– Heartstrings Knot

Brought to you by Elaine ╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡

Qin Mian guessed that it was a riding suit because the clothes on Lei Tie’s body were not the ones he wore when going out, but a riding suit.

He took the wooden box and ran into the house. Not a while later, he dashed out again and dressed in a well-fitted white riding suit, thriving with heroism and dripping vigor. He stood in front of Lei Tie and said excitedly, “A-Tie, take me for a run first.”

Lei Tie reached behind his back and handed Qin Mian another thing.

Qin Mian took it, “Isn’t this something you weaved a few days ago? Is this a whip?” The whip was also brown. Although it was woven from tree bark, it was tanned to be very soft and exquisite. He looked at the wooden handle carefully and was not surprised to find a few familiar words engraved on it: Tie Gifts Wife.

He wanted to stare wide-eyed at Lei Tie but he could not help smiling.

That brilliant smiling expression made Lei Tie’s mood sunny and cloudless.

“Like it?”

“Yes.” Qin Mian all smiled.

Lei Tie mounted the horse and stretched out his hand.

Qin Mian handed him his hand. Lei Tie gently pulled him up and held his waist with his other hand. Qin Mian sat firmly in front of him.

“1!” Lei Tie’s feet stepped on stirrups, clamped the horse’s belly, and the black steed galloped.

The wind blew in the face mixed with the elegant fragrance of flowers made Qin Mian’s mood flying. Taking advantage that they had not left the farm residence and no one was around, he turned his head and pecked at the man’s side face before sitting upright and acting as if nothing had happened. Lei Tie hugged him tightly, kissed his earlobe softly, flicked the reins, and the horse galloped out of the gate.

Uncle Fu, who was chopping firewood at the entrance, felt a gust of wind passing by. When he looked up, he could only catch sight of the confident and leisure back of the two people on horseback.

The villagers on the road heard the clatter of the horse’s hooves from behind and gave way, watching the horse gallop by. A few young villagers’ eyes were full of envy.

The steed ran around the village before running into the Leisurely Farm Residence. Lei Tie led the brown horse and once again took Qin Mian to urge the horses away from the farm residence.

When they came to the grain-sunning ground, Lei Tie stopped the horses and leaped down.

Qin Mian turned over and leaped down. Unable to hold himself back, he said, “Teach me now.”

Lei Tie nodded, “Which do you like? The brown one is gentler.”

Qin Mian was not a daring person, “The brown one then.”

Lei Tie took the reins of the brown horse and taught him basic knowledge, “Before you mount the horse, you need to check whether the saddle and stirrups are firm. If it’s loose, it’ll be dangerous.”

After carefully observing the saddle and stirrups, Qin Mian nodded to show that he had remembered.

“When you get on the horse, push your toes inward. Don’t move too much to prevent the horse from being startled or refuses to be mounted…” Lei Tie said while demonstrating, “When dismounting, loosen your right foot first…”

Lei Chuntao and a girl dressed in purple similar to her age were going to dig wild vegetables with baskets in their hands. Upon seeing the people on the grain-sunning ground, they both stopped at the same time. They watched Lei Tie saying something to Qin Mian with his head lowered and then holding his waist to help him mount the horse.

The girl dressed in purple approached Lei Chuntao’s ear and said in a low voice, “Your eldest sister-in-law is really handsome, and your eldest brother’s side face is also quite handsome. If they aren’t married, there must be a lot of girls who like them.”

Lei Chuntao looked at her in surprise and immediately said, “Hongzao, don’t think about it. My eldest brother and eldest sister-in-law have a strong relationship.”

Hongzao’s face turned dignified. She anxiously patted her and stomped her feet as she said, “What are you saying? I’m just talking. Didn’t I tell you a few truths because I was being nice to you?”

Lei Chuntao knew that she had misunderstood her, so she quickly apologized with a smile, “Alright, alright, it’s my fault. Hongzao, you can hit me again.”

Hongzao lightly snorted and gently patted her on the back.

