The morning sun was just right. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, filling the air with a soft, wave-like rustling.

Li Wu stood beneath the osmanthus tree, bare-chested, washing his hair and bathing with the water she had used the night before. He wore nothing below the waist but the most ordinary of undertrousers. At the sound of her stepping out, Li Wu lifted the wooden bucket and poured what remained of the water over his head. The sound of rushing water momentarily drowned out the rustle of the leaves. Countless droplets ran down through his hair, which had turned even darker and sleeker when wet, tracing past his prominent throat, flowing over his well-built chest. An intricate tattoo of soaring phoenixes spread across both shoulders and his chest — each one seemed poised to cry out and take flight at any moment.

He had rinsed away the soap-nut lather from his hair and swept the dripping strands back behind his head, then looked up toward Shen Zhuxi. Even his eyelashes were still beading with drops of water.

“You’re up early today.”

Shen Zhuxi snapped back to herself. A flush of heat surged to her head, leaving her face burning. Not knowing where to look, her gaze darted frantically between the sky and the ground as she demanded, on the verge of tears, “Why are you bathing in the courtyard!”

Li Wu seemed to see nothing the least bit inappropriate about his behavior, and replied as casually as ever, “If I bathe here, the water can go straight to the tree. If I bathe in the back yard, it just goes to waste.”

“Then — then you still shouldn’t use the water I washed with!” Shen Zhuxi said, feeling her face go so hot it might cook through.

“Why not? Just because you took a tumble in a mud pit yesterday?” Li Wu said. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t bother me.”

Shen Zhuxi could have perished from his impervious attitude.

“It bothers me!”

Li Wu said, “There’s only so much water. What would you have me do?”

The one who had fetched the water was master here. Shen Zhuxi had no argument to make, and could only resort to the old remedy of out of sight, out of mind — she spun around and retreated back into the bedroom.

Ruffian! Scoundrel!

Shen Zhuxi pounded the pillow on the bed, and then, remembering it was Li Wu’s pillow, immediately flipped around and flung it to the foot of the bed.

The pillow landed with a soft thump and went still. Shen Zhuxi sat hugging her knees, inwardly lamenting Li Wu’s impropriety and coarseness — while her thoughts drifted, entirely of their own accord, to the tattoo that covered his body.

She had never seen anyone with such an extensive piece of ink-work before.

She had heard palace attendants speak of certain officials at court who were free-spirited and unconventional, bearing tattoos on their bodies — even the Emperor Father had once found it amusing enough to ask such a man to remove his outer robe so the work could be admired. But actually seeing a tattoo in person, this was Shen Zhuxi’s first time.

Now that she thought about it carefully, the phoenixes traced out in dark blue lines across Li Wu’s body each had their own unique posture — this was no ordinary tattoo artist’s handiwork. If it had been a painting, Shen Zhuxi would have wanted to study it at length. The pity of it was that however fine the picture, it happened to be on a man’s body — and even if someone gave her ten times the courage she had, she would never dare draw close to a bare-chested man to admire a masterpiece.

From the tattoo, her thoughts wandered further to the body she had glimpsed in that fleeting moment. Every muscle on Li Wu’s frame was exactly where it ought to be. She would never have guessed, from looking at him clothed, what lay beneath. She had appreciated many paintings, poems, and performances in her time, but the unclothed chest of a man was something she was seeing for the first time. She could not arrive at any objective assessment — she could only put it in the simplest of terms: it was a sight that made one feel safe.

Graceful and vigorous, long-limbed, with firm muscle and clean, flowing lines — every quality a fine-looking man ought to have, he possessed.

As long as he kept his mouth shut, he was quite the imposing figure.

Li Wu’s footsteps sounded in the main hall. He stopped outside the bamboo curtain and called through it, “Asleep again?”

“You’re the one who’s asleep!” Shen Zhuxi said.

“If you’re not sleeping, come out and eat.”

“I haven’t washed up yet!” Shen Zhuxi softened her voice all of a sudden and said gently, “Li Wu, could you come with me to fetch some water?”

“There’s water in the vat,” Li Wu said. “Diao’er filled it first thing this morning.”

Shen Zhuxi was stunned. All her carefully performed composure and gentleness vanished in an instant, and the words were out before she could stop them: “Then why did you use my bathwater!”

