Chapter 33 – The Heat Period is Finally Over
As the sun set, smoke rose from the chimneys of every household. After playing wildly outside all afternoon with Dahua and the others, the Qilin contentedly returned home through the small square hole in the wall made just for it.
There was no one in the kitchen. They were still locked in their room fighting.
Rushing to its food bowl, it was shocked to find it empty! Fighting was one thing, but they didn’t even cook?
Feeling wronged, the Qilin lay back down in its nest.
At that moment, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Qi Zhou walked in, hesitating as he asked, “Is anyone here? Is dinner ready?”
After a while, the door opened, and Gu Wenzhu came out, awkwardly adjusting his clothes as he walked.
The sight of Gu Wenzhu made Qi Zhou feel a twinge of fear, and he quietly muttered, “I’ll take my food to go, so I don’t disturb you.”
“I’ll cook now, but for the next few days, you’ll have to cook for yourselves. I have to take care of Xia Yi. I’ll give you some rice, flour, and meat to take back, and you can cook at the old house, where there’s a stove.” Gu Wenzhu said this while rolling up his sleeves and heading to the kitchen.
“I can’t cook!” Qi Zhou cried out in horror.
“Oh…” Gu Wenzhu pondered for a moment. “You can take Qilin and let it teach you how to cook, and feed it while you’re at it.”
Qi Zhou was so stunned by Gu Wenzhu’s suggestion that he couldn’t utter a word.
Qilin blinked innocently at him, wagging its tail.
Gu Wenzhu made a large pot of chicken noodle soup. After serving two bowls and heading inside, he left the rest for Qi Zhou and Qilin.
As Qi Zhou curiously peeked through the door crack, the door slammed shut with a snap.
*
For several days, the Gu family’s courtyard gate remained closed, with no sign of Gu Wenzhu or Xia Yi. Knocking went unanswered.
The dog had been surviving by begging for food from every household in the village.
They must have gone to the town to buy wedding supplies, right?
Li Zhu and Er Niu stood at the courtyard gate, peeking through the crack.
“What are you doing?” A cool, unfamiliar voice sounded from behind them.
“We were just checking; we haven’t seen anyone for a few days and were a bit worried…” Li Zhu explained, turning around.
As soon as he turned, he was left speechless, mouth agape.
Er Niu, curious about Li Zhu’s reaction, also turned and was similarly struck dumb, turning into a statue.
*
Qi Zhou had just returned from a walk outside the village, and as he passed by Gu Wenzhu’s gate, he noticed two young villagers peeking in. Frowning, he approached to ask what was going on.
But as soon as the two saw him, they looked as if they had been struck by lightning, frozen in a daze.
Li Zhu, though more alert, quickly averted his gaze. But Er Niu, still staring blankly at Qi Zhou, gaped slightly, eyes unblinking.
Disgusted, Qi Zhou frowned at the man’s unabashed stare.
This rude country bumpkin… I’d like to gouge his eyes out.
“They’re fine. Don’t overthink it.” Qi Zhou had no intention of explaining further and quickly left after a brief comment.
“Er Niu, do you think that young man is a god come down to earth?” Li Zhu nudged Er Niu with his elbow as he watched Qi Zhou walk away.
Er Niu remained silent, still staring dumbly in the direction Qi Zhou had gone.
“Er Niu, stop looking. He’s gone.” Li Zhu gave him a sharp punch.
Er Niu finally snapped out of it.
After that, Er Niu seemed to be in a daze, lost in his own world.
Just as Li Zhu was about to lose his temper from being ignored, Er Niu suddenly stopped, his face flushed as he mumbled, “I want to marry him.”
“Marry who?” Li Zhu was caught off guard.
“That young man just now. I saw him go to Wenzhu’s old house.” Er Niu’s eyes sparkled as he spoke dreamily. “My mom’s been nagging me to get married. I’ve set my sights on him; I want to marry him.”
“Er Niu, are you crazy? That young man is clearly not ordinary. He must be some rich relative of Wenzhu’s, staying for a few days.” Li Zhu wanted to shake his friend out of his daydream.
Er Niu opened his mouth, hesitating for a moment before his eyes grew resolute. “I’ve decided. If it’s not him, I won’t marry anyone.”
He then turned to Li Zhu with a serious expression. “From now on, don’t call me Er Niu. Call me by my real name, Gu Beicheng.”
