Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Seventy,
Frost Mountain

After finishing dinner, the palace already put lanterns up. He Heng, as tradition, stayed in the Middle Palace on the fifteenth, so He Yang extremely consciously did not go to Han Yuan Palace, and went to the palace entrance with He Xuan one behind the other.

The path to the palace gates needed to pass through a very long pathway, the path was very narrow, the two sides were towering tiles and red walls, each time one walked through it, there would always be a kind of stately oppression and asphyxiating feeling, making people unable to breathe. That night sky with misty moonlight was trapped within this cage erected by the palace walls, only distantly falling with a few bits and fragments of cold light. The nights of autumn would bring rustling hints of coldness, He Xuan walked ahead along the palace walls, and when breathing, the hot air coming out would congeal into a white ball in the air, then suddenly be dispersed by the wind.

“Brother.”

When He Xuan heard this, he stopped walking. He Yang stood a few steps behind him, and smiled with malice, “I did not think Father would remove my house arrest so quick, and even have me go together with you to pacify the rebellion. Father cannot bear to punish me at all, the scheming you had is all going to waste now.”

He Xuan lifted his head up and looked at the sparse stars in the sky, did not even turn his body around, and directly walked forward.

“Aye, He Xuan! Let me tell you, you think it’s that easy to move me? Stop dreaming!” Behind, He Yang still didn’t give up and called out, He Xuan walked forward with big steps like he did not hear it at all, and only reached out to tighten his sleeves.

The weather is getting colder and colder now.

❀

“You said that his Majesty is getting He Yang and you to go together to Nan Liang to quell the rebellion?” Xiao Zuo was holding up a hand-warming stove, and raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.

He Xuan hung the robe soaked with cold air from the outside onto one side, and crowded beside Xiao Zuo with only an inner robe on. He reached out and easily wrapped around Xiao Zuo’s waist, and extremely familiarly buried his head into Xiao Zuo’s neck, rubbing so much Xiao Zuo’s neck felt all tingly.

Xiao Zuo slightly unbearably struggled to the side, he originally wanted to open his mouth to have He Xuan move aside, but when he just turned his head and planned on opening up, his gaze fell to He Xuan’s completely fatigued face. At this time, He Xuan quietly rested on Xiao Zuo’s shoulder, his crow feather-like lashes were covered in a thin layer of frost, covering up the gloominess in his eyes. From Xiao Zuo’s angle, the warm and smooth candlelight delineated his excellent heaven-favoured profile, he seemed just like a normal young lord from a wealthy family taking an afternoon nap, where the corners of his mouth even carried a sliver of satisfaction.

Xiao Zuo suddenly stopped moving, he looked at this seldom obedient and quiet He Xuan, unknown why his heart had softened into a complete mess. Even if he knew this was perhaps only the person in front of him playing a trick and purposefully appearing weak, he too gladly walked into this den overgrown with desires named He Xuan.

“Xiao’Zuo.” He Xuan’s voice was all low, carrying a tone at the end that made people’s hearts shiver, provoking the senses Xiao Zuo barely still had remaining. He slowly opened his eyes, the slightly raised ends of the eyes dyed with some of the bright colours in the crackling candlelight.

“Today when I was on the way back, I was always thinking of you.”

Xiao Zuo froze, the person in front of his eyes had been accustomed with going to the places of debauchery, the sticky words of romance that would be said in bed along with their breaths pretty much were at their fingertips, so each time, he would not take it seriously, and would forget it in the morning after waking up. But when he heard He Xuan soberly, so seriously say such direct, almost barren words, he pretty much immediately froze in place, where his entire soul was about to lose one half. The hand He Xuan wrapped around his waist with slightly tightened, and lightly pecked his lips like a dragonfly over the water. He seemed like a young fellow who turned back to confess to their beloved, and lowered his head and quietly laughed due to it.

“What……” Xiao Zuo pursed his lips, he forced himself to calm down and fix his gaze, but he secretly felt happy inside, “What did you say?”

He Xuan seemed to see past that thought of Xiao Zuo’s that could not be brought up, he did not answer, but simply repeatedly and contently licked Xiao Zuo’s slightly cracked lips, up until the a silver thin thread hung between the two. Xiao Zuo arduously panted and retreated back, He Xuan then seemingly smiling straightened up, and gathered Xiao Zuo hair occasionally, “Tomorrow, I will have Ling Xiang prepare some milk balm.”

Xiao Zuo froze, his two cheeks were still burning with a magnificent red colour, the pupils beneath the slender lashes were all wet and emitting a watery light, carrying a plentiful suggestion of desire in He Xuan’s eyes.

Hearing He Xuan mention milk balm, Xiao Zuo got so embarrassed even his tongue got tied, and glared back with round eyes while stuttering, “I-is-is-isn’t there still some? Why….”

He Xuan seemed like he was teasing a lovable little kitty, and mischievously narrowed his eyes, then quietly said in Xiao Zuo’s ears, “I’m talking about your lips, it’s too dry.”

Xiao Zuo then realized, he threateningly but cowardly glared at He Xuan, pulled the tie of his own clothes from his hands, then turned around to ignore him.

To the back, there was a series of sounds of clothes rustling, then the creaking of the door being pushed open, like He Xuan had gotten up to go out. Xiao Zuo bit down on his lower lip with some upset and grievance, the lips that were originally a bit dry seeped out with some slivers of blood, he licked that bit of blood away in an act of self harm, it was a bitter taste of iron.

He unwillingly turned around to take a look, He Xuan was not there as expected, only that side couch was still left with the warmth of his body, as well as the cold fragrance he often used to air his clothes with. The fairly big room suddenly turned empty, the outside branches were blown by the northern winds into chaos, and when shone by the candlelight, they cast terrifying and shrill lone shadows on the window. Xiao Zuo sighed, then curled himself up into a ball, and hugged his knees and leaned on the ice-cold wall.