Huajie was packed with people, and one careless move could lead to a collision. Suddenly, a girl ran past Qiao Suiman, knocking him off balance and sending him stumbling forward. Fortunately, Lu Dongqing caught him in time.
Lu Dongqing’s grip on his arm was firm, only loosening once Qiao Suiman had steadied himself completely. The warmth from his palm seemed to seep through Qiao Suiman’s sleeve, spreading all the way to his heart.
Without exchanging words, the two walked toward the riverbank, their hands occasionally brushing against each other. Suddenly, Qiao Suiman’s hand was held. He turned his head to look and saw their intertwined hands hidden beneath their sleeves—a secret shared only between the two of them.
A small smile curved Qiao Suiman’s lips. He spread his fingers, and Lu Dongqing immediately responded by lacing their hands together properly, giving them a gentle shake that sent a ripple through their sleeves.
They only let go once they reached the river. This wasn’t part of the Qinglong River but rather a small ditch in town. However, it was near the Qixi Market, and every year, people would release lanterns here.
Qiao Suiman took out a fire starter[mfn]火折子 huǒ zhézǐ – An ancient tool for preserving fire, similar to a modern lighter. Its principle is to use flammable materials (such as paper or cotton cloth) to roll them into a tube, ignite them, and use the lack of oxygen to make them burn slowly, thereby preserving the fire. Then, air is blown to rekindle it when needed.[/mfn] to light the lantern. Since his family had only recently started using such things, he was careful and focused, drawing a soft chuckle from Lu Dongqing.
“What are you laughing at?” Qiao Suiman scolded.
Lu Dongqing immediately changed his expression, adopting a serious demeanor that looked quite convincing. “I wasn’t laughing.”
“Pfft.” Now it was Qiao Suiman’s turn to stifle a laugh.
Once both lanterns were lit, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing each held one, setting them afloat on the water’s surface. Qiao Suiman clasped his hands before his chest and closed his eyes as he silently made a wish.
Lu Dongqing didn’t interrupt but stood by and quietly watched, feeling as though no moment could be more blissful or fulfilling than this.
After releasing the lanterns, they walked along the riverbank for a while. As the second round of fireworks was about to begin, Lu Dongqing remembered there was a large tree nearby where there are fewer people and a better angle to watch the fireworks. He suggested to Qiao Suiman, “Let’s go under that tree to watch the fireworks. There are fewer people there.”
They wouldn’t be jostled there.
“Alright.”
There was still time before they were supposed to meet Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu, so the two circled around Huajie, arriving at a spot downstream near the tree. They leaned quietly against the tree trunk, gazing at the fireworks display.
The evening breeze blew gently, carrying a trace of inexplicable emotions. No one broke the atmosphere. It was beautiful enough without saying anything.
In the distance, fireworks soared high before exploding with a resounding ‘bang‘, scattering light in all directions and casting a radiant glow over them.
At some point, Qiao Suiman’s gaze shifted to Lu Dongqing, watching him take step after step closer. The affection in his eyes surged, his gaze deep and mysterious, as if he were about to be drawn in.
He should have stepped back, but for some reason, his feet seemed rooted to the spot and his body stiffened. His eyelids fluttered uncontrollably, lashes trembling like delicate wings.
Lu Dongqing felt those wing-like eyelashes brush against his heart, causing his Adam’s apple to involuntarily bob. He leaned in a few more inches.
They were only half a chi apart. Qiao Suiman could smell bamboo on Dongqing’s clothes and feel his warm breath on his cheek. He could even see his own reflection in his eyes with startling clarity.
The air between them grew thick with unspoken tension, winding around them like delicate threads. Finally, Lu Dongqing raised his hand, tidied up the strands of hair on Qiao Suiman’s forehead, and slowly lowered his head.
Qiao Suiman bit his lip. Too close, too close. His eyes squeezed shut.
“Ah hmm!” An uncontrollable moan interrupted them, followed by a few low growls from a man.
Qiao Suiman snapped back to reality, pushing Lu Dongqing away just as he was about to kiss his lips. He looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the sound.
Lu Dongqing was equally startled and pulled Qiao Suiman behind the tree.
Thump, thump, thump.
