Chapter 77
Jiang Qingyu had no idea when they arrived at Kanas.
He did not know when the sky had brightened either.
When he had fallen asleep, how the bedding had been changed, what state he had been in at the time—Jiang Qingyu remembered none of it.
By his body’s feeling, had he slept for more than ten hours? Maybe even longer? In any case, by the time Jiang Qingyu crawled out of bed, he felt as if an entire week had passed. He sat there dazed for a long while and still could not come back to himself.
But Fu Jingqiu was very quick. Hearing Jiang Qingyu humming and stretching in the bedroom, he instantly put down what he was doing and brought a cup of warm water over. “Awake? Drink some water first to moisten your throat.”
Jiang Qingyu took the warm water. Fu Jingqiu had even put a straw in it. With his mind completely blank, he bit onto it and slowly drank more than half the cup. Feeling his throat become a little more comfortable, he first asked, “What time is it?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “A little past five.”
Jiang Qingyu asked, “Afternoon?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Mm.”
How terrifying. How had he slept this long?
Jiang Qingyu’s eyes shifted around. His gaze stopped on Fu Jingqiu for a little while, and then he remembered.
Fu Jingqiu was wearing a dark hoodless sweatshirt. It was something Jiang Qingyu had bought for him before. The neckline was a small V, and beneath his collarbone, a bite mark was very clear. Jiang Qingyu had made it while venting his anger. The skin was slightly broken, and Fu Jingqiu had clearly not deliberately treated it.
Memories rushed madly into his mind like waves. Jiang Qingyu froze for a few seconds, thinking of countless details and images from last night, and Fu Jingqiu’s gentle coaxing. He had praised him while kissing him, saying he was so good, so obedient, encouraging Jiang Qingyu to take a little more, speaking in a gentle tone while doing things that brooked no refusal.
He really was very good at tormenting people.
Last time had still been all right, probably because it had only been once. Plus, Fu Jingqiu had carefully massaged him afterward, so when he woke the next day, only some subtle sensations were left in his body. How could it compare to this time? His muscles were sore, his waist felt uncomfortable, the insides of his thighs also felt uncomfortable, and his whole body felt as if he were walking on cotton clouds, floating without any solid ground beneath him.
But he should have been cleaned already. He was dry and comfortable, without any particular discomfort. He had no idea how Fu Jingqiu had cleaned him up last night. In any case, Jiang Qingyu had no memory of it at all.
He sat blankly on the bed for a while. Fu Jingqiu thought he still felt unwell and placed his palm behind his waist, rubbing gently. “Still uncomfortable?”
Jiang Qingyu slowly shifted his gaze to Fu Jingqiu’s face. “…Why do you look completely unaffected?”
Fu Jingqiu: “?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Did you secretly eat something to replenish yourself?”
Fu Jingqiu: “…”
This was unfair! Didn’t they say indulgence harmed the body? Fu Jingqiu did not even have dark circles!
Jiang Qingyu moved his lips. “You went too far last night.”
Fu Jingqiu’s attitude was very good. “Sorry.” Later on, he had indeed lost control a little.
Jiang Qingyu was really too obedient. His mouth seemed to be rejecting him, but his actions were all obediently cooperating. When told to hold his legs, he held his legs. When told to open up, he opened up. He was so obedient it made Fu Jingqiu’s teeth itch; he only wanted to bully him hard, as if it did not matter how excessive he was.
Revisiting that alluring dream, Fu Jingqiu’s whole body heated up, though his expression remained calm. The veins at his temples pulsed, and his muscles tightened along with them.
Even a good attitude could not wipe away last night’s account. Jiang Qingyu’s throat still felt a little uncomfortable. He drank some more warm water and said, “Are you even human? Tell me, I think I fell asleep outright near the end. Did you stop then?”
Fu Jingqiu’s Adam’s apple rolled. “…No.”
Damn it! He knew it!
Jiang Qingyu angrily punched Fu Jingqiu’s shoulder. “Act like a human being, would you!”
