Lu Gu’s hands stilled. His eyes glistened slightly, but he held back, smiling instead. “Only a little. There’s plenty of meat at home, I’ll gain it back soon.”
“Mm, you will. Tell me what you’d like to eat, and I’ll buy it tomorrow,” Shen Xuanqing said, his eyes bright as stars, curving into crescents as he smiled.
Lu Gu handed him the cloth for drying his feet. “No need to buy anything. The sheep at home are ready for slaughter. Brother mentioned today that he’d bring one over tomorrow. Perfect timing—now that you’re back, we can stew mutton.”
“Good, stewed mutton it is,” Shen Xuanqing agreed readily.
Lu Gu actually had many questions, but most had been answered at dinner. Still, those months of fleeing and hiding were left unexplored, so he asked instead, “That horse—did you buy it?”
At this, Shen Xuanqing grinned. “Yes, I bought it. From now on, it’s ours. Just like you said, it’s gentle. Once we’re more familiar with it, I’ll teach you to ride. You can even hold the child while sitting on it, and I’ll lead the horse for a stroll.”
After drying his feet, he put on his shoes and carried the basin outside to dump the water.
Lu Gu spread out the quilts for them, relieved he’d sunned them a few days prior—even Luo Biao’s bedding had been aired. When the latter returned tomorrow, he’d sleep comfortably.
As Shen Xuanqing undressed, Lu Gu waited nearby to take the clothes to the washing basin outside.
Worried there might be something hidden in the clothes that shouldn’t get wet, he felt through them as he asked, “Did you keep the money in the inner pockets?”
These clothes were Shen Xuanqing’s own, with inner pockets Lu Gu had sewn for him. Sitting on the bed to remove his shoes, he replied, “Yes, about ten taels of loose silver left, split in different pockets. Check them all.”
Then he suddenly remembered there was something else in the clothes—but before he could say it, Lu Gu had already pulled out a jade pendant.
Lu Gu had never seen this pendant before. Holding it up to the lamplight, he realized it was carved with a dragon pattern.
Puzzled, he asked, “Did you buy this?”
Shen Xuanqing took the pendant from him, then after a moment’s thought, answered truthfully in a low voice—with something like this, hiding it was pointless.
“Lord Cui gave me this pendant. He originally wanted me to work under him, even offering to enlist me in the Imperial Black Armor’s Feather Division. But I declined politely, our home is too far from the capital, and with elders and children here, I couldn’t possibly go. So he gave me this instead.”
Even Lu Gu had heard of the Imperial Black Armor—the Emperor’s personal guard, composed either of capital nobility or truly skilled men. And this pendant was an imperial item, he couldn’t help but stare.
The imperial palace in the capital was even more distant and unimaginable to him than Yuqing Prefecture.
Seeing Lu Gu’s gaze, Shen Xuanqing handed the pendant back. “Lord Cui said this was a gift from the Emperor—a palace artifact. If we ever face trouble too far from the capital, presenting this at Yuqing Prefecture’s government office will suffice.”
Under the lamplight, the pendant’s refined texture was unmistakable, far superior to the crude jade Lu Gu had seen before. Though no expert, he could tell the difference.
Yet after hearing this, Lu Gu wasn’t fooled. Looking up, he asked, “Why would Lord Cui give you this?”
If anything, Shen Xuanqing owed Lord Cui his life—those pursuers never reaching Jixing Town was all thanks to him. Not thanking the man would’ve been rude enough, yet instead of accepting a position under him, Shen Xuanqing came back with a jade pendant? It made no sense.
Shen Xuanqing sighed, then smiled. “I didn’t want to burden you with these messy affairs. Since when have you gotten so sharp?”
The long-absent praise made Lu Gu’s eyes curve instantly, his smile unstoppable.
“While fleeing in the mountains, I saved Lord Cui’s life. As the Emperor’s confidant, this pendant was his thanks. Later in Yuncheng, when he mentioned those men might trace us here, I thought of all of you at home. If harm came to you because of me, how could I bear it? So I worked with Lord Cui’s men to settle the matter. Court conflicts are nothing like petty squabbles—half a year of careful planning, and it was only resolved half a month ago.”
The smile faded from Lu Gu’s face, his brows knitting. “Then the wound on your face...was that from this?”
Shen Xuanqing touched his cheek. This injury was from the ambush half a month ago. Originally providing rear archer support, he’d ended up joining the fray when the fighting intensified. Fortunately, their side had the numbers, and it was only a minor wound.
“Are there more on your body?” Lu Gu pressed when he didn’t answer.
“Small ones, nearly healed,” Shen Xuanqing said with a faint smile. Not wanting to worry Lu Gu unnecessarily, he untied his inner robe and turned around.
A few faint scars marked his back, similar to the one on his face.
Seeing the injuries weren’t severe, Lu Gu relaxed slightly.
“Don’t mention these to the family. Just knowing yourself is enough. Tomorrow when we go back, I’ll only tell Mother what I said earlier,” Shen Xuanqing said, taking the chance to remove his inner garment—it was dirty too.
As he changed, Lu Gu turned away. “Mm, I understand. If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we’ll go home and heat water for a proper bath.”
“Alright,” Shen Xuanqing replied, quickly changing into fresh clothes.
Once they lay down, Lu Gu took his usual spot against the wall. The lamp was blown out, plunging them into darkness—until Shen Xuanqing turned and pulled him into an embrace.
Six months of constant worry finally settled, his heart at last resting securely in his chest.
Many people had privately believed Shen Xuanqing dead after half a year without word, though few voiced it. But Lu Gu had never believed it, clinging to hope until he finally welcomed him home.
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