Chapter 150: Shizun and I will exchange rooms

Speaking of which, this small town was famous because of Rising Reflection Peak. But then, the fake Gou Cheng incident took place, because of which Jin Chengchi’s weapons were all destroyed. Over the years, the town gradually became isolated and many of the inns that were used as lodgings for the swordsmen, were shut down because of the losing business. Many closed their doors and resorted to other careers to earn a living.

However, the inn with the hot spring, where Shizun and his disciples slept together, survived tenaciously. Because of Young Master Nangong’s marriage, guests who came to congratulate the Rufeng Sect would all settle in Dai City and the inns were restored to its vitality.

Xue Zhengyong lifted the bamboo curtain and entered the lobby: “Laoban¹, we’ll be staying here!”

[TL/N: (1) Lǎobǎn (老板) here is addressed to the innkeeper. The literal meaning of the word is boss or supervisor.]

“Four people?”

Before Xue Zhengyong could answer, a low and soft voice sounded behind him, “No, five.”

It turned out that Mo Ran, who had left in a hurry, just arrived at the inn.

On seeing him, Xue Meng was a little surprised, “So quick?”

Mo Ran froze at first. A dark look appeared on his face and he angrily thought to himself, do you go down slowly? But he seated himself in the tea stand, mumbling a few words of the mind-clearing mantra.

However, he also knew that what Xue Meng was saying and what he was thinking were not the same. It would not be good to flare up so he could only nod in a rather subtle way.

“You ate all the seeds, right?”

Mo Ran: “…”

“Of the five guests, how many rooms do you need?”

Xue Zhengyong replied, “My wife and I will share a room. And we need another three rooms of the highest quality. A total of four rooms.”

Listening to his uncle’s arrangement, Mo Ran remained silent and appeared calm from the outer surface, but his heart was quite agitated. He actually secretly hoped that the conversation with his uncle, from the time when the innkeeper had told them that the rooms were filled and that they’d have to squeeze together, could be repeated, so that he could…

He still wouldn’t be able to do anything, but if he could stay in a room alone with Chu Waning, he would definitely be a little uneasy and excited for what’s to come next. The blood in his veins that flowed was still the blood of wolves and tigers, after all.

However, coincidences don’t happen that many times, this time the innkeeper said happily, “Okay, four rooms!” He turned over to the cabinet, took the keys, and yelled loudly, “Dear guests, move to the second floor, and please do–”

Mo Ran stared at him in silence, his eyes gloomy.

He exasperatedly thought, How stupid! Four rooms and you’re so happy? What’s there to be happy about? What’s there to be happy about!?? What was there to be so happy about earning more money!?

“A-Ran², why are you clutching the edge of the tabletop?”

[TL/N: (2) A-Ran is a way of addressing Mo Ran affectionately.]

“…” Mo Ran calmly withdrew his hand, and smiled faintly. The place where the top tapered had already been cracked by his fingers, leaving a few marks. He was afraid that it would shatter with some more force. “Nothing.”

When he took the key from Xue Zhengyong and went upstairs. Mo Ran, who was standing in front of the room which belonged to him, suddenly started.

Turning his head, he saw that Chu Wanning was staring at him.

“You’ll stay here?”

“Hmm…Yes.” Mo Ran hesitated at the start. He lowered his eyelashes, and then couldn’t help but raise his eyes. His bright black eyes were stuck on Chu Wanning’s face, “Does Shizun remember?”

“…Remember what?”

Mo Ran pointed to his room’s door and said: “When we came to ask for the sword, Shizun lived in this room.”

“…”

Mo Ran looked at him carefully. His voice was forbearing, but he couldn’t hide the faint expectation: “Shizun, do you remember?”

Chu Wanning thought to himself, how could he not remember.

Walking up this floor, he noticed that the old staircase was creaking and that they hadn’t been repaired. The scent of rotten wood emanated from them.

He could almost see the teenager Mo Ran pushing open the door with a cynical expression, grinning at him. His dimples were shallow, and his hair was long.

Seeing that he hadn’t spoken for a long time, Mo Ran seemed to be a little disappointed, casting his eyes down, and said, “Maybe I remembered it wrong and got confused…”

“That’s right.”

