Mu Rong An stood in silence for a time, drinking in the appearance of the person in front of her. ‘He’ was wearing deep blue male clothes, his sword’s scabbard a glaring thing on his thigh, hair held in a high ponytail. His face was quite easy on the eye, an androgynous one with phoenix eyes.

The smile, behind Mu Rong An’s veil, stretched a little. What to do? Just the person’s face was enough to annoy her. Ah, she really couldn’t like them. Those special transmigrated women. Just couldn’t. And it seemed to be something of a first sight. When others liked, at first sight, she, this supposed to be villainess, was annoyed at first sight. Must be in her constitution.

Truth be told, Mu Rong An didn’t like thinking that much that her life was something just a fiction of a book, so she wouldn’t really dwell on it, more so that her fate changed thus inevitably there would be other changes; no reason then, to really consider that she could predict the future.

However, whether she liked it or not, there were times when some details would just pop into her head without her conscious of it. And seeing this person already here, in this particular market already, meant that she had already met with Ru Shan Yong some few days before. Well, well, this wife really wanted to know if the meeting had been the same as per the original timeline. Had this beautiful girl rushed to save people from bandits like she was supposed to and then the general who was taking his horse for a ride to divert his melancholic thinking actually came in to see what the ruckus was about? He was supposed to take notice of her then, recognizing easily that she was a woman, a bit intrigued by her fearlessness which reminded him so much of Li Ming Qi.

If nothing major changed, then the problem these borders had and the reason why the general came here –well, after the fact that he was fleeing from his heartache- was the supposed rebellion forming here. The surrounding dissatisfied villages a little farther from here added to that there were also some others villages, a mix between this country’s and Fen country’s inhabitants suffering the hardships of continuous bad harvest. Others were trying to lure people into a revolt and it was expanding. With the army’s arrival, the situation had been quite stable but peace hadn't returned completely. It was just relatively safe until the moment it would explode later. As of this moment, there were just isolated cases of kidnapping and robbery nothing to do with the invasion of the Fen country that was to come later. And it was in one of those isolated troublesome cases that Ru Shan Yong and Feng Xi met.

This Feng Xi was someone transmigrated for a long time, way longer than Li Ming Qi. Li Ming Qi transmigrated for less than three years while Feng Xi was here since the body she was in was but a child. However, the one in front of Mu Rong An was someone between eighteen to twenty. A free-spirited person who was quite nomadic never knowing to stay put in one place. She was a restless kind of person who didn’t like staying idle and since she wasn’t particularly attracted to a specific place and had a nomadic thread in her, she was must of the time roaming around the country, living day after day.

“Enough you say?” the general’s wife asked quite pleasantly with a bit of laughter in her voice which hid well her rather growing annoyance. She just couldn’t help the feeling.

Feng Xi glanced at the shaking boy behind her back; although she herself condemned his act of thievery, she couldn't let him be bullied any more than what he had already been. Obviously, he had learned his lesson.

“I can pay you.” she proposed hoping that things would end with just some coins given. There was quite the heartache in her heart though, at the thought of giving away her small remaining pieces.

But where had she seen Mu Rong An asking for money?

“He didn’t take anything, did he?” remarked the lady in front of her.

“Then what do you want?” she asked quite warily, as the boy gripped her cloth from the back, himself scared of whatever the lady in front of him would ask. Really had he known that little delicacies would bring him in such a conundrum he would have left them alone, for today at least. Why was this miss so unyielding when he didn't even get to touch them!

What did she want? Ah, Mu Rong An too, wanted to ask this question to herself. She had gone head to head with Li Min Qin and lost, would she try once again with this child of destiny too?

She wondered fleetingly what Ru Shang Yon actually thought of that valiant woman he had met days ago. But then again, she didn’t dwell too much on that for he had said ‘I am now an informed person’ when she threatened to act against any woman he would take fancy off. If he dared bring that woman in the manor or anywhere actually, he better have already killed her first otherwise, God helps both for there would be no way for her to remain calm.

One step at a time anyway she reminded herself, coming back to the present situation, glancing at the boy hiding behind the blue cloth cross-dresser.

“Apologizes.” she voiced.

