C37. Gnashing Teeth.

C37. Gnashing Teeth.

Yuan Li's body was stiff, straight as a pillar, lifted to the riverbank by Chu Hechao carelessly.

As Yuan Li's feet touched the ground, his expression remained blank.

The shame in his heart was more unbearable than the itching on his face.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Chu Hechao pulled Yuan Li towards the river, walking on the firmer mud. When they arrived, he said, "Squat down."

Yuan Li took a deep breath, trying to ease the burning sensation on his face, squatted down and reached the river water.

The river water was cool, he scooped up some and poured it over his face.

The itching and burning on his face slowly eased as soon as the water touched it. Yuan Li breathed a sigh of relief after washing his face clean and finally opened his eyes.

A cloth for wiping the face was handed to him, and Yuan Li subconsciously said, "Thank you," and took it to wipe his face.

The more he wiped, the clearer Yuan Li's eyes became, and he realized that what he was holding was not a cloth but Chu Hechao's clothing.

Looking up, he met Chu Hechao's eyes, who was watching the show with interest.

The man crouched in front of him, his muscular legs tense, and the piece of fabric in Yuan Li's hand was the one draped over his legs.

As Yuan Li's eyes averted, he accidentally caught sight of a bulge beneath the man.

"Sister-in-law, do you find my clothes helpful?" Chu Hechao smirked.

Yuan Li looked away, let go of the clothing in his hand, and ignored Chu Hechao's attempts to tease him. He thanked the general earnestly, "Thank you for bringing me to the river to wash my face."

The man seemed unsatisfied with this response, and his smile turned cold.

Chu Hechao remained crouched, and suddenly leaned closer, casting a shadow over Yuan Li. "Yuan Li," he said in a low and dangerous voice, "what have I done to upset you?"

Yuan Li didn't understand. "What do you mean, General?"

Chu Hechao chuckled arrogantly. "You know in your heart."

Confused, Yuan Li looked at Chu Hechao's head, wondering if the man had lost his mind.

"Tell me," Chu Hechao plucked a blade of grass from the weeds at the side and broke it with his fingers, "what have I done wrong."

The last few words were emphasized, squeezed through his teeth, giving Yuan Li a sense of his fierce determination.

Yuan Li frowned. "General, you have done nothing wrong. Not only have you not done anything wrong, but I also have to thank you for your assistance."

"And, General, if you could move back a little, this position is a bit... indecent." Yuanli hinted tactfully.

Chu Hechao remained still, glaring at Yuan Li. Clearly unconcerned about decency, he only cared about Yuan Li's response. If Yuanli didn't give an answer, he wouldn't get up.

Yuan Li felt helpless.

He hadn't had much conversation with Chu Hechao along the way. He couldn't even remember the incident where he was scolded for caring about Chu Hechao's sleep, but in the past month, Chu Hechao had indeed done nothing wrong.

"General, please speak openly," Yuan Li said directly. "I can't guess what you mean."

Chu Hechao carefully examined his expression and when he realized that Yuan Li had genuinely forgotten, his mood turned sour. He replied coolly, "The night you brought out the ice block for the first time, I stayed at your place. A few days later, you became polite and distant towards me."

Yuan Li suddenly remembered and felt a moment of guilt in his heart when he recalled the harsh words Chu Hechao had said to him that night. He forced a couple of smiles and replied, "Is that so?"

Chu Hechao stared at him intently, "Yes."

Yuan Li calmly returned his gaze, somewhat confused as to why Chu Hechao brought up the matter.

In social interactions, suddenly being polite to someone carries an implicit message, indicating that we should maintain a certain distance in our relationship.

Yuan Li couldn't understand why Chu Hechao would directly bring this up.

Was he not understanding, or did he understand but was unwilling to admit it?

In any case, this question left Yuan Li unsure how to respond.

Whether as business partners or in a brother-in-law relationship, aren't we supposed to be polite and courteous?

Yuan Li suddenly felt his neck itching again and couldn't help scratching it. He remembered there were still some debris and thorns sticking to his neck.

His eyes lit up - wasn't this a perfect excuse to interrupt the conversation?

Yuan Li immediately pulled down his collar and went to the water's edge to wash his neck, saying to Chu Hechao, "General, I'll wash my neck first. The thorns are making me uncomfortable. You can go back, no need to wait here for me."

Chu Hechao chuckled and replied leisurely, "You wash, I'll wait for you."

Yuan Li hesitated.

He washed more seriously.

A multitude of branches intertwined on the nearby trees, casting a shadow of green on the ground. Ripples danced on the water, with the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Yuan Li's neck turned red, a mixture of the pricks and scratches. The red marks on his skin resembled crushed berries. Wetting his collar, Yuan Li exposed his collarbone and part of his shoulder to Chu Hechao's eyes.

Chu Hechao's gaze flicked back and forth to Yuan Li's neck.

As he continued staring, Chu Hechao seemed slightly entranced.

Suddenly, Yuan Li turned around and lowered his head, "General, could you take a look for me?"

With one hand clutching the hair on top of his head, the scent of straw drifted towards Chu Hechao's nose.

The angle of his gaze shifted, his collar loosened, revealing more of his fair skin.

Chu Hechao's shock was evident as he seemed almost ready to flee, "What are you looking at?!"

Yuan Li lifted his head, puzzled, "Of course, checking if there are still debris on the back of my neck..."

