A cool sea wind blew over the tall, fluffy trees, spreading the smell of fresh green across the field. A frog was floundering in the clear lake, through which even the dark rocky bottom was visible. Puffing up its belly, it opened its mouth and, sticking out its tongue for a second, swallowed a tiny fly.

A fat white duck soared over the lake. There was a whistling sound through the familiar sounds of the forest, and a thin arrow plunged deep into the bird's sternum, causing it to collapse on the rocks with a crunch. Blood spurted sideways, and the frog rushed into the depths of the silvery lake with a frightened croak.

"Well done," said a grizzled male voice with a chuckle. "If you'd fiddled any longer, the prey might have persisted."

Tao Renshu lowered his bow and stretched his lips in a grin.

"But I did hit it."

His father looked at his son indulgently and only smiled. The stiff, sharpened stick in his hands, which he was leaning on because of his bad knees, clattered to the ground.

"You know, once upon a time I..."

Renshu, whose soft white hair was gathered behind him in three tight braids, brushed the damp strands from his forehead and, calling the dog and sending him to the dead duck, grimaced slightly.

"Your old stories again. Are you going to tell me again about how you hit five targets with one arrow when you were young?"

Tao Gui frowned at his words. His tanned, wrinkled face creased.

"Where am I old?!" saying it loudly and quite fiercely, he turned around and slowly strode towards the house.

Renshu pulled away from his father and nodded at him, tilting his head:

"Look, there's sand coming off you! Pick it up!"

A stick hit him in the forehead.

"Ouch!" stroking his painfully throbbing forehead with his hand, Renshu laughed at his father's wickedly skewed face. He grunted and raised the stick and swung again, but he was definitely not going to hit.

"Who taught you that?"

"You did," the shabby black dog with brown spots all over his back, clutching a duck in his teeth, hastily jumped up to his master and wagged his tail for approval, glaring at him with big black beady eyes. Renshu leaned over and gave him a light smile and patted him on the scruff of the neck.

His father came up beside him, and they strolled leisurely home together. A faint, pleasant wind blew against their backs.

"When did I teach you that?"

Renshu grinned ironically, his dark blue eyes flashing:

"Aren't you the one putting cow shit under our neighbor's door?"

His father suddenly turned to him and stared stubbornly.

"How do you know?" he asked, squinting suspiciously.

"I'm your son. And I live in the same house with you actually."

The old man, hunched over, raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a strange expression. Shaking his head sharply, he muttered something and blurted out as he continued on his way:

"I'm sick of that old geezer already. I wish he'd die sooner! He lived until he was sixty, but he still had no brains. He's always trying to steal our cows, but I drive him away with a stick. Soon I'll take up a knife, I swear to you!"

"Don't be so hot, or you'll get a heart attack," Renshu tapped the man on the shoulder. In his voice, a sneer could be heard perfectly.

Tao Gui, with an angry glint in his eyes, struck him in the side with his stick again, saying:

"Who's old, eh! Who is old! Look, I'm still in the prime of life, puppy!"

The dog, carrying a duck in his mouth, sneezed from the feathers in his nose, and looked at the two men arguing in jest with pure curiosity. His thin faded tail moved vigorously, sweeping the ground behind him. He slipped under Rensh's legs, yapping and yapping, and was happy to rub himself against his pant leg, leaving a pair of hairy, dirty footprints.

It was late morning on the quiet island of Marsama.

The island itself was located in the middle of the East China Sea. From the sandy shores, if you looked out into the distance, you could see a long harbor that was visited once a week by workers to bring the necessary food that could not be grown on the island, as well as livestock. In the harbor stood several tall watchtowers with huge golden bells inside to announce the departure of ships each evening.

Marsama was a direct part of China, but had not made any treaties with the empire since a long time ago, choosing to live a secluded lifestyle. All this happened because people who were sent to the mainland for military service by order of the Emperor did not return, and the population of the island was decreasing every day, people died because of hunger, because of the heat. Since then, having signed a successful immunity treaty, the island had flourished.

It was a place where everyone felt free.

Renshu, having been born on Marsama as recently as twenty-three years ago, had never dreamed of anything more. Though he had lost his mother, who had died when he was nine, he still had a grumpy father, a favorite man, and a loyal dog. There was plenty of game that roamed from mainland to island, fleeing the frequent fires, there was solid bright greenery, and the clean brackish air of the azure sea.

