GHLCS Chapter165

In the peony garden, there was a sudden storm outside the thatched pavilion. The gauze curtains on all sides were blown up by the wind, revealing a thin figure lying on the bed, and the scattered flowers woke the person up.

 

Xu Hang frowned and got up, his eyes half sleepy. Duan Yelin, who was beside him, was still dreaming, supporting his head with one hand. He was always afraid of heat, so he only covered his waist with the blanket. On his other arm was a red mark from pillowing Xu Hang.

 

He got off the cool mat, put on his outer clothes, lifted the curtain, and looked out. He saw the misty and rainy scene.

 

Shucheng doesn’t rain much, but Hezhou still has a sufficient rainy season. Such weather easily reminds him of the past.

 

In the past… in the past.

 

Up to now, Xu Hang has never asked Duan Yelin whether he knew that their meeting in Qiyuan was actually planned by him or not.

 

At that time, he needed a knife to kill Jin Hongchang for him, and step by step he moved towards the end of revenge. It was difficult to choose this knife, it could not be the Japanese invaders or foreign thieves who had invaded China, nor could it be the one with strong military power. Most importantly, it must be someone who was obsessed with lust.

 

The seemingly impossible person appeared on that day.

 

When he broke into Qiyuan, Xu Hang recognized him.

 

Compared to the night when the city was burned to ashes, he was much older. He would never be able to forget his eyes even if they turned into ashes. Military uniform was the outfit Xu Shaotang hated most in his life.

 

“It was you who trapped me in the sea of fire, so you owe me this…” Xu Hang, who was hiding behind a tree, dug his ten fingers into the trunk, gritted his teeth, and bumped into Duan Yelin, who had mistakenly entered the depths of the garden.

 

When the golden wind and jade dew meet, it is better than countless things in the world.

 

He had not expected to hook anyone at first sight, but Duan Yelin’s eyes were so passionate and surprising that Xu Hang, who had taken the initiative first, panicked. So when Duan Yelin said, “Smells so good”, he spat with disgust from the bottom of his heart.

 

The Xu Shaotang, with a heart full of twists and turns, forgot that he was just a young man who had never experienced love.

 

Many years later, Xu Hang finally understood why Duan Yelin, who had been courting him humbly for four years, did not pursue him with tenderness from the beginning but preferred to tie him up and imprison him. It was really the inexplicable hatred and indifference in his eyes at that time that made Duan Yelin feel scared for no reason. If he did not use force, this swallow would probably fly away without a trace.

 

Duan Yelin thought Xu Hang would definitely cry. With such a small body and inexperienced age, he would definitely cry and wail and try to commit s*icide. He was most afraid of this and even prepared a knife, just letting Xu Hang cut a piece of his own flesh to vent his anger.

 

Unexpectedly, Xu Hang propped himself up from the bed with his thin elbows, his exposed back covered with teeth marks and bruises. Although his eyes were red, his pale lips did not show any sign of weakness at all, and he managed to say, “Should I… go back by myself, or… will your people take me back?”

 

Duan Yelin looked at his thin back, and from then on he realized that what he had to protect was not only the vast mountains and rivers but also this stubborn person.

 

“You can’t go back,” Duan Yelin replied. “The two Qiao were locked up in Copper Sparrow Terrace[mfn]The two Qiao refers to the two Qiao sisters, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao who was captured and locked up in Copper Sparrow Terrace by Cao Cao.[/mfn], so it’s not a shame for me to lock up a ‘Young Master Xu’ in this ‘Xiaotong Guan’.”

 

A forced melon is not likely to be sweet.

 

On the day of the bloodbath at Qiyuan, Duan Yelin wanted to help Xu Hang out of the car, but he rolled his eyes and avoided him. Duan Yelin looked at him meaningfully for a while, and when Xu Hang had one foot out of the car, he pressed his shoulders back on the seat, snatched his breath, and invaded with his tongue, not giving him any way to defend at all. He rushed in recklessly, deep into his throat.

 

All ten of Xu Hang’s fingers were all clinging to Duan Yelin’s military uniform, and it was no use trying to refuse. Duan Yelin wrapped his fists with one hand, pressed them on the side of his head, and pried them open one by one, cross-clasped them, and kissed him until his dry lips became moist and glistening, and his tongue behind his teeth trembled slightly.

 

In the end, he still grabbed Duan Yelin’s arm to get out of the car, and even through several layers of clothing, Commander Duan’s arm was still scratched with bruises.

 

The first shot in Jinyan Tang was fired from Jin Hongchang’s study.

 

The study was filled with all kinds of opera scripts, and all the costumes were stored in this room, including the phoenix crown, Yunjian[mfn]Cloud shoulders or cloud collars[/mfn], waist rings, and jade belts… there were too many to count. Naturally, the torture instruments used to beat Xu Hang were also next to these gold and jade items.

 

Duan Yelin stared at the rows of books taller than himself and the many broken whips. He paused for a long time, his voice sounding calm: “If you just want to scare people, the torture instruments here are even more varied than those in Xiaotong Guan.”

 

Xu Hang was more indifferent than Duan Yelin. After all, this was where he had practiced for many years: “The cane soaked in medicine is more durable than a cowhide whip.”

 

One has to experience all kinds of suffering in order to compare.

 

Suddenly, Duan Yelin kicked the bookshelf. His anger made him extremely powerful. Rows of bookshelves fell to the ground, one after another, with a loud bang of wood colliding. Hundreds of books fell to the ground, their threads were torn apart, and pieces of paper fell like snowflakes.

 

The last row of bookshelves broke the horizontal bar on the wall, and all the torture instruments fell down with it.

 

The soldier outside the door heard the noise and came in with a torch: “Does the Commander have any instructions?”

 

Duan Yelin grabbed the torch, grabbed Xu Hang’s hand, and firmly put it into his hand. He wrapped his palm with his big hand and whispered in his ear, “Then just burn them all for him.”

 

Looking ahead, Xu Hang’s hands almost couldn’t help shaking. He clenched his other hand into a fist and tapped the acupuncture points on his wrist, only then did he loosen his hands. The torch fell, and the fire was about to break out.

 

As he stood there, he felt that the invisible shackles on his hands and feet were also burned into powder by the flames. The scorching atmosphere was like him crawling out of the sea of fire in Shucheng that night, burning his eyes red.

 

Commander Duan originally planned to burn down and rebuild the entire Jinyan Tang, but Xu Hang didn’t want to, so he only burned down the things that Jin Hongchang and his family used and put them back in place.

 

He was not interested in the gold and jade tiles, but the traces of his mother’s life here since she was a child.

 

Duan Yelin threw box after box of clothes into the fire. When he was about to throw the mud-gold fan, Xu Hang stopped him and said, “Commander, you don’t have to do this. If you get tired of me in the future, I will have to resume my old career as an opera performer.”

 

Duan Yelin was not annoyed by the sarcasm. He turned around and hooked Xu Hang’s chin, forcing him to look into his eyes. Xu Hang saw the two flames reflected in his eyes. He said, “If you want to sing it yourself, I will definitely give you another set of the same one.”

