It's a Wonderful LifeChapter 8.9

Ira jumped off the waterfall and landed in the pool of water with a giant splash. Instead of emerging for air, he proceeded to swim deeper into the waters, enjoying the sensation of water sweeping over him. In the water, everything was silent.

There was only an emptiness, a void, where there had once been sound. kcOBTC

Ira came up for air. He dragged in a huge breath as Xiao Wei swam up next to him, Ira throwing his head back to bask in the sunlight belting down from the skies. They were in the backyard of Zhou Li’s sect where there was not only a beautiful waterfall but also a beautiful pool at the bottom of it. Ira hadn’t been able to contain himself when he saw it.

“Having fun?” Xiao Wei asked, splashing some water onto Ira’s shoulders and using his hand to drip some more over Ira’s hair.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Ira grinned. “This is the best,” he gleefully announced and dove back underneath the surface.

Back under the water, the world was silent again. Grinning to himself, Ira contiuned to dive until his lungs burned and he had to return to the surface world lest he wanted to die. Which he didn’t. It was always so annoying, finding a new body that fit all the criteria and then explaining to his Boss why the death had been unavoidable. It was always preferable to go through as few bodies as possible. rBgUph

He spent another hour floating around on his back, his eyes just staring at the sky.

It was a gorgeous day; perfect for a picnic by the river.

Xiao Wei had surprised Ira that morning after breakfast, placing a drawing of the waterfall and the river leading to it on the table. Ira, who appreciated art like all the good things in life, had widened his eyes and tried to imagine how it would look in real life. Since it was a surprise Xiao Wei had arranged for him, he didn’t want to spoil himself by taking a peek.

And good thing, too, because it was really too pretty. All the flowers were colorful and tried to eat them, the trees were tall and stately—clearly centuries old. The river twisted and turned through the forest, animals poking out their noses through bushes to drink the water. Birds chirped in the trees, leaves drifted slowly to the ground on the wind’s back.

O foi0

Ira had taken about a dozen pictures just in the first five minutes of their date. He’d sat down on a log while Xiao Wei took out the supplies from his sleeves. There had been plenty of food and drinks placed before Ira but like a good dating partner, he hadn’t started ahead of time.

But he totally recorded Xiao Wei placing it all out, that concentrating expression on his face was too cute not to!

Coming back up for air again, Ira swam over to Xiao Wei who was sitting on the lake-ground in the shallower end. Only his shoulders were above water. Grinning, Ira swam right onto his lap and plopped down. “Hi,” he drawled, trying to give Xiao Wei a sultry look.

Xiao Wei’s arms settled around Ira’s weight. “Hello, love,” he said, kissing Ira’s cheek. TYv1I8

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Pgj’r ilqr aklamtfv yfobgf tf reqqgfrrfv tlr rwlif. “Ljnlcu oec?” tf fmtbfv Wljb Qfl’r kbgvr.

Very,” Xiao Wei said. He smiled at Ira and embraced him tighter, widening his grip a little so his hands splayed out more along Ira’s bare back. “May I ask a kiss from my favorite person?” Xiao Wei hummed, widening his eyes.

Pgj uglccfv, gfv rajlclcu tlr mtffxr. “Yo mbegrf,” tf rjlv jcv ifjcfv obgkjgvr, ifaalcu atflg ilqr abemt. Ktfc tf qgfrrfv mibrfg, rb atfs tjv fnfc wbgf rxlc abemtlcu, jcv tf tjv jc fjrlfg alwf xlrrlcu. Dfmjerf tf kjr bc Wljb Qfl’r ijq tf tjv ab ifjc tlr cfmx vbkc ab qgbqfgis mbccfma, yea la kjr kbgat la.

Butterflies flew through his stomach. His hands rested on Xiao Wei’s shoulders, slowly sliding to his long hair hanging loose down his back. Ira’s hair was loose too, and it was kind of mess. It clung to his skin and was honestly just annoying. 5cKNd4

But Xiao Wei’s long hair was super pretty. It glistened in the sunlight and nearly seemed to innately glow. When Ira pulled his fingers through it, the strands were soft to touch.

He smiled into the kiss and let it deepen, following Xiao Wei’s lead. The other man placed a hand on Ira’s cheek and tilted his head slightly, smoothly deepening the kiss. It was alright; Ira had nothing against it today. Instead, he enjoyed the closeness and intimacy this created, delighting in the connection it established.

And also, it felt nice.

They eased apart after some time. Ira exhaled softly in the air between them, Xiao Wei grinning brightly at him, his eyes sparkling. Ira smiled back, unable to do anything else when Xiao Wei looked at him like that. Like he mattered. Like he was precious. woWJhx

He cleared his throat. Brushed some hair behind Xiao Wei’s ear and lingered for a second longer than necessary, just to feel the pulse beating viciously through Xiao Wei’s veins. Pressing down on a smile, Ira sighed and asked, “Do you think animals have eaten our picnic food?”

“I wouldn’t let that happen to you,” Xiao Wei answered. He smiled, his eyes shining. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against Ira’s. He continued, “There are cakes in there. I know you’ve been looking forward to this.”

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Ira hummed softly. He tried to look at Xiao Wei’s eyes, but they were so close to his own that his eyes just did that weird cross thing. He blinked rapidly to clear his gaze.

