The moment Tao Hua and Wan Mie entered the room, Suo Han and Weng Jin fell quier, ceasing their squabble of an argument. The four of them simply stared at each other, prolonging the uncomfortable silence.
However, the saying goes, as told: Silence is a virtue, for what remained a virtue left with the silence.
The first to pipe up was Suo Han. He eagerly held up what looked to be a towel, comb, and blue ribbon, shouting, "Young Master!" but the moment he put a foot forward, Weng Jing had shoved him to get a head start.
Towards his "future wife" he dashed, almost reaching him had it not been for Wan Mie's interjection. The Chuhen Palace General sliced his hand in a chopping motion, holding it stiffly between Weng Jing and Tao Hua.
It was done with such ease and confidence that his other hand remained behind his back, curled into a fist.
"Last I checked, this wasn't the women's room," said Wan Mie. "We should fix that."
Weng Jing gnashed.
How dare this insignificant outpost guard insult him so! In retaliation and utter stupidity, he pressed both his hands against Wan Mie's arm, only for Wan Mie to reciprocate at lightning speed.
He flipped their positions in the blink of an eye—Weng Jing now within the frame of the door, and Wan Mie standing behind him. Hand gripping his collar, Wan Mie kept him arrested effortlessly.
Aghast, Suo Han and Tao Hua could only stare at the display, feeling a tinge of second-hand embarrassment for the Daoist Master.
But it seemed Weng Jing wasn't self-aware, thrashing and insulting his captor. Yet, Wan Mie was unruffled by any and all thrown at him. He stood as still as his breathing, looking exactly how a high-ranking general would in wartime.
It wasn't long until Weng Jing's tantrum ended, and when it did, Wan Mie took the opportunity and leaned his body close. Cheek-to-cheek, he glared at Weng Jing and in a threatening, low tone, said, "I suggest you stay in my good graces, Daoist Master Weng."
Eyes sharpening, Weng Jing tensed. It wasn't hard to see that this man desperately wanted to retort, but every bone in his body just wouldn't move. Whatever power Wan Mie's threat held, it wasn't an insignificant outpost general threat.
Wan Mie released his collar and with the lift of his foot, he booted Weng Jing right out of the room, most likely bruising his ass int he process. All that lingered of the sorry man was the sound of a loud THUD and a curse.
Neither man watching felt remorse. They just diverted their eyes awkwardly, as if not witnessing anything.
All that followed happened quickly. Wan Mie reached over to Tao Hua, ripped the outer robe off his shoulders proclaiming it as his trophy, before yelling "Enjoy!" and slamming the door on his way out.
The Chuhen Palace General was gone out of sight, the muffled shouts fading at the slam of another door.
Tao Hua sat atop a stood and stared down at the ground, still trying to process everything that had happened. Behind him stood Suo Han, humming busily as he combed through Tao Hua's hair.
With Weng Jing now out of the picture, the little servant was as peppy as ever. Relaxed and completely within his medium.
What an eventful morning, thought Tao Hua. He glanced up at the door, a feeble smile crossing his lips. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to it.
Life in Chuhen Palace wasn't at all similar to Siyue Town. Sure, eventful things happened in that backwater village, but it was typically Tao Hua at the receiving end of such things.
When he wasn't, well…his days were rather repetitive.
Wake up, lie in bed for an hour until a servant yelled at him to get up, and sneak out to The Bookstore for the afternoon. Not a soul to speak to, just a book in his hand, and an adventure to dream about.
It made his current life feel like a fever dream. One where he was too scared to pinch himself, lest he woke up.
"Young Master has such beautiful hair," said Suo Han, pinning Tao Hua's hair up in a bun. Tao Hua lifted his eyebrows, tilting his head back slightly to glimpse at Suo Han. "It's as soft as silk. I've always wanted to grow mine out, but I don't think I'm deserving of long hair."
Lowering his head again, Tao Hua shifted it a bit just as Suo Han tied the blue ribbon around it.
