Behind the Mask - Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Shy
Chu Ye averted her gaze.
Bai Ning sensed her unease. "What is it?"
Just as she was thinking about those images, she heard Bai Ning's voice again. Chu Ye's cheeks immediately grew hot. She stammered, "I... after I fell that day, you brought me into the cave?"
Bai Ning had already finished applying the medicine for her. Hearing Chu Ye's sudden, awkward question, she feared that she had remembered everything... After a slight pause, she lowered her eyes and softly replied, "Yes."
That day, she had half-dragged, half-carried Chu Ye back into the cave. She could hardly imagine how she'd had such strength at the time. Perhaps it was fate, that they were not meant to die.
Receiving Bai Ning's confirmation, a roar went through Chu Ye's mind. It confirmed once again that those images were real. She didn't know why, but though she usually feared nothing, her face flushed crimson in an instant, and the tips of her ears burned so hot they felt like they might catch fire.
As for what happened next, she naturally couldn't bring herself to confirm it with Bai Ning.
Seeing Chu Ye's face red to the ears, Bai Ning was certain she remembered. Those scenes also surfaced in her own mind. At the time, when they had both removed their clothes, it hadn't seemed like anything significant—it was merely for survival. But thinking back on it now...
Bai Ning's expression remained relatively calm, but despite her composure, an uncontrollable blush crept across her usually pale cheeks.
Face to face, they both blushed in the silence, clearly thinking of the same thing.
Chu Ye hastily grabbed her mask from the side and put it back on, as if trying to hide something in a way that only made it more obvious.
In contrast, Bai Ning appeared much calmer.
"I'll go back to my room now." After putting on her mask, Chu Ye stood up abruptly. "Um, I'm a little dizzy."
"Dizzy?" Bai Ning looked at her.
"Yes! I'm leaving!" Chu Ye immediately turned and hurried away, as if sharing the same space with Bai Ning made it hard to breathe. She swore she had never been so flustered in her entire life.
The door closed, leaving only one person in the room again.
Bai Ning stood for a moment, then sat before the table, intending to continue playing the zither. But her heart wasn't calm enough. She lowered her head and plucked a few discordant notes before stopping, her fingertips resting on the faintly trembling strings. She felt her heart beating inexplicably fast.
In her impression, Chu Ye possessed a composure and severity that didn't match her age, as if she were a woman who had seen all the world's ups and downs and feared nothing.
But such a woman...
Bai Ning looked up at the door, recalling how Chu Ye had fled in a panic just now, and couldn't help but smile beautifully. How could this Miss Chu be even shier than she was?
Chu Ye hurried all the way to her guest room, but because she was distracted, she ran right into someone at a corner.
"My apologies."
The person she had run into was Xiao Tao. Xiao Tao looked Chu Ye over and exclaimed in a low voice, "Miss Chu, are you drunk? Why is your face so red?"
They could tell she was blushing even with the mask on? Chu Ye was speechless, wanting only to hide in her room and see no one. She fobbed Xiao Tao off, "I'm not feeling well. I need to rest."
Xiao Tao nodded, uncomprehending.
Back in her room, Chu Ye took off her mask and splashed her face with cold water. The cool water soothed the burning heat, making her feel much better. She dried the water from her face with a towel, regaining her composure.
They were both women. What was seen was seen, what was held was held; there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, they had taken off their clothes to share warmth only to survive. People will do anything to survive.
Right, there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
With that thought, Chu Ye puffed out her cheeks and let out a breath. Much better.
In the evening, someone brought her medicinal soup as usual, along with a small packet of candied fruit, but Bai Ning didn't come to see her. After their tacit understanding, it would be rather awkward to meet, wouldn't it?
That night, Chu Ye tossed and turned on her cot. After thinking it over and over, she decided to bid farewell to Bai Ning the next day and leave the Bai Manor. Besides, her injuries were mostly healed, and it wasn't proper to keep imposing on the manor.
The next morning, Chu Ye went to Bai Ning's study as usual.