How much strength could he have? He had just woken up too, so hitting him did not hurt at all. Fu Jingqiu did not dodge. He even moved forward a little, as if inviting him to hit as much as he wanted, making him look even more deserving of a beating.
Truly, one could not judge a person by appearance. He was clearly a starved ghost of lust!
Jiang Qingyu did indeed punch him a few more times to vent his anger. At the end, he lifted his face slightly and ordered him around. “Carry me to the hot spring. I want to soak. Also, I’m hungry. You cook. Bring it in later.”
His expression had no killing power at all. It was even rather adorable. Fu Jingqiu did not point this out. His brow lifted almost imperceptibly, his tone carrying a smile. “As you command.”
As he spoke, he hooked an arm beneath Jiang Qingyu’s knees and picked him up. Jiang Qingyu let out a few “hey, hey, hey” sounds. “Didn’t I say carry me on your back?”
Fu Jingqiu sounded quite reasonable. “That position would be uncomfortable.”
Jiang Qingyu: Where did that come from? How was being carried on someone’s back uncomfortable?
But it was only a few steps in total. Out this door and a turn of the face, they could enter the hot spring room. It really was convenient for him. Last time had been the same. After finishing, he could come straight here to relax. If Fu Jingqiu had not gone on endlessly last night, he could have soaked before sleeping too.
Mm… Though he might have fallen asleep in the hot spring pool.
Once he soaked in the hot spring again, his sore muscles were soothed. Jiang Qingyu let out a comfortable sigh, then looked at his body beneath the water. It was truly a little too tragic to look at directly.
It seemed that the saying that men became sixty-five after twenty-five did not apply to Fu Jingqiu. Who knew if it was because he had been stifled by all his usual training, but he was actually this lively and vigorous. Could it be that before, he had already been in a restrained state?
And he was not honest either.
It was one thing to kiss everywhere, but why bite too?
Never mind that the marks varied in depth. There were kiss marks, bite marks, and some seemed to be finger marks left from using too much force, especially around his ankles and waist. Compared to last time, he had been far, far more unrestrained.
Thank you, then. Last time really had been holding back.
Fu Jingqiu came in and out, bringing him tea and water one moment, snacks and fruit the next. He looked very considerate, but Jiang Qingyu was not so easy to fool now. This man clearly wanted to jump in and soak with him!
Jiang Qingyu simply did not speak. He pretended he had not seen anything, ate some fruit and snacks, and sat on the steps by the hot spring with his eyes closed to rest. Before long, the dishes were placed on a tray and brought in. He lifted his eyelids and glanced over. Fu Jingqiu was kneeling on one knee beside the hot spring pool, setting the dishes for him. “They’re all home-style dishes. I learned from online videos. Try them.”
They were indeed home-style dishes, but one could tell that the person who cooked them had put thought into it. Everything was cleanly made: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, plus a soup. The portions were not too large, just right for Jiang Qingyu, and they were all things he usually liked. He was immediately a little surprised. “You made all this so quickly?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “I started preparing after I got up this morning. Luckily, you left ingredients in the fridge.” He brought over two bath towels and a robe. “Come out to eat. After eating, you’ll need to rest a while before soaking again. Otherwise, you can go get a massage later.”
Since they had already been like that, there seemed to be no need to be shy at a time like this. Jiang Qingyu only hesitated for a tiny moment before emerging from the water. He even pointed at some of the more serious marks and accused him. “Look at what you did. You even bit here!”
If it rubbed while he walked, it would still feel a bit uncomfortable.
Seeing this, Fu Jingqiu actually wanted to crouch down and look. Jiang Qingyu was startled and hurriedly dodged. “Hey, hey, hey! I’m just telling you. Don’t do that.” This was too embarrassing! He was not wearing anything underneath, all right!
Fu Jingqiu smiled and wrapped him in a large bath towel. First, he dried this fish clean, then helped wrap him in the robe and turned up the room temperature so Jiang Qingyu would not feel cold while eating later.
There were ready-made tables and chairs by the hot spring. Fu Jingqiu had gone back and forth many times just now and had almost brought everything. There was even a soft cushion to sit on. When Jiang Qingyu saw it, his steps paused, but in the end he said nothing. Anyway, he had just soaked in the bath, so it was reasonable that his face was red from the heat.
