TSMITB Chapter44

Breakfast, as usual, ended in silence.

Shen Que put down his utensils, stood up, and returned to his room without any hesitation, leaving the hesitant Sheng Qixiao sitting alone.

Gazing at Shen Que’s retreating back, Sheng Qixiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed silently.

Since Shen Que entered the mountain, he had almost always been the one to initiate conversations. Sheng Qixiao was naturally not articulate, and silence occupied most of his life.

In the situation they were in, although Sheng Qixiao had countless thoughts about mending their relationship, he had no idea how to begin the conversation.

Before he could even open his mouth, Shen Que had already sensed it, and with an extremely resolute state of avoidance, pushed his attempts at reconciliation a thousand miles away.

His long, thick eyelashes drooped, casting a heavy shadow beneath his eyes.

Sheng Qixiao took the dishes and chopsticks to the kitchen, washed them clean, and lingered outside Shen Que’s door for a long while. He made several attempts to push the door open but ultimately retreated, turning around and heading up to the third floor.

Xiao Pao, who was utterly exhausted after an overnight long journey, was surely curled up in some corner, resting and recuperating.

The small building became completely quiet.

Shen Que pricked up his ears to listen to the gradually fading footsteps outside the door, and the tension in his body finally relaxed a bit.

He was not one to sit still. After tossing and turning on the bed for a short while, he couldn’t stand it anymore.

He got up and rummaged through the backpack that had been casually tossed in the corner, pulling out his cell phone.

He pressed the screen; the battery was less than half full. He had packed several power banks before heading into the mountains, but by now, only one still had any charge remaining.

Without further hesitation, Shen Que grabbed his phone and the power bank, left the small building, and headed straight for the highest point in the stockaded village.

He had once gotten a signal there. If he was lucky today, maybe he could contact Old Qiu and the others.

But reality always ran contrary to expectations.

Shen Que stayed on the mountaintop for most of the morning, completely surveying every spot on the summit, yet he didn’t receive a single signal.

In the end, he had no choice but to give up, sinking dejectedly against a jutting rock. His eyes wandered aimlessly over the village below before gradually drifting toward the distant mountain range.

The weather today wasn’t good. Looking out, everything was a dreary gray haze; there were no clouds, nor was there a trace of sunshine. The entire sky seemed to have lowered, a sign that it was likely going to rain.

The wind atop the mountain was harsher than in the forest, carrying with it the scent of earth and stone.

The wind battered his face uncomfortably, tossing around Shen Que’s hair, which had grown much longer and gone untended for a long time.

His own clothes were already unwearable. The set he was wearing now was what Sheng Qixiao had rummaged out for him from who knows where earlier that morning.

It was a brand new outfit, and it mostly fit Shen Que.

However, the neckline was slightly too loose, allowing the wind to whistle through it and wrap his entire body in a biting chill.

He had been out for a long time; the numbers representing the time on the screen had advanced by two, but he had no immediate plan to return.

He was genuinely distressed; the feeling of suffocation gradually rising in his heart was close to drowning him.

Must he really stay in this isolated place forever?

The answer was definitely no.

But a deep weariness surrounded him from start to finish. He couldn’t even muster the energy to plan a viable escape.

He had encountered quite a few villagers on his way just now. He kept his head held high, paying no mind to their reactions, yet he couldn’t ignore the feeling of countless scrutinizing eyes fixed on him.

He didn’t know how to define his current relationship with Sheng Qixiao.

Sheng Qixiao had forcibly kept him in these deep mountains against his will.

Under the pretense of love.

Drawing on his moral principles and his insights accumulated over the past twenty-plus years, he found that this behavior wasn’t hard to grasp, nor how truly despicable it was.

What he truly couldn’t accept was that he was the one playing the role of the controlled party, the one stripped of the right to choose.

Sheng Qixiao did not stay in the third-floor herbal room for too long; he always felt a sense of unease. This was because Shen Que was truly not a restless person; he was very prone to wild thinking, and perhaps some unexpected idea would suddenly pop up soon.

Although Shen Que had returned with him, his heart was still elsewhere.

Recalling some fragmented pieces of the outside world that he had just glimpsed through certain special means, leaving one’s “partner” alone was probably not what a so-called “qualified partner” should do.

