Chapter 149
Perhaps it was still early, but Su Bin didn’t feel tired. He lazily leaned against Allen, gazing up at the brilliant starry sky above. With the vast expanse stretching out, it felt as though they were floating in outer space.
The faint crackling sound of burning charcoal came from the fireplace, and with the most important person in his life lying beside him, neither of them spoke. But their intertwined breaths conveyed an inseparable intimacy.
At this moment, in this beautiful setting, Su Bin was already intoxicated.
He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but he woke up groggily in the middle of the night. Allen was still tightly holding him, treating him like a natural pillow.
Su Bin carefully moved Allen’s arm away. Allen suddenly opened his eyes and asked, “Where are you going?”
Su Bin replied, “I need to use the bathroom…”
Allen released him, squinting his eyes and letting out a soft hum.
…How strange. Allen actually showed that kind of anxious expression.
Su Bin put on a thick bathrobe, slipped into slippers, and went to the bathroom. The cold wind howled outside, and it seemed like the chill had seeped through the door crack. Su Bin shivered, quickly finished up, and hurried back to the bedroom, snuggling into Allen’s arms.
Allen extended his long arms and embraced him even more tightly than before.
The next morning, at the break of dawn, Su Bin woke up.
He knew it was already quite late. In M City, the sunrise was around eight o’clock. Given the sunset time from last night, it must be nearly nine o’clock by now.
Allen was still pretending to be asleep. Sensing Su Bin’s movements, he became restless.
Having slept well, they both felt great in the morning. In the mood, they made love once more until the sun was fully up.
With no interruptions and no worries about what might come next, they had a full fourteen days, and this was only the second day… Su Bin, feeling sore and limp, lay in bed, already anticipating that the entire vacation would be spent in such indulgent ways.
After getting up, Su Bin went to the kitchen to fry eggs. Allen magically produced a large bottle of fresh milk, along with some fresh vegetables like tomatoes and carrots.
Su Bin asked a couple of questions but got no answer. He wondered if Allen had a “Doraemon’s Anywhere Door” that could take him to a supermarket.
After heating the milk in a saucepan and toasting some coarse grain bread, breakfast was very simple. Although the ingredients were few, and there weren’t many variations, both were quite satisfied with the meal.
Allen licked his lips and stared at Su Bin with a less than pure gaze. Su Bin sighed inwardly, hoping he wasn’t thinking… of that again!
Fortunately, Allen wasn’t that beastly. After all, they had done more since last night than in an entire week in M City.
Allen simply carried Su Bin to the dining table and kissed him for nearly half an hour, making him respond once more…
In such an isolated place with almost no entertainment, Allen at least brought a few books, while Su Bin hadn’t brought anything. His phone was out of battery.
Su Bin felt a bit frustrated about this. If Allen had told him earlier, he could have brought some distractions.
But he didn’t dare to show his displeasure in front of Allen. So, while Allen leaned on the sofa reading, Su Bin could only rest his head on Allen’s lap and let his thoughts wander.
He thought about his studies, his career, and worried about possible issues at the restaurant that Qin Chao might not handle. He thought about the past, the future, and what might happen with Allen and how to handle things later… The inability to do anything made Su Bin feel anxious at times.
After drifting through three to five days with nothing to do, Su Bin slept when tired, woke when rested, ate when hungry, and was often pulled by Allen to make love anywhere in the room whenever he wanted…
So the days seemed to stretch endlessly. He often felt like the fourteen days might be ending soon.
Initially, he thought the upcoming days would be equally torturous, but on an unknown day, Su Bin woke up and suddenly felt his mind was blank.
The mundane world seemed like a different realm, unrelated to him. Even without him, the Earth would continue to spin. He believed that all the issues he had worried about would have reasonable solutions, and thus his previously anxious feelings gradually faded away.
It was a bit like the state of mind described in books about martial artists who isolate themselves and reach a state of clarity and tranquility.
Although he still didn’t know what to do, Su Bin felt very relaxed and comfortable, even thinking that the problems he had worried about earlier were trivial.
By focusing more on the present, Su Bin found greater enjoyment.
In the kitchen, Su Bin meticulously cut the beef into small pieces, moving slowly like an old man.
The ingredients were still the same few—Su Bin had observed that Allen fetched these fresh foods from the door each day, probably from a mysterious person who delivered them before they woke up. But the range of dishes he could prepare was slowly increasing.
For example, a simple “tomato beef stew,” considering the heat level, the concentration of the stew, the shape of the tomatoes, and the final plating… Su Bin found this process quite interesting.
