"Xiang'er?"
" Over here."
Under a pavilion elegantly built on top of a lotus pond, an elegant peony in white, half of her face hidden under a silk veil but her beauty was not hidden. Her slender snow fingers carefully embroidered a white coat.
She was a perfect incarnate of the moon goddess calmly sitting in her palace surrounded by lotus and serenity.
" I have been looking for you."
A woman sat across her, She was pretty; While the moon goddess was a snow peony, she was a spring cherry. she was a line appearing between her brows. The moon goddess didn't spare her a single glance as her clear apricot eyes were focused on the coat she was embroidering.
" At least, spare your childhood friend a glance!!" the other woman mumbled with a pout. Her action took out a chuckle from the moon goddess.
The moon goddess had no choice but to stop what she was doing and give her sulking friend all her attention.
" I am now."
"... Good."
The other woman's lips raised to a small smile but looked away hiding it from her friend.
" You should pay more attention to your friend...Humph!"
" That is what I am doing now."
" Not only now but every day and every time."
The moon goddess chuckled at her sulking friend's silliness.
" Ok, I will."
The other woman rolled her eyes with her imitating her friend's words. " Whatever."
The moon goddess watched her friend in awe. She had known the sulking woman all her life. She knows her friend can never get angry at her. She will never change; since their childhood days, she loved seeking her attention till this very day. She was sure she would never get tired of it. She chuckled at those fond memories with her friend.
" Ying'er."
The woman named, Ying Tao pretended not to have heard her name being fondly called. Still looking at anything but her friend.
The moon goddess let out a sigh and shook her head. She knew what to do to get Ying Tao to look at her.
With a chuckle, she took off her veil revealing her full beauty, just like a peony.
And it worked.
Ying Tao indeed couldn't resist looking at her, her face was flushed and her lips trembled. In a shaky voice, " Why do you always think that would work on me?" but she couldn't look away from the smirking beauty in front of her.
" Because I know it will."
Ying Tao snorts at her friend's smug reply, " Try it on me next time and you will see that it won't work on me."
The moon goddess replied with a smug voice, " Let's see."
Both friends laughed and talked while enjoying the scenery and drinking tea. It was a perfect sight to see. Two beauties just enjoying themselves.
Shen Zhufu seeing through the moon goddess's eyes was in awe. He saw her memories through her.
' So this beauty is Lady in white? what could have happened to her?'
He saw everything she saw, he felt the happiness she felt when with her friend and heard everything that enters her ears.
' The relationship shared between these two women was very special. Does Lady in White?? oh no!!'
Shen Zhufu stared at the woman smiling across him through the gazing eyes of the moon beauty. The way she looked at her friend was gentle.
Many fond memories of hers passed through his eyes, and every emotion felt by him. When she cried, he cried, when she was angry, he too was angry, when she was happy, he too was happy and when she was sad, he too was sad.
The day when both were sad was the day, Ying Tao got married to the man who always patronises her whenever he visited the tavern.
Shen Zhufu found out that both friends were courtesans. They were brought up as children in the tavern where they finally became a courtesan. Both were very favoured for their beauty, wit and skills.
Both are just like winter and spring; Xiang'er prefers to be indoors playing the guqin or any other soft skills while Ying Tao is very playful and loves the outdoors, she had often been mistaken for a man because of the way she carried herself. She knows martial arts, sword arts and horse riding. She often forces her friend saying" A woman must not always be soft and elegant." to learn some of her skills despite her disagreeing with it.
But still managed to retain a special relationship and protect each other.
On the wedding day, Xiang'er was the one who prepared her friend as it was a request from a friend. Xiang'er being a good friend, wanted her friend to be very happy with her special, and granted her request with a smile on her face, even through the ceremony.
She gave her friend a white embroidered dress she just finished with a smile.
' Lady in white, you sure are something else.'
Shen Zhufu sighed, worried about her.
After the wedding ceremony, Ying Tao asked her to meet her in the pavilion, their special place.
Very excited Xiang'er rushed to finish whatever she was doing and went to meet her friend. She watched the broad back of her friend dressed in silence before walking beside her.
They both watched the full moon in silence.
