The dinner at the Ning household’s residence was a quieter affair these days since most of the younger generation of the family was temporarily out.

As the patriarch, Ning Wei sat at the head of the table to preside over the meal. To his right was his third aunt, Ning He. Seated on his left were his fourth uncle Ning Zeng and three children. Two of the children belonged to Ning Zeng, with the third being the son of Ning Wei’s first uncle, Ning Yong.

The older generation of the Ning household consisted of four people: The firstborn, Ning Yong; the second-born, Ning Guang, who was also Ning Wei’s father and the former head of family; the third-born, Ning He; and the fourth-born, Ning Zeng. The two uncles Ning Yong and Ning Zeng were already married, each with a brood of children of varying ages. The aunt, Ning He, was content to remain unmarried and no amount of nagging from others would move her.

The first uncle, Ning Yong, and his wife, Sui Ming, had two sons and a daughter. The children all bore their mother’s surname by mutual agreement of their parents. Ning Yong, his wife, and their adult daughter served in the military and were currently by the border to fulfill their duties. Meanwhile, the two sons, one an adult and the other a child, stayed behind at the capital. The older son was a scholar and was currently residing with his friends to undertake intellectual pursuits. The younger son remained at the residence and was being taken care of by the fourth uncle, Ning Zeng.

Ning Zeng had three sons and two daughters. His wife passed away after giving birth to the fifth child and Ning Zeng remained faithful to her and had no plans of remarrying. His three oldest children, two sons and a daughter, had reached adulthood and had gone out of the house on a trip together to avoid being caught up in the schemes of the courtiers as they tried to get close to Ning Wei through them. The trio might or might not also want to barge in on their scholarly cousin on the way to make mischief. The youngest two children were a boy and a girl, and they stayed at the residence.

After Ning Wei decided to live with Yan Yixuan, the only people left at the residence were his third aunt Ning He, fourth uncle Ning Zeng, Ning Zeng’s son Ning Shu and daughter Ning An, and Ning Yong’s youngest son Sui Shan.

On this particular day, Ning Wei had decided to visit and have lunch with his aunt, uncle, and little cousins.

Since Ning Wei had returned to live at the capital just a few months ago, the air at the dining table was still a bit stiff and awkward, but it was by no means unfriendly. On Ning Wei’s right, his aunt Ning He kept adding food to his bowl silently as if not knowing how else to show her care. At his left, his youngest uncle, Ning Zeng, had his hands full trying to make the three little ones finish their food without whining.

Once the three children stopped fussing, Ning Zeng heaved a breath of relief and decided to engage in his favorite hobby: nagging. He turned to Ning Wei, “Nephew, when are you going to marry? If you don’t settle down with a spouse soon, you’ll end up like your oldest uncle’s daughter who only cares about battle and duty and all those dull things.” Wisely, he didn’t mention his own unmarried sister who was sitting right across from him. If his childhood had taught Ning Zeng anything, it was that Ning He was quite proficient with throwing chopsticks with piercing accuracy, with emphasis on piercing.

Ning Wei sighed. “Fourth Uncle, I’m not thinking of marrying now.”

Ning Zeng narrowed his eyes. “Why not? Do you have a sweetheart already stashed somewhere that you’re in the process of wooing?”

“No,” Ning Wei responded simply and tried to eat his meal in peace.

“Have you ever had a sweetheart, dear nephew mine?” Ning Zeng pressed, unrelenting.

“Fourth Brother,” Ning He interceded with a frown. “Let him eat. You can discuss this later.”

Or never, Ning Wei hoped.

Ning Zeng pouted and had just opened his mouth again when he felt a little foot kick his leg. He immediately turned to his daughter and admonished, “An-er, stop swinging your legs under the table and sit properly.”

“Yeees,” Ning An said, dragging out the word.

Ning Zeng then moved on to his son, “Shu-er, stop pushing your food around with the chopsticks and eat.”

Ning Shu puffed up proudly. “I’m not pushing it around. I’m trying to draw on the rice with my chopsticks!”

Ning Zeng’s mouth twitched. “You have chalk that you can use to draw outside, don’t you?”