“Save where you can save — do you think you live right beside the river?” Li Wu said. “Enough talk. Come get ready. I’m going to the kitchen to boil some noodles.”

Shen Zhuxi, afraid he might still be in his soaked undertrousers, deliberately waited until the sound of his footsteps had moved out of the main hall before she shuffled out at her own pace. As she passed the kitchen, she stole a swift sideways glance — fortunately, Li Wu had already changed into his ordinary clothes.

She went to the back yard and washed up as carefully and thoroughly as she could manage, given the lack of soap-nuts or any other toiletries. By the time she returned to the main hall, four steaming bowls of noodles had appeared on the table. Li Diao’er and Li Que’er had arrived at some point; the three of them were each seated on one side, leaving the spot beside Li Wu for Shen Zhuxi.

Once she sat down, Li Que’er smiled pleasantly at her and said, “Shen sister, are you settling in all right here?”

“Well enough,” Shen Zhuxi said with a shy smile, and did not have the heart to voice any of the endless complaints occupying her mind.

“My eldest brother doesn’t have much experience in these matters. If there’s anything you need, just tell him directly. He may be lacking in thoughtfulness where women are concerned, but he’s not lacking in silver.”

“There’s no need, things are fine as they are.” Shen Zhuxi said the polite, expected thing, even though she did not mean a word of it.

Compared to Li Wu, with whom she had already had several arguments — and with whom she could get angry, lose her temper, or laugh freely — she still felt a layer of careful distance between herself and Li Que’er and Li Diao’er, one she could not quite bridge.

Li Que’er did not press her, simply smiled and said, “Eat up — our eldest brother makes excellent noodles.”

Li Diao’er was already eating enthusiastically, and between bites he chomped at the longer strands until they broke off and fell back into the bowl. The upbringing Shen Zhuxi had received across all her years made it impossible to watch this; before her brow could finish creasing, she had already turned her eyes away.

Li Diao’er said with a mouthful of noodles, muffled but enthusiastic, “Yeah! Big brother’s noodles — really good!”

Li Wu promptly knocked a knuckle against his head with a sharp rap, and said darkly, “If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak.”

“Big brother, why are you hitting me,” Li Diao’er put down his chopsticks and stared at Li Wu with an aggrieved expression.

Shen Zhuxi could not figure out why he had been struck either. Li Wu offered no explanation. Li Que’er did not seem the least bit puzzled, either. The only ones left in bewilderment were Li Diao’er and Shen Zhuxi.

Li Que’er said, “Our eldest brother usually just gives us steamed buns. Today we’re enjoying his noodles because of you, Shen miss. We ought to thank you.”

Shen Zhuxi shook her head, her face reddening. “It has nothing to do with me — thank Li Wu. He’s the one who made them.”

Li Que’er looked at her with a smile. The dimples that had once seemed so striking no longer seemed alarming after a while.

He was just about to say something when Li Wu delivered him a knock on the head as well, saying, “Eat your noodles. Less talk.”

Li Que’er took the hit without any sign of annoyance and remained cheerful. “As eldest brother says.”

Li Diao’er finished his bowl very quickly. He noisily demanded a second serving, and the commotion gave Li Wu such a headache that he picked up the bowl — scraped clean of every drop of broth — and took it to the kitchen.

Once Li Wu had left, Li Que’er spoke again.

“Shen miss, my eldest brother doesn’t have much experience with young ladies. Has he been discourteous in any way? If so, I can find a way to nudge him about it indirectly. If you have any difficulties, please tell me — don’t hold back on our account.”

Shen Zhuxi hesitated for a good while, dropped her voice as low as it would go, and said, very carefully: “Could you… could you ask him not to bathe in the courtyard? And not to use water I’ve already bathed in?”

The words were practically squeezed out through clenched teeth, and even so, her face still went red. Shen Zhuxi truly could not understand — it was Li Wu who had done something to be embarrassed about, so why was she the only one blushing?

“Bathing in the courtyard?” Li Que’er’s expression became one of disbelief. “And with water you’d already used?”

