Xiao Man said calmly, "Really? I thought you were just joking."
There was a hint of resentment and bitterness in her words, which startled Zexiu. He gently turned her around, looked down at her for a while, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to walk on the ground."
Xiao Man didn't say anything. He certainly wouldn't know what it felt like to wake up that morning to an empty bed and a deathly silence in the room, and to wait blankly all morning for him to come back.
Seeing that her eyes were slowly reddening, as if something was slowly gathering and being held back by her, while she was still pretending to be fine, Zexiu felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He gently hugged her, stroked her hair, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thoughtful enough. Because something urgent suddenly came up, I couldn't bear to wake you up."
Xiao Man turned her head away, a little embarrassed: "Okay... well, it's nothing..."
"Well, I finally have some free time today, so I thought I'd make up for it..." As he spoke, he became a little inappropriate, and Xiaoman blushed and grabbed his hand tightly: "Is that all you can think about?!"
He eagerly began to undress her, saying, "Of course, I'm a man."
Xiao Man twisted her body to avoid it, covering her nose tightly: "You stink! You're filthy! Don't touch me!"
Zexiu looked down at himself; the bloodstains, mud, and sweat were still there, making him look truly filthy and smelly. He sighed and had no choice but to release her: "Fine, I'll obey. Wait here for me, and don't run away. Otherwise, if I catch you, you won't be able to get out of bed for three days!"
Xiao Man glared at him fiercely, her face flushed: "Go to hell!"
Zexiu went to the back bathroom to shower. His old cloak, which he had changed out of, was on a chair. Xiaoman picked it up and looked at it. She frowned in disgust; it stank. She didn't know how he could fit into it. She crumpled the clothes into a ball and tossed them into a corner, intending to wash and mend them.
Suddenly, she heard him calling her name loudly from the bathroom: "Xiaoman, bring me some clean clothes."
She had no choice but to take the clothes and hang them on the screen, but then she heard him call out from behind, "The water isn't hot enough, add some hot water."
"Does this person really think he's some kind of young master and she's just a servant?" Xiao Man sneered from behind the screen. "Aren't you a great hero? You can take a bath in ice and snow in winter without any problem, and it's not a big deal if it's not hot enough."
He laughed and cursed, "You brat."
Immediately following the sound of splashing water, Xiaoman felt a wet hand grab her, and in a dizzying moment, she fell into the bathtub with a splash. Like a cat caught in the water, she panicked and splashed around trying to climb out.
Someone hugged her from behind. Skin that felt hotter than water pressed against her, pressing into her clothes. Xiaoman only had time to utter a soft cry, "It's still daytime..." before he dragged her away.
Her clothes floated gently in the bathtub, ripples spreading constantly. They swayed with the water. Unconsciously, she raised her hand and gripped the edge of the wooden tub tightly, as if she were about to fall in. Her long, wet hair was spread across the floor.
They were devouring each other, neither able to gain the upper hand. His stiff stubble scraped against his face, neck, and chest, causing both itchiness and pain, but this sensation was quickly swallowed up by another surge of energy. For a moment, she thought she was going to die, just like that night, cowering and clinging tightly to his neck, as if out of fear or helplessness.
Her lips felt like they'd been bitten; a slight pain tugged at her senses. As the tide receded, she felt someone gently pecking and kissing her wound.
“Beard…” she murmured, cupping his face in her hands, “Shave.”
He must have shaved a few days ago; the new growth wasn't long, but because it was short, it hurt a lot when he shaved. Xiaoman took the dagger and carefully shaved off his pesky beard. His hands were still restless, touching here and pulling there, then suddenly stopping at the dense red marks on her neck and chest, slowly caressing them, and softly asking, "Does it hurt?"
Some were from shaving his beard, some from kissing him, and some from his fingerprints.
Xiao Man shook her head, washed and dried the dagger, and placed it by the edge of the bathtub. When she looked back, her clothes were already floating far away in the water, out of her reach.
"I want to go up," she said with a hint of complaint.
Zexiu laughed and said, "Do you still need to tell me when you go up?"
"But I have no clothes."
"Wearing such ugly clothes is worse than not wearing them at all."
Xiaoman raised her hand to slap him, but he laughed and dodged, then pulled her out of the bath. Xiaoman screamed, clinging tightly to his neck, and cried out, "Are you crazy! Quick, get my clothes!"
If someone throws themselves at him, he will never be polite. He gets into bed wet, puts down the curtains, and goes on another wild and unrestrained affair.
