บท 29: Uninvited Visitor
In the middle of the night, Mo Xian woke up to a draft in the room. It was a bit cold on the ground. Blinking blearily, he saw that the windows were open slightly. He must have not shut it tightly enough earlier. With a sigh, Mo Xian crawled up and walked over to the window quietly to pull the shutters close. He looked towards the bed and could just barely make out Wang Jingyuan's sleeping form. Her back was towards him, and she was curled up against the wall even though there was plenty of space on the bed. Mo Xian yawned and prepared to go back to bed.
Creeeeeak. Mo Xian froze mid-step, his right foot above the ground. Was that him? He didn't realize the floorboards were so creaky earlier. Besides the soft pitter-patter of rain outside and Wang Jingyuan's soft, even breathing, the room was silent. Gently, Mo Xian placed his foot down. There was no sound.
Creeeeak. Mo Xian hadn't even moved. This time, he knew for sure that it was not him. The creaking was not extremely loud, and it seemed to have come from outside the room, down the hall. Mo Xian was wide awake and alert now.
Perhaps it was just another customer who got up to use the restroom? Mo Xian tiptoed to the bamboo doors and listened closely. He didn't hear any more creaks for a few minutes. Mo Xian sighed quietly. He was just being overly cautious and got all worked up over nothing.
He was turning around to go back to bed when he heard another creak, followed by the unmistakable sound of soft footsteps treading slowly and deliberately. If he hadn't listened closely, he would have missed them completely. Mo Xian's heart leapt up into his throat. The footsteps were heading towards this room!
Since the room he and Wang Jingyuan were residing in was facing the street and right above the front of the inn, most people didn't want it due to the noise that would inevitably travel up from the busy street. Thus, this section of the hall on the second floor was less-visited and only had three rooms, two of which were closer to the landing. It was safe to say that their room was pretty secluded…so why was someone coming here in the middle of the night?
There was another creak closer to the door. Mo Xian thought he could hear the quiet breathing of a person outside. Whoever the person was, he did not come with good intentions if he was sneaking up to their room in the middle of the night. Mo Xian's heart was pounding. He thought about the assassins that appeared from the forest on that mountain pass and ambushed him. All of his guards, who were disguised as servants, were killed. Although Wang Jingyuan and Mo Xian managed to kill all of the assassins, Mo Xian knew that the person who sent the assassins will not give up so easily. He had his suspicions as to who was behind it all, and if he was correct in his guess, then Mo Xian and Wang Jingyuan were both in trouble.
The footsteps stopped in front of the door. Mo Xian looked around the room wildly for a place to hide. He can't give himself away. He needed to catch the intruder by surprise. If I was the intruder with the intention to kill the occupants of the room in the middle of the night, where would I go? Mo Xian thought. His eyes landed on the bed. Silently, he bundled up his bedding, blanket, and pillow and shoved it all under the bed.
Wang Jingyuan was sleeping peacefully when she felt the space beside her dip, followed by a hand covering her mouth. Her eyes snapped open immediately. At the same time, her hand reached for Feng Ming Sword's hilt.
"Miss Wang, it's me." Mo Xian's voice whispered beside her ear. Feng Ming Sword, already three inches out of the sheath, stopped. Because Wang Jingyuan was sleeping facing the wall, she could not see Mo Xian, who was now lying beside her. When Mo Xian was sure that Wang Jingyuan would not shout or scream in alarm, he took his hand off her mouth.
"Please forgive my offense, Miss Wang. There is someone outside our door. I think he might come in." Mo Xian said in a low voice. Wang Jingyuan's eyes widened. Someone outside their door! Who would come into their room in the middle of the night? Obviously someone without good intentions, that's who.
"I apologize again for intruding on your personal space, Miss Wang," Mo Xian continued. "This was the only place to hide. If the intruder comes in, I will catch him by surprise. I've hid my bedding and blanket under this bed so the intruder wouldn't know there are two of us."
Wang Jingyuan nodded. From the section of her sword that was unsheathed, she could see Mo Xian's dark eyes and the slightly swaying drapes behind him reflected in it. Both of them held their breath and listened quietly for any sounds.
The bed was a little small for the two of them. Above her head, was the hard sheath of Mo Xian's sword. She felt Mo Xian's sturdy chest pressing against her back and his soft breath tickling her ear. Because his hand used to cover her mouth, his right arm encircled her, though he made sure to leave a little bit of space between his arm and her body. They were so close to each other that they could hear the other person's heartbeat.
Creeeeak. The unmistakable sound of the door opening, although quiet, resonated in the air. Wang Jingyuan felt her heart begin to beat at double the speed. Her entire body tensed, and her hand, already gripping Feng Ming Sword, tightened its hold. With her sharpened senses, she heard a single set of footsteps slowly and carefully enter the room.
The intruder seemed to pause and look around. Wang Jingyuan carefully angled Feng Ming Sword so she could get a better reflection of the room. The drapes blurred the reflection, but she was able to make out a fuzzy silhouette.
The silhouette began to get bigger. The intruder was moving towards the bed! A weapon flashed in his hand. This was not a robber, but another assassin. Wang Jingyuan felt her heartbeat quicken, and her breaths came out faster.
Mo Xian noticed this change. He understood that Wang Jingyuan was, on some level, afraid. He was almost one hundred percent sure that the assassin was after him, and he felt a twinge of guilt for bringing her into it. Soundlessly, he found Wang Jingyuan's free hand and squeezed it to comfort her. Don't be afraid. I'm here. A few heartbeats later, she squeezed back.
The intruder came closer and closer. Both Wang Jingyuan and Mo Xian locked their gazes on the reflection on Feng Ming Sword. The intruder was only five steps away.
Four steps.
Three steps.
Two.
One.
The drapes lifted.
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