He loved this life and never asked for more.

When they entered the village, meeting a few laborers along the way, covered in dust and soot, Renshu barely had time to open the gate before he was immediately grabbed by the arm and pulled toward the plain. He lowered his eyes and immediately smiled.

His father shook his head and scolded the dog that was still hovering near him. The dog opened its mouth, and a ragged duck fell to the ground at the man's feet.

Tao Gui rolled his eyes and gave a disgruntled cluck, playfully pulling the dog's fluffy, wet ear.

The animal yelped and jumped up, happily rushing to lick the old master's face.

"Phew! Stop drooling, you little monster!" wailed the old man, contradictorily stroking the dog gently on the head.

With a heavy sigh, after picking up the duck, Tao Gui leaned on a stick and headed into the house.

Renshu, yielding to the soft familiar palm, hurried after the short, curly-haired fellow. Liu Su's handsome tanned face glowed in the warm sun. After making their way through the flowering bushes, they came to an overgrown path and quietly walked along the plain. Liu Su smiled, smoothed the folds of his simple white Hanfu and looked at Renshu.

"You're a little early today," he remarked.

The boy smiled back at him.

"I've already managed to score a duck," he said a little haughtily.

Liu Su remained silent and grinned, averting his gaze so that he wouldn't dig his foot into a puddle of mud that hadn't dried.

"Come to our house for dinner tonight," Renshu continued. "Should be delicious, unless, of course, father over-salted it like he did that time."

"Oooh, that was awful!" immediately grimaced Liu Su. The dimples on his sun-reddened cheeks stretched amusingly.

"I agree. I still have that vile taste in my mouth," he jokingly stuck out his tongue while waving his hand at his mouth.

Liu Su, seeing this, laughed lightly.

Grasshoppers chirped from the side. Feathery clouds settled in the clear sky and drifted overhead. The heat, penetrating beneath the fabric, clung to his skin, moistening it. It was a searing, sweltering summer.

The sounds of axes chopping tree limbs and the chatter of the women who went out in the morning to do their laundry in the lake came from the village.

The two moved slowly along the path until Renshu bent over another bush. Liu Su shuddered and asked with interest:

"What's there?"

The guy, after digging around and rustling the leaves, straightened up and turned around to him with an open palm and a small smile.

In his hand was a handful of yellowish berries.

"Try some."

Liu Su picked up a small berry the size of his little finger and bit into it. The juice immediately splashed onto his tongue. The guy's face creased and he pressed his lips together.

"Mm, they're not ripe yet, quite sour..."

Renshu swallowed the entire mound without listening. Liu Su raised his eyebrows and looked dumbfounded at the guy's frozen face.

"Why did you..!"

Tao Renshu felt his cavity burned. His mouth filled with saliva. The guy, suddenly bent down, immediately spat it all out of his mouth. Liu Su, watching his reaction, chuckled, and later laughed softly.

"Why do you always stick something in your mouth?"

Renshu lightly poked him in the shoulder, still trying to remove the nasty sour taste from his tongue.

"Ugh, gross!"

His tanned face turned pale as he felt the saliva, already filled with a bitter taste, enter his throat. His whole body convulsed.

"I wanted to make you happy, but-" Before he could finish, Renshu felt the fleeting touch of fingers on his chin and turned his head to face the other man's soft lips.

Liu Su's face was so close that the mere sight of the lush lashes made Renshu flustered. He widened his dark blue eyes in surprise when a soft, wet tongue slid across his gum and met his tongue and playfully tickled it. Heavy intermittent breathing enveloped them both.

His neck burned with heat as Liu Su's thin palm pushed back the white collar of his hanfu that clung to his skin and weightlessly stroked his apple, scratching it with a fingertip.

Renshu slipped his arm around his waist and pulled him closer to him, tilting his head for a deeper kiss.

Their tongues intertwined, and the bitter flavor, mingling, gradually began to fade.

Goosebumps ran down the back of his neck.

Pulling away from each other with loud sighs, they still held each other in an embrace, and their heated bodies pressed against each other only surged stronger. Liu Su raised his glossy black eyes at him and grinned.

