The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Moonlight

Wei Shao emerged casually from the bathhouse clad only in a white inner robe. His collar hung slightly open, the right lapel loosely draping across to his waist without a sash to bind it. The several maidservants who usually attended to his bathing on the western side of the estate finished tidying up with practiced efficiency, bowed, and withdrew. Chunniang cast a lingering glance at Xiao Qiao before following them out, quietly drawing the door shut behind her.
 
Only the two of them remained in the room.
 
His belongings had already been restored to their original places. Among them was a foot-long, flat rosewood box secured by a hidden latch. It had originally sat on the topmost shelf of the display rack, and it was now back exactly where it belonged.
 
Wei Shao had already boarded the couch when he suddenly seemed to recall something. He flipped himself out of bed, walked straight to the display rack against the wall, and took down the box. With his back turned to Xiao Qiao, he seemed to fiddle with the hidden latch for a moment before turning around abruptly. "Have you opened this box?" he asked.
 
Xiao Qiao shook her head immediately. "Never. I haven’t touched a single one of your implements in this room. When the servants were tidying up earlier, they merely gathered everything together temporarily on my instructions. How would I dare open it without permission?"
 
Wei Shao closed the lid, returned the box to its place, and turned around. "In the future, do not touch my things at your own whim," he said, his voice laced with frost.
 
Xiao Qiao nodded. "You do not need to tell me; I am well aware. Today was indeed an oversight on my part. It will not happen again."
 
Seeming neither satisfied nor displeased, Wei Shao walked back to the bed and lay down.
 
Xiao Qiao remained standing before the bed. Seeing him climb under the covers and close his eyes as if preparing to sleep, she felt a wave of awkwardness wash over her.
 
It was entirely unexpected that Wei Shao would disregard his usual habits and share a room with her the moment he returned to the Wei estate. She naturally didn't believe he had suddenly shown mercy to spare her dignity, much less that he had developed any feelings for her. Though the reason puzzled her, she surmised it must have something to do with his meeting with his mother, Madame Zhu, earlier that evening.
 
She could analyze these matters slowly in the days to come, but the problem was the present moment.
 
Where was she supposed to sleep right now?
 
She guessed that this man probably wouldn't want her sharing his bed.
 
As for herself, sharing a bed with him—even if nothing happened—still felt rather uncomfortable...
 
"Why are you still standing there?"
 
Wei Shao spoke suddenly.
 
Xiao Qiao was startled. She stole a glance at him.
 
His eyes remained closed.
 
His meaning, however, was already crystal clear.
 
Xiao Qiao climbed onto the bed, her movements light and cautious. She lay down slowly, taking great care to ensure she didn't touch him.
 
He didn't speak another word. His eyes stayed shut, looking for all the world as though he had drifted off to sleep.
 
After a moment, Xiao Qiao's slightly tense body gradually began to relax. Right at that instant, Wei Shao abruptly snapped his eyes open. He flipped out of bed in a single motion, snatched up his longsword resting on the side table, and strode swiftly toward the door.
 
Xiao Qiao was startled, entirely unsure of what he intended to do. Propapting her shoulder up with one arm, she sat halfway up. Before she could even process the situation, she saw him yank the door open. His sword was already unsheathed, its gleaming tip pointing directly at a maidservant who was pressed against the seam of the door, eavesdropping with all her might.
 
This maidservant was surnamed Wang, and the maids called her Old Nanny Wang. She was precisely the steward in charge of tending to the baths on the western side of the estate.
 
Old Nanny Wang had been straining her ear against the door, listening with great effort, when she suddenly sensed something was amiss. Just as she turned to slip away, the door flew open unexpectedly. A flash of light crossed her eyes, and with a sharp shua, the snow-bright tip of a sword was leveled right at the bridge of her nose. Looking up, a towering silhouette loomed over her. Wei Shao stood just inside the doorway, his robe half-open, staring down at her with an exceptionally dark, grim gaze. Shivering violently, her legs turned to jelly, and she collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud, knocking her head against the ground repeatedly as she begged for mercy.
 
