On many nights in the past, Xu Chuang had seen similar scenes, but his mindset was different.
He sat by the bed and checked Jiu’er’s neck, which was slightly sweaty, but his body temperature wasn’t as high as before. Xu Chuang moved to the foot of the bed and reached under the covers to hold the little guy’s feet.
Ji Yuchen’s feet were still a bit cold, not much changed by the fever. Xu Chuang placed both feet on his lap, covering them with his clothes to warm them up. Meanwhile, he took out his phone to search online for cleaning methods.
He couldn’t think of the right words, and Wang Zhi hadn’t explained clearly, so he straightforwardly typed into the search bar: “How do two guys clean up after doing it?”
A series of search results popped up, and Xu Chuang clicked on one that seemed relevant. As he read through the explicit descriptions, his face turned red, and his heart raced. He quickly exited the page.
The webpage he had opened was a forum, and it looked like real-life stories, described in great detail, forming images in his mind. Accompanied by Jiu’er’s soft cries, Xu Chuang had a reaction.
He released the feet he was holding and tucked them back under the covers. The person on the bed turned over, curling up in the quilt, and let out a couple of uncomfortable whimpers.
Xu Chuang wanted to find a place to cool down, and eventually took a cold shower to calm himself.
He roughly understood what the forum was saying: for things that went too deep and couldn’t be expelled naturally, external help was needed. The best tool was a finger, and preparations should be made in a warm, moist place.
Xu Chuang thought it over and figured the most suitable place for this was the bathroom, but it was cold in there, and he worried about making Jiu’er catch a chill.
With no heating equipment at hand, Xu Chuang dug out an old electric heater from home, a second-hand item exchanged with neighbors in the past. When his parents were still around, the small room relied on this for warmth.
He plugged it in to warm the bathroom. The old electric heating tube crackled and finally started working reluctantly.
It took time for the heat to gather, so Xu Chuang temporarily closed the door and went to the yard to boil water.
Boiling water with a kettle indoors was slow, unlike the stove, which was faster and produced more. By the time Xu Chuang finished boiling the water, the bathroom was warm. He then cleaned the half-person-high plastic bath bucket inside and out, filled it with hot water, and went inside to carry the sleeping little guy.
Ji Yuchen, half-awake, felt like his whole body was falling apart. When Xu Chuang touched him, he reflexively curled up. He heard a familiar voice, the man coaxing him to take a bath, saying it wouldn’t hurt after washing.
Ji Yuchen, in a daze, hooked his arms around Xu Chuang’s neck, letting himself be lifted off the bed, swaying in the air.
He felt a bit cold, but soon entered a warm place, surrounded by steam, like a sauna.
Ji Yuchen didn’t know what he was supposed to do, his senses dulled by his hazy consciousness. A few images flashed through his mind, quickly disappearing, leaving him to be held like a raindrop dangling on a cotton thread, ready to fall.
Xu Chuang placed him on the sink, gently coaxing, “A hot bath will make you feel better…”
The little guy hummed in response, not seeming willing, but not unwilling either.
He half-heartedly let himself be handled, only instinctively pressing down on Xu Chuang’s hand when he grabbed his waistband, glaring at him fiercely before spitting out two words: “Pervert…”
Xu Chuang couldn’t help but laugh, thinking those words came at the wrong time. If Jiu’er had said them earlier, he might not have done what he did.
Ji Yuchen was just being tough with his words. After speaking, he lowered his eyes, staring blankly at the veins on the back of Xu Chuang’s hand.
Xu Chuang helped him undress and placed him in the bath bucket. Ji Yuchen’s legs were weak, slipping down several times and almost getting submerged, coughing as if choking on water.
Xu Chuang took off his shirt and got in himself. The bath bucket, meant for one person, instantly became cramped, with the hot water almost spilling over.
The person in his arms started to fidget restlessly, splashing water everywhere, making it even more crowded. He didn’t really want to move, just felt hot, the steam giving him a headache.
Xu Chuang wrapped his arms around his waist to steady him, his fingers lingering on the injured area. Seeing the confused expression on Jiu’er’s face, looking at him with a pitiful, pleading gaze, he softly asked:
“It hurts… Can we stop for now?”
Ji Yuchen was making a request, as if he would reluctantly agree if refused.
Xu Chuang closed his eyes, pressing Jiu’er’s head back, focusing on his task.
The narrow area, filled with water, was much easier to enter than the day before. Xu Chuang explored forward. At first, Jiu’er was obedient, only letting out soft hums when uncomfortable. Until a certain point, his thin body suddenly trembled, shaking violently. He shook his head, saying he didn’t want it anymore, and before Xu Chuang could react, he started crying uncontrollably.
Xu Chuang panicked, quickly withdrawing his hand and holding him tightly, trying to soothe him.
Ji Yuchen let out a couple of sharp cries, and the water surface became cloudy. Xu Chuang felt warmth on his leg, guessing a lot had come out. To be safe, he pressed his palm on Jiu’er’s lower abdomen, trying to help him clean out more.
Ji Yuchen cried even louder, his voice like a cat under the eaves in spring, making Xu Chuang worry about disturbing the neighbors.
He controlled his strength, pressing on Jiu’er’s lower abdomen. As Jiu’er gasped, a “bang” sounded in his ear, and the room plunged into darkness.