Mo Ran raised his head with a jerk.

Chu Wanning gazed at him with a faint smile, “You didn’t remember it wrong, it’s this one.”

This sentence was like a spark, igniting the spots filled with darkness in the depths of Mo Ran’s eyes. The corner of his mouth gradually cracked a sweet smile, as if he had eaten a delicious candy. He pointed to the room where Chu Wanning was staying in now and mentioned, “And yes, the room Shizun is staying in today is the room where I used to stay in.”

He was very cheerful and spoke frankly.

Chu Wanning was a little embarrassed when he heard it. His lips pulled down, and he said sullenly: “I don’t remember that.”

Declaring that, he entered the room and shut Mo Ran out.

“…”

Eh…what did he do wrong to make him unhappy?

It was night, and Mo Ran did not dare to go to the hot springs in the bathhouse to soak. There were some things he was afraid of, just in case. He felt that he was now close to the limits of his desire. If Chu Wanning gave him a little leeway, he didn’t know if he could resist being a gentleman and not pick this flower of kaolin³.

[TL/N: (3) Kaolin is the white layered silicate mineral(clay mineral) found in the mountains mostly.]

Mo Ran was lying on the bed with his head resting on his arm. He was really bored, and he began to think about how he would get along with Chu Wanning.

He was not very smart. He felt that Chu Wanning was like a big white cat. He wanted to be nice to him, and take care of this snow-white cat. However, on just patting his fur a few times, the white cat would smack him with his paw. It was as if he was not comfortable touching him and had complaints.

He felt very guilty, but he really didn’t know where he could touch the cat and where he couldn’t. Mo Ran felt like a person who was raising a cat for the first time. He knew nothing about it. He could only poke the white cat under his paw and lick his hair.

Then, he’d hear another furious roar and a slap on his face.

Mo Ran blinked and rolled over, looking very gloomy.

It suddenly occurred to him that according to the layout of this inn, the bed in the next room and his room should only be separated by a wooden wall.

As soon as this notion came out, Mo Ran couldn’t sleep even more, and he felt a little hot.

Had Chu Wanning gone to take a bath? Or was he still preparing?

He couldn’t hear much movement in the room…If Chu Wanning didn’t plan to go to the bath, then, is he currently lying down? So…they were actually very close to each other now. If there was no thin wooden partition in the middle, and they weren’t separated, they would actually be lying down together…

Lying down together. This thought made the young man’s blood hot, flowing dangerously like a dormant volcano, but not gushing.

He couldn’t help but shift, clinging to the wall that was made of wood and soil. It was so thin, only three fingers wide at most.

Mo Ran thought of Chu Wanning lying three feet wide from him, taking off his clothes, or wearing only a thin undergarment… He forced his eyes shut and gulped, throat visibly moving. He felt his heart was burning, till even his eyes felt dry. He didn’t open them, but if he did, they would be bloodshot and pulsating.

Ah, then he suddenly remembered something else— it was so exciting that his whole body tensed, and the blood rushed down his body.

He once blasphemed himself on the bed where Chu Wanning had slept.

The old memories were so wet, sinful and sweet. Mo Ran recalled the incident, and his scalp numbed. He could still picture the scene when they were soaking in the hot springs that year and he accidentally fell into Chu Wanning’s arms. That intense feeling could never be buried. He could only rub his forehead against the wall, wanting to vent out his desire…

Mo Ran half-opened his eyes, which seemed pained. His dark irises were like rocks, but there was also crimson molten lava surging under them. He pressed his forehead against the wall again, thump.

His heart was about to burst. Mo Ran couldn’t help but ask himself, how could I be so stupid back then, clearly such a bright desire and love, why… couldn’t I have known…

He laid his hand flat against the wall trying to restrain himself, but he couldn’t do anything.

When he thought that he was not in love, he could unscrupulously think of Chu Wanning to vent his anger on, but when he fell in love, he was now separated from him by a thin wall. He couldn’t get him even if he would beg all his life. Even if he dreamt about it, he felt it was a sacrilege to Chu Wanning.