"Lord, spare my life! Lord, spare my life! This servant had no choice... It was the Madame's command, this servant did not dare disobey..."
 
Wei Shao narrowed his eyes and stepped slightly to the side.
 
"Open your wretched eyes and look closely. Have you seen enough?"
 
Where would Old Nanny Wang dare to look? She could only keep knocking her head, weeping and begging for clemency.
 
"I told you to look, so look!"
 
Trembling with fear, Old Nanny Wang finally forced her head up and sneaked a fleeting glance inside.
 
The lamp shadows in the room were dim and hazy, casting a warm green hue over the inlaid screen. Separated by several layers of hanging curtains, one could faintly discern the misty silhouette of someone sitting halfway up on the bed. Xiao Qiao's long hair cascaded down to her waist, her figure delicate and graceful, presenting an exceedingly intimate and enticing scene.
 
Old Nanny Wang dared not look any further and shut her eyes tight.
 
"Did you see clearly?"
 
Wei Shao's sinister voice rang beside her ear.
 
"I see... I see clearly..."
 
Wei Shao suddenly slashed his sword. Amid Old Nanny Wang's earth-shattering shriek, one side of the doorframe was cleanly cleaved apart.
 
Old Nanny Wang had thought the sword was meant for her. She slumped onto her bottom, and when she finally realized she was unharmed, she slowly opened her eyes. She was already shaking like a leaf.
 
"Get out."
 
Wei Shao sheathed his sword, barking out a single word.
 
As if granted a divine amnesty, Old Nanny Wang scrambled to her feet and fled, stumbling all the way.
 
Wei Shao slammed the now improperly closing door shut with a loud bang and walked back.
 
Xiao Qiao held her breath as she watched him. Seeing the heavy gloom clouding his face, she watched him reach the bed, toss the sword onto the table, part the bedcurtains, and lie back down.
 
He closed his eyes almost instantly. After a short while, the fury on his face seemed to gradually dissipate, and his expression finally returned to tranquility.
 
The candlelight filtered through the curtains, casting a nearly soft glow over the sharp contours of his profile.
 
Suddenly, he opened his eyes once more, meeting Xiao Qiao's gaze.
 
"Have you looked your fill?"
 
he asked. His voice was flat, carrying a hint of detachment. Yet, a trace of un-concealable weariness lingered between his brows.
 
Xiao Qiao hastily closed her eyes.
 
The flame on the candlestick finally burned out, and the room plunged into darkness.
 
Moonlight seeped in from the window, turning the space within the bedcurtains hazy and indistinct.
 
Wei Shao's breathing became even. He had fallen asleep.
 
Xiao Qiao opened her eyes once more. Her gaze passed over the man beside her pillow, looking out past the curtains toward the patch of white moonlight by the window.
 
The moonlight was beautiful tonight.
 
...
 
The exact same moonlight was currently shining down thousands of miles away, illuminating a small mountain village at the foot of Lingbi Mountain in Huainan.
 
It was late in the night. The village, which consisted of barely a dozen scattered households making their living by logging and hunting, was dead silent under the moonlight, its residents long since asleep. The occasional cry of a night owl in the distance only added to the tranquility of this spring night.
 
At the end of the village, on an open plot of land beside a gurgling mountain stream, Da Qiao and Bi Zhi's new home was nearing completion.
 
They had passed through this place half a month ago. Speaking of which, it was a stroke of fate. That day, they had intended to continue their journey south, but they happened upon several bandits on the road who were robbing old man Wang and his grandson of the grain and salt they had bartered for with animal pelts at the county market. Bi Zhi beat the bandits to the ground, causing them to scatter and flee in all directions. Old man Wang had suffered some injuries, and his grandson was only a teenager. His son had been forcibly conscripted into the army by Xue Tai, the Governor of Xuzhou, several years prior, only to die a few months later. Now, there was no one else in the family; grandfather and grandson depended solely on each other. Bi Zhi and Da Qiao escorted the two of them home. Deeply grateful, old man Wang learned during their casual conversation that they were a young married couple who had been forced to flee their hometown due to the ravages of war, seeking a place to settle in the south. The old man, who understood all too well the bitterness of chaotic wartime, invited the two of them to settle down and live beside his own home.
 
