The candle's flame wavered slightly, its golden light casting a warm but uneven glow over the small room. Outside, the chirping of insects filled the night air, but inside, a weighted silence hung between the two figures standing near the bed.

Sun Baohai's fingers curled into the sleeves of his night robes, his posture stiff, uncertain. His damp hair, heavy from washing, trailed over his back, a few strands clinging to the side of his face. He hadn't expected to feel this nervous. He knew they would have to sleep in the same room, knew this was what marriage entailed, but now that the moment was here, he felt an unease creeping into his chest.

Across from him, Jinhai was quiet, his gaze steady. He didn't speak, nor did he make any unnecessary movements. He simply watched.

Baohai felt the weight of that gaze,not oppressive, not prying, but present. It was a strange thing. He had felt many gazes before. The scrutinizing stares of those who judged him, the leering looks that made his skin crawl, the indifferent glances that passed over him like he was nothing at all. Jinhai's eyes held none of that. They only observed, patient and unreadable, as if waiting for Baohai to make the first move.

The scent of sandalwood and pine lingered in the air between them, unfamiliar yet oddly grounding. It was the kind of scent that belonged to a man who spent his days beneath the sun, someone steady, someone reliable.

Jinhai said nothing when Baohai finally moved, stepping toward the bed and slipping beneath the covers. The mattress dipped slightly as Jinhai followed, careful in his movements, keeping a respectful distance.

For a moment, all was still.

Then, Baohai inhaled.

It was a mistake.

The moment Jinhai's scent reached him, his body reacted before his mind could stop it. A sharp, involuntary tightness gripped his chest, as though invisible hands had wrapped around his lungs and squeezed. The blankets felt too heavy, the air too thick. His fingers clutched at the fabric beneath him, his breath suddenly shallow, unsteady.

Not here. Not now.

He clenched his jaw, willing his body to stay still, to breathe normally. But it was impossible. The scent of a man beside him, the shared space, the dim lighting, it was too much, too close to something else, something buried but never gone.

He remembered the feeling of helplessness, the way his own skin had felt like a prison, the way breathing had sometimes felt like an act of survival rather than instinct. He had spent years trying to push it all down, to keep those feelings at bay, but now, in the quiet of this room, with a man beside him, the past clawed its way up from the depths of his mind.

His breaths came faster. His shoulders trembled. He shut his eyes tightly, forcing himself to calm down. It's different now. It's different.

But his body did not understand the difference.

Jinhai noticed.

He turned slightly, his brows furrowing as he took in Baohai's rigid form. Then, the uneven breathing, the way Baohai curled inward, how his fingers twisted into the blankets like a lifeline. And then, the faintest sound, a choked, barely-there sob.

Jinhai stilled.

For a long moment, he simply looked at him. He could have asked what was wrong. He could have reached out. But something told him that neither would help right now.

Instead, without a word, he shifted.

Baohai didn't see it at first, his eyes were squeezed shut, his body too wrapped in its own panic to notice the rustling of fabric. It wasn't until the mattress moved slightly, the warmth beside him disappearing, that he realized Jinhai was no longer in the bed.

He forced himself to open his eyes.

Jinhai was on the floor, gathering the extra blankets and making himself a makeshift bed. His movements were unhurried, natural, as if he had planned to do this all along. He didn't sigh, didn't complain, didn't make a point of it. He simply settled in, laying down with quiet ease.

Baohai swallowed.

A part of him wanted to say something, to apologize, maybe, or explain, but the words felt too heavy, too tangled with everything he couldn't put into sentences.

In the quiet, his voice came out small.

"...Thank you."

Jinhai didn't turn his head. He only let out a quiet, reassuring hum.

"Sleep well."

Baohai lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling. His body was still tense, but the suffocating tightness had eased just a little.

Jinhai had not pried, had not forced anything. He had simply given him space without making it feel like a kindness, without making it feel like charity.

And for the first time in a long while, Baohai felt like he could breathe. His heart calmed and without knowing he fell asleep inhaling the scent of pinewood.

....

The next morning, Sun Baohai woke up to find that Jinhai was already outside training. He felt a little guilty, Jinhai had been up early every day, while he was still sleeping soundly. Wanting to make up for it, he hurried to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Since he had received the chicken as a reward, there were plenty of eggs in the house. He made a simple egg omelet, cooked porridge until it was thick and fragrant, and stir-fried some fresh leeks. The meal was plain but filling, enough to warm the stomach on a cool morning.

Not long after, Yingtai also woke up. She cleaned the house as usual, sweeping the floor and tidying things up, while Sun Baohai set the table. The household moved in quiet harmony, each person naturally doing their part.

The children soon woke up, rubbing their sleepy eyes as they went outside to wash up. By the time they returned, their faces clean and their hair still damp, breakfast was already set on the table, the steam rising in the cool air.

Jinhai stepped inside just then. He paused for a moment, taking in the sight of the small but orderly household. The warm food, the quiet chatter, the simple harmony of it all, it was unfamiliar yet strangely comforting. For a brief moment, he hesitated, feeling as though he was intruding on something whole and complete.

Sun Baohai noticed, and quickly noticed and called for him to sit down. "Hurry, eat before it gets cold."

Jinhai sat down, his expression returning to its usual calm. The meal was simple, but as he ate, he found himself relaxing. This was not bad..it was not bad all, he thought.

As they ate, Yingtai suddenly asked, "Jinhai, what do you plan to do now?"

Sun Baohai looked at him, waiting for a response, after all three incomes were better than one.

Jinhai's eyes flickered briefly before he responded, "Since I was promoted to Chuangzhu, they will assign me as a Yamen soldier. Le Ke and I will report there in two months."

"That's good," Sun Baohai nodded. "It pays well and isn't too dangerous. Plus, I can bring you food whenever I'm at the shop."

Jinhai glanced at him, his ears a bit flushed at the last sentence. "Is the shop doing well?" he asked, making small talk.

Before Sun Baohai could answer, Yingtai, who had been quietly listening from the side, broke into a wide grin. Her eyes darted between the two of them, filled with obvious amusement.

"Very well!" Sun Baohai beamed, completely unaware of Yingtai's knowing gaze. "Do you want to come see it after breakfast? I'm about to open for the day."

Jinhai looked at Baohai's smile, mesmerized for a moment before nodding. "Alright."

Yingtai clasped her hands together in delight, barely holding back her excitement. "Aiya, how nice! You two are getting along so well," she teased, her tone light and playful. "Baohai, take good care of Jinhai, ah!"

Sun Baohai rolled his eyes, but his ears turned slightly red. "What nonsense are you saying first thing in the morning?"

Jinhai didn't say anything, only finishing the last of his porridge as if he hadn't heard, but the corner of his lips lifting betrayed him

Still grinning, Yingtai watched as the two left together after breakfast, clearly pleased with the development.



Question of the day

Ok so this will be a discussion question. Is it just me or are kdramas getting boring, poorly written, and just lack luster? I've been noticing lately that kdramas are really getting boring, back then I could sit and watch kdramas back-to-back, but now, I can't even force myself to finish one, and if I do it's an old one I am rewatching. The new kdramas are just not it. After 2022, it feels like all kdramas just went downhill.