The Fox's Den wasn't filled with patrons. Various employees were milling about, cleaning and preparing for opening. Yet no one batted an eye when Jinse slammed open the doors. The only reaction was the woman behind the bar letting out a sigh when seeing the company he brought with him, knowing full well Jinse was up to something.
As if we don't have enough work, the bartender thought to herself. Her name was Hu Ning and she wasn't just a bartender. Hu Ning was the one in charge when Jinse wasn't around. More often than not, she managed everything both above and below board. She made sure the Fox's Den was always running even following Jinse's whims.
She pulled out and placed a red wine jar that had detailed patterns painted into the surface and set it at the end of the bar closest to the door. It was only filled with water but they kept the unique jar as a symbol to the less than savory side of the business to keep it quiet. Even if there was a likelihood that Shizhe could predict their more shady business dealings, there was no reason to give concrete evidence to a member of the upper court.
"Hu Ning, we'll be delaying opening a little longer," Jinse waved over to her as they passed the bar.
"Understood," Hu Ning offered a curt response.
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable, Master Diviner?" Jinse gestured to the establishment as a whole. He placed a hand between Xueye's shoulders and started guiding him away, "Let's get you all set!"
"Is there anything I can get you, Lady Guangming?" Hu Ning asked politely.
"Just some water if you don't mind. We've been out most of the day." Shizhe flashed her a sweet smile. "We appreciate you going along with our whims."
"It's nothing, we are used to Master Jinse's frivolities," Hu ning shrugged. "Since we haven't opened yet it really isn't a problem."
"Sounds like he can be a bit of a handful," Shizhe smirked, glancing over her shoulder to watch Jinse and Xueye chatting with the musicians.
"He can be but we are all grateful for his generosity," Hu Ning placed a glass of water with a slice of lemon on the rim next to Shizhe. "There's not a person working under him that hasn't been helped by him personally."
"Quite a softie, hmm?" Shizhe was already starting to pick up that, though he seemed he often only cared about Xueye, he was still sweet to those around him. He wasn't just some superficial flirt like her initial impression of him.
"My Lady, forgive me if this seems impertinent…" Hu Ning started tentatively. She was a bit hesitant to ask but curiosity was getting the better of her. "Is it possible to know, will he find his happiness?"
"I'm surprised, people normally ask me of their own fortune or family," Shizhe smiled. It spoke volumes about how well Jinse treated his employees.
"Don't tell him, but personally I think he deserves it more than anyone," Hu Ning sighed. "I couldn't care less about my own happiness at this point."
"I'm sure his misery would mean more work for you, hmm?" Shize lightly teased. Her face fell away as the eyes watched the shifting surface of the water in her glass. "I wish I could. He and Xueye, their stars are obscured to me. I can't read them very well… I admit it's frustrating. Even in our short time together, I want to ensure their happiness. I don't know how to help them with that."
"Perhaps he'll listen to you better than me," Hu Ning smirked. She was glad Jinse wasn't rubbing her the wrong way. "I've told him countless times to pursue his love but he always shrugs it off and I see him with another or many. Regardless, the longing in his eyes is not for those he's with."
"That can't be good for anyone involved," Shizhe sighed. She could only imagine how heartbroken someone would be once they found out.
"It's not as bad as it used to be," Hu Ning could see her thoughts on her face. "Having the reputation of being so shameless that no one can pin down has subverted expectations."
"You wouldn't be concerned if it weren't still a problem," Shizhe knitted her brow. Her desire to meddle was ever growing. It certainly wasn't going to escape her higher priorities for quite some time. She had plenty of free time for the next couple of months to work out and begin a plan of action and start implanting ideas in the right places at the right time. "Hollow hearts have plenty of room for fulfillment. I want them to have a chance at that."
"You are too kind, My Lady," Hu Ning was a bit taken aback by her words and the soft sentiment behind them. She hadn't expected a Lady of the upper court to be such a sweetheart. She was starting to feel a little more at ease that Jinse was frequenting Shizhe's company. She knew full well that she never needed to worry about Jinse, but after working with him so closely over the years she couldn't help it. "If you need assistance let me know. You'll find that many of us are more than willing."
