Chapter 30
Since Que Siming was unconscious, he immediately started sinking after falling into the water and quickly got separated from Jinbao. Frightened, Jinbao hurriedly swam towards him.
The current was swift, and without enough strength, one would be swept away. Jinbao’s arms nearly gave out before he managed to grab him.
By then, the two of them had already been swept downstream. Jinbao kept holding up Que Siming’s chin, terrified that he might drown. Meanwhile, Jinbao himself had swallowed a bellyful of water. The moment they reached the shore, he collapsed to his knees and vomited violently.
After vomiting, he lay back on the ground, groaning in pain. He felt like the world was spinning, and his abdomen ached intensely.
First, Que Siming had punched him in the waist, then the masked man had struck his stomach. It wasn’t that he was being overly sensitive-it really was the most severe injury he’d ever sustained. Despite the internal injuries, he’d still managed to drag Que Siming ashore. Now, he was utterly exhausted.
“Cough, cough…”
Jinbao turned his head in surprise, propping himself up and crawling over. “You’re awake? Divine Doctor? You’re awake?”
Que Siming opened his bleary eyes, and the first thing he saw was Jinbao’s enlarged face.
“Little Hu…”
“Thank goodness, you still remember me.” Jinbao finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was truly worried that Que Siming would wake up with a messed-up mind.
“What happened to us? Why are we here?” The Divine Doctor finally noticed his drenched state, realizing his clothes were completely soaked.
Jinbao sighed and, with great effort, helped him up. “Let’s find a dry place to hang up our clothes first. I’ll explain everything slowly.”
“So, according to what you said, that masked man ultimately spared us?”
“Yeah, otherwise he would’ve definitely taken you back with him. It’s terrifying that there’s someone in the world with such powerful martial arts.” The boy still shuddered at the thought.
Que Siming was filled with suspicion.
That masked man was too mysterious-there was no way to trace who he really was. The blow he delivered was truly forceful; even now, with just a slight movement, Que Siming’s chest ached. But in the end, the man had spared their lives. Why? Was he an enemy or a friend? Who could he be?
As Que Siming was lost in thought, Jinbao was busy, dressed in nothing but a pair of large shorts, using branches to build a frame to dry their clothes. The sun was out, and if they didn’t take advantage of the daylight to dry their clothes, they’d definitely get sick once night fell.
When the Divine Doctor looked up, he saw large bruises covering Jinbao’s solid waist and abdomen, the sight of which made his eyes ache.
He walked over and gently touched Jinbao’s side with his fingertips.
Jinbao winced in pain, hissing through his teeth as he turned to look at him.
Que Siming wrapped his arms around him from behind, burying his head in the crook of Jinbao’s shoulder, and in a muffled voice, he called out, “Little Hu…”
For some reason, even though Que Siming said nothing after “Little Hu,” Jinbao could tell he was trying to apologize but just couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Jinbao patted his hand. “It’s okay, I’ll be fine in a few days.”
“Do you think…” Que Siming gritted his teeth, “Do you think I’m… useless?”
“Huh? No, of course not. The curse that Yu Mingjing placed on you when you were a child isn’t something you can control. Don’t think like that.”
“I made you get hurt because of me…”
Jinbao felt a warmth in his heart, the two of them pressed chest to back, and it was cozy, comfortable.
For a man, having someone he cares about get hurt because of him is a deep humiliation. Yet, this feeling of being cared for, of being important to someone, was something Jinbao found oddly satisfying, even making him feel a bit embarrassed.
“Don’t think like that. These injuries are nothing. The fact that we’re both still alive is already something to be thankful for. I’m not made of paper, I’m fine.”
“Little Hu…” Que Siming called out to him passionately, his soft lips brushing along the line of Jinbao’s jaw, gently kissing him.
Jinbao felt embarrassed, unsure of how to respond to such intensity. All he could do was rest his hand on Que Siming’s arm, which was wrapped around his waist.
But Que Siming turned him around, sliding his hand under Jinbao’s arm, using his elbow to press their bodies even closer together. His hand cradled the back of Jinbao’s still-damp head as he kissed him deeply.
When the blood curse was tormenting him, the thought that plagued Que Siming most was whether he’d get to see another day with Little Hu after all they had gone through to be together.
When Yu Mingjing controlled him and made him punch Jinbao, he was filled with regret and self-loathing, wanting to strangle himself.
Since they had met, he’d only been able to show off in front of Jinbao a few times, but whenever something related to Yu Mingjing came up, he ended up fleeing in disgrace, dragging Jinbao into danger with him.
He was terrified that Little Hu would think he was useless, that being with him meant even his life wasn’t secure.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he had to face the truth that Little Hu’s feelings for him were something he had coaxed, pushed, and tricked out of him. How much of that was genuine? What if one day Little Hu grew tired of him and left?
He didn’t dare to talk about forever or make promises because what if Little Hu hesitated?
But he couldn’t let go. He had watched his mother die, seen his father taken away, and witnessed everyone around him disappear one by one. Little Hu was all he had left, the only person who could prove he once bore the name Yue, the only connection to his past.
The more he feared that Little Hu might leave, the tighter he held on. He was terrified that one day his possessiveness would drive him mad, that he might end up hurting him.
The more he thought, the harder he kissed.
Jinbao was breathless, his mouth completely dominated as Que Siming passionately explored. Slowly, he began to lose his breath.
This intense, lingering kiss was so beautiful, so sweet. It made his heart race, his face flush, and it consumed him entirely. It felt as if, in that moment, there was nothing else in the world but the two of them. He felt like his relationship with Que Siming was becoming… how should he put it? Natural? Yes, as if this was how it was always meant to be, and how it always would be.
It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, he thought the idea of two men together was completely unacceptable. But now, being with Que Siming felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Although he wasn’t skilled with words or in doing things that would win someone over, he was determined to treat Que Siming with genuine care.
After Que Siming finally released him from the kiss, Jinbao looked at him seriously and said, “From now on, we’ll share our fortunes and face our hardships together.”
As he said it, he felt especially heroic, like a real man, even puffing out his chest a bit.
Que Siming looked into his bright, straightforward, and earnest eyes and couldn’t help but laugh.
Was this a promise? It felt like the kind of vow made between sworn brothers in the jianghu, but it was indeed a promise, one that Little Hu could sincerely make.
Jinbao’s face flushed slightly. “Don’t laugh. I’m serious.”
“Alright, we’ll share our fortunes and face our hardships together.”
Under the blazing sun, their clothes dried quickly.
Their luggage had long been lost, and the contents of their clothes had been washed away by the water, not even a single bottle of medicine left.
The two of them could only put on their clothes and sit in place to meditate and heal.
By the afternoon, despite their growling stomachs, they got up and continued walking east. They had no idea where they were but could only head in the direction they had previously agreed upon, hoping to exit the Daluo Mountains as soon as possible.
They walked for three days, crossing two mountain peaks. Finally, halfway up a mountain, they encountered members of the Que family who were searching the area. Only then did their perilous journey come to an end.
