Legend of Fei

27. The Night Is For Illicit Business

Heat of a sudden moment had led to frenzied passion but it had run cold quickly

She stumbled heavily, her recovering body falling sideways. Xie Yun caught her and propelled her against the bed frame. When she tried to sit up properly, he shook his head with a wide smirk.

"You will need the little strength you have left for the night market." 

She glared up at him despite the blush and jabbed him. She knew he did it purposefully to get her to rest. He didn't need to go as far as to insinuate but mischief was his middle name and she didn't expect anything less.

She couldn't keep being mad for he pressed his lips to her cheek, this time successfully. So, they lay with their head against each other, her on his shoulder and his against hers, talking about the night market.

She wasn't hearing a word, lost in her thoughts. All those years ago, she had never pegged Xie Yun for a physically affectionate person. Sure he would joke around, sling his arm around her or tap her head but with their situation and time apart, he wanted to be close, wanted to hold her hand or even sit beside her with their knees brushing. She could never remember him sitting across from her anymore.

He never said anything but she understood the need, the change, or to say the new life he always talked about. The removal of his poison had brought so profound a change in him that it was hard to grasp in the beginning. She shifted slightly and Xie Yun shifted with her, so she shifted again and he did too. If she did one more time surely, he will start teasing her.

She smiled at the idea and did it again. As suspected, he sat straight, pulled her hand between two of his and frowned at her, "Uncomfortable?"

Since he didn't tease her, she frowned and shook her head.

"What are you really thinking?" Now he looked puzzled at her questioning.

"It isn't the excitement of night market. What is it on you mind?"

"And I thought you'd never ask." Now she saw real fire in his eyes. They always lit up with excitement when they talked about food or plans. Before, he always showed a wary attitude towards politics and strategizing but these years, he had began to enjoy it. It had made the emperor weary of him until he married into her family. Though he would still frequently advice his godbrother through correspondence.

"I have sent out three letters. One to mother-in-law," A'Fei rolled her eyes at the rare address, "another to Penglai and a third one to..." he reconsidered telling her, "to my godbrother."

A'Fei frowned, "I didn't think you were going to send one to your brother."

"It is addressed to Mr. Bai." 

She understood some of it, "what is your plan?" 

"They are all letters seeking help, mostly. Help to escape Shangrao, towards Nanchang. Mr. Bai's letter is supposed to be intercepted so that White Tiger's people will follow us through him. Madam Li's letter says that we look forward to see Li Sheng."

She frowned at her brother's name but instead asked, "And Penglai?"

"That's where we are actually going which is why it is necessary that this one reaches."

A'Fei was often slow to pick but when she did, she always grasped it wholly But this time, she was missing something, "So we let them follow Mr. Bai while we make our way to Penglai?"

Xie Yun clapped his hands and quirked his brow in appreciation. She only frowned in confusion. It was a plan completely contradictory of his mention of Heroes' City.

"Ok. Ok. That's enough about the plan. We should head out." That was enough for her to know that her thought were right. There was more to the plan than Xie Yun let on. She didn't pry further but now she had another question.