After Sheng Jun Chapter 70 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 70 United by Water (part 1)
Boom! Zhong Ming's mind went completely blank: Ah, Ah Zuo?? What, what Ah Zuo??? Was he calling him?
Jiang Xingzhi stared at his slightly trembling pupils, then leaned in and gave him another peck, "Won't you answer me?"
The frozen pupils moved, turning toward him. Zhong Ming seemed to have lost his language system, "......What? What you said......"
Jiang Xingzhi was unhurried, "What do you think?"
The air fell silent for a moment.
For a time there was only the sound of the waterfall "whooshing" down, as if washing Zhong Ming's brain. His mind crashed for a while, then slowly rebooted......then suddenly he looked sharply at Jiang Xingzhi, "You knew everything?"
"What else?" Jiang Xingzhi deliberately put on a stern face, "In your heart, am I such a fickle and changeable person?"
Zhong Ming hurriedly said, "How could that be! Of course not!"
He spoke in a flustered rush, his heart beating violently in his chest. Immense joy crashed into his heart even more fiercely than the falling spring, followed by overwhelming shame------
All his various affected performances in front of Jiang Xingzhi, being jealous of himself, competing with himself......hadn't Jiang Xingzhi seen it all?
Zhong Ming's handsome face immediately flushed bright red, his toes curling tightly against the soles of his shoes: He, he really wanted to drill back to a thousand years ago!
If time could start over, he would never act pretentious again!
Jiang Xingzhi looked at his flushed face and asked in his previous tone, "Ah Zuo~ why is your face so red?"
Zhong Ming's hand gripping his waist tightened shamefully, "You knew long ago that we are the same person."
Jiang Xingzhi said, "Of course I knew." Finally, he added meaningfully, "But you yourself didn't seem to know."
"........."
Zhong Ming was embarrassed for a few breaths, then belatedly realized: Wait, now his "Bai Mu" and his "Xu Jian" could finally be united again!
He pressed his lips and asked, "How did you...when did you know?"
Jiang Xingzhi, "When we left the Demon Realm."
He knew so early! Zhong Ming's heart was greatly shaken: No wonder, no wonder after coming out of the Demon Realm, Jiang Xingzhi had become much closer to him. He had thought it was out of gratitude, but it turned out his cover was blown!
The more he thought about it, the more he resented, "It really was that damned Night Crossing......"
Jiang Xingzhi, "I saw your natal sword."
Zhong Ming, "......Oh."
After a pause, he pulled the person closer, lowering his head to bite those lips he'd been longing for day and night, "You knew everything, yet you watched me anxiously struggling alone every day! You------"
Jiang Xingzhi was bitten painfully, the pain mixed with tingling numbness. He couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, "Mm...you didn't confess honestly yourself, and now you're blaming me?"
The biting force loosened. Zhong Ming quickly licked soothingly over the teeth marks on his lips, gently kissing them, "It's my fault, my fault, I brought it on myself."
He admitted his mistake, but his tone still sounded quite aggrieved.
Jiang Xingzhi added, "Besides, I kept hinting at you all along."
Hints? Zhong Ming reflected on those so-called "hints," thinking they weren't obvious at all - he had been too busy competing with himself! But it didn't matter------
Now, he was whole again!
Never had there been a moment when his heart felt as comfortable and relaxed as now, filled only with pure sweetness and joy: Jiang Xingzhi only liked him, from beginning to end, there was only him in his heart.
The overwhelming joy even diluted some of the embarrassment brought by wearing that transparent disguise.
Zhong Ming was extremely excited. He bent down to lift Jiang Xingzhi, holding him in the most familiar position for both of them, lowering his head to glance at the person in his arms, "Let's get out first, we're all soaked."
The silver-blue couple's outfit on Jiang Xingzhi was thoroughly drenched by the falling spring, clinging to his form, half-transparent and half-concealing. He hung on Zhong Ming's body, his legs boldly wrapping around.
Zhong Ming stood bare-chested in the pool, the two of them had never been so close before------whether in body or spirit. After shedding his disguise, his entire being seemed to be unblocked, surging emotions coming more fiercely than ever before, without any restraint.
Zhong Ming stepped out of the waterfall, but before reaching the pool's edge, he couldn't help but embrace Jiang Xingzhi in the center of the pool and kiss him passionately.
