Chapter 32.2
“Strike the bell, kneel, and bow once.”
They both knelt as the bell’s sound echoed through the hall.
Yu Le’s legs felt weak. In his peripheral vision, he could see Lu Yao. As Lu Yao bowed and knocked his head, Yu Le followed suit, feeling disoriented.
His palms rested on the mat, and the swirling incense smoke made his palms soft, tightening his throat.
No one had told him he would have to perform these rites with Lu Yao…
“Rise.”
“Strike the bell, kneel, and bow twice.”
Yu Le’s movements were awkward. Lu Yao reached out to support his arm, his hand gripping slightly and trembling.
“Rise.”
“Strike the bell, kneel, and bow three times.”
“Ritual complete. Sing the extended chant and collect the burning incense.”
Lu Yao lifted Yu Le once more and carried him behind the Buddha statue. Exhausted, Yu Le lay on Lu Yao’s shoulder. He glanced up and saw the Mountain God, imposing and fierce, watching him from a high position. Behind the mask, there was a faint hint of benevolence.
It felt less like a groom and more like a witness.
Yu Le lowered his head, hiding his face in Lu Yao’s shoulder. The red veil was so translucent that it even tinted his ears.
In the courtyard surrounded by red walls, there were three massive pine trees. Beneath them were stone tables and benches with dried mugwort placed on top.
Lu Yao set him down, removed both his mask and veil, and they stood before a stone table. A monk lit the mugwort, then extinguished it, using the smoke to cleanse them from head to toe.
“Amitabha, thank you for your hard work. Have a safe Dragon Boat Festival.”
“Happy Dragon Boat Festival.”
Yu Le, calming his heartbeat, whispered to Lu Yao, “Is it over?”
Lu Yao, to make things easier, wrapped the veil around the horns of his mask. “Yes, it’s over.”
It was much simpler than Yu Le had imagined, and he sighed in relief. He could finally lift the troublesome hem of his robe.
“Can we go down the mountain now?”
He was barefoot and felt a bit hot in the long robe and sleeves, especially since his shoes were still with Wen Yuan.
But clearly, Wen Yuan wasn’t the only one waiting at the gate.
So, as Yu Le was about to return the way they came, Lu Yao pulled him back by his arm. “Do you want to take a different path?”
Yu Le asked, “Huh?”
Lu Yao suggested, “Another way down the mountain passes by a mountain stream where we can wade through the water.”
Wade through water?
Yu Le was tempted: “But my shoes…”
Lu Yao said, “Wear mine.”
Unable to resist the temptation, Yu Le was quickly persuaded by Lu Yao to take the small gate at the back and head down the mountain.
He didn’t actually take Lu Yao’s shoes, the bluestone path was very clean after the recent rain. Walking barefoot was comfortable and cool.
The air was filled with the scent of fresh grass, soil, and wildflowers. The cicadas chirped lazily, and the air was perfumed with a gentle, tranquil aroma. Even breathing felt leisurely.
In such a comfortable environment, Yu Le relaxed completely, fanning himself with Lu Yao’s mask and casually chatting, “Why does the Mountain God bride have to be a man? Wouldn’t the Mountain God be angry if deceived?”
“That’s an old legend.”
Lu Yao had just finished sending a message to Wen Yuan and put away his phone. “Back then, girls were actually sent up the mountain to become brides of the Mountain God. Once they entered the mountain, they would disappear, and no one knew if they were truly taken by the Mountain God.”
“Later, a family didn’t want to send their daughter to suffer, so her brother volunteered to go in her place. Dressed in bridal attire and wearing a veil, no one realized he was a man.”
Yu Le asked, “And then?”
Lu Yao explained, “After one night, he came down the mountain unharmed. The only thing he lost was all his memories from that night. The next year, the weather was still favorable, and the Mountain God was not angry.”
Yu Le understood, “Because people noticed that girls would disappear when sent, but boys did not, and the Mountain God wouldn’t be angry. It was a win-win, so later the ritual changed to sending boys.”
Lu Yao nodded.
Learning never stops, and Yu Le gained more understanding.
After about twenty minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the mountain stream Lu Yao had mentioned.
The upstream was a narrow stream, and downstream was a clear pool of water. A stone path led across the pool to the opposite shore. The water was reflected in a clear green by the overhanging tree branches and the moss-covered stones, revealing the bottom clearly.
Dragonflies fluttered around on the water surface. As Yu Le approached, the breeze carried a hint of water, feeling light and cool.
