As Li Yu Rong woke, the first thing he became aware of was a splitting headache that tore through his brain. The next notice was the heaviness of his limbs as he tried raising a hand to rub at his temples.

He, Li Yu Rong, was not one to have tender feelings for the weak. If you were weak, you would die; it was that plain and simple. However, even if he did not ally himself as a hero of justice, there were things that one could not -in good conscience- overlook.

So, even though his body was suffering greatly under the aftereffects of his actions, he did not regret.

"..."

Coming into a better awareness of the state of his body after he woke further, recalling that he had left Lu Se Ying, his brows furrowed in confusion. He was, though aching and stiff, well rested. Though there was pain radiating from one part to another, the energies in his body had gone back to their tentative coexistence.

Li Yu Rong had left quickly after his burst of anger. Not only did he not want to succumb to his condition in front of Commander Jiang and his soldiers with the mild trust between them, he wanted An Ying to see it even less. With his weakened body he would not be able to stop An Ying should the man lose control.

Therefore, he left without a word, acting as if he were no worse for the wear.

The Palace of the Four Gates was filled with spirit energy. Returning to replenish the amounts he tossed about in a fit of anger, his only choice had been to handle stabilizing the fluctuations on his own.

This was something that could not be managed in a single day, so... Li Yu Rong could not understand how his body had recovered its balance so quickly. A single night and he was merely suffering the aftereffects of disturbing the harmony between the dual energies contained within his body.

Thoughts shifting to the night before, he tried to recall the prior events leading to this moment. By the time he finally entered the territory encompassed by the Palace of Four Gates his mind was growing delirious under the strain of keeping the vital energy in his body from rampaging. Li Yu Rong recalled that as he got to his room, his knees gave out as he began choking on the bile and blood that suddenly trapped itself in his throat.

There had been warmth and her worried gaze.

Forcing himself to sit, Li Yu Rong looked about his room lit brightly by the early morning sun. The muscles tensed in anticipation relaxed upon finding her curled up on the floor near his bed. The wolves he gifted were beside her, one acting as a pillow and the other as warmth.

A feeling of dissatisfaction rose in his chest the longer his eyes trailed over the trio and the satisfied smile that pulled her lips.

Though his limbs were stiff and his body ached something fierce, Li Yu Rong stood from the bed. Taking Aysa into his arms carefully, he shot the two wolves a look that clearly said, "scram!" Seeing that clear demand the two quickly fled.

Li Yu Rong settled them together, comfortably, in his bed. Laying on his side his eyes trailed over the curves of her nose, her lips, her chin, taking in the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and then finally landing on her left hand that lay lightly curled between them.

Reaching out, his fingers brushed across the mark he left on her from the second to the last finger of her hand down to her wrist. The mark that bound her to him. The mark he would one day get her knowingly acknowledge.

As he thought back to the night before, he realized she had been waiting for him in his room, as for how else could she have appeared so quickly at his side after his sudden return. Affection filled his chest at the realization and thoughts that she may have been missing him rose up.

This uncontrollable urge to hug her to his chest appeared.

If he didn't fear to wake her, he would have quenched it. Instead, he tried to satisfy the urge by drawing his fingers down her cheek, taking in her softness and warmth. Those fingers of his, although they itched to touch more, froze as they descended down her chin.

Her eyes snapped open as her brows drew down in confusion. Li Yu Rong propped his head in his hand as he watched Asya and waited for her to slowly realize where she was, waited for her nose to scrunch in anger and for her to spout out those incomprehensible words of hers. Her blue eyes would glow passionately and in those moments he couldn't help but find her to be absolutely endearing.

This time, however, as she jumped up and opened her mouth to shout the words died in her throat. Instead, she looked over his body with her eyes and said with a voice drenched in concern, "Okay now, you are?"

His fingers trembled and itched, Li Yu Rong wanted to drag her into his arms again but bit down the desire. Ah, he thought with a deep shuttering breath, her broken words and terrible accent was absolutely adorable!

Unable to refrain himself completely, he patted her head and then ran his fingers through her soft red hair. Suddenly remembering her words, he nodded to her question.

She seemed to think something over and her clear blue eyes then held a small measure of mistrust. Scooting closer to him, she pressed her forehead against his and held it a moment. Li Yu Rong felt his breath hitch as hers fanned across his face.

He held perfectly still. His heart seemed to have jumped to his throat, and he tried to swallow it back down without much luck.

Aysa then moved her cheek to his cheek. Her heat invaded his body, her hair tailed and tickled his neck pleasantly, and her breath warmed his ear. As she drew back and said a few words, he heard none of them as his mind was solely focused on hemming back the rising want her sudden closeness brought about.

Seeing her concern as she reached out to touch his cheek undid everything he tried to hold back. Taking the hand that had reached for him and the one that held steady her body as she leaned forward, he flipped Asya on her back, straddled her waist and held her arms above her head.

Leaning forward, his breath now fanning her face, he brushed his lips lightly against hers. Jolted by the contact he brushed them again with a bit of pressure and just as he was going to encourage her to open her mouth for him...

"Master?"

At some point in time, Hui Se Ying appeared in the room. Pulling back from the warmth of her body, Li Yu Rong slanted his subordinate a vicious glare for the interruption. "What?" He bit out harshly.

"A Eunuch from the palace has come bearing an imperial summons."

Feeling the stiffening form of the girl beneath him, Li Yu Rong began to calm his anger. Perhaps it was better that he had been interrupted. While he held her dear, he was not yet dear to her. He knew that for her, at the moment, he was the one giving her shelter while she recovered enough to stand on her own. He did not know what brought her to this town, but he was quite certain that once she was able to stand on her own, she would try to go back.

Before this time could come about Li Yu Rong was determined to change her mind about that.

Shifting himself from her waist and sliding from the bed, he fixed his robes and left the room with Hui Se Ying trailing behind him.

He would give her time to calm down and then come back later to ask forgiveness for his lapse in control. "Take the Eunuch to the easternmost courtyard to wait." Even though he realized that the interruption had been for the best, it didn't mean he wasn't going to make someone suffer for it.

"But master, isn't that-"

"Isn't it what?"

Hearing that tone that dared him to continue, Hui Se Ying bit back his words. "Nothing, it will be as you command, master." Never mind, as long as it wasn't him suffering his master's wrath, who cared about others.