6:: Affairs of the Heart

Zhan Peng sat on the stiff bed in the mercenaries' quarters, huddled under a blanket in the chilly night. Even after two nights had passed, he couldn't erase that image of Yang Tian and Qian Yuxi in the flower garden from his mind.

Since leaving the palace, he had to put up with beggary living conditions and the fact that his savings wouldn't last them a long time. For Yang Tian, he was indifferent, and obviously he had encountered exposure to living in worser conditions. But for Zhan Peng, this was the cost of his freedom. Such conditions didn't improve since they arrived at the island city.

Aside from what remained of his savings, he had his boat. But even with that, what could he do? He couldn't use it for sleep or to fill his stomach. When their stored food depleted, the only resort was for them to find a job outside.

The harsh working conditions didn't bother Yang Tian, but it was him, as a prince, that struggled with working like a commoner. He realised how spoiled he had been, and compared his sworn brother's palm, possessing coarse skin and which callouses covered entirely. His palm was on the smooth side. He had never needed to work a day of his life, but everything changed when he left home.

No matter what, he wouldn't look back. Aside from being learned in accounting and the arts, his martial arts came in helpful. That was when he took on the bounty from the constables in the city, which he later realised was part of the Imperial Guard.

Never had he thought he would meet her again. Or that she would be the subject of his sworn brother's admiration.

A few weeks after they settled down in Shang-Yi, Yang Tian had come back from a late-night stroll. He mentioned finding his mother's grave, unable to believe she was dead, after asking around in the city. Few people knew about Su Yan, but he couldn't disclose his identity, not when he hadn't confirmed it.

Yang Tian mentioned meeting a mysterious woman and falling for her at first sight, but he hadn't expected that woman to be Qian Yuxi.

He himself couldn't get over his admiration for her. It started nine months ago, when they had an argument in the market over the last chicken. He originally hadn't wanted the chicken, but coming across a girl as feisty as Qian Yuxi, he found it a way to tease her. Her large angry eyes were more than adorable, and he couldn't get enough of her. And she had a temper like a dormant volcano erupting.

When he finally stopped and allowed her to have what she wanted - the chicken, he wondered when he would ever see her again. Little did he know that about three months later, they would meet again over the bounty prize. It saddened him deeply to acknowledge how she had completely forgotten about their encounters. It was as if someone had wiped this entire memory from her.

Maybe it was fine if she didn't remember his first encounter, since it was brief, and the second encounter was just too depressing to her. For the bounty, he had infiltrated the rapist's den and discovered the man's identity. Qian Yuxi had landed herself in trouble. She had used herself as bait without executing a careful plan. It turned out to be more hazardous than ever.

He saved her then. But she had rashly attempted to capture him with her own hands. To save her, this girl he barely knew, he intruded on her fight.

She would never learn. There was no distinction between her then and now. Accepting an extremely dangerous mission was just like how she had endangered herself by charging towards the rapist despite that her martial arts were way beyond the rapist's level. Fortunately, he arrived on time, before she lost her life.

The minute he arrived at the scene, the villain had already subdued her and had knocked her over onto the ground. He had fought off the man and defeated him easily, much to her indignation.

The girl accused him of robbing her of the chance to prove herself by nabbing the villain and called him a cheat. But it was not over. She lurked in the shadows, following him secretly to watch him hand the man over to the constables and claim his bounty prize. He knew.

She probably thought he would have never found out, but he detected her in her hiding position easily and confronted her. In her fury, she had expressed those words to him: "I hate you to the core of my heart". He retorted by dumping half of the bounty prize at her feet and left in dismay. He thought she was a reckless woman after obtaining the prize, and it never occurred to him she was one of the Guards.

After seeing how she acted with Yang Tian, and how she remembered Yang Tian but forgot him, he put the pieces together. She probably had eyes for his sworn brother and not him, and his chest felt heavy. If she liked Yang Tian and vice versa, he knew he had to let go. He couldn't steal his sworn brother's happiness, especially when she was not into him.

His sworn brother was also very crucial to him. It hurt like little knives pressing into his heart, but he clenched his fists and hardened his emotions. Maybe he was meant to be alone, after all.

Here, on this island, he was no one. Hearing Yang Tian continuously speak about Qian Yuxi and the happy times they shared after the two sworn brothers had moved into the quarters just broke his heart.

He got from the bed, silently pulling on his outer clothes and the shoes next to his bed. He couldn't get to sleep, so decided that taking a walk around the camp would lighten his feelings. It was a full moon that night and looking around could help him relax his mind, so he could retire to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day and he needed to get as much rest as possible, which wasn't likely to happen now.

Close to his room, on the training grounds, he heard the clinking of metal and some energy-filled cries. He walked around the area until he reached the source of the noise, passing an array of tall trees with chunky trunks and small leaves. Someone was practising at the depth of night.

Qian Yuxi stood firm in a martial stance, with her right hand holding her weapon poised above her head in a curved manner, while her left hand stayed near her waist. She spread her legs as far apart as possible while letting out a war cry with her strength.

She paused, noticing his appearance.

"What is it?"

"Allow me to help you."

He stood beside her, guiding her to stand in the right position. A wave of relief came over him as she appeared to accept his guidance. Forgetting about his concern earlier, he invited her to have a practice spar with him.

She hesitated, probably because he had defeated her before.

"Let's spar together," he whispered, holding his hand out to her. She took it, still reluctant, and they moved together under the moonlight, feeling each other's bodies in proximity.

"Why are you so kind as to help me?" Qian Yuxi asked suddenly.

"Because you are my employer," he answered, and missing a step, she stumbled, but his swift movements enabled him to catch her before she hit the rocky ground.

As he helped her up, their eyes met suddenly, locking magically. He thought she was going to push him away, but she appeared mystified, rooted to the spot.

"Miss Qian, are you in love with my sworn brother?" He whispered with his lips almost touching hers.

Qian Yuxi gasped, breaking out of his hold.

"I… I don't know," she stammered, dashing out of the training grounds as fast as her feet could take her. Zhan Peng watched her vanish into the darkness, pondering over what had just happened.

Her heart was beating wildly, but he couldn't figure out if she liked or hated him. It turned out to be more confusing than any of the mathematical problems he had ever encountered. If only he could read her mind, he thought, looking up at the moon.

What was going on?