Huang Shu went to meet his mother in the morning after his sword practice. He saw that his mother, Imperial Concubine Ai was eating dried fruit while sitting under a tree in her Palace.
He didn't have to visit his mother, but he needed to ask something, "Good morning, Mother."
Concubine Ai smiled at her son and asked, "It's quite rare for you to visit me without my instruction. Has the sun rose from the west?" Concubine Ai giggled.
"What do you want, my son?"
"I want to ask about something, Mother."
"Go on."
…
Huang Shu had a lot to ask, actually, but he wanted to just know one thing, "Mother… if someday, I bring a Ger instead of a woman to my household. Would that be dangerous?"
Concubine Ai stopped eating her dried fruit and stared at her son, "Don't you dare to bring a ger man to your household. Oh, my son, they are neither man nor woman! And don't you see what happened with your father, Emperor Jing, right now?"
"He is smitten, enamored, and bewitched by that ger man in the harem! Oh, Buddha, that Ger must've charmed the Emperor with his weird stuff, just like his weird body! Else, how could your Emperor father suddenly abandon us all, the concubines, just for that deformed thing?! If you still love your mother, you shouldn't bring one to your household!"
Huang Shu was surprised by his mother's hostility over a ger man. It was true that his Emperor father was currently enamored with a ger man, a new member in his harem.
Huang Shu saw that Ger once and found that Ger was actually beautiful. Though, when he compared his father's Ger and Bai Yunyu… there was no one better looking than Yunyu.
'Hm… is this a family trait? I remembered once that my brother Crown Prince said that he preferred a ger man instead of a woman. Just because he finds gers a lot more attractive to his eyes,' Huang Shu pondered. 'Maybe we are all just attracted to ger men.'.
He then looked at his mother again and nodded.
"Understood, mother. I will leave now for training."
"Good, remember, don't disappoint your mother!"
…
Huang Shu left the Palace of White Swan in a complicated mood. He already guessed what his mother would say. It was just him, hoping that his mother would have a change of heart.
But he knew that Ger wasn't welcomed in this Imperial Palace. His Emperor father was the first one to break this stigma and brought a ger to his harem. He immediately abandoned everyone else and favored the ger man instead.
Huang Shu knew that he would steer clear from that Ger, Bai Yunyu. But what could an enamored young man experiencing his first love do to stop this feeling?
Thus, Huang Shu opened his drawer when he returned to his smaller Palace and then took the same tattered clothes before smearing his face with dust and ashes from a jar. He went out, following his usual trail, and walked into the busy street of Capital City.
Since he knew that his mother wouldn't bless him introducing Bai Yunyu formally, then he would find another way. But for now, he wanted to spend more time with Bai Yunyu. He wanted to know Yunyu better.
Huang Shu went to the jewelry store but couldn't find Yunyu there. He leaned in an alley not far from that store, waiting for Yunyu. But he waited for almost two hours to no avail.
Thus, Huang Shu fell asleep in a leaning position with his arms crossed until a soft hand suddenly touched his cheek, patting it lightly.
"Hey, wake up, Shushu. Why are you sleeping here?"
"Hngghh… Huang Shu yawned carelessly and then opened his eyes. He thought he was dreaming, so he touched Yunyu's cheek and caressed it, "What took you so long, Wife?"
…
"U—Uhm… Shushu… What are you saying…" Bai Yunyu retreated his hand and cast his eyes down. It was embarrassing to be called wife by someone that he barely knew.
It took a while for Huang Shu to realize that he wasn't dreaming at all. His eyes widened instantly, and he jumped back distanced himself from Bai Yunyu.
"S—Sorry, I was dreaming! I really don't think anything weird! How could I think of you as my wife? That would be ridiculous, right? Haha, I know I can be silly sometimes, but I'm not just a silly man, though. I am also a strong man that can protect my spouse, I—"
Huang Shu was rambling in front of Yunyu, so Yunyu just tapped Huang Shu's lips with his fan gently.
"Okay, I get it," Yunyu said. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I uh…" Huang Shu was so set on meeting Bai Yunyu again that he forgot to create an alibi, so he wouldn't be seen as a homeless creep that followed him.
"I—I'm just hanging around here, no reason…" Huang Shu said.
Bai Yunyu grinned hearing such a clumsy alibi, but he knew that Huang Shu wasn't exactly a good liar, so he just shrugged it off and asked more, "Really? You should visit more often then. I'm usually wandering alone while searching for a good spot to play my Guqin or writing some poem."
"Guqin?" Huang Shu asked.
Bai Yunyu turned his body and showed the Guqin hanging on his back.
[Note: Guqin — Ancient Zither.]
"You can play Guqin too?!" Huang Shu gawked again. He didn't know that someone could be this talented. This man, Bai Yunyu, was probably around sixteen or seventeen years old. A beautiful ger has an exceptional martial skill and also proficient in playing music and reciting poems?!
What surprises would he show to Huang Shu more? That he was actually an incarnation of his wife from the past?
"Mhm, it's not that hard, you know, I can even teach you!" Yunyu replied. He grabbed Huang Shu's wrist and pulled him to main street. Yunyu turned his head to look at Huang Shu. With a sweet smile on his face, he said, "Come with me, let's find a good quiet spot, so I can play it for you. You will be my spectator today, Shushu!"
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