The inconvenient guest - Part I

Honga's winter was almost gone and it was already possible to hear the first spring birds singing around Minister Li's mansion along with the sound of the nearest river thawing after months of snow. It was a harbinger of the arrival of spring, Yan Feng's favorite season.

His room was well heated and only Zhao came and went with medicines day and night. Yan Feng did not remember the last time he had been dedicating so much time to someone else and in that case, that person was a woman. He was even surprised that he had given up his bed to her. When he arrived with her in his arms, the woman was shaking and her whole body was so cold when the night was out, but now she was feverish and her body was sweating so much that she had to change the bedding twice a day. Zhao had been very astute about getting in and out of the minister's mansion with herbs, and finding a good servant who would provide everything he needed.

Yan Feng left in the morning to take care of his army and allies towards the borders, he held meetings with Honga's superiors in the afternoon. Zhao always brought news of her, at any time of the day, any improvement or worsening was notified to Yan Feng. That was for two long days, until on the third day, unconscious, she started to give a fever and her body started to react, as soon as she learned of the improvement, Yan Feng was among his soldiers in training, he quickly dropped everything and went to his rooms .

The woman was still unconscious, but her entire body was sweaty. Zhao had only explained that the doctor said that it was a remnant of improvements, which her body was reacting to the intense cold. Then, on the fourth day, she threatened to wake up. It was almost! Yan Feng was sleeping on a blanket on the floor next to the bed when she heard a growl from the bed. The poor woman moved and murmured meaningless things, until at last she stopped. He waited a few more minutes in hopes of her waking up, but it did not happen. Therefore, she just fell into a deep sleep until dawn.

Until the fifth day came, Yan Feng was in the main hall of the mansion with the minister and his family, it was an extremely uncomfortable moment since everyone thought he was engaged to young Li Jia-Li. The Li family looked at his appearance and just smiled at his incredible beauty. Yan Feng felt like a fish on display in a stall ready to be sold. But, the Li family was only aiming at the beautiful heirs that he and Li Jia-Li would make and how big they would be if they took down Naran and took power over everything. The Minister looked at his daughter with great pride; she was the lily of Honga and his greatest ornament in this life. He held her greatest treasure in both hands with such affection that now he felt he was ready to hand it over to the future emperor of the world.

The banquet followed calm and uncomfortable, pleasant conversations about the weather and the States filled the atmosphere, the wives just ate quietly listening to the conversation that was boring for everyone. Until Zhao entered the back doors approaching Yan Feng, who was sitting at a low table next to the pillars he had entered.

- Majesty, the young woman finally woke up. - Yan Feng stopped drinking his wine and a strange anxiety came over him. His heart had taken a slight leap at the news and an unnatural chill came over his spine.

He was ... Why was his heart restless?

Yan Feng did not know how to decipher his feeling at that moment, but he had not felt that startle in his heart for years.

- Minister, an urgent matter came up, I need to withdraw immediately - Yan Feng bowed briefly.

- Has something happened, Your Majesty? - Minister Li asked worriedly.

- Nothing abnormal, just ordinary things that I need to solve, even more! - Yan Feng followed Zhao quickly without giving any chance for someone to stop him. As he approached his stay on the other side of the mansion, he felt his heart getting more and more excited, until a smile escaped his lips, Yan Feng felt strange all the way without knowing the cause of his happiness. As soon as she arrived at the room, the young woman was sitting on the bed and holding her head calmly as if in pain. Then, when Yan Feng laid eyes on her, he realized the cause of his anxiety. Was her!

- Senhorita, meu mestre está aqui, foi ele que te salvou. – Zhao falou calmo, pelo jeito ele já tinha explicado a situação para ela e Yan Feng se sentiu um pouco irritado por isso.

It was clear that she could not see and Zhao was the one who changed the sweat bandages of her eyes and reported to her master that the young woman's eyes were completely cut by whips; probably someone had taken her vision at some point in her life. It caused an unknown fury to rise in Yan Feng's blood. Who would have the courage to do such evil with the young woman? In exchange for what? He did not know what to say or do next to her, just scratching his head and feeling sorry for the extremely thin woman who was in front of him. Then he remembered the first time he entered Honga, there was a tall, rather grotesque man with a short, stunted woman. The woman he had felt sorry for before was the same one who was now lying on his bed who stole his attention again. Again, he just felt sorry!

