TSMITB Chapter50

Pushing open the small, movable section of the eaves caused the wind and rain to rush in together. Ice-cold water droplets instantly dampened Shen Que’s thin clothing.

It was pitch black outside. Borrowing the light of the occasional flash of lightning that tore across the sky, he could vaguely see the cold iron chain swaying back and forth in the wind, clanging and rattling.

Shen Que stood on the wooden ladder for a long time. Rainwater mixed with the lingering cold sweat trickled into his collar, sending waves of chill through him. He did not climb any farther. With a blank expression, he closed the skylight, shutting out the storm, then moved the ladder back to where it had originally been.

It’s too dark outside, and it’s raining. It’s too unsafe. Shen Que rationalized to himself.

Sheng Qixiao might wake up soon. He couldn’t risk being the first to break this hard-won peace and lose the vigilance Sheng Qixiao had finally lowered for an unknown path, which he wasn’t sure led to safety or death.

Shen Que wiped away the annoying water droplets on his face. The hair on his forehead was damp and clung to his skin, so he brushed it back, smoothing it into the rest of his dry hair.

Only then did he manage to glance at the room, which was not unfamiliar. The wind and rain did not diminish the bitter smell of herbs inside. Sheng Qixiao’s desk was tidily organized as always, but Shen Que felt that something was missing.

Unable to figure it out, he simply gave up thinking about it. He had never been able to fully understand anything about Sheng Qixiao anyway.

The moment the door closed, Shen Que’s back unexpectedly bumped into a broad chest. Hot, damp breath sprayed against his ear, “Can’t sleep? Why did you come here?”

The slightly hoarse but calmly affectionate voice scattered in the darkness, transforming into an invisible yet pervasive shackle that firmly locked Shen Que in place.

Shen Que’s hand clenched tighter around the doorknob, the veins on the back of his hand standing out.

“Are you cold? Why are you trembling?” Sheng Qixiao held Shen Que’s shoulders and turned him around. Deep scrutiny was hidden beneath his gentle expression, as he subtly examined every nuance of Shen Que’s face.

Shen Que suppressed the inexplicable panic in his heart and looked up at him. Sheng Qixiao’s face appeared particularly soft in the dim light, carrying the lazy demeanor of someone who had just woken up.

A smile, seemingly “from the same source,” appeared on his lips. Shen Que answered with a question instead as if genuinely confused, “I remember there was an incense burner on your desk. Why is it gone?”

“You must be mistaken.” Sheng Qixiao’s eyebrow twitched imperceptibly. The probing tone in his voice faded away. “Let’s go back to sleep.”

“En.” Shen Que bypassed Sheng Qixiao and led the way downstairs.

The wooden ladder by the low wall lay silently. The color on the slightly narrower side of its top was relatively deeper. Sheng Qixiao’s gaze lightly swept over it before he followed Shen Que’s steps.

When the sky was faintly bright, the entire village was awakened by a series of loud noises, immediately followed by confused clamor.

Shen Que was momentarily stunned as if transported back to the night the temple caught fire during the Moon Glazing Festival.

Sheng Qixiao immediately put on his coat and left the house. After a short while, he returned to the room covered in the chill of the outside.

Shen Que sat up with him, “What happened?”

“A landslide occurred on the south side of the village.” Sheng Qixiao told him the general situation while dressing.

Landslides are not uncommon during the rainy season, but for some unknown reason, they were particularly severe this year.

Several small buildings near the south mountain wall were smashed by the cascading rocks, turning into ruins almost instantly.

Seeing Sheng Qixiao’s grave expression, Shen Que didn’t press further. After a thought, he pulled back the quilt and prepared to get up. Before natural disasters, humans were equally insignificant; he wanted to help.

Sheng Qixiao glanced at him indifferently and then pulled the quilt back over him.

“Get some more sleep. Don’t worry about anything else.”

After speaking, he left the small building in a rush.

It was still early, but Shen Que could no longer sleep.

The misty gray rain curtain was still densely woven outside the window. Countless messy footprints tracked across the winding small path. The thought of leaving, long dormant in Shen Que’s heart, stirred with the sound of footsteps, nourished by the rain, and began to grow without limit.

Sheng Qixiao was gone for half a day, only returning around noon with clothes stained with semi-dry mud.

Back in the small building, Sheng Qixiao’s eyes swept across the empty room. When he did not see Shen Que right away, his heart sank almost instantly. He raised his foot to head to the third floor but turned at the stairway entrance.

Xiao Pao, who was hanging upside down from the roof beam, pointed towards the kitchen with the tip of his tail.

Intermittent chopping sounds came from the kitchen.

Sheng Qixiao didn’t hesitate for a second and immediately pushed the door open.

Shen Que was wearing a plain apron, standing sideways to the kitchen door, seemingly struggling with something on the cutting board, his cheeks puffing out from his tightly clenched jaw.

Shen Que is still here.

This realization allowed Sheng Qixiao to breathe a slight sigh of relief. His lifeless heart sprung back to life.