Ying Tao, " Isn't the moon beautiful tonight?"
" Yes, it is."
Another bout of silence was between the two. The chirps of insects were the only sound heard.
" Are you happy with this marriage?"
' C'mon say no and tell her!!' Shen Zhufu shouted as if she could hear him.
Xiang was taken aback by her question. Her lips moved but no sound came out. She tore her gaze from the moon to her friend's eyes. It was filled with worry."..." she laughed nervously and looked away from them. They might see the truth. " Of course, I am."
Ying Tao said nothing and kept looking at her. Her eyes searched for answers. Her red lips curled up into a small smile. Ying Tao, " Please take care of yourself and let me know if you need any help."
Xiang'er," Mn."
" Come here." Ying Tao spread her arms wide, waiting for her friend to fall between them.
Xiang'er was a bit hesitant but wrapped her arms around Ying Tao's neck and firm warmth enveloped her waist. She promised she would never cry but ended up crying a river with her friend soothing her.
They were in each other arms for a long time. Each finding solace in the warmth, they protected.
The moonlight graced two beauties in a pavilion, one with wide eyes as the other lips were on hers.
Xiang'er didn't know what made her do it, probably because she was drunk from the warmth or she never wanted to let go of it. She was scared of being pushed away by Ying Tao but not happened. Instead, the hold around her waist tightened as her emotions were reciprocated through the kiss. It was slow and gentle like the touch of a butterfly on a petal. Tears tasted on their lips. She deepened the kiss not wanting to let go, clutching the front of Ying Tao's clothes. Her legs went weak from it.
Both were hesitant to end the kiss as their lips were on each other. Xiang'er broke off the kiss, gazing into those hazy eyes staring at her.
Realisation dawned on her, she forced herself free from the firm hold and ran back inside, not looking back. She ran inside her room and rested on the shut door and touched her swollen lips as tears fell like rain from her eyes.
" Xiang'er please don't close the door on me."
Ying Tao was outside the door begging her to let her in.
" Xiang'er..."
she cried all night, holding the handkerchief she stole from Ying Tao a long time ago.
Shen Zhufu felt his eyes were heavy and painful from too much crying. He couldn't stop either two of them from crying.
Several dark memories resurfaced before him. Ying Tao was in none. She had hesitantly travelled to a faraway city with her husband, leaving Xiang'er all alone. Before she left, she went to the tavern every day, just to see her friend, who has been avoiding her. On the day she left, she went to the tavern for the last time but Xiang'er still refused to see her. She left with tears in her eyes.
From being a soft peony, Xiang'er became a framed pig until she was kicked out of the tavern with nothing else. and it made other envious courtesans happy.
To survive, she did various types of work, including selling her body, since the reason she kept her body is no longer with her. She started performing the real duties of a courtesan. She couldn't care less.
She was maltreated in various terrible ways, shen Zhufu could never think of.
He was disgusted.
Then she met a couple who took her in. Both husband and wife took care of her and gave her her daily necessities but nothing comes for free in this world.
The barren wife kept pleading with her to bear a child with her husband for her. She blackmailed her whenever she refuses and threatened to send her back to the streets.
Well, Xiang'er never wanted to go back to the horrible street, so she complied.
The husband who had always been lusting after her, easily complied.
Shen Zhufu felt sorry for her, her face scrunched in disgust and tears in her eyes wishing to die throughout that night.
He felt pained when she scrubbed her body till it was wounded like her heart, with tears flowing heavily from her eyes.
' Jerks!! Treating a precious like trash!!'
One particular evening, while preparing dinner, she felt sick and fainted. The couple called the doctor and gave them the good news.
It was a piece of good news to them but a terrifying one to her.
During her months of pregnancy, she was pampered and cared for by the couples till it was time to deliver.
When she was put to bed, both couples were anxious for various reasons known to them.
She gave birth to twins, both boys.
This was where her worst nightmare began.
The wife didn't let her look at her children, even after she woke up from being unconscious after giving birth, she wasn't allowed to touch them and she was treated as a slave.
And the husband kept on with his lustful advancement towards her, forcing himself on her.
There was no one she could cry to. She was all alone. And she had to survive for her children.
