Chapter Two

It took several days before Ling Xin could put her plan into action. Master Gao was a hard taskmaster, and he kept Ko Zhi Hao studying deep into the night. Her own studies also demanded her attention, especially her cultural talent, which was dancing. She spent most of the day practicing until her body ached and she wanted nothing more than to sleep.

But somehow, she always managed to find time to visit the garden wall. She couldn't help herself. Because late at night, Ko Zhi Hao practiced shadow fighting. After his teacher had gone to bed, the man stripped nearly naked in the back garden and began to move, as if fighting invisible enemies.

And Ling Xin couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

He was a beautiful man with big muscles and broad shoulders. And when he fought, he moved like a man in water—steady, controlled, and fluid.

Which made it all the more exciting when he struck out with startling speed. His punches, kicks, and whatever it was he did with his elbows came like a blow to her breath. She gasped every time some part of him moved. And her body tightened with desire.

"I know you're there," he said when he finished a lengthy sequence of punches.

She grinned. They had spoken several times now. Not in great detail, but enough to start a friendship. They had exchanged names and spoken of their studies—well, mostly his studies. Thanks to her brothers, she knew the basics of a bannerman's education, and she had pressed him on his knowledge.

He had impressed her. And she thought she might have impressed him too. Most women wouldn't know a fraction of what she did.

Either way, they had passed several evenings in discussion of the classics while she kept her face hidden. And though he asked about her, he never pressed. Instead, he practiced his shadow fighting, and she watched with a crazy kind of obsession.

"How were your studies today?" he asked.

"Long. Yours?"

"The same."

He stepped into another series of moves and her mouth went dry as she watched. She needed to get closer. She wanted to feel his heat, smell his scent, and watch his eyes as his fists flew.

That was not allowed. She was a virgin destined for the Festival of Fertility in the Forbidden City, well placed to become the next Empress of China. She was purity itself or such was her parents' claim. The last thing she should do was climb higher on the stone wall between her garden and the neighboring courtyard. A pure woman would be asleep in her bedchamber, not wandering around, restless in the moonlight.

But here she was, being poked by tree branches and risking skinned knees from the rough wall. Thank goodness it was thick stone, wide enough that she could lay down flat and have no part of her body seen, assuming she kept her arms and legs close in.

"You're here earlier tonight. Are you feeling anxious about the festival?"

"Yes." Of course she was. After the Feast of Fertility, successful virgins would never leave the walled fortress of the Forbidden City again. Unsuccessful virgins would be thrown back in disgrace. Many would not be accepted back into the family, for any woman rejected by the emperor was considered impure. And no man wanted an impure wife.

Thinking about such a frightening possibility had brought her outside early tonight. Watching him distracted her from her fears.

"What about you?" she asked. "Worried about the exam?"

"Always. I do this to relax before I go back to my studies."

He'd told her that before. Still, she enjoyed simply being with him. But it was uncomfortable, too. What could she say to a man whose body fascinated her? There was no way a virginal girl could express such a thing. But she had to figure out something! If this was how she conversed with the emperor, she would be cut from the competition in the first hour!

"How do you stay so calm?" she asked. "The exam is only a few weeks away."

"I do this," he said, spinning around and delivering a high kick. Then he paused, his gaze going up to her. "I could teach you, if you like. Come down here. Let me show you."

She shrank backwards into the dark bower of her favorite tree. "You know I cannot."

"I know," he said, his tone light. He never pressured her, simply made the offer. And that patience made her like him even more.

Unable to resist, she pressed forward again. If he looked up, he would see her. Worse, she wore only her sleeping gown and a light robe. If there were a breeze, it might puff out to show much more than she intended. But she hadn't wanted to layer on more clothes now that winter was finally losing its grip on the world. She'd wanted to feel free, if a bit cold, and so she'd wandered into the garden, then up the wall, and now…

How beautiful he was! His pattern of movements had ended. He stood statue still, his chest expanding in slow inhales while she was entirely breathless. Her legs shifted awkwardly. She was kneeling, holding onto a branch above her head to keep her balance.

She was being daring, she realized. But when he stood tall like that, she wanted to stand with him. She wanted to lift her chin, square her shoulders, and let her body move the way his had.

Foolish, foolish girl. She needed to go back.

Then she heard a noise—not from him—but directly in her left ear. A low hiss accompanied the heat of a breath. She might not have noticed it except that the air was so still.

