How To Polish A Pearl

Chapter 52 - Travelling

Further down the road, Wen Ke Xing has just caught up to his man, and he only managed to do that because Zhou Xu did what he said he would do. He stopped to wait for him at the first lookout, almost at the bottom of Long Jiao (1). The valley spreading out before them, the forests and rivers looking serene in the morning light, the sun still low on the horizon behind them. Roads snaking in every direction throughout the valley and up some of the mountain sides or disappearing off into side valleys. 

This was a view that Zhou Xu really liked and he had stopped here some of the evenings as they headed back home after a day's search for the herb. With the sun setting at the far end of the valley, a frustrating day would end in a spectacular way that always soothed his soul even though the day had not been successful.

Wen Ke Xing watches his man with the morning sun as a backdrop, his entire being almost appearing as if it is glowing or radiating. He really is breathtaking my husband.

"Where are we going?"

Pulled out of his daydream, Wen Ke Xing smiles his brilliant smile that has started to spread all the way up to his black eyes, "What?"

"Where are we going?"

"Ah-Xu, I won't tell you. That way you have to wait for me." With a smirk, he winks at Zhou Xu and sets off down the final bit of the trail before choosing the road to the right.

Sighing, more for show than actual exasperation, Zhou Xu leans back in the saddle and beckons the stallion to move down the trail, following close behind Wen Ke Xing.

For some reason, this wasn't at all what he had thought it was going to be. Wen Ke Xing is actually not very talkative when he is on the horse. For the first time, Zhou Xu sees him actually relaxed, yet somehow focused at the same time. He is not performing in front of underlings or putting on a show to scare devils. Nor is he vicious, looking for his next kill or flirting to get inside his silk pants. Sitting on the stallion, enjoying the fresh air, the sunshine and the lack of other 'people', he is just Lao Wen.

Zhou Xu's eyes lingers a bit too long on the man next to him and it doesn't go unnoticed. Moving the horse closer to the black one, Wen Ke Xing smiles at his man, his voice low and lazy, "Ah-Xu, do you like looking at me?"

"Just making sure that you're not getting tired trying to keep up with me."

"I will never get tired following you."

Scoffing, Zhou Xu shakes his head but laughs, "Save it."

With a genuine laugh, a sound that Zhou Xu believes is the first time he has heard, Wen Ke Xing returns his focus on the road ahead and continues, "It will take a little over a day to get where we are going. We will stop and sleep at one of the inns further up."

"You have inns in Ghost Valley?"

"Sure, we have lots of things that you do out in the man's world. How else do you think we live?"

He guessed he hadn't really thought about it much, about how they lived, what they ate, what they did during their daily 'lives'. To him, they had just been ghosts, murderers and thieves, nothing but evil came out of this valley. Or at least, so the books had told him since he was a child. There weren't a lot of books on this subject, and most of what he knew was from folklore and other tales. Most of it likely made up as no one who entered Ghost Valley ever came back out, at least as far as he knew.

"Let's stop for some water and rest the horses a bit."

Wen Ke Xing's voice pulls Zhou Xu out of his thoughts and makes him aware of how thirsty he is. And not only thirsty, back in the present his stomach is churning. His smile turning thoughtful, the man next to him pokes him at the side and continues, "Ah-Xu, you look troubled. Tell me what you are thinking and I will help."

"I am starting to regret riding ahead..."

"...?"

"All the food is back with the wagons, right?"

With a triumphant smile on his face, Wen Ke Xing reaches into his sleeve and pulls out a small package. Opening it, he reveals a few steamed buns, though they are cold they still make Zhou Xu's mouth water. "As if I would let my Ah-Xu starve."

( ˘▽˘)っ

The sun has about another hour on the sky when they arrive at the Wuming inn (2). The day has gone by fast and Wen Ke Xing is almost sad it is over, comforting himself that they probably have at least another two days on the road. Depending on how it goes tomorrow when they reach the damaged area. So far, there hadn't been too much damage to the occupied areas. However, once they had passed what could be considered the middle of the valley, the damaged and fault lines had grown in number as well as in size. Luckily, the place where they were staying had remained undamaged.

It isn't until both him and Zhou Xu walks through the gate and on to the courtyard that he finally realize his mistake. Oh no...

"XingXing, I haven't seen you in a while."

XingXing? What the...? Zhou Xu stares at the man who comes, almost running, out of the pavilion in front of them, his ice blue robe flowing around his quick steps. His is holding a closed blue fan in his left hand, that for some reason is covered with white delicate gloves even on a warm evening like this. He is tall, slender and with long blond hair. He appears to be a little bit younger than they are, then again, he doesn't know how old Wen Ke Xing is. The man's features are delicate yet masculine with large blue eyes, strong jawline, soft lips and velvety skin.

Caught off guard, his body stiffening and his smile pretty much the same, he responds to the greeting, "Shanyuan (3), yes it has been quite some time since I was here last."

"Have you come to see me or my beauties?" The voice it pitiful in an obvious fake way and the words are spoken through pouting lips.

In his peripheral vision, Wen Ke Xing can see Zhou Xu watching him, his face marble. Oh, I really don't like your marble face Ah-Xu." Neither, we are on our way to Gudi (4) to inspect the damages from the earthquake and I thought we would stay here for a few days." He realize that he put a little bit too much emphasis on the 'we' and 'our', yet the point came through clear enough.

When Shanyuan finally pays attention to Zhou Xu he freezes momentarily. He flicks the blue fan out and takes a step back. Slowly fanning whilst weighing the person in front of him, he asks with just a tiny bit of irritation in his voice, "And who is this? You usually don't bring anyone."

"Shanyuan, this is my husband, Zhou Xu."

The chock couldn't be any more apparent in the man that is currently standing with a dropped jaw and eyes almost completely round and bulging out of his skull. The reaction is a little bit over the top, yet suits this over the top looking man. Shanyuan takes a moment to recover, his eyes fiery behind blond fluttering eyelashes. "Oh, but I have some new really beautiful ones that I think you might like. They will be disappointed if you don't pay them a visit. I even especially picked Xiaotao (5) with you in mind. He is everything that you usually like, and a bit more."

"Yes, Xingxing, why don't you pay them a visit." Zhou Xu's voice is overly sweet, overly pleasant and overly friendly. "I wouldn't want you to miss out when you haven't been here for so long."

(￢ ￢)

Author's Notes:

(1) Reminder – this is the mountain peak that Wu Jing is built on.

(2) Wuming or Wúmíng (无名) – lit. translation is 'nameless'

(3) Shanyuan or Shān yuán (山源) – lit. translation in mountain source.

(4) Gudi, or Gǔdǐ (谷底)- means Valley End. Yep, this is what the little village at the furthest point in the Valley is called.

(5) Xiaotao, or Xiǎotáo (桃) means little peach.