“Ping’er, how did you come to be in this place?” Fu Ruzhi’s brow furrowed deeply. “And your face — how did it come to look like this?”

“After my mother passed away that year, I could not accept the reality of losing her. In my confusion and disorientation, I chose to leave the capital. I was young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. After drifting to Jinzhou with no means of supporting myself, I had no choice but to remain at a brothel to help out, and it was through this that I came to know the current Military Governor of Zhenchuan, Lord Li Zongzhu. Several years passed, and I felt I had gained enough experience to be of some service to my adoptive father — to repay the debt of raising I owe him. So after the young master Fu arrived in Xiangzhou, I voluntarily left Zhenchuan and sought to offer my allegiance, hoping this would allow me to be reunited with my adoptive father.”

Li Que’s forehead remained pressed to the ground. He fixed his eyes on a single straw lying directly before him and spoke with composure and clarity:

“However, the young master did not know of my past and mistakenly took me for an uninvited stranger harboring hidden intentions. Without my adoptive father’s endorsement, I did not dare to disclose the truth to the young master on my own authority. This is why I was thrown into prison, to await adjudication at a later time. With no other course open to me, and knowing that my adoptive father would be returning to Jianzhou in the near future, I took the liberty of sending the keepsake my mother had left behind to my adoptive father’s presence. As for my face… that is a longer story.”

Fu Ruzhi let out a sigh. “Men — open the cell door and remove his shackles.”

Within moments, the heavy shackles had been struck from Li Que’s body by a prison guard. He stood, and beneath the disbelieving and fearful gazes of the guards, walked out of the cell with his back straight.

Fu Ruzhi brought him back to the Fu family residence, where servants were dispatched to attend to his bathing and change of clothing. Half an hour later, Li Que, looking entirely renewed, sat in the east wing of the residence. The two faced each other across a rosewood couch-table, on which sat a deep-blue teapot with a purple clay base and two cups of richly fragrant Da Hong Pao tea.

“…So you and the Military Governor of Zhenchuan share such a history.” Having listened to Li Que recount how he had lost the flesh from half of his face, Fu Ruzhi could not help but sigh. “I never imagined that after you left the capital, you would have endured so much suffering.”

“Every loss comes with a gain. Although my appearance has become frightening, it has also spared me a great deal of trouble. At night, clients would bully the women; during the day, the women would bully the attendants and maids. There was barely a single brothel attendant who wasn’t riddled with disease. Because of this face of mine, I was spared that fate — one could call it a misfortune that turned into a blessing,” said Li Que, his expression placid.

“However one looks at it, you have suffered,” said Fu Ruzhi. “When I learned of your mother’s passing, I intended to bring you out of the entertainment quarters, but the people there told me you had disappeared without a trace. Had you come to me back then, you would not have needed to endure so much hardship.”

Li Que kept his head lowered and spoke with neither subservience nor arrogance: “Had it not been for those years of weathering the world, even if I had stayed by my adoptive father’s side, I would have been nothing more than a burden who invites gossip. I believe that only by struggling through hardship oneself does one come to know the dangers of the world — and that is what will allow me to serve my adoptive father and repay the kindness he showed me in raising me.”

“…Rest assured — once Chanyu returns, I will inform him of your identity. He has always been reasonable; once he understands the circumstances, he will no longer make things difficult for you.” Fu Ruzhi said. “For the time being, remain by my side and assist me. What position did you previously hold?”

“Military clerk in the Office of the Military Commander,” Li Que replied.

Fu Ruzhi’s brow creased slightly. “If you are already familiar with military affairs, then you shall continue in the military. The rank is somewhat low, however. I recall the Office of the Military Commander still lacks a Southern Commander. From today, you shall take up that post.”

“I am unworthy of such favor and am deeply grateful to my adoptive father for his recognition!” Li Que immediately stepped back a pace and saluted Fu Ruzhi with a cupped-fist bow.

“Since you still call me your adoptive father, there is no need for so much formality,” said Fu Ruzhi.

Li Que acknowledged this.

“Chanyu left in such haste this time — do you know why?”

“It appears the Wuying Army has been showing signs of restlessness again, and the young master has led troops to the Eastern Capital,” said Li Que, his expression unchanged.

“Chunyu An tucked his tail in for a few days for the sake of the peace talks, and now he’s becoming restless again — it’s time to rein him in,” said Fu Ruzhi with a frown. He harbored no suspicion toward Li Que’s words. “You have spent several days confined in prison without proper food or sleep. Rest early today. I have had the kitchen prepare a late-night meal for you — whenever you feel like eating, simply call for someone to bring it.”

