This misunderstanding was really a bit big.

Ji Shenyu followed Ding Hanbai inside, walking all the way to the changing room in a daze. So, 'men relaxing' just meant stripping naked and taking a bath... and to think his heart had been pounding like a frightened deer the whole way.

In that time, Ding Hanbai had already taken off his shirt and watch. He snapped his fingers in front of Ji Shenyu's eyes and said, "What are you pondering? Hurry up."

Ji Shenyu nodded and took off his clothes, placing them in a locker. His locker was next to Ding Hanbai's. There was no one else around; they were the only two in this changing room.

They changed into bathrobes and went to the bath pool. Ji Shenyu followed closely behind, admiring all the murals in the hallway and even rubbing the soles of his shoes on the carpet. He asked, "Senior Brother, why is the Dazhong Bathhouse so grand?"

Ding Hanbai strolled leisurely. "It was just renovated last year." Half of his torso was aching, and he couldn't even swing his arm as he walked, so his reply was perfunctory. In truth, this bathhouse was about as old as Jade Pavilion. Even though it had been developed and renovated time and again, it was still called Dazhong Bathhouse and had never been changed to some fancy foreign name.

The bath pool was quite large, with an icy-blue marble surface that made it look like an emerald lake. It was surrounded by tea seats and low tables for placing things. In the southeast corner, a big brother was soaking, his eyes closed in repose, looking not quite alive. Ding Hanbai found a good spot, untied his bathrobe, tossed it onto a low table, and, with a towel wrapped around his waist, entered the pool.

Enveloped by the hot water, his exhaustion from the day finally melted away, and he let out a long sigh.

Ji Shenyu also stepped in, flinching twice from the heat. After adjusting, he sat down half a meter away from Ding Hanbai. Ding Hanbai now looked not quite alive either. His eyes were closed like an old monk in deep meditation; his Adam's apple didn't move, his eyelashes didn't even tremble.

"Senior Brother?" Ji Shenyu called out softly. "Are you enjoying the soak?"

With a splash, the big brother in the southeast corner stood up and left, leaving only the two of them in the pool. Ji Shenyu received no response. He pushed aside the billowing white steam to get a clearer look and asked again, "Did the heat paralyze you?"

He wasn't a talkative person, much less one to cause trouble, but at this moment, a playful streak was forcibly drawn out of him. Seeing Ding Hanbai remain silent for a long time, he used the water's buoyancy to move over, crouching in front of Ding Hanbai. He scooped up a handful of water, wet his other hand, and flicked it all over Ding Hanbai's face, like Guanyin sprinkling water with a willow branch.

Ding Hanbai remained expressionless. With his eyes still closed, he suddenly raised a hand, sending a thousand ripples across the water's surface. Ji Shenyu's hair and face were splashed. He cried out in surprise and tried to dodge to the side, but before he could move away, his foot slipped, and he was about to fall in. Ding Hanbai reached out and caught him with that unbearably sore arm.

Ding Hanbai finally opened his eyes. "So rowdy."

Ji Shenyu struggled out of his grasp. "I thought your soul had left your body."

Ding Hanbai's palm brushed across his back. The thick calluses, softened by the hot water, weren't as rough, but the unusual feeling was still there. He sat down beside him, remembering when Ji Fangxu used to take him to soak in the bath pools as a child.

He was naive back then, always worried that someone would secretly pee in the pool, so he'd refused to go, even on pain of death.

Thinking back on it now, he felt a little regretful.

Now it was Ding Hanbai's turn to ask him, "Enjoying the soak? Why so quiet?"

Ji Shenyu retorted, "What if someone pees in the pool?"

Ding Hanbai snorted with laughter. "The water's so clear, and this place isn't as big as a swimming pool. You'd see it if anyone peed." He looked through the water at Ji Shenyu's lower body. "If anyone can't hold it in, we'll all hold him down and make him drink his fill."

The two of them were alone in the square pool. After soaking until their hands and feet were warm and their muscles relaxed, Ding Hanbai dragged Ji Shenyu to the sauna. They randomly found a room and brought in two bottles of soda. Ji Shenyu had imagined it would be pleasant, but upon entering, the scalding air almost suffocated him.

He felt as if he were being roasted over a fire and fried in oil. He had no choice but to sit in the corner farthest from the charcoal basin. His skin turned red all over, and he downed his soda in one go. "Senior Brother," he said, eyeing Ding Hanbai's bottle, "I want another one."

Ding Hanbai was wicked. "No more money."

