by Jeannie Lin
“You don’t need to worry about him, Lady Mingyu.”
Mingyu wanted to protest that she didn’t need protection from Kaifeng, but instinct told her Xi Lun would not appreciate being contradicted.
From the very first moment she’d seen the inspector, something about Xi Lun unnerved her. Even more so than her first meeting with Wu Kaifeng. Wu was impossible not to notice with his imposing height and the sharpness of his features. In addition to his appearance, she had also been stricken by Wu’s perceptiveness. His black eyes saw everything. He saw her in a way that others didn’t.
Where Wu Kaifeng was forthright with his intentions, Xi Lun was more elusive.
“The constable is merely a servant,” she said dismissively. “Let’s not waste our time speaking of insignificant things.”
The rest of the evening passed by without note while Mingyu made an effort not to encourage the inspector. They finished their tea and then she lured him into a game of weiqi to pass the time. Pondering where to place the white-and-black stones on the board saved her from having to engage in conversation, save for the occasional compliment when he made a clever move.
“You’ve defeated me, Inspector,” she declared after they counted up the pieces.
“Only by ten stones.”
She could see the glow of triumph in his eyes as Xi let the white pieces drop back into the bamboo cup, one after the other. The hour was late enough that she could politely disengage and send him off. Mingyu intended to do exactly that as she returned the game board to the cabinet. As she shut the door, his strong arms closed around her.
Xi Lun wasn’t rough, but the embrace became insistent when she tried to slip away. Before she could push the inspector away, his mouth came crushing down on her.
Mingyu gasped, pulse pounding and her muscles tense as she tried to escape. Xi Lun gripped the back of her neck to hold her still while he took his kiss.
Madame Sun and the other girls were downstairs. She could cry for help, but Xi Lun was influential enough that with merely a word from him, they would all find themselves apologizing on their knees for speaking ill of him. The easiest thing to do was accept, but she wasn’t the same girl who had been sent passively to General Deng’s bed the first time.
Bracing her hands against his shoulders, Mingyu gave him a hard shove. It wasn’t enough to break his hold on her, but at least it broke the kiss. “Did you think your gift was enough to purchase me, Inspector?”
At first Xi Lun stared at her, startled. Then his expression hardened and Mingyu held her breath. Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to remain composed.
“That was certainly not my intention.” His jaw remained rigid and she sensed anger pulsing within him.
A courtesan could scold, tease, argue. She could even use tears if the need arose. Her arsenal was filled with every woman’s weapon that existed, but the one thing she could not do was cause a man to lose face. Certainly not a man who was powerful enough to destroy her.
“I must apologize, then, Inspector Xi. How could I be so mistaken?”
Mingyu let her words express embarrassment while her tone maintained a cool detachment. The inspector was too intelligent to be fooled by a sudden display of subservience.
“It is I who should apologize,” he replied stiffly. “I have thought of this moment for so long that I forget we are only newly acquainted.”
“Mere strangers,” she emphasized.
“I would hope a little less now, after tonight.”
After he’d grabbed her and forced his intentions on her? Mingyu forced a smile, but she could feel it was thin, very thin on her lips. Sometimes she didn’t care to pretend.
Rather than releasing her, Xi Lun took hold of her hand. He ran his thumb along her wrist, touching the bracelet he’d bestowed upon her.
“I should have known you wouldn’t be like any other woman. You require patience. Courtship.”
“Farewell, Inspector.” She slipped her hand from his grasp as well as the rest of her, not caring if the movement wasn’t particularly graceful.
“Until we meet again, Mingyu.”
Xi Lun took his leave with a bow. The moment he was gone, Mingyu tugged the bracelet from her wrist and flung the jade into the pillows. His final touch remained etched onto her skin, exacting and overly familiar, as if he already owned her. If that was what Xi Lun truly wanted, there was nothing she could do about it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE EARTHY SMELL of the herbal shop surrounded Mingyu with the combined scents of dried ginseng and ginger, mushrooms and longan berries. A medicine cabinet spanned the entire back wall, lining it with row upon row of tiny drawers fashioned of dark rosewood.
The apothecary was a gaunt man with a slight hunch to his shoulders. He approached the counter and Mingyu handed him two slips of paper which he squinted over before glancing up at her.
“Are you trying to have a child or prevent one, Miss? These two remedies contradict one another, one hot, one cold.”
“These are for two different women,” she replied evenly. The memory of Xi Lun’s unwanted embrace clung to her.
“Be careful to keep them separate.”
He laid out a square of paper onto the counter and began rifling through drawers, not pausing to read the labels on them. Mingyu watched as he scooped out a mixture of herbs, powders, roots. Then he laid out another square and continued the process with a new combination of drawers. There must be a thousand secret remedies contained in those compartments, she thought.
“Boil each for at least half an hour. More like soup than like tea,” the apothecary instructed as he folded in the edges of each paper and tied it off. He marked the fertility concoction with a character. “Drink the entire bowl. Once a day. Every day.”
“How long before your medicine takes effect?”
The apothecary made a clucking noise of disapproval. “Patience, young miss. This remedy works bit by bit, a little every day to restore internal balance.”
