Iām not explaining anymoreš nor linking my ao3
Immortal Flower:
Chapter 4
Xianhua sat dutifully on a cushion that was provided for her as her fingers pluck at the strings of the guqin that was on her lap. Her hair was half up and braided back into a bun, with flowers stuck into places to further accent the look and she wore a light red hanfu. Xianhua looked good, and she knew Qin Che was looking at her from where he was sitting, his gaze focused on only her out of the rest of the girls.
It was a party or sorts, rich folk were celebrating and making deals so Xianhua was hired as entertainment. Yet her popularity was known amongst those there and men had looser lips around her. Currently however, she was with a few military men that were of higher ranks so they currently were here rather than where Yizhou was.
āDid you hear about what happened to Commander Xia Yizhou?ā One says and Xianhua looks away from Qin Che to focus on the two of them. Who were whispering loudly, because of their state of intoxication. The other tilts his head in confusion, so the one who spoke first continued.
āThe barbarians attacked his camp, almost everyone fell. It was bad. Apparently no one knows what happened to Xia Yizhou but heās probably deadā He snickers, and that rubs Xianhua the wrong way.
She just tilted her head, a little upset and her hands were shaking. Yizhou couldnāt be dead. But if others died he would never be the last man standing because that was just his habit. He wouldnāt let his men die before he would himself.
Xianhuaās hand trembled as she missed a note on the guqin that was loud, it pulled sharper than she had intended and the noise unsettled the rest of the performers who just grumbled at her. But before any of the men listening said anything, as the two she was eavesdropping on had noted her mistake, Qin Che stood up from his seat and walked over to Xianhua.
āSorry did I startle you?ā He places a hand on her shoulder and it drags the attention from her to him. Which was what he wanted. āI didnāt mean to make that gesture at you, I was just pissed about the two men here speaking quite loudly!ā Qin Che motions to them, which causes them to snarl at him but he just tuts and looks back at Xianhua. He helps her up and tosses gold at their supervisor before taking her out of the room with him. Qin Che doesnāt say much but Xianhua offers a nod of thanks which he shakes off. They stepped into the corridor, the murmur of the party muffled behind them. The paper lanterns cast golden light over his shoulder, but Xianhuaās gaze was far awayāsomewhere else, and the weight of the bracelet on her wrist feels even heavier at that moment. She needed time to herself to feel what she wanted to feel or sheād break down.
āYou should be more careful,ā Qin Che said gently. āEven talent can be replaced in the eyes of men like them, you step too much out of line youāll lose your valueā His quip irked her so she stopped and raised her eyebrows at him.
āThought you didnāt careā Xianhua interjects.
āI donāt care, yet itāll make the fight for you more entertaining if you keep your value upā
Xianhua huffs as they continue to walk, turning to look away from him again before she asks in a low voice. āDid you hear much?ā
Which Qin Che shakes his head to in response, before hesitating. āOnly what they said. That the camp was overrun. That no one knows where Commander Xia isā.
And it was the first bit of care that Xianhua swears he has taken for her as he looks at her gentle and concerned, and maybe then the piercing red eyes didnāt bother her as much before as her gaze is captivated on them before turning away again. But there was a beat of silence. Then Qin Che, ever tactful, softened his voice.
āI know you cared for him,ā he said. āBut donāt let grief make you forget yourself. You deserve better than to fall apart for a man who may never return.ā
That statement makes her bristle. But it also shows his hand, that he wants her. He thinks she could be more if she let go of Yizhou. The internal conflict leaving her at a precipice that she didnāt quite know what to say in response to it. Xianhuaās fingers twitched at her side, remembering how she felt after reading the note as her gaze turned to the floor.
āIām not falling apartā she finally responded, her voice quieter than before. A slight quiver to it, but not too much or it would betray how she was feeling and sheād rather keep from that. āIām justā¦ I didnāt expect to hear any news like that, in a party environment. It was unsettlingā
āThey speak carelessly. About war. About men who bled for them because they donāt have toā Qin Che sighs as he crosses his arms. āI hate them quite dearly as itās the only thing they talk about whenever I try and make business deals, if only they knew what it was like to be in the fields out around here.ā
That surprised her.
She turned to look at him fully this time, as if seeing him properly for the first time. There was something almost human behind the ambition in his faceāalmost.
āAnd you donāt?ā Xianhua asks him as they walk into a garden space. Thereās a few flowers that decorated the area yet it was nothing too big. But it was one of the more well known areas yet with most at the party folk stayed away.
āI speak what they want to hearā Qin Che responds, smugly.
That made Xianhua scoff, āYouāre enjoying this?ā
āIām enjoying speaking with you.ā The way he said it was deliberate. Not too sweet, not too forwardājust enough to test the air between the two of them. Xianhua didnāt respond, just standing in comforting silence with him as she focused on a fish swimming through a small pond. Qin Che didnāt press on either and instead spoke again.
āI gave them enough money for you so you should go home. Rest. Iāll send word if I hear anything about the Commanderā
Xianhuaās head sharply turned to him. āWhy would you do that?ā
Qin Che got his smug grin back on again to continue. āBecause if heās dead youāll need someone to lean on and if heās alive I donāt mind the challengeā
And they do talk a little more, yet when Xianhua excuses herself to leave to start her trek home, and when she does get there she just quickly goes to her room and lays down on her bedding. Fiddling with the bracelet as she leans on her side and stares at it while her other handās thumb gently rubs over the beads. A tired, silent, prayer leaving her lips that he was one of the few who were unaccounted for.
He hopefully was.