Ji Shenyu's lips were dry. He covered his mouth with a wet towel, panting, "Then I'll go out and wait for you." Ding Hanbai pushed him back down onto the seat, holding him there. He couldn't move his butt, couldn't push away the other's chest.

He felt like he was being steamed to perfection; just a drizzle of soy sauce and he'd be ready to eat. But that damned Ding Hanbai just had to splash water on the charcoal basin, making it sizzle and become even stuffier. "Ding Hanbai..." He had never imagined he would call the other by his full name in such a situation. "I'm about to go see Old Ji—"

Before he could finish, a straw was stuck in his mouth. He took a sip of soda. He didn't get to see him after all; his life had been extended by a little. Ding Hanbai had steamed long enough. He pulled Ji Shenyu out of the sauna room. This dying fish had finally gotten his life back.

Ji Shenyu thought they were going to change and head home, but instead, they went to another section, apparently to rinse off. Before the shower, he was pushed down onto a bed and stripped of his clothes. He was hungry and tired, and the sauna had left him deprived of oxygen. He stared dazedly at the ceiling, delirious.

Suddenly, half a bucket of hot water was splashed over him. A fully clothed big brother drenched him, patting his chest and saying, "Such delicate skin. I'll be gentle."

He was the fish on the chopping block. Ji Shenyu lay there stark naked as he was scrubbed all over, starting from his left hand, not even the gaps between his fingers were missed, scrubbed up and down, front and back. That big brother had no integrity. When he got to his back, he forgot his promise. The coarse bath towel was rubbed forcefully, the pain long overwhelming any feeling of refreshment.

Ding Hanbai was lying face down on the bed next to him, his eyes half-closed. His gaze was uncertain, flitting between Ji Shenyu's pained face and his reddened back. He felt that Ji Shenyu was like that piece of Hibiscus Stone, lustrous, pink, and white, and already carved. Lying there now, he was being polished and buffed.

After the scrubbing, they rinsed off, and after rinsing, they changed and left. When they finally returned to the changing room, Ji Shenyu was so tired his fingers were numb. The moment he took off his bathrobe, it drew a cry of surprise from Ding Hanbai. Ding Hanbai turned him by the shoulders, "Your back doesn't look like it was scrubbed, it looks like it was scraped."

Ji Shenyu opened his mouth, too exhausted to know what to say.

He wanted to curse Ding Hanbai, but you don't hit a smiling face, and Ding Hanbai was looking at him with a grin. He wanted to complain about how much his back hurt, but it wasn't worth it. Besides, Ding Hanbai wasn't his dad or his master; he probably wouldn't have the patience to listen.

The sky had turned completely dark. Ding Hanbai said regretfully, "If it were just me, I'd get a room upstairs and stay the night."

'Next time,' Ji Shenyu thought, 'I'm definitely not coming with him next time.'

They got home long after dinnertime, and there weren't even any leftovers. Ding Hanbai shamelessly pestered Jiang Shuliu for a late-night snack, even singing "Only Mama is Good in this World." Unable to stand his pestering, Jiang Shuliu rolled up her sleeves and steamed two bowls of egg custard, telling him to take one to Ji Shenyu.

Ding Hanbai carried the bowl back to the Small Courtyard and sat down at the stone table. "Ji Zhenzhu, come out!"

He'd drunk half a bottle less soda, so his shout was hoarse, relying entirely on bravado. Ji Shenyu ran out wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. His knees and elbows were pink from the scrubbing, but more importantly, his two thin lips were shiny and moist, a clear sign he had just eaten something.

Ji Shenyu confessed honestly, "Auntie left me some savory pies."

Ding Hanbai slammed down his chopsticks. That Jiang Caiwei, who was her real nephew? Didn't she have any sense? Thinking he was angry, Ji Shenyu hurried back inside to bring out the pies. By the light of the moon and the lamps, they pieced together a late-night meal of custard and pies.

The two of them were starving and wolfed down their food as if in a race. Not a word was spoken throughout the meal, only the sounds of chewing and swallowing. Once the plates and bowls were clean, Ding Hanbai's chopsticks rolled off the table, startling Ji Shenyu into a sudden shiver.

"Was that necessary?" Ding Hanbai didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Ji Shenyu said in a low voice, "One time, I was looking for something to eat at night, and Madam happened to get up to get a glass of water from the dining room. I dropped my chopsticks in the kitchen, and she heard it."

