TPATTHU Chapter 24
by VolareChapter 24 Finally Reconciled
Xiao Zhinian and Shen Zhejiang quickly arrived at the posthouse. Governor Yang had already arranged everything beforehand. This time, Xiao Zhinian was traveling incognito as a principal clerk of the Ministry of Personnel. Every year, the imperial court would dispatch officials from the Ministry of Personnel to various regions to assess political achievements for selection, transfer, rewards, and punishments, which was difficult to arouse suspicion.
After presenting his official badge and stating his purpose, a duty clerk immediately arranged accommodation.
However, as Xiao Zhinian and Shen Zhejiang were traveling together, there was only one brass key remaining, and the clerk explained with embarrassment.
“Currently, there is a flourishing trade and travel, and the guest rooms have all been requisitioned by adults staying overnight during their journeys. There are really no more available. Governor Yang instructed in advance to reserve a vacant room, but only this one is left, so could the two adults temporarily squeeze in?”
Xiao Zhinian was overjoyed, never expecting such a good thing to happen. Heaven was truly helping him.
“It doesn’t matter, I don’t mind.”
“It doesn’t matter, I’m not staying here.”
They spoke almost simultaneously.
The clerk looked at Xiao Zhinian in confusion, then glanced at Shen Zhejiang, assuming that Shen Zhejiang disliked it, and hurriedly said, “If the adults find it too crowded to share a room, this humble official will check the back building to see if we can free up another space.”
Xiao Zhinian was unwilling to agree, wishing he could tie Shen Zhejiang to his side right now and never leave him for a moment. He picked up the brass key from the counter and muttered to himself, “Move what space? We’ll stay together.”
He pulled Shen Zhejiang away.
Before they had taken two steps, Shen Zhejiang pressed down on Xiao Zhinian’s wrist, his eyes filled with a clear and cold sense of detachment.
Xiao Zhinian was stunned: “…”
In such cold eyes, all the joy and fervor from just now gradually cooled down. Shen Zhejiang was unwilling to be with him. It was like this three years ago, and it was even more so three years later.
In fact, he had been shamelessly following Shen Zhejiang all along. Even their first kiss was a sneaky one while the other was asleep. Shen Zhejiang was completely unaware.
Not to mention joy, perhaps Shen Zhejiang had never had even a trace of affection or fondness for him.
Thinking like this, his hand slowly dropped to his side, very disappointed.
Shen Zhejiang walked back to the counter and meticulously listed the things he needed to prepare to the clerk: “Please trouble someone to bring a doctor to the room, then boil a pot of hot water, cook a bowl of lean meat and egg drop porridge, without scallions, and also, add an extra quilt, thank you.”
The clerk nodded blankly: “Oh, oh, okay…”
Downcast, Xiao Zhinian heard Shen Zhejiang’s words floating lightly from behind, and his eyes gradually lit up with scattered light, like fireflies in the sky, an unconcealable joy.
Shen Zhejiang agreed to stay!
Even after going upstairs and entering the room, Xiao Zhinian was still immersed in the sweetness of Shen Zhejiang’s willingness to stay the night, foolishly enjoying himself, not feeling the pain when the doctor cleaned his wound.
The cut was very deep, and the blood had long since congealed into a clotted mass, the blood and flesh sticking to the clothing in a terrifying, dirty mess.
The doctor was a resident physician at the posthouse, nearly fifty years old, experienced, and his technique was first-rate. He first used scissors to cut away the obstructive cloth around Xiao Zhinian’s wound, leaving only the last piece.
The doctor reminded him, “It’s stuck to the wound, it will hurt a bit when it’s torn off.”
Xiao Zhinian waved his hand, not caring much.
He wasn’t some delicate person, what did this little pain matter? Hurry up, he was really wasting his time with Shen Zhejiang, so he impatiently urged, “Stop talking, hurry up!”
Shen Zhejiang looked at Xiao Zhinian silently and urged, “Be careful.”
The doctor tore off the piece of cloth in three or two strokes, and the congealed blood scab also fell off. Blood flowed down from the exposed flesh, almost immediately soaking Xiao Zhinian’s back.
