Lifting his hand, Tao Hua hadn't yet registered Shan Si's words; in fact, he struggled entirely to even listen to him. Which was rich, given the situation.
He trailed the ribbon of silk, and then turned around his hand, doing the same. Even if Tao Hua tried to rip it off, there wasn't any budging how carefully positioned that bandage was.
How was he supposed to feel…? Somehow, he didn't seem as hurt as before—physically. Mentally, however? Absolutely, but the fear had almost dissipated entirely.
This man—er, this intruder—was quite literally committing a criminal act, and yet he was more careful with Tao Hua than his own father had been in, well, his entire life.
Tao Hua looked at it with a complicated expression, twitching his fingers a few times, and then his thumb. He frowned through his running thoughts.
I don't feel much pain… he thought. He was certain when he saw it earlier; the gashes were deep. Whatever Shan Si used on his hand really must have been expensive. Not even the Tao Estate had anything that effective.
He turned his hand again, staring at the wonderfully knotted yet terribly ugly bow that kept the gauze together.
Glancing up at Shan Si, who was also staring down at Tao Hua, he found himself conflicted. He pressed his lips together and really focused on this man's appearance.
Nothing was out of place, nor did he look like a criminal.
Who exactly is this guy…?
Tao Hua stopped mid-thought, and written on his face was a stunned and completely weirded-out expression. One who tore himself apart for even assuming he knew what a criminal looked like. But even if he tried to tuck away the curiosity, it only grew.
"Are you just going to sit there?" asked Shan Si, his eyebrow twitching. After Tao Hua didn't answer and continued to study him, he ordered, "Up!"
He'd given him more time than his patience could keep up, it seemed.
But that did the job! Though Tao Hua was confused, he didn't question him. He promptly pushed himself up to his feet, fisting both hands and pressing them into the skirt of his robe.
Sure, he was ignorant at times, but he wasn't entirely stupid. Tao Hua had read enough books and had enough experience to know exactly what SHOULDN'T be done during an intrusion. Therefore, he didn't question him; he just pushed himself off the ground as directed.
With a wobble until steady, Tao Hua curled both his hands into fists and pressed them against the front of his skirt's robe, and peeped not a single word of complaint.
Instead, he scrunched up a bit of his blue robe and side-glanced away from the "menacing beast." His lids lowered, and with the purse of his lips, he thought, is he really all that bad?
Stupid!
Of course he was!
But his courage was a steel sword dressed in the colour of diamond.
"Um…sir," Tao Hua croaked, tilting his head toward his shoulder. Shan Si just glared at him, waiting. So, Tao Hua continued, "Why exactly are you giving me thirty minutes?"
He asked this, wondering what the last 45 minutes to an hour was for—he didn't even know what to do with those thirty minutes! He was so caught up in his own thoughts, and Shan Si was so busy trying to be some menacing monster, neither had realized the important details weren't even discussed.
It was truly a confusing and intimidating hour.
"…" Shan Si stood there expressionless, as if only starting to realize his own mistake. With a prolonged breath, he said, "Clothes. Stuff. Whatever, just pack up and tell me when you're done. Make your time useful."
Pack up?
That didn't answer any of his questions; it only added to them. But Tao Hua nodded, accepting it as if it were, and slowly moved toward the end table next to his bed. Shan Si examined this, and as soon as Tao Hua's hand reached for the books, his brows pinched.
"Prioritize clothes," he said, folding his arms. "Warm clothes."
"Clothes?" asked Tao Hua, confused. He lifted up one of the books, looking down at it, and then over his shoulder at Shan Si. "But you said I could—"
"Thirty minutes." Shan Si reminded him. "Why wouldn't you prioritize what's important with such little time?"
"This is important—" Tao Hua paused. He turned to fully face Shan Si, treating him like the backdrop to his book. Then, it finally hit him, and he asked what he finally asked what had been subconsciously nagging at him all night.
"Wait, sir…are you kidnapping me?"
Question of the year.
Shan Si looked at him with a mix of incredulity and confusion, as if what Tao Hua asked didn't already have an obvious answer to it.
"What else would I be doing?"
"Um, well, there's actually a lot of things you could be doing right now," said Tao Hua, pausing as Shan Si's face nearly suspended. Tao Hua walked back his words and added, "Um, I mean you could kill me—that's an option. I've read a lot about that, actually. It doesn't end well. Or maybe you could steal from me...but you already did that."
Shan Si simply stared at him while Tao Hua continued his monologue of inexperienced experience. He wasn't at all suited to giving advice on abductions or even crime for that matter. His version of crime involved towers, spells, and dragons.
"I feel like kidnapping me is probably the worst decision you could have made out of all the options…maybe." Tao Hua pondered his own reasoning, muttering, "Well, my father is rich…but you also look rich."
The last sentence of his just trailed off into a whisper, just as the corner of Shan Si's mouth quivered.
"I just think, Sir—you could make better choices. I don't really have much ransom on me…" Tao Hua trailed on, digging his own grave. Perhaps soon he could lie in it the longer he tried to fill the silence. "Most people here would be happier if I were gone. You'd only be doing them a favour…and all.
"I mean, maybe they would look for me? I do have to get married tomorrow." Tao Hua's forehead nearly shadowed with the realization, and horrifically, he added, "Which means Gui Chang and Father will kill me."
"…"
"Oh, but you could also do that." Tao Hua scrunched his nose. "Lesser of two evils?"
It was only a moment longer before Shan Si turned to the window. It appeared he had enough of Tao Hua's babbling, for whatever reason. He shot his hand in the air and barked, "Go pack!"
Tao Hua jumped at his words and, with a nod, he rushed to his wardrobe.
Mean!
Whatever it was that riled Shan Si up, it radiated with worse energy than his earlier intrusion.
Chapter end.