Just as Xiaoman was falling asleep, he seemed to be whispering something in her ear, his words broken and fragmented: "...Don't go out, Kaifeng Prefecture is in chaos lately...Stay home and take care of yourself...I can't be with you...I'll take you horseback riding in the northern desert after I'm done with my work..."
She was so tired that she didn't hear what he said after that, and drifted off to sleep.
The next day, he was gone again.
There was a note on the bedside table. She opened it and saw a line written in a flamboyant hand: "Unable to return for at least two weeks. Take care of yourself and don't go out unnecessarily. Ze Xiu."
He'd finally made some progress; he remembered to leave a note before leaving. Xiao Man smiled, feeling refreshed. She got up and washed up, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Duan Hui, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, said from outside, "Xiao Man, may I come in?"
She hurriedly went to open the door, only to find Duan Hui dressed in men's clothing, smiling at her from the doorway.
"Mr. Xue, have you been very busy lately? I haven't seen you guys in ages." Xiaoman poured him a cup of tea.
Duan Hui said softly, "I have some private matters to attend to. Mr. Xue was worried that you might get bored staying at the mansion, so he asked me to come back and keep you company."
Xiao Man smiled. Once he changed back into men's clothing, she seemed to not know what to say to him. She kept reminding herself that he was a man, not a sissy dressed as a woman.
Although he was dressed as a man, his mannerisms were no different from a woman's. He held the fan she had embroidered and praised it for a long time, discussing the color matching and stitching techniques with her for a while, before suddenly remembering something and saying, "By the way, Xiaoman, aren't you going to do business? You weren't very satisfied with the land you looked at last time. This time, I have an acquaintance in Kaifeng who wants to sell a house in a very good location. They are planning to move to Jiangnan, but because the house is a bit old, they haven't been able to sell it yet. If Xiaoman wants to see it, I can introduce it to you, and the price is negotiable."
Xiao Man's eyes lit up immediately, but she said, "What can we do about the old house? It's not auspicious to open a shop there."
Duan Hui laughed and said, "What's the big deal? We can demolish and rebuild. The main thing is that the location is excellent, right next to the moat, with a lot of people coming and going. If we can negotiate the price down, it's still more cost-effective for you."
Xiao Man nodded: "Okay, let's go take a look."
Duan Hui smiled slightly.
The Scroll of Splendor, Chapter Six: The Fragrance Never Grows Cold (Part Three)
Updated: 2008-10-28 13:47:17 Word Count: 4234
Second update.
He was surprised to run into Rong Yue at the door when he went out.
"Where is Xiaoman going?"
Before she could speak, Duan Hui smiled and said, "Mr. Xue instructed me not to keep Xiao Man bored and told me to take her out to play."
Rong Yue hesitated before nodding. He didn't recall Mr. Xue having said anything like that. However, Duan Hui was always Mr. Xue's confidant, and his words were usually truthful. So he added a reminder: "Outside... well, it's rather chaotic. Be careful and come back early."
Duan Hui helped Xiao Man onto the horse and said softly, "Don't worry."
Spring is indeed a pleasant season. The willows along the moat have already drooped their long branches, swaying in the wind. On the road, you can often see young girls dressed in spring clothes, out for a stroll and enjoy the scenery. Their long sleeves are like butterfly wings, very graceful.
Xiaoman rode on horseback for a while, and seeing Duanhui leading the horse ahead, she felt a little guilty and said softly, "Duanhui, I'd better dismount and walk with you."
He was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Okay, Xiaoman can do whatever she likes."
She dismounted and walked alongside him on the street, occasionally asking about the property. Duanhui simply smiled and replied that she would know once she saw it.
After walking for a while, she suddenly stopped in front of a door. Xiaoman looked around and saw that the place was indeed bustling with people and faced the moat. The location was excellent, and she immediately liked it. She just hoped that she could negotiate a lower price.
Duan Hui knocked twice on the door, and after a while a servant came to open it. There was a spacious courtyard in front of the door, and the old two-story house was indeed dilapidated. However, there seemed to be no sign of anyone living there.
As Xiaoman was looking around, she suddenly heard Duanhui ask, "What does Xiaoman think?"
She nodded: "It's alright, but we should tear down this high wall. It blocks the light. I think five hundred taels of gold should be enough; anything higher wouldn't be worth it."
Duan Hui said in a low voice, "I'm afraid even if you have the money, you can't buy it. You'll have to exchange it for something else."
Xiao Man didn't hear clearly and turned around, asking, "What?"
Duan Hui smiled slightly and said softly, "No, I mean, Xiao Man. I've finally caught you."
