Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 38

Xiaobao, completely worn out, was hazily hoisted onto a horse by Huai En.

"We're two days away from Feng Chuan. Once there, we'll stock up on provisions. The next road of our journey is mostly deserted, not much people,  but if we make good time, we should reach Yu Xia in three days... Xiaobao?" Huai En prodded him with a riding crop, and Xiaobao, who had been nodding off with his head almost touching his chest, suddenly straightened up, nearly tumbling off the horse.

"Ah! Right, right, we'll be there shortly."

With a touch of exasperation, Huai En announced, "We'll reach Da Ma Town in half an hour. We'll stop there for a meal and give the horses a break as well."

At the mention of food, Xiaobao's eyes sparkled, "Excellent! The horses must be completely worn out."

"Then wake up and get moving, then!" Huai En unexpectedly lashed Xiaobao's horse on the behind, causing it to bolt. Xiaobao, terrified, leaned back, gripping the reins tightly, screaming as the horse dashed ahead, pleading for it to slow down.

Huai En couldn't help but laugh and kicked his horse into a gallop to follow.

Da Ma Town was a small place that could be easily circled in half an hour on horseback. However, as a vital waypoint to Shu, it thrived with bustling crowds and goods, alive with activity daily.

The town, frequented by travelers from the martial arts world, had a small number of permanent residents and a notably bold local culture.

As soon as Xiaobao and Huai En entered the town, they were immediately met with overtly curious glances.

Primarily, it was Huai En who drew the eyes.

His stunning beauty, delicate figure, and youthful ambiguity, even in men's attire, made him resemble a woman masquerading as a man. After all, the notion that a man could possess such exquisite features was nearly unthinkable.

Yet, Huai En appeared to be well-adjusted to either the admiring or the crude stares, paying them no mind and not even bothering to look their way.

Xiaobao was nearly driven to frustration, his patience teetering on the edge.

"Take a good look! I'll make sure you look until your eyes fall out! My esteemed wife is not someone for your unworthy eyes! Disgraceful!"

Xiaobao, filled with anger, faced off against several large men whose imposing stature and robustness made them look nearly as intimidating as wild boars, appearing almost like brothers without Zhao Cai and Jin Bao present. In this situation, Xiaobao restrained himself from showing off.

He maneuvered to walk between two horses, aligning himself next to Huai En. Unnoticed, he casually placed an arm over Huai En's shoulder, disguising his action with a cough.

Huai En glanced at Xiaobao's soft, plump hand on his shoulder with a furrowed brow, not moving away but instead asking with a hint of confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Those people are clearly up to no good, staring intensely as if they can't get enough. I need to make it clear we're a pair, to prevent any trouble from them," Xiaobao declared, feeling entirely justified. Despite his annoyance, walking beside such an unparalleled beauty brought him immense pride. From another perspective, he knew this display would evoke jealousy in others. By marking his territory, Xiaobao fed his male ego like never before, feeling overjoyed by this demonstration of possession.

Huai En, half-smiling, half-scoffing, observed Xiaobao. In his eyes, Xiaobao was nothing but superficial and common. Yet, there was no feeling of disgust. Watching Xiaobao's face beam with pride, his eyes curling into smiles, Huai En fantasized about overpowering him, undressing him, and leaving red marks all over his tender skin. He imagined taking him forcefully, causing him to cry and plead for mercy, silencing his whimpers with his actions.