Chapter 2256: The Miao Border Youth's Fierce Love 19

The moonlight was perfect; Jin Chen squatted beside the wine jar at the altar, dipped his fingertip in the liquor and tasted it.

A red snake slipped out of his sleeve, flicking its tongue to inspect the wine jar.

The taste seemed normal, but he kept feeling something was off.

"Those two guys surely aren't up to any good."

Jin Chen muttered under his breath.

"If I can't become the Holy Son, how am I supposed to help my wife find the Mother Gu?"

He gave a soft snort, turned his head to the purple butterfly gu on his shoulder, and said, "Go call A San and the others."

Soon after, the three boys hurried over.

Gong Zi rubbed his sleepy eyes, Jiu Tian yawned, and as they ran they tied their waistbands.

A San still clutched half an uneaten rice cake in his hand.

"Young Master, why did you call us out so late?"

Gong Zi asked, rubbing his hands together.

Jin Chen pointed at the wine jar: "Replace all of this with Wang Po's rice wine."

"Huh?" A San scratched his head, "Why change the wine? Isn't your grand ceremony tomorrow?"

"Just do as I say; why all the nonsense?"

Jin Chen tapped A San on the back of the head, pulled a small paper packet from his bosom, and said, "After you switch it, add a bit of this to the new wine."

Jiu Tian took the packet, sniffed it, eyes wide, and said, "Croton… bean powder?"

"Young Master, you don't want to be the Holy Son, do you?" Gong Zi wore a complicated expression, "Even if you don't want the post, there's no need to give the whole village diarrhea at the ceremony."

That would be so awful!

"No, just a little bit."

Jin Chen narrowed his eyes. "Tomorrow there's still a good show to watch."

Although the three boys didn't understand, they still got to work efficiently.

Gong Zi took watch, while Jiu Tian and A San each handled moving the wine and adding the medicine, working together seamlessly.

"Young Master, it's all swapped." Jiu Tian wiped his sweat.

"But could you tell us why we're doing this?"

Jin Chen looked at their curious expressions, cocked his eyebrows in a carefree way, and said, "Tomorrow Luo Xiao will surely stir up trouble; we'll prepare a surprise for him first."

A San suddenly thought of something, "What if someone drinks it and has a problem…"

"Don't worry, it's just this bit of croton bean; at most it'll make people run to the latrine a few extra times."

Jin Chen waved his hand. "Go on; remember to come early tomorrow and sit in the front row to watch the show."

After the three boys left, Jin Chen checked the wine jar once more.

Under the moonlight, the newly swapped wine jar looked exactly like the original, even the mud seal's pattern copied down to the finest detail.

"Luo Xiao, Luo Xiao," Jin Chen chuckled at the moonlight, "Tomorrow I'll let you know who's the biggest prankster in this village."

【The villagers are really unlucky.】

【Either they have to eat poison, or they have to eat croton bean.】

Since he couldn't sleep even late at night, Jin Chen simply went to the Herbal Hall.

As he stepped into the moonlight and pushed open the bamboo door of the Herbal Hall, Jin Chen saw Fan Ruoxi and Chu Wan sitting on a stone bench beside the herb garden.

Chu Wan held a sprig of nightvine, smiling until her eyes curved like crescent moons, while Fan Ruoxi lowered his head to tinker with a small medicinal furnace, the firelight casting a red glow on his cheek.

【It looked like they were whispering sweet nothings.】

"What are you doing up here at this hour instead of sleeping?"

Jin Chen leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

Chu Wan looked up, saw him, and her eyes lit up: "Young Master! You're not asleep either!"

"We were talking about outside affairs; when the chance comes, I'll invite the Young Master to…"

Before she could finish, Fan Ruoxi clapped a hand over her mouth and gave Jin Chen an awkward laugh,

"She's just spouting nonsense; we're actually studying the newly gathered medicinal herbs."

Jin Chen narrowed his eyes, strolling over slowly, and said, "Oh? Studying herbs makes you this happy?"

Fan Ruoxi broke out in a light sweat, hurriedly changing the subject: "You came this late to look for our Senior Brother, right? He's in his room."

Chu Wan wrenched her hand free from Fan Ruoxi's grip and muttered softly, "I didn't say anything wrong; the Young Master will surely be able to leave someday…"

Fan Ruoxi stared, eyes wide, and silently mouthed, "If the Holy Son leaves the village, the myriad gu will backlash—isn't that also a village rule?"

