Chapter 15

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I don’t smell like anything.

Huo Linfeng was in a daze as Rong Luoyun murmured near his ear as if trapped in a nightmare.

He hugged the other and swam towards the bank. With an arm around his waist and a hand over his neck, Rong Luoyun fit snug in his bosom. This was the first time he had ever hugged someone so tightly. This person was frightened and cold, trembling harshly in his arms.

When he arrived at the lakeside, he did not let go and carried Rong Luoyun ashore. He lowered his head to observe him. The soaked clothing clung closely to his body. Water rolled down his cheeks like the tears he had previously shed. Huo Linfeng didn’t dare look at his eyes. Those eyes were hollow like empty voids and those pupils were dilated, treating every tree and bush as an enemy.

Diao Yuliang was terrified. He came running after them, completely naked. “Second Brother, Second Brother!” He shouted a few times while exasperatedly hitting Huo Linfeng’s shoulder, “What kind of servant are you? Who allowed you to tease him!”

Without a sound, Huo Linfeng carried Rong Luoyun into the carriage. The curtain fell, cutting them off from the rest of the world. “Palace Lord?” He softly called. He leaned over and laid Rong Luoyun down.

“Don’t……” Rong Luoyun murmured. His face was as pale as paper, yet his eyes were red. He squirmed, his clothing still dripping wet, and weakly curled into a ball.

Huo Linfeng felt helpless. That trembling appearance made him feel helpless. He leaned down and reached out his hands. With one supporting his waist and one supporting his shoulder, he pulled Rong Luoyun into his arms again and said: “Palace Lord, I’ll change your clothes.”

Huo Linfeng felt out Rong Luoyun’s fastened belt and undid the bindings. He reached over the side of the other’s waist to untie the outer robe. He lifted up the lapel and took the robe off inch by inch. He said softly: “If you’re cold, just move closer to me.”

Rong Luoyun was like a wooden statue, his movements slow and sluggish. He leaned on him, stuck to him. In the lake, he had used him as a piece of lifesaving driftwood and now, as a lump of hot coal for warming up.

The clothing was taken off piece by piece. Huo Linfeng undid the last layer and peeled off the inner robes that stuck closely to Rong Luoyun. His big hands covered the other’s waist and felt the slightly protruding vertebra and ice-cold skin. He did not dare use too much force, fearing that his callused hands would hurt the delicate.

He dressed Rong Luoyun in his own inner robes [1]. They were a little too big, so he could only tie the belt a little tighter. He shook open his folded narrowed-sleeved outer robes and wrapped Rong Luoyun in it.

“Don’t kill me.” Rong Luoyun was still pleading, his voice quiet like a mosquito.

Huo Linfeng felt a stab of pain in his heart. These pleas were like silver hooks dipped in poison, piercing him mercilessly. He closed his eyes. Like a tide, a wave of blood-red crashed onto him, immediately breaking open the nightmare from six years ago.

The Göktürk city, with a sword in hand, he rushed forward on his horse. Those people kneeling there by his feet, begging him: “Don’t kill me……”

“I’m sorry……” Huo Linfeng murmured. His lowered head rubbed against Rong Luoyun’s temple. After searching for a moment, he reached Rong Luoyun’s ear. The outer ear, the ear’s rear, and as he moved downwards, he finally stopped at the soft earlobe.

He repeated: “Sorry… I’m sorry……”

These nightmares were like a rope, binding the two of them, refusing to let them go.

Gradually, Rong Luoyun warmed up. A pair of scorching lips stuck by his ear. The taut bowstring slowly laxed. Nestled in the crook of Huo Linfeng’s arm and pillowed on his broad shoulder, he comfortably fell asleep.

Huo Linfeng did not move the slightest and held the other just like that for nearly four hours. He would either close his eyes and regulate his qi or stare at the small carved window. It was a carving of a phoenix courting phoenix [2]. He silently counted the number of feathers there were on the fan-like tails.

Rong Luoyun curled up in the layers of the wide, scattered outer robes and clutched the robe’s lapel tightly with one hand. Huo Linfeng lost interest in the carving. He lowered his head and incidentally met with this “fetal posture”, making him soften.

