One Quiet Night

Night fell again.

The dogs in Wading Village barked twice, then fell silent.

Only the occasional croaking of frogs in the distant fields broke the stillness, making the night seem even quieter.

Inside, the oil lamp was still burning, its wick crowned by a bright red flame.

Su Li sat cross-legged on the bedding, looking at the empty space beside him. Sena's bedroll had been there before, but now all that remained was a bare wooden floor.

The door creaked open a crack.

Sena came in, hugging herself. She wore that slightly sheer homespun nightdress, and her hair was still damp, probably because she had just washed it. A faint, fresh scent of soapwort clung to her.

She didn't look at Su Li. Head bowed, she shuffled her bare feet against the floor, as if picking a fight with it.

"Um..." Sena's voice was very quiet, trembling a little with guilt. "My blanket... it's still hanging outside to dry."

Su Li raised an eyebrow.

Her excuses were getting more and more half-hearted. The blanket was thick, but it was midsummer, and it had been out in the sun all day. It was probably dry enough to start a fire with by now.

But he didn't call her out.

Sometimes, being too clever wasn't a good thing. Especially at a time like this. A little well-timed ignorance was a blessing.

"So what should we do?" Su Li asked, despite knowing the answer. "Want me to find you a coat?"

"N-no, that's okay." Sena hurriedly waved her hands, her cheeks flushed and especially alluring in the lamplight. "A coat wouldn't be comfortable to sleep under. It'd scratch."

She lifted her head and darted a glance at the wool blanket beneath Su Li.

The meaning in her eyes couldn't have been clearer.

Su Li sighed inwardly.

This girl was outright stealing from him.

He shifted over and lifted one corner of the blanket. "Well... we can make do?"

Sena's eyes lit up at once.

She didn't say a word. In just a few quick steps, she was over beside him, and she slid right into his bed without the slightest hesitation.

A wave of warmth washed over him.

It was the distinct warmth of a young woman, mingled with the dampness of a fresh bath, like a soft, steaming bun straight from the oven.

The bedding on the floor wasn't wide to begin with.

Even lying as close to the edges as they could, their arms inevitably brushed.

Su Li felt the place where they touched catch fire.

He was a perfectly normal man.

Though he usually wore the dead-eyed look of someone who had seen through the world, his body was still only twenty years old. He was at his physical peak.

With a grown woman lying beside him, who could possibly hold out?

Su Li rolled over, turning his back to Sena.

"Go to sleep," he said. "We've got work tomorrow."

There was no response behind him.

After a while, a soft finger poked him in the back.

"Brother Su."

"Hmm?"

"The floor... is a little hard," Sena complained softly. "It's digging into me."

Su Li opened his eyes helplessly.

She wasn't wrong.

Even with a layer of straw matting, this lousy wooden floor was only marginally better than sleeping on stone.

It had been fine when he slept alone, but with the two of them squeezed together, nothing felt comfortable.

"What should we do, then?" Su Li asked. "Want to go back to your bed? I'll give you the blanket."

"No." Sena rejected the idea without hesitation. "I want to sleep under this one."

Silence fell for a while.

Then Sena spoke again, her voice tentative this time, with a touch of reckless courage.

"Why don't... we sleep in the bed?"

Su Li stiffened.

"The bed... is pretty big," Sena continued, her voice growing quieter. "There's room for both of us. And... and it's soft."

Su Li sat up.

He looked at Sena. She had buried most of her face in the blanket, leaving only her eyes visible. Her lashes fluttered as if she were awaiting judgment.

Something in Su Li's defenses cracked.

Why was he being so fussy?

The girl had made it this clear. If he kept turning her down, he wouldn't be a gentleman; he'd be a eunuch.

Besides, after living together for two years, didn't he know what she was like?

She might not be stunning enough to bring a kingdom to its knees, but in every other way—her kindness, her knack for making a home—she was the sort of woman you'd need a lantern to find.

In a miserable place like this, having someone so considerate and caring was a gift from heaven.

"All right."

Su Li nodded, threw off the blanket, and got to his feet.

He bent down and lifted Sena, blanket and all.

Sena gave a startled cry, instinctively winding both arms around his neck.

She was light as a feather, yet her proper weight rested solidly against his chest.

This girl had certainly eaten well over the past two years.

Su Li set her down on the old wooden bed.

The bed gave a faint creak, sounding especially suggestive in the quiet night.

"Move in a little." Su Li patted her bottom.

Like an obedient kitten, Sena rolled farther in and pressed herself tightly against the wall.

Su Li lay down on the outside.

The bed was certainly more comfortable than the floor bedding. The straw mattress beneath him was soft and carried the scent of sunshine.

There was about a fist's width between them.

The distance was neither too far nor too intimate. But the faint warmth passing between them made his heart itch even more than a direct embrace would have.

"Brother Su."

"What is it now?"

"Today... let me tell you a story for a change." Sena turned onto her side and looked at Su Li's profile.

"You know how to tell stories?" Su Li laughed. "What'll it be? Old Buck's Blacksmithing Tales?"

"Of course not." Sena huffed. "I thought of a new one."

"All right. Go ahead. I'm listening."

Sena cleared her throat.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl from the countryside. She wasn't pretty. Her face was covered in pockmarks, and she had no special talents. All day long, she did nothing but work around the stove or pump the bellows for her short-tempered father."

Su Li said nothing. The beginning sounded familiar.

"One day, the girl found a treasure at the entrance to her village." Sena's voice softened. "It was a man. A very handsome man, like someone who'd stepped out of a painting. He was dressed in rags and half-starved, but to the girl, he was the most handsome man in the world."

"The man stayed. He didn't mind that the girl was ugly, or that her family was poor. He taught her to read and told her stories about the outside world. He was especially strong when he worked at the forge, and especially refined when he ate."

"The girl wondered, 'Could this be a dream? How did someone so wonderful end up with me?'"

"Then..."

Sena fell silent.

"Then what?" Su Li asked.

"Then the girl thought, who cares if it's a dream? He's here now, so he's hers." Sena's voice took on a stubborn edge. "No one else can take him away. Even if she wakes up one day, that's a problem for later. She'll treasure every day she has with him right now."

After she finished, Sena pulled the blanket over her head.

"Go to sleep."

Her muffled voice came from beneath the covers.

Su Li looked at the mound beneath the blanket, his heart a tangle of emotions.

That silly girl.

This wasn't a story. She was baring her heart to him.

He reached out and gently patted the mound through the blanket.

"Go to sleep."

The oil lamp went out.

Darkness filled the room.

Su Li closed his eyes and listened to the wind outside. He thought that would be all there was to tonight: telling stories, chatting, and then sleeping peacefully until morning.

But he was wrong.

In the middle of the night.

Su Li was half asleep when he felt the warm shape beside him move.

A corner of the blanket lifted.