Xiao Bao was medicated and spent the entire night with a fever, constantly needing
his sweat-soaked compresses changed. By the next day, his fever had finally subsided.
In a haze, he remembered that many people had crowded into his room last night,
presumably rallying around him the moment they learned of his illness.
Xiao Bao experienced a splitting headache, yet he was lucid.
He was aware last night when the maids were wiping his body down, but given the
number of times he'd returned covered in red welts without their notice, it was no
surprise they didn't discern anything amiss this time either.
However, the pain and swelling in his posterior were unbearable, making it
impossible to find a comfortable position to lie in. Resigned to his discomfort, he
awkwardly propped himself up and had the maids bring in some medicine, which he
then applied to his lower body with a string of grumbles and curses.
Following this ordeal, Xiao Bao began to seriously reflect on his life.
Throughout his brief existence, he had constantly made mistakes and caused
trouble. Yet, no matter the errors or mishaps, he always managed to shake them off
with a nonchalant flick of his robe, walking away as someone else took care of the
aftermath for him.
Xiao Bao had never encountered someone quite like Huai En before—constantly
downtrodden, unable to voice his grievances. Upon seeing Huai En's injuries initially,
why did Xiao Bao soften? He should have taken advantage of Huai En's vulnerability
before he fully recovered. Yet, Xiao Bao found himself solely focused on comforting
him; but did Huai En ever reciprocate that comfort?
As Xiao Bao lay on the bed, spoon-feeding himself the porridge brought by the maid,
he concluded that Huai En was a divine challenge sent to test him. He needed to
conquer Huai En to find peace.
Furthermore, regardless of Huai En's current feelings, Xiao Bao was convinced
there was some underlying interest, just too shy to admit it. This realization filled Xiao
Bao with a sense of pride. He hadn't anticipated excelling not only with women but also with men.
Huai En's emotional reaction upon seeing his buttocks spoke volumes.
It indicated, at the very least, that Huai En admired his buttocks!
Xiao Bao felt as though he had stumbled upon a significant discovery.
His analysis led him to ponder: initially, wasn't it Huai En's face that caught his
attention? Even now, Xiao Bao found little else about him particularly appealing. Not
exceptionally muscular, not exceedingly charming, and with an inconvenient
appendage in the middle. His temperament was foul, his character flawed, and he was
shamelessly selfish. His thought processes were also abnormal, not to mention his
inclination towards violence. Yet, despite all this, how did Xiao Bao end up liking
everything about him? It seemed to be a matter of inertia.
Perhaps, for now, Huai En only admired his buttocks. It was understandable; men
tended to fixate on certain physical attributes when attracted. But maybe, as Huai En's feelings deepened, he would come to appreciate all of Xiao Bao.
In the beginning, he harbored affection for Huai En, who didn't return the
sentiment, perhaps because Huai En's face was visible while his own behind remained
concealed.
As Xiao Bao pondered this, he felt a twinge of excitement. Yet upon further
consideration, he realized the potential drawbacks. If he pursued this unconventional path, wouldn't he constantly be compromising himself? Moreover, even if their relationship flourished, he wouldn't have the opportunity to improve his own standing.
Lost in thought, Xiao Bao contemplated deeply.
After some time, he slapped the bed with satisfaction, having conceived a clever
plan: to lure by feigning retreat!
In the past, the courtesans in the brothel enjoyed playing this game with him. Men
appreciated this refusal to yield; its flavor was indescribable.
He resolved to treat Huai En kindly while also keeping him at arm's length. When the time was ripe, he would seize the opportunity to assert his dominance.
Succeeding once would surely pave the way for future success. And considering Huai En's tenacity, always prodding him persistently, enduring through the discomfort, Xiao Bao felt compelled to demonstrate the correct approach, even if it meant securing his own future happiness.
Having rested for two days and benefited from potent medicine, Xiao Bao could now
move freely. Humming a tune, he made his way to the outhouse.
Soon, sounds of frustration and curses emanated from within.
