A/N: Once again, thank you so much for the reviews. I very much appreciate them. ^____^ Gomen for not updating any sooner and making you think I've abandoned this story. Hm… haven't touched this fic for almost three months. Yeah, I deserve your contempt. G-Gomenasai!
Oh, and yeah, I'm the same Touga who did those ridiculous looking fan arts on the DW Character Guide. Someone shoot me, ne? -___-;
Disclaimer: Characters depicted in the story aren't mine. They belong to Koei and W-Force.
Of Exquisite Beauty
Both Wei warriors walked back to the main camp in complete silence, with one preceding the other as if nothing out of the ordinary happened between them a moment ago. With a bored expression on his face, Zhang He looked at the young woman walking in front of him. Her small shoulders stiff with anger, her steps brisk, Lady Zhen seemed that she couldn't wait for another minute to rid of him.
He almost sighed out loud. He couldn't blame her for that. He acted like an ass.
The kiss was uncalled for. And he was damned if he knew why he even did that. He just found himself suddenly wanting to know how she tasted, wanting to know how her soft and warm body felt against his. Proving that she was no Ice Maiden was the farthest thing in his mind, he admitted silently. He merely came up with that excuse to save face.
Perhaps he should stop being a fool and acknowledge his fascination toward the irresistible Lady Zhen. After all, who in all of China didn't find her attractive? He should consider himself lucky, that he was assigned to watch over the beautiful Zhen Ji.
And that was perhaps Cao Pi's biggest mistake. If the Lord Pi thought Jun Yi was impervious to Lady Zhen's beauty, then that could very well be his downfall. Zhang He was no different than any other red blooded male. Of course he, too, found himself fascinated with Zhen Ji. He merely took care with his reactions. He was, after all, known as the bored, indifferent, and rather flamboyant Wei General. And he must maintain that detached façade of his to function well in the Wei Army. That was why it absolutely irked him when he succumbed to the temptation of kissing his charge.
Jun Yi shook his head in self-disgust. He should tread carefully from now on. And as a proud and honorable warrior, he must carry out the duty assigned to him, personal feelings disregarded. And to do that, the barrier between them should disappear. They must first become friends.
The lithe warrior was about to strike a conversation when Zhen Ji suddenly stopped in her tracks, her form rigid and alert. Jun Yi halted as well. What was it? He thought, looking around, sharp eyes darting from one tree to another. Did she sense an enemy lurking around? Had she heard something rustle behind them? Damn! His senses were off! It was stupid of him not to notice whatever alerted the Lady Zhen. He was too busy thinking of her that he had completely forgotten that they were still in a battlefield. If they were ambushed right there, it would be entirely his fault. He clenched his left fist as he scanned the area, testing his right arm at the same time to see if it still was capable of fighting. He winced. His right arm was numb as a log.
Jun Yi watched as Zhen Ji slowly turned to look at him. An unreadable expression settled on her beautiful face. Zhang He frowned. But before he could ask what was wrong, she opened her mouth to speak.
"T… The main camp… Which way was it?"
Zhang He stood unmoving for a long while, not knowing how to react for the first time in his life. No wonder she looked so disgruntled. She was… lost. He didn't know if he should laugh like an idiot or get angry for worrying him like that.
He did neither.
He fainted.
* * *
Zhang He slowly opened his eyes and adjusted his eyes to his unfamiliar surroundings. He found himself in a small, well-ventilated room. The window on his left was wide open, the sun peeked at him over the horizon, symbolizing that a new day was about to unfold. He watched as the sky started to change to the colors of dawn, the fresh smell of the ocean filtered his lungs and the sounds of overlapping waves reached his ears.
He almost smiled. How peaceful it truly was beside the ocean…
W-Wait, he thought, his muddled brain finally registering his environment, the ocean? What the hell? He tried to sit up and that was when he noticed that someone was holding his right hand. His gaze quickly shifted from the window to the person beside him.
With her fingers intertwined with his, Zhen Ji sat on a small chair beside his bed, her head resting on the make-shift mattress he occupied as she lay sleeping peacefully. She wasn't wearing her elegant blue apparel but instead was dressed with clean peasant clothing. Her long silky dark hair lay unbound on her small shoulders. There were dark circles under her eyes and she was pale as death. Yet, for him, her beauty never dwindled. Not having the least bit desire to remove his hand from hers, Jun Yi watched her sleep.
