The Innocent Heart - Chapter 16

Guan Yueyao’s sudden firmness caught Huo Qubing off guard. He looked in astonishment at his friend, who was glaring at him with angry eyebrows, and uncomfortably pursed his lips.

“Then what do you want?” Huo Qubing frowned, his tone stiff, as if this was the limit of his patience.

“I want you to tidy the kitchen with me. It will take too long if I do it alone. Besides, look, there isn’t actually much debris inside. If we both work on it, we can finish it by the afternoon,” Guan Yueyao’s tone softened, seeing that Huo Qubing seemed willing to concede.

He patiently explained why he insisted Huo Qubing help clean the kitchen. His temper was volatile, no less so than Huo Qubing’s. But because he considered the young man before him his only friend right now, he was willing to suppress his temper, communicate properly with him, and absolutely avoid using violence unless necessary.

Perhaps because Guan Yueyao had calmed down first, Huo Qubing’s attitude slowly became more peaceful. He tilted his head, observing the friend standing before him. Do aristocrats have to do these things in the era he lived in? Thinking this, he asked the question aloud.

“Aristocrats? I’ve never seen any aristocrats, nor am I interested in that kind of life,” Guan Yueyao tilted his head, thinking. Although he had lived in Japan with his mother for nearly two years, he had never completely assimilated into the local environment. In his self-identity, he was always a Chinese person. The education he received from childhood told him that kings, dukes, and generals were not born superior (王侯將相寧有種乎), that the world fundamentally had no division between noble and commoner, and he never believed that he was born to be inferior to anyone.

“Huo Qubing, I think our relationship is one of equals. I treat you as my friend, and you?” Guan Yueyao seemed to have subtly grasped the core of the issue. He decided to momentarily put the kitchen matter aside. After all, that was just the fuse, not the root of the problem.

He suddenly became a little nervous. What if Huo Qubing told him that he had never viewed them as equals, but instead saw him as his servant?

Fortunately, Huo Qubing did not disappoint him. Under Guan Yueyao’s earnest gaze, the young man nodded: “I also view you as my friend, and I never saw you as a servant.”

“Well, in that case, come and clean the kitchen with me!” Guan Yueyao’s heart, which had been in his throat, settled back down with Huo Qubing’s reply. He smiled brightly at Huo Qubing, reached out his hand, pulled the young master up from the rock, and dragged him toward the kitchen.

Huo Qubing did not know why, perhaps lost in Guan Yueyao’s cheerful smile, but he forgot to resist and was half-dragged, half-pulled into the kitchen, a place he had never set foot in before.

Having been abandoned for a long time, the kitchen was understandably dilapidated. Fortunately, as Guan Yueyao had said, there wasn’t much debris inside.

However, Huo Qubing had been used to a life of being waited on since he was little. He stood in the kitchen, looking at Guan Yueyao somewhat helplessly.

“What… what should I do?” He looked around, seemingly anxious, but his eyes were entirely useless.

Guan Yueyao was a little exasperated, but he probably guessed Huo Qubing’s upbringing. He handed a pile of already-gathered debris to Huo Qubing. The dirty mess, which was impossible to tell what it was, was covered in dust, and Guan Yueyao had haphazardly piled it together.

Huo Qubing subconsciously flinched, trying to avoid the filth, but ultimately held back and took the pile.

“Here, throw it outside,” Guan Yueyao instructed, pointing with his lips. He continued working, not stopping his own hands. He flipped over the few cabinets in the kitchen, piling aside anything that couldn’t be used. There were also some ceramic bowls and plates that were not easily ruined due to their material. Guan Yueyao gathered these into a wooden basin, intending to take them to the pond for washing later.

“I’ve thrown all the rubbish away,” Huo Qubing walked back in, his tone carrying a hint of seeking praise.

“Then go fetch me a bucket of water. We need to wash the stove and the floor clean before we can cook,” Guan Yueyao said without thinking, without even lifting his head, assigning him a new task.

Fortunately, once started, such tasks were no longer so awkward to continue. Huo Qubing did not complain much, picked up the wooden bucket nearby, and turned to leave.

Huo Qubing carried the water bucket Guan Yueyao had bought today, walking toward the pond. Arriving at the bank, he bent down and lowered the wooden bucket into the pond. The full bucket of water weighed more than he had anticipated. His arm dipped, and he nearly lost his footing, almost falling into the water. Fortunately, he was skilled in riding and archery and possessed superior arm strength.

He quickly regained his balance, lifted the water-filled bucket, and walked toward the kitchen, though his steps were far from light. He couldn’t quite articulate what it felt like to be half-forced to do chores. It was somewhat novel, a little awkward, but he knew he didn’t dislike it.

This was not the same as the work done by the servants at home to attend to him. Huo Qubing knew that everything he was doing now was for himself.

