Everyone in her family sat somewhere in the living room with a nervous look on their faces as they watched the unconscious Master Chang like a hawk.
Her father sat on the seat he was seating tapping his feet restlessly. He will look at Master Chang intensely as if willing him to wake up already, and then his eyes will lift in Junfeng's direction and he will shoot him a deadly glare.
Her mother was sitting in one corner weeping at how Junfeng has doomed them all. They all will be going to the city jail once Master Chang wakes up.
Her younger brothers were busy playing and hitting one another while Junfeng sat glaring at the unconscious Master Chang like he wanted to hit him some more.
As for Salsa she was praying for the horrid man never to wake up, going to jail will be a million times better than what the future holds for her should the man make a recovery. Selfish she knows but at this moment thinking of all the horrible things she has heard about dolls in the kingdom she didn't mind being selfish.
The only one not sitting was Qianfan. He was pacing like a caged lion all over their small living room, a thinking look on his face. Qianfan has always been a deep thinker. Unlike his other half, he always thinks things through before acting and is very much cool-headed.
Salsa believes her brother to be an old soul, a reincarnation of Shou, the god of wisdom. He is so smart that being born in their small backward village is a disservice to him. Her brother is meant for greater things Salsa knows it.
She kept watching her brother, he was fascinating to watch. The serious look on his handsome face made him more attractive.
Most girls in the village keep throwing themselves at her brothers especially Qianfan because he has this quiet broody personality with his rich dark brown curls falling to his shoulders, sharp jaw, and trim muscled figure. Working on the farm made her brothers all muscular but not in a bad way.
Watching her brother was a better way to pass time than thinking about her predicament. She frowned then stared hopefully when her brother stopped his pacing and turned to face the family.
" I have an idea, " he said pulling everyone's attention.
We all looked at him waiting for his idea. If there was anyone who could help their family out of this mess it was Qianfan.
" LET'S KILL HIM. "
His words were like something just exploded leaving everyone too shocked to react.
Salsa stared at her brother like he has grown another head, but then on second thought, his suggestion doesn't sound so bad. She looked at her parents with a hopeful expression on her face. If Master Chang is dead there will be no one owed hundred gold coins and no being a doll.
Her father soon got over his shock and tilted his head at his brother like he was giving his suggestion a thought.
" How do we dispose of the body? "
Salsa gaped.
She couldn't believe the words that just came out of her father's mouth and she wasn't the only one, her brothers were staring at their father with their jaws dropped, only Qianfan had a sinister grin on his face. He was looking scary to Salsa right now, but good scary.
Her mother was too dumbfounded to mutter anything and when she did she yelled her protest at her husband's words.
" TIAN! "
Junfeng burst into laughter, laughing like a crazy fellow.
" And here I thought I was the only crazy in the family. Good one brother, so how do we do it, " he rubbed his two hands together with an eager wild look in his eyes.
" Not funny Jun! we are not killing anyone! " her mother snapped shooting a glare at her husband and then her sons.
The body on the floor groaned before mumblings were heard from the body.
" Who are you killing? " Master Chang asked sitting up.
" Oh shit! " Yufei exclaimed in shock falling back.
It would have been funny had we not had something very serious on our hands. Our mother glared sharply at him causing him to look away with a sheepish look.
" Master Chang, how do you feel? " Our father asked looking at the fat man with a worried scared look on his face, like he cared, which is highly impossible because only few moments ago he tried to have the man killed. Salsa wished the man had waited until the plan of killing him became concrete before waking up.
" How do you think I feel?! " Master Chang glared. " Your son hit me! " he spat out raising his fat finger to his lips and looked disappointed when no blood stained his fingers.
Guess there is no evidence to prove my brother hit him. If he reports us it will be his words against us, though he will likely be more believed than us rendering the whole thought a moot point. Back to the issue at hand.
" Master Chang, we are sorry, " our mother begged in a sweet soft voice going on her knees. Mother is a beautiful woman with the most amazing voice Salsa has ever heard. Even with her hard life and worn-out face it isn't difficult to see what a looker she is.
Her voice can calm even a raging lion, smooth, calm, and soothing, and it looks like Master Chang wasn't immune to it.
His hard angry features softened but then tightened when he looked towards Junfeng. Seeing the looking mother smacked Junfeng on the thigh.
" Awh! " he frowned looking at our mother with a clueless look on his face.
" Apologize to Master Chang, " mother glared at him.
Junfeng looked reluctant to do so. Grudgingly he turned to the man.
" I am sorry for hitting you, " he muttered flippantly.
Master Chang glared at him one more time before flying to his feet.
" Well, I am ready to get out of this gutter, so where is my doll? " he said looking around.
