TSMITB Chapter46

In the following days, both of them tacitly maintained a superficial calm.

Shen Que suppressed all his anxiety and calculations, neither deliberately pandering nor intentionally provoking confrontation. Given Sheng Qixiao’s level of cunning, the more he flattered and complied, the more vigilant Sheng Qixiao would become. It was better to keep things as they were and wait until he lowered his guard; only then would Shen Que have a chance to make his move.

Sheng Qixiao also stopped forcing Shen Que to do anything, resuming his previous harmlessly gentle appearance and taking meticulous care of Shen Que. It was as if the person who had threatened Shen Que with gu poison, manipulated him with illusions, threatened his companions’ lives, and tightly confined him to this small piece of land, was someone else entirely.

A layer of gauze seemed to lie between the two of them. It was too thin to hide each other’s true faces, yet just enough to filter out the conflicts and disputes that could shatter their fragile balance. What remained were only the occasional, subtle attempts to test each other as their probing gazes gradually softened the sharp edges they each carried.

After several days of peace between them, Sheng Qixiao, who was worried that Shen Que might be bored, proactively suggested taking him for a walk in the woods outside the village. Shen Que agreed without a second thought.

However, the gloomy skies that had lingered for several days finally broke into rain. The next morning, a light drizzle began to fall, pattering against the roof and eaves, creating a steady, crisp sound.

The two snuggled up under the porch, leaning against each other while watching the rain curtain blur the distant mountains. In the courtyard, the flowers and plants that Shen Que couldn’t identify swayed and bobbed repeatedly beneath the patter of the raindrops. The air was filled with the unique mixed scent of soil and plants, and Shen Que’s mood miraculously calmed down.

The mountain wind was always so cool, carrying the moisture of the rain, making it especially cold when it blew against the body, but he was leaning against a stove. Sheng Qixiao’s hands were very cold, but his embrace was always warm, perfectly dispelling the chill. Even Shen Que’s heart softened considerably in this intersection of cold and warmth.

He hadn’t wanted to be so close to Sheng Qixiao at first, but the gurgling sound of the rain made it seem as if the only warm quietness in the world was under this single eave. His tense body slowly began to relax.

The flames of anger and resentment, which had been continuously burning in his heart, seemed to have been unknowingly weakened by the rain.

Shen Que leaned his head into the hollow of Sheng Qixiao’s neck, drawing in Sheng Qixiao’s warmth and scent with his breath.

He was very clear that he actually didn’t hate Sheng Qixiao that much. Even he himself couldn’t understand why, after Sheng Qixiao had committed so many seemingly unforgivable acts, something deep within him still seemed to be drawn toward him, quietly and unknowingly wearing away at his hatred.

Was it because he had approached him with the intention of using him from the start, and eventually succeeded, that paying this kind of price was reasonable?

Shen Que shook his head. He felt that this wasn’t the case, but he decided to just treat it as if it were.

He was too lazy to delve into it. He would just treat it as a high-cost transaction: he got the mother Gu, and in return, he lost his freedom, and perhaps some other things, things he was temporarily unwilling to ponder over as well.

The rain showed no intention of letting up. Instead, it only grew heavier, pouring continuously for an entire day and night. Naturally, their travel plans had to be put on hold.

The two fell asleep amidst lightning and thunder. The bamboo forest outside the house emitted a burdened whimpering sound in the downpour.

In his sleep, Shen Que vaguely sensed something icy cold falling onto his face, trickling along the lines of his features before slipping into his collar and vanishing.

He groggily wiped it, it was water.

Shen Que slowly opened his eyes and found the space beside him empty. A faint trace of the other party’s warmth still remained beneath the covers.

The curtains were blown open by the wind squeezing through the slightly ajar window crack. A small lamp was lit on the low cabinet nearby, emitting a faint glow, not bright, but enough for Shen Que to see the situation inside. The roof was leaking, and what had just dripped onto his face was water leaking down from upstairs.

Shen Que rolled out of bed, only to discover that a thin layer of water had already accumulated on the floor. The floorboard near the window had somehow split open into a small, inconspicuous gap, and most of the water was seeping in through there.

Shen Que took the lamp and pushed the door open. The warm light followed his movements, first revealing the large, connected patches of water stains spreading across the living room floor. The entire room was filled with dampness.

He looked up and scanned the doors on both sides. The rooms that Old Qiu and the others had lived in, along with the room he had previously stayed in, were all still locked.

Ever since Sheng Qixiao had moved him to the master bedroom against his protests, he had immediately locked these two vacant rooms. At this moment, the scene inside was probably similar.

“Sheng Qixiao!” Shen Que tentatively called out twice, receiving no reply.