 

“Commander, are you expecting me to be grateful by doing all this?”

 

“Don’t thank me, it’s not necessary. Honestly, I did it simply because I damn well wanted to. Xu Shaotang, the moment I took you, it was plain and simple, I seized you. From that moment on, whether it’s your resentment or your hatred, I, Duan Yelin, will take it all.”

 

Duan Yelin smiled confidently, threw away the wine, and the mud-gold fan was buried in the sea of fire.

 

He has watched countless opera plays in the past and met many disgusting and boring characters, but it seems like the first time he has met someone so open-minded, who has lived to the age of thirty and has no mask on his face at all.

 

That night, Commander Duan was very generous. He rolled up all the unburned opera script books around fireworks and firecrackers, allowing the people of Hezhou to watch the fireworks feast for free.

 

Swear to God, oaths are not something that can be made casually.

 

During the renovation of Jinyan Tang, Xu Hang lived in Xiaotong Guan.

 

The most he did every day was to read a book by the windowsill. He didn’t talk much and even tried to avoid the soldiers who came to deliver food. As a result, except for Duan Yelin and Qiao Song, no one knew that there was a beauty hidden in the commander’s room.

 

Qiao Song once said with a smile, “Young Master Xu loves reading so much, you must have been the teacher’s favorite student in the private school when you were young.”

 

Xu Hang glanced at him and said, “I have never been to a private school.”

 

He was originally a child of a wealthy family. Before he was twelve, he could hire a tutor like his cousins. After he was thirteen, he could go to the best schools or even study abroad. Whether he inherited the family business or explored new horizons, he would have made great achievements either way. But after the scorched earth policy burned the city, he was locked up in the Jinjia Tang, and from then on he could only deal with books and not people.

 

At that time, a group of children carrying school bags and going home after school were walking past Xiaotong Guan in groups, laughing. Their laughter was so penetrating that it made people envious.

 

Sometimes people feel that they live an ordinary life, but they don’t know that such an “ordinary” life is already “out of reach” for others.

 

Duan Yelin was afraid that he would be bored, so he asked him if he wanted to go out for a walk. He sneered, “Does the Commander want me to go out to show off your loot?”

 

While eating, Duan Yelin would pick up a few dishes for him from time to time, but after each meal, everything that had passed through Duan Yelin’s chopsticks was left there by Xu Hang.

 

Duan Yelin was used to being rough and didn’t know the delicate ways of life of elegant people. One time, he came back drunk and threw himself on Xu Hang. Xu Hang first said “no” in a disgusted voice, but Duan Yelin’s mind was still clouded by alcohol, so he pulled up Xu Hang’s clothes and started to gnaw at him.

 

This shameful behavior angered Xu Hang. After struggling for a while, he pushed him away and poured a cup of cold tea on Duan Yelin’s face!

 

“I had my fist raised at that time and almost taught that damn brat a lesson!” Duan Yelin was still angry the next day.

 

Qiao Song was also surprised when he heard this: “I think it’s amazing that you didn’t do it. It seems that you can’t bear to do it.”

 

Duan Yelin held his forehead and said, “If I really hit him, I could vent my anger for a while, and then I would feel guilty and apologize afterwards, and then wouldn’t he be disgusted by me to death?” He sighed and said, “He has been beaten enough in the past. I keep him by my side so that he won’t suffer anymore in the future.”

 

He can’t hit him, he can only pamper him.

 

Unfortunately, if Duan Yelin wanted to get close to Xu Hang, he couldn’t do it without force. After several days of struggling, Xu Hang rejected all the offers and gave Duan Yelin a roundabout refusal.

 

Maybe it’s because those who are good at singing opera are also naturally eloquent, but their words seem to pierce straight into the heart, leaving a sting behind.

 

At the end of the season, Duan Yelin would reward his brothers. Most of the soldiers were unmarried, and those who received the reward would often gather together to drink and have fun. On this day, as usual, a team leader asked Duan Yelin through the door, “Commander, the brothers are going to Lantern Alley, do you want to have a drink together and relax?”

 

Duan Yelin naturally did not allow them to gather together for fun, but he also understood that they lived a hard life, so after the party, if they wore casual clothes and went out in groups of three or four, it was tacitly allowed. To show respect, they would often come to ask a question.

 

But when they asked today, Xu Hang was also in the room and heard it clearly.

 

After Duan Yelin sent the people away, he said to Xu Hang, “They are just reporting to me…”

 

“The Commander is too kind. You don’t need to tell me,” Xu Hang said with a nonchalant look on his face. “I know you are a flower picker, sleeping on flowers and willows all your life, making the flowers and the willows wither. What’s so strange about that?”

 

Duan Yelin’s anger was pushed to the extreme by Xu Hang at this moment: “Xu Shaotang, what do you mean?”

 

But Xu Hang had an attitude that he was not wrong and even crossed his legs: “They went out to visit brothels, but you brought one back. Who is more noble than whom?”

 

After a while, Duan Yelin punched the window frame, breaking the glass into pieces. He went up to Xu Hang and grabbed his neck, making him lean back on the chair, staring at him from top to bottom: “If you’re going to f*cking be so self-deprecating, shouldn’t you have a better attitude than a prostitute?!”

 

“Didn’t I allow you, a military hero, to ‘spill mercury into every hole’? Isn’t my attitude good enough?”

 

Seeing Xu Hang’s cold eyes, Duan Yelin knew that he had gone too far with his words. But he was also furious. Xu Hang was sarcastically sneering at all his kindness. He was a rough man, and he had used up all the ways of being gentle and kind to women that he had known in his life. Even if he didn’t mention his achievements, his hard work should be considered as well. But he met such an ungrateful person!

 

When one is angry, one is likely to do anything. The veins on Duan Yelin’s head twitched, but he forced himself to suppress it, leaving a sentence, “Think it over carefully!” and slammed the door and left.

 

Xu Hang, who was in the room, showed no emotion from beginning to end.

 

A quarrel makes one ten years younger.

 

Duan Yelin finished handling his official duties in Hezhou, leaned back in his chair, and said to Qiao Song, “When we fought from south to north and waited for ambushes in the snowy mountains, our fingers and toes were so frozen that they felt like they were going to fall off, but I didn’t find it harder to keep warm than that guy.”

 

That guy? Qiao Song blinked and said, “Commander, you are determined to fight the most difficult battles, but you have never been stage-frightened. If you want to raise the white flag this time, I will not laugh at you.”

 

“I’m telling you a few words from the bottom of my heart, and you’re just laughing at me? Tomorrow, when there’s a shortage of workers for the railway construction, you can go over and burn coal!”

 

Qiao Song sorted out the documents, put them in his arms, and said with a smile, “You are not telling me your true feelings at all. You are obviously trying to make me happy. But when I was a child, I heard my grandfather often say that my grandmother is as difficult to serve as a cat. If you are close to her, she will be cold to you, and if you are not close to her, she will forget you. You have to worship her like an ancestor. I think you are not much different either.”

 

“A cat…” Duan Yelin put his hands on the back of his head. “I’ve never had one.”

