Liu Zhuang Xian

Lu Xiaochan withdrew his hand. He heard Shu Wuxi pick up the teapot and the sound of tea being poured into a cup.

This was the first time someone had taken care of him, fearing he might get burned, and poured tea for him.

Lu Xiaochan didn’t understand why Shu Wuxi didn’t despise him.

If he found him dirty, he wouldn’t have sat beside him.

If he found him lowly, he wouldn’t have poured tea for him.

But why didn’t Shu Wuxi let him touch him?

“Let me, this little beggar, try you out! Hehe!” he thought.

Lu Xiaochan felt the teacup and deliberately knocked it over.

With a “splash” sound, he felt the scalding hot steam of the tea, but in an instant, Shu Wuxi caught the cup, tilted it forward, and the spilled tea was poured back in, exactly as it was.

Lu Xiaochan wasn’t sure what had happened, only knowing that Shu Wuxi lifted the teacup and gently blew on it.

“It’s not hot anymore. You can drink it.”

He placed the teacup back in front of Lu Xiaochan.

Lu Xiaochan uncertainly touched the cup; it was warm.

His lips lightly touched it, and the tea was also warm.

It was as if the previous heat had been an illusion.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door from the inn’s servant.

“Guest, I’ve brought hot water for your bath!”

“Come in,” Shu Wuxi said, sitting upright.

Lu Xiaochan heard two servants carrying a large wooden tub, placing it in an empty space in the room.

Then, two buckets of hot water and two buckets of cold water were poured in.

Soap and a towel were placed beside the bathtub.

“Take your time bathing, guest. These are the clothes the innkeeper just bought for you.”

“Put them down.”

After everyone had left, Shu Wuxi stood up and tested the water temperature. “Xiaochan, come and bathe.”

Lu Xiaochan pointed at himself. “This is prepared for me?”

“Yes.”

When the old beggar was still alive, he would take him to the riverside every ten days or half a month to bathe and scrub off the dirt. After the old beggar passed away, Lu Xiaochan hadn’t bathed except when it rained heavily.

After all, by the riverside, without someone watching, he could easily drown.

Life was still more important than bathing.

“I… have never bathed in a tub before…”

“After taking off your clothes, just step into the tub. I’ll support you with a bamboo branch.”

“…That’s not what I meant… I meant to say, I’ve never had such a proper bath like this before…”

“In the future, if you want to bathe, I’ll find a place for you to take your time.”

“…”

“My point isn’t that I like bathing! It’s that not having to bathe in the river is good treatment!” he thought.

Lu Xiaochan quickly stripped off his tattered clothes.

When he was about to take off the last piece, he uncertainly looked towards the direction where Shu Wuxi was sitting.

“Um… Shu… Shu Wuxi… are you still looking at me?”

“Yes,” Shu Wuxi’s voice was soft, making one’s heart inexplicably soften.

Lu Xiaochan knew the other was afraid he might slip, but his “little cicada” had never been seen by outsiders before.

“I’m going to start washing now.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“What I mean is… could you turn your eyes away for a moment…”

“Why?”

“Why? Do you… do you want to see my little cicada?”

“Little cicada?” Shu Wuxi asked again.

Lu Xiaochan could almost imagine him slightly frowning in thought.

“It’s this!” Lu Xiaochan freed his right hand and pointed.

“Why should I look away?”

Lu Xiaochan sighed. “I know we’re both men, and it’s not a big deal to look! But, you know, I’m shy…”

The old beggar always said he hadn’t grown all his hair yet.

Lu Xiaochan didn’t understand why the old beggar would say that, as if having more hair there was such a macho and manly thing.

More hair just hides lice!

But what if Shu Wuxi also thought he hadn’t grown all his hair there!

No, wait! How could he compare Shu Wuxi to that tasteless old beggar!

“Never mind, never mind! If you don’t care, I don’t care either!”

Lu Xiaochan let go and, hunching over, crawled into the bathtub.

As he climbed in with his back turned, he seemed to hear Shu Wuxi’s breath catch for a moment nearby.

Lu Xiaochan also felt his lower back and all the way down his spine was very hot.

He sat down in the water, the warm flow just covering his chest.

“Wow! This feels so good!” Lu Xiaochan squinted, leaning back against the tub. He scrubbed himself for a while and played with the hot water, but when he didn’t hear Shu Wuxi’s voice, he tilted his head and asked, “Shu Wuxi… are you still there?”

“I’m here.”

Whether it was because the hot water had made the room warmer, Shu Wuxi’s voice wasn’t as cool as before. His tone lingered with a hint of huskiness, making Lu Xiaochan’s heart tingle.

“Then… are you still looking at me?”

“Yes.”

