He had never witnessed such a wondrous dance, or perhaps it was not a dance at all. As she raised her hands, tied in knots, it seemed more like a ritual.
"Luòluōduō yī dā..."
A string of peculiar sounds emerged from Xue Niang's lips, spoken in a low, gentle cadence, her arms moving in tandem.
Xiao Shan jolted upright from his bed, startled. The mysterious, ancient tone she uttered, no matter how hard he tried to memorize it, left no trace in his mind.
He recalled passing a impoverished tribe during his campaigns against the Tujue. Their people worshipped a god of fortune, and during important festivals, a shaman would lead the tribe in prayer. In his eyes, it was akin to a shamanistic dance.
They wore brightly colored clothes, singing and dancing with a nonsensical chant, appearing quite comical.
At the time, he had merely watched it as a form of entertainment. After their prayers, he and his brothers had even shared a drink with them.
Xue Niang's actions now inevitably brought those memories to mind, yet he knew this was entirely different.
Her pronunciation was strange, but it was clearly some form of mystical language, not random shouting. And her graceful, dance-like movements were like a goddess from a mural, detached from the mortal realm.
Throughout this, he felt no hint of jest, but an involuntary urge to worship arose within him.
Xiao Shan's heart pounded like a drum. He wanted to reach out and stop her, yet feared startling her.
But if he didn't interrupt, would she vanish after finishing her chant?
The candlelight flickered. Xue Niang spread her arms, crossing them over her chest. Xiao Shan stood behind her, a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.
Just then, a dog barked in the distance from within the village. It sounded to be several hundred meters away, but in the silent night, it was quite distinct.
Xue Niang's movements faltered, a look of panic crossing her face. Her vacant, large eyes began to flicker.
Seeing that something was amiss, Xiao Shan quickly stepped forward. He placed one hand on her back to comfort her, while taking her hand with the other. He lowered his voice, guiding her, "Don't be afraid. Come, you're tired, let's go to bed, shall we?"
"I'm not afraid, not afraid, go to sleep..."
Xue Niang clutched his large hand, murmuring repetitions. Following Xiao Shan's lead, she slowly returned to the bed.
As he helped her take off her shoes, Xiao Shan continued, "Close your eyes. Yes, this is your favorite bed, soft and comfortable. Sleep well."
Xue Niang closed her eyes, turned onto her side, and buried half her face into the quilt.
This should be alright, shouldn't it?
Xiao Shan breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not relax. He continued to gently pat her. After a long while with no movement, Xiao Shan stopped and listened carefully to her breathing.
The dog barked again.
Xue Niang shivered, burying her head into Xiao Shan's broad chest. Her arms wrapped around his back, and her legs even squeezed tightly between his, as if trying to hide herself.
Xiao Shan became a statue. Soft jade and warm fragrance, she threw herself into his embrace. This was the woman he desired, the first woman he had held in his twenty-six years.
At this moment, his soul cried out, it was her!
The companion he had long awaited!
It was her!
She hid in his embrace, feeling utterly safe. She nuzzled closer, her arms tightening. The two were intimately close, inseparable.
Xiao Shan covered her with the quilt, leaving Xue Niang's own quilt vacant and discarded on the inner side of the bed. He gently patted her back, enduring the delightful pain with difficulty. Smelling the faint, elusive lotus fragrance, he silently recited a calming mantra before finally falling asleep.
The next morning, Xiao Shan, uncharacteristically, did not rise early. When Xue Niang awoke to find herself in his arms, she was naturally angry again.
She wouldn't utter harsh words, only stating that he was not a gentleman, that he had taken advantage of her, and so on, before turning her head away in a sulk.
"I truly didn't mean to. Last night, someone's dog barked, and you were so scared you burrowed into my quilt. I couldn't push you away, so I could only pat you to sleep!"
Xiao Shan looked innocent, explaining earnestly.
Upon hearing about the dog's bark, Xue Niang's beautiful eyes flickered, and her anger gradually subsided.
It seemed the problem was indeed hers.
"Also, last night, you seemed to have another dream? Do you remember it?"
Xue Niang shook her head. He always said she dreamed at night, but she had no memory of it, only feeling very tired.
Xiao Shan had grown accustomed to this. She still remembered nothing.
Yesterday's events were too strange. No matter how one looked at Xue Niang, she appeared to be from Jing country, not a barbarian from some remote tribe. Jing country also had grand shamans, but the Shaman's Mansion was entirely staffed by men, whose duties were to observe celestial phenomena, calculate seasons, and divine fortune and misfortune for the royal family. Xue Niang could certainly not be from the Shaman's Mansion.
A young lady from a noble family would never understand such things.
Could it truly be just some peculiar dance tune?
"Did I do anything else last night?"
Aside from her sleepwear being loose, Xue Niang felt no physical abnormalities. So why was he always staring at her? Had she done something else strange?
"Oh, nothing." Xiao Shan suddenly realized he had been lost in thought. He got up, put on his clothes, and turned back to ask, "Is a fried egg pancake alright?"
"Yes."
The tall figure tidied up briskly. He wore a sturdy, coarse linen outfit, with a cloth strip tied around his waist as a belt.
"Are you going to the mountain?"
Xue Niang remembered he had worn this same outfit the last time he intended to go up the mountain. The material was thick and hard, durable for the mountains, and different from what he usually wore at home.
Another set had been torn by a black bear. This one was fine, though it had a not-too-large patch on the shoulder.
Xiao Shan turned back, appearing somewhat surprised.
Xue Niang was still weak. He hadn't planned to go up the mountain today. What did she mean, wanting him to go?
Seeing his expression, Xue Niang thought she had guessed correctly and felt a pang of guilt.
"I've spent so much of your silver. You originally wouldn't have to work so hard."
"Nonsense. It's only natural for a man to provide for a woman. Why think so much? Just focus on recovering your health."
After speaking, Xiao Shan strode out of the room. The wood he had carried back yesterday had not yet been sorted, lying haphazardly. It needed two days to dry before it could be split. He carried a bundle of firewood into the kitchen.
Xiao Shan absentmindedly fried a plate of egg pancakes and simmered white rice porridge, adding some brown sugar to Xue Niang's bowl separately.
After washing up, Xue Niang came to the kitchen.
"I'll just have one pancake. Aren't you going to take some to the mountain?"
Xiao Shan: "..."
"When will you be back? Tomorrow?"
Xiao Shan took a large bite of the pancake and squeezed out a grunt from his nose, "Mm."
After they finished eating, Xue Niang had not yet returned to her room. Xiao Shan was simmering medicine for her, and she had been watching him the entire time.
After the medicine was brewed and drunk, Xiao Shan began to slowly pack. A few pancakes, a water flask, a bow and arrows, and a burlap sack, two animal traps.
Xue Niang watched him from the side.
The sun outside was already high.
"You should go earlier. If you're lucky enough to encounter prey, you won't have to stay in the mountain overnight, will you?"