Chapter 17: Bodhisattva Barbarian (Part 5)
Xu He Xue had long forgotten what sweet cakes tasted like.
The preferences and habits of his human life had faded from his memory after nearly a hundred years in Youdu. But some things were linked to memories he had barely managed to retain.
Like this sweet cake, connected to his brother and sister-in-law.
It radiated warmth against his palm, making him realize how cold his hand was, as cold as ice and snow.
The sky outside was still dim. The lowered bamboo blind made the carriage even darker. Xu He Xue vaguely saw the young woman beside him, her cheek resting on her hand, take a bite of the sweet cake.
He lowered his eyelashes and looked at the cake in his own hand.
Tentatively, he took a bite.
What did sweetness taste like?
He had forgotten.
But it certainly wasn’t this dry, tasteless, waxy sensation in his mouth.
It seemed to have no flavor at all.
“The brown sugar filling is still warm. Be careful not to burn yourself,” Ni Su said, biting through the golden, crispy crust and reaching the sweet syrup inside. “It’s really sweet.”
Xu He Xue couldn’t see the syrup clearly, only a dark red blob inside the white pastry. Hearing her say it was sweet, he looked up at her.
“Is it good?” Ni Su asked, meeting his gaze.
“It’s good,” he replied.
Ni Su ate a few more bites, then drifted back into a hazy sleep as the carriage swayed. She didn’t even notice when they arrived at the Grand Commandant’s residence.
The air no longer smelled of blood and dampness. She dreamt she was in a clean, comfortable room, much like her home in Que County.
“Such a haughty Chaofeng Lang! You’re our only scholar, and you act so superior!”
Ni Su, half-asleep, heard voices, then a sharp, female voice startled her awake.
Behind a light green curtain, she could vaguely see a plump woman pulling away from a tall, thin man.
“Chun Xu, keep your voice down. You’ll wake the young lady inside,” the man, still in his green official robes, said cautiously, his voice slightly pleading. “The Ministry of Justice is currently organizing criminal records from all over the country. As a Sishi, I can’t just leave…”
“Not even for half a day? Do you not know what kind of place the Yin Ye Si is? If you had asked for help sooner, she wouldn’t be in this state!”
“Chun Xu, the medic said her injuries are from the beating, just flesh wounds. You don’t understand the Yin Ye Si’s methods. If she were truly guilty, she would have been tortured much worse, or not come out at all. But Director Han clearly didn’t torture her. After all, she’s innocent.” The man patted the woman’s shoulder tentatively. “The Yin Ye Si doesn’t torture people indiscriminately. Director Han is a fair man. We brought her out, didn’t we? Don’t be angry…”
The woman was about to retort when she heard a cough from behind the curtain. She immediately pushed the man away and entered the room.
The young woman on the bed looked pale and weak, her eyes unfocused.
Seeing her dry lips, the young woman called out, “Yu Wen, bring some water.”
The maidservant, Yu Wen, immediately brought a cup of warm water and carefully helped Ni Su sit up to drink.
Ni Su’s throat felt better. She looked at the plump, beautiful woman sitting on a stool. “Are you Sister Cai?”
“Indeed. I am Cai Chun Xu.” She helped Ni Su lie back down, placing a soft cushion under her head. “You’re injured. Don’t move.”
She gestured to the gentle-looking young man behind her. “This is my husband, Miao Yi Yang.”
“Miss Ni, I apologize for arriving late,” the Grand Commandant’s second son said softly, standing beside his wife like a timid cat.
“It’s my own fault,” Ni Su shook her head. “If I hadn’t gotten into trouble, I wouldn’t have burdened you.”
“Don’t say that. Your grandfather saved my family. If you’re all so reluctant to ask for help, how will my family ever repay our debt?” Cai Chun Xu wiped the sweat from Ni Su’s forehead with a handkerchief. “Now that you’re out of that dreadful place, rest and recover here. If you need anything, just tell me.”
“Thank you, Sister Cai,” Ni Su said softly.
Cai Chun Xu was about to say something else when Miao Yi Yang nudged her. She turned and glared at him, then reluctantly stood up. “Do you have a childhood name, Sister?”
“My family calls me A-Xi,” Ni Su replied.
“Sister A-Xi, I’ll leave Yu Wen here to attend to you. I have some matters to attend to, but I’ll come back later.” Cai Chun Xu left the room.
“Rest well, Miss Ni,” Miao Yi Yang said, quickly following his wife.
Seeing Ni Su’s puzzled look as Miao Yi Yang hurried out, Yu Wen chuckled. “Don’t mind him, Miss. He’s rushing to have my mistress critique his poetry!”
“Critique his poetry?” Ni Su was surprised.
