He never knew when he stopped beating the drum. He never when he stopped to listen to the now gentle melody of a guqin. Sometimes, it felt distant and for a little while, he felt it near; close enough to feel a cold familiar presence and those green firelights surrounding him and the four graves. Like they were paying their respect to the passed.
He looked around him to make sure he wasn't hearing or feeling things. Whether he was the only person there. He looked up to the darkened sky where cold white fell.some of it fell on his face, it made him shiver.
' Snow?'
A baby laugh was heard from the other side and the melody of guqin stopped.
"A-Xiang"
He kowtowed several times before going over to the laughing baby.
The inside was brightly lightened with green firelight with a baby giggling and a little fellow carrying a big straw bag over his shoulder resting on the wall, breathless.
" Cao Chang?"
The fellow turned his face to him with a big smile appearing on his wet face " Come " he beckoned to him as he dropped the straw bag to the floor, " Look at what i brought"
Shen Zhufu didn't move a cun; he skeptically glanced between that fellow who left without saying anything, an hour ago and now appearing again as if nothing happened with so much energy painting his whole body,and the straw bag he dropped to the floor .
" What's in it?" He asked cynically.
Cao Chang," If you don't come over and check it yourself, how will you know what it's in it?"
His eyebrows raised in suspicion, ' What if he killed someone and brought it here for me to also dirty my hands'
" I don't kill" He gave out a loud untamed laugh that shook the whole house, " Do I look like it? I am very innocent " his ever mischievous eyes were big and bright, slightly curved into a crescent moon and his lips shoot out. He looked so innocent that he can't a strand of hair on anyone's head.
Can he believe this harmless Cao Chang? A while ago, he looked like he could just kill anyone. Everyone. That he comes his way.
At least, he can try, right?
He got close enough for his feet to kick the bag slightly. If it were to be a corpse, there would have been blood everywhere and... the rough bang it made when hitting the ground.
He bent to feel the bag as if he wasn't buying the harmless words of that peacock. It was hard and round. After feeling for a while, he finally loosened the knotted end of the bag.
What came rolling out, instead of a grey lifeless head or severed hand, it was a big green apple. It looked fresh and coldly wet. He let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't a dead body or sort but He froze like a Buddha statue after realizing what it was.
Cao Chang bent beside him with a smug smile on his face " See, i don't kill" He dipped a hand into the sack to take an apple but was stopped midway.
" Huh?" Confusion written on his face as he looked down on the hand that just stopped him midway.
Shen Zhufu picked the apple that was on the floor and stared at it. Then showed it to Cao Chang, Demanding. Shen Zhufu, " Where did you get these from?"
Cao Chang became speechless and as if that question was a slap on his face, the smug look was also slapped from his face. He turned his gaze away from him and his voice was slightly shaky. Cao Chang, " I-I g-No... I bought them."
Shen Zhufu, " from where? From who?"
Avoiding his eyes he gave another shaky reply. Cao Chang, " Well... from a merchant"
Shen Zhufu's brow arched. He rubbed his forehead with a sigh. Shen Zhufu, " This much?" He looked inside the bag again. It was so much that it can make a person rich. " Take me to them today" He was about to get up dragging the peacock with him but a hand held the hem of his robe.
" They don't live here"
Shen Zhufu's brows arched into a full crescent moon. He locked gaze with the peacock before it looked away. He looked so suspicious. Why won't he take him to the stall? Where did he get so much money? And why avoid looking straight in the eyes when he answers?
Cao Chang lets go of cloth. He looked away hiding his pink cheeks. He cuppede a hand around his mouth and coughed to clear this awkward situation. Cao Chang, " I want to be Wei Xiang Uncle" His smile was directed to the baby playing with the firelights surrounding him.
' Huh? The fuck!?'
He shamelessly took advantage of Shen Zhufu's speechlessness and went on spewing nonsense. Pretending not to notice the slight change of expression and tightness of jaw.Cao Chang, " So I bought these to cater for his needs" he took his hand out Shen Zhufu's grip when he saw it lightened. " Besides We could make a fortune out of it. Right? Wei Xiang?" Shamelessly including Wei Xiang.
As soon as his name was called, Wei Xiang stopped whatever he was doing and went towards the person that called him. As if the firelights sensed their friend was no longer playing with them, they gradually dimmed until they vanished leaving the room with darkness that lasted for a while.
Cao Chang took the little baby in his arms. Cao Chang, " See, he wants me to be his uncle."
Shen Zhufu's face contorted with rage trying to wriggle out of its cage. ' Shameless!'
Jaw tight, clenched fists and contorted face. He felt like smacking someone really hard. ' You want to be his uncle? Ah, dream big!'
Cao Chang shamelessly used Wei Xiang as an excuse and way of escape. And now , spewing nonsense to the baby. Unacceptable .
Shen Zhufu snatched the baby from him. A big smile which appeared innocent at first glance but tinted with menace. Shen Zhufu, " Do whatever you. Don't just include A-Xiang."
Cao Chang stared at his empty arms as something dark and indecipherable built in his eyes. Just for a moment. He laughed dryly and his fists clenched slightly . Cao Chang, " Thank you." He locked his fists in front of his chest in a mock kowtow. Who knows who's mocking.
Shen Zhufu didn't know how to respond to those simple words. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. He couldn't find the right words.
" Mn "
Unknown to the people in the room, a dark figure stood at a corner of the room. It waved its hand and the whole room became bright and the outside became clearer. The changes were unnoticed. It walked towards Shen Zhufu in slow and steady steps. As if it doesn't want to alert him of its presence.
But a little fellow with big eyes which glowed slightly,did. The Shadow stopped in its tracks, right in front of the fellow and behind the person holding that little fellow who started blabbing and giggling.
" Papa?"
' Huh?' Shen Zhufu felt a presence behind him and something weird about Wei Xiang. He felt strangely cold although, he had no human temperature. But it was odd. He turned around to be sure he wasn't feeling things. It was overwhelming and over too familiar.
Nothing was there. Just a firelight and a strangely familiar scent. Cold scent of sandalwood.
His heart became sad.