Wei pitted his brows. “How do you mean?”
“You know Master Lam’s favorite teaching. Do not do.” Yao mimicked their shifu’s voice. “He was always lecturing that striving has the opposite effect. Telling us to have the patience to let things unfold, etcetera, etcetera. Take your revenge, for example. You were focused on that for years and yet made little progress.”
“I still don’t understand what this has to do with Glory.”
“Well, you met her, and for the first time since I’ve known you, shihing, you thought about something other than revenge. Something even sweeter, eh?”
Wei felt his face heat.
Yao took another bite of apple, chewing noisily. “The funny thing is that when you got distracted by romance, you started making progress on your vengeance. After all, we had been chasing dead ends for months until Lady Glory came along. Then you became obsessed with protecting her, which ironically led to you going to that fight and seeing the tattoo on that Scott fellow. Not only that, but it was her dognapping case that led her to Bryant which, in turn, gave you the leverage to get the information you needed to find your family’s killer. See what I mean?”
The hairs on Wei’s skin stirred as he soaked in the wisdom of Yao’s observations. While Wei had first resisted his attraction to Glory, believing that it was a distraction that would take him away from his purpose, the opposite was true. Meeting Glory and falling in love with her had set him on the correct path.
“Shidai.” Wei shook his head in wonder. “When did you get so insightful?”
“It wasn’t for nothing that I was known as the ‘Smartest Man in Shandong.’” Yao tapped his temple. “Most of the time I just can’t be bothered to tell people what I’m thinking. Too much effort when I’d rather take a nap.”
After the enlightening conversation, Wei was even more eager to see Glory. Luckily, she was available on the third day, and Wei went to give her a lesson at home. Unable to bridle his impatience, he arrived early; she was waiting for him in the music room, a vision of innocent sensuality in a frock the color of bluebells. She rushed to him, and her dazzling smile made him want to sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
Since the door was open and her chaperone could enter at any moment, he had to settle for a bow.
“I’ve missed you, my love.” He spoke in Chinese.
“I’ve missed you dreadfully,” she replied in kind. “No news?”
Knowing what she meant, he shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Scott did say it would take time.”
She took his hand, her mere touch making his blood run hotter. For thirteen years, he had practiced celibacy without difficulty. Yet every minute he spent apart from Glory made him feel like a lad discovering lust for the first time.
“We will get to the bottom of this. You must have patience and faith that everything will work out as it should,” she said earnestly.
As he was about to tease her about her newfound appreciation for patience, footsteps thumped in the hallway. Glory dropped his hand, the two of them parting hastily. Her brothers burst into the room, their dark locks mussed from what appeared to be a hurried journey. They skidded to a stop in front of Wei.
“Good day, sir.” Theodore sounded out of breath. “We heard you arrive.”
Wei nodded. “Good day to you, Masters Horatio and Theodore.”
“Earlier, Glory was showing off the kung fu you taught her,” Horatio said without preamble.
“I was not showing off. I was practicing,” Glory retorted.
Her brother ignored her. “I want to learn how to leap over the pianoforte as well. Won’t you teach me, Master Chen? I am free right now.”
“Me too, sir!” Theo raised his hand, bouncing up and down.
Wei quirked a brow at Glory, who regarded her brothers with fond exasperation.
“Perhaps Mr. Chen can give you a few tips,” she said. “But mind you don’t take up my entire lesson.”
“Hooray!” the lads shouted.
As Wei instructed the boys on the fundamental position of horse stance, he found himself enjoying their lively company. They took after their sister in their exuberance and curiosity…and impatience apparently ran in the bloodline.
“How much longer do I have to hold this pose?” Theo groaned.
“Longer than the thirty seconds you’ve held it thus far,” Glory said.