It didn’t sound outrageous. Feng Xi just pursed her lips and turned to the boy. He shared a glance with her before turning towards the lady in front of him. He stepped aside a little, his hand still firmly holding Feng Xi’s cloth, he bowed slightly and said seemingly sincerely,

“I apologize for offending you.” He said in a small, meek tone completely different from the one he was barking at her with previously.

“And?”

“And insulting you.”

Still feeling her burning gaze on him, he hurriedly added, “You’re not ugly! Not fat!”

Mu Rong An glared a bit. It wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear... but that would do. Feng Xi patted the boy’s head to let him know that it was alright now and that he did well.

Mu Rong An took the small bag containing the three delicacies in the servant’s hand by her side and threw it in the boy’s direction which he easily caught. His eyes sparkled and he was full of thanks now, his voice way louder than the previous apologies. She could almost say that his thanks were sincere.

Looking at the two persons close to each other still, Mu Rong An found her mouth saying,

“You are not too ugly to look at. How do you feel about being portrayed by me?”

He was cute, this wasn't false at all and the worse part of it being that he knew he was cute. Something he usually takes full advantages of. However, at this very moment not only was he dirty but even his clothes were filthy that she addressed him such a proposition had little to do with his appearance and much with her testing waters to see if she could bend some things to her liking.

Not only the little boy was dumbfounded but Feng Xi too.

“If you could curb your stealing tendencies, of course." she added, "Feel free to come and drop by the general’s manor, the pay will be gracious.”

She didn’t wait for his reply and left them, her servants following behind. She left, never paying attention, never seeing the slight frown that etched on Feng Xi’s visage at. In her memory was still the fresh impression of a man who saved her and two others who had called him ‘general’.

This little boy, Yan Mi, was one who grew up practically alone. Having quite a bit of a sad past but a will of steel, he lived his life day after day having little attaches. Distrustful at heart he would even try to steal from this savior of his some few hours after. The person was just too kind which was simply too weird to be genuine he had thought. For the moment, Mu Rong An was just wondering if she tried coaxing him and luring him with money, meal and a roof over his head, how would this change actually affect Feng Xi?

She would try to see if there could be this small win before she would think of a hypothetical affair of her husband and the way to respond to it.

It was a good thing, she thought once inside her carriage, that she was finished with what she had to buy for there was no more joy left in her from the fact of going out today as there had once been.

***

To come back in the manor, there was a need for two other carriages to help take back everything she had paid for. Once home, she was quite pleased with herself to have bought that many. The courtyard would certainly look more welcoming with them and less ... less desolate. Since the sun was setting already, she gave some orders concerning those tapestries and other things before hurrying her steps...

To be honest, Mu Rong An had thought when going that upon coming back, this dear general would have already left. Yet he was still here she realized as she saw his horse and the animal neighed in her direction when she stopped to observe it a bit.

It was a proud one this horse which wouldn’t let many people mount it. Only Feng Xi had been able or was supposed to be able anyway. Such an honor, Mu Rong An obviously wanted nothing of it. Rather than ride it, if she could get to have it attached to her carriage would be far preferable. But that too, wasn’t something she dwelled on, for, she knew, having experienced it enough, this annoying animal liked running way too much at full speed. She could almost feel the ghost of long ago bruises on her thigh and hands due to this animal making her horse, which was attached to it, run too much.

However, she was still ready to recognize that this quadruped was quite a beautiful one and if only for its majestic, she was willing to get on its good side with, of course, the idea of drawing it. She had, after all, purchased painting tools to while away her time, a pity that she didn’t find zither, qin, guqin or other musical instruments. She would have appreciated some sonority in this monotonous manor.

When she entered the living room, the general was sat there with two of his men inside. One was mixing things in a bowl by his left side. Something which resembled a medical concoction and had the smell of it, perfuming the whole room with herbs’scent. The other was kneeling in front of the general with one foot awaiting orders. The moment her foot passed the door, the general who was still engrossed in reading his paper folded it, placing it by his side before dismissing the kneeling man.

She took off her veil while giving orders for a bath to be drawn for her and dismissed the other servant by her side to take place not far from the sitting general. Ru Shan Yong lifted his head to look at her, taking in the new clothes -way more comfortable- she changed into but said nothing.