His clothes were cumbersome, so Yu Le took them off and carefully stepped into the water in shorts, only to find that the water was deeper than he had expected, reaching above his knees.
“This deep? The water is too clear.”
“Be careful of slippery stones underfoot.” Lu Yao remained on the stones by the edge, holding Yu Le’s hand as they moved forward.
In the middle of the pool, Yu Le chose the cleanest and flattest stone to sit on. He noticed that the depth varied between the side he had walked on and the other side, which was a different depth.
Yu Le said, “This side is over my knees; the other side must be up to my neck.”
Lu Yao estimated, “About that.”
Yu Le got his pants wet from the splashes. He set the mask aside, bent over, and poured water over his face and arms, feeling the coolness make him shiver with goosebumps.
“It feels great! I almost want to jump in and swim.”
His clothes also got wet, and under the sun, they became dazzlingly bright.
Lu Yao’s gaze brushed over Yu Le’s slender shoulders and waist. “Just thinking about it is enough. The mountain water is cold and can easily cause a cold.”
“I know, I was just saying it casually,” Yu Le smiled, “I didn’t bring any clothes, so I don’t want to go back drenched.”
Having tired of wading in the shallow water, Yu Le turned to test the deeper water and looked down to see if there were any fish.
“Yu Le,” Lu Yao suddenly called, gently stirring the water with his fingertips.
“Hmm?” Yu Le didn’t look up. “What’s up?”
“If you suddenly discover…” Lu Yao started but then fell silent.
It was rare to see him hesitate, and Yu Le found it curious. He turned to look at him. “Discover what?”
Lu Yao seemed to be contemplating seriously but eventually just smiled casually. “Nothing.”
If he didn’t want to say, Yu Le wouldn’t press further. However, being close, Yu Le noticed the paint on Lu Yao’s face. “Can this, can it be washed off with water?”
Paint can’t be washed off with just water, so Lu Yao replied, “I’m not sure.”
Yu Le, secretly twisting his wet fingers, reached out and wiped a bit. “It doesn’t seem to come off; maybe you need to use a towel or something?”
He had his eye on the available towel.
“Let’s try this.” Yu Le turned to grab the veil, but the place where the mask was tied came loose, and the mask was flung into the deep pool.
“!”
Yu Le jolted, reaching out quickly but missed. The mask floated along with the current, swaying and about to sink.
In a moment of panic, he considered jumping in to retrieve it—
Splash.
Someone jumped into the water faster than him.
Two seconds after the water surface had been submerged, Lu Yao emerged, wiping the water from his face and holding the mask high.
Yu Le, with water dripping from his head, stared in surprise. “You, you just jumped in?”
The water was just below Lu Yao’s shoulders. He walked through the water to Yu Le and handed him the mask. “Don’t plan to jump in and get wet when you don’t want to get back wet, right?”
Yu Le reached out to take the mask, but his gaze was drawn irresistibly to Lu Yao’s face.
After rolling in the water, the paint on Lu Yao’s face hadn’t come off at all. His deep, sculpted features were perfectly matched with the bold colors. The water and light made him dazzlingly radiant.
Water droplets constantly slid down his brow and spread out into widening ripples around him.
Yu Le’s throat moved. It seemed like these droplets weren’t just landing on the water surface.
With a thought, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
He gripped the mask tightly and, taking advantage of Lu Yao’s momentary distraction, suddenly pushed off from the stone and jumped in.
The splash was high, and before he even touched the bottom, Lu Yao’s quick reflexes had him lifted up.
Yu Le clung to Lu Yao’s waist, his hands on Lu Yao’s shoulders, grinning brightly. Before Lu Yao could scold him, he spoke first, “Since I’m so righteous, I can’t let you get wet alone, can I?”
Lu Yao, with water dripping from his face, found himself helpless. He wanted to say something, but Yu Le suddenly bent down to help him wipe the water away, his mouth curved upward, staring directly into Lu Yao’s eyes.
“Lu Yao,” he lowered his voice, as if whispering a secret to the surrounding mountains, trees, and cicadas.
Lu Yao looked up at him, his arm tightening slightly, and his voice softened. “What?”
Yu Le said, “Just now in the Mountain God Hall, with all the rituals and the ceremonial officer overseeing everything, it felt like I really married you.”
His eyes were bright, clearly showing embarrassment, but his words were so honest and straightforward that Lu Yao was almost overwhelmed.
“I was really nervous back then, my heart was racing.”
“Just like now.”
