Guanshan Muyu

chapter 24

The skin on Xia Xun’s palms was very rough.

Qi Yan sat by the bed, looking at his stubborn back, thinking about it.

When they met the snake just now, it was the first time Xia Xun took the initiative to touch him.

He held down Qi Yan’s hand and told him not to act rashly.

At that time, Qi Yan discovered that Xia Xun’s palms were covered in calluses, so hard that when he touched the back of Qi Yan’s hand, it felt as if he was about to be cut.

It was not like this before.

In the past, Xia Xun’s hands were white and soft, even softer than a teenager should have. Anyone who would see these hands would say that their owner was from a noble family and had never done any hard work in his life.

Qi Yan glanced at his fingers, as if the heat of Xia Xun’s skin still remained there.

He brought his fingers to his nose, took a deep breath, and smelled nothing.

Just like Xia Xun, who was in his arms a few moments ago, smelled of nothing.

The clothes Xia Xun used to wear were always smoked with incense.

He was not favoured and couldn’t get any precious spices. Shaobo used ordinary incense to make his clothes fragrant, so that he didn’t lose to any noble young master of another family.

Every time Xia Xun showed up, Qi Yan knew he was here as soon as he smelled his fragrance.

Now, Qi Yan could no longer smell it.

His mind was blank, and a dull pain spread from his chest to his limbs. It turned out he had come too late.

He walked up to Xia Xun and called him softly:

“Xia Xun…?”

Xia Xun didn’t respond; he must have fallen asleep.

Qi Yan bent down and picked him up. Xia Xun was very thin; he had grown taller, but he weighed much less than before.

Qi Yan put him on the bed, wrapped him thoroughly in a quilt, and lay down beside him with his clothes on.

Xia Xun frowned in his dream, clenched his fists and clutched the quilt tightly. His eyelids kept moving, as if he was having a nightmare.

Qi Yan touched his head:

“Xia Xun, it’s fine, you’re just dreaming…”

Xia Xun didn’t wake up but whispered in her dream:

“It’s so cold…”

Qi Yan covered him with another quilt:

“Is it still cold?”

Xia Xun’s lips moved; Qi Yan leaned over to listen, but he didn’t hear anything.

He could only hold him harder and rub his back constantly.

Xia Xun’s hands were still very cold; he shrank into a ball and his expression was getting more and more uneasy.

Qi Yan took off his robe, opened the quilt, covered the two of them together, held Xia Xun’s hand and pressed it to his chest.

Xia Xun felt the warmth and pushed his whole body closer, resting on Qi Yan’s arm, with his face next to his chest.

A few strands of hair stuck to his cheeks and were gently tucked away by Qi Yan.

Qi Yan asked softly:

“Is it still cold?”

Xia Xun stopped complaining about the cold, his expression much calmer.