Bai Ning was painting. When she heard Nuan Hua announce, "Miss Chu is here," she was quite surprised. After being so bashful yesterday, she had thought Chu Ye would avoid her for several days.
Chu Ye had changed back into her own clothes and was wearing her personal sword, having returned to her usual attire. Seeing Bai Ning, she still didn't dare to look her directly in the eye and couldn't act naturally.
"You're here." Bai Ning greeted her with graceful composure, already accustomed to Chu Ye coming every day to listen to her play the zither.
"I came to bid you farewell today," Chu Ye said instead. "I've imposed on you for too long."
A shadow passed through Bai Ning's eyes. So, she was leaving.
She didn't reply. Chu Ye stood stiffly, not knowing what else to say.
"Stay and recover slowly. There's no need to rush off." Bai Ning smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, my injuries have already healed," Chu Ye explained. "I've practiced martial arts since I was a child, so my body recovers quickly. Thank you for your care and concern during this time, Second Miss."
Bai Ning was silent for a long while. Then, she asked unhurriedly, "Staying with me, listening to me play the zither every day... it must be very dull, isn't it?"
"No, it's not dull at all!" Chu Ye denied it repeatedly. She thought for a moment, then said to Bai Ning in earnest, "I like listening to you play the zither."
Bai Ning hadn't expected the usually taciturn Chu Ye to give such an answer.
Chu Ye didn't tell Bai Ning that the recent rescue mission hadn't been the first time she had seen her. As early as three years ago, when she first came to Jingzhou, she had come to know of Second Miss Bai in secret.
She and her siblings had originally lived in Xizhou. Later, her Elder Sister's eyes were injured during a mission, leaving her nearly blind. Left with no other choice, they came to Jingzhou to seek medical treatment.
At the foot of the Son of Heaven, talent was abundant and famous doctors were numerous. Only by coming to Jingzhou did they have a chance of curing Elder Sister's eyes.
When she first arrived in Jingzhou, Chu Ye was depressed for a long time. She hated it here. Although Jingzhou was prosperous and bustling, with towering buildings everywhere, she found it utterly boring. It was a place full of deceit and intrigue. How could it compare to the uninhibited joy of galloping on horseback across the snowy plains?
If there was one thing that comforted her about Jingzhou, it was probably that there were many high officials and nobles who paid generously. She often thought that once she earned enough silver to cure Elder Sister's eyes, she could return to Xizhou.
Chu Ye heard Bai Ning's zither music by chance.
Linglong Workshop was the most famous zither parlor in the capital, and one could often hear bursts of music when passing by. When she was bored, she would hide in the thick, ancient tree outside the workshop, listening to the music to relieve her boredom and pass the time. After listening for a while, she discovered that the most beautiful music wasn't played by the owner of Linglong Workshop, but by the Second Miss of the Bai Manor.
Bai Ning didn't come to Linglong Workshop often, perhaps two or three times a month, on fixed days.
So Chu Ye would specifically choose the days Bai Ning would come, sitting in the tree to listen. The music calmed her heart and made her less depressed and restless.
She listened like this for three years.
She always sat high on a branch, legs dangling leisurely. The dense leaves would hide her figure, but she could see the pavilion. Although the distance was great, she could still sense that the Second Miss Bai playing the zither was a great beauty. The people in the city all said so as well.
Chu Ye had originally thought her "acquaintance" with Bai Ning would be limited to this. However, a while ago, her Big Brother accepted a rescue mission, and the person to be rescued was none other than Bai Ning.
...
"If you like listening to me play, then why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Bai Ning asked in return.
Chu Ye hesitated. Did that mean she didn't want her to leave? A flicker of joy rose in her heart, but... she couldn't just keep freeloading at someone else's manor.
"I've already imposed for long enough..."
Bai Ning cut her off. "You must stay."
Chu Ye: "...Stay?"
"The remnants of Prince Shun's Manor haven't all been captured. My father worries they might still try to harm me, and I... I'm afraid. You have to stay and be my personal guard." Bai Ning said this on the spur of the moment, but it wasn't without reason. She would just have to tell her father about it later.