Hearing the movement, Shen Que looked up and offered a perfunctory greeting.

Sheng Qixiao slowly walked closer, “Are you cooking?”

“En, I was worried you wouldn’t have time to eat. I was planning to make it and take it to you.” Shen Que didn’t have any excessive reaction and continued his struggle with the potato on the cutting board.

“What’s in the pot?” Sheng Qixiao’s gaze passed over the “shredded potatoes” on the cutting board, each strip thicker than a middle finger, before settling on the cold, tightly sealed iron pot beside it as he asked.

“Rice,” Shen Que looked back, then remembered something, and touched the tip of his nose awkwardly, “I think I forgot to light the fire.”

Sheng Qixiao sat down on the small stool behind the stove, skillfully picked up the flint and dry kindling, and started a fire.

With a “crack,” the orange-yellow flames leapt up, illuminating a face that was rarely so bright.

Before long, white cooking smoke drifted into the air from the chimney, and the heat from the stove drove away the moisture that seeped into the kitchen from outside the window.

“How are things over there?” Shen Que asked casually while styling the potatoes.

“The situation is not too bad.” Sheng Qixiao’s voice passed through the gurgling steam escaping from the pot, sounding softer and more peaceful to the ear. “Two people were trapped underneath, but they were rescued this morning. Others have varying degrees of injuries. We still need to clear up the area over the next few days.”

Shen Que nodded, “Then be careful.”

His action of adding wood paused. Sheng Qixiao looked at Shen Que, feeling a fleeting sense of simple happiness. There was no arguments, nor complicated entanglements of love and hate.

After lunch, Sheng Qixiao prepared to go out.

Shen Que made a motion to get up and follow, but Sheng Qixiao disagreed.

“The mud and rocks are still sliding down the mountain. It’s dangerous and the area is a complete mess, so don’t go outside for the next few days.” Sheng Qixiao’s gaze lingered on Shen Que for a moment. After a brief thought, he spoke to caution him, “Shen Que, be a little obedient.”

The words sounded familiar to Shen Que. His lips moved, but he didn’t reply.

He watched Sheng Qixiao leave. Once his figure had completely disappeared from view, the calm expression on Shen Que’s face fell away like a mask.

Xiao Pao, who was originally curled up on the roof beam, was nowhere to be seen. Shen Que searched the small building and couldn’t find him, so he felt reassured enough to go to the third floor.

Shen Que climbed up the wooden ladder, pushed open the skylight, then braced himself with his hands and quickly climbed onto the roof.

The rain had stopped mid-morning, but everything as far as the eye could see was still soaking wet.

Shen Que crouched down, tightly clutching the chain connected to the mountain face opposite.

It was only then that he realized it wasn’t an iron chain at all, but was interwoven from some kind of plant vines.

After testing its toughness, Shen Que climbed onto the vine without hesitation, moving outward little by little. The plant vine, soaked by the rain, was slippery and still dripping water.

He hadn’t planned to escape today; he was just taking the opportunity to scout the route, intending to be quick and return before Sheng Qixiao noticed.

If this truly was a viable path off the mountain, he wouldn’t set off immediately either.

The rain hadn’t completely stopped, and he didn’t want to be buried under mud and rocks.

The moment he touched the rock face, an invisible chill quietly emerged, and his heart suddenly began to pound uncontrollably.

Shen Que seemed to sense something and looked back, “……”

Sheng Qixiao was half-crouching at the end of the chain, his expression dark, having watched him for an unknown amount of time.

Seeing him turn his head to look, he finally spoke, “Where are you going?”

The sudden fright caused his heart, which was pounding hard enough to burst out a second ago, to abruptly halt for an instant.

Shen Que quickly withdrew his gaze and recklessly scrambled onto a protruding rock. However, his foot suddenly slipped, and the sensation of falling instantly struck him.

The instinct for survival made him burst out with astonishing strength. Just in time, his hands desperately caught hold of a thick tree trunk that stretched diagonally above his head. Cold sweat instantly drenched his back.

He dared not look back again.

He knew Sheng Qixiao wouldn’t listen to his explanation.

Panic blocked out all his reason, leaving only one final thought.

Run! He absolutely had to run!

Shen Que climbed upward desperately by using both hands and feet and leveraging the branches. He awkwardly scrambled onto the rock face, accelerating his pace toward the mountain top.

The rain had softened the mountain, leaving the soil loose and muddy, so nearly every step sank deep into the ground. More and more mud clung to the soles of his shoes, increasing the weight, and every step became incredibly difficult.

Shen Que ran forward while constantly looking back, unable to stop himself. Compared to his desperation, Sheng Qixiao was practically strolling, leisurely closing the distance between them.

Seeing him look back, a smiling arc seemed to lift the corner of his mouth, his lips opening and closing, “Shen Que, why are you running?”

