Going North (II)
He Shu's heart tightened and he looked around hurriedly.
However, wherever you look, you can see crowds of people, and every unfamiliar face is filled with festive joy.
He looked around anxiously, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, but after searching back and forth for several times, he found nothing.
Where are the people...where are the people!
Qingshan is so tall and strong, he should be very conspicuous in the crowd...
"Please make way! Qingshan—Qingshan—"
He raised his voice and shouted, but his voice was instantly drowned out by the noisy crowd.
On the day of departure, he solemnly promised Fu Qingle, who finally compromised and let him go, that he would protect Qingshan and return safely.
Who would have thought that before they were halfway through the journey, they hadn't even seen Xuan Tongzi's shadow, but had actually lost Qingshan!
In a hurry, a faint golden light floated at He Shu's fingertips, and he was about to use the tracking technique.
Just when he was about to be overwhelmed by the endless crowd and panic, a warm and slightly calloused hand suddenly reached out from the side, firmly grasped his slightly cold fingers, and quietly smoothed out the immortal power that was about to overflow.
Then, that familiar voice, filled with naiveté and joy, rang clearly in my ears:
"Nameless—I'm here!"
He Shu turned back suddenly——
Qingshan was standing behind him, his chest heaving slightly due to his rapid breathing, as if he had just struggled to squeeze through the crowd.
A pair of eyes, surprisingly bright, stared at him without blinking, with a hint of caution as if she had done something wrong, yet unable to conceal her clumsy joy.
Before He Shu could speak, Qingshan pulled him into his arms, protected him as he staggered a few steps, avoiding the surging crowd, and retreated to the shade of a weeping willow on the river bank.
Willow branches hung low, and the tender green twigs swayed gently in the wind, dispersing the scorching afternoon sunlight into golden specks, casting flowing light and shadows on their robes and hair.
Qingshan was still breathing slightly. He loosened his hand and handed something to Heshu as if he was offering a treasure.
On the broad palm, lay quietly a long, intricately woven thread of life, bright in color.
"Here, Wuming!"
He lowered his head, and a few strands of hair fell in front of his forehead, but it could not hide his focused and serious expression.
Qingshan held Heshu's wrist clumsily but extremely carefully. The warmth from his fingertips penetrated his skin, causing a slight tremor.
All the anxious rebukes and panic fears instantly got stuck in my throat, making my heart swell, but I couldn't utter a single word.
He Shu looked at those eyes that reflected the noisy light and shadow but only contained his own small reflection, and subconsciously looked away.
His eyes dropped down and happened to touch the thread of life that was carefully escorted to his eyes.
I immediately understood what Qingshan had just done. Although I knew he meant well, disappearing without a word like that was really...
He Shu grabbed the wrist that had been raised and was about to tie the rope for him with his backhand. The force was a bit heavy. It was a confirmation of regaining what had been lost, but also an outlet for his worries and anxiety.
“…What are you running around for?!”
He finally found his voice, but he couldn't bear to lose his temper with Qingshan, so he could only grit his teeth and squeeze out a few words.
"Didn't I tell you repeatedly before entering the city not to leave my side without permission? How could you ignore me?"
Qingshan did not struggle, letting him hold it. He simply passed the longevity thread forward again, a shy but innocent smile curved up the corners of his mouth, and explained seriously:
"Qingshan, I didn't run around."
"I saw that it was very beautiful... I wanted to give it to Wuming."
In an instant, the bustling streets behind me, the noisy voices of people, and the drumbeats of the dragon boat race in the distant river all gradually receded like the tide, becoming blurred and distant, turning into an insignificant buzz.
The only thing they could see was the breeze from the river, which brought with it moist water vapor and the fragrance of mugwort, gently ruffling each other's clothes and hair.
The swaying shadows of the willow branches fell on Qingshan's body and face, dancing gently and blurring his originally tough outline.
The warm fingertips touched the skin again, and the ingeniously woven longevity thread gently wrapped around He Shu's fair wrist.
"Longevity thread, nameless, wear it, looks good!"
Qingshan whispered, and the sunlight filtered through the gaps between the swaying willow branches, falling on his drooping neck and serious profile.
He Shu could clearly see his trembling eyelashes and the slightly pursed lips that seemed particularly stubborn at this moment.
The fire in his heart, ignited by fear and worry, was quietly extinguished by this silent yet solemn action, leaving only an indescribable warmth that slowly enveloped his heart.
"What..."
He suddenly pulled his hand back as if he was burned, hiding it behind his back, mumbling with a slightly uncomfortable tone.
"This is something only children wear... I'm already so old..."
As he spoke, he turned and was about to leave, trying to hide the inexplicable panic that had come over him, but Qingshan took two steps in front of him and stopped him with his arms outstretched.
The man took out another identical longevity thread from his sleeve and put it into He Shu's hand with anticipation. He looked at him with burning eyes, even with a hint of shyness in his eyes, and asked in a low and shy voice:
"Wuming, Yebang, Qingshan Dai."