…
The electric heater by the wall flickered with an unusual light, the tube buzzing, and after a few electrical sounds, it completely stopped working.
Its failure caused a power outage, and all the lights in the house went out.
After the room fell into darkness, there was a strangely quiet period, even the water flow seemed cautious. Xu Chuang peeked at the person in his arms, whose body was tense, hands clinging to Xu Chuang’s back like a koala. He whimpered, “What happened? Why is it dark…”
Xu Chuang covered the little guy’s eyes, telling him to relax, saying it was just a power outage and it would be fine soon.
He quickly finished up, drying him off, and carried him out of the bath bucket. Without the heater, the bathroom’s temperature dropped sharply. As soon as Ji Yuchen came out of the water, he started complaining about the cold. Xu Chuang carried him back to the bed, tucking him in, and then returned alone to clean up the bathroom.
The place was a mess, water splashed everywhere, and without lights, it was hard to see the exact situation.
Xu Chuang first moved the plugs and wires out, emptied the bucket, and then used a flashlight to clean up the water on the floor.
This distraction helped dissipate his earlier impulse, and Xu Chuang breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought the burnt-out wiring would have to be fixed the next day. Fortunately, the heated bed was warm, so Jiu’er wouldn’t catch a cold…
That night in Qiantang Village was calm and peaceful, with no wind, rain, or crowing roosters. Ji Yuchen’s fever subsided in the middle of the night, and he slept much better. When he woke up in the morning, he felt refreshed, the earlier fatigue gone, except for his aching waist, which felt like it wasn’t his own when he moved.
Xu Chuang wasn’t in the room, and Ji Yuchen fumbled to the edge of the bed, wanting to go to the bathroom.
He tried to get up, finding everything hurt, and eventually had to lie on the bed, one leg dangling off, searching for his shoes.
When Xu Chuang entered the room, he saw this scene: Jiu’er half-lying on the bed, using his foot to hook his shoe, his toes poking around on the floor. His movements were clumsy, and the shoe he managed to hook slipped off again, looking comically awkward.
Xu Chuang went over and helped him sit up properly. Ji Yuchen’s eyebrows and eyes scrunched together, his waist hurting as if it were about to break.
Xu Chuang quickly stopped, gently asking where he felt uncomfortable. Ji Yuchen wanted to say: Indulging feels good for a moment, but taking care of your body is really necessary…
He sat on the bed, holding his waist, taking a while to stand up. Xu Chuang simply carried him to the bathroom, helped him relieve himself, and then carried him back.
Ji Yuchen couldn’t walk at all, his knees buckling with every move. Xu Chuang worried he might fall into the latrine.
After the incident, it was the first time they faced each other openly, the atmosphere awkwardly silent: Xu Chuang stood by the wall without speaking, and Ji Yuchen looked up, recalling fragments from the small motel, his face flushing with heat, shivering involuntarily.
He thought that the bold and proactive person back then couldn’t have been him; he must have been drugged, it wasn’t his fault.
Both had their own thoughts, and eventually, Ji Yuchen spoke first, his tone a bit unnatural as he thanked:
“Um… thanks for that day…”
Xu Chuang’s expression was tense, and hearing this, he seemed a bit flustered, stammering, “I… I wanted to take you to the hospital that day, but it was urgent…”
He wanted to explain that he didn’t take advantage of the situation on purpose, it was just an emergency. Ji Yuchen hadn’t thought that far, just wanted to turn the page gracefully. If Xu Chuang got the hint, he’d be happy, but even if not, at least they wouldn’t become strangers.
He shook his head, “I didn’t want to go to the hospital, how embarrassing…”
Xu Chuang swallowed his words, not saying he didn’t want anyone else to see Jiu’er like that, like a peeled peach, glowing softly and translucently, pressing it would squeeze out juice.
He lowered his head, reciting, “Just pretend that day never happened. If you mind and don’t want to see me, I’ll try not to appear in front of you. You can sleep here, I’ll sleep next door. If you want to eat anything, just tell me, I’ll make it and bring it to you. When winter comes, try to go out less, it’s cold outside…”
Xu Chuang’s words seemed well-rehearsed, spoken without a pause.
Ji Yuchen was momentarily stunned, pondering twice without understanding what Xu Chuang meant. He looked up to see him coming over to tidy up the bedding.
Xu Chuang moved quickly, folding his quilt and pillow in a few swift motions, ready to leave. Ji Yuchen grabbed his hand, anxiously asking, “What do you mean? Where are you going?”
Xu Chuang said, “There’s a small bed at home, I’ll be next door, call me if you need anything…”
He hurriedly ran out of the room with his quilt and pillow, leaving Ji Yuchen with a mix of inexplicable sadness and anger, feeling like an abandoned pet, unsure if he was a burden or a disaster.
He sat on the bed for a while, then jumped down and went to the next room, standing at the door watching Xu Chuang make the bed.
Xu Chuang had his back to him, pressing his palm on the wire bed, making it creak.
Ji Yuchen, with a stern demeanor, coldly questioned, “Are you really going to sleep here?”
The man seemed not to hear, remaining silent. Ji Yuchen huffed, “Suit yourself!”
[Author’s Note]
Author’s wicked humor: Wants to see little Jiu’er fall into the latrine…