Three ex-husbands and a marriage

Budding attraction

To avoid the dreams, I kept myself awake, only allowing a few moments of sleep without disturbance. Since the wedding night, I feared my dreams and the reality I must face, perhaps the reality I was running away from. As a deep sleeper, I could only resort to drastic measures to keep awake. My bed is now a torture contraption with needles drilled at a forty-five-degree angle to prick my skin when I rolled one way, and a silk rope tied to my hair pulled it back when I turned the other. This method kept my body from sinking into deep sleep. It was torture, the kind of torture war criminals are subjected to and broken by, but I relished it because I feared my dreams more than the torture.

"Your eyes are bloodshot. Did you not sleep well last night?" Mingling asked as she poured a spoon of porridge into my bowl. I could feel the concern from the women at the table and nodded. "I was concerned for you and those injured. The memories of those bandits' bodies, slain in their puddle of blood, kept surfacing in my mind."

"Miss Bai has gone through much. I feel guilty to have put all this on your family. Both the young ladies have done all they can to help us," Madame Hu.

"Mingling got a few winks of sleep at least after Young Master Hu woke up. There is nothing to worry about now, your son will recover well. He is young and resilient," Madame Bai reassured her.

"I have written to my husband. The bandits have gotten out of control, brazen enough to attack the Hu banner," Madame Hu declared.

Madame Bai nodded and replied, "My son has sent a messenger to the Regent. The bandits that were allowed to escape have led him right to their den. The Regent will not be lenient on those criminals. In the meantime, we must stay here under guard until those bandits are all captured and their stronghold destroyed. It will be an inconvenience to you, so I apologize in advance."

"Not at all, we are imposing on your hospitality and are just grateful for your generosity. Besides, the physician has said that my son cannot be moved without opening his wounds again. From now on, the Hu family owes the Bai family a debt of gratitude," Madame Hu responded.

Mingling and I cared for Hu Xuan and those injured when the servants were sent to sleep. The roster kept me busy, distracting me from the human need for sleep. When I changed shifts with Mingling, I saw her knelt over Hu Xuan, tenderly observing his peaceful sleep. The flame in her eyes and the unconscious smile on her lips lit her face and presence with an indescribable charm.

"Mingling, time for our change," I announced loudly, making my presence known.

Mingling sat up straight and shuffled a few steps away from him, her face burning bright red. "Cousin, is it time already? You must still be tired, so go back to rest, I am happy to continue," she said, avoiding eye contact.

I smiled and replied, "Mingling, you are unused to hardships. Go rest and come back to change shifts with me later." She looked at Hu Xuan hesitantly, unwilling to part with him but could not suppress her yawn. She nodded and squeezed my hands before walking out.

I sat down next to Hu Xuan, only to see his eyelids flutter open. He saw me and smiled, mumbling a few words. "Speak up. I cannot understand," I urged.

"Good to see you," he replied, his voice husky and raw. I silently spooned a few drops of water into his mouth and smiled, "It is good to see you alive."

"Hmm," he murmured before drifting off to sleep again.

The next couple of days Hu Xuan grew stronger and stayed awake longer. I could feel his warm gaze every time I entered the room and the same charming smile that greeted me. Mingling, blind to the signals, fell for him more with each passing day. She became more reserved, more charming, more ladylike, and more demure.