Sometimes she had the opportunity to sneak peek at her children. They brought joy to her face. She can still love them from a distance even if she, their real mother, was not allowed to be close to them.
She planned a night to carry her babies and run away with them.
The night came, she drugged both couples and her plan went well until the wife appeared in front of her with a knife.
' She didn't drink the tea? Oh! Xiang, I thought you were smart!!'
She was dragged into the house by her hair and her babies were snatched from her.
The wife had a murderous look on her face, " Since you won't let me have them, then you won't either."
Before Xiang'er knew it, one of her boys was stabbed in the stomach.
Xiang'er went stiff with her eyes widened. Her son's blood splattered on her cheeks and his painful wails filled her senses, waking up his other, who also wailed as if he felt it. The torture his brother was going through.
' What an evil woman you are? What did the poor baby ever do to you?'
Xiang'er went mad, screaming," Why??" she struggled with the wife of the baby whose wails were fading.
She succeeded in taking back her boys from the wailing wife whose hand was bleeding from being deeply stabbed. Unfortunately for her, one of them was cold and limp covered in blood.
She brought his limp body close to her chest as if it would warm his cold body. She whispered motherly words to his ears, begging him to open his eyes for her. Her body trembled as tears flowed down her cheeks to her dead son's face.
The wife who was in pain began to laugh at her, rubbing salt into her opened wound.
' I wish I can strangle that old lady!'
Shen Zhufu fought within himself not to strangle the woman himself or else, the memories would be obliterated. He regrets watching and doing nothing to help. He hated it.
Tears welled up in his eyes in the pain he felt with the poor Xiang'er.
' How did she end up dying like that?'
Darkness became his answer.
When next they opened their eyes, both were in pain in the head and noises filled their ears.
Everywhere was blurry but they could see they were being surrounded by people pointing fingers at them. They tried to stand but realised they were tied to a tree.
A wailing woman's voice spoke, " Look what this mere courtesan did to me and my baby?"
Their eyes were heavy and foggy to make out who was the one making such accusations against them.
' Why can't see that imbecile?'
Exclamations and insults by various people clouded their ears.
They were able to make out some.
" I knew it! What a shame of her good looks."
" She was never good news."
" How can she do something as terrible as this?"
The wailing voice spoke again. This time choked, " Look, She cut my baby in pieces because she was jealous of me? Was I in the wrong to take her in? My husband and I took her in to take care of her but...Wah...She bit the hands that fed her...Wahh"
" *gasp* She is one terrible woman."
" Yes, she is! How could she dismember a poor baby so cruelly?!"
" Behind my back, she made advances towards my husband threatening him...What a wench!!"
" Disgusting!"
She was spat on, whipped and tortured by the people.
Shen Zhufu was angry at them because they didn't know what truly happened and jumped to the conclusion that Xiang'er, who is as soft as a peony, would do such things.
He wished Ying Tao, never left her. She was safe with her because he knew Ying Tao had always been the one protecting her.
Finally, the fog cleared from their eyes, he could see the person laying false accusations against her was no one but the wife. The husband standing obediently behind her with a solemn look on his face.
He saw it.
His eyes widened and his gut twisted as the urge to throw up took over him.
Laying on a blanket were bloody pieces of what was a baby. Xiang'er baby.
Xiang'er wanted to scream for her child who is just laying bare pieces but couldn't. Her lips hurt and weren't able to move. As If it was sewn together.
She tried struggling but was futile as she had no more strength in her and her body ached, inside out.
The wife asked with tears in her eyes," What should we do with her?"
The whole crowd shouted, " End her!"
They started throwing stones at her.
' It hurts. It's better this way, right?'
Shen Zhufu heard her internal voice.
All through, her eyes were on the pieces of her baby.
' What about his brother.'
Her dimming eyes searched for him but couldn't find her other son.
Before she took her last breath, her eyes filled with hatred stared at the couple who secretly smirked at her as their mission is completed.
She died glaring at them. Her corpse was left to rot in the open air.
The couple were uncomfortable with the way she looked at them before her death and couldn't sleep.
