It was the middle of the hour of the Ox (1:00 AM to 3:00 AM) by the time every one returned to Liu Garden Residence. Wēi Yǒng Měng had passed out from complete exhaustion. It gave everyone a scare when he passed out. Quickly everyone hurried back to Liu Residences and carried him to the Residence Hospital to Doctor Ru. Word was sent ahead, and Doctor Ru, Hòu Dao, and her assistant Lì Qiáng awaited their arrival in front of the residence hospital.
Jūn Zhōng Xīn, Měng Tiān Cái, and Jiang Tài Píng quickly carried Wēi Yǒng Měng into the hospital with a frightened Wēi Wò Yàn trailing behind them. Everyone else waited outside of the hospital for word on his condition. Sounds of everyone breathing a sigh of relief echoed through the air when Doctor Ru quickly announced that Wēi Yǒng Měng passed out due to extreme exhaustion and dehydration.
Only then did everyone begin to disperse. Liu Tián Qǔ felt ready to pass out too. She was so exhausted she wanted to cry. Just as Liu Tián Qǔ turned to drag herself to her courtyard, Butler Zhou appeared in front of her. Butler Zhou bowed and said, "Young Master Liu, the Heir of Wang Royal Manor, awaits your presence in the lounge of your courtyard."
Liu Tián Qǔ felt as if a bolt of electricity slammed into her. So many things kept happening that Liu Tián Qǔ completely forgot about Wang Fèn Yǒng's visit. At the thought of Wang Fèn Yǒng waiting for her in her courtyard. Liu Tián Qǔ thanked and dismissed the butler after informing him their meeting would be postponed until tomorrow.
Liu Tián Qǔ felt that strange electricity ignited in her. It lent Liu Tián Qǔ the energy that she felt drained of. Liu Tián Qǔ quickly ran away to her courtyard to see Wang Fèn Yǒng.
Liu Tián Qǔ arrived at her courtyard to see Sōng Hé Píng waiting for her. Liu Tián Qǔ quickly stop in her tracks. She was out of breath, dripping in sweat, and looked a hot mess. Yet the person she fell in love with was just inside, waiting for her.
Liu Tián Qǔ resisted the urge to run away and beautify herself quickly. That was what she would have done in her past life. She did it all the time when she was dating her ex-boyfriend. She never dared to allow him to see her with even a hair out of place. There was only one time her ex-boyfriend seen her that way. It was when they did that thing.
Liu Tián Qǔ took a deep breath and cleared her mind. First of all, she was masquerading as a boy. Second of all, she was only thirteen years old. Lastly, she decided to present herself as she was in front of the person she loved. That person could either take her as she was or go on his way. With this decided Liu Tián Qǔ removed her boots with Sōng Hé Píng's help. She then entered the chambers of her courtyard and made her way to her lounge.
Liu Tián Qǔ entered to see one of the most devastatingly beautiful men she ever saw in her life sitting at the long low table in her lounge sipping tea. The lit candles of the ten branch floor candelabra's that were placed strategically throughout the lounge pushed back the dark of the night. The bank of doors to the inner courtyard stood open. Allowing the gentle late spring breeze and the lovely scents of the garden to flow through the lounge.
Wang Fèn Yǒng sat sipping tea and admiring the glow of the moon visible through the bank of opened doors facing the inner courtyard. At Liu Tián Qǔ's arrival, Wang Fèn Yǒng's head swung toward the entrance of the lounge. Liu Tián Qǔ stood in the entrance of the lounge, admiring the picture of beauty that graced her lounge.
"You're here," Liu Tián Qǔ said in her normal low husky voice. Her heart skipped a beat and the suddenly started racing like a train running off the tracks. Liu Tián Qǔ struggled to retain her outward calm.
Wang Fèn Yǒng's beautiful phoenix eyes that held the reflection of the candle light stole away her breath. Liu Tián Qǔ had to forcefully hold on to her mind. She felt like her mind was going to float away. Wang Fèn Yǒng already stole away her heart and soul. She must at least maintain and preserve her sanity.
"I'm here," Wang Fèn Yǒng gently nodded.
"Allow me to go change out of this armor first and freshen up. I will be right back," At Wang Fèn Yǒng's slight nod Liu Tián Qǔ turned and strolled towards her bedchambers with Hé Píng trailing behind her.
With both Liu Tián Qǔ and Hé Píng working together. They clumsily managed to peel Liu Tián Qǔ's armor off. It was just as tiring getting out the armor as it was getting into it. None of them had experience with dawning and removing armor, and it showed.
Liu Tián Qǔ began removing her outer and inner robes as well. Liu Tián Qǔ inwardly smirked at the shy blushing young maid as she stripped out of everything and remained in only short underpants.
