasp? Let's see how you escape now."
Now that she was in his grasp, Guan Ye stopped struggling. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her big eyes brimming with glistening tears. A Jiu stared at her intently, then suddenly picked her up and strode toward the bed, his Adam's apple bobbing laboriously, clearly on the verge of exploding.
—Tonight, it's tonight.
His fingers traced Guan Ye's smooth, jade-like body, exploring the girl's intimate parts. Ajiu was both happy and nervous. He was happy that he was finally going to truly possess the woman he loved, but nervous that he might not do it well and might hurt her again... But then he thought that this was bound to happen sooner or later, and he was afraid of this and that. He was afraid that one day he would die of lust in Guan Ye's bed.
Ajiu climbed onto Guanye's body, propping his elbows on either side of her. With one hand, he gently explored his own private parts, touching a soft, moist spot. Guanye moaned and twisted slightly, causing the moist spot to tighten suddenly, sucking Ajiu until he trembled and almost came on his own.
"Don't move," Ajiu said in a trembling voice. "Let me do it."
Guan Ye hugged A Jiu's smooth back. This was something she feared, but also something she looked forward to. She knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, but... she didn't want it to happen tonight.
"A-Jiu..." Guan Ye raised her head and touched A-Jiu's sweaty forehead, "I don't want to..."
Uh… A-Jiu paused, stopping her own urges. “Don’t you want to be with me?” A-Jiu asked, suppressing her heavy breathing.
Guan Ye shook her head fiercely, "I like you, I want to be with you." Guan Ye hugged A Jiu tightly as he throbbed with heavy breathing, "But... it shouldn't be today."
Ah Jiu seemed to understand something, and struggled to sit up, saying, "Does it have to wait until we get married? Only after we get married can we do it?"
Guan Ye tapped his head. "All that formalities and tedious stuff. Do you think I'm that kind of person? Life is only a few decades long. I can be as happy as I want, whenever I want."
Seeing how serious she sounded, Ajiu chuckled, "Don't you want to have fun tonight? Why can't you?"
"I don't want to, and I can't." Guan Ye tried to push A Jiu away, but the man was strong, and A Jiu was much heavier than a fifty-pound bag; she couldn't just move her. Guan Ye bent her knee and pressed it against A Jiu's erect penis, raising an eyebrow and saying, "If you don't move, it wouldn't be good to hurt it..."
"Hahahaha." Ajiu couldn't help but laugh. This girl had a death wish to mess with him. "It wouldn't be right to cripple me..."
Guan Ye confronted A Jiu without backing down. A Jiu's brow twitched from laughing. After a moment of this stalemate, A Jiu rolled over and lay down next to Guan Ye, panting heavily as she calmed down. Her sharp face had never been so relaxed.
“If you don’t want to, then don’t do it.” Ajiu placed Guan Ye’s hand on her heart. “There’s plenty of time. Next time you want to, you’ll have to beg me. Otherwise, I won’t do it.”
The two lay side by side for a long time before A-Jiu was about to get up when Guan Ye pressed her down again. "What?" A-Jiu glanced at her. "Missing me?"
Guan Ye turned his arm over to support her head, then rolled over and lay on his muscular chest. "I don't want to, but you can't leave."
"Hey?" Ajiu got angry and stood up, saying, "How can this be? Guan Ye, I can see her but I can't have her, are you trying to kill me?"
Guan Ye forcefully pressed him down, "Every time I close my eyes, I see Song Mian's dead body. It's too terrifying. I won't let you leave!"
Ah Jiu realized that the girl was still afraid. Song Mian had died right in front of her, and she was still thinking about that matter... Ah Jiu felt a pang of guilt, turned over and hugged Guan Ye tightly, kissing her cheek. "I won't leave. I won't leave tonight. I'll stay with you."
"Ah Jiu, do you think... we might die?"
Ah Jiu, with one hand behind her head, stared at the dark ceiling with her eyes open. "Of course I'll die."
"Ah?" Guan Ye exclaimed in surprise.
"Silly," Ajiu chuckled. "People get old and die. If you don't age and die, you're a demon. Who doesn't die?"
"But I don't want to die, I haven't lived enough yet," Guan Ye muttered.
Ah Jiu pinched her cheek and said, "When you get old and can't walk, can't eat, and can't swing a sledgehammer anymore, you'll have lived enough."
“With you here, I can’t live enough. If I can’t walk, carry me on your back. If I can’t eat, feed me. If I can’t swing the sledgehammer, I’ll take on a bunch of apprentices and teach them how to fight.” Guan Ye sniffed the scent on A Jiu’s body. “I only regret that life is only a few decades long. I wish it could be longer.”
Ajiu felt relieved, but a sudden pang of regret welled up within him. How wonderful it would have been if he had never met Cui Jin. Even if he spent his entire life on Canglang Island, he would have been content with Guan Ye by his side. But if he had never met Cui Jin… he would never have shared a boat with Guan Ye, and in this lifetime, they probably would never have known each other.
If... Unfortunately, life has no ifs. What shouldn't have happened has already happened. The road ahead is unpredictable, so we can only try. Even if it's just for Guan Yan, we must forge a path even if there seems to be none ahead.
Their conversation gradually subsided, and Guan Ye in his arms had fallen into a deep sleep. A Jiu nuzzled her and kissed her face again. Guan Ye was like a ray of light, and A Jiu secretly vowed to protect that light.
Pushing open the door to the quiet room, Ajiu took a deep breath of the cold winter morning air, exhaling wisps of white mist. In the hazy light, Lou Cangyu strode into the backyard, his hurried steps seemingly unaware of Ajiu. He went straight to the well in the yard, put down his sword, bent down and drew half a bucket of well water. Ignoring the icy water, he scooped up a handful and splashed it on his face, raising his wet head and letting out a low, hoarse cry.
Finally noticing someone watching her, Lou Cangyu wiped her wet face and saw that it was Ajiu. Lou Cangyu's pale face remained expressionless.
"You haven't come home all night, where have you been?" Ajiu walked towards Lou Cangyu.
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