Liang Ye’s reaction speed was always frighteningly fast.
Before Wang Dian could even feel the sensation of weightlessness, Liang Ye had already grabbed him by the waist and protected his neck, turning halfway to absorb the impact as Wang Dian collided firmly against him.
“Damn it,” Wang Dian felt dizzy from the spin.
Liang Ye quickly checked him over, and only after confirming he wasn’t injured did he speak in a harsh tone. “Heh, you’re only good at running your mouth.”
Wang Dian was held tightly by him, with no sign of being let go, and narrowed his eyes in the darkness. “Liang Ziyu, do I need to curse you out before you’ll be satisfied?”
Liang Ye let out a cold snort and reached to undo his belt, wanting to continue what they couldn’t finish earlier.
“Have you been to this secret chamber before?” Wang Dian grabbed his wandering paw. His shoulder, where Liang Ye had grabbed him earlier, hurt when moved, making him inhale sharply from the pain.
“No,” Liang Ye lowered his head to bite and pull open his collar, kissing the swollen shoulder that undoubtedly had bruising fingerprints. He licked the slightly warm skin and ground his itching teeth.
Wang Dian smelled the musty, damp moldy scent that made his nose wrinkle. The aching skin exposed to the cold air made him feel unsafe. He reached to pull up his outer robe. “Stop messing around, where’s your fire fold?”
He didn’t have the habit of carrying fire folds and medicine bottles, usually just taking them directly from Liang Ye. But his shoulder was hurting badly, even raising his arm was painful. He said to Liang Ye, “Take it out and light it.”
Liang Ye kissed and licked his shoulder, wanting to bite but not daring to, only continuously grazing it with his teeth, causing a numbing fine pain. Wang Dian’s scalp nearly exploded, and he kicked Liang Ye’s shin.
Liang Ye paused briefly and said indistinctly, “Let’s do it here.”
“Do my ass!” Wang Dian nearly lost his temper. “The fire fold!”
Liang Ye let out a dissatisfied cold snort and took out a fire fold from his sleeve. The weak firelight only illuminated a small area between them. Liang Ye held it forward to light up Wang Dian, his gaze fixed on the exposed shoulder with its clearly visible purple bruises. He had used too much force in his anger earlier, and the joint area was swollen red in large patches.
Wang Dian saw him only staring at himself, snatched the fire fold, pulled up his clothes to cover himself properly, and carefully observed their surroundings.
The walls were built with bluestone bricks, four or five people wide, with a gradually lowering height. This seemed to be just an entrance, with the actual secret chamber likely underground. There were torches on the walls, covered in cobwebs and dust. His arm was really difficult to raise, so he said to Liang Ye, “Get the torch down.”
Liang Ye didn’t mind the cobwebs on the torch at all, casually pulled it down a couple times and held it in his hand, lighting it with the fire fold. The surroundings instantly brightened, but that torch seemed to have grown eyes, only illuminating Wang Dian.
“……” Wang Dian took a deep breath and looked at Liang Ye with a wooden expression.
Liang Ye looked away nonchalantly, even letting out a contemptuous snort from his nose. A moment later, his dark gaze fell on him again as he reached with one hand to undo Wang Dian’s belt clasp.
“Let’s go check downstairs.” Wang Dian firmly grabbed his hand, forcefully intertwined their fingers, and used some strength to lead him forward.
Liang Ye only stubbornly resisted for two seconds before following his lead forward, stating firmly, “Let’s do it downstairs.”
“Can’t your brain hold anything else?” Wang Dian’s mouth twitched.
Liang Ye let out a cold laugh, “No.”
Wang Dian sighed, stopped walking and turned around, leaning in to kiss his nose tip. “My shoulder hurts, warm it up for me.”
This guy purely couldn’t bring himself to say it, his gaze hadn’t left his shoulder.
Liang Ye raised an eyebrow, released his hand, gathered some internal energy in his palm, and pressed it against his shoulder. His eyes were half-lowered, brows slightly furrowed, his expression looking somewhat agitated in the flickering firelight.
The pain in his shoulder instantly eased considerably. Knowing Wang Dian liked cleanliness, Liang Ye didn’t switch hands but went to warm his other shoulder, saying stiffly, “Don’t make me angry.”
Wang Dian reached out to pull his cheeks, distorting his handsome face. “So childish, Liang Ziyu.”
Liang Ye stared at him coldly and bared his teeth at him.
Wang Dian couldn’t help but kiss his ear, laughing softly, “We’ll do it when we get back.”