 

The official duties were numerous and complicated, and he handled them until the early morning. When Commander Duan returned to the room, he saw that Xu Hang was already asleep. He did not dare to turn on the light but crouched down and climbed onto the bed and directly touched Xu Hang’s cold feet.

 

He sighed, put the feet into his own clothes, and pressed them against his abdomen to warm them until the temperature was the same, then he lay down in bed.

 

Xu Hang was a light sleeper to begin with, and since he had slept alone the entire night, he slept soundly. It was hard for him not to wake up after being nudged by someone. However, before dawn, he was still drowsy and muttered a few words, which aroused Duan Yelin’s curiosity for a long time.

 

He first pulled Xu Hang from lying on his side to lying flat, touched his face, and then kissed him. They had been living together for some time, and every time they made love, it was like a fight. Although it would be more accurate to say that he was the one who was crushing the other party, it was rare for him to be able to explore him so easily in such a daze.

 

So the sound Xu Hang made due to being woken up was mixed with some stammering due to his tongue being blocked.

 

He could vaguely sense that someone was pressing down on him, like a small mountain, making it hard for him to breathe. His alertness made him try to struggle out of the dream. Before opening his eyes, he tried to push away, not caring about the upper and lower parts. When he completely opened his eyes, Duan Yelin’s body was already embedded between his shins and thighs.

 

“You… you bastard!”

 

It would have been fine if he hadn’t cursed him, but once he did, Duan Yelin’s head was on fire. His usually cold voice was now a little soft and hollow. It was just like what Qiao Song said, he’s just like a cat and is a very wild and untrainable wildcat as well.

 

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have disturbed your rest,” Duan Yelin kissed Xu Hang’s neck. Their clothes fell into the gap between the quilt and the bed. “How about not doing it again next time?”

 

Because he lost the initiative, Xu Hang is now like a little bug in the spiderweb, stuck by Duan Yelin and unable to move. He is absolutely unwilling to take the initiative to hug Duan Yelin’s back, so he only uses his strength on the other party’s arm that is supporting his head, and his bite draws blood immediately.

 

It can be said that the red marks on Young Master Xu’s body have never stopped since he followed Duan Yelin, and the small wounds on our Commander Duan’s body are definitely not to be outdone either.

 

“I didn’t expect you to be distracted,” Duan Yelin sighed helplessly and licked Xu Hang’s earlobe, filling Xu Hang’s mind with the sticky sound and shuddering all over, “Can’t you just be obedient and cooperate?”

 

Xu Hang bit deeper.

 

Duan Yelin had plenty of ways to control him. He put one of Xu Hang’s legs between his arms and held his earlobe in his mouth: “If you don’t let go, I’ll have someone light the lamp and make it clear.”

 

There was a sharp pain on his arm, and then the force slowly loosened. Although it was dark, Duan Yelin could feel that Xu Hang must have glared at him.

 

He started his nonsense today.

 

As he went in and out, he thought of a group of old men in the military camp who used to say dirty words and called visiting brothels a matter of “digging wells.” The words were rough, but the truth was true. He was sweating and working hard until he could dig a spring out of the dry well. The deeper he went in, the fuller he would get out.

 

But such harsh words could not be used on Xu Hang. The back he touched was so smooth that even the finest velvet in the silk shop could not match it. He exerted a little force, and his body shook three times as if it could not hold on anymore. He would rather be more polite and call it entering the alley. He was a rude traveler who walked through this long and narrow alley, fascinated by the clouds and rain in the alley, and refused to leave.

 

Xu Hang was already out of breath, he turned sideways and bit the pillowcase. He could close his eyes if he didn’t want to see something, close his mouth if he didn’t want to make a sound, hold his breath if he didn’t want to smell something, but he couldn’t do anything about the sounds. The creaking of the bed and the sound of flesh colliding were all so clear that they scratched his self-esteem.

 

Then, Xu Hang felt a strange force coming out of nowhere, pushed Duan Yelin away, and lay on the bed, retching. At this time, his stomach was empty, and nothing was vomiting out.

 

“You haven’t improved in other aspects, but you can hold it in until the end before vomiting.” Duan Yelin watched him vomiting and reached out to pat Xu Hang on the back, but he waved his hand away.

 

His eyes darkened, and Duan Yelin pulled Xu Hang into his arms. Not long after they separated, he went back into the alley.

 

He is like a pipa slanting into his arms, letting him play the notes with his fingers.

 

Not only that, he grabbed a handful of tangerine peel from the bedside, his hands were full of the smell of relieving greasiness, and covered Xu Hang’s mouth, preventing him from vomiting. Xu Hang even felt that he couldn’t breathe smoothly, his neck tilted back, his whole body was like a boat, and every time he moved, he was sweating profusely.

 

What is even more shameful is the wet feeling on the body, as if it were soaked in a spring, as if it were being dug out from deep within the body. It is so unbearable.

 

When the last bullet left the gun, Duan Yelin received a hard slap in the face.

 

It’s always not as one wishes ah…

 

————

 

He thought some relationships would continue to improve if there was a little easing, but he didn’t know that the warm sun of March could change the cold winter of September in an instant.

 

In the spring of the first year in Xiaotong Guan, while sweeping the tombs of martyrs, Duan Yelin thought of how Xu Hang had never mentioned his deceased relatives. He took out a wad of money and said, “You can find a good feng shui site outside or build an ancestral hall in the courtyard in the future.”

 

This poked Xu Hang’s hornet’s nest, and those poisonous bees flew out one after another, stinging his heart and making blood drip.

 

He looked at the person in front of him who was giving him money, coinciding with the warlord soldiers who set the fire that day. Using the money donated by the warlord to build a grave for the innocent souls killed by the warlord, is there anything more ridiculous than this?

 

Xu Hang actually laughed out loud and pushed the money back. He remembered a line from Xue Pinggui’s poem, which came in handy today: “I don’t want this money, use it to help your family settle down. Buy white cloth to make white shirts, buy white paper to make white banners, and leave a name for yourself as a kind person on that day.”

 

Duan Yelin immediately crumpled the money in his hand. After a long silence, he whispered, “Xu Shaotang, isn’t that too much?”

 

“Yes, Commander Duan, aren’t you going too far?” Xu Hang sneered, “Do you want me to build a tomb and tell them that I am using the money of the benefactor who ‘raised’ their son to support their incense?”

 

These words made Duan Yelin feel completely chilled, and he felt completely guilty.

 

During his days at Xiaotong Guan, Xu Hang spent more time sitting on the windowsill watching Duan Yelin train his soldiers than reading.

 

“Shooting while standing is the most tiring but the most commonly used! You must control the shaking of your whole body when you have no support. From now on, practice two hours a day!”

 

Xu Hang watched from upstairs for as long as Duan Yelin taught.

 

At night, several gunshots were heard in a cave in the barren mountains behind Xiaotong Guan. The cave was barely lit by a candle. There was a target painted on the wall of the cave with several bullet holes in the middle.

 

He had started to practice shooting since Jin Hongchang was still alive. According to what Duan Yelin said during the day, he was like a fish in water.

