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Luocha could feel the amber gaze from several meters away, yet he made no plans to change his regular route around the Luofu. After all, making a hasty retreat would only serve to make him appear even more suspicious, and he had no intention of more blades being leveraged against his throat at present. Although, the white lion stalking him seemed to fancy a… different approach as of late.
Rather than simply observing and surveilling from afar, General Jing Yuan had begun to approach the blond merchant in what could be described as a friendly manner. Friendly had eventually morphed into flirtatious, however, and Luocha didn’t know how to counter it in any way other than reciprocity.
“Are you really set on pursuing me, General?” he asked with a teasing lilt.
“Of course. Is it not the job of the Cloud Knights to pursue criminals?”
A perfect parry. As expected of the General of the Xianzhou Luofu.
“How many times must I tell you, I’m merely a traveling merchant. Besides, you know that’s not the kind of pursuit I’m talking about.”
The two men shared a knowing smirk, the kind forged by months of carefully calculated correspondence and double speak. Yet it seemed as though this exchange was getting dangerously close to some semblance of a taboo truth gone unspoken thus far.
“As the General of the Xianzhou Luofu, it is my duty to subdue all threats-by any means necessary.”
Luocha couldn’t help but scoff at the prospect of an esteemed Arbiter General going to such lengths just to keep him in check.
“Attempting to seduce me onto the “right path?” How novel.”
Jing Yuan just cocked an eyebrow in that way he did whenever Luocha half-heartedly resisted his advances.
“Is that to say I might succeed in doing so?”
Luocha wasn’t one to back down from this kind of challenge either.
“Do your worst, General Jing Yuan.”
[...]
Fu Xuan was exasperated with him; that wasn’t anything new. However, she liked to think that most of the time, she was able to keep her annoyance under wraps. This was not one of those times, but at least Yanqing wasn’t there to glare at her for it (in fact, if the young man only knew what his beloved mentor was doing, he would probably react much the same.)
“General, with all due respect, what are you thinking?!”
Jing Yuan stared at her angry projection with a sort of nonchalance unbefitting of the circumstances at hand.
“Hm? You’re going to have to be more specific than that, Master Diviner. I’m currently thinking about star-chess, but I doubt that’s what you’re referring to.”
Fu Xuan really hated his carefree attitude sometimes.
“That man, Luocha. He’s a danger to the Luofu and yet you- you are treating him like a lady you wish to woo!”
The Master Diviner’s foresight now extended to his personal life, what a pity.
“Ah, that. Rest assured Master Diviner, I act only for the benefit of the Xianzhou. My dealings with Mr. Luocha are the same.”
The pink-haired prophet huffed in disbelief.
“Really? You expect me to believe that flirting with the Abundance is in the best interests of the Xianzhou?”
Jing Yuan remembered Luocha’s words. “My power does indeed stem from the Abundance. But I’m the same as you. We are both enemies of Yaoshi.”
“There’s a chance he might be on our side…”
Fu Xuan’s brow furrowed even deeper.
“Do you really think that you can prevent him from becoming a threat by pretending to fall in love with him?”
Jing Yuan laughed lightly.
“You misunderstand me, Fu Xuan. Who ever said anything about pretending?”
The projection wasn’t detailed enough to capture the full depths of the Master Diviner’s shock and horror, but it was evident enough in her tone.
“Jing Yuan, I never wanted to believe you to be a fool, but this is possibly your worst plan yet. What will you do if your faith in him is misplaced?”
Coming from anyone else, it would sound as though Fu Xuan was nearing insubordination in challenging Jing Yuan’s methods, or at the very least she was insinuating that the General was completely incompetent. But Jing Yuan could hear the genuine concern laced in her words. After all, they were close friends just as much as they were coworkers.
“Should the day come where Luocha is detrimental to the safety of the ship, I will personally end him with my own blade.”
A promise spoken with absolute conviction, yet Fu Xuan was not at all put at ease.
“I have no doubt that you’d prioritize the Xianzhou, but you’re putting yourself in a position to have your heart broken, General.”
“Games are much more interesting when you add stakes. It wouldn’t mean a thing if I didn’t put my heart on the line.”
The woman on the other end could only sigh. Even if she didn’t understand his tactics, she knew Jing Yuan was intelligent and meticulous. More importantly, he had made up his mind, and no amount of anger on her part would change it at this point.
“Fine, then. You’ll do as you please regardless of what anyone else says. But I hope this “game” of yours goes well, for your sake.”
Jing Yuan only chuckled as her image disappeared from his office.
“Of five people, three must pay a price. You are not one of them, Jing Yuan.”
He wondered if this decision of his would change that.
[...]
Jing yuan twirled a strand of silky blond hair around his finger. This was far from the first time he’d had the merchant in his private quarters, but it was the first time both remained there in the morning. His gaze wandered about the curtain of gold sprawled across his pillow illuminated by a few rays of sunlight from his window. Luocha was breathtakingly beautiful; most people agreed on that. Suddenly ending the peaceful moment, spring green eyes met Jing Yuan’s single visible amber one.
“Enjoying the view?”
“Yuan: I am.”
For a moment, silence settled over them. Luocha, not for the first time, wondered if he was making a mistake. He’d been doing this song and dance for a long time, assuming character roles and offering light hearted remarks. But when he danced with the General, he felt the mask of “Luocha” being delicately lifted off him. Around and around they spun, pulling each other in, but never too close. But what if in all their pushing and pulling, they accidentally found their hearts touching? What would it mean if Luocha found himself wanting that to happen? As if reading his moment of weakness, Jing Yuan decided to strike.
“And what about you? You seem to be rather deep in thought.”
After a brief pause, Luocha gave his usual response when they met unexpectedly.
“Would you prefer me to reveal or conceal, General?”
“It appears to me that you’d like to tell me something. Reveal all that you wish, Luocha.”
Luocha wasn’t sure why he said what he did next. Maybe he was trying to warn Jing Yuan, maybe he was trying to preserve himself. Maybe he just wanted to tell the truth for once. No one knew for sure.
“I’ll never be yours. Not completely.”
The General’s tone was surprisingly soft when he responded.
“I know. But to suggest that even some of you belongs to me… is very precious.”
And within the next instant, the gentle sincerity was replaced again by his usual teasing airs of confidence.
“Besides, every good general knows that small victories are the key to winning a war.”
Luocha hummed quizzically.
“And what war would that be?”
The war of hearts. The war for your love. The war for both the safety of the Luofu and our happiness.
“I think I'd like to “conceal” that for now.”
Luocha thought that Jing Yuan concealing after he revealed was hardly fair, but such was the nature of their little game.
“Shrewd as ever. In that case, won’t you at least tell me what “small victory” you’re referring to this time?”
“Gladly. I’ve captured your morning this time. And if I might be so bold, I’d like to request your afternoon as well.”
“How audacious, the General certainly is a master of showmanship. Well, seeing as I’ve nothing better to do today, I must oblige.”
Perhaps Luocha would indulge Jing Yuan in his “small victories.” Perhaps overtime, Jing Yuan would prove Luocha wrong and capture him in his entirety…