Jingle—
Located deep into the capital on the corner of main street, the door to the Herbary opened, ringing the bell hanging alongside it. A young girl dressed like silk pants degenerate walked inside. Closing the umbrella with a shake, the servant girl Emi stood in the doorway and shook off the water behind her master.
Hong Naoyu flicked off the water dampening her clothes. Playfully she looped her finger in the tassel of her fan, swirling it around a few times before flicking it open.
"This establishment does not welcome idlers and snakes. Leave," spoke a man sitting behind the counter while his long fingers flicked the abacus.
Dressed in a gray tight fitting hanfu, Lan Qian, the shopkeeper sat straight with his head tilted down. The shadows cast on his sharp but pale features made his scholarly aura turn gentler. His long black hair scattering over his white kimono jacket looked inky and elegant. Those long curly lashes teased his hooded amber eyes. He sat there like a locked book beckoning the reader to turn the page. To understand the deep seeded thoughts the author weaved into his life's budding masterpiece.
After a few moments he frowned. Looking to the left he picked up a half pound weight and added it to the scale. While Hong Naoyu rolled her eyes, Lan Qian's brightened. He picked up his brush pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote fervently in his book.
"Ah you know- Qian, most of the patrons are idling snakes waiting to take a bite. If not for the stamp of Lan, they would steal if they could. Nobody likes wasting gold if it need not be wasted." Hong Naoyu propped her butt on the table, pushing both the abacus and scale to the side.
"Mind your own." Lan Qian frowned when that rump entered his view. Why must she always act like a scoundrel without manners?
"Ah but what if I don't want to?" Hong Naoyu chuckled. Who was it that tipped his scale? He's unusually grumpy today.
"Then keep quiet." Dotting his sentence, Lan Qian reached out for the hour glass and flipped it.
"It's strange and unlike you." Ignoring his words, Hong Naoyu leaned down and grabbed his book. "Hating your father is one thing but letting him bleed money is another. Especially for someone who treats money better than his dogs. Say, what did he do this time, huh?"
Lan Qian tried to grab the book but Hong Naoyu switched hands and held it high above, right out of reach. Looking down at his irritated face, she felt a surge of emotions tickle out a toothy grin. She lifted her nose to the air, shaking the book teasingly.
"Hand it here."
"Don't want to."
"Naoyu." Lan Qian commanded, his eye twitching.
"Oh- how scary." Hong Naoyu shivered. "The eye twitch is a little much though. Are you broken? Would you like me to help you fix yourself? You just need to follow the plan M.E and your problems will be solved. Don't worry, it's been tested and approved."
"Ugh." Lan Qian grumbled. He mumbled under his breath. "Idiot."
Hong Naoyu guffawed, slapping her leg in her humorous outburst. If he just answered like usual, he wouldn't be grumbling. How cute.
"You really want it back?" Hong Naoyu bent her waist, their noses were inches away while their eyes locked, amber to brown. "Then answer my question Qianqian. What happened?"
Lan Qian pushed her face away. Hong Naoyu didn't dodge. She looked at him, patiently waiting for his answer, her cunning eyes peeking through his fingers.
Lan Qian's thoughts rolled through his mind. His mouth twitched. He grit his teeth and slapped the table. The abacus beads clanked at his abrupt actions and the scale swayed back and forth.
"Ha, could it be anything else but my father? He, the great and all mighty lord imperial preceptor, forbade my participation in this year's annual hike, knowing full well that noble children about the age of 14 must go!" Lan Qian spat out his words. He was clearly beyond irritated when he growled at the words 'forbade' and 'hike'.
"Just because he can't stand the sight of me does not give him the right to withhold my rights. He knows this is my only bit of freedom and yet he deprives me of it. See how I deprive him! He deserves to taste the bitter loss of his gold, else he thinks I've become a herbivore, incapable of hunting for my own meat and instead resorting to nibbling on tasteless grass!"
"Heavens. He thinks he can play the role of father now? How he does not drown in his hypocrisy is beyond my comprehension. I'd love to hear his excuse, but to be perfectly honest his problem is one I'd rather not solve. Lest there will be less headaches in the future. Why must I follow his will? It was not him but my mother who birthed me. That rotten excuse for a father only did one or two shakes! Clearly he's benefiting from others' hard work! Ugh- this infuriates me to no end!" He ended his rant in a huff.
