Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Gu Zhangyuan had a frail constitution; even just soaking his feet in the stream made him feel the cold. If he accidentally got his clothes wet, he'd likely come down with a cold.

Gu Zhangyuan was in a good mood, so he turned around and gave Xie Licheng a quick peck on the lips.

He said, "Husband, I want to go into the water to catch fish."

Xie Licheng asked, "Aren't you afraid the water is cold?"

"I'm not scared anymore. Can you support me? I want to go down and catch fish, but I'm afraid of falling in."

Xie Licheng nodded and led him down into the water.

The area they were in had very shallow water—the deepest part only reached Xie Licheng's waist, and the shallowest only reached his calves.

Xie Licheng supported Gu Zhangyuan's waist from the side to keep him from accidentally face-planting into the water. But Gu Zhangyuan's waist was very sensitive, and he felt ticklish whenever Xie Licheng wrapped his arm around it.

Gu Zhangyuan turned back and said to Xie Licheng, "Can you stop holding my waist?"

"Then how am I supposed to support you?"

"You... you can just grab my clothes."

Xie Licheng did as he was told, holding Gu Zhangyuan up like he was carrying a little chick.

Gu Zhangyuan rolled up his sleeves and fumbled around in the water for a long time. Not only did he fail to catch a single fish, but he also got his clothes soaked.

When Xie Licheng carried him back up, Gu Zhangyuan couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

Gu Zhangyuan said, "I think I'm pretty clumsy."

Xie Licheng wanted to say, "You only realized that now?" But then he thought about how this was his husband, so it was probably best not to say that.

Xie Licheng thought it over seriously before speaking. "You're not clumsy. You just don't know the technique yet. I can teach you gradually in the future."

"Really? Then will you bring me here to have fun again in the future?"

He thought this place was indeed quite fun—there were many flowers and plants he had never seen before. Occasionally encountering small animals was also interesting, though those snakes and bugs were a bit frightening.

"Sure, you can come whenever you want."

Gu Zhangyuan was about to say something when he suddenly sneezed.

He was handsome, with a soft and delicate voice, and even his sneezes were more refined than most people's.

When Xie Licheng saw him sneeze, he couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly.

"Take off your clothes and put on mine."

Gu Zhangyuan's body really was frail—he had only been playing in the water for a short while and already caught a chill.

Gu Zhangyuan didn't want to take his clothes off. It was broad daylight, and they were still out in the wilderness.

Seeing his reluctance, Xie Licheng didn't bother arguing with him and simply stripped his clothes off directly.

Gu Zhangyuan struggled a little, but when he realized he was no match for Xie Licheng, he stopped resisting with a look of grievance.

Xie Licheng wrapped him in his own outer robe. The robe was made of coarse linen, and for Gu Zhangyuan's delicate skin, wearing such clothing was pure torment.

He tugged at the clothes on his body, feeling the fabric constantly prickling him, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Gu Zhangyuan said, "I want to go down the mountain. Your clothes are prickling me."

Xie Licheng looked confused when he heard this. How could clothes prick someone? They weren't needles.

He had been a rough man in both of his lives and had worn clothes of all qualities. Because his own skin was thick and tough, he had never experienced being pricked by clothing, so he couldn't understand Gu Zhangyuan's discomfort.

But soon he noticed that the areas where Gu Zhangyuan's skin had the most contact with his clothes had turned red. Clearly, Gu Zhangyuan wasn't lying, nor was he being fussy—he genuinely felt uncomfortable.

Seeing this, Xie Licheng said, "I'll take you back right now."

On the way back, Xie Licheng walked very quickly. He was familiar with the mountain, and his physical condition was better than an average person's, so even carrying someone, he could walk fast.

Soon they returned to the farmhouse. Xie Licheng brought him to the bedroom and found him a set of new clothes.

The new clothes were Gu Zhangyuan's own, so naturally they were much more comfortable than Xie Licheng's.

Gu Zhangyuan clumsily put on his inner garment and was about to put on his outer robe when Xie Licheng came in carrying a bowl of ginger soup.

Seeing this, Gu Zhangyuan asked in surprise, "How did you make the soup so quickly?"

Xie Licheng said, "I made it before and stored two bowls in the preservation warehouse."

