The morning light streamed through the bedroom window painting soft golden stripes across the silk sheets where Jin Mulan lay sprawled in sleep. Dust motes drifted lazily in the air glowing faintly in the sunlight.
Her red hair fanned out across the pillows like spilled ink and the clothes she had worn earlier were scattered carelessly nearby some half-folded while others crumpled where they had been hastily discarded.
The faint scent of wine lingered in the air heavy and sweet clinging to the room as a quiet reminder of last night's indulgence. The silence of the chamber felt almost unnatural broken only by the distant sounds of servants moving somewhere far beyond the closed doors.
As consciousness slowly returned to her Jin Mulan stirred. Her eyes fluttered open unfocused at first as she took in the unfamiliar stillness before sharpening as awareness crept in.
Her gaze shifted to herself and she froze. A gasp escaped her lips as she realized she was nearly undressed beneath the covers, the cool air brushing against her exposed skin.
Memories began flooding back drinking heavily after her wedding due to a challenge from Luo He that was all she could remember.
The rest was a blur a frustrating void that made her chest tighten. Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment and fury as heat kept rising sharply beneath her skin.
"How dare he? To take advantage while I was drunk and then just leave without even waking me?" The anger boiled within her chest thick and suffocating until it burst forth in a quiet venomous hiss under her breath.
Jin Mulan sat up abruptly the silk sheets pooling around her waist as she glared at the thin silk cloth hanging loosely from her body. The fabric felt almost mocking against her skin.
Her hands clenched into fists on top of the bedspread her knuckles turning white with barely contained rage. Her breathing grew uneven sharp and shallow. She nearly tore the piece of cloth hanging from her clean off in her frustration.
"Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath. Her voice low and trembling with restrained fury more towards herself than anyone else. "He thinks he can just take what he wants and then walk away?"
She slid out of bed not bothering to find clothing immediately. Her bare feet made soft quick sounds against the polished wooden floor the cool surface grounding yet doing nothing to calm the storm inside her.
She stalked toward the wardrobe where her clothes were kept. Her posture rigid, her movements sharp and purposeful.
Each step was deliberate each movement radiating controlled violence as if she were holding herself back from breaking something or someone.
"I'll show him what happens when you mess with someone who knows how to handle weapons better than half the guards in this household," she vowed quietly her voice edged with cold determination as she pulled out a simple dress from the wardrobe drawer.
She put on the dress quickly her hands moving with impatient urgency. Without even combing her hair or applying any makeup she ran down the stairs two steps at a time her footsteps echoing loudly through the halls.
Servants along the corridors froze or stepped aside as she passed. Startled by the intensity of her presence.
She headed straight for the dining room where she thought he would most likely be and slammed the door open with far too much force. The wood rattling loudly against the frame. "What did you do last night?" The room fell into an immediate and heavy silence.
The servants who were serving him food and water froze mid-motion their hands suspended in the air. Every eye turned toward her in shock. They had never seen her out of her cool demi nor not even once.
No hairpins adorned her hair and no makeup softened her features. What was wrong with her? What had the young master done? Dought lingered in their minds.
Luo He answered in a calm voice while eating his bread not even lifting his head as if nothing about the situation concerned him. "Something wrong?" he asked calmly.
"Yes! What were you up to last night?" Her voice trembled not with weakness but with barely restrained rage. "I slept with you," he said calmly now lifting his gaze to meet hers. His expression unreadable.
The words struck her like a spark to dry tinder. She was furious her thoughts spiralling not knowing where to direct the overwhelming surge of anger. With a sudden movement she punched the door beside her.
The impact sending a dull crack through the wood and leaving a visible dent. Pain shot through her hand but she barely felt it.
Luo He calmly said, "Why wasn't I allowed to sleep with you? I don't remember you saying that before." Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she marched toward him. Her steps heavy and unrestrained. She slammed her hands onto the dining table the dishes rattling loudly from the force.
"You tricked me into drinking too much and assaulted me in bed without my consent!"
"What made you say that I assaulted you?" His tone remained steady, almost unnervingly so. "You talked about freedom for me, letting me be myself and I thought you were a different man but you are all alike.
Liars and brutes!" Her voice cracked as emotion overwhelmed her. "I will tell all this to my parents. Wait and see what they'll do to you!"
Tears welled in her eyes blurring her vision but she refused to let them fall freely. She stood there half-consumed by tears. Unable to fully hide the mixture of pain, humiliation and anger twisting inside her.
Luo He seemed untouched by her outburst and returned to his meal as if her words carried no weight. "So, are you going to punish me?"
"Yes! I will kill you for what you did to me! You are nothing like what I thought you were!" Her voice shook but her intent felt real, raw and dangerous.
Luo He calmly replied. "But wasn't it you? I admit I encouraged you to drink but I only wanted to show you how it's done. Since you tried to force alcohol on me as a friendly gesture to make me open up. Unlike you, I had no ill intentions nor have I failed."
"Do you remember me assaulting you? Try your best to remember." She closed her eyes tightly her brows furrowing as she searched through the fragmented memories of the night but nothing came.
Only scattered flashes none of them clear enough to confirm her fears. Luo He stood up and leaned closer his voice lowering as he whispered in her ear, "Did you see the obvious sign?"
A chill ran through her spine. She hadn't even checked for the most obvious sign before accusing him. She turned and rushed back to her room. Her heart pounding violently in her chest. She tore through the bed linens throwing them aside in frantic desperation. Searching for any signs any proof but found none.
Her breathing grew erratic as realization slowly began to creep in. Then faintly she remembered little Bing changing her clothes. She froze.
Then she rushed back again her steps unsteady this time and stared at Luo He's face. Her chest rising and falling rapidly before she finally let out a long shaky sigh of relief.
The servants had already moved away sensing her earlier commotion but now lingered at a distance pretending to be occupied while clearly watching from the corners of their eyes. Drawn in by the unfolding drama.
"Don't just stand there," Luo He said in a low whisper leaning slightly toward her. "You made a big fuss just now in front of everyone present.
Now you can't back down at least punch me in the face and act like I actually messed up big time and storm out. I wouldn't mind."
"I can't hit you husband." She replied, her voice quieter now though still tense. "There is a Jin family rule. Women of the Jin family never lift their hands against their husbands."
Jin Mulan continued her voice softer now the earlier fire replaced with a restrained sincerity. "And most of all I am eager to admit I was in the wrong."
She hesitated for a brief moment, her gaze lowering before lifting again to meet his. "You are really different from other men." There was a quiet weight to her words. A mixture of reluctant respect and lingering embarrassment.
For someone like her admitting fault so openly was no small thing. It pressed against her pride yet she forced the words out regardless.
"So... what should I do to make it up to you?" She asked, her tone steadier though a trace of uncertainty remained beneath it.
Luo He paused. His movements slowing as he set aside his food. He leaned back slightly his eyes studying her silence for a moment. As if carefully considering his response.
The room itself seemed to hold its breath the distant presence of servants fading into the background.
After a while he spoke. "Promise me you will never blame me like that again and never cause such an outrage in public to humiliate me." His voice was calm but there was a firm edge beneath it. Making it clear he meant every word.
Jin Mulan did not hesitate this time. She nodded her expression resolute. Her earlier anger now replaced with sincerity. "I promise," she said her voice steady and wholehearted.