Xu Yanqiu had not done it on purpose. He originally wanted to crawl into the covers early to warm them up, but he found he could not undo his buttons. He tried to pull the shirt over his head, only for the narrow collar to get stuck around his neck. Caught in a dilemma, he finally heard Li Ting’s footsteps approaching like a savior. Xu Yanqiu did not care about the embarrassment; his priority was to rescue himself from the garment.
“Brother Li, are you there?” Xu Yanqiu struggled and twisted, but the more he moved, the tighter it became. He stopped and called out toward the door. Fortunately, Li Ting answered, “Do not move. I am coming to help you.”
Xu Yanqiu stood obediently with his hands raised. He heard the door close and lock, then felt a body much warmer than his own draw near. His constitution was naturally weak; although he had improved lately, he was still prone to the cold, and warming the bed always took him a long time. He wanted to be close.
Xu Yanqiu swallowed hard, hoping Li Ting could not hear it. A pair of hands touched the fabric around his neck, but instead of pulling upward, Li Ting untangled the mess and pulled the shirt back down, revealing Xu Yanqiu’s flushed face. Even though he was blind, Xu Yanqiu did not dare lift his head. He could feel how hot his face was; he knew it must be bright red.
“The buttons got stuck. Wait a moment while I undo them,” Li Ting said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He hooked his large hand around Xu Yanqiu’s lower back and pulled the boy close so that he stood between his legs, allowing Li Ting to look him in the eye while he worked on the tangled fasteners. Xu Yanqiu felt uneasy being touched like this and tried to pull away, but Li Ting’s hand moved to his side to hold him steady. Li Ting’s voice sounded right in front of him. “Do not move around.”
“Mm,” Xu Yanqiu whispered. He froze, not daring to move again. He could feel strange changes occurring in his body. Being a shuang’er meant he was still a man, and he knew exactly what those sensations represented. While it was embarrassing to be aroused by Li Ting’s touch, it would be even more humiliating to be discovered. He hoped Li Ting would not notice.
The buttons were not difficult to undo, and Li Ting finished quickly. But as he instinctively helped Xu Yanqiu remove the shirt, he paused, staring at the boy’s pale torso. Xu Yanqiu sensed something was wrong when Li Ting stood halfway, leaving the sleeves still hanging from his arms. He moved his arms to try and pull them out, but he lacked the strength and gave up. Just as he was about to ask for help, his hands were pinned behind his back. Xu Yanqiu was stunned. “Brother Li, what is it?”
“Why are you taking off your inner garments to sleep?” Li Ting asked calmly. Before Xu Yanqiu could answer, Li Ting had already pulled the shirt back on for him. Xu Yanqiu grabbed the fabric. “I… I do not want to wear it.”
Li Ting chuckled softly and let go. “Xiao Qiu.”
“Yes?” Xu Yanqiu pulled his clothes back together as Li Ting asked, “You have been acting strange lately. Is something on your mind?”
Xu Yanqiu immediately shook his head. “No, nothing.”
“Then have you done something wrong?” Li Ting leaned back on his hands, watching the boy with his shirt half-open. His gaze swept downward, and his smile deepened, though his voice remained neutral, clearly not wanting Xu Yanqiu to know his true thoughts. “If you have not done anything wrong, why have you been trying so hard to please me?”
The defense Xu Yanqiu was about to offer died in his throat. He could neither deny nor admit it. Just as he was agonizing over whether to speak his mind, Li Ting withdrew his pressure. “Go to sleep. We have work to do tomorrow.”
Hearing the blankets rustle, Xu Yanqiu felt a wave of disappointment. He lowered his eyes, felt for the edge of the bed, and crawled under the covers. He remained silent. Li Ting did not disturb him; he undressed, blew out the candle, and lay down, making sure to tuck the boy in as usual. This only made Xu Yanqiu more speechless.
“Go to sleep,” Li Ting said, patting him through the blanket before turning over to close his eyes, leaving the little blind boy to suffer in silence behind him. Li Ting could guess what Xu Yanqiu was trying to do. Having never done such a thing before, the boy did not know the correct way to act and was simply following his instincts. He worked as hard as he could and used clumsy excuses to get closer to Li Ting. The boy was incapable of hiding his feelings; everything was written on his face.
