That sigh, he actually found somewhat… sexy.
Zou Heng, with hurried steps, returned to Jiaan Hall, tossed the medicine box onto the approaching apprentice, and plopped himself onto a chair, taking a large gulp of tea.
Although Zou Wu, his apprentice, did not know what had happened, he understood his master’s temper well. So, he clutched the medicine box and shrank back silently.
With a bang, Zou Heng heavily set down his tea cup and asked, “What’s the background of that noodle shop?”
“Ah?” Zou Wu was dumbfounded and replied, “It’s just a noodle shop, selling mixed sauce noodles. The proprietress is quite good-looking…”
“Idiot! Did I ask about the proprietress?” Zou Heng slapped the table and glared, “I’m asking about that guy working there called Nian. Who exactly is he?”
Zou Wu blinked: “You mean Brother Nian? His name is Yu Jinnian, and he cooks pretty well. The staff at Jiaan Hall all like his food, and I do too…”
“Yu Jinnian?” From the way that kid talked, if he hadn’t been studying medicine since childhood, he couldn’t have such knowledge. Zou Heng mentally went through all the famous and old doctors he knew but couldn’t think of anyone who had taken in such a young apprentice with the surname Yu. “Where is he from, and who is his master?”
Zou Wu said dumbly: “I don’t know. Isn’t he just a cook… Does Master also like his food? Then I’ll go ask the head chef of Spring Breeze Delight Restaurant tomorrow if he knows his master?”
“…” Zou Heng looked up at his dumb apprentice and felt his anger rise again. He didn’t know why he had taken in such a foolish apprentice. His chest tightened with frustration, and he impatiently waved his hand, “Get out, get out, don’t stand here in my way!”
“Yes!” Zou Wu, clutching the medicine box, happily turned and left.
Zou Heng was so angry that he took a sharp breath.
Meanwhile, outside on the long street, a distant call of a wonton vendor rang out, “Shrimp skin wontons, vegetarian three-delicacies, radish, mushrooms, chicken, and duck, one bowl cooked fresh and tasty!”
A hundred steps away, Ji Hong and Yu Jinnian were coming out of the Pingkang Pharmacy next to the Shouren Hall, carrying the purchased medicated oil. Seeing a night wonton vendor selling by the street, Yu Jinnian’s eyes lit up immediately. He stopped the vendor and bought two bowls of vegetarian three-delicacy wontons.
The wonton vendors were a unique sight in Xinan County at night, as they didn’t just sell wontons but represented the nightlife of the poor in Xinan County. These vendors could be found every two streets, with wooden carrying poles holding a small stove and charcoal on one side and drawers filled with various wontons and condiments on the other. They also carried large water gourds and small stools on their shoulders, wandering through the streets and alleys, stopping as they went, and working until dawn before heading home.
Once night fell in Xinan County, there wasn’t much entertainment. Only the cries of the wonton vendors could stir excitement. If someone woke up from insomnia and heard the call, they would open their window and shout. The wonton vendor would then run over with a smile, asking what kind of filling they wanted. They didn’t even need to leave their home; the wontons would be handed directly through the window. Eating the warm wontons before going back to sleep and waking up feeling satisfied was considered a small happiness.
At that time, it wasn’t just about eating the wontons but about the experience itself. It’s like when you were a child riding a green train, knowing that the boxed meals weren’t very tasty, yet you still longed for them and begged the adults to buy one each time. Yu Jinnian had always wanted a bowl of night wontons like this but never had the chance. He thought it would be silly to go out alone in the middle of the night to call for wontons.
Today, he caught Ji Hong, who had nothing better to do, to accompany him in this silly venture. Of course, he couldn’t miss this opportunity!
The three-delicacy wontons were the freshest kind, filled with shiitake mushrooms, eggs, and shrimp. Boiled in hot soup, sprinkled with chopped scallions and floating pepper flakes, and finally, slurped into the mouth, scalding yet too delicious to swallow quickly – it was an enjoyment.
Yu Jinnian sat on a small stool, slurping his wontons. He loved spicy food and added a lot of red chili oil. Despite the cool night wind, Yu Jinnian ate until sweat beaded on his temples and his lips turned bright red.
“Young master, here’s yours!” The wonton vendor served another bowl to a handsome young gentleman, stealing a few extra glances. He had noticed these two from the moment he was wandering the streets with his pole. This young gentleman in blue robes, with wide sleeves and long hair flowing, seemed to float as he walked. If it weren’t for the lively young man beside him who kept chatting and laughing, the vendor might have thought he had encountered an immortal.
Ji Hong held his bowl, dazedly eating a wonton that burned his mouth. He stared at the boy’s bright lips, lost in thought.
The long streets on either side were quiet, and the distant darkness seemed like an endless black hole, ready to spit out a few wandering ghosts. At this hour, Ji Hong would never have stayed outside before. Even inside his room, he would keep the lights brightly lit. But now, sitting on the empty street, listening to the laughter of the boy and the wonton vendor, he didn’t feel so scared anymore. His heart was filled with the delicious flavor of the three-delicacy wontons.
It seemed that as long as he was with the boy, everything around him would change, miraculously and inexplicably.
Yu Jinnian, oblivious to being watched, continued chatting happily with the wonton vendor about how to make the wonton filling. He even enthusiastically invited the vendor to visit the noodle shop, hoping to drum up more business for himself.
