Forcefully Doting On You - v3c29

 

Chapter 85

Note: This is the last chapter for this arc. Enjoy and I'll see you in the next one! ᕙ(  •̀ ᗜ •́  )ᕗ

Mu Cai and Qin Zhongjin had a standoff.

In the end, it was Mu Cai who sighed deep within and compromised. He took the initiative to approach the car door, preparing to move further inside the car by climbing over Qin Zhongjin's lap. But just as he approached, he felt an arm suddenly wrap around his waist and the world seemed to spin as he was pulled into a sitting position on Qin Zhongjin's lap.

When Mu Cai recovered from the surprise, the car door was already closed, and the windows were locked. The assistant in the driver's seat silently started the car, as if he had seen nothing out of the ordinary.

Mu Cai was held tightly, practically nestled in Qin Zhongjin's arms. One of the man's hands was holding his waist, while the other hand was supporting the back of his neck and head. The sound of slightly heavy breathing echoed above him.

Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, Mu Cai placed his hand on Qin Zhongjin's shoulder, intending to get up and examine his injuries. But the man's grip was so tight, as though he was afraid of losing him, that he held him even tighter at the slightest movement from Mu Cai.

Feeling almost suffocated by the grip, he gently hit his partner's chest, complaining, "It's too tight! Loosen up a bit, let me sit up."

Upon hearing this, the beauty in red lifted his drooping eyelids, revealing eyes full of sparkling lights, seemingly containing two tiny stars. His brows furrowed slightly and his crimson lips curved downwards. His shining pure white legs squirmed a bit, like he was feeling very wronged.

Almost involuntarily, Qin Zhongjin loosened his grip, gently holding on to the delicate person he was afraid to hurt.

If his beloved Cai Cai suffers, he too would feel distressed.

Seeing that the other party had relaxed his hold, Mu Cai finally managed to find a comfortable position on his lap. He picked up Qin Zhongjin's hand, the one with the iron ring, and examined it carefully.

While the bleeding had already stopped, the wounds were quite deep and crisscrossing each other. It was clear that the other party had caused some blood loss to bind Qin Zhongjin and then caused additional blood loss to bind himself before the injuries had even healed.

Mu Cai wanted to spread Qin Zhongjin's palm flat to see how the wound had recovered. But, as he gently moved the affected hand, he saw a small gap open in the wound, and blood began to seep out.

The soft pads of his fingers gently brushed over his own palm, inciting a tingling sensation. This sensation, akin to a mild electric shock, transmitted into Qin Zhongjin's mind, making his whole body quiver slightly. Coupled with Mu Cai's continuous shifting on his lap earlier for comfort, Mu Cai often grazed a sensitive area.

The man holding Mu Cai made a soft hum, his eyebrows furrowing slightly, as if he was enduring something.

Misinterpreting this, Mu Cai believed he'd caused Qin Zhongjin pain, and his reaction was to gently blow on the bleeding wound, "Hu hu, blowing it, making the pain fly away."

This was a sentence that Mu Cai's mother often used to comfort him when he was a child. As he matured, he always used these words to soothe adults and children who were upset due to injuries. Usually, adults who heard him say this would laugh, while children would stop crying and reach for a comforting hug.

Qin Zhongjin also smiled.

In a low voice, he said, "Mmm, I'm not in pain anymore."

Originally, his furrowed eyebrows were not because of the pain.

This smile made Qin Zhongjin's originally sharp features appear exceptionally gentle. Even though his eyes were closed, Mu Cai had the illusion of being tenderly looked at. The just risen morning sun cast golden, gentle light that streamed in through the car window and flowed quietly inside the car.

Qin Zhongjin's hand held onto his waist steadily, his face always facing in Mu Cai's direction.

The atmosphere, for a moment, was subtly gentle and ambiguous.

Mu Cai suddenly regretted blowing on Qin Zhongjin's wound earlier. If he hadn't done that, Qin Zhongjin might not have been looking at him like this, and it wouldn't have given him hope.

The man serving as his cushion didn't care for Mu Cai's thoughts. Qin Zhongjin applied some force with one hand around his waist, while the other injured hand pressed on his back, pulling Mu Cai directly into his embrace.

