Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Pei Mu had never imagined things would develop like this.

He was too shocked to speak, yet his intuition feared this was just a dream, and joy came slowly and cautiously.

He pulled back a little, looking at Zhong Yizhu's reddened eyes, and felt his own eyes growing hot as well.

"I..."

"Of course I like you."

Who wouldn't like Zhong Yizhu? Pei Mu thought. He felt there was nothing about Zhong Yizhu that wasn't endearing and likeable, and precisely because of that, he felt even more that Zhong Yizhu should go somewhere better, be with someone better.

But Zhong Yizhu wanted him, a man covered in mud.

He reached out to wipe Zhong Yizhu's tears, his hand trembling shamefully: "Don't cry, okay? You can have whatever you want, as long as I have it to give."

"It's okay if you don't have it."

Zhong Yizhu tugged at the corner of his shirt, finally letting out sobs.

"Is it because of my father again? What kind of debt repayment brings you to this point?"

Pei Mu furrowed his brows in panic, holding Zhong Yizhu's hand, having no idea how to comfort him.

"If it were someone else, saving you that day would have been enough to repay the favor."

Young love is always fierce; he wished he could lay his heart bare for the man before him to see.

He lifted Zhong Yizhu's hand and gently brushed his lips against it: "I really do like you. My willingness to give you everything is also real. It's all because you're Zhong Yizhu, not because you're Zhong Er Ye's young master."

Zhong Yizhu's sobbing paused, but having just experienced such a dizzying upheaval, he still couldn't quite believe it.

He sobbed as he leaned forward, trying to see if Pei Mu was telling the truth, but his lips were caught first.

"Mm..."

Zhong Yizhu's eyes widened; he even forgot to cry. His lips were licked and sucked clumsily, and he blushed all over from embarrassment. It wasn't until he couldn't breathe that he remembered to push him away.

Pei Mu released the person in his arms, also out of breath, and his ears were bright red.

Zhong Yizhu had come too close; his mind went blank, and the rest was pure instinct. The taste afterward was so sweet that he couldn't stop or let go, and only now did he come back to his senses.

He licked his lips, feeling his blood surge, never having felt this elated in his life.

Zhong Yizhu had stopped crying, though he still sobbed occasionally from having cried so hard.

Pei Mu got up to light the candle, then wrung out a cloth and wiped his face.

Zhong Yizhu's whole face was red—eyes red, nose red, lips like ripe wild berries that seemed about to burst with juice at the slightest pinch.

Pei Mu carefully wiped away the tear stains on his face. In the dim candlelight, he held Zhong Yizhu's evasive gaze.

His expression was more serious than ever: "The villagers all call me a Jinx. The fortune-teller in the next village said I'm cursed to bring death to my kin and close ones. Aren't you afraid?"

Zhong Yizhu sniffled, his voice hoarse from crying, he sounded weak, but he answered firmly: "I'm not afraid. They're talking nonsense."

Pei Mu's grip on the cloth tightened: "It's not complete nonsense."

"My mother's health was indeed harmed by giving birth to me, which is why she died within a month of childbirth."

Zhong Yizhu frowned: "You were just a baby then. How was that your fault? Wasn't it because your father didn't do his duty and didn't take care of your mother?"

Pei Mu had once thought he would never tell anyone about this past; he had buried it deep in his heart, letting it rot, so even recalling it was difficult.

"...Pei Song and my mother were set up by my grandfather. Before marrying my mother, Pei Song already liked Tian Shi. Grandfather looked down on Tian Shi and forced Pei Song to marry my mother instead. My mother was strong-willed; after marrying and discovering her husband had someone else in his heart, of course she made a scene. They became a notorious resentful couple in the village."

"Grandfather was already regretting it by then, but in the village, everyone just muddled through their marriages. There was no such thing as separation, and divorcing her without cause was out of the question, so they had to let things be. Later, after giving birth to me, my mother was weak. Pei Song showed me no affection and even made her work right after childbirth regardless of her condition. After a big fight with him, she had a sudden hemorrhaging that night and died before a doctor could even be called."

"Grandfather had some conscience left. He was already ill, and he felt that if not for him, the family wouldn't have fallen apart. In a moment of despair, he passed away a few days later."

"Pei Song said I was the root of everything. He named me Pei Mu, saying I should carry the weight of both their tombstones. From the time I was little, he told me I was born unlucky, that I shouldn't live, that I should take the initiative to die to avoid harming my loved ones."

"I refused."

Pei Mu averted his gaze from Zhong Yizhu's stare, speaking calmly: "I thought many times about killing them, but they simply weren't worth me going down with them."

He twitched the corner of his mouth: "So what I said in front of the village head was a lie."

"Even if they hadn't come after me, I wouldn't have let them live in peace."

"That's how petty I am, how black-hearted and ruthless."

Pei Mu's dark eyes met Zhong Yizhu's, laying bare his ugliest side for him to see, and handed the choice back to him.

"Zhu Ge'er, if you choose me today, and later you want to back out, I won't allow it."

Pei Mu thought, he had tasted the sweetest honey; how could he bear to let it go?

Even though every ounce of his will was clamoring for possession, his last shred of reason still gave Zhong Yizhu a chance to leave.

