(no subject)

[shangba]

Pledge you do not sleep in the vanquished cave.

Comments

[emperorssmile]

Okay, I’ll try. Just like I do when I have a nightmare.

[shangba]

Will you sleep poorly?

[emperorssmile]

I always sleep fitfully when I’m alone these days.

[shangba]

Will relief help exhaust you?

[emperorssmile]

Are you offering to talk me through it?

[shangba]

You are so ignorant?

[emperorssmile]

I guess now is as good a time as any to get into bed.

If you were here with me, what would you do?

[shangba]

Wei Ying. Have you seen Wen Qionglin to rest?

[emperorssmile]

He insisted on staying outside the inn. I haven’t seen him since I checked in. Knowing him, he’s hidden somewhere close so he can keep watch.

[shangba]

Will he not be hunted?

[emperorssmile]

Not anymore than any other night. What was I supposed to do, order him to stay in the inn anyway? He’s his own person.

[shangba]

How is his mind?

[emperorssmile]

He seems like himself. He wants to make this garden work because he wants to show Sizhui.

He’s probably lonely. I guess I should have stayed out there with him for a while.

[shangba]

Go. See it done.

[emperorssmile]

Right. And you should get some sleep.

[shangba]

Am not so certain.

[emperorssmile]

Is it A-Liang or something else keeping you up?

[shangba]

I watch my painting.

[emperorssmile]

It’ll still be there when you wake up.

Did you watch me sleeping at first?

[shangba]

When we first shared a bed?

[emperorssmile]

Yeah, when you realized it was me.

Or when we were first married?

[shangba]

The first morning, when I woke, Wei Ying sleeping.

Thought him a dream. Pinched.

[emperorssmile]

Is that how you feel about the drawing, too?

[shangba]

He is very beautiful.

[emperorssmile]

I was really good-looking, wasn’t I?

Lan Zhan, it’s okay that I drew that for you, isn’t it? I mean… it’s not making things hard for you?