The rain was too heavy, and the occasional lightning cutting across the sky, accompanied by thunder, was particularly disturbing.

Shen Que frowned, held up the lamp, and walked out. The kitchen door was open, but Sheng Qixiao was not inside.

Where did he go?

Shen Que raised his voice and called out twice more, but the sounds were drowned out by the rain. The reply he got was even more violent thunder. A strange emotion surfaced in his heart, and for some reason, an inexplicable sense of panic suddenly washed over him.

Before, no matter where Sheng Qixiao went or what he did, he would essentially tell him beforehand. He had never disappeared without a word.

Shen Que proceeded up the stairs to the third floor. The wooden stairs were soaked through with water, their color darker than usual.

The accumulated water on the third floor was deeper, almost submerging the tops of his shoes. Shen Que stood at the stairwell entrance, looking at the figure squatting by the wall not far away.

“Sheng Qixiao.”

The figure paused, straightened up, and turned to look at him. The fleeting discomfort in his eyes was well-hidden in the dimness, while his voice was slightly muffled by the sound of the rain.

“Did I wake you up?”

Shen Que didn’t speak. He stepped into the water and walked toward Sheng Qixiao. Before the words of warning could leave his mouth, Shen Que had quickly reached Sheng Qixiao.

Only then did he realize that the roof above had several large holes, and rainwater was pouring straight in through the gaps.

“I don’t know since when did the roof break open.” Sheng Qixiao looked exceptionally disheveled. His thin pajamas were drenched through, sticking tightly to his body and revealing the contours of his muscles. His hair was soaked as well, with water dripping from the strands, making him appear especially miserable.

“It wasn’t leaking before; it will be fixed soon.” He continued to explain as if afraid Shen Que would disdain his small building for being too dilapidated.

A hole was somehow chiseled into the wall by his feet, and the accumulated water was frantically draining out.

Shen Que looked away. Of course, he knew it hadn’t been leaking before.

All this was the handiwork of Gang Zi, who, a few days earlier, had secretly brought Ah Chao up here to vent his anger. He knew the mountain’s rainy season was approaching and had sworn that even if it didn’t drown Sheng Qixiao, it would also cause him some trouble.

Shen Que understood that he hadn’t taken part in it, but he hadn’t tried to stop it either. In a way, he had tacitly supported Gang Zi. He simply never expected the consequences to arrive so quickly, or that he would end up caught in them as well.

“There’s water downstairs too.” Shen Que awkwardly reminded him.

“En,” Sheng Qixiao responded, his voice calm and steady, “I wonder who cracked the floorboards too.”

Shen Que cleared his throat lightly, “Are there any extra buckets or basins in the house?”

“Yes.”

The two went downstairs and found all the containers in the house that could hold water before placing them where the rain was leaking to catch it.

For a moment, the house was filled with clanging and ringing sounds everywhere, even drowning out the rain outside the door.

Both of them were completely drenched with their hair plastered to their foreheads, looking a bit comical and yet possessing a sense of shared destiny.

“Sheng Qixiao.”

Hearing the call, Sheng Qixiao turned around, holding a ceramic jar.

Click. With only three percent battery left on his phone, Shen Que captured a photo of Sheng Qixiao at his most disheveled.

The air was momentarily frozen. Sheng Qixiao’s expression was blank for a few seconds. He stared at Shen Que, noticing the faint smile at the corner of his mouth; one that Shen Que himself hadn’t even been aware of.

In the end, he merely raised an eyebrow very slightly, said nothing, watched Shen Que feign indifference while putting away his phone with the screen off, and turned back to continue his unfinished work.

After a night of chaos, the house was finally filled with a symphony of water droplets and various ceramic pots and jars.

In the end, at Sheng Qixiao’s suggestion, the two of them moved to the small herbal room and spent the night sleeping on a makeshift bed laid out on the floor.

The small herbal room was raised one step higher than the rest of the ground floor and was not flooded.

The two of them squeezed onto the small, plain floor bed, sharing the same quilt as they lay together.

Their bodies nestled together almost habitually. Shen Que had his back to Sheng Qixiao, clearly feeling the familiar body temperature coming from behind him.

This has become the norm for the two of them over the past few days.

Shen Que once heard someone say that habit is a terrifying thing, seeping into every inch of the body’s flesh and blood like chronic poison.

It was exactly like that now.

To Sheng Qixiao’s touch and embrace, he went from initial resistance to slowly accepting it, and then to being accustomed to it.

Shen Que closed his eyes, listening to the even breathing beside his ear. Sleepiness swept over him, pulling him into a chaotic dream.

He didn’t know when the day broke, nor when the rain stopped.