Fu Jingqiu had looked up recipes and strictly followed the videos step by step to make these dishes: winter melon meatball soup, rice cake ribs, boiled shrimp, tomato scrambled eggs, and water spinach.
The heat was controlled just right. Nothing was burnt, and the vegetables were not overcooked. Jiang Qingyu tasted a few bites. The seasoning was not strange. Although it was not so astonishingly delicious that one would clap in praise, it was proper and error-free, and the taste was decent. So he happily picked up his chopsticks and enjoyed it, asking him while eating, “You’re not eating?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “I ate earlier. I’m not very hungry now.”
True. This man had woken up much earlier than him. Whenever it was like this, Jiang Qingyu would sleep like the dead. Tangyuan and Meimei were left to Fu Jingqiu to take care of, along with the miscellaneous chores on the RV. He was completely a hands-off manager, responsible only for eating and sleeping.
As Jiang Qingyu ate, he chatted with him. “So where are we now? Kanas?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Mm. We arrived this morning.” He added, “Once you’ve rested enough later, we’ll drive over to the Three Bays and take a look. They’re probably all frozen already, but the scenery should still be good.”
The Three Bays of Kanas were Fairy Bay, Moon Bay, and Wolong Bay. The stream flowed beneath the snowy mountains, with vast stretches of rime covered in snow and frost. If it were not so cold now, in ordinary winters one could still see rushing water by the stream, as if one had fallen into an ice-and-snow world. The scenery would be incredibly beautiful and very photogenic. In previous years, many tourists would come around this time.
Fu Jingqiu had not driven the vehicle directly into the village. The commercial atmosphere here was not as developed as Hemu, but it was better than Baihaba. He had even seen a KFC logo and portrait hanging outside a small wooden house. In this snowy night, it looked slightly abrupt, yet also seemed to say that this place had not been completely abandoned by the world.
Along their journey through Xinjiang, they had kept seeing RVs. They had long known that not everyone was willing to go to safe stations. After all, there were no mandatory rules. As long as someone had money and a place to stay, who would want to sleep in a shared hall? There was also the risk of infection.
Even if a new batch of safe stations was about to be completed, they would still be small cubicle rooms, stuffy enough to suffocate in. How could they compare to the comfort and freedom here?
Jiang Qingyu slowly finished this dinner. With food, drink, and hot springs, the discomfort in his body eased a little. At this point, it was indeed not suitable to soak in the hot spring again, so he moved to the living room and took a look at the situation outside while he was at it.
As usual, Fu Jingqiu had parked the RV on higher ground outside the village. This place was much livelier than Baihaba. Jiang Qingyu even saw people lighting fires outside and burning things. People came in and out, shoveling snow and reinforcing cold-proof objects. Even at this hour, they had not stopped working.
It was indeed too cold.
Counting the time, it had been nearly two months since the extreme cold began. In another half month or so, it would be the New Year.
Jiang Qingyu lay on the sofa bed, Tangyuan on one side and Meimei on the other, his legs swinging as he listened to Fu Jingqiu tidying up. He chatted with him. “Duan Yu and Duan Cheng will probably spend New Year in Altay. When the time comes, we can join them and have some fun.”
Fu Jingqiu asked, “After New Year, how long do you plan to stay here?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “I don’t know. It depends on how long the extreme cold lasts, right? If this stretches on for a long time, we could stay for two or three months.”
Fu Jingqiu gave an “mm” and tidied up very quickly. Jiang Qingyu knew he was coming over to find him, but he did not run somewhere else while the other man was busy. Only when Fu Jingqiu sat at the edge of the sofa bed and scooped up one of his legs, placing it on his knee while gently kneading it, did he ask, “Still sore?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “It’s all right. Everything’s a little sore.” He glanced at Fu Jingqiu. “You’re obviously the kind of person who eats once and then can’t eat again for days. Why don’t we plan it out and restrain ourselves a little? That way maybe we can often…”
He met Fu Jingqiu’s sudden gaze and felt the other man’s expression was a little strange. He got stuck for a few seconds before remembering what he had just been saying. “What I mean is, this kind of thing should be like a steady stream. Don’t squeeze me dry all at once.”