Suo Han was rather affable when he wasn't stressed. After Wan Mie and Weng Jing left, and the rush of what happened wore off, Tao Hua actually spent his time contemplating on how he could befriend this young servant. He didn't have any experience whatsoever, and his track record was rather poor, but after hearing what he'd gone through, Tao Hua could empathize.
Someone like Suo Han deserved to have a friend they could confide in and feel comfortable around.
So, he swallowed any and all anxiety, rehearsed every sentence he wanted to say over and over, and said, "I like yours as it is."
Cheesy. Tao Hua wanted to crawl in a hole and never leave.
"I…" Suo Han's hands froze. He wasn't sure how to react, so he did what he did best, and went to work! He tightened the ribbon around the black strands and rapidly pressed his hands on Tao Hua's shoulders, urging him up.
"I'm not worthy of such praise, Young Master!" he said, nearly tripping over every second word. "I…I'm just happy you're in my life! No. Wait. I'm happy someone wants me as their servant—"
But he immediately clamped his mouth shut, becoming as straight as a plank.
"Um. Uh. Mm. Hm. Mn…" he muttered, his hands shaking as he lifted up Tao Hua's arms. Eventually, however, he just dipped his head and whispered. "Thank you."
Even Tao Hua was feeling the rush of embarrassment. He rubbed his thumb and index together, looking off to the side.
This felt worse than reading a young girl's love confession.
The room fell silent once more with the rustling of fabric, and pacing of footsteps, moving around Tao Hua as Suo Han began to undress him.
It didn't help their situation any.
So, Tao Hua bit his discomfort once more, sharply inhaled, and made a move! He said, "Suo Han."
"Hm?!" Suo Han lifted his eyes, looking at his servant. There was a slight gleam to them, as if finding something he'd long lost. "Y-Yes?!"
"Can you read?"
He didn't want to say it like that.
"Hah?!" Suo Han exclaimed. "Is there a reason the Young Master is wondering?"
"No, sorry," replied Tao Hua. Every ounce of courage he'd worked up had now faded with his voice. He looked away from his servant, who kept his pale eyes locked on Tao Hua. Quietly, he said, "I didn't mean it like that."
Suo Han simply waited; however, Tao Hua didn't make a move. It wasn't difficult to tell he was in his head, damning every possible thing he could have said.
And that was the push his servant needed. So, as Suo Han tied the towel at Tao Hua's waist, he gently smiled and said, "Master taught me long ago. I don't often have chances to use it, thought."
"Oh! That's really nice of him…" Tao Hua made an attempt at looking nonchalant. However, he was really sifting through each folder within his mind, piece by piece, trying to find the right way to respond. Somehow, he ended up with, "Whaaaaaaaaaat kiiiind?"
Awful.
"Manuals, training guides—usually things to better help us study as disciples. Though he did have us read poetry." Suo Han laughed, removing his hands from the towel. "He's not a very good poet. Lord Shengkai is much better at it. He's the one who taught me how to analyze most pieces when we were kids."
He…he was once a kid? Tao Hua looked stupefied at the realization, despite it being reasonable.
It was odd, hearing Suo Han go on about their history. It hadn't occurred to Tao HUa that Shan Si had an age, or that he could be around the same age as Tao Hua. In fact, humanizing such a man like Shan Si felt unreal.
Even more that he had hobbies outside of his duties. But then again, he did say he wrote most of the Buzhi Forest folktales.
Yet, the question still lingered. "Shan Si likes poetry?"
"Sure does!" Suo Han happily nodded. "He also writes it, too! But we rarely get to read or touch them. A lot of the servants gossip about it though—they try to guess what he writes about. Some assume it's gruesome, while others question if he's a secret romantic. Some even think he hides under a fake name and sends them off to songstresses to perform!"
Leading Tao Hua toward the bath entrance, Tao Hua pondered exactly what this man could even write about. There was so much he didn't know about Shan Si, and all that did was make him yearn to learn more.
A knot twisted in his stomach, and desperation formed between his brows. I really, really don't want him to keep his distance from me…there's so much I want to learn.
He frowned. And I…
His lashes drooped. In a world where he was surrounded by so many people, opportunities abundance, and anything he wanted was at his fingertips, he found himself not wanting any of them.