The remaining man lifted his head from the concoction now ready and offered it to the general with a bowing head. It was dark and didn’t look appetizing at all; Mu Rong An wondered a bit if this person who had a sweet tongue would really digest it, she had a faint memory of bitter medicine that she wouldn’t like tasting again and if only just for that she was putting attention to always be healthy. Nonetheless, as he gulped the whole thing in one go, there was no change in his expression at all.

The man was still preparing another bowl again and Mu Rong An couldn't quite resist asking,

“Are you injured?” There didn’t seem to be any wound on him last night or this morning either when he was practicing with his sword, so she added, “or sick?”. It must be pretty serious if it needed two doses of whatever it was that he was drinking so courageously.

“You need not bother with it.”

And he took the second bowl in his hand.

Well, they could be civil but there wouldn’t be enough trust to spit out what ailed him? It would have been strange if there any form of trust, to begin with, anyway.

She smiled, looking on as he swallowed the bitter medicine hoping under her smile that it was the bitterest!

She got up and left in silence when the servant signaled her bath ready.

It was a hot one for a change. One like she didn’t have in many months! She just soaked in there with petals on the water, scent added to the water and the servant girls taking care of her hair.

So comfortable was she that she closed her eyes. After a long time in the bath, she felt refreshed.

***

When she got out of the bath, he was in her bedroom or maybe it should be said that she was in his bedroom for technically the courtyard was his and the one the first servant had said to be hers was the smaller one that she had disdained. And disdained still.

He was sitting with folded legs and closed eyes. His hair was undone. She wondered a bit what exactly this ... -was it training?-was about. Eying him by the corner of the eye, she opened her oil bottle and smeared the lotion on her hands. It wasn’t that they were hurting she just wanted them to be smooth again.

And since she didn't eat the whole morning, despite the time, she ordered for food to be brought directly in the bedroom; enough for the two of them. Hearing the order, he didn't cancel it and she wondered if he really was hungry or was just going to ignore her.

Light meals were quickly brought in to Mu Rong An's delight. Ah, those days when she had to struggle were really behind her. However, the other person in the room was still sat in his position, eyes still firmly closed.

And not responding when she talked.

She was even willing to serve him, though, wasn't she kind? Yet he was still in his own world apparently.

They were supposed to civil to one another, weren't they? But she wondered what exactly it meant being civil between husband and wife?

Not caring about the food, for now, she got up to sat near him; close to one corner of the room. Despite feeling her close, he ignored her still. She approached again but was still ignored. Now wasn’t he just asking to be toyed with? She kneeled directly in front of him with quite zero space yet he ignored her still. Did he think that by not acknowledging her she would grow bored and go away?

She leaned on him, one hand on his chest to support her, the other on the floor, a delightful smile on her face when he didn’t react at all. Now she wanted to do something villainous! She dived in and took possession of his lips only to… immediately backed away.

Bwah!

Even his lips were so terribly bitter from the medicine still she really had no intention of knowing how his tongue tasted. However, as she had backed away, his closed eyes had immediately opened and one hand had caught the hand that was on her chest as she tried to jerk away and she fell on his torso. He lifted her chin with two fingers and their lips crashed again, his tongue forcing his way into her mouth. As though to incommode her at maximum, his tongue caressed hers incessantly living no corner of her mouth undone.

Oh so terribly bitter! He was enjoying it she bet!

When he freed her she instantaneously put some distance between her, not missing the mirth in his eyes before she went to fetch herself a glass of water near the plates that she drank in one go. To think that this was just some remaining taste, she really couldn’t imagine how it must have been to drink two full bowls of that!

Well, she would leave him with his peace, she was hungry anyway.

She was halfway to finish her plate that he approached and helped himself to it. They ate in silence. Eating and talking shouldn’t be mingled, not that his men cared about that saying for they had been so chatty on the road but for once she felt like breaking it herself,

“You never talk.” She pointed out.

"..."

"Isn't it a bit boring and awkward otherwise?"

“…I have nothing to say.”

“I find that hard to believe. Maybe you just never had anyone listening to you.”

“…”

“I’ll listen.”

But it really didn’t feel like he was willing to.