Bodies dampened by spring water were originally cool, but as they kissed, the temperature quickly rose. Half of Jiang Xingzhi's wet hair draped over his shoulder, half entangled around Zhong Ming's arm that encircled his waist.
He tilted his head back to receive Zhong Ming's demanding kisses, his lips and tongue filled with the other's breath. In the rushing sound of flowing water, Jiang Xingzhi thought dazedly: How many times had he fantasized about embracing Xu Jian in this pool in dreams and illusions, never expecting it to actually come true at this moment.
The real strength and heat were more vivid than in dreams.
After kissing for a while, he couldn't take it anymore and slid down weakly. Just as he slipped down a bit, his tailbone suddenly trembled! Jiang Xingzhi opened his eyes as if sensing something, tilting his head back to dodge Zhong Ming's kiss, "Xu Jian, you......"
Zhong Ming's hand supporting him didn't move, nor did he lift the person back up, shamelessly maintaining this position as he said, "It's normal to react this way when holding someone you like, isn't it?"
Jiang Xingzhi recalled the glimpse of scenery he'd seen earlier, expectant yet fearful as he climbed up Zhong Ming's shoulders, reminding him, "Not now."
"I know." Zhong Ming lowered his head to take his lips, his prominent Adam's apple bobbing up and down. After kissing for a while, he suddenly said, "Shall we form a contract?"
Jiang Xingzhi's eyes lit up, "Mm." They should have formed a contract long ago!
He asked happily, "When shall we form the contract?"
Zhong Ming, "Tomorrow?"
"......" Though he was also anxious, tomorrow seemed a bit too hasty. Jiang Xingzhi said, "Let's still pick an auspicious day, and give everyone in the Three Realms some time to prepare."
Zhong Ming frowned, "It's not them forming the contract, what do they need to prepare for?"
Jiang Xingzhi shyly punched his shoulder, "Thud!" The punch made Zhong Ming grunt, "You're so stupid, of course they need to prepare generous gifts~"
Zhong Ming, "......"
Still that money-loving lamp.
****
After coming out of the pool, the two lingered for a while, and the sky color approached dusk.
Jiang Xingzhi didn't want to go back, and Zhong Ming even less wanted to part from him, so he had someone arrange for them to stay here tonight.
"Sleep in my sleeping chamber, don't leave, alright?"
"You have a sleeping chamber?" Jiang Xingzhi laughed heartily, thinking he was playing with the joke Zhu Yan had made. But when he followed Zhong Ming around the front mountain to the palace courtyard, he realized the other wasn't exaggerating at all.
The towering, magnificent palace courtyard was built even more extravagantly than the luxurious Demon Realm.
Light golden palace columns, glazed tiles, marble floors so polished they reflected like mirrors. Even the curtains were woven from shark silk, and the bedroom was arranged quite comfortably.
Just looking at it once made Jiang Xingzhi drowsy.
He half-squinted his eyes, lazily leaning against Zhong Ming, surveying the bedroom environment. Seeing that though it was luxuriously decorated, it didn't look like it had been used, he asked, "Have you slept here?"
Zhong Ming carried this boneless person to the bed, "No."
Sitting on the bed was even more silky and soft. Jiang Xingzhi couldn't help bouncing on it, "Then why did you furnish it so completely? Pursuing a sense of ritual?"
Zhong Ming watched his delighted appearance, lowering his head with a smile, "I furnished it for you, thinking you'd probably like it."
Jiang Xingzhi's bouncing motion paused, he looked up at him, "Furnished for me? What...why?"
Zhong Ming reached out to pinch his earlobe, "I used to think, if someday we could become dao companions......or if you came looking for me one day and wanted to stay overnight, I'd have a place to keep you."
Jiang Xingzhi was stunned, his eyes suddenly feeling a bit hot. He reached out as if to hide and pulled down Zhong Ming's neck, nuzzling in his embrace, "You, when did you start liking me?"
"Very early."
"How early is very early?"
Zhong Ming then kissed his ear tip, leaning down in this position, letting the bed curtains fall, then sought his lips, "I forgot."
Jiang Xingzhi didn't believe it, still wanting to continue asking when someone rubbed his waist, "Ah......mm." He was immediately silenced, only able to grip Zhong Ming's clothes without being able to speak.
Light curtains swayed, passion ran deep.
The flame that had been suppressed with difficulty flared up again. Jiang Xingzhi quickly used his knee to block Zhong Ming, blushing as he reminded, "No, we have to wait until the contract ceremony......before doing this and that on your bed."
