The Rise of Phoenixes (天盛长歌) - Chapter 3 (Fanfiction)

Skin as Soft as Silk

written by kakashi
edited by Bunny

“Ahhhh," Prince of Chu moaned against his clenched fist. He was in pain from the throbbing sword wound below his left collarbone, but now that Feng Zhiwei was applying bandages to it in the confines of a fast moving carriage, he exaggerated his suffering on purpose.

He wanted to make her feel sorry for giving him such a fright and making him do uncharacteristically reckless things.

Like the biggest fool, he had hastily gathered his guards and rushed to her help right after Zhuyin had reported General Qiu saying “Zhiwei will not survive this night” in a state of drunkenness. And then, he had even thrown himself into the thick of the fighting unarmed to deflect a sword aimed at her!

But how brave she had been and how surprisingly skilled at fighting she was… he had watched her with avid admiration from the shadows before intervening. And her mother… seeing her moves had revealed to him that she was a very well trained martial artist.

“I'm sorry. I didn't know you were wounded,” Zhiwei said in a small, quivering voice, the hands that had been on his body a moment ago slack in her lap. “You risked your life to help me. I shouldn't have blamed you.”

Well, at least she realized her mistakes. “You're the Prince of Chu. The entire world belongs to you!” she had half-sobbed, half-yelled accusingly before. “Save my mother and my brother! There is nothing you can’t do!”

Those words had cut deep. Had he not told her he was a useless prince? Why would she even expect anything from him? But the bigger question was: why did he care that she had expectations he could not fulfill?

“Had something happened to you, I wouldn't have known what to do,” she continued, sounding lost and pitiful.

“I told you, I am alright,” he answered gruffly, although her concern did touch him. Zhuyin had told him Zhiwei had asked about his well-being at the House of Lanxiang, in the days after their second meeting when he had been bedridden due to the pills he had taken.

It had been hard to forget about her, and not only because Ning Cheng and Zhiyan kept making snide remarks about “the imposter” and her influence on his state of mind. But it was absolutely ridiculous to think he had formed an attachment to this woman after seeing her only twice... though granted, one time he had seen more than was proper. But for a Prince like him, there was an abundance of beautiful women to be had anytime he felt like having a woman - so why would this one be special?

No, clearly, his mind had realized early on what kind of asset she was to his plans even when the rest of him was a bit slower. Fate had dealt him such a hand!

But her current misery and timidness was decidedly not to his pleasing. Now that she was feeling as sorry for her mistakes as she should, he would make her laugh again to get to the bantering he enjoyed so much.

“If you really feel that guilty, sell yourself to my residence and serve me for the rest of your life,” he quipped.

Very inconveniently, his jest made her burst into tears. Baffled, he watched her scrunched up face. Had he overdone it earlier with his moaning? She couldn’t be that worried, could she? He put on a smile and attempted another joke. “Are you really that reluctant to serve me?”

Only, that didn’t work either. She was determined to remain emotional and look so vulnerable he wanted to throw his hands around her and pull her close to give her protection.

“No. I'm just… This is all my fault. All of you were right. I am the one to blame. Had I watched my mouth in the past, I wouldn't have offended Madam Yuhua. My mother and brother got into trouble because of that. You got injured because of me too. I'm sorry. I…”

Her fault? It wasn’t her fault, it was his fault. He was the one who had pushed the Crown Prince hard with those rumors about the Dacheng remnant… as it seemed, too hard. Ning Yi had not foreseen that Ning Chuan would kill innocent workers and pretend he had hunted down the remaining members of Blood Pagoda. He had not foreseen he would then try and blame the rumors on Feng Zhiwei’s mother.

Knowing who she was and how she was connected to him… Ning Yi didn’t want to think about it right now.

“You look hideous when you cry,” he said instead.

Never had a bigger lie been spoken. This Feng Zhiwei was a beautiful woman to begin with, but when she cried, when her nose got a little red and lines appeared on her forehead, when the tendons on her graceful neck stood out and her chin quivered….

“I will help you rescue your mother and brother,” he heard himself say. Great. Promise her things, Ning Yi, the thought, and get yourself into trouble.

“Really?” The hope in her eyes...

“Of course,” he added nonchalantly, “like you said, the entire world belongs to my family. Besides, I am your savior. Have you forgotten that?”

Alright, the tears had stopped. What a relief. He absolutely abhorred it when women cried.