She was startled and couldn't react for a moment. She saw him take out a handkerchief and wave it gently in front of her. A strong, sweet fragrance wafted over her, and her mind went blank. She involuntarily went limp.
Xiaoman never doubted Duanhui, or rather, she never even had the thought of "doubt" while at Mr. Xue's residence.
She knew that Zexiu's family was not simple, at least not as simple as he and Mr. Xue had said. Therefore, she was even less likely to suspect the people around Mr. Xue, especially since that person was Duan Hui.
Suddenly, she remembered Zexiu saying that Kaifeng Prefecture had been in chaos lately. He warned against going out unnecessarily, and that Mr. Xue's residence was strangely deserted. Although she found it odd, she hadn't thought much of it. Now she probably understood; they had been up to something… causing Zexiu and the others to think they were there to cause trouble, thus diverting their attention. In reality, their target was still her.
She wondered whether they intended to chop her up or cut her into pieces, or perhaps it was because of her identity—Guo Yusheng's granddaughter.
Xiao Man slowly opened her eyes, not yet reacting. Before her were worn-out roof beams, the room was dark, with only a few flickering candlelight dancing on the table, and no sound.
She felt hot and stuffy, her head was buzzing as if a thousand bees were swarming around her, and she felt so uncomfortable that she wanted to peel off a layer of her skin.
A figure appeared beside the bed. It was a young man with his hair tied back, revealing a smooth, full forehead. He had delicate features and eyes like cold stars in the dark night. He held the candlestick, looked down at her, and whispered, "You're awake."
Xiao Man felt he was very familiar; his voice and appearance were familiar. But perhaps the drug was still in effect, and she couldn't remember who he was for a moment.
He brought over a basin of hot water, wrung out a towel, and wiped the sweat from her face, then her neck and shoulders—Xiao Man suddenly realized that she was naked and lying on the bed.
This realization jolted her awake; she sat up abruptly, grabbed the blanket, and covered her private parts.
"Don't be afraid, I've done this countless times along the way." The boy's voice was smiling and very gentle.
Xiao Man's face turned pale. What?! What did he do?!
Looking at him closely, she suddenly exclaimed, "You're Duan Hui?! How come you..." He looks different now... more like a man? In her memory, Duan Hui's jaw was very soft, so he could play a woman perfectly, but this boy's jaw was sharp and cold, as if it had been carved by a knife and axe.
Duan Hui said calmly, "It is quite different. In order to disguise myself as a woman, I have to do some work on my face."
He took out some flesh-colored stuff from the leather pouch at his waist, touched and pinched it on his chin for a while, and then looked up. Sure enough, the graceful Duan Hui had returned.
Xiaoman felt like fainting: "You...you're from Tiansha Shifang...Mr. Xue didn't even know that..."
“The Stargazing Family isn’t capable of everything.” He smiled faintly, and seeing her nervousness and shyness, trembling slightly, he added, “You don’t need to be afraid. If you were a man, forced to dress as a woman for several years, having to speak, act, and even think like a woman, you would have no interest in women at all. I was just wiping your sweat, I didn’t do anything else.”
Xiao Man let out a long breath, relaxed slightly, and took the handkerchief from his hand: "I can do it myself."
Strange, the weather isn't that hot, so why is she sweating so much? Is it unbearably hot?
"Be careful not to catch a cold. This is the aftereffect of the sleeping potion. To bring you to Hangzhou without leaving a trace, I kept you unconscious for more than ten days. You might feel a little uncomfortable now, but you'll be fine soon." Hangzhou?! She was shocked again and turned to stare at him.
Duan Hui remained as gentle and composed as ever: "My husband is waiting for you at Xiangbuleng in Hangzhou."
What kind of weird place is Xiangbuleng...? Xiaoman was full of questions.
She was grabbed again, like a ball, one person grabbing her while another snatched her.
Should I cry? No, forget it. It's not worth crying until I lose my voice. Besides, I'm tired.
Should she cause trouble? Forget it, she'll probably get knocked unconscious before she even gets a chance to make a scene, and she doesn't know any kung fu at all.
Should she be upset? No, she didn't have the energy to be upset; she'd already been captured. What could she do about such a clever scam? She'd just have to accept it.
Duan Hui handed her a cup of tea, which she drank in one gulp, as she was very thirsty. She then asked, "Where are we now?"
"A farmhouse five miles outside of Hangzhou city."
Xiao Man nodded and handed the teacup back to him: "Give me the clothes. I don't like being naked."