After Sheng Jun Chapter 51 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 51 Sweet Burden (part 1)
The hand gripping his wrist was so forceful that he couldn't break free at all.
The burning palm felt as if it had been seared by the jealous fire in the man's heart. The flames licked along their pressed skin, shooting straight to Jiang Xingzhi's heart and making his entire body heat up.
Jiang Xingzhi's face flushed red as he tried to pull his wrist away, but his evasive movement seemed to stimulate the other party even more—the grip on his wrist tightened, and Zhong Ming pulled him closer with one hand while raising his other hand to lock it firmly around his waist.
Their bodies pressed together at once. "Ah Zuo!" Jiang Xingzhi cried out softly, his free hand pressing against that firm chest.
Zhong Ming looked down at his face intently, his throat bobbing. "Tell me."
The chaotic heartbeat transmitted from Zhong Ming's chest, his rapid breathing mixed with hot air brushing against his face. Jiang Xingzhi's cheeks grew redder and redder: Oh... oh no.
How should he explain this?
After countless explanations swirled through his mind, he simply lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together in silence: the more he said, the more mistakes he'd make. Better to leave it for Xu Jian to savor himself.
His dense eyelashes couldn't hide the rippling spring waves beneath his eyes.
Looking at the person in his arms with a face like evening begonias, showing the bashful demeanor of someone whose thoughts had been exposed, Zhong Ming's mind buzzed with noise, even his temples throbbing with dizzy swelling:
Jiang Xingzhi... Jiang Xingzhi had tied his own name to the intimate space around his wrist. So ambiguous, so alluring, but why were they the two characters "Bai Mu"!
"Deng Deng." Zhong Ming called out again through gritted teeth, his eye sockets heating up as he bent down closer to the person in his arms, staring intently at those shy, timid eyes. "If I..."
He paused, as if engaged in some internal struggle.
Then, word by word, "If I were to kiss you right now, would you refuse me?"
Their lips were only a finger's width apart, ambiguous hot breath falling down. Jiang Xingzhi trembled directly, his cheeks burning as his breathing became erratic.
Xu Jian... Xu Jian was so domineering.
The entire long mountain stairway seemed to quiet down, with only red leaves spinning slowly as they fell to the ground. Jiang Xingzhi felt the hand around his waist slowly tighten, his eyelashes fluttering as he looked up at the man so close to him.
This one glance made him clutch Zhong Ming's clothes tightly—
The other's dark eyes seemed to harbor a ball of fire with nowhere to vent, unclear whether it was desire stirred up by teasing or anger tinged with a punitive meaning. As if he couldn't wait to possess him immediately, yet was restraining himself from acting due to some concern.
Gulp. Jiang Xingzhi swallowed, his heartbeat accelerating...
He secretly urged in his heart: Why are you still holding back? Why don't you hurry up and forcefully kiss me!
Perhaps his attitude conveyed a sense of tacit permission, because the man before him had redder eye sockets, his large palm roughly kneading his waist. "Will you let me or not?"
Zhong Ming felt he too had been driven mad by jealousy, otherwise why would he keep obsessing over this question? His wavering expectation carried some timidity—he wanted to immediately kiss the person in his arms, yet feared that the latter would actually nod in agreement.
If Jiang Xingzhi really nodded and agreed, should he actually kiss him or not?
Their rapid breathing intertwined.
In the slightly cool air of this deep autumn mountain forest, the temperature suddenly soared.
Jiang Xingzhi waited with lowered eyes for a long time, but didn't wait for Zhong Ming's forceful kiss. Instead, the hand gripping his wrist grew stronger and stronger. He made a soft sound of pain, "Ah Zuo... you're hurting me."
Anyone would know that with Mahayana peak cultivation, how could one's hand hurt from being gripped?
But hearing his coquettish tone, Zhong Ming glanced down to see the pale red fingerprints he'd left on that delicate white wrist, and his tight grip suddenly relaxed.
"Then tell me..."
The released hand slid down instead, touching the engraved characters on that small golden lotus leaf. Zhong Ming's fingertips carefully traced the two characters "Bai Mu." "What does this mean?"