Fu Jingqiu stared at him, almost without blinking. “You’re willing to do it every day?”
? Was that what he said? Jiang Qingyu was blank for a few seconds. “I didn’t say every day?”
Fu Jingqiu asked, “How has your recovery been? Do you need medicine?”
Jiang Qingyu guarded himself warily. “I can check by myself. Don’t come over.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “It’s more convenient if I help.”
Jiang Qingyu remained firm. “No. I’ll do it myself.”
Fu Jingqiu’s fingertip rubbed the delicate bone of his ankle. “I can judge its condition.”
What do you need to judge!
Jiang Qingyu sent him a little eye roll. “Thank you for your kindness, but I really don’t need it.”
Fu Jingqiu paused, then said, “If the number of times is fewer, can it be often…”
“…” Jiang Qingyu closed his eyes. “I thought you weren’t someone enthusiastic about this kind of thing.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “I used to think I wasn’t either.”
But there were exceptions to everything.
It was truly hard to restrain emotion.
Because even in moments when they were inseparable, Fu Jingqiu still felt it was not enough.
That still was not close enough, not tight enough, not enough to lock Jiang Qingyu firmly in his arms, not enough to leave marks on him that were deep and impossible to erase.
He had also thought he was indifferent to these intimate relationships. For the past twenty-some years, these feelings had been irrelevant and could not sway him.
Just like when Jiang Qingyu first proposed developing this kind of relationship with him, Fu Jingqiu had not understood. Dating could lead to breaking up; marriage could lead to divorce. Their relationship as friends and teammates should be closer, more inseparable.
As long as Jiang Qingyu was willing, he could always play the role of companion and protector. He was happy to do so.
But he had indeed been ignorant and narrow-minded.
There was actually such a wonderful thing in this world.
So-called bliss was nothing more than this.
Jiang Qingyu was thinking about how to strike back when his vision suddenly darkened. Fu Jingqiu leaned down and kissed him, his dry, soft lips brushing lightly against his before retreating. Sincerely, he said, “It would be nice if it happened every day.”
Jiang Qingyu: “…” No way!
The next day, Jiang Qingyu, now fully recovered and lively again, enthusiastically put on his gear, planning to go walk around Fairy Bay.
Even if the lake water had frozen, the scenery could still be viewed. And since it was frozen so firmly, he might even be able to walk on the ice.
Probably because he had been exhausted the night before, after eating and having Fu Jingqiu serve him with more than an hour of massage, Jiang Qingyu quickly washed up and went to sleep.
Although he had only gotten up not long before, without his bedmate causing trouble, he still fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow, all the way until the alarm woke him. Because it was a plan set in advance, and because he did not have the usual feeling of wanting to stay in bed for another nap, Jiang Qingyu climbed out of bed almost in sync with Fu Jingqiu.
Truly worth celebrating: Fu Jingqiu finally had the honor of eating breakfast together with Jiang Qingyu.
He had set the alarm because he had seen other people’s travel photos and videos online. A little earlier in the day, there would be morning mist, shrouding the entire rime forest and Fairy Bay like thin gauze, even in winter.
If it were summer, this place would be lush and green. If shot with a drone, it would have the texture of an oil painting.
These rime trees were all very old. The little wooden houses beneath them looked like tiny models, and humans appeared even more insignificant among them.
For safety, they did not drive the vehicle too deep inside. Tangyuan wore little shoes, and the cuffs of his pants were tied tightly. After the extreme cold began, no more tourists had come here. The usual small roads had been buried in snow. The sparse railings on both sides of the path only poked out a little from the snow, and some had already disappeared entirely.
The morning mist was thin, hazily shrouding the mountains. As expected, the stream had frozen completely. Jiang Qingyu tried poking it with a branch, then found a stone and smashed it onto the ice. It left only a faint whitish mark on the surface, showing just how solidly it had frozen.
