Hei Xiazi
They had surpass a few more challenges as they keep walking until they reached the main chamber. He was sulking a bit after losing his bet with his Master Hua, but at least he annoy him a bit as he cleaned his dirty fingers on Hua'er hand. He was such a tidying man type, that becoming filthy by his piss would be the ultimate punishment. He wonder just why someone who was set to explore dirty places would actually choose to wear white and even more so of how he manage to keep it clean all to way through the desert.
Nevertheless, San Xing was kind enough to leave them water to clean their hands and after he washed his, Xiazi joined Xiao Hua as he looked to the painted mural in the wall. The story tell the secret encounter between the Heavenly Queen Mother and a man, that for the way it was dressed and painted at the same size as the Queen Mother, it was probably none other than Emperor Mu of Zhou.
There was a legend that said the two fell in love when the Emperor came to visit on a quest for the pill of immortality she was rumor to had.
"A legend or a myth, it seems that only Emperor Mu could win the Queen Mother's heart." Xiao Hua said as he looked up to the colorful drawings.
"Perhaps... but still, she was so ruthless that it's hard to picture her falling in love blindly, unless there was something she gained from it." Xiazi said.
"Not really, just look around. Those torches were made in the style of the Western Zhou, which mean she not only loved the man, she also integrate his culture in hers. She should had strong feelings for the Emperor to go that far, perhaps even wanting to merge their cultures into one." Xiao Hua reassured him.
"A woman's heart is complicated. That's the only thing this place proves. Let's keep going." Xiazi moved ahead and started to climb up the very long stairs to the top. Halfway they took a short rest. He offer Xiao Hua a snack, but as usual it was refused. He was so stingy sometimes.
"Hua'er, don't be so ungrateful, I wasn't even going to charge you for it." Xiazi sulked.
"Should I feel grateful for that?" Xiao Hua teased.
"My heart is so broken, I'm just been kind, you know." Xiazi whisper.
"Alright, what about a treat from me? You had proved to be competent at the very least..."
"A treat? Forget it."
"Why? I was actually been kind this time." Xiao Hua asked.
"Hua'er, really, is that the best you can offer me as the Master of the Xie family, after doing all the hard work for you? No offense, but no thanks." Xiazi refused.
"Fine. When we get back home I will give you a food production company of portable food, is that to your satisfaction?" Xiao Hua's asked.
"Hua'er, don't go saying things like 'when returning home', it's a bad luck wording in places like these. It means that we may be close to our deaths and never reaching home." Xiao Hua smiled.
"I think you told me you were not the superstitious kind a while back. Where you lying to me?"
"No. I believe in my experience dealing with such places, but you are still new to tomb raiding. I assure you, it's not the same to train somewhere else relative safe, than experience the dangers in the real thing. There is always the unknown factor, the unexpected things that could show in your way, the deadly traps that could blow the whole place and it will end up in your survival depending on your luck alone. Believe me, don't jinx yourself in the middle of an expedition, so talk about going home when you are actually in the way there." Xiazi said in consideration of his well-being.
"You talk too much and my luck is quite strong. Let's keep going." Xiao Hua ignore his warning.
"Hey, don't go ahead on your own, it's about time a trap shows up on a false step..." Xiazi said, rushing after Xiao Hua, however, because he didn't want to be left behind, he make the mistake of not looking where he stepped and... the sound of something triggering was hear from bellow his foot.
"Did you did it on purpose?" Xiao asked as he looked deep down.
"Of course not! Run!" Xiazi shouted as he take his hand and pull him to dash up the stairs. They ran for dear life until Xiao Hua stumble on a step, but Xiazi was agile enough to catch him halfway down to the ground and pull him up in a flash.
They raced to the top, as the steps below disappeared one by one. Xiao Hua gained a bigger momentum and went ahead, reaching the top first and just in time, as the steps begin to break down into an abyss behind the still running Xiazi.
"Come on, faster! If you fall, there is no surviving it luck or not!" Xiao Hua yelled, extending his hand to catch him if Xiazi was forced to jump, which he did in the nick of time. The rest it was like a slow motion for Xiao Hua, as he saw Xiazi jump from the step a bit below his standing position at the top, then he extended his hand, to grab his and pull him up by mere adrenaline, taking all of Xiazi's weight on him, that make Xiao Hua fall backwards by the motion, with Xiazi right atop of him.
