Yuan Zhao was still dazed, leaning against his chest, listening to the rapid heartbeat like drumbeats, suddenly realizing Shi Wuxiang felt the same as he did.
Their hearts were both racing, as if it was their first time drowning in such feelings.
“You don’t think I’m too young anymore?” Yuan Zhao asked, then immediately buried his face in him, too afraid to look.
“Before, you were indeed very young to me. But now you aren’t. You are already eighteen.” Shi Wuxiang said. “You’ve stayed by my side for three years. That’s enough.”
Yuan Zhao did not understand what “enough” meant, nor why eighteen was considered acceptable, but since Shi Wuxiang said it was fine, then it must be fine.
“Eighteen and still unmarried counts as an old ge’er… but for you it’s just right…” Yuan Zhao muttered unhappily. “If it had been earlier, we might even have had a child…”
He was still brooding over not consummating the marriage.
Shi Wuxiang’s face immediately flushed red.
“…No need to rush that. We can wait until after your birthday.”
Yuan Zhao instantly frowned.
“Then go back! Wait until after my birthday and come again!”
Shi Wuxiang: “…I didn’t mean it like that.”
They argued a while longer.
In the end, Shi Wuxiang still could not convince him to return immediately. Yuan Zhao insisted on staying in the small rented courtyard until his birthday.
Shi Wuxiang had no choice but to compromise.
“Then I’ll stay with you,” he said softly. “I’ll stay here with you through spring.”
Only then did Yuan Zhao finally quiet down, though his eyes were still red.
The door opened, and Yuan Yuan immediately ran in, looking between them nervously.
“Did… did you bully my brother?”
Shi Wuxiang calmly replied, “No. I came to take you both home. Your aunt misses you, and Ranran is still waiting for you at school.”
Yuan Yuan hesitated, then looked at Yuan Zhao.
Shi Wuxiang added, “You can go back first. I’ll stay here with your brother for a few more days.”
Yuan Yuan shook his head.
“I’ll stay with brother.”
Shi Wuxiang smiled helplessly.
“Alright then. We’ll all stay together.”
The matter was settled just like that.
Zhou Ren and Gou Yi more or less understood what had happened, and they also hadn’t expected things to progress this smoothly. They couldn’t help but let out a small breath of relief.
The small courtyard they rented only had two rooms for sleeping, naturally not enough to accommodate Zhou Ren and Gou Yi. The two had no choice but to head back first, agreeing that they would return in seven days to pick them up.
“Three days then,” Yuan Zhao said. “Ah Xiang still has to return to the county to teach. Delaying too long wouldn’t be good.”
Even if illness was used as an excuse, constantly delaying the teaching schedules of the scholars made him feel uneasy. If those scholars failed their exams in the future, he would feel like it was his fault.
Zhou Ren and Gou Yi then drove the carriage away.
Yuan Zhao didn’t specially tidy up the house. Ever since Yuan Yuan had gone to the Shi family, he had always been living alone, and it was the same now—conveniently leaving Shi Wuxiang able to directly move in, taking over the place and teasing him endlessly.
Shi Wuxiang lay on the bed, looking out through the open window at the spring scenery. His eyelids gradually drooped, almost sticking together. He blinked his sore eyes, forcing himself to stay awake to talk to Yuan Zhao.
“Three days later, if you don’t want to go back, you can keep staying here. I’ll come see you when I’m free,” Shi Wuxiang said softly.
“Is this something you can just come and go as you please? It’s a county away, not just next door,” Yuan Zhao muttered. He couldn’t bear to make him travel back and forth. Knowing Shi Wuxiang had him in his heart already made him very happy.
Besides, these flowers wouldn’t last long anyway. As long as he had seen them bloom, that was enough.
Shi Wuxiang curled his lips slightly, his voice slightly hazy and lazy. “If you want me to come, then I must come. Not to mention a county apart—even if it were a province apart, I’d still come…”
No one disliked sweet talk. A soft-hearted fool like Yuan Zhao was especially easy to coax; just a few words and he was already delighted, all his lingering unwillingness gone.
Shi Wuxiang was truly exhausted. Ever since waking yesterday and realizing Yuan Zhao had run away until now, he had only managed to eat one meal and hadn’t even slept. It wasn’t that he was deliberately acting pitiful.
With Yuan Zhao beside him, he finally felt at ease. Breathing in the familiar scent, he quickly fell asleep.
Yuan Zhao sighed softly.
He probably looked very useless like this.
Ah Xiang had soothed him with just a few words, making his carefully planned escape feel almost ridiculous.