He had previously spent most of his time thinking about how to make Shen Que stay, or how to prevent him from leaving. Now, regardless of the process, that step has been achieved.

Next, it was time to learn some things that were keeping up with the times.

Before pushing open Shen Que’s door, he stopped and tentatively called out Shen Que’s name twice, hoping Shen Que could feel his “respect.”

Unsurprisingly, he received no response.

Sheng Qixiao was well-prepared, and his mood also remained undisturbed.

But when he pushed the door open, the room was empty. The window stood wide open, and the quilt had been kicked into a crumpled heap at the foot of the bed.

The black backpack lay wide open in the center of the room with almost nothing left inside.

“Shen Que!”

Sheng Qixiao’s voice suddenly rose sharply. He searched every corner of the small building but could not catch sight of Shen Que.

Panic and rage instantly swept over his body. A solid palm fiercely slammed onto the desk, making a deafening sound.

After letting out several long breaths of stale air, Sheng Qixiao finally managed to rein in the savagery in his eyes and recover a semblance of calm. He went out onto the balcony and slowly closed his eyes.

A blue, translucent butterfly fluttered its wings and floated out from Sheng Qixiao’s brow. Its whole body glowed with a cold luminescence, helping him search for Shen Que’s location.

Moments later, Sheng Qixiao opened his eyes, his brow darkening with rising fury. Without the slightest hesitation, he went downstairs and headed straight in the direction of the temple.

Shen Que leisurely basked in the breeze, unconsciously imagining the exasperated expression Sheng Qixiao would wear after realizing he had gone missing.

As he thought, the corner of his mouth curved upward, and he laughed aloud.

But the next second, the smile completely froze on his face.

As if conjured from thin air, Sheng Qixiao had appeared without a sound, standing only a few steps away from Shen Que. He stared at him without moving, monstrous rage churning in his eyes.

Shen Que glanced at Sheng Qixiao’s hands, which were tightly clenched into fists at his sides, and immediately pushed himself up to stand.

He did not attempt to approach Sheng Qixiao; instead, he cautiously took two steps back, his movements expressing complete wariness and vigilance as if he were avoiding a plague.

This action utterly infuriated Sheng Qixiao and shattered his last shred of sanity.

Sheng Qixiao strode forward and grabbed Shen Que’s wrist. The force was so great it seemed as if he wanted to crush Shen Que’s bones, and he pulled him towards himself without question.

“Sheng Qixiao! What are you doing?” Shen Que stumbled as he was yanked. The sharp pain shooting through his wrist gave him the nerve to confront Sheng Qixiao first, his voice full of anger, “What lunatic fit are you having now?”

Sheng Qixiao’s lips were tightly pursed into a straight, cold line. He ignored Shen Que’s questioning, simply holding his hand and walking down the mountain.

Shen Que couldn’t break free and could only be forcefully dragged along while stumbling the whole way, which could be described as utterly disheveled.

“Sheng Qixiao! Let go, goddammit, you’re hurting me!”

Shen Que struggled ceaselessly, but the more he struggled, the more savage the grip restraining him became.

One moment turned into the next, and Shen Que also flared up. “What the hell are you going nuts about now?” He raised his leg, intending to kick Sheng Qixiao, but was grabbed by the back of the collar and turned a corner.

A broad hand pressed firmly against his back and forcefully shoved him into the small courtyard. The gate slammed shut behind him.

Before Shen Que could regain his footing, Sheng Qixiao closed the distance, bent down, seized both his hands in one grip, and without warning, slung him over his shoulder before striding upstairs and into the room without a moment’s hesitation.

With the world spinning, Shen Que only felt his stomach being painfully jabbed. No matter how much he protested, the perpetrator pretended not to hear.

This time, Sheng Qixiao did not take Shen Que back to his room but kicked open the door to his own room instead.

He tossed Shen Que onto the bed that had finally found its purpose without hesitation.

The mattress wasn’t soft. Shen Que was thrown onto it, the impact leaving him dizzy. He shook his head groggily, and by the time his mind cleared, he realized Sheng Qixiao had already pinned him firmly to the bed.

He was lying on his back on the bed, his clothing already somewhat disheveled from the struggle.

