There’s a fierce corpse standing in Xiurong’s yard.
Or, well, it isn’t very fierce but it’s still a corpse.
”Um,” the corpse says and raises a hand in shy greeting.
”It’s too early for this,” Xiurong says, turns around, and heads back inside.
After downing three cups of very strong tea, Xiurong straightens her robes and returns to the yard. It’s empty and the corpse is nowhere to be seen, but she can hear quiet murmuring from the garden.
The garden it is, then.
”—and I’m not sure you should be here,” a soft voice says. ”Madam Xue’s garden is very pretty but I think she’d appreciate it intact.”
When she rounds the corner, the corpse is on his knees, gently holding a very unimpressed rabbit. Several rabbits huddle a bit to the side, warily eyeing the scene.
”Don’t bother,” Xiurong says, amused. ”The rabbits are practically tame and, frankly, I’m not sure that they’d even survive on their own anymore. My boys enjoy spoiling them too much.”
The corpse scrambles up and offers her a stiff, unnecessarily deep bow, still holding the rabbit. ”Madam X-Xue,” he stammers. ”I’m sorry to arrive unannounced—”
”You’re Wen Ning, aren’t you?” she interrupts. ”A-Ying’s friend?”
If corpses could blush, she’s sure Wen Ning would be bright red right now. ”Y-yes,” he says, ducking his head.
”I’m very glad to finally meet you. A-Ying has told me so much about you.” She cocks her head and adds, ”You do know that they’re not home right now?”
Wen Ning’s shoulders droop slightly. ”I thought—Master Wei s-said that he and H-hanguang-jun would meet me h-here. I might h-have underestimated m-my speed again.”
Xiurong bites back a smile. ”Ah,” she says, wondering if Wen Ning knows that if A-Ying and A-Zhan are not home yet, it has nothing to do with his speed and everything to do with their absolutely shameless hunger for each other. ”I got a letter from A-Yuan yesterday. He should be home in a couple of days.”
”Mn,” Wen Ning says. He lowers the rabbit gently down and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. ”I g-guess I’ll be on m-my way then,” he says.
Xiurong hums. ”You can but you don’t have to,” she says. ”Friends of my boys are always welcome, and you especially, A-Ning.” The diminutive slips from her lips easily and she doesn’t even realize it did until she sees his wide eyes and backtracks a bit. ”Oh—I’m sorry, I didn’t think—”
”I d-don’t mind,” he whispers. ”The only one who c-called me that was my sister.”
Xiurong walks to him and takes his hands in hers. They’re cold but not disturbingly so, and feel sturdy and powerful in her hold. ”A-Ying is my sworn sister’s son. I’m happy that the fates brought him to me so that I can help take care of him now.” She squeezes his hands. ”And I’m so, so grateful that you were there for him when he needed a friend.” She offers him a small smile. ”I would be honored to call you A-Ning if you allow it, but I won’t be offended if you want to keep that name with the memory of your sister.”
She squeezes his hands one more time before letting go and turns to face the garden. The rabbits her boys have allowed to roam freely stay away from the areas warded with A-Ying’s talismans, which is the only reason she’s let them be. Cute they are but not at the expense of her food, thank you very much.
From the corner of her eye, she sees Wen Ning standing still, staring at his hands with a slightly lost air. Hm…
”If you don’t mind helping, I could use another pair of hands with the pumpkins. I have no idea what A-Ying did with the plot but they’ve grown disturbingly big, disturbingly fast. He swears it’s just talisman work and has nothing to do with resentful energy but considering his talent with talismans…” she lets her voice trail away in a fond muttering, picks up her tools, and heads to the back of the garden.
A moment later, she hears him follow her.
A-Yuan’s face splits into a wide smile when he walks in and sees A-Ning sitting at the table, chopping pumpkins to pickle. ”Uncle Ning!” he exclaims. ”I was hoping to see you here. Have Baba and Father arrived yet?”
”No,” Xiurong says dryly. She sets her ladle down, wipes her hands on a towel, and turns to face A-Yuan properly.
A-Yuan presses his lips together to suppress a smile. ”The events in Yi City were…strange. I’m not surprised they wanted some time alone after that.”
Xiurong raises a brow. ”And later, you’ll tell me everything about what happened, yes?”
He gives her a perfect bow. ”Yes, nainai!”
”Good boy,” she says fondly. ”Now, come give your nainai a proper hug.”
A-Yuan laughs and does exactly that, and then he picks up another knife, sits next to A-Ning, and starts to chop pumpkins with practiced ease. ”How have you been, Uncle Ning?”
”We saw each other only five days ago,” A-Ning reminds him.
”A lot can happen in five days,” A-Yuan says.
”Especially if you’re with A-Ying,” Xiurong adds, sharing a smile with A-Yuan.
”Master Wei does have a strange propensity to trouble,” A-Ning murmurs.
”Baba says he doesn’t go looking for trouble, and yet trouble always manages to find him,” A-Yuan says. ”Which is a blatant lie.”
A-Ning huffs a soft laugh.
Xiurong cocks her head and looks at them for a while; a sentient corpse and a boy last of his line, sitting side by side and chopping pumpkins and chatting. A strange, bewildering scene that would probably make some people scared but she just feels at home instead.
It’s fine. Xiurong’s heart is big and it has room for one more lost boy.