Because Xie Licheng had a strong body, he had never really needed ginger soup. It just so happened that Gu Zhangyuan had caught a slight chill today, so the ginger soup was perfect for him.

Xie Licheng looked at Gu Zhangyuan and asked, "Do you want to take a hot bath?"

Gu Zhangyuan took a couple of sips of the hot ginger soup first, then nodded at Xie Licheng.

Seeing this, Xie Licheng got up and headed outside. Gu Zhangyuan quickly spoke up, "I'm a little hungry."

Xie Licheng said, "Go look in the preservation warehouse yourself. I'll heat up some water for you first."

Gu Zhangyuan quickly finished the ginger soup, put on his slippers, and headed toward the kitchen.

Xie Licheng was heating water in the kitchen. When he saw him come out, he said, "Don't be afraid. Those are all meat—ingredients. There's no need to be scared of them."

Gu Zhangyuan nodded and then slowly made his way toward the preservation warehouse.

It was still light outside, so the warehouse didn't look as frightening as before.

He found the pastries from before and also spotted quite a few rare fruits.

Gu Zhangyuan thought for a moment, then went out and brought back two plates.

He took two pieces of pastry, an apple, a peach, and also carried out half a watermelon.

When Xie Licheng saw him bring out a pile of sweet things, he said disapprovingly, "Eating too many sweets will upset your stomach. You should have something savory too."

Gu Zhangyuan set the things down and replied in a small voice, "I know. I just can't carry everything in one trip."

With that, he went back inside again. This time he came out with two meat buns and a portion of crispy fried chicken pieces.

Xie Licheng glanced at the items but still decided to cook him a bowl of hot congee.

Now that Xuan Cui and Yuan Qiao weren't with him, and the nanny who could keep him in line wasn't around either, Gu Zhangyuan wasn't eating properly. Even though his warehouse was stocked with so much prepared food, he had gone in and searched for a long time only to pick out two buns and some fried chicken.

Xie Licheng put the congee on to cook, then walked over to Gu Zhangyuan and took away most of his fried chicken.

Gu Zhangyuan felt a bit annoyed at this, but knowing all this food belonged to Xie Licheng, he kept his displeasure to himself.

He ate in small bites, taking his time, and after a while suddenly spoke up, "I'm staying here tonight. You won't go out in the evening, will you?"

"Not going out tonight."

"What about tomorrow?"

"I'll need to go out tomorrow. Before I leave, I'll take you back to the town."

He'd been in this pocket world for quite a while this stretch, and he had no idea what the situation was like outside now.

"Then don't take me back. Just have Xuan Cui come take care of me instead. I want to get used to being here."

Xie Licheng thought for a moment, then nodded.

After Gu Zhangyuan ate his fill, downing half a bowl of hot congee too, he headed to the room he'd used last time to wash up.

Xie Licheng had cleaned that room up and even built a platform for the tub.

Aside from the tub, the room had a clothes rack, a finely made wooden bath barrel, and a table for odds and ends.

Xie Licheng came with him, filled the tub with hot water, grabbed a change of clothes, and pulled up a small stool to keep watch by the door.

Gu Zhangyuan didn't shoo him off. He left the door cracked and started bathing.

He'd never used a tub like this before—it felt smooth, like porcelain.

Xie Licheng always had weird stuff around—like that flashlight, that solar lamp, and now this tub.

As he soaked slowly, he thought about what lay ahead for them.

Honestly, life was pretty good right now. They couldn't travel much, but things here were real peaceful.

There weren't many folks around, and everyone knew each other, so dealing with people didn't take much effort.

But with so few people—no doctors, no craftsmen, no embroiderers, no taverns—life got pretty monotonous and dull.

Before he could keep daydreaming, Xie Licheng's voice came from outside.

Xie Licheng asked, "Fallen asleep?"

Gu Zhangyuan quickly replied, "No."

"That's good."

Xie Licheng had noticed the noise inside dying down and worried he'd nodded off. He'd told Gu Zhangyuan to take a hot bath to shake off the chill. If he dozed off and the water went cold, it might make his cold worse.

Gu Zhangyuan didn't dare drag his feet any longer. He hurried up, finished washing, and climbed out of the tub.

