TATSD Chapter 86

After dinner, the two of them walked out of the restaurant.

Although Daxi Township was large and bustling, the street scene was quite similar to that of Changliu Town.

Ji Wei originally planned to take Liu Yimian around and buy him some daily necessities, but Liu Yimian wasn’t interested. He was more focused on the feeling of holding Ji Wei’s hand.

The two walked slowly, stopping occasionally, chatting and laughing, until the street lights began to flicker on and the crowd thickened. This brought back some unpleasant memories of busy streets for Liu Yimian.

However, with Ji Wei by his side, he felt somewhat calmer. Still, despite this, Ji Wei, knowing him so well, easily noticed his slightly sweaty palms and the awkward way he walked.

He lowered his head and leaned in close to Liu Yimian’s ear, whispering, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Liu Yimian shook his head and muttered, “No, it’s just that the noise in the evening is a bit overwhelming.”

“Alright then, let’s head back,” Ji Wei said as he gently squeezed Liu Yimian’s soft hand, leading him away from the crowd and down a quiet path toward the academy.

This path, leading to the academy, was rarely used by anyone other than students.

As soon as they entered the alley, Ji Wei lightly tugged at Liu Yimian’s arm, making him turn around and look at him. But Liu Yimian had something on his mind, and his gaze was unfocused, not as steady as usual.

After a moment, Liu Yimian lowered his head.

However, as soon as he did, Ji Wei reached out to lift his chin, not letting him avoid his gaze.

“So, you’ve been hiding something from me? That hurts my feelings,” Ji Wei sighed, loosening his grip on Liu Yimian’s hand.

Liu Yimian, flustered, stepped forward and grabbed Ji Wei’s hand again, his ears slightly reddened. He awkwardly said, “It’s nothing, it’s just… back during the Mid-Autumn Festival, I got a bit nervous with all the people around.”

Ji Wei, feeling a sense of tenderness, took his hand, intertwined their fingers, and smiled. “See? Now you don’t have to worry about getting lost. As long as I’m here, you don’t need to worry. If I ever lose you again, just hit me.”

“Hit you…” Liu Yimian, shy and hesitant, glanced at him.

Ji Wei caught the look and felt his heart stir. He touched his nose and said, “Alright, let’s go back. It’s getting late, and you’ll have trouble with your bath and everything.”

Upon reaching the academy, they turned toward the stable to get books and walked toward the dormitory. The door was tightly shut, and when Lin Tai and the others had left, they followed his instructions to close it. Although everyone in the academy was scholars, and thus well-educated and trustworthy, there was always the possibility of an exception.

Ji Wei pushed open the door, and Liu Yimian quickly lit the candles inside. Normally, he only lit a single candle on his desk, but since Ji Wei was visiting, he wanted to make the room brighter. He took a second lamp from the cupboard, lit it, and placed it on the counter, filling the room with light.

However, as soon as the room brightened, Liu Yimian froze.

He was a person who liked everything to be neat, and even though he lived alone, he cleaned the room every day. But today, since he had gone out with Ji Wei, the room hadn’t been tidied. Lin Tai and Ji Baoshan were both refined men. Could it be that while they were away in the afternoon, they had gone through his things without permission?

Liu Yimian stood still, confused, his gaze drifting over the half-open wardrobe and the clothes scattered inside.

His mouth opened slightly in surprise. Ji Wei, noticing he hadn’t moved, looked over and immediately understood what was going through his mind. He walked over and followed Liu Yimian’s gaze, noticing the half-open cupboard and the messy wardrobe.

“Did someone break in?” Ji Wei frowned, his voice suddenly serious.

He never expected that a thief would have entered a place like this, a place filled with scholars. It was hard to believe.

“Go check if anything valuable is missing,” Ji Wei said. He didn’t live here, so he wasn’t sure if Liu Yimian had any important items. When he arrived earlier, he had helped him organize his things, so everything should have been fine. Also, he hadn’t given him much silver, and after ten days, it should have been spent.

Liu Yimian shook his head and pulled out a jade pendant from his neck, saying with some relief, “The most valuable thing, I’ve been wearing it close to me. Aside from books, there are only two coins in the room, and I left them in the chest where I keep the books, under the desk.”

The area near the desk still looked the same as when he left, seemingly untouched. If the thief was after money, that was the most likely place to look.

Still, Liu Yimian walked over to the chest, took out a few books, and then pulled out a slightly swollen money bag. It was much lighter compared to when Ji Wei had given it to him.

“I gave you a tael, and you’re down to two coins?” Ji Wei took the money bag and weighed it in his hand. “You’re just starting, and you’re bound to spend money. You shouldn’t be so stingy!”

Ji Wei spoke earnestly.

Liu Yimian nodded lightly. “I understand. It’s just that I’ve been out with Lin Tai, Mian Guang, and Baoshan. They usually pay their bills, and sometimes they even insist on paying for me. So I haven’t needed to use this money much.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Well, from now on, you should insist on paying for yourself. Especially, don’t let Zhao Mian Guang pay for you,” Ji Wei snorted, throwing the money bag onto the table with a sharp smack.

Liu Yimian was confused, and puzzled.

Today, Ji Wei had mentioned Zhao Mian Guang several times in private. Based on what he knew, they shouldn’t know each other. So why was Ji Wei so insistent?