But Zhen Ji chose that precise moment to wake up. She sat up straight when she found Zhang He gazing at her. She quickly rubbed sleep from her eyes and practically beamed at him, "You're awake! I'll get the village healer." She stood up and was about to run out of the room when she realized that their hands were still linked. She tried to pry her hand free.
"You don't look well," Jun Yi frowned up at her as he held on to her tighter.
"Neither do you," Ji replied, the relieved smile still in place. After his collapse due to loss of blood, Zhang He caught a fever which took its toll for two nights, causing him to float in and out of his stupor. She spent her nights by his side, patiently nursing him back to health. The fever was gone by the third day. "Listen, I have to tell the healer that you're awake. She'll be so pleased."
Zhang He tried his best to stop staring at her sensual mouth. "No. Stay with me. Let her come in her own time." He released her hand when she finally nodded her acquiescence. "What happened? Where are we?" He asked and sat up, his unbound hair falling like a dark silk curtain over his massive shoulders. He lifted his left arm and ran his hand through his dark mane, effectively taking it out of the way as he inspected his bandaged shoulder.
Zhen Ji suddenly found herself fascinated over such a small movement. He really was beautiful, she thought as she watched him flex his right arm. His jaw slightly clenched when he still felt pain sear up his limb. Apart from that minor telling reaction, he once again looked bored, as if he would fall asleep at any time.
Remembering that he asked her a question, she averted her gaze from him to the open window and replied seriously, "You fainted." Ji smiled when she saw Jun Yi freeze at the corner of her eyes. "Weakling," she added in her most condescending voice, turning her head back to him to meet his gaze.
"I do no such thing," Jun Yi turned crimson.
"You've been out for almost three days," she continued, a teasing glint lighting up her eyes, "That allowed me enough time to think if you really are capable of protecting me or not." Zhen Ji wanted to laugh when Jun Yi turned ever redder. So, he wasn't as remote and detached as he portrayed, eh?
"And what have you decided?"
"You'll do," she shrugged.
Jun Yi smiled lazily, "By the way, this is a nice, quiet village you've chosen."
"It's a fishing village called Jie Shi, east of the Liao Qin Region."
"Liao Qin?" Zhang He asked in mild surprise. They were practically on the other side of China. He had almost forgotten. The lady was bad with directions. "Good job on getting us lost."
This time, it was Zhen Ji who turned red. "For your information, I knew perfectly well where I was going," she lied.
"Indeed?"
"Of course!" She answered, her chin tilted proudly. "You proved yourself useless when you fainted… Wait! Don't get up!" She cried when he swung his long legs to the floor.
"Why?" He asked and looked at himself. The crumpled white blanket barely covered his lower half. "Oh, I'm naked," he stated as if saying that the weather was nice.
"You didn't notice?!" She was bright red.
"With those skin tight leggings I wear in battle, do you think I could tell?" He asked calmly and shrugged, "Thank you for warning me. I could have easily embarrassed us both." He pulled on the blanket and stood up. "Unless, of course," he continued as he wrapped the cloth around his slim waist, "you've already peeked."
She blushed. "How dare you even suggest that I've—"
"How many times, I wonder?" He tilted his head to one side and looked at her, hooking one corner of the blanket inside the folds and slowly walking toward her. "Once?"
She didn't answer as she took a step back.
He took a step closer, "Twice?"
If possible, she turned even redder.
"By the deity," Jun Yi remarked softly, "you looked at me three times?"
"I-It was necessary!" Ji finally answered. "I had to rub your body with wet cloth and ointment to get rid of the fever!"
"I see," he nodded his understanding and stopped when he had her cornered to the wall near the window. "Still," he continued, placing a hand on the wall on each of her side, effectively trapping her inside the circumference of his arms, "I feel so… violated."
At that moment, the door burst open, revealing a small round elder woman with a basin full of herbs and ointment. Zhang He smoothly glided away from Zhen Ji, returned to his bed, and sat quietly as he watched the woman place her things on the table by the door.
"Ah, you're finally awake. Good," the healer said as she crossed the room and inspected her patient. "I see you couldn't wait to get your hands on your wife again," she clucked her tongue in disapproval, "but you have to wait until your wounds are healed."