This small village was hidden deep within the mountains, surrounded by beautiful scenery of green hills and clear waters. Rarely did outsiders enter, making it an ideal place for seclusion. Da Qiao's heart was moved, and Bi Zhi followed her lead. Thus, they settled down, selected a site here, and began to build a thatched cottage. Bi Zhi felled timber while Da Qiao learned to twist hemp into ropes. Working together with one heart, they finally constructed this cottage after more than half a month to shelter themselves from the wind and rain.
 
Bi Zhi had been working continuously from before dawn until now. He had already thatched the roof, with only the final patch at the edge remaining.
 
Da Qiao sat on a stone in the crude little courtyard enclosed by a woven fence. Watching the man who was still busily working on the roof under the moonlight, she felt a profound joy in her heart, even though her own back and shoulders ached.
 
Their house was almost finished. Although it was just a two-room thatched hut, it could shield them from the wind and rain, and she was already thoroughly content.
 
With a house, they could settle down and would no longer have to drift aimlessly from place to place. In the future, once their lives became stable, she also wanted to have Bi Zhi build a chicken coop to raise a few chicks, and plant a vegetable patch of her own...
 
"Are you tired? Leave the rest for tomorrow!"
 
Feeling aching sympathy for him, Da Qiao called out.
 
Bi Zhi told her to go to sleep first, saying he would be finished very soon.
 
Da Qiao refused and continued to wait for him.
 
Bi Zhi quickened his movements. Finally, he secured the last piece of the thatched roof, ensuring it was sturdy and would not leak. He leaped down from the roof, his posture agile and clean.
 
He had worked for a whole day, and his body was drenched in sweat. Setting down the cleaver in his hand, he waded into the mountain stream in front of the door.
 
The water rose past his waistline. The moonlight shone upon his muscular back, wet and reflective, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist. From behind, his back looked as solid as a mountain peak, brimming with a steady, reliable strength.
 
Bi Zhi was truly exceptionally capable. He knew how to do everything—fighting, clearing paths, felling trees, building houses, and he could even cook and wash clothes.
 
The food he cooked tasted much better than hers.
 
This made Da Qiao feel somewhat ashamed. She resolved that she must master these chores as quickly as possible, lest she force him to eat half-cooked, crunchy millet rice again after he had worked hard for a whole day.
 
Yet, he had still devoured it ravenously, praising her cooking as delicious.
 
Across the picket fence, Da Qiao stared at his silhouette in the stream, her face suddenly burning hot.
 
By the time Bi Zhi finished washing up and returned, it was already past midnight. The two of them entered the house to rest and sleep.
 
Until now, they still slept separately. Da Qiao slept in the inner room on the bed Bi Zhi had crafted for her a few days ago, while he slept on a straw pallet in the outer room.
 
Da Qiao found herself unable to sleep.
 
The faint, crisp scent of thatched grass floated through the air. The moonlight tonight also felt somehow unusual.
 
She couldn't stop thinking about the sight of him standing bare-bodied in the stream just now.
 
She felt her face burning hot; not just her face, but her entire body seemed to grow warm as well.
 
Holding her breath, she listened intently to the sounds in the outer room.
 
He didn't seem to be asleep either. She could hear the faint, rustling sound as he tossed and turned on the straw pallet.
 
Finally, she stepped out of bed. Feeling her way through the darkness, she walked slowly to the doorway that didn't yet have a door attached, and whispered, "I am a bit cold."
 
...
 
Bi Zhi was not asleep.
 
In truth, for many nights now, he had been unable to close his eyes and sleep properly.
 