Ji Fangxu had always advocated eating only until one was half-full for dinner, so the family never made extra food. Ji Shenyu was going through a growth spurt back then, and every night was very hard to endure. After hearing this, Ding Hanbai asked, "What happened after she heard you?"

Ji Shenyu picked up the chopsticks. "Nothing."

'Nothing' wouldn't have scared him into shivering. Ding Hanbai, indulging his own curiosity, insisted on probing the old wound. "Did she scold you?"

Ji Shenyu turned his head to look at the lilacs in the flowerbed and said quietly, "She slapped me."

Ding Hanbai flew into a rage. "Your Madam is that shrewish?! Slapping people for eating a little something?!" His reaction was so strong that it made Ji Shenyu turn back to look at him, but his own face was expressionless, neither sorrowful nor angry. His thin lips and white teeth met, but he spoke no resentful words.

"I shouldn't have been sneaking food." Ji Shenyu remembered it all. Madam had cursed his mother for sneaking around with men and cursed him for sneaking food. It was indeed irrefutable. He stacked the bowls, washed them, and returned them to the kitchen. When he came back, Ding Hanbai was still sitting at the stone table.

Two cups of green tea had appeared on the table, so he had no choice but to sit down again.

Ding Hanbai took a small sip, sliding the teacup back and forth, not at all concerned about scratching the bottom. After moving it around for a while, he stopped and asked, "What's in the cup?"

Ji Shenyu answered, "Green tea."

"What else?"

"Stop being mysterious."

Ding Hanbai said, "The moon."

A shimmering, rippling flower in the mirror, moon on the water, suddenly filled Ji Shenyu's entire heart. He didn't need to look up; he could appreciate it just by lowering his gaze. But it was illusory; a lid would cover it and there'd be nothing left. As if he could read his mind, Ding Hanbai did indeed cover the cup with its lid.

Ji Shenyu murmured, "It's gone."

"It's captured inside. It'll last for one night," Ding Hanbai refuted. "I'll give it to you."

He should have put the chopsticks down properly, should have held his tongue and not asked any more questions, should have said goodnight after eating and drinking his fill. But the chopsticks had already fallen, the wound had already been dug up; all he could do was try to make up for it somehow.

This trick moon was too shabby a gift; Ding Hanbai felt he'd lose face giving it away. He glanced up and met Ji Shenyu's fixed stare. Ji Shenyu's eyes were steady, revealing neither pleasure nor dislike. Ding Hanbai asked, "What are you looking at?"

Ji Shenyu averted his eyes. He liked this moon; he found Ding Hanbai interesting. But then his thoughts turned to Ding Hanbai carving the Han Dynasty Portrait Stone. There's always someone better out there—he had witnessed it for himself. But he wasn't convinced. He felt that something was missing from its lifelike quality.

But he wasn't sure if something was truly missing, or if he was unconsciously jealous.

"Senior Brother." Ji Shenyu hesitated. "Let's find a day to have a friendly match."

He hadn't expected that when he woke up the next day, Ding Hanbai would come looking for him, holding the Hibiscus Stone, ready for that match.

Sunlight poured in, making half the study dazzlingly bright. Two chairs were placed side-by-side, and when he and Ding Hanbai sat down, they were naturally side-by-side as well, facing the Hibiscus Stone together, still groggy from just waking up.

It was a Monday. Ji Shenyu remembered, "You don't have work?"

Ding Hanbai said, "I was so tired yesterday, of course I have to rest for a couple of days."

When Ji Shenyu had first arrived at this home, Ding Hanbai had been on vacation, doing nothing, as if the Cultural Relics Bureau was his family's business. He couldn't help but be curious. "Senior Brother, what's your monthly salary?"

Ding Hanbai answered casually, "Enough to support you."

The words were perfunctory and a little disdainful. Ji Shenyu straightened his back, wanting to retort, but on second thought, he accepted it. His food, lodging, and schooling all depended on Ding Yanshou. Ding Yanshou would surely pass the family business to Ding Hanbai in the future. No matter how you looked at it, it was all the same.

Ji Shenyu gradually woke up, his focus fixed on the Hibiscus Stone. He pressed his thumb against his index finger, gently rubbing the pads together, his hands itching to work. He hadn't had a chance to look at it closely before, let alone touch it. Now, seeing it up close, he fell in love at first sight.

A top-grade piece of pure, natural material. No wonder Ding Hanbai had flown into such a rage.

Ding Hanbai wanted to have a match with him using this? Then he would have to find a good piece of material that could match it.