Shen Que quickly retracted his gaze, reminding himself to run faster and that he absolutely could not be caught. The next moment, his foot stepped onto a loose rock, causing him to immediately lose his balance.

As the world spun, Shen Que tumbled down the muddy, slippery slope. Sharp rocks and protruding branches violently struck his body.

With a sharp “crack,” agonizing, bone-deep pain shot through his lower leg and knee.

“Ah!” An irrepressible cry of pain escaped from Shen Que’s mouth.

He kept tumbling awkwardly downward until he finally landed in a slightly flatter hollow, his entire body covered in mud, water, and dead leaves. His clothes had been ripped in several places, while his left leg was twisted at an extremely unnatural angle. The excruciating pain caused his vision to blacken, and cold sweat streamed down him uncontrollably.

He recovered for a while before opening his eyes. What met his gaze was the figure of Sheng Qixiao slowly approaching.

Every step the cunning hunter took was measuring how to best enjoy his prey.

Without a moment to think, Shen Que gritted his teeth against the pain and forced himself upright, dragging his useless left leg behind him as he continued trying to run.

Sheng Qixiao, however, didn’t give him the chance. His heavy footsteps sank into and crushed the wet mud as he advanced one step at a time, finally stopping before him and casting another shadow over him.

Before he could react, Sheng Qixiao raised his hand without warning and casually pushed him outward. With hardly any force, he knocked him back to the ground.

Sheng Qixiao looked down at Shen Que, seemingly oblivious to his painful expression. He stepped forward again, ruthlessly forcing his way between Shen Que’s tightly pressed legs before planting his foot directly on Shen Que’s left knee and slowly, deliberately grinding down on it.

Only then did he speak leisurely to ask, “Why are you running?”

“Where do you want to go?”

In those pale color eyes, there was no blame, no questioning, only a superficial “concern.”

Shen Que was in too much pain to speak. He desperately clutched Sheng Qixiao’s leg, but he couldn’t budge him in the slightest.

The fury brought on by the unbearable pain, combined with the humiliation of once again being forced into such a vulnerable position, completely overwhelmed the guilt he felt at being caught. “Get lost!”

Sheng Qixiao complied, withdrawing his leg as he silently looked down at Shen Que’s wretched state; his body covered in mud, his clothes torn in several places, and his pale face twisted almost beyond recognition by pain.

His chest rose and fell heavily once. A deeply complicated expression flickered through Sheng Qixiao’s eyes, resembling the profound emptiness left behind after anger had burned itself out, or perhaps the coldness concealing a pain he was desperately suppressing.

He didn’t understand. Why did Shen Que have to hurt himself so badly before he would stop?

Just as he didn’t understand Shen Que’s insistence on leaving him.

Going home, leaving.

These are actually two contradictory words.

Shen Que’s home is right here beside him; leaving him means leaving home.

Why can’t he ever understand this point?

In this world, aside from Sheng Qixiao, there was no one left who truly loved Shen Que.

But Shen Que didn’t know.

He had to choose a good day to let him know.

Sheng Qixiao thought this to himself.

He stopped speaking, bent down, and, with movements that were not gentle, lifted Shen Que’s entire body onto his shoulder.

His injured leg hung limply. His soft abdomen was painfully pressed against the hard bone of Sheng Qixiao’s shoulder. There was no part of Shen Que’s body that didn’t hurt; the pain had even sapped his strength to resist.

The journey was silent.

Sheng Qixiao carried Shen Que back to the small building and, without a trace of pity, directly dropped him onto the cold, hard floor.

His injured leg hit the ground first. Even though Shen Que bit his teeth tightly, he couldn’t suppress a cry of unbearable pain. “What the hell are you doing!”

The only remaining cowardice was catalyzed by the pain into a blazing anger and grievance. Coupled with Sheng Qixiao’s perpetual calm demeanor, Shen Que’s audacity inflated.

He had secretly developed emotions akin to disappointment.

He was injured, and Sheng Qixiao was treating him so roughly without any intention of comforting him at all…

But he didn’t delve into why he automatically assumed that Sheng Qixiao should feel sorry for him either, and that Sheng Qixiao should stop being angry with him just because he was hurt.

Perhaps sensing his emotional accusation, Sheng Qixiao looked down at him and explained thoughtfully, “Your clothes are dirty. I don’t want to get the bed dirty, and I won’t have time to change the sheets later.”

Shen Que’s thoughts were moving painfully slowly. The intense pain had dulled his ability to think, and even by the time Sheng Qixiao returned with warm water, he still hadn’t understood what that sentence meant.

Sheng Qixiao crouched down, gently and meticulously wiping the mud from his hands and face, and silently changed him into clean clothes.

The atmosphere was eerily quiet.

The pain in his leg had become numb. Shen Que barely managed to spare a thought for Sheng Qixiao’s mood.

“I was just bored, and a little curious, I wanted to see what was up there. I wasn’t thinking of anything else.”

Unfortunately, a nonsensical, dry explanation could not earn him a single glance from Sheng Qixiao.