I never should have doubted myself!

After the guards finished practice, wiping their dripping faces with sleeves and cloths, I approached.

Turning a loyal man bent can be extremely annoying, so I picked ones that were a little younger, this way they would tend to be less set in their ways and wet around the ears.

Despite not knowing a single name, it only took me three tries before I found someone who showed some curiosity. This guard had a wide stature and was still very fit, but today's target, ‘Liao’, must have been cursed and yelled at too much by his Mom when he was a child, for he was oddly meek.

He told me that he was thankful he didn’t have to go out to war after being drafted and instead could guard the general's mansion. He said he saw the dispute between Li Jishen and I, and thought I was bold and good with words.

I replied it was nothing. Then I asked if he knew of that one rumor from Xu San. That one. About me and Zhou Liang being partners. 

He did know it. I asked what he thought of it, and he seemed ambivalent. He probably believed that I would not be so crazy as to seek someone else if it were true. 

After latching onto the man, there was some pandering and trivial conversation. But men could grasp what the other was thinking pretty well, it was not as coy or flippant as a female’s courtship. One knows quickly and easily if the other party has interest or disgust, and this meek guard appeared to be in agreement. Well...it isn’t always a matter of agreeing or not agreeing directly…but the mind derailing, where things very quickly get out of hand. The body has a strong tendency for the visceral.

It begins to think for you, and even a man who boasts probity will open his eyes the next day in sorrow.

Which, the guard turned out to be quite good. The well-practiced military man’s body is supple and firm, enduring all the jolts of lovemaking that I pressed upon it.

…

The sky was dark, the guard and I were both hungry, but not for the same things. 

I asked in a low and gentle voice, “…how are you?”

The man’s voice was slightly nasal and weak at the moment. “I can’t anymore…and, and your injuries…”

“No need to worry about me.” Slowly I turned him back around and leaned over between his legs, nuzzling my reddened lips around a particularly wet and sticky area, causing the man to tense and shudder. With my hot breath, I blew some air out onto that spot. “Darling Liao is so kind, but what your mouth says and what your body wants doesn’t appear to match?”

“You…I…that…” The guard was much less certain. But this military man was so strong, wouldn't he be fine by dawn? 

I nuzzled my face. “Mn, so warm…” my tongue came out.

He gasped.

“Have you plans to marry?” I asked between licks.

He caught his breath. “No, I could still…go to war…I am always here, guarding…once I’m done with my service…”

“Hm…if you procrastinate, it could be too late. You don't want to disappoint your family, right?¹Yes FS is advising him to do exactly the OPPOSITE of what he did with marriage”

The door trembled, and I was a little confused. If anything there should be a knock or voice calling in, why should the wood tremble?

It was not a second later before the entire door was broken open. Entirely ripped from its frame and flung onto the ground by a lean boot. Splintered to pieces from the violence, the pitiable door was in an irreparable state.

It was General Zhou. Really, at this point it's not even a surprise. 

His expression was stiff and chilling, and both his fists were clenched at his sides so tight they could break stone. I casually put the blanket over the guard and laid my discarded robe back over my lap, turning to sit on the side of the bed in a sensual position, my chest fully exposed and hair loose, a few suspicious white traces on my abdomen...

I smiled suggestively and said with a pleasant timbre, “Does the general want to join us?”  

A deep and profound appreciation for the bodies of military men had sprung forth within me like the numerous fresh blades of grass in spring. Even Zhou Liang did not seem as unappealing.

The guard under the blanket flinched, too terrified to speak. Zhou Liang, on the other hand, was too furious to speak.

It was obvious neither were in favor of conversation, so I spoke to guard Liao while patting the blanket he hid under a bit regretfully, “Right, it seems I have to leave early. I’m sorry I can’t take care of you…stretch your back and legs so they won’t be sore tomorrow. And make sure you wash your body thoroughly, rinse all the—"

“Fang Shuren, put on your clothes and come with me!” said Zhou Liang.

I calmly dressed and followed him with a laugh, because I already had my fun. I felt refreshed and relieved.

I could almost see ferocity leap from the General’s eyes when he heard it.

“What?” I asked jeeringly.

Strangely, Zhou Liang shut up without even finishing a single curse, gritting his teeth with a look that would scare children. Was his tongue swollen from all the blood rushing to it with rage? Like this, I had a sense of victory?

I continued with some spite, “As General Zhou said, I can’t touch Shen Jiu—it would be a little too heartless, I agree. However, there are many other men here at the General’s fine residence. This one was so precious.....ouch!”

