Chapter 49.1
The bathroom window was also left slightly ajar. From where Yu Le was, he could see the curled-up Shui Cai and Da Huang sleeping together under the eaves of the wood shed.
Warm water dripped down from overhead, with droplets trailing down from his brow and falling off his nose. Yu Le had his chin lifted, his head tilted back, and the droplets and his lips were kissed together.
The faucet in the bathtub was turned on. As the water flowed in and gradually increased, the sound of it falling changed from loud to muffled.
Lu Yao’s kiss was gentle, like every time he brushed away fallen flowers from his head. It was like the wind and rain of the night, intertwining as they passed over mountains and rivers, rooftops and treetops, tangling far away in the vastness of the world.
In the end, the wind and rain both stopped in the courtyard among the hydrangeas filled with cold dew. The moist soil was covered with fallen petals, the ground soaked with rain, and the fragrance was everywhere.
The warming air slowly rose, gradually accumulated, and expanded until it filled the small space, only to be blown away by the wind peeking through the window gap.
The humid chill passed over. Occasionally, a fleeting clarity would appear in Yu Le’s eyes, but it would vanish the next moment.
The water vapor that condensed between his eyelashes gradually turned into droplets that rolled into his eyes. Yu Le blinked uncomfortably, looking up at the light. The light made his gaze unfocused, and his brows furrowed tightly.
Confusion and disorientation, he was trapped in a nightmare carefully woven by his beloved.
The water vapor, refracted by the light, displayed countless rainbow colors in his pupils, dazzling with brilliance.
Yu Le was dazzled, unable to see the person in front of him or the veins on his forehead that were throbbing from restraint.
The wind brushed past the roof ridge and rested momentarily before climbing up the eaves. It jumped over each piece of green tile lightly and slowly, as if afraid of breaking them, creating a delicate and soothing melody accompanied by the sound of the sudden rain.
Under the gentle assault, the defenses of his heart, having learned from past experience, were silently lowered to the minimum.
The bathtub was filled with water. The water, slightly cooler, slowly submerged up to his chin. Yu Le tilted his face and rested his head in his palm, every pore relaxing and expanding in the water.
Unnoticed, the warm water was slowly being heated.
Someone timed it perfectly, and the suppressed storm was gradually released between compliance and non-resistance.
Yu Le had stayed in his comfort zone for too long, and was unaware of what was happening. It was only after a while, when he realized, that he found himself unable to escape the nearly boiling water.
He had slipped from shallow waters into the depthless sea. The creatures lurking at the bottom were no longer satisfied with his slow descent. They used powerful tentacles to encircle him and, with irresistible force, dragged him almost violently towards the sea floor.
Once everything became uncontrollable, Yu Le tried hard to open his eyes and say something, but before he could form complete thoughts, they had already shattered.
The bottom of the bathtub was too slippery. His feet kept slipping, and his toes and knees repeatedly hit the hard ceramic edges.
Lu Yao kissed away the streams of tears falling from him… his voice deep and hoarse, “Did it hurt?”
Yu Le closed his eyes and couldn’t speak. His shoulders shrank, turning his head, and the streams of tears created ripples on the water’s surface.
As the wind blew and the rain poured in through the window, Yu Le finally left the cramped and scorching water.
What he thought was the end here was only the beginning.
The rain outside the house was heavier.
Dark clouds loomed above, accompanied by intermittent flashes of lightning. Huge raindrops pounded the ground, like pearls scattered across the world, echoing through the mountains and rivers.
The gale roared through the curtain of rain, rampaging, causing the lush canopy of the locust tree to sway and struggle. With no place to hide, it could only endure the devastation, and the leaves and flowers fell helplessly to the ground.
The most vulnerable treetops were bent to an extreme loneliness, as if the next second, they would be snapped in half if the fierce wind did not relent.
This mountain rain had been brewing for too long.
Days of clear weather had accumulated too much upward airflow, making the rainstorm grow stronger with each passing moment, its sound echoing through heaven and earth, seemingly endless.
In contrast to its grandeur, the sound of the copper bells outside was weak and lacking in momentum. Occasionally, one or two sounds would struggle to drift into the room, carefully entering the listener’s eardrums.
Yu Le turned his head, the light refracted through his tears creating an array of dazzling, strange colors in his eyes.
As the howling wind passed over the roof ridge, he was gently kissed on the palm.
The flickering shadows of candles in the corridor indicated that the noisy night was still long.
When the first light of dawn came into the mountains, the sensation of gentle rubbing around his waist had disappeared.
Yu Le, slightly frowning in his restless sleep, soon fell into a deeper slumber due to exhaustion, unable to open his eyes.
When he was awakened by a gentle touch on his face, the sun was already approaching its zenith.
“Be good, have something to eat before going back to sleep.”
Lu Yao sat by the bed holding a bowl of millet porridge that had cooled.
