Chapter 98 City Of Mist (13)

Mu Sheng went out in the morning but for some reason, never returned. Even by the time that night fell.

When evening came, Miaomiao followed Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao anxiously, scouring the streets for him. Yet, they didn’t even see the corner of his shadow.

“He might’ve heard our conversation.”

Liu Fuyi came to a conclusion. He looked at Miaomiao’s face, paused for a moment, then sighed: “It’s fine as well, letting him cool off by himself.”

Ling Miaomiao sat by the bedside and lit up a candle. She didn’t say a word as she waited till midnight. She let out a breath of air, leaving behind the candle on the table as she pulled aside the bed covers to lay down.

Ever since that time they enjoyed the spring of intercourse, he had put away the mat on the ground and started to sleep together with her.

Usually, he would be clingy beyond compare. He would constantly pull her in so deep she’d feel like she was suffocating. Later on, she found a solution to this — To take the initiative and hug him.

As soon as she took the initiative to reach out and hug him, he would immediately stay still like an obedient child. He would let her wrap her arms around him just like she was hugging a human-sized icy-cold statue in bed.

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Tl’p cynj…

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Miaomiao was anxious as she shut her eyes, pretending to be sleeping. Her fingertips were curled up and when she lightly touched the back of her hand, her fingertips were dripping with cold sweat.

She felt like he stood there like a wisp of a ghost. She felt so uneasy that if she made a single movement, she would scare him away.

The thick stench of blood started to mix together with the cold breeze, slowly making its way to every corner.

He didn’t get on the bed, only standing by the side for a while before turning around and exiting through the door quietly.

In the courtyard, he filled a tub with cold water. Then, he took off his blood-stained outerwear and sunk into the tub.

He let out a breath of warm air, turning into white cloud in the air. His face touched against the side of the tub, beads of water sliding down the side of his face. His pitch black pupils seemed to glimmer with the faint reflections on the water.

In the moment not too long ago, he nearly immediately extinguished the candle by entering the room.

However he also felt that by bringing the bone-chilling killing intent, scent of blood and the wintry breeze into the room was completely inharmonious with the scene inside: Warm and cozy, a peacefully sleeping girl under the covers. He felt a deep sense of alienation.

This was the first time he so loathed the bloody scent on his body. Loathing the gloomy heaviness that hung around his body.

The deeper he became attached to her, the more he loathed himself.

Ling Miaomiao was on edge and anxious, finally making a small mistake: She accidentally moved one of the small bells by the corner of the bed, immediately bringing her to full wakefulness.

He had taken a bath and switched out his clothes for clean ones. It wasn’t until midnight that he silently and almost imperceptibly crawled into the bed, softly laying down beside her.

However, this time he didn’t reach over to pull her into his arms. He left a space between them the width of a person. He stiffly laid on his back then tossed and turned until he was at the edge.

What in the world? She felt irritated. She reached out and touched his skin. Then, she wrapped her arm around his waist.

Mu Sheng felt her arm wrap around his waist, slowly pulling him closer to the center of the bed.

The air around them was still permeated by the faint smell of blood. One that he couldn’t wash away. His eyes flashed as he locked his gaze with hers: “Did I wake you up?”

“I wasn’t sleeping.” Ling Miaomiao looked at him, lying on her side. She used some force to pull him towards her, speaking in a soft tone: “Why are you hiding so far away for?”

The youth spun around and immediately pressed up against her, squeezing her between his body and the wall. He grabbed her chin as his eyes turned dark: “You aren’t going to ask where I went and what I did?”

“What else could you have done.” Miaomiao allowed him to pull her face as he wished. When she sniffed the faint iron in the air, she paused for a moment before speaking in a coquettish tone: “Murder and arson I suppose right?”

He couldn’t help but kiss her on her soft and warm neck. It felt like he was urgently looking for consolation from her. His actions could not be described as gentle at all as his tone turned cold: “Afraid?”

Ling Miaomiao pulled his face upwards to look at her. She stared at his face in worry for a long time: “After the time you killed that water ghost, haven’t I always been by your side spectating? Isn’t it a bit late to ask me this now?”

She poked Mu Sheng’s face, the smile on her face seemingly one that delighted in his conflicted feelings: “In any case, this isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this. Why is it that this time you’ve become more unreasonable after coming back.”