W-Wife? Zhen Ji thought wildly. Whatever gave her that idea? "U-Umm…"
"Aye, I've missed her," Jun Yi smiled at the healer, cutting off whatever Zhen Ji was about to say, "surely, you'd understand?" The elder woman sighed as she walked back to her basin and started to mix herbs for her patient's wounds. Zhang He shrugged noncommittally when he found Zhen Ji glaring daggers at him.
I'll explain later, he seemed to tell her. She pouted and crossed her arms.
"The Liao Qin Region," Zhang He started as he looked back at the elder woman, "I hear that it recently became a part of the Wu Territory."
"Why, yes," the healer answered, walking back to Jun Yi with her medicine, "and since Jie Shi is near the region, it won't be long that this village will be a part of Wu as well." She proceeded to peel the old bandage across his torso and shoulder off him. She then cleaned his cuts with warm water and rubbed the concoction she mixed on his wounds. "You're very lucky, you realize?" The healer asked as she continued to dress his wounds. "You barely escaped paralysis. 'Twas a good thing the arrow didn't hit the nerve that could render your arm immobility."
"I thank you for your services," Zhang He bowed when the healer stood up, symbolizing that she was done patching him up.
The healer nodded. "I'd best be on my way now," she said and started to collect her belongings, "there are still some patients I have to go to." She looked fondly at Zhen Ji and smiled warmly at her. "You better rest up, too. You've been worrying so much about your husband that you've forgotten about your own health."
"Y-Yes, thank you," Zhen Ji replied, bowing her head as well, and walked with the healer toward the door. When the elder woman left, Ji walked back to Jun Yi and sat beside him on the bed. "If this was Wu territory," she started as she stared at the door where the healer disappeared to, "then why are there Shu soldiers around?"
Zhang He looked at her, "So you noticed."
Ji nodded, "Aye, I saw them on the streets when we were talking by the window." She stood up and walked toward the table, picking up some folded clothes the healer left for Zhang He to use. "So, we lost the battle in Bo Wan Po," Ji concluded as she handed over the clothes to him. "That could only be the reason why Shu and Wu are here."
"I believe Shu is here to negotiate an alliance," Zhang He replied, taking the clothes from her and donned them on, "since this is a remote village in the East, it'd be hard to track them down." Zhen Ji turned her back on him to give him privacy while he dressed, and walked toward the window. The sun had fully risen and morning had broken. The villagers started to return from fishing, docking their small boats to the shore as they took out their catch.
She turned toward him, "I'll take a look around too."
"No," he answered as he braided his hair in one long, loose plait, "you catch attention without even trying. Stay here."
"So do you," Ji frowned at him, "remember, you are a new face in the area."
"I'll try not to stand out too much."
"How can you not? You're beautiful even when in peasant clothing."
"Why, thank you, Lady Zhen," Zhang He smiled before closing the door after him.
"I didn't mean to say that!" She shouted to no one.
* * *
"This treaty with Wu. Do you think it's wise?" A Shu soldier asked his companion as both sat beneath a massive tree to rest. They had been walking around the small village since morning, patrolling the area, making it safe until their charismatic overlord Liu Bei finished conducting his business with Wu.
"Who knows?" The second soldier answered as he removed his head gear. "I hear it's their tactic against the powerful Wei," he shrugged, "You know the saying… the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Hence an alliance shall be formed."
"Eh? I think you're right!" The first soldier said, awe in his voice, "You're pretty smart." Then, he paused. "But you know, I hear that the Wu Emperor is rather reserved about it."
"Hm… It must be because he ordered an attack on Lord Guan Yu during---"
"Hey," a commanding voice interrupted the two soldiers. Both looked up at the same time, their gaze clashing with fierce dark eyes. With one hand resting on his waist while the other clutching his mighty spear, Zhao Yun stood menacingly beside the Shu soldiers. The two gulped and quickly stood up; they never even heard their commanding officer's approach. As expected from one of Shu's finest, the Little Dragon Zhao Yun.
"What are you doing there gossiping like pregnant women? Go back to your posts."
"Y-Yes, sir!" The two replied at the same time, snapping to attention as one of the strongest Shu Generals continued to stare them down, "We apologize, Lord Zhao Yun!" Both bowed low before the mighty soldier and quickly scurried off to their assigned positions.