But with his hair so long and his body still dripping, he got all flustered.

Back in the day, he always had at least two servants to help him bathe. Now, with nobody around, he was scrambling.

He dried off first, then quickly threw on his underclothes.

Then he called out, "Husband, can you help me dry my hair?"

His hair was so long and thick that it was a real pain to deal with alone.

He was also pretty tired today, his whole body feeling soft and limp.

The door soon swung open, and Xie Licheng came in with a big bath towel, plopping it right over Gu Zhangyuan's head.

Xie Licheng dried his hair a bit roughly, and Gu Zhangyuan could barely stay steady, so he grabbed onto Xie Licheng's clothes.

Xie Licheng glanced down at the hand clutching him, then just scooped Gu Zhangyuan up and sat him on the table nearby.

Once his hair was dry, Gu Zhangyuan sat on the table, arms around Xie Licheng's waist, looking like he was about to pass out.

Xie Licheng tossed the towel on the rack and looked down at the guy in his arms, asking softly, "Tired?"

Gu Zhangyuan gave a little nod, and Xie Licheng moved to carry him back to bed.

But right then, Gu Zhangyuan suddenly lifted his head and kissed him on the mouth.

Xie Licheng froze for a second, then decided he didn't want to take him back to bed anymore.

He dipped his head, chasing Gu Zhangyuan's lips for another kiss, then asked in a low, rough voice, "Want me to hold you?"

Gu Zhangyuan didn't catch on right away. He tilted his head and looked at their tangled-up bodies.

Aren't they already holding each other?

Seeing he still didn't get it, Xie Licheng slowly laid him down on the table.

He leaned over him and asked, "Get it now?"

Gu Zhangyuan had a rough idea, but he was too embarrassed to say so. He didn't dare look at Xie Licheng just then—there was something fierce in those eyes.

Figuring he still didn't understand, Xie Licheng reached over and undid two buttons on his collar.

Seeing Gu Zhangyuan just widen his eyes, with no hint of rejection or disgust, he bent down to kiss his thin lips while tugging the open collar off his shoulder.

The tall, sturdy man pinned the pretty young man down on the table—a sight that was downright steamy...

Since Gu Zhangyuan didn't want to go all the way yet, they didn't finish things, just let both of them get a little taste.

That night, when they lay down to sleep, Xie Licheng pulled out a condom to show him and whispered how to use it in his ear.

Gu Zhangyuan, who'd only just gotten a hint of that kind of thing that evening, shyly burrowed under the blanket, not wanting to talk to Xie Licheng.

He figured Xie Licheng was a real scoundrel—even when he'd gotten a little mad in the bathing room, the guy still insisted on yanking his clothes open...

He instinctively touched the spot that had been messed with, and suddenly winced with a sharp little gasp.

He peeked out with shy, delicate eyes and whispered to the guy next to him, "I think I got hurt."

Xie Licheng turned on the light at that, grabbing the lamp and moving to pull back Gu Zhangyuan's blanket.

It was the middle of summer, and he was all wrapped up in a blanket—wasn't he scared of getting heatstroke?

Gu Zhangyuan was too embarrassed to let him look.

He said, "Do you have any ointment? I can put it on myself."

Hearing that, Xie Licheng had a pretty good guess where he was hurt.

After all, it was his fault, so he naturally got up to find the medicine and take good care of him.

Xie Licheng brought in a medical kit and lit another dim oil lamp.

He found two medicated band-aids and dug the man out from under the covers.

Gu Zhangyuan was only wearing a pair of underdrawers, and being suddenly pulled out, he shyly curled in on himself.

Xie Licheng leaned in and planted a firm kiss on his forehead, then began coaxing him gently.

"Okay, I promise I won't mess with you anymore. Come on, let me put these on for you, so you won't feel so uncomfortable when you sleep."

Gu Zhangyuan looked up at him upon hearing this, and only then, reluctantly, let Xie Licheng stick the two band-aids on him.

With them on, they wouldn't get bumped so easily, and having them covered made him less embarrassed.

Gu Zhangyuan asked, "Do you have a mirror here?"

Xie Licheng stood up upon hearing this. He'd collected quite a few mirrors, but since he rarely looked at himself, he hadn't kept one in the bedroom. Now that Gu Zhangyuan asked for a mirror, Xie Licheng got up and went out to find one for him.

