Realizing what she had just done, Xie Miao’er was so embarrassed she wished she could disappear on the spot.
Lu Huaihai wasn’t much better off.
Having practiced swordsmanship for more than half an hour that evening, his whole body was already taut, and after this unexpected incident, his muscles stiffened even further.
He uneasily pinched the fleshy webbing between his thumb and index finger, trying to relax himself.
But then he thought, no matter what, she was now his concubine. He… was her husband. Her name, of course, was his to call.
So, adding fuel to the fire, he called again, “Xie Miao.”
Xie Miao’er mumbled a response, not caring whether he pronounced the diminutive “-er” clearly or not. Whatever—he could call her however he liked!
She turned her head to the side, adopting an attitude of resigned indifference.
Seeing her embarrassment, Lu Huaihai’s awkward tension strangely disappeared.
After all, Xie Miao’er was still a reserved young Mistress. Feeling somewhat ill at ease, she rubbed the cracked shell of an eyebrow pencil case in her palm and said to Lu Huaihai, “It’s late, Lu Gongzi. You should rest.”
Tomorrow morning, she had to get up early to thank the Old Madam Lu for saving her life.
The night breeze, slightly cool, slipped in through the long lattice windows.
Lu Huaihai turned his head and looked out into the bottomless darkness beyond. “I don’t like that title,” he said.
With his long arms, he reached out and shut the window with a solid “thud.”
Turning his face slightly, Lu Huaihai unintentionally allowed Xie Miao’er a clearer view of his features.
His eyebrows arched sharply, the tails of his brows angled sharply upward. His entire face carried a fierce, upward-tilted sharpness that mirrored his straightforward and bold personality. However, the shape of his eyes leaned toward roundness, their brightness so striking that it seemed to emit a faint chill even in the night.
After practicing swordsmanship all evening, his body radiated heat. Despite washing up, the sweat that had newly formed had dampened his hairline. Loose strands of hair that had been slightly askew were now plastered against his forehead, revealing an unexpected detail that Xie Miao’er couldn’t help but notice.
This General Lu, who would later gain a fearsome reputation, causing pirates to scatter in all directions at the mere mention of his name…
Actually had a faint and almost imperceptible widow’s peak1 along his hairline.
Pretending not to notice, she glanced at him a couple more times before walking over to his side and leaving the window he had just closed slightly ajar.
Xie Miao’er said, “Shaoye2, I’m not so delicate that I’ll catch a chill that easily. Besides, the bed already has curtains installed.”
He practiced martial arts every day and was in the prime of his youth, brimming with energy. Unless it was to keep her from catching cold, there was no need to close the window so tightly.
But with his personality, he would never admit that was his reason for closing the window.
The gentle night breeze, carrying the unique, humid freshness of a summer evening, seeped in through the gap in the window, brushing away the sweat on Lu Huaihai’s forehead.
He raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “What did you just call me?”
Xie Miao’er blinked. “Shaoye.”
A title only slightly better than “Gongzi.” Lu Huaihai neither confirmed nor denied his opinion on it.
The two of them didn’t say much after that.
Xie Miao’er took off her house slippers, sat on the edge of the bed, and carefully pulled down the new bed curtains bit by bit.
With the curtains in place, she finally dared to strip down to just her inner garments before going to bed.
Hearing the faint rustling of fabric from the bed, Lu Huaihai naturally understood that she was undressing. For some reason, it made him feel a bit tormented.
Was she clumsy with her hands and feet? Why was she still rustling around after all this time?
On the bed, Xie Miao’er was frowning, struggling with the knots on her clothing. Just as she was about to tie a dead knot by accident, she managed to undo it, barely avoiding disaster.
Miss Xie, who was accustomed to being waited on hand and foot, let out a long sigh of relief.
When her movements finally quieted, Lu Huaihai inexplicably let out a breath of relief as well.
He closed his eyes, intending to sleep, but the words from her inexplicable sleep-talking last night suddenly popped back into his mind.
“Lu Huaihai, wuwuwu, you’re not allowed to die!”
