( For an expression she has only truly witnessed tonight -- for if he had ever leveled that gaze on her before it was nowhere she could see, or didn't see for lack of knowing to look -- Fu Xuan is becoming overly fond of it. Almost as fond as she is of him.
Her lips curl into a smile as he kisses her, hands coming up to cup his face. )
Hmm. Three nights from now should give me enough time to account for an evening free.
[ Relief floods him despite himself; there will always be a part of him, even in his old age, that assumes he will be on his own for the rest of his time, that everything he’s ever cared for and touched will leave him in their time. If she had said this was a one time thing, he would have understood. It’s a lonely place, the seat of the General, but he’s grown accustomed to it.
He smiles at her, leaning into her touch for a moment before reaching to grab her hair pins, leaning back in his seat to offer them to her. ]
Then I look forward to seeing you again, Master Diviner, in a more intimate setting. Shall we meet at my residence?
( Humming her thanks, Fu Xuan busies herself with pinning her hair up -- it will not quite look untouched as it did upon her arrival, but it is close enough that it will not garner any questioning looks from those who might see her. They have not discussed the... public nature of whatever this courtship might flourish into, but Fu Xuan finds herself disinclined to make it a well known fact.
Not out of shame, far from it. They are both public figures, with public duties and public lives. It is out of a selfish, greedy desire to have something just for themselves for some time -- there is no need to involve anyone else until they both decide otherwise.
It's only a shame her composure only lasts until he speaks again. )
Your-- ( Well, where are they going to meet? Still-- ) Very well, Jing Yuan.
( Slipping off the table, Fu Xuan hums slightly, before once more reaching to pull him down to meet her in a kiss. )
I shall be there. But I will insist upon you completing and submitting your work ahead of time.
( With a small bow and one last look, Fu Xuan excuses herself, finding a lightness in her step and her heart she hadn't previously considered herself capable of. Or, if she had, capable of allowing herself in decades. )
Challenge accepted. He watches her go with a smile on his face and, for the first time in a while, one in his heart as well.
He works studiously for the next two days, and on the end of the second, he informs Qingzu that he will be taking the next day off. He can tell she wants to ask why — but she keeps from it, instead responding that she would reschedule any important meetings for another day and time. There's no paperwork left on his desk that night, and he's confident anything urgent needing his attention will be brought to him anyway, but he also knows Qingzu will not bother him on a much needed day of rest unless the Luofu or one of its sister ships is quite literally on fire.
He tells his cook that he will be having a private guest over for dinner the next evening and to prepare accordingly; he only has two people working as staff at the manse, and both are people who can be trusted to keep the general's private affairs just that. He still tells them both that they can leave early tomorrow anyway. He doesn't want to cause Fu Xuan any concern. This is a delicate thing in his hands, and he wants to treat it, and her, with all the care she deserves. He retires early, as is his wont, and rises with the sun to begin his preparations.
The sun is beginning to set when she arrives, and his cook is the one who leads her to his personal quarters, where a feast has been laid out for the two of them: soy braised mushrooms with chestnuts, glazed porkbelly, stir fried bok choy and gai lan, dates in osmanthus syrup, crispy roasted duck. There's a bottle of huangjiu warming over a soft flame, and the air is sweet with the smell of incense, the room dimmed in candlelight. The cook bows to Fu Xuan and makes her exit, closing the door behind her. Jing Yuan himself is seated at the table, dressed down in casual robes, loosely tied around his waist. He smiles at Fu Xuan, and then gestures to the pillow seat across from him. ]
( Fu Xuan does not call into work that day, though she hears gossiping about how the general himself has taken a day off. Not unheard of, but certainly rare enough to cause a buzz amongst those privileged to know the information at all. Fu Xuan, who knows that he has finished all of his work, does not pay it any significant mind. She leaves the Divination Commission on time, returning home to...
Prepare, she supposes. As if she was being prepared to march into war, though she supposes romance holds only a few cursory similarities to warfare. It takes her longer than she would like to admit before settling on a zhiju pao set for the evening -- light enough and plain enough not to make those who might see her on her way to his manse raise eyebrows. Her hair, too, is taken down out of its usual sticks and combs into a lower, looser style. Once she is satisfied that she looks presentable, it's time for her to leave.