***

The repairs and redecoration that she had ordered to be done were just for one courtyard, the one she was living in. She wasn’t going to care about the other courtyard for now when she wasn’t even sure when would be the next time she would have that much money in her possession to buy things. And anyway, it seemed that this second courtyard was where the general preferred doing his things in private for the time that he was in the manor.

Since he was here still, his horse also. Even though she liked drawing landscapes, living things weren’t too much for her but this particular living one was quite capricious, unwilling to stay put. She tried bribing the horse with food, a servant holding the fruit in a particular direction that she wanted so she could form the outlines of her drawing. The annoying thing would chump on it in mere seconds before turning around presenting her its butt. Whatever was the angle, the result was the same. As though it knew it was being drawn and was quite unwilling!

Its master too was quite unwilling to be touched.

Crudely stated, Mu Rong An had been trying to take advantages of him. A bit. Well, mostly kissing him. He was so unyielding, barely talking as though if they interacted too much there would be a friendship or a relationship that shouldn’t be there. Did he think that becoming close to her was betraying his dear friends back in the capital? Well, far too late great general, they had already been closed, and more than just close. Twice or technically thrice. There was no way he could undo what had been done. And there was no way she was going to live with a human being and be ignored.

In the beginning, the bitterness, for she was always kissing him in his weird position of closed eyes -that was the only time he was approachable-, was really putting her off, but after a couple of days, she could actually withstand it. More precisely she would make sure to eat sweet things before going for a kiss.

“You!” he exclaimed this night when she didn’t back off like usual but was, contrarily persevering with her tongue caresses. As she was being held back, Mu Rong An could swear that there was a faint blush on his face. Obviously, he was making his best effort to let that acre taste in his mouth yet she was still on him. Everyday.

“What?” she purred innocently.

He tasted good to kiss, she couldn’t help it.

“Didn’t you propose a truce?”

Oh, so no talking was still in respect of the truce then.

“We’re husband and wife,” she said as though it explained anything.

Well, after that he actually started evading her when she came near him by this time of the day when he was doing whatever it was that he was doing with eyes closed. It was half funny half frustrating, to see him, eyes closed, with just a movement of his head dodged her.

It was a bit strange that she was the one trying to take advantage of him when he was the man between them. Did that mean that she was more shameless than him? That wouldn’t be surprising.

***

A curious person, he was though, still sleeping in the same bed with her. Well, the only good one, there was no other comfortable bed in the courtyard. Not that he couldn’t buy a better one or withgo the comfort if he had really wanted. He wasn’t, she understood, going out his way to avoid her.

She had tried asking him a few more times what ailed him. Since it wasn’t something that happened originally she had no idea what was wrong with him and it seemed, he didn’t feel like talking about it with her. At all. However, feeling quite unable to sleep and him being the only person she could bother, she unashamedly did just that.

“Say, what did you- what do you like in her, really?” She was talking about Li Ming Qi for there certainly couldn’t have been enough interactions between him and Feng Xi to have amorous feelings developing so fast.

She heard a sharp intake of breath by her side and wondered a little what the feelings behind it were.

“I can start talking first.” She generously offered. “I hated her… don’t like her still but it’s not hate anymore.”

She let the information float in the air a bit, wondering if she should specify what exactly she hated on the woman. There were so many things, one night certainly couldn’t be enough to talk about them all.

“Are they different for you?” his calm voice interrupted her thinking.

They were abed; he was sleeping on his left side while she was lying on her back. The only thing she could see if she turned her head would be his own back. She wanted though, for this conversation to be able to look at his eyes. Mirror of the soul they were supposed to be.

“Hating and not liking? But they are!” she chuckled. “You can trust me now, I won’t try touching her. Doesn’t mean I won’t be ignoring her existence, however.”

“…”

“She took what I believe was my reason to live, did you expect me to really smile and say help yourself?”

“…” He shifted and the bed and finally turned to lie on his back too, his face looking at the roof, “The second prince never recognize it.” He finally said, quite ready to properly discuss it, it seemed.

Ah, such a shallow engagement it had been.

“He never did” she acknowledged, “yet he wouldn’t say it though. Wouldn’t it have been better to go ahead to properly clear it before I turn eighteen?”

“Would it have change something?”

