Xie Ji barely steadied himself, bent over with a flashlight in one hand, and awkwardly copied the seedlings Ji Shi had planted ahead of him, setting the little shoots into the soil with his other hand.
Ji Shi's eyes were a little red. He came over to pull him away. "Xie Ji, you don't have to..."
Before he could finish, Lu Xunji took the seedlings from his hand.
Lu Xunji frowned, a trace of helplessness in his cool eyes. "Hurry up. Don't leave him soaking in here too long."
With skin as delicate as Xie Ji's, standing in this muck for two hours would surely leave it raw and torn.
Ji Shi wiped the sweat from his forehead and pressed his lips tightly together, saying nothing more.
Unexpectedly, of the three, Lu Xunji turned out to be the most efficient. Ji Shi's work was not particularly good, but he had speed on his side. Xie Ji stumbled along behind them, and his lack of practice even sent him falling onto his backside in the mud.
"Fuck." Covered in mud, with sweat and muddy water running down his fair, tender face, Xie Ji swore under his breath.
The sight was somewhat comical, but none of the three could laugh.
Lu Xunji headed back to help Xie Ji up first.
Xie Ji quickly managed to haul himself out of the mud with difficulty. "Don't worry about me, bro. Keep working. I can manage."
Lu Xunji did not listen. He came over and scooped Xie Ji up.
He had always been a clean freak, but at that moment, he did not mind how filthy and smelly Xie Ji was at all. He carried him onto the ridge between the paddies, then lowered his head and used his own clothes to wipe Xie Ji's feet clean.
Mud speckled his snow-white skin, and a little leech clung to his calf.
Xie Ji's grip on Lu Xunji's arm instantly tightened. His face pale, he swallowed.
When had that thing gotten onto him? How had he not felt a thing?
Lu Xunji deftly took a lighter from his pocket and singed the leech, then tossed it aside and pressed a tissue he had brought with him against Xie Ji's wound.
Xie Ji tugged his foot back and tried to jump into the paddy again. "It's fine. This can wait until we get home..."
"Sit still." Lu Xunji's tone brooked no argument. "If you get back in the water, I'm leaving."
Of course Xie Ji knew perfectly well who could finish the paddy faster than he could. He stole a cautious glance at Lu Xunji and said quietly, "Ji Shi's my friend. I can help him, but you have neither the responsibility nor the obligation. If you're unhappy, you can..."
Lu Xunji raised his eyes and looked at him.
It was as though, if Xie Ji failed to appreciate his kindness and said another word, he could bite him to death right there.
Ji Shi came over too. Looking at Xie Ji's foot, his expression grew serious as well. "Don't get back in the water. Be good. I'll finish soon."
Xie Ji nodded and sat on the dry ridge, holding the flashlight for Lu Xunji.
Lu Xunji and Ji Shi went back to planting the seedlings. For a while, neither spoke, with only an occasional chirp of insects breaking the silence.
[Holy shit, does anyone get it? I cry more easily as I get older. This is what brotherhood is, helping each other out. I'm crying, this is so touching.]
[Young Field's ensemble cast.]
[I have to say, both Ji Shi and Lu Xunji really spoil Xie Ji, ahhhh! What kind of everyone's darling script is this?!]
[Our Xie Little Ji is this gorgeous. Who wouldn't love him!!!]
[I apologize for being so narrow-minded earlier. I thought Xie Ji would definitely charge Ji Shi too, but he really got straight to work without another word. His love for Ji Shi is real!!]
[I'm swooning over the Shi-Ji ship.]
[So what, our gorgeous Lu is just part of your play?]
[Lu Xunji really doesn't look like someone who can do farmwork. He's so refined and aloof. I didn't expect him to be so practiced at working in the paddies. He plants better than Ji Shi, and he's both fast and good.]
[You must have forgotten what kind of life our gorgeous Lu lived before he returned to his wealthy family.]