She is aware of where Jing Yuan lives, though she has never personally been -- even he should be allowed to have his privacy -- and finds it with ease. It seems... much like every other house on the Luofu, just bigger and filled with the weight of playing host to an old man and his retainer with youthful energy. An old man she is extremely fond of, Fu Xuan reminds herself, though even the warmth in her chest and the memory of the other night that cannot prepare her for the feast he's laid out for the both of them once she is led into his quarters. And the general himself -- Fu Xuan can only recall seeing him so dressed down a few scant times before, when he has been injured beyond his limits and forced to take rest before he made his injuries worse.
Fu Xuan swallows something as she manages to tear her eyes away from the sliver of chest, refocusing on the food as she settles down on the offered seat. The intimate atmosphere might have been stifling if he were anyone else, but she knows that Jing Yuan has done this for her, because he wants her to experience it. And it is that which charms her more than the setting itself. The care he has for her, his honest desire. )
General. ( A small, but heartfelt smile. ) I did not think this would be what awaited me when I accepted your invitation.
[ The temptation to tease her is there, and it even plays on the edge of his mouth as he responds, leaning forward to pour her a small cup of the rice wine, glancing her over under his bangs as he settles back into his seat with his own cup perched in her hand, forearm resting on his knee. ]
And what were you expecting, if I may be so bold to inquire?
[ And, it seems, he's going to give into it. For now. He didn't bring her here just to seduce her, though if she ends up in his bed later he won't protest it. He's keen to spend time with her, but only at her own pace. He has no idea if this is something new for her, but he's certain she knows this isn't new for him, and he's had a fair share of partners tell him flat out that it intimidates them. It had bothered him then, and it would bother him even more so now, should she choose to walk away from their mutual attraction for that reason alone.
Teasing her will, in all likelihood, exacerbate the issue. So he'll keep it light, for now, and if he starts to fluster her too much, he'll back off. After that? Well. In all his experience he has learned something important: you can only plan so much when it comes to matters of the heart. ]
( If there is one thing that Fu Xuan knows about herself, it is that as intimidating as Jing Yuan can be, she has never let that stop her. Not when they first met, and never since. She speaks her mind when she must, challenging him when she feels it is needed, and together they create a path forward in their own ways for the good of the Luofu. His extensive sexual and romantic history can only be to her benefit -- together they will find their way, as they do in all things. Who would not want to have their first experience with an individual who's breadth of knowledge can help her navigate her own needs and wants?
But it does not mean that she isn't flustered by his teasing, pink appearing high in her cheeks. Buying herself time with a drink of the offered wine is enough, but she won't descend into drunkenness just to avoid answering him. So after another sip, she answers. )
Something less elaborate. I had considered an... intimate meal, but nothing this extensive. Which is not to say that I am not grateful, of course, just unprepared for what awaited me.
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Her lips curl into a smile as he kisses her, hands coming up to cup his face. )
Hmm. Three nights from now should give me enough time to account for an evening free.
He smiles at her, leaning into her touch for a moment before reaching to grab her hair pins, leaning back in his seat to offer them to her. ]
Then I look forward to seeing you again, Master Diviner, in a more intimate setting. Shall we meet at my residence?
Not out of shame, far from it. They are both public figures, with public duties and public lives. It is out of a selfish, greedy desire to have something just for themselves for some time -- there is no need to involve anyone else until they both decide otherwise.
It's only a shame her composure only lasts until he speaks again. )
Your-- ( Well, where are they going to meet? Still-- ) Very well, Jing Yuan.
( Slipping off the table, Fu Xuan hums slightly, before once more reaching to pull him down to meet her in a kiss. )
I shall be there. But I will insist upon you completing and submitting your work ahead of time.
( With a small bow and one last look, Fu Xuan excuses herself, finding a lightness in her step and her heart she hadn't previously considered herself capable of. Or, if she had, capable of allowing herself in decades. )
Well.
Challenge accepted. He watches her go with a smile on his face and, for the first time in a while, one in his heart as well.