The once pristine white shirt had already wrinkled after a night of turmoil. Qin Zhongjin hardly sweated and was very clean. As Mu Cai pressed against his chest, he didn't detect any unpleasant scent but, instead, smelled a faint fragrance of laundry detergent.

The warmth that seeped through the thin fabric made Mu Cai slightly uneasy. He couldn't help but want to get up, but was stopped by Qin Zhongjin's hold. The man buried his face in Mu Cai's neck, almost sighing, "Cai Cai, Cai Cai, don't move. Let me hold you for a while."

Immediately, Mu Cai stopped moving.

There was a heavy sense of fatigue in Qin Zhongjin's voice. The man had sustained serious injuries, had bled, awakened memories from past life, and finally, managed to transcend a powerful fierce ghost. Even the strongest of men would not be able to endure such a night of turmoil, let alone Qin Zhongjin who was just an ordinary human being. (Note: Transcend is probably not the right word here. Is there a term for forcing a ghost to leave the mortal realm and go through the reincarnation cycle?)

As it was just the break of dawn, the perennially congested streets of Beijing were unusually clear, so they arrived back at Qin Zhongjin's courtyard faster than when they left.

Qin Zhongjin wanted to continue holding Mu Cai when getting off the car, but was decisively rejected. This was the first time Mu Cai had refused to let Qin Zhongjin carry him. Qin Zhongjin sat in the car without moving, silently and stubbornly facing the beautiful man dressed in red in his arms. If Qin Zhongjin were to open his eyes at that moment, his gaze would be profoundly deep, much like a silent, dark well.

Mu Cai did not know what he was thinking again, and reached out to push him, but instead was firmly held by Qin Zhongjin's slender, powerful hand, and could not pull away. Looking into the dark eyes of Qin Zhongjin, Mu Cai spoke in a child-soothing tone, "Get out of the car quickly, and go back to the room to sleep. You're so severely injured, and yet you still want to hold me, don't you want to get better?"

The beautiful man's eyes had a layer of moisture, reflecting his own image twice. With furrowed brows, he revealed his concern for Mu Cai.

Qin Zhongjin, hearing Mu Cai's gentle coaxing, finally reassured that Mu Cai was not leaving him. He brought Mu Cai's hand up to his lips and gently touched it with his somewhat dry lips, imprinting a kiss.

Mu Cai was his.

And he could not leave.

This was not the first time Mu Cai had been kissed on the finger by Qin Zhongjin, but at that time they were immersed in memories of their past life, and Mu Cai did not have time to react. Now it was bright daylight, and Qin Zhongjin kissed his fingertips right at the entrance of the courtyard, looking as pious as the most loyal follower of a deity.

Mu Cai was so embarrassed that his fingertips turned red.

Yet, Qin Zhongjin smiled. Holding Mu Cai's hand, they walked into the courtyard.

The little peach tree had been lying on the imperial couch, and as soon as it saw its beloved Cai Cai, it wanted to rush over immediately. But upon remembering that Cai Cai had left it alone in the house to run out with this bad man, the little peach tree's heart filled with feelings of injustice.

How could Cai Cai forget about the little peach tree!

Just as the teary-eyed, chubby baby was about to jump onto Mu Cai, Qin Zhongjin reacted first, catching the hefty little peach tree in his arms. The little peach tree wanted to struggle free from this big villain, but Qin Zhongjin held its small pudgy arms in one hand, and two pudgy legs in the other, swiftly sitting down on the imperial couch.

Mu Cai: "..."

The scene rather resembled a once televised drama scene where a pig was butchered for the New Year.

Mu Cai made an effort to erase this image from his mind, followed suit and sat next to Qin Zhongjin. He reached out to touch the little peach tree's soft, squirming cheeks. The little peach tree, who was about to start wailing, immediately stopped crying. It continued to look at Cai Cai with teary eyes, trying to soften his heart, and hoping to be cuddled.

Indeed, Mu Cai's heart softened. He couldn't help but ask, "The little peach tree just wants me to hug it. Why do you have to treat it this way? It's still a child, and it's natural for it to cry if it's left alone at home for a long time."

Home.

As soon as Qin Zhongjin heard Mu Cai say this word, he immediately felt much better. He adjusted the little peach tree as if it were a doll, allowing it to sit on his lap. His hands did not loosen, however, and he said to the little peach tree, "I have a question for you."

The little peach tree pouted.

