Easy come easy go

 "So what do you say?" Cheng asked. Obviously, he'd caught Qing off guard as she was setting the table for supper. She went out back to the kitchen and fetched the stew from the cauldron. 

"About what?" 

Cheng knew he'd caught her interest.

"Oh, just some sparing I guess," he shrugged already making himself at home taking a crisp onion and biting it like an apple. 

"Sparing?" She looked at him as if that was out of the question.

"Do you think you'll be any good if you're disguised as your brother?" Chen wanted to know.

She swelled a frown and took a step back.

"Oh, you want to know how I know about that, do you?" He teased her with a smile but went back to his onion as if he'd have to wait for the others to eat. "I have my ways." He put his index finger to his lips as if for her to keep quiet.

Her stunning dark eyes just looked at him as if maybe he really was a semi-devil after all.  

"I'm only here to help." He told her. "Just think about it."

"What do you plan to do?" She winced.

"Build an army, what do you think?" he said while she went to get the steamed buns full of pork and chives. He picked one up even if were still steaming. It was as if he couldn't feel the heat. He smelled it. "Spicy too." His smile was quick.

Qing pressed her lips tight, as if she was still thinking. She poured wine as if the supper needed to go on.

Cheng waltz toward her as if he knew a dance or two. "Meet me after dark," he whispered in her ear.