Chapter 1 - Xiannang city

There was a city called Xiannang, bustling and large with markets and high and low buildings surrounded by large stone walls and many levels and platforms.

Yet inside it at the moment was The imperial advisor general, on the streets patrolling, Gu Chenyan.

Well…he wasn't exactly doing his job, you see he was deliberately trying to find a way to minorly hurt himself so he'd have an excuse to see Wen Shiqing, to be touched by him once more and cared for,

He was on the second level of the city, where mostly market stalls and carts were, and being run over by a cart would be worse than getting a minor injury..yet it could be worth it but he could also be temporarily put off and sent home..

Maybe he could seek out some bandits and try to get them to give him a few cuts and scratches..or maybe he could purposely give himself a cold..then maybe he can get some of that herbal tea and maybe Wen Shiqing's favourite incense, god that physicians clinic always smelt so good..

Gu Chenyan was so stuck up day-dreaming that he didn't notice he had bumped into some fat arrogant nobleman who immediately gasped and started yelling about the tiny, miniscule speck of dirt now on his “precious silk robes”, honestly Gu Chenyan felt like cutting his own ears off with his sword at the sound of this guys voice.

He swiftly apologised and quickly ran off, making his way back to the imperial palace. Oh well, he'll just have to lie about a cold, maybe then he can get some tea from his favourite man ever in the entirety of the world, okay stop daydreaming again he's about to run into an ox cart-

Swiftly moving out of the way, he realises he's In front of the tall set of stairs leading to the palace, he sighs, Gu Chenyan begins walking up, why are these stairs so long..so big..it's a massive pain.

Anyhow, Enough complaining. It's time to see the one and only, most beautiful man in all of Xiannang, Wen Shiqing!

Gu Chenyan felt butterflies burst in his stomach, he loved him like no other, maybe if that physician wasn't so dense about his obvious courting attempts, but oh whatever…

Walking down the ornate palace halls, he kept a keen eye out to make sure there were no “obstacles” in his way. He wanted to be there without any annoyances.

Gu Chenyan felt himself get more excited as he saw Wen Shiqing’s clinic appear in his field of view.

Reaching the door, Gu Chenyan quickly slid it open, yet quiet and swiftly enough as to not disturb the man inside.

Wen Shiqing's clinic was rather large , with many shelves and cabinets, and countertops and tables. Off to the side there was a large shelf with varying ceramic and clay jars, filled with different remedies.

On one of the wooden tables was a bunch of tied up bundles with fraying thin rope, and spare parchment paper, beside it all was a wooden box, lifeless and engraved with lotus petals, half full of the bundles, clearly Wen Shiqing was sorting something before he probably got side tracked.

Walking into the room, Gu Chenyan got a bigger view of everything. A clay tea set with a dark green stain, he quickly ran over and sniffed at the air above to see if he could get a whiff of tea.

After smelling absolutely nothing even after moving his face closer, Gu Chenyan contained his snoop around, nothing much was in the physicians clinic. Just scrolls with medical terms he didn't understand and unlabelled jars.

God.. did this guy ever label anything? Or did he just have the entire room memorised. Gu Chenyan figured that was the most plausible answer since Wen Shiqing spends all of his time here.

Continuing his snoop, Gu Chenyan came empty handed except for a gold medicine scale, and some dried lotus root. Heavens, there really was nothing in the clinic. Everything was clean, organised, except for the scrolls, Wen Shiqing hated organising scrolls with all of his being.

The scrolls were thrown all over the clinic, on cabinets , the floor, on the few little beds, and a lot of them were old due to Wen Shiqing being a massive hoarder on all things medical.

Gu Chenyan’s head snapped to the small alcove in the corner of the clinic, covered by a drape of crimson red curtains and a silver beaded fringe.

The curtains parted and Wen Shiqing emerged, holding a small wooden box of various medical tools.

Gu Chenyan almost split into a big grin seeing him, but yet he kept his composure, turning his full body towards the physician, he spoke. “Wen Shiqing, there you are, what do you have there?”

Wen Shiqing didn't respond to the greeting, he just nodded with a short hum. He just deadpanned, shouldering past the guard and carelessly dropping the small wood box onto the table before dumping everything out.

