Xiang Yu got up from the ground, determined to keep his mother by his side. It was she who brought him into this world. He didn't choose to be here in the first place so how could she just abandon him? It was fine if she wasn't going to be a mother to him but he wasn't about to let her leave him behind.
His patched washed-out clothes clung to him like a second skin, their seams straining against his frail frame. He straightened the fabric, ignoring the unravelling hem and the chill that seeped through.
His fingers brushed against the strands of hair plastered to his forehead, damp from the sweat laced on his skin. With a quick tug, he pulled them back the red haze that had clouded his vision receding. His eyes returned to their natural hue, a honey-light brown.
He practised his smile his lips curving upward naturally. It felt foreign, like an ill-fitting mask. But he would wear it well for the rest of his life. With a final glance at the starry sky, Xiang Yu stepped out of the forest, his back straight.
The brothel's lanterns flickered, casting a dim glow on the worn wooden floor. Xiang Yu slipped through the entrance with a smile so bright that the courtesans he met on the way couldn't help but praise him.
When he reached his mother's room where she entertained clients he knocked on the door softly. Soon his mother's soft voice came through allowing him to enter. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of him.
"Are you done throwing a fit?" she asked her voice like a whip-crack, slicing through the air. "Don't let it happen again," the threat in her voice unmistakable.
Xiang Yu nodded his head in agreement with a grin, the expression stretching his cheeks until they hurt. "Mother," he said, emphasising the word, "I brought you something... for your birthday."
He placed the longevity peach wrapped in oil paper on the side plate on the kang table before taking out a red velvet drawstring pouch with the pendant inside.
"What's this?" she asked unable to hide the disdain in her eyes. She opened the pouch and took out what was inside.
Her gaze fell on the jade pendant. It was not comparable to the expensive jewellery she had accumulated over the years. It was a simple piece, its green hue unremarkable. Suspicion clouded her eyes. "Did you steal this?! Who did you steal it from?"
Xiang Yu wasn't surprised by her reaction at all. How could she not think that when all the money he ever made fell into her hands? Even while working for butcher Jong he had to hide it because the moment she found out she would take all the money he had.
"No." He shook his head. "I have been working for Butcher Jong. He paid me for cleaning up his shop and I saved up for—" He gestured to the pendant. "This."
Li Hua's fingers brushed the cool stone. "Cheap," she muttered. "You should have given me all the money instead. Do you have any extra money left? Hand it over to me."
While he was taking out the few copper coins he had left she took a bite of the longevity peach. He thought she would like it but she immediately spat it out. With a bang, she threw the plate across the kang table and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.
"It's horrible. You should go back to wherever you bought this and get your money back. It's disgusting." Xiang Yu quietly placed the copper coins on the kang table and took the plate away the smile on his face still graceful and sincere.
He had picked this restaurant specifically because his mother had praised them for excellent culinary skills several times. This meant that the longevity peach wasn't cheap but she just spat it out. "Sorry Mother, I will return it right away." He closed the door behind him and a smile on his face fell.
From that day forward, something shifted. Li Hua despite calling the jade pendant cheap wore it around her neck. Every day she hummed a happy tune and her laughter was infectious. It echoed through the narrow corridors indicative of her good mood. The other courtesans exchanged glances, wondering at the change in her demeanour. She rarely scolded or beat her son. In fact, she ignored him half the time like he didn't exist at all.
Xiang Yu watched her from the shadows, his honey-brown eyes unblinking. He knew why she was so happy. It was because the wealthy merchant who promised to redeem her was negotiating with the Madam. She would brag in front of the other courtesans at every chance she got about how she was going to be a concubine and how much the man was obsessed with her.
Xiang Yu followed her, unseen, as she met the merchant in secluded alleyways. He watched her smile, her laughter tinkling like broken glass while clinging to her lover. Xiang Yu sneered his heart blackening to the core.
While she was gone he snuck into her room and knelt by her bed. He was looking for the secret compartment where she kept her valuable things underneath the floorboard. She thought he didn't know about it but there was nothing about his mother that he didn't know.
His fingers traced the worn edges and with a skilful twist, he lifted the floorboard revealing the hidden compartment. Inside was a small wooden box, its lacquer chipped and corners frayed. It was locked but it was easy to temper with.
He surveyed the room, moonlight filtering through the curtains. His gaze stopped at the hairpins scattered on the dressing table.
He chose a jade pin with its tip worn from years of use. With a skilled hand, he inserted it into the keyhole. The mechanism gave way and the lock clicked open.
Xiang Yu's breath hitched as he opened it. Inside the box were jewellery, pretty trinkets and at the bottom were love letters.
Some of the letters were old. They were from all the men who had fancied her over the years but he wasn't interested in those. He wanted the most recent ones. He happened to read one of them and when he read the contents his heart froze. It happened to be about him.