Jingting woke up with nobody in the bed, other than him. But he woke up late. He noticed the sun that was seeping through the windows was already high above the horizon.
He got up from the bed and refreshed himself in the prepared basin with water, combed his hair into a firm knot, and stared at the various hair accessories that were prepared on the table. As if Liu Sheng got up early and tried to give him every possibility he had. One more pompous than the other. In the end, he chose a simple silver crown with a hairpin, but it was a straight one with a tangled end that looked like a branch, with a single blossom, it could be plum or cherry, he did not know, as it looked similar, but he liked the symbolism, hoping that was why Liu Sheng chose it. With the robe… it was harder, there were only two to choose from, and both of them were too grand for his taste.
"It's me," Xuhua knocked on the door and walked inside as if nothing had happened. Since being spoiled by him and her father, she wasn't behaving much as a young lady ready for marriage, as she was.
"Keep the door open and call in a servant…" he sighed, trying to mind her modesty, but she obviously did not care.
"Xuhua, we are not back in the sanctuary. There will be talks here." He sounded not pissed, but his voice was firm.
"Darling. You and the second master are the talk of the mansion. I don't think even if they found us in bed, they would believe we were together." She walked towards the prepared robe and touched every part of it.
"Choose the blue one. I think blue is your color. More than the ugly brown and gray you wear." The one she was pointing at was the more grand one of the two. Dark, deep blue, maybe a brocade, with golden threads forming symbols looking like birds at few places. It was beautiful, grand, and totally unfit for Jingting.
"I agree. It will suit you." Someone said from the open door while holding a fan over her face, especially eyes. Jingting wanted to cry. He quickly ran behind the curtain, hiding his undergarments.
"Go help him put it on," she said again, prompting two male servants to follow him with the blue robe. It was Liu Sheng's mother.
He was essentially forced into the blue grant robe that felt too heavy for his heart when he finally came out fully dressed with the hair crown complementing his branch hair pin.
He stood before the wife of the late duke and carefully bowed to her, minding the manners his father had always taught him. She nodded her head as if in acceptance and told him to get up and sit on the chair next to the Arhat bed, where she sat down with Xuhua, one on each side of the table.
"I'm so glad you are here. Xuhua had always talked about you." She smiled at him, but it was hard to smile back for Jingting. This was a strange woman and noble, too. She could be Liu brothers' mother, but that did not mean she was a nice person.
"Thank you for getting Liu Sheng home. And now, even Li An. I owe you my life for saving my sons." She started to bow, but Jingting hurriedly stopped her. He couldn't afford it.
"No, don't. I just did what was right. Every doctor would save them." Not to say he wanted Liu Sheng to be dead at first… And Liu An was more of a coincidence than an intent.
"You don't even know how grateful I'm. If you hadn't saved them, there would be no one else with me now. Liu Cheng would definitely follow them soon after. He was almost losing his mind before he found out Liu Sheng was alive. And almost wanted to kill his uncle, who was the one suggesting this way." Jingting heard her out, but just smiled slightly. To be honest, he did not care. He was taught not to mix in the intrigues of the court. War could be counted as one too. Soldiers die just for the fun and entertainment of the nobles, ministers, and emperors.
"Liu Sheng will be coming back in the evening. He has to be in the barracks and fulfill his duty, but tomorrow he will follow you, and you can go to the town. He said you need your own clothes, so he will buy you more. To repay what you've done for him." Jingting moaned in pain and suffering while Xuhua laughed out loud. To his surprise, she changed her standing and sitting, her behaviour as a whole when Madam Zhao came in. It was… surprising, to say at least. He shot her a hateful gaze, hoping she would be tortured by being brought to every shop in this damn town, but given how the Liu family behaved and how she was clothed like a proper lady… she probably already visited them all. Madan Zhao noticed his gaze.
"I always wanted a daughter. But I only have three ungrateful sons who don't want me to have a daughter-in-law, so when Xuhua came in, I was thrilled. I already think of her as a daughter-in-law." Jingting, who was getting thirsty and drank a bit of the prepared tea, choked on it and started coughing his lungs out. He looked at blushing Xuhua, completely bewildered, and when he was okay, he decided to change the topic.
"I'm sorry, but could I get a bit of food? I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon, before I ventured onto the battlefield. I'm quite hungry." As if to confirm his words, his stomach rumbled so loud everyone in the room could hear it.
"Oh, I'm such a bad host. I completely forgot," she said, and gestured to the servant to bring in the food.
Food that was too delicious. They weren't poor or anything; their cook was skillful back in the sanctuary, but it felt like ash compared to what he was eating now. Even the chicken tasted like a completely different bird. Everything was so delicious that soon he ignored the small talk Madam Zhao was trying to have and stuffed his mouth full, starving. Before he was full, and laid back in the chair.
He suddenly felt the change in the atmosphere that surrounded the room and looked at the person whose expression shifted from warm and kind into a hardened face of a person who could kill.
"Now, we can talk more about you…" There was a pause before she continued: "...Wen Jingting, son of Wen Zhen and Lin Rou." Jingting's heart fell on the floor together with his and Xuhua's mouths.
What the…