Gilded Rust - YiZhan

Chapter 10 - Empty Spaces

The moment Yibo followed Mr. Xiao inside, the light of the foyer turned on, revealing a high ceiling and warm brown oak panelling. A grand staircase, its wood lustrous with the patina of age, stood facing the door and dividing the space in two. Aside from weak light pouring in from a window partially visible at the top of the stairs, the second floor appeared to be plunged into complete darkness. Beneath his feet, a thick rug covered most of the black and white tiles that delineated the entrance from the rest of the house.

"You can hang your jacket here," said Mr. Xiao as he pointed to a series of hooks on the wall to Yibo's left. "There's a mudroom at the back and a closet under the stairs, but hiding things when nobody is around feels pointless."

He'd spoken in a low voice, yet the sound had echoed in the hall, amplifying a monotonousness that contrasted with his usual tone. Assuming the man was tired, Yibo didn't think much of it and, following the instructions, set down his bags to hang his jacket and scarf.

"Should I take off my shoes?" He asked, noticing Mr. Xiao had changed into slippers.

Yibo owned slides, but he'd only ever worn them at the restaurant, and it hadn't crossed his mind to pack the worn and dirty footwear.

"This is a Western-style house, so visitors tend to wear their outdoor shoes on the ground floor," he said as he walked toward the right side of the staircase, down a corridor with walls wainscoted halfway. Numerous paintings and photographs of varying sizes, all with elaborate frames, covered the rest of the painted surface. From what he could tell, none resembled the pictures he'd seen earlier at the gallery.

As Yibo stood in place, Mr. Xiao opened a closet nestled under the stairs and took out grey slippers after rummaging around for a moment. Following a slight push, the door noiselessly closed as the man walked back to the entrance.

"If you don't mind using my extra pair, you can wear these," he said, handing him the footwear.

"I've never worn them, so you don't have to worry."

If Yibo had ever worried about wearing other people's clothes or shoes, he would have gone naked and barefoot for his entire life. Keeping the thought to himself, he put on the slippers; they fit well enough.

"Thank you," he said, causing Mr. Xiao to grin.

"No worries! You can keep them."

The man clapped his hands once, suddenly energetic.

"Let's go upstairs to your room to drop your luggage off; I'll give you a tour on the way back."

Without waiting for a reply, Mr. Xiao reached for his sports bag and, shouldering it, started climbing the stairs. Yibo slung his backpack on his good shoulder and followed. Only the creaking of the stairs under their weight broke the house's silence, and although not a mote of dust could be seen anywhere, an antique scent permeated the place.

As they approached the second floor, a light automatically turned on. Mr. Xiao walked to a small still life of flowers next to the window and pulled on it. The painting turned on hinges like a tiny door.

"The automatic lights in the foyer are always on, but the ones on the second floor turn off after ten. You can override the timer with this switch. This also goes for the stairs leading to the garret, although there's also a switch upstairs," he added, opening the door to the left and revealing a set of modern stairs abutting the house's back wall.

"When the house was built, this servant staircase went all the way to the ground floor. I remember playing on it as a child and getting scolded by my parents for scaring the staff."

If the anecdote had been meant to give life to the now-empty house, the attempt failed as Mr. Xiao's flat tone failed to convey the intended warmth. This time, Yibo sensed something was off and wondered if he'd upset the man, but he couldn't think of anything.