But Ah Xiang liked him—he had liked him since the day he gave him those paired bracelets. What was there left for him to struggle over?
He had no grand ambitions, nor any revenge like in storybooks. He had left only because he thought Ah Xiang didn’t love him. So naturally, he could also return because of love.
Did he truly not feel Ah Xiang’s feelings?
On the contrary. Because he was a coward, everything he sensed, he attributed to Shi Wuxiang simply being a good person. He didn’t dare admit he was special, nor did he dare give that uniqueness any deeper meaning.
So they had almost missed each other—well, not even for long, just one day.
He ran around, resenting and hesitating, all because Shi Wuxiang hadn’t clearly expressed his feelings. Those clingy poems he didn’t understand had still bound him, making him unhappy and impatient.
He hadn’t expected Shi Wuxiang to come after him, yet he had also secretly hoped he would. And once he came, he still wanted to put on airs and refuse to go back so easily.
Caught in a single day—it was embarrassing.
Yuan Zhao gently closed the door and went outside. The small courtyard was filled with floral fragrance, petals scattered across the ground like a pink snow.
“Brother, are we going back home in three days?” Yuan Yuan walked to his side and asked softly. “What does it even mean for us to leave and then be found again? Is Ah Xiang-ge really going to live with brother?”
Yuan Zhao hummed. “Don’t you want to go back? I’ve been making all the decisions without asking you.”
Yuan Yuan was already thirteen, growing and seeing more of the world.
Of course he understood these were adult emotions. Even if he didn’t understand now, someday he would face his own troubles and hesitation.
For now, he just wanted to follow his brother forever.
“I don’t mind,” Yuan Yuan said. “I just want to stay with brother.”
Yuan Zhao fell silent for a moment and gently patted his head.
Ah Xiang was right—Yuan Yuan and Ran Ran were still too young. He couldn’t even imagine sending Yuan Yuan off to marriage in two or three years.
Just thinking about it felt a bit tragic.
Shi Wuxiang slept until evening. He had been extremely tired, and the room was still lit, just quiet as if no one were there.
His heart suddenly tightened.
“Yuan Zhao?”
“Yuan Zhao?!”
“Here!” Yuan Zhao called back loudly. “I’ve got something to do, I’ll go cook later!”
His voice came from the neighboring courtyard wall.
Shi Wuxiang immediately frowned. He still remembered there was a guy named Tie Zhu next door.
Yuan Yuan said, “Brother is right next door, just wait.”
Knowing Yuan Zhao must have a reason for not bringing him, Shi Wuxiang reminded Yuan Yuan a couple of things, then quickly tidied his clothes and hair and went out.
The neighbor’s gate was open. As soon as he approached, he saw Yuan Zhao with blood on his hands.
In that instant, Shi Wuxiang almost couldn’t stand.
He rushed over, pulling Yuan Zhao into his arms, grabbing his wrist to check for injuries—only to see him holding a sharp knife. In front of him was a wooden bucket filled with raw meat soaked in bloody water.
“What happened? Are you hurt?” Shi Wuxiang asked urgently.
Yuan Zhao knew he had misunderstood. “This is wild boar that Brother Tie Zhu and the others hunted. They shared a piece of meat. Brother Tie Zhu isn’t home, so I came to Auntie’s place to help. I’m not injured, this is wild boar blood.”
Only then did Shi Wuxiang slightly relax.
“It’s already raw meat. What else needs to be done?”
“Cut into pieces,” Yuan Zhao smiled. “I even bought two pieces. I’ll stew it for you later.”
Yuan Zhao was used to handling hunted game. Shi Wuxiang had already heard about this after waking, and seeing him now calmly chopping with a bone-cutting knife made him feel strangely at ease.
Being able to swing a knife was a good thing.
Auntie Tie Zhu beside them was already stunned. When did their village get such a handsome man? And from the way he spoke, he even sounded like a scholar!
Unable to hold back her curiosity, she kept looking at Yuan Zhao, hoping for an explanation. After all, these two had just been hugging so tightly—they clearly had some kind of relationship.
Yuan Zhao naturally noticed her gaze, but deliberately didn’t say anything. Let Ah Xiang explain.
“Hello, Auntie. I am Zhao-ge’er’s husband. You can call me Ah Xiang,” Shi Wuxiang said. “He wanted to see the peach blossoms here, but I was held up at the academy, so I let him come first. Thank you for taking care of him yesterday.”
The aunt immediately accepted it, nodding repeatedly.
“So you’re a scholar from the academy? I knew it—you look like one! Are you a xiucai?”
“A jinshi,” Shi Wuxiang replied patiently. “I currently teach at the county academy.”
