Thousand Autumns

Behind the folding screen, a bed.

On the bed was a beauty.

To be precise, the beauty had their eyes closed, sound asleep, beside them sat a person, who was looking at beauty.

Yan Wushi looked for a long while, brushed his finger upon the other’s eyelashes.

Shen Qiao’s closed eyes reflexively trembled, then a slightly furrowed brow.

It was rare for him to be so deeply asleep, usually nevermind touching his face, even a small disturbance in his surroundings would be enough to startle him.

This situation could only indicate, he was truly exhausted.

The corner of Yan Wushi’s mouth relaxed into a satisfied smile.

If there was a bystander at this moment, they would surely be shocked into their hair standing on end, because this smile was too tender, so tender that it was incompatible with his face.

Nevermind someone else, even Yan Wushi himself probably hadn’t noticed the appearance of this uncomplicated expression on his face.

His fingertip traced his eyelashes to the furrow of his brow, then sliding lower, until it reached the tip of his nose, he looked as if he was about to pinch the other’s nose.

Before he made the motion, he changed his mind, abruptly going lower, he pinched Shen Qiao’s mouth, the previous image of sleeping beauty was reduced to several parts farce, Shen Qiao’s upper and lower lip were pinched together, looking like a duck’s beak.

Shen Qiao had no awareness of this, perhaps because he had no guard up against the person beside him, he remained in his own dream realm.

Yan Wushi finally seemed to realize his behaviour was a little childish, he pouted and let go, then bent over to imprint a kiss upon the other’s lips, the periphery of his gaze snagged on the purple splotches on the other’s neck and shoulders, his smile grew wider, he pulled the blanket up on Shen Qiao’s body, covering up his neck.

Outside, someone knocked.

Yan Wushi rose and got out of bed to get the door.

He didn’t blush, the worker outside seeing him with his outer robe draped, hair mussed, looking content, was the one to blush first. 

“Langjun, greetings, the kitchen is open, the boss had me come ask you two if there’s anything you need?”

As he spoke, he snuck a look inside, several shichen ago they heard a commotion from inside, at the time they didn’t dare come up to inquire, now naturally they wanted to see if anything was broken.

Yan Wushi was going to decline, then changed his mind: “What’s there to eat?”

The worker smiled: “There’s hubing, roast chicken, duck, okra, and the rest, our kitchen is quite renowned in these parts, as long as you order it, we should be able to get it for you.”

Yan Wushi: “Then I’ll have a barley milk congee, garlic pig trotters, make sure it’s cooked until it’s tender, generous with the sauce, don’t worry I’ll compensate you well, then get a whole fish, doesn’t matter what kind, as long as it’s fresh, no need for garnish, steamed is fine, with garlic and spring onion, as for the rest send along a couple of vegetarian dishes.”

A moneypouch was tossed along with his words at the worker, quite hefty, the worker assumed it was some loose silver pieces.

The other had spouted of a whole slew of words without blinking, the worker bit his tongue, thinking, this one is a connoisseur, he must be an elite amongst the elites, after completing today’s order, it would be equal to doing three to five days of business.

“Yes yes, everything langjun wants, we have it, this one will go prepare at once, please wait a little, I’ll also send the hot water up!” The worker added, very attentive.

Yan Wushi also had the worker go to the bookshop to get him some leisure reading, with his generous compensation, the worker was of course willing, very quickly he fulfilled the tasks.

…

Shen Qiao was roused awake by the fragrance of food, the moment he opened his eyes he realized how hungry he was.

This sensation hadn’t occurred to him in so long, it was a bit strange and alarming.

Blinking, Shen Qiao took a slow appraisal of the room, several dishes were laid out on the table behind the folding screen, a shadow sat beside the table, reading, in a few moments, his gaze came out of sleep to clarity.

Behind the folding screen, Yan Wushi of course sensed his movements.

“A-Qiao is awake?”

He put his book down, got up and headed around the screen, in his mind he was regretting that he missed seeing the other’s appearance as he woke.

But in the next moment, Shen Qiao hid his head, wrapping himself entirely in the blanket.

The blanket became a big blob.

Yan Wushi: “…”

Watching the shifting blanket, he knew the other was putting his clothes on inside.

Yan Wushi’s stomach hurt from laughing, but he maintained a placid expression, purposefully putting on a worried air, he said: “Are you ok?”

Shen Qiao’s muffled voice was heard from inside the blankets: “I’m fine…”

Yan Wushi walked forward a couple of steps, placed his hand on the blanket: “A-Qiao, are you injured, can you come out so I can take a look?”

Shen Qiao: “I’m fine…”

The blankets jolted around, Yan Wushi suspected he might be looking for pants, very amused, he said: “A-Qiao, I forgot to tell you.”

Shen Qiao: “En?”

Yan Wushi: “Your pants were dirty from last night, I had the worker go buy you new ones, he’s not back yet.”

The blanket was flipped open abruptly, a flushed face appeared: “How could you have someone else buy them!”

Yan Wushi: “Then I should have gone personally?”

Shen Qiao held his forehead, his words in disarray: “That’s not what I meant, you…how does he know my size…”

Yan Wushi smiled: “I told him.”

Shen Qiao did not ask how Yan Wushi knew.

He could imagine, certainly last night he used his hands determine his measurements.

Thinking back to the frenzied nonsense of last night, Shen Qiao would rather jump into a crack in the floor.

Even now, when he covered himself with the blanket, he could still smell that pervasive smell everywhere.