Today, the ingredients included some strange items Su Bin had never seen before. They looked like “bayberries,” about the size of mushrooms but somewhat deformed. They were hard to the touch, with a potato-like texture, and had a peculiar smell.
He consulted Allen about it. Allen mentioned a term Su Bin didn’t know and couldn’t look up on “Baidu.” Allen explained that these could be cooked with eggs, beef, cream, noodles, or even used to make tea. Su Bin was puzzled. Could this be some kind of spice?
He didn’t dare to use them, fearing he might create some dark culinary disaster, so he just left them aside.
After stewing the beef, Su Bin went to tidy up the room and polished Allen’s shoes. He also glanced through the professional books Allen had brought. Though he had expected them to be dull and boring, Su Bin found them quite interesting and ended up reading for quite a while.
The next morning, not only did the mysterious person deliver fresh ingredients, but they also brought a large bouquet of flowers, including fresh roses, daisies, and some wildflowers that Su Bin couldn’t name. Su Bin spent the entire morning arranging the flowers.
At lunch, the steak on their plates was cut into heart shapes, and the mashed potatoes were also shaped the same way. There was even a small flower on the main plate…
Allen couldn’t help but smile at the sight, looking very pleased.
That day, Su Bin woke up groggily to the sound of clattering outside. “What’s that noise?”
He was answered by the whinny of a horse.
Su Bin suddenly became alert. “A horse!”
Allen got him up. “Hmm, today I’m taking you out.”
Su Bin asked excitedly, “Are we going to ride horses?”
Allen helped him put on riding gear and asked with a smile, “Have you ridden before?”
Su Bin shook his head. “No, but I’ve seen it.”
It was their first outing since the vacation began. Allen took out the keys and unlocked the door. Su Bin followed behind him, peeking out and saw a white horse standing in the yard, snorting and exhaling loudly.
…Wow, this horse is huge! At least twice the size of any horse Su Bin had seen before…
The horse was led by an older man in a worn-out wool coat, who bowed respectfully to Allen.
Allen easily mounted the horse and took the reins to control the huge, unruly white steed.
Su Bin stared at him, momentarily dazed—Allen’s actions of mounting and holding the reins were incredibly cool!
…Now that’s a real Prince Charming! oo
As he was thinking this, Allen guided the horse a few steps closer to Su Bin, then extended his hand with a smile…
Su Bin’s heart began to race, and he blushed as he grasped Allen’s hand. He mimicked Allen’s movements, struggling to climb onto the horse, sitting in front of Allen.
The large white horse started snorting again, as if displeased with the new rider. Su Bin nervously clutched a tuft of the horse’s mane, afraid to let go.
“Don’t hold on to it,” Allen said with a chuckle, gently removing Su Bin’s hand and wrapping his arms around him loosely. He then tightened the reins and asked, “Are you scared?”
Rather than fear, Su Bin was more concerned about Allen. The horse looked temperamental, and if it got angry and threw them off, he might only get injured, but Allen could be in serious trouble!
“Don’t worry. The horse looks fierce but is very steady on its feet,” Allen reassured him.
Su Bin nodded. “Okay…”
Since Allen’s body couldn’t handle too much jostling, he seldom rode horses and only learned to “sit” on a horse, like this large, bulky, seemingly fierce white steed.
The middle-aged man saw they were both mounted and lightly flicked the horse’s rear with a whip. The horse neighed and galloped off… slowly but steadily… (＝＿＝)
It really was just for show…
Despite this, such a large horse was still much faster than a person, and they quickly left the middle-aged man behind.
After about ten minutes, the white horse stopped, “panting” in place. The middle-aged man caught up and gave the horse another whip, making it snort and continue at a slow pace… slow and steady…
Su Bin laughed heartily, no longer afraid of the horse…
They passed through a small pine forest and after nearly an hour of strolling, Su Bin finally saw signs of human activity.
It was a quaint little town with about twenty low houses clustered together on the broad flat land, forming a picturesque English countryside painting.
At noon, the smoke from cooking fires wafted through the air, and the aroma of food dispersed the chill from their bodies.
When they arrived, the local villagers came out, smiling and standing at their doorways, watching them. The market was bustling, with various stalls displaying vegetables and fruits grown by the villagers—some common like potatoes and tomatoes, and others unfamiliar to Su Bin, such as the “bayberries” that aren’t cooked at home, along with various strange mushrooms.
It was Su Bin’s first time at such a rural market in B Country, and he found everything fresh and exciting.
The middle-aged man who had been guiding the horse had somehow arranged a small horse-drawn carriage for them, trailing behind.
Allen held Su Bin’s hand and said gently, “What do you want? Pick whatever you like.”
