Chapter 147 - We Built That Highway

"Nothing but me and the bugs," Wuming said the following morning while they were waiting for breakfast to be served. "Nada. Did I mention that the moon was also there?"

"I'll take tonight's shift," volunteered Qing Lok. "Look at Chen."

Qing Chen was holding his head up with a hand under his chin. His eyes were still closed. Wuming made a circle with his middle finger and thumb and snapped it on Qing Chen's ear. 

Qing Chen jumped awake and his knees connected with the small table. It made a loud sound and the other students looked at him confusingly. He only sent an apologetic smile before turning to Wuming with a murderous look.

"Long night?" Wuming's eyebrows danced.

"Do shut up," said Qing Chen.

Wuming poked Qing Chen's side. "What did you do, huh?"

Qing Chen crossed his arms on his chest and kept his back straight. He closed his eyes once more. Even just a minute of sleep would do him good.

"Huh?" Wuming pressed.

"I don't kiss and tell," he just said.

He thought Wuming would stop at that, but he seemed to have forgotten his brother didn't know privacy in such matters. Wuming continued to poke him. Teasingly he said, "Look at you! You're finally making progress, my boy."

"My boy?" Qing Chen muttered under his breath but Wuming did not hear as he turned to his other brother.

"Did you hear that? I think they're back where they left off."

Qing Lok mimicked the look on Wuming's face. "I wonder who was on top. Before sister-in-law got back her memories, I was pretty sure Chen would be the dominant one. But now… I don't know."

Qing Chen's brothers laughed. He knew they were just trying to get on his nerves and he didn't want to give them the satisfaction of showing emotion. But he was sure he didn't get a wink of sleep last night and it was driving him reckless. He turned to his brothers and punched their thighs. "Quiet," he hissed.

"Ow," the two muttered under their breath, clutching their muscle. It was not even that hard. They were just over-acting.

Wuming turned to Qing Lok. "Guess we know who's bottom last night."

The two of them laughed again. Just then the huge bowls of food were being brought in and they turned quiet. When Feng Xuan put a deep pot near the Qings, Wuming commented, "Don't you look beautiful today, sister?"

Feng Xuan recognized the playfullness in Wuming's voice. Instead of getting embarrassed, she smiled at them. "Really? I've been trying this new workout at night. Seems to do wonders on my skin."

When she left, Qing Lok and Wuming were cracking up. Wuming slapped his younger brother's back. "I've never been so proud of you, Chen."

"You gotta… let… us in on that secret, brother," said Qing Lok in between laughs.

Wuming took his utensils and took a dumpling and smelled it. Pork. He knew it was Qing Chen's favorite. He put it in front of his brother's mouth. "You're so hot-headed at times, you know that, right? You look at your wife. She's taking things in stride."

Qing Chen angrily bit in the dumpling. He was going to say something but decided against it. "It was great. I just need sleep."

"There you go," Wuming said and rubbed Qing Chen's back like he was consoling a child. "We'll stop with the teasing until further notice."

Feng Xuan sat in front of Qing Chen and when their eyes met, she was asking him if he was okay. He smiled and nodded at her.

**

Qing Chen was scheduled to wash that morning's dishes and when Feng Xuan took the last of the plates in the kitchen, his supposed partner suddenly complained of diarrhea and asked if Feng Xuan would take this shift.

"I wash, you rinse?" she asked.

They began to work wrapped in silence.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to sleep so much last night. I just remembered you haven't getting enough sleep lately." She recalled in her mind the night he was caught with Ma Min and the next night, he broke into Master's office.

"It's fine. Qing Lok is going to take tonight's watch."

"I promise I won't do anything to you. We're just going to sleep. Innocently."

Qing Chen let out a short laugh. "Not that I'm complaining but what's going on with you?"

Feng Xuan leaned to him. "I honestly don't know, Chen. A spirit possessed me and it's taking control of this body."

He burst out laughing. "Do you really have to blame someone else for your urges?"

Feng Xuan stopped scrubbing a plate. She was not really sure what had gotten into her last night. She had to admit on feeling hormonal things ever since, but it was not that bad… "I think it's the danger." She bit her lips and turned to face him. "In movies and in books, the characters seem to get so s.e.x.u.a.l whenever they were on the verge of the end of the world. I didn't seem to understand it but… I think I do now. I just want to do things with you while I still can. It's spiking things up within me. Like, my body craves for you."

Qing Chen wiped his hands on his apron and caressed her cheek. "Do you like this kind of life? That we might be dining with a person who wants our heads?"

Feng Xuan rolled her eyes at him but a smile showed up on her lips. "Don't look like you don't like it, Chen. I see the spark in your eyes when you know you're trying to solve something. You like a challenge."

Qing Chen returned her smile.

"When we get out of here, we'll be on the highway to hell."

Qing Chen had heard that phrase from his mother when she was so frustrated about the mafia. He repeated the words his father replied, "Darling, we built that highway."