What?!
A jinshi even higher than a juren?!
And a teacher at the county academy?!
Good heavens, their small village had actually welcomed such a big figure!
“Goodness, this is incredible!” the aunt exclaimed. “Zhao-ge’er, don’t work anymore, let me handle it! I’ll bring it over when it’s done!”
Yuan Zhao guessed this would happen. Once Shi Wuxiang revealed his identity, the whole village would probably know by tomorrow.
He neatly placed the meat into a clean bucket and smiled. “It’s fine, I’m used to doing this. It’s already divided.”
The aunt had no choice but to nod repeatedly. Before leaving, she even gave them a lot of vegetables and some pickled greens that smelled rather strange.
Even Shi Wuxiang was surprised—it smelled like rotten eggs.
Yuan Zhao laughed. “This is pickled yellow vegetables. It might just be old, but if you rinse and fry it, it’s delicious.”
“Yellow vegetables?” Shi Wuxiang raised a brow.
“Radish greens. You know radish greens, right?” Yuan Zhao sighed. “Do you like radishes? If you do, we can buy seeds and plant them.”
Shi Wuxiang was momentarily speechless. Radish root was fine in soup, but radish greens were usually thrown away—how could they be eaten?
“No need to trouble yourself. If you want, just buy a couple,” Shi Wuxiang said, taking the smelly pickles and thanking the aunt before heading back.
Yuan Zhao wanted him to try wild boar, but the meat had a strong smell and he wasn’t sure if he could cook it well.
“Ah Xiang, if it tastes gamey—”
“Then I won’t eat it,” Shi Wuxiang cut in firmly. “So I’ll cook it instead. Go ask the neighbor for some wine and see if they have star anise or fennel.”
Yuan Zhao muttered, “I already bought them.”
Shi Wuxiang glanced at him. “You’re quite well prepared?”
Yuan Zhao immediately felt guilty and coughed. “I was planning to stay a long time… I mean, I thought I’d stay a long time!”
“Ha.” Shi Wuxiang let out a low laugh, faint and indifferent.
Yuan Zhao immediately felt a chill run through his entire body and didn’t dare respond casually anymore. He obediently found everything Shi Wuxiang needed, though there really wasn’t any alcohol.
Xingtao Village made its living by producing wine. There might not have been other things, but all kinds of wine were definitely available. Yuan Zhao quickly came back with a jug of wine, and as requested, it was strong liquor.
After cleaning the wild boar meat, Shi Wuxiang directly put it into the pot to boil. The ingredients used to remove the gamey smell were all added in, and he even poured in a good amount of strong liquor—these were all excellent for removing odor.
“It still needs to simmer for a while. I’ll make braised pork for you,” Shi Wuxiang smiled. “Hopefully wild boar will also turn out delicious. Do you want steamed buns or rice?”
“Braised pork… then it should go with rice, right?” Yuan Zhao chuckled. “Then I’ll go steam the rice now. By the time you finish cooking, it should be about ready.”
“Alright.”
Shi Wuxiang cooking naturally wouldn’t have any problems. Once the richly sauced braised pork finished stewing, the aroma spread instantly—meat fragrance filled the air, with not a trace of gamey smell.
He also stir-fried a plate of sour-spicy yellow vegetables. Eating it with rice was extremely appetizing.
Yuan Yuan ate furiously, clearly in a growth phase recently—he looked much rounder and had also grown taller.
After the meal, night had fully fallen.
With nothing to do at night, they simply moved stools under the eaves to look at the starry sky, admire the moon, and chat casually.
“How did you even find this place?” Shi Wuxiang asked.
Based on his understanding, Yuan Zhao had never even left Mingqu County before. In an era when information was not well connected, how could he have been so bold as to come to Xingtao Village?
Yuan Zhao didn’t answer immediately. After a moment of silence, he said, “I just kept hearing people talk about it, so I naturally came to know. I don’t really remember who specifically said it.”
“Huh?” Yuan Yuan was surprised.
Xingtao Village was something Brother A-Yue had told him, and he had told his brother. How could his brother not remember?
But since his brother didn’t say anything, he didn’t dare speak up either.
But his reaction still gave it away. Shi Wuxiang was extremely perceptive—if it had really been some insignificant person mentioning it, Yuan Zhao wouldn’t have had this expression, nor would he be covering for them… this person must be someone from the family.
And within the family, who would know this and often casually chat with Yuan Zhao?
Besides Shi Qingyue, there was no one else.
That brat. He casually mentioned a village, yet it ended up causing his spouse to run all the way here. It was also because of matchmaking arrangements that led to this misunderstanding. That kid really was a jinx to him.
