DLMSWSHH Chapter 49

TL: hua

Chapter 49: First Snow

Seeing him, Zhong Ming’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

It had been a while since they last met, and the injuries inflicted on him by Shen Weinian and his group had mostly healed. Most of the scratches on his profile had closed, leaving only faint red marks. The rest of the purple bruises had also faded, leaving only a hint of light blue at the corner of his eye.

His eyes were slightly narrowed, and his gaze remained hazy. It seemed that due to his high myopia, he hadn’t noticed Zhong Ming’s arrival.

The young man extended his sturdy arms and wrapped them around the tree trunk. He lifted a foot, his white sneakers pressing against the tree as he tried to find leverage in a depression in the bark. Zhong Ming saw the muscles in his arms tense as he pushed himself up, but just as he was about to scale the tree, his foot slipped, and he fell backward onto the ground.

With a heavy thud, Zhong Ming saw dust rise from the grass.

“Ugh—”

The young man’s pained groan followed. He seemed to have taken a hard fall. It took him a good while to slowly crawl up from the ground. Zhong Ming saw him sit cross-legged on the grass, looking up at the high-hanging branches and scratching the back of his head, seemingly at his wit’s end.

It was only then that Zhong Ming spoke: “What are you doing here?”

Startled by the sudden voice of another person, the young man jumped. He whipped his head around, visibly relaxing when he saw the newcomer was Zhong Ming.

He stood up from the grass and gave Zhong Ming a shy smile, wiping his hands on his jeans.

The jeans were light-colored, and as soon as he wiped them, two black streaks were left on the fabric. The youth looked instantly embarrassed; he glanced at Zhong Ming, appearing somewhat flustered as if he didn’t know what to say.

Zhong Ming watched him without a word.

The youth swallowed and said, “Hello, I am Kim Won.”

He spoke in Mandarin. Zhong Ming narrowed his eyes imperceptibly.

As if sensing his confusion, Kim Won proactively explained: “I am half-Chinese, half-Korean.”

He gave an awkward smile, revealing a row of straight, white teeth.

“My mother is Korean, and my father is Chinese. My Mandarin isn’t very good.”

Zhong Ming’s expression remained cold. He lowered his eyes noncommittally: “I didn’t ask you that.”

Kim Won froze, then seemed to suddenly remember the corpses still dangling from the branches behind him, and his expression turned frantic. He glanced at the bodies, then back at Zhong Ming. He took a step to the right, as if trying to shield them from view, attempting to use his body to block Zhong Ming’s line of sight.

But his body was clearly insufficient to hide the gruesome scene behind him. Kim Won realized this too; his footsteps paused, and he looked at Zhong Ming hesitantly.

“Aren’t you afraid? If you’re scared, please don’t look.”

His tone was gentle, his brow slightly furrowed in worry. He clearly didn’t think such a terrifying scene was suitable for a lady to witness.

Zhong Ming: “…”

This nonsensical dialogue was beginning to irritate him.

Zhong Ming lowered his eyes, gave a soft sigh, and stepped forward a few paces, looking up at Kim Won.

“I am asking you,” he emphasized his tone, “what are you doing here?”

As Zhong Ming stepped in front of him, Kim Won’s breath hitched. Seeing the maid’s exquisite face at such close range, he felt that this person’s face wasn’t even as large as his own palm. He was dazed for a moment before snapping back to reality.

“I—” He pursed his lips, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, then turned his head toward the swaying corpses on the tree. “I… want to take them down.”

Kim Won lowered his eyes, his mouth tightening.

He had a high bridge to his nose, and the lines of his profile and jaw were clear and delicate. Ordinarily, such features would make a person look aggressive, but his crescent-moon-shaped eyes softened the sharpness of his facial lines. Combined with his gentle aura, though the word isn’t often applied to men, Kim Won’s appearance could even be called pure.

Kim Won brought his gaze back and smiled at Zhong Ming: “Unfortunately, I’m not very good at climbing trees.”

Zhong Ming remained noncommittal and turned his face to look at the corpses. They swayed from the treetops, their hands having already turned a bluish-white.

After a long pause, he turned back and said to Kim Won: “Kneel.”

Kim Won was stunned, thinking he had misheard: “What?”

Zhong Ming raised his eyes, finding it a bit exhausting to talk to Kim Won. He repeated: “I said, kneel down.”

A moment later.

Kim Won had his head lowered, hands resting on his calves on either side of his shoulders. He didn’t dare grip Zhong Ming’s legs directly, yet he was afraid the other would fall off him, so he could only clasp his hands together, hovering them loosely against Zhong Ming’s suit trousers.

“B-be careful.”

Zhong Ming sat on Kim Won’s shoulders, using both hands to untie the hemp ropes looped around the corpses’ necks. An instant later, with a dull thud, a body hit the ground stiffly, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Move left.”

Zhong Ming ordered in a cool voice.

Kim Won followed every instruction, obediently taking a step to the left.