- Just calm down and rest, here is well guarded. - Yan Feng sounded with his thick voice trying to calm the young woman. Her reaction was just to nod and wait for another voice to appear, but nothing came but the uncomfortable silence inside the room. Yan Feng was not used to dealing with women; Zhao only observes his master's interaction with the young woman.

- By what name can I call you? - Zhao tried to break the silence that his master insisted on maintaining. The young woman for a few seconds said nothing; she seemed to be analyzing something, or the people around her.

- Xiao Niao, My name is Xiao Niao - she spoke in her sweet voice that made Zhao die of love. She was so delicate and thin that she looked like she was going to break.

- You are very thin; you had great problems while I was lying in that bed, I will bring you something so you can eat. My master will stay here to keep you company.

Yan Feng turned to Zhao in alarm. What would he do in that situation? However, Zhao was already gone making him very uncomfortable. Yan Feng just looked at Xiao Niao and saw that she did not move. A heavy silence fell again from the room that made Yan Feng feel warm inside. He could hear his heartbeat clearly, he was so nervous that at any moment he would run away and leave the young woman alone.

-I can feel her discomfort. - She spoke calmly and he opened his eyes wide. She was talking to him. - I do not speak to strangers, but if you are my savior then I think I owe a thank you. - She spoke in a tone of gratitude - Despite being extremely pleased to die. - That last sentence she spoke weakly.

Yan Feng now felt something bad run through his body. She did not seem to be kidding, or dismissing it. Xiao Niao really wanted to die.

- Why did you want to die? - Yan Feng finally spoke, but Xiao Niao did not answer. She just shook her head and lay on the bed again turning to the wall. Yan Feng stood there looking quickly at the small figure who was supposed to be dead by now.

What happened if he had not found her? She would be dead! It made his head hurt, he remembered Mei Yang. Because of her backwardness and disability, she had burned to death in that prison. In addition, if he took a little longer who would be dead now was Xiao Niao. Yan Feng sighed with relief, this time he had not been late and felt at peace; it seemed that a weight he had carried for years on his shoulders had lifted a little.

- Xiao'er - Yan Feng was startled by Zhao's voice entering with a tray of food in his hands towards the young girl lying down. She turned around calmly when she realized by the nickname she had been called. Zhao seemed very comfortable with the guest. He put the tray of fruits, meats, some bread and water right next to the bed and served the girl in her mouth and the worst that she did not reject!

Yan Feng snorted angrily.

Xiao'er... Xiao'er...

"Who was Zhao thinking he was supposed to use such an intimate name on a stranger?"

Yan Feng was completely angry when he saw the level of intimacy that had settled between them.

However, the two seemed to be getting along, because her servant smiled and chattered about the cold day and Honga's delicious food with the young woman and she did not seem to care about his small talk. Even the embroidered fabrics seemed to be an item of great value in that quick meal.

- I think that Miss Xiao is not interested in knowing about the fabrics of Honga, nor about the cold climate that had almost killed her. - Yan Feng spoke rudely.

- It is not a big deal - Xiao Niao replied - It is nice to hear someone so enthusiastic talk about something that is already so intimate for you.

- What is intimate? - Yan Feng's eyes widened, clearly thinking nonsense in his mind.

- The food, the embroidery, the cold weather ... - Xiao Niao replied while eating another piece of bread and meat, causing Yan Feng to clear his throat. - Listening to Zhao talk about the food made me find it more pleasant.

Yan Feng looked at his servant who smiled like a fool for the young woman. He felt like kicking and kicking him out of the room, but he held himself in place and just clutched his temples nervously.

The fact was, Yan Feng hated the approach of Zhao and Xiao Niao, and he did not know the exact reason why his heart was so angry and tight when she smiled at his servant.