"Hao*!" The captain smacked Liu Qingyuan's back. "Good form!" Stoically, Liu Qingyuan moved to the next position, form sharp and smooth as the brothers-at-arms moved as one. They were only a group of ten but were training to be the best of the best. They had to protect the royal family after all. Liu Qingyuan was grateful for his previous experience. These men were by no means amateurs.
(*Hao - "Good")
"Alright!" The captain clapped his hands. "Take a break! Be back for our session in the afternoon!"
"Yes sir!" The team chorused. They waited until the captain turned away before heading back to their rooms to change and wash up.
The ten men shared a hall to sleep in. They had access to a few side halls for their personal needs, but for the most part, they slept together on a long wooden platform that covered half the room. Many of them stripped off their shirts, sighing in relief from the cool air on their skin and gathering their stuff to wash at the stream. A large-built man lingered, observing Liu Qingyuan through frowning eyes. Liu Qingyuan had a mysterious air to him, as most of the men had been acquainted somehow beforehand. They'd never seen him before and didn't know his temperament. So, they were wary.
"Hey, Da He," His friend nudged his arm, following his gaze. "You know, none of us know him and he never talks to us." He leaned down to loudly whisper to the big man. "Do you think he's a spy?" He gasped. "Or do you think he's...you know," The man twirled his finger around his temple. The beefy man, Da He, tsked and shoved his friend away, arms crossing over his broad chest.
"He's smart, you can see it in his eyes."
"Ahhh...." The tall man nodded his head, eyes comically wide.
"But," Da He tapped his chin. "He's not like us. There's something different about him." Liu Qingyuan, who was catching their words, shifted a little, digging through his bag and wondering why his tunic had suddenly disappeared into thin air. Da He clicked his tongue in disapproval and continued. "I mean, look at him. He's so skinny, not like me with good brawn." Da He thumped his own chest. "Eyy, I could break him like a stick. He belongs in a tea house."
Liu Qingyuan glared over his shoulder at the scrutinizing pair. They were becoming like a pair of pesky flies; buzzing around your head with incompetent chatter. Da He caught his gaze and shuffled back half a step. He was half fascinated. Liu Qingyuan never looked one of them in the eye before, always skipping over their forms like they were insignificant.
"Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Besides, I'm sure you already know we don't like you." Da He narrowed his eyes at him. "You're not one of us just by being here." He gestured to the remaining men still in the room. "We've fought together, so if you want to be one of us, you have to earn it."
Liu Qingyuan resisted the urge to laugh. But this proud man might not take it well and his master had always told him not to be rash. Anybody could be a potential stepping stone to his final goal.
Before Liu Qingyuan could leave, a small figure bounded up and hooked his arms around Da He and the tall man's necks. Or well, he tried to. "Yuan ge*!" The boy was the youngest of the bunch and though he looked way too young to be part of this group, he was the fastest, striking like a snake when needed.
(*Ge - Also "gege", means older brother, also used for 'boyfriend')
"Well I think Yuan ge is pretty cool! He even got a compliment from the captain!" Da He and the tall man scoffed. "What? He's more handsome than you too. I bet he gets all the ladies." The boy turned to Liu Qingyuan and beamed. "Yuan ge, I wanna be like you! Can I call you 'Yuan ge'?"
"No." Liu Qingyuan turned away, pinching the bridge of his nose. This group was so annoying but he'd have to be patient, just like his master taught him to be. He left the room, leaving the boy to whine pitifully at the rejection.
âââââ
The soft wind curled around Liu Qingyuan's form, whispering gently across his skin as he descended the back mountain. In his first week here, he'd found a little hot spring in the back mountain. It was quiet and peaceful and the only place he'd let himself fractionally relax. He didn't like to bath with the other men in the large stream. They were loud and rowdy and entirely unpleasant, in Liu Qingyuan's opinion.
Liu Qingyuan descended a path of large flat stones, fashioned like steps. He loosened the ties of his tunic, removing his belt, shoes and socks.
