Chapter 20 Nighttime Chat Haha
The desert night was eerily silent, with only the tireless howling of the wind outside the tent. Wu Xie tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, his mind replaying the day's events like a movie—Zhang Qiling's unyielding gesture as he handed Xie Yuchen milk, Hei Xiazi's possessive "My mute," and the unspoken understanding between the two. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, so he got up and tiptoed out of the tent.
The campfire still burned low, flickering in the night, illuminating two figures standing close together. Wu Xie squinted and saw it was Zhang Qiling and Hei Xiazi. Hei Xiazi sat cross-legged on the sand, while Zhang Qiling stood behind him, his long, slender fingers gently massaging his temples. The sight stunned Wu Xie—he had never seen Zhang Qiling show such a cautious expression towards anyone before.
"Gently, gently," Black Bear complained, but leaned back more easily, almost nestled into Zhang Qiling's arms. "My head ached from the sandstorm during the day, and it's still buzzing now."
Zhang Qiling didn't say anything, but the pressure on his hands noticeably lessened. Wu Xie noticed that when he lowered his head, his stray hairs covered his eyes, and his focused expression was as if he were handling some fragile treasure; even his breathing became soft.
"Do you think Master Hua'er will become suspicious?" Black Bear suddenly asked, his voice tinged with a hint of mockery. "Your milk act today was so abrupt, completely different from your usual self."
"He needs to replenish his nutrition," Zhang Qiling replied, seemingly ignoring the question. His fingers slid down to the back of Hei Xiazi's neck, gently kneading it as if he had done it a thousand times before.
Black Bear chuckled, tilting his head back so it rested against Zhang Qiling's waist: "Come on, you think I don't know? It's just because of me when I was a kid..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Qiling's hand suddenly stopped. Wu Xie held his breath, vaguely feeling that he had overheard some incredible secret.
"Shut up." Zhang Qiling's voice was low and carried a hint of warning.
Black Bear laughed so hard his shoulders shook. He turned around and looked up at him: "Mute Zhang, what are you shy about? It's just that when I was a child, I was weak and sickly, and you stole tonics from the Zhang family's storeroom for me to drink, isn't it?"
Wu Xie was so shocked he almost bit his tongue. The Zhang Qiling he remembered was the one who calmly strangled the corpse beetle in the Seven Star Lu Palace, and the ruthless character who single-handedly stormed the Bronze Gate in the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace. This Zhang Qiling who could steal tonics and take care of people completely overturned his understanding of him.
"How old were you back then?" Hei Xiazi continued teasing, his fingers unconsciously hooking around Zhang Qiling's sleeve. "Fifteen? Sixteen? You acted all mature, but you couldn't even recognize all the tonics. You even stole the lactation-boosting soup for new mothers, which caused me..."
Zhang Qiling's ears were visibly red in the firelight, and he pressed them down hard. Black Bear hissed in surprise, but laughed even harder: "What, are you angry with embarrassment?"
Wu Xie was listening intently when someone gently patted his shoulder. Startled, he almost cried out. Turning around, he saw Xie Yuchen standing behind him, his exquisite face in the moonlight bearing a half-smile.
"Is Mr. Wu also interested in observing celestial phenomena at night?" Xie Yuchen asked softly, his gaze thoughtfully drifting towards the two people by the campfire.
Wu Xie scratched his head awkwardly: "I...I came out for some fresh air."
Just then, Black Bear spotted them and called out, "Hey, you two can't sleep either? Come on, let's make a mahjong table with four people."
Zhang Qiling immediately withdrew his hand, reverting to his aloof and unapproachable demeanor. But Wu Xie clearly saw that when Hei Xiazi stood up, Zhang Qiling subconsciously supported his waist, a movement so natural it seemed like an instinctive reaction.
"Playing mahjong in the desert?" Xie Yuchen elegantly dusted off his clothes and sat down. "Brother Hei, you're in high spirits."