Knowing he wanted to play, Fu Jingqiu first stepped onto it and tested it. He walked from this side of the stream to the opposite bank. By coincidence, he was wearing a dark coat, making him especially conspicuous among the boundless silver-white mountains and fields. Jiang Qingyu buried his face in his fluffy scarf, trying not to expose his skin. Because of snow blindness, they had all worn sunglasses before coming down—even Tangyuan was no exception.
Fu Jingqiu walked around and came back, making a gesture toward him. His voice was muffled in the heavy clothing. “No problem. Come on.” As he spoke, he extended his hand toward Jiang Qingyu.
Jiang Qingyu naturally accepted the invitation.
If he had not skated at Shichahai, then Fairy Bay was the same. No deposit, no renting little sled chairs, and no crowding with people.
Here, there were only the two of them, plus one puppy.
They had originally wanted to bring Meimei too and had even prepared clothes for her, but the little cat refused to cooperate no matter what. Stuffing her inside their clothes was not really a solution either, so they simply let her stay comfortably in the vehicle to enjoy the heating and sleep in.
Fu Jingqiu had brought a little ice-sled boat modified from a swimming ring. Its size took both an adult and a puppy into consideration. As early as when Jiang Qingyu had mentioned wanting to skate on the Three Bays of Kanas, Fu Jingqiu had started making it.
Jiang Qingyu had stocked so many supplies, from sofas and household appliances to a bag of cotton swabs and nail clippers. He had almost everything, except this. He really had not thought of it.
He even had inflatable boats!
Fu Jingqiu had tied ropes to the little ice-sled boat and tested their sturdiness. There was also an emergency “brake” device, enough for this little fish to play to his heart’s content on the ice.
When Jiang Qingyu first sat cross-legged on it, he was still a little nervous. After all, it was his first time playing with this. If Fu Jingqiu had not encouraged him by saying it could be done, perhaps he would have just treated it as a joke and let it pass.
But Fu Jingqiu had said it could be done, and had practically arranged it for him without allowing him to regret it, so Jiang Qingyu had to accept the thoughtfulness.
They had even changed into anti-slip studded shoes. Pulling people was no problem at all.
Not only that, there were knee pads and wrist guards. Even though they were dressed so thickly, Fu Jingqiu had still strongly insisted that he put on protective gear too.
There were handles on both sides of the little ice-sled boat to hold. Jiang Qingyu steadied his heart and said to Fu Jingqiu, “Okay, I’m ready!”
The ice was slippery. With momentum, dragging Jiang Qingyu was not difficult. Besides, Fu Jingqiu’s strength was no joke. He easily pulled Jiang Qingyu more than ten meters away.
At home, the child had spoken boldly, but once he actually started sliding, he could not hold it together anymore. He yelled especially loudly, a single howl startling Tangyuan, who had been standing nearby watching the fun.
Seeing his owner “fly” away, Tangyuan spread his paws and chased after him. Before he could even catch up, he heard Jiang Qingyu begin laughing like a goose, unable to tell whether the other man needed rescuing or not.
After being dragged back and forth once, Jiang Qingyu shouted, “I want to hold Tangyuan and play together!”
Tangyuan’s other father readily agreed. He scooped up Tangyuan, who stood nearby unsure what to do next, and stuffed him into Jiang Qingyu’s arms.
Tangyuan: ?
The next second, he and his owner “flew” out together.
It really was so fun!!
After the initial fear passed, Jiang Qingyu almost instantly fell in love with it.
That speed, that fear and excitement of not knowing when his body might lose balance and fall to the ground. When they rushed out, everything around them turned into white shadows. He could only see the man ahead pulling him forward, his steps steady without even a moment of hesitation.
Tangyuan’s two ears stood tall, his mouth open as he panted, eyes sparkling. He actually looked like he was smiling, clearly liking it very much.
So Fu Jingqiu ordered him to lie on the ice-sled boat and let the puppy play once by himself.
The puppy, not yet a year old, was clearly full of curiosity about everything. After one round, he excitedly used his nose to nudge his two fathers, obviously wanting to play more.
