The Book of Hibernation

Aldin understood.

He slowly let go of Winter Thistle's hand, leaned back on the back of the chair, folded his arms in thought, and did not reply for a long time.

Winter Ji observed Aldin and saw that he didn't respond. Dong Ji continued: "Actually, it's my fault. Since several years ago, I have always hoped to serve the Chamber of Commerce. I think things are very simple. I think I just need to sit in front of the operating desk and do what I have always liked, and I will be carefree all my life... I am too proud. I think I have done a lot of part-time jobs and suffered a lot. I feel that I I have been well-informed enough, but it’s not like this. Now I finally figured it out, I’m not suitable for the chamber of commerce, I can’t stand this kind of life..."

Aldin sighed: "What kind of life? Have I asked you to do anything unbearable?"

Winter Thistle shook her head: "It's not a specific thing that I can't bear. It's... well, I don't need to explain. Lord Aldin, you actually understand what I mean."

"Then let me ask you something else," Aldin said, "like the elf rescue team. If you have such a sense of justice, why did you stay in the first place? Why didn't you apologize to your brother and leave with him ? Think about it carefully, you have a chance."

Winter Thistle wiped her eyes with her sleeve.Keep your head down and don't speak.

Aldin added: "At the beginning you yearned for the Ten Sail Street Chamber of Commerce, why? What did you like about the Chamber of Commerce? Obviously, it was because it was powerful, wealthy, and had a wide range of influence. Then how did it become like this? Those in charge like me, we control so many workshops, stores, caravans, ticket offices... how do we do it? Is it by sitting in the laboratory honestly, or by reciting the oracle of the goddess of the day? Needless to say, you know it’s not based on these. Well, now you have to go out and do something practical. If you walk in the paddy fields, leeches will come to drink your blood; Come and take away your sheep. Leeches and wolves are also trying to keep themselves alive. They are quite innocent. They don’t hate you, and they can’t be regarded as evil creatures. Then what do you think should be done? You should be patient, tolerant, and sacrifice to them. Everything they want?"

Winter Thistle whispered, "You want to say that some things have to be done. Is that right?"

"Don't you understand. Also, I know there are some things you can't do, so I never asked you to do them."

Winter Thistle said: "Lord Aldin, it's not like this...you don't need to analyze these. I'm not questioning what you did, nor judging right or wrong. I don't have the right to judge, and I don't want to engage in such complicated speculation. I want to leave just because I don't fit here, not because I want you to change."

Aldin said: "But it's not your business alone. It's impossible to come and leave whenever you want."

Winter Ji said: "Don't worry, I won't leave the unfinished work in hand. The task of escorting the temple is very important, and the improvement of the defensive circles of the church and the city is also very important. I will seriously finish the part I have participated in. And I guarantee that there will be no mistakes. When Wu Yun is sent to White Lake City, the limelight of the previous incident will pass, and I will be free again... You said this, right? At that time, I will leave .”

As soon as Winter Thistle finished speaking, Aldin grabbed his arm violently.He was taken aback, not knowing what Aldin was going to do, he shrank his shoulders subconsciously, and it was too late to escape.

When he came to his senses, he found that he was pulled out of the chair, and instead sat sideways on Aldin's lap, being held in Aldin's arms.

Aldin held Winter Thistle with one arm, and squeezed his chin with the other to make him not look away.

"I said you can't leave when you want, not referring to your job as a refiner," Aldin looked into his eyes, "Of course things in the laboratory are important. What about me? For you, we Between... what is it?"

Dongji was frightened by the action just now, her heart beat into her throat, and she still hadn't calmed down yet, so of course she couldn't speak.

Aldin asked again: "To you, I'm just an employer, right?"

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Winter Thistle's answer, he lightly pecked and kissed Winter Thistle's lips, which was not aggressive, just like a greeting in the morning and when you fall into a dream.

Winter Thistle didn't hide, but his breathing was slightly confused.

"Then what is this to you?" Aldin asked, "Did you flatter me and accommodate me, or did I force you and insult you?"

"No...no, that's not what I meant." Winter Thistle whispered.

"Seriously, have you been putting up with me? Or do you like me a little too? Even just a little?"

Being asked such a question, Dong Ji was speechless.He couldn't answer.

Whether the answer is "yes" or "no", he has no confidence.

Didn't get an answer, and Aldin didn't press anymore.

He tightened his arms to hold Winter Thistle tighter.Winter Thistle was sitting on his lap, a little taller than him, and Aldine lowered his head and buried his face in the socket of Winter Thistle's neck.

Winter Thistle subconsciously hugged Aldin back gently, and heard Aldin sigh in a low voice.

Aldin kissed Winter Thistle's neck, then hair roots, earlobe... Winter Thistle trembled slightly, thinking, yes, Aldin was right.