After saying these inflammatory words, she saw Zhong Ming pause.
Zhong Ming propped himself above him, seeming to contemplate something. Only when Jiang Xingzhi's knee pressed against him again did he come back to his senses. He lowered his head to negotiate with the person, "When the time comes, not on the bed, in the water, alright?"
Jiang Xingzhi's chin retracted, "Why?"
Zhong Ming remained silent. Wu Jie said they were united by water, and to this day he still didn't know if they had truly united or not? He had once thought they had, only to pay a painful price for his youthful recklessness.
Now to be safe, whether they had united or not, all important moments must take place in water!
He searched for the right words, "Because......it's more smooth?"
Jiang Xingzhi, "???"
The remaining time, the two began discussing details of the contract ceremony.
Zhong Ming seemed to have quite rich ideas about this. Jiang Xingzhi leaned in his embrace, listening to the person's rambling voice, his brain tired from the day slowly falling asleep.
His head tilted, and his breathing became even.
Zhong Ming's voice stopped, looking down at the person sleeping sweetly with closed eyes, he smiled helplessly and planted another kiss on his forehead.
"Good night, Xingzhi."
"My Deng Deng."
….
Getting up the next day.
Before opening his eyes, Jiang Xingzhi was still apprehensive, afraid that upon opening them he'd see Zhong Ming's face silently watching him.
He quietly cracked open a slit of his eyes, focusing his vision: no one nearby, through the hanging curtains, a tall figure in the room stood with his back to him.
Jiang Xingzhi breathed a sigh of relief, lifting the curtains and sitting up, "Xu Jian."
The person with his back to him turned around upon hearing the sound, wearing the couple's outfit that matched his, looking quite smug, "Awake, Deng Deng."
Jiang Xingzhi saw he had resumed "Bai Mu's" behavior pattern, thinking this person was finally no longer split, "Mm, you're wearing this today?"
"You wore it, how could I not wear it?" Zhong Ming said, then pulled out that pile of souvenirs from his storage bag, hanging them one by one by one......on himself.
Jiang Xingzhi saw him hanging them like a display board and quickly stopped him, "People who don't know would think you're selling these."
Zhong Ming immediately became serious, "Nonsense. I would never sell them, not a single one!"
Jiang Xingzhi: ......He was just making a comparison.
He suggested, "How about you change one each day, and you wouldn't repeat any for half a month."
Zhong Ming weighed this for a long time, finally compromising, "That works too."
The souvenirs covering his body were taken off one by one by one......and put back in the storage bag. Zhong Ming had basically finished removing them all, leaving only the tassel pendant that Jiang Xingzhi had originally given to "Bai Mu." He held it in his hand, thinking darkly:
Heh, given to Bai Mu, but now isn't it still in his Xu Jian's hands.
Just as he was thinking, his thoughts suddenly stalled. No wait, he was already united now, so why was he subconsciously starting to compete again?
This terrible aftereffect......
Afraid that Jiang Xingzhi would detect that moment of split, Zhong Ming quickly lowered his head to arrange his clothes. Just as he was about to hang that tassel pendant on his waist, he heard Jiang Xingzhi's leisurely voice beside him.
"Who was it that said hanging it on the waist shows no taste?"
Zhong Ming, "......"
The fingers gripping the tassel curled awkwardly, he failed to make excuses and opened his mouth to redirect the focus, "Nonsense, I have great taste."
He added before Jiang Xingzhi could speak, "Otherwise how would I have fallen for Deng Deng?"
Jiang Xingzhi's open mouth closed, he lowered his head shyly: Well, no argument there.
Zhong Ming successfully hung up his accessory, then took out that Moon-Holding Pearl, "Let's hang the jade too."
Jiang Xingzhi looked at the dazzling array of accessories on him, "......Don't you think you're a bit too flashy?"
"Am I?" Zhong Ming said, already naturally hanging the jade on himself, "Look, how suitable."
Jiang Xingzhi: Is this a rebound from being suppressed too long? He thought with hidden anticipation, wondering if other areas would also rebound severely......
Zhong Ming finished hanging the Moon-Holding Pearl, turned to see the absent-minded Jiang Xingzhi, and hesitated, "Deng Deng, is it because I just hung too many yellow accessories......when I look at you now, you seem a bit yellowish?"
Jiang Xingzhi immediately straightened up, "It must be."