By the time he emerged from the study, it was already dark. He handed the
secret letter to Meng Qianshan, and then saw him stuffing it into his sleeves
quite skillfully.
Jiang Suizhou withdrew his gaze with ease.
Perhaps because he possessed a weaker body, he looked awful after sitting
for a long time. When Meng Qianshan saw that his lips were pale, he asked
thoughtfully, "Master, you must be tired. Do you want me to prepare a
warm bath for you?"
Jiang Suizhou also felt a little tired after hearing his suggestion, so he
nodded in agreement.
Meng Qianshan responded repeatedly.
Jiang Suizhou walked all the way back to his room and saw that dinner had
already been prepared. Under the brilliant light, Huo Wujiu was sitting there
reading a book.
How many books were there in the room? They were all prepared by Meng
Qianshan for the original owner as a way to relieve his boredom before
going to bed. The original owner preferred obscure Confucian ancient texts,
which were all about the ways of governing the world. Jiang Suizhou was
used to reading ancient prose, and he didn't find it boring, but Huo Wujiu
was different.
How could a man who danced with swords appreciate these?
With that thought in mind, Jiang Suizhou sat down at the table and asked,
"Are you reading?"
His tone was cold, and he made it clear that he was not interested in what he
was doing.
He didn't expect Huo Wujiu to pay attention to him either, so that question
was nothing more than a conversation opener. When his words fell, he
paused, and was about to order Meng Qianshan to send some leisure books
to Huo Wujiu, when he suddenly heard a low, mellow voice.
"I'm just skimming through it," replied Huo Wujiu.
Jiang Suizhou was startled.
He looked at Huo Wujiu with some disbelief, and saw him eating his meal
with an air of complacency.
The words he had prepared reached his mouth, but were blocked by Huo
Wujiu's sudden response. For a spell, Jiang Suizhou was rendered
speechless.
He saw Huo Wujiu raise his eyes and look at him indifferently.
He wasn't sure if it was his illusion, but he had this feeling that the
aggressiveness in Huo Wujiu's gaze this time has faded a lot despite his
same old icy, unapproachable countenance. Even the oppressive air
dissipated for the most part.
For a while, he was so calm that Jiang Suizhou felt that he must have
misread it.
He froze, hastily put away his astonishment, lowered his eyes to grab some
food, and said, "I see. What kind of books do you usually read? You can ask
Meng Qianshan to bring you some."
As he spoke, he signalled Meng Qianshan with his eyes.
Meng Qianshan nodded repeatedly right after.
But Huo Wujiu spoke up again. "No need," he declined. After a pause, Huo
Wujiu looked at him indifferently and then said, "I'm not used to being taken care of."
He implied – not only the books, but also the sacrifices Jiang Suizhou made
in the court and the letter he had people send to him in the previous days,
which he naturally knew in his heart.
He had no control if King Jing insisted on liking him, but he didn't want to
accept King Jing's favor and kindness.
Benefits received from someone should be returned, but he couldn't
reciprocate this kind of sentiment.
He saw Jiang Suizhou raise his eyes opposite him with a fleeting look of
bewilderment in his eyes. Then he smiled coldly and said, "How have I ever
taken care of you? I'm just looking for something for you to do, so you
won't give me any trouble."
Jiang Suizhou was ecstatic deep inside.
How can you not get used to it? For the sake of my life, there are many
places of yours I can take care of in the future!
You'd better get used to it sooner!
Huo Wujiu frowned and was about to say something when he saw Meng
Qianshan next to him bursting with joy. Meng Qianshan was smiling and
nodding his head, saying that he would go and pick out some more for the
Madam later and let him choose.
Obviously, the master and servant duo did not intend to listen to his
opinion.
Huo Wujiu looked down while Jiang Suizhou also did not speak again.
After eating dinner, he went to the side to drink tea to aid with digestion.
He was in a good mood.
When the night was getting late, Meng Qianshan approached him and told
him that the bath in the back room was ready, and that he could go and bathe.
Jiang Suizhou responded, put down his book and went to the back room.
He bypassed the silk screen, and the steam heat rushed to his face. Under
the heavy veil, there were flickering candle flames, exuding a bit of
charming ambiguity in the misty steam.
A sunken carved copper pool was built in the middle of the back room. It
was not too big, only about three to five square feet. At this time, hot water
filled the pool along with floating layers of flower petals that permeated a
subtle delicate fragrance.
A few maids were standing next to it, presumably to serve Jiang Suizhou in
his bath.
…This was too inappropriate.
Jiang Suizhou withdrew his gaze and waved his hand, gesturing for them to
withdraw.
The maids then obediently retreated. There was not even the sound of
footsteps between their actions, and in no time, they completely retreated.
Jiang Suizhou turned his head again, looked at Meng Qianshan, and said,
"You can also withdraw."
Meng Qianshan was stunned: "Huh?"
Um…when did his master ever bathe without someone serving? Except
when in Madam Gu's room…
When this thought popped up, it suddenly dawned on Meng Qianshan.
How could he be so blind! There was another master in the room, so his
service was not needed!
He nodded repeatedly and beamed. "Aye! I'll leave now!"
Jiang Suizhou wondered if Meng Qianshan was having delusions again.
Meng Qianshan's expression…how should he put it? It bore a sprinkle of
unspeakable lewdness.
When he exited, Jiang Suizhou approached the pool, he leaned down to test
the temperature. Then, he removed layers of robes and placed them on the
side of the rack.
There was no one around at this time, so his mind relaxed, and he started to
ponder things again.