The youth lowered his eyelashes.

That’s right. He had walked the world for so many years. He had been brash and conceited, his hands stained with the blood of countless demons. At the same time, killing humans merely took a moment and he never felt the slightest bit of guilt before.

However, why was it that when she hugged him this tenderly, he’d feel extreme guilt and self-loathing? As if he could never wash those things away?

Miaomiao didn’t smile either, only lowering her head towards him with a sense of defeat filling her heart. She cupped his face then kissed his cheek softly. She cleared her throat: “I also killed a water ghost.”

She blinked a couple times, copying his expression as she purposely made an extremely exaggerated frown: “I also feel extremely hurt.”

“I killed a demon… are you scared, Ziqi?” She put on a show of fake crying, boo-hoo-hoo’ing at him: “Mhm? Are you scared?”

Before she could complete her act, she burst out into a smile. Just like she was patting a little animal, she reached out and rubbed his hair.

The youth before her eyes stared continuously at her without shifting a single centimeter. It was as if he had discovered a new land after a long voyage, his eyes shone brightly, so brightly that it seemed to tremble.

Miaomiao caressed his arm, moved a little and pulled him closer again: “Your body is so cold ah!”

She started to tremble, teeth chattering: “Don’t tell me that you took a bath in cold water right?”

Mu Sheng didn’t say anything, only pulling the covers tightly to completely cover her back.

She completely opened up herself and completely wrapped him with her comforting warmth, trying to transmit her body’s temperature over to him.

“If you use cold water to take a shower again, I won’t hug you. You’re… you’re going to freeze me to death.”

Mu Sheng froze for a moment. His slightly cold lips touched against her neck again as he kissed her there.

Ling Miaomiao felt like she and Mu Sheng were like the actual story of the farmer and the snake. She warmed up the snake with her body and he survived the ordeal. Then the snake would start to wriggle and squirm in her arms as it bit her.

He continued kissing her, moving downwards; All the way till her lower abdomen. His kisses became more and more burning with every kiss. With every breath, his body shuddered. He reached out behind her body and familiarly untied the knot on her back.

The bells hanging on the corners of the bed starting to sing their song.

“Why are you going down there…” The girl’s eyes watered as she hastily reached out to grab him but missed. He had already smoothly slid all the way down, “Wait, don’t…”

Her voice suddenly dropped, turning into a panicked whimper.

His kisses were wild but scorching. Her fair legs were softly and weakly placed on his shoulders. Her ankles were fair and petite, a small length short of fitting within his palm. They moved agitatedly in the air, unable to do anything but sway.

“Ziqi……”

“Ziqi Ziqiii………”

Mu Sheng raised his head to look at her. Her face had become completely red and the ends of her words trembled in a tone that almost bordered begging.

She… could almost no longer hold on.

For some reason, the moment this thought surfaced in his mind, an immeasurably deep and profound level of tender emotions flooded out from the depths of his heart. A mischievous thought surfaced in his heart at that moment. If he really didn’t stop his hands, what would happen?

She started to struggle, moving upwards to get out of his grasp. He grabbed her waist, pressing her down onto her position; He felt a fire blaze within.

And then, the pliable cloud below his body shuddered even more before finally melting into soft, soft water. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get any reaction from her anymore.

The bells rang and sang as his heart beat to the amazement surging in his heart. He slowly, assuredly and carefully gathered up the water, slowly reforming her shape.

---

In the blink of an eye, the first snowfall of the year had arrived.

The snow falling outside the window floated down elegantly as the boiling pot of water on the stove rumbled. Even inside, Miaomiao wore a thick fur lined inner jacket.

The death of Dowager Consort Zhao had come all the way to them from Chang’an and when they heard this piece of news, the main leads had all been eating together.

Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi looked each other in the eye, clearly knowing the situation yet didn’t say anything. Mu Sheng watched Ling Miaomiao at a tilted angle. Her chopsticks only paused for a moment before she continued eating as per normal. She calmly ate two fragrant bites of rice before complimenting Mu Yao on how her skills at cooking had increased once more.

In the end, everyone pretended that they never heard anything or any guess, limiting their suspicions of the most suspicious person.

