The Pearls - RUYI

Chapter 15 - Trust

Ruyi woke to the delicious smell of roast duck and pork buns. She felt unbelievably comfortable and warm and snuggled deeper into her blankets. She smiled to herself. Father must have been making a special breakfast for her and Enlai again.

She blinked her eyes open, expecting to see the familiar wooden ceiling of her room, but was shocked awake by the sheer white curtain sweeping across the tall banisters of her bed.

She sat up abruptly. "What-," her eyes landed on the sleeping figure of the General. Before she could even contemplate what he was doing there, Enlai strolled into the room.

At the sight of her, he rushed into the room and held her tight. Her eyes filled with tears as he held her. She breathed in his familiar smell. "I was so scared," she said into his chest. He grasped her tighter and she knew he had been terrified as well.

Her stomach rumbled loudly and they pulled apart with a laugh. "Here. We prepared this for the General actually. But it's yours now."

She observed the General, who was still asleep. He was slumped against the wall with his head tilted at an uncomfortable angle. His hair was messy and his clothes rumpled. In this vulnerable state, he seemed almost approachable. The sight made her smile slightly. "He stayed the whole time you were here. He felt terrible, Ruyi."

Ruyi didn't know whether she could forgive the General just yet. He had been so unkind to her. The proud part of her would be less forgiving.

Bolin interrupted her thoughts as he rushed in to check on her health. He made the usual checks and once he was satisfied, shooed Enlai off to allow her to continue resting before it was only her and the General once again.

She stood to go to the bathroom but accidentally knocked over the water jug, which clattered to the floor loudly. She froze with a gasp, turning to see if she had woken the General.

She was met with his dark eyes, now evidently wide awake. For a moment, they stared at one another, unable to find words. The air was thick with unspoken feelings. Finally, he broke the silence.

"I'm sorry," he began. Her eyes burned with tears. She didn't understand why she was being so emotional today. He stood, stepping towards her, but she made no move to join him.

"Ruyi, I cannot begin to explain how very sorry I am. I should have trusted you. But instead, I jumped to conclusions, and hurt you when I promised to protect you." His eyes implored her to believe him, to forgive him.

Her heart wrenched. She didn't know if she could trust him again, not when his faith in her was so fragile. But he had protected Enlai, and he had believed in her as a doctor. Didn't that count for something? Torn, Ruyi swiped her eyes quickly, hoping to stop her tears.

At the sight of her, the General stepped forth to gather her in his arms. "Shh. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You're safe now. I won't make this mistake again."

Even though she loved the feeling of his arms around her, she knew she needed to step away. She needed time to think about what had happened.

She pulled back but couldn't look him directly in the eye. "I can't forgive you yet, I'm sorry. I need time to think about what happened," she reached for the pendant he had gifted her but he held her hand to stop her.

"Keep it. I understand. I won't come near you until you're ready. But my promise still remains, even though I have failed once. I'll protect you for as long as I live. Keep it."

With that, he let go of her hand and walked out of the room.