Her chest was flatter that her back, so she wasn't worried about exposing her chest to Sōng Hé Píng. Sōng Hé Píng's face was dripping blood as she blushed in embarrassment, and averted her gaze. Sōng Hé Píng focused on hanging the armor on the armor stand. After all, she thought Liu Tián Qǔ was a young man.
A large hot bowl of water sat on a stand. Sōng Hé Píng had prepared that water for Liu Tián Qǔ to wash up. However, Liu Tián Qǔ was so sticky, sweaty, and smelly. A small wash up wasn't going to cut it. Liu Tián Qǔ desperately wanted a real bath. However, to keep her gender hidden, she had to keep Sōng Hé Píng out of the way while she bathed.
"Sōng Hé Píng, the armor must be wiped down immediately. If the sweat is allowed to dry on the armor, it will cause the armor to smell bad. Use the hot water you prepared and immediately wipe down the armor. I will go into the bathing chamber and bathe in the bathing pool there." Liu Tián Qǔ prevaricated.
"Young Master, the water in the bathing pool was changed earlier. However, it is cold. I didn't get a chance to heat it." the blushing young maid said as she peeked up at Liu Tián Qǔ. She didn't quite make eye contact with Liu Tián Qǔ. The young maid kept her eyes focus below Liu Tián Qǔ's eyes on her nose.
"Hé Píng, don't worry about it. It won't kill me to use cold water every once in a while. You are doing an awesome job. It's just you alone serving me right now. You are doing the job of two or three people. I am not completely helpless, either. There many small things I can do to help out. When you finish wiping down the armor. Set out a change of clothing for me then go retire. I can bathe and get dressed on my own. Go spend the night with you brother and sleep in tomorrow. I won't have need of you until noon, so come back at noon tomorrow. Okay?" The talk that Liu Tián Qǔ and Wang Fèn Yǒng would be having was not for anyone else ears. Liu Tián Qǔ wanted to move the maid out of the way. She didn't want to take a chance of the maid overhearing something that was not for her ears.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"Also, let your brother know that two hours before noon tomorrow, all stable hands are to assemble. There will be an expert coming over to teach them everything they need to know about taking care of a horse and maintaining the upkeep of a stable and its animals." Liu Tián Qǔ gave the maid a message to give to her brother Sōng Shǔ.
Sōng Shǔ was a twelve-year-old boy who sold himself into slavery to raise money to cure his sister's illness. Unfortunately, the money he received was a pittance, and his sister had remained ill until Liu Tián Qǔ came along.
Liu Tián Qǔ bought the boy along with a blind horse. Although only twelve, Sōng Shǔ was an extraordinarily clever and diligent boy who learned at a very abnormal pace. Liu Tián Qǔ had already decided to put the astute, steady, and mature young boy over her stables even though he was the youngest one there. She refused to let the young boys talent go to waste just because he was young.
"Yes, Young Master," The young maid bowed.
With her orders given, Liu Tián Qǔ walked over to a cabinet that held clean underclothing, inner robes, and clean socks. She retrieved a clean pair of short underpants, inner robes, and socks before retreating to the bathing chamber. Sōng Hé Píng began removing the armor she had hung on the armor stand to wipe it down and clean the sweat off of it.
Arriving in the bathing chamber, Liu Tián Qǔ moved quickly. She hurriedly hung the clean clothes she bought into the bathing chambers with her on a standing rack on the left side of the chamber. She then quickly stripped out of her short underpants and jumped into the sunken pool that was in the center of the bathing chambers.
Liu Tián Qǔ almost yelped out loud in shock at how cold the water was. Liu Tián Qǔ had no time to waste worry about temperature of the water. She didn't want Sōng Hé Píng to catch her bathing. Liu Tián Qǔ quickly pulled down her top knot. Sinking below the water, Liu Tián Qǔ began rinsing the sweat from her hair and scalp.
When she was satisfied, she swam over to where to soap was located. Using soap, she quickly began scrubbing hair and scalp. Liu Tián Qǔ lamented the loss of her favorite hair conditioner as she scrubbed the sweat from her hair and scalp.
Afterward, Liu Tián Qǔ once again sank below the water to quickly rinse out her hair. Grabbing the soap and a cleaning cloth. Liu Tián Qǔ swam over to a different side of the pool where the water was cleaner and continued rising out her hair.
When all the soap was rinsed from her hair, Liu Tián Qǔ wrung the water from her hair. She then twisted her hair into a bun on top of her head. Using a strip of cloth, she had tied around her wrist earlier for that purpose. She secured the bun. Quickly Liu Tián Qǔ soaped up the cleaning cloth with the soap then proceed to scrub her body.