Even if Zhong Yizhu regretted it now, that would be fine. Zhong Yizhu had given him a beautiful dream, and that was already a generous gift.

But another fair and beautiful hand slipped into his palm: "Wipe this hand too."

Pei Mu silently pressed his lips together, but his hands were meticulous as he wiped it.

Zhong Yizhu watched Pei Mu's lonely shadow falling on the ground in the dim candlelight, then looked at Pei Mu's cold, hard features.

Pei Mu had shouldered the burden of those years alone for far too long, he thought.

Those past events that he couldn't share had honed him into a dull blade, yet he remained an upright person.

He leaned forward, watching his own shadow slowly intertwine with Pei Mu's.

This was good enough.

Zhong Yizhu made a solemn promise: "I won't go back on my word."

He smiled at Pei Mu: "I have the best judgment, so you are the best."

Pei Mu felt as though his heart had been struck heavily, waves of ecstasy spreading through him. He tightened his grip on the hand in his, and a single tear fell silently. He quickly wiped it with the cloth, but Zhong Yizhu tightened his hold.

He heard Zhong Yizhu say: "We're even. I won't go tell Father that you made me cry."

Pei Mu looked at Zhong Yizhu. Never in his life had he felt favored by fate, but at this moment, he sincerely gave thanks to heaven.

He pulled him tightly into his arms, as if holding the most precious treasure in all the world.

When Pei Mu had finished tidying up and blew out the candle to get into bed, Zhong Yizhu had already slipped back under his own covers.

Perhaps because he had recovered from his embarrassment, he had pulled the covers up to just below his eyes.

Pei Mu got into bed and lay down, turning to face Zhong Yizhu's direction. Even if he did nothing at all, just seeing him there, safe and sound was enough to make him feel content.

Zhong Yizhu shrank down further under his gaze. Pei Mu reached out and pulled the blanket down a little. "I'll close my eyes, okay? Otherwise you won't be able to breathe."

Zhong Yizhu's eyes curved into a smile in the darkness. He reached out and hooked one of Pei Mu's fingers, causing Pei Mu to respond by tightly grasping his entire hand.

Pei Mu's hand was a size larger than his, with calluses, yet it felt reassuring.

Zhong Yizhu closed his eyes and sank deeply into sleep.

When he opened his eyes, sunlight had already filtered into the bedroom.

The person next to him had already gotten up. Zhong Yizhu quickly started to get up, but before he had even finished dressing, Pei Mu had already pushed the door open and come in.

Their eyes met. Zhong Yizhu was the first to look away. His cheeks burned, his heart pounded, and he felt as if they had gotten married all over again.

Pei Mu was holding two peeled hard-boiled eggs. He walked to the bedside and gently rolled them over Zhong Yizhu's face to reduce the swelling.

Zhong Yizhu obediently closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting him do what he needed. It was clear that he was used to being pampered; his movements were completely natural.

Pei Mu fixed his gaze on Zhong Yizhu's face.

He hadn't slept a wink all night, always afraid that if he woke up, this would all be just a dream. Now that it was broad daylight, the person before him looked like he'd been crying hard, the tips of his ears flushed red, yet he was truly sitting here letting him do as he pleased.

He gently touched Zhong Yizhu's eyelids. Zhong Yizhu trembled but did not pull away.

He hadn't been dreaming; it was all real.

Only then did a relieved smile appear on his face.

Zhong Yizhu opened his eyes and met Pei Mu's smile. He couldn't help but smile back.

Outside the window, the daylight was beautiful. The two lovers were together, and even just looking at each other felt sweet.

"Does it still hurt?" Pei Mu leaned in and gently blew on it. Zhong Yizhu's skin was thin, so the redness and swelling were very obvious. After rolling the eggs for a while, it had only subsided a little.

Zhong Yizhu shook his head. "It doesn't hurt. It's just a bit sore and swollen. It'll go away on its own if I leave it alone."

Pei Mu leaned in affectionately and gently touched it. "From now on, don't hide and cry by yourself. Other people cry as loudly as they can, that's what's best. How can you be so silly?"

Zhong Yizhu's eyelashes fluttered from the kiss. Too flustered to argue, he just murmured "Mm-hmm" in agreement, but the backs of his ears were bright red.

Pei Mu touched him a few more times, making him tremble. Just seeing him like this was utterly adorable; he didn't want to leave the room, he only wanted to stay together until the end of time.

The voice of Chen Xiaorong came from outside the courtyard gate. Zhong Yizhu stood up and looked at Pei Mu. If Chen Xiaorong was here, it must be to see him, not Pei Mu.

"Go on. I left you some food in the kitchen. I'll clean up a bit and then head up the mountain. I'll be back before sunset."

He gave his instructions carefully. Zhong Yizhu nodded, and his gaze held a hint of attachment. "Come back soon."

"Okay."

Pei Mu held himself back, but in the end couldn't resist. He grabbed him and kissed him all over.

Zhong Yizhu hurried to the door to answer it. As soon as he opened it, Chen Xiaorong was startled and reached out to feel his forehead.

"Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"

Zhong Yizhu shook his head frantically, so embarrassed that his eyes grew teary.

It was all Pei Mu's fault.