 

He was always careful and only went out in the dark when Duan Yelin was away or had drunk too much. But if you walk by the river often, you will always get your shoes wet.

 

One day, just as he was about to go down the mountain, he saw several people holding torches walking up the mountain in the distance. Led by Duan Yelin, who was only wearing a coat over his pajamas, with an anxious look on his face.

 

Noticing that if anyone climbed higher they would spot the cave, which hadn’t been cleaned up yet, Xu Hang panicked. In his flustered state, he saw a hunter’s wild animal trap hidden in the grass and, without thinking, stepped right into it.

 

So, it was natural for Duan Yelin to pick up Xu Hang, who had attempted to escape but failed and was injured on the mountain road.

 

The animal’s clamps were very tight, biting deep into his flesh and bones. Duan Yelin rolled up his sleeves, and with his bare hands, he grasped the serrated part and pried it apart. Blood immediately flowed.

 

“Duan Yelin, you…” Xu Hang never thought that he would ignore him like this, and he screamed in shock.

 

Veins popped up on his arm, and Duan Yelin seemed unconscious. He gritted his teeth and tore open the clamp, taking Xu Hang’s foot out. He took off his coat and bandaged his wound first, but his tone was very strange: “You’ve got yourself a f*cking way out! You even run away!”

 

Seeing Xu Hang covered in dirt, Duan Yelin wanted to touch his face, but seeing Xu Hang subconsciously dodge, he withdrew his hand and directly picked him up.

 

“I don’t want this…” Xu Hang’s body tensed.

 

Duan Yelin was annoyed: “Do you feel ashamed now? How come you don’t feel like a sissy when you are running away? Don’t move!”

 

Xu Hang lowered his head. Duan Yelin is actually half angry and half afraid of losing what he gained. He tightened his grip and asked him, “Why did you run?” After thinking for a while, he gave an answer himself. “Is it because I bullied you too much last night?”

 

Last night, Xu Hang was pushed against the rocking chair, with the sturdy rattan handles resting on one side of his hands and feet, being treated more ruthlessly than a thief breaking into a house. There was no way to retreat, and the creaking sound lasted for half the night.

 

Since this silly goose had misunderstood just right, Xu Hang also followed suit and made up a story: “I am a man.”

 

Duan Yelin’s breathing became heavier: “I have never treated you as a woman either. I don’t enjoy the moon in Liangyuan, I don’t drink wine in Dongjing, I can’t appreciate the flowers in Luoyang, and I don’t want to climb the willows in Zhangtai. Although you felt aggrieved, I can only ask you to bear with it in this matter.”

 

Xu Hang held his breath for a while and commented, “Bullying others by taking advantage of power.”

 

Duan Yelin acknowledged his criticism: “So in your eyes I am a ‘dog official’, that’s fine, it’s up to you. But you can’t escape anyway, can you be a little gentler to me? This way we can all live comfortably.”

 

“Sorry to have let you down, even if my teeth have fallen out, my mouth is crooked, my legs are lame, and my hands are broken. These are bad habits given to me by God, and I cannot change them.” Xu Hang refused to give in.

 

So, Duan Yelin stopped and looked at Xu Hang steadily. Xu Hang was wondering why he stopped moving forward. Duan Yelin suddenly tilted his head and attacked, pressed his lips against Xu Hang’s, and kissed him hard. His tongue touched his teeth once, then went in vigorously, then pulled out, licking the lips continuously while holding them.

 

Poor Young Master Xu was held in his arms, his whole body hanging in the air with nowhere to dodge, and was kissed hard.

 

When Duan Yelin let go, he turned his face away and wiped his lips hard with his sleeve.

 

“Then don’t change it,” Duan Yelin licked his lower lip, “It’s all mine anyway.”

 

Back at Xiaotong Guan, Duan Yelin wrapped Xu Hang’s ankles so tightly that they couldn’t get wet and then filled a basin with hot water to wash his feet. He made gentle gestures but said harsh words: “If you run away again, I will handcuff you, and no one but me will see you all day long. Believe it or not?”

 

The blood on his palms had coagulated, and it opened up again after soaking in water. The edges were soaked and rotten, and it was unbearable to look at. Xu Hang frowned for a long time and wanted to ask Duan Yelin to take care of his own injury several times, but he didn’t say it in the end.

 

Grasping the fabric on the cushion tightly, he stubbornly said, “You imprisoned me and threatened me like this, aren’t you afraid that I will bear a grudge against you and one day collude with others to kill you?”

 

Pulling the footcloth to wipe the feet over, Duan Yelin smiled and said, “You can collude with anyone except the Japanese.”

 

“Why?”

 

Duan Yelin was serious this time. He put Xu Hang’s feet down and said, “If you colluded with other people, I could forgive you and take you back and lock you up again. But the Japanese…” He spoke clearly and without any joke, “I will kill you with my own hands, because that is treason.”

 

Deep affection and principle are far more sincere than sweet words.

 

Before turning off the lights, Xu Hang asked, “Are you not angry anymore?”

 

Duan Yelin explained, “You probably didn’t realize that today was the first time you called me ‘Duan Yelin’ instead of Commander.”

 

No one is born gentle, especially those who have been in a superior position for too long.

 

To be fair, Commander Duan is considered to be a relatively approachable person among the superior people, but others have been respectful and even flattering him for a long time, and there are only a few people not giving him face, so he is still not used to lowering himself.

 

In the initial days, he loved Xu Hang so much that he couldn’t let him go.

 

As soon as it got dark, Xu Hang’s heart sank. Although Duan Yelin is not a very fancy person, but he has a long endurance and can really make people suffer. Especially on the morning of the second day, Xu Hang was still half asleep and felt heavy. Duan Yelin, who had just woken up, fiddled with him for a while. It was hard to describe the feeling.

 

To Duan Yelin, this was just a way of nurturing each other, but to Xu Hang, he felt like a toy. Anytime, anywhere, as long as Duan Yelin showed interest, he would let him enjoy it.

 

So the more he does, the more strained the relationship becomes.

 

One day, when Duan Yelin was helping refugees outside, Qiao Song drove over and whispered something in his ear. Duan Yelin frowned, but he hurried back after settling all the refugees.

 

He picked Xu Hang up at the hospital. The doctor said that he was weak and had a low-grade fever. His throat had been inflamed for half a month already. When the doctor was writing the prescription, he muttered, “It should be painful to drink water with such swelling. How come it’s been so long…”

 

Upon hearing this, Duan Yelin was stunned at first, and then he became angry.

 

He was by Xu Hang’s side every day, but he didn’t notice. Last night, Xu Hang’s hands were pulled high and pressed against the wall, sitting in his arms facing the wall. It was the first time that he fell asleep within an hour, but he didn’t ask Duan Yelin to stop.

 

After picking the person up and putting him in the car, Duan Yelin stood outside the car with a serious expression.

 

“Did you do this on purpose?” Although it was a question, Duan Yelin’s tone was firm.

 

Xu Hang looked very bad, with a blanket wrapped around him, and softly said, “What’s strange, Commander? You have to be patient when you live under someone else’s roof.”

