8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Xiao Shu
Ipace the length of my chamber, before turning on my heel and starting back the way I came.
I notice that the floorboards are remarkably well polished and wonder if someone just did that recently or if the servants have been keeping them clean this whole time.
Who would clean an empty house? I’m going to have to bring this up with my steward when I get back home.
I had no idea I had so many servants maintaining this house in the Imperial City. I’d sell this house if it wasn’t expected of me to keep a residence near the Imperial Palace and attend court when I can. I much prefer the solitude of my home nestled in the mountains far to the north.
As I turn, I catch sight of Fanqing subtly stretching her neck.
She’s sitting on the edge of my bed; it’s all rolled out with red implying something that is not going to happen tonight.
Not tonight or any night. I already swept all the nuts off the sheets because they were grossing me out imagining them touching where I sleep.
Now they’re kicked to the side, near the foot of the bed.
It’s no wonder that her neck is sore, I’m aghast by the sheer number of hairpins in her hair, all adorned with hanging jewels and pearls hanging around her ears. Not to mention the headpiece that looks as though it was made of solid gold. My neck hurts just looking at that.
I wonder why she hasn’t started removing the headpiece and hairpins now that we are in the solitude of our room, but as I glance around, I realize that there is no mirror in here. This room is set up according to my specifications. There is no ornamentation or even a mirror.
It’s very obvious that no woman has stepped foot in here in many years. I’ve barely set foot in here.
She would likely appreciate a bronze mirror and a vanity and whatever else it is that young ladies enjoy. I scratch that idea from my mind. No, I’d probably best let her pick out what she wants. I wouldn’t want to offend her by picking out a piece of furniture that she finds hideous.
I stride over to the low table in the center of the table and pick up one of the wine glasses. I pour some wine into the glass and take a swig. It’s supposed to be for the wine sharing ceremony where we cross cups.
But I hardly think such a thing is really necessary since our marriage is nothing more than a ceremony and a contract paper that we both signed.
Once I’ve downed the glass, I pour another cupful and step over to Fanqing.
She blinks up at me as I hold it out to her. It’s been a long day for us both. I’m exhausted so I can only imagine that she is as well.
“When you get a chance, write to my steward detailing what changes you wish to have made to our Xiao mansion. I will make certain he receives it and makes those necessary changes before we arrive there.”
Fanqing accepts the glass and takes a sip while shielding it with her hand. Once she has drunk, she passes the glass back to me. “You say that as if we are not immediately setting out for Beizhou.”
I rub my thumb against the rim of the cup as I sit down next to her. “That’s because we are not. The emperor has already assigned me a case. We will set out once we return to your home, so we have three days. You can make arrangements and say your farewells in that time, I’m sure.”
“I see,” Fanqing replies softly, her eyes are downcast. I glance down at her hands folded on her lap and note that her knuckles are white from the tension.
I have no idea how it is for her to be ripped so suddenly away from her life and her family.
Here she is after such a stressful day, forced to move in with a stranger and rely on his kindness.
At least at the end of the day, even though this isn’t my preferred house, this is my house and I feel a certain level of comfort in its familiarity.
I know that in a few days I will be back on the road again doing exactly what I know.
But Fanqing does not have those comforts.
And here I am, her nominal husband, sitting next to her on a bed on a wedding night. What if she thinks I have changed my mind about the contract and that I have designs on her?
I quickly climb to my feet. I move so fast that Fanqing looks up startled. I hide a cough behind my hand. “If that’s all, I’m actually going to be going to sleep.” I gesture vaguely to the other end of the room where a sofa for reading is set up. “I will sleep over there. Goodnight.”
I hurry to the other side of the room without waiting for her response and quickly climb onto the sofa.
I realize a second later that I’m still fully dressed, but then I decide that’s for the best. It still feels wrong to be in a state of undress around Fanqing, even if she is my wife.
I fold my hands over my chest, admiring the embroidery work on the sleeves of my wedding garb.
I hear rustling coming from the other side of the room and dare a peek.
Fanqing is currently grimacing as she struggles to remove the harpins from her hair.
