crimson_carnation

This bonus chapter is thanks to ZulimaIke~ (*๓´ ꒳`๓)♡ I took the liberty to club your earlier donation with the recent one to fill out the Ko-fi counter.

After Ning Wei accepted Yan Yixuan’s offer of helping him remove his armor, the young man was led to a room that seemed reserved for housing the general’s armor and weapons.

Entering, Ning Wei directly headed towards an open chest resting on the table sitting in the middle of the room and placed his helmet inside. Yan Yixuan guessed that this was where he usually kept his armor and walked up to him

“Stay still,” the young man said, then reached out to begin taking off the armor, starting with the shoulder pieces. Ning Wei obediently remained unmoving as Yan Yixuan got to work.

The ties were knotted tightly and required a bit of complex work on the young man’s part to undo. When the shoulder piece finally came off, Yan Yixuan weighed it in his hands with a raised eyebrow. “It’s quite heavy. If the other sections weigh as much as I’m guessing, I’m surprised you’re able to hold them up at all, much less move and fight with them on.”

Ning Wei shrugged. “Is it that heavy? My father trained me to fight with weights strapped to my body and with armor that was much heavier and clunkier than this one. I’m used to it by now.”

Yan Yixuan hummed thoughtfully and moved on to remove the other shoulder piece. When he started on the chest segment, his fingers trailed over the fine nicks and scratches that were visible even though the armor must have been fixed and polished after every use. He decided not to linger on that thought and continued to slowly work his way down.

When the young man crouched in front of Ning Wei to remove the pieces on his legs, the general felt a sudden lurch in his chest and the urge to step back. Ning Wei realized that he was flustered and slightly self-conscious in this position. But why? The general looked down confusedly, then realized just which part of his body was currently at Yan Yixuan’s eyelevel. Ning Wei struggled to push away that thought. Just what the hell was wrong with his mind?

Yan Yixuan’s voice interrupted Ning Wei’s puzzlement. “Have you ever had the occasion to wear the armor after the war and before today?”

Ning Wei’s thoughts grew somber. He shook his head. “No, and I’d prefer to never have to wear such a thing again.”

Hearing his vehement tone, Yan Yixuan looked up.

Ning Wei sighed and explained, “The memories that come with the armor are not pleasant. They aren’t excruciating, just exhausting and…heavy, like the armor itself. The only reason I’d ever consider putting it back on would be if something very, very important was at stake.”

Yan Yixuan nodded in understanding. “Maybe time will ease off the burden that’s attached itself to your armor.”

Ning Wei shed his gloominess and smiled. “I hope so too.”

The young man glanced at the sword Ning Wei always carried with him and asked, “What about your blade then?”

Ning Wei’s hand automatically went to rest on the pommel. “It was my father’s and I inherited it along with his position. The empress once offered to make me a new one but I refused. It might be sentimental, but I like to think that at least some of my father’s essence is bound to the blade and that he’s watching over me through it. I think of the sword as a talisman that wards off bad luck. It served me well throughout the war, and not having it guarding my side now makes me anxious.”

Yan Yixuan digested it with a thoughtful frown.

Silence settled over the room gently, full of churning thoughts yet companionable in its own way.

After Yan Yixuan finished taking the armor off, Ning Wei arranged it inside the chest and closed it. Yan Yixuan straightened and touched the chest’s lid reverently, his gaze solemn.

“Is something wrong?” Ning Wei asked.

Yan Yixuan shook his head and spoke in a quiet voice, “I’m grateful for your armor and how it protected you until we could meet.”

Ning Wei felt that strange lurch in his chest again. He forced it down and spoke jokingly, “Are you saying that the armor doesn’t need to keep protecting me now that I’ve met you?”

The young man smiled. “Perhaps. After meeting me, you became one of my own so I’ll take over the job of protecting you now. Wasn’t that what I vowed when we signed the pact?”

Ning Wei felt a strange, soft, and itchy sensation in his chest. His eyes were pools of warmth when he said, “I’ll put myself in your care then. Treat me well, Yan Yixuan.”

The young man had to struggle not to show his blush. “Of course I will.”

Ning Wei bent down until they were face-to-face, their gazes boring into each other’s. Both of their pulses sped up at the proximity, but neither showed it outside. The general’s tone was light and teasing, yet his words were not, “If I remember right, according to the pact, I vowed that I would show you the same courtesy as well. I promise to treat you well in return too.”

