26. Leisurely
Within a month, I wandered from Luoyang to the Ghost Palace, from the Ghost Palace to the Demonic Sect, and from the Demonic Sect to the Khitan Royal Palace. Am I just having a run of bad luck? I looked up and counted the stars, but didn't find anything ghostly. I touched my forehead, but there was nothing unusual about it.
"It's cold outside," he said, draping a pure white fox fur coat over my shoulders. I ignored him. Having been practically invited as a guest, and with his pity as leverage, I couldn't refuse. I couldn't bear to see my hard-won happiness shatter in an instant.
"What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?" His large hand rested on my shoulder. Although there was no pressure, I was still quite annoyed. Having been used as a medicine-refining furnace by my master for so long, I was no longer used to being touched by others. Because if I wasn't careful, I might lose control of my bloodline and cause someone to die from poisoning. I don't enjoy killing innocent people, and I had no intention of causing so many deaths and injuries.
I shrugged. I still ignored him. He loves to talk, let him talk.
"Sigh!" he sighed deeply. "Fog is indeed difficult to capture." He muttered to himself. "It's getting late, you should get some rest. I'll take you sightseeing tomorrow."
"You still haven't told me your name?" I turned to look at him.
"Yelü Hong." (Wanyan seems to be a Turkic surname? Are all Khitans surnamed Xiao? I searched Yahoo for a long time and found the surname Yelü. I'll just use it here.)
"You're not the King of Khitan? How dare you bring me into the palace so blatantly?"
"He and his sister-in-law went hunting. I'm borrowing his bedroom. I hope you'll be comfortable." Yelü Hong laughed, a laugh like a child, which was really immature.
After nearly a month of bumpy travel without a break, I'm now sleeping soundly in the most dangerous place. How shameful! I've truly disgraced the Han people. I really want to know that I'm actually the laziest Han person—eat, sleep, eat. If there are steamed buns, I eat them; if not, I'll make do. If there's tea, I drink it; if not, I drink alcohol, though I have a low alcohol tolerance and always feel dizzy.
"Living a leisurely life?" The Khitan king's Chinese level was comparable to that of the people in my elder brother's hometown. Fortunately, I am clever and quick-witted with a super strong understanding ability.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty," I said obsequiously.
"Non-fog? Healing? Doctor?"
"I'm a doctor, you could say that," I said softly. "I can treat people." After all, I take people's money and do their bidding. Seeing a doctor is also a way to pass the time.
"Okay, here."
I pondered that sentence for a long time but still couldn't understand it, so I could only nod in agreement. Was he telling me to stay here and not cause him any trouble, or was he asking if I was comfortable here?
"Your brother wants you to treat this place like your own home. Our things are yours, so don't be shy," Yelü Hong whispered with a smile. If you hadn't been breathing hot air into my ear, I would have been fine. I glared at him.
"Feiwu, why are you ignoring me? Am I that annoying to you?" Yelü Hong followed me around like a shadow. I didn't need him to lead the way; I was just wandering aimlessly. I still didn't know much about the Khitan people, only that they were very straightforward. There was no haggling when buying things, and no swindling or cheating. There weren't many beautiful women, but they all had big appetites; there were many handsome men, and they had even bigger appetites. My appetite was enormous, incomparable to that of a normal Khitan woman. Of course, the beautiful women were very generous; if I didn't understand something, even if they couldn't understand my language, they would patiently gesture.
“That’s because they’ve never seen anyone so good-looking,” Yelü Hong said, dissatisfied.
"Are they monsters? Have they ever seen purple hair before? I'm already flattered that they didn't mistake me for a monster and start yelling at me in the street." I looked at him; in his hand were the little trinkets I'd collected. I'll study them carefully tonight to see what they really are.
"That's not true. The Khitans have some foreign ancestry, and there are quite a few blue-eyed people here. Everyone doesn't care, as long as you don't do bad things, you're a good resident. Besides, Fei Wu's medical skills are so superb, they probably think of you as a god."
"I'm not a god, just bored. Winters here are so cold, do you all always survive by hunting?" I muttered to myself. "No wonder, you eat roasted meat every meal." I really missed vegetarian steamed buns. I swallowed hard. "And tea, too. Drinking alcohol all day to warm up, I can't keep a clear head anymore."
"Wouldn't that be better? Life is short, so why insist on being sober your whole life? Sometimes it's better to turn a blind eye and not get drunk."
“Happiness is something you have to strive for, not something you stumble upon by chance,” I retorted.
“Sometimes, happiness is right in front of us, but we don’t know how to cherish it. Isn’t that a pity?” He looked at me with a knowing look.
"What do you mean?" I looked at him. Although I could pretend not to see his deep interest in me, I didn't understand. Weren't the Khitans the most averse to male concubines?
“The Khitans are not like the Han Chinese; they don’t understand so many complex emotions, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. They may not be attentive enough at times, but once a Khitan man has chosen someone, he will never abandon them.” Yelü Hong grasped my cheek, drawing me into his eyes. “Even if it’s shocking, even if it earns the contempt of the world, once we set our sights on something, we will not give up. And once we get it, we will cherish it. This is different from you Han Chinese.”
"Let go." I shook him off. He touched my chin; he was surprisingly strong.
“You understand what I mean, Fei Wu. I’m giving you time to accept me. But I won’t give up. I’m very patient and determined.”
Late at night, I fiddled with the toys he bought me, fiddling with the strange feather ornaments and animal fur things I couldn't name. I blushed. Oh well, I shouldn't think about it too much. Anyway, he seems like a gentleman, and he's living a good life now. He has food to eat and things to do. He doesn't need to worry about his situation for the time being. I just wonder how Ruoyao and Huixin Zijin are doing. And Dad? I didn't even see him at Feiyu's wedding. I don't know why he didn't attend. Is he stubbornly refusing to believe his son married a man? No wonder Dad didn't say anything when my older brother left.
I drifted off to sleep, half-asleep, half-awake, as if something thought I'd covered myself with a blanket. Winter in the borderlands is bitterly cold; I huddled inside, but even with a fireplace in my room, it was still chilly. Ugh, the cold always reminds me of those days spent soaking in an icy pool, those hopeless days that haunt my nightmares.
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