"Oh?" Shizhe beamed. She loved nothing more than when there were others willing to help her meddle. She adored the idea even more so when it came to pulling one over on Jinse. It was certainly a challenge given how clever he was. Having someone who knew him well would be quite an advantage since she had no way of using her abilities on him. "Madam Hu Ning, would you be opposed to going out to tea with me sometime?"
"Sounds delightful," Hu Ning smiled warmly.
"Trying to poach my bartender?" Jinse slipped up next to Shizhe with a coy grin.
"Perhaps I might," Shizhe teased without missing a beat, hoping he didn't hear any more than that inquiry.
"Then I might just have to tell Xinhua," Jinse teased.
"It's not like that!" Shizhe flushed a little, a mild panic at the thought of some little misunderstanding between her and Xinhua. "I'm allowed to make friends as I please! We were having a nice chat!"
"Nothing wrong with having more than one lover," Jinse snickered. He was finding he really enjoyed getting under her skin a little.
"You would know," Hu Ning mumbled under her breath.
"I'm not the only one," Jinse shrugged.
"Just one that flaunts it more openly," Hu Ning verbally jabbed. "Did you happen to confess to your beloved yet?"
"Shh!" Jinse hushed, glancing over his shoulder, hoping Xueye was still busy. Fortunately, the young man seemed quite focused on altering what he was wearing to be more suitable for his performance needs over by the stage.
"Sir, you know I wouldn't if he were near," Hu Ning smirked at how bristled Jinse was.
"Sometimes I wonder," Jinse leered at her. "What if one day you get fed up with me?"
"Then you really will have to focus on running things without me around," Hu Ning narrowed her eyes amusedly.
"Then I pray that you don't," Jinse waved a little annoyedly. He felt the weight of the book he had tucked into his sleeve and his expression lit back up. "Oh! I nearly forgot!" Jinse pulled it out and handed it to Shizhe. "This is something to add to your repertoire."
"What's this?" Shizhe was taken aback. She hadn't even noticed that he'd picked up the book while they were in the store. She was too excited over her own finds at the time.
"It'll help in that foundation of yours," Jinse mentioned. "True cultivation may be out of your reach starting this late in life but follow this and I'm sure you might find a little more than divination within your grasp."
"You weren't just kidding, right?! It might actually be possible?!" Shizhe's expression shined as she looked from the book up to him, searching for any sign of his usual playful nature.
"I told you I want your help to protect him, and I mean it," Jinse nodded with a genuine smile on his face. "You still need to get these basics on your own first. So don't celebrate yet."
"I'll try my hardest! I won't let either of you down!" Shizhe was practically jumping with joy. Her to-do list was growing but she was excited to take it all on. She would be sure to find a little time out of her day for that as well. It wouldn't only benefit to protect Xueye but she'd finally feel much more capable of protecting Yushi from barely intervening in assassination attempts by a simple injury to the assassins, leaving others to step in to finish the job. A better chance to protect everyone she cared about was now at her fingertips. "It really means a lot to me!"
Xueye heard the commotion Shizhe was making. He smiled upon seeing them get along as he finished retying his hair to be fully up and out of his way. It didn't need to be anything special for practice, yet he still found himself fussing over it for some reason. Perhaps it was just a habit or was it the company. Xueye shook his head trying to shake the thought.
Xueye had removed his looser outer robes from his upper body, letting them hang around his waist, leaving him in his more form fitting long sleeves. While he considered even removing that, the blade wasn't just decorative. It did have an edge to it. Specifically for sword dancing he rarely wore much that covered his arms that wasn't clingy, as often he found sleeves got in the way, but he didn't want to risk cutting himself on accident because his skills were rusty. It was also for that reason he didn't intend to do any tosses just yet, he'd get something else to practice those another time.
"Okay, ready when you are, Master Chen," Xueye nodded over to the lead musician as he moved to the center of the stage.
"We're ready as well, Young Master," Chen Lan called over.
Xueye took a deep breath and waited for the first notes to grace his ears. The melody of the song they agreed upon soon graced his ears. He lost himself in the slow and serene start, synchronizing his smooth sweeping movements with the gentle tune. He could already feel the burn of long since unused muscles with his steady and controlled movements. It really was proof he needed to practice. Even so it was a satisfying feeling just to be able to dance again, filling him with a sense of euphoria he hadn't felt in a long time.
It was easy to be drawn in by Xueye's movement, it wasn't just Shizhe and Jinse who were taken by the young man's elegant display as even some of the employees were distracted from their preparations. Xueye had those around practically hypnotized.