Now dumped on the wood table, there was an assortment of rusted daggers and shears, needles and a rusted metal stirring stick snapped in half and various other trinkets.

…

Gu Chenyan scratched the back of his head with a hand, what use would rusted and broken medical tools be? And why would Wen Shiqing have them. When suddenly, he spoke.

“I'm cleaning out my alcove, everything I've hoarded in there is rusted or broken and covered in dust.” Wen Shiqing mumbled, his tone was monotone as usual.

Gu Chenyan nodded in understanding, before he could speak there was a loud thump against the wood table.

Wen Shiqing had slammed his palm down onto a large black spider that had crawled out from under the pile of rusted medical tools.

Gu Chenyan shuddered as he watched the other man casually wipe it on the skirt of his coral colour robes. “That's very.. unhygienic for a physician, is it not?” He mumbled, shivering as he looked at the spiders now crushed corpse.

Wen Shiqing shrugged. “My entire clinic is unhygienic.” Before walking off back into the alcove. Gu Chenyan was left standing there, dumbfounded at this blunt man's words.

Wen Shiqing emerged from his alcove once more with shattered tea cups, carelessly throwing them onto the table before going back inside the alcove.

Five more random trinkets and other destroyed things were thrown out onto the table before Wen Shiqing emerged for the last time from that alcove and began gathering everything into a big wooden box and latching the lid closed. He walked over to Gu Chenyan and handed it to him. “Put it somewhere.”

Gu Chenyan, still dumbfounded before snapping out of it and rushing to one of the small beds and sliding the box on the floor under it.

“Now..uh, Shiqing..I've recently come up with a little fever—” Gu Chenyan couldn't even finish his “false” fever before the back of a pale hand was smacked against his forehead then turned palm up against his forehead then back. Wen Shiqing pulled his hand away and muttered as he walked over to the green stained tea set. “You're disgustingly sweaty.”

Gu Chenyan felt depressed, he wasn't sweaty or disgusting! But then again Wen Shiqing never put anything lightly and was extremely blunt, never sugar coating his words or trying to adjust his tone. And well, all the layers and armour would make him sweaty..he had to admit that much at least.

Wen Shiqing suddenly spun around, plucking a needle from his sleeve and flicking it towards the door, curious and both startled, Gu Chenyan spun on his heel and saw a young servant standing at the doorway, the needle embedded in the wood of the door as the servant stood frozen.

“a-a minister fainted in the courtyard!!” The servant exclaimed before turning tail and running away, Wen Shiqing quickly went out into the halls, Gu Chenyan quickly followed suit.

The courtyard was large and winding with plants and pathways and bridges. Laying on one of the stone pathways was one of the emperor's high ministers, he was a thin man with a gut and graying hair. Surrounding him were a few palace maids, two eunuchs and a few young servants, all waiting for the physician.

Wen Shiqing squatted beside the minister's head. He reached for the minister's closed eyelid, index and thumb fingers, prying the upper and bottom lid open. Staring. “Either he's dead or he's just too scared for the yearly physical examination..” Wen Shiqing muttered to himself while he bent his other hand's wrist to pluck another needle from inside his sleeve and held the sharp tip just an inch above the pried open eye. Waiting. Until he saw sweat drip downward from the minister's temple and onto the stone pathway.

The minister quickly sat up, wide eyed. “You—! You're absolutely insane!!” He yelled, scrambling to his feet and running back into the palace.

Wen Shiqing stood back up, letting out a sigh he began walking to where his needle had dropped onto the pathway, his boots crunching the leaves underneath the soles.

Gu Chenyan quickly caught up, curious, he asked. “What are you looking for, Shiqing?”

“My needle.” Wen Shiqing bluntly replied, squatting down again. His hand extended forward, plucking the thin sharp tool from between the stones and tucking it back into his sleeve, before standing in one swift motion and walking back inside the palace, in the direction of his clinic.

Gu Chenyan quickly tailed after him, catching up with his long paces. “Shiqing, about that tea—” he was about to inquire about that beloved tea he was so damn close to getting a sip of when he was suddenly cut off by the physician again once more with unusual gratitude.

