The Sweet Litte Fulang (SLF)

Chapter 33 - Stare

The candlelight flickered slightly, casting a dim glow on Shen Xuanqing's face. The outline of his resolute, rugged features seemed to soften a little. He lowered his head, peeling chestnuts with downcast eyes.

Caught off guard by the look in those starlit eyes, Lu Gu's image reflected on Shen Xuanqing's stare, where the candlelight reflected softly in his eyes, bright yet gentle. Suddenly flustered, Lu Gu quickly looked away.

Lowering his head, he grew anxious, wanting to hide the rudeness of his stare, so he stuffed the chestnut into his mouth. The raw chestnut wasn't as sweet and sticky as a cooked one, but it wasn't crunchy either. He picked up another chestnut to peel for himself, realizing he couldn't always wait for others to peel them for him.

Shen Xuanqing was momentarily taken aback as well. He didn't fully understand love, but he was content to live alongside Lu Gu. He wasn't sure what Lu Gu thought when he looked at him, and he wanted to ask, but seeing Lu Gu so uneasy, the words caught in his throat.

Instead, he smiled faintly, handed over another peeled chestnut, and pretended not to notice anything unusual. "It's best not to eat too much raw food at night. If you want more in a couple of days, I'll pick some for you."

"Mm." Lu Gu nodded obediently, chewing the one in his mouth as he peeled the one in his hand. He hesitated, wanting to offer it to Shen Xuanqing, but seeing him busy peeling one for himself, he decided against it and set his mind at ease.

It was late, and eating too much of this food could make the stomach uncomfortable. After finishing a few chestnuts, they took the candlestick to the East Room to make the bed for Monk Huitong.

With more people around, Lu Gu couldn't wash his face in the courtyard, so Shen Xuanqing brought a basin into the room for him to wash up and also poured the water for his feet.

After Monk Huitong finished his meal in the main room, Shen Xuanqing chatted with him for a while. Lu Gu had no interest in listening to their conversation. Besides, the door was closed, and he couldn't hear clearly, so he lay down after washing.

The night was quiet and the room lay in darkness. Lying on his back, he gazed at the roof. For a moment, he thought about making two bamboo plaques the next day. In the afternoon, he would cut up some wolfberry to dry in the sun—the more he dried, the more it would sell for. Then he thought of pickling the cress tomorrow, so Shen Xuanqing could taste it the following morning.

He rolled over and closed his eyes. Faint voices drifted from outside the door, muffled by the wooden panel.

The empty space beside him made him feel a little uneasy, but he was too unaware to notice anything unusual.

The habit was there, though it hadn't yet reached the point of being intolerable, nor was he fully conscious of it.

—

Early the next morning, Monk Huitong left some medicinal herbs and bid farewell to Shen Xuanqing and Lu Gu.

The gentle-looking monk recited the Buddha's name, bowing slightly with his head lowered. Then he raised his head, nodded once more, and turned to leave.

Last night, it had been too dark for Lu Gu to look at him closely, but now he could clearly see Monk Huitong's face. When he met the monk's eyes, he suddenly understood the meaning of "compassion."

The two of them returned to the yard. Lu Gu went to boil water to heat the steamed buns, while Shen Xuanqing spread the medicinal herbs out on a bamboo plaque to dry. They were common herbs for treating colds and needed a few days in the sun.

In the woodshed, the captive pheasant clucked, though the sound was duller than a chicken's. This creature, called a tit, couldn't fly well despite its name. It was large, slow-witted, with sharp claws and a long beak that could inflict deep scratches that bled easily. Few dared to catch it, and it was hidden deep in the old forests, making it rarer in recent years.