Luo He had been asleep only on the surface. Even in rest, his awareness never fully disappeared. The room remained quiet beneath the dim morning light.
The curtains shifting softly from the wind entering through the balcony. The dark cloud shuttle rested silently in the corner from the previous night.
Then a presence entered. Light footsteps. Careful. Almost hesitant.
Luo He sensed it immediately. But he did not move. For several moments, the figure simply stood beside the bed.
Watching him.
Then slowly leaning closer. A faint warmth brushed against his face.
Soft. Uncertain. Bing nervously pressed a quick kiss against the corner of his lips before immediately freezing as if shocked by her own courage.
Luo He still did not react. Her breathing became uneven. Then, gathering what little confidence she had left, she leaned closer again. This time actually kissing him.
Instantly Luo He's left hand shot upward.
Fast enough to blur. His fingers closed around her throat in one smooth motion, stopping her completely before she could even pull away.
Not enough pressure to injure. But enough to remind her exactly how dangerous he truly was. Bing's eyes widened in shock. Luo He slowly opened his eyes afterward. One at a time.
Cold awareness returned to his gaze immediately. For several long seconds neither of them moved. The atmosphere itself seemed frozen. Then Luo He spoke quietly.
"What exactly," he asked calmly, "did you think we were doing?" Bing's entire body trembled. Luo He's grip loosened almost immediately afterward, and he released her completely.
The moment her feet steadied properly on the ground, Bing dropped to her knees beside the bed. "I-I'm sorry Master." Her forehead slammed the floor again and again as she apologized repeatedly.
Luo He sat up slowly, watching her silently for a moment. Then sighed faintly. "Enough." Bing froze. "You are aware I am a married man," Luo He continued calmly. "So why would you do something this reckless?"
Bing lowered her head further. "I could not stop myself…Master." Luo He rubbed part of his forehead tiredly. "That is a terrible answer."
Bing immediately tried apologizing again, panic clearly overtaking her thoughts now. Luo He stopped her with a raised hand before she could continue.
"Stop panicking and answer properly."
The room became quiet again. Then finally he asked. "Did Jin Mulan know you were coming here?" he asked.
Bing hesitated. Then slowly nodded.
Luo He watched Bing kneeling on the floor for several long moments before finally speaking again. "Normally," he said calmly, "something this reckless would deserve punishment."
His voice never rose. "I would guess splitting your lips and salting it. Or maybe remove them all together." Bing trembled immediately cold shivers passing through her spine.
That somehow made it worse. Luo He leaned slightly forward, resting one arm across his knee while studying her frightened expression.
"You entered a married man's room while he slept," he continued. "And not just any man. The head of your own household."
Bing lowered herself even further.
"I know… I'm terribly sorry…" She said. Luo He sighed quietly. "For today, I'll overlook it." He said. Her shoulders visibly relaxed in relief.
"But do not mistake forgiveness for approval." He recalled. Bing nodded rapidly. "Yes, Master." She said. Luo He waved a hand dismissively toward the door.
"Go bring Jin Mulan." He said. Bing immediately rose and hurried from the room. The chamber became quiet again.
Luo He leaned back against the bed afterward, rubbing part of his forehead tiredly.
"This family becomes stranger every week," he muttered to himself. Several minutes later the door opened again.
Bing returned with Jin Mulan behind her.
The moment Jin Mulan stepped into the room, she noticed the atmosphere immediately. Luo He sat calmly at the bedside, but the silence surrounding him carried pressure heavier than anger.
Jin Mulan crossed her arms lightly. "What exactly did you say to Bing?" she asked carefully.
Then her eyes narrowed slightly. "Did you threaten her that you will cut her lips and add salt to the wound?" She asked harshly.
Bing looked nervous immediately. Luo He glanced toward her. "You may leave for now," he said calmly. "Wait outside until I finish speaking with my wife."
Bing instantly bowed her head. But before she could move, "No," Jin Mulan interrupted. "She stays." Luo He slowly looked toward his wife.
For a brief moment, the room became completely silent. Jin Mulan held his gaze despite the pressure behind it.
