Chapter 72
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Upon reaching the door of the room, Lin Tian quickly took off his raincoat and was about to help Yuan Li remove his raincoat, but Yuan Li said, “You go first.”
Lin Tian asked, “Master?”
Yuan Li’s face was concealed beneath a bamboo hat, making it difficult to discern his expression. He said, “Go.”
Lin Tian bent down and said, “I’ll go prepare hot water for you, sir.”
Yuan Li removed his raincoat, shook off the rainwater, and hung it on a wooden peg by the door. He entered the room and closed the door.
It was a corridor, and Chu Hechao and Yang Zhongfa lived opposite. Through the crack in the door, Yuan Li saw a man in a raincoat turning around, as if he were looking at him, yet it seemed as though he was observing the tea plum blossoms in the courtyard fragmented by the heavy rain.
Yuan Li’s breath caught, and he closed the door.
The wind and rain were kept outside the door. Yuan Li stood in place for a while, lighting a candle and changing out of his damp clothes. Soon, the sound of thunder ceased. The thunderstorm transformed into a drizzle, still dripping with moisture.
Yuan Li sat at the table after changing clothes, lost in thought.
He was still pondering what had just happened.
Perhaps the darkness in the rockery was too damp and confusing, or perhaps Chu Hechao’s emotions were too intense and overwhelming at the time, infecting Yuan Li and plunging him into turmoil. Now, Yuan Li had regained his composure and recalled what he and Chu Hechao had done.
He touched his lips, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
It seemed like traces of Chu Hechao’s presence still lingered on his lips. The man’s insatiable desire to consume him was intense, but the agony of restraining himself was equally real and intense. These conflicting and intricate emotions weighed on Yuan Li. Even now, it felt as if there was a stifled breath in his heart, making him uncomfortable.
Chu Hechao’s attitude was clear: they had given in to their desires with all their might, and after leaving the cave, they return to being good partners, good brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They hadn’t kissed, hadn’t touched, adhering to the rules, and returning to the appearance of loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness.
Yuan Li was confused.
He was contemplating what kind of feelings he truly had for Chu Hechao.
Did he like him? Yuan Li didn’t know. He was a heterosexual man and never thought he would develop feelings for another man. Even now, he could confidently say that he felt nothing for other men, but Chu Hechao’s kisses stirred restlessness and pain within him.
But if he didn’t like him, why did he submit to Chu Hechao?
Yuan Li himself didn’t know.
The scene in the cave didn’t evoke shame, regret, or disgust. Instead, it felt heavy, like a burden, as if something wanted to break free from the earth, but there were enormous stones blocking its way.
Yuan Li knew it was best to stop at this point.
Whether he liked Chu Hechao or not, it was best to stop here and not delve further.
Yuan Li even regretted why he had to expose Chu Hechao’s feelings for him.
This would only bring Chu Hechao more pain.
But…
But Yuan Li was not the type of person to stop without thoroughly investigating.
He exhaled a sigh of relief and walked to the window, opening it.
The cold wind rushed in, bringing clarity to Yuan Li’s muddled mind.
Once again, the sensation of Chu Hechao’s kiss flashed through Yuan Li’s mind.
Moist, scorching hot.
Noses bumping, saliva sticking.
Yuan Li’s heart beat slowly at first, then faster, the process unfolding gradually but impossible to ignore.
He placed his hand on his chest, feeling a sour, bitter sensation, not particularly joyful.
Based solely on the immersive feeling he experienced in the cave, Yuan Li couldn’t deny that he had a favorable impression of Chu Hechao.
But how did this favorable impression come about?
He admired heroes, and Chu Hechao was a hero. Chu Hechao had a great physique and occasionally looked really sexy.
Yuan Li started counting on his fingers the reasons why he developed a favorable impression of Chu Hechao. As he counted, he couldn’t help but laugh, and after laughing, he let out a sigh.
After understanding his favorable impression, what could he do about it?
In ancient times, it wasn’t merely a matter of homosexuality or heterosexuality for them, but rather the limitations imposed by their identities, relatives, family, friends, subordinates, the world.
Each presented an impassable chasm.
Throughout history, incest between relatives has never been something laudable.
Even though Yuan Li knew that he had nothing with Chu Mingfeng, he also knew that he could marry anyone except Chu Hechao.
And Chu Hechao was a traditional man of ancient times. Chu Mingfeng was his elder brother, and he valued his parents greatly. The pain he would endure would only be greater than Yuan Li’s. Even if Yuan Li could endure the guilt of incest, could Chu Hechao?
Indulging and then choosing to return to normalcy was the most correct choice.
Forget what happened just now, it would be better for everyone.
And obviously, Chu Hechao intended to do just that.
So let’s pretend that nothing happened.
Yuan Li closed his eyes, thinking this way.
While his favorable impression of Chu Hechao wasn’t too intense, he should treat the cave incident as a minor episode and free himself from this destined difficult whirlpool as soon as possible.
Raindrops pattered.
The scared Wuwan people left that evening, not daring to stay in the farmstead for another night.