Their gazes returned to the grain-sunning ground. Qin Mian was on horseback. Lei Tie pulled the reins and slowly moved forward. He looked at the person on the horse from time to time and Qin Mian would smile back. There was a deep tacit understanding and warmth between them.

Lei Chuntao and Hongzao looked at each other with a smile and walked away with their baskets.Qin Mian was very smart. He quickly grasped the main points of horse riding. After letting Lei Tie lead the horse for a few laps on the grain-sunning ground with, he could not help saying, “A-Tie, why you don’t let go, I’m going to try.”

Lei Tie then released his hand, “Slow down.”

Seeing Qin Mian lightly clamped the horse’s belly and the horse walked neither slow nor fast, he put his worry down and rode on the black horse to follow after him.

Qin Mian looked back at him and inquired, “Can I speed up?”

Lei Tie nodded, “Don’t worry.”

Qin Mian held the reins and kicked the horse’s belly nervously. The brown horse trotted at once; it was very docile.

Qin Mian shook the reins and pulled to the left. The horse’s speed went a little faster, running around the grain-sunning ground.

Qin Mian sat firmly on the saddle, turned back, and called out, “A-Tie, look, I’ve learned it!”

Lei Tie’s horsewhip slightly moved and the black horse quickly went forward to keep pace with the brown horse.

“Can I go faster?” Qin Mian yearned for the feeling of galloping.

Lei Tie nodded. “I’m here.”

Qin Mian raised his horsewhip and gently whipped it on the horse, “––”

With a low neigh, the brown horse ran out of the grain-sunning ground and ran along the road out of the village.

The black horse followed closely.

“HAHAHA… It’s so cool!” Qin Mian felt the spring breeze and gave out wanton laughter.

Lei Chuntao, who was crouching on the ridge and digging wild vegetables, raised her head after hearing the laughter. Upon seeing the two back figures of gray and white in the distance, she could not help but smile.

Qin Mian and Lei Tie galloped down the mountain and directly went back to the farm residence.

When he got to the stable, Qin Mian quickly rolled off his horse with a thin layer of sweat on his face. With a smile, he combed the mane of the brown horse with his fingers. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

“Tired?” Lei Tie walked to his side.

“En.” Qin Mian tugged at his clothes, “I’m all sweaty.”

Uncle Fu came over quickly, “Eldest young master and little young master are back.”

Qin Mian handed the reins to him, “Uncle Fu, feed them well.”

“Yes.”

Qin Mian pulled Lei Tie home.

After entering the house, Lei Tie said, “Pour hot water and wash your face.”

Qin Mian shook his head and mysteriously smiled, “Follow me.”

He locked in the door of the central room, pulled Lei Tie into the bedroom, and closed the curtains.

“A-Tie, no matter what is strange about me, can you accept it all?” Qin Mian encircled Lei Tie’s waist, feeling somewhat uneasy. If Lei Tie could not accept it, he did not know whether he could bear the pain of losing Lei Tie. Having been with Lei Tie for such a long time, he had always been very happy, except for those prodigals in the old house which occasionally annoy him. And this happiness was basically brought to him by Lei Tie. He liked this man and wished to be together with him earnestly.

“You are my wife. You will always be my wife.” Lei Tie hugged him. His tone was as steady as ever but it made Qin Mia calm.

“I’ll take you to a place.” With a stir in Qin Mian’s mind, the next moment, he and Lei Tie appeared in the space together, still maintaining the posture of embracing.

“Here is…” Lei Tie was slightly startled. He held his wife’s hand tightly and looked around.

Qin Mian did not see any fear or uneasiness in his eyes, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He relaxed and somewhat proudly said, “This is an independent world and my portable space. Last time I put the tiger and boar here.”

“Portable space,” Lei Tie said, “which means carried on the body?”“That’s right.” Qin Mian paused a bit and looked directly into his eyes, “What would you think if I told you that I was not the former Qin Mian?”

However, Lei Tie unexpectedly said, “I know.”

Qin Mian was shocked and incredulously turned up his volume, “YOU KNOW?”