“Yes.” Having found somewhere to pour out her grievances, Shen Zhuxi found that once she started talking she could not stop. It was fortunate that Li Diao’er seemed entirely oblivious to the concerns of propriety between men and women, and showed no interest in their conversation whatsoever, his eyes fixed longingly on the doorway to the main hall. “He said bathing in the courtyard means the water can water the osmanthus tree,” Shen Zhuxi said, pained, “and using water I’d already used saves water. I can’t argue with him. Can you help persuade him?”

Li Que’er laughed — not the easy, natural laugh of before, but a suppressed one, an odd laugh, the kind that made Shen Zhuxi feel he was laughing not only at her, but at Li Wu as well.

“I can’t help with this one,” Li Que’er said.

“Why not?” Shen Zhuxi was anxious.

“Because when my eldest brother has set his mind to something, no one has ever stopped him.” Li Que’er said something cryptic and then added: “You’ll understand in time.”

Shen Zhuxi was led astray by this and asked curiously, “Is that because he’s very capable?”

Li Que’er shook his head. “Because he never gives up.”

While they were talking, Li Wu came back from the kitchen carrying a bowl of noodles. Before he had even reached the table, Li Diao’er stretched out his hands eagerly to take it. Once Li Wu sat back down, his gaze traveled over Li Que’er a couple of times.

“What were you two talking about just now?”

“About you,” Li Que’er said pleasantly.

“What about me?”

“That you’re the most handsome man for ten li in every direction.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Less talking, more eating.”

Li Diao’er looked up from his bowl long enough to say, “Exactly. Like me.”

Li Que’er caught Shen Zhuxi’s eye. She had not yet worked out what it meant when he had already turned back and spoken.

“Eldest brother, it’s been several days since I’ve bathed. Why don’t I come borrow some water here and clean up in your front yard this afternoon?”

Li Wu did not look up, but the furrow between his brows appeared instantly.

“Go back to your own place to bathe. Have Diao’er fetch you the water.”

“If I bathe here, it can go straight to watering eldest brother’s osmanthus tree—”

Li Wu suddenly looked up, and the sharp look that shot from his dark eyes carried the force of a blade. “Feeling itchy for a beating?”

Li Que’er immediately straightened. “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. If eldest brother says no, then that’s the end of it. My and second brother’s yard has trees to water too — it’s all the same in the end.”

The two brothers exchanged glances, every phrase weighted with hidden meaning, and yet Shen Zhuxi could not make heads or tails of a single word.

After the morning meal, Li Que’er helped wash the bowls and tidy up, then left together with Li Diao’er. Shen Zhuxi wandered beneath the osmanthus tree, eyeing a particular branch she liked. She stretched up on her toes to reach it and could not quite manage; then a large hand appeared above her head and snapped the branch off with ease.

“That one too!” She quickly pointed to another branch a short distance away. Li Wu raised his arm and broke it off without effort.

“What do you want these for?” Li Wu handed both slender branches to her.

“Can you whittle them into the shape of a brush tip?” she asked.

“What’s difficult about that?”

Li Wu made a motion at his waist, and suddenly a small knife appeared in his hand. He set to work on the branch, and the glint of the blade flashed at his fingertips. Shen Zhuxi felt her heart tighten just from watching — but he showed no sign of concern at all, the knife moving swift and sure, sending shavings flying.

In no time, a rough-formed “wolf-hair brush” appeared before Shen Zhuxi’s eyes.

Li Wu repeated the process. Both improvised brushes took shape, and Shen Zhuxi picked up one of them, found a patch of soft ground in the yard, and used it to write out the entirety of the Thousand Character Classic in the dirt.

While she wrote, Li Wu watched from the side in attentive silence, utterly unlike his usual casual and carefree manner — so much so that Shen Zhuxi found herself growing self-conscious under his gaze.

She finished the Thousand Character Classic, looked over her work with satisfaction, and asked, “Which characters do you already know?”

Li Wu lifted his gaze from the ground, with an air of composed self-possession that seemed to say he knew them all.

Shen Zhuxi looked at him expectantly. Li Wu extended his improvised brush and lightly tapped the empty patch of ground beside the character for “Li.”

“I know that one.”

“What else?”

“What else does one need to know?” he asked with perfect confidence.

Shen Zhuxi understood. Those thirty taels of hers were not going to be easy money.