My Days as a God in Ancient Times
In an instant, a thick mist rose from the shimmering surface of the lake.
The few people still in the water tensed up, a flicker of unease passing between them.
They clung to one another in small groups before quickly making their way to shore.
Within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the water level had visibly dropped by a foot. Meanwhile, the air around them had grown noticeably more humid.
An experienced old hunter, filled with excitement, exclaimed “Whenever we go up the mountain and feel the air getting too damp, we know it’s time to hurry back down. Rain’s coming.”
His voice carried his enthusiasm.
“This… this is incredible” Wei Wuqian, a burly man, said with a shiver “God of Men, when do you think it’ll start raining?”
“Within twelve hours” Chu Qiuze replied
“I can’t say exactly when” Then, he turned to the group “Pack up what you need. We’ll probably have to stay in a cave for the next few days”
There was no need to worry about food. With so many hunters around, game would never be a problem.
And if that wasn’t enough, Chu Qiuze could always find another way.
The cave would provide more than enough shelter from the wind and rain. No one had any objections.
They split into small teams, dividing tasks amongst themselves before getting to work.
It wasn’t long before Wei Wuqian, who had been sent out to hunt, came running back, shouting at the top of his lungs,\ “God of Men! I got a deer! We’ll roast it tonight, everyone can have their fill!”
Chu Qiuze gave a small nod. He let them handle the arrangements as they pleased.
Smiles lit up every face. For the first time in a long while, life held promise again.
Only Lan An stood alone by the lake, staring out at the water, lost in thought.
“Wangye? Wangye”
Chu Qiuze called out twice, but there was no response. His voice grew louder.
“LAN AN!”
Startled, Lan An snapped his head around. It was the first time Chu Qiuze had called him by name. Come to think of it, he had never called Chu Qiuze by name either.
“What were you thinking about?” Chu Qiuze asked.
“I was wondering who you really are” Lan An said, his gaze sharp and piercing.
Chu Qiuze sighed. “If you had stopped at the first four words, wouldn’t that have been much better?”
The first four words? I was wondering about you?
Caught off guard, Lan An’s heart skipped a beat.
Chu Qiuze didn’t push further. He knew Lan An was different from the common folk—someone not so easily deceived.
“Wangye, after everything I’ve done for the people, do I still need to prove anything?” For the first time, Chu Qiuze spoke to Lan An about it directly. “Does my identity and background really matter that much to you?”
It didn’t. Lan An knew that.
The two of them stood there, looking at each other in silence.
By now, the mist over the lake had long since faded. Cold moonlight spilled across the earth, casting a quiet glow.
“The moon is beautiful tonight” Wei Yanan murmured as she approached with the roasted venison. Then, with a hint of doubt, she added “But the moon is so big… will it really rain?”
“It will”
Chu Qiuze glanced at Lan An, a small smile playing at his lips. Then, he turned back to Wei Yanan.
“In our celestial realm, you can’t just say something like ‘the moon is beautiful tonight’ without thinking.”
“Why not?” The girl blinked, her eyes filled with innocent curiosity.
Chu Qiuze explained “It’s a confession. If someone says that to you, and you feel the same, you should reply, ‘Even the wind is gentle tonight’ But if you don’t… you should say, ‘A good night for hunting boars’”
Wei Yanan’s face turned bright red, and she bolted.
Despite everything they had been through, she was still a simple-hearted girl. Talking about something like this with a man, how could she?
And worse, she had unknowingly blurted out a love confession!
It was far too embarrassing. The God of Men and His Highness were figures far beyond the reach of ordinary people like her.
She turned back for one last glance, only to suddenly feel that, perhaps, only someone as noble and commanding as His Highness was truly a match for someone as untouchable as the God of Men.
Chu Qiuze had little interest in the venison. He took only a few bites before setting it aside.
With a full stomach, his mind wandered back to mischief. Propping his chin in his hand, he locked eyes with Lan An.
“Your Highness, the moon is beautiful tonight. What do you think?”
Lan An choked. He shot Chu Qiuze a complicated look. Was this man truly so shameless?
They had only known each other for ten days.
But tonight’s breeze was exceptionally gentle.
Lan An wasn’t sure how to respond, so he lowered his head and focused on his meal instead.
Chu Qiuze hadn’t expected an answer anyway. As long as the message was delivered, the next step would be much easier.
By the bonfire in the distance, the hunters and guards had started singing.
The melody wasn’t particularly refined, but it carried a warmth that spread through the air.
“God of Men! Wangye! Come join us!” someone called out boldly.
Lan An had no intention of participating, which meant Chu Qiuze wouldn’t either. He simply waved them off.
“God of Men, do you sing?” Wei Yanan asked, her confidence growing in the relaxed atmosphere. “What are celestial songs like? Can we hear one?”
That was no trouble at all.
Chu Qiuze thought for a moment. Then, looking directly at Lan An, he began to sing softly.
“You ask how deep my love runs, how much I truly care...
My love is real, my heart is true, the moonlight carries my words to you.”
A timeless song, gentle and sweet.
But to the people of this era, the lyrics were bold, far too direct.
The entire group froze, exchanging uneasy glances. Was it appropriate to applaud?
Lan An, on the other hand, went rigid. His ears flushed red.
Abruptly, he stood, feigning anger. “Shameless. Utterly disgraceful.”
Then, he turned and left, his usually steady footsteps a little unsteady.
