SWHCBB 38

Chapter 38: Cover Your Eyes and Feel the World of the Little Husband

For the first time, Jiang Chuang felt that doing it was even more torturous than not doing it.

Zhiyu’s body was frail, he didn’t dare be rough.

Holding him gently was already the softest way Jiang Chuang could think of, but even so, he couldn’t let himself go.

After holding back for so long, now that he could finally taste the “meat,” he still had to restrain himself. Only he knew how deadly it was when Zhiyu’s face turned crimson and he squinted at him with that look.

So many times, he wanted to throw caution to the wind, but a taut string of rationality in his mind kept him from crossing the line.

He was so gentle that even Zhiyu couldn’t help but whisper hoarsely in his ear, “Yunchuan… husband… kill me.”

Jiang Chuang strictly followed Bai Yuan’s medical instructions, stubbornly insisting that Zhiyu must not lose more than two rounds of essence. He kept a stern face as he stared at the man in his arms, enunciating each word: “Be good. Hold on a little longer.”

Zhiyu listened absentmindedly to the bamboo wind chimes above the bed, his hand tugging at the tassel. The tassel swayed uncontrollably with his movement.

The bamboo pieces clinked against each other once again. The usual muffled wooden sounds now became something far more suggestive.

Their breaths mingled, and soft pants fused with the gentle tapping of the bamboo…

By the end, Zhiyu felt like he had melted into a puddle, his brain turned to mush, and he no longer even knew where he was.

After Jiang Chuang carried him from the bath and dried him off, he was too drowsy to keep his eyes open. Still, he stubbornly muttered, “I don’t think… I’m satisfied yet. I want to go again.”

Jiang Chuang sucked in a sharp breath, his face tense as he scolded, “No. Sleep.”

Zhiyu frowned and drooped his lashes, aggrieved. “Oh.”

Jiang Chuang was helpless against him and had to soften his tone. “Be good. We’ll take it slow. Once your body’s stronger, you can play however you want, all right?”

“Then next time, I’ll blindfold you, so you can’t see either.” Zhiyu smiled wickedly, his thoughts spiraling out of control. The more he imagined, the more aroused he became, there was an entirely different flavor to it.

Jiang Chuang had never even considered something like that, but now a new idea was growing in his mind.

____

He didn’t know how long he had slept when Zhiyu was suddenly woken by a noise.

First came the rustle of clothing, then soft footsteps, followed by what sounded like someone bumping into a stool. The steps paused, then resumed softly. A cup on the table seemed to have been knocked over.

Zhiyu couldn’t help but call out, “Yunchuan, what are you doing?”

“Did I wake you? Sorry. I wanted to try walking out with my eyes covered to see if I could do it… but it’s too hard.” Jiang Chuang’s eyes were covered with a thick black cloth, this time, he was “blind” too.

He stretched out his hand, groping forward carefully, taking cautious steps, trying to navigate based on memory. The room was clear of obstacles, the path smooth, and yet every step was difficult.

Not being able to see brought intense uncertainty and fear. Each step forward was a careful test. Only when his foot landed on solid, unobstructed ground could he breathe slightly easier, only to tense up again as soon as the next step came.

Even in a familiar room, he couldn’t fully trust that it was safe. How much more treacherous must the world outside seem?

Jiang Chuang couldn’t help but think: for Zhiyu, who lost his sight at such a young age, when his vibrant world was plunged into total darkness overnight, what must that have felt like?

How scared was he? How hopeless?

Zhiyu listened to his halting steps and felt sourness well up in his chest. “Why… why did you suddenly blindfold yourself?”

Jiang Chuang’s foot bumped into a rolling stool. He knew he was by the bed now. Carefully, he sat down at the edge.

But just as he sat, two long, slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind. Zhiyu hugged him tightly, his face pressing softly against Jiang Chuang’s back.

“Was it for me?” Zhiyu asked. “Is that why you wanted to try and see what the world feels like… when you can’t see it?”

Jiang Chuang placed his hand over Zhiyu’s and gripped it tightly.

“Mm. If you hadn’t brought it up yesterday, I wouldn’t have thought of trying it this way. I still haven’t done well enough, so I’ve decided to keep my eyes covered all day today. That way I can figure out what dangers you might face in the residence, or where repairs are needed. Without putting myself in your place, how could I ever truly understand how you feel?”

Zhiyu hugged him tighter and laughed.

