Chapter 7: Dawn breaks, mute, let go!
When it was broad daylight, Hei Xiazi was awakened by the heat.
It wasn't the weather that was hot; it was that there was a giant furnace right next to him. Zhang Qiling had rolled over at some point, changing from a proper supine position to lying on his side facing him, one arm wrapped tightly around his waist. Half of Hei Xiazi's body was stiff; even moving was difficult.
He tried to move the man's arm away, but the moment he moved, the arm tightened around him, and the man buried his head in the crook of his neck, his breath tickling his skin and making him shudder.
"Damn it..." Hei Xiazi cursed under his breath, fully awake. He turned his head and looked at Zhang Qiling's unguarded sleeping face so close to his. When this guy was asleep, the coldness between his brows had dissipated considerably, and he actually looked kind of... well-behaved?
The thought sent a chill down Hei Xiazi's spine. He gently nudged Zhang Qiling's shoulder: "Hey, mute, it's dawn, let go."
Zhang Qiling frowned. Instead of waking up, he seemed to be disturbed from a nightmare, his arms tightening suddenly, and a muffled, terrified murmur escaped his throat: "...Don't go!"
The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a needle, pricking Hei Xiazi's heart. He froze, letting Zhang Qiling cling to him like a frightened wild beast. He could feel the other's body trembling slightly, and the cold sweat that instantly broke out on his neck.
What the hell did I dream about?
After a while, Zhang Qiling's breathing gradually calmed down, and the strength in his arms loosened a bit, but he still didn't completely let go. Hei Xiazi sighed, resignedly lying down, looking at the mottled water stains on the ceiling.
Fine, let's just keep hugging, it's not like we'll lose a piece of flesh anyway.
He lay there for another half hour, but couldn't hold his urine any longer, so he tried to get up again. This time, he moved even more gently, almost crawling out. He managed to move half his body out, but before his feet even touched the ground, his wrist was suddenly tightened, and he was pulled back down.
Zhang Qiling opened his eyes. Those eyes held no trace of the confusion of just waking up, only a deep, unfathomable panic that hadn't yet faded, staring intently at him as if he would vanish in the blink of an eye.
"I'm going to relieve myself!" Black Bear said irritably, shaking off his hand. "Pee! You want to come with me?"
The panic in Zhang Qiling's eyes slowly faded, replaced by a dazed look after regaining his senses and... a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment. He released his grip, silently sat up, and lowered his head, his bangs obscuring his expression.
After taking care of his personal needs, Hei Xiazi came out of the bathroom and saw Zhang Qiling already dressed and standing by the window with his back straight. He had returned to his cold and unapproachable demeanor, as if the person who had clung to him tightly and was having nightmares that morning was just Hei Xiazi's own illusion.
"Keep pretending." Black Bear snorted, walked over, and poked him in the ribcage from behind. "Did you have a nightmare this morning? What did you dream about that scared you so much?"
Zhang Qiling froze, neither turning around nor answering.
Black Bear walked around to stand in front of him, staring intently at him: "Did you 'see' something again? Something about me?"
Zhang Qiling pursed his lips, looked out the window, and refused to communicate.
Black Bear squinted. This guy, he's like this whenever it comes to things he can "see." He recalled the feeling of being completely seen through in the tomb yesterday, as if everything was under the other's control, and that evil fire in his heart flared up again.
"Fine, don't tell me then." He turned and walked to the table, picked up the jade box containing the You Tan Orchid that Zhang Qiling had brought back yesterday, and weighed it in his hand. "How do you use this thing? External application or internal use? Are there any special instructions? You 'saw' it so clearly, you must know how to use it, right?"
The sarcasm in his tone was obvious. He hated the feeling of being kept in the dark, of everything being arranged perfectly. Especially being arranged by Zhang Qiling.
Zhang Qiling finally turned around and looked at the jade box in his hand, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "Crush it and apply it externally." He paused, then added, "Left shoulder, an old injury."
Black Bear's heart sank again. He knew perfectly well everything, from the old injury on his left shoulder to how and where to apply the medicine. This was beyond what could be explained by mere prophecy.
