Behind the Mask - Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Lingering Affection
An embrace...
Chu Ye never expected Bai Ning to make such a request; she suspected she was still dreaming. She met Bai Ning’s gaze, speechless.
She was afraid of her own wild thoughts, so she had been secretly keeping her distance from Bai Ning, acting with caution and propriety.
Seeing the troubled look on her face, Bai Ning said, “It was presumptuous of me.”
She must be terrified to ask for this. Chu Ye frowned slightly and said hesitantly, “If holding me would make you feel a little better…”
With that, she turned over to face Bai Ning and moved closer on her own. “You can hold me.”
When she was little and woke from nightmares, she always liked to burrow into her Elder Sister’s arms. It really did help a lot.
Bai Ning saw Chu Ye move closer, yet she had an awkward and reluctant look. So, she replied with a faint smile, “Don’t force yourself.”
After speaking, she lay on her back and closed her eyes.
Chu Ye stared at Bai Ning’s peacefully closed eyes. In that instant, she didn’t know where the courage came from, but she reached out and very gently pulled the person beside her into an embrace.
When Bai Ning opened her eyes, the two were already embracing face-to-face.
They hadn’t known each other for long, but this embrace felt familiar and special. After all, this was how they had endured the most perilous moments together.
It was reassuring and grounding.
“Is this… okay?” Chu Ye asked clumsily.
Bai Ning pursed her lips into a smile. Are vibrant people warmer, even in body? The warmth seemed to shoot into her heart, then slowly spread.
“Mmm.” Bai Ning’s arm hooked around her waist with a practiced motion. They had held each other like this countless times in the cave.
Chu Ye’s waist tensed slightly.
They held each other like this for a while.
Bai Ning’s gaze swept over the masked face, and she couldn’t help but say, “We are both women… what are you shy about?”
Chu Ye wanted to retort with “I’m not,” but she knew she was bad at pretending, so she simply didn’t answer.
Seeing Chu Ye’s reaction, the smile at the corners of Bai Ning’s mouth deepened instantly.
“…” Chu Ye finally realized she was being teased. Who would have thought that the always gentle and refined Second Miss Bai had such a penchant for this.
Chu Ye was flustered.
Bai Ning said to her very softly, “Let’s rest.”
“Mmm.” Chu Ye didn’t hold the person in her arms too tightly. She just felt that the fragrance from her body was very calming.
The next day, Nuan Hua came as usual to help Bai Ning wash up. But when she pushed the door open, she found the gauze curtains around the bed were still drawn. Usually, by this time, the Second Miss would have already been up.
Nuan Hua approached quietly and found Bai Ning and Chu Ye sleeping on the same pillow. The young maidservant was stunned for a moment. Although Miss Chu was a personal guard, wasn't this a bit too personal?
Chu Ye heard the footsteps and woke up immediately. It was Nuan Hua.
Nuan Hua’s eyes curved into a smile. She knew Bai Ning was usually a light sleeper, so she whispered to Chu Ye, “It’s rare for the Young Miss to sleep like this. Let her sleep a little longer.”
Seeing Bai Ning sleeping so soundly, Chu Ye didn’t dare to move and continued to let Bai Ning hold her. She secretly touched Bai Ning’s hand again; after a whole night, it had finally warmed up.
In the blink of an eye, the Spring Festival was approaching. Large red lanterns were hung in the manor, and the festive atmosphere grew stronger.
Bai Ning was composing a new piece of music.
Chu Ye always heard her play for a bit, then stop. She would write many sheets of musical scores, only to toss them aside as waste paper, seemingly very dissatisfied.
“We haven’t left the manor in over ten days. Are you bored?” Bai Ning felt that with Chu Ye’s personality, she must have been bored long ago, accompanying her in playing the zither every day.
It had been almost half a month. Chu Ye said one thing but meant another: “…I’m not bored.”
“You’re a terrible liar.” Bai Ning looked up at her, seeing right through her.
“Can you see what I’m thinking?” Chu Ye remembered Bai Ning had said she knew the art of divination, which was strangely mystical. If Bai Ning could really divine what was in her heart, then wouldn’t that mean…
Chu Ye suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
“Do you want to go out for some fresh air? There’s a lantern festival in the city around the first lunar month. It’s very lively,” Bai Ning said. “Let’s go take a look.”
“You want to leave the manor?”
“Mmm.”
Since Bai Ning said she wanted to leave the manor, Chu Ye naturally had no objection. Her mission was to protect her without leaving her side.