His senses sharpened. Would she start talking in her sleep again tonight?
Finally, Lu Huaihai couldn’t hold back and asked her, “Did you dream last night?”
Xie Miao’er, who hadn’t even closed her eyes yet because she couldn’t fall asleep, was playing with her fingers. Hearing his question, she exclaimed in surprise, “How did you know?”
As expected, Lu Huaihai began to feel an itch in his gums again. He continued to ask, “What did you dream about?”
Not only did she dream, but she dreamed about how he died.
Such a thing, of course, Xie Miao’er dared not admit. She covered her mouth and thought for a moment before answering, “It’s nothing. I couldn’t remember clearly after waking up.”
She turned the tables and asked Lu Huaihai, “How did you know I had a dream last night?”
Lu Huaihai replied irritably, “You were talking in your sleep. It was loud.”
So it was her who had woken him up. Feeling guilty, Xie Miao’er apologized, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Still feeling guilty, but also a little curious, she couldn’t resist asking, “What did I say in my sleep?”
Lu Huaihai had already closed his eyes again. He replied perfunctorily, “You called my name. That’s all.”
He left out half the truth.
His instincts told him her sleep-talking wasn’t that simple.
Xie Miao’er, however, didn’t know this. She thought to herself, So that’s it. No wonder he asked for my name today.
She felt embarrassed about talking in her sleep in front of him and tried to defend herself a little, hoping to salvage her precarious image.
“Yesterday… yesterday I was too tired, thinking too much and dreaming too much, that’s why I talked in my sleep. I usually don’t move around in my sleep or talk in my sleep. I’ve always been very well-behaved. Tonight, I’m sure I won’t wake you. I have very good sleeping habits…”
Her words came out scattered and fragmented, soothing and drowsy. As Lu Huaihai listened, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier until they finally closed completely.
When she heard no response from him, Xie Miao’er lifted the corner of the bed curtain and poked her head out to check on him.
Seeing that he had already closed his eyes and fallen into a deep sleep, she carefully pulled her head back, afraid of waking him.
He practiced martial arts all day; he must be exhausted, she thought.
Gradually, her breathing slowed as she drifted off to sleep.
—
The next morning.
The two of them woke up almost at the same time.
Men’s clothing was simpler in design, so Lu Huaihai quickly got dressed. He didn’t forget to grab the bronze mirror stand, turning in front of the mirror a couple of times to check if his attire was in any way improper.
It was drizzling outside today, accompanied by a light wind.
The faint breeze wasn’t strong enough to ruffle people’s hair, but it quietly lifted one side of the bed curtain.
On the bed, Xie Miao’er was in the middle of putting on her top. For convenience, she had swept her satin-like long hair over her right shoulder. With her head bowed, she was tying the sash around her waist.
Her collar was still loose, and her white, jade-like left shoulder was reflected in the mirror.
It was like a scoop of moonlight scattered into the mortal world, so radiant it seemed almost unreal.
At first, Lu Huaihai didn’t register what that patch of white in the mirror was. By the time he came to his senses, the lifted bed curtain had already fallen back down, and the mischievous wind had slipped away.
It left him almost doubting whether he had imagined it all.
Taking several deep breaths, he covered the mirror stand again with its cloth. Then, with a near-furious motion, he closed the window shutters firmly before turning and leaving the room.
Xie Miao’er paid no attention to the noise he made. After dressing, she called for Yue Chuang to come help her with her hair.
Yue Chuang asked, “Madam, why are you up so early today?”
“Is it early?” Xie Miao’er touched the hair at her temples and said, “He got up early too.”
From the courtyard, the sound of a sword slicing through the air came right on schedule. Xie Miao’er perked her ears, listening with some emotion.
Later generations would all say that General Lu was extraordinarily gifted, yet they didn’t know that behind his meteoric rise lay countless days of relentless practice.
Xie Miao’er said, “Make it sturdy this time.”
Not like the hairstyle she had done herself yesterday, which tilted sideways after just a few steps.
Yue Chuang laughed and said, “Don’t worry, Madam. The little sisters under me all have their hair styled by me.”
