Grabbing Your Hand, Dragging you Away

When I wake up, my body feels a little weak, then I just face the empty room and start to daze off.

I don’t know if anyone else has played this game before when they were young: having one’s eyes covered from behind, and then hear the person behind them discreetly or feign mysteriousness as they ask: “Guess, who am I?”

Alright, I’ll be honest, in fact I played it before, be it in that slowly forgotten past, or in the desolate palace hall, I’ve played it before. Of course, I was the person that had their eyes covered. Back then, Imperial Sister and Su Qi were persistent and insistent on playing such a nonsensical game, always having to hear the answer they want from my dull and placid voice, before they’re willing to give up. In fact, I am extremely confused, I don’t understand what fun they get from playing this ––– they are indeed children with healthy bodies and minds, and I, clearly belong to the abnormal.

Perhaps, Yuwen Rui doesn’t belong to the normal sort, other than pretending to be the elegant and noble Eldest Gentleman Yuwen, and occasionally playing tricks on I – this pitiful little cousin, he seems to not have any other hobbies or interests. This makes me doubt: is this reserved and black-bellied, elegantly handsome man, also of the time-travelling race, then after some time of observing, I am disappointed to find out, he is only an early-matured handsome little gentleman, nothing more than that.

Humans are a mysterious being, each and every one of them are their own person, and there are billions of different personalities, but share something in common when it comes to habits, everyone have their own secret base, like Imperial Sister’s most favourite corner of the garden, like Su Qi’s most sentimental pavilion at the mountaintop, like the glittering lake He Lian Chen took me to, also like that desolate little hill Yuwen Rui likes.

Yes, you haven’t heard wrong, the place Yuwen Rui likes the most is an extremely cold and desolate little hill. There, there is no captivating scenery, no fragrant flower scent, no slim ladies, not even any signs of living creatures.

It is unusually desolate there, yet he has a soft spot for it.

Since it’s his secret base, I certainly only go there a small number of times, counting it up, I only go there with him once a year, and that day will certainly be the day of his birthday. On the night of Yuwen Rui’s birthday, I would certainly spend the night at the General Estate, he would always take advantage of the time of dark night and strong winds to take me into sneaking out of the estate, then hold me in the night wind whilst looking at the stars, without saying any unnecessary words.

There was one time it wasn’t his birthday, but he still brought me to that place, that day, was the day his mother was buried, his clear and elegant, handsome face was pale the entire day, thin lips hooked up into a light smile, yet concealed in his eyes, were unlimited sorrows and deep emotions.

I knew of his unhappiness, yet I couldn’t do anything, look at this, how incapable I seem, clearly know of someone’s grievances yet unable to do anything, only because I am not him, hence unable to empathise.

That night, Yuwen Rui’s hands were even more ice-cold than usual, he holds me tightly in his arms, as though wanting to embed me into his body, whilst his face was coated in indifference.

I am still quietly looking at him from the side, not saying a word, nor prepared to cut off his thoughts. All of a sudden, in a trance, I see him slightly hook up his thin lips, slanted eyes containing a smile, charming like a spring scenery under the silver moonlight. I feel his bony fingers slowly cover my eyes, what followed, was him lightly leaning into my ear, asking: “Ah-Lan, who am I?”

He asked: who am I?

Clearly containing a smile in his eyes, clearly a light tone, clearly an unbelievably familiar line of joyfulness, but why do I only feel my heart go blank. freℯ𝓌e𝚋𝐧𝘰vℯl.𝐜𝚘𝗺

I in turn, touch his face and cover his eyes, shyly smiling as I say: “Guess, who am I?”

Yuwen Rui lowly laughs, but there was no warmth in it, “Stupid lass, I clearly asked first.”

I still insist on asking: “Cousin, who am I?”

“Ah-Lan.” He uses his forehead to rub against mine, the ice-cold tip of his nose also intimately touching mine, “If it isn’t Ah-Lan.”

I reach out to push away his nuzzling, holding his wrist, copying his tone: “Cousin, if it isn’t Cousin.”

I could feel his body instantly tense up, then with stronger force, he embraces me, voice as cold as frost and ice, “Well said, guessed correctly, remember it well from now on too, should there be a day you forget, don’t blame me for punishing you.”

I use my head to strongly butt into his chest, deliberately ignoring the suspicious, slightly glistening, shine at the corner of his eye.

That was the first time I have ever seen him show the action of seemingly letting a tear drop, and I also suspect, whether that was the very last time he will show vulnerability.

Forget it, forget it, forget it, blame He Lian Chen’s actions yesterday for making me think of Yuwen Fox, truly unexpected, truly baffling.

