Villainess

2.7

Shi Zixin arches a brow. "'Qingshan?'"

Gang Meili's mouth opens and closes like a fish for a moment, before her shoulders straighten.

"Yes. My husband."

Shi Zixin couldn't hide the surprise on her face. "Oh...then if I may ask..."

Gang Meili gives a short, soft nod. "He died three years ago, caught up in a rebellion in the winter. Ye Qingshan and I had been married in the autumn," Gang Meili begins, her tone less harsh than it had been before. Her dark gaze seemed to get lower and lower, however. "Because he was the fourth son who had a younger brother still, my parents deemed it would be okay for me to be taken back into the Gang house if our dowry was returned and the farm given to the fifth brother." Gang Meili's hand instinctively twitches over her lower abdomen. "And...and with summer's arrival...then..."

"I see." Shi Zixin nods, cutting off the doctor. In this society, women had an expiration date on them. If they had already been in a consummated marriage, their value immediately plummets. Especially after what Shi Zixin assumes happened, it'd be hard to find her a husband.

"Do you at least like being a doctor?" 

"Of course, I love it." Gang Meili looks back up at Shi Zixin, her eyes shining. "I feel rewarded for what I do. Whenever I set a bone or provide medicine or simply sew up a wound, I get this rush..."

Shi Zixin gives a tight smile. "That sounds amazing."

"Do you get the same feeling as a commander?"

Shi Zixin's smile falters for a moment before her face morphs into one of pondering. "I...I don't know. While you're a doctor and you know you're saving people...I'm...I'm taking away lives. I don't get a rush from the battlefield nor from creating tactics when I know that at the end of the day... my choices are the ones that bring down the sword on the enemy's head."

Shi Zixin looks up, meeting Gang Meili's cool eyes.

"When this war is over," Shi Zixin admits quietly, almost afraid to admit it out loud, "I don't know how I'm going to live with myself."

Gang Meili watches Shi Zixin carefully.

"While I cannot forgive you for killing others," Gang Meili begins with a sigh, "I understand that you do it with a conscience."

Shi Zixin gives a short nod to Gang Meili, before standing up with the cup in hand.

"Well," Shi Zixin says with an awkward smile, passing over the cup. "I'm off to bed. Goodnight, doctor."

Gang Meili looks at the cup hesitantly, before looking at Shi Zixin. Awkwardly, Gang Meili outstretches her left hand and squeezes Shi Zixin's right hand.

"I...I bel...I best think that if your shoulder gets any worse, you come right to me, alright?" Gang Meili rushes out, her ear tips turning pink.

Shi Zixin smiles softly, understanding the intent of the original message.

"Of course."

Shi Zixin slips from the woman's grasp and walks outside the tent.  From the corner of her eye, a shadow slipped out of view. Shi Zixin's brows furrow and she quickly puts her hand on the dagger hidden in her cloak, boots slowly crunching towards the tent's corner. 

Shi Zixin jumps out onto the other side of the tent only to see the outlines of a grey rabbit.

The commander lets out a sigh, sheathing the dagger.

I really should get more sleep.

==

"...Eman!"

A being jolts awake, looking around. They were inside a small hospital room, tubes connecting and weaving in and out of a young girl's skin. In the doorway stood a greying woman, clutching onto her husband's hand tightly for support. The short man only stared blankly at the hospitalized girl.

How...how can I even see this?

"Auntie...?" the girl croaks out, throat dry. She scrambles to sit up, but quickly fails all attempts.

A doctor phases through them, walking to the girl's bedside.

"Is...is there anything you can do-"

"No."

The doctor's words floated and echoed about the tiny room, getting tinier by the second. The walls phased past the doctor, the uncle, and the aunt, but pushed the spectator closer to the bed of the girl. Soon enough, the being was forced to sit directly on the bed, staring at the face of the girl. 

The girl sits up straight suddenly, head turned in the spectator's direction. Their busted lips opened, revealing a few missing teeth.

"You took more away."

The being feels their mouth open and words began to drip out, ringing in her own ears.

"You just did," the girl responds. "Wake up."

Shi Zixin sputters awake, breathing heavily. Just then, a person throws open the tent's flap.

"Sir!"

Shi Zixin was suddenly thankful she had slept in last night's clothes.

"What are you doing up so early, Lieutenant Biming?"

"Come quickly."

Shi Zixin's brows furrow. Quickly, she slips her feet into boots and grabs her cloak, swinging it around her frame as she leaves the tent. She sees a few other higher-up soldiers walking in the same direction, but a stern glare from Biming keeps them from pushing in front of Shi Zixin.

Biming pulls his commander towards the area of the medical tent. Shi Zixin's eyes widened as a peach-pit sized feeling of despair begins to grow in her stomach. 

Outside, a small crowd has begun to form.

"Men!" Biming's voice looms over the crowd. "Back to your duties immediately!"

The soldiers quickly disperse, each muttering to themselves.

"I can't believe this has happened-"

"Who would do such a thing-?"

"What happened?" Shi Zixin quietly asks as Biming gulps. "It'd be best for you to check inside, sir."

Shi Zixin's hand rests hesitantly on the white canvas flap before pulling it up gently. The look of confusion quickly turns to one of horror when her eyes fall upon a cot.

A body was placed on the cot, arms folded over her chest.

Shi Zixin stepped closer, seeing the ring of blue bruises around her neck. The smell of foul tea sticking to the girl's hair, the torn clothes revealing newly formed bruises on her wrists, legs, and arms...

Shi Zixin's gaze fell upon the girl's face and saw that the once silky black hair had been matted down to the girl's face. Slowly, the commander's shaky hand reached forwards and peeled back the bloodied hair.

The characters for 'whore' were deeply carved into Gang Meili's forehead with a blade. 

=

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