That night, the small bamboo hut felt like a world apart. Mu Dishi lay facing the wall, but Ma Jingguo held him tightly in his arms, a profound contentment settling over him. Whether or not Mu Dishi faced him, Ma Jingguo truly didn't care. To be honest, even if Mu Dishi didn't allow him to hold him, as long as the person next to him was Mu Dishi, he would be utterly satisfied.
In a way, Ma Jingguo felt he was like Mu Dishi's obedient little dog. If Mu Dishi told him to go right, he wouldn't dare to go left. If Mu Dishi fed him a bowl of poisoned rice congee, even knowing it was lethal, as long as Mu Dishi was the one to offer it, he would willingly eat it. He was a loyal dog, belonging to Mu Dishi both body and soul.
Ma Jingguo gently stroked Mu Dishi's soft hair, then softly whispered, "Xiao shushu." He pressed a tender kiss to the back of Mu Dishi's head. "Thank you for letting me pretend to be Wang Biming."
"You are you. Biming is Biming. You cannot be him, nor can he be you," Mu Dishi stated, his voice quiet, devoid of its usual sharp edge.
Ma Jingguo was momentarily confused, a flicker of annoyance passing through him, then he asked, "Xiao shushu, how come you can't forget that guy?"
"He died to protect me," Mu Dishi finally explained, his voice distant, lost in memory. "He knew I was hiding behind the wall with the map. He knew how to open the trapdoor, but he chose to die with a smile on his face."
Ma Jingguo hugged Mu Dishi tighter, his heart aching for the past trauma. "Xiao shushu, I will love you a hundred times more than him." He paused, placing another kiss on Mu Dishi's head. "Xiao shushu, since you say I can't be him and he can't be me... does that mean a while ago, when we... you weren't pretending that I was him, right?"
"Mm," Mu Dishi affirmed, a soft, almost imperceptible sound.
Ma Jingguo felt his heart hammering against his ribs, a surge of pure elation. He asked softly, "Xiao shushu, how was your first time?"
"It hurt a lot," Mu Dishi admitted plainly.
Ma Jingguo smiled, a deep sigh of contentment escaping him. "I don't want to marry anyone else other than you."
"Nonsense. Go to sleep," Mu Dishi retorted, his voice resuming its customary coldness, a familiar wall.
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo persisted, unperturbed, "do you want to know when I started having feelings for you?"
"When?" Mu Dishi humored him, a rare hint of curiosity in his tone.
Ma Jingguo chuckled mischievously, teasing, "Since when xiao shushu told me to kill myself because my blood would dirty your hands."
Mu Dishi's elbow found Ma Jingguo's abdomen with a sharp jab.
"Ouch!" Ma Jingguo grunted in mock pain, then chuckled again. "No, in honest truth... When I opened my eyes and saw xiao shushu passing internal energy to save me, that was when I started having feelings for xiao shushu. I thought it was strange at first, but as time passed, the feeling became clear. Before I knew it, I already really, really liked you. I don't think of you as a friend or as a brother." He moved closer to Mu Dishi, whispering softly into his ear, "I like you and feel for you like what a husband feels for his wife."
Mu Dishi remained silent, a stillness in his posture.
"Xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo continued, a gentle warmth in his voice, "do you know why I always combed your hair for you?"
"Who knows what you are thinking," Mu Dishi said indifferently, a subtle curiosity lingering.
Ma Jingguo smiled, then kissed the back of Mu Dishi's head. "My mother always told me that when my father combed her hair, she was at her happiest."
"Stop talking," Mu Dishi murmured, but there was no real anger in his voice.
Ma Jingguo, emboldened, flirted, "Xiao shushu, do you like it?"
"Like what?" Mu Dishi asked, a hint of confusion.
Ma Jingguo's voice dropped to a soft, intimate whisper. "Like what we did? Like us like this?"
Mu Dishi didn't answer, his face still turned away.
Ma Jingguo knew Mu Dishi's face was thin and he could easily become embarrassed. So, even if Mu Dishi didn't answer him, he knew that Mu Dishi felt the same for him. "Xiao shushu doesn't need to answer me. I believe I already know the answer." He kissed Mu Dishi on his right temple and whispered flirtatiously into his right ear, "Xiao shushu, I liked it very much, in regard of what we did earlier."
"Pervert," Mu Dishi growled, a faint flush creeping up his neck.
Ma Jingguo scoffed happily, the sound light and free. "Goodnight."
Early the next morning, with birds chirping their cheerful melodies across the bamboo forest, Mu Dishi opened his eyes to find himself alone in the bed. He tried to sit up, but a dull ache in his bottom made him wince. He took his time to get up and dress himself, wondering if last night had been just a dream. But if it was a dream, why did his bottom hurt? He was still lost in thoughts of the previous night's events when the door swung open. Ma Jingguo walked in, carrying two trays of food, a bright smile gracing his face, his big, innocent eyes shining.
"Good morning, xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo greeted cheerfully. He gently took Mu Dishi's right arm and guided him to sit at the bamboo stool. "Let's eat."
