Work Text:
Chu Wanning felt as though he was giving off a very strong odour of food grease and liquor, so he decided a bath would the perfect thing before retiring for the night. Once he returned to his chambers, he removed his boots and socks, picked up some fresh clothing and placed them in a wooden tub. He then made his way down the narrow alleyway leading to the sect's purpose-built bathhouse for all its members.
The path to the bathhouse was paved with smooth river pebbles, all the better for massaging the acupuncture points of the feet if one chose to walk barefooted. Each pebble was ringed with tufts of emerald green moss, still twinkling with the fallen night dew.
It was quiet when he arrived at the bathhouse. It was late at night and many of the sect members had either bathed or abandoned the idea for the day. There was only one pair of black boots neatly placed at the bottom corner of the bamboo shoe racks. The owner of these boots did not scatter them willy-nilly just because there wasn't anyone else around. How thoughtful.
And how courteous.
The boots themselves were black and well-worn, evidence that the owner of said boots had travelled many miles. He pushed open the wooden door and stepped in. Barefooted, he padded in soundlessly. The place was full of steam and it was difficult to make out any distinct outlines.
The leader of Sisheng Peak, Xue Zhen Yong, was a self-made man. When he and his brother founded the sect from its humble beginnings, one of the first things they did was to save funds and resources for a communal bathhouse. His disciples were expected to work hard, both in bettering themselves, but also in serving their local village community in whichever way they could, whether it was ridding the surrounding places of demons and ghosts or assisting with the harvest. Sect Leader Xue felt that it was important that his people were able to rest and recover at the end of each long and busy day.
It was rather dim inside with a few lamps scattered about. The bathhouse attendant had retired for the day. There were segregated sections for men and women. Both areas had large plunge pools artfully designed to resemble the pools at the bottom of waterfalls. Indeed, each area had a man-made waterfall feature, landscaped with rockery and ferns. The sounds of falling water provided some background noise for those who needed to clear their minds of unruly thoughts. Each area had bamboo racks neatly stacked with large cloths for drying off and rattan baskets for collection of laundry.
There didn't seem to be anyone about. Chu Wanning undressed and slipped into a quiet corner of the pool with a relieved sigh. The corner he had chosen was well-hidden from the main entrance by cunningly placed rocks. The water was comfortably hot and felt very soothing. He lay back and his long black hair floated around his head like dancing seaweed. Eyes closed, he emptied his mind and took a deep rejuvenating breath. After a few moments, he sat up and gave himself a shake. Time for a wash. The racks with incense and soaps were placed on the other side of the pool, so he duck-dived into the water and held his breath as he glided towards the other side. He couldn't see much as it was dim and the rocks were mostly dark blues and greys in hue. Suddenly his face collided with a pair of firm legs.
Oh.
Oops.
Hurriedly he stood up and swiped at his face. The Beidou Immortal found himself staring at a broad and firm chest, with skin the colour of honey. Chu Wanning was not someone who was used to apologising. He looked up into a pair of inquiring soft black eyes. Another man, much, much taller than he was, was looking curiously at him. His long black hair was also unbound and swung over one shoulder. His face was youthful and seemed vaguely familiar.
"Er. Did you need something?" A gentle but deep voice sounded out.
Chu Wanning choked out a quick apology, acutely aware that both of them were not clothed. He scooted himself hurriedly back to his side of the pool. His face felt hot; one would hope that this had gone unnoticed by the stranger - everyone's skin turns red in the hot steamy bathhouse, doesn't it? He kept his back to the stranger.
"Would you like some incense and soap?" The voice sounded out again.
"Sure."
In a few moments, a leaf carrying a little box of incense and a few soaps came bobbing jauntily along the water's surface, propelled by spiritual energy. How cute.
It seemed the stranger had similar preferences to him. The incense was sandalwood and the soaps were a mixture of begonia and orchid blossoms. Chu Wanning collected himself, then busied his hands touching a small flame from his fingertip to a pinch of incense in the closest burner. A delicate wisp of smoke curled into the air, following the steam currents. As the fragrance wafted around along with the steam, he started the leisurely activity of soaping himself. As his hands were pre-occupied with this activity, he turned his piercing phoenix eyes in the direction of the strange and yet familiar man on the other side of the pool.
The man was tall, very tall, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. His shoulder muscles rippled as he appeared to be tending to his long hair. Droplets meandered their way down defined muscle grooves, leaving glistening trails along the honey-coloured skin.
So. The pair of neatly-placed boots outside belongs to this person.
Chu Wanning started to feel his heart beat just a little faster. How strange.