Impossible

The meat slices, stir-fried over a wood fire, were plated with the smoky savor of the wok. Lu Mingxi sat perfectly straight, watching with such longing that she could not resist reaching out to pinch his cheek. It was soft and tender, wonderful to the touch.

"Looking at it so desperately-have I been depriving you of meat?"

He shook his head. "Brother Li is a good cook."

Su Yuhe let go. "That he is."

The meat they had bought at the market last time had lasted only a few days. After that, they had been eating cured meat and sausages. Tasty as they were, eating too much of them grew tiresome.

Li Yun brought the dishes to the table, ladled some water into the wok, and sat down. He picked up some meat slices for Lu Mingxi. "What would you like to eat tomorrow? I'll make it for you."

Su Yuhe picked up some for Lu Mingyi and Meng Zhixian too, then complained to Li Yun, "Shouldn't you be asking me?"

"You?" Li Yun rolled his eyes at her and said irritably, "You'll eat whatever I make."

Lu Mingxi glanced nervously between them. "I'll eat whatever Wife eats."

"I want hand-rolled noodles! With minced meat! And a fried egg!"

Li Yun said, "I wasn't talking to you."

Su Yuhe looked at Lu Mingxi. He looked at Li Yun and carefully repeated, "I'd like hand-rolled noodles, with minced meat and a fried egg."

"All right."

After lunch, she ducked into the study. Copying two more books this month would earn her a bonus of three taels of silver. She could not let such a good opportunity slip by.

As the sun sank westward, she put down her brush and rubbed her hand. Meng Zhixian had come in at some point and stood at the study door with his head lowered, lost in unknown thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

The youth took a few steps closer and hooked his fingertips around her cuff. He did not need to say a word for her to sense his hurt.

Su Yuhe stroked his hand. His skin was fine and a little cool, like a piece of cool mutton-fat jade. "Hungry?"

He shook his head and sat on the edge of her chair. She shifted aside to make a little room for him.

The youth clasped her hand in return. "Wife."

"I'm here."

"Do you hate me, Wife?"

Su Yuhe withdrew her hand and stroked his hair. It was half tied up, the loose lengths black and smooth. "Why would you say that?"

"Is it because you hate me that you've never touched me?"

She had not expected him to bring this up and felt rather awkward for a moment.

Meng Zhixian stared straight at her, his gaze full of reproach. She lowered her eyes to avoid it. "No."

"If you don't hate me, why won't you touch me?"

Su Yuhe could not bring herself to say it and remained silent.

Meng Zhixian slowly leaned against her shoulder. "Am I very useless? I can't cook or chop firewood, and even my wife won't touch me."

The youth hooked an arm around her neck. From the corner of her eye, Su Yuhe saw his face inch closer. She sat frozen, not knowing what to do, until his slightly cool lips touched her cheek.

Her eyes widened, and she stared at him in a daze.

A beautiful face drew closer, and the cool, soft touch moved from her cheek to her lips. His eyelashes fluttered, brushing her eyelids with a ticklish sensation.

Su Yuhe's heart raced. This was the first time she had ever been so close to a boy.

He drew back a little and rested his tilted head on her shoulder. His beautiful eyes shone as they moved, and a rosy blush spread over his fair skin, making his already lovely face even more alluring.

"Wife."

"Mm."

As the evening lamps first lit up, the night market outside the inn began.

Xubai sat listlessly by the window, looking down. Yongqin closed the window a little. "It's windy."

She took a cloak from nearby and draped it over him. "What are you thinking about?"

He pulled the cloak tighter, his expression indifferent. "Sister, you've been away so long. When are you going back?"

Yongqin shot him a sidelong glance and put on a stern face. "Do you really think I came to roam the mountains and enjoy the waters? I'm here on serious business. How could I go back so soon?"

Not at all frightened by her stern face, Xubai propped an elbow on the windowsill and rested his cheek in his hand as he looked at him. "Yes, yes, yes. You're here on serious business, and I'm off to roam the mountains and enjoy the waters."

She snorted and pinched his other cheek, saying angrily, "I think roaming the mountains and enjoying the waters is just a pretense. What you really want is to go back to that orphan girl from the countryside."

That made Xubai angry too. He knocked her hand away. "Since you knew, Sister, why did you make me come?"

"I think you've lost your mind. So many fine young women in the capital sought your hand, and you wouldn't spare them a glance. How have you let lard cloud your heart after less than two years away? Just how did an orphan girl from the countryside coax you into such unswerving devotion?"

Xubai glared at her angrily. "Stop calling her an orphan girl from the countryside."

"She lives in the countryside, and she's an orphan. What's wrong with calling her an orphan girl from the countryside?" Yongqin flicked her sleeve, sat down, and gulped down two mouthfuls of cold water. "You really have lost your mind. No, you can't stay here any longer."

"I'm not leaving. If you want to leave, go yourself. I'm going back tomorrow."

"Hah. You think she's a devoted lover, but do you know that the moment you left, she started fooling around with the government slaves I sent over? Go back a little later, and she might even have a child."

Xubai sprang to his feet. "Impossible. I settled those three government slaves in my courtyard. She couldn't possibly be with them."

At that thought, he felt much more at ease. "Besides, how could a few criminal slaves compare to me? She's no fool. How could she not know which to choose?"