The distance reopened, cold air rushing between them.
The flush on Jiang Xingzhi's face cooled down, his lust-addled mind clearing somewhat. He threw the question back, "What do you think it means?"
Zhong Ming looked at him. "I don't know, you tell me."
"Why engrave my name on the red string, Deng Deng?"
"......"
Jiang Xingzhi slowly turned his head away. "For prayers." Praying for their marital happiness—nothing wrong with that.
"Prayers?" Zhong Ming didn't believe this nonsense at all. He deliberately asked, "Then what about your Xu Jian? Why not pray for your Xu Jian's blessings?"
"We're too far apart, distant water can't put out a nearby fire." Jiang Xingzhi muttered a few words, then put on a righteous expression and raised his voice, "Ah Zuo, why do you keep mentioning him? You're acting strange."
Zhong Ming choked, turning to worry about his own disguise.
But this time Jiang Xingzhi didn't pursue his abnormal behavior, only lowered his head to touch the red string around his wrist. "It seems I acted presumptuously... If Ah Zuo doesn't like it, I'll take it off."
He drooped his eyelashes pitifully, his fingers already moving to remove the red string.
Zhong Ming quickly grabbed his hand. "Don't take it off, don't take it off. I don't dislike it. I... I was just too excited."
"Really?" Jiang Xingzhi looked up at him carefully. "But you seemed so angry just now."
"Really, I like it very much."
Zhong Ming actually wasn't deliberately lying to coax him. He was half annoyed and sour, half sweet and satisfied. It was as if something he'd fantasized about before had suddenly come true—though it was his disguise that had achieved it.
"Keep wearing it. I'll also go find the master to get one, to pray for Deng Deng's blessings. What do you think?"
Jiang Xingzhi's heart immediately sweetened, agreeing readily, "Good."
Zhong Ming's back teeth ground together with a "creak." Good what good—those were clearly meant to be a pair!
But undeniably, this ambiguous and alluring little trick had indeed tempted him, making him turn around without hesitation and walk toward Wu Jie's small house—he was going to engrave "Xingzhi," in the name of "Xu Jian"!
Watching that straight back disappear down the mountain steps, Jiang Xingzhi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed Xu Jian hadn't yet realized that he'd been stripped of his disguise.
Though he'd accidentally let the other party discover that he'd engraved his disguise's name...
Thinking of this, Jiang Xingzhi couldn't help but touch the place on his wrist that had been tightly gripped earlier. It seemed to still retain that burning temperature and domineering force, making him unable to stop his face from flushing and heart from racing.
He still felt a bit regretful in his heart—why hadn't Xu Jian used force on him?
If, if he provoked him even more severely later, would he directly pounce on him and then "do this and that"?
......Hiss!
Jiang Xingzhi quickly reined in his wild thoughts, covering his flushed face as he turned and returned to his room.
****
The next day, Zhong Ming indeed had an additional red string around his wrist.
The golden small lotus leaf was engraved with the two characters "Xingzhi." He seemed to have no intention of hiding it, wearing it openly around his wrist.
Jiang Xingzhi saw it at a glance, his heart immediately heating up. The presence of the red string on his own wrist also rapidly intensified, making his wrist tingle pleasantly.
He walked up to Zhong Ming. "Ah Zuo really did pray for my blessings."
"Yes." Zhong Ming curved his lips, his words seeming to suppress some anger. "After all, I also want to bless Deng Deng with happiness and peace."
Jiang Xingzhi seemed not to hear his annoyance, smiling cheerfully. "Ah Zuo is so good."
Zhong Ming felt sour. "Mm, so is Deng Deng going to like me?"
Jiang Xingzhi measured his expression carefully, turning his head away to ignore him. "What are you saying... I'm going to check how they've arranged the sect examination."
The silver-blue figure gracefully left Zhong Ming's sight.
The red string flickered in and out of view beneath the swaying sleeves, as if swaying in his heart. Zhong Ming stood in place, savoring Jiang Xingzhi's expression and tone from earlier, while estimating "Bai Mu's" romantic progress on one hand, and worrying on the other whether "Xu Jian" could still turn the tide.