Suddenly, Rong Luoyun moved in his bosom. It seemed that he had strained a muscle in his lower leg. Huo Linfeng sent a warm puff of air into his palm and reached his hand into the robes to search for the other’s lower leg. He held it, with his fingers brushing the inner leg, and gently massaged it with repeated movements.

Not too long after, the lower leg in his hands recovered. Yet, the foot sticking out under the robes shyly curled up. Huo Linfeng immediately looked up and met Rong Luoyun’s cold and drowsy gaze. He couldn’t help but give the leg another rub, adding a layer of embarrassment to that cold and indifferent look.

Huo Linfeng tested the waters and asked: “Palace Lord, are you feeling a little better?”

Rong Luoyun struggled free and retreated to the opposite side of the carriage. He covered up his embarrassment with difficulty: “Scram.”

Huo Linfeng obediently jumped off the carriage. He moved around it to the small window and peeped through the small cracks of the carvings. Rong Luoyun sat there in a daze. Feeling a little cold without Huo Linfeng holding him, he tugged the robes closer to himself. After Huo Linfeng finished peeking, he went back to the lakeside and plunged into the waters.

Splash! Rong Luoyun followed the sound with a shiver. He came to the window and saw that troublemaking Great Disciple swimming towards the waterfall. While he was engrossed in spying on the other, the curtains rose. Diao Yuliang searched his way in with dried clothes in his hands.

“Second Brother, you scared me to death.” Diao Yuliang mumbled, “Back then, whenever this happened, you would be in a trance for a whole night. Who would have thought that with Du Zhong holding you, you would recover so quickly.”

Rong Luoyun’s mouth was agape. He tried to undo the tightly tied inner robes. The knot was like a lock, and by the time he loosened it, he had already recollected everything that had happened before. That person hugged him to the shore and onto the carriage, tightly holding onto him. He had changed his clothes and even stuck by his ear, apologizing over and over.

The more he thought about it, the clearer it got. Red sprouted on his pale face like the glow of the sunset.

Rong Luoyun came down from the carriage. He swept a glance over at the large rock and didn’t dare go near it again. He sat down next to the bonfire and fed the fire until it was blazing. He heard a splash. Huo Linfeng broke through the waterfall and swam back. But, he did not come ashore. He dropped three red carp in the wooden tub and swam away again.

Rong Luoyun held a twig in his hand: “What’s he doing……”

Diao Yuliang answered: “He’s definitely catching red carp as an apology to you. He’s trying to coax you by catching some more.”

Crack, Rong Luoyun snapped the twig in his hold: “Keep shooting off your mouth.”

He turned to gaze at the waterfall. The sun was setting, turning the translucent water a brilliant, shimmering crimson. It was so enchanting it rendered him speechless. At last, Huo Linfeng swam out once again. He gradually made his way to the shore with three more golden red carp.

Rong Luoyun hurriedly retracted his gaze and returned to staring at the bonfire, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other making his way to him. When they were five steps apart, the leaping flame sent out a firework of sparks, crackling loudly. He was so startled he shot up.

“Palace Lord.” The other called to him.

He had no option but to lift his eyes. The red illumination from the fire outlined Huo Linfeng’s lean body. Only then did he realize…… the abdomen that he had stepped on, the shoulder he had pillowed on, and the arms he had laid on were all covered in old scars.

Huo Linfeng placed down the wooden tub that contained six red carp frolicking about. He said: “Palace Lord, I acted out of line today and am willing to receive my punishment.”

Rong Luoyun didn’t want to dish out any punishments. He had already felt embarrassed enough and just wanted this matter to quickly brush over. He commanded in a low voice: “I’ll take these fish as your apology, but forget about this matter and do not mention it to others.”

“Roger, this subordinate would not tell another person.”

As for forgetting about it… pleading him, leaning on his shoulder, trembling in his embrace, those drops of tears, that timid appearance, how can these be so easily forgotten? Huo Linfeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed: “Palace Lord, after you fell in the water, you said ‘Don’t kill me.’ Who wanted to kill you?”

Rong Luoyun’s pupils betrayed surprise, but he effortlessly covered it up with annoyance. He said coldly: ”How can there be people who want to kill me? Even if there were, it’s none of your business.”