“You don’t have to do all that. I’m not the kind of person who bottles things up. If I’m uncomfortable, I’ll say so! But honestly, I haven’t felt even the slightest bit of discomfort, because you’re already doing great!”

Jiang Chuang knew he was being coaxed and stubbornly shook his head.

“It’s different… Today, let’s be a blind couple for a day. Once your eyes recover, we won’t have another chance!”

He wrapped his arms around Zhiyu and, feeling around clumsily for his features, finally pressed a reverent and cautious kiss to his forehead with tenderness.

Would his eyes really recover?

Even though Jiang Chuang always said so with unwavering confidence and trusted Bai Yuan completely, Zhiyu still found it hard to believe.

He didn’t dare get his hopes up, fearing that disappointment would crush him.

And hearing Jiang Chuang constantly talk about: Once your eyes are better, we’ll…

Only made him fear more what would happen if they never got better.

How devastated and guilty would Jiang Chuang be?

Yet he couldn’t say it out loud. He didn’t want to hurt him.

With his eyes blindfolded and leaning on Zhiyu’s cane, Jiang Chuang walked around the residence, drawing countless glances from the servants. When they tried to help him, he refused, and they could only whisper behind his back:

“This must be the General and His Highness’s… bedroom amusement. Best we stay out of it.”

Every time he finished exploring a new path, he would return to the garden pavilion to report to Zhiyu what he had sensed.

He was learning this world anew in complete darkness. It wasn’t fun, in fact, it was frightening. But Zhiyu was here. So it was worth it.

Seeing this, Changning secretly planned to catch a chicken and toss it toward Jiang Chuang. But before he could move, someone grabbed his wrist.

He turned his head, it was Chen Lin, expressionless, silently shaking his head.

Thwarted, Changning rolled his eyes, annoyed at the buzzkill.

Chen Lin released him, assuming he’d give up. But Changning, full of mischief, suddenly flung the chicken directly at Chen Lin’s head.

At that exact moment, the chicken… pooped.

A warm, sticky mess splattered right onto Chen Lin’s head.

Changning froze, not expecting such a disastrous result from a casual toss.

“My chicken!!” Yuan Xiang ran over in a panic, holding up her skirt, then dashed off after it in tears.

“Pfft! So this is what they mean by getting shit dumped on your head!” Zhuge Qing sat squatting on the rooftop, grinning at the chaos below.

“Xiao Chen, your insight into life is truly profound! You’ve really embodied the essence of that phrase!”

Next second, Chen Lin flicked a pebble at the sole of his foot.

“Ah–ow!” Zhuge Qing yelped as he tumbled down, face-planting into the dirt.

Chen Lin ignored the stench of chicken poop and didn’t even wipe it off. He shot Changning a cold glance.

Changning laughed sheepishly, only to watch Chen Lin storm off at lightning speed.

Changning muttered under his breath, “It’s not like I made the chicken poop! How’s that my fault? So petty! And seriously, if he couldn’t dodge that, his reflexes are way too slow.”

Muttering, he wandered over to where Chen Lin had just stood and gave the ground a spiteful kick.

Zhuge Qing, lying sprawled on the ground, suddenly saw a pair of boots in front of him. He looked up to see Jiang Chuang, and immediately beamed.

“General! Help me up, I’m dying over here!”

Jiang Chuang had already removed the blindfold. He grabbed Zhuge Qing’s hand and pulled him up.

“What are you doing here all of a sudden?”

“Tch, you really need to teach Xuao Chen a lesson. He ambushed me for no reason! It was rude!” Zhuge Qing grumbled, brushing the dirt from his clothes despite the pain.

“Anyway, the proper channels were too much trouble. I figured climbing over the wall was faster. But seriously, your wall’s way too tall, you should have someone lower it next time!”

He rattled on endlessly, ten sentences for every one Jiang Chuang spoke.

After scanning the courtyard, now mostly empty, Zhuge Qing noticed Yuan Xiang still clutching her chicken and glaring at him with resentment. He winked at her playfully, only for her to stomp away in a huff.

“Oh, right! I didn’t come to see you, I’m looking for Prince Jin. Where is he? Why don’t I see him?”

“What do you want with him?” Jiang Chuang asked, puzzled.

Zhuge Qing’s smile faded instantly. He gave Jiang Chuang a chilling look.

“General, did you know that the officials sent to pacify the bandits… were all killed by them?”