Qin Zhongjin didn't seem to notice. "How did you get into that painting with Cai Cai in the first place?"

He asked about something that happened hundreds of years ago without any preamble. The little peach tree's eyes immediately lit up. Its chubby bottom moved around excitedly on Qin Zhongjin's leg as it replied in a nasal voice, "I…I was on the tree! Pretty Cai Cai ran over and fell down. I…I wanted to catch pretty Cai Cai, but I fell off and got into the painting!"

So that's what happened.

Having seen his past life's memories, Mu Cai knew that Qin Zhongyi couldn't get into the painting because the little peach tree was occupying that position. However, he had no idea that the situation was such a coincidence - the moment he fell, the little peach tree entered the painting with him.

It was fortunate that the little peach tree came in. Otherwise, who knew what Qin Zhongyi would have done to him after he came in.

Qin Zhongjin nodded in approval, released the little peach tree's pudgy hands, and playfully rubbed its nose. "Good job. If it weren't for you, Cai Cai wouldn't be standing here today."

The little peach tree didn't understand what this big villain was talking about, but it seemed like he was praising it. Therefore, the little peach tree wrinkled its small nose in pride, thinking that the big villain had been promoted to a small villain in its heart.

"However," Qin Zhongjin said, changing the tone of the conversation, "your Cai Cai was about to leave just now, never to return, not wanting you anymore."

As soon as the little peach tree heard this, it immediately looked up at Cai Cai.

But he saw Cai Cai lower his eyelids, and his long eyelashes fluttered once.

This was a sign of guilt.

Without thinking, the little peach tree burst into tears, "Wuuuuu... Cai Cai, don't go! Wuuuu... Cai Cai, don't abandon the little peach tree, I...I'm good...Wuuu..."

As it spoke, it stretched out its chubby little hands wanting Cai Cai to hug it. If Qin Zhongjin hadn't firmly held its chubby legs, the little peach tree might have flown into Mu Cai's arms already.

Mui Cai never expected Qin Zhongjin to be so despicable. He looked up and saw Qin Zhongjin holding the crying child in silence. His face expressionless, Qin Zhongjin looked like a father suffering the pain of abandonment.

Mui Cai: "..."

The golden chain on his leg hadn't been released yet. Did Qin Zhongjin not feel any guilt projecting such a perfect victim image?

Truth be told, the other party seemed to have no conscience.

Mu Cai felt a bit of a headache. After thinking for a bit, he finally said: "Qin Zhongjin, I already belong to someone else."

On hearing this, Qin Zhongjin tightened his grip on the little peach tree's hand, which startled it. The crying little peach tree immediately covered its red, plump mouth, but couldn't help letting out a hiccup.

The big villain is so scary!

Qin Zhongjin slowly asked: "Who is he?"

Mu Cai sighed and, to reinforce his believability, carefully said: "His name is Claire, a human, he was once the owner of the scroll where I lived. But he was seriously ill and has passed away."

Qin Zhongjin wanted to disbelieve, but the sadness that appeared on the face of the beautiful man in red was genuinely palpable. It wasn't the superficial, tangible sadness, rather it was the subtle sorrow that emanated from the corners of his eyes and brows.

It was as if he was reminiscing about a time that had passed, missing a person who once existed.

Had he done anything wrong, Qin Zhongjin would regret his mistake. But the thing is he didn't do anything wrong! He had just missed out on Cai Cai for so many years because of Qin Zhongyi's intention, and now, the other party already had feelings for someone else!

How could he just accept this! How could he possibly accept this!

Qin Zhongjin's rage was almost unbearable. The little peach tree in his arms began to cry loudly: "My leg hurts! Wuuu wuuu, big villain! My leg hurts! Cai Cai, save me, wuuu..."

Mu Cai hurriedly reached out to touch the back of the other's hand: "Qin Zhongjin, let go!"

Qin Zhongjin's grip loosened a bit, but he did not completely let go of the little peach tree. Although his heart was aching to the point of bleeding, he quickly calmed down: "So what? You once liked me so much, but then you fell in love with someone else. I will make you change your mind."

In Qin Zhongjin's eyes, you can't compete with a dead person. Only a living person has the opportunity to win over the other! Only then is it possible to erase the existence of the dead person completely!

