"Qi Hua... That lady..." Rui Yue's word stopped, as he looked at the bed.
"Ah, Rui Yue, you're here. Has the servants get the physician? I found this lady lying by the tree trunk unconscious. She had woke up for a while before fell unconscious again. So, I brought her back." Qi Hua explained as he looked at bed.
"You didn't get hurt, do you?" Rui Yue looked Qi Hua.
Qi Hua smiled. "No, I didn't..."
"Really?" Rui Yue asked as he walked closer and inspected Qi Hua from head to toe, from left to right.
Qi Hua laughed in mirth. "Stop appraising me as if I'm a dog or something." He touched Rui Yue's nose.
"I'm fine... See..." Qi Hua turned one round in front of Rui Yue.
Rui Yue sighed in relieve. "I'm glad. We can't have you hurt. You are the Great Imperial General, the man who will lead the troop to victory."
Qi Hua smiled gently. "As great I am, I still need you by my side to obtain the absolute victory in the future."
Rui Yue smiled. "Qi Hua, don't worry. Whatever happen, I will always be there for you, and support you."
"That's good. If you dare to break this promise..." Qi Hua let his threat hang on. He smiled and lightly pinched Rui Yue's nose. "I will definitely punish you."
Rui Yue laughed lightly and knocked Qi Hua's hand gently before touching his own nose. The warmth from Qi Hua's finger lingered and warmed his heart. "Don't worry. That day will never come."
After a minute, the physician arrived and examined the lady. The physician explained that the lady just suffered from external injuries and nothing was serious. Rui Yue watched Qi Hua thanked the physician. Once the servant escorted the physician out from the room, Rui Yue stood there watching Qi Hua adjusted the quilt that was draped on the lady's body.
Unconsciously, he gripped the clothes near to his heart. His heart clenched at the sight of Qi Hua taking care of the lady carefully. When he realized what was happening, he immediately put down his hand and shook his head. He needed to calm himself down.
"I... I just realized that there is other matter I need to do. So, I don't want to disturb you anymore. The hunt must have worn you out too. Get a good rest, Qi Hua. I...I'm leaving" Rui Yue said hastily.
"Huh? Oh... okay." Qi Hua replied.
Rui Yue quickly dashed out and once he exited from Crimson Rain Pavilion, he walked slowly back to his Red Snow Pavilion. Once he got into his bedchamber, he slides the door of his bedchamber slowly. His hand gripped on the wood frame tightly, frowning at himself.
"She is injured. Of course Qi Hua has to help her. Get a grip of yourself, Rui Yue. Don't think so much." Rui Yue chided himself over the horrible feeling that he felt earlier.
But what he didn't know, from then onward, it was no longer the same. The lady that Qi Hua brought back regained consciousness the next day. Rui Yue had gone to visit her when she just woke up. Qi Hua was there too. She introduced herself as Qing Yao. After Qing Yao had woke up, Qi Hua had arranged her to stay in one of the guestrooms.
When Qi Hua told Rui Yue that Qing Yao will be staying with them from that day onward, there was an unspeakable sadness in Rui Yue's heart. But Rui Yue squashed it down. It was Qi Hua's mansion after all. So of course, he can decide whoever that are allowed to stay there. Rui Yue just smiled at Qi Hua after Qi Hua informed him.
A few days later, Qing Yao was well enough to get off the bed and walk around. The second time Rui Yue saw her, she was with Qi Hua at the courtyard. Rui Yue accessed Qing Yao from far. Qing Yao is a beautiful lady. Medium stature with a lithe body, big eyes, chestnut coloured hair and plump red cherry lip. Qing Yao is those type of lady whom the men will take fancy on.
"Perhaps Qi Hua will like her too..." A thought flitted passed Rui Yue's mind as he watched the scene in front of him. Qi Hua was sitting on a stone chair while Qing Yao stood beside him. One was as beautiful as celestial fairy, the other one was handsome like a God. Truly a match made in heaven. Rui Yue was lost in thought when Qi Hua called him.
By the time he realized, Qi Hua was standing in front of him, peering at him worriedly. "Rui Yue... Rui Yue, you alright?"
Qi Hua placed his hand on Rui Yue's forehead. Sensing a warm hand on his forehead Rui Yue snapped out of his daze. "Huh?"
"You alright?" Qi Hua asked again as he withdrew his hand.
Rui Yue nodded and Qi Hua smiled gently at him. "Then let's go for lunch. It's almost lunch time now. Let's go to Spring Water Restaurant." Qi Hua suggested.
"Okay." Rui Yue said softly.
They left together and Qing Yao joined them for lunch. Qing Yao rushed forward and walked beside Qi Hua. She begun to talk to Qi Hua as they walked toward the Xuan Wu street, leaving Rui Yue aside. Xuan Wu street was bustling with activities.