What are these?This is not the relationship that short-term workers have with their employers.

When his thoughts were wandering, kisses fell on his collarbone and shoulders one after another.Finally, when a deep kiss fell on her lips, Winter Thistle closed her eyes, felt her feet leave the ground, and then fell backwards, lying on the smooth long table.

The table top is made of marble, it will feel a bit cold when it touches the skin, but the hugs and kisses in front of it are so warm.

So, what is this?

Is it accommodation, misunderstanding, occasional deviation, acceptable as long as you don't hate it, liking, trust, or the so-called love that everyone will mention?

Dongji suddenly realizes that in his life so far, there will always be someone by his side who will accompany him and share some type of intimacy with him.

Also, it must be one person, not many people.

The first was his mother, who lived on the edge of the sea of ​​trees with his mother, and later his younger brother Ryan, who left their hometown together to take care of each other.He always seemed to need someone like that.

If the first person left without the second person coming to him immediately...he couldn't imagine what it would be like.

The intimacy brought about by blood is easy to define, but when it comes to strangers, Dongji doesn't know how to define the relationship between them.

He needed this intimacy, but he didn't dare to think that it was really love.

In his opinion, if this is really love, then he shouldn't be so uncomfortable.He should love each other deeply, support each other, be joyful, and gain peace and stability.

But he didn't think so, and wanted to leave.

So he couldn't answer Aldin's question.

Is it tolerance or true love?He couldn't tell the difference himself.

Winter Thistle squinted her eyes, unable to see Aldin's expression clearly, but happened to meet the eyes of the tattooed anaconda.

How did that happen.Once he wanted to stay because he thought he had finally found a place to belong; now, everything here would suffocate him.

All people, things, and things here are tightening his throat.Like a giant python, it took away the air in his chest bit by bit.

=============================

In the early morning, Aldin rarely woke up first.

Winter Thistle was lying beside him, curled up on his side, his body completely wrapped in the quilt, and even his face was half-hidden, only showing above his nose and his messy hair.

Winter Thistle's head was right on Aldin's shoulder, and Aldin could feel the warm skin on his elbow, which should be Winter Thistle's hand under the quilt.

They didn't hug each other, but they maintained this kind of physical contact that seemed to be absent.

It's still early now, far less than Aldin's usual time to wake up.Just when he was about to turn over and want to continue sleeping, Winter Thistle also opened his eyes.

Probably because Dong Ji had just woken up, and Dongji's eyes were a little blurred.He first squinted to see Aldin, and then looked at the surrounding curtains, with a dazed expression on his face.

Aldin said in a lazy voice: "This is my room. We came back to sleep in the middle of the night last night, don't you remember?"

Winter Ji let out a soft "hmm", as if she wasn't sober enough.Aldin thought he was going to continue to sleep, so he also closed his eyes.

At this time, Dong Ji changed to the posture of facing up, rubbed his eyes a few times, and slowly sat up after throwing off the quilt.

Aldin didn't like getting up so early, so he reached out to grab the waist of the winter thistle.Because he didn't use any strength, Winter Thistle easily got rid of his arm, moved off the bed, looked around for a while, and picked up a long robe from the carpet.

Aldin turned over and looked at the back of the half-elf.The light beige robe is a bit loose, and the slanted sunlight in the morning can outline the slender waist of the half-elf through the fabric.

"Get up so early... let's sleep a little longer." Aldin said.

Winter Thistle said while fastening her belt, "No, there is still something to do in the lab today."

"Don't be so anxious. Feeling back in the cage is good for your physical and mental health."

"I don't want to waste time." Winter Thistle said, already finding trousers and moccasins.

Aldin heard something wrong and asked, "What's the matter, unhappy? Did it hurt you?"

Winter Thistle froze for a moment, turned her back to him and shook her head: "No..."

"Winter Thistle, come here." Aldin leaned on his side.

"What's up……"

"If you have to go to the laboratory, I won't stop you. But let me kiss you before you go. If I continue to sleep, I can continue to have good dreams."

Dong Ji glanced back at him, then quickly turned around, not only did not go over, but also took a few steps away while arranging his clothes.

"no need."

"Come here." Arden urged.

Winter Ji turned his back to him and said, "If you insist on doing this, I have no way to refuse. Later...you can do whatever you want. Now I'm leaving."

Aldin sat up slowly.His eyes gradually became clear.

Last night, in fact, everything was the same.Winter Thistle had no intention of resisting, but was quieter than before.

At daybreak Aldine would wake up and feel the winter thistle in his arms.

Although they had long had these indefinable intimacy, Winter Thistle never liked to lean against him and fall asleep.Today is the first time.