The wife had other plans
After her husband had slept, she went to where Xiang'er corpse was, her eyes were still open, glaring at her. It made her frightened and uncomfortable. She saw a big stone near her and used it to crush her face several times and cut off the hand she used to stab her.
' So this why she looks like that."
A last stroke of guqin was the last thing he heard.
He woke up from his trance with a gasp and began to wail painfully, wrapping his hands around whoever was beside him.
He poured out every pain he felt for her to the person's warm shoulders. Warm hands wrapped around him, rubbing his back, relieving the tight knot in his stomach. He cried a lot.
After he calm down, he almost died out of embarrassment. The cold scent of sandalwood helped to relieve him. He didn't immediately release himself. He stayed still deliberating whether to just stay like that or pretend he never did anything, wishing the ground to swallow him in that position.
' Have I lost face?'
He cleaned his face from any possible snort and released his grasp on the person but the person didn't. Still rubbing his back in a soothing caress.
He looked up to see a very beautiful face filled with worry with the help of the moonlight.
" A-Xiao."
He looked at those wet shoulders and his face reddened.
Looking everywhere but that worried face" Ahem, can you release me?"
the gentle warmth left his waist. He felt a little cold wanting that warmth back on him.
He got up and stared at the curled-up Lady in white deep thought.
" Gege, what happened to her?"
Without taking his eyes off her. He asked," What do you think?"
Cao Chang squatted near her, studying her trembling form. He had gotten the hint. Cao Chang, " What do you have in mind?"
Shen Zhufu went to sit next to his drum and caressed the top. Shen Zhufu, " Help her but before that.." he murmured some spells while his hands were on the drum.
Blue light engulfed her trembling body and it became a pile of dust.
A white peony petal landed on top of his hand that was on the drum.
He gently placed the petal into his palms. He showed the two, especially the awes peacock whose mouth was wide enough for a fly to enter.
Cao Chang, " That's her soul?"
Shen Zhufu nods and gently kept the petal inside his pouch. Shen Zhufu, " We need to keep her soul with us for now till we fulfil her wishes."
Cao Chang," Revenge?"
' Poor Xiang'er never thought of revenge even in death.'
" No."
" Why not?"
" Not everyone wishes for that. "
Not wanting to explain further, he got up after making the drum disappear into thin air. He sure has learned a lot.
' The soul in the pouch is weak to withstand the weight of the drum.'
" When the sun has come up, we will have to embark on a journey."
" What of Hanyang?"
" I know but let's solve this first."
He turned away to go back to the house with the others closely following behind him. It was silent. No usual bickering.
Each was in thoughts of their own.
Pu Xian was still asleep when they got in. They sneaked in the same way as the other time. This time, Shen Zhufu got in without help.
Pu Xian was almost woken up by the sound of the window being shut loudly. The trio went still afraid of making any sound.
Shen Zhufu's brows snapped together, glaring at the person, who doesn't feel remorseful for almost making them caught.
With a carefree shrug, Cao Chang asked casually as if he wasn't the cause of them being almost caught. Barely saved by luck. " What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Shen Zhufu felt a pang of pain in his head. He doesn't have the energy to argue with him. He walked away, into his room, to avoid arguing with him.
His lips curled up to a smile upon seeing a still-asleep Wei Xiang. The ache in his head reduced a bit.
' Sooo cute!'
He climbed into the bed and spoon the sleeping baby close to his chest.
His mind began to wander off to what happened, a spicy scent hit him in the nose. He felt no pain again as if he never did a while ago.
He doesn't have to look for the source. It was right in front of him. He didn't notice it when he entered the room.
' Qing Hua, you are the best!'
He gently released the baby who is now clinging to him and went towards the source of the scent.
There were several red boxes labelled with his name, containing boat-shaped favourites of his, arranged on top of a small wooden table. The poor table slightly trembled at the weight on top of it as if it was about to fall apart.
Not wasting time, he took one of the red boxes and opened it. The spicy scent became stronger making his mouth water and his stomach grumble.
' I never knew I was this hungry.'
He began to bury his face with the dumplings with his heart singing praises to the chuckling Qing Hua.
She did what her Lord asked of her. So she deserved it.
' I know I am the best, knowing my Lord, I packed more than enough for him...Hehe.'