Once Lan Qian finished releasing his frustrations, only then did Hong Naoyu speak. "Qian. You and I both know this 'hike' is much more different than the years before. It's not simply us visiting the borderlands anymore. The epidemic ravaging the tribes has more or less become common knowledge these days. Least amongst the five factions and noble houses. Only the commoners remain unaware. Yet just because they haven't a clue as to what's going on, it does not mean they are stupid."
"If even the common folk can see the dangers happening all around, then why can't imperial preceptor Lan? Face it, your father's worried about you, and unless you can diminish his worries, then no matter how much money you bleed from him, he won't budge an inch. In other words what you're doing is completely useless." Hong Naoyu flicked that furrowed forehead of his, snapping him out of his anger.
"Hmph." Lan Qian snorted. "Useless it may be, but it makes me feel better doing it."
Hong Naoyu shrugged. From his voice, she could hear that his mood had simmered down. Good.
She's well aware of Lan Qian's irrationality towards his father. No matter how smart he is inside that head of his, every bit of calm and reason gets kicked out the door in wake of his father. Then what's left behind is a boiling pot just waiting to blow its lid.
Someone has to be the one to vent the steam, and if no one else is willing to do it, Hong Naoyu takes up the task reluctantly.
Ah, Qianqian's lucky to have a friend like me. Who else will accept listening to his bouts of idiocy otherwise?
Feeling much better, Lan Qian looks at Hong Naoyu with a strange gaze, "you didn't come all the way down here to lecture me did you? What do you want? If it's about Meili then don't ask. It's her own fault she's stuck in the detention center. Who told her to reenact the master disciple plots from her novels."
Hong Naoyu's smile stiffened.
"No no no, Meimei's on her own this time." Hong Naoyu rolled her eyes remembering her stupid friend and her antics. "It's best she stays in there as long as possible, else she remains a danger to society."
Lan Qian nodded in agreement.
"My thoughts exactly."
Both of them still have vivid memories of all the damage Ding Meili has caused over the years. Nothing can describe the utter destruction and chaos that always follows the name Ding Meili. Even them being friends can't keep them safe under that demon's lunacy.
Growing up together in the ducal households, families that were on good terms, the Lan, Ding and Hong children knew each other well. Ever since small, the kids would play with each other and learn from tutors at one another's homes. Knowing this it was only proper for them to become familiar with each other.
As for the title of friends? That did not go so smoothly. In fact, this title was forced upon Lan Qian and the Hong twins. All by the hands of one little girl called Ding Meili.
"Let's be friends, okay?" A soft voice asked.
Those small hands that looked as delicate as a flower held tight to them, unwilling to let go. Those almond shaped eyes brimming with water looked straight into their souls, signing a contract with the devil.
"Or." She shyly inquired. "Would you prefer to see how I set fire to the warehouse? Or both?!"
An innocent smile appears inside their minds. The girl smiled a toothy grin, two sweet and innocent dimples even appeared. Yet contrasting her naive appearance, down below, veins were bulging on the two small hands that held them captive, muscles that should not have been there glimmered in the light.
Just remembering that day caused both Lan Qian and Hong Naoyu to shiver.
Banishing the name Ding Meili from her thoughts, Hong Naoyu got to the point. "Xiayu finished up a batch of sense. If all goes well I'll have my answer by the end of today."
"Are you sure nothing will go wrong?" Lan Qian frowned. He was not too happy with what she was planning to do. He felt there were too many unforeseeable contingencies. "Naoyu."
"Don't. We've already talked about this." Lan Qian frowned even heavier at her words.
Why was she so stubborn? Who did she get that from? Her father was a monster that had reason enough to be patient and her mother was a lunatic that had no problem abandoning her own children. Neither of them had any hint of stubbornness. He'd met the old madam once, and even she didn't seem the least bit stubborn. Was it from the old master's side?
"Tonight is ideal. Court will last longer and father won't be coming home until late and mother has left for her master's death anniversary." Hong Naoyu snapped her fan closed. "I won't have a better time than now."
"You- haa," Lan Qian gave up. "Be careful."
"Of course. When aren't I not?" Hong Naoyu smiled brightly.
"Says Miss directionally challenged."
Bang–!
"Your directionally challenged, your whole family is directionally challenged!" Hong Naoyu threw the book at him in anger.