As they fall, Xiazi put his hands on Xiao Hua's back of his head to protect him from the fall. That put them closer, which end up with Xiazi, literally kissing Xiao Hua by gravity at first... but after a few seconds of getting his bearing, he found himself really kissing Xiao Hua by his own will.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Hua protested, trying to push him away, but Xiazi simply smiled, still inches from the other man face.
"Been grateful, of course. Saving my life is worth a kiss or you want another as payment..." Xiao Hua's ear went red, although Xiazi was not sure if from anger or embarrassment.
"You fool, get off me!" Xiao Hua yelled, but Xiazi only smiled wider.
"Geez, so heartless... alright, princess, I'm off now." He moved away, laying on his back by the apparently fuming Master Hua.
However, deep down Xiao Hua was not actually angry, he was surprised more than anything else by two facts. One, the sudden kiss that was the consequence of their motion at first, before Xiazi control it and second, the huge fear he had felt just thinking he could fail on grabbing Hei Xiazi's hand when it matter the most. A fear that was right now making his heart pound on a new level... as well as for something else he wasn't sure to want to know the reason behind it.
Wu Xie
After dealing with the bugs on their body, that night they camped where they rested. Wu Xie make sure to put his sleeping back on the other side of the fire, opposite to Ning, Pangzi and Pan Zi and Xiaoge, of course put his by Wu Xie's side, even when Pangzi tease them about the pending honeymoon and if they should leave them alone to get it done.
"Stop the crap, Pangzi and go to sleep. Your snoring is so loud it could attract blood zombies right from bellow the earth. I'm just putting some safe distance." Wu Xie said, closing his sleeping bag.
"Yeah, right, then what's Xiaoge's excuse?" Pangzi asked.
"I protect Wu Xie..." Qiling murmur, making Wu Xie smile.
"See? He protects me from your snoring or the coming zombies."
"Ha, ha. Xiaoge, remember that I am your brother too, don't always take the side of your wife." Pangzi refuted.
"Who's a wife? Idiot Pangzi..."
"Get real Wu Xie, between the two of you, Xiaoge is definitely the husband. He is the oldest and way stronger than you. Also, he is hotter..."
"Give me a break, I am not ugly by any standard, right Xiaoge?"
"No." Xiaoge whisper with his eyes closed.
"He doesn't count. What you said, Ning?"
"Don't involve me in their business. Also, you should stop the nonsense, it's annoying." She said, as she moved to the opposite side of Pangzi inside her sleeping bag, as she was at his left.
"Jealous, huh? Well you got your chances, but crush them down every time you made something mean to him."
"Just shut up Pangzi, we need to rest. Weren't you in pain just a few minutes ago?" Pan Zi intervened.
"Ah, hell yes... those ticks are merciless... so many of them." Pangzi cursed.
"Damn right." Wu Xie seconded, which make Ah Ning smirk.
"Ticks can distinguish a person blood type. It's just your luck they preferred the two of you. Better fortune next time." Ah Ning teased.
"Xiaoge, give me some of your blood... your immunity is a blessing from the heavens." Pangzi joked.
"Mn." Qiling agree.
"Hey, don't take him seriously, Xiaoge. Stupid Pangzi, he is not a blood bag."
"Yeah, yeah... alright, I give up, just don't wake us with smooching in the middle of the night. It's disturbing." Wu Xie's ears were on fire and not by the heat of the campfire. He wonder if Pangzi hear them last night. He glanced at Xiaoge, but he had his eyes closed, so he simply moved to the side to had a better look at him.
Hours later into the night, he felt Xiaoge's arms on his waist, as he moved closer to cuddle him. Wu Xie smiled and moved a bit higher into his bag, so he could rest his head on Xiaoge's shoulder. There was a soft kiss on his mouth that didn't leave any sound, but he was too sleepy to repeat the smooching of the night before and there was always the coming morning withan early raiser hot man by his side and the promise of a new day full of life.
AN: Oh Wu Xie, the next day will not be as full of life as you believe. 😭 Thanks for reading and the coming chapter will be full of action and coming pain. Until next time, please take care. 😁🌷💖