unedited

Meng Huan picked up his chopsticks.

Lin Bozhou sat on the stool in front of him, half-propping up his forehead, his narrow gaze falling to look at him, the smell of light wine floating between his exhales.

He just sat and watched Meng Huan eat, his eyes so loving that they would drown a person.

“……” Eyes lingering on himself, Meng Huan was embarrassed by how he looked at him, picking at his chopsticks and asking slowly, “Why did you come over?”

Lin Bozhou’s tone was casual. “I didn’t see you at the banquet, so I guessed you were alone in the courtyard. I was afraid you would be lonely, so I came.”

There was a big drinking party at the front residence. Thinking that Meng Huan was alone in the back residence, Lin Bozhou didn’t know why, but it was even more challenging to bear than when he was lusting after him at night, so he came over after exchanging greetings with Chen An.

Meng Huan lowered his head and pushed the food into his mouth using chopsticks.

Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes to watch him eat and asked a moment later, “Have you packed all the luggage for the army?”

“Yes, they are packed.”

Lin Bozhou got up, went to the compartment where Meng Huan was sleeping, and opened the bag that Meng Huan had tied up to check. It contained Meng Huan’s painting tools and paper, several pieces of clothing, and a thicker cotton jacket for Chen An to put on the luggage cart when the time came. Meanwhile, he would carry this bag.

The furnishings in the house were simple and humble.

Lin Bozhou stood and looked for a while. His big hand took Meng Huan’s wrist and held his narrow waist to embrace him. “Is Huan Huan tired these days?”

“No, I am not that kind of blue-blooded nobility.” Meng Huan was afraid that he was worried. “I am quite used to living in Uncle Chen’s yard.”

Lin Bozhou knitted his eyebrows, and his eyes twitched slightly under his eyelashes. Meng Huan was used to living like this. He was an ordinary person in modern times and was from a small official family in this book. Unlike Lin Bozhou, who was born a descendant of a dragon and a phoenix and was used to seeing gold, jade, and silk, he thought Meng Huan would be unable to adapt.

Meng Huan raised his hand and touched his face. “Does Husband feel unwell from drinking?”

Lin Bozhou: “No.”

Meng Huan still insisted, “But you have seen me, right? Go back to rest. No need to stay here.”

He felt Lin Bozhou was not accustomed to this place and should return.

But he heard a soft laugh.

“You are willing to let this husband return?” Lin Bozhou leaned down, his dark eyes looking into his eyes. “Tomorrow will be the march. It will be more difficult for Huan Huan and his husband to see each other in the army. Tonight is the last good day, but you will let this husband go?”

His voice was tinged with drunkenness and incomparably gentle, seemingly meaningful.

“Oh.”

Meng Huan seemed to realize something.

He asked tentatively, “Is Uncle Chen coming back tonight?”

“This husband told him not to come back.”

Meng Huan understood and said, “I’m going to take a bath.”

After saying that, he ran to the yard and the well to put the bucket in.

Lin Bozhou looked at the spot for a while, and the corners of his lips inexplicably lifted in a smile, approaching and helping to pull the bucket. The building was paved with stone flooring so the shower could be done in the house. After Meng Huan closed the door, he took a clean washcloth. “The weather is hot, and there is sweat on my body, so I’ll wipe my sweat first.”

Lin Bozhou sat on the edge of the bed and saw Meng Huan take off his long cotton robe, revealing his fair skin at the neck, his slender and beautiful shoulder blades, his concave waistline under his chest, and his fair skin, which looked glowing white and beautiful in this dark courtyard and out of place.

Meng Huan simply scrubbed his body, and when he was ready to take off his inner pants, he turned and looked back at Lin Bozhou for some reason.

Lin Bozhou’s gaze lingered on his waist, deep, like a swept by a fiery tongue, and he propped up his head to look at him. “What?”

Meng Huan whispered: “…… After a few days without sleeping together, a little shy.”

The corner of Lin Bozhou’s lips could not help but lift.

This was too cute.

He stepped down from the bed and approached, his gaze falling. “Shy enough to be embarrassed to bathe?”

Meng Huan also couldn’t describe this feeling. If he were too intimate with Lin Bozhou, he would be embarrassed to face him in broad daylight. He and Lin Bozhou hadn’t seen each other for a few days and had no contact, so he required a little courage to treat him candidly.

Meng Huan frowned, not understanding his own strange psychology.

Lin Bozhou smiled, and his hand palmed his waist. “It does not matter. After sleeping tonight, the relationship will be familiar again.”

With that, the long fingers wandered over and pinched the flesh of his cheek.

Meng Huan made an ‘ei’ sound as his cheek was squeezed. Like when he had just slept with him, he was so ashamed that he bit his lips, buried his head in his arms and hid his face. The young man shrunk into a ball like this, revealing two white, clean ears.

Lin Bozhou wiped the excess sweat from his body.

Then, he carried Meng Huan to the bed covered with a cooling mat*.

*Summer sleeping mat made of woven split bamboo.

In the compartment, the light was getting dimmer, and the slanting light of the evening fell into the room, tinting everything with a sense of dimness.

A dim lamp was placed above the bed, with the light floating in the air.

Meng Huan was breathless from his kiss, blushing, and looked at him in surprise. “Husband.”

“Hmm?” Lin Bozhou sounded breathy.

Meng Huan: “Did we kiss like this earlier?”

Lin Bozhou was amused and kissed him. “Mmm. Has Huan Huan forgotten this?”

Meng Huan’s ears were incredibly red, his shoulders and necklines were taut, his waist almost became a beautiful bow, and his whole body was almost rubbed into Lin Bozhou’s arms. He held on like this and hid his face.

He really liked Lin Bozhou kissing and touching him tenderly, which was something that only the most intimate lovers would do and would make him feel deeply loved by Lin Bozhou.

The night grew more profound.

Lin Bozhou lowered his head and kissed his lips again.

These days, Meng Huan recalled the feeling of Lin Bozhou kissing him previously. The memory was very hot and pleasant, but now that he was being kissed, Meng Huan found that his memory was still inaccurate.

Meng Huan gritted his teeth and spoke in his ear. “Why does it feel… better than before?”

Lin Bozhou pressed his forehead against his, his hoarse breath suffused with laughter, kissing his face. “No, it’s Huan Huan who misses his husband too much.”

Absence made the heart grow fonder.

The room’s dim light was on for a short time. Meng Huan put the light out, thinking of saving a little oil.

In the darkness, starlight fell from the window, and the cicadas of the summer night reverberated outside the window.

In the past, when there was movement in Lin Bozhou’s bed chamber, the attendants did not say anything when they heard it. They pretended not to hear or see anything and behaved properly as servants. But Chen An’s courtyard was different. Everybody was a neighbor and saw each other often, and there would be a lot of gossiping.

Meng Huan bit his lips, trying not to make any noise.

This night seemed longer than ever.

……

……

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