“You see, my mistress’s father was Second Young Master’s teacher. But Second Young Master lacks the talent for writing elegant essays and poems. It’s thanks to the Emperor’s consideration for Grand Commandant Miao’s military achievements that Second Young Master, despite being only a Juren, was granted an official position through imperial grace.”
Although a Sishi in the Ministry of Justice was only an eighth-rank position, the Emperor had also granted Miao Yi Yang the honorary title of Chaofeng Lang, a sixth-rank title.
“The court is full of Jinshi officials. Those scholars are arrogant and look down on those like Second Young Master who entered officialdom through other means. Naturally, they face ostracism and often have to attend poetry gatherings. But he’s not very good at it. Fortunately, my mistress is well-read and often helps him.”
“I see,” Ni Su said, resting her chin on the soft pillow.
“Miss, if you’re in pain, rest for a while. I’ll wake you for lunch when it arrives,” Yu Wen said with a smile, lowering the bed curtains and leaving the room.
The sun shone through the window, its light dappling the floor. The scent of incense filled the room. Through the gauze curtains, Ni Su saw a faint, mist-like figure standing by the window.
He stood quietly, as if observing something.
Ni Su didn’t speak, merely closing her eyes.
After eating some plain porridge for lunch, Ni Su developed a high fever in the afternoon. Cai Chun Xu had Yu Wen call for a medic again. In her feverish dreams, Ni Su was force-fed bitter medicine, her tongue numb, her mind hazy.
Yu Wen changed Ni Su’s damp cloths several times during the night, finally falling asleep at her desk, exhausted.
Ni Su’s mind wandered in her fever. The candle in the room hadn’t been lit by her. Xu He Xue’s world was dark. He could only follow the sound of her delirious murmurs, slowly making his way to her bedside.
She called out for her brother, then for her mother.
Xu He Xue reached out to touch her forehead, but his blindness made him misjudge the distance, his fingers brushing against her soft cheek.
A tear rolled down her cheek, landing on his finger.
His finger twitched, and he quickly withdrew his hand.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his robes like frost beneath his cloak, his long eyelashes half-covering his lifeless eyes. After a while, he reached out again, this time correctly finding the damp cloth on her forehead.
It wasn’t very wet anymore.
Ni Su felt like she was burning in a furnace. In her dream, her brother, still a young boy, told her the story of a monkey who gained fiery golden eyes after being thrown into an alchemist’s furnace.
Suddenly, the world turned upside down, and she looked up to see branches covered in snow, snowflakes falling on her head.
The chilling cold startled her awake.
A single candle burned in the room.
She stared at the young man sitting beside her bed, realizing that the snow in her dream was his hand on her forehead.
“Xu Zi Ling,” she whispered, her throat dry and scratchy.
“Mmm?” he replied, hearing her faint voice.
Sensing her trying to sit up, Xu He Xue pressed his hand against her forehead. “Don’t.”
She wanted to get up and light the candles.
He knew.
“But what about you?” Ni Su asked, struggling to open her eyes in the dim light.
“I can wait.” Xu He Xue’s lifeless eyes were cold and desolate.
“Then…” Ni Su’s eyelids felt heavy. “Just wait a little while. When I feel better, I’ll ask someone to buy you many candles…”
“Alright.” Xu He Xue looked up, the candlelight illuminating his shoulders and back. His figure, beneath the cloak, was thin and straight.
He kept his hand on Ni Su’s forehead, sitting motionless throughout the night until dawn.
As soon as daylight broke, Ni Su’s fever subsided.
Cai Chun Xu arrived with the medic, and Ni Su was force-fed another dose of bitter medicine in her sleep. She finally woke up near noon.
Yu Wen brought a bowl of porridge and a small dish of diced brown sugar. “I don’t know how much you like, Miss. If the medicine is too bitter, add some brown sugar.”
As Yu Wen was about to leave, Ni Su said, “Could you please buy me some incense and candles?”
Incense and candles?
Although puzzled, Yu Wen nodded. “We have those in the residence, Miss. I’ll fetch some for you.”
Ni Su thanked her, and Yu Wen, waving her hand dismissively, left the room.
Silence returned.
Ni Su leaned against the pillows, looked towards the light green curtain, and called softly, “Xu Zi Ling?”
A faint mist drifted in from beyond the curtain, gradually forming the tall figure of a man. A pale hand lifted the curtain, and a pair of clear eyes looked at her.
Ni Su’s gaze was fixed on his hand.
She remembered the snow falling on her head in her dream, dispelling the burning heat.
“Come here,” Ni Su said, her voice stronger now. She picked up a small piece of brown sugar from the celadon dish. “Let’s eat sugar together.”
Leave a Reply