Chapter 2#

If You See SnowCh2 - Sleeping Together at Night#

Two pairs of eyes met each other once more, both falling into silence.

Su Ruhui recalled the locked door, the young man lying alone in that cold, dilapidated side room, and instantly understood: Jiang Quexie must detest this arranged marriage, and detest him, his nominal husband, even more. Well that made sense. Noble families are no strangers to homosexual relationships, and male concubines were far from rare. It was only for the sake of continuing the bloodline that one must marry a woman as a legitimate wife. Who would’ve thought that the trash Jiang family would marry off their son to the Sang family. Not only did they treat Sang Chiyu with prefunct, they also failed to regard their own son as a human being.

Jiang Quexie then took his anger out on Sang Chiyu, leading to the current situation.

Well this was awkward. Now Jiang Quexie has become Su Ruhui, and Su Ruhui isn’t nearly this ruthless.

Su Ruhui finally uttered out a: “Yes, I meant thatIam utterly inhuman!”

Sang Chiyu did not respond. He picked up the underrobe Su Ruhui had cut to shreds and silently put it on. Even though the clothes were so tattered it barely covered his body, Sang Chiyu still fastened the ties with meticulous care. His face was expressionless, showing neither shock nor anger, neither sorrow nor joy. Su Ruhui’s heart ached. Sang Chiyu had always loved cleanliness. His clothes were always spotless, yet now he wore such rags without batting an eye. Su Ruhui even felt that if he were to take a whip and beat him again right now, Sang Chiyu would still endure it silently, without the slightest resistance.

Su Ruhui turned to rummage through his drawers, pulling out a clean underrobe and tossing it to him.

“I won’t hit you anymore, rest assured. You also know that my parents arranged my betrothal to you. I’m a grown man after all, so enduring such humiliation left me with a deep sense of resentment. But…” Su Ruhui shifted gears abruptly, “I had afleeting dreamlast night. In the dream, we were destined soul mates in our past life. Alas, our parents tore us apart like lovebirds struck by a stick. We vowed to renew our bond in the next life, so you threw yourself into the clear lake, while I hung myself from the southeast branch. Though this dream is weird as hell, it may well be the Supreme Ultimate Heavenly Lord guiding us from beyond. Therefore–” Su Ruhui patted his shoulder, “Let’s have a good relationship from now on. I won’t look down on you, so you shouldn’t hold a grudge against me. If I get a bite of the chicken’s head, you get a bite of its butt. What do you think?”

Sang Chiyu was speechless. Clearly, Sang Chiyu didn’t believe a single word he said. Sang Chiyu lowered his eyes, took off the dirtied underrobe, and put on the clean one. His hands also bore wounds. His pale wrists seemed as though they might snap with the slightest twist, trembling uncontrollably as he tied his sash. As soon as he finished wearing his clothes, he turned his back to Su Ruhui and closed his eyes.

Su Ruhui shrugged, “If you don’t say anything, I’ll just take that as you agreeing.”

Sang Chiyu still did not respond. Su Ruhui tucked in the covers around him, picked up his dirtied clothes, and turned to leave.

As soon as Su Ruhui left, the old dog curled up by the bed slowly lifted its eyelids and said, “Well this is interesting. I clearly saw that this guy was already dead, but now he’s alive and kicking.”

A dog speaking human language was clearly a strange sight to behold, yet Sang Chiyu did not bat an eye.

“How much longer are you gonna wallow in self pity?” The old dog groaned, “The Kunlun Secret Sect has harmed you to this point, do you still want to recognize Dantai Jing as your master? You may be thinking of your master, but he doesn’t have you in his mind at all. Listen to my advice: take the secret drug prepared for you by Hei Guanyin. You will recover completely, and even surpass your former self. Then we’ll settle every grievance and avenge every grudge, making those scum from the Kunlun Secret Sect regret their actions to their dying breath.”

Sang Chiyu opened his eyes but paid the words no mind. He reached into the inner side of the bed and pulled out a small, round box. A bloodstained and black heart core appeared before him. Sang Chiyu’s eyes dimmed slightly, his lips pale as paper.

Since the old dog was curled up beneath the bed, it couldn’t see Sang Chiyu’s movements. He chattered on for a while without getting a response, and finally gave up.

Sang Chiyu abruptly asked: “Did you kill him?”

He suddenly blurted out something without any context. The old dog immediately understood and hurriedly said, ‘It has nothing to do with me. He was already out cold when I got there. What, do you want me to make him die again? Just say the word…’”

“Quiet.” Sang Chiyu closed his eyes, “You’re too noisy.”

