see you happily married," Liu Yi said, looking away towards the canal, now the one not quite able to meet Wen Yu's gaze. "But I find myself grateful that you have not found a love match quite yet."
It was such a blatantly obvious invitation, and Wen Yu felt hot and cold all at once. He looked over at Liu Yi, face turned away from him now.
What have I done?
"Liu Yi …" Wen Yu reached out, pushing an escaped strand of hair back behind Liu Yi ear without thinking of what he was doing or what he would say.
"I should let you get back to your studies." Liu Yi unlinked his arm from Wen Yu's, making him feel unexpectedly bereft. "Study well." Liu Yi stepped close, tipping his face down towards Wen Yu with a small smile, and for a moment Wen Yu thought he was about to be kissed. He sucked in a sharp breath, and Liu Yi stepped away. "I hope we can do this again." Liu Yi tucked his hands into his sleeves.
"Yes." Wen Yu wanted Liu Yi to look happier, hated the thought that he'd made Liu Yi unhappy. "I would like that." He smiled at Liu Yi and was relieved when Liu Yi smiled back.
"Then until next time." Liu Yi gave him a little nod before heading towards the palace.
Wen Yu watched him go until Liu Yi was just a tiny jewel-colored dot among the willow trees. Then he smacked himself on the forehead with the palm of one hand.
"Idiot."
He turned and headed towards his own little room, trying hard not to think about Liu Yi and failing.
Six
The time for the Palace Examination was almost upon them. Wen Yu knew it not only because he kept careful track of the days, but also because the weather was warming noticeably. The trees already bore soft new leaves, and the struggling, bent cherry tree outside his window was beginning to bear the tight little buds that would soon be blossoms.
Wen Yu was bent over his desk, critiquing his older works of poetry, when a tapping came at the edge of his window. Looking up and around, Wen Yu saw a small brown bird. It was not a thrush this time, but another bird he could not place.
"What are you doing?" the bird said, voice high and sharp. "What are you doing sitting there when you should be translating the Moon Poems? You were chosen."
With that, the bird turned and took several little awkward hops across the tile of the roof outside Wen Yu's window, before it took to the sky. Wen Yu sat back and shook his head. He had no idea what to make of this new message; he turned back to the poems spread out across his desk. They were finely crafted; if he tinkered with them any further, they would be ruined. He could go back to studying the Classics, but truth be told, he'd memorized them and every piece of related historical analysis of them a long time ago. Unbidden, he thought of Liu Yi and of the last time he'd looked at the poems. He really should not even contemplate it; no matter what the talking bird said, he did not have the time.
Wen Yu stood and went to find his jacket and boots.
The guards at the smaller gate whispered behind their hands when they saw him, but they opened the gate for him nonetheless.
No one answered when Wen Yu knocked on the door to Liu Yi's rooms, and Wen Yu felt a little foolish. He should have written ahead. Liu Yi had other duties to attend to, after all. He turned and went back out into the street, ignoring the stifled snicker from one of the guards.
Several streets down from the Imperial Palace, Wen Yu found a street vendor selling stew and tea out of huge pots. He had a cup of tea while he sat on a mat on the edge of the street. He should go back to his rooms, write a note to Liu Yi, and keep studying until he received a reply. He wasn't sure what he would say, though, so after finishing his tea and handing back the cup, he started back towards the palace.
This time when the guards let him in, they didn't try to hide their looks and grins.
There were benches set up in the courtyard that hadn't been there last time Wen Yu had come. A group of young women ranging
It was such a blatantly obvious invitation, and Wen Yu felt hot and cold all at once. He looked over at Liu Yi, face turned away from him now.
What have I done?
"Liu Yi …" Wen Yu reached out, pushing an escaped strand of hair back behind Liu Yi ear without thinking of what he was doing or what he would say.
"I should let you get back to your studies." Liu Yi unlinked his arm from Wen Yu's, making him feel unexpectedly bereft. "Study well." Liu Yi stepped close, tipping his face down towards Wen Yu with a small smile, and for a moment Wen Yu thought he was about to be kissed. He sucked in a sharp breath, and Liu Yi stepped away. "I hope we can do this again." Liu Yi tucked his hands into his sleeves.
"Yes." Wen Yu wanted Liu Yi to look happier, hated the thought that he'd made Liu Yi unhappy. "I would like that." He smiled at Liu Yi and was relieved when Liu Yi smiled back.
"Then until next time." Liu Yi gave him a little nod before heading towards the palace.
Wen Yu watched him go until Liu Yi was just a tiny jewel-colored dot among the willow trees. Then he smacked himself on the forehead with the palm of one hand.
"Idiot."
He turned and headed towards his own little room, trying hard not to think about Liu Yi and failing.
Six
The time for the Palace Examination was almost upon them. Wen Yu knew it not only because he kept careful track of the days, but also because the weather was warming noticeably. The trees already bore soft new leaves, and the struggling, bent cherry tree outside his window was beginning to bear the tight little buds that would soon be blossoms.
Wen Yu was bent over his desk, critiquing his older works of poetry, when a tapping came at the edge of his window. Looking up and around, Wen Yu saw a small brown bird. It was not a thrush this time, but another bird he could not place.
"What are you doing?" the bird said, voice high and sharp. "What are you doing sitting there when you should be translating the Moon Poems? You were chosen."
With that, the bird turned and took several little awkward hops across the tile of the roof outside Wen Yu's window, before it took to the sky. Wen Yu sat back and shook his head. He had no idea what to make of this new message; he turned back to the poems spread out across his desk. They were finely crafted; if he tinkered with them any further, they would be ruined. He could go back to studying the Classics, but truth be told, he'd memorized them and every piece of related historical analysis of them a long time ago. Unbidden, he thought of Liu Yi and of the last time he'd looked at the poems. He really should not even contemplate it; no matter what the talking bird said, he did not have the time.
Wen Yu stood and went to find his jacket and boots.
The guards at the smaller gate whispered behind their hands when they saw him, but they opened the gate for him nonetheless.
No one answered when Wen Yu knocked on the door to Liu Yi's rooms, and Wen Yu felt a little foolish. He should have written ahead. Liu Yi had other duties to attend to, after all. He turned and went back out into the street, ignoring the stifled snicker from one of the guards.
Several streets down from the Imperial Palace, Wen Yu found a street vendor selling stew and tea out of huge pots. He had a cup of tea while he sat on a mat on the edge of the street. He should go back to his rooms, write a note to Liu Yi, and keep studying until he received a reply. He wasn't sure what he would say, though, so after finishing his tea and handing back the cup, he started back towards the palace.
This time when the guards let him in, they didn't try to hide their looks and grins.
There were benches set up in the courtyard that hadn't been there last time Wen Yu had come. A group of young women ranging
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