"It's better than some people eavesdropping in the middle of the night." Hei Xiazi glanced meaningfully at Wu Xie, a mocking smile playing on his lips behind his sunglasses.
Wu Xie's face flushed red, and he retorted, "Who was eavesdropping! I was just openly... getting some fresh air!"
Zhang Qiling silently moved closer to Hei Xiazi and handed him a military water bottle. Hei Xiazi took it naturally, took a sip, and then handed it back. The whole process was smooth and seamless, as if it had been rehearsed countless times.
Xie Yuchen looked on thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, "Mr. Zhang seems to be very good at taking care of people?"
Zhang Qiling paused, and Hei Xiazi quickly answered, "That's right, our mute Zhang is an all-rounder." He then shoved the water bottle back into Zhang Qiling's hand, his fingertips lightly tracing the other's palm. "It's just that his way of expressing himself is a bit problematic, like that milk today..."
"What's wrong with the milk?" Wu Xie couldn't help but interject, her tone tinged with grievance. "Little Brother has never been so considerate to me! Last time in the underwater tomb, I had a fever, and he just poured a bucket of seawater over me!"
Hei Xiazi burst into laughter, and even Xie Yuchen couldn't help but chuckle. Zhang Qiling glanced at Wu Xie expressionlessly and said calmly, "That time, we were under an illusion."
"And what about the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds? My legs are too weak to walk, and you just hoisted me onto your shoulder like a sack of potatoes!"
"There are blood-soaked corpses chasing us."
"Seven Star Lu Palace..."
"Corpse beetle tide."
With each "tragedy" Wu Xie recounted, Hei Xiazi laughed even louder. Finally, he leaned heavily on Zhang Qiling's shoulder, tears streaming down his face from laughing: "Mute Zhang, you're really something!"
Zhang Qiling let him lean on him, the corners of his mouth curving almost imperceptibly, his arm naturally wrapping around Hei Xiazi's shoulder.
Xie Yuchen suddenly said softly, "It seems Mr. Zhang just has a peculiar way of expressing himself." He glanced at Hei Xiazi, "Especially towards those he cares about."
The night wind swirled sand against the tent, making a soft, rustling sound. The campfire crackled, reflecting the different expressions on everyone's faces. Wu Xie looked at the shadows of the two people sitting side by side opposite him and suddenly felt a pang of envy. That unspoken understanding—how many life-or-death experiences must it take to forge such a bond?
"Brother," he couldn't help but ask, "if I and Black Bear both fell into quicksand, who would you save first?"
Before Zhang Qiling could answer, Hei Xiazi lightly kicked Wu Xie: "Kid, that's an old-fashioned question."
I just want to know!
Zhang Qiling stared at the flickering flames for a long time before finally saying, "He won't fall in."
"Why?"
"Because I'm watching." Zhang Qiling turned to look at Hei Xiazi, his eyes as deep as the night in the firelight, and the tenderness within them made Wu Xie momentarily stunned.
Wu Xie suddenly understood. It wasn't a question of whether to save him or not, but rather that Zhang Qiling would never allow Hei Xiazi to be in danger. That ingrained protective instinct had long since become second nature.
In the middle of the night, Wu Xie woke up groggily and saw through the gaps in the tent that only Zhang Qiling was still sitting by the campfire, with Hei Xiazi fast asleep on his lap. Zhang Qiling carefully covered Hei Xiazi with his coat, his fingers gently twirling the ends of his loose hair, and occasionally he would lower his head to place a light, feather-like kiss on his forehead.
Moonlight spilled across the desert, shimmering with a silvery glow. Wu Xie quietly retreated into his sleeping bag, a strange sense of peace settling in his heart. With a guy like him around, this trip to the Queen Mother of the West's Palace might not be so terrifying. But for some reason, he suddenly recalled Zhang Qiling's retreating figure as he walked towards the bronze gate without looking back in the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top, and a bittersweet feeling welled up inside him.
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