Li Que saluted: “Many thanks for my adoptive father’s concern.”

“It is late — rest and recuperate for a couple of days, and once I have given instructions to those below, you may report to the Office of the Military Commander to take up your post.”

“Yes, sir.”

Fu Ruzhi rose, and Li Que stepped down from the couch as well, saluting as he saw him out:

“Your unworthy son respectfully sees his adoptive father off.”

Once the sound of Fu Ruzhi’s footsteps had faded entirely from the wing, Li Que lifted his head.

The hollow performance of deference vanished without a trace, replaced by a cold fury as deep and repressed as the ocean floor. He walked back to the couch-table and picked up the teacup that Fu Ruzhi’s lips had barely touched. His knuckles slowly tightened, the color draining from them to white and then to blue — until, with a sharp crack, the teacup shattered in his grip.

The jagged shards sliced open his palm, and tea stained with thin rivulets of blood dripped from his fingers.

He stared at those thread-like streaks of red in the tea and said in a low voice:

“Eleven years I have already waited. What are a few more days…”

“Elder brother, you must hold on…”

……

Shen Zhuxi waited at home until well into the night before Li Wu finally arrived, fashionably late and reeking of spirits.

Looking at him — that carefree and contented air, utterly oblivious to everything — Shen Zhuxi felt the fire inside her roaring upward.

That barely contained fire reached its peak when Li Wu, after washing up and climbing into bed, grinned and nudged her hand.

“No!” Shen Zhuxi snatched her hand back and smacked him in anger.

Li Wu looked at her with innocent eyes, and scooted closer. “I already took my medicine…”

“Your medicine is useless — it’s all fake!” Shen Zhuxi blurted out.

“How could it be fake?” Li Wu widened his eyes. “Old Uncle Tang personally put together that prescription himself — said it causes no harm to a man’s body, just drink a bowl beforehand and that’s that…”

That’s that my foot!

Fake medicine! Now she felt like she had a bomb about to go off sitting inside her belly!

Shen Zhuxi had no desire to argue with him. She turned over so her back was to Li Wu and said irritably: “In any case — no!”

“What are you angry about?” Li Wu pressed closer. “Who upset you? Even if it were the Heavenly King himself, I’ll go give him a piece of my mind for you —”

“…Really?” Shen Zhuxi turned back around, looking at him with eyes bright with anger.

Li Wu was instantly dazzled.

“Of course it’s real.”

“Good then,” said Shen Zhuxi. “Sleep in the courtyard.”

Li Wu: “?”

Li Wu stood at the doorway, dazedly catching the pillow that was thrown into his arms, then watching the door swing shut in his face with a loud bang.

A brief stretch of silence passed. Then Li Wu snapped back to himself, clutched his pillow, and moved to push the door back open — only to find that the bolt had been thrown from within. He could only slap the door in a fury and hiss: “Shen Zhuxi! Shen Dumbmelon! You madwoman!”

“You’re the mad duck!” Shen Zhuxi’s angry retort came from behind the door.

“What did I even do to upset you?!” said Li Wu. “Why are you throwing me out?”

“Didn’t you say — that even if the Heavenly King upset me, you’d go give him a piece of your mind?” Shen Zhuxi shouted from inside. “The weather has gotten warmer, so sleeping in the courtyard will actually be cooler for you. Weren’t you just saying a couple of days ago that it was so hot you couldn’t sleep? I think this works out perfectly!”

“Perfectly my foot!” Li Wu was beside himself with fury. “Open this door right now! What will people think if they see this?”

“They’ll think it’s hilarious!” Shen Zhuxi shot back immediately from inside.

“So you’ve found your sharp tongue all of a sudden! Most of the time, when I ask for so much as a kiss, you hem and haw and twist every which way?”

“None of your business!”

“You — ” Li Wu was nearly spitting with rage. “You are my woman — if you won’t let me look after you, who will?!”

He nearly choked out the title of someone universally despised, but barely managed to swallow it back down at the last second.

Just uttering that name felt like an ill omen!

“In any case, sleep in the courtyard tonight. If you don’t want to sleep in the courtyard, you can sleep somewhere else!”

“Shen Zhuxi! Have the courage to open this door and say that to my face! Shen Zhuxi?! Madwoman! Madwoman!”