“But it’s boring!” Ning Shu declared. Turning to his cousin, he asked, “Isn’t it?”

Sui Shan chittered cheerfully and nodded. “Yes!”

Ning An frowned at her brother. “But I like drawing with chalk.”

Ning Shu stuck out his tongue at her and said, “That’s because you’re an idiot.”

Ning An immediately complained to Ning Zeng, “Father! Xiao-Shu called me an idiot!”

Ning Zeng sighed. “Kids, behave.”

Seeing that her brother wasn’t being scolded, Ning An pouted and tattled, “Father, Xiao-Shu’s been dumping the carrots and beans he doesn’t like into his clothes through his collar when no one’s looking. He throws them outside later. When Nanny Huai asks about the stains inside his clothes, he always lies and says he just dropped some food there by mistake.”

Ning Zeng stiffened and turned to his son. “What?! Shu-er, is it true?”

Ning Shu glared at his sister and guiltily shook his head, but didn’t dare to say anything.

Ning Zeng put down his chopsticks and stood up. Since today’s lunch had his son’s most hated carrots, he dragged the little rascal off to check if he truly had dropped food down the front of his robe. The two other children quickly finished their meals and ran off behind them to see Ning Shu get in trouble.

Ning Wei smiled at them helplessly, but didn’t insist on them being mannerly.

When the general finally finished lunch, his aunt continued from where his nagging uncle had left off, “Nephew, even if you don’t consider marriage, at least think of finding a lover. You aren’t in the barracks anymore; you don’t have to force yourself to be celibate.”

Ning Wei looked at her helplessly. “Third Aunt, where do you think I’ll find a lover? I know very few people in the capital.”

Ning He shrugged. “How about the ones you’re already familiar with? Can you see yourself becoming interested in one of them? Do you think any of them would make a good partner?”

Yan Yixuan’s face flashed in Ning Wei’s mind. He shook his head. “No, but I just recalled something. Third Aunt, do you remember the head of the Yan household? I’ve inconvenienced him quite a bit and I’m even taking advantage of his hospitality to stay at his house, but I realize I’ve never invited him to our residence. I would like to have him over every now and then.”

Ning He looked at him strangely. Why would talking about him liking one of his acquaintances lead her nephew to recall Duke Yan? Could it be…? But no, that was too much of a leap. Pushing the thought aside, she nodded, “Yes, you should.” She paused, then tried to probe casually, “Nephew, are you and Duke Yan close?”

Ning Wei nodded without hesitation. “Yes, we’ve grown into close friends over the course of the past few months. Yan Yixuan is quite an intriguing person.”

Ning He peered at him thoughtfully, but decided to not think too much.

After lunch, Ning Wei returned to the Yan household’s residence and realized that it was beginning to feel more like home than his own family’s mansion. He directly headed to the study and found the young man bent over some old documents held carefully in his hands.

Clearing his throat, Ning Wei called, “Yan Yixuan, may I interrupt you for a moment?”

Yan Yixuan looked up and blinked, trying to refocus his gaze after having read for too long. “Yes? What is it?”

“I would like to invite you to visit my house,” Ning Wei said directly.

Yan Yixuan’s fingers jolted and he tore the paper he was holding by mistake. He looked down at his hands blankly, then carefully put down the papers. “Visit…your house? …Will your family be there too?”

Ning Wei’s bows flew up. Why did the young man sound nervous? “Well, yes. It is their house too. You can visit whenever you have free time.”

Yan Yixuan nodded jerkily, looking solemn as if he was contemplating on a life-or-death situation.

The general chuckled. “Why do you look like you’re going to meet your in-laws for the first time? They’re only my family. I’m sure you’ve been to households with much more prominence than ours before.”

The comparison made Yan Yixuan flush. If only his beloved knew how spot-on he was… Yan Yixuan straightened his spine and squared his shoulders as if he was about to head into battle. “Ning Wei, I accept your invitation. Since it is your family, I will make time to meet them right away.”

Ning Wei was a bit surprised, but nodded. “Let me accompany you there and act the host then.”

And so, the pair set off to the Ning residence.

↢∘●∘↣

“Stop fidgeting. You look fine,” Ning Wei reassured exasperatedly.