She jerked her head, thinking the movement would dispel whatever insect plagued her. Her eyes were still trained on Zhi Hao, but her movement forced her gaze to waver, and at the edge of her vision she saw something dark, with reddish black fur. And white, glowing eyes?

She jolted away, scrambling backwards as if she were on the ground. But the animal followed, hissing at her and she screamed. Except it wasn't a scream. Her breath was choked off in terror. And she wasn't on the ground. She was on the wall, and there was nowhere to go.

Then the creature lunged forward. She saw now that it was a fox, and she threw herself sideways…and toppled over on the wrong side of the wall.

This time, she only gasped. She was too focused on falling without marking her face. She could cover up scratches anywhere else, but her face would be seen by everyone.

She clutched at branches, feeling the leaves rip through her grip. There was a sting in her palm, a clatter as pebbles fell… She twisted. She had to protect her face. She stretched one hand out, but it was too late. She knew it even as—

Her descent abruptly halted. Zhi Hao—the gorgeous student—had caught her about the waist. Her legs flopped over and banged hard against the wall. It was all she could do to muffle her scream. But then she was completely bent over with his hands supporting her waist and she was on the wrong side of the wall. In the wrong garden!

She slowly straightened up while her body thrummed with heat and relief and terror. Where was that fox with the eyes and the huge teeth? Why had it seemed to attack? And how deliciously strong were his hands where they held her in place?

She was too embarrassed to answer her own questions. Instead, she began to squirm. "Watch out for the fox! I think it might be rabid."

"Where?"

She twisted to look. He was already easing his hold on her. She stretched out and touched the hard stone of the courtyard, wincing as one of her nails scraped the hard surface. Her mother would surely notice if one of her nails broke.

Then she pushed herself upright, wincing as she finally righted herself. Looking up, she saw that the fox had disappeared. There was nothing but fallen leaves to show what had happened. A lock of hair flopped into her face.

Damn, damn, damn!

Her hair was likely destroyed. There was no way to hide that from her mother, though she could claim that she'd had a bad dream and mussed it. She'd have to be very careful to pull any leaves out of it.

Her mind was running away with her. It was that or the feeling of having his arms around her body. He was sweaty, and she'd felt the slide of his slick muscles against her skin. And his scent was strong.

She turned to face him, her face burning crimson. This close, she could see just how big he was, not to mention muscled.

Seeing that she was all right, he stepped back and lowered his head in a bow.

So formal. After she'd dropped into his arms like a toppled vase.

How disappointing.

Of course, she hadn't wanted him to cry out…or take advantage of the fact that he held her so closely. Well, not a lot. He was larger than her and skilled as a fighter. He could do anything to her right now, but rather than impose his will upon her, he stepped back and bowed his head.

An honorable man.

She respected that, but she was still disappointed. Everything had happened so fast, she hadn't been able to appreciate the sensation of having his hands on her body. She shouldn't want that, she scolded herself. She was chaste. But now that she stood beside him, she wanted to touch him. What would it feel like to stroke her hands down his muscled chest?

Chiding herself for her thoughts, she smoothed her skirt so that not an inch of flesh showed and tried to smile demurely at him. As if she made a practice of falling into a man's arms.

"Thank you," she said, but her voice came out too husky. She cleared her throat. "Thank you," she repeated. "I… I thought I was going to be attacked. It was a fox."

"It's gone now," he said, his lips curved in a small smile.

Did he doubt her?

"Never mind," she said as she surveyed the wall from this side. How was she to get back up? And how could she do it with dignity, clad only in a nightgown and robe? Unfortunately, the moment she shifted her weight, she gasped and froze. The toes of her left foot shot spikes of pain up her leg. Damn, damn, damn. Had she broken them?

"Your feet are hurt?" His voice was deep but hushed, his words barely audible. He obviously realized the importance of keeping her presence a secret.

She glanced sideways at him, trying to appear calm. "Just a little," she admitted. "It'll make it hard to get back up on the wall again."

Before she had a chance to think, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Stay quiet." Then he swept her legs out from under her and held her braced against his chest.

She gasped, then looked deeply into his eyes. They seemed to reflect the moonlight, dark and mystical. Except for that mocking curve to his lips.

Was he laughing at her?

Yes, of course he was.

He took quick, silent steps to a wooden bench set nearby and set her down carefully. The whole thing lasted a few seconds, but every moment was burned into her mind. He was naked from the waist up, so she had settled against his chest. She'd felt his muscles press against her body, she'd smelled his scent, and she'd been surrounded by his heat. And all the while, her blood had thrummed in her ears…and pooled low in her belly.

