Chapter 55

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That night, Jinyu heard that there was a natural spring nearby and went there to bath. He carried his towel in a wooden bucket and walked towards the secluded springs. It was rather a vast expansion of lotuses amid rising rocks and a hundred little waterfalls that thundered down them amid curtains of rising mist.

This breathtaking scene under the moonlight was enchanting. Jinyu went deeper until the water level reached slightly above his waist. The surrounding was very quiet. It looked as though he was the only visitor tonight. Also fine... He placed the bucket on a rock and took off his outer robe slowly.

Meanwhile, by a curious chance, Zhangsun, the Emperor's personal shadow guard just happened to be chilling under a heavy cascade of a little waterfall nearby in the springs with his eyes closed.

It was obvious Zhangsun chose past midnight for bathing purposes since he hated to run into anyone.

He only relaxed when no one was near. So he leaned onto the slippery moss clad green stone and wiped the water off his face. He looked very handsome without the usual mask that veiled his beautiful face.

He was only wearing a piece of cloth around his waist. His fair chest was water drenched and it glimmered in a pearl like lustre under the gentle moon light. It was mesmerizing.

And Jinyu who unexpectedly happened to witness this scene, nearly dropped the dress. He was speechless. Was that person f@#king serious? Why does he show off like that?

And the moment Zhangsun opened his eyes and saw a water drenched gaping goldfish watching him from amid the rocks, he thought he was going to have a heart attack. He immediately struggled to his legs, pulling his dress up his shoulders like a girl who had lost her chastity.

And Jinyu who saw this: "..."

"You!!!"

Jinyu raised his brows to heavens. "Why are you hiding your red beans? Huh? It's not like I don't have them!" He said in a furious voice.

"!!!"

Zhangsun's face was as if to drip blood. He was trained as a shadow guard since he was five. He rarely exposed even his face and kept always hidden. For him, even to reveal his lower half of the face was a big deal unlike Jinyu who grew in the barracks.

Jinyu often ran naked with his fellow companions to bath in the border river and had so much fun, a sight capable of choking pitiful Zhangsun to death. Who would care? The Northern Border Fortress only had males except the third ranked twin generals Shen Jue and Shen Jiu, the younger sisters of Grand Martial Shendu. And their personal female monstrous subordinates were no less worse than males. But they didn't care at all.

And what about Zhangsun? He had never let anyone see even his full face except to the Emperor, let alone his highly secretive other parts. And the moment he accidentally lost his fight to Jinyu few months ago, and his face got revealed, and afterwards kissed, he really felt like a woman who lost her chastity. His hands that wrapped the cloth around his chest were shaking in anger now. "You dare!"

Jinyu scratched his head with a lame smile. "Ok " He said grinning. "What I originally wanted to say you was that, ummm, yeah, your cloth isn't large enough to cover your entire body I mean, umm, you're closing your chest but I can see your -" His mischievous gazes slowly lowered to a place that they shouldn't.

Zhangsun lowered his head furiously and a heart attack at his exposed waist. Shit! He sank himself down the water and glared at the goldfish with his exposed head. "You shameless despicable bastard, you -"

"Ok, ok!" Jinyu said casually laughing. "What's the big deal? You don't really have to feel inferior ok? I'm not into males. Besides, errrr, you're damn flat chested, so I'm not really interested in you. I mean, with that icy attitude of yours, who would like you? Huh?"

"..."

"But I must say, your size was crazily amazing! Anything as fine than ours though..." Jinyu was serious.

"!!!"

The goldfish casually peeled off his loosened outer robe and pants. And he was... completely nude!!!

Zhangsun swallowed a considerable amount of water in the shock. "What are you doing!!?" He groaned. "You-! Quickly wear it back!"

The goldfish raised his brows. "And what does that mean, Master Zhangsun? I'm hear to bath! Not to soak!"

"Then go somewhere else! This is my place! I came here first!"

Jinyu stared at Zhangsun for a while, that soaked head that protruded off a few enormous lotus leaves and a several blossom buds that would probably bloom tomorrow. Jinyu couldn't help but laugh. "Still blushing when seeing a man naked! As if I'm a woman! You're really something..."

He shook his head and fetched groping his fingers in the waters for a while. Then he cleared his throat, plucked two lotus leaves and pressed them on his chest hiding the beans.

"Lesson one! When you're around Master Ice Cube, just hide the red beans! Yeah, l learned it. Would this be fine?"

Zhangsun: "..."

Ok. Why does Jinyu look like a woman now???

Zhangsun was speechless.

Useless! This person without any shame or brain was really useless! Why should he argue with someone so stupid? He may as well leave. Zhangsun angrily turned to go.

