T.N: The wedding night is here (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
Chen Kai was focusing on catching eels. Occasionally, he would look up at the two people hugging on the hillside, feeling his teeth grow sour.
The wind blew in the middle of the night. Shu Ran pushed Xu Shen and said: “You tell Brother Kai that we’ll go back first. It’s a bit cold.”
Xu Shen: “Okay.”
Back then, it was normal for people to go out and fish, even in the middle of the night. The catch was abundant, and Chen Kai waved his hand and told them to leave quickly. Just let him be, and don’t hinder his work!
The road back home was too cramped to walk side by side, holding hands. Xu Shen walked in front, opening the path, while Shu Ran followed him. “Why don’t I carry you?” Xu Shen kept on looking back and asking.
Shu Ran was speechless: “I really don’t need it…” he mumbled.
It was around 10 o’clock when they arrived back home. Zhou Hui was waiting for them and said as soon as she saw them enter the house: “I boiled some water. Go take a shower.”
Xu Shen immediately turned around and told Shu Ran: “You wash first. I’ll bring the bucket to you.”
Zhou Hui stopped rubbing her hands and looked at Shu Ran sluggishly. This… Wasn’t Xu Shen too polite?
“Sister, have you already washed?” Shu Ran tried to distract her attention.
“I have, and there’s enough water left for you two. Brother Sen and Brother Fan weren’t sure when you’d return, so they went home.”
“Okay.” Shu Ran went upstairs with Zhou Hui. She poked him in the arm and whispered: “You’ll let Xu Shen bring you water? Isn’t that embarrassing?”
“It’s okay. Brother Shen is a good person. He doesn’t care about that.” It was all that Shu Ran could say.
Zhou Hui continued: “Why don’t you go downstairs and wash?” She was too lazy to carry water up and down the stairs, so she preferred the bathroom downstairs.
Shu Ran frowned and was not very happy. A lot of people used that place. If he had a choice, he’d prefer to wash upstairs. “The bathroom on the second floor is cleaner.”
Of course, Zhou Hui knew this, but since when was her brother so delicate? The conditions they had at home were far worse than here.
“Fine, it’s up to you.” Zhou Hui continued and asked: “Where would you sleep tonight?”
There were three rooms upstairs, with one of them being a utility room. The guest rooms were all downstairs, but Xu Shen’s brothers often stayed over. The pillows and quilts were not clean.
Shu Ran was stunned, feeling he couldn’t hide anything from Zhou Hui. He said vaguely: “It’s fine anywhere. I’m afraid of the heat, so I’ll borrow Brother Shen’s electric fan.”
Zhou Hui: “…That works…”
If Xu Shen was willing, what else could she say?
“Uh-huh.” Shu Ran was about to enter the room when he heard Zhou Hui ask: “What’s wrong with your neck? There are red spots on it.”
Shu Ran hurriedly covered his neck with his hand and hesitated: “A mosquito bite. It’s quite severe.”
Fortunately, Zhou Hui didn’t think too much: “Okay, pay attention and wash it with soap.”
…………
Shu Ran didn’t have any spare clothes for the night. All he had was either already worn, or daytime attire. He opened the wardrobe and looked at Xu Shen’s undershirts. When he came upstairs, Shu Ran asked: “Can I wear one of your shirts to bed?” It was fine paired with some shorts.
Xu Shen nodded: “You can do whatever you want and use anything in this room.” Hearing this answer, Shu Ran smiled at him and went to the bathroom with a handful of his clothes.
“…” Xu Shen wiped the foolish smile off his lips and vigorously rubbed his face to avoid showing such a stupid expression. Shu Ran slept in the big bed at noon, but left the quilts in a mess. Regardless, Xu Shen still felt that he probably liked being clean and organized. After thinking about it, he picked up a new bar of soap from the cabinet and went to the bathroom. “Shu Ran, Shu Ran?”
“What do you want?” Shu Ran opened the door and poked out his head.