Sweet heaven, this was wrong! She was destined for the Forbidden City! And yet, she couldn't stop herself from holding his scent in her lungs. She let her hand linger on his arm as he gently pulled back. Her cheeks were burning, but her eyes traced the expanse of his chest as he slowly crouched down in front of her. Her gaze travelled up his corded neck to the hard jut of his jaw, until she finally met him eye to eye.

She couldn't believe she was staring this long at a nearly naked man, and yet she couldn't help herself. She supposed she should avert her eyes, but again, she couldn't. And now, all she could do was sit there, still, staring at him while she wished for something she couldn't name.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your feet. Or is the pain higher?" He gently touched her right ankle.

Shivers went down her spine at his throaty words.

"Not there," she said as she gently pulled her right foot back. It was her left toes that ached. "It's my other foot," she said, but when he reached out to touch her, she stopped him. "Wait." She shook her head. "It's nothing." Then she looked back up at the wall. "I need to get home."

His gaze softened. "We have been speaking for nearly a week now. Surely you can wait a moment longer here. To see if your foot recovers."

She looked around, seeing Master Gao's garden from a new angle. "I have never been outside of my home before. Not alone."

"You're not alone. I'm here."

And that made it worse. And yet, she was loathe to leave.

"How did you learn to do that? To fight like that?"

He smiled. "It is something the monks do. It helps me relax sometimes so I can sleep."

"Which monks?" China had a huge variety of temples.

"Shaolin monks from the southern temple in Henan."

"You are a monk?" She couldn't believe it. Monks had bald heads and did not take the imperial exam.

He chuckled as he shook his head. "All us boys would peek over the walls. We wanted to see, just like you did. And we practiced, even though we were not taught."

She smiled. "You are too good to be untutored."

He grinned, his teeth shining white in the moonlight. "Some of us were taught. Not officially, but some of us managed to barter for lessons."

"Some of us, meaning you?"

"And a few of my friends." His face took on a distant look. "We were young, and the monk was kind. We were boys running around with too much energy. He gave us lessons. We gave him food from our kitchens."

There was information in his tale. He and his friends had kitchens, which meant they were wealthy enough to have extra food. They were boys running around without work, which meant they were supposed to be studying. So it made sense that he'd be Master Gao's newest student.

"And so you are here now, burning off energy when you should be studying."

"And you were watching me when a chaste girl should be abed."

Her head shot up, embarrassment and anger fighting for control of her words. Anger won.

"I am a chaste girl! I could not sleep. The air was too warm." That was a lie. The air was slightly chilled, but she had been restless, anxious about her upcoming presentation to the emperor. "And now I must go back."

"How?" he asked as he lifted up her hurt foot. Before she could object, he pulled off her slipper to expose her throbbing foot. He touched the biggest toe and the second. In the moonlight, the fact that they were swollen was obvious to them both.

"Are they broken?" she asked, trying not to panic. If her toes were broken, how would she dance for the emperor? Dance was her cultural talent. She couldn't paint worth a damn, her singing voice was acceptable but unremarkable. Her only real skill was dancing.

His hands cupped her foot. The heat from his palms warmed her, and her belly tightened at the sensation. Then it quivered inside her like a fluttering bird when he gently stroked her swollen skin.

"Can you move them?"

She wiggled her toes, pleased that it didn't hurt too bad.

"I think they are merely bruised."

That was good. "They should heal quickly, then," she said more to herself than him.

He gently set her foot down, but his fingers lingered. Indeed, he started to caress her ankle, his motions random and so thrilling. No man had ever touched her there and her body stilled just to memorize the feel of it.

Calloused fingers stroking over and around her ankle bone… Heavens, she was so aroused by it, she thought she might faint.

But then he abruptly squeezed her ankle. "Someone is coming!" he whispered.

What? She blinked, startled back into the here and now. And then she heard it. The sound of footsteps in the garden.

"Ling Xin? Are you out here?"

"My cousin," she whispered. Damn it, what was she going to do?

He pressed a finger to her lips, and she was panicked enough that she didn't dwell on the roughness of his skin or the heat against her mouth. Instead, she stared hard at the wall. She would have to find a way to scale it. She would—

She gasped as he swung her up in his arms. What was he doing? He couldn't lift her over the wall. Only a giant would be able to do that. Then he lifted her higher in his arms so that he could whisper into her ear.

"Did you really climb up the wall? You are that strong?"