This small request could still be satisfied.
The little fish had played to his heart’s content, and the puppy had played to his heart’s content too.
Just as Fu Jingqiu was preparing to pack things up and return to the RV, Jiang Qingyu stopped him. “Hey, we’re leaving already?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Still haven’t played enough? Then you can do two more rounds.” As he spoke, he was about to untie the knot he had just made.
Jiang Qingyu said, “No, you still haven’t played.”
“?” Fu Jingqiu smiled. “How old am I? Still playing with this?”
Jiang Qingyu did not like hearing that. “You’re a few years older than me, but you’re not even thirty yet. And even if you were thirty, so what? Who says you’re not allowed to play?”
Fu Jingqiu looked at his expression and realized Jiang Qingyu was serious. He smiled, his tone as if coaxing him. “I don’t like playing this.”
Jiang Qingyu did not fall for it. “You haven’t even played before. How do you know you don’t like it? At least try it once.”
He patted his own chest with his cat-head gloves. “Don’t worry, all the food I’ve eaten during this period wasn’t for nothing. Pulling you will absolutely be no problem.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “That’s not what I mean…”
“Aiya.” Jiang Qingyu directly hugged his arm and pulled him toward the ice-sled boat. “And don’t say you can’t sit in it. I could sit inside while holding Tangyuan, so you alone will definitely be fine.”
As he spoke, he tugged the man over, not giving Fu Jingqiu a chance to refuse at all. Fu Jingqiu wanted to open his mouth, but Jiang Qingyu immediately “fiercely” glared him back, as if he would be bitten hard by this “ferocious beast” if he dared to speak. Fu Jingqiu did not know whether to laugh or cry, but in the end, he still sat down properly and reminded him, “Just pull me out a little way. It can slide very far. If you can’t pull it, don’t force yourself.”
Jiang Qingyu rubbed his hands together and laughed strangely. “I can’t pull it? Watch carefully, Comrade Fu Jingqiu. Today, I’ll let you witness my power!!”
With that, he gripped the two climbing ropes and pulled Fu Jingqiu forward in a sudden burst.
The instant the ice-sled boat rushed out, Fu Jingqiu suddenly thought of the spring outing in elementary school that he had never been able to go on with his classmates.
That activity had been a trip to an amusement park, led by the teacher. Parents only needed to pay an autumn outing fee, covering the amusement park ticket and that day’s meals.
It was not expensive. One hundred yuan per person.
With his family’s conditions at the time, they could absolutely afford the spring outing fees for two children.
Because after that day ended, Fu Jingqiu, who had stayed at home doing homework all day, heard his younger brother come back and show off how fun the amusement park rides were. The pocket money their mother had given him had been used to buy lots of tasty food, and he had even shared it with his classmates.
After their mother returned, she praised his generosity. As for the decision not to let Fu Jingqiu participate in the activity, she did not offer a single explanation.
Once there was a first time, there would be a second.
Later, year after year, it was like this.
The amusement park rides were actually nothing rare. For Fu Jingqiu, who grew older day by day, they had also lost their appeal to an adult.
There was only one time, during a mission, when they passed near an amusement park. Fu Jingqiu saw the Ferris wheel and roller coaster beneath the high buildings, and his gaze lingered there for a few seconds.
But it was only a few seconds.
Those few seconds had now become this: the little fish pulling him and running forward with all his might, every movement slowed down in his eyes with incomparable clarity.
Even on ice, even with momentum, at the start, it still required some strength.
Their equipment was not light.
But this little fish, who usually would laze on the sofa for an entire afternoon after cooking a meal, swinging his legs and humming for Fu Jingqiu to come massage his wrist, was now clenching his teeth, holding his breath, and pulling him forward without a word.
The heroism of childhood had once been imagining that a superhero would come to his bedside in the middle of the night, take him away from his family, and go save the world.
Now, it had become a young man willing to run across the ice for his lover.
Who was this lucky, to be able to become his lover?
The Apocalypse of Natural Disasters Descends During an RV Trip
