Feast

Qin Fuhua gradually crept toward Suyin's face, examining her expression. His eyes gazed directly at Suyin's soul as if he was wondering what she was doing.

"Is there anything wrong with you?" He asked. "Did you overwork yourself?" Qin Fuhua had noticed that Suyin's face was turning red, but it wasn't because she felt like she had overworked her body, but it was because she was looking at him with his domineering, large body.

Suyin shook her head, unable to say anything back to him before she could compose herself again. "I'm okay. I didn't overwork myself." She finally responded after a few seconds of trying to gather herself again.

Right. Suyin is a Doctor. She shouldn't feel so flustered looking at a man's body. Her eyes went straight back at Qin Fuhua's body, but her ears couldn't stop feeling as if someone had put a hot towel on both sides of her ears.

Qin Fuhua moved back to sit better now since he could see that she had regained her focus.

"You shouldn't take off your clothes here, it is not proper to do so." Suyin couldn't concentrate on Qin Fuhua's wound. After all, this was the man that Suyin love and care for. She frowned, because what she said was the truth, though.

Someone with a royal status like Qin Fuhua shouldn't show his bare body to just anyone. Even Suyin knew about this regulation, and it was improper for Qin Fuhua to just reveal himself to the public like this.

What if someone walked in?

Suyin got out of her chair, picking up Qin Fuhua's robe to put it on him.

"I'll check on you after this, okay? I will properly take care of you in the main tent--"

Suyin was so preoccupied with grabbing his clothes to put onto him, that she didn't notice Qin Fuhua was observing her the whole time. He didn't have an intimidating look, rather... he was relaxed.

His eyes were calm, staring blankly at Suyin like a little child. Suyin couldn't comprehend why he had looked like that, but it was necessary for Suyin to put the robe on Qin Fuhua.

She slowly helped him put on the robes, carefully not hurting his wound. As Suyin slipped the right side of the robe into Qin Fuhua's arm, he grasped her wrist to stop her.

"Why aren't you looking at me?"

Qin Fuhua asked curiously.

Suyin didn't realize that she didn't give a single glance at him, but she wasn't sure what to tell to Qin Fuhua.

"It's because I--"

Her eyes met up with his, and all of a sudden, it felt like time ceased.

Suyin couldn't say anything in front of this man and Suyin couldn't control her emotions and words to speak to this person. Qin Fuhua softly glanced at her. His eyebrows softened as his eyes were staring lovingly at her. He let go of Suyin's wrist but didn't utter a single word.

It wasn't required for the two to utter a single word. Their eyes did all of the conversations between each other.

"Aren't you embarrassed to be coming in here and taking off your robe?"

Suyin's eyes expressed.

"There's nothing to be worried about as long as you're here with me."

Qin Fuhua's eyes softly replied.

~GROWLLL~

The sound of someone's stomach growling was heard between Suyin and Qin Fuhua.

It was Suyin's stomach roaring. Suyin only chuckled at Qin Fuhua, who then glanced away from her. He unhurriedly got up, placing his right hand on his right leg to push himself up.

"Hehe..." Suyin held onto her stomach so that her stomach would stop growling. Suyin didn't get a chance to eat, so the aroma of food outside probably caused her stomach to growl.

"Come, let's go eat." Qin Fuhua grasped her hands, holding them as he took her outside.

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It was a cold night outside. As the soldiers ate and talked, their breaths were visual. The food's heat could be seen from afar and the large bonfire in the middle of the feast was there to provide warmth and light.

All of the soldiers feasted together in the circle of the bonfire. Qin Fuhua was dining on his own at the top of the main tent, seating above the others as he leisurely drank his rice wine.

There were three levels where they resided. On the first level was the ground level, where the dirt and bonfire were at. The second level was made out of wood, like an open balcony to allow the soldiers to eat so that there would be no dirt getting on their food.

At the very top, was Qin Fuhua's area. It was considerably large and would be as big as a room. In the middle was a wooden staircase that led down to the ground.

It was revised and repaired during the cleanup after the invasion. It was made and customized during the time that Suyin had been taking care of Qin Fuhua.

Suyin was with the other scholars, eating away as they chuckled at each other's jokes and stories. Teacher Zhou Lin went to rest early, after all, he was an old man. He had finished his dinner earlier and had gone off to sleep.

There was no rice wine delivered to the soldiers yet, before eating in case they wouldn't be able to handle their alcohol, but as the servants began handing everyone their pot of rice wine, Suyin merrily grabbed one too.

"To everyone!" Suyin cheers the scholars and soldiers.

"To victory!" They all screamed out. Just as Suyin was going to drink up the small pot of rice wine, it was abruptly lowered by someone at the back of her.

