Si Tian Guan Chapter 57

Chapter 57 Rainy Night

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When he came out of the Marquis Mansion, it was pouring rain.

The servant who had been waiting outside the gates opened the umbrella for Liu Zhongming, and he took the umbrella and drove the servant away. Holding the umbrella, he walked slowly towards his residence.

He was somewhat thankful for the dark sky and the heavy rain, so that no one could see his sorry state.

It was just a quarrel. He had a reason to quarrel and he also had a stomach full of irritability and anger that had nowhere to vent.

Dan Lang was indeed dead and was beaten to death by his Royal Mother with a stick, and his questioning became the fuse.

Holding up the account book, his Royal Mother began to scold him sharply—it turned out that even if he didn’t come to the door, his Royal Mother wouldn’t let this opportunity go easily.

“Look at the way you are now, addicted to alcohol, ignorant and incompetent, how do you even look like a Shizi?! Aren’t you ashamed!”

“If Qingyan was still alive! How could it be your turn!? Yet you don’t learn to imitate him? Are you planning to let people see Anding Marquis Mansion as a joke?”

“You go to your father in a bit and say that you are moving back!”

“It sounded nice when you spoke about it before you went out , but look what happened! I knew raising those non-human non-ghost like things in the courtyard was a bad idea!”

“Following Ning Wang to fool around every day, he is the Di Prince, and what are you?! If you don’t enter officialdom, the Liu family will be ruined by you!

“If you were going to be like this, it would have been better not to give birth to you, even Qingchi is more sensible than you!”

Liu Zhongming’s anger was completely ignited.

“I don’t need you to worry about what I like to do!”

“Before you gave birth to me, did you ask me if I would like to be born to you?!”

“Since you have no idea how to be a Mother, why did you give birth to us?!”

“Since you and my father hate each other, why do you have to be together, and why do you have to give birth to us!”

He received a fiery slap on the face, and for the first time the Marquis of Anding, who came in a hurry, did not stand with his son.

Liu Zhongming changed his hand to hold the umbrella. His back was injured, and his shoulder also hurt, so he couldn’t hold it with one hand for a long time.

Just now, he thought, the stubbornness in Qu Chenzhou’s bones really resembled him.

So similar that he even suspected that Bai Shiyan’s guess was right, that the soul in Qu Chenzhou’s body might be him in his previous life.

Both pretty annoying.

His father asked him to kowtow and apologize to his Mother. He gritted his teeth and refused to admit his fault. Perhaps he was as abominable as Qu Chenzhou, which forced his father to act out in a rage and enact family discipline.

Although he knelt on the ground, he refused to lower his head, and endured eighteen sticks. The last two hits hit his brother who suddenly rushed over, and the farce ended abruptly.

When Qingchi pushed him out the door, he looked at his red-eyed father and howling Mother, and suddenly wanted to hug them and cry.

But he was the only one in the heavy rain, and there was nothing to hug him. He was so lonely that his bones were cold.

He really had enough.

Has anyone come to tell him that he was just having a nightmare?

Impulsively, he wanted to kneel there and let himself be beaten to death. In the end, he calmly asked someone to send his resident doctor to see Qingchi’s injuries, then he stood up staggeringly, put on his clothes and went out the door.

On the way out of the main hall all the way to the gate, he was soaked early on. It didn’t matter if he held an umbrella or not, there was a cover, so he wasn’t so miserable.

Underfoot was the muddy water that was swept across the ground by the heavy rain, and the boots that walked over it made a disgusting squishing sound.

He suddenly stomped down, and the splashing mud covered all over his body.

“Disgusting.” He spat out the mud and the rain in his mouth, and muttered to himself, not knowing whether he was talking about the mud, himself, or something else.

His residence was not far from the Marquis Mansion, even if he walked slowly, he would arrive soon.

In fact, he didn’t need to enter the inner courtyard to guess the situation in the courtyard. If it was Dan Lang, even if he didn’t dare to get up, when he saw himself coming back, he would definitely crawl over crying and begging for forgiveness.

But the figure knelt straight even in the heavy rain, like a tree with roots, and did not look back at him.

Steward Lin came up to him and saw him staring at the courtyard with a sullen face. He hesitated for a moment, but said carefully: “Master, Little Brother Qu already knows his mistake. He is young and ignorant. I beg you, Lord, let him go this time.

“He knows his mistake?”

Liu Zhongming only found it funny, just looking at this kneeling posture, it was obvious that he wouldn’t admit his mistake even if he died, just like him just now.

He waved his hand to interrupt Steward Lin’s words and had the person withdraw. Only then did he walk up to Qu Chenzhou, put away his umbrella, and called out in a deep voice, “Qu Chenzhou.

Qu Chenzhou’s back was very straight, but his gaze seemed scattered, unclear which void it had fallen to.

The sound of the rain seemed to never stop, and the noise was endless, but it seemed that the space between the sky and the earth was extraordinarily peaceful, and he was the only one left.

The Jin Wuwei dragged away the body, and the front of Zhonghe Palace was deserted.

The heavy rain was like a waterfall, washing away the bloodstains that had not dried up before the steps.