“I’m not fidgeting,” protested Yan Yixuan as he adjusted his lapels a bit to the left so that they would be perfectly symmetrical.

Ning Wei shook his head amusedly, but didn’t say anything else.

They had reached the Ning household and were walking through the entrance and into the residence. As Ning Wei led the way to the receiving hall, Yan Yixuan took a discreet look around.

The house had minimal decorations, built with simplicity, efficiency, and security in mind. Guards with grim, focused expressions and identical, dark attire patrolled the grounds. In contrast, the servants roamed through the corridors freely and casually. When Ning Wei and Yan Yixuan walked by, they scurried to the side and bowed with due respect. After they passed the servants, Yan Yixuan had to struggle to not turn his head when he heard them giggle and speak in hushed whispers about him.

One of the servants must have rushed to report Yan Yixuan’s arrival as soon as he exited the carriage, because the people of the Ning household had arranged themselves neatly in the receiving hall to welcome him.

As the host, Ning Wei said with a smile, “Welcome to the Ning residence, Duke Yan.”

Yan Yixuan smiled back at him. “Thank you, and do pardon me for my sudden intrusion, General Ning.” Rather than seeming formal, both of them sounded like they were amusedly playing their expected roles.

Instead of putting distance between them with politeness, Ning Wei decided to be openly friendly as usual. He felt that the young man would prefer it anyway. “Yan Yixuan, let me introduce the family that are present. The woman seated on the left is my third aunt, Ning He. The man beside her is my fourth uncle, Ning Zeng. The three children on the other side are my youngest cousins. Ning Shu and Ning An are siblings and my fourth uncle’s. Sui Shan is my eldest uncle’s son.”

Yan Yixuan had already memorized their names long ago, and he made sure to etch their appearances into his mind now as well. He nodded at them and smiled with as much courtesy as he could bring forth, trying to make a good impression. “Thank you for allowing my visit.”

“It’s our good fortune,” Ning Zeng replied pleasantly.

The five people from the Ning household were looking at Yan Yixuan with assessing eyes even as they tried to appear as polite and welcoming as possible.

The two adults knew that Yan Yixuan was a powerful force who had, for some reason, decided to be altruistic enough to back their household. They realized that without his help, their household wouldn’t have grown as stable in power as it was now. They couldn’t afford to offend him.

As for the three children, Ning Zeng had happily sacrificed Ning Wei to obtain their obedience for at least the short duration of Yan Yixuan’s stay.

Just when Ning Wei was feeling surprised and suspicious at how well his three cousins were behaving, Ning Shu raised a hand and asked Ning Zeng with anticipation, “Father, since we acted like good kids before the guest, can you ask Brother Wei to show it to us now?”

Ning Zeng froze, his lips twitching. This brat! Couldn’t he have waited at least until the duke went away!

Ning Wei narrowed his eyes. “Fourth Uncle, what exactly did you promise them?”

The little girl Ning An readily answered him, “Brother Wei, Father told us that we could see you being heroic in your armor if we behaved like good kids before the guest.”

Ning Zeng laughed awkwardly, not knowing how to salvage this situation. Would the duke blame them for being impolite and withdraw his support?

But Yan Yixuan merely chuckled. He turned to Ning Wei and tried to keep a serious face as he said, “The children did indeed impress me with how good they were, so you better reward them for their hard work.”

Ning Wei shook his head with a laugh. “I suppose I better pay up then.”

The three children cheered. They had been wanting to see this big and famous cousin of theirs in his armor for the longest time, but since they didn’t feel close enough with Ning Wei, they hadn’t dared to ask.

Meanwhile, Yan Yixuan tried not to show his excitement at the prospect of seeing his beloved in battle armor. He instead tried to distract himself by turning his attention to the Ning family. Though they weren’t alienating Ning Wei, there still seemed to be a barrier of unfamiliarity between the general and the rest. When compared with how freely he talked and joked with Yan Yixuan, the stiffness when he and his family interacted was more noticeable.

At the side, Ning Zeng and Ning He carefully hid their surprise at how easily Ning Wei had agreed and how casually he and the duke chatted. Ning He reflected that her nephew hadn’t been exaggerating at all when he said that he was close friends with the duke.

