Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Thirteen,
Accompany You

“Xiao Zuo.” Xiao Zuo abruptly came to. He saw He Xuan lean his body in, with his right hand propped on the cheek, revealing a string of Buddhist beads on his wrist, “If you’d like, Ig can send you some, they will all have clean backgrounds.”

Xiao Zuo froze up. He went in a daze for a while, then realized what He Xuan was talking about.

“I-I-I-…… I don’t need it.” Xiao Zuo felt his pathetic face must be burning red like it had drunk a jin of the strongest wine right now. His skin was originally fair and tender, and at this time, even the earlobes and neck were stained with a thin red, just like he really was drunk.

While Xiao Zuo rejected again and again, the hands also continuously waved around, in He Xuan’s eyes, it truly was very pitiful and lovable, like a little cat that did something bad was caught by humans, running away in a fluster.

He Xuan could not help but smile. His eyes suitably turned much gentler from this smile, and as for when those deep eyes of his looked at Xiao Zuo, it actually made [Xiao Zuo] have a misconception like He Xuan’s eyes were filled with him alone.

“Just teasing you.” He Xuan’s voice was low and deep, bringing a tender numbing and itch, “Eating too much of this chili will bring up too much internal heat. The northern lands’ winters are dry and harsh, if you eat like this, your mouth will spread with fire sores.”

No wonder when Xiao Zuo was eating these days, he always felt that the mouth was hurting, Nan Liang was just the opposite of this place- the winters were humid and cold, so one must eat a lot of chilies to dispel the dampness and frost. It was a habit of many years, so he did not know how to change over for the time being.

Thinking to here, Xiao Zuo’s eyes darkened, and slightly dejectedly lowered his head, revealing a snow-white back neck.

“In a few days, Ig will have someone send a prescription to clear the heat for you. Follow it, and you will be a bit better.” He Xuan’s fingers lightly knocked onto the table, and said, “Afterwards, I will have dinner together with you, be careful not to eat these chilies anymore.”

“Alright.” Xiao Zuo obediently answered in a rare agreement with his thoughts. He Xuan lifted up the jar of wine, filled his cup, then pushed it over, “Wormwood is cool and can dispel the heat, drink some more.”

He Xuan poured wine for him in a seldom act of stepping down, so Xiao Zuo took it with slight surprise and finished it in one gulp. That wormwood wine was very plentiful, the bitter taste was genuinely present, and immediately, Xiao Zuo felt a wave of bitterness go straight to the head, and could not help but wrinkle up his entire face, and frowned in grievance.

He Xuan saw this pitiful look of his, slightly curved his eyes, and the corners of his mouth could not conceal the bit of smile leaking out. The corner of his eyes saw that Xiao Zuo drank quite hurriedly just now, and the corners of his mouth were stained in a few drops of wine. That cool-green alcohol underlined Xiao Zuo’s lower lips just after eating chili, making it even more red and moist, practically bringing with it a desire of seduction. He Xuan’s pupils went dark, and subconsciously reached out to wipe those drops of wine away, and very logically obtained Xiao Zuo’s surprised gaze again.

“The nights are cold, when you go back to the room, dress more thickly, do not covet the comfortable and only wear a single robe.”

Xiao Zuo opened his mouth about to refute it, “How did you know I……” As he spoke halfway through, he forcefully swallowed it back. Then again, since the crown prince himself had taken on this matter, each and every single action in this Nan Hun ducal residence of his could not escape from He Xuan’s eyes, troubling him to even be concerned about him wearing an outer robe or not.

In the past at Nan Liang, he was like this too. From a young time, he liked playing around, and always disliked how the thick and heavy winter clothes were inconvenient. Thus, he would always only wear a single robe and sneak out to the flower gardens to play, and then would get so cold he would have snot dripping down while coughing. Normally when he wanted to play, Mother would let him be, but only when he got so cold that he’d be sick, each time, Mother would get very angry. He even remembered there was one time, he was very sick……

Xiao Zuo’s thoughts came to an abrupt stop. He slightly helplessly and dejectedly closed his eyes- what use was it always wallowing in these old dreams, in the end, they were all last night’s stars, last night’s winds. He could no longer go back anymore.

At least there was still someone in front of him who would concerned if he should dress more.

“Alright.” Xiao Zuo’s eyes slightly moved. Like the moon had been dampened, his eyes shed with some bits and fragments of moonlight. At this time, the inside of the residence was lit with lanterns in each place, and the candlelight swayed and created a floor of red in the nightly winds.

Half of Xiao Zuo’s face was hidden right in this gentle candlelit scene. He Xuan’s gaze seemed slightly reluctant to part with this gentleness, and hovered over Xiao Zuo’s body for a long time. After a while, he heard Xiao Zuo softly say something, “You too, do not get cold.” The end of the tone carried the dialect of Nan Liang, tenderly connecting, faintly containing a slight unclear attachment to it.

He Xuan smiled once again tonight.