Ma Jingguo sat face to face with Mu Dishi. As he looked across the table, he realized it truly didn't matter whether they were in the cave or here in this humble bamboo hut. As long as Mu Dishi was the person eating with him, he could be anywhere and be content.
Ma Jingguo picked up some vegetables and placed them inside Mu Dishi's bowl. He smiled and asked, "Xiao shushu, do you want to know why I volunteered to cook?"
Mu Dishi chewed his food handsomely, a slight lift of an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because the first meal xiao shushu made for me tasted terrible," Ma Jingguo confessed, a teasing glint in his eye. "The vegetable with pork dish was very salty. The fish dish was so badly burnt, I only tasted the ashes."
"Then why eat it?" Mu Dishi inquired, genuinely curious.
Ma Jingguo chuckled, a soft, warm sound. "Because xiao shushu made it. In honest truth..." He looked deeply into Mu Dishi's eyes, his expression utterly sincere. "If xiao shushu fed me poison, I would still be willing to eat it without questioning xiao shushu."
"You will regret it," Mu Dishi stated, a warning in his voice.
Ma Jingguo simply smiled, his gaze unwavering. "If I am with xiao shushu, I will never regret anything."
Mu Dishi looked at Ma Jingguo, a complicated expression on his face, then asked, "When are you going to return for your wedding?"
Ma Jingguo's smiles faded. He looked deeply into Mu Dishi's eyes, asking in return, "Do you want me to marry someone else?"
Mu Dishi looked down, continuing to eat without answering Ma Jingguo, his silence a heavy cloak.
After the two finished their meal, Yong Hao and Kuo Changchang appeared at the bamboo hut, their presence breaking the fragile peace.
"Mu gongzi, sorry to disturb you, but is Ah Chen inside?" Yong Hao asked, his tone respectful but firm.
Mu Dishi looked at Ma Jingguo coldly, a deliberate distance in his voice. "I believe your wife is here for you. You can leave now."
Ma Jingguo smiled reassuringly at Mu Dishi. "Xiao shushu, wait for me to clear up my problem."
Ma Jingguo opened the door and stepped outside.
Mu Dishi didn't want to know about the conversation between Ma Jingguo and Kuo Changchang. He moved the bookcase aside, revealing the hidden back door of the bamboo hut, and disappeared towards the stream, seeking solitude.
"Shijie, I wrote you a letter," Ma Jingguo began, his voice laced with regret.
"Senior Yong, I would like to talk with him alone," Kuo Changchang stated, her gaze fixed on Ma Jingguo.
"I'll wait for you at Mu Village," Yong Hao replied, understanding, and then walked away, leaving them in privacy.
Kuo Changchang stared at Ma Jingguo for a long moment, her expression a mix of hurt and anger, until she finally spoke. "You did. The letter stated a few words: 'I am leaving to save xiao shushu. Sorry.' Had you saved him?"
"Yes," Ma Jingguo confirmed, his voice soft.
"Do you know that my father had to cancel the wedding because you were not there?" Kuo Changchang asked, her voice tight with suppressed emotion.
"I doubt it. Sorry," Ma Jingguo replied, his voice tinged with genuine remorse.
"If you saved your xiao shushu then let's go back," Kuo Changchang urged, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
"I am going back home," Ma Jingguo said, his gaze firm, "but not with you."
"What?" Kuo Changchang's voice was a shocked whisper.
"I am going home with xiao shushu," Ma Jingguo stated, a quiet declaration.
"Then why did you agree to this marriage in the first place?" Kuo Changchang demanded, her voice rising.
"Xiao shushu once told me that you and I are a perfect match," Ma Jingguo explained, his eyes filled with a sad honesty. "Later, I realized that I respect you only as my Shijie. I can't marry you when I am not in love with you."
"Ah Chen," Kuo Changchang's voice softened, filled with a deep hurt, "do you know that I liked you since the first day we met?"
Ma Jingguo's voice was filled with profound sadness. "Shijie, before we met, I had already liked someone else so deeply, to the point of no return. I've given that person my entire heart, and there is no more room left for anyone else. I'm sorry."
Kuo Changchang was a whirlwind of anger and sadness, her voice shaking violently. "Who?"
Ma Jingguo smiled, a tender, loving expression. "Xiao shushu."
Kuo Changchang's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mu Dishi?"
Ma Jingguo nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Yes."
"Mu Dishi is a man, you are a man. Are you crazy?" Kuo Changchang cried out, her voice rising to a shout. "This is the stupidest rejection excuse ever!"
"You can call me crazy if that makes you feel better," Ma Jingguo replied, his tone calm.
"You call him your shushu, but you liked him?" Kuo Changchang pressed, a mixture of outrage and confusion on her face.
"I call him xiao shushu because he won't allow me to call him by name," Ma Jingguo clarified.
"Ah Chen... people will talk," Kuo Changchang warned, her voice filled with concern for his reputation.
Ma Jingguo smiled, a carefree glint in his eye. "I don't care. Xiao shushu and I are not in the Martial Arts World to gain fame like everyone else. We will go back home and live peacefully."
