Luo He and Jin Mulan eventually escaped deeper into the mansion until they finally reached the quiet safety of Luo He's laboratory.
The moment the heavy wooden door closed behind them the atmosphere changed completely. Unlike the warm comfort of their chambers the laboratory carried a colder sharper feeling.
Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling packed with strange minerals, preserved herbs, ancient scrolls and glass containers filled with liquids of different colors.
A faint metallic scent mixed with the smell of ink and burned oils lingered permanently in the air. Several crystal lamps glowed softly across the room casting pale golden light over Luo He's cluttered worktable. It was covered in blueprints, tools, sketches and half-finished experiments.
Luo He walked toward his chair and dropped into it with a tired sigh. Finally.
Peace. Or so he thought. A moment later Jin Mulan walked directly toward him again with completely obvious intentions.
Luo He immediately pointed a finger at her before she could sit on his lap.
"No. No, please don't." Jin Mulan paused mid-step. "This," Luo He declared seriously while gesturing around the laboratory.
"Is a professional workplace." She stared at him blankly. "It is basic workplace ethics not to bring your personal life into it." Jin Mulan slowly narrowed her eyes.
Luo He then pointed toward the large wooden worktable nearby. "There," he said. "Go sit on the desk instead. I only have one chair." The silence afterward felt dangerous. Very dangerous.
Jin Mulan folded her arms slowly beneath her chest. Then without saying a single word she began walking toward the table. And immediately Luo He realized she had chosen battle.
Every step was deliberate and elegant. Provocative in the most shameless way possible while still maintaining her usual noble composure. Her crimson and white robes swayed softly around her legs with each slow step.
The knee length slit along the side shifting just enough to reveal glimpses of movement beneath the layered fabric without actually exposing anything improper. Her expression meanwhile radiated pure offended dignity.
Which somehow made it worse. She was very clearly trying to punish him now.
And is clearly enjoying it. Luo He leaned back slightly in his chair staring at her with complete disbelief.
"You are absolutely doing this on purpose, you monster." Jin Mulan ignored him entirely. She reached the edge of the desk before smoothly sitting atop it one leg crossing lightly over the other before relaxing again just enough to appear effortless beneath the folds of her dress.
Then she looked at him calmly. Like she had done absolutely nothing unusual at all. Luo He stared at her for several long seconds.
Then finally sighed dramatically. "Why do I get the feeling you're trying far too hard right now sweetheart?"
Jin Mulan's brow twitched faintly. "I have no idea what you mean my love," she replied with quiet indifference. "Then perhaps it's me," Luo He muttered suspiciously.
She tilted her head slightly while maintaining the same composed expression. "Perhaps," she said coolly. "You are simply becoming easier to distract." Luo He immediately pointed at her accusingly.
"I knew having you was a mistake. Women and children truly slow a man down." The reaction was instant. Jin Mulan's expression froze. Then her eyes slowly widened.
And before Luo He could even process what happened tears appeared. Real tears. "Is that how you think of me?" she asked quietly. Luo He blinked. "What?" he asked in confusion.
"Was I a mistake to you?" She kept on crying. "And our daughter too?" Her voice trembled slightly now as she lowered her gaze.
"Is that what she is to you as well?" The tears came harder now sliding down Jin Mulan's cheeks so quickly they almost looked unreal. Luo He immediately panicked.
"Mulan, baby, please don't take it personally." The moment the words left his mouth he knew he had already lost. Completely.
Inside his own head Luo He could practically hear himself cursing. "You and your stupid oversized brain..." He should have known better.
When a woman attacks with emotion logic becomes useless. You do not argue against the tide. You survive it. And right now he was drowning in it.
So Luo He did the only reasonable thing left. He surrendered immediately and without conditions before the flood completely washed him away.
He got to his feet at once and walked straight toward her. "Mulan, honey, please forgive your husband's stupidity," he said dramatically. "I won't joke like that again."
Jin Mulan sniffed quietly without looking at him. Luo He immediately became even more desperate. "I do love you," he continued quickly.
"Why would I ever truly think you or our daughter were mistakes? It was only a stupid joke meant to tease you." She still refused to look at him. That was terrifying.
"Please don't cry," Luo He pleaded while crouching slightly in front of her. "It genuinely hurts me when you do."
Then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Even though I know that is exactly what you want me to feel." Jin Mulan remained silent. "You want me to feel guilty," Luo He accused softly. "This is emotional assassination."
Still silence. Luo He sighed dramatically before spreading his arms in surrender.
"Fine. You win." He said. That finally made her glance toward him slightly through watery eyes.
Luo He pointed toward the floor heroically. "If you wish to punish me go ahead. I shall accept my fate with dignity. I promise I won't make a sound."
"What are you doing?" She asked confused. "I am offering unconditional surrender." Luo He said with his naive husband voice.
Jin Mulan's lips twitched faintly.
Encouraged, Luo He immediately continued. "You want revenge? Fine. I won't resist. I'll lie right here on the ground. I won't even complain. You can scold me for hours if it heals your wounded heart."
"You are ridiculous." She said. "I am devoted to you." Luo He answered with care. "You are overlay dramatic." She said. "I am suffering honey." Despite herself Jin Mulan almost smiled before quickly forcing the expression away again.
Then she lowered her gaze once more.
"Our daughter?" she whispered softly. "Is that truly how you see us?" Luo He stared at her in disbelief. Because somehow she was still acting. And acting really well at that.
The slight tremble in her voice. The way she avoided eye contact. Even the tiny sniff afterward. Terrifying. Truly terrifying. Luo He pointed at her immediately. "You little liar."
Jin Mulan ignored him completely. "I waited for you all night," she murmured sadly. "And this is how you truly feel about me." Luo He finally broke into helpless laughter. "Oh, you are evil."
That only made her expression look even more wounded. "I merely tried using the same tricks you always use on me honey," he replied softly. "And apparently they work on you too." Luo He said.
"That is not the point." Jin Mulan said.
"Yes it is." Luo He argued. "No it isn't." She said yet again. She folded her arms lightly while continuing to look devastated.
"If women use lust to make men suffer," he said quietly. "Then what is wrong with using commitment to make you suffer back?" Luo He covered part of his face with one hand while laughing in defeat.
"This marriage is psychological warfare." Jin Mulan said without any hesitation in her voice now slightly recovered. "It's balance." Luo He whispered to her ear.
"It's tyranny." Jin Mulan said and the two laughed together.
"It's consequences." Luo He said to her.
Then after a perfectly timed pause she added softly "You still broke my heart though."
Luo He immediately pointed at her again.
"No. Absolutely not. You do not get to emotionally stab me and still pretend to be innocent afterward."
At that the corners of Jin Mulan's lips finally betrayed her. The smallest smile appeared. Tiny. Victorious. Dangerous.
Luo He saw it instantly. His eyes narrowed slowly. Then a slow grin spread across his own face.
Jin Mulan immediately tried to hide the smile. Too late. "There," Luo He declared proudly while pointing at her like a detective uncovering the true mastermind behind a crime scene. "There's the criminal." He said proudly.