CH 33

translator: baumkuchen  editor: ellabells

The elevator slowly rose, soon reaching the floor they were going to. Up the corridor, patients and their family members came and went, their expressions hurried.

The hospital had never been a pleasant place. It could be said that here, was gathered those who longed for hope the most among mankind, but also the most despairing after their hopes were shattered.

Bai Yuehu’s footsteps stopped at the door to Ward 102. Lu Qingjiu looked through the glass window of the ward to see a young lady lying in the hospital bed. The young lady was dressed in a white hospital gown, patches of greenish skin showing on her hairless head. She looked to be in a good mood, her head currently lowered as she flipped through a book in her hands.

“Are we going in?” Lu Qingjiu asked in a small voice.

Bai Yuehu nodded. He knocked on the door to the ward.

“Who is it, come in.” When the young lady heard the knocking, she raised her head and spoke.

Bai Yuehu pushed open the door and entered. Seeing him, the girl smiled, “Ya, Yuehu, long time no see.”

Bai Yuehu said, “Long time no see.”

The two seemed to be familiar with one another. The girl enthusiastically greeted Bai Yuehu, getting him to sit down wherever. Then, the girl’s gaze fell on Lu Qingjiu’s face. She asked, “This is…?”

“This is my friend, Lu Qingjiu,” Bai Yuehu introduced.

The girl smiled and said, “Hello, my name is Hou Xuejia.”

A very common name and a very common appearance. Lu Qingjiu didn’t see any unusual characteristics on her. If not for her knowing Bai Yuehu, and perhaps also having a little something to do with Shui Feng, Lu Qingjiu would’ve thought that she was just an ordinary member of humankind like him.

“You just do your own thing, I’ll just sit here for a while and then leave,” Bai Yuehu said to Hou Xuejia.

Hou Xuejia laughed, “I’ll peel an apple for you two.”

“I’ll do it.” Seeing her move, Lu Qingjiu hurriedly took the apple and knife from her. Them, two big men, making a sick little lady peel apples was really a little too much.

Hou Xuejia didn’t fight Lu Qingjiu, smiling merrily as she handed over the apple in her hand to Lu Qingjiu. “Alright.”

When she stretched out her hand, she exposed the wrists hidden under the hospital gown. That pair of wrists was far too slender compared to ordinary wrists. A few green and purple veins were visible on the backs of her hands. It could be seen that those were the result of long periods on the IV. He didn’t know exactly how long this girl had been staying in the hospital…

“How have you been lately?” Bai Yuehu spoke up and asked.

“Really good.” As Hou Xuejia sat on the side, tilting her head as she watched Lu Qingjiu seriously peel apples, she smiled happily and said, “My illness has been really stable. The doctor said that there weren’t any big problems.”

“En,” Bai Yuehu said, “That’s good.”

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Bai Yuehu and Lu Qingjiu just listened.

“I said I’ve already been unlucky enough, so this time, I wanted to hear the bad news first.” As she spoke, her whole face was filled with liveliness, completely unlike a patient that had been bedridden for a very long time, “Then the doctor said, I might not live much longer.”

Hearing this, Lu Qingjiu’s hand stilled. “Then the good news?” He felt like this was already the worst news, and really couldn’t imagine what kind of good news there could be.

Read more BL at chrysanthemumgarden.com

“Then the doctor told me, they named a new virus after me.” After saying this, Hou Xuejia broke into loud laughter.

Lu Qingjiu, “…”

Bai Yuehu, “…”

The two were both shaken by this unimaginably cold joke.

Seeing that the two weren’t laughing, Hou Xuejia rubbed the back of her bald head, “What, isn’t it funny?”

“Oh, it’s funny,” Lu Qingjiu could only cheer her on with a sentence.

“Alright,” Hou Xuejia said, “Looks like you guys’ don’t laugh very easily…”

Lu Qingjiu really wanted to sigh, but then felt like since Hou Xuejia was being so enthusiastic, it didn’t really seem like the time for him to sigh. Fortunately, Bai Yuehu’s words stole away Hou Xuejia’s attention at that moment. He said, “How about Shui Feng, why isn’t he here?”

“He had something going on and went out,” Hou Xuejia said, “Might only be back by nighttime.”

Bai Yuehu nodded. He said, “Take a rest, we’ll sit here for a while and then leave.”