There were a lot of people walking and looking around at the unique items sold by the seller. Yue Rui was not looking at those items. Instead he was watching Qing Yao chatted animatedly with Qi Hua in front of him. He clenched his hand tightly in his sleeve. Again, that horrible feeling had welled up.
"No... Rui Yue. Get a grip. Why are you like this... You can't act like this..." Once again Rui Yue berated himself silently.
When Qi Hua turned to look at Rui Yue, Rui Yue smiled at Qi Hua. Qi Hua stood there waiting for Rui Yue to walk closer to them. Seeing Qi Hua stopped, Qing Yao stopped too. But she was looking at Rui Yue with an upset face.
"Hurry up, Rui Yue. Why are you walking at the back?" Qi Hua asked with a smile.
"Sorry...". Rui Yue apologized as he sped up his pace toward them.
The next morning, the sound of sword clashing could be heard from the sparring ground. There were two figures sword fighting. The servants were watching these two intently, secretly awed at their performance. Their robes fluttered like a butterfly as they jumped to evade or to attack. These two young masters were none other than Qi Hua and Rui Yue. They're deeply focused on the fight that none of them realized a lady had walked in. The lady looked at Qi Hua and Rui Yue sparring.
Qi Hua attacked Rui Yue straight on using his sword and Rui Yue evaded before knocking Qi Hua's sword away using his free hand. Qi Hua lost the grip and the sword flew out of his hand and landed a few steps away, while Rui Yue's sword attacked straight on. Qi Hua tried to evade, but he was a step late and so the sword stayed on Qi Hua's neck.
Qi Hua smiled proudly at Rui Yue. "Amazing, your sword fight has improved, Rui Yue."
Rui Yue shook his head as he sheathed his sword. "No, it just purely luck, that's all."
Qi Hua picked up his fallen sword and sheathed it. "Nevertheless, it's still a good fight."
Before they were able to retrieve the towels, the towels appeared before them. It was Qing Yao who brought them the towels. Rui Yue smiled and thanked her before tossing one of the towels to Qi Hua. Rui Yue took the other towel and wipe off his sweat.
"Qi Hua gege, your sword fight is so amazing, and you too, Rui Yue. It's amazing. Won't you teach me sword fight, Qi Hua gege..." Qing Yao asked coyly.
"Huh? You want to learn?" Qi Hua looked at Qing Yao.
Qing Yao nodded. "Yes, so that I can protect myself next time...."
Rui Yue looked at their exchange bitterly. He forced himself to smile. He patted Qi Hua's shoulder before walking away. Outside the sparring ground, Rui Yue's attendant was waiting. Rui Yue looked at the two figures in the sparring ground before he turned back and inhaled deeply.
"Let's go, Wu Cheng." Rui Yue said as he walked away.
"Yes, Young master..." Wu Cheng replied respectfully.
Even though Rui Yue was picked up by Qi Hua, but the late Great Imperial General Yan doted on Rui Yue as much as he doted on his son, Qi Hua, and he adopted Rui Yue as his second son, which made the servants in the household to address him as a 'young master'.
An hour later, Qing Yao appeared before Rui Yue who was reading book while savouring the freshly brewed tea at his own courtyard. Sensing someone stood in front of him, Rui Yue put down his book.
"Ah, it's you miss Qing Yao, is there anything I can help you?" Rui Yue asked with a smile.
"Um... Qi Hua gege is going to teach me sword fighting. So, he couldn't spend a lot of time with you anymore. You won't mind right?" Qing Yao asked innocently.
Rui Yue smiled as his finger traced the tea cup gently. "Is that so? That's good. Learning martial art can be a great help when you encounter danger..."
Qing Yao looked at Rui Yue in malice for a split second before adjusting her expression again. "But... it will lessen the time Qi Hua gege spend with you. I heard from the servants that both of you always stick together, you won't think that I'm stealing him from you right?"
The finger that was tracing the tea cup's rim stopped. Rui Yue looked at Qing Yao. "Miss Qing Yao, Qi Hua is a busy man. He has a lot of things that need him to take care off. We didn't really spend a lot time together. Please don't listen to the servants. They were talking nonsense."
"Is that so? Then I'm glad. By the way, Qi Hua gege really should spend more times with the ladies rather than with men. Since the army only has men, it's more refreshing to spend time with women instead. And Qi Hua gege is in his prime of youth too..." Qing Yao said with a smile.
Rui Yue nodded slowly. "That's true..."
Qing Yao gave Rui Yue an unreadable look. "Alright, that's all I wanted to say. I will leave first."
Rui Yue watched Qing Yao left without saying anything else. He watched Qing Yao retreating back and he fisted his hand tightly.
"That's right. Qi Hua should spend more time with the ladies instead of spending time with me..." Rui Yue murmured softly as he looked far ahead with a sad smile.