The only one feeling out of sorts was Ning Wei, though he was careful not to show it. His eyes had darkened with memories of the war that he’d fought through while in that armor. But he didn’t want to refuse his family’s request. His little cousins had never requested anything of him before, directly or indirectly. And Yan Yixuan also looked sneakily eager, so he would put aside his gloom and oblige. Maybe creating new and happier memories with it like this would make it easier to look at the armor in the future.

Thus decided, Ning Wei went off to change.

Ning Zeng and Ning He accompanied Yan Yixuan and showed him around the residence, even leading him to visit the ancient wisteria tree at the center of the main house, before they settled down in plush chairs on the back porch. The eaves sheltered them from the sun and the table between them was set with tea and snacks. As the more eloquent Ning Zeng engaged with Yan Yixuan and entertained him, Ning He looked after the children who were noisily playing in the backyard under the shade of a large tree.

Partway, a servant from the kitchens brought a bowl of juicy, freshly cut apples for Yan Yixuan, telling him that Ning Wei had asked for it to be served to him since the young man liked them. Though Yan Yixuan didn’t know how his beloved had found it out, the thoughtful gesture still brought a warm smile to his face. Ning Zeng noticed something subtle in the young man’s expression, but didn’t think much of it for now and continued occupying his guest’s attention with amusing chatter.

A little while later, low clanking sounded, approaching the group before stopping at the edge of the backyard. The playing children looked to the side, then squealed with joy and rushed off.

On the porch, Ning Zeng paused and smiled at Yan Yixuan. “It seems my nephew has finished suiting up. Does Duke Yan want to have a look?”

Yan Yixuan suppressed his bubbling anticipation and nodded sedately.

The two men got up, walked out into the backyard, and rounded the corner of the house. There, surrounded by the gaggle of overexcited children, was Ning Wei in his armor.

It consisted of a combination of lamellar and scale armor. Overlapping plates of polished metal covered his shoulders, chest, and hung past his hips. Areas like his waist and legs that needed better mobility were protected by lamellar armor that was made of little metal rectangles tied together tightly with tough cords. A steel helmet covered the top, sides, and back of his head, extending to shield his nape as well. A layer of leather worn for extra protection peeked out below his neck, and the robe he wore underneath for padding covered his arms up to the wrists. Though the metal armor bore minor remnants of scratches and dents, it gleamed brightly under the sun and fit the general’s well-muscled frame perfectly. The sword that Ning Wei usually carried around hung from his waist, fitting in with the rest of the arrangement as if it had found its true place.

Suited in armor, Ning Wei seemed to gain an aura of steadiness and intensity. He looked indomitable and unwavering, his eyes hard and his face set into an inexpressive mask. He seemed ready to spring into action and field the brutal chaos of a battlefield while rallying his troops and calmly dispensing commands as war raged all about him.

Yet the little children shouting and running around him excitedly easily dispelled any dread one might feel at his stern countenance.

The moment Yan Yixuan spotted Ning Wei, he almost tripped and fell. His eyes hungrily roved over how well the armor sat over his beloved’s body and how it added to his Ah-Ning’s majestic charm. Yan Yixuan’s face felt hot. He had to check to make sure he wasn’t having a nosebleed.

Beside him, Ning Zeng rubbed his chin as he peered at Ning Wei with narrowed eyes. “Hmm, he doesn’t look bad. If he wore it around the capital, I’m sure he’d have many eligible youngsters falling all over themselves to marry him.”

Yan Yixuan recovered his composure. “That may be true, but that armor doesn’t look comfortable enough for daily use in such a manner.” He’d rather have no one else pursue his beloved, thank you very much.

Ning Zeng nodded thoughtfully. “That’s true. I guess I’ll have to give up on getting him married using that way then.”

Ning He walked towards them and huffed. “Fourth Brother, stop trying to shove a marriage down Ning Wei’s throat.”

Ning Zeng sighed. “But he’s working too hard. I’d feel better if he had a family of his own he could draw support from. Heaven knows that brat would never accept any help from us. He’s firmly fixed us under the banner of people he needs to protect and will try to inconvenience us as little as possible.”