Zhong Ming untied the rope from the next corpse’s neck.

Kim Won kept his head down, the muscles in his arms bulging. Listening to the rustling sounds above his head, he didn’t dare look up. In truth, it was nothing; the maid wasn’t wearing a skirt today, and they weren’t in any intimate contact. Even so, as Kim Won thought about it, a pink flush spread across his fair skin, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his temples. Fortunately, he didn’t have to dwell on it for long; Zhong Ming’s movements were efficient, and soon, all four corpses were removed from the branches.

Kim Won couldn’t see exactly what was happening, but he heard four dull thuds, so he asked: “Is it done?”

Zhong Ming lowered his eyes, looking at the four corpses lying face down on the ground, then shifted his gaze to Kim Won’s thick, fluffy black hair.

“Miss?”

Receiving no response for a while, Kim Won’s voice carried a hint of confusion.

In the next instant, he suddenly felt the weight on his shoulders shift, suddenly toppling backward. It was as if Zhong Ming had abruptly lost his balance for some unknown reason.

“Bang!”

With a dull thud, they both fell to the ground. In the weightless sensation of losing balance, Zhong Ming briefly closed his eyes.

Once he made contact with the ground again, Zhong Ming reopened his eyes and looked at the young man he was pinning beneath him.

“Ugh—”

Kim Won let out a muffled groan. He lay on the ground, seemingly having hit his head, his expression pained. Zhong Ming was kneeling on top of him, his knees pressed against the youth’s firm abdomen. With Kim Won acting as a human cushion, he wasn’t injured.

Kim Won’s right hand was still hovering protectively at his side. After a brief moment of dizziness, he opened his eyes and immediately looked at Zhong Ming.

“Are you alright?”

Zhong Ming lowered his eyes, shook his head, and stood up to walk to the side.

Kim Won took a breath and pushed himself up with his elbows, letting out a pained hiss. Zhong Ming watched him intently, paused, and then said: “Thank you.”

At this, Kim Won’s eyes lit up, and he said, almost flattered, “It’s nothing. As long as you aren’t hurt.”

That said, he glanced at the corpses taken down from the tree and complimented Zhong Ming: “You are very brave.” He hadn’t expected Zhong Ming to have such nerve, even if his methods were a bit rough.

Zhong Ming didn’t respond. He lowered his gaze and said: “Let’s bury them.” Zhong Ming turned around. “I’ll go get a shovel.”

“Ah, wait.”

Hearing this, Kim Won called out to him. He turned and walked into the nearby woods, picking up two shovels from beneath a tree trunk.

“I took them from the storage room earlier.” He smiled at Zhong Ming and handed him one. “No need to make another trip.”

Zhong Ming’s footsteps paused. He turned back, his gaze lingering on Kim Won’s face for a long time.

Kim Won smiled at him and lowered his head: “I wanted to bury them… regardless of what happened, letting them hang from the tree like that is just too cruel.”

As he bowed his head, something flashed by.

Zhong Ming looked over and saw a necklace hanging from Kim Won’s collar; a small cross glinted in the sunlight.

Zhong Ming paused, then stepped forward and took the shovel.

The soil had become hardened as the temperature dropped, making digging particularly laborious. Fortunately, although Kim Won seemed clumsy, he possessed a great deal of strength; in no time at all, he had dug a shallow pit. Zhong Ming’s role gradually shifted from digging to moving the excavated soil aside to prevent it from falling back in and refilling the pit.

Once the pit was deep enough, Kim Won moved the corpses inside.

The one lying on top, with the buzz cut, had his eyes open. His clouded pupils could no longer reflect the color of the sky. Zhong Ming lowered his eyes, shoveled some dirt, and sprinkled it over the man’s face.

As time passed, the sun gradually emerged from the clouds, and the early winter sunlight, lacking much warmth, sparsely bathed the two of them.

The muscles in Kim Won’s arms tensed beneath his white T-shirt as he lifted the shovel, covering more dirt over the buzz cut, obscuring the tattoos on the corpse’s arms with soil.

Due to the physical labor, fine sweat broke out on his temples. As he shoveled, Kim Won made small talk with Zhong Ming: “Are you also a Christian?”

As if afraid of a misunderstanding, Kim Won explained: “I saw a chapel behind the mansion.”

Zhong Ming glanced at him but didn’t answer. Kim Won didn’t seem to mind the coldness; he smiled gently and withdrew his gaze.

The two continued to fill the pit in silence. Shortly after, the pit was leveled. Kim Won plucked a small bouquet of white daisies from somewhere and placed them on the surface of this new grave.

Zhong Ming stood half a step away. He watched as Kim Won knelt on one knee before the grave, pulling the necklace from his collar with his right hand. He lightly pressed the cross to his lips and whispered a sentence in Korean.

Zhong Ming understood the phrase; it should have been, May the Lord be with you.

Just then, Zhong Ming suddenly felt a tiny, cold sensation on the tip of his nose. He froze and looked up to see a few flakes of snow falling from the azure sky.