Yuan Zhao gave a couple of awkward laughs and didn’t dare say more.
Shi Wuxiang didn’t dwell on it either. Now that the person was found and everything had been explained, there was no need to keep holding onto the past.
“It’s time to go back and rest,” Shi Wuxiang said softly.
“Alright.” Yuan Zhao knew he was tired, so he agreed. He sent Yuan Yuan back to his room, and then they also returned to theirs.
After a day full of trivial matters, they were inevitably exhausted.
The two lay on the bed as they had countless nights before—calm and warm, yet with a unique atmosphere swirling around them like a vortex pulling at them.
Yuan Zhao habitually leaned into his embrace. Lying against him, he listened to that steady, powerful heartbeat, only realizing belatedly that they were now truly husband and husband who had shared their hearts. This realization made him feel shy.
Shi Wuxiang patted his back. The hand beneath him, used as a pillow, lightly toyed with strands of his hair, then moved to the back of his neck. His rough fingertip gently pressed against the sensitive skin, making Yuan Zhao shiver in his arms, his breathing becoming slightly rapid.
“It itches…”
Yuan Zhao dodged his fingertip and looked up at him.
Moonlight filtered through the window lattice into the room. Though their expressions weren’t clearly visible, their outlines could be seen, and even more clearly, their breathing and heartbeats could be heard.
So Yuan Zhao’s words hadn’t even finished when his lips were sealed. He instinctively tried to dodge, but the hand on the back of his neck applied a subtle force, preventing him from escaping.
There was no time to recover before a soft, agile tongue had already slipped past his teeth, wildly plundering his breath, hooking his tongue and pulling it back and forth.
“Mm… ah…”
“A-A-Xiang!” Yuan Zhao pushed him away suddenly, gasping for air with his forehead pressed against Shi Wuxiang’s chest, his arms weakly clinging to his back.
An unbearable sensation surged through his body. Yuan Zhao tightly grasped his clothes, momentarily not knowing what to do.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Shi Wuxiang soothed him with a kiss at the corner of his lips.
He held something small and delicate, gently rubbing it back and forth.
All of Yuan Zhao’s sounds were blocked back down his throat by soft yet lingering kisses. Along with the movements, everything eventually settled down completely.
His eyes were sore, his eyelids almost unable to stay open. He didn’t even have the energy to feel shy anymore, only instinctively burrowing into Shi Wuxiang’s embrace and letting him carry him through everything.
In his hazy state, Yuan Zhao still thought: how was A-Xiang weak? His body was clearly so strong.
That night the breeze was gentle, and they slept soundly.
Perhaps because he was exhausted, Yuan Zhao overslept past breakfast. When he woke again, it was already bright daylight, the room dazzlingly bright. He hadn’t woken up this late in a very long time.
The person beside him was gone. For a moment, Yuan Zhao almost thought everything from yesterday was just a long dream—that A-Xiang had never come, never been close to him, and never… done those things with him. Thinking of this, Yuan Zhao touched his lips.
“You woke up at the right time. Come out and eat.”
Shi Wuxiang pushed the door open and saw him touching his lips in a dazed, nostalgic manner. He let out a low laugh and walked over quickly to kiss the corner of his lips.
“Fully awake yet, young master?”
Yuan Zhao’s face instantly turned bright red. His gaze darted everywhere—left, right, up, down—fidgeting with the pillow, unable to meet Shi Wuxiang’s eyes.
Look at him. Always thinking about getting close to him every day.
But when it actually happened, he got so shy he wanted to find a hole to hide in. With that little bit of courage and face, he used to even drunkenly demand kisses.
“What are you shy for? We haven’t even done anything yet. If we really do it someday, then it won’t be too late to hide,” Shi Wuxiang said with a smile, pinching his cheek. “After breakfast, let’s go walk in the mountains. Since we’re already here, we should at least look at those peach and apricot trees.”
Hearing this, Yuan Zhao forced himself to recover from his embarrassment. Blushing, he washed up and ate breakfast. By the time his face had cooled down, it was already after the meal.
He looked at the things under the eaves and only then realized people had already come by.
“They sent so many things?”
“The village chief brought people over. They sent plenty of wine and meat, said we can’t finish it all, we can take it with us,” Shi Wuxiang smiled.
“That’s great.” Yuan Zhao happily took a piece of peach blossom pastry and bit into it. The sweet fragrance made him a little dizzy. “See? Scholars are respected wherever they go. You’re really amazing.”
Shi Wuxiang wiped the residue from his lips and asked softly:
“Then in the future, should our children also study?”