Ger, So Proud

Chapter 48

“He Ze, what are you doing here?”

Lin Yu had just curved his lips, but in the blink of an eye, he straightened them.

“I… I’m fine, just came out for a walk, and ended up here accidentally,” He Ze shifted his gaze away, suddenly looked up at the sky, “It’s late now, I’ll go back first. You… rest early.”

As he spoke, he had already turned around, but before he could take two steps, someone stopped him.

“How’s your injury?”

“Injury?” He Ze raised his eyes and noticed Lin Yu’s gaze fixed on his hand, “It’s fine, just a minor injury. You should go back.”

Lin Yu didn’t answer, just stared at him intently.

“What’s wrong?” He Ze’s face seemed to have a smile, “Is it what He An said? Don’t listen to his nonsense, it’s really just a minor injury. Hurry back, or what if someone sees us like this in the middle of the night?”

How did he… how did he end up here so confusedly?

“Hey, you—”

Before He Ze could react, Lin Yu turned around, closed the courtyard door, and completed all the actions like pulling his wrist in an instant. Knowing that he couldn’t resist Lin Yu’s strength, He Ze cooperated and followed behind him.

The two of them walked towards the fields and stopped after a few moments.

In front of them was a dilapidated thatched hut, likely located at the back of the Lin family’s courtyard. The surrounding wall had partially collapsed, and only half of the roof remained intact.

“This house has been abandoned for a long time. No one will come here this late,” Lin Yu said as he climbed up the pile of yellow bricks on the ground and extended his hand to He Ze. “Come up!”

He Ze smiled but stayed put. “What are you doing?”

“Are you coming up or not?” Lin Yu glared at him.

“Alright, alright! But you go up first. Do you think I need your help to climb?” He Ze said as he stepped onto the bricks and followed Lin Yu at a two-step distance. “Be careful. If you fall, I won’t help you.”

“Who needs your help!”

Lin Yu paused, then continued to climb up the beam. He Ze followed closely behind, and after a while, they finally sat down on the roof.

The moonlight was like a silver thread, and the autumn breeze was gentle. Sitting high and looking far, gazing at the rivers and fields beyond He Family Village under the moonlight, and listening to the sounds of cicadas and dogs, it was quite an enjoyable experience.

“You…”

“What is it?” He Ze turned his head. “Do you have something to tell me?”

“Is your hand really okay?” Lin Yu gently poked at the cotton cloth wrapped around He Ze’s palm, his face showing a hint of concern. “Why did you think of making a bow for me? I can make one myself.”

Since the bows and arrows from the blacksmith’s shop generally didn’t meet his requirements, Lin Yu usually made his own. His bows and arrows were mostly self-made.

If he could find ironwood, his bow-making skills would probably be much better than He Ze’s.

“Really, it’s nothing. I recovered from a bear hunting injury; this is nothing in comparison,” He Ze withdrew his hand, the moonlight making his face look especially gentle.

“Then, why did you give me the bow?” Lin Yu looked up at him.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, I do!”

“Well, that’s the reason. I knew you would like it, so I made it for you. If it weren’t for you climbing the mountain to find me and breaking your bow, and since it’s your birthday, I naturally had to give you a gift you’d like. One gift for two purposes, don’t think I’m stingy.”

“What are you saying!” Lin Yu glared at He Ze, hesitating before speaking, “It’s just… too valuable…”

“Yes, it’s indeed valuable, but it was made for you. If you return it to me, I can’t even draw the bowstring. Should I hang it on the wall as decoration?”

“Then I’d better keep it.”

“That’s right,” He Ze moved forward a bit, suddenly crossed his hands behind his head, and half-lay on the roof. “The moon tonight… is really bright. Tomorrow will be a good day.”

“Good weather is nice, isn’t it?” Seeing He Ze lying comfortably, Lin Yu mimicked him and lay down too. “It’s my first time looking at the moon like this. It’s so big and round.”

“You’re treating it like a pancake!” He Ze said with a half-smile.

“……”

“And really, the first time?”

“Huh?” Lin Yu turned his head to look at him. “It is the first time.”

“I remember the night you came to find me on the mountain, the moon was also quite good.”

“……”

The moon was indeed beautiful that night, but he had forgotten to look at the moon, only remembering to look at…

Lin Yu unconsciously turned his head to look at He Ze. From his angle, he could only see He Ze’s profile: thick black eyebrows, long narrow eyes, a high nose, and a strong jawline…

“Why are you looking at me?” He Ze couldn’t ignore the intense gaze even if he tried. A laugh slipped out of his throat, and he suddenly said, “Could it be that you think I’m handsome?”

“…Shameless!”

Lin Yu’s face turned red as he quickly turned his head away, his voice unexpectedly soft. He didn’t notice the slightly complicated look in He Ze’s eyes when he glanced at him.

The atmosphere between them fell silent, only the gentle breeze bringing a hint of restlessness as it brushed their cheeks.

“Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon…”

After a long while, He Ze suddenly spoke.

“Yes, Mid-Autumn Festival.”

After this seemingly random statement, there was another long silence. Lin Yu suddenly turned his head to look at He Ze, his gaze lingering.

Is that nostalgia? Who is he thinking about?

“Thinking about people who have been gone for a long time, hoping… they still have a chance to celebrate Mid-Autumn.”

He hadn’t seen his parents for ten years; he could barely remember what they looked like. He only recalled his father’s black-rimmed glasses, always perched on his nose, his mother’s cartoon-patterned apron, and… the last phone call telling him not to come home.

After that, there was nothing.

Lin Yu unknowingly asked aloud, and He Ze answered without realizing it either.