Weizhe lowered it, shaking his head at Suyin. "I'm sorry, but it was ordered by Qin Fuhua not to allow you to drink."

Suyin gradually spun around to the top of her, where Qin Fuhua was sitting at. She scowled at him because it was unfair that everyone else could drink except her.

Qin Fuhua cooly ignored her, taking another sip of rice wine in his cup.

"Hey, hey. Did you hear about the Prince? His obsession with that one student (regarding Suyin)"

One of the soldiers had expressed near them. Suyin heard the exchange and then shifted to the scholars who looked at one another.

"We swear we didn't say anything." one of the scholars responded to Suyin who gazed at all of them.

The rumors had probably reached everywhere in the Palace already, since that one incident (of Qin Fuhua pulling her out of the scholar's courtyard).

"Ah, it's no wonder he's taking a liking to them." Another soldier spoke.

Qin Fuhua got up from his seat, stepped down the stairs to the second level, and clutched Suyin's hands.

Suyin tried to fight Qin Fuhua to let go of her hands so that the others wouldn't misunderstand and cause any unnecessary rumors, but Qin Fuhua only seized her hands forcefully. He then went up to his level and went inside the main tent.

"See! See! It wasn't just a rumor, after all." Another soldier then started glancing at each other, agreeing that what they had questioned was true after all.

"That's it!" One of the scholars had slammed the table. He got up and pointed at the soldiers next to him. "Stop making up useless rumors until you ask the Prince. There's no way that I'm going to let you contemn Su Yi like that!"

"Yes. With all that he's done, he's helped all of us in the end! It doesn't matter about the Prince or him unless you're jealous!" Another scholar voiced.

"There's no way that I'm jealous, you useless--"

"Stop otherwise I will notify the Prince and you all will be disciplined for spreading false rumors," Weizhe advised.

Just by Weizhe's voice, they all crouched down like terrified dogs.

Qin Fuhua got out of the tent and then went back to sit down at his table. Although he seem calm, he had an annoyed look on his face.

{FLASHBACK TO TEN MINUTES AGO}

As Qin Fuhua dragged Suyin into the main tent, Suyin halted him as she got inside.

"What are you doing? You're just validating their rumors!" Suyin expressed. She was upset already at the stupid rumors, so why was Qin Fuhua trying to butt into something excessive like this?

Her eyes stared at a beautiful black and gold hanfu outfit in front of her. The hanfu was hung by a hanger stand, so the hanfu was spread out. It was beautifully adorned in black and the gold laces were outlined at the sides of the hanfu. A design of a phoenix printed in gold was laid on the left chest.

"It doesn't matter if you are a female or not to these people." Qin Fuhua spoke. "If you are upset about validating the rumors, why not reveal your gender first?"

Qin Fuhua was right. Although Suyin was upset about the rumors, everyone still assumed that she was a man. There would be no way that they would have believed she was a woman in the first place. Did Qin Fuhua plan all of this already?

Qin Fuhua stepped up to Suyin, giving her a golden phoenix hairpin, and turned around, placing his hands behind his back. "Go get changed."

Suyin was reluctant at first, but then Suyin knew that this was the best way for her to reveal herself to everyone. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to stand by Qin Fuhua's side and ruin his reputation.

Suyin then took off the first layer of the robe. And as she continued undressing until she got to the last stage of taking off the wraps around her chest, Qin Fuhua took a peek to make sure that she was okay.

It was then that he discovered that Suyin had a big, large purple mark under her collarbone. He couldn't take his eyes off of the mark, and there was a rage within him that he could barely contain. Like a candle getting lit by a purple fire, Qin Fuhua was filled with fury deep within him. He was able to walk up to Suyin, but Suyin caught Qin Fuhua glancing at her.

"What are you doing?!" Suyin expressed, protecting herself. "J-Just go out there. I'll be done soon!" She stated, trying to shoo Qin Fuhua out of the place.

Thanks to Suyin knocking him back to consciousness, he realized that he could have hurt or angered her if he did something rash. As Qin Fuhua obediently attended, he shook his head outside of the main tent.

"What was I doing?"

Qin Fuhua didn't recognize that the was allowing his feelings to get to him. Someone like Qin Fuhua, the Prince of the Devil, was numb to his emotions. One look at Suyin and his emotions become alive.

{END OF FLASHBACK}

Qin Fuhua took a large gulp of the rice wine. He couldn't let go of the image of the mark under Suyin's collarbone. It stuck onto his mind like glue. He was creating stories in his mind.

Suyin strolled out of the tent, and with awe, all of the soldiers and scholars darted up at the entrance of the main tent.

