~~~
Liu Jin looks at the task ahead of him with intense concentration. The liquid’s dark depths reveal nothing to him. Regardless, he must press on.
His hand moves with lightning quickness. Metal flashes.
Not a single drop is spilled.
“How is it?”
Xiao Shuang's blue eyes look at him, waiting for his judgment. He must not lie to her. That, he knows for sure. Liu Jin takes a moment to savor the hot soup. He bites down on the meat and noodles before swallowing them. His eyes close as he lets the taste work its way through his body.
“Well?”
“It is… good.”
Xiao Shuang’s eyes shine. “Truly?”
Liu Jin nods as he takes another spoonful of soup. Then another and another. “Delicious.”
Absolutely delicious.
An excited sound leaves Xiao Shuang’s mouth. She is almost jumping in place.
It is an unbelievable sight. When talking about status, talent, and wealth, it goes without saying that Xiao Shuang is above everyone in Eastern Port City. Her level of cultivation naturally surpasses Liu Jin’s by a wide margin. In fact, although Xiao Shuang makes sure to keep her Qi low most of the time, Liu Jin is certain Xiao Shuang is considerably stronger than her brother.
That is why it baffles Liu Jin that something as simple as making soup makes her so happy.
It has already been over two weeks since they married. Since then, Meng Yue has not been seen even once. The woman left as mysteriously as she came. Even so, her visit definitely made an impact, not just on the Xiao Sect but all over Eastern Port City.
People still whisper about her. The servants walk on edge ever since. Apparently, they have to be prepared to hold a grand feast at a moment’s notice. No one knows whether Meng Yue will decide on another unexpected visit or not. It is best to err on the side of caution. At least, that is the attitude the influential people of Eastern Port City have decided to take.
Well, that is what Xiao Nan tells him. Liu Jin would not know for sure. Since the day he married, Liu Jin has not left the Xiao Sect.
For him and Xiao Shuang to live together is only fitting. They are, after all, married. However, for Liu Jin to take Xiao Shuang to his home is unthinkable. Similarly, there is no point in Xiao Shuang staying in the main house. That is why Xiao Zheng had a small house built inside the inner section of the Xiao Sect’s compound.
It should go without saying that the house is only small in comparison to the things around it. By Liu Jin’s estimate, it is larger than his father’s clinic, much better crafted too. All of his and Xiao Shuang's belongings fit in the house with ease. They even found a nice corner for the Tree of Never Ending Vigor.
Only Xiao Nan and Xiao Zheng visit with any degree of frequency. His father has only visited twice, busy with work as he is.
All things considered, it has been a peaceful experience.
Xiao Shuang, much to Liu Jin’s surprise, has embraced this new life. While she mentioned wanting to cook for him when they first met, Liu Jin had not realized how serious she was about it.
Xiao Shuang, Liu Jin has learned, takes a lot of things seriously, often saying, “A wife must do this” and “a wife must do that.” To Liu Jin, it seems like she delights in playing the role of a wife, though cooking has been the activity she has devoted most of her efforts to. Xiao Shuang practices for at least one hour each day, often two or more. While she practices, she never lets Liu Jin inside the kitchen.
Before today, Xiao Shuang never even allowed him to taste her creations, choosing instead to have the servants bring food for them.
“I am glad husband enjoys the soup his wife prepared for him.”
The smile on Xiao Shuang's face tells him she truly means it. For such a small thing gives her so much joy... Liu Jin can’t understand it.
“This wife will do her best to cook all the meals from this day on.”
“You do not have to—”
“No!” Xiao Shuang surprises him by interrupting. She moves closer, her nose almost touching his. Blue eyes stare right into his red orbs. “I must definitely do this, husband!"
Liu Jin tilts his head to the side, confused. “Is it really so important to you, my lady?”
“Of course, it is!” Xiao Shuang looks down. “I… cannot manage our finances because we have no finances. Likewise, there are no businesses that I can oversee. I’ll likely never have children to look after. By the time we are old enough to worry about such things, we won’t be together anymore. That’s why… for the remaining time we have together, I want to be able to do the things a wife does.”
The things a wife does.
It seems so simple at first, but to Xiao Shuang, it is probably a chance she’ll never again have. This brief moment, this temporary lull, for her, it is nothing but the calm before the storm. Meng Yue will eventually come for her.
Who knows if Xiao Shuang will ever see her family again after that?
Even if she sees them again, there is no telling when that will be.
It could be that he and Xiao Shuang won’t meet again for one hundred years. For someone like Xiao Zheng and Meng Yue, one hundred years is nothing worth mentioning. It is nothing more than the blink of an eye.
Yes, for them, it is probably like that.
However, Liu Jin and Xiao Shuang are just children.
“I see,” Liu Jin closes his eyes. “I apologize. I had misjudged how important this is for you, my lady. In that case, I will gladly eat your cooking until our last day together.”
“Thank you, husband.”
“Also…”
“Yes?”
“If my lady wishes to act as a wife, then it is only proper for me to act as a husband, right?”
~~~
“Amazing!”
The sight around them is nothing spectacular. It is nothing more than a street in the commercial district of Eastern Port City. There are food stands here and there. Two people haggle over a small statue, their arms moving wildly as each attempt to get the better price.
To Liu Jin, the sight is utterly mundane.
To Xiao Shuang, it is something she is seeing with her own eyes for the very first time.
