Won't you believe me? (Servant no more - book 2)

Chapter 95

After what felt like an eternity of bliss, Wei Wuxian's mind was slowly starting to work again. Although he would have liked to stay just like this, all warm and carefree, lamentably, the water in the bath was not hot anymore. Not even lukewarm, it had become almost completely cold and his body was starting to notice this change. He was still relaxed and happy, but it did not feel as good anymore.

With another deep sigh, he turned around and reached out for the display of small bottles of scented oils and pieces of soap. It all looked too luxurious for him to use and he hesitated for a moment. This was something that was hard for him to swallow, he was not certain he was ready to ruin all the intricate designs on the soap – one was even shaped like a small white rabbit! It was just too cute. Luckily, after a closer inspection, he found a piece of soap which had presumably already been used as it was really small and a bottle of oil for his hair that did not seem as luxurious and expensive as the rest.

He still hesitated for another minute with both items in his hands. He had to swallow down his fear and nervousness. If it had been anywhere but in the Cloud Recesses Manor, he would have already been shivering in panic under the bed, waiting for someone to notice he had touched something only the masters were allowed to have. However, it was Lan Wangji who had ordered all of this to be prepared for him, so Wei Wuxian should relax and take his master up on his offer.

In the end, he quickly washed both his body and his hair and got out of the bathtub. By now, the water was actually freezing and it was closer to the baths Wei Wuxian knew. He remembered Lan Wangji's words and dutifully dried his hair. There was even a comb prepared for him and he used it without a second thought. If he left his hair like that, he would not be able to smooth all the tangles in the morning and he would look very unsightly.

When he was finally all done and not naked anymore, he finally realized that he should have probably not put on his sleeping robes. The bathtub was still in his room and it could not stay there, it would need to be ready for anyone else who would want to use it. Wei Wuxian looked at his pristine white robe and scowled slightly. No matter, he decided, the bathtub was not going to move itself, he would just have to be careful to not ruin his clothes.

He knew he had to take it back, wherever that place was, he would have to ask around. Luckily, it was not curfew yet so he could have some luck and find another servant in the hallways. He hoped to be able to finish quickly so he would have some more time to read before having to go to bed. The book Lan Wangji had left in his room was now calling to him and he dearly wanted to get to know how the story would end.

Wei Wuxian was seriously debating with himself whether he should change back to his day clothes. He did not want to cause any troubles or make anyone uncomfortable by running around the mansion only in his sleeping robe. Other servants would perhaps not mind, but he was sure Lan Qiren would, should Wei Wuxian have the bad luck of running into him while moving the bathtub.

Before he could decide however, there was knocking on the door. He quickly went to open it. He was aware that his visitor could be literally anyone and he could still offend them with what he was wearing, but it would be even ruder to not answer the door fast. If he knew who was on the other side, perhaps he would have been able to muster enough courage to tell them to wait a minute while he would change his clothes in a hurry. However, this was not possible, what if there was one of his masters?

In the end, it only took a fraction of a second in reality, Wei Wuxian decided. Or course he was going to open the door. It was still the less awkward option of the two. What if that someone on the other side of the door decided they had no patience and would walk in while he would be changing? He was not going to risk this possibility and offend whoever came to see him naked.

Just as he was opening the door, ready to bow down in apology for his unsightly appearance, he realized that none of his masters was outside of his room. A voice which was faintly familiar to him but not so much it could be anyone with whom he had interacted today asked him: "Young Master Wei, have you finished your bath?"

There were two things Wei Wuxian realized at the very moment he opened the door. First, he knew the person who had just spoken to him, it was the same servant who had helped him when he had been asking which animals he should be tending to on his first day in the Cloud recesses Manor. The young man had been anything but kind to him as well; and it seemed like he had still not abandoned the way he called Wei Wuxian. Being addressed as 'Young Master' felt extremely awkward and he had a strong urge to correct the fellow servant. And second, there were two more people standing outside of the door, visibly wanting to enter the room.

Wei Wuxian was confused, he could not even start guessing why the three of them were here. Or had he taken too much time in the bath and they had come to retrieve the bathtub because someone else wanted to use it? Wei Wuxian felt remorseful and embarrassed at once. He had not wanted to cause any trouble; it was just that the hot bath felt too good and he did not know if he would ever get to enjoy another one. He had only wanted to make the most out of it.

He was about to apologize when the servant spoke again with a small polite bow: "Second Young Master Lan sent us, we came to clean everything up."

This made Wei Wuxian even more confused. The wording of that phrase was suggesting they had not come because they were needing the bathtub, but more like they came to do something for him. His mouth fell slightly open at the notion of this. Should he have someone waiting on him and cleaning after him? He was the servant here, his status lower than that of the three others, he should be the one serving them, not the other way around. Or was he forgetting something or misunderstanding something?

Before he could react in any way, the other servants bowed to him and came into the room. He stood completely stunned as they gathered everything and were already leaving. He only snapped out of his stupor after a while, when the three were already not in sight. Still, he bowed low and whispered: "Thank you."

He wanted to show his gratitude even when there was no one to see it. He stood in the room, frozen solid, and tried to process what had just happened. Had Lan Wangji really sent someone to clean after Wei Wuxian? True, his master had said he was not a servant in the Cloud Recesses Manor and that he was to be his friend. But did that mean he had become a young master to be treated in this way? It surely could not be true.

His head was spinning, he would have to see for himself what would happen tomorrow, hopefully his master would either explain to him or he would have to find a way to ask him. He was not used to being the one other people were serving and waiting on, he was not used to this and it felt like way too much right now.

Instead of mulling over this more for the evening, Wei Wuxian decided it would be better to just let the topic go until tomorrow. There was no way he would be able to figure anything out on his own. Thus, there was no use to overthink it and come to a conclusion which could be misleading. He had already learned that assuming was not a good strategy and that he could very easily misunderstand people's intentions.

He shook his head and went to his bed. Now that the bathtub had been taken away, there was nothing holding him back anymore, he could open the book Lan Wangji had left for him and read some more before the curfew would be upon him. 

Here we go with the last chapter about one day... Somehow, nearly 100 chapters were needed to describe everything, I am sorry if you find the pace too slow, just trying to catch all the minute changes of the characters' minds and nature.

Thank you for sticking with me until here and I hope you are still enjoying the story even though it had gotten this long already :)