"She only acted because I allowed her to misunderstand the situation." Jin Mulan admitted calmly.
"If blame exists here, then speak to me directly." Luo He stared at her for several seconds. Then finally leaned back again with a long exhale.
"You really enjoy creating problems for me. Don't you?" Jin Mulan's expression softened slightly. "And yet you still solve them effortlessly. I you enjoy a good problem."
That answer nearly made Luo He laugh despite himself. Bing remained standing near the doorway looking completely trapped between the two of them.
While the married couple somehow turned a confrontation into another private argument only they fully understood.
Bing stood near the doorway with her head lowered so far that her hair almost brushed the floor. The atmosphere inside the room had become unbearably heavy.
Luo He sat at the edge of the bed in silence one elbow resting against his knee while his fingers pressed lightly against his forehead.
His expression was calm now but that calmness felt far more dangerous than anger. Jin Mulan stood nearby with folded arms, though even she looked noticeably less confident than usual.
Bing :- "I truly believed it was allowed from what I heard."
Her voice trembled weakly.
Bing :- "I thought Master He wanted me too."
Luo He slowly looked up at her.
Luo He :- "And why would you think that way?"
Bing hesitated. Because suddenly the answer sounded foolish even to herself.
Bing :- "You protected me. You made me noble. You treated me kindly. You allowed me near the household instead of keeping me as a servant."
Her hands tightened slightly in her lap.
Bing :- "And Mistress Mulan told me… men never do things without expecting something in return."
The room became silent.
Very slowly Luo He turned his head toward his wife. Jin Mulan immediately looked away.
Jin Mulan :- "In my defense… that usually is true."
Luo He :- "That will not help you in this case honey."
Bing hurriedly lowered herself further.
Bing :- "I truly thought becoming your concubine would make sense."
Bing :- "I have no family. I've been with Mistress Mulan since childhood. I only wanted stability and to have children someday."
Her voice became smaller near the end.
Bing :- "And Mistress said I should try kissing you to see whether you felt anything towards me."
Luo He closed his eyes. Slowly. Painfully.
Then pointed toward Jin Mulan without even looking at her.
Luo He :- "You."
Jin Mulan immediately defended herself.
Jin Mulan :- "She asked me sincerely! What was I supposed to say?"
Luo He :- "Any thig but that."
Jin Mulan :- "I never thought she would actually do it!"
Luo He :- "You literally told her to kiss me."
Jin Mulan :- "It sounded funny at the time."
Luo He stared at her in complete disbelief.
Luo He :- "You are genuinely becoming a bad influence."
Jin Mulan folded her arms tighter.
Jin Mulan :- "You married me."
Luo He :- "That does not excuse criminal behavior. But it makes a lot of sense now."
Bing looked increasingly horrified while listening to them argue over her existence like a failed military operation.
Bing :- "I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean to be disrespectfully."
Luo He raised a hand lightly, stopping her. Then his expression softened slightly, then he looked back toward her.
Luo He :- "I know you didn't."
That answer alone nearly made Bing cry again. Because that was the problem.
He understood her too well to truly hate her for it.
Luo He exhaled quietly before speaking again.
Luo He :- "You misunderstood kindness for possession. That is not entirely your fault."
Then his eyes shifted toward Jin Mulan again.
Luo He :- "Mostly." He said sarcasticly.
Jin Mulan clicked her tongue softly, but this time she did not argue.
Luo He :- "I care about you, Bing. You are family to this household. And I consider you as a sister."
Bing's shoulders trembled slightly.
Luo He :- "But that does not mean I belong to whoever decides things for me."
That sentence was directed at Jin Mulan far more than Bing. Jin Mulan understood immediately.
And for the first time since entering the room her expression weakened slightly.
Because beneath all the teasing and chaos she finally realized what had truly angered him.
Not the kiss. Not Bing. But the feeling that his own wife had casually offered him to another woman without ever asking what he wanted.
Jin Mulan :- "I didn't think about it that way."
Luo He looked at her calmly.
Luo He :- "I know."
That somehow made her feel even worse. Silence filled the room again afterward.
Then Luo He leaned back slightly and sighed.