Although this was the case, Ling Miaomiao could discern from their body language that Mu Sheng wasn’t really happy.

When there was something weighing on his heart, his eyes would lower and he wouldn’t say anything. The look on his face made him look as if he was pondering some clue he couldn’t understand — However, ever since she started to be around him, she somehow gained a new ability. Whenever Mu Sheng tried to hide something or pretend something was something otherwise, she could immediately spot out when he was unhappy.

Although she didn’t understand why the black lotus suddenly no longer cared about the countless deaths caused by him and the conflicting emotions brought about by them, she could feel that seated beside her was a giant ball of fluff. One that was heavy, weighted and dark. Then, she also started to feel unhappy as well.

Liu Fuyi reached out with his chopsticks and when he picked up the very last mixed grain mantou, he suddenly discovered that Ling Miaomiao, who sat across from him, was staring at him with a rare expression.

He was just about to move the mantou to his mouth but hesitated at that moment, placing it aside as he asked hesitantly: “Miaomiao…. You… do you want to eat it?”

Ling Miaomiao shook her head. Her eyes glittered brightly as she picked up the empty bamboo tray: “Big Brother Liu, can you gift this to me?”

“….” Liu Fuyi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He swallowed the bite of mantou in his mouth: “Sure. The store at the entrance sells them as well. I’ll go buy a new one tomorrow.”

Ling Miaomiao nodded then ran back to her room hugging the bamboo tray while Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao watched her flabbergasted.

---

The snow had stacked into a thin layer on the lichen covered rocks. It looked just like the sugary frost atop an exquisite cake. Occasionally, yellow leaves and twigs popped out of the spread, staining the whiteness of the landscape.

Ling Miaomiao was crouching in the courtyard. She was wearing a glove as she dug out a small chunk of snow. She carefully used a short stick to prop up the bamboo tray. Her breath was white in the air as a layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Suddenly, she felt her back become warm. When she turned around to look, Mu Sheng was at her side carefully draping a cloak around her. It nearly completely enveloped her.

She stood up and looked back again. Snow was still falling. A small part of the cloak wrapped up and curled in the air, some clumps of snow stuck together as they slowly drifted down to the ground. It was like the floating cotton of Hebei in the spring. The youth’s shoulders were covered with a thin layer of snow and it was evident that he had stood there for a spell already.

Ling Miaomiao reached out to grab his clothes. He was only wearing a single layer. So, she unwrapped the cloak around her and stood on her tiptoes to place it on him.

“How could you wear so little? Put it on.”

Mu Sheng grabbed the edge of the cloak. His pitch black eyes looked at her as if he had some doubts: “I’m not cold.”

Ling Miaomiao took off a glove and without giving him any warning, caressed his ice cold face with her warm hand with a smile on her face: “Still saying you’re not cold?” She gave the glove to him, “Take it take it, and take this as well.”

Upon seeing that Mu Sheng only looked at the glove in his hand with a blank look. Then, she reached behind her back again and undid several knots before taking off the short fur-lined jacket.

The dark grey rabbit fur was fluffy and soft. In addition, it contrasted greatly with his white face and red lips. His eyes were filled with pure blackness. He was just like a makeup covered jade doll. Miaomiao tilted her head to the side as she looked at him. Suddenly, she pulled on the jacket, pulling him close to her. She then tiptoed once again so that she could kiss him on the cheek.

“……..” Mu Sheng caressed the side of his face as his gaze gathered on her once again. He felt like his soul was flying towards the horizon.

Ling Miaomiao smiled at him. Her lips looked as bright and captivating as the first flowering of spring. They were filled with a child’s simple-minded and joyful complacency; It was like she was teasing him. She knelt down, not bothering with him at all, as she started to tie a tight cord around a rolling pin.

“…. What are you doing?” Mu Sheng looked at her back silhouette before finally falling up the bamboo tray held up at an angle.

The overturned bamboo tray had already collected a small chunk of snow on its upper edge. The hexagonal ice crystal structure hadn’t melted just yet, glimmering under the sun. The ground beneath the bamboo tray was still very clean.

“Catching birds.” Ling Miaomiao moved busily even while replying. She finally stood up and clapped her hands to clean off remnant snow. Then, she moved her hands to her mouth to blow on them a few times: “The empty cage in the house is really scary you know.”