Hou Xuejia very obediently laid back down onto the hospital bed, saying, “Then I won’t send you guys off. I don’t know when I’ll see you next…”

“There’s always a chance,” Bai Yuehu said, “Qingjiu, let’s go.”

Lu Qingjiu nodded, leaving the ward together with Bai Yuehu.

“Is she an ordinary person?” Lu Qingjiu kept feeling like this matter wasn’t very simple.

Read more BL at chrysanthemumgarden.com

“Yes,” Bai Yuehu answered.

“How long have you two known each other?” Lu Qingjiu said, “It looks like… You often come here.”

“Not long,” Bai Yuehu said, “Ten years or so, probably. I’ll occasionally come to visit.”

Lu Qingjiu, “…” Ten or so years was already and extremely long time to a human. But to Bai Yuehu, someone of a long-lived species, it was only a short moment in their lives.

“We’re just going back like this?” Lu Qingjiu asked.

“No,” Bai Yuehu said, “When Shui Feng comes over, I need to do a little something.”

Lu Qingjiu replied with an okay.

The two of them waited downstairs of the ward. After about twenty minutes, Shui Feng hurried over. What made Lu Qingjiu surprised was that all of the wounds that should have been on his face had completely disappeared. He couldn’t see even a trace of green and purple. He had completely recovered to his best state.

Bai Yuehu looked at him with cold eyes, in an extremely bad mood. Shui Feng didn’t pay him any mind and happily said, “Let’s go right now?”

“En,” Bai Yuehu said.

“What about him? Should he wait for us in the hospital?” Shui Feng asked.

“He’ll come along,” Bai Yuehu said, “He knows I’m a fox already.” When he said this, he gave Shui Feng a look, and even heavily emphasized the word “fox”.

Shui Feng, “…Alright.” His expression was slightly off.

Lu Qingjiu saw all this, but he just pretended he hadn’t seen anything and just seriously looked at Bai Yuehu. Bai Yuehu grabbed Lu Qingjiu’s wrist very naturally and said, “Follow me.”

Read more BL at chrysanthemumgarden.com

Lu Qingjiu obediently followed along behind him.

As Shui Feng walked onwards, the area became more and more deserted. A layer of thick mist rose around them, separating them from the surrounding scenery of the mortal world.

Lu QIngjiu was being led along by Bai Yuehu like this, so he wasn’t very afraid. Soon, he realised they had actually walked from the back garden of the hospital, to a completely foreign area. Here, the sky was black, shrouded by heavy storm clouds. Occasionally, he could even see lightning flash between the storm clouds. There were strange jagged rock formations all over the ground. The wind was howling. Shui Feng who walked in front felt a little embarrassed. He turned his head and said, “Don’t be scared. This place wasn’t like this before, it’s just that resources has been a little tight for the past few years…”

Hearing the hidden meaning in Shui Feng’s words, Lu Qingjiu’s eyes widened, “This place can be renovated?”

“That’s exactly how it is.” Shui Feng gave Lu QIngjiu a surreptitious wink. “Has Bai Yuehu brought you to his home for a look before?”

Lu Qingjiu glanced at Bai Yuehu. He remembered the marvel he had seen that time Bai Yuehu brought him up the mountain. Could it be that that place was Bai Yuehu’s home, and was even designed by him?

Bai Yuehu said frostily, “Don’t listen to his nonsense.”

Shui Feng let out a few laughs.

This place indeed made people feel uncomfortable. The entire place was shrouded in a deathly stillness. Because of the wall of black fog surrounding them, Lu Qingjiu couldn’t really see the surroundings clearly.

Bai Yuehu, who had been holding Lu Qingjiu’s hand, suddenly let go and told him to stay where he was and not move. After that, a thick, black fog rose from Bai Yuehu’s body, enshrouding him and Shui Feng.

The fog constantly spread, rising into the dark sky and began to stir up the clouds.

The clouds gradually formed into a vortex. Lu QIngjiu heard a fierce roar of thunder come from the sky. Following that was the roar of a wild beast, as if some things had flown up into the sky and were fighting in the clouds. The layer of dark clouds covered any traces of these wild beasts, making it so Lu QIngjiu couldn’t see the situation within clearly, only able to see the occasional sharp claw or fang emerge from the cloud layer and a pair of red, slightly familiar eyes.

