I put out his fire

At night, in the Temple of Vesta, the saint lowered the white gauze of the arched windows, and pressed down the fluttering gauze tail with a copper block carved with the emperor's portrait.

They poured fresh oil into the burning brass basins to keep the holy fire burning until dawn.

The saint in charge of the vigil wore cotton gloves, picked up the brass basin, and placed it on the altar with difficulty.She fastened her white veil, her flaxen hair was braided in two strands, and her white cloak touched her bare feet.

"Oh..." she sighed.

She glanced around secretly, leaned her tired body against the altar, and stretched her sore ankle a few times.In order to guard the torch, she has been standing for half a day.

A hand clapped dully on her shoulder, the nails of which were stained with the orange-red paste of henna.This hand was very thin and white, with a thin layer of skin outlining the movement of muscles and bones, with purple blood vessels faintly visible.

The saint trembled, stood up quickly, blinked her eyes guiltyly, and said timidly: "Big... big virgin..."

Julia looked at her coldly.A purple belt was tied around her waist, and the white veil was tied very high. A pair of dull eyes floated above the edge of the veil, half of the gray-yellow eye bags were covered.Her hair is braided into six strands.

"The temple is the most fire-prone place." Julia said sternly, "Come with me." After she finished speaking, she turned around lightly like a feather wagging its tail.

The saint swallowed, her palms sweating from nervousness.She followed Julia timidly, and followed her to the window.

Julia removed the copper block, lifted the white gauze on the window, and looked out into the darkness.Her eyes fell out of the window as if she was about to flee to the darkness.

"You have to always remind yourself what kind of environment you are guarding the flame every day." She pointed out the window and said.

The night enveloped the city of Rome like Pompeii's volcanic ash.There are no rules in Roman architecture. Villas for the rich and bungalows for the poor are not separated, and they are crowded and built together.At night, people will light up fires, torches are attached to the porch columns, and there are braziers supported by tuff columns on the side of the street.

The dense flames were like knives, just like this piercing the dark back.

"The Temple of Vesta is the only temple built in the city." Julia paused as soon as she spoke, coughed twice and continued, "...Once the temple catches fire, the whole city will suffer."

Beads of sweat appeared on the forehead of the young saint.

Seeing that her face was pale, Julia wiped off her cold sweat with her sleeves, and said in a loving tone, "Remember, during the night watch, you must be as awake as you are during the day."

"Yes..." the saint said reassuringly.

Julia helped her smooth out the frayed hair at her temples.The saint looked at her relaxed face, and summoned up the courage to ask, "Big Virgin, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, my child."

"You just said...the Temple of Vesta is the only temple built in the city. But..." the saint said cautiously, "When we performed the sacrifice to subdue the flood, it was in another larger temple in the city. temple of..."

Julia's complexion changed immediately, and the degree was exaggerated, as if the facial features were broken up and then reassembled on the spot.Her voice was a little weak: "That temple has long been abandoned, and it had to be reopened because of the approaching flood. It was only used temporarily."

She glanced at the saint, straightened her shoulders, crossed her hands in front of her lower abdomen, and walked away with a straight posture.Her overly standardized demeanor made her live as if she was deeply embedded in a cover.

"It will never be used again," she added, "never..."

The young saint looked at her suspiciously and closed her mouth sensiblely.

At this time, an old saint came over.Her hair was black and white and tied in five braids.

She walked quickly, her eyes were deep, and she looked at Julia eagerly, her eyelashes were still fluttering, as if she wanted to tell everything in the world with her eyes alone.

"Is the fuel all set up, Foddy?" Julia said coldly. "The stocks in the temple are only enough to last two days."

"I asked the fuel dealer to leave 6000 talents of fuel in the Vesta Temple, and the remaining 4000 talents will be distributed to the small temples in the suburbs." The old saint said, "But this is not what I want to say. the key of……"

Julia winked at her.The two looked at each other tacitly for a while, and walked to the corner of the temple tacitly.

"Speak." Julia stood in the shadow surrounded by the gauze, and said in a low voice.

"The lord... asked to see you." The old saint looked around and said cautiously.

Julia looked serious.When she thought about it, her eyes kept moving in the eye sockets, and she stopped after a long time.She said, "Let him come to the warehouse and wait for me."

The old saint shook her head, and said nervously: "He has been renting at the gate of the temple for more than a month. You must know that he was demoted to a commoner because of covering up private salt, and now he has a special status. You use your personal relationship to arrange for him A house has attracted gossip..."

Julia still had a serious look, "He was kind to me."