Yu Le was still sleepy, his vision only vaguely capturing Lu Yao’s outline. He sat up, was fed the porridge, and lay back down to continue sleeping, never fully opening his eyes.
Footsteps came and went. Yu Le vaguely felt the blanket over his legs being lifted, and when his knees were held, he was startled by the touch.
He turned his head and grabbed Lu Yao’s wrist, opening one eye in fear.
Lu Yao looked up at him, the scene reminding him of when he last carried him to the bathroom.
The little cat was at its limit, trembling with every casual touch to its cheek. When it encountered water again, it looked at him with a pitiful, pleading gaze, silently protesting.
“Don’t be afraid, it’s okay.” Lu Yao comforted him softly, “Just applying medicine, nothing else.”
Yu Le was reassured by this promise. Exhausted and tired, he didn’t ask how Lu Yao planned to apply the medicine, and with a nonchalant attitude, he closed his eyes again and fell asleep.
The sun slowly rose. By the time Yu Le fully slept and woke up, it was already past noon. The room was dark with the curtains drawn, and he was alone.
Having slept so long, his head felt unclear. He turned over, hugged the blanket, and took a moment to wake up before propping himself up.
Not knowing if it was because someone had been helping him massage his waist and legs during the later part of the night, he didn’t feel much discomfort. There was just a slight lightness in his feet, but it was still within tolerable range.
He opened the door and went downstairs. There was no one in the yard, only Da Huang lying under the tree, swaying its tail, stretching lazily, almost falling off the stone.
“!”
Yu Le was startled and hurriedly went to catch the not-so-agile cat. He then noticed a pet nail clipper next to Da Huang.
He held Da Huang’s paw and glanced at it, realizing the task of clipping the cat’s nails had been left halfway through.
Had someone been interrupted?
He muttered about the unfinished task and decided to sit on the stone, holding Da Huang in his arms and continuing the job of trimming its nails.
When Lu Yao returned, Yu Le was still holding Da Huang’s hind paw, without looking up, “Where did you go? Why did you leave the task half-done?”
“There was someone looking for me outside, so I went to help.”
Lu Yao came over. As he finished speaking, he placed a dry, slightly cool back of his hand on Yu Le’s forehead.
Confirming that his temperature was normal, Lu Yao then touched his face, “Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
The weather was nice after the heavy rain, and the fragrance of the morning dew seemed to be detectable. Lu Yao’s hand felt comfortably cool against his skin, possibly because it had just been in contact with water.
Yu Le comfortably squinted his eyes and pressed his face against Lu Yao’s palm, absorbing his warmth. “No.”
Lu Yao’s eyes softened, “Are you hungry?”
Yu Le said he was a bit hungry and suddenly remembered. “By the way, Aunt Zhang said she was going to make boiled meat today, right?”
Lu Yao saw through his intention, “That won’t work today. We’ll have something light. If you want spicy food, I’ll make it for you in a couple of days.”
Yu Le was a bit disappointed but still nodded obediently, “Alright.”
Having spent the whole morning sleeping, Yu Le was still somewhat lacking in energy due to slight discomfort, hugging the cat in a submissive and obedient manner.
Lu Yao watched him for a while, then gently lifted his chin with his knuckles and placed a light kiss on his brow, “Sorry, my dear.”
Yu Le was taken aback, smiled slightly, and gently squeezed his arm, “It’s okay.”
“Hey, you’re photographing someone!”
A voice from the door attracted both of their attention. They turned to see An Xiaoya holding a jar of wine at the courtyard entrance, her face flushed. A young girl who looked like her classmate stood beside her.
Lu Yao withdrew his hand appropriately, straightened up, and asked, “Is there something wrong?”
Yu Le also looked up.
“Um,” An Xiaoya stammered, calling out to Lu Yao, “This is the new wine from my family. My dad asked me to bring it for you to try.”
Lu Yao walked over to take the wine: “Thanks.”
“It’s nothing.” An Xiaoya’s gaze darted around, sometimes looking at Lu Yao and sometimes unable to avoid glancing at Yu Le.
The scene under the tree just now was too stunning, and she hadn’t fully come back to her senses.
Seeing them standing still, Lu Yao asked, “Is there anything else?”
An Xiaoya cleared her throat and wanted to say no, but her classmate spoke up first, “Yes, yes, yes, um, I, I have a question.”
She held the camera carefully, her eyes full of expectation: “Boss, your yard is so beautiful. I accidentally captured you and your friend while I was taking pictures. Look at this…”
Lu Yao wasn’t concerned, “It’s fine.”
The girl’s smile brightened immediately, “So, does that mean I can keep it and not delete it?”
Lu Yao nodded.
“That’s great! Thank you, Boss! You’re really kind! I wish you all the best this year—wealth and prosperity, everything you wish for, and getting rich overnight…”
“Shut up.”
Before she could finish her blessing, An Xiaoya was dragged away.