“I want to thank you for helping me clean out my alcove,” Wen Shiqing muttered. Before continuing after a brief pause, “Even if all you did was tuck a box of my hoarded trinkets away.”

Wen Shiqing wasn't very open about his hoarding problem, Gu Chenyan came to the conclusion that the man must feel shameful about it. But he didn't think it was something to be shameful about, the things Wen Shiqing hoarded were things for either medical purpose or just random artefacts.

He didn't really know why Wen Shiqing didn't like his “problem” of hoarding. But what does he know? Gu Chenyan isn't the one with the hoarding tendency.

Once they returned to the clinic, Wen Shiqing brewed some tea, Gu Chenyan loved watching him do his thing , sometimes he wishes he could just watch this beautiful man do his own thing instead of just protecting some old guy called the emperor all day— Gu Chenyan's wishful thinking was cut off as a stained green teacup was shoved into his hands, filled with steaming tea. He blew over the rim a few times before gulping it all in one go.

Wen Shiqing watched with a blank face. “You soldier's…brutes with no manners.” he muttered, turning to place the ceramic cracked jar he had taken from the shelf back.

Gu Chenyan rolled his eyes at the muttered comment, he didn't mind TOO much though. Wen Shiqing had minor noble origins and had grown up in one of those “fancy” families in Xiannang that put ‘elegance’ and ‘manners’ above everything and onto their children. Ugh.

When they had first met, he'd suspected as such due to Wen Shiqing's elegant, meticulously put together appearance along with the way he stood and his overall vibe and certain actions only accustomed to Xiannang nobles or rich families. Besides, that damned ponytail was too high and elegant to be from someone of common status. After a while, Gu Chenyan had gotten curious of his origins and asked, and gosh did It take a lot of prying to get the answers out of this dense donkey.

Not knowing what to do next, Gu Chenyan sat down on one of the little wooden beds, placing his hands on his knees and simply observing Wen Shiqing. He kept noticing the physician glancing at him from behind his bangs before quickly darting back to what he was sorting out. Gu Chenyan thought nothing of it and continued to admire him quietly.

Wen Shiqing suddenly turned towards him, his gaze sharp as the edge of a knife, “why are you staring.” Gu Chenyan jolted, startled for a minute before responding to the blunt sudden question, “uh..” he racked his brain for an excuse, one plausible enough, yet he couldn't think of a single thing, dammit and he's normally witty too!,

Thinking on the spot, Gu Chenyan spoke quickly, “I uh..just zoned out and you happened to be in my line of sight!..” he trailed off with a nervous chuckle.

Wen Shiqing let out an unimpressed hum, Gu Chenyan shrunk a little, the physician definitely did NOT believe a word of that foolish pathetic excuse.

“Hm, alright then..” Wen Shiqing said before turning back to tidying the square wood table. Gu Chenyan let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders going slack as he leaned back, his hands supporting his weight.

Wen Shiqing continued to tidy, once he was done he turned back to Gu Chenyan. Staring for a little too long, before snapping out of it and walking over to Gu Chenyan, staring down at where he was sitting.

Gu Chenyan shrunk even more, gulping. “Shiqin—” before he could even finish the other man's name Wen Shiqing suddenly grabbed the sides of his face and pulled their faces together, kissing him. Gu Chenyan was spooked, before kissing back.

Wen Shiqing pulled away after, turning around and quickly exiting his clinic.

Gu Chenyan sat there on the small bed for a minute, absolutely stunned before suddenly jumping up in excitement. He quickly ran out towards the imperial army's quarters, he grabbed the first soldier he saw, shaking him by the shoulders. “HE KISSED ME!! HE ACTUALLY KISSED ME!!” The soldier was stunned, “who?” He asked.

Gu Chenyan beamed even more, “WEN SHIQING!! HE KISSED ME!! IN HIS CLINIC, HE INITIATED IT TOO!!, EVEN BETTER!!” Gu Chenyan continued running around the quarters in excitement like a child. “THE MAN I'M IN LOVE WITH HAS KISSED ME!!” This was the best day of his life, he couldn't believe it!

Gu Chenyan continued running around until he felt exhausted, finally retiring to his room. Flopping down face first with relief.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***