Advance Bravely - Chapter 49
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Chapter 49

Translator:

Editor: @anhnguyen12332

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The sunset glow illuminated westward, leaving on the ground long, entwined silhouettes.

Despite putting on another jacket, Xia Yao's clothes were still drenched. The vehicle was going so fast that he could only feel the cold wind blowing through his flesh. Xia Yao huddled up, still inhaled a gust of biting air every now and then.

"Feeling cold?" Yuan Zong asked, "If so, I will drive slowlier."

Xia Yao rebuffed, "You cannot! We will have to spend the night out if you do!"

Yuan Zong did not reply, maintaining the current driving speed.

Xia Yao eventually put one finger out of the sleeve, intending to check out Yuan Zong's outfit, realizing that it was even more soaked. With a strange feeling of sympathy, he asked, "Are you cold?"

"Not at all."

With this man sitting at the back, he couldn't help feeling a small, radiant fireplace lighting his heart.

The motorcycle had only rolled its wheels on the street for an hour when nighttime came out to greet them. When Xia Yao tilted up, the deeply blue sky had already been replaced by dark clouds. Rain clouds were heading towards from the south, seeming likely to spread even to the north.

Good grief! Xia Yao silently became nervous. Why did the rain come straight after I suggested so?

He patted Yuan Zong's back, "Can you drive a little bit faster? Do not let those clouds catch up to us."

"Silly head!" Yuan Zong replied, "This is the shortcut, it is not easy to drive on this road so this is the fastest speed I can go. Driving faster means risking your life and limbs. Do you want to die or do you want to go home safely?"

"Go home."

A secret sign of contentment glared inside the elder man's eye, "A scholar prefers death to humiliation." (Meaning Xia Yao would rather they risk it than sleep overnight with Yuan Zong :3...oh babe, you can't deny the inevitable )

"What?" Xiao Yao shouted, "I can't hear you."

"Nothing."

Not hearing Yuan Zong's statement turned out to be a luck, since Xia Yao would definitely refuse to enter a hotel if he did, even if having to be wet from head to tiptoes.

They halted at a gas station nearby on the road. Unfortunately, there was a procession in front of the two. Xia Yao stressed out as dark clouds rolled on. It started raining cats and dogs with dark clouds dominating the sky, when both of them were having a conversation.

Xia Yao flew into rage, yet he could not find a way to lament. He decided to question Yuan Zong, "didn't you watch the weather forecast before you came to this place?"

"Why didn't you call the gods in advance to this trip to demand no rain?"

Xia Yao grunted in displease, putting on a raincoat taken out from the trunk. Since there was no reaction from Yuan Zong, he asked, "Why don't you wear your raincoat?"

"It is raining too heavily, plus the roads are slippery enough to cause accidents. We will go on when it has stopped."

Xia Yao did not agree, rushing out to the vehicle under the torrent, but was held back and asked by Yuan Zong, "Do you have to get back at any costs?"

"Of course!"

Yuan Zong sighed, lowered his voice, "Then you drive."

"Fine! I will."

As Yuan Zong was taller than Xia Yao, when he sat in the back, two arms wrapping Xia Yao's chest, his body plus the loose raincoat on the whole created another layer of coverage, preventing Xia Yao's clothes from getting wetter. Remaining in their situations, it was considerably less cold for the younger man.

Suddenly appeared before them was a pitch-dark road with no light nor vehicles.

The only thing the two could make out was less than 20 feet of trees on the sideways. It was absolutely silent, as the scene was more of the way to hell rather than the way home. People's imagination during these times usually worked their best to come up with images of ghosts and all kind of monsters.

Yuan Zong sensed Xia Yao's stiffness, softly whispered in his ears, "Don't be afraid."

Those simple words, somehow, cleared away the fright inside Xia Yao in that horrible moment. Yuan Zong was so close to his neck that he could feel the man's rough and warm skin. Inexplicably, a sudden feeling of calmness enlightened his quivering mind.

The rain grew heavier, and since the screen of his helmet had no wiper, it became even more difficult to see the way. Opening up the screen, his eyes would be blurred with water, not even able to open up. However, when shutting the screen, he could barely see through. All Xia Yao could do was to turn the screen up for a little and opened his eyes as wide as possible before the slit filled up with water. As the task of driving in the downpour intensified, Xia Yao was exhausted after the first ten miles. The two halted for a switch.

Xia Yao sat on the back; as the freezing wind was ceaselessly blowing, his teeth clenched nonstop. He didn't want to hug Yuan Zong at first, but his endurance eventually came to an end, before the said man resorted to putting his arms over Yuan Zong.

Immediately, streams of water from Yuan Zong's raincoat poured over, totally giving Xia Yao the chill.

"Get inside my raincoat," said Yuan Zong.

Xia Yao did, realizing that the other person's inner clothes was completely soaked as well. From gloves, bike jacket to shoes and pants, none escaped this awful fate. Thinking back to Yuan Zong's intention of hugging him, a sick feeling rose from within Xia Yao.

They arrived at a small town, where twinkling lights of hotel signs lined up on either sides of the road. Large bathtubs, warm beds, midnight snack, all were inviting Xia Yao. He ground his jaws together then grumpily snuck into Yuan Zong's raincoat.

Maybe it was due to exhaustion that Xia Yao unconsciously laid his cheek against Yuan Zong's back, only to find out it wasn't so warm as before anymore. It finally dawned on him that they have ridden more than a thousand kilometers, the energy level had soon dropped below a normal person's value.

An invisible hand pinched at Xia Yao's heart, he tried to keep it in but in the end, still shouting out, "Stop the bike!"

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You got what you asked for, guys ;). Feeling like you're on cloud nine yet? :v

Man, no matter how much Xia Yao tries to escape his fate, he can't .

Spoiler: They will be sharing the SAME BED in the next chapter ^^

Love,

Ann