He opened the jade box, and a faint blue glow illuminated his face. He stared at the orchids for a few seconds, then suddenly raised his hand, as if to smash the jade box on the ground!
"What are you doing!" Zhang Qiling's expression changed drastically. He moved in front of him almost instantly, grabbed his raised wrist, and used such force that Hei Xiazi felt like his bones were about to break.
"What are you doing?" Black Bear sneered, staring directly into the undisguised panic and anger in his eyes. "Try it! Try it and see what happens if I really smash this thing. Isn't it different from what you 'saw'? Huh?"
He wanted to force him! Force him to break that damn "script"! Force him to admit that everything is different now!
Zhang Qiling gripped his wrist tightly, his chest heaving, a storm brewing in his eyes. The two remained locked in a stalemate, the air thick with tension.
After a long while, the storm in Zhang Qiling's eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a deep, almost suffocating weariness. He loosened his grip, his voice hoarse:
"Stop fooling around."
Those two words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the nameless fire in Hei Xiazi's heart. Looking at the almost pleading vulnerability on Zhang Qiling's face, his competitive spirit vanished instantly.
Damn it, why is he arguing with a pathetic guy who just crawled back from hell and is terrified of making a mistake and losing everything again?
Black Bear reluctantly lowered his hand and shoved the jade box back into Zhang Qiling's arms: "...Alright, I was just teasing you. Hurry up, grind the medicine and apply it. My shoulder really hurts like hell on rainy days."
Zhang Qiling took the jade box and hugged it tightly to his chest, as if he were holding a lost treasure that had been found again. He glanced at Hei Xiazi, a look that made Hei Xiazi feel that he had just committed a heinous crime.
"Wait," he said softly, turning to go to the kitchen to find tools to grind the medicine.
Watching his busy figure, Hei Xiazi scratched his head in frustration. This life was unbearable. He couldn't hit him, couldn't scold him, and had to coax him.
Zhang Qiling carefully pounded the medicine, turning the You Tan Lan into a paste that emitted a unique and pleasant fragrance. He walked over with the medicine bowl and gestured for Hei Xiazi to take off his shirt.
Black Bear clicked his tongue, turned his back to him, and exposed his left shoulder. The old scar snaked below his shoulder blade, its color darker than the surrounding skin, like an ugly centipede.
The slightly cool ointment was applied, bringing a refreshing, tingling sensation. Zhang Qiling's fingers, covered in the ointment, gently and carefully rubbed and massaged it onto the scar. His fingertips were calloused and rough to the touch, yet his movements were almost reverent.
Hei Xiazi's body was somewhat stiff. Apart from necessary treatment when injured, he rarely had such close contact with people, especially Zhang Qiling. He could feel the slight trembling of the other's fingertips and the hot breath that was almost touching his back.
This feeling... is so strange.
“Hey, mute,” he tried to say something to break the eerie atmosphere, “who taught you this technique? It’s pretty convincing.”
Zhang Qiling paused, his voice muffled: "...I've seen you do it before."
Hei Xiazi was taken aback. He'd seen him do this before? When? He didn't remember teaching Zhang Qiling this.
Before he could figure it out, Zhang Qiling finished applying the medicine and carefully bandaged it with clean gauze. Then, instead of immediately backing away, he gently hugged him from behind at such close range.
It wasn't the panicked, tight embrace of the morning, but a gentle, dependent hug. Her chin rested lightly on his right shoulder, her breath brushing against his ear.
Black Bear froze, as if his blood had rushed to his head.
“Blind man…” Zhang Qiling’s voice rang close to his ear, low and hoarse with a hint of relief, “Don’t scare me.”
Black Bear's heart felt like it had been violently struck, both sore and weak. Damn it, who could withstand this?
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, raised his uninjured right hand, and covered the cold hand that was wrapped around his waist.
"I know," he heard his own voice say, with a hint of helpless indulgence. "I won't break your precious herbs anymore."
Zhang Qiling didn't say anything more, but tightened his arms and buried his face deeper into his neck.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the two figures embracing, and the air was filled with the delicate fragrance of orchids.
Looking at the overlapping shadows of the two people on the ground, Hei Xiazi's unease and restlessness strangely subsided.
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