GM Chapter27

Song Xiaozhou realized he was getting old one summer.

 

The weather was scorching that day. He sat in his study, clad in a thin robe, poring over the account books. Outside, the Lu family children played noisily, filling the air with laughter.

 

The study faced away from the sun. Lu Heng was drowsily dozing on a daybed in the room. The wooden daybed was wide, covered with a bamboo mat, and surrounded by ice blocks, making the air cool and shady.

 

Lu Heng was a ghost, after all, and he wasn’t very comfortable when the Yang energy was at its peak.

 

The account books were obscure, but Song Xiaozhou had long grown accustomed to them. He was no longer the little slave he once was. Years of wealth had refined him, and in his speech and manner, he had a certain air about him that he hadn’t even noticed himself.

 

He rubbed his temples and walked to the window. In the courtyard, children were chasing each other under the grape arbor, all of them drenched in sweat.

 

The Lu family was a great merchant family in the southern region with a vast business. Besides Lu Heng’s branch, there were other collateral branches.

 

After Lu Xuan’s death, the Lu family was without a master. Naturally, the collateral branches were unwilling to let Song Xiaozhou, an “outsider” of slave origins, hold power. Many of them had other intentions, so a large, intimidating crowd of people came to the Lu family’s main residence to stage a takeover.

 

Song Xiaozhou was young at the time and completely panicked. He held Lu Heng’s hand so tightly that it was drenched in sweat. Lu Heng just laughed, saying, “You’re not even afraid of ghosts, but you’re afraid of a few old coots?”

 

Song Xiaozhou muttered, “That’s not the same thing.”

 

Lu Heng squeezed his ear and chuckled softly. “Don’t be afraid. Show them your Young Madam Lu attitude.”

 

Song Xiaozhou glanced at him, took a deep breath, and walked forward with his head held high as if going to his execution. He took that step after all.

 

In reality, Song Xiaozhou had no need to panic. Raw rhino horn was being burned in the room. The smoke from burning raw rhino horn has a strange fragrance; if the scent clings to one’s clothes, it allows a person to communicate with ghosts.

 

The entire room was filled with the fragrance of the rhino horn, and with the rows of spirit tablets lined up behind Song Xiaozhou, the sight was terrifying. They also saw Lu Heng, who was sitting in the main seat, smiling at them.

 

The men, who were usually so old and crafty, turned pale upon seeing a ghost in broad daylight. They were so frightened that they trembled, and remembering Lu Xuan, who had died an unnatural death, none of them dared to say another word. They were nothing but respectful towards Song Xiaozhou.

 

The idea was Shen Zhi’s, it was malicious but effective.

 

Afterward, whenever the time came, the heads of each branch would send their account books to the Lu family’s main residence. As time went on, some of the bolder ones would even send their children, hoping to get into Song Xiaozhou’s good graces.

 

Since Lu Heng had no children of his own, it was still unclear who would inherit the Lu family.

 

Some sharp-eyed children spotted Song Xiaozhou and swarmed over like bees. In their sweet, childish voices, they called out “Uncle Song” one after another, in a very affectionate way.

 

Song Xiaozhou had a good nature, and all the children liked him.

 

Song Xiaozhou laughed, shushed them, and said through the window, “It’s so hot outside. You should all go back indoors and be good so you don’t get heatstroke.”

 

The children pouted and said, “Oh,” then quieted down. A slightly older boy came over and held out a handful of grapes for Song Xiaozhou, saying he had just picked them and wanted Song Xiaozhou to have some.

 

Song Xiaozhou took one and ate it. It was very sweet. He reached out and pinched the boy’s cheek. “The grapes are so sweet.” He said.

 

The boy’s cheeks turned a little red.

 

Song Xiaozhou smiled too. The boy rubbed against his cool hand, then suddenly cried out, pointing at the hair near Song Xiaozhou’s temple. “Uncle Song, you have a white hair.”

 

Song Xiaozhou froze. He stood on his tiptoes and pinched it between his fingers, then pulled it out gently. He put it in his palm and said that his mother would always ask him to pull out her white hairs like this.

 

Song Xiaozhou looked at the silver strand of hair and only came back to his senses after a long moment. He rubbed the boy’s head and said, “Uncle doesn’t need to pull it out. Getting old is good. Getting old is good.”