He was pure. Everything Xu Yanqiu did was pure and direct. He did whatever came to mind.
Li Ting smiled silently in the dark. The incident with the stuck shirt might have been an accident, but it had revealed Xu Yanqiu’s true internal state. The boy might try to lie with words, but his inexperienced body did not deceive. Xiao Qiu had grown up. While Li Ting was relieved that he was the object of the boy’s affection, the inexperienced little fox was also troubled. Should he accept or reject him first?
Xu Yanqiu was equally troubled. He stared into the darkness, blinking occasionally as he tried to figure out where he had slipped up. Why did Brother Li question him one moment and act as if nothing happened the next? The little blind boy eventually drifted off to sleep. In his mind, he repeated “I like you” over and over until he unknowingly whispered it aloud. Only the person sharing his bed heard the words, and Li Ting slowly turned over to watch the sleeping boy, staying awake half the night.
Xu Yanqiu’s fingers curled into a fist in his sleep. Li Ting touched them with his own fingertips, and the boy instinctively gripped his hand, falling into a deep slumber without hearing Li Ting’s response.
The next morning, both rose with much on their minds and remained silent. Xu Yanqiu tried several times to break the ice, but Li Ting skillfully avoided the conversation. While peeling garlic on his small stool, the boy could not help but sigh, though he kept it quiet so Li Ting would not hear.
Li Ting heard the soft sound and knew exactly what he was thinking. He did not plan to cook today; it was good to take Xu Yanqiu out for a meal occasionally. Once the garlic was peeled, Li Ting led him to wash his hands. The boy was confused. “Do we not have leftover porridge from yesterday? Should I heat it up?”
“No need. Today I am taking you out for breakfast,” Li Ting said, drying the boy’s hands with a clean towel. “We will also go see your piece of land.”
“Have you confirmed it with Master Gao?” Xu Yanqiu asked urgently. “Is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine. The deed is still in your name.” Li Ting saw the boy let out a massive sigh of relief and laughed. “Were you that nervous?”
“I have been worried for a long time,” Xu Yanqiu said. He realized the tension that had hung over him all morning had been broken by Li Ting. The gloom vanished from his face. “I am glad nothing is wrong.”
Li Ting turned to put the towel away, and an envelope fell from his robe. He remembered that Gao Cheng had brought him a letter from his father the night before, and he had not yet read it.
“Xiao Qiu, go put on an outer coat,” Li Ting said. As Xu Yanqiu went to the bedroom, Li Ting pictured him feeling the textures of the clothes to find the right one. He was getting distracted again. Li Ting opened the envelope and read. Li Dongtang wrote that he would arrive in two days and was bringing many treats and toys.
“Does Father still think I am a cub?” Li Ting muttered. He tucked the letter back into his robe just as Xu Yanqiu ran back to him. Li Ting smiled. “Look at you, running now.”
“Hehe,” Xu Yanqiu laughed. Normally, he should have reached for Li Ting’s hand, but the events of the previous night made him hesitate until Li Ting took his hand first. Li Ting led him to the gate and pulled the ring. Amidst the creaking of the door, he said, “I have something to tell you.”
“What?” Xu Yanqiu asked.
“My father will arrive in a couple of days. He will be staying in our courtyard for a while,” Li Ting said while closing the door behind them.
Xu Yanqiu’s eyes widened. “But this is Brother Li’s courtyard…”
“It is our courtyard,” Li Ting corrected him. “That is why I am letting you know.”
“Right,” Xu Yanqiu scratched his face. Li Ting caught his hand. “Do not scratch your face; you will mark it.”
“I am nervous,” Xu Yanqiu admitted. “He is your father. Besides my own father and you, I have never really spent time with anyone else.”
“Do not worry. If he bullies you, I will hit him for you.” Li Ting led him toward the street where the calls of street vendors could already be heard. Xu Yanqiu did not understand why Li Ting’s father would bully him, nor why Li Ting would hit his own father. His mind was a muddle as he followed along.