"How is it? No longer sour?"

Renshu quietly ran his lips along the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"It's too sweet now," they laughed and embraced, moving further down the path.

What Renshu loved most was Liu Su's gentle kisses.

There were a couple of dense, sharp bushes, but those who knew the place like the back of their hand knew the easy way. They passed through several intertwined tree trunks and, after squeezing through one more, finally made it to the cliff.

The boiling waves of the sea raged beneath their feet. From this cliff they had a perfect view of one of the main ports of China and the mountains enclosing it. On the cliff, there was a ramshackle bench made of wood. Renshu and Liu Su leisurely took it and huddled together, shielding their eyes from the bright sun. Liu Su rested his head on his lover's large, stiff shoulder and swallowed, exhaling heavily.

Renshu glanced at his relaxed face and smiled happily.

Liu Su was a frequent guest in their house, so his father, who immediately suspected that there was some strange relationship between the two, didn't say anything, only hinting that they should behave appropriately within the confines of the house. Renshu was immensely grateful for his tactful silence. They had never talked about it, and there was nothing to talk about.

They had always understood each other without words.

Liu Su and Renshu had known each other since they were children. At first, there was a rivalry between them, as they were children, and many things seemed too exaggerated at the time. Later, when they were both sixteen, they reconciled, though they never openly feuded.

At seventeen, Liu Su, washed by the waves of the warm sea, abruptly clutched his shoulders with his hands and pulled him roughly to him, then stood on his toes to kiss him ineptly.

Renshu was then so stunned that, after being released, he fell headfirst into the sea, nearly drowning.

Liu Su pulled him to the shore and began to frantically perform CPR, but Renshu was conscious and felt absolutely everything.

Then he responded to the guy's attempts to "revive" him and kissed him back.

The feeling of soft lips stroking his own and the sand in his ears was something he would never forget.

Tearing his eyes away from Liu Su dozing in the sun, Renshu looked into the distance and squinted suddenly.

"Hey," he gave the guy a slight shake, and he lazily opened his eyes, looking at him with a perplexed expression. "What's that?"

Renshu pointed to the harbor.

In the distance, a jet of thick smoke was rising into the sky.

Liu Su, noticing this, brushed it off and rose to his feet, kneading his shoulders.

"Maybe something burned down. Or some kind of war. It happens to them all the time. It won't affect us anyway, so ignore it."

Renshu continued to glare at the boats docked at the harbor and the glimpses of people running around the houses.

"Have you seen this kind of thing often?" he asked.

Liu Su nodded.

"Yes. Anyway, they'll deal with it quickly. So there won't be anything tomorrow."

Liu Su wiped his forehead with a cloth and looked at Renshu with a slight hint of curiosity.

"Worried?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders. The white braids behind his back faintly ruffled in the rising wind.

"Not really."

A loud barking sound came from behind him. With a smile, Renshu turned and saw his dog coming toward him through the thicket. He bent down and took him into his arms, beginning to give him a quick pat behind the ear. Liu Su leaned against his shoulder with his thigh and watched him with a soft smile.

"What, you came for us, handsome, huh? Want to go home?" cooed Renshu, rubbing the dog's head. He grinned at Liu Su and jumped up and grabbed his legs, throwing him behind his back.

"Ah!" yelled Liu Su dazedly, his fingers digging into his shoulders. "What are you doing?!! Just don't drop me, please don't drop!"

"You don't trust me?" raised Tao's eyebrows.

Liu Su pressed his head against his cheek and whispered weakly:

"I trust you, but be careful."

"Next to you, I can't do it any other way," Renshu murmured in response.

When Liu Su heard this, he blushed slightly, hiding his eyes in a foreign collar that smelled like sea salt.

The dog spun around his feet, barked and ran back into the bushes, waving its tail wide.

Renshu took a quick glance at the port and frowned, but when he felt Liu Su's breath on his neck, he smiled again. Turning around, he leisurely walked towards the village. The way back was still filled with the same rustling of grasshoppers in the grass and low puffy clouds floating in their wake.

A jet of smoke, heavy and gloomy, loomed menacingly over the town. Through the noise of the raging sea came sharp, painful cries.

The walls of the harbor were stained with blood for the first time that early hot morning.