Lei Tie caressed his face to make him stay calm and embraced his waist. “The former Qin Mian was cowardly, timid, and self-abased. He didn’t even dare to look at me directly. He trembled as soon as I approached him. But that day when you woke up from your lethargic sleep, you were only surprised to see me, not afraid. Like a changed person. At first, it was just a doubt, and then I was certain that you weren’t him.”

“Then you…” Qin Mian wanted to ask him whether he liked the former Qin Mian or the present one. He had the answer in his mind but he wanted to hear from Lei Tie himself.

“You.” Lei Tie’s chin rubbed his hair, “I used to call him Little Mian.”

When he said this, Qin Mian remembered. Lei Tie called him “Little Mian” in the first few days, and later he always called him “wife”. His ears began to burn.

“Wife, there are a lot of doubts about you, but I dare not ask, for fear that you’ll disappear. I’m glad you’re willing to tell me.” His voice had been very calm and his speech was neither urgent nor slow, like a gentle wind soothing Qin Mian’s heart.

Qin Mian’s chest felt inexplicably painful, and he could not help but hold the man closer. This man had been quietly tolerating him. He was lucky to meet him in this strange world.

He told the man about the origin of the space, “This space is…” [Omitted explanation]

“I see.” Lei Tie pondered, “Maybe it is the space that saved you and helped you to be reborn. White Spot is it [the dog he saved]?”

Qin Mian said, “Like two peas in a pod. They look the same and also give me the same vibe.”

“Whether it is or not, we’ll treat it well.” Lei Tie unconcernedly said.

Qin Mian nodded and looked at him with warm eyes. “I said that I would give you a birthday present. It’s actually a heartstrings knot. Once you bound a heartstrings knot with me, we can share the space, but we’ll also live and die together. That is to say, if I die before you, you’ll also––”

Lei Tie immediately asked, “How to bind?”

Qin Mian curved his lips in a smile and his heart felt comfortably warm. “Come with me.”

They walked into the quadrangle house together. Qin Mian pressed his right palm on the four walls of the main room. Suddenly, a white light flashed inside the room, which kept flashing, and after a while, it condensed into an illusory ring in midair at the center of the room. Qin Mian bit his finger and dripped a drop of blood on it. He said to Lei Tie, “You too.”

Lei Tie also dripped a drop of blood.

The white light flashed and died out, at the same time! Lei Tie felt something was in his body. The space seemingly transformed into a small model printed in his mind. He could see it clearly.

From the corner of Qin Mian’s eyes, he saw that the pink ball in the flower bed not far away also flashed for a moment. He was a little surprised but paid no mind to it for the time being. Instead, he asked Lei Tie anxiously, “How is it?” Although he knew how to bind the heartstrings knot, it was the first time to do it after all.

Lei Tie nodded gently and embraced him contentedly, “Wife, [we’re] eternally together hereafter.”

After determining there was nothing wrong with the heartstring knot, Qin Mian put away his worry. He broke away from Lei Tie and pulled him to the flower bed.

“This bud is very strange. It grows so full of life, but it never blooms. From the time I got the space, I take care of it very carefully, and yet it doesn’t respond. But just now when we bound our heartstrings knot, a light seemed to flash across it. Hm? It seems bigger? Weird. Does it like you better?” Qin Mian suddenly discovered this and was puzzled.

Lei Tie scooped some water from the nearby bucket and poured it on the bud.

A white light flashed across the pink ball as if there was a current running around it.

Qin Mian also scooped a ladle of water to feed it.

The pink ball flashed again.

When it was watered for the third time, the pink ball seemed to be asleep and did not respond.

“That’s enough.” Lei Tie said.

Qin Mian nodded, “It should be.”

Lei Tie looked at the pink ball and his heart skipped a beat, “Later, we’ll water it together.”

Shoutout Corner: (୨୧•͈ᴗ•͈)◞ᵗʱᵃᵑᵏઽ*♡ Thank you, SadieWoods! （●´∀｀）ノ♡

Note:

FootnotesLike “go” to urge on (of horse)