Although Liu Yimian wanted to ask, for some reason, when he saw Ji Wei’s expression, he instinctively felt it was better not to bring it up.

“Okay.” Liu Yimian walked to the wardrobe, hesitating for a moment, unsure whether to speak up. After thinking it over, she asked Ji Wei for his opinion, “Should I go ask Lin Tai if he knows anything?”

“No need to go.”

“Alright, I won’t go.”

“Lin Tai is a gentleman of honor, he would never do such a thing. This must have happened after he left. If you go ask him, wouldn’t he think you’re suspicious of him? It’s better not to go.” Ji Wei sat by the bed, deep in thought. Lin Tai and the others couldn’t have been involved, so who else could have done it? “Whoever can come and go around the school without drawing attention must be a scholar, either someone who lives here or frequently visits.”

If Ji Wei stayed here a few more days, he’d be able to uncover the person who sneaked in. But since he didn’t have the time to keep watch, it was up to Liu Yimian to be extra cautious.

“In the future, when you go out, make sure to lock the door. And no matter who it is, if they suddenly become too close, you must think twice about whether they have ulterior motives.” Ji Wei carefully instructed, and Liu Yimian agreed repeatedly.

“Alright, I’m going to take a bath now. By the way, where can I get water from in the school?”

“There’s a well behind the school where you can get water.” Liu Yimian stood up, looking a bit anxious. “I’ll go get the water for you.”

She was about to leave when Ji Wei grabbed her arms and pulled her back.

“What are you going to fetch water for? I’m the one taking a bath, so of course, I’ll go myself.” Ji Wei pushed Liu Yimian down onto a chair. “I bathe quickly, don’t worry about me.”

After Ji Wei left, he went around to the bamboo grove. Sure enough, behind the school, he found a well. It was partially hidden by shrubs, and with the heavy nightfall, he almost missed it.

In this era, bathing was considered a luxury, not a necessity.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to bathe only once every ten days. Though Ji Wei was a man and didn’t care as much about cleanliness as women did, he had come from a future time. He couldn’t go without a bath for more than two or three days, or he’d feel uncomfortable.

However, he also had a common flaw that most men shared: he hated washing clothes.

At home, Liu Yimian had been the one to wash his clothes. But since he left, no one helped, and with the shop being busy, Ji Wei often stayed in the back room and didn’t bathe.

After traveling from Changliu Town under the blazing sun, Ji Wei sweats a lot. Now, resting on Liu Yimian’s bed, if he didn’t bathe properly, he wouldn’t feel right.

Fortunately, it was late at night, and hardly anyone came to the bamboo grove at this hour, so there was no need to go anywhere to bathe. He simply undressed, drew water from the well, and poured it over himself.

The summer breeze blew gently, and the cool water washed away all his fatigue.

Ji Wei instantly felt refreshed.

After bathing, he combed his damp hair back, loosely tied his inner robe, and draped his outer robe over his shoulders. Wearing cloth shoes, he swiftly entered the green bamboo house, since there weren’t many people in the yard.

“Yimian? Are you asleep? That’s odd, it’s still early.” Ji Wei closed the door quietly. The room had only a small lamp lit by the bedside, casting soft light that illuminated the lump on the bed, revealing the shape beneath the covers.

Needless to say, that lump was Liu Yimian.

Ji Wei threw his outer robe onto the chair, tied his hair loosely at the back of his head, and sat at the edge of the bed.

“Yimian? Are you asleep?” He called out. He thought he saw the lump shake slightly, but the dim night made him unsure if it was his imagination.

Ji Wei leaned in closer, gently pulling the blanket aside, revealing Liu Yimian’s reddened ears, which were tucked under the cover.

“So you were asleep after all. And your ears turn red…” Ji Wei’s voice carried a trace of amusement as he reached out to touch Liu Yimian’s ear, feeling the heat radiating from it. The moment he touched it, Liu Yimian shrank back, realizing he was pretending to sleep, and immediately became still again.

Ji Wei chuckled, his chest vibrating with the sound. After a while, unable to resist, he lifted the blanket with a little force and flipped Liu Yimian onto his back, exposing his face which had turned impossibly red in the dim light.

“If you don’t open your eyes now, I fear you’ll burn yourself up.” Ji Wei teased.

But as soon as he said that, Liu Yimian was too embarrassed to open his eyes. His heart was pounding wildly, and his body felt as though the blood was rushing through his veins so quickly he could hear it. Even his mind was becoming fuzzy, and he felt a little lightheaded.

“Shy, are you, little one?” Ji Wei moved in close, and even his breath brushed against Liu Yimian’s burning face, as though adding fuel to the fire.

Liu Yimian couldn’t take it any longer. He quickly raised both hands and pressed them against his burning face, but his hands were just as hot and didn’t help at all.

He trembled slightly, his long eyelashes fluttering before he slowly opened his eyes and met Ji Wei’s gaze. Ji Wei’s eyes were dark and deep, almost unfathomable.

His heart seemed to tighten, a bit nervous, a bit flustered.

“So you’ve finally opened your eyes?”

Liu Yimian parted his lips slightly and exhaled a deep breath, calming himself a little.

Then he grabbed Ji Wei’s broad, cool hand—just freshly bathed—and pressed it hard against his burning cheek.

The coolness and the heat intertwined. Liu Yimian let out a low sigh of relief. “It feels so good…”