He was indeed accustomed to a life of privilege and was related to the imperial family. Besides having a highly favored maternal aunt in the Weiyang Palace, he himself was deeply valued and loved by the Emperor. He was overly abundant in both material and spiritual terms. So much so that, apart from those he chose to acknowledge, he hardly noticed anyone else. Even just a day ago, such a matter would have been instantly taken care of by people eager to serve him with just a word or a wave of his hand.

But perhaps seeing so many servile people around him had made him take it for granted until Guan Yueyao appeared. This boy actually told him that if he wanted to eat dinner, he had to participate in the labor, and that he would not serve him.

Aside from the initial anger that flared up in his chest, once he calmed down, he surprisingly accepted Guan Yueyao’s explanation.

Huo Qubing was not an incorrigible, frivolous wastrel who only knew how to play. Even the Emperor’s affection had not allowed him to develop an arrogant, unaware personality. Rather than being ignorant of the suffering of the common people, his focus had simply never rested there.

“When I am older, I must make my uncle and the Emperor agree to let me join the army and march out to the desert to fight the Xiongnu!” Huo Qubing thought, then suddenly remembered something else.

“Hey, Guan Yueyao, when are you going to teach me martial arts!” he finally remembered and shouted toward the kitchen.

“Aiya, let’s talk about it after dinner,” Guan Yueyao’s slightly perfunctory voice came from inside the room. “Did you bring the water back?” The next question, however, sounded much more robust.

Huo Qubing pouted. He walked into the kitchen, carrying the bucket with both hands, slightly struggling. He had no experience with household chores, and the clothes he wore were never designed for such odd jobs. His steps were short, hindered by the long folds of his deep-sleeved garment, and the bucket was far too full. Shaking and sloshing all the way to the kitchen, the water dampened the hem of his clothes.

He wanted to complain, but looking up, he saw Guan Yueyao wiping the stove. At some point, his face had been smeared with ash, making him look somewhat dirty and dusty.

Huo Qubing couldn’t help but chuckle, observing him. This person, who is always trying to show off in front of me, is now so disheveled. The awkwardness of being ordered around decreased by another two points. Huo Qubing carried the bucket inside and placed it at Guan Yueyao’s feet.

He maliciously chose not to tell Guan Yueyao about his appearance. Suppressing his laughter, he feigned kindness and asked, “Is one bucket of water enough? Should I fetch another one?”

Guan Yueyao looked suspiciously at the good-natured Huo Qubing. What’s wrong with this guy? Just now, asking him to throw away some debris was like asking for his life, but after bringing back a bucket of water, his mood has completely changed?

“Are you… plotting something sinister in your heart?” Guan Yueyao squinted, sizing up the young man in front of him, filled with doubt.

“Don’t think so badly of people. Aren’t we friends? Why would I harm you?” Huo Qubing tried hard to restrain himself, erasing the smile from his face, and spoke seriously.

“So mysterious…” Guan Yueyao couldn’t discern anything amiss from Huo Qubing’s expression. Muttering, he lowered his head, preparing to continue scrubbing the thick layer of ash on the stove.

The water in the basin was still clear. Outside the leaking roof, the daylight was strong. In the small basin, Guan Yueyao’s faint reflection shimmered, just enough for him to see his face. It was still that familiar yet unfamiliar face… Why does it feel like there’s a dirty smudge on my face?

Guan Yueyao put down the coarse cloth, wiped his body with it, and then rubbed his face. He extended the hand that had rubbed his face and saw a smudge of ash clearly imprinted on it.

“Pfft… Hahahaha.” A string of unrestrained laughter reached his ears.

Sure enough, this person deliberately didn’t remind me just now! Guan Yueyao finally reacted, glaring angrily at the young man who was laughing joyfully. Is he retaliating because I laughed at him wearing the JC (Japanese school) sweater just now? Guan Yueyao thought bitterly. This person is so petty!

But being mocked by this younger kid was truly unbearable! Thinking this, he seized the opportunity while Huo Qubing was off-guard, secretly searching his surroundings. Soon, an idea struck him. He quickly smeared his hands on the still-ashy stove and then rushed toward Huo Qubing with extreme speed.

Huo Qubing was mid-laughter when he suddenly felt a warmth on his face, followed by a pair of hands haphazardly smearing something on him.

“Insolent! Stop it immediately!”

But his struggling and “scolding” seemed so ineffective at that moment. Huo Qubing quickly regained his composure, no longer blocking her, but instead, he smeared his hand on the stove as well and began to attack Guan Yueyao, who was standing in front of him with a mischievous grin.

In each other’s eyes, they could only see the other’s dishevelled appearance caused by themselves. Laughter uncontrollably spilled out of the kitchen. The two boys, who often deliberately acted with an air of composure or rebellion unsuited to their age, finally, in this moment, revealed the pure happiness that belonged to them.