A stifled grin placed, Yírén's hands clung to the edge of the bed. Even in her dreams, he was infiltrating her mind. “Ah.. Who was that, that came to tell me? Did you meet with them? … I suddenly felt quite tired when I got to the stables. It was such a strange sensation.” But then, everything about their travel had been just that: a little strange. “Xiǎoyàn does not usually take to men handling her well, so I will guide her,” she assured, “But you can lead me down carefully.”
Nodding, Yírén expressed her lack of disagreement with his plan. “I think that may be for the better. By now, I am sure the garrison is raging with rumors now,” she sighed. “The harmless ones, of course. But if my parents—bù bù bù! my mother—caught wind–” A kiss of her teeth to dismiss the thought again. “Zhèng Wǔ will be pulling his hair out by now with how long I have been away.” A light giggle came about at the thought of just how well her second-in-command was faring. Despite his authority as a commander, Zhèng Wǔ personally had greater affinity for following than leading. Even if the Luò Family made him quite unnerved at times..
A rosy color flooded her cheeks when he placed a gentle note of affection on her face—one she returned with a light kiss on his cheek. “You should do as you see fit and be careful.. What we have done…is inappropriate..” There was somewhere in her mind screaming at her that she knew she would not survive the event unscathed. In the pits of her gut, she knew trouble was coming for her. And with that, a quiet ache in her head found its way through. “Maybe I should rest a little more..”
Surely enough, a roaring thunder had rained down on them in the form of Luò Yíhán. The good general himself. Although initial plans had been to part ways upon their return, it was quite clear that they would have to separate then. Yírén employed the help of the innkeeper, paying handsome coin to send word to Hé Wěi:
Destroy this once read.
My brother arrived to look for me. Please do not try to see me. Instead, find a way to inform Zhèng Wǔ I have fallen ill. I will handle the rest.
I await our renunion.
It was only a shame they could not give one another a proper farewell before their parting of ways.
“He just abandoned you here like this?!” To be fair, it would have been a problem if Hé Wěi stayed any longer, too. “Dà Gē yánzhòng le!” she countered, “We only shared a path together for a short while. It would be improper if he lingered around me like this. He had to return to let Zhèng Wǔ know that I became sick. Who knew you would arrive without an invitation? He's likely already back. Eh.. Ā'Diē, Ā'Niáng don't know anything, do they?” A sheepish grin, as she pled forgiveness by her brother's sleeve, while an alarming glare was shot in her direction. “Bié shēngqì a!”
With a lingering bit of feeling unwell, it was quickly decided that she would return to the capital to recover at the Luò residence. The family would have to spin some rumor to answer the reason for their daughter's foolishness of leaving her post. It would not dawn well on her career to have the wrong ideas spread that she had attempted to run away with some widowed man by the name of Hé.
Just a month later, an invitation arrived to the Luò Manor from the Imperial Palace itself, inviting them for a banquet celebrating the birthday of the Crown Prince. Several profound military families and branches were invited given that said prince was a brethren in arms himself. It would be quite a festive occasion. One that Yírén did not necessarily look forward to, as she detested all well manners. Plus, she would have to dress like a lady!
By then, speculation around Luò Yírén had tamed around the capital. Her parents had woven the lie that the commandant had left the barracks to investigate a matter of the small town in which she was found after a series of bandits had become known amid traveling between their unit and there. With security around the garrison taken quite seriously, it seemed believable. Alas, Yírén fell ill on her journey and was thus retrieved by her elder brother and sent home to recoup. The public and the politicians had their whispers and then, it was forgotten. Nothing to write even a report about, as she had not encountered the bandits.
As the family of five—she, her siblings and their parents—arrived at the palace, Yírén could not help but toy with the hairpin buried in her hair, fondling with the parts of it that dangled loosely. “Stop touching your hair. You'll ruin it. There are several families to impress at this celebration.” Yírén's head turned away as she huffed and dared to roll her eyes. Her mother, who gave the scolding, did the same, even crossing her arms over her chest in dismay. Under a heated breath, she turned toward Yímíng to grumble. “Shouldn't they be trying to impress me?!”
It was time to consider to whom Yírén would be married off to, as she had been incessantly pestered about while she was home. It was another convenience of dragging her home from her post. Yet, Yírén's heart was already set on someone, was it not? She quietly prayed for Hé Wěi's return.
Naturally, the palace was decorated lavishly and festively for the occasion. And despite lack of enjoyment for all the ways in which she was expected to appear ladylike, the sight was certainly something to behold. Among the sights to behold, she thought for a moment that she might have even caught glimpse of someone familiar.. Or was it her wishful thinking? Her eyes peered about, narrowed at the subject curiously, as her own family entertained greetings with another general. An eruption of laughter bellowed between them, though Yírén's attention was completely stolen.
