After Sheng Jun Chapter 49 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 49 What's Wrong (part 2)
Their guest room was in a quiet corner.
Upon entering, they discovered the interior space was quite large. Because it was a double room, two beds were placed at the east and west ends, separated by an elegant pine and plum blossom screen in the middle.
By the door leading to the courtyard stood a clothing rack with two sets of bathing robes draped over it, specially provided for hot spring bathing.
Jiang Xingzhi walked over in a few steps and took one set in hand. It felt silky smooth to the touch, and the fabric seemed to be water-absorbent as well. He opened the door and turned to tell Zhong Ming, who was still standing in the room, "I'll change outside, you change inside."
After saying this, he closed the door with a "swoosh."
The hot spring pool in the courtyard was also surrounded by ground lamps. Jiang Xingzhi stood on the corridor, not too far away.
His clear silhouette was cast by the warm light onto the door panel. Zhong Ming could see every detail of the person's movements outside by just looking up—the light outer robe suddenly fell and pooled at his feet, raised hands untied the sash, and the garment slipped from his shoulders...
Thump! Zhong Ming's heart pounded hard, and he turned his head away.
His handsome face burned red as he barely suppressed the tumultuous emotions within, waving his hand to summon the bathing robe from the rack. The cool fabric in his hands couldn't reduce the fire in his heart at all.
This person, Jiang Xingzhi... did he have no sense of caution at all! Did he know he was being watched?
Zhong Ming pursed his lips and quickly changed clothes, feeling annoyed mixed with some relief, and an indescribable sourness—
He wondered if this person was so carelessly oblivious in front of outsiders too. Fortunately, the one who came with him today was himself... his disguise.
Tch, his disguise!
While Zhong Ming's thoughts were complex and chaotic, the door "swooshed" open again.
Jiang Xingzhi stood outside the corridor in his bathing robe, turning sideways to look, "Ah Zuo, are you changed?"
Zhong Ming's little mood hadn't passed yet, thinking: Not knowing whether I'm changed or not, you still open the door. If it were another man...
"Ah Zuo, are you unhappy?" Jiang Xingzhi was perceptive.
Zhong Ming adjusted his emotions: Never mind, there's no 'what if.' The only person who could accompany Deng Deng to bathe was himself.
He walked over in a few steps, "Not unhappy, I..." His gaze fell on Jiang Xingzhi, only then noticing that this bathing robe was form-fitting and thin, revealing the other's figure completely.
Zhong Ming's words paused for a moment, "I'm very happy."
Jiang Xingzhi smiled and pulled his sleeve toward the hot spring, "Mm, it's good that you're happy."
Zhong Ming looked at his back and couldn't help but remind him after a few steps, "Deng Deng, we're not going to the public pools."
"Of course not. They're too far, I'm too lazy to go."
As he spoke, he "splashed" into the water quickly, his robe hem and hair ends spreading across the steaming water surface, "Ah Zuo, come quickly."
Zhong Ming felt relieved and followed him into the water, "Alright."
The courtyard's private hot spring wasn't large, so the two were quite close. Jiang Xingzhi was used to enjoying hot spring baths and was now in his element soaking inside, so comfortable he nearly bubbled.
A few water droplets from his splash had landed on his face, and several strands of hair were also wetly stuck to his cheeks. After his soul was made whole, his complexion was much more rosy than before, looking less fragile and more radiant.
Zhong Ming looked at him, his eyes deep as the night.
The person he liked was right before him, yet he couldn't get close, could only look, couldn't do anything...
Just as he was thinking, Jiang Xingzhi, who had been resting with closed eyes, suddenly "splashed" and turned over, lying like a salted fish against the pool's edge, turning his head to look at him with opened eyes, "My shoulders are so sore."
"What?" Zhong Ming pulled his attention back from his own thoughts.
Jiang Xingzhi's shoulders were wrapped in his garment, yet still revealed a beautifully curved line. He made a voice of disappointment, "Help this lamp with a massage."
Zhong Ming: .........
Zhong Ming: ???
He confirmed, "You mean, you want me to massage you?"
Jiang Xingzhi had already closed his eyes again and pillowed his head on his arms, his expression quite natural, as if this were the most reasonable request, "Mm, is that not allowed?"
It was allowed, of course it was allowed.
Zhong Ming couldn't ask for more, yet a voice in his heart was clamoring: Xu Jian, wake up! You haven't removed your disguise yet!
But it was just a massage, just massaging shoulders. Zhong Ming thought again: Those sect masters in the great clans all have subordinates massage their shoulders and such, didn't they? Why couldn't he, as a protector, help the sect master with a massage?
While two voices battled in his mind, Zhong Ming's palms had already landed on Jiang Xingzhi's shoulders.
His palms were large, and through the fabric, they could almost completely envelop Jiang Xingzhi's shoulders. Zhong Ming steadied himself, reminding himself not to overstep while wearing a disguise, then began gently but firmly massaging the shoulders and back.
After massaging for a while, he leaned down slightly, "Is this okay, Deng Deng?"
The person lying against the pool's edge made several muffled, comfortable sounds, stirring Zhong Ming's already precarious nerves.
His massage pressure suddenly increased, and Jiang Xingzhi's brow furrowed, "Mm... Ah Zuo, it hurts."
Zhong Ming's fingertips trembled. If it weren't... if it weren't for knowing that Jiang Xingzhi liked him as "Xu Jian" and had no interest in him as "Bai Mu," he would suspect this person was doing it on purpose.
"Alright, I'll be gentler." Zhong Ming took a deep breath, suppressed those inappropriate thoughts, and began his countless regrets once again.
This damned disguise was really damned inconvenient!
Steaming hot vapor rose up. Zhong Ming's massage incorporated spiritual power guidance, creating soothing warmth both inside and out. Jiang Xingzhi had originally intended to tease the other person, but hadn't expected the massage to be so comfortable that drowsiness overcame him, and he actually fell asleep.
After one forceful movement, Zhong Ming discovered that the person in front of him suddenly slid down with the force, "splash"! He quickly caught him, "Deng Deng?"
The person in his arms leaned against his chest, head tilted, sleeping peacefully.
Zhong Ming was speechless for a moment, then accepted the situation with good grace. He lifted the person up with as pure thoughts as possible, "splashed" out of the hot spring, and walked across the wet floor into the room.
Spiritual power instantly dried the water from both their bodies. Zhong Ming placed Jiang Xingzhi on the bed and covered him with a quilt.
The latter's peaceful sleeping face looked obedient and adorable—as long as he didn't speak, he was quite pleasing to the eye.
Zhong Ming knelt on one knee beside the bed and watched him for a while, his lips unconsciously curving upward.
He recalled this fulfilling day in his mind: they had first gone to "Undrunken Immortal" for drinks the night before, then today they had bought new clothes together, drank and boated, and now they were soaking in hot springs at the same inn. It was quite...
Quite...
Wait! Zhong Ming's brow suddenly furrowed: this series of activities strung together suddenly made clear the strange sense of déjà vu he'd felt while boating, as if a bright line had been drawn across his mind!
His pupils contracted slightly—
Admiring the moon and flowers, drinking wine and boating, being honest and open in the hot springs... weren't these all the little wishes Jiang Xingzhi had once expressed?
These things he wanted to do with him as "Xu Jian"—how had they all ended up being done with him as "Bai Mu"?!