For a man his size, he does have quite an energy to him, but his words caused Salsa's heart to do a nose dive to her stomach, and its fluttering was making her feel sick.
Her family looked at each other before looking resigned and defeated, none of them would look at her.
Tears filled Salsa's eyes.
" Mother why is everyone looking sad and Salsa crying? " Paisley asked looking confused.
" Because she is going away stupid, " Yuze snapped at him.
" What! No!!! " Paisley face squeezed before he ran towards Salsa and threw himself at her. " Please don't go, " he begged clutching her tightly.
Her brother's action caused the dam to burst open. Salsa started to cry clutching her brother to her side.
" Let's go doll, " Master Chang snapped looking irritated at all the emotions going on around him.
Junfeng who couldn't bear to see his sister leave stood to his feet and walked out with an angry look on his face.
Salsa looked at her father for a last-minute miracle, when he looked away from her with his shoulders slumped, her teary eyes moved to her mother. She had her head down crying refusing to raise her head. No help from there. She moved on to her older brother. Though Qianfan had regret in his eyes for not doing more to help her, he also tried to look brave for her sake, and Salsa tried to copy his emotions but it was really hard and the tears won't stop coming.
" Come here, " Qianfan said walking to her.
Salsa was eager to fall into his arms, trying to draw strength from his strong and masculine body.
Qianfan tightened his grip around her and even though she couldn't breathe Salsa didn't mind at all.
" Come on people I don't plan to spend the whole day in this backwater, " Master Chang called out again, even though his voice didn't sound irritated he looked very impatient and ready to get on the road.
Salsa wished that she could remain in her brother's arms forever. When he tried to pull away she wouldn't let go and clung harder, now crying loudly.
" It's alright Sal, " he whispered calmly into her ear.
" No is not! " Salsa protested tearfully wrapping her hand tightly around Qianfan's neck.
" Don't be scared I will find you, " Qianfan assured her in a determined tone.
His words sparked a little light of hope in Salsa's heart. She pulled back to regard her brother in the eyes. The brown eyes staring back at her looked determined and hard.
Before Salsa could say something she was being pulled forcefully from him and dragged towards the door.
" Noooooo!!!!!!! " she screamed, she was not ready. " Qianfan!!!! Dad!!!!! Mum!!!! " she cried out for them, begging for them to save her, but none of them could do anything and the last thing she saw before she was out the door, was her dad looking defeated, her mother and younger brothers weeping, Qianfan looking helpless and Junfeng nowhere to be seen.
" Now will you please stop with the tears unless you want to start your training early enough, " Master Chang glared at her. " A woman crying rubs me the wrong way and pisses me off, " he snapped at her before moving into his fancy carriage.
Salsa drew up short, his words paralyzing her. She stood outside the carriage unable to move. A squeak squeezed out of her lips when she felt someone lift her up and into the carriage.
" Now we are all alone come here Sweet thing, " Master Chang said in a sweet creepy voice lounging towards her with a sly smile on his face.
" Ah!!!! " Salsa screamed moving away from him. " Stay away from me! " she yelled moving to the far corner of the carriage and then let out a loud squeak when the carriage suddenly moved causing her to launch forward right into Master Chang's lap.
" Oh ya, you are right where you are supposed to be, " he smirked at her running his hands over Salsa's body through her gown.
Salsa snatched her body from his creepy disgusting caress and flew to the other end of the carriage.
" Keep your sick wandering hands to yourself, " she cried in her mind, glaring at Master Chang.
Master Chang threw back his head and laughed as if it was funny pawning at her the way he did.
" Don't worry sweet thing soon you will be begging me for it, " he licked his lips while eyeing Salsa with a hungry look. " I can't wait to break into that sweet innocent body of yours. "
A cold shudder ran through Salsa's body leaving her with goosebumps.
" Sir are we going home? " the man driving the carriage asked out loud pulling Master Chang's attention from Salsa.
" No, we will be going to the palace, the king is getting married to his new queen today. "
Salsa sat up at the mention of the palace, her interest picked. She has never been to the palace, no she has never left her village before and this will be the first time and visiting the palace even in her current situation sounds awesome.
The road leading out of her village was bumpy and filled with a lot of puddles of mud water, Salsa had to hang on tight to the carriage to avoid being thrown around. She would hate to land on Master Chang's laps again.
Finally, after a long ride, they entered Central City. Salsa gaped at the wonder surrounding her. The houses were beautiful, there were stores everywhere carrying so many interesting, and the whole place was bustling with people.
The sight outside momentarily caused Salsa to forget her predicament and the sight of the majestic and aesthetic building of the royal palace left her with her jaw to the ground.