I put out his fire

It has been a month since the downtown fire.

For the low-fertility city of Rome, the number of casualties of more than 200 is the peak since the establishment of the empire.

However, what is even more shocking than the fire casualties is the huge bail that Nero paid for Rhodes.

As the chief in charge of firefighting, Rhodes was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court after he was dismissed.On the day of the conviction, Nero appeared in court with him as a guarantor, and released Rhodes home on bail with an amount of [-] Ore on the spot.

The ore was the most valuable of Roman coins and was minted in gold.One hundred thousand ores, equivalent to ten million bronze sesterces, were enough to buy ten piazzas in the heart of Rome.

Word of the story quickly spread, and it soon became the most popular lecture material, and unprecedented plays and music were composed on the subject of masters, slaves, and bail bonds.Some trendy newlyweds will include the phrase "will you pay my bail for me" in their wedding vows.

In the carriage, Nero was dizzy from being bumped.He pulled back the wooden curtains and took a deep breath of the cold air.In winter, the astringent and bitter smell of beech trees is poured into the lungs through the nasal cavity.He is much more sober.

Nero had just come out of the Senate.Faced with the impeachment of dozens of white-robed veterans, he was blocked on the podium like a defendant with too many books, and he almost couldn't stand it.

Finally arriving at the house, Nero stepped on the driver's back and jumped off the carriage, turned around, and was startled by the sight at the door of the house.

A dozen ragged poor people lay down in front of the villa, dragging their families, including many women and children.They were skinny, with dirty dirt between their nails and skin, lying in the middle of the street like pieces of sun-dried rotten meat.

"Who are these people?" Nero glanced indifferently.

The servant who greeted him brought a basin of warm water for washing his hands, and replied: "It's the poor who lost their apartment in the fire. They are dissatisfied with the compensation paid by the royal family, and they dare not confront the government face to face, so they can only lie in front of their house to protest."

Nero sneered, "Greedy bastard! The compensation from the government is enough for every family to buy an independent bungalow."

He washed his hands and walked past them expressionlessly, "These people are like leeches clinging to the ground." He said gloomily, "Let my chef take out all the salt in the stock, make a strong brine and pour it on them, The leeches will fall down by themselves."

The house slave was stunned: "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"You didn't use boiling oil, it's forgiveness." Nero wiped his hands and threw the used towel over his shoulder.

The house slave kept silent and looked at his master silently.

Since Rhodes moved to a remote manor, his master seemed to have lost part of his humanity, and all the decisions he made were filled with hostility.

Nero put on the half-tube soft boots specially worn at home, and while walking through the drooping beard of the banyan tree, he ordered the servants: "Fill the bath with bath water, and prepare soap locusts, manicure stones, and olive oil. Make sure the laundry slaves scent my red toga and rabbit-fur boots before sundown. And let those noisy slave girls match my jewellery; I didn't breed slaves to spend all day with Lo Germany is close!"

The servant asked suspiciously, "Are you dressing up, are you going out?"

Nero stopped suddenly and glared at the house slave through the gap of Treebeard.He stretched out his hand, grabbed a handful of brown tree whiskers, and then moved up along the tree whiskers, barely reaching the trunk where Rhodes often lay.

When his fingertips touched the hard bark, Nero seemed to have communicated with the gods, showing an almost holy smile on his face.

This was the first time in a month that the house slave saw his master show a little humanity.

"Get the carriage ready..." Nero whispered, "I'm going to the manor tonight."

……

Since Rhodes moved to the manor, he was guarded by dozens of bodyguards day and night. He was taken care of by a group of slaves and lived a life equivalent to house arrest.

In this environment, he was so bored that he started growing vegetables and raising chickens.

Following his instructions, slaves bought hoes and shovels.Rod used a shovel to remove the blue and purple cornflowers and planted cabbages and radishes instead.He dried out the patio and housed the chirping chicks in the patio.This group of fluffy, light yellow creatures gathers wheat husks during the day and huddles in the corner of the courtyard like gathered clouds at night.

At night, a ring of torches is set up in the vegetable garden.Rhodes used the dim light of the fire to water the radishes he raised one by one.

The slave stepped forward with a lamp, and said cautiously: "You should go back and rest."

Rhodes dumped the kettle without raising his head, "Don't worry, there are still half of the radishes that haven't been watered."

The slave looked troubled.In the cold wind, the glazed lamp in his hand was blown wildly, and the colored light filtered by the colored lampshade swayed in the radish field.

"But..." the slave stammered, "A message was sent from the house just now, saying that the master is coming tonight."

Rod paused, put down the kettle in his hand, his eyes flickered imperceptibly.

"Go back." His voice was very weak amidst the howling wind on the top of the mountain.

