Arms shaking, Tao Hua just stared ahead, watching as Wan Mie casually made his way toward him. He circled Tao Hua, arms clasped behind his back. After a few rounds, he finally stopped behind him, not a single word gracing his lips.
Tao Hua stressed between two options. Glancing up ahead, toward the exit, he thought about running, but that proposed two additional issues. Tao Hua wasn't a fast runner in comparison to most others, and his legs were still aching with a dull pain from the hours of posing on the Training Grounds.
I…I could run to the temple… Tao Hua lowered his eyes and side-glanced Wan Mie's shadow. But if I do that, then I'd have to tell him everything from the dreams, alongside entering somewhere he doesn't want me.
Therefore, he had no choice but to wait it out until Shan Si returned from the temple. On a normal day, this typically didn't take long, but it seemed today was different.
Quietly hyperventilating, Tao Hua lowered his arms to his sides and started to rub his fingers against the fabric of Shan Si's robe. This didn't go unnoticed by Wan Mie, and curiously, his eyes fell on Tao Hua's moving fingers.
"Quiet today, aren't we?" Stood behind Tao Hua, Wan Mie peered over at the temple. "He doesn't take you in with him? Funny how a man claims a doll and dresses it up, but refuses to introduce it to his mother."
Tao Hua's hands clenched into fists, gathering heaps of black fabric in them. Wan Mie's statement struck a nerve in many ways but one.
"It…it's mutual," Tao Hua retorted in a surprising act of self-preservation, face stiffening. "It's a mutual understanding between us—I don't hold it against him."
Amid his anxiety, Tao Hua's arm throbbed with the familiar, excruciating pain, but to avoid suspicion, he merely swallowed it down, lifted his hand, and slowly rubbed it along the discomfort.
"A-And it's between me and Shan Si…as friends. I'm still mindful of his time and don't push, so…so…" He gripped his, wrinkling the black fabric enough for it to tighten around his arm. "I trust him."
But regardless of his words, doubt was written all over his face, and Wan Mie was anything but oblivious.
"Interesting." Wan Mie's brows rose, his head bobbing at the motions of Tao Hua's hands. "Rabbit Foot seems to be misunderstanding this old man."
Tao Hua's jaw locked, and he remained firmly in place, refusing to respond. However, his head was spinning with all the plausible variables of how Wan Mie might be right, while also trying not to believe them.
"I don't recall mentioning anything on mutual respect or trust," Wan Mie plainly stated. "Is Rabbit's Foot perhaps trying to convince someone else?"
"I-I…no!" Tao Hua protested, but his intensifying emotions seared a pain throughout his arm, one that nearly had him crouch into a ball. Regardless, he remained stationed, gripping his nails into the fabric of his sleeves, indenting his arms white. "It's not…no. I trust him!"
But did he? Now Tao Hua was starting to second guess himself.
When he thought about it, wasn't it he who neglected confiding in Shan Si? For what, exactly? Not to burden him with his feelings, or to cause him stress? Trying not to mess things up?
As much as Tao Hua wanted to say it was for Shan Si's sake, he was slowly realizing that it was fear that clutched onto him, and only him. None of this was Shan Si's doing.
His mind began to drown in selfish thoughts, so much so that he lost complete control of his breathing.
The clacking of shoes started once more, but instead of growing distance, they became louder. Tao Hua's hand froze, and his pupils shrank. Ahead of him was a shadow, and along his arms slithered hands that felt freezing to the touch, pulling up Tao Hua's sleeve.
He tried to turn toward the temple, tugging his arm away, but if there was one thing he learnt, two months of training wouldn't ever compete against men with two hundred years under their belt.
"Testy, testy. Calm down, child, I'm only checking your arm," Wan Mie whispered, right next to Tao Hua's ear. It was excruciatingly uncomfortable—cold, serpent-like, and made every inch of Tao Hua writhe in disgust.
Holding up his arm, Wan Mie observed it, from the wrist to the elbow, up and down. Tao Hua mafe an attempt to revolt and brought his other hand up to Wan Mie's, trying to tug it off—as if it had any impact whatsoever.
"From the looks of it, there's nothing wrong. Peculiar. From what I've heard, you've been waking up in cold sweats, alleging bad dreams." Wan Mie smiled just as Tao Hua's shoulders fell.