 

Duan Yelin was so angry that he gasped. Xu Hang had to sacrifice one thousand in exchange for eight hundred. He put his hands on his waist and walked back and forth twice, pointing at Xu Hang and saying “you” several times, but he still didn’t say any more unpleasant words.

 

After all, it was his fault for not taking good care of him that caused the illness. Duan Yelin softened his tone and patted Xu Hang on the back: “Fine. Don’t be angry anymore. Come, if you want something, I’ll buy it for you, alright?”

 

The feeling of disgust can be created with just one sentence. The person who says it may have good intentions, but the person who hears it may get another meaning.

 

During those years in Jinyan Tang, Xu Hang had heard many greasy perverts say such words. In their eyes, they felt that he was no different from vain women. They said in an attitude of reward and congratulation, ‘I’ll give you money’, ‘Do you like these clothes? Smile and I’ll buy it for you’, ‘If you sing well, our colonel can give you anything you want’.

 

What a thoughtful and kind noble!

 

Xu Hang bit his lower lip, his eyes were bloodshot from the discomfort he felt from being ill: “No need, I am not worthy of Commander spending money to humiliate me.”

 

He slapped the car door with such force that the whole car shook. Duan Yelin was really angry at his clear distinction. He took his kindness for granted and started to talk nonsense: “What do you mean by yours and mine? Xu Shaotang, you insist on being so meticulous. The clothes you wear and the food you eat, which of them are not buying with my money?!”

 

Xu Hang was also forced by Duan Yelin to want to curse, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a mouthful of cold wind poured into his throat, causing him to wince in pain and cough twice. Instead, he put on an even more humble attitude: “Yes, Lord… it was me who didn’t know what’s good for me.”

 

With a bang, Duan Yelin slammed the door, told Qiao Song to send Xu Hang back, and then he rushed back to the refugee camp.

 

Everyone in the refugee camp looked at Duan Yelin like a benefactor, but he didn’t think there was anything to be happy about. He was busy until late at night and even helped with things like chopping wood and making fire, just to find something to do to distract himself.

 

It was not until the next day, when Qiao Song went back to Xiaotong Guan to get relief supplies, and came back that he reported in a hurry, “Commander, go back and take a look!”

 

It is said that anger can damage the liver. Duan Yelin felt that if he had met Xu Hang then, he would have died of liver disease thirty years earlier.

 

In Xiaotong Guan, Xu Hang took off his outer shirt and only wore a single layer of clothes, without shoes or socks. He took off everything that was not originally his. He could not leave Xiaotong Guan, so he stood outside at the wall. His feet were red from being frozen for too long, but his face was pale, and he even looked like he was frozen into a stone. Since he came back yesterday, he has not taken any medicine, not even water or rice.

 

Duan Yelin cursed and rushed over with his shoes and socks. He took off his coat while running and covered Xu Hang with it. He immediately squatted down, picked up his feet, and put on his shoes and socks. Although Xu Hang was frozen stiff, he managed to pull himself back: “I dare not use your money…”

 

“You are so damn stubborn, do you want to die?!” Duan Yelin picked him up. Xu Hang still wanted to break free. Duan Yelin scolded him harshly. Seeing that it was useless, he threatened him fiercely, “Do you really have to let me screw you again before you stop?”

 

Xu Hang finally became honest.

 

In the huge bathtub, hot steam was rising. Duan Yelin was warming Xu Hang’s body. Xu Hang curled up into a small ball, saying nothing.

 

Duan Yelin said, “I am a rough man, and no one has ever taught me how to speak nicely. Xu Shaotang, if you don’t like what you hear, you can speak nicely.”

 

Xu Hang’s cold body gradually warmed up, and he lowered his eyes: “What if I say I want to leave?”

 

“You can,” Duan Yelin took Xu Hang’s feet out of the bathtub without caring that he was soaking wet. His ten jade-like toes curled up. In Xu Hang’s somewhat panicked eyes, he kept staring at him and nibbled and kissed the back of his feet. “Wait until Laozi dies.”

 

Xu Hang looked very weak, but he recovered quickly, so Duan Yelin rarely didn’t disturb him. There were many things going on in the city recently, so Duan Yelin left after breakfast.

 

Qiao Song watched the two people struggling, and he, who was usually a man of few words, spoke up: “Young Master Xu, you should know that only our Commander can allow you to treat him so badly by you.”

 

Xu Hang sat upright like an old Buddha, scraping the tea foam with the tea lid, round and round, without saying a word. Qiao Song said again, “You may not like what I said. If it were another big shot, you would never have the blessing of sitting and drinking tea and eating jujube like this.”

 

“Then you lie on the bed and let him bless you for once, and I will listen to your advice.” Xu Hang put down the tea.

 

“I…” Qiao Song blushed, said sorry, and ran away.

 

At the empty meal table, Xu Hang muttered to himself, “I just want to see how far this ‘big shot’ of yours can tolerate me.”

 

Xu Hang always thought that Duan Yelin had only heard him sing two opera scenes seriously, one was their first meeting at qiyuan, and the other was when he was drunk in the summer rain. In fact, there was another time, which was on the Mid-Autumn Night in Xiaotong Guan.

 

Duan Yelin slept uneasily that day. When he woke up, he found no one around him, but he could vaguely hear the sound of opera singing. He followed the direction of the sound and arrived at the terrace. That night the moon was dim and the stars were sparse, but the wind was strong. The humming voice of the opera was carried away by the wind, full of sorrow and sadness.

 

Xu Hang is wearing a summer dress without water sleeves[mfn]Water sleeves are long, flowing silk sleeve extensions attached to the cuffs of costumes in Chinese opera, widely used by both male and female characters of higher social classes.[/mfn], but he still turned his wrists, like flowing clouds or swimming dragons; the moonlight was so bright that his silhouette could be seen through it.

 

“Isn’t that a hungry crow sitting and waiting in the grass, with a piece of green cloth left? The remains are all covered with blurry blood. The most pitiful thing is that the arrow pierced his chest, the sword cut off his arm, and his body was torn into pieces. He didn’t even know why he died?”

 

This is the most desolate and eerie passage in “Spring Boudoir Dream”.

 

The more Xu Hang sang, the more indignant he seemed to be. He pointed his finger out as if he wanted to expose this miserable world and blame fate for its mockery and ridicule. However, his tremendous strength only reached the air; it was useless.

 

He gradually calmed down, his strength slowly drained away, he shook twice as if he had lost his soul, and then spoke sadly: “Isn’t that a broken head with eyes still open! What’s more, that dead person must be frozen! Who will take care of his widowed wife and lonely children?! There are tens of thousands of wronged skeletons, all of which are nameless! There are countless ghostly cries across the river, chirping and whistling, as if telling the misery of wronged souls…”

 

Then, he seemed to have forgotten the words and just stood there. Duan Yelin wanted to walk away, and then he continued, “I hope the General will stop the civil war and cease fire as soon as possible.”

 

This time Duan Yelin did not choose to disturb Xu Hang but left quietly and returned to bed, pretending to be asleep. Xu Hang never knew about this.