The old dog clamped his mouth shut in frustration, then turned his head toward the door and muttered, “Your wife coming back from the dead is weird as hell. Could there be such secret arts in this world? That’s not right. He’d stare daggers and fly into a rage whenever he saw you before. How is that the gentle demeanor from today? Like two different people. Huh… could it bespirit possession? Intriguing… I must look into this. This will surely be of great merit if reported to Hei Guanyin.”

Su Ruhui leaned against the doorpost outside, listening to the entire conversation. A talking dog, could it be a shape shifting secret art? Su Ruhui stroked his chin in thought. He had heard of the name Hei Guanyin before. This person was the head of the Underworld’s Great Compassion Temple and possessed considerable expertise in herbal medicine. In their hands were several strange drugs like theHehuan Powderand theFive Stone Powder, all strictly forbidden by the Secret Sect. There were rumors in the past that said he possessed a mysterious drug called theWuji Powderthat could unlock human potential and awaken hidden arts in ordinary people. However, the side effects are extremely severe, and many people are driven to madness.

Su Ruhui shook his head. Don’t go down the wrong path my old enemy.

Su Ruhui washed both Sang Chiyu’s and his own clothes, hanging them out to dry in the courtyard. He squinted into the fading sky. It was still too early to cook, so he strolled through the old Sang family estate with his hands behind his back like an old man. The estate stood on the outskirts of Yunzhou, occupying a vast expanse of land. Pavilions and towers stood in all their splendor, but were overgrown with weeds and decayed like abandoned tombs. As dusk fell, the estate grew increasingly eerie.

Su Ruhui headed to the kitchen. He encountered the old dog right upon entering. The old dog was rummaging around the stove when it spotted Su Ruhui. Both ears perked up instantly, its expression alert and wary. Su Ruhui raised an eyebrow. Jiang Quexie certainly wouldn’t cook for Sang Chiyu. Could it be that this old dog had been preparing his meals all these days?

“Get lost.”

Su Ruhui booted the old dog out the door, then lit a fire to boil some water. Sang Chiyu was badly injured. He had to feed him some meat to help him recover faster. Su Ruhui slaughtered a chicken, cut open its belly to remove the innards, poured in cooking wine, and stuffed it with scallion segments and ginger slices. When the water was brought to a boil, he placed the chicken inside to steam. He added a handful of peppercorns and a spoonful of turmeric. After an incense time, the aroma of food came wafting out. Su Ruhui turned his head to see the old dog perched on the windowsill, eyes fixed on the large pot with drool dripping from its mouth.

Su Ruhui picked up a stick of bone and tossed it away. The old dog glared at Su Ruhui for a long time, baring its teeth. But because it could not give itself away, it slunk off to retrieve the bone with drooping ears. Su Ruhui tossed it again. The old dog, furious, dug at the ground twice with its paw before reluctantly going to retrieve it once more.

“Good dog,” Su Ruhui grinned. “My husband didn’t give you a name, did he? Let’s call youWangcaifrom now on.”

The old dog was so furious he nearly spat blood.

Thinking the time was about right, Su Ruhui lifted the pot lid to find the chicken a nice golden brown. With a quick poke of the chopsticks, the meat yielded softly, immediately forming a dent. Perfectly cooked through. Finally, he drizzled sauce over the chicken, served it up, brought two bowls of steamed rice, and headed to Sang Chiyu’s side room.

“Husband, dinner’s ready.” Su Ruhui placed the plate on the table and rolled up the curtain.

Sang Chiyu looked up at him. A seventeen year old youth with sleeves rolled up to reveal a stretch of fair skin, radiating vigor. Sang Chiyu remained silent, his gaze drifting toward the steaming chicken on the square table.

“Let’s eat on the bed.” Su Ruhui brought over the bedside table and placed it in front of Sang Chiyu.

Sang Chiyu slowly sat up, propping himself up with both hands on the bed as he shifted backward. Su Ruhui didn’t rush him, waiting until he was settled before placing the plates on the bedside table.

Su Ruhui tore off a piece of chicken leg for Sang Chiyu. Sang Chiyu stared at the fragrant meal, pursing his lips. It had been ages since he’d seen such delicious food. When imprisoned in Kunlun, they fed him leftovers and cold dishes. Now back at the Sang household, the old dog occasionally cooked him a few meals, but most were barely edible. No matter what suffering he endured, he didn’t care. It was what he deserved.

The man before him was not Jiang Quexie. He had no business being here, and he himself certainly deserved no kindness from this person.

His fingers brushed the scorching rim of the bowl. He spoke up with a low voice, “Tomorrow, I will draft the divorce papers.”

Su Ruhui froze for a moment. “Why would you want a divorce when we’re doing so well? Is it because I hit you? Or is it because I can’t bear you a child to carry on the Sang bloodline?”

Sang Chiyu paused before saying, “You’ve been so kind to me. I have no way to repay you.”