Zhao Yun waited until the two disappeared from his view. He then rotated his spear and plunged the sharp point some inches deep into the ground, "Gathering information, Lord Zhang He?" He asked and leaned against the tree trunk, folded his arms across his massive chest, and waited for his former comrade to reply. He didn't have to wait long.
"What are you talking about?" The Wei warrior scoffed from above. His arms cushioning his head, one long leg dangling from the tree branch he was resting on, Jun Yi yawned as he remained unmoving from his lazy stance. "I was merely resting here when those two prattling soldiers arrived." He then chuckled, "You scare your men, my friend. Those two ran away like frightened rabbits."
"As opposed to you," the Little Dragon countered, "teaching your soldiers how to spin and dance before they report?"
"All for the sake of beauty," Zhang He shrugged. "Cute, wasn't it?"
"You're peculiar."
"Jealous?"
"I never thought Wei would send you as their spy."
"Spy?" Zhang He asked in astonishment, "You insult me by saying such a thing, Zi Long." He waved carelessly, exaggeratedly. "Someone as beautiful and as powerful as I cannot be demoted to being merely a spy."
"As vain as ever, I see," Zhao Yun shook his head in amusement, "You never changed… You're still the same, even back in Yuan."
"Now, now, you're not reminiscing, are you, General?"
"The past is the past. We now serve different lords."
"The way I see it, those three lords are acting like bickering children, intent on getting the finest toy, and that is the control of China," Zhang He replied, "We're fools as well, following such immature and silly old men."
Zhao Yun let that insult to his lord, and perhaps to Jun Yi's own, pass, knowing that the shrewd Wei warrior was merely baiting him for a reaction. He straightened up from the tree and looked up at Zhang He's indolent posture. "Why are you in this village?"
"I got lost."
It was Zhao Yun's turn to scoff.
Zhang He chuckled. "If you do not believe me, ask Lady Zhen. She's here with me," he paused in thought, "better yet, don't ask her. She's quite in a foul mood when I left her."
"The Lady Zhen is here?" Zhao Yun asked in surprise, remembering the beautiful face of their former lord Yuan Xi's wife. He then narrowed his eyes. "Why are you telling me this? What are you planning?"
"Well, pardon me for telling the truth!" Zhang He released a rather exaggerated outraged gasp, in Zhao Yun's thinking, "I'm not as conniving as the rumors say, you realize?"
"You must know that Lady Zhen is an important person in Wei," the Shu General continued, "she will become a valuable captive once we detain her."
Zhang He appeared to think of it for a moment. "Why, you're absolutely correct," he said as if the thought never occurred to him. Then, he shrugged, "Oh well, I guess I spoke too much." And he laughed quietly at his little blunder.
Zhao Yun continued to watch the eccentric warrior through narrowed eyes. What was this bastard planning? Why tell him that the Lady Zhen was in the village? Better yet, what did Jun Yi want him to do now that he had imparted such a substantial information? That was no slip-up regarding Lady Zhen's presence in the village. Jun Yi wanted him to know that she was there.
Zi Long's jaw clenched. This particular general… he was quite well-known for his cunning. Even the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang respected him, calling him a scholar and a warrior who was most valorous beyond all compare.
Zhang He was clearly playing mind games with him.
"I will be watching your every move in this village, Zhang He," Zhao Yun warned, grabbing his spear and turning to leave. Talking with him was a waste of time.
"Be careful on your way back to camp, Lord Zhao Yun," Zhang He waved as he watched his retreating form. When the Shu warrior was finally out of sight, Jun Yi stood up, uncoiled himself like a sleek jungle cat and flipped in a backward somersault, disappearing in the dense trees behind him.
* * *
Zhang He's eye twitched, yet he continued to stare impassively at the food served before him. Zhen Ji sat on his left, her arms crossed over her chest, as she waited for him to start eating, her face expressionless as well.
This is hell, Jun Yi thought as he reached for his chopsticks, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. He had heard it. He had heard them all back in Yuan. The stories… the horrendous stories of Lady Zhen Ji's culinary talent… rather, the lack of it. It was said that an intake of even just a small amount of her cooking could instantly kill an elephant.
Damn! He thought gritting his teeth. He had never been frightened like this before. Not even in the battlefield…
"What are you waiting for?" He looked up when Zhen Ji suddenly spoke up, cutting in his thoughts. She raised a thin eyebrow and inclined her head to one side. "Eat."
