The Innocent Heart - Chapter 70

With the conclusion of the military trials, the last bit of autumn warmth dissipated, and a cold current blowing from the northwest took over this magnificent capital city.

In the eleventh month of winter, the fifth year of Yuanguang, Chang’an welcomed its first snow of the year.

The auspicious snow happened to coincide with a day of rest. Unlike the freezing outdoors, the interior—exceptionally warm due to the floor heating—made one feel quite lazy.

“A-Yao, A-Yao, what are you doing?” Early in the morning, just as the sky was beginning to turn gray, Huo Qubing got out of bed as usual. On a rare day off, he wanted to go out and play with his friend.

When he pushed open the door, he found that his friend’s room in the same courtyard was still pitch black, a picture of silence and peace. Huo Qubing frowned, guessing that A-Yao was definitely sleeping in again. Ever since winter began and the weather turned cold, calling him out of bed had become exceptionally difficult.

And yet, in the entire Wei manor, no one but Huo Qubing could dig him out of his quilt. To prevent his friend from earning a reputation for dereliction of duty, arrogance, or laziness, Huo Qubing had to take on the daily responsibility of waking him.

He let out a resigned sigh, dismissed the maids standing before the bedroom, and pushed the door open himself.

Perhaps because in the “modern era” A-Yao spoke of, people didn’t have the tradition of being served in their sleep, A-Yao never wanted maids or servants near him for personal care. As long as it was something he could do himself, he never wanted to leave it to others. He even looked down on Huo Qubing’s own habits, teasing him for being someone who “reaches out for clothes and opens his mouth for food,” unable to live independently.

Fortunately, this difference in lifestyle concepts didn’t affect their friendship; both were tolerant of the habits shaped by their different upbringings.

“A-Yao, A-Yao…” Huo Qubing entered the room. A tiny crack in the window let in a sliver of cold air, diluting the warmth in the room slightly. Incense was burning; Huo Qubing knew at a sniff that this must have been the maids’ idea, as someone as careless as A-Yao would never notice such fine details.

He walked to the bedside and saw that A-Yao had indeed wrapped himself up like a silkworm cocoon, eyes tightly shut and snoring away.

“I want fresh milk tea… no pearls, thirty percent sugar…” Guan Yueyao mumbled some dream talk. Huo Qubing couldn’t understand it, but seeing him smacking his lips, it wasn’t hard to guess he was dreaming of something delicious.

In the dim bedroom, Huo Qubing couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile. He stopped his movements and stood quietly by the bed for a moment, wanting to hear what else Guan Yueyao might say in his sleep; once he woke up, Huo Qubing would definitely make fun of him.

With this thought, he stood still and looked at Guan Yueyao.

Guan Yueyao’s sleeping face was very serene, lacking all of his usual loud, boisterous, and high-spirited manner. Huo Qubing was a bit dazed; this was the first time he had studied his friend’s face under such circumstances.

Looking closely now, Guan Yueyao’s facial lines seemed softer than those of an average boy. However, his high nose bridge and slightly heroic sword-shaped eyebrows diluted any faint trace of femininity.

At this thought, Huo Qubing froze. Why would I think my friend’s profile is feminine?

He couldn’t help but shift his gaze back to his friend’s face. Those bright eyes, usually overflowing with vitality, were now gently closed. Thinking of those eyes, a trace of joy rose in Huo Qubing’s heart.

He wasn’t naturally a talkative or lively person. Although he was precocious and deeply favored by the Emperor, he had never really had a playmate his own age. Being at the center of power for years had taught him early on to be cautious in speech and action.

But perhaps because he trusted Guan Yueyao from the bottom of his heart, Huo Qubing felt he could be unreserved in front of A-Yao. The strict social codes, the infighting of the court, and even his aspirations to sweep across the battlefields could be temporarily set aside. Here, he could briefly enjoy a worry-free “childhood.” He didn’t need to care about the righteousness of the state or the honor of his family.

Huo Qubing was lost in thought when, as if sensing the quiet gaze, Guan Yueyao’s eyelids fluttered uneasily.

Huo Qubing panicked and averted his eyes, the temperature of his face rising several degrees. He covered his face with his hand—it must be because the floor heating was too high!

He pushed those strange thoughts out of his mind, stepped forward, and nudged his friend. “A-Yao, A-Yao, wake up. It’s time for morning practice.”

In his experience, this was just an initial greeting. Sure enough, after a light nudge, Guan Yueyao only grumbled and rolled over, turning his back to him and falling back asleep.

Huo Qubing gave a mischievous smile. He leaned over, grabbed the quilt that had loosened from the turn, and suddenly yanked it upward. Then, he expertly stepped aside.

“Lazybones! Get up!” he shouted, watching his friend spring up from the bed like a coil, eyes bleary and wearing only his undergarments.

Having just woken from a sweet dream, Guan Yueyao squinted, unwilling to open his eyes, his face full of dazed confusion.

“Qubing, give me back the quilt.” His tone was mumbling and blurry, sounding somewhat cute and spoiled to Huo Qubing’s ears.