Zhou Liang had spun around and started pinching my cheek mercilessly. It would definitely leave a red mark later and I couldn’t avoid tearing up involuntarily. My tormentor took an unfathomably deep breath and gradually let it out in five steps. I wouldn’t know what he was contemplating, perhaps wondering if he could keep me out of trouble if he broke my legs²wHoa now FS, calm down. I think we'd know it by now if ZL was a yandere.

Just as I had this ominous thought, Zhou Liang finally stopped pinching me and spoke, “Fang Shuren, why don’t you tell me the family and given name of that guard?”

I thought for a moment, “…his family name is Liao. I don’t recall his given name.”

"Is that so."

Even though I had been in such a great mood, Zhou Liang truly has a way with words, a sort of uprightness he imposes on other that irks my core. Before I knew it, I was arguing, “So what if I don't know it? Can't I find someone to keep me company at night? It doesn’t have to be the same as marriage vows, and even if you don't have any wives or concubines either, don't you at least have someone to warm your bed³Person to warm bed or 'bed maid', pretty much same thing as mistress who is a servant. You know, in ancient times men with power just slept with....what they had available, whenever they wanted to.....?”

“I don’t.” Zhou Liang was stoic. 

“You…” I was stunned, left stuttering. "You...don't?"

He continued, “It’s not that I’ve never visited a brothel before or spent the night with another on the spur of the moment.”

I quickly let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding in. For a second I thought he must be impotent. I said, “Of course, I wasn’t suggesting such a thing…”

I was seriously relieved that the Eastern General wasn’t a virgin, but still unsure where he was headed with these words.

Zhou Liang glanced at me, “When I was younger, I tried a few things, but I never found the appeal. At any rate I found myself busied every day and did not have time for courtship.”

I replied carefully, “You live by higher virtue and only have interest in a wife, that's understandable. Very understandable. It’s a respectable way, but I’m afraid most other men cannot reach your feet.”

I didn’t realize we had arrived back at Zhou Liang’s room. He turned around, his gaze was deep and firm. 

“My father told me time and time again that he only had eyes for my mother alone. I think his teaching were wise. What good is one night, what good is it being with a different person every time? Even if you experience all kinds of pleasures, once the sun rises you’ll be alone.”

Alone.

So what?!

I turned to leave immediately, but Zhou Liang blocked my path, forcing me to confront him. His condescending gaze stirring turgid waves in my heart, and I grew irritated despite myself.

“Your father and mother were truly a case of the cowherd and weaver⁴Basically this ancient story is about two lovers (one a god one a cowherd) whose love was not allowed, so they only met once a year (there are variations), but FS is comparing Zhou Gan (ZL's dad) who was off to war all the time, and his wife (who was always sick) as the Cowherd and Weaver, a story you only hear of in legends, but the difference between idealism and reality is vast. Not all people are allotted good fate from the Heavens. They search and struggle, but there is no fruition when it comes to love. To those people, is it best to abstain from their desires for an eternity? The same as how a beggar dreams of swallow nest soup⁵Dessert like soup made from swallow nest (EW) but in ancient times rumor was that it could restore health and beauty, a kind of luxury soup and roast pork when they will only have scraps, one learns to suffice with less and become satisfied from it.”

I wouldn’t know when Zhou Liang’s face softened while looking at me, but I knew at once that I had gotten too riled up and felt a little ashamed. While arguing I would still only reach Zhou Liang’s chest, so it was a marvel he could keep a straight face.

“Do you want to take a bath?” he asked randomly.

“…what?” I forced this word out of my mouth, suspicious Zhou Liang planned to impart more of his wisdom down my throat.

“I had the servants prepare a bath since a while ago. Don’t you feel like washing up?”

I am sticky and sweaty, but...

“My bath is quite large, father had it built for mother after the doctor said medicinal baths might ease her illness.” Zhou Liang then spoke as though struck with a good idea, “We can bathe together.”

Zhou Liang clearly had planned this from the start. He had not even touched me, so why in heaven and earth he wanted to bathe with me…how could I know? I smiled despite my sulkiness and tried to step around him again.

“I don’t deserve the general’s consideration. This Fang Shuren will take his leave—"

Zhou Liang grabbed my hand, dragging me over.

The bathhouse was a small building connected by a hall from Zhou Liang’s room, added on after the mansion was built. It was a lavish addition to say the least, a rectangular tub of ceramic painted with blue tigers filled half the space, large enough that the water would first be heated in a boiler outside then drained into the bath.

