Chapter Fourteen: The Lies Boys Tell

Escorted to Li Shimin’s underground quarters, Zetian is shoved inside and locked in. Expecting predation, she steels herself, but Li Shimin sits, disarms, and promises not to hurt her, offering a spare jumpsuit and access to the lavatory. She uses the supplies, noting unexpected feminine items and her own frayed sense of reality.

When lights-out nears, Li Shimin insists on taking the floor and yields the bed to Zetian. They speak cautiously: he “reads” from memory, reveals a basic education, and identifies his late mother as Xianbei. The contrast between his feared reputation and his awkward, considerate behavior unsettles Zetian.

Pressed about battle, Li Shimin drinks and admits pilots feel their partners’ deaths and dreams. He offers to help Zetian read, prompting mention of a city boy she knew. Darkness falls, and a misperceived approach triggers Zetian’s panic. She confronts him about male “needs,” but he counters that rape is a choice, not loss of control, and confesses he killed his brothers and father after discovering they assaulted a girl who was later drowned by her family.

Rather than be swayed, Zetian concludes that Li Shimin’s empathy makes his compliance worse. She calls him a coward for not letting himself be shot instead of entering battles that sacrificed girls. He staggers emotionally but does not retaliate. The night ends in strained silence, their partnership unresolved yet still intact.