*
Gu Wenzhu looked down at Xia Yi, who lay on his back, his pale neck tinged pink, with a few strands of sweat-damp hair sticking to his skin.
He gently brushed the soft strands aside and leaned down, his voice hoarse. “I’ll go make you something to eat, alright?”
Xia Yi didn’t say anything, just clung to Gu Wenzhu’s hand, making small kitten-like sounds in his throat, his eyes wet with longing.
Gu Wenzhu took a deep breath, forcing himself to stand up and rush to the kitchen to prepare the meal as quickly as possible.
“He boiled a large pot of water, letting Xia Yi enjoy a comfortable bath.
Time flew by, and another two days passed.
In the morning, the bedroom door opened, and Gu Wenzhu stepped out.
His hair was disheveled, his eyes sunken, and he greedily took in a deep breath of fresh air. The fragrant scent of grass filled his lungs before he exhaled slowly.
‘Xia Yi, I’ll go make breakfast,’ he hastily called back into the room, before swiftly walking toward the kitchen as if he might be dragged back if he lingered too long.
The moon set and the sun rose, and yet another day passed.
The door opened again, and Gu Wenzhu appeared, his eyes empty.
He stood there, legs trembling, dark circles around his eyes, his clothes disheveled. With unsteady steps, he floated toward the kitchen like a ghost, hands shaking as he grasped the spoon.
Barely able to lift the pot, his trembling hands served the food in two trips, before closing the door behind him with a creak.
The sun slowly rose, and today, it was a fully satisfied Xia Yi who emerged from the room.
He felt an unprecedented surge of energy, physically and mentally rejuvenated. Stretching lazily, he walked lightly to the kitchen, grabbed the fish from the water jar, cleaned and scaled it, then started preparing fish soup.
*
After a short while, he entered the bedroom with a bowl of fish soup.
When he came in, Gu Wenzhu was still fast asleep. Xia Yi placed the fish soup down, lifted the blanket quietly, and pounced on him, biting his cheek. ‘Wake up, it’s time to eat.’
Gu Wenzhu rubbed his face and slowly opened his eyes.
Freshly woken, Gu Wenzhu had lost his usual calm demeanor. He looked a bit dazed and silly, with a faint bite mark on his face.
The sight stirred something in Xia Yi’s heart, and just as Gu Wenzhu tried to sit up, he pushed him back down and kissed him thoroughly.
‘How long have you been awake?’ Gu Wenzhu struggled to sit up, propping himself up shakily, ‘You must be hungry. I’ll go make something for you.’
Even in his state, Gu Wenzhu hadn’t forgotten his responsibilities. Over the past few days, besides tending to Xia Yi during his heat, he’d also been meticulously caring for his every need.
Especially for a ge’er experiencing his first heat, it was crucial to provide the best care so he could bloom beautifully, like the most perfect flower.
‘I already made food, don’t get up.’ Xia Yi’s heart ached as he watched Gu Wenzhu struggle to sit up, his arms trembling.
Both spoke at the same time, ‘Let me feed you.’
Gu Wenzhu reached for the spoon first, but his wrist gave out, and the spoon clattered back into the soup.
‘I’ll feed you instead,’ Xia Yi said as he scooped up some of the milky fish soup and blew on it gently.
‘I can do it myself,’ Gu Wenzhu stubbornly insisted, trying to hold onto his pride.
But Xia Yi ignored him and fed the soup to him.
‘Just one more bite of fish, okay? Open wide, my dear.’
‘Xia Yi, I can’t eat anymore…’
‘One more bite. How can you have the strength of a tiger and a dragon if you don’t eat?’
*
Late at night, the entire village was fast asleep, except for one small courtyard where voices could still be heard.
‘Xia Yi, I’ll get you some heat-suppressant grass. Why don’t you eat something first…?’
‘Who needs heat-suppressant grass? Throw it away. Come here!’
‘Let me rest for just a little while, just a bit.’
‘You’ve still got the energy to run around? No resting for you!’
The final wave of heat eventually passed, and Gu Wenzhu was nearly moved to tears with joy.
He felt like a plow ox that had been working the fields for days, finally relieved of his heavy burden. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he passed out, completely unconscious.
Xia Yi quietly pressed against Gu Wenzhu’s back, chuckling softly. After kissing his earlobe, he wrapped his arms around his firm waist and drifted off to sleep.