His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of his chest. Qiao Suiman’s face was flushed red as he whispered, “Is someone there?”
“Mn.” Lu Dongqing gave a slight nod. “We’ll find a chance to leave.”
That sound… During his days as a refugee, he’d seen families sell their ge’r or daughters to men for a night or two in exchange for food or silver. Some even had their sights set on him.
He was strong and sturdy; no one would dare bully them if they followed him. But back then, his only thought was to bring his mother and younger brother safely to Shuiqing Town. He never entertained such ideas.
Given the current situation, someone must have been unable to resist…
Qiao Suiman looked at Lu Dongqing’s frown and asked worriedly: “What’s wrong? Are they very close?”
Otherwise, why would he look so grim as if they couldn’t leave?
Lu Dongqing sighed. “No.”
The couple were making more and more noises, occasionally interjecting with vulgar words. Qiao Suiman also noticed something was wrong. He had never encountered such a situation before and was so anxious that his voice trembled with tears. He tugged at Lu Dongqing’s sleeve, “Let’s go, let’s go.”
“Alright.”
Lu Dongqing didn’t want to stay any longer either. He looked around and saw no one else, then cleared his throat and coughed loudly.
The couple fell silent, undoubtedly startled. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Dongqing hurriedly led Qiao Suiman back toward the bustling crowds.
After returning to Huajie, Qiao Suiman finally breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn’t know how to face Lu Dongqing. The accident just now really frightened him. He actually ran into someone doing those things!
Though no one had ever taught him about such things, he could tell from the vulgar language and Lu Dongqing’s expression that it wasn’t something good. He felt both ashamed and embarrassed, covering his face and refusing to look at anyone.
Lu Dongqing was at a loss for words and tried to comfort him, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Not knowing how to comfort him, he could only keep calling out Xiao Man and wait for him to calm down.
After a long while, Qiao Suiman calmed, but still dared not meet Dongqing’s gaze. He whispered, “We should go back. Let’s wait at the market for Da-ge and the others.”
Relieved that Qiao Suiman was speaking to him again, Lu Dongqing eagerly agreed, shielding him as they made their way to the market.
Along the way, he racked his brain for conversation topics, jumping from drinks to trinkets. He felt as though he had said everything what he usually said in a year. Seeing him like this, Qiao Suiman couldn’t bear to ignore him, so he chatted with him about random things.
Upon returning to the market and meeting up with Qin Yu and the others, they took a cart and headed back to the village. Today, many villagers had gone to the town to join the festivities, and along the way, many people carried torches, walking in groups for safety.
Back home, Qiao Suiman was too distracted to bother counting his money. He washed quickly and lay in bed, his mind drifting.
At that moment, Lu Dongqing must have wanted to kiss him. If it weren’t for those two people, they would have definitely kissed for sure.
Qiao Suiman touched his lips, thinking about how close they were at the time, and couldn’t help but feel a rush of heat. He burrowed under the blankets, squirming slightly. Would it have felt… nice?
With these shy yet sweet memories, Qiao Suiman slowly drifted off to sleep. But he didn’t know what he was dreaming about as he wriggled around in bed, occasionally letting out a soft moan.
At the same time, at the Lu household.
Lu Dongqing suddenly woke up from his dream. He sat up abruptly on the bed and felt his undergarment. It was indeed damp.
Disgraceful.
He scolded himself inwardly, then quietly fetched a fresh undergarment. He sneaked to the kitchen and filled a basin with water before returning to his room.
Fortunately, he was now sleeping in the new room and no longer sharing a room with Lu Xuesong; otherwise, it would have been difficult to hide.
The next day.
When Miao Lianhua asked about the damp clothes hanging outside, Lu Dongqing replied smoothly, “I was thirsty last night and went to get some water, but I didn’t hold it steady and spilled it all over myself. I hung it out to dry.”
He casually flicked the drying undershirt and undergarments on the clothesline.
Miao Lianhua accepted the explanation without question, nodding as she continued beating the clothes[mfn]washing the clothes[/mfn]. She didn’t notice the way Lu Dongqing’s eyes darted nervously or how his hands clenched unconsciously.
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Translator [LUNE]: Lu Dongqing huh (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)