Seeing him leave, Gu Zhangyuan quickly grabbed his undershirt, planning to put it on in a moment.

Ever since he'd been with Xie Licheng, he'd gotten a lot rougher around the edges. Before, he would never have been able to just stay bare like this.

Earlier, Xie Licheng had kissed him silly, and if Xie Licheng didn't dress him, he'd be too dazed to think of doing it himself.

Luckily, his wet nurse hadn't moved in with him, or she'd definitely be angry to see him like this.

Xie Licheng figured that since Gu Zhangyuan was a young man, and young men probably liked mirrors, he brought back three mirrors in one go.

One was a full-length mirror, which he casually leaned against the bedroom wall.

One was a small folding mirror—compact, exquisitely crafted, and small enough to fit in a pouch.

The last was a hand mirror—not too big, not too small, just right for everyday use.

Xie Licheng handed the two smaller mirrors to Gu Zhangyuan, who turned his back to him and checked himself out in the mirror. Seeing his messy hair in the reflection, he quickly grabbed a comb and smoothed it down.

After that, he set the two small mirrors aside and got up to check out the big one.

When Xie Licheng had come back with the mirrors, he'd already spotted the big one.

He'd never seen such a big mirror before, so of course he had to go over and take a look.

Seeing him get up and off the bed, Xie Licheng immediately followed.

Then... in the oversized full-length mirror appeared a slender, gorgeous figure, followed by a tall, sturdy man.

Gu Zhangyuan looked at Xie Licheng, a bit annoyed, and tried to push him away.

His eyes were red, his neck and chest were covered in marks, and he looked a total mess—all Xie Licheng's doing.

He shoved Xie Licheng, but when he found he couldn't budge him at all, he opened his mouth to try to bite him. Then, remembering he still wasn't dressed, he hurried back to put on his undershirt.

Xie Licheng said, "We're about to sleep. Aren't you gonna be hot in clothes?"

Gu Zhangyuan put on his undershirt and then slowly pulled on his inner robe.

Hearing that, he muttered under his breath.

"Not everyone's a brute like you."

Xie Licheng heard him, stepped forward, and pinched his waist.

Gu Zhangyuan was ticklish, yelping like he'd been hit on a pressure point, and scrambled to the very back of the bed.

Xie Licheng chuckled softly, then lay down to sleep.

Seeing that he hadn't come over to mess with him, Gu Zhangyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and poked his head out from under the covers.

It was indeed hot under the blanket, and he was feeling a bit suffocated.

After that, probably truly exhausted, Gu Zhangyuan fell asleep before long and slept straight through till morning.

Gu Zhangyuan slept very still, hardly moving or tossing. But when he woke up in the morning, he found himself in Xie Licheng's arms.

He was sure it wasn't him who'd moved—it must've been Xie Licheng who'd pulled him over while he was asleep.

The moment Gu Zhangyuan stirred, Xie Licheng woke up.

Xie Licheng looked at the man in his arms and said, "I need to head out for a bit. Remember to eat something yourself."

Gu Zhangyuan nodded, and when he saw Xie Licheng sit up, he sat up too.

He looked at Xie Licheng, thinking his man was pretty handsome—a rough kind of handsome.

He wrapped his arms around Xie Licheng's neck and leaned in for a kiss.

Xie Licheng pressed their lips together briefly, then hugged him tight and gave him a good squeeze before leaving.

Gu Zhangyuan, left with his hair a mess from the roughhousing, lay in bed for a long while before finding the strength to get up.

He put back on the clothes Xie Licheng had pulled open, only to find that the undershirt underneath had been ripped apart by Xie Licheng.

He was a little mad, but also a little helpless.

He took off the inner garment and set it aside, planning to have Xuan Cui sew it up when she came.

Meanwhile, Xie Licheng told Xuan Cui to go to Peach Blossom Village to take care of Gu Zhangyuan, then headed alone into Lingzhou City with his weapons.

He hadn't been out in days, and he hadn't expected to hit a rainstorm the moment he stepped out.

Xie Licheng found a bamboo hat, put it on, and walked into the rain-soaked streets.