A LOTUS BORN OF MUD

CHAPTER 22 - RECOVERED

  BiMing gulped. He expected somewhat of a confession, he wasn't dense to that extent of not knowing why XiuYin did those things. But that doesn't mean he was prepared. BiMing stared at the man collapsed on the floor and gulped again. Ok , get it together, you said you'd get through it...no avoiding it now... I'll deal with that confession later... 

  "What are you laying there for let's go." BiMing said with a brave front.

...

...

BiMing waited for a reply or a reaction but he got none. He squatted down and inspected XiuYin. His face lying sideways on the ground, eyes shut and breathing heavily as if...

  "You bastard you're actually sleeping!" He was about to shake him awake but then realised that the man actually knelt with no water and food for almost a month. BiMing sighed and put the umbrella away shielding the small area above him with spiritual energy. With a grunt, he pulled XiuYin up and slung him across his shoulders and grabbed hold of his arms, it was like a piggy back...except the one being carried was unconscious and possibly half dead.

  "You're heavy for someone who didn't eat for a month... and ridiculously tall..."

  BiMing stepped onto the cloud with difficulty as they flew upwards, slower than usual as if the cloud were complaining about the extra weight.

  "Shut up and do your job" BiMing muttered.

  As they reached the top, BiMing half dragged half carried XiuYin inside. BiMing stood in the hallway wondering where to put XiuYin. His room? but he's soaked... On a chair? He's been kneeling for so long BiMing feels bad to have him on a hard surface.

  The bathing cave it is.

  BiMing pulled XiuYin all the way downstairs and dropped him on a bench so that he could take a breather. As he huffed he glanced at the still sleeping man.

  Well... he's not going to undress himself...

  "What's wrong with a man undressing another... for bathing purposes... when said man can't undress himself... it's not like I'm doing it with ulterior motives..." BiMing muttered to himself as he began pulling at XiuYins grimey, dirt-stained sash. As the pieces of clothing fell away one by one, eventually XiuYin was left in only his under-trousers. 

  BiMing frowned, on XiuYin's body were many small crescent marks. Like nails that dug deep into the flesh. BiMing touched one lightly with his fingertips and felt the skin contract under his fingers. He withdrew his hand and sighed. There were things about XiuYIn he still didn't know... Perhaps he was wrong to judge him on a few things... just maybe...

  BiMing got his hands underneath XiuYins arms and proceeded to drag him into the water. Once there BiMing held XiuYin's head up so he didn't go completely under water. His long hair unravelled in the water and curled around BiMing like tentacles. BiMing stood still in the water for a good part of an hour, his limbs submerged in the water had already wrinkled disgustingly... Asians don't raisin my ass! But he endured it because heaven's know XiuYin needed a bath, as time went by, grime left XiuYin's body in clumps so BiMing just stood still and let the water to its wonders.

  Soon after, XiuYin's eyelashes fanned his high cheekbones as they fluttered open. The first thing he saw was none other than Lu ShiZun's face, above his, gazing off into the distance daydreaming, not noticing he had awoken. With a flutter of his fingers, XiuYin figured he was mostly submerged in the water, and Lu ShiZun held his head to keep him from drowning. XiuYin raised his hand and Lu ShiZun's eyes snapped down at the sound of movement. As they made eye contact XiuYin's hand gently touched Lu ShiZun's face.