Sheng Qixiao braced one hand beside Shen Que, bent one knee, and half-knelt between his legs, pinning him down with the weight of his knee. He leaned in, intending to kiss him.

Shen Que quickly turned his head, bracing himself with both hands while trying to shrink backward.

But Sheng Qixiao had already seen through his trick. He used one hand to grip the back of Shen Que’s neck, and with a slight exertion of force, easily pulled him back.

A familiar kiss claimed his lips. Sheng Qixiao’s scent; a fresh, gentle fragrance of flowers and grass, clean and never cloyingly sweet, flooded his senses.

Sheng Qixiao’s kiss was somewhat urgent, even aggressive at certain moments as if he couldn’t wait to completely swallow Shen Que whole.

The sound of heavy breathing and heartbeats hammered against Shen Que’s eardrums. At some point, a hand had wrapped around his waist, lightly but deliberately squeezing the soft flesh at his side, instantly drawing a startled gasp from him.

Sheng Qixiao took advantage of the moment to enter. His tongue immediately pressed inward, hooking and tangling with Shen Que’s, allowing no retreat.

——————–

Shen Que’s face instantly darkened.

His jaws snapped shut, biting down hard on Sheng Qixiao. In the instant Sheng Qixiao felt the pain, Shen Que gathered his strength and shoved him away.

Immediately afterward, a sharp, clear sound rang out.

A merciless slap was once again imprinted on Sheng Qixiao’s cheek.

Shen Que’s chest heaved heavily, his lips flushed, swollen, and glistening, having been kissed until they were numb. “I’m asking you what the hell kind of crazy fit you’re having now?!”

Sheng Qixiao slowly straightened up, masochistically pressing his injured tongue tip against the hot inner wall of his mouth. He brushed away the strands of hair that had fallen over his forehead, tucking the longer bangs behind his ear. It was as if he had been struck senseless, only coming back to himself after a long while.

Perhaps the dual stinging pain of his tongue tip and cheek restored a bit of his sanity. He mumbled indistinctly, “Next time, don’t run off to a place I can’t find you without my knowledge.”

Shen Que looked up at him. Though physically in a lower position, his demeanor was not weak at all. He held his neck stiffly and sneered, “Why should I listen to you? What the hell are you to me? My feet belong to me, and I can go wherever I want. Do you really think you can control me?”

Sheng Qixiao closed his eyes, and let out a long breath, then adopted a tone of negotiation, “Shen Que, I’m very angry right now. Please don’t add fuel to the fire by saying provocative things, alright?”

Shen Que braced his arms to get up but was forcefully pushed back down onto the bed by Sheng Qixiao pressing on his shoulders. He immediately gritted his teeth and countered:, “Who the hell told you I’m saying provocative things? I’m speaking the truth! I’m completely sick of you! Keeping me in this godforsaken place isn’t enough? Now you want to control where I go as well, is that it? Why the hell don’t you just say you want to chain me to your waistband like a dog, so wherever you go, I follow?!”

Sheng Qixiao stiffened, then frowned and pondered for a moment. Amid his anger, a hint of approval appeared in his expression. “You’ve thought it through well. I’ll listen to you. So, Shen Que, what kind of leash do you want?”

“I prefer your mother!” Shen Que disregarded everything else and raised his foot to kick Sheng Qixiao.

But Sheng Qixiao grabbed his ankle, pulled it underneath him, and forcefully twisted it, making him turn over and lie face down on the bed.

This posture was extremely unfavorable. Fear instantly surpassed the anger in his heart at that moment.

Shen Que swallowed hard, grabbed the bedsheet with his hands, and tried to crawl forward, fighting hard to pull his leg back. However, all of this was futile. He was held firmly in place by Sheng Qixiao, unable to budge an inch.

He felt the fabric of his clothes behind him being lifted, and he quickly threatened, trying to scare off the person behind him with bluster, “Sheng Qixiao, try to touch me, I dare you!”

A cold laugh fell from above his head, “Tell me, what is it I wouldn’t dare do?”

Before the words could fully settle, a muffled sound, carrying the intent of punishment, unexpectedly brought a halt to Shen Que’s struggle, briefly interrupting all his futile struggling and shouting. All movement instantly stopped at that moment.