Jun Yi's eyes narrowed. She knew that he had heard of her deficiency when it came to cooking, knew that he was going to get really sick the moment he ate. And she was challenging him. He could clearly see it in her eyes. Cursing silently, he attacked the fish served before him, pinched it with his chopsticks and simultaneously put it inside his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, half expecting to collapse on the floor.
It did not come to pass.
"I-It… It's good," Zhang He said, awe in his voice. He couldn't help it. He was truly surprised to find himself still sitting up and breathing.
Perhaps those rumors about her horrific cooking skills were false after all?
"They weren't," Zhen Ji answered, making Jun Yi realize that he had spoken out loud, "I was the one responsible for the early retirement of the castle cook back in Yuan." Jun Yi stilled, his eyes darting to the passive face of his companion. "Yes, I remember," Ji continued, an unnerving calm settled on her face, a faraway look in her eyes as she recalled the incident, "she was shaking and moaning in pain, foam was coming out of her mouth… And the servants were crying… and crying… It was a dark day for all of us."
Jun Yi unwittingly dropped his chopsticks, his eyes never leaving her face. He wasn't in the castle when that happened, he was out on a sortie with his former lord Yuan Shao. But he had heard of it when he returned from his mission. He didn't know it was that bad, he just thought that the cook suddenly decided to go home, back to her village.
Lady Zhen had fearsome powers even outside the battlefield.
"Are you this gullible, Lord Zhang He?" A broad smile suddenly broke her cool features and she burst out laughing. Jun Yi blinked. "The expression on your face was priceless! I never thought I'd see such a reaction from you." She laughed yet again, "And don't worry about the food. The healer cooked for us."
"You're wicked," Zhang He commented as he continued on with his meal.
"What did you find out in the village, by the way?" Zhen Ji asked the moment Jun Yi finished eating. "Was your supposition correct? Did Shu come here to form an alliance with Wu?"
"Aye," Jun Yi answered, "the negotiations are being done as we speak."
"We must inform Lord Cao Cao at once."
He shook his head. "We cannot leave the village. Zi Long was made aware that we are here."
"Zi Long? How can that be? Were you seen?"
"Aye."
Zhen Ji frowned. "Then, they could be planning to capture us as well."
He shrugged.
"What do we do now?"
He shrugged yet again, "Nothing."
"Are you planning something?"
Jun Yi didn't answer, but instead looked outside the window. The sky was getting dark as the sun started to set. "The villagers here sleep early," he said, intent on changing the subject. The lady was starting to ask too many questions. "Shouldn't we turn in as well?"
"T-Turn in?" Ji asked, her gaze drifting to the wide lone bed in the middle of the room. During the three days that her comrade was ill, she had contented herself sleeping on the chair beside his bed while she nursed him back to health. But now that Jun Yi was well… "S-Shouldn't we talk about our sleeping arrangement?"
Zhang He raised his eyebrows, the setting sun bathed his face in a warm yellow glow, softening his features as he looked at her. "Must we settle on one? The bed is large enough for the both of us."
"B-But…"
"I cannot possibly ask for another room, it would be too rude," he said, "Besides, the villagers here think that we are man and wife. It would certainly raise a lot of questions you wouldn't want to be answering."
"I know but…"
"You're not afraid of me, are you?"
Yes! "No."
"Good," he smiled, "you have no reason to be."
Zhen Ji nodded. She knew he was right. She trusted him completely. She loved this man after all.
"Now," he said as he stood up, "go to bed. I'll scout the area one more time. I might get lucky this time."
"Be careful."
"I will," he replied and winked at her, "don't wait up."
"Why should I?" She retorted. His laughter answered her before he closed the door behind him.
* * *
Zhen Ji lay awake for hours, thinking of a beautiful man named Zhang He. She sighed and looked around the room. Darkness had completely taken over the village, the moon was the only source of light, the soft glow pouring inside the room. It was calm and peaceful, the waves washing over the shore were the only thing that disrupted the silence of the night, the sound was hypnotic as it lulled the villagers to sleep.
Yet, it evaded her.
Zhang He hadn't returned. He had been gone for hours. Where was he? Did something happen to him? Was he taken captive by Shu? No, he was a warrior, a mighty one at that. He could take care of himself. She needed not worry about him.
Still, she couldn't sleep at all.