"Where am i?" General Wang blurted out as he slowly opened his eyes to the unfamiliar view. He quickly risen from lying position to sitting position.
"Urgh-" he grunted and clenched his chest. He looked down as he realizes his chest being covered with herb paste. He lifted up his hand and sniffed it. He immediately recognized the herb as mixture for anesthetic and healing wound. He looked around.There was not much things inside that small room he's in . He slowly got up and searched for his clothes.
"Ah,you are awake"
An unfamiliar voice was heard from the entrance. General Wang quickly turned around and put his arms in defensive mode. He stared at the owner of unfamiliar voice he heard. A slender body,shoulder length hair and possessed a pair of tender eyes. A man?
"Sorry if i startled you,i mean no harm." The man put down woods he collected on another piles of woods.
General Wang eased himself and went to offer his help but was politely rejected.
"You should lie down," said the guy as he examines the wound on General Wang's chest and leg.
"Who are you?Why am i here?' asked General Wang.
"This is my house.I found you few days ago,lying on the ground and wounded.So i brought you here and treated your injuries.Are you feeling alright now?." He went and brought back clothes with him.
"Your clothes.I washed them," he said with a smile of his face.
General Wang gladly took the clothes and thanked him. His clothes were clean and nicely folded.
"I shall go now.Thank you for helping me.I will come back and repay you," General Wang changed his attire as he speaks and ready to leave.
"You should stay for few more days,until you are fully recover.You must be hungry right?I cooked chicken soup"
General Wang intended to politely refuse the invitation but his grumpy stomach stated otherwise. He could not recall when was the last time he had a proper meal. Perhaps the day when he received  order from the Emperor.
"Do you live alone?" asked General Wang as he follows the man to the table.
"Yes.My family died from plague years ago.I have been living alone since then" he answered while serving the food on the table. He scooped the soup into 2 bowls of different sizes. He placed the bigger bowl in front of General Wang and the smaller one in front of him.
"Please help yourself," he said with a smile on his face. General Wang nodded and enjoy his food. It was good,so good that he quietly finished off his food.
The man was busy picking some woods once he's done with his meal.He picked few small log of woods with him and headed outside.General Wang could not sit still and watched the guy did all the hard work by himself so he went and offer his hands. Again,he was politely rejected.
"You can help with small chores and let me handle hard work until you are fully heal." Said the man as he chopped the woods into smaller pieces.
"Are you not going to ask about me?" General Wang said as he walked around looking at the surrounding.There were nothing but trees.
The man stopped chopping,he set the axe aside and asked "Are you not going to kill me if i ask?"
General Wang turned around. He could not help but to let out a small laugh.
"No.You saved my life.Let me introduce myself.I am General Wang," he politely introduced himself.
"Ah!No wonder you have fancy cloth," said the man and continued chopping the woods. General Wang stared at the guy and thinking if his introduction was not impressive enough.
"What is your name?" General Wang had been wanting to ask this but he was waiting for the man to introduce himself.
"Jianyu" said the man. He smiled in satisfaction seeing a pile of firewood and claimed that they will have enough supplement for  days.
"How far is the palace from here?" asked General Wang.
"Very far.A few days" said Jianyu. He made a few return trips from outside to inside of his house carrying firewood in his arms.
General Wang was lost in his own thought. He stood still as he mind was busy thinking of ways he could get to the palace.
"Are you not going to come in?" Jianyu peeked from inside.
"Yes"
They both sat near burning firewood inside the house. It got a little cold at night. General Wang glanced over at Jianyu once in a while. Jianyu was looking comfortable sitting with his arms around his knees. His face looked glowing from reflection of the fire. Every time he looked down,few strands of hair will fall down and cover half of his face. Jianyu lifted his hand and tuck his hair behind his ear. General Wang was mesmerized for a brief moment.
"So....." They both simultaneously opened their mouth. Jianyu chuckled.
"Go ahead" he said.
"What are you doing..for a job?" General Wang stretched out his hand,grabbing a small piece of firewood and added it into the fire.
Jianyu turned his head with a serious expression he answered "I hunt people for money". General Wang creased his eyebrows upon hearing that.
"I was just playing around.I craft things.Like wooden and metal things and sell it at the nearby market" Jianyu chuckled at the sight of General Wang bewildered expression.
"Things like sword,knife and shield?" asked General Wang. Jianyu nodded his head.
"You don't look like....." General Wang paused. The man sitting beside him twice smaller than his size.No matter how he looked at it,he does not look like the strong type. Though he did chopped all those firewood earlier.
"Do not underestimate my size. I carried you all the way from those forest until here," Jianyu stared and crinkled his nose. General Wang apologized and expressed how grateful he was being saved by Jianyu.
"Then..what is your story?How did you ended up here?" Jianyu crossed his arms as he rubbed them. Â General Wang began explaining how he been accused and chased by royal guards. Jianyu listened attentively,giving his full attention. General Wang also told him about his plan on going back to the palace and clear up his name.
Achoo-
General Wang was interrupted by Jianyu sneeze. Jianyu quickly apologized as he covered his nose and mouth. General Wang searched around looking for piece of cloth to cover Jianyu who then sneezed for a second time. General Wang shuffled closer.With his strength,he easily pulled Jianyu into his arm.
Jianyu was surprise by General Wang sudden action. Before he could open his mouth,he sneezed again. He lowered his head; strands of hair followed his head movement. General Wang's hand unconsciously moved on it's own. His hand brushed against Jianyu skin as he tucked the hair behind Jianyu ear.
Jianyu lifted up his head,slightly tilted it to the left and looked at General Wang with a blank expression.
"Are you normally this intimate with stranger you just met?" asked Jianyu,batting his lashes.
"I normally went straight to bed with them," General Wang casually replied. Jianyu gulped down his saliva.
"You..mean those courtesans..right," Jianyu stuttered. General Wang smirked a little and nodded his head. He gently stroked Jianyu arm.
"Right!Your chest!You didn't say anything about it since earlier.Is it no longer painful?" Jianyu changed the topic.
"Now that you mentioned it,i can say it loud right.It is painful," General Wang made a face as if he was in such a painful state.
Jianyu could not help but to laugh at General Wang little act.
"You should have mention it earlier.Let me change the bandage and add more herb paste," Jianyu grabbed General Wang right hand as he stood up and lead the man over to the bed made of a pile dried grasses. It didn't took him a long time to prepare a new herb paste and changed the bandage. Jianyu flashed his smile once he's done.
"I am tired,let's sleep,"said General Wang as he pulled Jianyu along with him and lay down. Jianyu did not make a fuss,in fact he used to that particular sleeping position; being held by General Wang.
Ever since he took that man into his house,that exactly how they slept. General Wang had nightmare every night that Jianyu had to sleep beside him to calm him down. He would woke up in the morning being tightly held in the arms of a strong general. But Jianyu was the only one aware of that fact. General Wang had no idea,he thought that night was the first time.
They both fall asleep by warmth of fire and each other.