What is wrong with me today? Huo Qubing held the quilt, not daring to look at his friend’s face. But the quilt was fragrant and soft, seemingly still carrying his friend’s warmth. Realizing this, Huo Qubing felt his cheeks burn again. The quilt in his hands began to feel like a hot coal—he couldn’t put it down, but he couldn’t keep holding it either.

Just as he was hesitating, his hands suddenly felt empty. He turned in surprise to see that Guan Yueyao had finally fully cleared his head, stood up, and snatched his quilt back.

“A-Yao, hurry up and get out of bed, we need to do morning practice!” Huo Qubing said stammeringly, as if trying to hide something.

But as soon as the words fell, a warm hand grabbed his wrist. With a forceful tug, Huo Qubing was pulled down to sit on the edge of the bed.

“It’s a rare day off, why get up so early? Qubing, come and sleep in with me!” As Guan Yueyao spoke, he lifted a corner of the quilt he had just pulled over himself and patted the empty spot beside him.

Seeing this, Huo Qubing shook his head like a rattle, saying solemnly, “Horsemanship and archery must not be neglected for even a day. Get up quickly.”

However, his wrist was still being gripped tightly by Guan Yueyao; he couldn’t even stand up, and the two remained in a stalemate. Waves of heat rose from the bedding, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of the incense burner.

On this snow-covered winter day, all of this began to erode Huo Qubing’s willpower. Looking at Guan Yueyao’s eager face, his heart began to waver.

Being lazy for just one day shouldn’t be a problem, right? He began trying to convince himself.

But Guan Yueyao was impatient. Seeing that Huo Qubing didn’t object further, he took the opportunity, increased the strength in his hand, and half-dragged, half-pulled Huo Qubing onto the bed.

“Hey, wait, I haven’t taken off my shoes!” Huo Qubing’s tone couldn’t hide his panic, which made Guan Yueyao laugh and finally let go.

A moment later, Huo Qubing removed his outer robes, shoes, and socks, and crawled into Guan Yueyao’s quilt. The two teenagers lay side-by-side; through the thin fabric of their undergarments, they could feel each other’s body heat.

The atmosphere in the room was peaceful; the maids did not enter to check on them. Listening to the wind and snow growing louder outside, and the breathing of his friend gradually becoming steady beside his ear, even Huo Qubing—who was long accustomed to rising early—felt a wave of sleepiness.

Finally, on this leisurely winter morning, the usually diligent Huo Qubing snuggled in the same quilt with his friend and had a wonderful sleep.

Huo Qubing was nudged awake by Guan Yueyao. The daylight was bright now. He rubbed his eyes, and once he was fully awake, he saw his friend leaning against the headboard, smiling at him.

Huo Qubing’s heart sank, and he moved to spring out of bed. For the first time in his life sleeping in, a massive sense of guilt washed over him, making his mind frantic.

“What are you panicking for? Lord Wei and your mother haven’t said a word,” Guan Yueyao said leisurely, leaning against the bed. Seeing his friend’s panicked and guilty look, as if he had committed a crime, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Guan Yueyao’s words stopped Huo Qubing’s frantic movements, and he sat back on the bed. Though young, Huo Qubing was not one to indulge in pleasure. Now that his sleepiness had vanished, he couldn’t sit still no matter how Guan Yueyao tried to keep him.

Finally, after dawdling for another few minutes, he pulled the reluctant Guan Yueyao out of the quilt. Likely because he was embarrassed about sleeping in, Huo Qubing didn’t want to be caught. He didn’t call for the maids to dress him, but instead, he and Guan Yueyao helped each other put on their clothes.

After some more bustling, the two finally stepped out of the bedroom.

“Wow, what a beautiful snow scene!” The moment they reached the parlor, Guan Yueyao couldn’t help but exclaim. He walked quickly toward the door.

Huo Qubing looked at Guan Yueyao’s back. They had only slept for an hour or two, but a massive snowfall had already blanketed the world in pure white. It was the first time Guan Yueyao had seen such heavy snow, and he found it novel. Ignoring his thin clothing, he rushed outside, scooped up a pile of snow, and tossed it into the air.

In an instant, the courtyard was filled with his cheerful laughter, and a mess of footprints was left in the yard.

“Quick, get a mink fur coat for A-Yao!” Huo Qubing, however, had no time to appreciate the beauty. He hurriedly instructed the maids.

“Qubing, what are you still doing inside? Come out, let’s have a snowball fight!” As Guan Yueyao spoke, he leaned down to pick up a handful of white snow and rubbed it in his hands, trying to form a ball.

But the snowball fight never happened. Just as Huo Qubing stepped out the door, a figure rushed into the courtyard.

“Young Master, Young Master! News just arrived from Dai Commandery! The Chanyu of the Xiongnu has led the Xiutu and Hunye tribes to raid Shanggu and Yunzhong commanderies! Hundreds of civilians have been taken, and countless treasures looted! His Majesty is furious and has just summoned General Wei to the palace!”

Huo Qubing’s expression changed instantly. A dark, ominous feeling of an impending storm surged in his heart.