Relieved, Xie Miao’er watched as Yue Chuang nimble fingers worked through her hair, tying it into a tiaoxin bun.
She was very satisfied and admired herself in the mirror for a long time.
So this is the hairstyle commonly worn by women in Yongchao? Xie Miao’er stared at the mirror for quite a while, feeling somewhat incredulous.
Once she had finished admiring her reflection, she finally stepped out of the bedroom.
Lu Huaihai was practicing his horse stance.
His lower body was exceptionally steady, as if he were a green pine tree deeply rooted in the earth.
He distractedly asked her, “Why are you up so early?”
Xie Miao’er smiled and replied, “I should have gone to thank the Old Madam yesterday, but I went too late. So I woke up earlier today.”
She was someone the Old Madam had saved. Lu Huaihai was aware of this, and as he stood up, he nodded and said, “Come with me.”
Xie Miao’er was slightly surprised.
Lu Huaihai seemed distant even when it came to defending his mother, so she had assumed he wasn’t close to his family at all.
As though he could read her thoughts, Lu Huaihai said, “Grandmother treats me very well. Back when I was in Yansui, she wasn’t ill yet.”
Suddenly, Xie Miao’er could guess why this Old Madam Lu had fallen into madness.
In the ninth year of Changping, the Old Madam Lu’s eldest son, Lu Shengwen, passed away.
In the seventeenth year of Changping, the Old Madam’s second son, Lu Dingfeng, also passed away, and her husband, Lu Zhenmou, was gravely injured.
In the twentieth year of Changping, Lu Zhenmou succumbed to his chronic illness and passed away.
The more Xie Miao’er thought about it, the more she felt an unbearable weight in her chest.
Her fingers, hidden within her sleeves, unconsciously twisted the fabric of her cuffs for a long time. After a prolonged silence, she finally said, “Alright, let’s go together.”
The two walked side by side.
Lu Huaihai’s expression was calm, appearing neither sorrowful nor joyful.
His face looked no different than usual, but Xie Miao’er couldn’t shake the feeling that he was grieving.
She gently tugged on Lu Huaihai’s sleeve and started a conversation: “Shaoye, what kind of person is the Old Madam? I’m worried I might offend her.”
Lu Huaihai glanced down, and she immediately let go of his sleeve.
Was she trying to comfort him?
Lu Huaihai couldn’t quite describe what he felt, so he glanced at Xie Miao’er again.
Today, she had styled her hair in a high bun, just barely reaching his shoulder. Her brows were delicately painted, resembling the beauties depicted in traditional court paintings.
He wasn’t feeling particularly sad, so he replied, “You won’t. She’ll like you.”
It was hard for a junior to judge an elder, but everyone in the Lu family knew that before her illness, the Old Madam had a spirited and lively personality. She neither accepted old age nor carried herself with the airs of a matriarch.
She adored delicate, porcelain-like young girls. Even after falling ill, that preference hadn’t changed—otherwise, she wouldn’t have saved Xie Miao’er, a complete stranger, that day despite the complications it brought.
With his tall frame and long legs, Lu Huaihai’s strides were naturally wide, so Xie Miao’er had to take three steps to keep up with his two. Immersed in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice that Xie Miao’er, struggling to match his pace, was nearly out of breath.
Fortunately, the Lu family estate wasn’t too large, and the two soon arrived at the main courtyard.
When Mo Qing, the Old Madam’s personal maid, saw Lu Huaihai and the concubine the Old Madam had taken in walking in together, her eyes widened in surprise.
How rare, she thought. They’re already appearing as a pair after just two days?
However, having served the Old Madam for many years, Mo Qing was a composed and steady individual.
She addressed the two of them, “Young Master, Madam, please wait inside. The Old Madam has just woken up.”
—
Footnote:
- Widow’s peak(美人尖 meiren jian) is literally translated as “beauty’s peak” and refers to the V-shaped point of hair at the hairline, commonly known as a widow’s peak in English.
- Shaoye(小少爷) is a slightly more intimate term for a young master, often with a hint of playfulness or familiarity.