“Soap.” Xu Shen handed him the new bar. “You can use this, don’t wash with the old one.”
“Oh, okay.” Shu Ran took the white bar of soap and closed the door.
Xu Shen stood outside the door for a while before returning to his room.
Sitting at the desk where he usually calculated accounts, he turned over a few pieces of draft paper and picked up his pen. He was not working, but writing Shu Ran’s name. The words were correct, but compared with Shu Ran’s flowy calligraphy, Xu Shen felt his looked like some sort of ghost script.
In the bathroom, Shu Ran took the new bar of soap, washed his face and hair, and finally felt clean. The Zhou family was poor and didn’t use soap at all. He was not used to it and constantly felt like there was a layer of dirt all over his body. Now, after taking a shower, his skin was finally slippery and fragrant.
Shu Ran came out of the bathroom refreshed and returned to Xu Shen’s bedroom. While wiping his hair, he told the man: “You can go wash now.”
“Uh-huh.” Xu Shen folded the piece of paper with Shu Ran’s name on it, and stuffed it into a drawer. He then took his own change of clothes and left.
Shu Ran had short hair so it dried easily. Just a quick wipe or some time outside was enough. After taking his shower, Xu Shen saw Shu Ran standing on the balcony. He walked over from behind and gently sniffled the side of his ear. “You smell good.”
“It’s the smell of soap. Don’t you smell the same?” Shu Ran was worried that Zhou Hui might bump into them, so he quickly pulled his body away from Xu Shen. “Brother Shen, let’s go inside.”
“Okay.” Xu Shen let go of him and walked back to his room. During this time, he kept looking back at Shu Ran, as if afraid the boy wouldn’t follow him.
Shu Ran’s palms were sweaty. The moment he entered the bedroom and closed the door, he heard his heartbeat reach its peak.
The room was not small, but Shu Ran felt it was full of Xu Shen’s smell everywhere, filling his mouth and nose. It was the same soap fragrance that also covered his body, a smell that he couldn’t hate. For a second, he had the illustration that it was Xu Shen himself that he couldn’t hate. Shu Ran didn’t have time to dwell on his changing feelings, as Xu Shen pulled down the curtains and closed the lights, making him feel like prey waiting to be eaten in the dark.
“Brother Shen…” Shu Ran whispered. “My sister saw the back of my ear. I lied that I was bitten by an insect. Please be careful.”
“Okay, I’ll pay attention.” Xu Shen’s tone was enchanting and he called him gently: “Shu Ran, my wife…”
“Hmm…” Shu Ran held his breath and answered. He realized that he always made this little nasal noise whenever Xu Shen called him that.
“We got married today…if you also call me, I’ll be very happy.” Xu Shen kissed Shu Ran’s face with a hint of begging in his words.
Xu Shen was never like this in front of outsiders. Shu Ran knew that he appeared easy to coax only for him. He tilted his head and refused to say it. Xu Shen’s lips followed the corner of his eyes, whispering continuously: “Please, my dear wife, call me.”
Only if he admitted it, could Xu Shen be at ease. But it was of no use, as Shu Ran wanted to be stubborn. He gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut, but Xu Shen kept coaxing with the gentlest tone, kissing him and teasing his body with his hot palms. Soon, Shu Ran gave up and whispered: “Husband…”
Xu Shen heard him and didn’t push too far. He just laughed softly and said: “Yeah.” Then he took off the undershirt that was too big for Shu Ran and walked him to bed.
Slowly removing the barriers between each other, Xu Shen lowered his head and, under the dim light, kissed Shu Ran’s heart with great devotion. Each caress on his body made his Adam’s apple roll involuntarily.