Suddenly without warning, he tripped his foot over a lotus root and felled forth onto Jinyu. The goldfish was pressed down onto the flat and slippery stony wall behind when Zhangsun knocked onto him. And the momentum had been a too bit quick that Zhangsun couldn't control the speed at all. Thus the ascetic monk ended up kissing the side of the neck of the goldfish...

Jinyu hissed in pain, a layer of moistness covering his eyes as he raised his face slightly.

Zhangsun was stunned. It looked as though a wave of electricity shocked him up the back, stiffening his spine into iron. Goosebumps layered down his moist skin that trembled. His eyes moistened. His lips slightly parted. His heart was beating wildly.

On the other hand, Jinyu looked stunned too. But he patiently waited for the other person to come back to his senses. A thin trail of blood flowed down the place where Zhangsun accidentally bit down.

Zhangsun slowly got to his feet that were feeling like jelly bags. The lips that got contact with that person's skin a while ago was scorching hot as if it had caught in flames. He immediately came back to his senses, broke off and took a several steps back in bewilderment.

Jinyu grinned bitterly and rubbed his neck where Zhangsun had accidentally bitten. "Master Zhangsun... That was very kidney touching. Owwww, it hurts! Do you always bite people whoever you run to? Seems like I got the unlucky pass today. Hey! Are you alright? Why do you stare at me like I'm a ghost? Hahaha! I know that I'm very handsome. You don't have to -"

" - Shut up!"

But the goldfish naturally would not shut up. He continued nevertheless, unaware of the fact that Zhangsun's breath was gradually drawing heavy.

"It's alright, ok? Don't look at me like that. It was an accident, I know that. So it's alright!"

Zhangsun rolled his eyes. "Get. Out!" That voice was dangerous but also a bit hoarse. "Don't let me repeat it. "Get! Out!"

Jinyu who saw Zhangsun's flushed face thought it was very interesting. That face looked very cute. So he ignored the pain in his neck and thought of daring a bit more. "You! Learn to bear responsibility! You kissed my neck! What if I get pregnant? Huh?"

And Zhangsun's face was as if to drip blood. "Feng Jinyu! Dare to utter shit, right? You fucking get the hell out of here!" He raised his palm threatening and the palm bursted out in pure waves of molten glassy spiritual energy.

"Now now now now now," Jinyu said in an amused voice. "Are you trying to kill the only shadow guard of the favourite consort of the Emperor?"

But when the goldfish saw Zhangsun's face demonizing, he realized he had gone too much. He shouldn't mess up too much with this ascetic monk who does not know the difference between a joke and the reality.

Protecting his pathetic life is more important than having fun. That's what his previous master, Grand Martial Shendu had taught him before he was flogged in the butt by him for hundred times for the sake of secretly sneaking around to watch the females bath at a public water room at a city at Northern Border Fortress.

So he smiled sheepishly. "Ok then, I'll leave you here to your pleasant night time bath..." He picked up the wooden bucket and threw his belongings to it. Then he turned to go. But -

"Aaaaaaaaah!!!"

The f@#king stone he stepped onto was so damn slippery that before he knew what he had done, his foot slipped and fell backwards.

Zhangsun in his casual instincts, naturally stepped forward to catch the goldfish who went flying by. But the result was of the worst. Who thought that skinny Jinyu was heavy than he looked? On the other hand, Jinyu who suddenly felt that there was more to live, immediately hugged Zhangsun from the throat.

Zhangsun choked, slipping too and his eyes widened, loosing his control again.

And with that, they both crashed onto a slanted mossy rock behind them. Zhangsun hissed as the hard stony wall pressed onto his back. Jinyu accidentally bumped onto him. They faces banged and lips met. And for the second time, under that cold cascading curtains of crystal water, Jinyu kissed Zhangsun again...

Zhangsun felt as if a cold bucket of ice was dumped onto his head. His scalp went numb in the sensation that was completely foreign to him. Jinyu withdrew his lips slowly away from Zhangsun. This time, even in his face was shock. "I... I..." He mumbled hoarsely.

Zhangsun gritted his teeth. "Get up!"

Jinyu was still pressing down on him in a daze. His face was flushed and burning. "Oh, ok, but first let go of me, will you?"

Zhangsun lowered his face only to find that his strong arms were around Jinyu's waist in a strong wrap. "..."

(Next morning)

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwww!" Jinyu screamed, sweating furiously. "It hurts! Gentler! Softer, will you?

