To say I was shocked would have been an overstatement. Still, it wasn't something I expected from Renshu.
When you live under the same roof as someone, curiosity about them is natural, but he was never the talkative kind. This felt... sudden.
"It was good," I replied after a moment, "excluding my father."
"Oh yes, your father—the one who…" he hesitated, "…sent you off?"
"Yes."
"Wow. That was cruel."
I only nodded. It had been a long time since that day. I'd already exhausted every thought I could possibly have about it.
A silence settled between us, not awkward, but heavy. I decided it was my turn to ask something.
"Well… what about your family? Your parents?"
He straightened slightly, his gaze distant. "You already know my father was a former general. My mother was his wife, but he had concubines. He never really acknowledged their children as his own. He was strict, too strict, and began training me as soon as I could hold a weapon."
He exhaled softly. "My mother wasn't much different. Honestly, I never truly saw them as parents. The one who actually raised me was my nursemaid. She was kind, unlike them."
"Who's your nursemaid?" I asked, cutting in.
"Bao Qin."
My eyes widened. It suddenly made sense, the reason he trusted her so easily, the way she spoke to him with that mix of authority and affection.
But something else tugged at my curiosity. He said his father had other children…
"So you have siblings?"
"Yes," he replied simply. "A few sisters and one brother. The sisters are all married now, none of them live here anymore."
I nodded again, unsure how to continue. The night had grown darker, the faint sound of wind whispering through the trees.
"You said you were trained to be a general from a young age," I said after a while. "If you hadn't been… would you still have chosen this path?"
He was silent for a long moment, eyes fixed on the dark horizon. Then, quietly, he spoke.
"I used to dream of being a traveler," he said with a faint laugh. "To see the world, different countries, different skies. As a general, it's still possible, I suppose, but with the workload… I doubt I'll get to go anywhere for years."
He turned to me. "What about you? Did you want to do something when you were young?"
I paused for a moment, then spoke. "I was more focused on not getting hurt by my relatives. I knew I'd be married off someday, so I didn't have many ambitions. But…" I looked away. "I did like swordfighting."
"Looks like neither of us had a happy childhood," he laughed.
"I wouldn't call it unhappy," I said truthfully. "You had Bao Qin. I had my mother and brothers. That was enough to hope for."
A gentle breeze brushed against us, stirring the leaves. The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable this time, it was peaceful.
The moon was bright above, silver against an indigo sky, with stars faintly scattered like whispers of light.
"Meilina," Renshu said suddenly.
I turned toward him.
"You know about my position, my rank," he began slowly. "Even though I'm well-protected, you aren't. People already know you're my student. That makes you… vulnerable. They might try to kidnap you, to demand ransom."
"What?" I frowned. "Isn't this the Forbidden City? Surely—"
"No," he cut in sharply. "It can happen. I'm not exaggerating, Meilina. There are men who would do anything to use me—even if it means using you."
I blinked, stunned. "But… this is the emperor's palace. Would they really—?"
"They might," he said grimly. "I'm someone they can use as leverage."
I didn't know what to say. To think danger could reach even here…
"Listen," he continued, voice firm, "don't go out at night unless necessary. If you need to study late in Gao Ming's quarters, tell me. I'll come get you myself."
I sighed. "Renshu, I think you're being paranoid—"
"You don't get it!" His voice rose sharply. "Anything can happen. You're still a woman, Meilina. What if someone discovers it beneath your disguise? Do you realize what would happen if—"
"Yes, I know!" I snapped, the annoyance spilling out. "You don't have to remind me every time."
He stopped, exhaling deeply. "…Fine. Let's go back."
He grabbed my hand, his grip firm but not harsh, and led me down the narrow stairway from the balcony. The air was thick with silence again, not the comforting kind this time.
Back in my room, I sat on the edge of my bed, mind heavy with questions. Why now? Why warn me so suddenly? Was something happening in the empire? Political tension, perhaps, between Bharat and China?
I didn't want to think too deeply. He wouldn't tell me even if I asked. And maybe, this time, it would be better if I didn't know.
~~~MORNING~~~
The following day slipped by quickly, posting the letter to Lianyu, studying, and finishing the assignment Gao Ming had given me.
This time, it was something related to military logistics. I couldn't help but wonder if he suspected Renshu was secretly helping me.
Maybe that's why he assigned topics that General Renshu would be someone to solve, testing to see if our answers matched.
Clever man.
Still, I refused to ask for Renshu's help. If I was going to earn my place here, I'd do it on my own.
But my lack of local knowledge made it difficult. The only solution was to visit Gao Ming's residence again.
When I arrived, the first person I saw was Rong Xu.
"Have you thought about asking the colonel to let you live here?" I joked.
He laughed. "If I did that, I'd never step outside again. He'd just keep giving me more and more work."
We talked briefly before settling down with our assignments. My deadline was tomorrow, unfortunately.
Hours passed in silence, the room filled with the sound of paper rustling and quills scratching. I read through old scrolls, tracing the methods and moral codes of ancient strategists. Their ideas fascinated me—brilliant, yet quite immoral.
At one point, Rong Xu insisted I try some "foreign cuisine" he'd prepared. I accepted, mostly out of politeness. Well, atleast I didn't have to go back to the palace to have lunch.
The day went well, until dusk came.
As the lanterns were lit and the corridors began to darken, Renshu's warning echoed in my mind.
"Dont go out at night, people might kidnap you."
I swallowed, tightening my cloak as I stepped toward the gate. The streets beyond were quiet, shadows stretching long under the lantern light.
Then I heard Rong Xu call out behind me.
"Hey, Aryan—want me to escort you again?"