Why was someone discussing something so personal with others? No, why was Shan Si discussing this with Wan Mie?
"Who…?" Tao Hua asked.
"Ah, so it's true! Pay no mind, it was only a man worried about his wife." Wan Mie swatted Tao Hua's hand off his, and all it could do was flop to his side. "Let Uncle take a look, yeah? Something like this is unusual for such a substance. There must be more."
So…it was Shan Si trying to get help…? Should I...
After a second of thinking, Tao Hua eased his arm and allowed Wan Mie to do his work. However, a sinking feeling in his chest floundered, flopping about.
The moment Wan Mie flipped it backside up, he grazed his thumb along the reddening area of his arm. For the mostpart, Tao Hua would conceal it, and at night, he'd wrap his ribbon around it. But looking at it now, the colour had deepend significantly.
"I see. How interesting," he muttered, his face mere inches away from Tao Hua's.
Quietly, Tao Hua asked, "What's interesting?"
"Seems there isn't a trace of it anywhere. How odd. Maybe the dreams are nothing more than a divine message or a punishment. How fortunate for you, Rabbit's Foot!" Just as Wan Mie beamed happily, Tao Hua couldn't help his bewildered expression, disgruntled at Wan Mie's reaction. "If you hadn't ignored me for two months, maybe it wouldn't have gotten so bad, hm? Hiding behind Shan Si can only get you so far."
"I...what?" Tao Hua's brows furrowed. He didn't understand a thing. The redspot was exactly where Wan Mie subjected him to such substance, and it was clearly getting worse! And if ignoring him equaled it getting worse, than didn't that mean Wan Mie was apart of the equation?
"Many say dreams can be used by gods to predict the future, or simply reveal your fortune, be it good or bad."
"The future…?" Tao Hua repeated slowly. Turning his head to look at Wan Mie, his brows wrinkled, and it was then Tao Hua understood something most others overlooked.
Wan Mie's smile covered up more lies than it revealed truths, a type of face Tao Hua had experienced for most of his life.
His chest beat rapidly at this realization; he tried to keep himself calm, praying for Shan Si to hurry. Anything! As long as he could see his face, he knew he'd be fine!
Then his thoughts were interrupted as he flinched. Wan Mie's thumb pressed into the reddened area on Tao Hua's skin, seemingly amused. It was clear he had no intention of stopping.
"Don't…" Tao Hua muttered desperately, clamping his eyes shut. The cold hands receded, but were soon replaced with them coiling around his wrist. Unable to handle it anymore, Tao Hua aggressively pulled back his hands and screamed, "SHAN SI. I'LL TELL—"
Only to open his eyes to see a woman ahead of him, her forehead wrinkled, traced with concern in every crease.
"Shan…Si…" Confused, Tao Hua's face fell, and he mouthed, "Consort Wu?"
As soon as it clicked, he reached up and covered his arm, only allowing her to observe the redness for a short period.
Patting down the black fabric, Tao Hua then looked over his shoulder to find Wan Mie halfway shoved to the ground, and towering over him was a man more enraged than he'd ever been before.
Disgust, anger, bloodlust—they all seemed to discern his features powerfully. He leaned down to grab Wan Mie's collar, lifting the man up with strength only ever paired with killing intent.
"Are you responsible?!" Shan Si shouted, just as Wu Mi carefully pulled Tao Hua back.
Wan Mie just blankly stared at Shan Si before letting out a bitter laugh. He was calm, and almost too calm for someone in the face of another's uncontrollable anger.
"You try to help a man with his sleep, and this is what he gets in return?" He reached his hand up and placed it over Shan Si's whitening knuckles, all while Tao Hua's body vibrated. He was confused, unsure how to react, and all he wanted to do was blurt out every thought he'd had on this man.
So, he pushed a foot forward, opened his mouth, but before he could speak, delicate, thin fingers, as gentle as could be, patted his mouth twice. Tao Hua turned to find Wu Mi discreetly shaking her head.
"Why…?" Tao Hua whispered, but Wu Mi didn't answer. She just nudged her head toward the pair.
"Our Lord has really lost his touch—are you trying to break an old man's back?" Wan Mie whined, as if this situation wasn't bad. "Put me down already. Manners, and then discussion."
"Ten seconds," Shan Si scowled, his grip tightening. "You have ten seconds to explain what the fuck is going on here."
Chapter end.