“You’re really patient, watching me the whole time. Don’t worry, this tub of water won’t drown me!”

“I’m watching you, not because I’m patient.”

“Then why?”

Lu Xiaochan leaned towards Shu Wuxi’s direction, resting on the edge of the tub with his chin on his arms, his large round eyes looking at Shu Wuxi.

“Because you’re beautiful.”

The water, which had almost cooled down, suddenly seemed to boil again. Lu Xiaochan’s heart trembled.

No one had ever called him beautiful before.

Not even the old beggar who had adopted him.

“You’re very beautiful too,” Lu Xiaochan smiled, his eyes curving like starlight about to spill from their corners.

Suddenly, Shu Wuxi’s scent drew closer.

Lu Xiaochan raised his head. “Why did you come over?”

“How did you know I came over?” Shu Wuxi’s voice was cool and light.

Hearing such a voice while being steamed during a bath felt particularly enjoyable.

“I smelled your scent! It’s really nice! Much better than the soap!”

“You like this scent?”

Lu Xiaochan rested on the edge of the tub, face turned to the side. Though he couldn’t see, he felt Shu Wuxi was lowering his head, eyes downcast, his nose tip probably less than half an inch from Lu Xiaochan’s cheek.

Lu Xiaochan suddenly reached out to grab him, but Shu Wuxi instantly moved away.

“I do like it.”

“Its name is ‘Clear Night Falling in the Dark Sky.’ If you like it, I’ll put some in your bath.”

Lu Xiaochan heard the sound of a dewdrop falling, creating imperceptible ripples. The whole tub of water he was soaking in seemed to come alive.

He had intended to scrub the dirt off his body before the water cooled, but as soon as he pressed his hand to his shoulder, he found his skin, long exposed to sun and rain, had become smooth and soft.

“Eh? How did I become like a peeled egg shell? Ah! I mean like a peeled egg!”

“It can cleanse the dust and mud from your body.”

“Just that tiny drop?”

“Yes.”

Lu Xiaochan thought it was so amazing. If Shu Wuxi had allowed him to touch, he would have wanted to feel all over his body to see what other treasures he might have!

Since Shu Wuxi was right beside him, Lu Xiaochan couldn’t help but keep talking to him. Even a simple “mm” in response made him happy.

“You said earlier that you needed to put my hair in the incense bait to find me… but where did you get my hair?”

He had been wondering about this for a long time.

“Perhaps when you were unhappy with me touching your hair, you cut it all off, and I kept it.”

“That’s impossible! If you like touching my hair, go ahead! You can touch anywhere you want…Wait, except for my little cicada!”

Lu Xiaochan deliberately leaned his head towards Shu Wuxi, who was resting against the tub, waiting for him to stroke his hair. But a bamboo branch touched his face, blocking him.

The bamboo branch’s touch from Shu Wuxi didn’t feel rejecting at all. It was as if he was gently caressing Lu Xiaochan through it.

Lu Xiaochan felt like a puppy, just waiting for Shu Wuxi to say “good boy.”

“Why not?” Shu Wuxi asked.

Lu Xiaochan nearly choked on his own saliva. “It’s just not allowed!”

Shu Wuxi seemed to shift slightly, then said calmly. “Mm.”

Lu Xiaochan quickly covered himself, his ears turning red and hot.

“Actually, it’s very beautiful.”

Lu Xiaochan wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but in his mind he pictured Shu Wuxi leaning on the tub with one hand, face turned sideways, eyes lowered, looking at the water.

“That part can’t be described as ‘very beautiful’!”

“But it is very beautiful.”

Lu Xiaochan almost wanted to pull his own hair. He knew Shu Wuxi wasn’t joking, as he didn’t seem like someone who would joke around.

He seemed to not quite understand some things…

“Do you know what ‘beautiful’ means?” Lu Xiaochan asked.

“You told me before, something you want to keep looking at after seeing it, even want to possess, is ‘beautiful’.”

Shu Wuxi’s voice always carried a coolness, like ancient jade soaked in years, or like a still, ancient well. But now, that coolness was tinged with a hint of tenderness, making Lu Xiaochan’s heart flutter.

“So the little cicada isn’t ‘beautiful’! What’s this about wanting to possess… What use would you have for a little cicada!”

“Wanting to hold it in your hand and grasp it, isn’t that wanting to possess it?”

Lu Xiaochan suddenly felt like he needed to smash some rocks on his chest… He didn’t know how to explain this issue to Shu Wuxi.

Never mind, it was he who had strangely gone from talking about hair to the little cicada in the first place.

“…Anyway… thanks for your appreciation of the little cicada…”

“Mm.” Shu Wuxi’s response soothed Lu Xiaochan’s mind.