"Yes," she whispered back, fighting the shiver that his lips caused as he tickled her ear.

"And your right foot is strong?"

"Yes."

"Then I shall help you."

He carried her over to the knotted tree that grew against the wall. It was a good climbing tree and would have been easy for her normally. But without strength in her left toes, she wasn't sure about it. Even worse, she would have to climb along the top of the wall in order to get back to her own garden. Not to mention the jump down once she got there.

It was a daunting prospect, but she had no choice. Li Fei called out again in a loud whisper.

"I know you are out here, Ling Xin! You never sleep when there is moonlight."

Truth.

Meanwhile, Ko Zhi Hao had set her hands on the lowest branch of the gnarled tree. It was large enough to support her weight if she had the strength in her arms.

With a last glance at him, she hoisted herself up easily, but now she needed some sort of foothold. She would have to swing her injured foot around somehow.

His hand caught her injured foot, providing a solid base for her weight as she scrambled to the next branch up. From there, her good foot had a place to land. She made it the rest of the way up with relative ease and was soon on top of the wall, looking back down to where he stood bathed in the moonlight.

"Thank you, Ko Zhi Hao," she whispered, loving the way his name felt on her lips.

He gave her an elegant bow that was all the more beautiful because it was done half-naked. How the moonlight made his skin glow!

From the other side of the garden, she heard her cousin's voice become angry. "Come on, Ling Xin!"

She rolled her eyes and then turned back to her own garden. Now that she was up here, she knew where she needed to go. She was still limping, but she managed to walk along the wall to her favorite hiding spot. It wasn't on Master Gao's side, and so not a good place to watch his students, but it afforded a nice view of the street. Indeed, it was where she'd first seen Zhi Hao.

She made her way there before awkwardly sitting down.

"Ling Xin, I'm getting annoyed with you," her cousin huffed.

"I'm here, horrible girl!" she whispered back, her tone teasing. She was very fond of her cousin. "Can't a girl look at the moon in peace?"

Li Fei came around a decorative boulder to stare at her in mock despair. "Have you lost your mind? Why aren't you wearing—"

"Hsss! You'll wake everyone."

"And you'll get sick, sitting there with just that thin covering." Then she lowered her voice to a low whisper. "Your father is awake. I had to find you in case he came out here." Then she pulled off her own robe above her evening dress. "Put this on," she said in a louder voice. "You must be freezing."

Not at all. She was still flushed from what had just happened. If her toes weren't still throbbing, her entire body would be on fire with excitement. Most of it still was.

"I bruised my toes climbing up here. Will you help me down?"

Li Fei snorted. "Serves you right for being so scandalous." Her voice dropped. "Did you find out anything useful?"

That he was as handsome close up as he was from above. "I've no practice talking with men other than my family. It's hard."

"That's why you need to keep doing it."

"I know. We've talked almost every night since he arrived."

"Still about his studies?" Li Fei huffed out her annoyance. "That helps him, not you. You need to get more aggressive. He must know things about the Forbidden City. Find out if he has a contact inside. You need every scrap of information you can get."

"You're right. I'll be more aggressive tomorrow," she promised.

"Good. Now tell me everything you've discussed so far." Then she raised her voice loud enough to be overheard. "Let's see if there is any lychee left in the kitchen."

Unlikely. Father usually took those to eat while finishing his work administering finances. He was an earl, a bo jue, part of the highest level of Manchu aristocracy, and he served the emperor as a banker, distributing the kingdom's coin with meticulous detail. The keeping of those records often kept him up late at night, and her father was usually hungry when he worked.

Nevertheless, she knew there would be something in their kitchen, though Ling Xin would be scolded for eating when she should be keeping herself slender for the emperor.

With her cousin's help, she managed to climb down from the wall without further harming her toes. And then, some minutes later, they managed to sneak their way into the kitchen. It was all very innocent, and yet every cell in her body whispered that she was far from innocent anymore.

A man had held her naked foot in his hand. He had seen her bare legs when she fell and pressed his lips to her ear. By most measures, she was no longer a true virgin. She could still pass the emperor's exam for purity, of course, but in her heart—and most especially in her body—she thrummed with desire.

She was a fallen woman now, and every part of her delighted in that amazing experience. Too bad she could never do it again. The risk was too great, the penalty for being caught too severe. Girls could be killed for unwholesome acts. And Ko Zhi Hao would surely be punished.

And yet, she couldn't wait to sneak out to the wall again, if only to watch his glorious body move so beautifully in the moonlight.