Chapter 11: Too Embarrassed to Face Anyone
As the sky began to lighten, Qiu Henian and Qingyan had already set off. They used Aunt Li’s large cart, loaded with an assortment of items covered in burlap and secured with thick ropes to the cart’s yoke.
An empty space was left next to the pile of goods, furnished with thick cushions and blankets where Qingyan, bundled up like a ball, sat with his back to Qiu Henian.
His hands, gloved in mittens, were tucked into his chest, and his face was almost entirely obscured by a fur hat and scarf, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes.
As they walked along the village riverside road, the cart wheels creaked over the snow-covered ground. The two of them remained silent along the way.
When they passed the tofu shop, Qiu Henian spent two copper coins on two bowls of hot soy milk. Qingyan took his bowl with a sidelong glance and without a word.
The tofu shop had been open in Liuxi Village for about ten years, but closed during two years of war when the family sought refuge with relatives elsewhere. After the war ended, they returned, unable to stay away from their homeland, and reopened the tofu shop.
Despite the harsh winters and dry, cold springs, the quality of the water made the tofu tender and the soy milk rich and fragrant, highlighting the natural flavor of soybeans.
They had already eaten breakfast at home, and the soy milk was just to keep warm on the journey. By the time Qingyan finished his soy milk, Qiu Henian had already finished his and was waiting by the cart.
Qingyan handed him the bowl, immediately pulling his scarf back up and turning away. Qiu Henian silently took the bowl back to the tofu shop, and they continued on their way.
As they passed Hunter Liu’s house, the old man was already peeking out from his door. When he saw Qiu Henian, his eyes lit up.
“I knew you’d be out today,” he said, calling back into the house, “Erxi, come on out!”
Just as Qingyan was wondering who Erxi was, a large yellow dog darted out from the yard, running circles around the cart and pawing at the cart’s side as if it wanted to jump up and greet him.
Qingyan had been bitten by a neighbor’s dog as a child and had been afraid of dogs ever since. Seeing Erxi about to jump up, he shrank back into the cart, unable to make a sound.
A figure quickly moved to shield him, giving a stern command, “Sit!”
Erxi obediently jumped down and lay on the ground, looking up at the tall man with its tongue out and tail wagging.
Hunter Liu chuckled.
“Don’t be afraid, young man. Erxi is well-behaved and won’t bite.”
Qingyan swallowed hard and nodded slightly. Qiu Henian patted Erxi’s head to calm it, glanced at Qingyan huddled in the corner, and said to Uncle Liu, “Uncle Liu, my wife is timid.”
Uncle Liu waved it off, “I just fed Erxi. She’ll be fine with one more meal tonight.”
Qiu Henian tied Erxi’s leash to the other side of the cart and lifted the handle to set off again.
Qingyan pulled down his scarf to bid Liu farewell.
“Uncle Liu, we’re leaving now.”
His voice still trembled, making the old man chuckle as he waved them off.
Once out of the village and through some wilderness, they reached the foot of the mountain. Qingyan got off the cart and followed Qiu Henian, occasionally helping with the steep terrain.
Their pace slowed considerably as they ascended the mountain. Despite the cold, they were soon sweating, and even Qingyan had to take off his scarf to cool down. Finally, they reached a relatively gentle slope and could take a break.
Qiu Henian took out a broken porcelain bowl to give Erxi water, who drank eagerly. Qingyan stood under a bare tree, watching warily as if Erxi were a wild beast instead of a dog.
Qiu Henian walked over with a water pouch, opening it for Qingyan.
Qingyan took it, drinking a sip.
“The water’s cold; don’t drink too much, or you’ll get a stomach ache,” Qiu Henian warned.
Qingyan handed back the pouch after drinking, watching Qiu Henian take a big gulp directly from it. Qingyan turned away, his face flushed, but then his expression cooled as if recalling something unpleasant. He avoided looking at Qiu Henian and focused on Erxi instead.
Qiu Henian noticed Qingyan’s tense posture and his wary gaze towards Erxi.
“I borrowed Erxi from Uncle Liu to keep you company when I’m not around in the mountains,” he explained.
“If you’re scared, I can keep her in the yard and not let her into the house. The house is safe; wild animals rarely pass by, but it’s just a precaution.”