The maid outside cautiously inquired, "Master, are you alright?"
In the silence, with only the relentless stream of curses, the maid hesitated before
raising her voice once more, "Master, are you alright?"
Xiao Bao's response was sharp, "I'm suffering from hemorrhoids!! Stop hovering
around me, find a cooler place to be!!"
The maid felt a pang of hurt, her lips trembling as tears threatened to fall. Serving
the young master for over three years, she had grown accustomed to his kind
demeanor and smiling face. Yet, this was the first time he had raised his voice at her.
However, she reasoned that his outburst was likely due to the discomfort caused by
the hemorrhoids, so she understood.
Within half an hour, news of Xiao Bao's hemorrhoids spread throughout the Jin
Mansion, becoming a significant event.
Initially, Madam Jin contemplated summoning a physician, but Xiao Bao's stern insistence dissuaded her. Reflecting on her son's maturity, she deemed it
inappropriate to have a crowd examining his condition. Besides, hemorrhoids were a
minor ailment. Hence, she acquiesced to Xiao Bao's decision to handle the matter
himself.
After resolving the uncomfortable situation, Xiao Bao felt ravenous. Since meeting
Huai En, he had endured relentless physical and emotional torment, leading to a
noticeable loss of weight. Despite this, Xiao Bao remained content with his physique.
Why? Because it exuded affluence!
Whenever he accompanied his father on business outings, their associates shared a similar robust build, projecting an aura of
prosperity with every movement. Such was the pinnacle of status. As for men like
Huai En, with their slender limbs, what aesthetic appeal did they possess?
In truth, these sentiments were crafted during his adolescence, fueled by envy of Su yin's tall and muscular physique. Over the years, Xiao Bao had repeatedly reassured himself with these thoughts, to the extent of believing in their ability to attract wealth and fortune.
So now, feeling hungry and having lost weight, it was natural to eat more to regain
strength. Jin Bao timely mentioned the softshell turtle that hadn't been stewed yet,
bringing comfort to Xiao Bao. Then, he thought of Huai En, who actually needed the
nourishment more, and instructed Jin Bao to stew an extra turtle for Huai En. Jin Bao
was dismissive, finding it ridiculous that even at such a time, Xiao Bao wouldn't forget to curry favor with Huai En, showing a lack of spine.
This was a complete underestimation of their young master, Xiao Bao. He had no
intention of nourishing Huai En; did someone with his vitality even need it? Any more and he might turn into a turtle spirit. Xiao Bao's only purpose was purely to disgust him.
(A spirit turtle represents longevity.)
Was Master Jin someone to be bullied at will? "Even if I'm fond of you, you can't
take advantage of me," he thought. "To mess with me over and over, if Su Yin were
here, he'd have Huai En tied up for me to have my way with him. This time, I'd show
no mercy, but alas, Su Yin is not here... To think that Jin Xiao Bao would be
submissive like a little wife, don't even think about it; I'm one to hold grudges!"
Unexpectedly, the stewed turtle turned out to be problematic.
Just after the midnight watchman's call, a white figure broke through the window.
Xiao Bao, unable to sleep after lying in bed too long, was imagining where to start
after pinning Huai En down when suddenly, something appeared out of nowhere,
scaring him so much that his budding excitement instantly faded.
The white figure, backlit by the moonlight with features obscured and hair flowing
without wind, stood motionless at the foot of his bed. Xiao Bao's throat was so blocked
he couldn't scream, only managing to emit trembling sounds of "ghost~~ ghost~~" as
he clutched the blanket and shrank towards the corner of the room.
This time, Huai En couldn't hold back and actually laughed out loud.
Hearing the laughter clearly, Xiao Bao gasped for air and cursed, "Ah! Are you
crazy?! In the middle of the night! Trying to scare me to death! You'll scare me into
impotence, do you want to be responsible?!"
Huai En frowned, "What is impotence?"
Xiao Bao was left speechless by the argument, contemplating whether he should
continue to be upset with the other person.