“… Maybe… maybe not. He never tried though; just didn’t talk, only to say something when it was too late and feelings have been developed.”

“…”

The bed sunk a bit as she shifted to lie on her side, then choose to sit,

“You’re quite a patient person”, she remarked two parts annoyed three parts amused, “here your wife is talking about another yet you can easily ignore it. Is it that you’re this formidable, or-” She straddled him then and he let her, his irises locking in hers “or that I don’t count to you?”

“…”

There was the faint glow from the candles that were shyly lighting the room, irradiating her face.

He said nothing and it wasn’t like she could understand this strange person so she did as she wanted, bent down, uncaringly searching for his lips with hers.

He evaded and she was feeling a bit exasperated now.

“Do you hate it? Or must you hate it?” she asked. Both hands going to his face, touching his warm cheeks willing he could stay put for what she wanted to do. “Whatever it is that’s happening in your head, your wife is me. And I like kissing you! You... what do you like?”

She said so much yet he wouldn’t open his mouth still. Fine!

“Close your eyes. If it helps just imagine that it’s the woman you love!”

There was in his eyes a sharp glint of… something, she didn’t know what. Quite easily he had her on her back, his grip rough on her hand. She was a little astonished by his sudden movement, which had effectively shut her though. She wondered what he had in his mind but he just staid like that above her. It was certainly, more of a reflex than anything and he was now seemingly wondering a bit what exactly he would be doing with her… a headache of a woman she was.

“Being rough is fine too” she encouraged daringly, one of her hips suggestively going to his back, mirth back in her eyes again.

His appearance under the candles light was appealing. His unbound hair was falling on her, his eyes wild and fiery had a glint of anger in them.

Ah, this one, this person was hers. Officially hers, no way was she going to let go.

“I want you,” she whispered, the need gleaming in her eyes.

She couldn’t help it, she quite liked his calm temper that would go incense by her, she found that touching him was also something she wanted to most of the time.

The raw emotion that she didn’t bother to hide caused whatever questionings were happening in his mind to be temporarily quelled as he gave in. He was kissing her then. She gasped, a sharp intake of air, her breathing mingling with his, tongues dancing in frenzy.

His kiss was different, softer in contrast to his rougher grip. He had her trapped completely between himself and the bed, her hands locked above her. When they parted to breathe, she struggled managed to free her right arm and grabbed onto his clothing, her body curving forward, breasts into his chest. She sighed into his returning lips.

He basculed their positions again and with just a movement of his hand, extinguished their candles

She laughed which quickly turned into moans. Then he was slowing again, hesitating... which very much was frustrating her.

“You can call her name you know, if it helps you, I don’t mind!”

How truthful this sentence was, she herself didn’t know. Her brain wasn’t functioning correctly for the time being and certainly didn't want him to withdraw from what they were doing as he already was about to do.

His response came in a growl and he was kissing her again, almost punishing her.

They laid there in the aftermath, him still in her, breath shaking against her, forehead and nose touching, right hands intertwined in one another.

“I am leaving tomorrow” he confided then.

Since she didn’t know the extent of his injury or whatever ailed him she really didn’t know if he was better or not, he must be though if he was leaving.

“A pity” she whispered in his mouth, “Now won’t it be boring in this residence when you’d be gone?”

“…” He said nothing to being blandly considered a distraction and she wondered a bit if he was offended or not.

“Am I a prisoner?” she asked then “or can I go out as I want?”

“Isn’t it truce?” he asked.

“I like truce” she smiled then kissing him again.

And somehow it started another round.

***

The next morning, she was up early to actually see him go, feeling a tad disappointed when seeing the horse that she didn’t get to finish the painting of being gone. When she could see his silhouette and those of his men no longer, she returned to her bed, snuggling under the covers, searching for his fast disappearing heat.

A thought came to her mind suddenly. Wouldn’t it be good, to have a child to occupy her days? If they didn’t get one now, then next time she should try her harder. It couldn’t be that hard for after all just the first time was supposed to get him a child with Feng Xi.

She slept with that idea and when she woke up some hours later, a servant announced to her the arrival of the boy she invited some days ago.

Yan Mi.

He actually really came. She wasn’t sure he would, she wondered a bit if it could be considered some kind of victory.