Yan Yixuan looked at him thoughtfully. That was indeed true. He pondered for a moment, then patted Ning Zeng’s shoulder. “It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I’ll take care that Ning Wei doesn’t push himself too hard. I’ll give him my assistance whenever he needs me.”

Both Ning Zeng and Ning He looked at him with surprise.

“Thank you. I’d really appreciate it,” Ning Zeng said.

Beside him, Ning He looked at Yan Yixuan with a considering look. “Duke Yan, why would you go to so much trouble on his behalf?”

Yan Yixuan gave her a small smile. “He’s a precious friend. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for him.” He’d let them infer what they would from his statement.

The young man tuned back to looking at Ning Wei and the group of children admiring him. Seeing his beloved being surrounded by the children’s innocent cheer as Ning Wei let them fuss over him with a kind and patient smile, Yan Yixuan feel a soft tenderness bubble in his heart and overflow through his gaze.

Ning Zeng and Ning He saw his expression but chose to remain silent, simply sharing a glance between them.

Over at Ning Wei’s side, Ning An was jumping excitedly as she touched the general’s armor with shining eyes. “I want to join the army after I grow up and wear armor like this and become a hero too!”

Ning Wei carefully patted her head and smiled when she didn’t show aversion. “You’ll have to train very hard when you grow up then.”

“I will!” the little girl assured with confidence.

“Brother Wei, Brother Wei!” Sui Shan all but bounced on his feet as he looked with worship at Ning Wei’s sheathed blade. “Can you take your sword out and show us the moves you used to defeat the enemy?”

Ning Shu perked up and stopped spinning around Ning Wei like a hyperactive little tornado. “I want to see it too!”

Ning Wei felt conflicted. He didn’t want to unsheathe the sword that had drunk so many people’s blood in front of innocent children. “I’m afraid I can’t do that since I have to put the armor back now. After all, I’m growing too old to wear such heavy things.”

Ning Shu frowned. “Brother Wei, how old are you?”

“Twenty-six,” Ning Wei replied.

Ning An’s eyes grew wide, Sui Shan just looked confused, and Ning Shu gasped loudly.

“That’s really old!” Ning Shu exclaimed. “Will you become wrinkled and die when you become thirty?”

“…” Ning Wei’s lips twitched. Don’t kill me off that easily, brat!

Ning Zeng walked up to them and interjected, “Well, as someone above thirty, I can confirm that we die on the inside, at least. Especially when we have obnoxious little brats like you to deal with.”

Ning An and Sui Shan tittered while Ning Shu wrinkled his nose and asked, “You die on the inside? Does that mean you turn rotten and stinky? Father, is that why your farts smell so horrible?”

The other two children burst into laughter.

Ning Zeng turned red in the face and shook his finger angrily at his son. “W-W-What are you saying in front of guests, you little monkey?! Come here and let me teach you a lesson! And you two other brats laughing too!”

The children let out high-pitched squeals as they giggled and ran around Ning Wei while Ning Zeng chased them.

Ning Wei smiled at them with warmth and amusement, then gently extricated himself and walked towards the house to change. The thought of taking his armor off suddenly reminded him of how he used to do the same thing back in his room in the barracks, struggling with the ties alone after a day of bloodshed. Melancholic exhaustion pulled at his chest and Ning Wei tried to ignore it. The war was over. It was different now.

Just as he crossed the backyard and was about to step into the house, Yan Yixuan approached him. “Ning Wei, would you like some help with getting the armor off?”

Ning Wei’s heart thumped. A small voice said, See, you don’t have to do it alone anymore. He pushed it away and remarked, “Well, that’s quite the generous proposal.”

Yan Yixuan shrugged. “You once helped me rearrange all the books in my study. Isn’t it similar?”

Ning Wei didn’t know if it was the same, but he certainly appreciated the company. “Alright, then. I’ll accept your offer.”

Yan Yixuan silently rejoiced and followed Ning Wei into the house.

In the backyard, Ning He looked after the pair with a thoughtful expression. Maybe sharing her insight with her astute younger brother will shed more light on what was going on between their nephew and that Duke Yan.