Playing The Victims [BL]

Chapter Nineteen | First World

[ 19 ]

And so the two ended up sharing a bed again. There were many things that didn't add up in ShuNing's mind, but just one look at his stony-faced companion this morning and he gave up, knowing he wouldn't get any answers.

Only a few minutes prior, ShuNing had woken up once again to find himself practically sprawled all over ZhangFeng. Though he usually slept like the dead, which included how he didn't move much, he found himself increasingly perplexed how they kept ending up in this position- literally.

His mother used to tell him how she had to poke him a few times after he was just born, because he slept so solidly she thought him dead. This fact never changed as he grew older; even when in the past he had shared beds with other people, he instinctively arched away from the foreign anomaly in his bed.

But now, when he woke up he found his head tucked under the chin of ZhangFeng; limbs entangled. The older man had had his arms wrapped around him, sleeping soundly and acting uncharacteristically peacefully. Like in the other tavern, ShuNing masterfully wriggled his way free and like in the other tavern ZhangFeng stirred shortly after. He praised his luck.

As they had a full day left to kill before the auction, they took their time getting up and washing before they headed out. ShuNing had tried to nab one of the cakes that had been generously bought for him, but ZhangFeng was quick to remove them out of his grasp.

"You will get fat."

"Then I will be a meat-bun with pride!"

"No"

The spat went on for a short time before the inevitable happened, ZhangFeng won. He put the bag down on the table and ushered ShuNing out of the room. By the time they reached the front doors of the tavern though, the young one's foul mood had considerably lightened as he smiled attractively, innocently. A complete contrast to what he was thinking.

Since you're buying me breakfast then I will buy everything sweet on the menu.

Walking out the door, they passed a flock of women who had been the few to witness their little act when they first arrived, the women felt their cheeks prickle with heat. Arising so late in the day? They have been busy.

Their old, experienced eyes then watched the boy's form, wondering how he was moving so lightly, without any discomfort. To question anymore than that would be deemed unladylike, so they chuckled amongst themselves and carried on with their morning stroll.

"What shall we do today, elder brother?" ShuNing eventually asked when they once again stood in the cold open air of Xinshan.

It already appeared far busier today as it was yesterday, no doubt due to the sheer popularity of the auction that would be taking place tomorrow. This brought up a wave of anxiety, which ShuNing tried hard to suppress. There was a lot of pressure on him being able to buy the Xythur plant's antidote. And he didn't have a limitless amount of Xin.

"We'll go to Xinshan's herbalist shop, where you can find the antidote for Voch." ZhangFeng decided for them both, quelling the anxieties that ShuNing was feeling. He needed someone to make the decisions for them when he was feeling so insecure, and who better than the stubborn oaf who he has found himself sharing a bed with more times than he ever has with someone before.

As Old Tengfei had mentioned, the Voch plant's antidote was indeed easy to find. When they entered the herbalist 'shop' which had walls stacked full of various jars containing all sorts of things, the owner had excused himself from a couple who were taking too much time finding what they wished, and scurried to the wealthy-looking young men.