"Whose ancestor did you provoke this time?" Shen Nuo asked in an amazed voice, bandaging the miserable goldfish. "At this pace, you really don't have to wear a mask, I guess. Can you breath? Is it too tight on your face?"

Jinyu was covered in bandages to the point that it was hard to tell whether he wore black or white.

He smiled bitterly. "Oh, yesterday at the hot springs, I was trying to catch a carp for dinner..."

Shen Nuo raised his brows. "So it turns that the carp had eaten you alive, is it?"

Jinyu closed his embarrassed face with his hand and screamed in distress. "Liyi! Help meeeee!!!"

An hour later, the participants gathered at the entrance to the forest. Everyone had their horses mounted. Even Shen Nuo was given one.

The emperor who sat on his strong black steed, turned the horse around and turned to look at his ministers.

"Officials, there are many wild beasts inside the forest. But this isn't a hunt to kill. Three days ago, Martial Shendu released a white wheasal that he brought from a merchant from a city at Northern Border Fortress. The Crown Prince says he needs it as a pet. So the one who finds the white wheasal alive without injuring it will be the winner of the Spring Hunt and would be handsomely rewarded and granted anything by Zhen."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The officials bowed.

Shen Nuo who sat on a brown horse nearby, smiled slightly, feeling moved.

Liar! He thought to himself. Minghe never said he wanted it. Tell that you're unwilling to let the animals to get hunted!

Shen Nuo knew it was the emperor who ordered Shendu to bring such an animal from the border city where many foreign folk gathered. He knew it wasn't hard for Shendu to find something out of the ordinary.

Li Yan loved animals. Though his expression was always frosty, it would always soften a bit whenever he sees a squirrel on a tree in the Imperial Gardens. No matter how busy he was, he would always feed the golden carps at his Lotus Pond inside his residence.

He just never showed it. But it wasn't hard for Shen Nuo to understand this feeling. Perhaps that was why Li Yan never ate meat. He was vegetarian...

Shen Nuo couldn't help but feel warm in his heart. He blushed so much when he remembered the scene from the last night. It was obvious how hard he had been when they met at the back of the tents inside that shallow forest. But Li Yan still didn't get mad at him.

He brought him to his tent, consoling him with patient words. They even slept on the same bed. Shen Nuo did not hide the fact he was feeling very uncomfortable. He told it to Li Yan himself, looking at him guiltily.

Li Yan checked his pulse shook his head, painfully smiling. "No big deal. You're just tired. Resting a bit more would do."

So when Shen Nuo lied on the bed next to Li Yan, he suddenly thought that the sandalwood fragrance that wafted from Li Yan felt stronger than any day he had felt before. He did not know whether this had anything to do with Li Yan. But for some reason, it was calming his unsettled mind.

Shen Nuo smiled and snuggled Li Yan's arm. "I'm sorry. I just felt uneasy and got irritated. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Li Yan smiled too. "Just a bit. But it's fine. As long as you're not mad, that's enough. We can have more time to trust and have each other, ok?"

Shen Nuo nodded in contentment, closing his eyes. He did not feel afraid anymore. And under the mind calming fragrance of Li Yan, Shen Nuo gradually felled into a peaceful sleep. He did not feel Li Yan slowly tilting his head to look at him and smile. After a long time, Li Yan slowly drew his face closer and kissed Shen Nuo between the brows with so much love revealed.

"Of course you'll feel uncomfortable. You had taken some kind of an aphrodisiac to trigger your heat." He said in a soft whisper. "Nuo Nuo, I don't want you to use them. I'll make you come to me at your own free will one-day, ok?"

So that night, Li Yan kept to his promise and did not touch Shen Nuo again. When Li Yan reminded this scene, he couldn't help but smile too. He turned his horse towards the entrance and stole a glance at Shen Nuo who seemed to be in a serious discussion with Jinyu.

Jinyu stretched out a pill to Shen Nuo. "Master!" He said in a furious whisper. "Didn't you say you felt uncomfortable yesterday? That's because you're closer to heat. Drink this heat suppressant pill! And keep close to His Majesty no matter what, ok?"

Shen Nuo raised his brows. "And what's that logic? If this is a heat suppressant, then is it necessary for me to be closer to him?"

Jinyu smiled sheepishly. "The forest is very dangerous, master..." He lied quite shamelessly.

"Whatever!" Shen Nuo frowned and threw the pill into his mouth. Jinyu grinned and left with a brilliant and a mischievous face. Li Yan saw this happen. His smile slowly froze. He seemed to have a faint guess in his heart. He furrowed his brows and threw one doubtful look at Jinyu before announcing the starting of the hunt.

Whatever it is, it's better for him to keep close to Shen Nuo...

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