She places them on the low table. As I move, I feel my own hair clasp dig into my head, but somehow having my hair down seems a bit too intimate.
I wonder if I should help Fanqing or if that’s overstepping the agreement we signed. After all, the contract that binds our marriage did say that we would give each other space.
Fanqing winces and she pulls another hairpin out, it appears to be the last one and her hair tumbles down around her back and shoulders in thick, dark glistening lengths, it almost reminds me of the sea at night.
I blink once, trying to figure out where that thought came from when Fanqing begins undoing the belt around her waist. I feel my eyes widen and quickly whip my head around and press my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.
Still, even with my eyes closed I can hear the rustle of clothes as she begins removing layers of her robes.
I feel my eyebrows furrow in my focus of wishing myself unconscious, which probably destroys the illusion of sleep.
Does this woman have no sense of propriety?
Finally, there is blessed silence. I nestle in further onto the sofa, ready to try to get at least a little sleep when suddenly her voice cuts through my mind. “Are you still awake?”
My eyes pop open and I find myself glancing over at her over the top of the sofa. Fanqing is wearing a silk red hanfu that is much thinner and clings to her form a lot more than the many layers of her wedding garb did.
She is sitting on the bed, with her knees pulled up to her chest. I spot the outer layers of her robe hanging off the rack near the bed.
“Hmmf,” is all I say in response to her question as I turn back around and tighten my arms around myself. It’s noticeably more chilly on this side of the room away from the heater.
“I feel bad about making you sleep on the couch. This is your house after all.”
I tilt my head to look at Fanqing. Is she going to suggest that I sleep on the bed and she sleep on the couch? In just her thin layer she will freeze far sooner than I.
She pats the bed next to her, and I feel my eyebrow rise. “This is a spacious bed. I suppose there is room for the both of us on it.”
I sit up with a start but then pause when I think that probably makes me look eager. I rest my hands on my knees and eye her as I try to weigh my options and how likely I am to get sick from sleeping in this drafty part of the room.
I blow out a frustrated sigh. “I hardly think that’s appropriate.”
Fanqing rolls her eyes at that. “I’m not suggesting anything nefarious, just that we share the bed.
That way you don’t have to be uncomfortable.
Besides, if we are to keep to the clause in the contract that portrays us as a loving couple I assume we won’t have separate rooms in the future.
We might as well get used to sleeping together since we will be roommates for life. ”
I pull my lower lip between my teeth as I wonder why I insisted on that part of the contract. I was just worried about giving anyone something to ridicule me about, and to avoid the appearance of being a man who not even his wife would love… even if I am exactly that.
And now I’m trapped with having a roommate for the rest of my life? I did not think this through. A little ridicule is suddenly seeming the lesser of two evils, at least I can fight back against someone mocking me. How can I fight back against Fanqing’s good intentions?
Fanqing lifts the blanket, crawling underneath. She pauses, watching me. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Although Ehuang has mentioned that I snore, so you have been warned.”
And just like that she rolls over and settles in to sleep, not waiting to see if I take her up on her offer.
I swallow hard as I consider my options. She is right, if we are to be perceived as a loving couple like the contract demands then we will need to continue to share a room even when I reach my Xiao Mansion in Beizhou. It would hardly do for me to spend every night on the couch.
I get up and pad over to the bed, frowning as I study the flat surface.
Fanqing has taken the far side of the bed so at least I won’t have to climb over her to get in.
I sit down on the edge of the bed and begin to hesitantly pull my legs up onto it.
My eyes are locked on Fanqing’s back. I can only think of how I might accidentally brush against it in my sleep. Or maybe she will roll over into me.
I reach up, grabbing the pillow laid out for me and shove it into the space in the center of the bed. “I’ll put a pillow here,” I say with a nod. “That way we will each have a clear boundary of what side of the bed is ours.”
“Whatever makes you more comfortable, My Lord,” she mumbles into her own pillow.
I lie down, pulling the blankets over me. It feels strange having my head rest directly on the bed, but I’ve slept in worse conditions on the road it will hardly affect my quality of sleep. At least that’s what I think until the soft snores start next to me.