The wild beast’s deafening roar would make anyone’s body tremble along with it. Lu Qingjiu stood below the swirling clouds and felt just how small he was. In the face of this world-destroying momentum, he guessed that he wasn’t even the size of one of the beasts’ big claws. If they were to pounce down from the sky, he might lose his life before he even had the chance to scream.

Just as Lu Qingjiu’s thoughts were running wild, he heard another miserable screech. Judging by that scream, the one who made the sound was Shui Feng. He seemed to have lost in the struggle between beasts and was seriously injured.

Read more BL at chrysanthemumgarden.com

What were they doing? Could it really be just a simple fight? Lu Qingjiu found this really strange. However, this kind of scene wasn’t something someone would usually see. And even though he couldn’t see Bai Yuehu’s original form very clearly, from the details he could see, he didn’t seem at all like those foxes from the legends…

Lu Qingjiu’s expression held suspicion. He looked even more closely.

After about twenty minutes, the sounds of fighting gradually ceased and the clouds began to disperse. In the black fog before Lu Qingjiu appeared a standing Bai Yuehu, next to him lying a barely-breathing Shui Feng. Bai Yuehu’s body was covered in fresh blood, his eyes frighteningly cold. Just as Lu Qingjiu was suspecting that the two of them had turned on each other, Shui Feng, who laid next to him, broke into loud laughter. He said, “Thanks, old bro.”

Bai Yuehu casually flung a cloth bag at Shui Feng.

Although Shui Feng looked to be already on his last breaths, he grasped the bag in his hands with all his strength. He smiled at Bai Yuehu, and spoke once more, “Thank you.”

Bai Yuehu said, “You practically brought this on yourself.”

Shui Feng said, “Ai, I’m just like this. Tonight, don’t be in a rush to leave, I’ll invite you two out for dinner.”

Bai Yuehu said frostily, “Who wants to eat with you.”

Hearing this, Shui Feng’s eyes opened wide, “Yi, don’t say that, back then, having a meal with me used to be something that millions of people wanted but could never have…”

“Then now?” Bai Yuehu didn’t give him face.

“Now,” Shui Feng laughed in self-deprecation, “Now I don’t have meals to eat, so it’s stopped.”

Lu Qingjiu, standing off to the side, listened to the two talk. He could see that Bai Yuehu actually treated Shui Feng rather well. Even though his mouth said he had no patience for him, he had no plans to leave. Instead, he stood by Shui Feng’s side, not looking away.

Shui Feng’s mouth was filled with blood. He coughed a few times, spitting out the blood and saliva, then forced himself up. “Let’s go, it’s about time.”

translator: baumkuchen  editor: ellabells

Bai Yuehu turned, grabbing Lu Qingjiu’s hand, and walked off without looking back.

But as they were leaving, Lu Qingjiu thought of something. He reached a hand into his pocket and felt around, confirming that that bag Shui Feng had in a death-grip was just like the one he had given him at his house. It was just that the one Shui Feng held was a lot bigger.

The three of them left the way they came.

Read more BL at chrysanthemumgarden.com

Because of this fight, Shui Feng, who had originally pretty much recovered, had his face swell up with bruises again, even looking worse than before. Lu Qingjiu asked if he was okay in concern, but Shui Feng just casually waved him off, saying, “It’s nothing, I have thick skin, it’ll be fine after a few days.”

He coughed once dryly, then said, “But please give this to Xuejia for me. I’m afraid she’ll worry if she sees me like this.”

As he spoke, he tried to hand the bag over.

Bai Yuehu refused very impolitely, “If you want to give it to her, give it to her yourself.”

Shui Feng said, “No way… If you’re helping someone, you should help them out to the end. Yuehu, just help me again this time.”

Bai Yuehu didn’t say a word, walking off ahead. Lu Qingjiu wanted to follow, but he was pulled back by Shui Feng’s hand on his wrist.

“Qingjiu, Qingjiu!” Shui Feng shamelessly pushed himself in front of Lu Qingjiu. “Since he’s not willing to help me, can you help me?”

Lu Qingjiu, “…It wouldn’t be very appropriate.”

Shui Feng said, “I really don’t want to appear before her, if she sees me like this, she’ll be sad. Her body is currently really weak. If she sees me like his, she’ll definitely be worried, and I wouldn’t know how to explain it to her…”

Lu Qingjiu was a little hesitant but Shui Feng had a firm grasp on Lu Qingjiu’s wrist and looked as if he wouldn’t let him leave until he agreed. Lu Qingjiu looked over at Bai Yuehu, who was already far away without any intentions of coming back to help him. He could only give a small nod, saying, “Alright…”

Only then, did Shui Feng let out a smile.