“Shu Ran, baby…” The man’s voice was full of passion, completely different from his normal voice during the day. Sure enough, Shu Ran’s scattered mind conjured this thought, it’s those who look serious on the surface that bring the biggest contrast…
Shu Ran raised his head slightly, letting the man worship his body obsessively. He had the unrealistic illusion of love, feeling that Xu Shen treated him like a true lover. Despite this, Shu Ran knew that the scope of his willfulness was limited. No matter how much Xu Shen cherished him now, he would still torment him tonight.
“Brother Shen, please be nice to me…” Shu Ran’s lips trembled slightly, letting out a few weak and gentle sounds.
“Don’t worry.” Xu Shen answered: “I won’t hurt you.” But it was bound to be somewhat hard. He frowned slightly and told the truth: “It will be a little uncomfortable at first, I won’t lie to you.”
“Have you done it with others…” Shu Ran hoped he was better than a novice, or at least had some battle experience.
“No.” Xu Shen had never tried it but had plenty of imagination.
Shu Ran felt restless and wanted to ask more questions, so Xu Shen took his hand and led him to find the answer. The boy immediately closed both his mouth and his eyes, wanting to die on the spot. That way, he could escape being tortured to death later.
“Ugh…” Shu Ran’s answer was just a feeble whimper.
Outside the window, clouds crossed the surface of the moon, and they quickly moved with the passing of time.
Shu Ran’s mood was complicated. He kept his head tilted, with red and pitiful eyes, unwilling to look at Xu Shen’s face. The man was dripping in hot sweat, playing with him in various ways, like a primitive and insatiable beast. Occasionally, a few frames of his face flashed before Shu Ran’s eyes. He looked stunning, his young face full of emotions that made Shu Ran’s heart beat like a caged bird. Maybe that’s why he didn’t dare to look at him.
Xu Shen thought Shu Ran was shy and let him avert his gaze. He was terribly satisfied with everything right now. Not only was Shu Ran willing to get close to him, but he also regarded him as his husband. At this moment, their hands were intertwined, with palms facing each other. Xu Shen felt he was already in the land of gods and he would never forget this night.
The electric fan was whirring at the end of the bed, but the wind it sent could not extinguish the hot air in the room. The pillow behind Shu Ran’s head was wet with sweat, making him wish to lie in a bucket of ice.
At ten past two in the morning, Zhou Hui got up and realized the lights were still on in their room. Shaking her head, she was unable to understand what two grown men were still doing, awake at this hour. The door of her room was a bit old, making a groaning sound as soon as she opened it.
Xu Shen stopped moving when he heard the sound, gently covered Shu Ran’s mouth, and whispered: “Your sister.” The two of them held their breaths, waiting for Zhou Hui to go back to her room before they could let down their guards. Being almost discovered didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. Twenty minutes later, Shu Ran started begging for mercy in a hoarse voice, saying all kinds of good things. There was no need for Xu Shen to beg him now. “Brother”, “husband” and everything else, he just opened his mouth and the sweet words rolled out.
“Okay, I know you are uncomfortable, I’ll listen to you.” Xu Shen said, looking at him with tender eyes. He felt sorry for Shu Ran and didn’t want him to continue suffering.
Unlike Shu Ran who looked like he had lost half his life, Xu Shen’s energy was not affected. “The water in the pot downstairs might still be hot. I’ll prepare the bath for you.”
“Uh-huh.” Shu Ran hummed lazily, his mind unable to make a complete turn. After thinking about it for a while, he said: “Not hot…” But he knew it was too late, and Xu Shen was long gone.
As a result, he opened his eyes and found Xu Shen still standing beside him, looking down with unblinking eyes. “Huh?” Shu Ran wanted to say, “Haven’t you already left?”
With eyes facing each other, his face grew hot for no reason. He muttered: “Not hot, I want cold water.”
“That won’t work.” Xu Shen said. “My dear, you will get sick if you wash in cold water.” With that he didn’t delay anymore, leaving the room quietly.
Shu Ran muttered gently: “So easy to manage…”
After lying down for a while, he wanted to sit up but had to try several times before it went smoothly. Xu Shen soon came up and found Shu Ran waiting for him in the bathroom. He didn’t say much and left to change the bedsheets, leaving space for his wife to relax.