Qingyan nodded. They couldn’t rest for too long to avoid catching a chill, so after a short break, they continued their journey with Erxi.
The journey remained silent. Qiu Henian wasn’t much of a talker, but the main reason was Qingyan’s refusal to speak. Qingyan was giving Qiu Henian the cold shoulder, though he didn’t know if Qiu Henian had noticed.
The reason for the silent treatment was from last night.
Thinking about it made Qingyan’s face flush again, burning with embarrassment, and he wished he could disappear.
Last night, Qiu Henian came home earlier than usual. They met at the door, Qingyan having just finished cooking pork lard, planning to let Qiu Henian try it. Then he noticed Qiu Henian’s gaze.
He asked why Qiu Henian was back so early.
“Finished work, so I came back,” was the reply.
After that, the air between them grew quiet. The sunset quickly faded, leaving only a sliver of light on the horizon, darkening the surroundings.
Qingyan wasn’t dense. One look at Qiu Henian’s eyes, and he understood. After all, no one would look at him like they wanted to devour him unless…
Both were adults, and they had done it once before. Qingyan didn’t feel offended; instead, his heartbeat quickened.
He slightly tilted his head, his gaze soft, lips parted as if to speak, but a single look seemed to convey it all.
Without a word, Qingyan lowered his eyes, his gaze filled with a spring-like tenderness, turning his head to expose his pale, unguarded neck, signaling submission and invitation.
A large hand reached out, nearing his neck. Qingyan’s eyelashes fluttered like fragile butterfly wings in the wind. He could feel the warmth of the approaching hand and closed his eyes.
“Pop!”
The firewood in the stove suddenly sparked, the sound small but as loud as thunder in the silence.
The warmth near his neck vanished. Qingyan opened his eyes to see Qiu Henian’s tall figure turning away, heading inside.
Qingyan bit his lip and immediately ran forward, taking a few steps to block the man’s path with outstretched arms. The man stopped, the edge of his long robe swaying slightly before settling.
His face was almost completely hidden in shadow, making it impossible to discern his expression. After a brief pause, he tried to step around Qingyan from the side. Qingyan stubbornly shifted, blocking him from the other direction.
The man’s steps halted again.
“Crackle.”
The firewood in the stove was almost burnt out, the remaining sparks flickering faintly. The room grew darker.
The standoff didn’t last long. As the last embers in the stove died out, the man strode forward, bent slightly, and scooped Qingyan up with strong arms, lifting him off the ground.
Qingyan’s heart soared, his skin tingling as it pressed against the man’s hard, hot muscles. He couldn’t help but let out a faint, almost inaudible murmur from deep in his throat.
Then, in the next moment, the world spun, and Qingyan found himself set back down on the ground. Hurried footsteps sounded, and the feeling of being held was abruptly gone.
Qingyan looked up in a daze, only to see the recently closed door.
He stood there, stunned, staring at the door in disbelief.
After a few seconds, he sprang toward it like a crazed rabbit, trying to push it open, but the door had been bolted from the inside and wouldn’t budge.
Qingyan raised his hand and knocked on the door, pounding a few times.
No one answered.
Breathing heavily, his chest heaving, Qingyan was furious.
…
The inner door wasn’t locked for long; soon, Qiu Henian came out dressed in fresh clothes. Since then, Qingyan had barely spoken to him.
In truth, Qingyan wasn’t angry anymore. He understood that Qiu Henian had been exhausted after a long day and had to get up early the next morning to go up the mountain. The timing just wasn’t right. But being rejected was always embarrassing.
Moreover, they hadn’t exchanged any words; everything had transpired in silence. Qingyan could easily convince himself that he had only been teasing his husband.
His actions hadn’t been overly obvious.
Maybe Qiu Henian had thought it was just a joke.
But Qingyan thought, if he hadn’t let out that low, but clearly audible, deeply resonant “hmm” sound, this reasoning would seem more plausible and perfect.
In reality, Qingyan wasn’t giving Qiu Henian the silent treatment.
He was just too embarrassed to face him!
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Qingyan responded with a soft “Mm,” snuggled a bit closer to the person beside him, and soon fell asleep.