A few months ago, the capital was in turmoil due to the rebellion of Prince Shun's Manor. Bai Ning's father, Bai Yuzhong, was a key figure in suppressing the rebellion, so the people of Prince Shun's Manor naturally hated the Bai family to the bone. Bai Ning's recent kidnapping was a result of this.
When Chu Ye heard Bai Ning say she was afraid, she didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately nodded. "Alright."
Bai Ning gave her a slight smile.
Beneath her mask, a rare smile appeared on Chu Ye's face. From now on, she could still watch the Second Miss play the zither face to face...
Compared to protecting the high officials and nobles who frequented the court, protecting Bai Ning was undoubtedly an easy assignment, especially for Chu Ye.
Bai Ning didn't go out often. Chu Ye only needed to stand guard in her room, where she could also listen to melodies no outsider could hear. Moreover, the Second Miss was gentle and courteous, unlike other employers who, seeing she was a young woman, would sometimes try to take liberties with her.
Chu Ye and Bai Ning became inseparable. Wherever Bai Ning went, she followed. Even at night, she slept in the small room outside Bai Ning's bedchamber to be on hand.
Spending all day together, she had the chance to become more familiar with Bai Ning.
Bai Ning was gentle and considerate by nature, making her very comfortable to be around. While listening to her play the zither, Chu Ye would occasionally tell her stories about Xizhou.
Though Chu Ye didn't usually say much, she would speak with great relish whenever her homeland was mentioned, describing how beautiful the snowy plains of Xizhou were, how swift the horses were, and how cute and cunning the rabbits in the snow were.
"Can you ride a horse?"
Bai Ning shook her head and said she couldn't.
"If you ever go to Xizhou, I'll teach you to ride and take you across the snowy plains..." Chu Ye said with great enthusiasm, but her voice trailed off.
"Why did you stop?"
Chu Ye just smiled. How could Bai Ning ever go to Xizhou? She would never have the chance to teach her to ride. It was like a fool's dream.
In truth, Bai Ning loved hearing Chu Ye talk about the world outside. After Chu Ye stayed, her consistently dull and quiet study gained a new vitality. She didn't allow others into her study, but Chu Ye was an exception.
When she spoke of Xizhou, Bai Ning would often see the corners of Chu Ye's mouth lift into a smile—a very clean and moving smile.
Although she was always fighting, Bai Ning discovered that Chu Ye wasn't grim or sinister. Quite the opposite, she was an unrestrained woman of the snowy plains, possessing a vitality that Bai Ning envied most. Chu Ye was also simple and straightforward; if you stared at her for too long, she would blush shyly.
Chu Ye was already trying her best to keep from blushing in front of Bai Ning. She had never considered herself a shy person. In the past, when lechers had tried to flirt with her, she would simply draw her sword. How could she possibly blush?
But before Bai Ning, things were different... It must have been because of that night in the cave. After all, she had never been so intimate with anyone before.
What intimacy? It was out of desperation.
When facing Bai Ning, Chu Ye warned herself more than once: if she kept blushing and her heart kept racing while thinking of the Second Miss with her clothes half-undone, what was the difference between her and a rogue?
Chu Ye looked at Bai Ning again. She was far more composed in their interactions than Chu Ye herself was.
It snowed again during the night.
Chu Ye's hearing was sharp; she heard the sound of accumulated snow snapping a pine branch. The night was as peaceful as any other. Just as she closed her eyes to sleep, she heard someone say "Chu Ye." The voice wasn't loud, but she was exceptionally sensitive to it.
Chu Ye immediately rolled out of bed. Dressed only in her inner clothes, she grabbed her sword and walked toward Bai Ning's room.
A single candle was left burning in the room. A figure was silhouetted against the white gauze bed curtains. She had sat up in bed, and one could vaguely make out her waterfall of long hair and her slender, seemingly boneless and fragile frame.
