In one mighty heave, Shan Si lifted Tao Hua up from his feet and into the air, swinging him over the fallen tree.
In all his life, Tao Hua had never met a man so sporadically touchy and unpredictable; it caused him to cry aloud in one loud yelp.
"STOP! STOP, STOP, STOP! STOP!!"
There were many reasons for this—some were allocated in the discomfort of Shan Si's suggestive and unwarranted actions, while others involved images only Tao Hua had access to. Thoughts, rather, built on the foundation of an unsolicited dream.
To make matters worse, if he tacked on all that this man had done since they left Siyue Town, he'd end up nothing more than a flustered mess. And to people like Tao Hua, exhaustion and embarrassment didn't go hand-in-hand.
And now he had to face the threat of a shadowy forest on top of all other threats. It was excruciatingly awful!
At least it was a pretty sight, though. Brimming with life and colour. That still didn't change Tao Hua's mood any.
Shan Si hopped onto the tree, causing their robes to flutter together amid his haste. Oh, to be blessed with long legs! The gods clearly favoured this man.
The moment he reached atop that fallen tree, Tao Hua swayed, his feet dangling like legs in the water. This was a sign he was much higher in the air than was humanly comfortable.
It was awful. He didn't like it, not a single bit.
Why this man chose to go to such extremes, the answer would be lost to whatever force stole Tao Hua's dignity—if there was any to begin with.
He reached over and wrapped his arms tightly around the broad shoulders. His legs followed suit around Shan Si's waist, and even if this man tried to pry Tao Hua off, there was no peeling away what was terrifyingly stuck to him.
But surprisingly, Shan Si didn't do anything nor did he react; he just settled on that tree silently as Tao Hua threw away all sanity in his embrace. His eyes slowly fell, just as he stared down at the shrivelling man, watching as his face smothered between his neck and collar. Something in that moment flickered in him, and there was an inkling of softness in a face stained by scorn.
Thus, he waited a bit, allowing the wind to rush past them as Tao Hua begged for his life.
Some of this went like: "No, no, no, no, no!" and "I'll do anything, please stop!" and other generic phrases he once read in a book.
When he finally realized they weren't moving, Tao Hua moved his head back, by just a bit, and blinked a few times.
"You really are a wimp," said Shan Si, just as his arms moved, circling around Tao Hua, and keeping him in place. "Scared of the dark. Scared of fraudulent tales. Scared of new experiences. And now scared of heights? I'm beginning to think you're just using those as an excuse, Tao Hua. Is it me you're actually scared of?
The more Shan Si spoke, the more his voice slathered with hollow amusement, as if it wasn't meant to exist. Tao Hua could feel his head tilt, just as his neck cranked, leaning toward Tao Hua. But even if Tao Hua's lips parted to respond, Shan Si would speak over any noise that escaped, continuing his nonsense.
"I won't lie—it's entertaining. Exciting, maybe," he taunted, his fingers rubbing against Tao Hua's back. During this, Tao Hua could hear the echoed taps of his foot, soon scraping along the bark.
For such a thick tree, it didn't sound thick at all.
But there wouldn't be any time to spare for semantics, not with the way Shan Si handled him. Before Tao Hua could look down to see what this man was doing, he was caught mid-action, unable to turn his head any further at the burning touch of flesh. Tao Hua could feel Shan Si's shoulders inch closer, just as foreign strands of black hair fell elegantly like dragon's hair, blocking his vision.
From the heat against his ear, to his intentional movements, Tao Hua's expression deepened in colour. Being tired made anyone act out in ways they'd never once approve.
"But…" Shan Si removed his arms, hovering them at both sides of Tao Hua's waist. "You're not a princess, nor am I a hero. We've got places to be. Let's go."
And so, he grabbed Tao Hua's sides and pried him off regardless of how adamant this terrified man was. It all happened so fast, the stunned look on Tao Hua's face barely had time to react before he was carefully lowered to his feet, so much so that barely anything puffed around him.
However, given the circumstances, Tao Hua still stumbled to the side a bit, his shoulder ramming into a nearby tree—one stationed next to the fallen tree. He leaned his body against it, and when he did, he felt as though a large shadow completely enveloped him sullenly, sending a shiver through his entire body.
So, to support himself better, he reached his hand up and pressed it against the flimsy bark, wincing only a bit as the ridges dug through the gauze.
It was freezing. Why was a tree so full of life so cold? Was this Shan Si's doing?
Looking around, from the roughed-up mulch to the splintered ends of the tree. It wasn't a long tree by any means; the two of them could have gone around it without an issue.
Brows furrowing, he returned his eyes to Shan Si, watching as he roughly swept the wrinkles of his robe out, repeatedly; as if concerned and trying to contemplate something.
He cast one last look at his hands pressed against the tree before turning back to Shan Si. What was the purpose of all this?
"W-Why…?"
Shan Si glanced up at Tao Hua. "Why what?"
"Why…do all that?"
"I don't understand." Shan Si merely returned to patting his robe neat. "Stop dancing around what you mean to say."
"…" Tao Hua's hand brushed along the ridges of that tree until he was practically hugging it. It was absolutely freezing and uncomfortable. "Why n-not just go around the tree? Was that necessary?"
