Chapter Text
The next morning, Bai Xiang woke up early as she was used to. She had spent years waking up at dawn to work in the kitchen and the past few days had not been enough to get rid of that habit. She left the bed quietly as to not wake up Ouyang Zizhen and dressed quickly. She ran her hand through her beloved hair and kissed his cheek before walking out of the bedroom.
Carp Tower was much bigger than Ouyang Manor and Bai Xiang had to ask for direction to the kitchen. Once she got there, she was surprised to find Jin Ling and Lan Sizhui sitting down at a table in a corner and talking quietly. She had not expected the leader of the Jin Sect to be up and about that early in the morning.
Bai Xiang bowed formally. “Sect Leader Jin, Lan-gongzi, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Lan Sizhui smiled. “Good morning.”
“You’re not interrupting,” Jin Ling said in a gruff voice. Then he said, “Are you hungry? I can have some food delivered to your room if you want.”
Bai Xiang felt incredibly awkward being a guest in Carp Tower and she did not want to inconvenience Jin Ling more than she already was.
“Sect Leader Jin, if you’ll allow me, I was hoping to prepare some breakfast for Ouyang-gonzi myself.”
Jin Ling rolled his eyes. “No need to be so formal,” he told her. “Make yourself at home and if you need anything just let me know.”
Bai Xiang slightly bowed her head. “Thank you, Sect Leader Jin.”
Jin Ling sighed. “I’m serious! Just call me Jin Rulan, all my friends do.”
Jin Ling had sect duties he needed to attend to and after making sure that Bai Xiang did not need any help, he left the kitchen and made his way to his study. Lan Sizhui for his part went to the gardens to meditate.
Bai Xiang brought a tray of food back to their bedroom and set it on the table just as Ouyang Zizhen was waking up. The young man was confused to wake up in an unfamiliar environment. In his sleep, he had forgotten all about his father’s death but now, reality came crashing down. He took a deep breath but did not get out of bed.
Bai Xiang sat down on the side of the bed. She gently touched Ouyang Zizhen’s cheek and he closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling.
“I’m going to draw you a bath,” she suddenly said.
Bai Xiang did not know what to do to make Ouyang Zizhen feel better. She did not know if anything could make him feel better after his father’s death.
“You don’t have to,” Ouyang Zizhen told her quietly.
“I want to. Let me take care of you.”
Ouyang Zizhen’s lips curved into a small smile. “Only if you let me take care of you in return.” Bai Xiang nodded slowly. “I’ll draw you a bath next time,” he told her resolutely.
Bai Xiang chuckled lightly. “Do you even know how to do that?”
Ouyang Zizhen squared his shoulders. “I can haul buckets of water!” he exclaimed. Bai Xiang gave him a look. “I can! I’m deceptively strong!”
Bai Xiang smiled at him, a little bit amused. Ouyang Zizhen was a cultivator and a future sect leader. His education had always focused on sword fighting and martial arts. He was also very fond of literature, poetry in particular. Ouyang Zizhen was a young master through and through and Bai Xiang knew he had never cooked his own food or drawn his own bath once in his entire life.
Bai Xiang could not help but kiss away Ouyang Zizhen’s pout.
“Thank you,” he told her.
“It’s my pleasure.”
Bai Xiang meant it with all her heart.
ooo
One morning, as she was taking a walk around the gardens, Bai Xiang stumbled upon Lan Sizhui who was meditating near a lotus pond. She immediately froze but Lan Sizhui had heard her approach. He opened his eyes.
“Lan-gongzi, I apologize for disturbing you,” Bai Xiang said.
“It’s all right,” Lan Sizhui told her gently. “Would you like to join me?”
“I’ve never meditated before,” Bai Xiang explained. She sat down next to Lan Sizhui. “I don’t know how to.”
Lan Sizhui shook his head. “There’s nothing to it, really. You simply need to sit down and relax your mind.”
“I’m not used to being idle,” Bai Xiang said. Then, her eyes widened as she realized how incredibly rude she was being. “I mean– I’m used to manual work,” she explained. “I’m not a proper lady, and I’m not a cultivator either. I’m just a servant.”
Lan Sizhui looked away and hummed. He closed his eyes again.
“You fear you won’t be able to support Zizhen in his role as sect leader.”
Bai Xiang stared at him in surprise. The truth was, Bai Xiang knew she was not ready to be a sect leader’s wife. When Ouyang Zizhen and her had decided to elope, they could never have imagined that the current sect leader would die so soon and that Ouyang Zizhen would have to shoulder the burden of having to build the whole sect back up.
“Yes…” she finally whispered.
Lan Sizhui nodded. “I think you will both need to adjust to the situation. You can meditate on that.”
“I will.”
ooo
A few days later, Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Li finally arrived in Carp Tower. Jin Ling led them to his private study, away from prying eyes and opened the door to let them in.
Ouyang Li was wearing a thick white mourning dress and Ouyang Zizhen’s heart constricted in his chest at seeing her pale face. She was wearing the Lan Clan headband and Ouyang Zizhen suddenly realized that he had not seen her since her wedding day.
Lan Jingyi did not look any better. He had lost one of his best friends and was also shouldering the burden of his wife’s pain at losing her older brother.
Ouyang Li gasped as she caught sight of her older brother standing in the room, very much alive.
“Ge!” she exclaimed and immediately rushed forward to hug him. “You’re alive!”
“A-Li,” Ouyang Zizhen said, hugging her tightly. “I’m so sorry.”
Ouyang Zizhen let her go and turned to Lan Jingyi.
“Jingyi,” he greeted his friend.
Lan Jingyi grabbed Ouyang Zizhen’s shoulders firmly. “I can’t believe you’re alive. What happened to you?”
Ouyang Li had finally noticed the young woman standing awkwardly besides Ouyang Zizhen. Her face looked familiar.
Ouyang Zizhen cleared his throat. “Meimei, this is Bai Xiang… my beloved.”
Ouyang Li gasped. She took a closer look at the young woman and realized that she had seen her before. She was one of the servants working at Ouyang Manor.
“You ran away?” Ouyang Li asked.
Ouyang Zizhen nodded slowly. Bai Xiang was bracing for Ouyang Li’s reaction. After all, she had no idea how the young woman would react at the idea of her brother running away with a servant.
Ouyang Li turned to Bai Xiang, formed a circle with her arms and bowed formally.
“Then I owe you my brother’s life,” she said.
Bai Xiang gasped. “Lan-furen! Don’t bow to me, please,” she said, distressed at such a display.
Bai Xiang went to grab Ouyang Li’s elbow but the other woman grabbed Bai Xiang’s hand instead.
“We’re going to be sisters, you and I,” Ouyang Li said. “You should call me A-Li.”
ooo
Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Li could not stay for long in Lanling without arousing suspicion. Ouyang Li did not want to leave her brother so soon after finding out he was alive and insisted Ouyang Zizhen and Bai Xiang get married while they were all gathered in Carp Tower.
Despite Ouyang Zizhen’s protests, Jin Ling insisting on paying for their wedding clothes. Ouyang Li gifted Bai Xiang a comb that had belonged to her own mother and helped her style her hair for the ceremony.
The ceremony was very small. The bride and groom kowtowed to the earth and heaven, to Ouyang Li who was sitting with her own husband, and then to each other.
Ouyang Zizhen did not know what the future held but he was ready to face anything with his wife by his side.