He took off his official uniform to block it, desperately trying to keep a little bit of it, but a palace servant came to drag him away and the rain swept the steps clean.

“General Bai!” He couldn’t remember whether he had screamed loudly.

In fact, he didn’t need to call him that. General Bai had already recognized him and Zhongming in private, and Zhongming had encouraged him to call him “Uncle” many times.

The Uncle and Aunt treat him like a parent to a child. When entering the palace during the festivals, Aunt would make several boxes full of food for him in advance, as if she was afraid that he would starve in the palace.

General Bai also specifically instructed that if Zhongming bullied him in the future, he should tell him and he would avenge him.

But from now on, there will be no more. No more Bai Shining, no more uncles and aunts. He personally destroyed the Bai family.

In the rumbling thunder, it seemed that someone was constantly questioning: “Qu Chenzhou, do you know what you did wrong? Do you know what you did wrong?”

“Did I make a mistake?” He also murmured to himself, and then shook his head in a trance: “I didn’t make a mistake.”

Something hard lifted his jaw, forcing him to look up, someone was calling his name.

Through the rain curtain that glowed under the lamp, he was so dazed that he couldn’t tell who it was.

“You… also think I made a mistake?” He moved his lips, but couldn’t make a sound, and then he remembered that he should have been mute.

The tip of the umbrella moved away from his jaw, landed on his chest, and with a sudden force, he fell on his back in the mud.

Looking up at the sky, the continuous raindrops reflected the lights from time to time, like a curtain falling from the sky, reminding him of the heavy snow of those days, and the people who came running wildly on horses in the rising sun.

“Zhongming…”

He whispered in his heart, struggling to get up.

The other party seemed to be irritated by his stubbornness, and before he could kneel again, he was hit on the shoulder with a neither light nor heavy blow.

This time, when he fell down, the tip of the umbrella came up and touched his collarbone, making him unable to get up. The oncoming rain poured into his nose and mouth, making him unable to breathe.

He closed his eyes tightly, gasped heavily, and with strength he didn’t know he got from where, he stretched out his hand to hold the tip of the umbrella and moved it to his throat.

Hurry up.

He thought wearily. Since it’s about to end, make it fast.

***

After wiping the bronze mirror blurred by steam in the bathroom, Liu Zhongming saw the wound on his back.

The sticks for beating were all solid mahogany, and the practitioners were experienced. There were a few bluish-purple lumps, and the skin was not broken. Except for the severe pain, it was nothing to him.

But this one in his arms was not as strong and resistant to tossing as he was.

He didn’t wait for the resident doctor to see him, but carried the person back to the room. He realized that Qu Chenzhou was hot all over, and his mind was blurred. He immediately sent someone to cook medicine for him to reduce his fever and also instructed people to prepare a medicinal bath.

He originally was so angry at him that he didn’t want to touch this person, and planned to ask Steward Lin to take him down to wash his body covered with mud, but he turned his head and thought about the situation of Qu Chenzhou being stripped of his clothes, and changed his mind.

The bathtub was spacious, and a warm stone bench was built underwater, which was made convenient for people to sit on.

He turned his face to the side, gropingly tore off the belt first, and took off his muddy jacket and trousers, leaving only a pair of soaked obscene underpants.

His thumb was inserted into the last layer of the belt and his fingers were pressed against the smooth skin, but they seemed to be unable to exert their strength.

Qu Chenzhou was still in a state of drowsiness, with his head hanging on his neck, exhaling hot air to his chest as he breathed, and the skin under his palms soft and smooth.

For a moment, he regretted his impulsiveness.

“Are you awake?!”

After the anger and impulsivity passed, courage also slipped away without a trace. 

He swallowed hard, stared into the distance, and threatened in a low voice: “If you don’t get up, I’ll strip you naked! I’ll count one, two, three!”

He was silently mouthing a peace scripture. Thinking of what he saw in Huanyi Building that day, the silver ball dripping with bright body fluid, he suddenly felt that his whole body was going to burn up.

“Three!”

No one responded to his threat.

Liu Zhongming could only admit his cowardice, leave the last piece, and step into the water with the person in his arms.

The pond water lifted the two of them lightly. Qu Chenzhou floated up, his lips pressed against his chest, rubbing it a little.

Liu Zhongming’s legs were weak. His feet slipped, and the two rolled down the steps together.

He raised his arms in time like he received divine help, and supported Qu Chenzhou’s head and face above the water. After a long while, he breathed heavily and spat out a few saliva, stood up wetly, and sat down on the jade bench by the side of the pond.

“F*ck you… if you don’t have that ability, don’t be so stubborn with others!”

He had Qu Chenzhou face him, straddling his lap, finally finding a comfortable position. He couldn’t stop scolding him: “You knew it would cause trouble for me!” 

A scoop of water poured down slowly, and he washed the long, thin hair that fell on his shoulders with one hand.

He poured the medicinal soup over his body, which was cold and scorched by the rain. There was an inexplicable joy, as if he had finally successfully abducted the wild cat on the roadside home, and even the depression and pessimism after the quarrel disappeared.

