Xu Yu's breath stopped, and she cried out hurriedly, "My lord!"
"Shh." Nie Huiming lowered his head, the scent of wine nearly spilling onto her lips.
The wine's fragrance was too strong. Her mind went hazy; she could neither speak nor move, and thus she was carried, dazed, into the room.
The door closed firmly behind them, and Nie Huiming set her down.
As her feet touched the ground, her legs unsteady, she stumbled backward. Nie Huiming strode forward, grasped her arm, and steadied her.
"My lord…" She gently pulled free, stepped back a few paces, and looked at him cautiously. "My lord, you're drunk."
"I merely drank a bit much. I'm not drunk." Nie Huiming walked inside, sat on the bed, and stretched out his legs slightly. "Help me undress."
Xu Yu glanced at the bath behind the screen, at the bright red petals floating in it, and hardly dared to breathe. She edged forward carefully, knelt by the window, and gently removed his shoes.
He looked down at her. "You're nervous."
Xu Yu's shoulders trembled, and she said quietly, "My lord has had too much to drink…"
"Afraid I'll do something improper while drunk?"
Xu Yu shook her head quickly. "This servant would not dare."
Nie Huiming rose. "Continue undressing me."
Xu Yu stood and quickly helped him out of his clothes, hanging them neatly on the rack.
Nie Huiming walked toward the bath behind the screen, leaving a word behind: "Fetch two quilts from the cabinet. Tonight you'll sleep on the footstool beside the bed."
Xu Yu glanced toward the screen, caught sight of his tall, straight back, and quickly turned away, her heart pounding so hard she nearly knocked over the lamp by the bed.
"What is it?" Nie Huiming asked.
"N-nothing…" Xu Yu swallowed hard, quickly found the bedding, spread it by the bed, and knelt down on it. Listening to the faint sound of water behind her, sweat beaded on her forehead.
Before long, Nie Huiming, having changed into his sleeping robes, walked back with unhurried steps, sat on the bed, wiped his hands dry, and said, "There's a bath over there. Wash if you like, or don't—either is fine. Retire early."
With that, he lay down under the covers and closed his eyes, as if asleep.
Xu Yu watched him quietly for a while, blew out the lamp, removed her shoes and stockings, and lifted her skirts as she tiptoed over to the bath to wash her feet. Then she tiptoed back, burrowed into her own bedding, and yawned.
"That's how afraid of me you are?" Nie Huiming's voice suddenly came from above.
Xu Yu's heart leaped violently. She was stunned a moment before whispering, "This servant—this servant is not…"
"You said just today that I was a gentleman. Has that changed already?"
"N-no, you're still a gentleman in this servant's heart. It's only that you've drunk too much, and I fear you might do something you'd regret."
"And my behavior earlier today didn't frighten you?"
Xu Yu thought of how, during the day, her lord had stroked the top of her head, pressed her into his embrace, and swept her up into his arms. At the time, she had been too flustered to think much of it, but now that the crisis had passed, the more she thought about it, the more her face flushed and her heart raced.
Still, she asked softly, "My lord was only deflecting trouble for this servant, right?"
Nie Huiming did not answer. Instead, he asked, "Earlier today, that state you were in—was it because you ran into someone you knew?"
She pressed her lips together and nodded slightly. "Today, the one who introduced the wine and refreshments to you—she was this servant's elder sister."
"I see."
"My sister doesn't know I serve at your side, my lord. If she knew, she would surely worry. In my panic, I could only crouch down and hide. I beg my lord's pardon."
"It's no matter. Sleep now."
After saying those few words, she seemed to have returned to the ease of the study, relaxing again. She rose slightly, gripping the edge of the bed, and said softly, "My lord, I told you before that my sister and brother-in-law work at the largest restaurant in the city. Do you remember?"
Nie Huiming opened his eyes and looked at her. "Not scared anymore?"
She pressed her lips together, didn't answer, and asked again, "Do you remember, my lord?"
Nie Huiming turned onto his side and lifted his head slightly, smiling faintly. "You're getting bolder and bolder. I ask you a question, and you don't even answer."
"I know you were only teasing me, my lord, but what I'm speaking of is serious business."
"Fine, fine. Tell me your serious business first." Nie Huiming smiled.
Xu Yu pressed her lips together and said quietly, "That day I told you, my lord, that my sister works at the largest restaurant in the city. Before, I had only ever been to the restaurant's front door—I never knew what it was like inside. It turns out the owner of the restaurant and the owner of this residence are the same person."
"I already know of this."
"You already know, my lord?"
"Lu Cheng told me himself. At the time, you were hiding on the floor, refusing to get up."
Hearing the teasing in his words, Xu Yu felt a flush of embarrassment and annoyance. She burrowed back under the covers and said in a small voice, "Then this servant will go to sleep. It's getting late, and you've had a great deal of wine, my lord. You should rest early too."
Nie Huiming watched her for a moment, then lay back down as well, closing his eyes in peace.
The snow fell all night, but by the next day, the roads had already been cleared. Without a word to the others, Nie Huiming departed directly.
The carriage was still parked where it had been. Nie Huiming stepped up onto it, glanced back at Xu Yu, and said, "Come up onto the carriage."
Xu Yu froze for a moment, then climbed up and slipped into the carriage, meeting Nie Huiming's gaze.
"Sit," Nie Huiming said.
Xu Yu hunched over and carefully sat down at the side.
Nie Huiming looked at her. "You're wondering why I called you onto the carriage."
She started, couldn't help raising her eyes, and gazing at his eyes, soft as water, nodded gently.
Nie Huiming looked at her and said earnestly, "It's cold."
Her heart skipped a beat. Flustered, she lowered her eyes and nodded absently. "Thank you, my lord…"
Nie Huiming looked at the backs of her hands again. "Are your chilblains all right?"
"Yes—they're fine. They haven't gotten worse, and they don't itch."
"Were you cold while sleeping last night?"
"Not cold, very warm. I slept very well last night."
Nie Huiming nodded slightly and looked away, asking nothing more.
Xu Yu secretly studied him—his shoes, the subtle patterns on the hem of his dark robes, the jade pendant hanging at his waist, and finally, furtively, the neat beard along his jaw.
"My lord."
"Hm?" Nie Huiming looked over.
She raised her eyes and looked at him. "You drank so much wine yesterday, my lord. Don't you have a headache this morning?"
Nie Huiming rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm all right. Just a slight discomfort."
"Then—shall I massage it for you, my lord?"
Nie Huiming raised an eyebrow.
Xu Yu hurriedly explained, "My father loved to drink, and he always had headaches afterward. I used to massage his head for him. Afterward, he would feel much better."
"Then try it."
Xu Yu knelt and moved toward him, rolling up her sleeves. Her warm fingertips settled on his temples, pressing gently.
He closed his eyes and asked in a low voice, "In your heart, am I more or less the same as someone of your father's generation?"
Xu Yu was just about to nod when she remembered that last time she had said he was old, so she quickly corrected herself: "Your Excellency is many years older than this servant's father, so you probably don't count as being of the same generation."