 

It was the first time that he saw Xu Hang’s outward weakness. He had been imagining it the whole night. Although he had not participated in Xu Hang’s past, at such a young age, he had experienced war, witnessed many separations and deaths, and was bullied by his relatives. His heart is full of scars, and he is not just a young master who is looked down upon and lives an aggrieved life.

 

Perhaps he also shouldn’t just look at him as a young or a nobleman as well.

 

He could feel the sorrow of war, he could understand the justice of the nation, and he shouldn’t have lived like this. He could only talk about his depression to the wind and moon late at night.

 

The next morning, while having breakfast, Duan Yelin saw the official document that Japan was going to establish a consulate in Hezhou. Qiao Song wanted to report it but hesitated for a while. Duan Yelin said, “No need to go out and talk, just talk here.”

 

“Here, but Young Master Xu…”

 

Xu Hang understood this very well and did not take it to heart, “How can a fair-looking actor like me listen to the affairs of the state? I will leave first.”

 

“You are not an actor,” Duan Yelin put the document on the table without any reservation. “You are Chinese and a real man. Shaotang, I believe that we will never be separated in the matter of China peace.”

 

He held Xu Hang’s hand. Xu Hang, who had no idea what happened last night, looked at Duan Yelin strangely, cursing in his heart that this monkey had gone crazy again, but he did not pull his hand back.

 

It is said that there is no wall that is impenetrable. A living person staying in Xiaotong Guan will have to show up at some point.

 

Commander Duan was taking some time off from the work of building the railway to hold a banquet at Xiaotong Guan to entertain the soldiers who had contributed their efforts. He was hiding upstairs and pressing Xu Hang against the door when he heard a knock on the door. Someone downstairs said that someone was vomiting and having diarrhea and was in so much pain that he couldn’t walk.

 

When he went down to take a look, he found that several people were rolling around in cold sweat and couldn’t be helped up. The military doctor examined the patient for a long time but could not give them any medicine either, because they vomited whatever they ate.

 

Duan Yelin was just about to carry the people to the hospital, but he didn’t expect Xu Hang, who usually didn’t like to show off in public, to come down from upstairs. Without any explanation, he knelt on the ground and began to undress another patient.

 

What does he want to do? Duan Yelin’s eyes widened.

 

“Acupuncture.” Xu Hang felt the pulse and said a word.

 

“What?” Duan Yelin didn’t hear clearly.

 

Xu Hang raised his head and repeated, “It’s dysentery. He needs acupuncture.”

 

Before Duan Yelin had time to think about why Xu Hang knew medicine, someone had already helped to find it and gave it to him. Xu Hang pressed around the patient’s belly button and then inserted the needle. His movements were so quick that the patient didn’t even feel any pain. Instead, a warm current rushed in, gradually relieving the unbearable pain in the patient’s internal organs.

 

In just a few seconds, the person who was screaming just now was able to sit up by himself.

 

“All right, all right! What a great move!” A soldier shouted.

 

“Acupuncture is not enough, you still need to go to the medical hall for a checkup.” Xu Hang instructed.

 

Although still weak, the patient was able to speak: “Thank you… what’s your name?”

 

Xu Hang put away the needles, and his hand paused. He rushed out for a moment, but he didn’t expect to need to explain his identity, so he could only bite the bullet and say, “Xu…”

 

At this time, Duan Yelin pulled him up with one hand and said to the new recruit, “Why don’t you guys thank Physician Xu!”

 

The title startled Xu Hang.

 

Xu Hang didn’t look back at Duan Yelin’s expression. Several soldiers thanked him repeatedly. Duan Yelin said, “You guys take my car to the hospital for a checkup. I will thank this ‘Physician Xu’ on your behalf.”

 

This was the first time that Xu Hang showed his medical skills in front of Duan Yelin. It happened a little earlier than he expected, but he could also explain the reason. However, what he did not expect was that Duan Yelin did not ask any questions at all, as if he was his old friend that already knew him well enough.

 

Within a few days, Duan Yelin took a few stores and asked him if he was willing to open a medical hall, this is the predecessor of Heming Medical Hall.

 

There was also a new physician in Hezhou City.

 

Whether the gift is small or big depends on who gives it.

 

Duan Yelin gave Xu Hang a lot of things, and most of the time it was very considerate of Xu Hang that he didn’t throw it away but just didn’t touch it. Moreover, he was irritable on his own, which made Duan Yelin confused, and he couldn’t get an explanation, so they often parted on bad terms.

 

“Is there a gift that doesn’t seem effeminate, is useful to him, and will make him remember me when he sees it?” Duan Yelin asked Qiao Song.

 

Qiao Song actually dared to answer, “Wash, washboard[mfn]To kneel down on xD[/mfn]?”

 

“Get lost!”

 

Fortunately, Commander Duan used a large number of tactics in battle. If one doesn’t work, try ten. If ten don’t work, try a hundred. Like a blind cat catching a dead mouse, there will always be a time when he will get what he wants.

 

When the day came when Jinyan Tang became habitable, when Commander Duan brought the old servants of Jinyan Tang—the nanny and Chan Yi—Xu Hang’s expression was one of surprise and joy.

 

The nanny kowtowed to Xu Hang and told Chan Yi to serve him for life. Her young master showed no sadness or joy on his face and calmly said, “I no longer dare to trust anyone.”

 

The nanny pressed Chan Yi’s head to the ground in front of Xu Hang and said firmly, “The Young Lady taught us when she was alive that ‘good and evil have their own rules’. The old servant can’t read many words, but I know how to ‘repay kindness’. If this girl says anything against you, I will personally take her life! Please rest assured, Little Young Master!”

 

A pair of hands thinner than a woman’s helped Chan Yi up. She looked up, and this person spoke the first words to her.

 

“From now on, you take care of me, and I will also take care of you, alright?”

 

Later, even Duan Yelin said that although Chan Yi was young, she was more skilled in managing the household than some old women. If Jinyan Tang lost Chan Yi, Xu Hang would have a lot of headaches. When he heard Chan Yi calling him “Head of the Household” during dinner, Duan Yelin just wanted to laugh.

 

“Come to think of it, in the northern dialect, ‘Head of the Household[mfn]It’s 当家的 it could be translated to ‘head of the household or family’, ‘Master’ or ‘Boss’ based on the context, it refers to the person in charge of the family or husband. ‘Master’ is very good, but I decided to go with Head of the Household instead because master also sounds like teacher or owner.[/mfn]’ is a name that a woman uses to refer to her husband. Chan Yi, you’re taking advantage of this.”

 

Chan Yi was originally called ‘Xu Shao head of the household’, but the characters were too complicated, so she ended up calling him ‘head of the household’. When Duan Yelin said that, she blushed and said, “Commander, you are so shameless! You always say dirty words to make fun of people!”

 

Duan Yelin laughed out loud.

 

Xu Hang thought about it carefully: “If she serves me all my life, I will also take care of her from birth to death. Compared with her husband, I am afraid I will be with her longer. I can also bear the advantage of this title.”

 

Thus, this title was determined and has never been changed.

 

Chan Yi is the first person in the world who knows that Xu Hang wants revenge. The more she knows, the more trust she bears.