Only then did Liang Ye reluctantly show a satisfied expression, holding his hand as they continued forward.
As the chamber ceiling got lower and lower, forcing them to bend down to walk, stairs finally appeared before them. Liang Ye had him walk behind while he went ahead to scout, encountering several small mechanisms that Wang Dian didn’t even have time to see clearly before Liang Ye pulled him down the stairs.
The firelight swayed gently in the slight breeze, and two huge stone doors blocked their path. There were many marks from fire and blade strikes on the doors, but obviously, none had managed to open the secret chamber’s entrance.
“You really haven’t been here before?” Wang Dian checked again uneasily, clearly these marks weren’t left by the chamber’s owner.
“No.” Liang Ye frowned, “Every time I come to the mansion, it’s just to sleep.”
Wang Dian was silent for a moment before turning to ask, “Did you sleep well?”
“Not well.” Liang Ye wrinkled his nose, “Couldn’t sleep.”
Wang Dian squeezed his palm, and heard him sigh. “But every time after doing you, I sleep very well.”
Wang Dian’s budding sympathy instantly vanished. “F*ck you.”
While trading verbal jabs, they searched for the mechanism to open the door, but like those who had left the marks, they couldn’t find it.
“Want to try some explosives?” Wang Dian suggested.
Liang Ye tested the thickness of the stone door, “With this thickness, blasting open the chamber would make it collapse.”
After trying many methods without success, they had to temporarily give up. Just as Wang Dian was about to leave, Liang Ye pulled him back and opened his collar, “Let me check your injury.”
With the anger dissipated, his thick skin had returned, holding Wang Dian and shamelessly pulling at his clothes. Seeing Wang Dian wasn’t resisting, he expertly pushed his luck, maliciously pulling his outer robe halfway down, leaving a bite mark on his collarbone deep enough to almost draw blood, and wanted to kiss lower.
Wang Dian grabbed his hair, kissed his neck hard, and said breathlessly, “That’s enough.”
Liang Ye wouldn’t give up, rubbing his head against his neck, half-coaxing half-threatening as he pressed him against the stone door, hooking his leg wanting to use his old trick, “Just once.”
Wang Dian was also somewhat aroused by his teasing, and pulled his neck in for a kiss.
Liang Ye had hurt him and felt uneasy about it. Though it was just a matter of saying a few gentle words, it was very difficult for him. He could only instinctively want to restore their previous intimacy through actions. Wang Dian wanted to let him learn to handle it himself, but seeing his clumsy and unfamiliar manner, he couldn’t help but feel heartache.
Stupid thing.
If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t play around in such a broken place even if beaten to death.
The two rolled onto the ground quite unceremoniously, kissing as if fighting. Wang Dian pinched Liang Ye’s neck and bit his ear. Just as Liang Ye was about to undo his belt, the flame flickered from the wind of Wang Dian’s robe, and suddenly something flashed above the secret passage.
Liang Ye didn’t really want to pay attention – he had already undone two of the three belt clasps, and Wang Dian was rarely so cooperative. He really didn’t want to waste this opportunity to take advantage, but—-Liang Ye gritted his teeth hard, “……Wait.”
Wang Dian narrowed his eyes displeased, grabbed his lower back hard, voice low and hoarse, “Hmm?”
Liang Ye took a couple breaths and looked toward the chamber ceiling, “There seems to be something up there.”
Wang Dian glared down at him from above, using great effort to let his wavering reason return, and cursed fiercely, “Liang Ye, f*ck you!”
This secret chamber seemed to have a grudge against them both.
Having fixed his clothes, Wang Dian stared at the five or six meter high chamber ceiling, his neck nearly stiff from looking, but still couldn’t see clearly what was up there, as the torch’s brightness was pitifully small.
But Liang Ye could see the gaps up there clearly. He estimated the height, then looked around, “Lend a hand, give me a boost up.”
Wang Dian understood. He had often climbed high walls at school, and skillfully took a horse stance. The moment Liang Ye stepped onto his palms, he thrust him up hard.
Liang Ye flew up like a swallow with the torch in one hand, bracing himself between the wall and the stone door. From Wang Dian’s view, he could see his slim waist and taut long legs perfectly. The sensation still lingered in his palm, and his Adam’s apple bobbed hard as his gaze stuck to him like something tangible.
Liang Ye didn’t look back, feeling around the stone bricks above, his voice both smug and sensual, “Like what you see?”
“It’s alright.” Wang Dian leaned against the wall with a laugh, trying to shift his attention to the conversation, “Found anything?”
