Falling Dreams Of Fang Hua

Chapter 55

The sun shone in the courtyard, scattering dappled shadows across the ground. Beneath the Wutong Tree was Fang Hua dressed in white robes, sitting across First with a game of weiqi spread out between them. He raised a finger and silently set down a black game piece.

First rose to his feet, grasping his flute in a refined and urbane manner.

"Lord Fang's skill in weiqi is exquisite, as expected of the master to the Carefree Idler."

Fang Hua only looked at him with a hint of a smile.

"If you two are going to play, just play. Don't change the topic to me," I said in mock-anger as I walked over. Unfortunately, the rest of the princes were sweeping the room as I went past, and a blast of wind blew the dust into my face.

Achoo.

I rubbed my nose as they laughed and closed the doors. Fang Hua was smiling too, but he looked weary as well, and the sight made my heart ache. I quietly went over to kneel by his side, holding his hand as I spoke. "I found someone to fell some bamboo and make a chair for you, want to try it?"

"Master..." First looked at me directly before continuing, "There's still some things to sort out at the store, so I'll be off."

Though he said this, he made no move to leave. I nodded, but didn't pay him any attention as I led Fang Hua from the tree to the chair. First looked at me again before taking his leave, his form a bit cold and dismal.

"Look at you. Since your body's not well you should stay in the sun, not the shade, or else your knees will get sore," I said.

"Yes. I'll listen to what you say."

I happily carried over some sun-soaked bedcovers, burying my face in them as I spread them across his lower body. Although I'd set some tea aside as well, I found myself falling to the ground to lean by his side with a goofy smile when I finished.

"That First really does resemble me in my youth," his hand rested on his forehead as he sighed, tiredly looking in the direction he had gone.

"Look at what you're saying. Yifu is still as young as the first time Shao'er met you. Thinking back to that time at the temple..." I looked at him, preparing to say more, but suddenly stopped.

He seemed to tire more these days, and just one game of weiqi had put him to sleep in the chair. A part of my heart softened as I quietly watched, tucking him beneath the covers. With his eyes closed and his face bathed in sunlight, he looked less human and more like a visiting Immortal.

It was so beautiful I couldn't tear my eyes away.

His hand grasped mine silently. When I raised my head to look at him, he didn't open his eyes, but his lips crept up into a smile. Surprised, I shifted my gaze to his sleeves, made with the finest cloud-pattern brocade and embroidered with peonies. I held his hand and stroked it lightly, lifting aside the sleeve to see. As expected, he hadn't bound his wounds well, and last night's rain must have worsened the infection. I took out a small porcelain bottle from my robes and shook out a bit of medicinal powder, before spreading it on his injuries beneath a gauze wrapping. He gave me a warm look as I worked.

"Why are you so foolish?" I asked. His cuts were so deep that it hurt to see them.

Fang Hua changed the topic instead, lightly grasping my hands. "Do you still have the hairpin from before?"

I made an affirmative noise before tugging it out of my robes to place into his hands. "After I lost my memory, this was left in the imperial palace, but the princes brought it back for me."

"That's good. Keep it well. Yifu is very poor, so I have nothing else to give you," he patted me lightly, replacing the hairpin in my palm and forcing me to accept. "I've watched you grow up since you were young. I can't live much longer, nor do I know if my flesh can truly heal you. They say a Fang Hua Beast is hard to find, so I thought there'd be no harm if you drank that medicine."