After Becoming the Hero's Ex-fiancée

Mingxuan Hall (3)

“I’m going to go into closed-door cultivation. Your lover has come by every day for the past few days to replenish your vital energy, and I secretly took a little of it to replenish my qi. Don’t call me if there’s no need to, I can’t hear you.”

Zheng Wan hadn’t finished asking everything she wanted to, but there was no more sound in her ears.

“My lady, my lady…”

She looked up dazedly and saw Luodai’s big face peer into the familiar bed curtains. At this moment, her expression was a mix of joy and shyness, “My lady, the State Preceptor has come to see you!”

Leaning against the door was a figure elegant and tall like bamboo and pine. He had changed into azure blue wide robes. There were faint patterns on the edges of the robes that shimmered lightly; the hems of the robes danced as the wind passed, making it seem as though the entire blue sky was draped around his body.

His long hair was pulled up with a jade guan5, revealing sideburns like a knife’s blade. His eyebrows were sharp and defined like cut bones, framing a pair of eyes, cold and deep as the valley of the abyss; with one look, one would feel even their fingertips turn cold.

But this coldness gradually melted away as he moved from his prior stillness.

“You’re awake.”

Cui Wang was acting as usual.

Zheng Wan’s eyes swiftly curved into a smile, like sweet crescent moons. “Mm, I’m awake.”

“You still need half a month to recover from this injury. During this time, I will come over daily to help you absorb the power of the medicine.” Cui Wang shifted his gaze away and onto the bogu shelf in her room, as if there was something there that had attracted his attention immensely.

“Many thanks, Mister Cui.”

Zheng Wan nodded. “May I trouble Mister Cui to please wait for a moment. Luodai, help me wash up.”

“No need.”

Cui Wang flicked his finger; Zheng Wan felt a breeze roll over her, playfully tumbling over her body— the stale air that resulted from her long sleep left with the wind.

…Could this be a dust-cleansing technique that all immortals knew how to use?

Zheng Wan’s eyes sparkled.

“Mister, this technique of yours is really convenient,” She stroked her stomach. “Is there a technique that allows one to eat without gaining weight?”

“Yes.”

“Dream Arts,” there was a rare trace of a smile on Cui Wang’s face as he teased. “My Second Senior Brother is very happy with this method.”

Zheng Wan pursed her lips inwardly, knowing that he was making fun of her wishful thinking.

His Second Senior Brother, who was as fat as a pig, had always clamoured to be thin, but could never give up his desire for good food.

“Forget it.”

Zheng Wan pretended to be indignant, “Mister won’t teach me immortal arts anyway.”

Cui Wang frowned, “I don’t want to be your teacher.”

“Come to Mingxuan Hall after breakfast.” By the time he finished speaking, he had already vanished.

Mingxuan Hall is the Zheng residence’s guest room. Zheng Wan looked at Luodai, “Mister Cui…”

“The lord has cleaned up a room for the State Preceptor. My lady has been dozing in and out of consciousness for the past few days, so the State Preceptor had stayed there.”

Zheng Wan suddenly felt that there might be some truth to what Granny Jin said.

At least this scheme of inflicting injury on herself to win the other’s trust seems to be working well.

——

[ Mingxuan Hall ]

There were twenty-four hours in a day, and vital energy had to be channeled every two hours. During this period, no one was allowed to come in to disturb. Before, Zheng Wan had been dizzy with pain and wasn’t entirely present, but this time, she could feel the strength and heat coming from Cui Wang who was in front of her.

All outer garments had to be taken off during the channeling of the vital energy. Only a thin set of middle garments6 remained, and she could feel Cui Wang’s palm lightly covering the spot three inches below her navel. His palm was so large that he could hold her entire waist almost at once.

Zheng Wan squirmed uneasily, but Cui Wang, who had his eyes closed in front of her, opened his eyes. “Don’t move.”

Only then did she realize that his eyes were clouded with layers of dense fog that had come at some unknown point. His long eyelashes seemed to be stained with water; when he looked at her, he seemed like a deity who had suddenly fallen from the skies, stained with mortal dust7 and dyed with desire.

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Zheng Wan blinked and said innocently, “Mister Cui, are you feeling hot?”

Footnotes:

5 jade guan: 冠玉guan yu; Guan is a kind of headdress that can cover either the full top of the head or just the topknot, and makes use of a hairpin that goes across the topknot to stabilize itself. The one Cui Wang is wearing is probably the latter that only covers the topknot, and you can see examples (and eye-candy) here: https://ziseviolet.tumblr.com/post/619048146147885056/where-to-buy-xiao-guan

6 middle garments: 中衣zhong yi; worn between underwear and outerwear. Appearance-wise they look like regular hanfu, but they can only be worn inside of other garments. They are usually white but can be other colours as well. Going outside with only Zhong Yi on is regarded as impolite, but they can be worn as loungewear and/or pyjamas at home. They are required when dressing in formal attire for important events.

7 mortal dust: 尘chen; literally translates as dust, but has the meaning of ‘earth/ mortal world/worldly things’, perhaps drawing to the allusion that everything in the mortal realm easily fades to dust.