Mu Cai hadn't expected that such a proud and arrogant person like Qin Zhongjin would say something like this. He thought that when Qin Zhongjin heard about this, he would give up on him.

It seemed that Qin Zhongjin really loved him.

Upon thinking about this, Mu Cai couldn't help but feel a little sad. He murmured, "But humans and ghosts have different paths, how long can you accompany me?"

This was just an energy field, and when the energy field ended, everything between them would disappear.

However, Qin Zhongjin reached out and took Mu Cai's hand. His eyes were resolute, his voice steady: "Until the end of my life."

________________________

Mu Cai opened his eyes, and the door of the nutrition cabin had already opened in advance.

In his mind, he could still hear the words that Qin Zhongjin, who had reached the end of his life, said on the bed before the entire energy field dissipated: "Cai Cai, next time, we will see each other again in the future."

This time, the duration of the energy field lasted exceptionally long. Mu Cai was initially apprehensive, but towards the end, he almost completely forgot about the energy field.

Approximately ten years had passed during this period.

They practiced calligraphy together, with the warm body coming close from behind. Qin Zhongjin held his hand and wrote a pair of couplets;

They looked at the Fengshui together. Qin Zhongjin, who had always been solitary, put his arm around his shoulder and told his clients that he was the love of his life;

They also coaxed the little peach tree together, watching it play, struggling to bear peaches, and insisting on playing the "high-lifting" game with them;

Qin Zhongjin even built a swing for him in the yard. During the breezy and sunny leisurely time, he gently pushed the swing for him. Qin Zhongjin had always been by his side, except for asking him to stay, he had never forced him to do anything.

It seemed as long as he watched him and had him by his side, he wanted nothing more. It was only one night when Mu Cai, before returning to the scroll, actively and shyly hugged Qin Zhongjin that the latter couldn't help but respond to him and kept him in his bed.

After that night, Qin Zhongjin held his face and asked if he had already fallen in love with him.

The morning light enveloped the snow-white face of the beautiful man in red, coating his entire body with a faint halo, making him look like an angel that had fallen into the mortal world.

And at that moment, Qin Zhongjin seemed to hear the words uttered by the angel: "Yes."

It was when Qin Zhongjin had completely passed away that the energy field finally disappeared. Though Mu Cai felt sad, he was also very satisfied.

He was lost in thought and naturally didn't notice that the nutrition cabin had opened in advance. As usual, Mu Cai put on his clothes and came out. Watching the busy staff moving in and out of several sleeping nutrition cabins, he saw Old Huang waiting for him.

Unlike after the first two worlds, where Old Huang immediately rushed forward to excitedly report Mu Cai's outstanding performance, this time, he asked with concern, "How are you feeling? Is your body okay?"

Mu Cai moved his arms and legs and answered truthfully, "My hands and feet are a bit weak, I feel somewhat shaky."

Old Huang nodded, "That's expected. You were lying down for quite a long time, a whole three months!"

Mu Cai was also surprised. After coming out of the energy field, things seemed to happen so quickly in his memory, but he had no idea that three months had passed in the real world.

"How well did I complete the mission this time?" He immediately asked.

Old Huang didn't expect Mu Cai's first reaction to be asking about his mission. He said irritably, "Extremely perfect! The energy you collected alone is almost equal to half a year's energy output of a small power plant."

Seeing Mu Cai's relieved expression, Old Huang couldn't help grinding his teeth and said, "Although I don't know what you experienced in the energy field, next time finish the mission earlier and don't be too obsessed with collecting energy! After all, I brought you here to contribute to our country, not to see you turn into a vegetable!"

Mu Cai knew that Old Huang was just concerned about him, so he didn't mind the harsh tone and laughed, "Alright, Old Huang!"

He already experienced complete, beautiful love once. Even if it was only in the energy field and he couldn't protect it for a longer time, it was enough for him to cherish for a long time.

Next time, he will not give his love to anyone else.

________________________

Author's Note:

Qin Zhongjin: In order to extend the energy field's duration, I tried my very best =w=

In the next world,

Facing the pure-hearted male college student protagonist,

As the sugar daddy, Mu Cai said confidently: As my plaything, you should be well aware...

The innocent male college student was excited, his eyes shining: Thank you, master, for the dessert you've given me.

Mu Cai, who was suddenly pushed onto the bed and undressed: ???

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