The two are dressed differently than usual. Instead of the expensive robes worn by members of the Xiao Sect, their current outfits are plainer and more muted in color. They are not something that would stand out in a crowd. Their facial features have been altered slightly. Liu Jin’s striking red eyes are now brown, and Xiao Shuang’s hair and eyes are both dark.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Xiao Nan’s disguise skills are quite good.
Xiao Shuang’s features have been disguised a step farther than Liu Jin’s. After all, Xiao Shuang possesses a face that would doubtlessly call attention if it was boldly displayed.
“How did you manage this, husband?”
Her wondrous tone is completely understandable this time. Since she was born, XIao Shuang has been someone who has never left the Xiao Sect. No. More than that. Before their wedding, Xiao Shuang had never even left the main house. She may have never left her room at all.
Now, she walks the streets she has always seen from her window without worry. Her eyes do their best to take in all the sights surrounding them, looking at each one as if they were the greatest thing she has ever seen.
“I asked your father for his permission, my lady.”
Xiao Shuang’s eyes instantly find his. The doubt there is easy to see.
“Truly?”
Liu Jin looks away.
“I may have asked several times.”
When was it that he started asking?
It had been a few weeks before the wedding.
Xiao Shuang spoke so often about wanting to see the outside world, that Liu Jin wanted to show it to her. He asked Xiao Nan if he could grant him an audience with Xiao Zheng, and he had. Liu Jin asked the Xiao Sect’s Patriarch if he would allow him to take his daughter out for a walk in Eastern Port City.
Xiao Zheng had said no.
It is easy to understand why that had been the case. To say Xiao Zheng is an overprotective father is an understatement. From the beginning, Xiao Zheng has lived in worry over what may happen to his daughter. He had to keep her condition hidden lest someone take her away from him. He had to confine her to a single room as she needed to be close to the Tree of Never Ending Vigor.
However, those concerns are no longer relevant.
Xiao Shuang’s identity is already known. Her fate has already been decided. Her body is no longer as weak as it was before. Liu Jin asked his father about it. According to him, Xiao Shuang should be able to leave the tree’s presence for at least a few days as she is now.
So, Liu Jin kept asking Xiao Zheng for his permission.
Liu Jin hadn’t wanted to get Xiao Shuang’s hopes up, so he had kept it a secret from her. In fact, Liu Jin was almost sure it wasn’t going to work. Xiao Zheng had been stubborn. Luckily, he had accepted his request in the end. That his daughter would leave in such a short time probably had something to do with it.
“I told your father it would be a pity if you didn’t get the chance to know the city you grew up in. He agreed with me.”
Xiao Shuang’s eyes mist lightly. “Thank you, husband.”
His hand finds hers. She squeezes it. He squeezes back.
“Let me show you the city,” he says, leading her into the crowd.
Obviously, the two are not alone. There is a squad of Xiao Sect’s disciples covertly watching their every move, a condition Xiao Zheng insisted on. Liu Jin has no problems with this. You never know who you are going to run into when going out for a walk. If the disciples spot any potentially dangerous encounters, they are to inform Liu Jin.
So far, there has not been any need for that.
“Here,” Liu Jin says as he buys some sweets from a street vendor. Giving something like this to Xiao Shuang is something he would usually never consider, but Xiao Nan told him he sneaks in this type of sweets to her every now and then.
“Hm, it is delicious!” Xiao Shuang says after the first bite. She closes her eyes, savoring the taste. “As expected, eating it freshly made is a completely different experience! It’s so warm!”
They go through many stalls and stores, buying little trinkets. Xiao Shuang even picks out a bracelet. It’s a cheap thing that cannot compare to her, yet she immediately puts it on.
Liu Jin makes sure they stay away from the outer districts. It is a pity, but there is a high chance he’ll be recognized if they go there, even if he’s disguised. He walks Xiao Shuang through the inner districts instead, showing her the many fancy houses there. None compare to the Xiao Sect’s main house, yet the view is pleasing all the same.
“There is one more place I wish to show you,” Liu Jin says, looking at the sky. It is almost time for the sunset, which means he has timed things right.
Xiao Shuang gasps when he takes her to the port. As usual, there are not many people there. The two walk down the dock until they are face to face with the sea. The sun is a big orange at this time of the day, slowly sinking into the water and making it shine like gold.
“I wanted you to see the port. Most people don’t come here often, but…” Liu Jin looks away. This is entirely too far out of his comfort zone. “This place is special to me, so I wanted to show it to you.”
It is in this place that Liu Jin made his resolve to be Old Jiang’s disciple for real.
“It is lovely, husband,” Xiao Shuang says, the orange sun reflected in her eyes. “I am glad you shared this with me.”
“I am glad you like it, my lady.”
Xiao Shuang pouts.
“You still call me that. We are already married, yet you still call me that. Is it truly so hard to think of me as your wife, husband?"
“I…my lady… No, you are right... my wife.”
The flush that erupts on Xiao Shuang’s face at those words is brighter than the sun.
In two weeks, Meng Yue will come to pick Xiao Shuang up. She and Li Jin will say their goodbyes, and Xiao Shuang’s lips will meet his for the first time as tears shine in her eyes. She will tell him to take care of the Tree of Never Ending Vigor in her stead. There is no need for her to take it to the Divine Frozen Palace. Fighting his own sadness, Liu Jin will promise to keep the tree healthy until she can see it again.
It will be a bittersweet parting.
However, for now, they are only two children standing before the sun and the sea, taking joy in each other’s company.
~~~