In the space with only the two of them, he felt extremely peaceful.

Maybe what Shi Yan said was right, this was him from another world and he did everything possible to come to him and do his best for him.

“You…” He squinted carefully to make sure that Qu Chenzhou did not wake up, and then he complained softly: “Can’t you always be so obedient?”

Of course no one would answer him, but he felt full in his arms and was in a calm mood. This feeling was unprecedented comfort, the long absence of no loneliness after his brother departed.

His head was slightly lowered, and it was close to the other person’s cheek. He didn’t know if it was his illusion, but ever since he was hugged in the water, Qu Chenzhou’s body didn’t seem to be that hot, and his exhaled breath was also not so hot.

“I asked you to treat your face, but you wouldn’t listen.” His fingers stroked the crisscrossing scars: “I know that you are set against me, but don’t you know how to take good care of yourself?”

Although even if these words were said and would be replied by Qu Chenzhou with silence, he would not be as obedient looking as he was now.

“Actually, I know that your idea is right. Letting them get frustrated is also paving the way for me in the future.”

Liu Zhongming muttered to himself: “You passed out that day and the doctor said you were too tired, I know it is because of overexertion. You are using someone else’s body after all, so it’s definitely not as suitable as your own, so be careful.”

“What kind of person were you in your last life?” 

“Were you also so capricious? Has anyone reminded you to take care of yourself?”

When he said this, he thought it was ridiculous. If there was, how could Qu Chenzhou develop such a withdrawn temperament. It’s pitiful to think about it this way.

“Actually, I should thank you, but I can’t thank you anymore. I hate… being dragged around like this… so you have to apologize to me.” 

Just talking about it was fine, anyways, he knew with Qu Chenzhou’s stubborn temper, he would not soften.

With no one around, he rubbed his wet black hair with his cheek, and said softly, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault, I won’t lose my temper with you in the future.”

When he was in the yard, he didn’t really want to humiliate the person. It was just that sentence “Get up” seemed to be his own sign of weakness. He couldn’t lower his head and could only count on the other side to give him a way to escape.

But he didn’t expect Qu Chenzhou to put on a posture of begging for death, and he could only be defeated.

“Why? How can you be so stubborn? When… can you stop doing things like this? When can you think about relying on me a little bit?”

He sighed, feeling that he was delusional.

He raised his hand and poured another ladle of water, twisting it into a downward pool to wash away the mud in front of him. It then happily flowed down the ridge groove between his butterfly bones and submerged into the small gap exposed from the low belt.

Liu Zhongming’s eyes couldn’t help chasing the water, going down together.

The two arcs on the side following the belt formed a very small shadow area. It seemed to carry some magical power, making him unable to move his eyes, wanting to follow along and look.

That wet ball, that beautifully curved waist, mixed with those deep and rough panting in his dreams, he seemed to be surrounded by wet happiness, like being slapped head-on with huge waves.

And the man who covered his eyes with the back of his hands and wept silently was in his arms at this moment.

As if he was possessed, he slid his fingers down the ridge, until he touched the narrow slit, and then he suddenly woke up. Realizing his gaffe, he hurriedly turned his face, but at a glance, he saw Qu Chenzhou’s waist.

He tiptoed, raised his knees, and the person kneeling in his arms slumped down because of this posture, bending into a soft arc.

Two deep waist dimples were filled with water, rippling, as if greeting him.

That day, the two waist dimples under the cloth instantly lost their color.

His fingertips were spinning out of control and he was reluctant to take it out. Suddenly, he wanted to let Ning Wang know what truly ecstasy eyes were.

And the place that Qu Chenzhou sternly warned him not to touch before, was now exposed in front of him without any strength to fight back.

It was a birthmark, about the size of the palm of his hand. Because it was viewed from the shoulder, it could only be seen that the shape was odd.

It was also light brown, the same as the one he had right now. It was as if they were the same piece torn apart, and the two of them each held half of it.

Liu Zhongming laughed at himself in his heart. Isn’t everyone’s birthmark this color? Why can’t he help being sentimental? 

His fingers had already touched it so naturally.

Maybe the dream was too real, but he always felt that this birthmark should be played with in his palm.

When the person in his arms was touched by his fingertips, he trembled slightly, then after fumbling with his palm a few times, he made a very low guttural sound in his ear.

The sound of scratching of a March willow in his ear, maddeningly itching.

Before Liu Zhongming’s scalp turned numb and before he could push the person away, Qu Chenzhou, who was in a coma, opened his eyes in a trance.

It was as if he had traveled thousands of miles and was extremely tired. He only raised his eyes to confirm that it was him, then closed his eyes, but his slender arms climbed up and wrapped around his neck affectionately.

“You…” His arms were trembling along with his voice, and he could only squeeze his words out with his clenched teeth: “Let go! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude !” 

Qu Chenzhou found a comfortable place in the crevice of his neck and pressed against it motionless, without letting go. After a while, he slightly raised his small chin and breathed in his ear.

It was the first time he heard it, a soft, even a little bit of aggrieved apology.

“It’s my fault, don’t be angry…”

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