Shen Zhejiang felt distressed, stopping the doctor from applying medicine to Xiao Zhinian to stop the bleeding, his tone stiff, “Thank you, I’ll do the rest.”
The long-neglected wooden door made a long, creaking sigh. The doctor left, and in the room, Shen Zhejiang lifted the stopper from the celadon medicine bottle, carefully sprinkling the medicinal powder on Xiao Zhinian’s still-bleeding wound.
This time it really hurt.
“Hiss…”
Xiao Zhinian bared his teeth. Originally, he wanted to take this opportunity to please Shen Zhejiang again, but when he turned his head, he saw Shen Zhejiang looking down, his light-colored thin lips almost pressed into a straight line.
A dim yellow candlelight on the table flickered silently on its own. Shen Zhejiang lowered his eyelids, and the small patch of shadow he left on his face swayed dully, unable to see the emotions in his eyes.
Even so, how could Xiao Zhinian not guess Shen Zhejiang’s feelings?
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he hurriedly bit the beginning of the word, almost biting his tongue, and swallowed them all.
Shen Zhejiang didn’t speak, and he didn’t dare to say anything, so he could only sit there helplessly, his heart in turmoil.
“Damn it, I went too far, what should I do now?”
He understood Shen Zhejiang. He never showed his joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, but when he was happy, he would say a few more words, and the corners of his eyes would unconsciously lift slightly. However, when he was angry, he would never make a fuss, but would be even more silent than usual, pursing his lips, and only be at odds with himself.
It would be better if Shen Zhejiang pointed at him and scolded him a few times. When his anger subsided, he would shamelessly stick to him and coax him, and that would be the end of it, but Shen Zhejiang said nothing.
The hot towel wiped every place on his back that was stained with blood, rubbing against his skin, as if growing fine thorns, piercing him inch by inch. It was simply an extremely agonizing and torturous punishment.
When Shen Zhejiang wrung out the towel for the third time, Xiao Zhinian was distraught and couldn’t bear it any longer. He couldn’t care so much and grabbed Shen Zhejiang’s dripping wrist.
The towel fell into the water, causing a splash that splattered on Xiao Zhinian’s sleeve.
“What are you doing?” Shen Zhejiang asked, neither angry nor annoyed.
“I know I was wrong, I won’t do it again, don’t be angry with me, okay?” Xiao Zhinian looked up into Shen Zhejiang’s eyes, which were filled with sincerity, uneasiness, panic, and a hint of flattery. He pressed his cheek into Shen Zhejiang’s palm and rubbed it. “Shen Zhejiang, please respond to me. You can hit me or scold me as you please, just please don’t be silent, okay? You don’t know how many words I’ve said to that box in the past three years, but you never replied to me. I’m really scared, afraid that the you in front of me is fake, afraid that you will suddenly disappear again.”
“…”
Shen Zhejiang sighed silently, what a fool.
So he raised his hand.
Xiao Zhinian saw this and thought that Shen Zhejiang wanted to hit him to vent his anger, so he hurriedly closed his eyes and offered his face, “I’m not afraid of pain, as long as you’re happy.”
However, the expected pain did not come. Instead, a warm and gentle touch came from the top of his head.
“Huh?”
Shen Zhejiang was ruffling his hair.
Xiao Zhinian was a little dazed. He opened his eyes and heard Shen Zhejiang say in a helpless and sighing tone, “You’re already an emperor, yet you’re still so childish.”
“I’m only like this with you.”
He was licked by the wolf cub unexpectedly.
Shen Zhejiang was surprised and a warm current flowed through his heart. He chuckled, “Smooth talker.”
The knot in his heart was untied, and Xiao Zhinian shook his head and swayed, smiling. “I’m serious, don’t you believe me.”
“You’re never serious,” Shen Zhejiang chided, “Sit properly.”
“Yes, sir!”
Shen Zhejiang was annoyed and pulled back his hand.
“Forget it, I’ll indulge him tonight.”
Picking up the gauze on the table, Shen Zhejiang said, “Let’s bandage the wound first, don’t move.”