The inside of that hut was as one would expect; it held all the necessities, yet felt empty and plain.
Scattered crates, empty drawers, and dusty surfaces. The ground creaked each time someone walked around on it, and Tao Hua was certain this place had seen better days.
Just from looking around, one could easily assume this place had been abandoned for quite a few years. No soul lurked yonder the scuffling animals of the surrounding forest.
Shan Si had mustered a bit of energy into a small ball of fire, throwing it into a stove with a few logs, leaves, and whatever he could find to fuel it. It was the type of stove that connected to a lift where there were a few dusty, old mats used for slumber.
A heated brick bed, to be exact, and atop it sat Tao Hua. Dangling off the edge of that lift were his and Shan Si's clothes, all stationed to dry.
The fabric of his undergarments stuck to and outlined his body uncomfortably. In order to manage this, he bent his knees closer to his chest, trying to cover up as much as he possibly could and hope the heat radiating under him worked.
As he waited, he watched Shan Si move throughout the cottage, rummaging through supplies in an attempt to find anything useful.
Compared to him, Shan Si was more daring. He discarded everything other than his pants, leaving him bare from head to chest. Hell, even the bottom of his pants were rolled up.
Now, it's not that Tao Hua hadn't ever seen Shan Si this way. He had many times, but this instance…well, it felt different. The circumstances of their relationship changed, so he couldn't help but stare intently at how each muscle contoured against the fire's warm glow.
While Shan Si fiddled with a few boxes in his hand, Tao Hua traced up his arms, shoulder, and then to his face. Before, he looked exhausted from emerging from the river, but now?
It was strange.
He somehow gained a good portion of vitality back, as if sprouting with newly found energy.
Shan Si side-glanced Tao Hua, and the moment their eyes met, Tao Hua immediately vacated! Nope! He dipped his head, clenching his jaw and clawing his fingers against his knees.
All that could be heard was a huff of enjoyment, followed be an amused laugh, and then the sound of an item being set down.
"You don't have to look away," Shan Si teased, crouching toward the stove. His face glowed a vibrant orange, making his smile ever-more outstanding. "What's on your mind?"
Biting his lip, Tao Hua rubbed his thumb against his knees for a moment, then finally asked, "Back at the river…when you apologised—which you, maybe, didn't have to—um, why can't you use all of your spiritual power?"
"I think it has something to do with the curse," Shan Si replied. "We're not supposed to leave the array placed around Jianlai to keep the curse intact, so I rely on my sword for the energy. It recharges back home in the temple of Luoxue."
"…" Tao Hua pursed his lips in thought, staring down at his knees.
Was that why most of everyone was stuck in the palace? He never really thought about it to that extent, having been used to isolation, but life for most people within Chuhen would likely be more prosperous in the capital.
As if reading Tao Hua's mind, Shan Si added, "My sword is a relic."
Tao Hua's eyes widened as he glanced back up at Shan Si.
"The one for Jianlai. Like all relics, it houses a special type of energy that keeps me stable and serves as a type of protection," Shan Si smiled warmly, looking up at the scabbard that poked from the counter. "This one more than the others. It actually likes me."
"…It likes you? Do the others…"
"Jealous of a sword?" Shan Si joked, forcing Tao Hua to whip his head away, flushed. "Only my sword. Souls are extracted to create these artifacts—by choice, don't worry. They'd be useless otherwise."
Shan Si's head tilted against the light flickering against his face. "They are extraordinarily fickle creations…I just couldn't get any of the others to resonate with me. Uncle Mie's a lost cause—you need a strong foundation to bond. So I'm shit out of luck having to do things on my own, with only a single relic that I can use on my journey out."
"And you're planning on…using these to break the curse? How, though? Wouldn't you need to bond with them to use the energy?"
Though he was still smiling, it felt stagnant—the face of a man who was forced to do something he didn't want to.
"No bond is needed to kill someone. Bonding happens through actions of consideration and love. To give yourself to someone willingly takes effort and initial curiosity," Shan Si explained. "That's why I thought it was that book of yours that housed the relic, given it responded to you so well…hah. I'm beginning to realise I might have things backwards."
Shan Si mumbled a bit through his pained expression, "Now that I think about it, the relic plan all just might not be worth the risk after all. Fate is rightly a cruel thing."
For a while, Tao Hua observed Shan Si's conflicted complexion before asking, "Why?"
"Don't worry about it." Shan Si just waved his hand in the air.
Um, that was impossible, actually!
Concerned, Tao Hua's head lifted as Shan Si approached the bed. He was lost in his own stupor, trying to make sense of all that had been explained, so much so that he hadn't registered Shan Si's closeness.
Suddenly, he was met with Shan Si, face-to-face, and it was as if his own breath was stolen. "Whatever the matter, I mean it…don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."
Anything happen to me…? Tao Hua couldn't comprehend Shan Si's words. It wasn't he who was impacted by this curse.
One moment Shan Si was ahead of him, and after a few confused blinks he was gone. It all happened so fast, leaving the fleeting warmth of a kiss on Tao Hua's lips.
Pressing his lips tightly together, Tao Hua turned his head toward the other.
Shan Si had slammed his back against the wall and propped up a knee, dangling a hand over it. He let out an exasperated sigh.
