The next day, when Yan Mu woke up, Yu Yuan had already cleaned the whole house. Not only that, he had also steamed some vegetable millet dumplings in the kitchen.
Yan Mu rubbed her eyes and came out of her room, and saw Yu Yuan’s busy silhouette.
Yan Mu was dazed for a moment, then suddenly remembered what had happened yesterday. She hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, “You’re injured, leave these things to me.”
“I woke up early today.” Yu Yuan’s hands didn’t stop moving as he brought out the vegetable millet dumplings and took out the bowls and chopsticks.
After he finished everything, Yu Yuan carefully wiped his hands and walked out before he muttered, “……I won’t be a freeloader.”
“What are you talking about!” Yan Mu froze, then sighed and said, “Let me take a look at your wound.”
Yu Yuan lowered his gaze and obediently listened like a little lamb. He dutifully sat on the small wooden bench.
Yan Mu picked up a piece of cloth and the ointment to treat Yu Yuan’s wound.
It was dark last night and she was sleepy, so she didn’t react at the time. But now that she took a closer look, she realized that something was strange about his wound.
“How did you get this wound?” Thinking back to Yu Yuan’s behaviour yesterday, the more Yan Mu thought about it, the more she felt something was off.
“Hunter Zhang and Zhang Goudan lied to me.” Yu Yuan lowered his head to cover his expression. “They’d secretly pawned off my mother’s heirloom a long time ago.”
“That’s really……” Yan Mu’s hand movement paused and she looked up at Yu Yuan sympathetically.
“They just want me to work for free,” he said faintly.
However, Yu Yuan’s expression was very calm. Too calm.
But after having been deceived for so long, Yan Mu felt that Yu Yuan must be very sad. So although she still felt that there was something fishy about what happened last night, looking at his thin figure, she couldn’t bear to ask about it out loud.
She stopped talking and moved closer to apply medicine on Yu Yuan’s wound.
Yan Mu slightly squinted her eyes and her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. Her apricot eyes were so focused that they seemed to have only Yu Yuan in them.
Yu Yuan held his breath for a moment. Thinking of his deceit, a wave of self-loathing seemed to surge in his heart.
So he silently looked away. Yan Mu was oblivious to Yu Yuan’s internal conflict. Her slightly cool fingertips brushed against his chin and he turned his head away.
“Don’t move.” Yan Mu’s breath brushed against his ear, causing a burst of numbness.
Soon after, he felt an ice-cold touch lingering on his wound. Yu Yuan’s body froze.
He suddenly realised how close he was to Yan Mu at this moment.
He had always been hated since childhood, even his mother had rarely hugged him. Not to mention being this close to outsiders.
But Yan Mu……
The tips of his ears couldn’t help but flush crimson. Yu Yuan pursed his lips and tried as hard as he could to suppress his increasingly erratic heartbeat.
Yu Yuan quickly adjusted his expression, took back the ointment, and thanked Yan Mu.
“It’s nothing,” Yan Mu smiled at Yu Yuan, “Let’s eat.”
Yu Yuan nodded and followed behind Yan Mu.
The early morning breeze was still a little cold and Yan Mu started to cough again. She coughed for a long time before stopping, and her face grew paler and paler.
Yu Yuan felt that Yan Mu’s body condition had been getting worse and worse recently.
He remembered the rumour about Yan Mu being unable to live past eighteen, and the faces of the villagers scolding him for being the star of calamity. Now, was even the only person who would smile softly at him going to leave him?
Yu Yuan’s lip turned white as he bit down.
**********
Tomorrow was the Dragon Boat Festival and according to custom, the school gave the day off, so the classroom’s atmosphere was very lively today.
In ancient times when there was little entertainment, celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival was considered a huge event. On this day, there was no need to do farm work, children could secretly drink realgar wine[1], and there were various kinds of rice dumplings to eat.
Class hadn’t started yet and the students were gathered together chatting casually.
Yan Mu was the only girl there, so out of fear of losing face, no male students spoke to her. Meanwhile, the other villagers considered Yu Yuan the star of calamity. The students felt that they would be tainted with bad luck by being close to him, so his surroundings were as barren as ever.
Additionally, there was a huge wound on Yu Yuan’s forehead, so when everyone saw it, they gossiped about him even more[2].
Fortunately, Yu Yuan wasn’t someone who was keen on socialising. Outside, he would always be the cold and taciturn Yu Yuan.
He turned around and looked at Yan Mu who was extremely bored.
“Have you written your short essay yet?” Yu Yuan found a topic to talk about.
“……Not yet. Didn’t Teacher say to turn it in after the Dragon Boat Festival?” Yan Mu had never been very enthusiastic about studying.
“Yep.” Yu Yuan nodded and didn’t have anything else to add.
He wasn’t good at finding lively conversation topics. Yu Yuan pursed his lips. Just as he was racking his brain to think of what else to say, he heard Yan Mu ask, “Are you still sleeping at my house today?”
Yu Yuan’s hand trembled and he almost dropped his writing brush. His eyes dimmed and he didn’t speak for a long time.
“What’s wrong with you?” Yan Mu frowned.
Could it be that Yu Yuan doesn’t want to sleep at my house? I was about to go on a night attack today!
Fortunately, Yan Mu’s relationship with Yu Yuan had gotten better recently, which gave her more self-confidence. Even if she failed, Yu Yuan wouldn’t do anything to her……right?
When Yan Mu thought of her plot against Yu Yuan, she suddenly felt a little guilty. So she secretly glanced at him.
Her sneaky glance happened to meet Yu Yuan’s gaze.
…… I keep feeling guiltier. Yan Mu turned her head away and muttered.
“I’m sorry to have troubled you.” Yu Yuan was silent for a long moment before he lowered his head and slowly said, “I hope you…… won’t hate me.”
“I don’t hate you!” Yan Mu hurriedly explained.
It must have been the way she turned her head just now that made Yu Yuan misunderstand. Yan Mu sighed. Thinking of the one month deadline, she felt a little anxious inside.
“What I meant to say was that you can stay at my house for the time being,” Yan Mu explained, “My body isn’t well, and all the household chores fall on my dad. If you live at our house and can help out, then my dad will definitely be happy.”
Yan Mu was speaking the truth. After all, Father Yan was just a farmer. He had several acres of fertile land in his hands, and now that he was older, the farm work was a little too heavy for him.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she spoke out, Yan Mu realised that Yu Yuan’s eyes became even darker.
“Are you unwilling to?” Yan Mu carefully asked.
“I’m…… very willing,” Yu Yuan looked away and said.
Hearing Yan Mu’s words, he hated himself even more. She was so gentle and concerned about him…… but in order to live in her house, he deceived her with despicable and dirty means.
He was a disgusting person who repaid kindness with enmity[3].
But…… even if it was just a little bit. Even if it was just a little care and gentleness, he was greedy for it.
He had seen the first glimmer of morning light, and since then, he could never return to the darkness of the night alone.
He wanted to be together with Yan Mu.
Even if he was insulted and disdained by the villagers, in the end, he was still just a “human being”. So even if he was lowly and despicable, he still wanted a friend.
***************************************************
The author has something to say:
Yan Mu: I’ll kiss you tonight till you doubt your life!
[1] 雄黄酒 (xiónghuángjiǔ) – traditionally drunk during the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) to ward off poisonous creatures
[2] 议论纷纷 (yìlùn-fēnfēn) – to discuss spiritedly (idiom); all sorts of comments; widespread comment
[3] 恩将仇报 (ēnjiāngchóubào) – to bite the hand that feeds one (idiom); return hate for love