After she finished scrubbing her body clean, Liu Tián Qǔ threw the soap and cleaning cloth aside and sank down into the pool of water to rinse off. As soon as she made sure the soap was completely rinsed off from her body. Liu Tián Qǔ exited the bathing pool.
Liu Tián Qǔ hurried over to the left side of the bathing chambers and retrieved one of the clean drying cloths that were folded across a wooden bench. Liu Tián Qǔ really felt like a guy as she wrapped one of the smaller drying cloths around her waist as she seen guys do in the many movies and dramas she watched in her past life.
For some odd reason, she felt really cool and smug as she secured the drying cloth around her waist. Liu Tián Qǔ smiled and shook her head at her silliness.
Using another drying cloth, Liu Tián Qǔ took down the temporary bun she secured on top of her head and quickly began to dry her hair. It was as she was drying her tangled hair Sōng Hé Píng entered the bathing chambers to see if she needed any help before she retired.
Liu Tián Qǔ almost had a knee-jerking reaction to hide when Sōng Hé Píng entered the bathing chambers. Barely managing to maintain her outward calm, Liu Tián Qǔ continued dry her hair in a calm nonchalant manner.
Sōng Hé Píng's face bloomed red when she saw her undressed Young Master standing on the side of the bathing chambers drying his hair with only a small drying cloth covering his lower area. Sōng Hé Píng couldn't help but automatically avert her gaze and quickly look away.
"Young Master, I finished wiping down the armor and preparing your bedchambers for the night. I also made a fresh pot of tea for the Young Heir of Wang Royal Manor. Is there anything else you need of me before I go?" the blushing young maid asked.
"No, Hé Píng, that will be all. It is late, and all of garden lanterns lining the paths of the Residence have been extinguished. Take a garden torch with you to light the way. Go carefully and get some rest." Liu Tián Qǔ ordered the young maid as she continued to dry her hair.
"Yes, Young Master, thank you and rest well. I will be back before noon tomorrow." Sōng Hé Píng said.
Liu Tián Qǔ released a deep breath when the young maid departed. She quickly dried off her skin and got dressed in the short underpants, socks, and inner robes. She didn't want to leave Wang Fèn Yǒng waiting much longer.
Liu Tián Qǔ hurried over to the right side of the chamber where a large cabinet sat. Housekeeper Gao had filled the cabinet with masculine bathing oils, salts, soaps, hair oils, and various other necessities need to perform her daily ablutions and grooming.
Liu Tián Qǔ retrieved a comb that rested neatly on the top of the cabinet. She parted her hair down the middle. Using a little hair oil warmed between her hands, Liu Tián Qǔ quickly detangled her hair with the comb. Her hair in this body was pretty well behaved, so she didn't have to work too hard. In her past life, her hair was a nightmare and took a lot of work to tame. Fortunately, that was not the case anymore.
Liu Tián Qǔ decided to leave her hair down, even though it made her look more feminine. She intended to reveal her gender to Wang Fèn Yǒng anyway.
It was the wee hours of the morning already, and she was in the privacy of her own courtyard with all the servants sent away. So she felt it would be okay to do so.
Plus, since she was pretending to be a boy. She wanted to see if she could channel her inner Ning Yi.
In her past life, Liu Tián Qǔ fell in love with Chen Kun's character in the Rise of Phoenixes for the most ridiculous thing ever. She just absolutely insanely loved and adored how sexy Ning Yi looked when he wore his long hair down.
That was one of Liu Tián Qǔ secret fetishes. She loved it when a man was capable of sexily rocking long hair. It completely turned her on. Although it sounded crazy, the thing was, not all men were capable of looking sexy with long hair.
Liu Tián Qǔ seen many of men who wore long hair but fell short of looking ravishing sexy in a masculine way. Some men looked so terrible with long hair. It made her want to grab a blade and shave them bald like a monk.
After parting her hair and combing out the tangles, Liu Tián Qǔ wished she had a mirror to see if she was able to channel her inner Ning Yi successfully. Sōng Hé Píng had incidentally broke that mirror, and Liu Tián Qǔ forgot to tell the housekeeper to get a new one.
Liu Tián Qǔ finished grooming her hair and hurried out of the bathing chamber and into her bedchamber. Liu Tián Qǔ looked at the full set of clothing Sōng Hé Píng laid out for her.
She just couldn't be bothered, she left the clothes there on the bed and walked over to the wardrobe and took out a plain simple silk black Tang style round collar hanfu and wore it over her inner robes. She secured the robe close, leaving the collar open and quickly made her way towards the lounge.