Li Ting took him to a breakfast stall. The owner approached with two baskets of buns, a smile on his face, but he froze when he recognized the unlucky blind boy. Li Ting tapped the table. “One basket of meat buns, one of vegetable buns, and two bowls of soy milk.” The owner wanted to turn the boy away, but remembering recent events and the reputation of anyone associated with the Xu family, he swallowed his anger and went to get the food.
“Brother Li, is it bad for me to be here?” Xu Yanqiu whispered. “Should we buy the food and eat at home?”
“What are you afraid of?” Li Ting snorted. “I know who you are.”
Xu Yanqiu paused. His feelings were reaching a breaking point, and he felt as though he might drown in them.
“Buns are here!” The owner set the baskets down just as two more people sat at the table. “Owner, two baskets of meat buns and two bowls of noodles for us as well!”
“Master Chang! Coming right up!” The newcomers were Chang Shouye and Feng Lin. Chang Shouye was in high spirits. “I did not expect to see you here. Feng Lin, give me that.”
Feng Lin took a bright red invitation from his robe and handed it to Chang Shouye, who then passed it to Li Ting.
“This is…” Li Ting looked at the invitation. Chang Shouye gave one to Xu Yanqiu as well. “Tomorrow is the big day for Feng Lin and me. You both must come,” Chang Shouye said with a grin.
Li Ting realized they were wedding invitations. “Congratulations, Master Chang. Congratulations, Master Feng.”
“Thank you. We owe our happiness to you, Brother Li. If you had not advised us, I might have missed Feng Lin’s heart,” Chang Shouye said. “You must come. I have saved seats for both of you.”
Xu Yanqiu was at a loss. It was the first time anyone had ever invited him to a wedding feast. He wondered how the others, who usually avoided him, would react. Li Ting patted his hand reassuringly and accepted on his behalf. “We will be there. Do not worry.”
Chang Shouye and Feng Lin ate quickly, as they had much to prepare for the following day. Before leaving, they reminded Li Ting again to bring Xu Yanqiu. The boy did not know how to refuse, so he agreed.
“Why is Master Chang so nice to me all of a sudden?” Xu Yanqiu asked, puzzled. “He never even spoke to me before.”
“People change.” Li Ting did not tell him about the recent village gossip. He handed him a vegetable bun. Xu Yanqiu, not used to eating in public, used his hand instead of chopsticks. He took a small bite and whispered, “What should I do tomorrow? I have never been to a wedding feast.”
“Just follow me,” Li Ting said, finishing his buns quickly. He saw that Xu Yanqiu was still on his first one. The fox finished off the remaining buns and stood up as the soy milk arrived. “Owner, please watch my brother for a moment. I am going to buy a few things and will be right back.”
The owner hesitated but nodded after Li Ting gave him a few extra coins. “Go ahead. I will keep an eye on him.”
“Brother Li, where are you going?” Xu Yanqiu asked anxiously.
“There is a clothing shop on the next street. I am going to buy you an outfit for the wedding. Stay here and eat; I will be back soon.”
“Alright,” Xu Yanqiu said, though he was still nervous. He took a large bite of a bun, looking quite gloomy. This amused Li Ting, who pinched his cheek. “That is a new expression for you.”
The owner and his wife watched the interaction in silence. “That blind boy does not look like the rumors say,” the owner whispered to his wife.
“He was just a scapegoat. Do you think he can actually eat people?” she replied. “Village talk always gets exaggerated. That young man has lived with him for two months and nothing has happened. Do not believe everything you hear.”
The owner nodded and even went to refill Xu Yanqiu’s soy milk. The extra money Li Ting had given him was more than enough. Xu Yanqiu was surprised and thanked him twice. The conversation between the couple was heard by other diners, and many began to form their own opinions.
Li Ting had not realized his whim to let Xu Yanqiu wait in public would have such a positive effect. He was currently picking out clothes for the boy, who had grown taller and needed a larger size. He had visited this shop several times, and the owner recognized him. “Master Li, buying clothes for your brother again?”
“Do you have anything festive?”