Death Knocks on Hell’s Door Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Flowers

After Venus returned from Room 201, he quietly canceled all his upcoming travel plans and decided it was best not to even step outside the apartment complex. He would become the ultimate hermit, for the sake of his own safety.

Inside Room 201, Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu remained sitting on the sofa, immersed in an awkward silence.

Previously, Xie Bian had been rejected by Fan Wujiu, leaving him utterly humiliated. On the way back, the two of them barely exchanged a word. Given Xie Bian’s personality, even if he were pierced by a golden arrow of love, he would never degrade himself again. Even though he still loved Fan Wujiu, he wouldn’t do anything to humiliate himself further.

After a few minutes, Xie Bian stood up and went to his room, casually leaving a remark, “From now on, I’ll sleep in my own room. I won’t bother you anymore.”

Fan Wujiu straightened up, his hands gripping his pants tightly before loosening again, and then finally letting go completely as his body slumped down.

Was it really over?

After all that had happened, it would indeed feel inappropriate to sleep in the same bed again.

Fan Wujiu thought with a wry smile, Let’s treat it like a beautiful dream. Now it’s time to wake up.

That night, he lay in his own bedroom, instinctively curling to the left side of the bed, leaving the right side empty.

When Fan Wujiu had slept alone in the past, he sprawled across the entire bed, occupying it with a domineering posture. But after Xie Bian had insisted on sharing the bed with him, he had gotten used to leaving space beside him, always curling to hold Xie Bian in his arms at night.

In the beginning, Fan Wujiu would lie awake, terrified of accidentally bumping into or hurting Xie Bian. But eventually, he got used to it. He grew fond of the feeling, falling into a deep, sweet sleep with Xie Bian in his arms, his dreams filled with vibrant colors. Yet now, after everything that had happened, he was back to square one. With no one beside him, he lay awake once more. His heart felt hollow, and the image of Xie Bian’s red, teary eyes, his pained questions, kept replaying in his mind. The more he thought, the sharper the pain in his chest became.

He had never known this emptiness before. He hadn’t realized that losing Xie Bian would leave such a vast emptiness inside him.

Fan Wujiu stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity, still unable to sleep. Frustrated, he got up, put on his clothes, and decided to go to Yanluo Bar to drown his sorrows in alcohol once again.

Lao Bai didn’t like drinking, so he hadn’t drunk much himself. But this time, the worries gnawing at him were too much to bear alone.

Fan Wujiu silently left Room 201, making no sound as he passed through the living room, careful not to disturb Xie Bian. He closed the door behind him and heard the sound of the TV coming from Room 202. Cupid was still watching cartoons at this hour.

Just as Fan Wujiu was about to head downstairs, the door to Room 202 suddenly opened. Venus stood there, arms crossed, looking at him. “Care for a drink?”

Inside Room 202, the living room.

Venus poured a glass of wine for Fan Wujiu. “Dionysus himself made this wine. Even the gods on Mount Olympus can’t drink it if they want to. I have so much of it, I’ll never finish it, so today, I’ll let you have some.”

Fan Wujiu raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have so much you can’t finish?”

Venus replied nonchalantly, “He was my lover before. When we were together, he gave me an entire wine cellar.”

Fan Wujiu took a sip of the wine. “He’s Cupid’s father?” After living as neighbors for some time, he had grown accustomed to the idea that Greek gods could have children through same-sex relationships.

“Of course not, the timing doesn’t match up. I don’t even know who Cupid’s father is,” Venus said, counting on his fingers. “During that time, I was with Adonis……” He paused, then continued counting, “Hephaestus, Ares, Hermes, I had relationships with all of them……”

Fan Wujiu spit out his drink in surprise. “Pfft—”

He quickly wiped his lips. “Sorry, my bad.”

Venus looked at him in the eyes. “So I really don’t understand. Getting into bed is such an easy thing, but why haven’t you and Bai Wuchang gotten together yet?”

What was the missing factor? As far as internal factors went, they were already in love with each other. They just needed to make it clear. Externally, the golden arrow of love had already pierced through the final barrier. Everything was aligned—timing, setting, and mutual feelings—and yet, this couple still maintained a purely platonic relationship. In fact, it seemed like their interactions had grown more distant.

Where had things gone wrong? Venus couldn’t figure it out. As the God of Love, he was deeply intrigued by this love puzzle and wanted to understand it thoroughly.

Fan Wujiu’s face turned suddenly red.

If he hadn’t been drinking, he would’ve probably spat out his drink again.

The Western God of Love was truly bold.

Fan Wujiu asked, “I just want to know, do you love them?”

Fan Wujiu felt that only two people who truly loved each other could engage in the most intimate acts. And if they had children, they would surely be the fruit of that love. But Venus didn’t seem to feel that way. He wasn’t even sure who fathered his child.

“Of course I love them,” Venus said matter-of-factly. “I love each and every one of them. If I can have an entire garden of roses, why would I only pick one?”

Fan Wujiu: “Isn’t that a little immoral?”

“What’s immoral about it? I have countless lovers, and so do they. We’re all just one of the many roses picked by each other, enjoying the fleeting fragrance, but we never stay. We always move on to the next one.” Venus clearly didn’t mind.

Fan Wujiu understood. A player meeting another player, competing to see who could be more promiscuous. As long as everyone was unfaithful, no one would get hurt.