Shu Ran enjoyed the hot bath prepared for him by Xu Shen. The water was just the right temperature, and it must have been boiled again. At that moment, he couldn’t think about anything. He just felt sleepy and wanted to go to bed sooner.
Xu Shen came again to ask him: “Are you all right?”
The concern coming from the door panel made Shu Ran roll his eyes. What was the need to care now? He really loved to torture people. Can’t he just sleep at night? This was Shu Ran’s biggest feeling, and nothing else. He was afraid he’d feel uncomfortable after doing the deed, but the final result seemed to be fine.
After a while, Shu Ran came out. Xu Shen was still standing in front of the bathroom door, silently waiting. Shu Ran dumbly stared at him and quietly pointed at Zhou Hui’s room. Xu Shen smiled and followed him back to the bedroom. Locking the door, he said: “It’s late, go to bed quickly.”
Shu Ran whispered aggrievedly: “You know it’s too late…” He rolled his eyes and asked softly: “How many times have you done it, did you even count?”
“I really didn’t pay attention.” They both got to bed and Xu Shen hugged him from behind, reaching out to turn off the light. Shu Ran wanted to say it was too hot to hug, but he was tired and his eyes felt heavy. He soon fell asleep smelling the fragrance that belonged to Xu Shen, refreshing and clean. He probably also went downstairs and washed.
Xu Shen couldn’t sleep, his mind full of the ups and downs of tonight. Even after doing it three times, he still felt restless, like eating ginseng fruits for the first time. Next time, he thought, next time he will be more careful and it will be even better.
…………
Zhou Hui was used to getting up early and doing housework. Xu Shen’s kitchen had everything, so she started to cook breakfast. It happened that Chen Kai went to collect the cage and brought back some palm-sized crucian carp. She washed it and threw it into the porridge pot, with some chopped onions and ginger. It smelled delicious, and the hungry Chen Kai soon devoured a big bowl.
Zhou Hui said: “I should go call them for breakfast.”
“Don’t!” Chen Kai knew what was going on with the two men. At this hour, they were probably too reluctant to part. It wouldn’t be good if Zhou Hui caught them, so he hurriedly said: “I’ll go, sister, you can eat first.”
Chen Kai soon went upstairs with the bowl still in his hands, stopped in front of Xu Shen’s bedroom door, and knocked on it: “Hey, the sun is shining on your butts! Are you two awake?”
Shu Ran didn’t go to bed until three o’clock last night. He was forcefully awoken, and his eyes felt hot and painful. He jumped and scolded angrily: “Damn!”
He usually didn’t swear, only popping out a word or two when he felt really annoyed, such as right now. In addition to not getting enough sleep, he also felt uncomfortable all over. Shu Ran felt like the only reason he awoke was to kill someone.
Xu Shen also woke up. It was the first time he heard Shu Ran swear and he thought it was funny. “You sleep, I’ll blow him away.” He kissed the boy’s face and got out of bed to deal with the idiot outside.
He left in a hurry, only putting on a pair of trousers from the floor. He opened the door and stared at Chen Kai, lightly saying: “What are you yelling for? Are you stupid?”
Chen Kai also starred, his eyes patrolling Xu Shen: “Brother, so wild?”
Xu Shen followed Chen Kai’s line of sight and realized he had forgotten to put on a shirt. There were scratches left all over his chest and back, as well as a few light tooth marks here and there.
The difference between being married and single was suddenly reflected.
T.N: Based on the comments left on the original novel, it seems that the author went back and changed the wedding night scene with a censored version. There’s one MTL on the Internet where this chapter is longer, with more details, and I think that’s how the scene was originally supposed to be. Anyway, I chose to translate a mix of both versions because I think it’s sweeter like this, and I ended up with one hell of a long chapter 🙂