“Then let’s go out tomorrow night.” Bai Ning thought for a moment. “Without anyone else, just us.”
Chu Ye rephrased it more appropriately: “You want to sneak out?”
“You’ll protect me anyway, won’t you?”
Chu Ye was put on the spot, but there was no problem with that statement. She answered with considerable confidence, “Of course. I will protect you.”
Chu Ye had seen the night market lantern festival in Jingzhou before. In the past, she had only found it noisy and didn't think much of it.
Now, hearing that Bai Ning wanted to take her, she felt a sense of anticipation.
The next day, Chu Ye found a new set of plain clothes. Bai Ning used the excuse of being tired to send away the maids and servants, telling them not to disturb her in her room at night. When night fell, the two of them quietly slipped out the back door.
Once outside the manor, Chu Ye's heart seemed to open up. Although Jingzhou was boring, the air in the city was still freer than that within the deep compound.
After dark, the streets were brightly lit. The night market was filled with all sorts of small stalls, with vendors hawking their wares energetically and pedestrians strolling about cheerfully. The flickering, dim yellow light was filled with the lively atmosphere of the mortal world.
This was the first time Bai Ning had left the manor like this, having shed her silks and satins for coarse cloth garments. She no longer had to hide in a sedan chair, only able to lift a small corner of the curtain to peek at the scenery outside.
She couldn’t take in all the people and sights outside. She smiled and asked Chu Ye, “Is it lively?”
“Mmm!” Chu Ye had never seen Bai Ning smile so happily and stared at her intently.
“Jingzhou has fun things too. I’ll take you to see them,” Bai Ning said, her pace quickening.
Chu Ye hurried to catch up, smiling to herself. Bai Ning’s usual quiet elegance was probably just a product of being helplessly disciplined under the high walls.
“Chu Ye, come look at this.”
Bai Ning seemed curious about everything.
She stood out in the crowd, and Chu Ye noticed it too. People around them were always casting glances their way. The Second Miss was a true, stunning beauty; it was hard not to attract attention.
But they had snuck out, so attracting attention was not a good thing.
Seeing a small stall selling masks, Chu Ye stopped. Bai Ning was also quite interested and began picking through the masks at the stall.
“I want this one.”
Chu Ye looked and saw that the mask Bai Ning had chosen was similar to her own, able to cover half her face. It was a good idea to wear masks.
Bai Ning picked up the mask, not quite sure how to put it on. She asked Chu Ye, “How do you wear this?”
Chu Ye saw this, took the mask from her hand, and moved close to Bai Ning.
They were of similar height, so their faces were right next to each other.
Chu Ye carefully helped her put on the mask, her movements very gentle. She just didn’t know why she felt so flustered when her fingers brushed past the warm base of Bai Ning’s ear.
Her fingertips grazed behind the ear, lightly brushing the earlobe. Bai Ning felt the touch on her ear. These small actions, insignificant in the bustling market, felt crystal clear to her.
“There.” Chu Ye lowered her hand.
“Mmm.”
Both of them put on masks. There were still quite a few people looking at them curiously, but since no one knew their identities, they felt more at ease.
With the Spring Festival approaching, every household was out shopping, so the streets were more crowded than usual.
As the crowd grew dense, Chu Ye worried Bai Ning would be bumped into, so she shielded her in front. Fearing they would get separated, she tugged on the corner of Bai Ning’s sleeve.
Bai Ning glanced at Chu Ye.
At first, Chu Ye didn’t understand the meaning of the glance. The next moment, a slightly cool hand took hers. She grew bolder and held Bai Ning’s hand tightly by her side.
Bai Ning gave Chu Ye’s hand a tug and continued forward.
They walked hand in hand through the bustling crowd. In her three years in Jingzhou, this was the first time Chu Ye felt that the city’s liveliness had anything to do with her.
Jingzhou didn’t seem as boring as she had imagined.
A small establishment by the bridge had gathered a large, noisy crowd, all discussing something.
“That jade hairpin is truly a treasure.”
“Proprietor, name your price. I’ll buy it no matter how much it costs.” A man tapped his folding fan, speaking with great arrogance.
The proprietor stroked his beard, shaking his head. “Not for sale, not for sale, not for any price. But if you can complete these twelve lines of poetry, I will generously gift it to you.”
“Let’s go, let’s go. This stubborn old man is just making fun of us. He asks us to complete his poems, but he’s never satisfied with what we write…”
Chu Ye usually had no interest in crowded places, but now she was curious. She asked Bai Ning, “What kind of treasure is it?”
