After they'd stepped through the demonic portal into a hallway with two doors, Jiang Cheng eyed the portal until it slid shut. Wen Ning gestured toward one of the doors. "Please open it. You turn the knob to the right and push." Jiang Cheng grabbed the knob and pushed but the door didn't move. Oh, right, Wen Ning had said to turn the knob. He opened the door slowly, uncertain what he'd find behind it.
There was a woman. She smiled at him. Jiang Cheng felt as warm as if he were sitting by the river on a hot summer day. No one, not even Jin Ling, smiled at him like that.
Of course Wei Wuxian had to ruin it. "Hey, Jiang Cheng, could you move into the room? Some of us would like to sit."
Jiang Cheng stepped inside just enough to allow Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian to enter. The woman's smile dropped into a frown and Jiang Cheng's appreciation of her rose. She was wise enough to dislike Wei Wuxian on sight.
She spoke but in a language Jiang Cheng didn't recognize. Wen Ning replied. Jiang Cheng didn't understand most of it but did catch his own name. And then Wen Ning turned to him. "This is Miss Cordelia. She will care for you while I heal Wei Wuxian. We will be just across the hall." Wen Ning nodded at the door across the hallway.
"What? No. I'm coming with you."
"Please. Wait here." Wen Ning's voice didn't have quite the same authority his sister's used to have but then Wei Wuxian chimed in.
"A-Cheng, I don't want you hovering over us while he's healing me."
It was the name that stopped him. Wei Wuxian hadn't spoken to him that familiarly in a very, very long time. "Fine, but do not try to vanish on me again."
Wen Ning closed the door behind them. When Jiang Cheng turned to look at Miss Cordelia, she was staring at the door. The concern was clear on her face. Had Wen Ning told her something of Wei Wuxian's injuries?
When she saw him watching, Miss Cordelia smiled again although not as brightly as before. Her brown hair was shorter than he was used to. It hung down only to her shoulders but there was something pleasing about the cut. He thought back to the people he'd seen that morning. Many'd had hair even shorter so perhaps it was normal here.
Jiang Cheng had a glimpse of a dark tunic before he turned his head away. Her tunic had not been closed properly. He could see her underrobe. He thought of the clothes he'd seen earlier and the shirt Wen Ning wore. Perhaps the outfit wasn't indecent? He tested a glance and saw she was giving him the same concerned look she'd given Wen Ning, or possibly Wei Wuxian, just a moment ago. She did not seem embarrassed.
His eyes glanced past her underrobe but he took in the rest of her outfit. Her tunic, which hung halfway down her thighs, had been dyed a very dark but vibrant shade of blue. The fabric seemed to be animal skin, suede perhaps. Her trousers, a dark gray but lighter than the tunic, seemed to be quite a fine weave. This was no mere assistant. Her clothes were too fine. Perhaps she ran Wen Ning's household?
She removed a cup from a cabinet, held it towards her mouth as if drinking, and then out to him. He stood there, admiring her grace, until she rolled her eyes and repeated the motion. Oh, she was offering him a drink. When he nodded, she smiled warmly and he smiled in return.
Miss Cordelia gestured towards a couch and two chairs that surrounded a short table. He decided to take the chair facing the door. If anything attacked, it would most likely enter the room that way. As he stepped forward, Jiang Cheng realized he was still wearing Wen Ning's cloak. He undid the clasp, swept off the cloak, and then stood there uncertain where to hang it. Miss Cordelia murmured something and when he looked over he caught her blushing. He checked his clothes but didn't notice anything out of place. She hung the cloak on the back of the door, on hooks that seemed to have been placed there just for that purpose. When she turned back towards him, she took a long look and nodded. Jiang Cheng felt oddly pleased that she approved of his outfit.
Miss Cordelia took the seat nearest the door and handed him a cup of tea. It was the foulest brew he'd ever tasted and that included the sludge they'd drunk during the Sunshot campaign. He looked up, ready to glare, but she was smiling at him expectantly. With an inward sigh, he smiled back and nodded. She started speaking, apparently not concerned that he couldn't understand her. He kept hold of the cup, hoping she wouldn't notice he wasn't drinking.
After a bit she started miming again. She pointed at his sword, made a face and growled, and then poked her fist towards him. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Was she mimicking fighting? Did she want him to kill monsters for her? When he didn't respond, she rolled her eyes but otherwise didn't seem bothered. Perhaps she wanted to know how skilled he was? If she did manage Wen Ning's household, she'd want to assess any new fighters even if they were guests. However, there didn't seem to be a good way to explain his skill so he nodded. She didn't seem impressed. That must have been the wrong answer. She started drumming her fingers on her leg. He glanced around the room, wishing there were a monster he could kill for her. He'd like to have her smile at him again. When she caught him looking her way, she smiled but it was so obviously a forced smile that he grimaced in return.
The doorknob rattled. Relieved, Jiang Cheng rose to his feet. Finally Wei Wuxian was back. Maybe now they could return home. He'd had enough of demonic cultivation land.
It wasn't Wei Wuxian.
The creature had once been human. How long must it have been dead for its skin to turn blue? He'd never seen fangs or horns on a human-like creature. Perhaps that was something that happened in demonic cultivation land? As he rose, he unsheathed Sandu but before he could strike, Miss Cordelia threw herself between him and the creature.
"Get out of the way," he shouted. She was an idiot. She had her back to the creature. Was she trying to protect him? She was about to get herself killed. How could such a foolhardy act seem so brave?