He works studiously for the next two days, and on the end of the second, he informs Qingzu that he will be taking the next day off. He can tell she wants to ask why — but she keeps from it, instead responding that she would reschedule any important meetings for another day and time. There's no paperwork left on his desk that night, and he's confident anything urgent needing his attention will be brought to him anyway, but he also knows Qingzu will not bother him on a much needed day of rest unless the Luofu or one of its sister ships is quite literally on fire.
He tells his cook that he will be having a private guest over for dinner the next evening and to prepare accordingly; he only has two people working as staff at the manse, and both are people who can be trusted to keep the general's private affairs just that. He still tells them both that they can leave early tomorrow anyway. He doesn't want to cause Fu Xuan any concern. This is a delicate thing in his hands, and he wants to treat it, and her, with all the care she deserves. He retires early, as is his wont, and rises with the sun to begin his preparations.
The sun is beginning to set when she arrives, and his cook is the one who leads her to his personal quarters, where a feast has been laid out for the two of them: soy braised mushrooms with chestnuts, glazed porkbelly, stir fried bok choy and gai lan, dates in osmanthus syrup, crispy roasted duck. There's a bottle of huangjiu warming over a soft flame, and the air is sweet with the smell of incense, the room dimmed in candlelight. The cook bows to Fu Xuan and makes her exit, closing the door behind her. Jing Yuan himself is seated at the table, dressed down in casual robes, loosely tied around his waist. He smiles at Fu Xuan, and then gestures to the pillow seat across from him. ]
Welcome, Master Diviner. I'm glad you're here.
Prepare, she supposes. As if she was being prepared to march into war, though she supposes romance holds only a few cursory similarities to warfare. It takes her longer than she would like to admit before settling on a zhiju pao set for the evening -- light enough and plain enough not to make those who might see her on her way to his manse raise eyebrows. Her hair, too, is taken down out of its usual sticks and combs into a lower, looser style. Once she is satisfied that she looks presentable, it's time for her to leave.
She is aware of where Jing Yuan lives, though she has never personally been -- even he should be allowed to have his privacy -- and finds it with ease. It seems... much like every other house on the Luofu, just bigger and filled with the weight of playing host to an old man and his retainer with youthful energy. An old man she is extremely fond of, Fu Xuan reminds herself, though even the warmth in her chest and the memory of the other night that cannot prepare her for the feast he's laid out for the both of them once she is led into his quarters. And the general himself -- Fu Xuan can only recall seeing him so dressed down a few scant times before, when he has been injured beyond his limits and forced to take rest before he made his injuries worse.
Fu Xuan swallows something as she manages to tear her eyes away from the sliver of chest, refocusing on the food as she settles down on the offered seat. The intimate atmosphere might have been stifling if he were anyone else, but she knows that Jing Yuan has done this for her, because he wants her to experience it. And it is that which charms her more than the setting itself. The care he has for her, his honest desire. )
General. ( A small, but heartfelt smile. ) I did not think this would be what awaited me when I accepted your invitation.
[ The temptation to tease her is there, and it even plays on the edge of his mouth as he responds, leaning forward to pour her a small cup of the rice wine, glancing her over under his bangs as he settles back into his seat with his own cup perched in her hand, forearm resting on his knee. ]
And what were you expecting, if I may be so bold to inquire?
[ And, it seems, he's going to give into it. For now. He didn't bring her here just to seduce her, though if she ends up in his bed later he won't protest it. He's keen to spend time with her, but only at her own pace. He has no idea if this is something new for her, but he's certain she knows this isn't new for him, and he's had a fair share of partners tell him flat out that it intimidates them. It had bothered him then, and it would bother him even more so now, should she choose to walk away from their mutual attraction for that reason alone.
Teasing her will, in all likelihood, exacerbate the issue. So he'll keep it light, for now, and if he starts to fluster her too much, he'll back off. After that? Well. In all his experience he has learned something important: you can only plan so much when it comes to matters of the heart. ]
But it does not mean that she isn't flustered by his teasing, pink appearing high in her cheeks. Buying herself time with a drink of the offered wine is enough, but she won't descend into drunkenness just to avoid answering him. So after another sip, she answers. )
Something less elaborate. I had considered an... intimate meal, but nothing this extensive. Which is not to say that I am not grateful, of course, just unprepared for what awaited me.
( Including his own choice of apparel. )