“Eunuch, you’re awake.” Someone happily calls out upon entering, an unfamiliar face and smile, “Is Eunuch still feeling unwell anywhere?”

I want to say, intestines seems to have untwisted a little……full of tears ah, I am.

“Look how weak Eunuch looks.” She attentively helps me lean against the bed frame, “Eunuch sure is blessed, his majesty had guarded you the entire night, only leaving for the morning assembly this morning……” She doesn’t seem to find it wrong in any way, continuing to say: “Truly an envious sight for onlookers ah.” 𝙛𝘳𝒆𝒆𝒘e𝗯n𝗼𝘷𝚎𝚕.𝒄૦𝓶

I sensitively notice the abnormality in her words, hence smiling as I say: “Graced with his majesty’s great kindness, really is a blessing that accumulated over several lifetimes.”

“Ho-ho.” A deep smile flashes past the palace maid’s eyes, “If it isn’t so, just that in this palace, to receive doting is not an easy matter, nor is it necessarily a good matter.” She smiles more sweetly, “Eunuch, don’t you think so?”

I also smile very meaningfully, “But to receive doting, is ultimately better than not receiving any doting at all. This [Older] Sister, what do you think?”

Her face stiffens, then says as though there’s nothing wrong: “Having just woken up, Eunuch must be hungry, this servant shall tell someone to send some food in.”

“I shall trouble Sister.”

After she leaves the doors, I burst out laughing, food poisoning, as if my body is that delicate, looking at it now, if it isn’t a certain someone giving me a warning. But what are you warning me for? If you’re really capable, then directly go cut to the BOSS ah, pestering me – this passer-by – isn’t going to do anything.

Right in this moment, someone hastily rushes in, before I could even react, they fall to their knees with a “dong”, tearfully crying out: “Eunuch help!”

I’m a little startled by this cry, what scene are you playing now? I say: “This [Older] Sister, please stand, stop bowing to me, what is going on here?”

“This servant begs Eunuch, please save this servant’s younger sister!” That palace maid consecutively knocks her head against the ground several times, those reddened eyes filled with anxiety, “This servant will remember your great kindness for a lifetime! Begging Eunuch!”

I slightly furrow my brows, “Your sister is……?”

“This servant’s sister is a palace maid in the Imperial Kitchen, was in charge of the eunuchs’ meals, along with several others.” The palace maid sobs and sniffles as she says: “Yesterday, the imperial physician said Eunuch was poisoned from eating contaminated food, afraid it was someone’s deliberate move, so today, his majesty summoned those several people for questioning, is currently throwing a huge temper, a few had already been taken into prison. Eunuch, this servant only has this one sister, may Eunuch pity pity this servant, please request a favour from his majesty! Wu-wu, Eunuch’s great kindness, this servant shall remember for as long I live!”

What? He Lian Chen has currently seized the Imperial Kitchen’s lot to take his anger out on? Seriously, this is really a classic emperor’s doing!

I rub my stomach and get out of bed, hectically putting on my clothes as I say: “Where is it, quickly take me there.”

The palace maid reveals happiness upon hearing this, rapidly standing up and wipes away her tears as she says: “This servant shall take you there right now, this servant thanks Eunuch!”

When I head there with the palace maid, I slightly struggle to match her pace, the food poisoning from last night really has hit me hard, even several steps makes me feel powerless. But if a huge bunch of people are sent to their deaths due to this matter of mine, then that is far too unreasonable. I may not be a bodhisattva, but nor have I reached the level of viewing human lives like ants. He Lian Chen ah, He Lian Chen, I don’t believe that you don’t know they are only a puppet, perhaps you wish to dispose of them to warn the person harming me, but forget it, this good intention, is not one I can bear.

Before I had even entered the hall, I could hear He Lian Chen coldly say: “No one admits to it? Very well, Jia Suo, throw them all into the Imperial Prison, should there still be no one admitting to it tomorrow, then drag them all out to be beheaded.”

Right after these words of his were spoken, a burst of wronged cries and tearful cries sounds, but that person called Jia Suo just answers with a sentence, “This subordinate shall obey your command.”

I grow increasingly powerless, with the palace maid beside me looking at me pleadingly, I could only push open the doors and enter, weakly calling out: “Your majesty.”

He Lian Chen quickly turns to me, when that handsome face sees me, there was actually a fleeting look of displeasure and pain mixing together in his expression, his tone does not make a turn for the better, only saying: “What have you come for?”

I drag along my weak little body and walk up to his side, what have I come for, what else can I come for? To prevent you from committing a sin for the sake of my intestines. I deliberately feign confusion as I look at the entire floor of kneeling eunuchs and palace maids, saying: “Your majesty, what’s going on here?”