Huo Linfeng understood. It was an issue deeply rooted in the other’s heart, one that cannot be easily or quickly removed. Moreover, Rong Luoyun had suffered enough, so he did not pursue the matter any longer. The sharpness retreated from his eyes and, earnestly and sincerely, he said: “Palace Lord, everyone has their own secrets, may they be joys or sufferings. If, by any chance, you are willing to talk about it in the future, I’ll always be here to listen.”

Rong Luoyun looked dazedly at him. His cold expression seemed to be faintly moved.

Tossing aside the incident for the time being, the sky had already darkened as they huddled near the bonfire to warm up. Diao Yuliang busied himself with roasting fish while Rong Luoyun stood guard next to the wooden tub, playing with the red carp. Huo Linfeng, who was half an arm’s length away, finally wore his clothes. After putting them on properly, he gave a small sniff, muttering: “They have Palace Lord’s scent now.”

Rong Luoyun stared blankly: “Nonsense…… I don’t smell like anything.”

Huo Linfeng refuted: “There’s a light ginger scent. You clearly do.”

Rong Luoyun choked. Unable to counter, he could only admit it. He remembered something else and asked: “Why do you have so many scars on your body?”

This time, it was Huo Linfeng’s turn to panic. They were the scars that accrued from the ten years he spent on the battlefield. He fabricated: “Cleansing Sand Isle is uninhibited, so I was often injured by wild animals.” Not wanting to elaborate any further, he removed a roasted fish from the fire and handed it over to the other, finally blocking up that thin pair of lips.

By the time they had filled their stomach, the only source of light in the pitch-black forest was the bonfire. It had gotten much colder. Diao Yuliang snuggled closer to Rong Luoyun. After driving the carriage and playing in the water, this half-grown child had gotten tired. He asked: “Second Brother, let’s squeeze on the carriage to sleep?”

Rong Luoyun hummed and fed the fire until it grew a little bigger.

Diao Yuliang continued: “It’s so cold. Can you hug me the way Du Zhong hugged you?”

Huo Linfeng and Rong Luoyun’s expressions turned rigid. With the dancing flames between them, they stole a glance at each other. When their line of sight collided, all that was left was endless awkwardness. Huo Linfeng let out a light cough. He rose and went to feed the horse. After feeding the horse, he went to pluck leaves.

The leaves and branches in the south were special, as they were much thicker. He spread a layer of it on top of the carriage, just in case it starts to rain in the middle of the night. It indeed was very cold, so he heated a few stones and stashed them under the carriage. He then prepared a leather canteen full of hot water to hold onto for warmth.

Diao Yuliang got into the carriage and laid down properly. In this short period of time, he had already eagerly gone off to find the Duke of Zhou [3].

After arranging everything, Huo Linfeng extinguished the fire. The surroundings immediately plunged into darkness. “Palace Lord?” He stopped next to the carriage, not knowing where the other was. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his shoulder.

“You’re hitting me again?”

Rong Luoyun covered his head: “I didn’t.”

Huo Linfeng was too lazy to argue. He spread his hand out and latched onto Rong Luoyun’s waist. Without saying another word, he lifted the other into the carriage. With the rustling of their robes, they entered the carriage one after the one and laid down, one left and one right, beside Diao Yuliang.

In the darkness, there was only the young child’s snoring.

Huo Linfeng searched around and stashed the warm leather canteen into Rong Luoyun’s arms. He took off his outer robe and spread it out on the two of them. Suddenly warmed up, Rong Luoyun reached out a hand to hold Diao Yuliang and perfectly bumped into Diao Yuliang’s arm.

Seeing that it was ice cold, he moved his hand down, attempting to warm the other up. His fingertips moved to the wrist, and fearing that he would wake the other up, he carefully slid down to the palm. After moving over the curves of the palm, he reached the other’s five fingers.

He gently held the other’s hand. Only then did he receive a shock. This palm was very big, the joints were distinct, and it carried a layer of calluses.

Rong Luoyun panicked with great distress. He touched the wrong person!

Just then, the other stroked his healing wound…. and held onto his hand firmly.

The author has something to say:

Xiao [4]-Diao: I should be under the carriage, not inside.

Translator’s Notes:

So sorry for this super late chapter! I apologize in advance for any late chapters in the future ( ≧Д≦).

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