Chapter 308 Flustered

Chapter 308: Flustered

Cui Ji lowered his gaze to the skewer of meat held up to his lips, then raised his eyes to look at the expectant expression on Cheng Ge's face.

Almost without hesitation, he lowered his head and took a bite right from Cheng Ge's hand.

"How is it? Good, right?" Cheng Ge asked with a beaming smile, then quickly took a bite of his own skewer, his eyes crinkling in satisfaction.

Cui Ji chewed slowly, and the hard, cold look in his eyes softened, just a little.

He swallowed the food, and although he hadn't really tasted anything, he still grunted an "Mm."

Cheng Ge tilted his head and, without a second thought, held the skewer up to Cui Ji's mouth again.

And so the two of them continued like this—one holding the food up, the other eating—blending into the bustling crowd.

Inside a blacksmith's shop, the forge fire blazed fiercely, and the steady clang of hammer on metal rang out nonstop.

A particularly imposing figure, wearing the rough-spun clothes of an ordinary northern border local, but he couldn't hide his tough, sharp-edged presence, was talking in a low voice to someone.

After hearing what the other man said, his brows knitted tightly, a faint, barely noticeable restlessness creeping across his face.

He turned his head impatiently, his eyes drifting absently over the noisy street.

In that split second, his gaze snapped into focus, like a hawk locking onto prey, and his feet moved two steps forward without him even thinking.

Across the street, those two figures—especially the one hidden under that veiled hat...

But just as he was zeroing in on them, another tall figure seemed to sense something and abruptly turned around, a cold, piercing stare sweeping over like a physical blow.

The big man's heart lurched in alarm, and on pure instinct, he ducked back fast.

He tucked his whole body behind the doorframe, holding his breath.

Cui Ji's gaze lingered on that ordinary-looking blacksmith shop for a few seconds, his brow knitting almost imperceptibly...

"Cui Ji, what do you think of this one? Is it cool?" Cheng Ge's voice cut in right on time, snapping him out of it.

Cheng Ge was holding up a fur collar with raw, wild patterns, wrapping it around his neck and turning to look at him expectantly.

Cui Ji shook off the flicker of doubt and focused on Cheng Ge.

He looked at the wild fur collar, nodded, and said firmly, "Cool."

Cheng Ge's face lit up in a delighted grin. He paid without a second thought and stashed the fur collar away like it was a treasure.

They'd just about bought everything they needed, so Cheng Ge decided to head back.

Cui Ji grunted in acknowledgment. As he turned to leave with Cheng Ge, he shot one glance at the blacksmith shop, then shielded Cheng Ge and melted into the crowd.

After a long moment, that figure reappeared by the blacksmith shop's door.

He stared at the empty street in the distance, a heavy, stubborn gloom settling over his face.

...

Cheng Ge sat on the horse, the steed moving at a steady pace, reins held loose in his hand.

Gazing at the vast, desolate line where sky met earth in the distance, a wild, indescribable surge of boldness welled up in his chest.

Suddenly, he dug his heels into the horse's flanks and yelled, "Hyah!"

The horse shot forward like an arrow, hooves churning, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Cui Ji!" Cheng Ge called out over the wind, his voice bright with laughter, not bothering to turn his head. "Hold on tight! I'm taking you for a ride!"

Before the words even died out, the horse was already at full speed, galloping wildly across the open plain.

Wind howled past their ears, and the barren landscape blurred as it flew by.

The rough jolting and fierce wind ripped the annoying veiled hat clean off his head, sending it spinning into the air.

A flood of jet-black hair instantly broke free, streaming wildly behind him like spilled ink, tangling and dancing in the howling wind.

Cui Ji sat steady behind him, and the second Cheng Ge sped up, his arm had already wrapped around his waist.

He pulled the body in front of him—one that seemed about to melt into the wind—tight against his chest.

His chest pressed against Cheng Ge's back, and he could feel his heartbeat quickening with excitement, feel the rise and fall of his body as they rode.

He stared ahead, his jaw occasionally brushing against Cheng Ge's flying hair.

The horse stretched out, streaking across the wilderness like lightning, leaping over one rolling hill after another, each jump and landing sending a rush of weightlessness and thrill through them.

They tore recklessly through the hills, the wild grass so tall it nearly swallowed the horse's hooves.

Grass clippings flew up from the speeding hooves, adding to the raw, untamed feel.

It felt like the whole world had shrunk to just the two of them, one horse, and this endless freedom and thrill.

...

Out in the wilderness, the sky stretched high and wide, clouds drifting lazily.

Cheng Ge and Cui Ji lay side by side on a gentle slope, the dense wild grass nearly swallowing both their figures.

The horse wandered leisurely nearby, occasionally lowering its head to nibble at the grass, letting out satisfied snorts.

Cheng Ge chewed on a blade of dry grass, staring up at the clear blue sky, idly twirling a strand of his hair around his finger.

A thought seemed to hit him, and he said, all casual and carefree: "Cui Ji, you know... if I ever die, finding a spot here to be buried wouldn't be half bad. Plenty of room, no one to bother me."

When the words landed, the man beside him stayed quiet for a long time. He called again: "Cui Ji..."

A little confused, Cheng Ge turned his head—and found himself staring straight into a pair of deep, abyss-dark eyes.

Cui Ji had already turned on his side at some point, quietly watching him.

That look was complicated, hard to read, carrying a nearly reverent intensity Cheng Ge couldn't quite make sense of.

They were so close Cheng Ge could see his own startled reflection in Cui Ji's pupils.

The air around them seemed to freeze, the wind itself growing distant.

Their breathing went feather-light without thinking, as if afraid to break the fragile mood.

Time seemed to stretch on forever, like centuries had passed.

Just as Cheng Ge, flustered by the silent stare, was about to look away first, Cui Ji suddenly moved.

He leaned in with excruciating slowness... with the lightest touch, his cool lips brushing over his skin like a feather skimming water.

With a solemn, hesitant intent, the kiss landed softly on the corner of Cheng Ge's mouth.

It was feather-light, a fleeting touch, there and gone in an instant—a mere taste.

Cheng Ge: "?!!!"

Cheng Ge, however, felt like he'd been hit by lightning, his eyes snapping wide open.

All the blood in his body seemed to rush to his head at once—his cheeks, ears, and neck flushing crimson instantly!

A few breaths later—

Cheng Ge shot up from the ground, knocking a few blades of grass loose from his clothes.

But the sudden movement sent a sharp, stinging pain through his scalp.

"Ugh...!" he cried out in pain, instinctively reaching up to clutch the sore spot, only to find his fingers landing on the braid he had carelessly tied earlier.

Panicked and flustered, he fumbled desperately to undo the braid, but the more anxious he grew, the clumsier his fingers became.

The strands only tangled tighter, as if mocking his frantic state.