I just want to see him right now.
Was it infatuation, obsession, or more? Tao Hua wasn't sure, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling as though that very desire of his was selfish.
The paper door to the baths slid open, and suddenly Tao Hua was overcome with the same medicinal scent that he'd experienced when first entering the building. So much so that it was intoxicating, enough to water his eyes and make them blurry.
After blinking a few times, Tao Hua lifted his hand toward his face and wafted away the steam. He squinted toward the middle of the stone-slabbed room, his eyes falling on the source of the strong aroma.
A square bath, filled with herbal water. It wasn't anything special, but it was still miles better and bigger than what he had back in his own palace. The water was a murky, dark blue, and upon the surface were dabs of pink petals.
"If you need anything, Young Master, I'll be outside!" Suo Han cheerily exclaimed. He cupped his hands together and offered Tao Hua one last, clumsy bow. "Please, don't hesitate if you need me. Just call for me! This humble servant will wait for you always."
It was said with such sincerity, Tao Hua couldn't help but smile. This servant of his radiated such golden retriever energy, it was radiating.
I'll have to try again next time. He exhaled weakly. Even if his first attempt was a failure, Tao Hua wasn't yet ready to give up on befriending Suo Han! He'd just have to practice more later, and then when he was ready, he'd certainly introduce his servant to the world of stories!
Waving him off, Tao Hua turned back to the baths. Now that it was just him, the room felt eerily silent. To think he was accustomed to such back in Siyue Town, now he couldn't seem to fathom it.
However, glancing around the room, he found something to be a tad off. His head tilted, and he thought, For something that's said to be abandoned, it doesn't seem abandoned at all. It looks used.
Tao Hua approached a small table perched next to the bath. Atop it lay a black robe, neatly folded and placed meticulously. Though he wasn't put off by the colour—most of the guards in Chuhen Palace wore black, and this was the Martial Hall after all.
Tilting his head, he reached in and flipped the cuff of the sleeve over. It had gold rimming, enough to blind someone if put in the sun.
He felt the fabric between his fingers. High quality and thick. It looks expensive.
With a glance around the room, Tao Hua tried to find the owner, but there wasn't a soul in sight.
"Did they forget it, maybe?" he whispered.
If that were the case, then it was a terrible thing to forget. Perhaps they had a second pair of clothes? Whatever the matter, it didn't involve him, so there wasn't really any need to worry.
Back to the bath he went. Staring down at the steaming water, he slowly extended his foot toward it, dipping the tips of his toes into the water.
Bad choice.
Immediately, he pulled them back and pitifully whimpered a pathetic cry, water splashing the grey stone tiles.
Hot! Too hot! Whoever set the temperature for this bath had to be a madman to deal with such heat!
Wiggling out his toes, Tao Hua winced as he placed them back on the ground. He was a bit hesitant, his hand resting against the fold of his towel, unsure whether to wait or just brace the heat.
What did it matter anyway? So, he just stood there for a few minutes, grimacing at the water before finally reaching a decision. He began to unfold the towel, lifting his foot only for his actions to be completely null.
Something had suddenly grabbed him, and that something but both swift and strong. His body flung at a rapid speed, enough that his hair couldn't quite keep up.
But it all came to an end the moment his back slammed against a hard surface, one that was soaking wet. Tao Hua let out a cry, muffling as soon as his mouth was covered by a large and slender hand.
Why this kept happening, who knew! But Tao Hua was getting real tired of it!
Reaching his hand up, he tried desperately to pry it off, but to no avail; that hand was just too stubborn! And whoever the owner was, he wasn't impressed int he slightest, given his tone.
"Who—"
Suddenly, both stalled, stuck in the most questionable position possible. One was on the tips of their toes, trying to compete with the height, while the other had his arm wrapped around Tao Hua's waist and the other covering his mouth.
That's when his voice lowered. In a hushed and ever-familiar tone, the man retracted his hand and said only one thing.
That thing was enough to tell Tao Hua who exactly this person was.
"Tao Hua?"
Chapter end.
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