He Lian Chen slightly furrows his thick brows, “A bunch of damned things, Jia Suo, take them away.”

Hearing this, Jia Suo was just about to lead the guards in seizing everyone, and they all once again start wailing, I hurriedly say: “Wait, could it be that this bunch of blind things have offended your majesty? How could they possibly be let off so easily then?!” I fiercely say to those people: “To even dare to offend his majesty, your dog-eyes sure have gone blind!”

“Eunuch, this servant didn’t poison your dishes! This servant is innocent!” An eunuch cries out with a face contorted in fear.

“This servant is also innocent! May Eunuch spare me!”

“Eunuch, this servant doesn’t want to die, this servant really didn’t do it!”

“Poison?” I lightly cough a few sounds, saying to the cold face of Great Master He: “Your majesty, this servant was poisoned last night?”

He Lian Chen expressionlessly sweeps his eyes across the overly worked up bunch of people, “En. Jia Suo, take them away!”

“Your majesty.” I block Jia Suo who just wanted to go up, smacking my own forehead as I say: “It is all this servant’s fault!”

He Lian Chen raises his brows.

I shamefully say: “This matter of poisoning, really cannot be blamed on them, this servant has experienced this in the past before, it is all a problem caused by greediness, this servant, ai~, the servant greedily ate a lot of fish and shrimps last night, after the meal, had even eaten all the grapes you had bestowed upon this servant……” I deliberately feign annoyance as I hit my own lips, “This servant had actually forgotten that these two types of goods cannot be eaten together! This servant truly was deserving of it!”

He Lian Chen’s expression darkens a little, “Oh?”

I blink, “This servant truly is an idiot, causing your majesty troubles, this servant is the one who sinned!” Having said that, I was prepared to kneel down, not caring whether he believed my words or not.

I originally planned to use the self-infliction tactic, but in reality, as soon as bend down, I feel a sudden wave of dizziness, followed by my entire body unsteadily face planting forward. But fortunately, someone’s big hands had quickly taken hold of my arms, his handsome eyes still carrying anger and ice-coldness, speaking lukewarmly: “You sure care about them a lot, to personally run over here.”

Deep inside I could only sigh, even though palace maids and eunuchs aren’t worth anything in the palace, but in the end, they are still human lives, no? And so, I very shamelessly make a pretentious action ––– hand on forehead, brows furrowed, slightly panting, “If it wasn’t because this servant, this servant had thought,” I take a deep breath and say: “Thought someone had provoked your majesty, who knew it was a misunderstanding, *cough cough*, it was all this servant’s greed……”

“Shut up.” He Lian Chen uncourteously orders: “If you can’t speak then stay quiet.” He imposingly circles his eyes around at the dumbfounded bunch of people, saying: “All to receive twenty beatings each.” After he was done speaking, he holds my waist and lifts me up, then holding me up in both arms with ease, he takes long strides out.

The originally fearfully pleading people are already thoroughly stunned right now, and Jia Suo’s fierce expression also falters as he watches He Lian Chen’s action of casually carrying me out. When he carries me back to the palace hall, the people we come across along the way, had also dropped their jaws, eyes filled with surprise and suppressed excitement. I sorrowfully think, in no longer than half a sichen, the palace should once again be circulating sensational news, the topic called ‘his majesty bristles with anger for Beauty Lan, showing affectionate care on the spot, securing the blessing of Long Yan’! (Credits to http://www.mandarinmorning.com/News/1200.html: the love story between the king of the Wei state and Long Yang Jun. One day, while Wei’s king was fishing with Long Yang Jun, Long Yang Jun started to cry after gaining dozens of fishes. The king was surprised and asked him, “Why do you cry?” Long Yang Jun said, “When I catch a little fish, I am very happy. But later, I catch bigger fish and I am not obsessed with the little fish any more. From this, I know that there are many man who are more beautiful than me. I am afraid that you will love them instead of me.” In order to get rid of Long Yang Jun’s worry, the king forbidded his people to talk about beauties)

Oh dear lord, He Lian Chen, are you not able to be a little more subtle!

I of course still feel a little doubtful, in regards to He Lian Chen’s thoroughly unconcealed anger towards me just now. I remember that I didn’t offend him in anyway ah, why is he throwing a temper at me for? Once I am thrown onto the bed by him, then oppressively pressed down, this master said something that enlightens me.

Great Master He’s handsome face is filled with displeasure, darkly saying: “An Ke Lan, you just miss that cousin of yours so much, missing him to the point that you call out his name even in your dreams?”