 

That night, Lu Heng was more spirited and was making love to him on the bed.

 

Over the years, Song Xiaozhou had done many good deeds for Lu Heng, accumulating them one by one. Lu Heng’s malevolence had decreased significantly.

 

Song Xiaozhou was a little absent-minded. Lu Heng gripped his waist from behind, causing Song Xiaozhou to let out a low cry. Only then did Lu Heng ask, “What are you thinking about?”

 

Song Xiaozhou turned his head to kiss Lu Heng’s cool lips, his gaze falling on his face. He mumbled that he wanted a hug.

 

Lu Heng smiled softly and indulged Song Xiaozhou. They faced each other, their movements slow and gentle like a fine rain, with a quiet tenderness. Song Xiaozhou looked at Lu Heng’s face. Ghosts don’t age, so Lu Heng’s appearance would forever remain as it was the year he died.

 

All these years had passed, but Lu Heng was still the same person Song Xiaozhou had first met, his favorite look: elegant and beautiful, as bright as the moon. Even after seeing him for so many years, every time Song Xiaozhou looked at him closely, his heart still pounded like a drum.

 

He said, “Jinzhi, you look so good.”

 

Lu Heng simply smiled.

 

Song Xiaozhou straddled him, his eyes shining. “A while ago, Zhao’er pulled out a white hair for me.”

 

His tone was full of novelty and a hint of delight.

 

Lu Heng was also a little stunned. He cupped Song Xiaozhou’s chin and examined him, his thumb caressing the smile lines at the corners of his eyes. He said, “Xiaozhou has grown up.”

 

Song Xiaozhou grumbled, “It’s not that I’ve grown up, I’ve gotten old. I grew up a long time ago.”

 

Lu Heng laughed. “Where have you gotten old?”

 

Song Xiaozhou looked at his own reflection in Lu Heng’s eyes. His brows drooped as he said worriedly, “I’m getting old everywhere. I’ll get white hair, and my face will be all wrinkled.”

 

He asked Lu Heng, “Jinzhi, you can’t find me unappealing.”

 

Lu Heng chuckled. Song Xiaozhou grabbed his hand and repeated, “You can’t find me unappealing.”

 

His demeanor was eager, still like the little slave from back then, piteously asking for candy, without any of the composure of the master of the Lu family at all.

 

Lu Heng kissed his lips, taking them into his own. In between the rubbing of their tongues, he whispered, “How could I? I couldn’t be happier about it.”

 

Song Xiaozhou was the light that illuminated him.

 

How could anyone not love their own light?

 

Song Xiaozhou was satisfied. He lowered his voice, took Lu Heng’s hand, and guided it to his own body. “Touch me.” He said.

 

Lu Heng used his cool hand to caress every inch of Song Xiaozhou’s skin. Song Xiaozhou let out a low gasp. Song Xiaozhou bit his lip, and smiled. “Do you like it?”

 

Lu Heng gripped his waist, gave a heavy thrust, and gasped, “I like it.”

 

Song Xiaozhou said, “Then touch me a lot. When I’m old, I won’t let you do it anymore.”

 

Lu Heng asked, “Why?”

 

Song Xiaozhou said as a matter of course, “I won’t be good-looking when I’m old, and besides…” He was so serious, he started counting on his fingers, “When I’m old, I won’t be able to handle it if you do this to me. Being broken in half on the bed by a ghost, if word got out…”

 

He didn’t finish his sentence. Lu Heng bit his lip and said, “Then while you’re still able to do it, let me have my fill now.”

 

Song Xiaozhou said, “Hey—I have to take them to the temple fair tomorrow!”

 

Lu Heng cupped his cheek and said, “I’m more important.”

 

Song Xiaozhou sighed dramatically. “Why are you competing with a few children?”

 

Lu Heng whispered in his ear, “Were the grapes delicious?”

 

Song Xiaozhou gasped softly. “Why didn’t you wake me up when you woke up?”

 

Lu Heng neither confirmed nor denied it.

 

Song Xiaozhou lifted his head to kiss his chin and coaxed him, “You’re the most important. I’ll spend all day with you tomorrow, alright?”

 

Lu Heng said as a matter of course, “Alright.”

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T/N: The end of the story, thanks for reading guys~