Chapter 16: A Man Dies for One Who Understands Him

Shen Shuting worked quickly, and the bathwater was ready before long. Gao Yuan climbed in first. The warmth eased the weariness from his body, and he sighed with pleasure.

Shen stood beside him, gently rubbing his shoulders. A capable, devoted woman, he thought. He would hardly have enjoyed such care on Blue Star.

Looking up at her, he asked softly, “Do you feel wronged?”

She had gone from a wealthy young mistress to a captive in a bandit stronghold, then been with him to preserve the Gao family line. To anyone else, it would look like a fall from heaven into hell.

Her hands paused. After a moment, she said, “Compared with the others, I’m fortunate simply to be alive. And I found you and can stay beside you. All I ask is that you don’t turn me away. How could I complain?”

She meant it. Without Gao Yuan, even if she had survived, she might have fallen into cruel hands. Her life now was better than anything she had dared hope for.

Gao smiled. She was right: being alive was already a great blessing. He drew her close.

“Don’t worry. From now on, you’re with me. We’ll build our strength, and one day I’ll take you back to Bianliang in honor, clear the Gao family’s name, and reclaim everything that was ours.”

He had inherited this body, so he ought to do something for its former owner. There was a saying in Longguo on Blue Star: were kings and generals born to their rank? Who said a bandit could not rise? With enough strength of his own, he might one day challenge even Wei’s emperor, let alone the Third Prince.

It was the confidence of a man who had come from another world.

Shen Shuting gazed at him, dazed. Returning to Bianliang in honor, clearing their name, reclaiming their place—such things sounded impossible. Yet the conviction in his face gave her comfort and hope.

“Husband, I believe you can do it,” she whispered.

Gao drew her closer, and they became intimate in the bathing tub.

In the adjoining room, Mu Baizhi was embarrassed by the noise and had trouble sleeping. She thought of the discomfort Feng Lingxue and Lin Hongxiu had endured the night before, when she herself had slept through it.

……

The next morning, Gao slept until sometime between nine and eleven. Clean clothes had been laid beside the bed. Shen Shuting had found them and altered them roughly to fit his old measurements; she promised to make him several new outfits from cloth in the storehouse.

“Thank you for going to the trouble.” Gao smiled, appreciating her thoughtfulness.

Mu Baizhi peeked out. “Sister, I want new clothes too!” She yawned as she spoke.

“Didn’t you sleep well?” Gao asked. Her face reddened at once. Shen understood the reason. She regarded Mu Baizhi as already belonging to Gao, and such arrangements were common in their world.

Shen went over to her. “I’ll make you a couple of outfits too.”

“All right!” came the delighted reply.

Gao looked at Mu. “Calling her sister comes easily enough. When will you start calling me husband?”

Mu stuck out her tongue and scampered away, laughing. Gao smiled. With Shen beside him, he was in no hurry to press Mu.

Once he had dressed, Shen set out a generous breakfast of porridge, flatbread, and meat. Gao called Wang Shuang in from his post outside. Wang swallowed at the sight of the food.

“Eat. As much as you want,” Gao said.

Wang seized a flatbread and wolfed it down so quickly that he nearly choked. He thumped his chest, recovered, and grabbed another piece. Gao passed him a bowl of water. “Slow down. There’s plenty.”

Wang looked at him, something unspoken shining in his eyes. Though slow-witted, he could feel the genuine concern in Gao’s voice, a warmth he had never known. He drank the water and kept eating.

His appetite was enormous. Nearly everything Shen had prepared vanished into his stomach. When he finished, he patted it and grinned. “Full!” It was the first time he could remember feeling that way.

Gao met his eyes. “Others call you a fool. I call you my brother. Follow me, and as long as I have food, you won’t go hungry.”

Wang froze, tears gathering in his reddened eyes. Then he nodded hard, pulled out his blade, and drove it into the wooden table. “Chief, my life is yours from now on! Tell me who to kill, and I’ll kill them!”

His voice rang with the force of an unbreakable vow.