The early morning is the coldest time of the day, so maybe Winter Thistle is afraid of the cold.Aldin pulled the quilt for Winter Thistle, and fell asleep again satisfied.

Before fully waking up, Aldin once thought that yesterday's dispute was over.

Ordinarily it should have ended.Winter thistles are easy to persuade.

It has always been so.

"You really want to leave Harbor City?" Aldin asked.

Winter Ji said: "Yes. But I have also promised that I will finish what I have to do before leaving, and I will not delay the business."

"Do you think this is enough?"

Winter Ji thought for a while, and said: "Not only the magic defense of the escort team, but also the batch of orders from the Western Suburb Workshop, I will finish. Also... I will write a detailed research note, you can use it in the future Give it to another refiner. Isn't this equivalent to Haman's spell book, with it, the chamber of commerce doesn't need me."

Aldin laughed: "Winter Ji, you think too much, don't you?"

Winter Ji didn't understand what he meant, and turned back hesitantly.

Aldin said: "What's the use of you thinking about this now? I haven't agreed to let you go yet."

"but……"

"Have I agreed? Whether it's last night or now, what are you going to do before you arrange to leave... When did I agree?"

Winter Thistle took a step forward, bit her lip again, and stopped.He said with a stiff expression: "Then how do you agree, can you tell me the conditions?"

Aldin said: "You asked me how to leave, and I really didn't give you a good answer; on the other hand, I also asked you some questions yesterday, and you didn't give me a good answer."

Winter Thistle remembered Aldine's question.

Aldin asked him more than once yesterday, but he has indeed been unable to give an answer.

Aldin stood up and approached Winter Thistle slowly. Winter Thistle subconsciously wanted to hide, but Aldin grabbed her wrist.

Aldine moved closer to the tip of the half-elf's ear, but did not kiss it as he had done before.He whispered into his reddened ears: "To be honest, even after all this is over, you may not be able to regain your freedom. In case the king's capital attaches great importance to this matter, not only did not relax, but also put pressure on you." Asking you not to show up again? What if the Arcane Federation thinks that you are too dangerous for an uncontrolled refiner and wants to lock you back to the basement? It is useless to beg me, even if I agree to let you Leave, but what do you do if others disagree? They will ask me why I don’t restrain you. If I can’t restrain you, they will manage for me. Do you want to stay in Harbor City and continue to do research without leaving home? Or do you want to live in In the confinement room of the academy, can you only read books and cannot cast spells? Or you want to resist all of this, resolutely refuse to cooperate with your arrangements, and leave first, and then be caught in a few days and sent to the real dungeon Live here for a year or so, maybe be sent to the mines in the north again?"

Winter Thistle said, "If I do go away, it won't be so easy to find where I'm going."

Aldin said: "The edge of the sea of ​​trees is very large, and it's really hard to find. If you sneak fast, others may not be able to find you, but they can find me, and they can find your brother. It's easy for me to say, of course I Can handle that, but don't know if your brother will be affected."

Winter Thistle froze there, not moving for a long time without making a sound, even her eyes were fixed on the same spot on the floor.

After a while, Dongji shook her head dejectedly: "How I got into this situation, you know better than me."

Aldin asked, "Are you trying to say I'm using you?"

"do not have it?"

"I don't have a better solution for many things. I'm just in charge of the chamber of commerce, not the king, so how can I do everything I want?" Aldin stopped and sighed, "Of course, you don't deserve these things at all." I also understand the grievances. So I hope to make up for you and make you happier, not only to let you get everything you want, but also to get everything I think is beautiful... I have many ideas and many things I want to share with you You share, before these things can be implemented, you propose to leave me."

These words were soft and sweet, but Winter Thistle frowned, and her eyes were filled with water.

His voice was a little vain: "Forget it, don't talk about it... Anyway, I can't leave for the time being, so let's not think about it. I will continue to work as usual. Please consider my problem slowly."

"Which question? Agree to your terms of departure?"

Winter Thistle nodded, very slightly, as if afraid of shaking tears down.

Aldin hugged Winter Thistle gently, and patted him on the back: "I will continue to consider your request. Also, I will continue to ask you the questions I asked. If you can't figure it out, I will Help you think together."

After speaking, he turned and walked away, yawned, and lay back on the bed.

With his back turned to Winter Thistle, he heard the sound of Winter Thistle sniffing, and then the sound of footsteps walking slowly outside.

Aldin sighed silently, raised his voice and said, "There are your favorite 'morning cakes' and 'good dream cakes' on the small round table outside. The silver jug ​​contains light green orange water, and the transparent bottle contains clear water."

Judging from the sound he heard, Dongji went to pick up the pastry, but he didn't know which kind it was.But he seemed to just hold it in his hand for a moment, and then put it back on the plate.

Then he poured a glass of water and drank it, and left the big room in a hurry.