“People who have been gone for a long time…” Lin Yu muttered. Who had left He Ze…

From his angle, he could vaguely see the redness at the corner of He Ze’s eyes. Was he mistaken, or…?

This person was very important.

A strange sense of sourness rose within him. Lin Yu only heard He Ze’s faintly amused voice, “Let’s not talk about this. Mid-Autumn Festival… let me tell you a story, okay?”

“Hmm?”

“A different kind of story.” He Ze looked at the bright moon, his voice somewhat distant.

In this world, there were some legends about the Mid-Autumn Festival, but He Ze couldn’t recall them clearly. In this place, he was ultimately an outsider, and now, he was eager to share a unique story from his world with someone.

As for why it was this person before him? Perhaps it was because the moon was too beautiful tonight, or maybe… for some other reason.

“A different story?” Lin Yu looked up, then suddenly remembered something and said irritably, “Mr. Wei never finished telling ‘The Legend of the White Snake,’ and you haven’t finished it for me either!”

“…How about I tell this one first, and then finish the ‘White Snake’ story for you afterward?” He Ze suddenly became enthusiastic and sat up. “Look at the moon in the sky. It’s said that there is a palace on the moon, and in that palace lives a beautiful maiden, an immortal with jade-like skin. Her name is Chang’e, known as the Moon Fairy. Chang’e was originally the wife of the mortal archer Hou Yi. One day…”

He Ze’s voice flowed like a gentle stream, and Lin Yu was quickly drawn into the story.

“Hou Yi shot down nine suns, relieving the great drought on earth. The Queen Mother of the West rewarded him for his great deed with an elixir of immortality that would allow him to ascend to the heavens. Hou Yi entrusted the elixir to Chang’e for safekeeping.”

“What happened next?” Lin Yu sat up, engrossed.

“Next…” He Ze paused, then continued, “Next, a jealous rival named Peng Meng came to steal the elixir. In desperation, Chang’e swallowed it, and when Hou Yi returned, she had already become an immortal in the Moon Palace, forever unable to leave Guanghan Palace.”

“Why did it turn out like that… So, Hou Yi and Chang’e can never meet again?”

“…What do you think?” He Ze raised an eyebrow.

“…You!” Lin Yu pushed He Ze, but quickly pulled back his strength, “If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t. Who tells stories like you?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell,” He Ze surrendered, raising his hands in mock defeat, a smile playing on his lips. “After Chang’e ascended to the moon, Hou Yi was heartbroken, mourning to the moon every day. Hearing his cries, Chang’e often wept in the Moon Palace. Finally, the Queen Mother of the West, moved by their deep love, decided to intervene.”

“And then?” Lin Yu’s eyes sparkled as he stared at He Ze, a hint of impatience in his gaze. “Can’t you just tell the whole story at once?”

“…Don’t be so hasty. Who listens to stories like that?” Seeing Lin Yu’s flushed cheeks, He Ze’s smile deepened, with a hint of relaxation even he didn’t notice. “The Queen Mother told Hou Yi to make round cakes from flour, resembling the full moon, and place them in the northwest of the house. He was to call Chang’e’s name continuously. In this way, they could meet once every fifteenth day to share their feelings.”

“Meeting once every fifteenth day?” Lin Yu’s expression softened with sympathy.

“Yes, and those moon-shaped cakes are what we call mooncakes.”

Seeing Lin Yu still lost in thought, He Ze suddenly tapped him on the head. “You’re already like this meeting once a month. What if I told you that the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet only once a year? Would you cry then?”

“Cowherd and Weaver Girl?” Another unfamiliar term, Lin Yu frowned. “How do you know so many stories?”

“Probably because I didn’t learn much at the academy, just read these stories.” He Ze looked down, then lay back down. “Last time, I mentioned that Bai Suzhen was pregnant, right?”

“Yes!” Lin Yu nodded eagerly, his eyes full of expectation.

“During the Dragon Boat Festival, Bai Suzhen’s true form was revealed after drinking a cup of realgar wine. Xu Xian was so frightened that his soul left his body, hanging by a thread. To save him, Bai Suzhen charged into the underworld with a sword, fighting a fierce battle…”

Before he could finish, He Ze suddenly sat up, and his voice stopped.

“What’s wrong? Why did you—”

“Shh!” He Ze made a gesture for silence, covering Lin Yu’s mouth with one hand and pulling him closer. They lay down quietly. “Someone’s coming.”

Sure enough, a figure with a sweat towel over his head, carrying a hoe, was approaching from the distant field.

Returning late from the fields probably meant he was irrigating the crops. The He family village was near a river, and while most fields had sufficient water, some isolated ones still required nighttime irrigation by opening channels.

The man neared the dilapidated thatched hut. Feeling Lin Yu’s shoulders trembling, He Ze tightened his grip and whispered in his ear, “Don’t be afraid. He won’t find us.”

Step by step, the man finally walked away until his figure was no longer visible. He Ze sighed in relief and turned his gaze, only to freeze in place.

In his arms, Lin Yu was looking up at him, his bright eyes and slightly red face glowing in the moonlight. His hand was still covering Lin Yu’s mouth, feeling the warmth and the softness of his cheek.

There was a persistent thumping sound in his ears, blending together, indistinguishable from whose heartbeat it was.

Isn’t this position… a bit too intimate?

Is it? Maybe… it is.

He Ze couldn’t help but reach out his hand.

Author’s note: He Ze (reaching out): Oh, oh, oh, I’m about to hug and kiss my wife. So excited…

Author: Is that so? Haha—

Two awkward laughs q.q and then I’m off…