Turning around, he buried his head in the
blanket, deciding to ignore the other person.
Huai En persisted in his questioning, somewhat relentlessly. "What is impotence?
Why are you impotent? Why does scaring you cause impotence?"
This was probably the most Huai En had ever spoken since Xiao Bao had known
him, which ironically made Xiao Bao feel like he was on the verge of throwing up from
frustration. He didn't realize Huai En's curiosity was so intense. Irritated by the
incessant questioning, Xiao Bao threw off the blanket, retorting, "Your Grandfather
Jin is not impotent. Your Grandfather Jin is as vigorous as a dragon. Curse me again,
and you'll be the one who's impotent!"
Facing Huai En, Xiao Bao saw a teasing look in his eyes and realized he had been played.
Blood rushed to Xiao Bao's face in embarrassment.
Seeing Xiao Bao's round, bulging eyes glaring at him, Huai En found him incredibly
interesting.
"You!" Xiao Bao pointed at him, "What are you doing here in the middle of the
night? Didn't you say I have no shame? Why come to me?"
Huai En's face broke into a teasing smile, "I heard you got hemorrhoids, so I came
to check on you."
Remembering the reason for his distressing visit to the restroom, which had him
howling like a slaughtered pig, Xiao Bao felt a mix of sadness and anger, realizing
how pitiful it was to be unable to stand up to someone else, not even being able to
defend his own honor.
Huai En took out a familiar porcelain bottle and handed it to him, "This is the
medicine you gave me that day. It really works well."
Xiao Bao paused for a moment, then snatched the bottle, internally chastising
himself for his lack of dignity. It was a simple act of re-gifting, yet it made him both
happy and moved, which he found strange considering he wasn't lacking in love.
Even though Huai En showed only a little concern and kindness, Xiao Bao couldn't
help but care deeply. Even if he were offered mountains of gold and silver or
thousands of beauties, he wouldn't trade them for anything.
Suddenly, Huai En sat down on the bed as if he had made a significant decision and
seriously said, "I want to sleep with you."
Startled by the proposition, Xiao Bao recoiled into the bed.
Huai En grabbed his shoulder, frowning, "What are you afraid of?"
Xiao Bao's voice was tinged with tears, "My backside still hasn't healed. You're
being too beastly."
As Huai En attempted to pull back his blanket, Xiao Bao protested, "Don't, don't
look. It really hasn't healed; it hurts terribly."
"I must see it, show me," Huai En insisted.
Their struggle continued, with Xiao Bao unable to match Huai En's strength. Soon,
he was overpowered, his pants pulled down.
Tears rushed to Xiao Bao's eyes as he pleaded, "Lord Huai En, I beg you, that part is really unusable now. Do you want to take my life? Please let go, I really can't, can't,
can't!!"
Huai En cooled his hand as he parted Xiao Bao's buttocks.
Xiao Bao shivered in pain within his embrace.
Observing the swollen and tender area, Huai En frowned, then gently touched it
with his finger, causing Xiao Bao to cry out in pain.
Huai En applied ointment from the porcelain bottle, gently massaging the area.
Unable to hold back, Xiao Bao cried, careful not to be too loud. The embarrassment
of being found in such a position was unbearable.
Huai En, while applying the medicine, also massaged Xiao Bao's neck, saying, "I'm
applying the medicine. Bear with it for a bit."
Huai En wasn't skilled in consoling others, but he recalled a childhood memory
where comforting a wolf pup by massaging its neck would calm it down. To his delight, Xiao Bao also seemed to calm down with similar treatment, proving the
technique worked on people too.
Despite the pain, Xiao Bao couldn't stop crying, partly because of the pain and
partly because of the overwhelming sense of care he felt.
Though Huai En's method of neck rubbing wasn't exactly pleasant, Xiao Bao felt the
intent to soothe him. He was touched by Huai En's effort to apply medicine and
comfort him in the middle of the night, resulting in uncontrollable tears of happiness.