The old saint sighed and said worriedly: "I understand that you have known him for a long time. But let alone meeting him now, even if you just let him live, you will inevitably get into trouble. He is a man, a man you can never get close to for the rest of your life. ah……"

She hesitated to get closer, covered her mouth with her palm, and said in a very soft voice: "Do you remember Diane? She was secretly executed just because she was reported as innocent..."

Julia shook violently, and a layer of sweat broke out on her back, "Okay! Stop it!" She almost screamed, "Stop it...Ferdy...I will take care of myself... "

The old saint quickly supported her, "What are you going to do?"

Julia took a few deep breaths, the white veil fluttering violently on her face.She wiped the sweat from her forehead, "Let him come to the warehouse now." She said in a barely calm tone, "I have to explain my difficulties to him."

……

A large amount of fuel oil, hay, and flint for lighting are stored in the warehouse to ensure the continuation of the holy fire of the temple.

All the fuel was stacked in wooden crates stacked high, with the temple's logo painted on the boards.

—A cluster of bay leaves holds the sacred fire, which is the symbol of the Temple of Vesta.

Munch has walked around these iron boxes more than 100 times.

"I kept you waiting, Master Otto." Julia's dry voice came from nowhere.

To prevent fires, burning lamps are never allowed in warehouses.The moonlight came in through the cross window frame, and the shadow of a cross pressed on the wooden box emitting particles like a seal.

"My surname can no longer be called 'adult'." Menxi followed the voice and walked over, the shadow of the window frame swept across his face, "You don't have to use honorifics for me, Julia, you Now she is the great virgin who is admired by thousands of people, and she is no longer the little saint with a tray in her hand."

Julia suddenly appeared in the light in a white veil, like a witch who appeared after the smoke cleared.Her eyes were looking straight into the moonlight, so bright that they looked a little paradoxical.

"You used to be my priest. If you hadn't allowed me to expose Diane, I wouldn't have gotten this position." She said, "Because of my exposure, you had to take the blame and resign. I still feel guilty until now. .”

Menci chuckled, a creepy laugh coming from the depths of his throat.His lips were very dry, the upturned mouth skin was whiter than the skin, and the corners of his mouth were chapped and blackened due to lack of water.

"Instead, I would like to thank you, Julia. Thank you for giving me an opportunity," he said excitedly, "allowing me to transition from a priest to the army, and even almost served as the commander of the guards, standing on the side of the emperor day and night. by my side, if not for..."

His words stopped abruptly, and his voice was cut off as if he was buried alive.His eyes were slightly bloodshot with resentment.

"You, who would rather be demoted than accompany the emperor, did not get what you wanted. Thales, who just wanted to raise a child in the military camp in a low-key manner, was forcibly assigned this position." Julia sighed, and this sigh had a mocking meaning. .

She said quietly: "I have served the gods for many years, and I only realized one thing, that is, the gods are selfish and shrewd. In order to keep people in awe, God never makes people wish to go well. This is his trick to control people's hearts." .Who makes people feel bullied..."

Munch gasped, "I won't talk about this." He closed his eyes and spit out slowly, "In short, I am very grateful to you, Julia. When I was in a desperate situation and asked for help everywhere, only you reached out to me. Help so I can live in a house with a private bathroom."

Julia was silent for a long time before she said awkwardly: "You and I have such special identities, I'm afraid you will face the fact that you have to move away..."

"I know." Menci said lightly, "I proposed to meet you just to discuss moving out with you."

Julia hadn't expected it.She couldn't help but froze, her eyes flickering against the edge of the veil.

"I used to be a high priest, so I naturally know your situation. If you stay like this for a long time, you will definitely get into trouble." Menxi said.

Julia swayed and looked up at him sideways from the corners of her eyes.Half of Munch's face was exposed to the moonlight, and the other half was hidden in the shadows, like a clown painted with black and white oil paint.

She felt vague fear, "Thank you for your understanding. But I still want to ask, what do you mean by 'negotiation'?"

Munch said bluntly: "As we all know, I lost everything, property, slaves, and land. I was even deprived of the qualifications to do business, even a lowly businessman. But even so, I still want to make a comeback and become a nobleman again."

"It's difficult, even impossible." Julia said, the veil fluttering with her breath, "Even becoming a lowly knight requires 40 sesterces."

Meng Xi laughed out loud, shaking his head and laughing.His poor-quality tunic dangled on his body shaking with laughter.He was shaking so much that even the strands of his hair were trembling.His body seemed to fall apart instantly.

"I have a way..." he said with a smile, "I have a way to get such a fortune in a short period of time, even more than this."

Julia narrowed her eyes and asked vigilantly, "What way?"

Meng Xi turned around, turned his cloth lace-up shoes, and drew a half circle on the dusty ground, "You will understand when you see the result."

Julia's mouth opened, moving lips outlined against the veil.