Upon learning of their departure, everyone felt joyful. The next evening, a banquet was held in the dining hall to celebrate.
It was a celebration of the heavy rainfall and also a celebration of intimidating the Wuwan people. The mood of the guests was high.
Yuan Li adjusted his mood and walked towards the dining hall with a few subordinates.
On the way, he asked Liu Jixin, “How is Zheng Rong today?”
Zheng Rong had poor health. He got caught in the rain yesterday and was feeling a bit unwell, so he had been resting in his room and couldn’t participate in today’s banquet.
“His body has always been weak,” Liu Jixin sighed, but remained optimistic. “Master, don’t worry. We’re used to him falling ill occasionally. The physician said he just needs to avoid cold winds and rest for a few days.”
Yuan Li didn’t quite agree. “That’s not good. When he’s feeling better, let Wang Er train him to improve his physical fitness.”
Physical health is a valuable asset, and Zheng Rong is a talent with great potential. Such individuals need to cultivate a healthy body to achieve greater accomplishments and do more.
Wang Er is meticulous and understands the ways of the world. He can train Zheng Rong while protecting his body from harm.
Wang Er gladly accepted the task, full of confidence, and said, “Yes. I will train Young Master Zheng to be mighty and strong.”
Liu Jixin couldn’t quite imagine what Zheng Rong would look like after being trained to be mighty and strong. In his mind, he apologized to Zheng Rong, hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Let’s follow the master’s orders and send him to Brother Wang’s camp once he’s recovered.”
Yuan Li expressed satisfaction. “That’s the way.”
As they finished discussing this matter, Yuan Dan eagerly spoke up to tell Yuan Li about the waterwheel he had been developing.
“It’s almost done. We haven’t had rain in the past few days, so we haven’t been able to test the effectiveness of the waterwheel. But now, with the rivers full from the recent rain, we can put the waterwheel to use.”
Yuan Li named the department they worked in the “Artifact Division,” and Yuan Dan had great confidence in the waterwheel they created. “Master, don’t worry. The waterwheel will definitely be very useful.”
Yuan Li smiled and nodded. “If it works well, we’ll implement it in the various counties of Youzhou for irrigation and land reclamation.”
Yuan Dan was filled with excitement upon hearing this. He wished to see the entire Youzhou using the waterwheels they made. With a serious expression, he firmly patted his chest and said, “I, Yuan Wen Han, guarantee you, Master, that I won’t let you down!”
Yuan Lou helplessly called out, “Yuan Dan.”
Yuan Dan chuckled and looked at Yuan Li with admiration. “Le Jun, you’re really amazing.”
Yuan Li chuckled. “You’ve been saying that to me for the past few days. Just because I predicted the rain?”
Yuan Dan was about to speak when someone behind them called out, “Governor!”
Yuan Li and his subordinates halted their steps and turned to look.
It was He Lang. He Lang and Yang Zhongfa were flanking Chu Hechao, both wearing smiles as they approached.
Yuan Li’s gaze swept over them and finally settled on Chu Hechao.
The man was dressed in dark clothes, walking towards them, and looking at Yuan Li.
Their eyes met fleetingly in the air, then separated.
Soon, they stood in front of Yuan Li.
Liu Jixin and the others exchanged greetings with Yang Zhongfa and He Lang. After exchanging pleasantries, their gaze turned to Chu Hechao and Yuan Li, who had remained silent.
The corridor fell silent.
Chu Hechao lowered his head and looked at Yuan Li, saying, “Sister-in-law.”
Yuan Li took a breath, maintaining his composure as he responded, “Brother-in-law.”
Dust particles danced in the air, and water droplets from the eaves fell onto the muddy ground, blending into the gloomy rain.
Chu Hechao withdrew his gaze and looked up at the white wall in the distance. It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it also felt like just a brief moment. He extended his hand and gestured, “Please, sister-in-law.”
The others smiled and made way, allowing Yuan Li and Chu Hechao to walk ahead.
They spoke in pairs or small groups.
“I wonder what we’ll have for dinner tonight. Does Lord Yuan have the ‘beggar’s chicken’ he made before?”
“Beggar’s chicken?”
“Oh, you probably don’t know. It was three days that Lord Yuan and the Young Gelao got married, and the General accompanied Lord Yuan on the way back…”
Yuan Li and Chu Hechao listened in silence.
The two who had kissed each other just yesterday now had a gap between their sleeves.
The cold wind stirred, as if wrapping around them, yet also congealing into ice.
Suddenly, Yang Zhongfa said, “General, do you and Lord Yuan remember that incident? General jumped into the water to save Lord Yuan, but instead, the Governor turned out to be a good swimmer and told us that we must train a navy. Hahaha.”
Chu Hechao remained silent for a while. It wasn’t until Yang Zhongfa and the others started discussing other matters and laughing loudly that he said, “I remember.”
They arrived at the entrance of the dining hall.
Yuan Li lowered his gaze, not daring to look back at Chu Hechao. He smiled and interrupted them, saying, “Stop talking and let’s all go inside.”
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