“Thank you,” Ira said. He closed his eyes and drank in Xiao Wei’s presence, feeling it surrounding him like a blanket. It was warm and safe and it made him feel soft. And gooey. And like mush inside. It was a delightfully weird sensation. OTq65a

“Your welcome,” Xiao Wei whispered. His hands clutched at Ira’s waist and it felt like a brand. It felt… final, maybe.

Like certainty.

After giving it another few second, Ira leaned back. He crawled off Xiao Wei’s lap and sank into the water like a stone, tilting his head back to face the sky. It was getting darker. They should probably head back to their picnic before night fell and they were attacked by the nocturnal demonic beasts that lived here.

Although that would be cool, so maybe not. Still, his stomach was growling at him and he was but a slave to his need to sustenance. Like all human bodies, it was an inescapable part of life. osGqM7

“Wanna eat?” he asked, breaking the silence that had fallen.

Xiao Wei cleared his throat and said, “Sure. Lead the way.”

Ira lit up and stood up straight, the water level abruptly at his… well, let’s just say it didn’t cover a certain part of the human anatomy. But he was wearing underwear so it was fine, no need to wonder. He held out his hand to Xiao Wei, helping the other man up as well. Then he continued to hold his hand as they walked up the shore.

Their clothes were still up next to the waterfall, so Xiao Wei summoned his sword. It whooshed through the air to collect them, giving them a ride to their clothing. Ira beamed the whole way, his back warm from Xiao Wei’s body heat. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the intense look in Xiao Wei’s eyes, causing Ira to shiver slightly. MeWLzg

They landed right by their clothes, and quickly changed into them. It was autumn now, Ira supposed, and the evening air was getting colder. He wouldn’t get sick from it like a mortal, but there was no harm in hurrying. Plus, there were plenty of bugs around who fed on cultivator’s spiritual energy.

Because that was a thing that existed in this world. It was actually pretty cool. There were even plants that pretty much got all their sustenance from cultivator’s energy, too.

Xiao Wei sat down first, and Ira took the golden opportunity to plop down on his lap again. It had been nice in the water and it was just as nice now, but he was sitting with his back to Xiao Wei’s chest this time. Still worked really well for cuddling, though.

“Here, you go first,” Xiao Wei said and pointed to the cakes that were laid out on a low table beside them. BZz3DN

“Thanks,” Ira said and grabbed the closest one, eating it with his bare hands. He ignored the voice in his head that said he’d just bathed in a lake and his hands weren’t very clean right now; if he got sick, he got sick. The cake was supremely well-made and definitely worth it the potential future pain.

He leaned back against Xiao Wei’s chest and held up the cake over his shoulder, “Want a piece?” he asked and then laughed when Xiao Wei simply leaned his head forward and bit right into it, Ira still holding it.

Xiao Wei grinned at him, his cheeks bulging from the large bite of cake.

Ira laughed again. He giggled as they continued to eat the cake like this, his heart beating quicker and quicker in his chest. His chest felt like it was a balloon, like it was blowing up bigger and bigger and bigger. The joy was like a revelation, like a promise and a threat wrapped up in one. Ira leaned into it, letting the emotions bleed through him. lOBh9p

Xiao Wei nuzzled into Ira’s neck and shoulder when he’d finished eating, his nose tickling Ira slightly. It was unfair, how that made him feel.

Ira shoved a little at the arm around his waist. “You are evil,” Ira said between giggles, the tickling ascending to another level when Xiao Wei blew on his neck.

Read more BL at chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

“Anything for you, my dear,” Xiao Wei mock-seriously said, his tone darlbut his eyes dancing with mirth when Ira glanced at him.

Ira snorted, “You won’t beat me in a battle of evilness.” GI3Y1s

Xiao Wei laughed into his shoulder, Ira twitching. Xiao Wei declared, “If it’s a battle you want, a battle I’ll give you.”

Ira rolled his eyes. He patted Xiao Wei’s arm, relieved that the tickling was ceasing. “More food first,” he demanded and his stomach even cooperated by growling at just that moment. He could feel Xiao Wei smiling against his skin, and his grip eased until Ira could stretch for more cake.

Night fell while they ate cake and drank wine.

Both things were excessively well-made, the quality clearly topnotch. And the night sky was the kind of beautiful that couldn’t be found in a post-industrial world, smog and fog blocking out the view of the universe. With moons and stars and distant galaxies above them, how could the night be anything other than amazing? 9lqWUe

Ira got the joy of braiding Xiao Wei’s hair, playing with it for several minutes longer than needed just to feel the silky strands flow between his fingers. He glanced at Xiao Wei’s face as he worked, saw the closed eyes and the small smile playing on his lips. Xiao Wei looked relaxed, like he’d had fun, like he was enjoying spending time with Ira.

Ira smiled quietly. He snorted a little, too, just to preserve his image to himself. When he was done with the braid, he laid his arms around Xiao Wei’s waist and hooked his head over his shoulder, feeling the other man shudder somewhat beneath his grip.

He knocked his skull against Xiao Wei’s and asked, “Happy?”

“Yes,” Xiao Wei breathed. He knocked his head softly against Ira’s and continued, “I’m always happy when I’m together with you.” AIeRCW

Ira kissed Xiao Wei’s cheek. “Good. I like it when you’re happy.”

And to think, Ira wasn’t even lying. Even just a few millennia ago, he never would have been able to imagine a day like this arriving.

Leave a Comment

5 comments

  1. Oh no. When it gets too happy, you know that their separation is going to be even more heartbreaking.