This was bad. Seriously bad. Of all nights, it just had to be tonight—the night right after Renshus warnings. Even worse, Rong Xu was standing right there, offering to escort me back.
Perfect.
Now what was I supposed to do? Accept his offer and risk Renshu finding out? His warnings were echoing in my head again, how kidnappings weren't uncommon, how I should never travel late, how he'd rather pick me up himself than let me walk around completely alone.
But if I let Rong Xu take me back, Renshu might find out. And if that happened, he'd be twice as angry. So which was worse, getting kidnapped, or getting scolded to death by him?
Well... probably the latter.
After a moment of painful indecision, I sighed. "I appreciate your offer, Rong Xu," I said. "But I'll be fine going alone."
He didn't look convinced, but he just nodded. "Alright, suit yourself. Goodnight, Aryan."
I watched him walk away until his figure disappeared into the darkness. The lamps outside flickered, half-dead from the wind. Now it was just me, my horse, and the long way home.
Normally, I didn't mind walking around at night. I'd done it before, first as a maid, and later, twice as a chief strategist. But tonight felt different.
Maybe because I wasn't just a random maid anymore. People knew me now. The foreign man under General Renshu's care. The one who "came from nowhere" and "stole" a chief strategist's position.
If the wrong people saw me, I'd probably disappear before sunrise.
The Lanxuan Pavilion was a long way from Renshu's palace, but the rear palace wasn't far. Once you made it inside, you were safe, no men allowed. The outer court, though? That was another story entirely.
My thoughts were swirling when I noticed my horse starting to drag his feet. He let out a low, tired groan, and I froze. Oh no.
Right, I'd forgotten to feed him before heading to work. I was so focused on finishing the reports that I skipped his lunch.
I hopped off his back, patting his neck. "Alright, you rest. I'll walk."
He flicked his ears at me, clearly unimpressed, but followed anyway. It was going to take much longer on foot, but I didn't have a choice.
The night air was cool, the moon half-hidden behind thin clouds. As I walked, I found myself remembering the first time I'd sneaked out of the rear palace alone.
That night had been beautiful, soft wind, blooming flowers, stars scattered like spilled salt. Everything had felt new, thrilling, alive.
Though now it was quiet and colorless. Just a stretch of dirt paths, old storehouses, and patches of dying grass. The peace was almost too heavy. My thoughts drifted; it was calming, until it wasn't.
Because that peace didn't last long, just like last time.
I heard it first: the sharp rhythm of hooves cutting through the silence. I turned. A dark horse was galloping straight toward me. The rider wore a hooded cloak, face hidden, posture steady. He was coming fast, too fast.
My stomach tightened. I froze for half a second before instinct kicked in. My horse could barely walk, so escaping on him was out of the question. That left me two options, run for my life or fight whoever it was.
And since I wasn't exactly built for sprinting in a silk dress, I went with option two.
I slipped my hand into my pocket and gripped the small knife hidden there. My pulse quickened.
The hoofbeats grew louder, closer. He was almost in front of me now. Just a few more seconds and I'd—
"Meilina?! Finally—"
I stopped mid-swing. That voice. Renshu...
But the relief didn't last. He wasn't smiling. No, he looked like he was two seconds away from grabbing me by the shoulders and taking out his own weapon.
"MEILINA, DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH I WORRIED?!" he shouted, voice cracking somewhere between anger and panic. "Because of you, I had to come all the way here! I told you to wait, I told you not to go out this late, I—"
He ran out of breath mid-rant, then turned me around by the shoulders to face my horse.
"Do you see its state?!" he barked. "Completely worn out! You can't even ride it! What would you have done if I was a kidnapper? Huh? Answer me!"
I stared at the ground, guilt already creeping up my spine. He wasn't wrong. I'd brushed off his warnings like they were exaggerations, and now here he was, angry, exhausted, and worried.
He sighed, muttered something under his breath, then grabbed my wrist and guided me to his horse. "Get on," he ordered.
I didn't argue. I climbed up, feeling every ounce of shame that came with being rescued like this. He mounted behind me and flicked the reins. The horse started moving. The night air brushed past us, sharp and cold.
It was awkward, having him sit so close. His chest pressed lightly against my back, and I could feel the tension in his breathing. But I didn't dare complain. Not after making him come all the way out here.
I turned to glance at my poor horse trotting slowly behind us, tail drooping. My stomach twisted. How did I mess up so badly tonight?
We slowed our pace so my horse could keep up. The silence stretched. Each minute felt heavier than the last.
"You didn't even eat lunch today," Renshu said suddenly, tone clipped. "Bao Qin told me. Why didn't you tell me you'd be staying late? I could've picked you up."
I hesitated, then told the truth. "Having someone escort me makes it feel like I can't defend myself."
He groaned softly. "It's not about that. It's—" He stopped, searching for words. "You're just-"
"I know I am too careless, but I dislike asking for someone's help, that's the truth."
Another silence. The only sounds were the horses' hooves and the wind brushing past the trees. Above us, the moon hung low and bright, watching us like some silent witness.
After a while, he spoke again. "Why do you study so much, anyway? You've been Chief Strategist for four nights, and you're already studying day and night."
"Because I don't know enough about this country," I replied. "If I want to be worthy of my position, I have to work harder than anyone else."
"What do you mean, worthy?" He sounded almost offended. "You're already more than worthy. Wei Fang chose you himself! Not just as a strategist—a chief strategist."
"The only reason he noticed me was because I was your student," I said flatly. "If I wasn't, he wouldn't have cared."
"That's not true—" he started, then paused. "Well, maybe partly. But he also saw your skills with a sword."
"I'm not training to be a soldier," I said quietly.
He sighed. "You push yourself too hard. You already have a sharp mind. Or else you wouldn't have been able to prove yourself to me and Wei Fang. You don't have to be perfect-"
"Isn't that what I'm supposed to aim for?" I asked.
He laughed. "No? And besides, you have me to help, remember?"
I didn't reply. Another long silence passed, and then, out of nowhere, he said, "Aren't you cold?"
Before I could answer, he took off his cloak and draped it around my shoulders. The fabric was warm, soft, can't complain.
"Maybe the cold's making your brain foggy," he teased, laughing at his own humorless joke.
I couldn't help laughing at him. One moment mad, another annoyed, another laughing.
Renshu rested his head lightly against my shoulder, his arms still loosely around my waist as he handed me the reins. His voice dropped to a whisper near my ear. "You don't mind, right?"
I wanted to shake him off, but I doubt I could actually remove him.
The rest of the trip passed quietly like that—awkward, warm, until the storehouses guarding the palace finally came into view.
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