The Little Fox Spoils Her Blind Husband - Chapter 15

Xu Yanqiu was correct; Li Ting’s hand could easily wrap around his entire hand. The scars on the little blind boy’s hands from working at his cousin’s house had mostly healed. His nails had been trimmed into smooth rounds by the little fox, and after this period of recuperation, even his nails had regained a healthy luster.

As Li Ting stared at the hand he held, Bai Qianjing cleared his throat. Under Li Ting’s almost murderous gaze, he lifted Xu Yanqiu’s other hand and handed him a pair of chopsticks. “Xiao Qiu, let us eat first. You fainted from the drink at noon and barely ate anything. You must not push yourself like that again.”

“I understand,” Xu Yanqiu said, feeling a bit embarrassed. He gripped the chopsticks, and the hand held by Li Ting was released before he could even pull it back.

The little blind boy paused, feeling a sense of loss as he withdrew his hand. Knowing the two people beside him could see his every move, he tucked his hand onto his lap while Li Ting performed his usual routine of introducing the dishes. His fingertips instinctively sought out the lingering sensation Li Ting had left behind.

Bai Qianjing glanced at them before withdrawing his gaze to look at Li Ting. The latter had just sat down and met his eyes with confusion. “What is it?”

“I have to leave in two days. A shipment of fine goods is waiting for me,” Bai Qianjing said with a smile. “I originally intended to wait until the day I left to give this to you, but my memory is not the best. To avoid forgetting, there is no time like the present. I will give it to you today.”

Xu Yanqiu realized this was the gift Li Ting and Bai Qianjing had discussed at the restaurant. Because of the wine, he did not remember the details, only that the items came in a pair. He continued eating obediently while pricking up his ears in curiosity.

Li Ting was unsure of Bai Qianjing’s intent. Before he could speak, Bai Qianjing pulled a pale yellow silk pouch embroidered with gold thread from his robe. He opened it to reveal a pair of white gemstones strung on silk-like red thread. The quality was superb; even after dusk, the two stones glowed with a radiance that could not be hidden. They were finished with light red satin tassels.

“I found these gemstones in the South Sea and thought you would like them. After all, your—” Bai Qianjing stopped himself before saying “your fur that is so white it blinds people” and instead said solemnly, “Anyway, they were prepared for you. I had them made into earrings. I believe you have pierced ears?”

Li Ting reached up to touch his earlobes. Because his mother had enjoyed dressing him in skirts when he was young, she had pierced his ears. Even in his fox form, the marks were visible on his ears.

However, his original plan was to give one to Xu Yanqiu. The little blind boy did not have pierced ears. Although the boy was resilient, Li Ting was afraid he would not have the heart to pierce them himself.

Seeing his hesitation, Bai Qianjing decided to help his friend to the end. He leaned against the table and stood up, walking toward Xu Yanqiu. “Xiao Qiu, your Brother Li wants to give you a gift. It is an earring.”

“Oh?” The little blind boy was stunned, turning blankly toward Li Ting’s position. “Does Brother Li want me to wear an earring?”

“Do not worry about him for a moment. Do you want to wear it?” Bai Qianjing asked coaxingly, patting Xu Yanqiu’s shoulder. “These earrings are a pair. You and your Brother Li can each have one. What do you think?”

Xu Yanqiu did not know what to say. He had not heard Li Ting speak since the topic arose. He was not used to making his own decisions and wanted to leave the choice to Li Ting, but he received no response for a long time.

Seeing Xu Yanqiu lower his head in silence, Bai Qianjing looked at Li Ting with frustration. Finally, Li Ting spoke. “Let us eat. It has been a tiring day. We should rest early after dinner.”

Xu Yanqiu nodded without looking up and only continued eating after Bai Qianjing nudged him. The pleasant atmosphere had turned awkward due to Li Ting’s silence. Once dinner was over, Bai Qianjing watched Xu Yanqiu feel his way back to the bedroom. He stepped up to Li Ting and hissed, “That was a perfect opportunity. What is wrong with you?”

“I do not need others to make decisions for me,” Li Ting said stiffly. Bai Qianjing snorted and turned to leave, but the fox grabbed him and took the earrings. Li Ting then headed to the kitchen, leaving the peacock standing alone in the courtyard. Bai Qianjing looked at the lit bedroom, then at Li Ting in the kitchen, and decided to go to sleep.

As he passed the kitchen door, he heard Li Ting whisper, “I am sorry. I was afraid he would be in pain.”

“I think he is not afraid of pain at all; it is you who is afraid,” Bai Qianjing sighed helplessly. “You are clearly afraid that he will leave in the future. Fine, it is your business. Decide for yourself.”