Chu Wan silently covered her own mouth.

Then she began to worry about the Senior Brother instead.

What are we to do?

The Senior Brother will later inherit the South Gate, so unless absolutely necessary he probably won't return to the Thousand Screen Mountain Village.

"The handsome Young Master is the Holy Son; he must not… no, he absolutely cannot leave the Thousand Screen Mountain Village."

"Whether inside or outside the village, meeting will be hard."

"If we can't stay together long-term, feelings will fade and break—it's only a matter of time."

Chu Wan's eyes darted around as she exchanged a silent glance with Fan Ruoxi.

Fan Ruoxi helplessly shook his head.

"Obviously, this idea couldn't possibly be something they could come up with."

Jin Chen watched their eye-rolling and face-making, raised an eyebrow oddly, hands behind his back, and swaggered into Nan Yixing's house.

Moonlight filtered through the half-open bamboo blind, casting a silvery-white patch on the floor.

Nan Yi Xing leaned against the window, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the rim of the tea cup; the tea had long gone cold, reflecting the moonlight, swayed slightly.

The boy's roguish smile lingered in his mind, those purple eyes always filled with a willfulness that left him helpless.

"Older brother, why are you acting foolish?"

Suddenly his waist tightened, a familiar scent enveloping him from behind.

Nan Yi Xing nearly knocked over his tea cup, and as he turned he met Jin Chen's bright, sparkling eyes.

"How did you get here?"

Nan Yi Xing set down his tea cup, his voice much softer than he had imagined.

"I can't sleep." Jin Chen still carried the coolness of the night breeze, his hair tips brushing against Nan Yi Xing's neck, causing a slight itch.

"I missed you."

Those three simple words made Nan Yi Xing's heart jolt.

He instinctively raised his hand, but stopped just before touching Jin Chen's cheek, instead smoothing the other's disheveled collar.

"We still have to get up early tomorrow." Nan Yi Xing said softly, yet let Jin Chen rest his head on his shoulder.

"I know." Jin Chen rubbed against him, then suddenly lifted his head. "By the way, I swapped Luo Xiao's wine today and added croton powder."

"Tomorrow, older brother, you still need to cooperate with my act."

Jin Chen murmured in Nan Yi Xing's ear for a while.

In the moonlight, his smug expression was especially vivid.

Nan Yi Xing couldn't help but curl his lips, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "I know."

Jin Chen seized the wrist resting on his head, his fingertips lightly tracing the palm, then lowered his head to kiss the wrist where he wore the silver bracelet.

Nan Yi Xing's fingers curled, and he heard Jin Chen say: "Older brother, here, accepting a bracelet means you belong to me."

"We Miao Jiang people give our bracelets to only one person in a lifetime."

Words no different from a confession.

Nan Yi Xing's throat inexplicably dried; the silver bracelet gleamed with a warm, moist sheen in the moonlight, the delicate snake patterns on its surface seeming to come alive.

Jin Chen's words were like a drop of scalding honey, falling onto his heart and scorching his earlobes into numbness.

The night wind slipped through the bamboo blinds, carrying the distinctive fragrance of mountain flora.

Jin Chen's breath was near at hand, warmly brushing Nan Yi Xing's lip corners.

Nan Yi Xing's Adam's apple twitched; before he could speak, Jin Chen had already pressed close.

The kiss was light, like a trial, yet also a confirmation; the tip of his tongue lightly grazed Nan Yi Xing's lip seam, carrying a hint of cautious cherishing.

Nan Yi Xing's hand unconsciously rose to Jin Chen's nape, his fingertips sinking into his slightly cool hair.

Jin Chen let out a low laugh, his breath falling out of rhythm, yet he refused to pull back, instead deepening the kiss.

His tongue hooked Nan Yi Xing's, gradually seizing his breath.

As the kiss deepened, Jin Chen withdrew slightly, their noses still touching, breaths intertwining.

Jin Chen's fingertips lightly traced Nan Yi Xing's lips, his voice hoarse.

"Older brother... your heart is beating so fast."

Nan Yi Xing gazed at him, his eyes deepening, his thumb wiping a trace of moisture from Jin Chen's lip corner.

"Likewise."

Jin Chen's eyes crinkled as he smiled, then leaned in to lightly peck his lips.

"Me too."

Ambiguous feelings sprouted, gradually thickening, making one's heart go soft beyond words.

【Villain Heartthrob Value +5, total 45!】