 

In those days, there was chaos and war, and people were restless. Hezhou City had only been rescued from the war a few years ago, and there were countless people breaking the law. Fortunately, there was Xiaotong Guan in charge. There was always one day of the month that was the execution day, and those who committed heinous crimes were dragged to the entrance of the vegetable market and beheaded.

 

One day, Duan Yelin was supervising the execution there. Xu Hang and Chan Yi came down from the mountain after collecting herbs. They passed by and took a look, and then something went wrong.

 

The moment the head fell to the ground, Xu Hang could no longer walk.

 

His eyes suddenly flashed back to that night in Shucheng.

 

Before going to bed, he told his mother that his cousin had broken his sachet and asked her to make him another one. His mother hooked his nose and said, ‘wait until your father’s newly dried peony flowers are ground into powder’. Then he fell asleep and was awakened by gunshots in his dream. It seemed that there were hundreds of thousands of people crying outside. The first scene he saw when he pushed the door open was that his father’s head had been chopped off, his face was bloody, and it was rolling on the ground… rolling from one person’s feet to another’s… and finally fell into the pond.

 

For many nights, he drowned in the bloody water, trying to fish out his father’s remains, but he could not reach them.

 

It was a lifelong nightmare.

 

With just this one glance, his world suddenly became dark. The fear of that night suddenly swept over him. The head on the execution ground rolled a few times, and his ears buzzed. His stomach suddenly twisted, and his head hurt. He wished that all his senses would disappear, as if he was pushed down by someone and no one could pull him up.

 

There were cries, someone was shouting, and there were sounds of breaking.

 

“Ah—!” Xu Hang roared in a suppressed voice, trembling all over and covering his head before falling down.

 

“Head of the Household? Head of the Household!” Chan Yi was panicked.

 

Duan Yelin saw the unusual situation and thought that some timid people were frightened. After taking a closer look, his alarm bells rang. He immediately jumped off the stage, rushed to Chan Yi, and hugged Xu Hang: “What’s wrong?!”

 

After arriving at Jinyan Tang, Xu Hang was sweating all over as if he had fallen into water. He heard someone calling him and tried to open his eyes. The first thing that caught his eye was the epaulettes on Duan Yelin’s military uniform. Hatred reached its peak at that moment. In fact, he was not yet conscious, but he grabbed the scissors used to cut candle wicks at the bedside and slashed Duan Yelin’s face hard!

 

He only felt a flash before his eyes, and then Duan Yelin touched his face and saw a streak of blood.

 

“Get out of here…” Xu Hang was in a state of daze, his lips still trembling. He would react violently whenever Duan Yelin moved, and no one could get close to him.

 

Fearing that the delay would be too long, Duan Yelin quickly grabbed the scissors with his bare hands to restrain him, wrapped him in a quilt, and held him tightly in his arms.

 

Xu Hang was like a small animal stuck in a quagmire, struggling with his limbs, and still mumbling, “Don’t cut… don’t cut him…”

 

“Alright, we won’t kill, we won’t kill any,” Duan Yelin patted the back of Xu Hang’s head again and again, his heavy breathing seemed to be guiding Xu Hang to breathe smoothly. “No one will die, everyone is fine, and you are fine too. Right?”

 

Not long after, Xu Hang fell asleep due to exhaustion.

 

This is a mental illness. Even if there were ten thousand physicians, they would only tell Duan Yelin that he was frightened. And Duan Yelin also believed that this child who never left the house was frightened by the scene.

 

This incident scared Chan Yi, who saw this, half to death. She was worried that Xu Hang couldn’t bear it and was also afraid that he would talk nonsense and tell everything.

 

When Xu Hang woke up, Chan Yi’s eyes were dark blue because she hadn’t closed them at all. “Head of the Household, there’s no one here now, you… you can cry for a while, ah?”

 

She was not afraid of him being unruly, she was just afraid of him being suffocated.

 

“Chan Yi… your dress is really beautiful…” Xu Hang touched Chan Yi’s sleeves with his thumb and index finger. “…When my mother was alive, she also loved to wear this lilac-colored dark-patterned skirt. Among all the beautiful women in the world, no one looks better in lilac than my mother.”

 

Chan Yi, who was squatting at the head of the bed, cried tearfully, crying for two people at the same time.

 

The next day, Duan Yelin asked Qiao Song to move the execution ground outside the city. Every time there was an execution, Qiao Song had to run to Jinyan Tang to inform them so that they could stay away from it.

 

Duan Yelin did not step into Jinyan Tang again until the wound on his face was completely healed. However, Xu Hang, who had heard the cause from Chan Yi, threw a bottle of scar removal plaster to Chan Yi.

 

Duan Yelin smiled like a fool because of this.

 

But our Commander Duan would never have imagined that when the execution was carried out the following month, his Xu Shaotang would book the top seat of a teahouse on the edge of the city, with a large window facing outside, and sit upright on a Wenge wooden chair. He would let Chan Yi tie his hands and feet to the chair and force himself to look at the execution ground.

 

Palpitations, convulsions, fainting, sweating.

 

Wake up.

 

Continued palpitations, convulsions…

 

Chan Yi could do nothing except wipe the sweat off his face again and again. When she finally untied the rope, she cried and asked why this was necessary.

 

Xu Hang was very weak, his eyes were full of bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth and said, “Chan Yi, I will kill my enemies with my own hands. I can’t… be afraid of seeing their heads cut off and blood flowing.”

 

In this way, he tortured himself again and again. From fainting at the beginning to the end, Xu Hang was able to calmly wash his hands, burn incense, and brew a pot of Zhengshan Xiaozhong before the execution was completed. He nodded his head when he heard the sound and took a sip of tea in his throat.

 

There’s was no more fear.

 

It was many years later that Duan Yelin discovered that he was not afraid. Xu Hang simply explained that ‘I’ve seen so many patients with amputated limbs that I’ve gotten used to it.’

 

Some people say that if a story starts wrong, it is difficult to correct it later.

 

When Chan Yi first asked Xu Hang how he was going to deal with Duan Ye Lin, Xu Hang said, “I’m going to kill him anyway.”

 

Chan Yi knew that he was very stubborn, so she twisted her handkerchief around her fingers and muttered, “At least, he is a good commander who is patriotic and iron-blooded.”

 

Xu Hang thought about the argument he had with him this morning and was not in a good mood: “It’s me who’s petty and looked down on him.”

 

Sighing, Chan Yi patted Xu Hang on the shoulder and said, “Head of the Household, you are smart in everything. You know how to teach servants by giving them candy after a slap. Why are you so confused when you meet the Commander? The Commander is not one of those people who grew up reading poetry, books, and etiquette. The way he does things is a habit he brought back from the battlefield. To put it nicely, he is straightforward, but to put it bluntly, he is stubborn! How much is your anger worth? As the saying goes, ‘moisturizing things silently’, you are so smart, how can you not understand such a simple thing?”

 

It was rare that Xu Hang was scolded by Chan Yi to the point where he couldn’t even utter a word of rebuttal.

 

“Are you criticizing me?”