Mingyu paid for the herbal mixtures and placed both packets into her bag before going out to the street to hail a carriage. It had been a month since she’d made the trip to see her sister. The last time was before General Deng’s death and it felt as if a lifetime had passed since then.
When she reached the front gate of the Bai family mansion, Mingyu dismissed the carriage. A maidservant greeted her and led her to the inner quarters. Yue-ying had served as Mingyu’s attendant at the Lotus Palace until she had caught Lord Bai Huang’s eye. Now her younger sister had servants of her own.
As the maidservant led her through passageways and courtyards, it was evident how Yue-ying had traded freedom for security. The inner quarters were located deep within the house, in the most private area. A proper nobleman’s wife didn’t spend time out in public, visiting teahouses and wine shops.
After her wedding, Yue-ying never returned to the Lotus Palace. Not even for a visit. She wasn’t necessarily forbidden, but such a thing simply wasn’t done. It was much easier for Mingyu to negotiate with Madame Sun for time to come here, though she only managed to do so once a month.
They entered a well-tended garden. A young woman in a dark robe sat reading beneath a pavilion. Wei-wei was Huang’s younger sister, the Bai family’s only daughter and she always managed to be out in the garden, glancing over a scroll or book whenever Mingyu arrived. Either Wei-wei planned it that way or she truly did read all the time.
“Elder Sister, how good to see you!” Wei-wei rose and went to her, book forgotten. “I wrote a poem anticipating your visit.”
Wei-wei held out a scroll, her face glowing with pride. It was the sort of verse a young scholar might compose. Indeed with the dark color of her clothing and her hair pinned back with a wooden pin, Wei-wei dressed more like a scholar than a fashionable young lady.
She was supposedly the most studious of the Bai siblings. According to Yue-ying, Wei-wei had taken over instruction for her younger brother and also had a hand in pushing her elder brother, Huang, to pass the imperial exams.
“I copied down several poems recited at the Lotus Palace,” Mingyu offered in kind. “One is from a noted poet and member of the Hanlin Academy.”
They exchanged scrolls and Wei-wei held hers to her breast dramatically. “I will read every word. Please sit, Elder Sister. I’ll bring Yue-ying.”
Mingyu seated herself at the stone table beneath the pavilion while Wei-wei instructed the maidservant to bring tea. She then disappeared into the private chambers leaving her book lying open on the table. Mingyu glanced over the pages. It was a popular story of a love that was not meant to be. Intriguingly, the heroine of the tale disguised herself as a man in order to study for the imperial exams.
Yue-ying arrived before Mingyu had time to turn the page.
“I’ll leave the two sisters to their visit,” Wei-wei said breezily, collecting her book and retreating into the house.
Yue-ying looked radiant. Her eyes were bright and her skin appeared luminous, almost glowing. Mingyu grabbed hold of her hand excitedly. “Is there happy news?”
Her younger sister made a face. “That’s all anyone wants to know these days. Bai Furen is having me eat quail eggs and pomegranates.”
Yue-ying’s features were distinguished by a red birthmark that curved over her left cheek, framing her face. That unfortunate fate had sent the two of them on different paths, with Yue-ying being relegated to the low-end brothels and Mingyu to the elite Lotus Palace. Yet they’d managed to find each other despite being separated.
“So you have no news?” Mingyu persisted.
Yue-ying gave her a coy smile. “Well, Huang has received an official appointment.”
Mingyu sighed.
“No, there’s no news yet, Sister. But it’s only been a few months.”
“Six months,” Mingyu pointed out.
Truly, six months wasn’t so long to wait for a child, but Mingyu worried for her sister. Yue-ying had married so high above her station. Bearing the Bai family a child, a son, was critical for securing her position as Bai Huang’s wife.
“I brought more medicine for you,” Mingyu continued, producing the packet of herbs from her bag. “Remember to take this twice a day to warm your blood and strengthen your womb. I also heard from a midwife that deer antler ground into a powder is very potent for men. Perhaps I can find some for our next visit.”
Yue-ying stifled a laugh. “You want Huang to drink deer antlers?”
Mingyu regarded her sister. Her hair was pulled up into a chignon in the style of married women, yet she appeared somehow younger. It was her smile. Yue-ying was smiling openly now. Everything about her had changed—the set of her shoulders, the way her eyes danced when she spoke.
Her sister was in love. Yue-ying was happy.
And instead of being happy for her, Mingyu was sounding like one of those bitter old aunties, harping about conception and seeing ill-fortune everywhere.
“What position did Bai Huang receive?” Mingyu asked, easing herself away from talk of childbearing and folk remedies.
“Assistant collator of the left office of the imperial archives.” Yue-ying was out of breath after saying it.
Mingyu frowned while Yue-ying looked on with a tranquil expression.
“Well, that is a very important-sounding position,” Mingyu began, searching for something congratulatory to say.
Yue-ying nodded. “Yes. It’s a very long title.”
Now it was Mingyu’s turn to keep from laughing. “It’s an honorable duty to organize official records and notices, one that I’m certain will be a first step to greater things.”