Yan Yixuan almost couldn’t suppress his blush. He cleared his throat and looked away. He was afraid that if this went on, he’d be tempted to push his general against the nearest wall and steal a hard kiss from those lips that said such heart-pounding things.

Outside the young man’s line of sight, Ning Wei suddenly stiffened. His attention snapped to the window across from them.

Ning Zeng was currently peeking into the window with a contemplative look, his fingers stroking his clean-shaven chin. After hearing his sister Ning He’s doubts about how their nephew might like the duke, he’d shamelessly come over to spy on the pair.

Within the room, Ning Wei suddenly said, “I just remembered something I need to take care of. Would you mind putting this chest over in that cupboard?”

Yan Yixuan nodded, his brain still feeling scrambled from before. What he needed now was definitely some space from this enticing beloved of his so that he could collect himself again.

In their discomposure, neither of them remembered that with Yan Yixuan’s weak body, he couldn’t possibly move the entire chest of armor alone. But that came later.

Ning Wei didn’t sense Yan Yixuan’s strangeness as he quickly walked outside, all his attention on that wayward uncle of his. Grabbing a startled Ning Zeng by his arm, Ning Wei wordlessly dragged him along before stopping in a quiet corner.

“Fourth Uncle, do you mind explaining why you’ve been peeking at us like a thief scoping out his next victim?”

Ning Zeng was surprised. “I thought I hid myself perfectly! How did you know that I was here?”

“I’m a fucking general. It would be a bit of a problem if my senses couldn’t even detect someone’s gaze on me,” Ning Wei replied tonelessly.

“Damn, the standards for a general are really high!” Ning Zeng observed wonderingly. “Do you think Second Brother had this skill too? He never really seemed to notice when I spied on him.”

Ning Wei rolled his eyes at his uncle. “Yes, Father noticed. He just took pleasure in knowing that you didn’t realize he knew.”

“Fuck!” Ning Zeng cursed heatedly. “I should’ve known he had such a bad taste in bullying people!”

Ning Wei sighed and massaged his forehead. “Fourth Uncle, answer my question first. Why were you peeking at us?”

Ning Zeng’s expression turned serious. “That reminds me. Nephew, didn’t you say that Duke Yan was lending us his backing because he was once helped by Second Brother?”

“Yes. That’s what he himself told me,” Ning Wei replied. Where was his uncle going with this?

Ning Zeng pressed his lips together. “Well, now that I’ve seen how the duke interacts with you, I’m not convinced that’s the reason.”

The general felt confused. “What other reason would there be?”

“Affection!” came the immediate answer. With burning eyes, Ning Zeng declared dramatically, “Deep, ardent, romantic affection! It doesn’t look like something he developed recently either.”

Ning Wei stared at him with stupefaction. He opened his mouth to refute, but stopped. It was like a key had finally clicked into a lock in the back of his mind that he hadn’t even noticed. Everything made sense now.

He recalled all the instances when Yan Yixuan’s words seemed to hint at something more, though Ning Wei hadn’t realized what at that time. He remembered all the ways, both subtle and outright, in which the young man showed his care. He compared how Yan Yixuan behaved with him with how he treated others, and the answer was right there. Yan Yixuan hadn’t even been hiding it.

Ning Wei let out a shuddering breath, not knowing how to take this in. In a way, he should have realized something was strange by the way Yan Yixuan had behaved during their first meeting in the carriage. Though he couldn’t have noticed it then, he should have understood it later that drugged or not, there was no way the Duke Yan he knew would willingly let another man push him down and take advantage of him. There was no way he would agree to let someone behaving so brutishly have their way with him.

Then did it mean that…?

Ning Wei forcibly wrenched himself away from that line of thought and asked in a strangled voice, “How did you…come to this conclusion?”

Ning Zeng puffed out his chest. “I simply used the insight of a married man who was deeply in love.”

The general’s expression turned complex. This nosy uncle of his was unreliable in many ways, but his perceptiveness was one thing Ning Wei wouldn’t doubt. Sighing, he said, “Fourth Uncle, please don’t interfere any further. I’ll try to figure out what I want to do about this on my own.”