Fan Wujiu felt like he understood, but it still seemed unbelievable.

Someone like him, who had loved Xie Bian for a thousand years and never wavered, even in life and death, was bound to never understand Venus’ kind of love, where one could love anyone who came along. It didn’t seem like love at all, just desire.

He shook his head. “So, you have countless lovers, but no one you truly love. From the very beginning, you encountered a fully bloomed rose garden. You could wander through the flowers without being touched by a single petal, never lingering for any one flower.

“But what I encountered from the start was just a seed, and only this one.” Fan Wujiu’s tone was serious.

“I met it a long, long time ago. I’ve nurtured it carefully, watching it take root, sprout, grow branches and leaves, and prepare to bloom. I’ve protected it from the wind and rain, worried it would wither and die. I’ve loved it, cherished it, and never once looked at another flower. So when it finally blossomed—

“I didn’t dare pluck it. Even to smell its fragrance, I had to be cautious.”

Because he cherished it so much, he didn’t dare to pluck it, fearing that if he wasn’t careful, the delicate flower would wither, and he would never be able to admire it again.

He had never stepped into the rose garden. Now that the one flower he loved was gone, the world felt barren. He couldn’t afford to gamble.

Venus asked, “What if one day, you meet a flower even more beautiful than it?”

Fan Wujiu drank the last of his wine in one gulp. “Every flower is beautiful in its own way. In my eyes, there is only this one, and I will never meet another.”

Even if another flower were objectively more beautiful, he would still subjectively believe his own flower was the most beautiful. In his eyes, there would never be a flower more beautiful than the first. He had told Xie Bian that long ago.

Venus wanted to own an entire garden of roses, but Fan Wujiu only wanted to take a single sip from the vast river.

Venus seemed to ponder this. “So this is love……”

Fan Wujiu had initially thought that as the God of Love, Venus might be able to help him with his emotional confusion, especially since he and Xie Bian were clearly in an emotional predicament. But now, he didn’t think it was necessary. It seemed like Venus hadn’t even figured out love for himself.

“Sorry to disturb you, but I’ll be leaving.” Fan Wujiu set down his glass, feeling there was no reason to stay any longer. “Thanks for the hospitality.” He stood up, ready to leave.

“Wait, take the wine with you,” Venus called out to him.

Venus didn’t ask him to take the wine out of any sentimental attachment. He liked to enjoy it, but if that pervert came around and found out that Venus still remembered to take the fine wine gifted by his former lover after escaping, he would likely force it all down his throat until he was sick, so that just the sight of Dionysus would make him gag in the future.

That pervert would definitely do something like that.

Right now, he didn’t dare to go out, so the evidence had to be dealt with by the neighbors.

Fan Wujiu said, “Xiao Bai doesn’t like the smell of alcohol, so I won’t take it with me.”

Venus clasped his hands together. “You can do whatever you want with it. Throw it away if you want, just please take it with you.”

Fan Wujiu: “……Fine.”

“Hei Wuchang,” Venus added as a final remark, “That rose you’ve carefully nurtured might not mind being plucked by you. In fact, it might even be waiting for you to pluck it.”

Fan Wujiu froze, almost dropping the wine jar in his hand.

After Fan Wujiu left, Venus rested his chin in his hand, murmuring to himself, “He really treasures Bai Wuchang.”

He could tell that Hei Wuchang liked alcohol. The fact that he didn’t drink anymore, simply because Bai Wuchang didn’t like the smell of it, spoke volumes.

Venus had many admirers on Mount Olympus. Whatever he liked, they would bring to him. But never once had anyone changed their own preferences just because he didn’t like something.

Cupid flew over. “Father, do you envy their love?”

Envy? Venus thought for a moment, then realized, yes, there was a bit of envy. That kind of equal, respectful, and carefully cherished love was far different from that domineering pervert’s approach.

No, what kind of love could he have with that creep? It was just lust, nothing more. Hmph.

Fan Wujiu returned to Room 201, holding a pile of wine jars, and found himself uncertain about what to do with them.

He couldn’t leave them behind. Xiao Bai didn’t like the smell of alcohol.

He couldn’t throw them away either. Xiao Bai didn’t like wastefulness.

Maybe he’d take them to Yanluo Bar another day, as a repayment for the glass of juice he owed Granny Meng. That seemed fair enough.

Fan Wujiu had no intention of going out tonight. He slid the wine jars under his bed and lay down, contemplating Venus’ words.

That rose you’ve carefully nurtured might not mind being plucked by you. In fact, it might even be waiting for you to pluck it.

What did Venus mean by that? Was he suggesting that Xiao Bai loved him and wanted to do that with him?

Of course, Xiao Bai loved him. He had been struck by the golden arrow of love, after all. He had even initiated their intimacy before.

But what if he plucked the rose, and when Xiao Bai came to his senses, he’d hate him for the rest of his life? Even if Xiao Bai pretended not to care for the sake of their brotherhood, Fan Wujiu would regret it forever, constantly plagued by guilt.

Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance of that happening, he couldn’t risk it. Besides, on a subconscious level, Fan Wujiu didn’t believe that Xie Bian had loved him before the arrow struck. Until he was completely certain, he would never take that step.

Thinking about Venus’ vast garden of roses, Fan Wujiu felt that the god’s words were not very relevant to his situation. It seemed unnecessary to overthink it.

He decided to sleep on it. Tomorrow, he’d think it over again.

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