Jinse was fully enamored. He'd seen Xueye perform every chance he got but Xueye was still learning the art of sword dancing from his instructor during his last few visits to Vual even leading up to the incident that left Xueye injured. He hadn't had the chance to perform much once he recovered. This was a new artform to witness Xueye in.
Each swing of the sword very much reminded Jinse of the first Meigui he fell for. He'd always seen much of Xinyi's likeness in Xueye. The way they acted, the smaller frame, their gentle eyes were also so strikingly similar. Seeing Xueye move about so fluidly with a sword in hand was almost like she was alive once again. He knew it was impossible, she died in his arms after all. Despite all the similarities, Xueye was very much his own person. A person he loved so deeply it hurt.
Xueye found himself out of breath once the song came to an end. While he spent most of his day on his feet, dancing was very different, using all sorts of muscles he hadn't used in quite some time. "Heavens, I am a little out of shape for this."
"It was so wonderful, Xueye!!" Shizhe skipped up to the very edge of the stage as Xueye sat on the edge, sheathing the blade. "You must invite me to your future performances!! If it's too busy here to practice, certainly I can arrange for you to practice in the expanse of my home."
"Hey now, this stage will always be open to him," Jinse scoffed from behind her. "You just want to hog him to yourself."
"Maybe I do!" Shizhe tilted her head back and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Now, now, there's enough of me for you to share," Xueye giggled. "Besides, I wouldn't want to steal the stage all the time from those lovely dancers you always have around."
"They would understand," Jinse flashed a supportive smile. "I bet they wouldn't even put up a fight. They often ask me if you ever were going to perform again. They admire you."
"What? Really?" Xueye felt his cheeks heat up a little more than the physical exertion had caused.
"They will be quite jealous that they didn't arrive early tonight," Hu Ning interjected. She reached out a glass of water for Xueye to take. "Here's some water, Young Master."
"Thank you, Hu Ning," Xueye took it gratefully and downed half of it in one go. "I wasn't aware I had such fans."
"You have more than you think." Jinse beamed proudly. "You could go ask that lovely Director you worked with for a while. I'm sure she'll tell you all about it. There will be plenty of people delighted to learn you are returning to performance."
"I certainly can't wait to see more!" Shizhe giggled, practically bouncing.
"I agree," Jinse let out a soft and sweet laugh that tugged on Xueye's heart.
"I'll be sure to work hard to get back into shape then," Xueye smiled warmly.
Xueye was always so used to his father and the man's associates often looking down on him, especially his skills as a performer. He'd never really thought someone would look up to him or even look forward to his performances. Though it wasn't really the concept of some occasional strangers that appealed to him to work hard, but rather how much Jinse and Shizhe seemed to love it so much. He wished Shujing was present as well since the older man was also looking forward to seeing him on stage as well.
"No rush if you aren't, Young Master, but are you finished for the evening?" Hu Ning asked as she returned.
"It is getting on the later side isn't it?" Xueye thought aloud. "I don't think I have it in me for one more anyway." Xueye slipped off the edge of the stage to stand on the ground floor with everyone else.
"Is it alright if we finish opening then, Master Jinse?" Hu Ning asked cordially.
"By all means," Jinse nodded, gesturing towards the front door.
With the permission she needed she slipped off to finish whatever last preparations she had and to speak with other workers.
"We should probably get going," Xueye stated. "We've bothered you enough for one day."
"None of that," Jinse said, grabbing the young man's hand and pressing a kiss into the back of it. "You are never a bother to me."
"S-still! It really wouldn't do to arrive late to see Shujing again!" Xueye said, quickly trying to hide his nerves over the gesture as best he could.
"Right!!" Shizhe chimed in quickly. "He might kill me if I get you back late!"
"Would you two like company? I don't mind escorting you a bit longer," Jinse didn't really want to part from Xueye just yet. It had been so long since they'd last spent time together, he wanted it to last a little longer.
"We should be fine, I plan on keeping him safe," Shizhe stated. She was a little worried about the idea of Yushi and Jinse meeting so soon, especially with how clingy Jinse has been today. It surely would stir up conflict if Yushi were to see.
"No need to go out of your way," Xueye smiled warmly as he started shrugging his robes back on properly. "You are already here so you might as well stay put."