Lu Qingjiu received the bag from Shui Feng’s hands. He jogged to catch up with Bai Yuehu. He said, “Yuehu… Shui Feng wanted me to help…”

Bai Yuehu said, “Go then, I don’t want to see either of them anymore.”

Lu Qingjiu said, “Okay, then wait outside the hospital for me?”

Bai Yuehu let out an “en”, then walked over towards the hospital exit. Lu Qingjiu looked down at the cloth bag in his hands. He pinched it lightly. The bag was made of satin and had an exquisite tiger design embroidered on top. The things inside were very soft, a little like a certain animal’s fur…

Lu Qingjiu guessed that the things stored inside was probably the same thing Shui Feng had given him yesterday. Carrying the bag, he walked towards the inpatient department with Shui Feng and, as Shui Feng asked, gave the bag to Hou Xuejia.

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“He had something going on, so he left first,” Lu Qingjiu lied.

“He left?” Hou Xuejia frowned, “Did he get into a fight with someone again? I already told him to stop getting into fights, why  doesn’t he ever listen…”

Although it sounded like she was reproaching him, Hou Xuejia’s face was filled with distress. Clearly, what she was concerned about wasn’t about Shui Feng getting into a conflict with others, but about the injuries Shui Feng might have received as a result.

Lu QIngjiu said, “Have you two known each other for a very long time?”

“Of course.” It was said that love was one of the top three things that couldn’t be concealed in this world. This sentence was perfectly exhibited by Hou Xuejia. Even though she looked haggard, every time she talked about Shui Feng, her eyes lit up with a gentle light. She said, “Yes, we’ve known each other for a very long time now. Back then, I was still a child and my luck was particularly bad. When I was playing by the side of the road with my friends, the manhole cover beneath my feet unexpectedly broke and I fell in… I even thought that I was going to die in that sewer, but in the end, somebody saved me…”

Lu Qingjiu asked, “Shui Feng?”

“En.” The corners of Hou Xuejia’s eyes crinkled. “It was him.”

Lu Qingjiu already had a vague guess of the truth of the situation. He pursed his lips, then said, “Then do you know who he is?”

“Who he is? Isn’t he Shui Feng?” Hou Xuejia placed a hand to her jaw and her voice was filled with happiness. “My luck was terrible ever since I was young up until I met Shui Feng. He wasn’t like me, he had unbelievable luck, hahaha. In the beginning I actually thought that we could live like this for a lifetime…” When she said “lifetime”, her bright eyes dimmed and her smile became a little forced. She said, “But, I seem to really be very unlucky.”

She had gotten an illness only one in a million people would get. A few years ago, the doctors said that it was terminal and she had at most a month left to live. After hearing the news, Shui Feng almost broke down, completely disappearing for many days. Just as Hou Xuejia had thought that she wouldn’t see him again, he brought over a cloth bag.

“I found an immortal and begged him for this bag,” Shui Feng held her hand in his, his voice trembling as he said, “If you have this bag, you won’t die… You definitely won’t die.”

When Hou Xuejia heard Shui Feng say this, she just took it as him seeking psychological comfort out of his desperation, so she didn’t say what she wanted to say. After all, at the time, letting Shui Feng believe in that might make him feel a little better. So Hou Xuejia just smiled and accepted Shui Feng’s gift, telling him she would definitely get better. Definitely…

A month later, a miracle occurred. The doctors found a drug to control Hou Xuejia’s condition. Even though it couldn’t completely cure her, it was just enough to keep her alive.

This was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to her since she fell ill.

After hearing their story, his gaze fell on that bag. He guessed what was inside the bag.

Shui Feng was undoubtedly the god of luck, Tai Feng. Only he had incomparably good luck, only he had a beautiful tiger-like tail, but right now, it seemed that all the hair on that tail had been plucked off and packed into a bag. Tai Feng had given all of his luck to his loved one, and in doing so, changed from the lucky god Tai Feng to the unlucky god Shui Feng.

“Then you should have a good rest. I’ll be leaving now.” Lu Qingjiu stood up and said his goodbyes to Hou Xuejia.

Hou Xuejia smiled and said, “Okay, you’re welcome to come back to play anytime.”

“En,” Lu Qingjiu said, “I will.”