In amazement, no one said a single word.

Suyin walked down the little pathway, dressed in the beautiful black and gold hanfu outfit. Her hair was encased with the phoenix hairpin, entering the scene again as the scholars and soldiers stopped disputing with each other.

"Who is that?" One of the soldiers questioned. All of their eyes were big and dumbfounded at the sight of Suyin.

Yuan Fu lit a large, proud smile on his face. "That's my brother." He nodded. He knew it was her. At the sight of her face and personality, Yuan Fu would never make a mistake with his sworn sibling.

"Su Yi?!" The scholars all responded in sync. The soldiers then gradually sat down.

Qin Fuhua held Suyin's hand, not allowing her to go back to the second level.

"Stay with me." He softly whispered so she could only hear.

Suyin was hesitant but then she nodded her head.

"Okay."

Suyin sat next to Qin Fuhua at the top of the deck. Everyone was busy toasting and consuming their rice wine as Suyin glanced at Qin Fuhua from the corner of her eye. Although he didn't say anything, it looked like something was troubling him.

Qin Fuhua was occupied drinking again, taking toasts from the soldiers and scholars.

"I toast to everyone else. Please disregard the rumor and my true gender. My name is Han Suyin, not Su Yi."

Suyin revealed this to everyone. She raised a bowl of rice wine to toast to everyone.

"It's an honor for someone like you to help someone as undeserving as us! It is praise for you and the Prince of Qin's presence here!" One of the soldiers beamed.

"Yes. It's no wonder the Prince of Qin was so protective over you. A beauty like you, I'd be tense too!" Another one declared.

Suyin smiled at everyone. In the end, they all accepted her for who she was. And for her to be able to drink without Qin Fuhua stopping her? It was questionable, but Suyin will have to ask once she's done with this celebration.

Qin Fuhua could only say nothing but go along with the toasts and drinks. He never emitted a single word to Suyin, but he wanted her company there with him.

"That's my brother! We are sworn siblings! Haha!" Yuan Fu spoke out loud, referring to Suyin.

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All of the soldiers and scholars were able to verify the rumors that it was partially true. There was a person dearest to him, but instead of it being a male, it was a woman rather.

Everyone relished the night under the stars with the bonfire warming up their hearts. From the feast to the rice wine, they drank the night away until most of them fell asleep or headed to bed.

Suyin, on the other hand, was still awake with Qin Fuhua. Qin Fuhua allowed Suyin to drink some rice wine, but due to her being light-weight (getting drunk too fast), he told Weizhe to swap the rice wine for water as she began getting drunk.

"Look, there are so many stars out tonight," Suyin emitted, as she scooted close to him. She then glimpsed at the moon, her eyes staring at the magnificence of it.

"When I had a concern, I frequently peeked up at the moon. It was my only consolation."

Qin Fuhua spoke. He glanced at Suyin who was gazing at him with affectionate eyes.

"Shrouded by the moon, is consoled by the stars." Suyin softly expressed.

Qin Fuhua turned to her, staring at her for a while.

"Don't forget, I'm here too." Suyin grinned, patting her chest.

Qin Fuhua got up and carried Suyin princess-style. He held onto her, as Suyin looked at him with a surprise on her face. With a blank look with nothing to say, her arms were wrapped around his.

Qin Fuhua strolled into the main tent, walking towards the little bedroom as he gently placed her down on the bed. His eyes never left hers as he sat at the edge of the bed.

"Was everything okay before I came to the camp?" Qin Fuhua questioned.

Suyin tilted her head, surprised at the sudden question. She got up from the bed and nodded her head.

"Yes, everything was okay." Suyin replied, "D-Despite it being hectic, I was able to stall time." She dropped her head, shyly. "Thanks to you coming to save us in time..."

Suyin peeked at him, but his expression was dark. His eyes were staring directly at the ground and not at her. Suyin got closer to him and touched his shoulders. As if he came back to reality, he shifted to her.

"Was it the truth? What was the mark under your collarbone then?!" Qin Fuhua exclaimed, his voice yelling at her now.

He realized that he had shouted at her, then backed off.

Suyin didn't know what to say, staring blankly at him. "...Is that what you saw?" Suyin glanced under her collarbone from her hanfu. "There was nothing I swear--"

Qin Fuhua slowly reached to her collarbone, touching it with his fingers as he shut his eyes.

"If anything happened to you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

Suyin's heart was melting again. As he came in closer to her, he lowered his head down to where the mark was discovered. Although Suyin was wearing her hanfu clothes, Qin Fuhua leaned towards the mark, softly kissing it with his lips.

"Whatever happened to you, hurts me ten times more than you would ever know."