The words trailed off abruptly.

Yuan Li couldn't believe his eyes as he glanced below, then back at Chu Hechao's face, his expression gradually turning puzzled, "What are you doing?! General, your temper... is quite something."

Truly a fiery and impulsive general.

Chu Hechao instinctively glanced down, noticing his little brother standing tall and his clothes lifted, as if he were showing off in front of Yuan Li.

His expression darkened, and he stood up abruptly, about to leave.

As he turned, he saw a group of sweaty men approaching not far away.

"Why is it so hot today? Is it still this crazy weather even in the autumn? Should we head to Jizhou County for some relief from the heat?"

"You never know, the weather these days is much better than before. Yang ge, your harvesting technique is excellent. Where did you learn it?"

"Don't flatter me, my wife has a field at home that I've been harvesting for over ten years. If it wasn't good, my wife would have bitten off my ear!"

Amidst their banter, they drew closer.

Chu Hechao clenched his lips and, without a word, swiftly turned and jumped into the river, using the water to cover his lower body.

Yuan Li watched him in speechless astonishment, "General, you haven't taken off your shoes and clothes."

Chu Hechao, his demeanor chilling, twitched his eyelids at the remark, glanced up at Yuan Li, and without a word, jumped into the river, splashing himself from neck to waist. The action exuded a fiery and wild air.

Chu Hechao stared at Yuan Li for a while, then suddenly lowered his voice, "You come down too."

Yuan Li found Chu Hechao series of actions amusing and decided to stay by the river to enjoy the show, "Why should I come down?"

Chu Hechao, with a serious expression, lowered his voice even further, "It's strange if I'm the only one in the water."

Yuan Li couldn't help but chuckle, trying to contain his shoulder's shaking.

It seemed like Chu Hechao's demeanor had rubbed off on Yuan Li, as he couldn't resist teasing him. Yuan Li propped his chin on his knees, maintaining a relaxed posture and a highly likable smile, "But General, what if I don't feel like getting in the water now?"

Yang Zhongfa approached them, already within sight.

Chu Hechao icy expression turned even more menacing, "Aren't you supposed to wash your neck?"

Yuan Li smiled cheekily, "This way of washing is fine."

Chu Hechao, observing Yuan Li's smile, suddenly smirked coldly and forcefully pulled him into the water, "Then we'll do it the hard way."

Caught off guard, Yuan Li tumbled into the water. The next moment, he resurfaced, wiping his face, "Chu Hechao!"

This was the second time!

Before he could unleash his fury, Chu Hechao grabbed Yuan Li's shoulder, swiftly turning him towards the approaching Yang Zhongfa.

Yang Zhongfa had reached the riverbank, greeting them with a wave, "Oh, General, Young Master Yuan Li, are you guys here too?"

Chu Hechao calmly responded with a simple "Hmm" and stood motionless, hiding behind Yuan Li.

To prevent Yuan Li from escaping, Chu Hechao firmly held his waist under the water.

Yuan Li retaliated by stomping hard on Chu Hechao's foot, grinding it slowly while whispering in his ear, "Chu Hechao, I'll remember this. You better watch out."

A slight grimace of pain flashed across Chu Hechao's face, turning slightly pale.

Others didn't notice much, but found it odd, "General, why are you so close to Young Master Yuan Li?"

Chu Hechao size could easily eclipse Yuan Li's, at least covering the crucial areas and preventing any indecent exposure in broad daylight.

This thought made Chu Hechao increasingly agitated.

Was it the weather acting up, or was it his pent-up frustration needing an outlet?

Or perhaps it was time to find a woman?

No one knew the storm brewing in Chu Hechao's mind at that moment as he coldly replied, "It's nothing."

After exchanging greetings, Yang Zhongfa and the others undressed and went into the water without hesitation. Perplexed, they turned their attention to Yuan Li i and Chu Hechao, asking, "Young Master Yuan, General, why are you still wearing clothes to bathe?"

Yuan Li quipped with a half-hearted smile, "You should ask our General about that."

All eyes focused on Chu Hechao.

After a brief silence, Chu Hechao nonchalantly said, "Just washing clothes."

The generals suddenly understood and wondered why someone would wash clothes while wearing them. Seeing Chu Hechao's expression, they wisely chose not to press further, engaging in casual conversations without further inquiries.

Yuan Li let out a cold sneer, "General, shouldn't you release me now?"

Chu Hechao's gaze darted around, settling on a large rock near the riverbank. He intended to cross the river independently. As soon as his grip loosened, he noticed He Lang approaching Yuan Li with purposeful strides.

Without conscious thought, Chu Hechao pulled Yuan Li back in front of him, effectively shielding him from He Lang's advance.

Yuan Li stumbled backward a step, his forehead veins bulging with suppressed anger. Just as he was about to unleash his fury, he felt a searing heat against his back.

Both Yuan Li and Chu Hechao froze in stunned silence.

Chu Hechao, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness, bumped Yuan Li again, this time with a hint of satisfaction.

The subsequent impact left Chu Hechao's entire body rigid, unable to move.

Yuan Li's face flushed with a fiery red, the heat spreading from his neck to his ears. His eyes blazed with anger, and he turned his head sideways, his voice laced with menace as he hissed, "Chu Hechao."

"What are you doing?" he demanded, his tone laced with sinister intent.