Ning Zeng looked surprised. “Aren’t you going to go and ask him to become your lover?”

Ning Wei looked at him strangely. “I don’t even know if I see him that way. It would be a disservice to Yan Yixuan if I jump into a relationship with him just because he might feel romantically attracted towards me, and not because I reciprocate his affections. Pursuing him or not is a decision I must make on my own. I’ll deal with it alone.”

Ning Zeng smiled ruefully. “I know you will. That’s what you and your father always do.”

Ning Wei turned and began walking away.

Ning Zeng watched him go with complex emotions swirling in his gaze. Then he suddenly called out, “Ning Wei!”

The general stopped and looked back.

“I know that you don’t feel like a part of the household yet…but you’re still our family,” Ning Zeng stated. “Whether it’s for this or any other matter, you are free to come to us for help. We are always here for you, alright? Don’t bear everything alone like your father did.”

Ning Wei was startled at first, then he smiled at him warmly. “I will remember. Thank you.”

As the general strode away, Ning Zeng smiled wryly and muttered to himself, “We are the ones who should be thanking you and Second Brother.”

↢∘●∘↣

On their way back, Ning Wei was absentminded and contemplative. Since he had brought Yan Yixuan to the Ning residence in his own carriage, the pair was sharing the carriage while returning as well.

After taking a few gulps of the herbal concoction from the waterskin at his waist, Yan Yixuan looked at his uncharacteristically silent Ah-Ning with puzzlement. “Ning Wei? Is there something bothering you?” Whatever it was, he would take care of it so that his beloved wouldn’t have to frown like that.

Ning Wei roused out of his thoughts and blinked dazedly at Yan Yixuan. He remained fixed like that for a while, then asked abruptly, “Why do you call me ‘Ah-Ning’?”

Yan Yixuan’s heart thumped. Had he read his mind?! “Wh-What do you mean? Why would I call you with such an informal name?”

The general looked out the window and said, “Back when we first met in this very carriage, you were drugged, remember? You called me Ah-Ning back then for some reason.” Ning Wei turned back to pin him with an incisive gaze. “Why?”

Yan Yixuan floundered for a moment before steadying himself and giving a calm smile. “Oh, that. I hardly even remember what all happened at that time. As you said, I was drugged and not of clear mind. I’ve never had enough wine to get drunk, but if I did, I suppose I’d have behaved in a similar way. It seems I’m the type of person who gets very open and affectionate with strangers when my consciousness grows unclear under the influence of any substance. Maybe that’s why I used such a close form of address on you.”

Ning Wei looked at him for a moment, then smiled. “I see.” Yes, he saw that this young man was an excellent actor and full of bullshit. If Ning Wei hadn’t heard Yan Yixuan calling him ‘Ah-Ning’ under his breath back then even after the young man became clearheaded, he wouldn’t even have noticed what a lie he was being fed.

How much had this young man entertained himself by casually sliding those little hints of his affections into their conversations? Had Yan Yixuan chuckled to himself at how clueless he was? Rather than being insulted at the thought, Ning Wei felt amused. This young man was such a sly little fox, playing with him so sneakily.

“Ning Wei?” Yan Yixuan called hesitantly. Why was the general looking at him with that strange smile?

Ning Wei shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

However, he did have to wonder, how could Yan Yixuan already have affections for him back then even though it was only their first time meeting? Had their paths crossed before that? Ning Wei was sure he would’ve remembered it if the Yan household had visited them at their house or if he had gone to visit them in their residence. It couldn’t have been when he was at the frontlines or during the latter years of the war either.

Other than that, the only other possibility was meeting somewhere along the way of his and his father’s travels all over the empire in the earlier years of the war. But those years were too eventful for Ning Wei to be able to remember every single person he met. Hmm, he did vaguely remember that there was some incident with the Yan household he’d come across somewhere in between…

Meanwhile, the young man was steeped in thought as well. Did something happen back in the residence to make Ning Wei behave weirdly? He didn’t recall anything like that. Well, it was only his first visit there, so maybe he just didn’t realize―

Yan Yixuan shot upright suddenly. “Ah! I forgot!”

Ning Wei raised his eyebrows. “What happened?”

Yan Yixuan sighed and slumped down on his seat again. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. “I just realized that I made a mistake. I’d rather not say in which way. You’ll see it when I correct my oversight to you later.”