Ji Shenyu rubbed his eyes anxiously. The pieces he had brought from Yangzhou were palm-sized at most. Even if their quality was superior, their size was unsuitable. "Senior Brother," he confessed awkwardly, "I don't have a piece this big. I'll have to go to the Material Market first."

What was even more embarrassing came next. He turned his face to look at Ding Hanbai. "Can you lend me some money first?"

Ding Hanbai pulled out two sheets of Xuan paper. "We'll carve this one. Half each."

Ji Shenyu was utterly astonished, his ears were buzzing. Before, Ding Hanbai had cursed them as good-for-nothings, and now he was letting him carve this Hibiscus Stone too? What if his carving didn't satisfy Ding Hanbai? The material would be completely ruined. Would Ding Hanbai beat him to death?

"Senior Brother, are you sure?"

Ding Hanbai looked at him condescendingly. "First, I'll ask you: do you dare?"

Ji Shenyu's morale instantly soared, and he agreed crisply. He proactively reached out to grind the ink, his gaze lingering on the stone, unwilling to move away. A thousand images flashed through his mind as he tried his best to think of what to carve.

Landscapes, figures, birds, and beasts—carving was nothing more than these. Those four cut marks had to be utilized, and they had to collaborate, half each. Both of them were pondering, and neither was sure of the other's design skill. A long while passed without them exchanging a single idea.

The ink was ground, the paper was laid out, and the sunlight crept over, illuminating the stone as well.

Ding Hanbai gazed at the brilliant, radiating light. "These cuts could be used for streams or waterfalls. Let's limit the scope to a landscape."

Ji Shenyu remained silent, still considering. When Ding Hanbai picked up the brush to draw, he reached out to stop him and said earnestly, "Senior Brother, this piece is so brilliant even before it's been carved. That's its advantage. If we calculate every cut to maximize its sense of light, then we won't have wasted it."

Ding Hanbai understood the subtext. A landscape didn't need to be so brilliant. In other words, a landscape was not the best choice.

Ji Shenyu said, "If an ordinary river isn't worthy, there's always the Silver River in the sky."

No one had ever carved the Silver River in the sky. Few people even thought of heavenly objects. Ding Hanbai looked at Ji Shenyu searchingly, suppressing his astonishment, refusing to admit his pleasant surprise. He gripped his brush tightly, following the other's train of thought.

Ji Shenyu said, "Just the Silver River definitely won't be enough. I haven't thought of the rest yet."

Ding Hanbai responded, "The Silver River, a magpie bridge, the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, accompanied by flying birds."

Now it was Ji Shenyu's turn to look at him. Their emotions were largely the same, but neither wanted to admit it. Ding Yanshou and Ji Fangxu cherished each other's talents, but these two had a poorer understanding. On the surface, they were calm, but in their hearts, they were secretly competing.

Ji Shenyu won the first round; Ding Hanbai conceded and gave up on the landscape. When they were drawing their own designs, they started arguing again. Their structural layouts were completely different. Each drew his own. Ding Hanbai, that bastard, frequently nudged the other with his elbow, causing Ji Shenyu to mess up his drawing several times.

A new sheet of paper was laid out. The clearest moment of noon arrived. The Hibiscus Stone was indescribably radiant, refracting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the white paper. Ji Shenyu couldn't bear to put his brush to it. He leaned over it as if receiving a baptism, then reached out to touch the Hibiscus Stone. All five of his fingers were stained with crystalline color.

He said in pleasant surprise, "Senior Brother, it's cool within its warmth, and especially fine."

Ding Hanbai looked up, stunned. His thoughts were thrown into disarray by the sight of Ji Shenyu leaning over the paper. The boy's face was covered in bright spots of light, with even a few flecks in his pupils. His clean palm was pressed against the Hibiscus Stone, the pink of his fingernails merging with the pink of the stone, his skin so thin it seemed translucent in the light.

He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He felt that Ji Shenyu's expression was... secret and shy.

"Senior Brother," Ji Shenyu called to him again. "Didn't you compare it to a wife?"

Ding Hanbai nodded. He saw that Ji Shenyu was like a languid cat, but when Ji Shenyu blushed and smiled, that expression looked just like... just like someone whose heart had been stirred by love for the first time, overflowing with the bloom of youth.

Ji Shenyu caressed the Hibiscus Stone. "No wonder they say there's nothing more fun than your sister-in-law."

"..." Ding Hanbai's hand went slack. He had been defeated by this Little Southern Barbarian.