……

The slave poured hot water into the wooden barrel and dripped the precious oriental sesame oil.Rhodes soaked in the scented bath water for a while, without even wiping off the water drops, put on his pajamas and walked to the bedroom.

Suddenly, a figure jumped out of the bedroom door.Out of the habit of fighting for a long time, Rhodes grabbed his wrist, but that was all, and he didn't fight back.

Nero couldn't help being stunned, only to see Rhodes with his eyes closed, expressionless, straight upside down towards him, like a world-weary suicide who was determined to jump off a cliff and fell into his arms.

Nero hugged him, feeling a coldness for no reason, like a gust of knife wind blowing when fate raised the butcher knife.

Out of some mysterious and unspeakable intuition, Nero felt panic for no reason, and called his name as if he was trying to persuade him: "Rod!"

Rhodes' temple hair was soaked, and it was tied into locks and stuck to the side of his face, like flowing ink.He opened his eyes, his eyes were sharp and clear, and the pupil between his eyelashes emitted a soul-stirring black light.

He carefully looked at Nero's face, from the high browbones, through the freckles on the bridge of the nose, to the well-defined jawline.Rhode's wet eyelashes trembled slightly, and he remained silent all the time, as if savoring it over and over again. After a long time, he opened his mouth and said, "Why are you here? Don't you think there's not enough gossip..."

Nero didn't speak, just kissed her directly.

The slaves guarding the door tacitly looked at each other and closed the gauze curtain with a wink.

Nero brushed the wet hair off Rod's face and kissed him fiercely.The moment his lips touched, he felt hungry.He hugged Rhodes' waist and eagerly pushed him against the wall.The water on Rhode's face reflected the color of old gold leaf, and the suffocation caused by the kiss made him squint his eyes and breathe, his chest showing through his half-wet pajamas.

The beast-like blood that has long been buried in the bottom of the human heart dominates Nero.He bit Rhode's neck, sucking hard on the skin covering the carotid artery.

Rhode's face was flushed, and he clasped his shoulders with both hands, pushing him back, "Don't get too excited, Nero..."

Nero's eyes were hot, and he swallowed instinctively.He has always defined himself as a passive person who is influenced by the outside world, and only when facing Rhodes' affection does he feel that he has truly mastered himself.Love is not a self-enclosure marked by possession and control, but self-liberation, which is the first step in opening up the freedom of human nature.

So he knew that Rhodes would make him lose everything, but he still wanted to fight against fate.

"In the dead of night, without telling the truth to most of the slaves in the family, I specially picked a path that few people go to come to see you. We seem to be having an affair, both aggrieved and exciting..." Nero said in his ear.

Rhodes smiled, held the back of his head, and stared at him.The tips of their noses touched each other, and the heat of their breath penetrated each other's skin.Nero's gray-black eyelashes stuck on Rhode's eyelids. His freckles, red eye circles, and heavy breathing were infinitely magnified in Rhode's vision, nailing into the soul like an oracle; Nero penetrated into his soul So deep that at this moment he questioned himself whether it was Nero or Rhodes.

Nero buried his face into his neck, kissed his shoulder and neck, and asked in that knowing tone, "Why do you always look at me?"

"I haven't seen you for a long time, I want to see what you look like." Rhodes said, "You haven't changed at all."

Nero untied the tie of his pajamas, wrapped his palms around his waist, and pulled them into his arms.Their stomachs bumped against each other.

Rhodes climbed on his shoulders, as if drunk, behaving submissively.

"I'm going to spend the night here tonight!" Nero swore.

Rhode's eyes were shaking, and sweat was secreting from his hot skin.He returned to the true nature of human beings, simple and enthusiastic, that is the state of having nothing and having everything when the primordial world was first created.The end of sex is not to run to desire, but to return to innocence.

When he returned to reality, the two of them were already lying on the bed.

Under the soft light of the fireplace, Rhodes' shoulders were covered with water droplets, which diffused the color of golden glaze.Nero seemed to be possessed, and moved closer to lick the water droplets on his shoulder.

Rhodes breathed calmly, and suddenly held his hand, "Nero, promise me one thing."

Nero froze for a moment, panicked for no reason, "You say, I will agree."

Rhodes paused and said, "I want you to help me get the golden sword of the guard officer, and then destroy it."

As Nero thought about it, a vague image appeared in his mind, "Is that... a strange-looking sword with a blade like a tooth?"

Rhodes nodded and said, "This is what my uncle told me before he died, it's his last words..."

Nero was inexplicably flustered, and subconsciously hugged his waist, "This is not difficult, you can do it too..."

Rhodes didn't answer, but turned over and leaned into his arms, "We haven't seen each other for a month, and there's only one time that didn't satisfy me or you at all." He touched Nero's sweaty face with his fingertips Back, "We need a second, third, fourth..."