“Do you want it?”
Chu Ye smiled and shook her head. Even if it was a treasure, she didn’t know how to write poetry.
Bai Ning smiled and led her into the crowd. The jade hairpin was indeed exquisitely crafted, a top-grade item. She then looked at the twelve lines of poetry; each had only the first line, with the second line left blank.
“Would you ladies like to try?” the little old man asked, seeing the two masked women approach.
“I’ll try.” After speaking, Bai Ning picked up a brush and unhurriedly dipped it in ink, looking thoughtful. But when the tip of the brush touched the paper, her strokes were like flowing clouds and moving water, completed in one breath.
“Excellent lines, truly excellent,” someone in the crowd chimed in.
Chu Ye only knew that Bai Ning played the zither beautifully, but she hadn’t expected her calligraphy to be so beautiful as well.
Chu Ye had only a partial understanding of poetry, but she felt that the sight of Bai Ning leaning over, her brush moving like a dragon, was a hundred times more dashing and free-spirited than those sour-faced men. Then another thought struck her, and she felt a sense of injustice. The world was always unfair to women. No matter how talented they were, they could only be trapped in the square courtyards of a deep manor. When they reached marriageable age, they were simply sent from one cage to another.
In comparison, although Xizhou was said to be a barbaric land, it had far fewer restrictive rules than Jingzhou. Women didn't have to be confined to their homes and could ride horses freely.
Chu Ye felt fortunate to be a “wild child” who grew up in the forests and snowy plains. Even though there was much poverty and helplessness, at least there was freedom.
Bai Ning completed all twelve lines of poetry in one go, and the onlookers were all amazed.
“How is it?” Bai Ning asked the old man.
“Truly brilliant literary talent. I concede defeat, completely convinced.” The old man was a man of his word and immediately ordered his attendant to present the hairpin.
Having obtained the desired item, Bai Ning left.
Walking on the bridge, Chu Ye couldn’t help but say to Bai Ning, “You’re amazing, Miss. None of them could compare to you.”
Bai Ning handed over the box containing the jade hairpin. “This is for you.”
Chu Ye didn’t accept it. It was too valuable.
“Take it.”
“I don’t need it.”
“I went to complete the poems because I thought it would look good on you,” Bai Ning explained.
Especially for me? Chu Ye was at a loss for words. She looked at Bai Ning and thought, Wouldn’t it look even better on you?
The sound of fireworks exploding came from the distance.
The two of them turned around at the same time. Standing on the bridge, they had a perfect view of the colorful display in the night sky.
The glittering surface of the water also reflected the fireworks, making the sky and water one color, a beauty that was almost illusory.
Chu Ye’s eyes lit up too, because of the brilliant sparks, and also because she stole a glance at Bai Ning’s profile. A light snow was still falling from the sky, landing on the tips of their hair. The fireworks, the candlelight, the flickering night—she had never seen such a warm snow.
Bai Ning picked up the hairpin and raised her hand to place it in Chu Ye’s hair bun. “It’s beautiful.”
Chu Ye saw her smiling, a smile more beautiful than any line of poetry. She was dazed. Jingzhou… it seemed she was growing attached to it.
Seeing that it was late, Bai Ning sighed. “We should go back.”
Chu Ye also felt a sense of loss.
The outing tonight went smoothly, except that on the way back to the manor, they encountered a few drunken scoundrels. Dressed decently but acting improperly, they were clearly the profligate sons of some family.
Their path was blocked.
Chu Ye didn’t want to cause trouble and led Bai Ning around them.
“Where are you going? Why are you still wearing masks? Hurry up and take them off, let this young master have a look,” one man said.
The greasy-faced man reached out to take off their masks, but Chu Ye directly blocked his unruly hand with the hilt of her sword. Her tone was icy: “Get lost, or don’t blame me for being impolite.”
Chu Ye suppressed her anger and didn’t draw her sword. Big Brother had told her that the capital was full of the sons of officials. Even if she couldn’t stand them, there was no need to stir up trouble.
“Ooh, quite a temper,” another man said. “People who wear masks are either ugly freaks or great beauties. Judging by your figures, you don’t look like ugly freaks. So let us see just how beautiful you are.”
“No matter how beautiful, can she be more beautiful than the Second Miss of the Bai Manor?” the taller man sneered. He was drunk, his tone slurred. “When it comes to beauty, Second Miss Bai is the one.”