Lu Qingjiu turned and left the ward, gently closing the door behind him. He saw through the glass that Hou Xuejia seemed to be a little tired from speaking too much. She leaned back against her pillow and drifted off to sleep.

Seeing Lu Qingjiu come out, Shui Feng hurried over to ask, “How is she?”

“She’s a little tired, so she’s gone to sleep,” Lu Qingjiu said, “How about you? Are you going to stay here and wait?”

“No. Since she’s sleeping, I’ll come visit her tomorrow.” Shui Feng rubbed his nose. “Besides, I’m black and blue all over, there are always nurses coming over to me if I need any help.”

Lu Qingjiu, “…” That was true. Shui Feng’s appearance of someone who had just been beaten up, indeed looked a lot like a patient who needed to be admitted to the hospital.

“Let’s go, I’ll treat you guys to dinner!” Shui Feng said, “There’s a shop that makes really good dumplings near the hospital!”

Lu Qingjiu said, “Do you have the money?”

Shui Feng laughed loudly, “Of course I have money, who do you think I am… Fuck!” Before he could finish speaking, he missed a step on the stairs and loudly rolled down several floors until he hit the wall and stopped.

Lu Qingjiu quickly looked down and found that the tiles below Shui Feng’s feet had actually cracked under his weight — Sure enough, his luck was unimaginably bad.

But Shui Feng had already grown used to tripping on flat ground. He resolutely got up and reached up to wipe off the blood under his nose, saying, “It’s alright. Go, go, go.”

Lu Qingjiu looked at Shui Feng’s face, thinking, big bro, you really don’t seem to be alright.

But before Lu Qingjiu could express his thoughts, Shui Feng continued walking happily.

On the way from the ward to the hospital exit, Shui Feng somehow managed to fall three times, get shat on by a bird one time, and the most extreme thing was that a streetlight actually fell straight onto his head. It really made Lu QIngjiu’s jaw drop.

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Fortunately, this Shui Feng was a god. If he was an ordinary person, if they hadn’t died by now they’d still be crippled.

“You really don’t want to go to the hospital and get checked out?” Lu Qingjiu truly couldn’t stand it anymore.

“No.” Shui Feng’s entire face was swollen and there was even a big, open wound on his forehead dripping with blood. He dug out a hat he’d prepared in advance and stuck it on his head. “They’re all just flesh wounds, nothing serious.”

Lu Qingjiu, “…” He sighed, wanting to say something. But seeing the bright smile on Shui Feng’s face, he felt like his words might be unnecessary. Nothing mattered as long as he was willing. If Shui Feng was willing to do this, as a bystander, he shouldn’t say anything.

Outside the hospital, Bai Yuehu saw the two of them walking over. He furrowed his eyebrows and said to Shui Feng, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to invite you two to dinner.” Shui Feng said.

“No need,” Bai Yuehu replied, “Go back.”

“But…” Shui Feng wanted to insist.

“I said, no need, Lu Qingjiu and I are going to leave soon,” Bai Yuehu repeated, his attitude firm, “This is the last time I’m going to help you. Don’t come and find me again.”

Shui Feng opened his mouth, wanting to speak.

“Tai Feng, think this through,” Bai Yuehu said, “When you do this, it doesn’t just destroy your body, but your godly luck. The one the people worship is the lucky god Tai Feng. You yourself know very well what’s going to happen if you go on like this.”

Shui Feng didn’t say anything. He just smiled, and waved at Bai Yuehu. “See you.”

Bai Yuehu didn’t pay him any attention. He walked away, pulling Lu Qingjiu along.

After the two of them got into the pickup truck, Lu Qingjiu said, “What do you want to eat tonight?”

Bai Yuehu remained silent.

Lu Qingjiu asked, “Why aren’t you talking? Are you unhappy?”

Bai Yuehu responded, “Is it worth doing this just for one person?”

Lu Qingjiu thought for a moment. “What do you think?”

Bai Yuehu said, “I don’t think it’s worth it.”

Lu Qingjiu said, “Maybe it’s because you haven’t met that person yet?”

Bai Yuehu said, “Then I hope I’ll never meet them.”

Lu Qingjiu said, “Alright, don’t be angry, I’ll make you something delicious tonight. We didn’t get to eat the dumplings from the shop by the hospital.”

Only after hearing this did the corners of Bai Yuehu’s lips hook up slightly.