Heaven's Sea 天涯海国 (BxB)

Episode 37

"Lao Wen, don't be so lazy. Get up now and cook me some late-night snacks, I'm hungry. You've been sleeping for ..." Zhou Zishu stopped.

He lost track of time. It has been so long since Lao Wen slept in the ice cellar. After his soulmate fell into a coma, Zhou Zishu dug an ice cellar under the armory where the secret scrolls were kept.

He dug it so deep, one would think he might have reached the underworld. But he needed a place to stop Lao Wen's body from decomposing. Inside the cellar, he also made a bed using ice. A bed large enough for both of them.

The ice cellar was frigid cold. And it served its purpose. Lao Wen's body remained intact after all this time.

At the beginning, Zishu would practice martial arts up in the armory during the day, because it was warmer, and he needed to try and find a way to revive his annoying soulmate. Every night, he would go down to the cellar and sleep next to Lao Wen. It was too cold at first, but his body adapted over time.

Now, he practiced his martial arts inside the ice cellar every day, the cold did not bother him anymore. He only went up to the armory for food. He did not realize it, but the extreme cold had also stopped Zishu from aging. Although there was 20 years' worth of food in the armory, he had consumed it all and there was no more food left for a while already. At least 20 years must have passed, if not more...

He looked over at his soulmate's face. And kissed him on the forehead.

"Good night, Lao Wen." He murmured.

Perhaps sleeping would help reduce his hunger.

Then he remembered, today was Wen Kexing's birthday.

So he gave him another kiss, on the lips.

It was a treat that he allowed himself and his soulmate to enjoy once per year.

Too bad he could not remember his own birth date, or they could enjoy 2 treats per year.

When their lips locked, he stood still, he wanted to savor the moment. When he finally pulled back to admire his lover's beautiful face, silky white hair, and slender body, he whispered "You are the most beautiful man I've ever met, known, loved, and cherished. I never had the courage to tell you, my dear Lao Wen."

If he could go back in time, he would tell him every day how handsome he was.

If he could go back in time, he would make love to him every night.

There was no going back.

He did not know if his soulmate was dead or in a coma, but he could feel a faint pulse, ever so slightly. So he told himself that there was still a chance for revival. And that thought gave him hope that kept him alive for the last 20 more years.

'Just rip my clothes and make love to me already', Lao Wen thought to himself when he heard Zishu's love confession.

Despite he had no internal qi left to move or wake up, his mind remained sharp.

He could hear everything that Zishu said to him, he could feel every kiss that his Ah Xu gave him.

He wishes he could get some strength back so he could tell this man how much he enjoyed sharing a bed with him. Especially when his Ah Xu put his arms around him at night. How much he wanted to return the hug. Those nights Zishu cried out of pain for losing his beloved, how much he wanted to comfort him and tell him that he didn't lose him, not quite yet. Those days Zishu complained the rice was not soft enough, the meat was too chewy, how much he wanted to cook for him. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

Zishu lay down in bed and put an arm around Lao Wen's waist. His face on Lao Wen's chest, he whispered "I've been out of food for a few days already. I think we have to leave this place soon."

"Or I could just let myself starve to death, and end this suffering once and for all. And join you in heaven. Or purgatory. Or hell. Wherever you might be right now. I miss you so much. Even if you are in hell now, I would want to be there with you. I would ask them to burn me instead of you. I hate you for giving up your life for me. Didn't you know that living without you by my side is worst than burning in Hell? Wine doesn't taste warm without you sharing my wine flask." He let a few drops of tear roll down his cheeks. They soaked into Lao Wen's shirt.

Lao Wen's heart ached immensely. If hearts could cry, his would be sobbing.

'Why did love have to hurt this much. If there is no pain, is it not love? Does all love hurt? How can I take this pain away from my Ah Xu.'

He knew his passing would kill Ah Xu, but he could not bear the thought of letting Ah Xu die, so he made a selfish choice that he knew Ah Xu would never forgive him for.

Perhaps soulmates could sense each other, but Zishu suddenly felt a sharp pain stabbing his own heart.

He looked up at Lao Wen's face for a second.

He quickly got up and sat Lao Wen up and started transferring his qi into Lao Wen. He knew it was useless. It has been for 20 or more years. But on those nights when he could not sleep, transferring qi would tire him out and allow him to sleep a little.

After a while, he finally dozed off. All these years he wished Lao Wen would come see him in his dreams, but the bastard never did.

Dead people were supposed to have the ability to visit you in your dreams.

Perhaps the pretty boy was too busy haunting the dreams of other better-looking men. Zishu knew he was not bad-looking, but he never considered himself handsome. Sometimes when they met good-looking men, or women, he would secretly watch Lao Wen, to find out if he was staring at those men or women. Every time, Lao Wen's gaze met his. The silly boy was always only looking at his Ah Xu. There was no room for others in his eyes.

The thought brought a smile to Zishu, and he slept well that night.

The next morning, he got up, and started carving ice using his Baiyee sword.

'What is my Ah Xu doing?' Lao Wen wonders. 'So loud'.

A whole day passed, and the noise stopped.

The ice coffin was ready.

Zishu read in one of the ancient scrolls, that there existed a country called 天涯海 (Heaven's Sea). Nobody knew where to find it, but it was likely located deep under the ground, hence the name Sea.

It was devastated by a hurricane thousands of years ago. But the water might have receded. If he could find this country, there was a belief that its atmosphere was unlike others. It allowed plants to never dehydrate, flowers to never wane, humans to never age.

Citizens of Heaven's Sea were kindhearted, not selfish. They only knew love, not hate. They did not discriminate, steal, kill, or commit any sort of crimes. They grew herbs that could cure any illness hence, humans living there would never age or die of sickness. The trees would drip syrups every Spring, and the syrups could revive the dead.

Zishu did not think such a country existed, but now that he was out of food, this was his next (and only) option. He needed to keep Lao Wen's body from decomposing, so he carved an ice coffin to protect it. The coffin would melt over time, but he might have found Heaven's Sea before then. He made sure to put a soft pillow inside and tucked it under Lao Wen's head. This boy liked comfort, especially during long trips. Always needed luxurious hotel rooms, top-of-the-class boats, world's finest silk clothing, most exotic embroidered robes...

He stopped the wandering thoughts and then using his qi, he broke out of the ancient armory in one swift.

To avoid being recognized in the martial arts world, he had changed his appearance and now looked like Zhou Shu again. That stinky, scarred-face beggar that never shaved or bathe. Yet perfect in the eyes of Lao Wen. Sigh.

'What's this commotion? Where is my Ah Xu taking me?'.