“What, is Brother Song thinking of becoming Lord Bai’s son-in-law? Miss Bai is beautiful, but what’s the use of a sickly girl who won’t live more than three to five days? I’m afraid even if you marry her, you won’t get to enjoy it.”
These two were clearly drunk, otherwise they wouldn’t dare to speak so crudely about the Bai Manor.
“Brother Liu, you just don’t understand romance. Just think, if you could have three to five days of carnal pleasure with Second Miss Bai, that would be quite a blessing…”
“Shut up!” This time, Chu Ye was thoroughly enraged.
Bai Ning tugged her sleeve. “Don’t pay any mind to these pigs and dogs.”
This time, Chu Ye didn’t listen to Bai Ning. Her longsword left its sheath, and in the blink of an eye, the sharp, snow-white blade was pressed against the man’s neck. Her gaze under the mask was fierce, her tone utterly vicious. “Say one more word, and I’ll kill you.”
The man was clearly intimidated by Chu Ye’s coldness, but he still acted tough. “Do you dare?”
Chu Ye sneered, speaking slowly, “Watch and see if I dare.” At the same time, the blade slowly ground against the man’s neck. She was very good at controlling her strength, slowly cutting the wound and letting blood seep out.
The man was so scared he wet his pants, and the other man dropped to his knees, kowtowing and shouting, “Spare me, swordswoman!”
“Get lost,” Chu Ye snorted coldly.
The two men fled, shouting “Madwoman, madwoman!” as they ran.
They returned to the manor. Their sneaking out went undiscovered the entire night; they had concealed it well.
After washing up for the night, Chu Ye went to Bai Ning’s room on her own accord. Bai Ning didn’t sleep soundly at night and would sometimes call her name, so she simply started sleeping with her every night.
It was very late, but Bai Ning was still awake.
Chu Ye lay down beside her. “Were you scared by me tonight?”
Bai Ning smiled. She was so fierce when threatening those men earlier, but how did she become like a docile, harmless rabbit in front of her?
Bai Ning shook her head in denial.
Chu Ye pouted. Thinking about what those two scoundrels had said left a bad taste in her mouth. It wasn’t just because of their filthy words; they said Bai Ning wouldn’t live long. Why would such a good person not live long…
Heaven was always unfair. Just like her Elder Sister, who was such a good person, had gone blind. The more she thought about it, the more depressed she became.
“Something on your mind?”
Chu Ye looked at her and hugged her. For the first time, Bai Ning hadn’t asked to be held, yet she initiated the embrace.
Bai Ning: “What’s wrong?”
Chu Ye felt awkward and loosened her arms, stammering, “Don’t you want me to hold you tonight?”
Bai Ning lowered her head with a smile, closed her eyes, and took a breath. “I do.”
Hearing this, Chu Ye immediately shifted into a more comfortable position to hold her. Bai Ning did the same. She didn’t know when it started, but it seemed they… had begun to hold each other especially tightly, their bodies pressed together.
Bai Ning’s palm caressed her lower back, feeling a raised area. “This is a sword wound.” She vaguely remembered where the scars on Chu Ye’s body were.
“Mmm, this was when I was twelve. The first time I was injured. The first scar I got.”
Bai Ning traced the scar. It was a long line.
Through the thin fabric of her clothes, Chu Ye could feel the presence of her fingertips, and her breath brushing against her own shoulder and neck. We are both women, what is there to be shy about? She had remembered Bai Ning’s words these past few days, but when Bai Ning held her like this, her face still flushed and her heart still pounded.
Chu Ye decided to say something to distract herself. “Can the White Jade Ointment remove old scars?”
“If you apply it every day, it will be gone in half a month.”
Chu Ye tensed up, suddenly realizing it would have been better not to say anything. She pressed her lips together and fell silent.
Bai Ning looked at her. “I’ll go get the ointment.”
“Never mind…” Chu Ye wanted to say that the scars were in hidden places on her body, usually covered by clothes, so it didn’t matter if they remained.
Bai Ning didn’t find it troublesome. “Wait for me a moment.”
Chu Ye sat on the bed, and a moment later, she saw Bai Ning return with the ointment.
Bai Ning also sat down on the edge of the bed, holding the small jar of medicine.
They looked at each other, at a loss.
Chu Ye’s mind was in a mess. Although it was inconvenient to apply the ointment to the scars on her body herself… she couldn’t possibly let Bai Ning help her, could she? She reached out to take the medicine.
Bai Ning paused, then looked at her and said calmly, “Undo your clothes. I’ll apply it for you.”
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