"I guess you're right," Jinse let out a dejected sigh.
"I'll be back in a few days so don't pout," Xueye giggled. Jinse always seemed to pout whenever they were about to part.
"I'm not pouting," Jinse crossed his arms, looking a little grumbled.
"Definitely pouting," Shizhe whispered to Xueye from behind her fan.
"I can hear you still," Jinse scowled at her.
"Good for you," She grinned mischievously.
Jinse sighed as Xueye finished getting himself and gathered his items together. He looked at Shizhe with a sharp and serious expression. "You see him home safely."
"You don't need to tell me," Shizhe nodded, not even making a joke out of it.
The two bid Jinse farewell but he still watched them from the door until they vanished in the sunset soaked streets. It was tempting to still follow them to not only se Xueye safe but to learn where he was staying. But he let them go. If there was anyone to entrust Xueye with, Shizhe and her judgement upon learning the future was likely the best there could be. It didn't stop him from staring in the last spot he'd seen them for some time, even as guests started trickling in and greeting him. It was a while before he finally decided to step back inside.
"Hu Ning, whenever Lim Song and Wang Min arrive, send them to my office if you would." Jinse grumbled as he walked past the bar.
"Yes, sir," Hu Ning replied. She could tell by his look that there would likely be no more dance performance on the stage for the rest of the night, none of them would likely leave his office until the morning. After all, Jinse had a habit that the night or two that followed meeting with Xueye, Jinse was quite relentless with whatever lover he had at the time.
It was quite some time before Wang Min slipped through the front door. Hu Ning immediately waved him over to the bar. Placing a glass of water before him. He'd certainly need it.
"Drink," Hu Ning commanded.
"Yes, ma'am," Wang Min leaned on the bar, taking up the glass. "Let me guess, Master wants me. It's the only time you force water upon me that isn't following a performance."
"Yes," Hu Ning sighed. "The Young Master was here earlier so I hope you didn't have plans to be anywhere else tonight."
"I see," Wang Min giggled, understanding the implication. He was used to receiving Jinse's misplaced passion by now. He knew from the first moment he saw Jinse and Xueye together that he was simply a replacement for the Young Master, having a similar frame and gentle face. Regardless, he never minded. He was always in it just for fun and pleasure. He wasn't delusional like many of Jinse's other lovers, often thinking they will finally be the one to tame the beast. There was only one person that could and even then Wang Min expected it would be hard for Jinse to be satiated. "He'll be all worked up. Can't wait." Wang Min smirked with delight. "What was the Young Master here for anyways? Couldn't be the shipment already."
"He was practicing a sword dance," Hu Ning stated with a faint smug expression knowing how upset it would make him.
"And I missed it?!" He looked truly devastated. He whined, slumping on the bar, "That's what I get for being good and doing my job for once."
"Did you find anything?" She asked.
"Nothing we don't already know," Wang Min pouted. "But I think I might be established a bit better on that side of town, so if we are patient..."
"You know he can't be when it comes to the Young Master," Hu Ning sighed. "Still, keep at it. If their organization survives after this, it'll be useful to know more."
"I figured." Wang Min huffed. "I still can't believe it. How long has it been since he performed?"
"About two years, give or take." Hu Ning mentioned with a bit of a depressed tone in her voice. She was taken in by his talents that night, even if it was the first time she witnessed it personally. She'd heard plenty from Jinse and also thought it was such a shame that Lord Meigui suppressed such masterful tallent.
"What a crime," Wang Min grumbled. It was seeing Xueye perform on stage at the opera house that inspired him to learn to dance. It changed his life for the better, especially after Jinse drew him into the Fox's Den. It was likely the part of Wang Min that idolized Xueye that brought him to imitate the young man in a way, likely what gave him appeal to Jinse. Despite Wang Min's moping over missing out, he was still a little happy to hear that it would be possible to see Xueye perform again. "I hope I get to be here next time."
"I'm sure you will get the chance," Hu Ning smiled softly. It quickly turned mischievous, "I'm sure you'll feel it next time too."
"All the more reason to look forward to it," Wang Min snickered. He quickly polished off the water she gave him and shoved off the bar. "Speaking of, best not keep our Master waiting much longer!" He waved as he drifted off towards Jinse's office.
"Good luck," Hu Ning shook her head with an amused smirk.