“It's better for you not to be my savior,” she said, her eyes huge and still wet.

“What should I be then?”

“Be a wicked man. Because the wicked ones live forever. Every time I see you, you are always in bad shape.”

“Be a wicked man instead of a savior? Live forever? That's a monster.”

A smile! She had smiled at his joke. His head slightly cocked, he watched her expressive face and how she dried her eyes with her hands. It was fascinating to him, there was nothing false about this woman, no pretense whatsoever. She hid nothing, whatever she did. So unlike him...

Yes... he would like to be a wicked man with her. Very wicked. To start, he wanted her to be concerned and touch him with her soft, warm hands again.

“It's so cold,” he groaned, “I'm so cold.”

He had hoped she would move closer to add some of her body heat to his, but no, she unwrapped her bundle… he recognized the clothes he had given her. Were they the only thing she had packed? What a silly woman. She draped the outer robe around him and then moved back to her position quickly… shy all of a sudden, eyes cast down.

Because he was staring. He shouldn’t stare at her like this at such close quarters, of course it would make her feel uncomfortable. An inexperienced maiden, beautiful, unspoilt…

Was he stupid?

He knew who her father had been. He, Ning Yi, was responsible for his death. He did not want her to ever find out, but he knew she would.

***

He looks so harmless when he sleeps, Zhiwei thought, staring at the handsome face surrounded by the long, black hair. The Imperial Doctor had been summoned and the Prince of Chu had been given medicine and a sleeping potion and was out cold as a result.

Zhiwei did not understand what was happening. An Eunuch from the palace was waiting for Ning Yi, word had come before their carriages had reached his residence, which she had noticed greatly pleased the Prince of Chu. He had ordered her to stay hidden until Official Zhao left and she had complied, watching what was happening from the shadows, not wanting to make even more trouble for the Prince.

Now he was asleep and she couldn’t ask him any questions, even though she had many. First of all: Would he really help her reconnect with her mother and brother? She was not sure about his sincerity. When he spoke to her, he always did it with sarcasm. He enjoyed to tease her and make her feel uncomfortable. The reason for his actions were obscure to her, though she fathomed it must have to do with the succession to the throne.

But… why had he come to her help and had risked his own life?

Zhiwei just couldn’t figure it out. Watching the Prince of Chu’s face, she noticed a bit of perspiration on his forehead. She reached out her hand and… hesitated. This was a royal Prince and even though he talked to her with much familiarity, touching a Prince without his consent was a grave crime that could very well lead to her losing her hand entirely.

In addition, her mother had gotten so very angry after she had found out why she had stayed out late a few weeks ago. Zhiwei had returned home after the incident at the Chu Residence and had forgotten to change … maybe because she had mulled over her conversation with this man, repeating his barbed, sweet sounding words in her head, or because she was a vain person and just liked their caress far too well.

In any case, trying to hide the clothes from her mother had been futile. There was just one person in this town who made fabric like this - it was such a tell-tale sign, this expensive gift he had given her. Zhiwei didn’t know what weighed heavier, that she had lied to her Mother when she had claimed she had “just walked around” and had forgotten the time or that it was this particular man she had been with.

Likely the latter. Her mother had refused to explain anything, but she had repeated “You can never marry Ning Yi”, over and over in a mounting stage of agitation. When Zhiwei had hesitated to reply in her confusion, she had yelled: “Should I make you swear on my soul?”

How thoroughly terrifying, that sentence still haunted her. “I will never marry Ning Yi, mother!” Zhiwei had cried, “Mother, I promise, I promise.” But her mother had not looked satisfied even then. She was ready to damn her own soul just for this?

What would her mother say if she found out she was at Prince of Chu’s residence again, and the only woman around? Only his guards and servants lived here with him. It was thoroughly improper to be here alone, at this time of the night, but… his men were loyal and upright and he was asleep, so she had nothing to fear.

Daringly, she moved forward her hand to touch his forehead. His skin was warm, but not hot. She checked her own forehead’s temperature before returning her hand to his once more. He might be running a light fever. She understood this was not unusual after getting wounded, but she’d rather not see him in any prolonged state of discomfort because of her. What payment would he demand for this debt she now had towards him?

There was a washcloth next to his bed, which she took to dab away the moisture. He frowned a little in his sleep, some of the restlessness that was one of his traits reappearing on his face when he turned it away, his breath quickening. Fearing he might wake up, she replaced the cloth with her hand and started to move it over his brow and temple lightly and very slowly. His features relaxed, his breathing grew calmer.