Chu Ye walked forward, reached out, and gently parted the gauze curtains. She saw that Bai Ning's lips were pale, her expression one of lingering fear. She must have had a nightmare.
Bai Ning had indeed had a nightmare. She had dreamed of the day she was abducted and had subconsciously called out Chu Ye's name—and Chu Ye had immediately appeared before her. She looked up at Chu Ye, and the moment she saw her, her heart instantly calmed.
Bai Ning took a soft breath.
"Had a nightmare?" Chu Ye asked in a low voice.
"Yes, I dreamed of those people again." After composing herself, Bai Ning gave a weak smile to the person by her bed. "It's nothing. You should go rest."
Chu Ye stood her ground. "You sleep. I'll watch over you."
"There's no need. I was just frightened for a moment. I'm fine now."
As before, Chu Ye remained unmoved. Fearing that standing would disturb Bai Ning's sleep, she went and sat down at the eight immortals table to the side, keeping watch.
Bai Ning was at a loss, but she knew Chu Ye's temperament. She lay back down, turning her head to look at Chu Ye through the hazy gauze curtains.
Chu Ye could vaguely see that Bai Ning hadn't closed her eyes. She watched her through the curtains, belatedly realizing how clumsy she was with words. The other woman had just said she'd had a nightmare, yet she hadn't known how to say a single comforting word.
Not long after lying down, Bai Ning propped herself up again. She pushed aside the gauze curtains and said softly to Chu Ye, "Come to bed."
Waiting all night in the dead of winter, her body surely wouldn't be able to take it.
Chu Ye froze. "There's... no need."
Bai Ning continued to look at her, changing her phrasing. "I'm scared. Come and stay with me."
For someone as calm as the Second Miss to say she was scared, she must be absolutely terrified, Chu Ye analyzed. She bit her lip and agreed.
Under Bai Ning's gaze, Chu Ye awkwardly got into the bed. She was certain, she thought to herself, that she was blushing again.
Bai Ning shifted over, making room for Chu Ye.
Chu Ye lay down. The quilt carried another person's delicate fragrance and body heat, and she felt inexplicably flustered.
The two of them lay down quietly.
Bai Ning asked, "You even sleep with your mask on?"
Chu Ye: "I'm used to it."
"I see." Bai Ning replied, not asking anything further.
They lay side by side, not too far apart. Chu Ye had no desire to sleep now. Lying together like this was just like the situation in the cave.
Beneath the covers, Chu Ye's hand moved, unintentionally brushing against Bai Ning's fingertips. They were slightly cool. At the touch, she didn't know why she felt a guilty conscience, but she quickly pulled her hand away.
The lightest of touches, like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, created ripples. Bai Ning couldn't ignore it. That day surfaced in her mind again—the two of them, body heat mingling, in an instinctive, uninhibited embrace.
She had always been a person whose heart was like still water. She usually wrote all sorts of melodies, encompassing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, yet her inner self remained like a pool of stagnant water.
Perhaps, deep down, she longed for waves, which was why she couldn't help but think of the scene where she and Chu Ye had taken off each other's clothes. She knew it had held no meaning at the time, yet it still stirred subtle thoughts.
The occasional flash of those images was enough to make her heart race.
She had lived for so long in a lifeless, deep manor, bound by countless rules. For her, a racing heart like this was a rare thing.
She subconsciously wanted Chu Ye to stay by her side. Was it because she was too bored and lonely?
Both had their eyes closed, but neither was asleep.
"Chu Ye."
She called out gently in the dead of night. Hearing it, Chu Ye's heart beat faster. She turned her head to look at Bai Ning and asked, "Are you still scared?"
Bai Ning turned her head as well, gazing at her and going along with her question. "Yes."
"It's alright, I'm here." This time, Chu Ye managed to say something comforting.
Those soft words, spoken beside her pillow, were incredibly moving. With a vulnerable look in her eyes, Bai Ning moved a little closer to Chu Ye. Looking into her eyes, she asked in a low voice, "Can I hold you?"
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