Ning Wei chuckled. “How mysterious. It makes me even more curious now.”

The young man grinned. “If I revealed all my secrets so easily and you end up having no more questions for me, would you even seek my company anymore?”

Ning Wei threw back his head and laughed.

Seeing that his beloved had returned to being normal, Yan Yixuan’s worries were finally put to rest.

Meanwhile, Ning Wei chose to keep silent about his realizations. He liked the way they were now. He would rather not change anything about their closeness. If he ever felt the need for more…he’d deal with it then.

↢∘●∘↣

After Yan Yixuan’s visit and the ensuing occurrences, Ning Wei felt that he had grown closer to his family.

Now that she had gotten a little bit involved in the matters between Ning Wei and Yan Yixuan, thus feeling closer to her nephew, the third aunt Ning He worried after Ning Wei more openly rather than just silently stuffing his bowl with food to show her care. On the other hand, after playing with him while he was in his armor and realizing that Ning Wei hadn’t been acting aloof and was only being quiet, his three little cousins also began seeking out his company and started roping him into playing games with them. As for his fourth uncle Ning Zeng, he seemed to gain immense pleasure from nagging Ning Wei to get together with Yan Yixuan quickly and trying to get him open up about his non-existent romance life.

This was another day when Ning Wei returned to the Ning residence to take care of work as the head of the household and spend some time with his family. After he was done clearing his desk of important documents, Ning Zeng dragged him away to drink tea with him in one of the gardens.

“You must be aware of what you’re doing,” Ning Zeng was saying. “The way you treat the duke seems awfully friendly. Are you sure you haven’t fallen for his charms already? He’s a nice young man, so the family won’t disapprove if you both become lovers.”

Ning Wei gritted his teeth. “Fourth Uncle, stop it. As I keep saying, we’re only friends at this point. I’ve no intention of making our current relationship into anything more right now. I’m quite content with the way things are.”

Ning Zeng looked unconvinced. “Are you sure? I feel like you’re unable to see what you feel towards that young man. Nephew, I just don’t want you to miss this chance, then regret it when the duke gives up and moves onto greener, more enthusiastic pastures.”

Ning Wei rolled his eyes. “No matter how much you insist, my answer will be the same. Anyway, I don’t think this matter is as serious as you make it out to be. For all I know, Yan Yixuan might have only taken a temporary fancy for me. It might fade away at any moment, leaving us with nothing but our friendship.”

“Not serious? Not serious, you say?!” Ning Zeng began his dramatic performance with aplomb, his voice soaring like a bird. “Did you forget all the lengths that young man went to for your sake? He protected our household and improved our standing further so that his beloved—which is you, in case you can’t tell—wouldn’t be inconvenienced. He agreed to visit our residence at the drop of a hat just because his dear general asked him to. He helped you take off your armor to spend some alone time with his love and possibly eat some of your tofu at the side. He’s totally, completely, head over heels!”

Ning Wei only looked at him silently.

Not caring about his lack of reaction, Ning Zeng threw himself back in his seat with a huff and concluded, “Let me just say that after everything, I wouldn’t be surprised if Duke Yan sent over a carriage full of betrothal gifts for you right this instant!”

Just then, they heard approaching footsteps before a servant walked into view, reached their table, and bowed. “Master, the steward of Yan household is here with a carriage full of gifts.”

Both Ning Wei and Ning Zeng were shocked. Had that prediction come true so early?!

Then the servant continued, “The steward also holds a letter of apology on behalf of Duke Yan who has expressed his sincere regrets that he hadn’t brought any gifts with him when he visited last time.”

The uncle and nephew pair calmed down.

Ning Wei instructed, “Have the steward rest in one of the receiving rooms and accord him every courtesy. Gather some servants to move the gifts and send the list of everything that arrived to my desk.”

“Yes, Master,” the servant said with a bow, then left to do as told.

Ning Zeng began to tease, “Nephew, now that you have the betrothal gifts, all that’s left is for you both to marry and exchange solemn vows pledging to take care of each other for your whole lives.”

Ning Wei froze, then an expression of chagrin slowly spread over his face. “Disregarding the marriage, we might have already done something like that.”

Freezing, Ning Zeng looked at him wide-eyed. “What?!”