The valley had welcomed the first snow of winter.

Kim Won was also stunned. He raised his head amidst the swirling snowflakes, looking around in surprise before turning back to smile at Zhong Ming: “What a coincidence.”

A few flakes of snow landed on his fluffy black hair. Kim Won’s expression was soft as he looked at Zhong Ming through the thickening first snow, with the forest and the continuous mountain range behind him.

If this scene were captured from a first-person perspective, it could probably be edited straight into an idol drama.

Zhong Ming narrowed his eyes slightly.

The overall aura of Kim Won complemented the gentle, early snowfall perfectly. Under the hazy light, his cheeks seemed to give off a faint shimmer. Standing up from the ground, he tucked his crucifix into his collar with a sense of solemnity and said to Zhong Ming: “Come to think of it, I still don’t know your name.”

Kim Won’s voice was somewhat constrained, like a high schooler approaching a girl he liked for the first time. He stole a glance at Zhong Ming, lowered his head slightly, and murmured, “Might I have that honor?”

His voice was soft and his attitude humble. The slight bend of his torso lessened the oppressive feeling of his tall frame.

Zhong Ming’s eyes were cast down, his thick lashes trembling slightly.

In the next instant, he looked up, his eyes reflecting Kim Won’s handsome face, and he said abruptly: “I am not a woman.”

His expression was calm and his tone indifferent; he appeared entirely composed. Yet, a trace of chill seeped out from somewhere: “You can drop the act.”

He had clearly caught Kim Won off guard.

The young man’s expression froze in bewilderment. His eyes darted down in surprise, lingering for a beat on the hollow of Zhong Ming’s throat hidden by the shirt collar, before glancing toward his suit trousers in confusion.

However, he quickly regained his senses, realizing the hidden sarcasm in Zhong Ming’s words. Kim Won lifted his head, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.

“What act?”

Zhong Ming was tired of beating around the bush: “You know what I’m talking about.”

His words were direct enough, yet the expression on Kim Won’s face showed no sign of cracking. He continued to smile gently and raised his hands helplessly, taking a half-step back as if to demonstrate his harmlessness to Zhong Ming.

“I just wanted to know your name.” Kim Won paused, his gaze landing on Zhong Ming’s face, which hit every one of his aesthetic preferences, and carefully chose his words: “Regardless of… whether you are a woman or not, I still want to know.”

Zhong Ming pursed his lips, the corners of his mouth turning down imperceptibly.

The snow showed signs of intensifying. A thin layer of frost gradually accumulated on Zhong Ming’s right shoulder. The dark earth was slowly being blanketed in white; the cold rose in the wind, whistling through the withered trees of the forest with a sound like a sob. The expression on Zhong Ming’s face seemed to grow colder along with the temperature.

Kim Won kept his hands raised. Even he found it difficult to maintain his smile under Zhong Ming’s sharp, piercing gaze.

Just then, the melodious sound of a bell echoed from the direction of the chapel.

It was almost time for breakfast.

The coldness in Zhong Ming’s eyes faltered. He gave Kim Won a deep look, deciding not to say anything more, and turned around to throw the shovel on the ground.

This time, Kim Won did not speak to stop him.

He watched Zhong Ming’s retreating figure and slowly lowered his hands to his sides. His gaze fell on Zhong Ming’s slender waistline, which even the suit jacket couldn’t fully conceal.

Only when the figure became too small to see did the expression on his face fade.

Kim Won lowered his head, his face shrouded in shadow. He reached out with his right hand and swept his fluffy black hair back from his forehead. A moment later, his deep voice drifted through the freezing air.

“…He’s actually a man?”

–

When Zhong Ming returned to the mansion, he bumped into Ye Qing coming up from the basement.

She looked unwell. Her face was deathly pale, with prominent dark circles under her eyes. She appeared dazed, drifting along the wall toward the dining room like a wandering ghost.

Zhong Ming paused and called out to her: “Ye Qing.”

Ye Qing turned around. The moment she saw Zhong Ming, her eyes lit up as if she had found a lifeline. She hurried to his side.

“Mom—Zhong Ming! You’re finally back!” Ye Qing looked shaken and said anxiously, “I’m telling you, yesterday, those players went crazy!”

Zhong Ming frowned at her words. He hadn’t spoken to the servants in the mansion since returning from the town yesterday. A dark shadow flashed through his mind as he asked: “What happened?”

Ye Qing’s face paled, her lips trembling with a hint of terror: “They… they—”

She tried her best to suppress her panic, saying in a shaky voice: “The players who were bullied by those sports students… they all wanted revenge.”

“No one wanted to wait… so, they drove those guys into the forest and started… started—”

Ye Qing seemed unable to find the right word. After a pause, she said: “Hunting.”

Zhong Ming froze at the word. Although Ye Qing hadn’t described any details, the sheer gore and madness behind just a single word hit him like a physical blow.