She was not that bad! Her left and right were just switched and everybody else was going the wrong way! Hmph!
Hong Naoyu: "I'm telling on you to Luoluo!" qwq I'm a normal girl, there's nothing wrong with me...
Lan Qian: "You're impossible!" (╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻ What are you, a child? How immature! I still haven't met her and my reputation is already ruined by you!
• • • •
"Dr Wu, how is it?" A worried voice asked.
"Mmm," the old man hummed. "You've done well. The fetus is stable. Remember to avoid accidents, no over lifting, and allow that husband of yours to do all the work, else you experience another scare."
"Yes yes, I understand. I'll listen this time and be more careful."
"Mommy, I heard you so you can't go back on your words." A little boy tugged on the mother's sleeve. He looked up at her with a pout.
Looking down at her young son, the mother nodded repeatedly. "No worries Ying'er, mommy will be good. Your little sibling needs me to and even if not, your papa wouldn't let Mommy off."
"Mmm," the little boy nodded with a toothy grin. "Me and papa!"
"Yes yes yes." The mother grabbed the boy's cheek and chuckled.
After a brief exchange with the old man, both mother and son bowed and walked off. They turned around and thanked him repeatedly then left the clinic. Before the maid closed the door she could briefly hear the two talking about what to eat for dinner.
She smiled at their loving relationship.
Once the maid turned around she became dazed. She looked around the room until she found the old man and sighed. He'd left his place at the front desk and sat down in the chair under the window, pouring wine into a small glass.
"Dr Wu?" Her call was answered with silence.
The old man sat quietly under the window. One hand rested on the table, ever so slightly scratching the surface of a crystal ball covered with an embroidered handkerchief. The other held the glass of wine, neither drinking it nor lifting it. The gentle shadows of rain danced across his face. The shadows solemnly trickled down his leafy green robe embroidered with tiger lilies, casting him into a melancholic fog.
The maid furrowed her brows. She opened her mouth to speak once more, but was cut off by the old man's sigh.
Dr Wu set the glass down. His voice was full of profound sorrow as he looked out into the rain. "I wonder how much more this world can take before it stays true to its name."
He ran his finger along the brim of the cup. Picking it up, he took a sip and savored the taste. "Haa- Just like this wine, will there be one less memory of you?"
Briefly he closed his blue eyes, seeping in the bitter taste of his wine, then opened them in time to catch a flash of light outside the window.
Crackle— Boom!
Multiple streaks of lightning fizzled throughout the clouds. Suddenly a few large bolts struck beyond the forest, crackling booms spread out far and wide.
Eyes throughout the capital caught this sight. They looked to the sky in somber silence. Some brought forth calming sutras. Some placed their hands on their hearts. There were even some who walked out into the rain, ignoring the cold, standing in their courtyards, sitting atop their roofs.
But none of them averted their gazes. Their eyes remained on the sky for a long time.
Emperor Jie was the same. He stood alongside Hong Moxue, watching this terrifying act of nature with solemn gazes. Suddenly harsh footsteps burst into the hall. The rain logged boots squeaked throughout the space. The rough weight of the man thuds forward, towards the pair looking out the window.
"General Wan, your arrival is quite punctual. We depart for Hell's Valley at once."
"Ha!" Responded the solemn General Wan.
The trio vanished from the hall mere seconds after the general's response.
In the sky, the rain parted way for them as they leapt and flew through the air, crossing buildings like a frog leaping from one lily pad to the next. And just as they reached the center of the capital lightning struck. This nature's disaster was aiming right for them.
It landed! It hit right atop their heads! Or at least it appeared to have done so. The lightning bolt, as unrealistic as a god descending from the skies, it was sliced in half, easily struck down by Emperor Jie, disdained by Hong Moxue, and amused General Wan into boastful laughter.
"How I wish for a few survivors to warm up my muscles. That trip to the farmlands wasn't nearly enough to cut down my steam that's been brewing through these peaceful years."
"Be quiet...you're annoying."
"Come now Moxue, you can't tell me you don't feel the same. You blood stained piece of ice, you of all people should be just as antsy if not more than myself."
"I said— be quiet."
"Che, you're no fun."
The duo's conversation echoed throughout the sky, booming even louder than the thunder rattling the earth. They disappeared beyond the Forest of Rebirth and kept on going, there beyond the horizon and into the rain of lightning that still had not stopped.
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