He coughed quietly, awkward but forced himself to speak: “Yan-zongzhu…”

Yan Wushi cut him off, displeased: “You and I are so intimate, you still call me Yan-zongzhu?”

Shen Qiao asked haltingly: “Then what should I call you?”

Yan Wushi: “Yan-lang of course, didn’t you call it out so many times last night, and while you were crying!”

Shen Qiao flushed fully: “Stop!”

Yan Wushi sighed once, then sat on the edge of the bed: “You and I have been intimate together, if a man and a woman, I’d have you receive me formally in marriage into your family, unfortunately you’re not…”

“Wait!” Shen Qiao hearing this felt something was amiss, “Why am I the one receiving you into my family?”

Yan Wushi, surprised: “Unless you want me to receive you in marriage?”

Shen Qiao: “That’s not…”

Yan Wushi: “This venerable one likes you, I don’t care about official titles, if you want to receive in marriage, it’s all the same to me, if I can prevent other people from speaking poorly about the revered Xuandushan zhangjiao, I have no good name to speak of, for you, everything is worth it.”

These words sounded arrogant, but also pitiful.

Shen Qiao not-crying-not-smiling: “That’s not what I meant.”

Yan Wushi: “Then are you going to take responsibility or not?”

Shen Qiao: “…”

The matter of last night, in the end both sides were willing, and with Shen Qiao’s frank character, it would be impossible for him to pin the blame entirely on the other person, Yan Wushi recognized this, step by step luring him closer, until Shen Qiao willingly fell into the trap that had been set.

As expected, Shen Qiao furrowed his brow and thought at length, finally spitting out these words: “I will…”

Yan Wushi smiled, leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

“Shen-lang.”

Shen Qiao shuddered: “…”

Yan Wushi, softly: “Shen-lang, you haven’t even put on your pants yet, aren’t you cold?”

Shen Qiao blushed, he held onto the blanket tightly.

By this time the worker had returned with the pants, he knocked on their door, Yan Wushi went over, and brought the pants over.

“Shen-lang, can I help you put it on?”

Shen Qiao, unable to bear it: “You can just call me A-Qiao!”

Yan Wushi, an innocent expression: “You’re not even willing to call me Yan-lang, now you’ll even deny me this?”

Shen Qiao wasn’t going to be teased anymore, he grabbed the pants, and continued to put them on inside the blanket, only then did he toss the blanket aside, ready to get up and tie his robes together.

If only he hadn’t looked, but he did, Yan Wushi couldn’t help bursting into laughter: “My good A-Qiao, you’ve put your pants on backwards!”

Shen Qiao: “…”

He was incapable of saying anything further, it would have been better if he didn’t know how to speak at all.

The author would like to say:

March 24th a mini theatre:

Yu Shengyan after finding out about Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao’s relationship, his mouth hung open for a quarter of an hour.

Bian Yanmei, amused: “You don’t look that stupid, how come you didn’t see it all this time?”

Yu Shengyan shut his mouth, bitterly: “It’s not like I didn’t see it at all, I’m just surprised…”

He’d never seen shizun like someone so much before, this fondness didn’t imply that they stuck together all the time, or that they talked about it constantly, but as disciples they did have eyes, of course they could see it, every time Shen Qiao was mentioned, or when Shen Qiao was present, shizun spared them not even a corner of his glance, his eyes would be taken over by tenderness and adoration.

Bian Yanmei: “I was also a little surprised, shizun looks heartless and unaffected, but towards Shen-daozhang such an exception, but it’s no wonder…”

No wonder what, he didn’t continue.

That day, Bian Yanmei received the news that Shen Qiao alone, with Yuwen Song and Dou Yan, broke through the ambush from Hehuan Sect and Chen Gong, out of the barricade of a thousand footsoldiers, this kind of scene that made the blood run hot, even if he didn’t see it with his own eyes, he could envision it, moreover Bian Yanmei knew that Shen Qiao and Yuwen Xian were not that close.

For a deathbed wish, he would still go to such lengths, even Bian Yanmei as someone from the demonic sects, like his shifu disdaining compassion and righteousness, couldn’t help but praise his spirit.

This person, his form like the moon, movements like a swift sword, Bian Yanmei wasn’t surprised at all that shizun would be moved.

But shidi to be this restless, that was more strange.

The more Yu Shengyan thought the more he worried, he pulled Bian Yanmei aside: “Do you think this time shizun harshly pushing me to train harder, has something to do with this?”

Bian Yanmei, confused: “Isn’t it natural for shizun to push you to train?”

Yu Shengyan, looking wronged: “Maybe shixiong is not aware, when Shen Qiao fell initially from Banbu Peak, seriously injured, all his bones smashed, it was I who carried him back the entire way, do you think shizun remembering this interval, will look at me unfavourably?”

Bian Yanmei regarded him oddly: “Is there something wrong with you, do you think shizun is so narrow-minded like you?”

Yu Shengyan, discouraged: “But I don’t want to train under Banbu Peak, even birds don’t shit there, there’ll be nothing to eat…”

Bian Yanmei snickered: “As I see it, you’re unwilling to give up any days you can bully Shen-daozhang’s shidi, just wait until their shidi complains to Shen-daozhang, then I don’t think your training period will only be half a month long.”

Yu Shengyan didn’t say anything more, he turned around and left: “I will depart immediately!”

At the same time in another location, Yan Wushi sneezed, he rubbed his nose, and said to Shen Qiao: “I think within the year we shouldn’t let Yu Shengyan come back.”