Ning Wei coughed and explained, “After we both signed the pact, Yan Yixuan made a vow that we would support and protect each other as long as the pact held.”

Ning Zeng banged his fist on the table and yelled, “Great! This is just great! You silly brat, so you already got as close to exchanging marriage vows as possible without even having to romance your partner! You both already decided to be with each other long ago and you’re only now wondering whether or not the duke holds affections for you? Get lost! What are you even doing here now? You might as well go back to your husband’s house and just stay there!”

Ning Wei’s mouth twitched with incredulity as all these exaggerated and melodramatic statements rolled out one after the other from his uncle’s mouth.

Meanwhile, Ning Zeng couldn’t help but grouse exasperatedly to himself. His damn nephew was so fucking dense! How could he not have noticed someone’s feelings despite all these indications?! He suddenly felt sorry for Yan Yixuan. Ah, my future nephew-in-law, you must have it so hard courting this blockhead! Don’t give up, I’m rooting for you!

Yan Yixuan thus gained the sympathies of Ning Zeng without even knowing.

Not willing to take part in his uncle’s dramatic antics any longer, Ning Wei made an excuse about checking what Yan Yixuan sent, then escaped.

Included among the many things gifted, there was a basket of guavasteens addressed specifically to Ning Wei. The general smiled when he saw it, unable to help but associate the fruit with their first day of meeting, both in the carriage and in the Yan residence’s study.

After putting away Yan Yixuan’s gifts, Ning Wei suddenly remembered that he hadn’t given anything to the young man when he visited the Yan household for the first time either. Deciding to do it now, Ning Wei carefully chose a set of books to fill in a certain free space in the bookshelf that Yan Yixuan once complained about, then sent it over with other gifts like fur coats and some exquisite woodwork.

In return, a few days later, Yan Yixuan very kindly gave him copies of certain books that he wanted the general to study, along with some expensive fabric and vases.

Not one to take things lying down, Ning Wei returned his gesture with a book of his own that told the story of a student who was given so much schoolwork by his teacher that he fainted due to tiredness. His teacher then realized his mistakes and reduced his student’s burden from then on.

The next batch of gifts sent over by an unmoved Yan Yixuan contained several books on medicine and some herbs and food that were said to cure fatigue. His message was clear: Stop using excuses to slack off and use these things to combat any weariness, then continue reading!

Chuckling at the young man’s cheekiness, Ning Wei began pondering about something equally as cheeky to send in return.

In this way, the two sides exchanged gifts almost every time Ning Wei returned to the Ning residence. The general wryly realized that his mind was now full of Yan Yixuan. He spent time with the young man in the Yan household, then was reminded of him again and again even when he was at the Ning residence due to this constant gift exchange game.

Eventually, word spread that the Great General Ning Wei and Duke Yan Yixuan were exchanging courting presents. The gossipers happily speculated: Did the general finally come to know of the duke’s intentions and was acknowledging it? What other reason would there be for them to be flirting so openly with each other? With gleeful anticipation, the gossipers expected news of the pair’s marriage to arrive at any moment. They couldn’t help hypothesizing if the duke and general would adopt children, whose surname those children might gain, who would be marrying into whose household, and who would be stepping down as the head of their household.

When Ning Wei heard of it all, his expression contorted as if he’d drunk Yan Yixuan’s medicinal concoction again. He thought sarcastically in his heart, I suppose I don’t have to worry about my future now since there seem to be too many damn fortunetellers running around who know exactly how my life is going to play out!

But realizing how Yan Yixuan must have been the one who let rumors of the duke pursuing the general spread back then, Ning Wei sighed and let it go. For some reason, knowing that this was all a part of that little fox’s ploy made most of Ning Wei’s annoyance dissipate. Just the thought of Yan Yixuan’s pleased face when he heard of these new rumors put Ning Wei in an amused mood again.

In the meantime, the Yan residence received two letters of note.

One of them was from the Official Cang Xiyu who had once tried to orchestrate Yan Yixuan’s assassination. The letter stated his agreement in joining the supporting faction and asked Yan Yixuan’s help in finalizing it.

As for the second one, it was an invitation from the imperial palace requesting Yan Yixuan’s attendance in the coming longevity festival celebrating the Empress’s birthday.