There was only one other time I used this sort of luxurious bath, and it was back when I spent a night with the third prince. Let alone spacious enough to fit five elephants, there were unclothed and youthful male and female servants that washed us head to toe. Remarkably, even that place laced with gold couldn’t match the soothing qualities of Zhou Liang's bath.

An overwhelming herbal and floral scent assaulted my nose before I stepped in the door. Even the bathwater was vaguely green as though it were growing algae. I pulled my sleeve up over my nose, disturbed. 

This distraction gave Zhou Liang a chance to attack, and I felt the cloth around my shoulders tugged down. The next moment, the bandage wrapped on my back was being gradually unwound.

He spoke unhurriedly, “The bath is infused with herbs that will be good for your wounds.”

"Huh…” I said, all my muscles relaxing at once. The general had been thinking of me and prepared this ahead of time, then, I suppose it’s understandable he would be annoyed that I went off to play…

“See, you were too reckless. One of them reopened.”

“Hm…” I gave another vague reply, thinking, “Is he trying to kill me with tenderness?”

Actually, between the two of us, perhaps Zhou Liang is more bizarre. I didn’t know whether he preferred men or women. What man the status of the general didn’t have five or more concubines or at least one wife?

Nevertheless, it was hard to conclude for certain what the general thought of me. See, he also had many ripe opportunities to take advantage of my weak states and vent his desires, yet chose not to. For example, when I rolled around drunk, when I was ill, and right now…but he never had any observable reaction. The man was instead as collected and patient as a Buddhist monk! Maybe he was bent on making me change my ways as a matter of his pride, and that was all…

But ever since this morning in the garden, it seemed he was petting my fur the right direction. Well it was true—I’d grown into a callous and jaded old cynic, so I wouldn’t eat hard foods, only soft⁶Old phrase that means a person will retaliate against threats/forceful coercion, but can be persuaded with a more pleading/soft approach, AKA Zhou Liang's methods. Ahahaha, the exception being one kind of hard thing!

“Hey,” complained Zhou Liang, “Are you going to stand there all night? The bath will grow cold.”

Ah, yes, I’d been standing here naked the entire time.

Zhou Liang had already lowered himself into the water on one side of the tub since a while ago. I slowly stepped in on the other side. As the warm sensation of the herbal bath penetrated the wounds on my back, it did not sting for long, and was relaxing.

It happened again. When I thought Zhou Liang would pester me and chatter, he was quiet. He closed both his eyes and leaned back, as though purely content to get a break from work.

I could feel all the tension in my body sapped from the warm water. The strongest smell seemed to be jasmine, and I could almost feel it penetrate my mind. I turned myself around and rested my arms and head on the edge of the bath, closing my eyes contentedly.

…

Amarathia

FS: Oh this is a very nice breakfast in the garden with Zhou Liang. I enjoyed that.

ZL: Me too.

FS 15 min later: Well, time to go sleep with someone to try and shatter ZL's hopes.

ZL 5 hrs later after a stressful war meeting: Nope, try harder. In the meantime you can come take a bath with me. 

Author: Wow how do I manage to write these stubborn bastards

Spoiler just includes my random haywire thoughts, not a necessary read

Spoiler

Ahahaha I hope it doesn't come as a surprise that FS, after all the times he mentioned being a playboy, actually went and slept with someone. Lulz. Poor ZL, he only left for 1 war meeting

...but imo it's actually ZL who is overstepping his bounds by trying to control who FS is with when they aren't even in a relationship, but technically, since FS has self-destructive tendencies, I am kind of letting it slide...

Smh, and Fang Shuren is just outright confused by ZL. He's like 'maybe ZL isn't in love with me, otherwise why hasn't he slept with me already??' He doesn't understand that ZL is playing long-game with him. For one, a one-night stand goes against ZL's ideals. Second, ZL is aware that a sexual relationship would allow FS an easy way out, where he can think of ZL like another one of his casual fk buddies. Third, ZL cares way more more about loyalty and affection than he does a round of sex (as he stated in this chapter). 

But FS is just like "???" "What is he trying to get at?" "Oh i guess i'll just not think about that cause it's too incomprehensible and take a nap in this bath instead"

Lol I have way too much fun writing this situation...I guess other people would be like 'awww that's sad he gets confused when people actually care more about his happiness than fucking him', but no, here I am laughing in the face of darkness as I write at 3 am in the morning

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