Before entering the woodshed to tend to his Phoenix Wood, Bai Qianjing leaned out to speak to the motionless Li Ting. “I visited your father before I left home. He was not there. Your mother said he went off to travel the world. Be careful; he might just wander his way here.”

“That is unlikely.”

“What if he wants to revisit old haunts?” Bai Qianjing patted his back sympathetically. “By then, I will already be gone.”

Li Dongtang was an eccentric man that few could tolerate. If he arrived, Li Ting would have to pray that his father did not notice anything suspicious.

Xu Yanqiu sat on the edge of the bed. He had removed his outer clothes and was wearing the soft inner garments Li Ting had bought for him. He rubbed the corner of his tunic between his fingers, sitting as quietly as if he were asleep. He looked nothing like the person who had been listening to the conversation in the courtyard through the window just moments ago.

This was the first time Xu Yanqiu had done such a thing, and he felt guilty. He would have to pretend he knew nothing when Li Ting arrived. Since losing his sight, his hearing had become much sharper than the average person’s, and he could hear anything he focused on.

He did not know if the words he had heard were what he wanted to hear, just as he was now trying desperately to ignore the frantic pounding of his own heart.

Bai Qianjing’s words had struck a chord in him. At first, he had felt a surge of joy upon realizing his feelings for Li Ting and discovering that Li Ting felt the same. The youth, experiencing his first stirrings of love, blushed by the window.

But as he reflected, he worried that Li Ting might want to maintain their superficial relationship as brothers. Xu Yanqiu suddenly felt that his own desires were selfish and shameful. Had he misunderstood Li Ting’s intent?

The memory of bathing and sleeping together like brothers brought a warmth that was quickly dampened by doubt. In moments like these, the little blind boy was prone to overthinking. He squeezed the corner of his tunic into a mess of wrinkles and made a decision: he would try. He might regret trying, but he would certainly regret never knowing.

Just then, the door creaked open. Li Ting entered and, as usual, closed the door and blew out the candle. The world of the blind was always dark, so the lack of light made no difference to him.

The only difference was that this time, he did not crawl into the covers as he usually did. As the weather warmed, he no longer needed to help warm the bed. He sat still until Li Ting asked, “What is it?”

“Brother Li,” Xu Yanqiu said, taking a deep breath and clasping his hands together. He summoned all his courage. “Pierce my ears for me. I am not afraid of the pain.”

There was silence for a long time. As the seconds ticked by, Xu Yanqiu’s heart began to sink. Just as he was about to pretend nothing had happened and go to sleep, Li Ting pressed a hand over his.

Xu Yanqiu paused, noticing for the first time how hot Li Ting’s palm felt. “Brother Li?”

“Wait here. I am going to light the candle,” Li Ting said, getting up to find the flint. The room was illuminated once more, revealing the confusion, panic, and faint glimmer of hope on Xu Yanqiu’s face.

The little fox’s eyes were full of complex emotions. Was what Xu Yanqiu hoped for the same as what he desired?

Xu Yanqiu called his name again. Li Ting wiped his face. “Wait a moment longer. I will get the tools from Qianjing.”

The little blind boy’s lips turned upward, and he quickly suppressed the smile to avoid being noticed. “I will wait for you.”

Li Ting returned quickly. As the door closed, he saw that Xu Yanqiu had tied his hair into a simple low ponytail. His hair was not yet long enough and hung only briefly against the back of his pale neck.

The soft flesh of the boy’s neck caught Li Ting’s eye, and the fox felt a sudden, restless urge. His teeth ached with the desire to leave his own mark there. But he lowered his head, and when he looked up again, he was the same Brother Li that Xu Yanqiu knew.

“It will hurt,” Li Ting said, sitting cross-legged beside him. He used one hand to tilt the boy’s chin. “It is not too late to change your mind.”

Xu Yanqiu asked excitedly, “Which ear is your piercing in? I want mine to be symmetrical to yours!”

Li Ting replied, “The left ear.” Why was this fellow so happy?

Xu Yanqiu pressed his face into Li Ting’s palm and tucked the stray hairs behind his right ear. “Do it.”

“I will say it again: it will hurt,” Li Ting emphasized. Xu Yanqiu pressed his face harder against his hand. “Hurry up.”

Li Ting stared at the boy’s defenseless neck and lowered his gaze. His thumb brushed over the small earlobe, the only part of the boy that had much flesh. A moment later, he used the specialized tool to pierce the earlobe.

The youth felt a sharp sting and gritted his teeth to endure it. Once Li Ting withdrew his hand, Xu Yanqiu sat up quickly to hide the thin sweat caused by his nervousness. He smiled. “Now we are the same.”

Li Ting did not speak. He simply leaned forward and pulled Xu Yanqiu into a silent embrace, patting his back.

This was the first mark he had left on Xu Yanqiu.