Being stared at directly by such a gaze, a wave of heat suddenly hit He Shu's cheeks without warning, and even quickly spread to the roots of his ears and the sides of his neck, burning him so much that his head felt a little dizzy:
“No…”
He almost refused subconsciously, turning his face away forcefully to avoid the burning gaze, his voice dry from the tension.
"If you want to wear it...just wear it yourself."
He Shu tried to pull his hand back, but Qingshan held it stubbornly. When their fingertips touched, the scorching temperature made him tremble as if he was electrocuted.
"Wuming, Dai..."
Qingshan persisted, his voice filled with grievance and confusion, staring at him clearly and persistently.
"No! I told you I won't wear it!"
He Shu jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on. He turned his head abruptly to break free from the restraints, and walked quickly into the crowd with his head lowered, as if fleeing in panic.
"nameless……"
“No!”
——
A calamus, sword, and mugwort flags had already been placed on the lintel of the inn, and a bitter aroma mixed with the steaming heat of wine and meat rushed towards us.
The hall was bustling with people and every seat was occupied.
The realgar wine in the large coarse porcelain bowl has an attractive amber color, and the peeled rice dumplings leaves are stacked on the porcelain plate, revealing the white and soft rice dumplings inside.
Although it was early summer, the waiter's coat was already soaked with sweat. He carried the food tray and moved flexibly between the tables and chairs, responding loudly to the calls for more wine and dishes.
Seeing that there was nowhere to sit, He Shu asked the shopkeeper for a room upstairs and asked the waiter to deliver the prepared food directly to the room.
The wooden stairs creaked slightly under his feet. As he went upstairs, he turned a corner and quietly looked back.
Glancing back, he saw Qingshan following him silently a few steps away, with his head lowered. His expression couldn't be seen clearly. He wondered if he was sulking because of what had just happened.
He Shu suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
The rejection just now seemed... too decisive. It was clearly not an excessive request, and I didn't know what I was feeling awkward about at the time.
Now that I've calmed down, I feel embarrassed and don't want to bring up this matter again.
It’s really... embarrassing.
He sighed silently in his heart and followed the waiter who led the way into the guest room.
Until the food and drinks were served, the two of them did not exchange another word, and the air was silent and a little dull.
The meal was unusually quiet, in stark contrast to the noise downstairs. Even though it was the first time He Shu tasted the soft, glutinous and fragrant Yuguanyi specialty rice dumplings, he had no appetite and his mind was completely elsewhere.
After finishing his meal, he put down his chopsticks and looked up, finally letting go of his reserve. Just as he was about to apologize to Qingshan, he saw that the person opposite him had lowered his head at some point, his hair covering his eyebrows and eyes, his breathing even, as if... he was asleep, and there was still a little glutinous rice left in the bowl.
"Qingshan?"
He called out softly, and the man slowly raised his head, his eyelids drooping, his cheeks flushed, as if he was drunk.
"Hmm? What's wrong..."
Qingshan responded vaguely, stood up shakily, and wanted to walk towards Heshu, but he stumbled and almost fell, falling on the person who rushed up to support him.
"Sorry, Wuming, I seem... a little drunk..."
Most of Qingshan's body weight instantly pressed down on him, bringing with it warm body temperature and a faint, mellow smell of alcohol.
He raised his hand to rub his temples, his steps were unsteady, but he still insisted on standing straight, holding the edge of the table to stand firmly.
"I'll go rest on the couch for a while... Don't worry about me... If Wuming wants to go to the street in the afternoon..."
"Qingshan?"
He Shu saw the man staggering to the bed, lying down with his clothes on, without even taking off his shoes, and then closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep. He hurried forward to check and found that he was really just asleep, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
He also sat down beside the bed, looking at Qingshan's uneasy sleeping face, and felt a little funny for a moment.
But the drunken rice dumplings specially made by a few restaurants actually made him so drunk...
It's really strange that after getting drunk, his speech became fluent.
He Shu shook his head and smiled, poked the flushed cheek of the person on the bed, stood up and picked up the longevity thread that was forgotten by its owner on the corner of the table.
Sitting back on the edge of the bed, he gently lifted Qingshan's big, bony hand that was resting on his side, and carefully tied the longevity thread around his wrist.
"Exorcise evil spirits, usher in blessings, and bring good fortune and health..."
His fingertips stroked the delicate woven patterns and he murmured softly:
"Qingshan, if your soul could return to its place, it would be great if you could really live a hundred years..."
When he first heard the hawker shouting "longevity thread", He Shu didn't understand why mortals would place such heavy wishes on these thin colored threads.
It was not until this moment that he suddenly understood.
The weight of wishes is never carried by these colorful threads, but falls on the hands that tie the colorful threads for the person they care about, in those eyes full of expectation, and in that heavy heart.
He Shu was a little tired after traveling all night for the past two days. He closed his eyes and leaned on Qingshan's hand.
At night, he secretly used magic to increase the speed of the carriage while people were asleep, which consumed a lot of his physical strength. Now that he had some free time, fatigue suddenly came over him.
Might as well get some sleep...
As he thought about this, he soon fell into a deep sleep.
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