Now that her hand was where it had wanted to be all along, it grew bolder. It moved further down, over his cheekbone, his cheek, up to the tip of his nose. She had always imagined a man’s skin to be rough, but his was soft, almost like the silk he liked to make.

When her fingers touched the wetness of his lips, she felt a jolt inside of her and gasped, withdrawing her hand as quickly as if she had touched burning coals. Her heart was beating rapidly as she searched his face for signs of his waking. What had come over her? She must have a deathwish.

She should go and find one of his servants, to get them to assign her a room.

But he slept on and she had no real wish to move. For what if Prince of Chu woke up before her and left for official business? It was like him to do that. It was like him to leave and not come back for a long time. If she wanted her mother and brother back, it was much better to stay right here and wait.

She could imagine worse things than watch his face all night long.

***

Ning Yi woke up feeling much better than the night before, with only some pain left. He realized there had been no nightmare to startle him awake in the middle of the night, with his heart pounding in his chest and the cold sweat of dread soaking his gown. Even before opening his eyes, he also became aware of somebody next to him, so close he could feel her soft breath against his face.

Very slowly so as not to startle her, he turned to his side.

It was morning, the warm light threw colorful patterns on the floor that he usually liked to look at, but not today. Sunlight made Feng Zhiwei’s skin look golden, not white like the moonlight. He was suddenly reminded of something his mother had said to him when he had been little. “Only look with your eyes, not your hands,” she had told him when he had wanted to touch a filigree necklace she had been gifted by the Emperor. Of course he had obeyed, he had been a very good little boy. But just like now, his hands had had a desire of their own. It had taken him a lot of willpower not to sneak into his mother’s room afterwards to look for the treasure and let the hands do all the exploring they longed for.

Has nobody ever told this woman about men and their desires? He wondered. Why else would she sleep like this, halfway on a man’s bed?

Do not trust me, Feng Zhiwei, he thought, feeling familiar gloom come over him, expect the worst from me. I will use you. You will hate me, like you should.

He was so deeply immersed in studying her face when she began to open her eyes, he barely managed to turn his head away.

“You are awake!” she exclaimed. He groaned extensively. “Does the wound still hurt?” she quickly added.

“It hurts terribly,” he lied tearfully.

“Should I get the imperial doctor?”

He waved his hand in decline.

“Your Highness,” she said, “may I ask you a question? I thought about it all night long. I am still confused.”

No. No questions. Because all questions would inevitably lead to things he did not want to discuss. He had to get up, he had to start the next phase of his plan. She… she was part of it.

“No, you may not,” he said, shaking his head.

She looked astonished, then defiant. He couldn’t help but smile at her. Despite his words, her question came anyway, because she was not somebody who obeyed without challenging the reason: “Why did you come to rescue me?”

“Huh?” Why indeed. Now here was a question he would like the answer to himself.

“Why did you come to rescue me?” asked with more emphasis.

He only saw one way out. He groaned again and turned on his back. “It hurts. I need to get more sleep.”

Just go away, he thought. No, stay. But leave me alone. Just be concerned about me and shower me with your guilty attention, but don't be smart.

She poked him instead.

“It hurts,” he claimed again.

But apparently, she was no longer falling for his act. “Stop pretending!” she retorted.

But he was Prince of Chu, he had more tricks up his sleeve. Just you wait, little girl, he thought wickedly, and opened his sleeping gown on the left to reveal his skin and his wound to her. “I got hurt because of you,” he said accusingly.

As expected, her eyes grew round at the sight of his naked skin, then were pressed shut as her hands came forward to cover his shoulder again.

I win, Ning Yi thought all satisfied, closing his eyes, pretending to sleep. But soon after, she got up and left the room on soft feet and he couldn’t tell her to stay like he wanted to without jeopardizing his advantage. That’s how Generals felt, he thought, Generals who had to sacrifice their most beloved troops for the victory in battle. Everybody only remembered the victories, but nobody knew of the sacrifices that had been necessary to get there.

What a fool you are, Ning Yi, the Prince of Chu thought, pulling his face into a rueful smile. Don’t you know your sentimentality is a weakness that will cost you your life one day?

Yes, he knew. It was just… he didn’t want to change this about himself. It was what made him human, after all. But he feared there would soon come a time he would no longer have a choice.

Chapter 4