Su Ruhui smiled. “Who asked you to repay me? Between husband and wife, what else could I possibly want from you besides your body?”

Sang Chiyu: “…”

Su Ruhui laughed heartily. “Besides, I don’t even covet your body. Just recover quickly, and that’ll be your way of repaying me. Eat up, try my cooking.”

Sang Chiyu still did not touch his chopsticks, merely saying, “Leave this place tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” Su Ruhui raised an eyebrow, “Are you trying to kick me out?”

Sang Chiyu remained silent.

“You won’t eat if I don’t agree to the divorce?” Su Ruhui asked.

Sang Chiyu lowered his eyes, saying nothing. It was a silent admission.

Su Ruhui crossed his arms and tilted his head to look at him. What the hell is wrong with this guy? When Jiang Quexie hit him earlier, he didn’t kick the guy out. Now that he’s being nice to him, he wants to throw him out? Is he looking for a beating?

“Alright, I’ll leave tomorrow.” Su Ruhui continued, “Can you move your chopsticks now, good sir?”

“Sorry.” Sang Chiyu murmured softly, finally picking up his chopsticks.

The old dog wagged its tail frantically, looking at them pitifully. Su Ruhui tossed it a piece of meat. It yelped, snatching it up and running off. Sang Chiyu took a bite of chicken, then paused abruptly. His jet black eyes shone like glass beads, their depths impossible to decipher.

“What’s wrong?” Su Ruhui questioned, “Not cooked well? Not to your liking?”

Sang Chiyu slowly raised his head and asked, “One spoonful of cooking wine, a handful of peppercorns, and one spoonful of turmeric?”

Su Ruhui chuckled, “Your tongue’s pretty sharp. You got all my seasonings and their proportions just right.”

Sang Chiyu said no more, lowering his head to continue eating. He took each bite quietly, chewing without a sound. Even when riddled with wounds and confined to a dilapidated room, he maintained the decorum befitting a military officer of the Secret Sect.

Su Ruhui had a small appetite and felt full after just a few bites. He recalled that Sang Chiyu was pretty much the same. This guy never cared for greasy, meaty dishes. Waiting to clean up the dishes, he watched as Sang Chiyu actually picked up and ate the chicken piece by piece until the plate was sparkling clean.

Su Ruhui: “…”

The guy’s been starving to death for days now.

Su Ruhui suddenly smiled. “You trust me so much. You’ll eat whatever I give?”

Sang Chiyu froze in his tracks.

“I laced the chicken with aphrodisiacs.” Su Ruhui said.

Sang Chiyu lowered his head and started violently coughing. The old dog below was midway through gnawing on a piece of meat. Hearing Su Ruhui’s words, it widened its eyes and began to bark loudly.

Su Ruhui watched as his chest shook with each cough. Fearing his wounds might reopen, he hurriedly said, “I was just kidding! Didn’t I eat as well?”

Sang Chiyu stopped coughing, set his chopsticks aside, and did not pick them up for a long time.

Su Ruhui chuckled, “I really didn’t slip you any aphrodisiacs. From now on, don’t just eat whatever people give you. It might be something bad. Of course, what I give you is an exception.”

His words carried a hint ofhidden meaning. Sang Chiyu raised his eyes and watched him quietly. He maintained his smile, revealing a mouthful of pearly whites as if he were a harmless youth. Sang Chiyu lowered his gaze and picked up his chopsticks again to finish the meal.

The old dog watched Sang Chiyu continue eating. After hesitating for a long time, he finally couldn’t resist the temptation of the meat’s aroma and took another bite.

Su Ruhui added: “Sleep with me tonight.”

Sang Chiyu furrowed his brow slightly and called out: “Young Master Jiang.”

Don’t tease him anymore.

“Not teasing you, I’m being for real this time.” Su Ruhui said. “Even though I’ll be leaving tomorrow, we’re still husband and wife now. How does it make sense for a married couple to sleep in separate rooms?”

Sang Chiyu’s brows furrowed even more tightly. His previous lifeless expression finally had some emotion, giving him a human air at last. Su Ruhui tugged at his sleeve. “Ok, I’ll be honest. Last night, someone snuck into my room and tried to kill me. I’m just a weakling who can’t even tie up a chicken. It’s so scary. Husband, how about you keep me company?”

With this bad dog lurking nearby, Su Ruhui had to keep a close eye on the guy to make sure he didn’t actually take the secret drug.

Simultaneously, he had a chance to find out why he was expelled from his sect. Sharing the same bed was a perfect opportunity for an intimate candlelit chat.

The old dog barked loudly, pacing in circles with anxiety.

Sang Chiyu, don’t trust him! He’s just lusting after your body!