The next day of the Grand Court Assembly was in a couple of days. It
seemed appropriate to find a way to confer with the two ministers about
today's secret letter…
He thought about it while undressing. Just as he was untying the sash of his
loincloth and about to remove his robe, he heard a rattling sound behind
him.
Jiang Suizhou whirled around.
He saw Meng Qianshan pushing Huo Wujiu's wheelchair in, and sitting on
the wheelchair was Huo Wujiu, who was expressionless, like a Buddha
being pushed in.
Behind him, Meng Qianshan smiled crudely and implicitly.
Jiang Suizhou's mind went blank, and the next moment, he immediately
understood what this grandson, Meng Qianshan, was planning.
How dare he bring Huo Wujiu here and let him take a c-couple bath with
him?
Jiang Suizhou's gaze turned from amazement to shock to anger. He felt
blood rushing straight to his head, causing the roots of his ears to turn red
from fury.
The next moment, he clenched his teeth and growled, "Meng Qianshan!"
He felt that Meng Qianshan should be thankful that he was not the original
owner. Otherwise, he must have spilled blood on the spot today. A
straightforward kill was a light end for him.
Meng Qianshan was stunned. He realized that his bootlicking had swatted
the horse's hoof.
He was startled and stammered an explanation, "I-I…Seeing that Master
doesn't want to be served by others, I just thought the bathing pool is quite
large and also convenient, so…just…"
He couldn't even compose himself.
Having his bare skin out made Jiang Suizhou's a bit cold, so he gathered his
inner garment together. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his tone
calm: "Did you forget that the doctor only changed his bandages two days
ago? You want to soak him in hot water again? Meng Qianshan, if that brain
is of little use, I'll ask someone to dig it out for you."
Jiang Suizhou was physically sick and weak, so his breath bore tremors.
Meng Qianshan could no longer care about anything else. He was so scared
that he pushed the wheelchair away and ran.
Even as he fled, he didn't dare to touch Huo Wujiu one bit. He stumbled all
the way and pushed Huo Wujiu back to his bedroom.
Jiang Suizhou breathed a sigh of relief and took off his robe again.
Meng Qianshan fled in such a fright that Jiang Suizhou's thoughts were also
abruptly disrupted. But the pool was indeed exquisitely prepared, and the
water temperature was also utterly satisfactory. Soaking in it would be the
ultimate treat.
So Jiang Suizhou soaked in the pool to his heart's content. It wasn't until he
was a little tired of being in the water that he got up and changed into new
bed clothes and went back to the bedroom.
Meng Qianshan ran away in fear, and only Huo Wujiu, who was sitting in a
wheelchair reading a book, was left in the bedroom.
Jiang Suizhou was a bit embarrassed.
It was all that silly Meng Qianshan's fault….He insisted on pushing Huo
Wujiu inside while he was taking a bath.
Jiang Suizhou wiped his hair while walking to the couch and sat down.
Perhaps because Huo Wujiu replied to him out of the blue just now, Jiang
Suizhou was also more relaxed. So, at this time, Jiang Suizhou also opened
his mouth directly to speak.
"It's Meng Qianshan who's fooling around," he said.
Huo Wujiu put down the book and replied indifferently, "It doesn't matter."
Then, he swung his wheelchair and went to the back room to wash up.
Jiang Suizhou sighed quietly with relief.
He really wasn't hallucinating…Although Huo Wujiu still treated him
coldly, he was willing to respond to him.
——Although it's a refusal.
But it also proved that the efforts Jiang Suizhou had made were effective
—— at least, Huo Wujiu felt that he was taking care of him.
Jiang Suizhou watched his back disappear behind the screen and withdrew
his gaze. He took the book which he was halfway through reading, and
leaned back on the couch to continue reading.
As soon as he laid down on the couch, he noticed the difference.
The cushions were a full layer thicker. The pillows had been changed, and
an extremely comfortable quilt had even been laid.
It seemed that Meng Qianshan believed his nonsense this morning. Fearing
that he would suffer as a result of sleeping on the couch, Meng Qianshan
specially prepared these for him.
Jiang Suizhou immediately forgave Meng Qianshan's presumptuousness
just now.
Was there anything in the world better than being able to get a good night's
sleep?
Currently, there was none.
——
Unbeknownst to him, once Huo Wujiu went around into the back room, his
wheelchair paused in place.
His hands slipped inaudibly.
In front of him, hot and humid steam rushed over his face. Amidst the dense
white mist was the empty bathing pool, and the water stains left on the
floor.
The flower petals in the pool gently rippled with the subtle waves of water,
and the man's dirty robes were hanging on the copper rack next to it.
This scenery easily evoked the picture he had seen just now.
For example, that man's scattered ink black hair; his tunic that was untied
midway; and when he turned around, his glistening chest and abdomen.
Huo Wujiu had been in the military all year round, and had seen too many
men's limbs. In the summer, a group of older men would go to the river to
bathe together.
But…he had never seen such a man.
He didn't know for sure if it was because he hadn't been exposed to the sun
and rain, or if his appearance was just too outstanding, but with just one
glance, Huo Wujiu hurriedly averted his eyes.
He had never seen…such a man. He couldn't even think of an appropriate
and non-erotic adjective for him.
Come to think of it, of the men he met, even if they frankly looked at each
other, it didn't feel wrong. There has never been someone like King Jing,
who swiftly wrapped himself with his clothes before speaking and whose
ear roots turned red from shyness.
…Like a grown girl.
Although Huo Wujiu's impression of girls was also nonexistent, this terrible
depiction suddenly popped into his mind when he thought of Jiang Suizhou.
Along with it was his heart that also skipped a couple of beats.