Not another sound came from behind the door.

Li Wu was afraid that if he kept knocking, the noise would rouse the servants on night duty, so he stopped himself and, muttering curses under his breath, took his pillow and trudged over to the railing at the front of the doorway to sit down.

“Madwoman! You’re really going to keep me locked out here?!” Li Wu said under his breath.

The room was perfectly still.

“I’ll be sleeping on the ground while you get the bed — how are you going to sleep soundly?!”

Still not a word came from within.

Judging by this madwoman’s conscience when it came to him, it was very likely she would sleep just fine.

But Li Wu — how could he possibly let her sleep just fine?

Li Wu had been thrown out of the bedroom for no comprehensible reason and was both bewildered and fuming. He tossed down his pillow and made his way to the kitchen. After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he came back carrying and cradling a large assortment of things, and before long had assembled a small fire pit in the courtyard outside Shen Zhuxi’s door.

Li Wu pulled out a fire flint and lit the pile with a snap of the striker.

The flames flickered to life, and the crackling and popping of burning wood drifted into the bedroom. Shen Zhuxi lay in bed, utterly baffled: had this deranged man lost his mind entirely and decided to burn her alive?

Inside her belly, she was carrying his child!

…Possibly carrying, at any rate.

Shen Zhuxi could not contain her curiosity and climbed out of bed, tiptoeing toward the door.

As she drew closer, the aroma of grilling meat drifted in through the gap beneath the door.

Shen Zhuxi stared wide-eyed, and with a disbelieving heart, pushed the door open just a crack.

And that was that — not only did the sizzling pork belly and golden-roasted corn immediately fill Shen Zhuxi’s field of vision, but the mouthwatering smell of meat mingled with spices that came floating through the air surged straight into Shen Zhuxi’s stomach, which had been empty all evening, and in an instant awakened a hunger she had forgotten.

“What… what are you doing in the middle of the night?” Shen Zhuxi said, staring in stupefaction.

“Barbecue,” said Li Wu, barely raising his eyelids as he cast her a languid sidelong glance. “Can’t you see?”

She could see!

But she had thrown him out of the bedroom — she hadn’t meant for him to set up a midnight barbecue right at her door!

Shen Zhuxi looked at the golden-crusted pork belly, and to her own embarrassment, swallowed.

“Go barbecue somewhere else!” she said crossly.

“No,” said Li Wu, unrepentant. “I’ll barbecue right here. Look at this pork belly, this lamb loin — oh, just listen to that fat dripping! The eggplant underneath is catching it all — lamb fat, pork fat soaking right in. How could that not be delicious —”

He made a loud, appreciative sound of savoring.

Shen Zhuxi slammed the door shut, and to her utter mortification, her mouth would not stop watering.

Half an hour later, the two of them were both seated beside the makeshift bonfire in the courtyard, grilling meat. Shen Zhuxi ate with grease all around her mouth and felt completely at peace about it — it wasn’t that she was hungry, it was the child in her belly who was hungry. And it wasn’t that she couldn’t resist the temptation — it was the child in her belly who couldn’t resist the temptation!

“Slow down — look at you —” Li Wu wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed. “How many days has it been since you ate?”

“I didn’t eat lunch or dinner!” said Shen Zhuxi, indignant.

“Why not?”

How else to put it? The suspicion triggered by that bowl of sour plum soup had left her so unsettled she couldn’t get anything down all day. Li Wu’s midnight barbecue had somehow accidentally rekindled her appetite.

“Just didn’t feel like it,” Shen Zhuxi mumbled.

“…What a dumbmelon,” Li Wu said lightly, and gave her head a gentle pat.

He did not ask why she had thrown him out of the bedroom in the middle of the night, and Shen Zhuxi did not explain.

She said nothing, yet inside, she began to waver.

If he knew she was carrying their child, he would surely be overjoyed, wouldn’t he?

“Li Wu…” she began hesitantly, not sure whether to tell him or not.

“Mm?” Li Wu picked up the iron skewer and prodded the burning fire, responding to her in an offhand way.

“…”

Shen Zhuxi fell silent for a moment, then said:

“I want grilled fish.”

Li Wu frowned. “You have quite a lot of demands!”

He said it without any warmth, yet he still rose and headed toward the kitchen.

Shen Zhuxi watched his retreating figure and said silently in her heart: A few more days… after a few more days, if my cycle still hasn’t come, I’ll tell him.

…What kind of reaction would he have?