"I want to borrow something from you. As long as you are willing to borrow it, I will move out immediately." Menxi said without waiting for her to speak, "And after the matter is completed, I will repay you with tens of millions of times the value."

Julia stared at him and asked, "What do you want to borrow?"

Meng Xi walked to the wooden box, blew off the dust on the box, and patted the box.Dust particles fall from the cracks in the planks.

"A hundred thousand sesterces," he said, smiling, "and this fuel."

……

After the first night of passion, Rhodes opened Nero's other body to experience the world.

Nero spent the night in his first-floor bedroom almost every day.

He would always wake to the sunlight streaming through the densely woven panes.

Rhodes was lying on his side in his arms, his bare skin was stained with the unique golden blue of the morning light.Nero hugged him from behind, his eyes turned against the light.This made him see the fluff on the side of Rhodes' face, shining light golden, the same color as the dust floating in the air.

Nero lifted a lock of his hair, moved it to his mouth and kissed it.

"I'm awake." Rhodes said with his back to him.His voice is not nasal, it is very clear.

As he spoke, he rolled over and lay his pillow on Nero's arm.He blinked as fast as usual, without the laziness of just waking up.He was the one who could clear his eyes as soon as he opened them when he woke up.

Nero hugged him tightly, and the two lay on their sides and hugged each other.They don't need to talk, just a hug can create an atmosphere of candid communication.In a way, they are like two bodies governed by the same soul.

In each other, they find another self in the world.

Nero stroked Rhode's back, carefully feeling the texture of his skin, the position of the muscles and bones under the skin, and the protrusions of the spine.As a result, there was a surge of heat in his heart, but it was not an excited and enthusiastic emotion, but rather a kind of stable tranquility.It turns out that when people are extremely happy, they will enter great peace.

Rhodes honestly let him touch it for a while, and after a while he rubbed his curly hair, "Get up."

Nero sat up obediently, with his back arched in a very relaxed posture.Because of regular force training, the muscles in his arms are slightly swollen, and he looks very strong.In the bluish-colored bedroom, the skin on his back took on a cool color, and the spine in the middle was recessed like a ravine.

"I want you to help me get dressed." He tilted his face and said to Rhodes who was still lying down.

Rhodes covered his eyes with the back of his hand, closed his eyes and said lazily, "You can ring the bell on the head of the bed, and the slaves will come in, and you can iron your clothes."

He pointed to the scattered clothes.They tore it off last night when they were in a hurry on the bed.

Nero lifted his quilt to fully expose his body, and Rhodes crossed his legs together.Neither of them had any clothes on.Nero lay down, his face pressed against his naked belly.Through the black hair in the secret, Rhodes' knees are deep red, and the muscles of his legs are full enough to make the light and shadow intertwined on his thighs, which has the artistic sense of Greek sculpture.

Bewitched by this artistic beauty, Nero stretched out his hand to touch it, from his knee to his hipbone, and then between his legs.

Rhode pushed his hands away, sat up with his arms propped up, and looked at him from the corner of his eyes, "I'll wear it for you."

After speaking, he picked up the underwear from the ground with two fingers and threw it directly on Nero.Nero stood up knowingly, and put it on the bronze mirror.It was a loose undergarment called a tunica, with crimson stripes and a slit in the neckline, just above his straight collarbone.

Rhodes picked up the leather wristband and said to Nero in the mirror, "Raise your hand."

Nero complied.Rhodes wrapped his arms around his arms from behind, pressed his chin on his shoulders, and tied the wrist guards around his wrists.

His red lips were brick red in the dark yellow copper mirror, and his sharp eyebrows and eyes were blurred by the blurred mirror surface, making him look very classic.A strand of black hair slipped in front of his eyes, and he pushed it behind his ear.

Nero was a little dazed, he touched his hand subconsciously, and said feverishly, "Rod..."

This is not so much a calling as a confession.

Rhodes stopped tying the belt, raised his eyes and looked in the mirror, "What's wrong?"

Nero is watched by his lover, feeling that time is going back quickly.He went back to the time when he was on the banyan tree, because he accidentally touched Rhode's hand, and his heart was surging.

He was like that indifferent young man, blushing all of a sudden.Although he knows every part of Rhodes' body like the back of his hand.

Nero lowered his eyes, his eyes were hot, "I love you so much, Rhodes..."

Rhodes froze for a moment, wrapped his arms around him, poked his chin into his neck, and whispered, "I like you too."

At the moment of being hugged by Rhodes, a round of red sun seemed to jump behind Nero's eyes, and then exploded into countless pieces.

For him who is in love, just a hug from behind can produce the same satisfaction as making|love.Nero couldn't help lowering his head, kissing Rhode's finger, and then sighed from the bottom of his heart: "I'm so happy..."