He had taken her away—the daughter of the Qiao family, who was originally as precious and delicate as a goddess. In the beginning, to evade the Qiao family's pursuit, they had been constantly on the run with no fixed abode. When luck was poor, they didn't even have a ruined temple to shelter in at night and could only spend the night in the wilderness. Wild beasts, bandits, wartime chaos... there were far too many dangers around them. He had taken her away; even if he couldn't give her a stable life right now, he absolutely had to ensure her safety. During those days and nights, he transformed into the fiercest hunter. He had killed, without so much as blinking, ill-intentioned individuals they encountered on the road who harbored wicked thoughts toward Da Qiao. He was also the most vigilant guardian. Whenever night fell, he dared not slacken for a single moment. At the slightest stir in the surroundings, his eyes would snap open instantly. Only when he saw his woman still curled up asleep by his side could he breathe a sigh of relief.
 
Now, they finally had a little nest of their own that could shelter them from the wind and rain.
 
The adoring look Da Qiao gave him made him feel incredibly happy, yet also somewhat guilty.
 
The tribulations of their flight during this period made him realize clearly that in this war-torn era, there was no justice or heavenly principles—only the law of the jungle. Only by making himself stronger could he better protect his woman.
 
What they had now was far from what he truly wished to give Da Qiao.
 
She deserved to have much more, and the very best of everything.
 
...
 
As Bi Zhi lay with his eyes closed in the dark night, his mind churning with private thoughts he had never shared with Da Qiao, he suddenly heard the light sound of her footsteps stepping onto the floor. Then, her voice drifted over.
 
He caught his breath and sat up from the straw pallet immediately.
 
She said she was cold.
 
Though it was already mid-spring, she possessed a delicate constitution, and it was only natural to feel cold late at night in the mountains.
 
Yet by his hand, he didn't even have a decent cotton quilt. There was only an old deer hide that had begun to shed its fur, and a few pieces of clothing.
 
Suppressing the guilt in his heart, he rose and lit the oil lamp in the darkness, saying, "I will bring some clothes to cover you. Go back and lie down first..."
 
Da Qiao did not move, however. She merely gazed at him.
 
Bi Zhi felt she was somewhat different from usual. The oil lamp was incredibly dim, yet he could see that her cheeks seemed flushed and her eyes were bright as stars.
 
He seemed to sense something. The heart inside his chest suddenly quickened its beat. The blood throughout his body instantly turned hot.
 
"I want you to hold me. It should be warmer that way..."
 
She spoke softly, and as if overcome by shyness, she leaned forward and blew out the oil lamp in his hand with a soft pu.
 
The room plunged back into darkness instantly—a darkness so thick one couldn't see their own hand. Yet, the sound of their breathing grew clearer and clearer.
 
Bi Zhi suddenly discarded the oil lamp. Grabbing her hand in a firm grip, he led her out the door, bringing her to stand together beneath the bright moon hanging high over the mountain peak.
 
"Am I truly permitted?"
 
His voice trembled slightly.
 
Da Qiao could feel the burning heat in his palm, and she could even hear the violent pounding of his heart.
 
She lowered her head in shyness and murmured, "Doesn't Old Man Wang and the others already know that we are husband and wife?"
 
Bi Zhi hesitated no longer. Pulling her down with him, they knelt on the ground to kowtow and pay homage to the bright moon. Standing back up, he swept her into his arms, stroking backward into the cottage with rapid strides, and gently laid her back onto the bed.
 
Suppressed, delicate moans carrying a mix of pain and pleasure faintly echoed from within the thatched cottage, dissolving into the rushing murmur of the stream outside the picket fence. Bi Zhi seemed to possess an inexhaustible reservoir of strength. Scalding drops of sweat rolled down from his young, robust body, searing Da Qiao's soft, beautiful form... When everything finally subsided, she remained tightly held in the man's embrace, cherished like a priceless treasure.
 
Pressing her face against his chest, she silently shed tears.
 
These were tears of happiness, but they also carried a hint of guilt.
 
"I miss my mother a little. I wonder how she is doing..."
 
"I also miss my little sister, Manman. Only recently have I begun to understand... when she told me back then that she wanted to marry the Marquis of Wei, she must have been lying to me. I wonder how she is faring now..."
 
Bi Zhi remained silent, tightening his embrace around his wife.