“You know I have no care for titles,” Yue-ying assured. “But Huang had hoped for a more challenging assignment.”
“One would think the flower prince of the Pingkang li would appreciate any position that wasn’t too taxing.”
Mingyu was only teasing. Lord Bai had proven himself over the past year not only to be more capable, but also more ambitious than everyone had assumed. Given that Bai Huang had passed the palace exams and that his father was a high-ranking official in the imperial bureaucracy, to be given a position as a mere collator was almost an insult. Perhaps he wasn’t able to escape his playboy past.
“What about you?” Yue-ying asked. “I just learned the news of General Deng. I’m so sorry.”
Yue-ying reached for her and Mingyu fought to maintain her composure. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to worry about her.
“You know I felt no love for him,” Mingyu said.
“But he was your protector. And such a violent death! I heard that you were the first to find him after...that you saw him without his—”
“How did you hear any of this?” Her sister was sheltered away in the Bai mansion and should have been spared such details. “Who has been spreading gossip?”
“Not gossip, exactly.” Yue-ying bit down on her lip as she looked toward the main part of the house.
Somehow she immediately knew who was the source of her sister’s discomfort. “Wu Kaifeng.”
“I apologize. I know you don’t care for him.”
“He’s here now?”
Her sister nodded. “Constable Wu came unannounced just a little before you arrived. He wished to speak to Huang.”
Mingyu shouldn’t have been surprised. She had mentioned Bai Huang to the constable and Wu always acted swiftly.
“Don’t let him upset you,” Yue-ying assured. “He wouldn’t dare to say or do anything to you here.”
“He doesn’t upset me.”
How could Mingyu explain that she and Wu Kaifeng had started to confide in one another? Or explain the attraction growing between them? Or the kiss? The kiss that still stole her breath away.
“Constable Wu is much more than one would expect,” Mingyu said and left it at that.
Yue-ying eyed her skeptically, but didn’t press any further. They lingered over tea and spoke of lesser things: Yue-ying was learning how to embroider and Wei-wei was tutoring her on her writing skills. By all accounts, the Bai family was treating her well. Mingyu felt some of the weight lifting from her shoulders.
Bai Huang truly cared for her sister. He had fought for her to become his wife and he’d continue fighting for her.
“I should go now,” Mingyu said with some regret long after the tea had gone cold.
“I won’t see you again for another month,” Yue-ying remarked.
Though it was unspoken, neither Madame Sun nor Bai Furen approved of her spending too much time with her sister. They lived in different worlds now, as it should be.
“Hopefully there will be good news in a month. Tell your husband to work a little harder,” Mingyu said slyly.
Yue-ying rolled her eyes.
They said their farewells in the garden, Mingyu declining Yue-ying’s offer to see her to the gate. By the time she stepped out onto the street, her heart was pounding with anticipation. A tall, dark figure appeared, leading a horse from the stables. He stopped when he saw her.
“Constable Wu,” she greeted.
“Lady Mingyu.”
“How strange it is that we should meet again so unexpectedly,” she said with mock surprise. “There must be fate between us.”
He didn’t smile, but there was a glint in his eye that she might have missed if she hadn’t become accustomed to the subtle changes in his expressions.
“Are you headed ba
ck to our ward?” she asked.
“I am.”
“Then perhaps I should tell the servants not to fetch the carriage,” she suggested, her voice as smooth as silk. “If you’ll permit me to ride with you, it will save them the trouble of the long journey.”
Idly, he raised his hand to lay his palm against the horse’s neck as he regarded her. His fingers were long, his touch confident. For a moment, she feared he might refuse, but the corner of his mouth lifted crookedly. Not quite a smile, but enough.
“I would be happy to be of assistance.”
Mingyu relayed the change of plans to an attendant before returning to Wu. His black eyes followed her each step of the way, making her heart beat faster.
Wu Kaifeng was a difficult man to read. People tended to cower before his cold and forbidding demeanor, but in his case image revealed little about the man inside. She was learning more about him bit by bit and each new meeting was a surprise.
He climbed onto the saddle first before reaching down to help her up behind him. She leaned in close, her arms circling him for balance. Wu Kaifeng was long and lean, his waist narrow. Every part of him was made of taut, wiry muscle. She laid her cheek against his back and listened to the rhythm of his breath from deep within his chest, strong and steady.
“How was your important meeting the other night?” he asked once they were on the road.
Mingyu considered telling him about Xi Lun, but what purpose would it serve?
“It was nothing remarkable,” she said, laying her head back down.
For a long time, Mingyu did nothing and said nothing. With Wu Kaifeng, she didn’t have to be clever or flattering. Mingyu didn’t have to pretend to be anything at all. She just closed her eyes and let the vast city flow by.
When she opened her eyes again, they were nearly back to the walled gate of their ward. The roads between each section were wide and unpaved. Though they passed by the occasional wagon or cart, the main avenues between the wards seemed deserted compared to the packed streets inside the walls.
She had held on to him for nearly an hour without a word between them. Mingyu flattened her hands over his abdomen and felt the ripple of tension that traveled throughout his body. She wasn’t certain why she did it. Maybe she just wanted to know how he felt.
