24 Promise

Yan Qiu Yue's brows furrowed upon hearing Wei Hong Sheng's words. For him to call it a "sticky situation" meant that he more than likely knew what she was doing. That is, he knew who she really was. She wasn't as distressed as she'd expected to be over Wei Hong Sheng knowing her secret.

She bowed her head slightly. "What to do? I am grateful to Sir Wei for your help, but I have weak knees and don't dare to kneel upon this hard ground." Since Wei Hong Sheng had been stripped of his title, at this point he was the son of a prince, but that didn't give him any sort of real position. Thus, she could only refer to him as "Sir Wei".

"How will you show your thankfulness towards me, then?"

Yan Qiu Yue pretended to ponder this question very seriously. "What could I do other than kowtow or kneel to show my sincerity?"

"You could owe me a favor." Wei Hong Sheng replied, taking a step towards her.

"What kind of favor?" Yan Qiu Yue stepped back. In response, Wei Hong Sheng stepped forward once more. This went back and forth until her back was almost up against the wall.

"I won't tell you until it's time to collect it."

Yan Qiu Yue frowned. "I can't make a promise without knowing what it is I'm agreeing to do."

"Is that so?" Wei Hong Sheng reached towards her. She couldn't help but flinch, not knowing what he was planning to do. He chuckled, then gently grasped and held onto a section of her hair, rubbing it with his thumb and index finger as if to feel the texture of it. "Then... I can't guarantee that I won't let it slip that the young miss of the Yan family likes to dress up as a man and sneak into banquets." His voice was dangerously low. Yan Qiu Yue instantly got the impression that if she didn't agree to his condition right now, Wei Hong Sheng would immediately make good on these words.

"Fine. I will owe you a favor--another 'inestimable boon'." she said sarcastically, recalling the words he'd said the last time they'd met.

"And you must fulfill it, no matter what it is I ask."

Yan Qiu Yue frowned. "Sir, this is extremely unfair of you." She thought of all the humiliating things he could ask her to do. How could she easily agree to this?

"What can I say? I've never been one to fight fair."

It was a lose-lose situation, Yan Qiu Yue thought, but she could always agree now and renege later. What could he do to her, anyway? At worst, she'd lose her good reputation. But perhaps Wei Hong Sheng would cash in on this favor before she got married and she'd be so ruined that no one would marry her. Then she could live out the rest of her life with her family. Wouldn't that be a wonderful turn of events?

As if he could read her mind, Wei Hong Sheng grinned. His expression was full of villainy. "Just try breaking a promise with me and see what happens to you."

She couldn't help but think this was extremely childish of him and rolled her eyes. "Alright," she nodded. "I promise that I'll grant you one favor of your choosing in the future." Inside, she was thinking that she'd just feign ignorance if he tried to call in this favor. How dare he threaten her in this manner! What worth did a promise to such a man have?

Wei Hong Sheng, for his part, looked very amused. He probably knew what she planned to do, of course. Yan Qiu Yue wondered just what he could do to force her to keep her promise. She was surprised when he finally nodded and said, "Good." She was about to try to make some excuse to leave when he continued, "Still, I am curious."

"Hmm?"

"What reason could a young lady possibly have for dressing up as her brother and sneaking into the Crown Prince's banquet?"

"Err..." Well, Yan Qiu Yue could hardly tell him that she had snuck in to try to see what Tian Ao was like! Or maybe it would be best to be honest? She had no idea. This entire conversation--this entire encounter was highly against etiquette and common sense. "It's a secret." she replied after a long pause.

"Well." Wei Hong Sheng laughed and took a step back, letting go of her hair as he did so. "Let's just leave it at that, then. Every woman must have her mysteries." He turned to walk away, but only walked a few steps before looking over his shoulder at her. "Come along. You can't return to the banquet hall alone."

Still frowning, Yan Qiu Yue followed after him. Just before they reentered the hall, she asked him "Why did you help me, anyway?"

"Would you believe it if I said I really wanted you to owe me something?"

"Yes. In my eyes, you are just such a blackguard."

Wei Hong Sheng merely laughed. "It would seem that I am rather hated by you." He then suddenly looked her right in the eyes, his gaze sharp. "It is better than indifference."

Yan Qiu Yue nervously averted her gaze. Something about those words...seemed rather familiar. But before she could say anything else, Wei Hong Sheng left her behind and returned to his original seat higher up in the banquet hall. When she saw Hua Yan Ting looking at her with a strange expression from across the room, Yan Qiu Yue knew that she couldn't stay any longer. Her brother would already have quite a bit of explaining to do to his friend.

She found the Crown Prince and Tian Ao surrounded by a large group and so she strode up to them. Yan Qiu Yue cupped her hands in salute to bid the Crown Prince farewell. She made up an appropriate excuse and apologized for leaving early, of course. Since she hadn't been formally introduced to Tian Ao, though Yan Qiu Yue did want to talk to him to find out some more about him, she could only salute the young man before leaving. His expression remained muted.

Perhaps someone had told him she was Yan Qiu Heng so he now understood that this person in front of him might be his brother-in-law in the near future. Tian Ao didn't seem happy about this fact.

As Yan Qiu Yue was leaving the Crown Prince's estate, Mu Rong and Yan Qiu Heng's aide finally returned to her side. "I'm so sorry, Young Miss." Mu Rong muttered, her voice tinged with regret. "The glare that Prince Rui's son sent our way was so frightening... We dared not follow." The aide murmured his assent towards her words.

Yan Qiu Yue sighed. "Forget it. He is not one whom any of us can afford to offend. I understand...though your actions rather put me in a bind."

She was deep in thought all the way home. After passing through the gates of the Ning Duke estate, Yan Qiu Yue made a beeline for her Peony Courtyard to find her brother.

Yan Qiu Heng was in an inner room playing the guqin. His nails weren't quite long enough to play any difficult or fast pieces, but Yan Qiu Yue felt that her brother just liked the atmosphere of the instrument. Whenever he had to be her while she traipsed around town pretending to be him, he would always end up playing the guqin if he wasn't napping. Though Yan Qiu Heng was playing little melodies at random, it still sounded cohesive somehow. He was deeply concentrating, not even noticing that she'd entered the room.

Yan Qiu Yue had a complex expression as she observed her twin brother. The fake hair he wore looked real and he was quite beautiful wearing her clothes with makeup on his face. She wondered if he was a more convincing Yan Qiu Yue compared to her rather poor rendition of Yan Qiu Heng.

"Younger Brother," she finally called out, her voice somewhat soft. The elegant hands touching the guqin strings stilled.