At night, the inn had closed. Shu Rui and the resident lady sent a pot of hot tea downstairs, then extinguished the main hall lights. Outside in the corridor, the snow had thickened.
Feathery flakes fell heavily, blanketing the courtyard well in a layer of snow. By morning, the city would be bright white. Shu Rui lingered, admiring the view. A sudden gust chilled him; he tightened his cloak, fearing he’d catch a cold, and prepared to return to his room.
He noticed Lu Ling’s room door was closed, the light out. He had brought water in to bathe earlier, but now the lights were off. Had he already gone to sleep?
Shu Rui decided not to knock and leaned against the wall, speaking softly.
Entering his room, dark as night, he lit a candle with a tinderbox and placed it on the table. A small brazier warmed the room slightly, though not enough to counter the winter cold fully.
He removed his cloak and approached the bed. Beneath the double curtains, a lump suggested someone lay there. Frowning, Shu Rui knew he had tidied the bed that morning—this was unusual.
With disbelief, he pulled back the curtains. To his surprise, Lu Ling was indeed in his bed!
“You must be drunk to sleep in my room!” Shu Rui exclaimed. Lu Ling lay snugly under the covers, perfectly centered.
Shu Rui went to pull him out.
Lu Ling didn’t move. “Outside it’s snowing heavily. Your room is like an icehouse.”
“Every room is cold. You have a brazier in your room too. How can it be colder than mine?”
“I came here to warm your bed,” Lu Ling said. “Your hands and feet are cold. You may not even warm the bed half the night.”
Shu Rui protested, “Nonsense! I prepared a hot-water bag; my feet aren’t cold.”
“Get out quickly, this is outrageous.”
“Lie a little longer,” Lu Ling insisted.
Shu Rui narrowed his eyes and yanked the covers. To his shock, Lu Ling was naked beneath them.
Lu Ling sat up. “I was just holding onto some warmth—you’re welcome.”
Shu Rui flushed, tossing the covers back and turning away. “How can you be so shameless? I’ll tell Auntie in the morning!”
“I just bathed before coming. You even supplied the bathwater; you can check if you like,” Lu Ling said.
“I don’t want to check! Put on clothes and leave my room!”
Lu Ling’s eyes twinkled. He reached out and pulled Shu Rui into his arms.
Shu Rui’s head spun. He found himself lying pressed against Lu Ling’s chest. Their skin was flush against skin, warmth radiating, making his heart pound and his face burn.
“Lu Ling, stop messing around!” Shu Rui struggled, pressing a hand against Lu Ling’s firm waist, but accidentally touched his leg.
“You can touch where you want,” Lu Ling said lazily. “Just don’t move.”
Shu Rui blushed furiously, realizing he was indeed touching the leg, which was still clothed.
He lightly kicked Lu Ling. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I already told you—to warm the bed. If it were anything else, you wouldn’t allow it,” Lu Ling said.
“You came into my bed even though I didn’t let you,” Shu Rui complained.
Lu Ling blinked. “You mean I could… even if you didn’t allow me?”
Before he could finish, Lu Ling covered Shu Rui’s mouth, smiling slightly.
Shu Rui regretted speaking, realizing Lu Ling could twist any remark.
“I didn’t mean that. Stop imagining things,” he said.
Lu Ling held Shu Rui close, eyes smiling. Seeing this, Shu Rui finally relaxed his resistance.
“I used to dream very little, but in these past few months, I seem to dream constantly.”
Lu Ling pressed close to Shu Rui. “Especially after every time we kiss—you appear in my dreams all night.”
Hearing the word “dream,” Shu Rui thought it might be innocent, but the way he said it carried a certain… adult implication.
He tried to push Lu Ling away. “Just because you dream doesn’t mean you get to tell me. I can’t interpret dreams for you.”
Lu Ling stretched a leg across Shu Rui’s. “Have you never dreamt of me?”
Shu Rui’s face flushed bright red. “Of course…I haven’t…”
Lu Ling furrowed his brow, suddenly serious. “If it wasn’t me, then who was it?”
Seeing Lu Ling flinch at his own question, Shu Rui thought, well, someone has to be involved, right?
“Impossible. I must make sure the person you dream of is me.”
With that, Lu Ling shifted closer.
Shu Rui tensed, fearing mischief. “You haven’t said it was someone else, either.”
Lu Ling looked at him, as if gauging whether Shu Rui was satisfied with that answer.
Seizing the opportunity, Shu Rui turned the question back. “And you—have you been honest before? Ever sought someone out?”
Lu Ling immediately adopted a defensive, “being-interrogated” posture. “Of course not. Before I met you, I never spoke more than a few words to any young gentlemen or girls.”
“Who knows if that’s true?” Shu Rui teased, noting Lu Ling’s innocent act hid a cunning mind.
“If you don’t believe me, I can take you to every place I trained and ask anyone who knew me,” Lu Ling insisted earnestly.
Shu Rui, seeing his serious demeanor, found it endearing and smiled, resting his head on the pillow.
Lu Ling leaned closer again. “And you?”
Shu Rui blinked. “I suppose I was honest too, though I did admire a few charming young scholars.”
Hearing this, Lu Ling’s usually stern face shifted slightly. Shu Rui laughed and pinched his ear. “You asked, so don’t be shy.”
Suddenly, Lu Ling flipped over, back to Shu Rui, the covers forming a hollow where the wind could slip in.
Shu Rui climbed a little to peek at him. His brows were furrowed in visible displeasure. Amused, Shu Rui couldn’t help laughing quietly. “If you believe everything I say, shall we go back to Gan County and ask all the scholars I studied with at my uncle’s academy?”
After a moment, Lu Ling turned back, looking at Shu Rui. His words always had a way of making him want to die a little. Though still a little sulky from being teased, he leaned forward to press Shu Rui’s lips with his own.
The next morning, Shu Rui woke later than usual, noticing the room bathed in bright light. Looking out the window, he saw thick, pristine snow covering everything, making the city unusually bright.
After getting ready, Shu Rui left his room. Lu Ling was already tending to the fire and water, taking care of the inn’s guests.
Shu Rui watched quietly, then went to fetch noodles for the upstairs guests.
Still, the events from last night left him cautious. While brushing his hair, he noticed redness and bruising on his neck from where Lu Ling had tugged at him. He decided next time to lock the door.
With winter cold, thick clothing was necessary. Shu Rui even wore his prized rabbit-fur scarf around his neck for extra warmth.
Lu Ling noticed him bundled up, sleeves and clothes dusted with fur, and the scarf puffed around his neck, accentuating his delicate features. His complexion was normal now, no longer dark, though still dotted with a few freckles.
Lu Ling reached out to touch the scarf, but Shu Rui feigned annoyance and said, “The water’s hot. Go make tea.”
“I know. Why are you still upset about yesterday?”
Shu Rui snorted, tilting his head. “A shopkeeper scolds his assistants—naturally!”