Splish
Liu Qingyuan tensed, glancing around, one hand stilling on the ties of his shirt. He heard only the soft chirping of birds. Tentatively, he removed his shirt, left his pants on, and placed his sword on top of his pile of clothes. The water stung his skin with heat as he slid into the water. But the warmth served to relax his muscles. Liu Qingyuan scooped water in his hand, pouring it on his chest. He had a leanly sculpted body, and not a lot of scars, as he wasn't a soldier. He liked to be a shadow in the night when required.
Wading through the steamy water, Liu Qingyuan let the barest smile grace his face. It felt nice.
Blurp
He paused at the large bubble that rose to the surface. Abruptly, a cloud of water burst upwards. Liu Qingyuan jerked back, startled, as another young man burst from the water coughing. One hand went to wipe at their eyes and the other reached forward, seeking a stable surface to steady themselves on.
The moment their hand touched Liu Qingyuan's shoulder, he felt a shock, and was flung backwards in the water. Floundering for a moment, he pushed himself up, slicking back his hair as he wiped the water from his eyes. His shoulder prickled with pain.
"How dare you!" an unfamiliar voice said.
Liu Qingyuan glared up through wet lashes at the young man who sank down in the water, hands over his body and a scandalized look on his face. "How dare I? What are you doing here?"
"I-What are you doing here?!" The young man shot back. Liu Qingyuan scoffed, eyes quickly scanning his surroundings for anyone else before his gaze settled back on the young man. Liu Qingyuan turned away, wading back to his clothes. Along the way, he absentmindedly scooped up water to pour on himself.
"Halt!" Liu Qingyuan ignored the splashing noises, continuing on. He sensed the man's presence and turned so that his outstretched hand fell through open air. He pitched forward with a gasp and smacked his face on Liu Qingyuan's chest, falling back into the water. Slightly amused, Liu Qingyuan watched his floundering form as he rose from the water with watering eyes and clutching his throbbing nose.
Liu Qingyuan took a proper look at the young man. He had a high nose, shapely lips and a pointed chin. The look in his eyes was guarded despite his clumsy, open actions. His hair was plastered to his head and his bun pinned with a flower hairpin, red petals dripping with water and glittering in the dappled sunlight. Liu Qingyuan thought it was rather a womanly piece, so unlike the crown-pins that men commonly wore.
"What?" The young man crossed his arms more tightly around himself, looking around as if there might be another person Liu Qingyuan was looking at. After a moment, he straightened and cleared his throat. "You still haven't answered me."
Liu Qingyuan turned away. "Why do I need to?" The man's mouth gaped open and he stared at Liu Qingyuan with something new in his eyes.
"Hey-" The man rose up but quickly sank back down in the water, as if he didn't want to bare his body.
Annoyed, Liu Qingyuan stepped forward, irritated at having his peaceful spot be discovered by someone else.. "What do you want? Why are you following me?"
"A-ai, what are you doing?" The young man asked, rapidly backing up. "Why are you coming closer?" Liu Qingyuan cornered him against the craggy side of the pool, glaring down at him.
"Answer me." The man sputtered indignantly, straightening up and regaining his composure. He placed a hand on Liu Qingyuan's chest and pushed him away a little.
"Okay, first of all, space. Second, you didn't answer mine, why should I answer yours?" Liu Qingyuan's gaze assessed him. His gaze drifted lower and the man quickly covered his side, pressing backwards against the rock. "Why are you looking...anyways have some decency!"
Liu Qingyuan's eyes narrowed at him. He frowned, turning away slightly embarrassed and climbing out of the pool. Water streamed off him as he tugged on his fresh set of clothes, cringing at the feeling of the cloth sticking to his back.
"You're...you're just going to leave?" Liu Qingyuan turned back to him, pushing his wet hair out of his face.
"What do you want me to do? Dress you?" The man's mouth hung open, looking massively offended but intrigued at the same time. Liu Qingyuan smirked, grabbing his sword and heading back up the path. As he walked on, the smile slipped from his face and he bit lip, uneasy at the notion of having had such an open conversation with someone he didn't even know.
'Next time,' he thought, 'I'll be more careful. I'm never letting something like that happen again.'