"Ah Chen..." Kuo Changchang's voice cracked, her eyes glistening. "Do you know you've shattered my heart?"
"I'm so sorry, Shijie," Ma Jingguo said, his voice genuinely remorseful. "But trust me shijie, if we are force to married, it will shatter your heart even more because the person you married will never love you beyond a sibling love."
"Since we've known each other, you had always called me Shijie, and never by my first name," Kuo Changchang noted, a painful accusation in her voice.
"Because for me, you are my Shijie, nothing more," Ma Jingguo confirmed, his honesty brutal.
"Ma Jingguo!" Kuo Changchang shouted, a primal scream of fury and pain. She unsheathed her sword, its blade glinting, and lunged straight at Ma Jingguo.
Ma Jingguo decided not to resist the attack, letting it be a repayment for the pain and deception he had caused Kuo Changchang. Kuo Changchang's sword pierced right through Ma Jingguo's right shoulder.
Kuo Changchang gasped in shock, her eyes wide with horror. "Why didn't you dodge? You could've easily dodged it!"
"Take it as a repayment," Ma Jingguo grunted, pain contorting his face.
Kuo Changchang pulled her sword away with a sickening slide. Ma Jingguo groaned, blood gushing out from both the front and back of his right shoulder, soaking his clothes.
"Ma Jingguo, have you ever loved me?" Kuo Changchang asked, her voice trembling.
Ma Jingguo grunted in pain, shaking his head slightly. "No, Shijie."
"Very good," Kuo Changchang said, a single, bitter tear tracking down her cheek. She sheathed her sword. "I never want to see you again."
"Shijie, I'm sorry," Ma Jingguo offered, his voice a whisper.
Kuo Changchang turned around and ran towards Mu Village, her figure a blur of grief and anger.
In pain, Ma Jingguo opened the bamboo door and stepped inside. But when he looked into the small bamboo hut, he couldn't find Mu Dishi. A cold wave of worry and panic washed over him, making him forget the sharp pain in his abdomen and right shoulder. Had Mu Dishi left him again because Kuo Changchang had shown up? He stepped back out, frantically searching around the bamboo hut, but Mu Dishi was nowhere to be found.
"Xiao shushu!" Ma Jingguo shouted out, his voice hoarse with fear and pain.
Ma Jingguo knew Mu Dishi wouldn't go to Mu Village, so where else could he be? He felt dizzy, perhaps from the blood loss, but he still stumbled towards the back of the bamboo forest, desperately looking for Mu Dishi. As he walked further, he heard the faint sound of running water. He stumbled towards the stream and there, sitting serenely on a rock, was Mu Dishi.
"Xiao shushu!" Ma Jingguo called out, a flood of relief and excitement washing over him.
Mu Dishi stood up and turned around, his eyes widening slightly as he saw the blood gushing from Ma Jingguo's right shoulder.
"What happened?" Mu Dishi asked, a rare hint of concern in his voice.
Ma Jingguo rushed quickly to Mu Dishi, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Xiao shushu, I was so afraid that you've left me again! I was worried and panicking when I didn't see you inside the bamboo hut."
"What happened?" Mu Dishi repeated, trying to pull away from the embrace.
"Xiao shushu, promise me you will never leave me behind," Ma Jingguo pleaded, holding him tighter. "I won't be able to take it if you leave me."
"Answer my question. What happened?" Mu Dishi insisted, finally pulling away from Ma Jingguo's embrace, his gaze fixed on the wound.
Ma Jingguo smiled, a relieved, almost giddy grin despite the pain. "Shijie came for a debt I owe her."
"Let's go back. I'll take a look at it," Mu Dishi said, turning and walking ahead of Ma Jingguo.
Ma Jingguo quickly chased after Mu Dishi and gently took his left hand, intertwining their fingers.
Mu Dishi tried to pull his hand away. "What are you doing?"
Ma Jingguo, ever the flirt, chuckled softly. "I just want to hold xiao shushu's hand to ease my pain."
Mu Dishi stopped walking, then looked up at Ma Jingguo, his eyes cold, but a faint blush creeping onto his ears. "When did you become this perverted?"
Ma Jingguo chuckled, a soft groan of pain escaping him. "Since I fell in love with you." He lowered his head and kissed Mu Dishi's lips, a lingering, tender touch.
In a rare display of exasperation, Mu Dishi used his right hand and pressed hard onto Ma Jingguo's right shoulder wound. Ma Jingguo quickly pulled away, yelping.
"It hurts!" Ma Jingguo groaned, rubbing his shoulder.
"Very good," Mu Dishi said coldly, but a faint smirk played on his lips. "The more it hurts, the more clearly your mind becomes."
Ma Jingguo smiled, his big puppy eyes twinkling with adoration. "Xiao shushu, my mind is very clear about you. Is your mind as clear as mine?"
Mu Dishi, a hint of genuine frustration coloring his face, simply walked faster toward the bamboo hut. Ma Jingguo chuckled, his spirits soaring, and quickly followed Mu Dishi, his heart lighter than it had been in years.