 

“Oh my god, I don’t have the guts to do that.” Chan Yi covered her mouth and laughed. “I didn’t say that you, Head of the Household, are being petty.”

 

Xu Hang couldn’t eat the piece of red bean cake on his chopsticks anymore. He stared at Chan Yi and said, “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll ask your mother to take you out to marry someone tomorrow.”

 

While cleaning up the dishes, Chan Yi heard Xu Hang say in a low voice.

 

“I know he’s not a bad guy.”

 

So during lunch, Duan Yelin was still angry, and everyone ate awkwardly in the first half. Chan Yi coughed twice secretly and winked at him, and Duan Yelin took out the almost melted candied haw from his pocket and put it on Xu Hang’s plate.

 

Yesterday, children were playing at the door and begging the vendor for candy.

 

Xu Hang looked at the door a few more times, and Duan Yelin remembered it. If they hadn’t had an argument in the morning, it should have been delivered early in the morning.

 

Originally Duan Yelin had prepared himself to have his good intentions be treated as a mistake again, but who would have thought that Xu Hang took a look at the candied haws and actually returned the favor by putting a piece of lotus root in Duan Yelin’s bowl?

 

Overjoyed.

 

For the first time, Duan Yelin, who had lived for more than 30 years, choked while eating lotus root because of excitement.

 

For the first time ever, the cold-hearted and cold-faced Young Master Xu laughed out loud because of Duan Yelin.

 

It is said that Commander Duan was so happy when he went out that he almost tripped over the threshold and sprained his ankle, and Qiao Song almost got sick from holding back his laughter.

 

That night, Xu Hang was tossed around by the excited Duan Yelin. His sweat soaked the sheets, and he couldn’t tell which of them was hotter.

 

Duan Yelin always thought Xu Hang wouldn’t be afraid of many things, but in fact, he was very afraid of this matter. Especially every time Duan Yelin bit his earlobe endlessly, tracing along the shape of the ear, it was as if someone had run a ticklish hair through his brain. The other ear was also rubbed by Duan Yelin’s calloused fingers.

 

Unable to dodge on both sides, Xu Hang lost control of his neck, and his adam apple was bitten. He swallowed, and that part moved up and down, angering a volcano.

 

Behind him, the mountains collapsed and the ground cracked. Everything was dark and gloomy. He couldn’t tell the front, the back, the left, the right, or the beginning and the end.

 

Xu Hang only remembered a few key points; for example, when the night watchman passed by outside, his legs and feet had some cramps; when Duan Yelin got out of bed to drink some water, his pillow fell to the ground and the silk cover was torn; later, it seemed that a bird stopped at the window, and at that time Xu Hang was gritting his teeth and waiting for the end of the volcanic rage wave.

 

He thought that even if it was a fight in the ring, it would always end if one side showed weakness or admitted defeat. But this time he happened to meet someone who didn’t follow the rules. He refused to hold back his momentum, grabbed the curtain, and roughly wiped his sweat, obviously wanting to start another round.

 

The danger signal makes the weak instinctively shrink back, thinking that being away for a while would be good, but who would’ve known that he was grabbed by the ankle, and with a burst of brute force, the whole person was pulled down and fell into the barrier again.

 

“Why are you running away? The place was so small.” Duan Yelin laughed at him.

 

“You…” Xu Hang regretted giving him a good face today. “Aren’t you busy tomorrow?”

 

Duan Yelin panted, “Yes, I am very busy, but all things need to be done one by one.”

 

Things have different priorities, and they can be handled according to their importance.

 

If you are very busy, you should go to bed early. Xu Hang wanted to scold him like this, but he was afraid that if he let go, he would hear something he didn’t want to hear. He covered his own mouth, but it was pulled down after a while and pressed against the mattress.

 

“I actually want to hear you curse me right now, huh?” Duan Yelin can be quite a piece of sh*t sometimes.

 

Swearing is an art, but unfortunately Xu Hang has not yet mastered this art. After holding it in for a long time, he finally blurted out, “…Bastard.”

 

“Curse more?”

 

“…Get lost.”

 

Duan Yelin kissed his burning hot nose and sighed, “My Shaotang ah…”

 

Damn. So f*cking adorable.

 

A flower bud that didn’t want to bloom was forced to bloom after being polished. The flowers in the yard were all wet in the early morning before the sun came out. Water droplets fell down with a slight shake. By the time the sun rose, they were completely dry and looked beautiful in bright red.

 

When it comes to their relationship, Chan Yi was right.

 

In the following years, the two of them were sometimes on good terms and sometimes not. If Duan Yelin was a little bit angry, Xu Hang would ignore him and be even more sullen than him. Only when Duan Yelin softened would he also be a little gentle. Over time, Commander Duan knew that it was not possible to fight violence with violence in front of this little lord. He responds to soft tactics and not hard ones.

 

Even a tough guy can be softened.

 

Year after year, he grows older and taller.

 

In the summer of the following year, there was a rat infestation in the medical hall, and Xu Hang was told about it. Xu Hang took out a bottle of medicine from the deep end of the cabinet and gave it to the shop assistant. After using it, the shop assistant said that he was really worthy of being Physician Xu, and the poison he made was really useful. Xu Hang only said that it was a pity that it had been kept for two years; otherwise, it would have been more effective.

 

During the third year of the autumn hunt, Commander Duan was hunting wild animals in the front, while Physician Xu was picking herbs in the back. When Duan Yelin came back after the stroll, there were a bunch of cockleburs in his hair. He sat cross-legged in front of Xu Hang and asked Xu Hang to scrape them off for him with the knife he used to cut herbs.

 

The knife was newly sharpened. If he uses a little force to hit the flesh, the bone will be exposed immediately. Tufts of hair fell down, and Duan Yelin suddenly said, “You sharpened your knife against me three years ago, but you won’t do it this time?”

 

Xu Hang cut very carefully, trying not to damage Duan Yelin’s hair too much. “I can’t kill you[mfn]It’s like he’s unable to do so[/mfn].”

 

Duan Yelin didn’t hear clearly and tilted his head back to look at him: “What?”

 

Xu Hang turned his head back: “I told you not to move.”

 

On the first day of the fourth year, it was a snowy day. Hezhou City welcomed its second remarkable figure, the governor, Wang Ronghuo.

 

Cars rolled over the snow, leaving ugly marks, and drove past the alley outside Jinyan Tang.

 

Xu Hang was wearing a cloak and looking into the distance, with Chan Yi behind him.

 

He reached out to catch the snow and said, “The pear blossoms reflected on the white poplar trees are the places where life and death are separated.”

 

Chan Yi brushed the snow off Xu Hang’s shoulders: “When the snow melts, it will be spring, and the Qingming Festival will not be far away. Are you ready to start the ‘memorial ceremony’?”

 

“It’s been four years. Neither he nor Xiaotong Guan can hold me back any longer. My old grave needs new cries to overcome the nightly cries of the wronged souls.”

 

Xu Hang smiled faintly, turned around, and went back to the hall with the edge of his cloak rolling up like a wave.

 

The bloody murder in Hezhou City began from then on.