Chu Qiuze sat there, dumbfounded.
Wait. Did ancient people not sing love songs?
A guard gathered his courage and stepped forward. "God, do you know the Wangye courtesy name?"
"No idea" Chu Qiuzhe had completely forgotten about that. Most men in ancient times would receive a courtesy name when they came of age.
The guard glanced at Lan An’s retreating figure before leaning in close to whisper, "God, Wangye's courtesy name is Xuandu. Xuandu means 'moon.'"
Chu Qiuzhe suddenly understood. So, in a way, that song had been a lucky coincidence?
The guard continued, speaking as if to himself. "They say that on the night the wangye was born, the moon was as red as blood. Some took it as an omen of misfortune. I heard that his childhood in the palace wasn’t easy."
Was that true?
Chu Qiuzhe pulled the guard aside, eager to know more. "What happened after that? Do you know anything else? Anything about the wangye, I want to hear it all."
The guard only knew what he had heard in passing, but he shared everything he could recall.
Chu Qiuzhe hadn’t gotten any stories from Lan An himself, but he was learning them from others.
Rumors could be a mix of truth and exaggeration, but each tale, on its own, was enough to make one’s heart ache. He wished he had arrived sooner.
If only he could have held little Lan An in his arms and given him a comforting kiss.
Sigh~
He let out a long breath. They always said the royal family was ruthless. No wonder Lan An had grown so cold and distant.
Life had been bitter enough. It was time he learned what sweetness felt like.
Xiao En shuddered in his mind. "You don’t mean the 'sweetness' is you, do you? Hm? Little Sweetie?"
"Of course it’s me! The one and only Qiu-Tian!" Chu Qiuzhe had no shame. "I’m going to give him all the sweetness the world has to offer."
That night, no one slept. They all waited by the cave entrance, afraid to miss the rain.
Chu Qiuzhe chuckled. "The rain’s going to last at least three days and nights. You won’t miss it. Get some rest."
"God, you should rest too. We’ll keep watch here" Everyone knew that he returned to the celestial realm every night and only reappeared in the morning.
"You should go back" Lan An said when he noticed Chu Qiuzhe yawning repeatedly.
"Mhm, then I’ll head back first" Chu Qiuzhe yawned again, his eyelids heavy. "Wangye, come with me."
Before Lan An could refuse, Chu Qiuzhe added "You’ve been traveling nonstop for days. That arm of yours hasn’t been properly treated. If you’re not careful, it’ll get worse."
Lan An hesitated.
"Your Highness, please return to the celestial realm with the God" The captain of the guards stood and saluted. "We will keep watch here. The cave is damp and cold, not ideal for your recovery"
Not to mention, the chance to enter the celestial realm was something most could only dream of.
"Come on, come on" Chu Qiuzhe clung to Lan An’s wrist, whining and coaxing
"It’s just rain. I promise to bring you back the moment it starts. There are no wild beasts in my realm, so you don’t have to be scared of me"
"You are the wild beast" Xiao En muttered, wanting to speak on Lan An’s behalf.
In the end, Lan An followed Chu Qiuzhe to his villa.
Outside, the world was silent, the streetlights casting a warm glow. Inside, the villa was as bright as day.
Lan An opened his eyes and nearly flinched at the light. It took him a moment to adjust before he could take in the scene.
Opulent was the only word for it. Even the imperial palace paled in comparison.
"Ahem, this is my residence" Chu Qiuzhe still hadn’t let go of Lan An’s hand. "Make yourself at home. Treat it as your own"
He started pointing things out. "That’s a television. It plays movies, the kind of plays I showed you before. This is a sofa. Sit."
He tugged Lan An down onto the couch and called out to the smart assistant, "Turn on the air conditioning. Turn on the TV. Dim the lights"
"Understood, Master!" The assistant’s warm voice responded.
"Air conditioning set to 20 degrees. Current temperature: 28 degrees. Lights dimmed to a soft glow. Television powered on. Would you like to watch trending shows?"
Lan An stiffened "There’s someone else here?"
His expression tensed, a flicker of alarm crossing his face. Chu Qiuzhe found it both amusing and heartbreaking.
"Relax, there’s no one else. That’s an intelligent assistant, not a real person." He reassured him, voice gentle. "You’re safe here."
Something suddenly occurred to him. "Only the cook comes during the day to prepare meals. She leaves right after. If you happen to see her, just say you’re a guest. It’ll be fine."
Lan An was clearly uneasy in this unfamiliar place. But Chu Qiuzhe kept talking, introducing things one after another, and gradually, he began to relax.
Chu Qiuzhe had thought it through. If fate allowed, he would eventually have to reveal everything. It was better to ease Lan An into it now, little by little.
He wasn’t treating him like a guest at all. Once introductions were over, he immediately started giving orders. "Wangye, pour me a glass of water. My legs aren’t working too well. I showed you how to use the dispenser earlier. Try it out."
Lan An was tempted. He had never imagined such a world. Everything was more convenient than in Da Han. Even without servants, life seemed much easier.
If... one day, Da Han could be like this...
He cut off the thought before it could form.
A bit apprehensive, he poured a glass of water and handed it over. "Drink up and rest early."
Chu Qiuzhe shook his head. "I was sleepy before, but now I’m wide awake. Can’t sleep. Do you want to take a bath? I’ll find you some fresh clothes"
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