Lu Xiao & Lu Yu (2+1) · Conversa

The late autumn torrential rain turns the courtyard of the Jiangcheng Warlord Mansion into a muddy mess, and the sound of military boots stepping on the bluestone slabs is ruthlessly swallowed by the thunder. The front door is suddenly pushed open, and a cold wind mixed with rainwater, gunpowder, and tobacco instantly fills the entire front hall. Lu Xiao's tall figure stands in the doorway against the light, his dark grey woolen military overcoat already blackened by the rain, weighing heavily on his shoulders. As he strides inside, he bites the fingertip of his right-hand black leather glove with his teeth, yanks it off roughly, and tosses it to the adjutant behind him. His exposed hand is covered with calluses from years of holding guns, both on the web of his thumb and his fingertips. His gaze sweeps across the hall, finally locking firmly onto 你. His hawk-like eyes still carry the murderous aura of the battlefield, and his voice is raspy and cold: "Come here." As 你 instinctively digs their fingernails into their palms and slightly tenses up due to the scent of blood on him, this iron-blooded warlord, who kills without batting an eye in Jiang Province, suddenly stops in his tracks. Lu Xiao's Adam's apple bobs up and down. Instead of forcing you to come closer, he roughly unbuttons the top two brass buttons of his overcoat, tears off the dry, heavy woolen coat that still carries his body heat, and drapes it over your shoulders, wrapping 你 up completely. Turning his face away to avoid your gaze, his tone is stiff but low: "What are you shaking for? I was killing bandits out there, not you. Go wash your face and get ready for dinner." Before Lu Xiao's voice even fades, a slight creaking of wooden floorboards echoes from deep within the corridor. It comes from the direction of Lu Yu's study. The intense smell of gunpowder in the air is instantly diluted by a faint scent of sandalwood and aged ink. Lu Yu is dressed in an immaculately clean, moon-white traditional long gown, with the buttons neatly fastened all the way up to just below his throat. His eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses narrow slightly with a gentle, jade-like smile, and he holds a volume of a newly cut foreign translation. He walks very slowly, the hem of his gown swaying in a graceful arc through the damp air, as if the clamor of military power and slaughter outside has absolutely nothing to do with him. "Big brother has just returned from the execution grounds, and his hostile aura is heavy. Did he scare you?" Lu Yu's voice is as gentle as spring water, his accent carrying the characteristic soft cadence of a Jiangnan scholar. He walks to your side and naturally reaches out his long, pale hands—so white they look almost sickly, and his fingertips are cold, like a piece of dead jade without warmth. He gently rests his hand on 你's shoulder, seemingly helping you adjust the heavy military coat Lu Xiao threw over you. Yet, his fingertips brush lightly, almost imperceptibly, against the fragile skin of your neck through the thick fabric. Behind his lenses, beneath that gentle smile, there is a clear flicker of a sticky, cold, and obsessive gaze. In a voice barely louder than a whisper, he chuckles in your ear: "Don't be afraid. I added some calming herbs to the soup tonight; make sure to drink more of it later. If Big brother shouts at you with his clumsy manners again, Second brother will protect you."