Forbearing desires are really tormenting for a young man’s body. His nose and hot boiling body were literally sticking to the thin wall as much as possible, thoughts in total chaos. With hazy eyes, he even had a faint illusion in the increasingly luxuriant sentiment.

It seemed to him that Chu Wanning’s breath, with the shadowy scent of Begonia on Chu Wanning’s body, had penetrated through the tiniest cracks in the wooden wall, seeped into his bed, and wrapped around him tightly.

Chu Wanning’s smell seduced him and pitied him.

Seduced his beast desire and pitied his humanity.

Seduced his desire and burned his body, pitying him for what he wanted.

Amidst such enticement and pity, Mo Ran frowned in pain. His hands that were supporting the wall were shaking, veins popping out one by one.

Contrary to his violent look, it was almost like he was sobbing and pleading, as he whispered softly: “Chu Wanning… Wanning…”

He didn’t know that on the other side of the wall, Chu Wanning actually didn’t dare to go to the hot spring pool to bathe either. He was the same as Mo Ran and had already laid down. At this time, he was also thinking and yearning for him. Chu Wanning’s slender fingers also traced the cold wooden board, forehead nudging this ruthless wall.

The two of them had such a deep misunderstanding in their previous lives that there was a huge abyss between them. Therefore, in this life, they poured their blood and filled the abyss with a sea of ​​blood, swimming towards each other, but because of a barrier, they could not see each others’ surging emotions. They could only be overflown by their own desires.

But they obviously stuck so closely to each other.

So close that it seemed that Mo Ran could hear Chu Wanning’s breathing, and Chu Wanning seemed to hear Mo Ran’s heartbeat.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Mo Ran was shocked and asked, irritated, “Who is it?”

With his shouting, Chu Wanning, who was next door, was also taken aback. He realized that Mo Ran was really sleeping very close to the wall, so close to him that his low and hoarse voice seemed as if he was right next to his pillow.

“…” Chu Wanning couldn’t help but clench his ten fingers, the pair of phoenix eyes opening in the darkness.

“It’s me, Xue Meng.” The person outside said, “My mother said she put my luggage and your luggage together. So you should open the door soon, and wait for me to take a shower.”

Eavesdropping was of course not a good thing, but Chu Wanning told himself that he didn’t eavesdrop. It was just that the board was too thin. The soundproofing of the room was too poor, and Xue Meng was too loud.

In short, he didn’t want to listen in.

Chu Wanning wrapped himself in a quilt, and leaned closer to the wall.

There was a creak in the bed next door. After a while the door opened, and Xue Meng’s voice sounded again: “Hey, why are you already asleep? So early?”

“I’m sleepy.” Mo Ran choked a little, “Hurry up, I was awakened by you halfway through my sleep. Take your clothes and go walk around.”

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Xue Meng paused, with a hint of suspicion in his voice, “You dropped the door latch so early, and kept yourself inside. You were angry just after a few words, were you maybe…? You couldn’t possibly be… What were you doing?”

Chu Wanning eyes widened, and unconsciously thought of the lotus pond incident and how their limbs rubbed against each other. The young man had excessive passion and was in high spirits. He seemed to be ready to take a person’s life at any time.

A young man in his early twenties who did not cultivate abstinence like him, how much boiling magma would he be hiding in his body? How often would it need to be vented before it’s satiated? None of these are known by Chu Wanning. He has been pure-hearted for a long time, and he doesn’t understand.

Now, he wanted to know a little bit, but he couldn’t let go of his pride.

He was such an arrogant person, who could he ask such questions to? He couldn’t just pull a disciple and say, “I’m sorry to bother you. I want to ask an ordinary able-bodied man, how many days do you usually release?”

…Even thinking about it made him feel so abnormal that it was indescribable.

Of course, there are these kinds of books related to dual cultivation of love at Sisheng Peak, but every book borrowed requires registration of the borrower. Chu Wanning couldn’t imagine the following words appearing in the book:

‘The Legend of the Heroes on the Bed’, ‘The Story of the Sea of ​​Desire’

‘Borrower: Yuheng Elder Chu Wanning.’

…It would be better to just kill him.