"Yes, it was," Shan Si said simply. "Given how this entire night played out, you would have stalled us more had I not taken action. You're welcome."
None of that answered Tao Hua's questions.
"Now that you're finally talking, it's probably best we keep things a little less personal. Focus on the journey instead," said Shan Si. "I'm not going to carry a grown-ass man through the woods when he has perfectly working legs—no, that doesn't mean move. Stay still until I move."
Tao Hua's foot froze in the air, heeding Shan Si's orders. It quietly moved back to his side, and through the whimpers of chattering teeth, he let out a sigh of frustration.
Not once did he ask to be carried. In fact, that's not what he wanted from this man at all. But given the distant sound of crunching, the rustling of foliage, and the howling of what he could only assume were wolves, the idea didn't sound so bad.
It was as if the lingering heat of his skin remained amidst the approaching cold.
So, he hugged that tree tighter, trying to keep his glossy eyes on Shan Si and nowhere else. Despite the two being what felt like a good ten minutes into the woods from the official road, the landscape didn't quite match the stories Shan Si told.
It didn't change at all, actually. It felt different, but that could be attributed to whatever cultivation this man practiced. Well, at least to what Tao Hua could understand. He hadn't a lick of spiritual power to his name, or the ability to practice it.
For example, these trees didn't look a bit menacing; gnomes could have made their homes within them. In fact, these trees were so flourishing that it was essentially life abundance. Well, all except the one fallen on the ground, which seemed a lot more barren—as if stripped of its leaves entirely and left to rot.
Thump!
Another jump and Shan Si had landed on the ground with great precision, straightening himself tall. He took one more look at the tree, his expression darkening the more his eyes travelled along each seam and groove ingrained.
Though his words stung, Tao Hua felt something entirely different when observing Shan Si. As if whatever this tree indicated had him completely switch up, becoming more serious rather than playful.
It made the forest feel far more frightening than once thought. So, rather than arguing or giving Shan Si the silent treatment, he made the choice to simply follow orders this time around.
Tao Hua looked back down at the tree, hopelessly frowning.
"Is there something wrong with it…?"
Shan Si lifted his hand, waving it at Tao Hua. He was only partly paying attention, as whatever captivated him about this tree had him hooked.
"It doesn't involve you. Don't think about it."
"Nnn…but…" Tao Hua watched as Shan Si side-glanced him, his eyes narrowing and becoming more threatening the longer they remained on Tao Hua. So, he just pushed out his bottom lip a tad, lowering his head and avoiding the warning stare. "…Nevermind."
His fingers trembled against the tree, brushing along the ridges as he tried to keep himself steady against it. The longer Shan Si remained quiet, the more the outside world became loudly apparent.
So, Tao Hua opened his lips to break that silence, but was immediately interrupted by Shan Si. Again.
"Wasting time," he barked, turning and moving deeper into the woods. "Let's go already. Move!"
This time it wasn't even Tao Hua who was idling! It was all on Shan Si and that stupid tree. The audacity and gall to pin it on Tao Hua, and soon after he took responsibility for wasting it earlier!
However, as Tao Hua watched Shan Si move ahead, he noticed just how stiff his shoulders were—they didn't represent what he'd first seen back in The Bookstore.
He couldn't tell if Shan Si was scared or angry. Scared didn't seem to suit him, so he could only assume the latter. But one thing was certain: Tao Hua was, and even more so at the sudden sound of nearby shuffling. He jolted, removing himself from the tree and darting to Shan Si's side.
Fuck being alone in the forest! No thanks.
Careful not to anger this already seething man, Tao Hua stood nearby, but not close enough to brush against him. Every time he glanced up at Shan Si, he noticed just how twisted the feral look on this man's face became, deepening with each step. It was similar to the same look he had when first entered Tao Hua's room.
What has him so bothered…? Tao Hua thought. Did I do something to annoy him again? I'm pretty good at that, apparently--
He looked down at Shan Si's hands, noticing how they whitened pale from the way he clenched them. It was so rough, Tao Hua could have sworn they were trembling from all his effort.
This man clearly wore his emotions on his sleeve while pretending they didn't exist. And for once, Tao Hua couldn't justify himself being the problem. This situation was rather odd, given all he'd learnt of Shan Si that night.
The tree? Was it the tree…?
So, he twisted his body to grab one final glance at the tree, and to his shock, he noticed how the surrounding area faded from a majestic forest that could have been built for fairies, to a dark, dead space, void of any life.
Eyes widened, Tao Hua's breath hitched, and every fibre of his being stirred with fear. Safe to say, it was certainly the tree that had Shan Si up and arms.
He whipped his head around, promptly staring at the ever-changing ground. Lifting his hands to his chest, he felt his heart race faster than the wind that picked up around them, or the temperature that dropped.
"Tao Hua," Shan Si said, staring ahead as they walked along the dying forest path. "I need you to answer me honestly—don't dally."
Tao Hua's body stiffened, and he looked up at Shan Si, however, Shan Si simply scowled, staring ahead.
"What exactly is that book of yours?"
Chapter end.