The Tired Villainess

Han Suyin - 3.18

Did I drink too much wine?

Han Xiu rubbed his eyes and looked at the man in front of him again. He was still there. Han Xiu couldn't believe how identical this man's face was to He Mingyu's. He waited for a bit then decided to ask him a question.

"What's your name?" 

"Li Weiyuan. Yours?" 

"Han Xiu."

Both men stood in silence for a few seconds before Han Xiu spoke again.

"You needed my help for something?"

"Ah, yes." Li Weiyuan put his mask back on. "My servant disappeared and I do not know where I am. Can you help me get a place to sleep tonight?"

"Of course."

Han Xiu and Li Weiyuan started to walk alongside each other in the almost empty streets of the capital. There was a heavy silence and Han Xiu was stuck in his mind. He looked at Li Weiyuan's covered face and felt puzzled.

"What is it?" Li Weiyuan saw Han Xiu's gaze from his peripheral vision and asked.

"Are you visiting someone in Jiu?" Han Xiu replied with another question.

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, if you were from here then you would've known where you lived."

Li Weiyuan nodded and the two men didn't speak again for the rest of the walk. Han Xiu found Li Weiyuan a room at a place that was very clean and he paid the owner for one night. 

The owner gave the two men in front of him a knowing look. One was daringly handsome and the other was hiding behind a mask, what else could they be renting the room for?

The owner gave them a key to the room and left, winking at Han Xiu. Han Xiu stared at him wide-eyed and then smiled, laughing it off. He gave the key he had to Li Weiyuan and bid him goodbye. Li Weiyuan accepted it and thanked Han Xiu, saying that he will pay him back later.

Han Xiu waved it off, saying that it was his good deed for the day and left as well. 

Later, in the middle of the night, Li Weiyuan's servant entered the room from the window silently. Of course, the servant of the Prince of Qiangda couldn't just be an ordinary one. He was a servant and a highly trained bodyguard. He left his Master to go and investigate something for him and then tracked him down to this random location.

 "Did you found out about what I asked you to?" Li Weiyuan was awake the whole time, waiting for his subordinate.

"Not yet, Your Highness. We should leave this place, I will find us a better one." The subordinate named Xiang spoke.

"No. Let's stay here for the night then go back to the palace tomorrow." Li Weiyuan continued. "Why couldn't you find anything?"

"The records were sealed shut, I will try again when there are no guards."

"Good."

...

The next morning, Han Xiu woke up with a foggy memory. He had gone home late last night and was scolded by the worried Fu Guan. He held his head and realized that today was the day the Emperor was holding a feast for him. Han Xiu couldn't attend a banquet that was in honour of him, hungover.

"Yingtai!" Han Xiu called the older maid who supervised everyone.

Yingtai came rushing into the room and asked worriedly, "Yes, Master? Anything I can help you with?"

"What do you give to people who drank too much wine?"

"Oh, Master." Yingtai lightly smacked her forehead. "I've already prepared some soup for you to drink."