Liang Ye felt a protrusion in one brick, pressed it but it wouldn’t move, so he gathered some internal energy, but it still wouldn’t budge. Finally using his full strength, he managed to press the brick down, and something cold fell from the gap – looking closer, it was actually a token made of dark iron, though its patterns were too worn to make out.
“Look.” Liang Ye tossed the object in his hand.
Though he knew Liang Ye’s martial arts were good, seeing him hanging upside down in mid-air still made Wang Dian nervous, “Come down quickly.”
Liang Ye gracefully flew down, not even cushioning his landing as he rushed over. Wang Dian instinctively opened his arms to catch him, holding him fully in his embrace.
Liang Ye proudly showed off to him, “That mechanism was very tricky. Even being able to fly up there requires internal energy like mine – no more than three people in all of Great Liang could do it.”
“Really impressive.” Wang Dian clicked his tongue with shared pride.
Liang Ye was delighted at the praise and slapped the token into his hand. Before he could continue showing off, the ground suddenly shook, and a tooth-grinding mechanical sound came from underground. The originally solid stone in the door suddenly split from the middle, and just as they thought the door was opening, a circular hole appeared inside.
Wang Dian looked at the size of the token and the hole, “This doesn’t look like a key either. General Bian was quite cautious.”
“Otherwise it would have been destroyed long ago.” Liang Ye stared at the circular hole for a while, his gaze shifting slightly, “Where’s the thing I gave you before?”
“…You’ve given me many things.” Wang Dian said woodenly, “Which one do you mean?”
Liang Ye touched the gold thread woven with hair on his neck, “The one you used to wear.”
Wang Dian remembered the safety lock he had given him, which he had carelessly tossed into his sleeve pocket long ago, mixed in with who knows what. He searched for half a day without finding it, and Liang Ye eagerly suggested, “Pour everything out and I’ll help you look.”
“No.” Wang Dian rejected his request expressionlessly.
Liang Ye’s eyes brightened, narrowing excitedly, “Just how many of Zhen’s things have you hidden?”
After searching for a long time without finding it, Wang Dian had no choice but to take out his sleeve pocket. Liang Ye weighed it deliberately, feigning surprise, “Don’t you find it heavy?”
“Shut up.” Wang Dian grabbed it back in embarrassed anger, deciding to just pour everything out to find that damn little thing.
Though he knew Wang Dian had kept many things, Liang Ye had never really counted them. Seeing the pile of small objects scattered on the ground truly shocked him for a moment, then he eagerly began examining them one by one.
“You even kept Zhen’s letter envelope to the Southern Zhao Emperor? Where’s the letter?” He picked up a crumpled envelope that looked like it had been crushed then smoothed out, with someone’s careful imitation beside it, and couldn’t help raising his eyebrows.
“Threw it away.” Wang Dian searched through the bits and pieces in the firelight, his tone stiff. “Hurry up and look.”
Liang Ye was so pleased he was practically bubbling, clicking his tongue as he admired his things, “Isn’t this the handkerchief Zhen didn’t want? Hmm? This is the little turtle Zhen drew… I was wondering where this ring went – ah, Wang Dian, you complained about me carrying that ointment, but you yourself are carrying three boxes!”
Wang Dian finally found the safety lock in a bundle of silk thread, snatching those small boxes back from his hand, grinning fiercely. “Of course I have to carry them since they’re for you to use.”
Liang Ye narrowed his eyes, unexpectedly grabbing one box back, “Mine just ran out.”
“Have some shame, Liang Ziyu.” Wang Dian packed everything back and stuffed it in his sleeve.
Liang Ye very shamefully patted his bottom.
“……” Wang Dian put the safety lock in his hand, “Was this from General Bian?”
“Mm.” Liang Ye put the safety lock into the keyhole, saying, “This was Zhen’s betrothal gift to you, yet you carelessly tossed it among those odds and ends, really too much.”
Wang Dian was shocked. “When did you ever say that!?”
If he had known this safety lock was a betrothal gift, he definitely wouldn’t have carelessly tossed it aside like that.
“Zhen never mentioned it?” Liang Ye turned his head in feigned shock.
“No,” Wang Dian said through gritted teeth, “You never even mentioned General Bian.”
The safety lock was inserted, and the heavy stone doors slowly opened to both sides, revealing their long-sealed true appearance.
Liang Ye walked in with his hands behind his back, cheerfully saying, “Oh, Zhen might have forgotten.”