The bird cage left in the corner of the room was most likely left behind by the previous owners of the house. They didn’t know why they didn’t take the cage with them, leaving it hanging desolately in the corner and slowly being covered with dust.

He watched Miaomiao clean it up and then place it on the table.

Mu Sheng’s eyes were filled with a bit of confusion. He looked at the four corners of the courtyard, then at the misty grey sky. Occasionally, a bird or two would fly by, a little dot of blackness in the sky. Even they seemed to tremble in the air, as if their wings had also been wet by the snow.

He placed Miaomiao’s glove into his clothes and pulled out several talismans, speaking succintly: “Let me help you catch birds.”

“Don’t use talismans.” Miaomiao grabbed his hand, pointing at the ground with an excited grin on her face: “If you catch them that way, catching them loses its meaning. She nudged him twice, “Hurry, go to the kitchen and grab some millet for me.”

Mu Sheng watched her dimpled smiling face and put away the talismans. He listened to her as he walked in the direction of the kitchen.

Food was harder to find in the winter and a magpie was so hungry it no longer had the energy to cry out. It rested on a small snow laden area, drooping its wings and lowering its head in disheartenment as it walked along the wall.

Its mung-bean sized eyes looked everywhere in confusion. It had noticed the millet on the ground a long time ago. It had been placed by humans, piled up into a little hill. It had no idea what its purpose was for. There was only a grass looking object at the side, nothing that could harm its life.

Finally, it realized that no one was watching.

It flew down from the wall and started to stroll around the courtyard. It pretended like it was inadvertently getting closer and closer to that little hill of delicious food.

Behind a fake mountain, Ling Miaomiao saw that the opportunity had almost arrived and shoved the cord into the hands of the person beside her: “Here, you pull it.”

Having the end of the cord suddenly stuffed into his hands, Mu Sheng turned around to look and saw that the girl beside him was splayed out behind a crack in the rocks. She looked just like a rabbit perking up its ears.

“……” His lashes trembled for a moment as a strange sense of anxiety started to fill him slowly: “Me pull?”

“Yea, you pull.” Ling Miaomiao pulled on the corner of his clothes, pulling him to her side. She teased with a smiled: “You better pull when the opportunity is right. You better not fail to catch it or…

Before she finished speaking, he abruptly tugged his hands. The little magpie that had just drilled its way into the covered area had only had its second beak of millet suddenly discovered to its horror that a giant object had fallen down onto its head.

“Chirp…”

“We caught it! We caught it!” Ling Miaomiao jumped and leaped with joy, pulling him along by the wrist. She excitedly pulled him and ran out, agilely crouching by the bamboo tray. She didn’t bother at all with how her skirt was getting wet from the spots of water on the ground as she very carefully pulled up one corner of the bamboo tray.

“Chirp chirp….” When the little bird saw the light, it tried to drill its way out in a panicked manner. Its wings flapped against the sides and it stepped on her extended hand. It was clear at a glance that it was about to make its escape. Miaomiao’s eyes grew wide: “Ah….”

Mu Sheng’s actions were lightning fast. Both of his hands wrapped in a circle and grabbed it into his palms as it was in the air. He could feel the living creature in his hands struggle with its wings.

His hands… which had broken so many vertebrae before, were now gently holding onto a struggling little bird. The bird’s wings swept across his palms, leaving streaks of cold melted snow water and showing the wildness within it.

He suddenly felt like time had turned back, back to the time many years ago to that child. The child who softly held the world in his hands. The world that was full of vitality and unadulterated beauty.

The feeling of struggle was just like a pool of dead water started to thump like a heartbeat. Badump. Badump. Fresh blood and high spirits.

His dark pupils flashed with light as he looked at the tender and delicate face of the girl in front of him. He was silent for a long time before finally opening his lips: “I caught it.”

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TLN: Sorry about the late post, it took longer to translate than I thought…
What a difficult chapter to translate… so much ambiguity and indirect messages that I have to interpret in a way that makes sense in english. At least it’s not a poem right? lolol.
Also, I did not expect such a suggestive scene in this chapter, quite a shocker indeed. Can’t wait to see how the story unfolds.

I didn’t have any time to edit this at all so… I’m posting as soon as I finished translating… I’ll edit realtime.