Shen Que suddenly opened his eyes but did not immediately get up; he hadn’t yet recovered from the nightmare.

His heart was beating fast and heavily, almost ready to burst through his chest the next second.

In the dream, he returned to the days shrouded in poisonous fog. Sheng Qixiao had Old Qiu pass a message to him, saying he was out on business and didn’t return until late at night.

Shen Que would never forget that day. After feeling uneasy for a long time, he ultimately ventured into the poisonous fog to search for Sheng Qixiao, only to accidentally fall into the underground cave.

In the dream, he returned to that day as an observer.

He watched himself, who had been about to go out and look for Sheng Qixiao, retreat. He heard his inner voice persuading himself that Sheng Qixiao was not worth risking his life to find.

Before he could turn around and head upstairs, a light suddenly emerged from the fog. A voice called out to that version of him again and again, ethereal yet unmistakably clear. He then followed the voice like a marionette, stepping back into the fog as it guided him toward the temple. He even made his way inside, only to trigger a trap and plunge into the underground cave.

The scene in the dream and the development of the actual situation were not very different.

But the details were fragmented and quite different. He did not willingly step into the fog; rather, he was bewitched by something within it.

Shen Que blinked. He now felt somewhat unable to distinguish whether the scene in the dream was reality, or if his initial memory was the truth.

He didn’t even know why he was having such doubts. Could he really be confusing reality and dreams?

However, the version of himself in the dream, who was lured into danger by an unknown force, felt more like his true self than the one in his memory, who disregarded his own safety out of concern for Sheng Qixiao.

Nevertheless, regardless of the version, every detail involved felt real enough.

The suffocating feeling of falling into the cave in the dream still gripped him. His thoughts were a mess. Subconsciously, he felt that this dream might not be groundless, but was foreshadowing something.

He instinctively moved to get up and confront Sheng Qixiao, wondering if Sheng Qixiao’s constant provocations were actually driving him toward schizophrenia.

The moment he prepared to get up, he saw a dark blue cloth bag tucked under the cabinet. As if by an irresistible impulse, he reached out for it.

Opening the cloth bag revealed a large bundle of luminescent butterfly herb that had already been dried and carefully processed. The amount he and Sheng Qixiao had gathered from Silver Moon Valley at the time was much less than half of this.

He looked up at the medicine rack. He remembered that one small box on it contained the ‘trophies’ they had brought back from Silver Moon Valley after crossing several mountains.

His temples throbbed twice, followed by a sudden, needle-sharp stab of pain.

Shen Que wiped his face. He didn’t feel surprised or incredulous. Instead, he felt a sense of relief, thinking that this was exactly how it should be.

Sheng Qixiao had lied to him, he had been lying to him from the very beginning.

He simply remembered that day on the way to Silver Moon Valley, when he had looked at the butterfly-like, beautiful, and kind-hearted Miao youth, and his heart had skipped a beat for a moment.

And that feeling even extended into many moments afterward.

But thankfully, even the many subsequent moments were only fleeting.

The room door was pushed open, letting out a creaking sound.

Sheng Qixiao stood outside the door fully dressed, looking as if he had just returned from outside.

His gaze first settled on Shen Que’s face. As though he had noticed something, his eyes slowly shifted downward, finally landing on the cloth bag lying open on the floor. His lips parted soundlessly, but for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Shen Que didn’t look at him, but silently tied the cloth bag closed and tucked it back under the cabinet as if he had never discovered anything.

Having done all this, he stood up, straightened his clothes, said nothing, and turned sideways to bypass Sheng Qixiao and walk out.

Sheng Qixiao grabbed his arm, “Shen Que…”

Shen Que gently pried his fingers open one by one extremely slowly, yet extremely firmly. His voice was icy and calm, “There’s no need for any further excuses, is there?”

The question about the dream that he had originally intended to ask Sheng Qixiao about was now impossible for him to bring up.

Shen Que returned to the second floor. The clear air after the rain mixed with a lingering chill rushed into his lungs. The small building had been completely “cleaned” and was exceptionally tidy, having been tidied up by Sheng Qixiao.

If not for the remaining wet stains on the floor, he might have even thought that everything from last night was also a dream.

The sound of the courtyard gate opening called back Shen Que’s thoughts.

Ke Di stood far away at the entrance of the courtyard. At some point, Sheng Qixiao had already arrived beside him. After exchanging glances with Ke Di, he turned to look back at Shen Que.

“The elders need to see me. Ke Di will keep you company today. I might be back very late, don’t wait for me.”

Shen Que gave a careless “en.”

“Ke Di’s cooking is quite bad; bear with it for a day.”

Ke Di, who was at the foot of the stairs, froze mid-step as he was about to go up. “…..”