"About the sword…if I don't use any spiritual power, it'll protect me from the consequences of the curse, lasting a week. Unfortunately, I ended up using it all today. But…" he breathed another laugh, tilting his head back. His hair scraped against the wooden walls, and his shoulders deflated. "I don't feel as exhausted as I typically would. The same thing happened back when in Siyue Town, as well."
Turning his head, he shot Tao Hua a bemused smile. "Weird, right?"
Tao Hua didn't really have an answer; he just fiddled with his fingers, but Shan Si also wasn't looking for one either. The two sat in silence for a bit amid the sounds of the crackling fire and the gentle winds rustling the hay of the roof, clicking like the sounds of a grasshopper.
Shan Si was the first to break the silence. "Tao Hua."
"Mm…?" Tao Hua acknowledged him, but having him so close, shirtless, and on the first day after their declaration. He simply fidgeted with the fabric on his knees. "Y-Yes?"
"Have you ever thought about your future? You know, the things you want to accomplish and the life you'd like to live?"
"…" Hesitating, Tao Hua wrinkled his brows. Back in Siyue Town, he really never gave the idea much thought, nor did his father want him to offer it much, either. He purposefully kept him away from such things so as not to expose Tao Hua to outside influences.
Thus, all he could reply with was, "I…I just figured my future was whatever my father wanted. Married, have kids—I don't even know if he really wanted me to take over the business…well, if there really was a merchant thing, and all. Sooo…I think…I never had the luxury of…that."
"When isolated and belittled for so long, one often loses a sense of direction. Most people need a compass to guide them, which you were stripped of."
"…" Tao Hua didn't really have much to say to that, so he asked, "What about you? "
"Me? It was to take back the power I lost and become emperor—watch the Imperial Capital crumble along with it." As he said that, it was as if his voice was laced with a sadness that was hard to define; a sadness that had finally succumbed to a reality that made no sense. "What does this version of Tao Hua want now?"
"Now…?" Tao Hua's neck bent further, his face buried between his knees. He thought long and hard, and the moment he was ready to reply, that sorry feeling disappeared, replaced with a grain of hope. "I think I want to be next to Shan Si for the rest of my life…break the curse, and free you like you did for me."
Shan Si smirked. "And what about after the curse?"
"…" Tao Hua frowned.
Looking at all the experience he gained through the last few months, well…he wasn't good at the wifely thing, so he couldn't take care of the household, let alone play the role of an empress. He couldn't continue the Shan lineage either; that was simply out of the question.
The more he thought about it, the more his mind seemed to wrap around their time in the library, researching. Tao Hua genuinely enjoyed it and found himself immersed in books he never thought possible.
As he scoured his mind, Shan Si kept his eyes locked on Tao Hua's side profile, noting each expression that flickered against the warmth. He patiently awaited an answer without rushing him, all the while Tao Hua opened and closed his mouth a few times, shaking his head.
Then, finally, Tao Hua spoke, "I want to become a scholar, one worthy enough to stand by your side. Maybe…one who also tells stories? I'd like that…"
"Ah…" Shan Si sharply inhaled, before roughly exhaling through his nose and lifting his hand to his eyes. Slightly concerned with what he said, Tao Hua cautiously glanced over at Shan Si while he rubbed his hand down his face aggressively. "So cute. Too cute. Ugh, I think I'll die."
Back to his knees, Tao Hua's head flew. His entire body stiffened at the compliment.
"You'll have to go through the Imperial Examination first. You do know that, right?"
"That's okay." Tao Hua nodded. "I'll study hard and prove myself."
"If that's the case…" Shan Si smiled, leaning his body sideways and toward Tao Hua. An arm slinked around his waist, tugging the timid man closer to him. "I'll support you no matter the dream. Well, as long as it's by my side."
Bashfully, Tao Hua turned his head to Shan Si's, before his lids fluttered midway. "Thank you."
He could hear Shan Si gently laugh; however, no retort could be made before their lips connected. It caught Tao Hua off guard, and all he could do was huff a breath through it, his hand trembling against Shan Si's outer shoulder.
This time, the moment lasted much longer, despite Tao Hua still being rather inexperienced. Shan Si's hand fumbled with the cloth of Tao Hua's back, nudging it up as he encouraged Tao Hua onto his knees.
Head twisting, Shan Si kept things civil for now, not once protruding his tongue past Tao Hua's lips and overwhelming him. It was agony.
To make up for this, he dragged Tao Hua onto his lap, smoothing down his legs and giving just enough room that they could be straddled.
The kiss was broken, leaving Tao Hua in a bit of a haze. Shan Si circled a hand against Tao Hua's lower back, sending shivers through him, and even a jittered breath.
Shan Si's other hand searched for fingers to mingle with. When he finally found them, he held those hands together and let them droop to the side, causing Tao Hua's heart to flutter.
Though he was anxious, every part of Tao Hua felt seen somehow, and for once, perhaps his father did have a point.
He actually enjoyed the attention, at least from this one specific person. Unconsciously, he leaned toward Shan Si and gently hovered his fingers over his cheek, grazing it as if treating it like writing in sand.
Staring down, Tao Hua noted just how different Shan Si's eyes looked dilated—they were darker, squeezing the pale into a small ring.
"Shan Si…" Tao Hua muttered in a low voice. As soon as Shan Si hummed a response, Tao Hua continued, "How…did you know?"
"How did I know what?"
"That my fath…" Tao Hua paused—he wasn't sure how to approach the question, so he rephrased it as, "That I wasn't doing well back near the Inn?"
Chapter end.