Meiwan snuck a look over her shoulder at Shang Qinglou, who was busy ripping paper into shreds due to his boredom. It seemed to her that he'd returned to being a lazy rascal, and last night's hero, though frightening, was gone. Part of her was glad, since now she was sure that he'd say nothing of the scandal, but the other part wished that he'd stay that way and not torture her anymore. Him and his friend Jun had joined in making fun of her daily during class, since she was fresh meat for them to chew on.
She turned back to her paper, brush, and ink stone and willed herself to to copy the day's lesson. She glanced over to the far side of the room where the younger children tended to sit and saw Zhanyi, whispering and playing around with the boy beside him. At least he hadn't experienced any prejudice or bullying, she was happy for him.
"A'wan, lend me some of your ink." Yan Shi lazily held out her brush, waiting for her cousin to hold out her ink stone.
"Here." Meiwan allowed her to use the stone, but a sound behind her drew her attention and she looked back again.
Jun Fu had tossed a cricket into Qinglou's face making him jump back, and slip of the back of his seat. His face darkened while his friend laughed along with the rest of the classroom. In a swift move he regained his seat and then shoved Jun Fu off his own stool, which furthered the other classmates' laughter. The ruckes the two caused attracted Teacher Wu's attention and he slammed the scroll he was reading down onto his desk.
"Young master's Jun and Shang!" He came to his feet, though slowly. "Horse stance outside, now!" His crooked finger pointed towards the doors.
The class immediately returned their focus towards their studies, their faces down in the books. The sounds of a few students failing to hold in their laughter could still be heard though, Meiwan's included. Teacher Wu sternly eyed the classroom before sitting down again.
"You're ruined." She could hear Qinglou lightly threaten Jun Fu.
The two stood and slowly made their way outside, making a show of their punishment shamelessly. Their attitude was unapologetic and astonishing to Meiwan. She leaned over and whispered to her cousin.
"I thought they were friends, why did they get each other in trouble."
Yan Shi leaned closer and looked towards the door the two had just went through. "Their father and grandfather support the same political side, so their 'friendship' was predestined."
Meiwan was taken back, even friendships in the capital were planned and played. She shook her head in distaste for these political practices.
"However, they do hang out most of the time, and they do get each other out of more trouble than they put each other in. Some might call it a frienemy relationship."
"So this isn't the first time?" Meiwan was further disturbed.
Yan Shi chuckled. "At least once a week." She pointed to the teacher with the tip of her brush. "Old Wu didn't even have to guess who caused the ruckes, he knew it was them two again."
It was true, though the whole room was laughing and it'd be hard to find the cause of it, teacher Wu had instantly called on Shang and Jun. It seemed that they did indeed often caused issues, but why?
"Doesn't it bother them to constantly be in trouble?"
"Of course not! They have powerful backing, no one in their right mind would expel them." Yan Shi's brush once again pointed.
"Not even the imperial teacher?" How powerful did these young men have to be, that even someone appointed by the emperor could not offend them?
"Shh. We're not supposed to speak of such things in public, we keep words like these behind closed doors." Yan Shi ducked her head away and continued studying.
Her fearless, wild, unrestrained cousin was actually afraid? Meiwan nodded and allowed her to end the conversation.
...
"Zhanyi!" Meiwan called from afar. Her brother raced ahead along with his friend, forgetting the slower pace of his sister.
Yan Shi had once again taken the carriage to the far side of the city to attend the second round of the wrestling competition. So now her and her younger brother, along with his friend, headed home. She made sure to leave with enough time to get to Yan mansion before dark, desperate to not have a repeat of the night before.
"Zhanyi!" She called again.
This time the boy stopped and turned back to his sister. "A'wan, you're too slow, hurry up!" He turned and ran off after the other boy.
Meiwan sighed and picked up her pace, lifting her light green dress to avoid stepping on the hem. Since the two Lu siblings had arrived, and been giving seperated living quarters, they hadn't been together as much. She guessed it was a factor in making him less attached to her.
"Lu Meiwan!" Jun Fu appeared at her side, a gleam in his eyes. "Walking home again?"
Startled by his appearance she jumped back, only to ram into someone else. Meiwan then jumped away from the other person and began apologizing. Shang Qinglou laughed at her.
"Pretty lady?"
Meiwan's heart dropped through the ground. How could he? The memories from last night flashed across her mind, and she resisted the urge to shudder. She'd hoped he'd never mention what had happened, yet here he stood, using it to make fun of her. Jun Fu propably knew the whole story too, otherwise he wouldn't have made his first comment.
"Young lords." She bowed to each, remembering the fear in her cousin's voice at the mention of certain unspeakable power that related itself to these two. It would be best not to make enemies with either of them.
"Ah, the beautiful sight of someone less than, respecting someone..." Jun Fu paused and waved his hand in the air. "More, than." His tone was cruel and deliberate.
The words pierced her. She wasn't easily hurt, but the boy seemed to know what wounded people the most, and he took advantage of it. Meiwan didn't want to be weak in front of him though, so she straightened her back and put on her sweetest smile.
"Thank you for your compliment. How are your legs? Sore from the horse stance?" She asked innocently. It was the best she could do to strike back without sounding like she was challenging him.
The young man's face turned pink and he frowned, but he quickly recovered and tossed his long black hair over his shoulder and pointed a finger in his chest.
"Sore? I'm far stronger than that, I've been training the horse stance since I was young. Old Wu can't do anything but that little trick, nothing more than annoying." He smirked.
Meiwan nodded. "Yes, lord Jun."
"I'd like to see you do the horse stance for two hours, I bet you wouldn't make it past five minutes." He challenged her, but his friend spoke.
"Jun Fu, leave her be. We can't let her be out past dark, who knows what will happen." Qinglou stepped close to her, and smiled at her knowingly.
"Young lord Shang's words are true, let me not bother you anymore." She left the two standing there and hurried after her brother, and they didn't stop her.
Only now, did she let her hidden feelings show, and her tears began to pool in her eyes. She was weak. She knew it, and so did they. But she didn't want to be, yet how could she change?
The look in Shang's eyes had been almost empty, except for a thread of knowing. Knowing of her most vulnerable moment. She was grateful to him for saving her, she could even have owed him her life. But whether or not the side of him who'd protected her was the real him, or the side who drank and admired girls, she couldn't bring herself to see him as anything but the boy who found it fun to poke her sore spot... repeatedly.
"Qinglou! I was just getting started!" She heard Jun Fu complain.
"She's timid as a rabbit, there's no fun in bullying her. Let's head to our usual meeting place." Shang Qinglou spoke. "Come on."
So she was a rabbit now? Meiwan scoffed through the wet tears on her face, ridiculous. She lifted her skirt again and ran the rest of the way, passing her brother, who yelled after her. She needed to be home before dark, young lord Shang was right. The girl smiled.