After finishing the wontons, the two returned to the noodle shop.
Ji Hong, who suffered from insomnia, wasn’t very sleepy. Yu Jinnian, on the other hand, was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. Yet, he insisted on taking a bath before going to bed, saying he was afraid of bringing He Ertian’s illness back and infecting Ji Hong.
When Yu Jinnian entered the room, smelling of soap, Ji Hong was leaning against a large pillow, reading by the light.
Yu Jinnian, who knew few characters, had fewer books in the room. Without much thought, he guessed it was the “Qingluan Poetry Collection” he had bought before. He hadn’t looked at it in a long time, and now Ji Hong had found it. Suddenly, he remembered that he had once written a few ugly characters in it, and wondered if Ji Hong had seen them.
How embarrassing.
Ji Hong was engrossed in a particular line when suddenly, everything went dark, and even the sounds around him disappeared. His entire body tensed like a taut string, as if a hand had pressed down on his chest in the darkness, making each breath increasingly difficult. He knew it was just the light going out, but he couldn’t control his rapidly accelerating heartbeat or his wild thoughts.
A loud crash beside him made Ji Hong tense up even more. He shrank back forcefully, mumbling, “No, I don’t want to eat…”
“What did you say about eating?” Suddenly, the room was illuminated again by candlelight, and the boy appeared, holding a wax lamp. “Sorry, I walked too fast and accidentally blew out the candle.”
Ji Hong, breathing lightly, looked over with slightly open phoenix eyes, a beautiful expression of lingering fear on his face.
Yu Jinnian, puzzled, looked at the man curled up on the bed. Ji Hong’s neck was slightly glistening, as if covered in sweat. But the autumn night was so cool, and Ji Hong, who was always afraid of the cold, had suddenly sweated so much. Sensing something unusual, he asked cautiously, “Ji Hong, what’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing…” Ji Hong gathered his thoughts and looked away.
Yu Jinnian thought of something and said, “Then lie down, and I’ll massage your back. Otherwise, you’ll have bruises tomorrow.”
Ji Hong, feeling slightly calmer, nodded and lay down on the bed, pulling his undershirt up to his shoulders. Yu Jinnian got on the bed, sat sideways next to him, poured some medicated oil into his palm, and rubbed it to warm it up. He then began to massage Ji Hong’s back, carefully exploring the area with his hands. Ji Hong’s skin was exceptionally smooth and fair, almost like jade, making the touch even more pleasant. When Yu Jinnian pressed on a particularly tense muscle, he heard the man below him let out a soft, restrained “hmm,” with a slightly rising tone at the end due to the comfort of the massage.
Yu Jinnian was taken aback and paused for a moment before resuming the massage. He lowered his head, his mind racing with thoughts. What was going on? He actually found that sigh somewhat… sexy?
Heavens! Yu Jinnian quickly freed one hand to tug at his waistband and checked his little companion—thankfully, it was still asleep, showing no signs of waking up.
Relieved, Yu Jinnian hurriedly finished massaging Ji Hong’s injured spot, washed his hands, and got back into bed, lying under the covers. Ji Hong, with the medicated oil still needing to be absorbed, had to stay lying on his stomach for a while longer.
Normally, they each faced a different direction while sleeping, not disturbing each other. Now, facing each other with wide eyes, Yu Jinnian felt a bit awkward.
“Tonight…” Ji Hong started to say something, then frowned and said, “Never mind.”
Yu Jinnian pulled the covers up, mumbling, “We’ll keep the light on tonight. Just sleep peacefully.”
Ji Hong’s eyes widened in surprise.
“If you feel uncomfortable, remember to wake me up,” Yu Jinnian said, closing his eyes and turning to face away. He hesitated, then added, “Um… if you’re scared, you can also wake me up.”
“…Okay.” Ji Hong’s expression softened, and he replied gently.
The candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows on the opposite wall. The room was quiet, with only the occasional pop from the candlewick. Perhaps it was the exhaustion from the day, but as soon as Yu Jinnian closed his eyes, he fell into a gentle sleep, breathing deeply and peacefully.
After a long while, Ji Hong turned over and looked at the boy’s back by the light. Suddenly, he called out, “Jinnian… are you asleep?”
“Mm…” Yu Jinnian answered drowsily.
Ji Hong rummaged in his sleeve, took out something, and placed it beside the boy’s pillow. He then reached out to tuck the loose hair behind Yu Jinnian’s ear, gazing gently at his sleeping face. He softly said, “May you be safe, happy, long-lived, and prosperous… Sweet dreams, Jinnian.”
Naturally, Yu Jinnian didn’t hear any of this, as he was still in his dream, chasing butterflies with the Duke of Zhou.
Author’s Note:
Our reporter, Qing Amao, interviewed the Crucian Carp Duo again today: “May I ask, do you two have any nicknames for each other?”
(The Crucian Carp Duo, wishing to remain anonymous, both secretly asked: “Can you blur our faces?”)
(Our reporter, Qing Amao: “No problem!”)
Yu x Nian: Little Princess Afraid of the Dark! Hahaha, hic!
x Hong: Caretaker… the kind who takes care of eating, drinking, and sleeping.
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And an announcement: taking a break on Wednesday, no updates! We’ll be back on Thursday~~ Kisses!