"The theory of the land Shengxi is a major historical question. The sword of the greatest swordsmen does exist." The high-pitched voice echoed on the television. A bald man's voice pitched as ruins of some ancient civilisation run popping up.
"Yong Yohan!" The sharp voice of a woman subdued into the background noise. The noise of the knife clucking to the chopping board blended with the noise of the television.
"Ye?" A young man, wearing a bright yellow raincoat entered. His chestnut tint hair dripped water down his cheeks.
"Send this to Villa 63." The old lady pushed a white plastic bag into the wooden counter.
"Grandma, that's…" Yong Yohan's lips drew into a thin line at the mention of the place. His lean silhouette froze.
The old woman gave a sharp glare at him. The knife covered in crimson liquid stopped in its action. "What? Do you think food comes easily? Just a little bit of fooling and kids these days are so sensitive." The woman complained as she continued chopping the meat in a rhythmic motion.
"Don't think about dinner if you can't do any work." Her words were stern as she continued with her work paying no attention to the young boy standing by the counter.
Yong Yuhan remained glued to his place. His eyes fixated on the bag. This wasn't the first time he got such an order. After a long silent battle, Yuhan gave up picking the packet and rushed out of the door.
The rain from earlier had mostly subsided. The beaming sun returns to its habit as the street lamp finally lightens up. The evening tramp skimmed down the slope passing through the small restaurant on its way.
Yong Yuhan noticed the passengers inside it, a few children happily with their parents. The immense joy on those kids' faces brought a bitter smile to his smile. He shook his head as he slowly strides up towards the slope.
As he reached the top of the slope, the hustle and bustle of the town had toned down. With gated villas surrounding the place, Yuhan quickly made his way to his destination. The tranquil atmosphere with cricket creaking in the distance was eerily peaceful for his liking.
At the uppermost corner in the west sat a two-storey high villa. The giant pine trees surrounded it from all sides. Yuhan glanced at the dimly lit metal gates, gulping hard. After getting every bit of courage in his body he finally pushed the doorbell.
After a few moments, the metal gate clunk opened; revealing an old man walking out with the help of his crane. Yong Yuhan politely bowed to the old man.
"Your order, Grandpa." With trembling hands, he forwarded the white bag.
"Ah, Xiaolan is waiting for you in his room. Come in." The old man smiled, making a space for Yong Yuhan to enter.
Yong Yuhan's eyes stared into the indistinct footpath leading to the doorstep of the house. The strange feeling of the entwined vines crept inside him. The urge to scratch every part of his skin till it grew numb. Yong Yuhan curled his quivered fingers into a fist, trying his best to keep a smile on his lips.
"Later Grandpa Shu, Grandma is waiting for me." Yuhan tried to make up an excuse.
"I already told your grandma on the phone that you are staying over for dinner. Come in." The man remarked, turning his back and walking towards the door.
Yong Yuhan froze at his place, knowing his situation better than anyone. There was never escaping hell anymore. He took a deep breath, taking a step inside the villa. Yuhan followed the man inside the house.
Unlike the outside, it was fairly lit. The walls were covered in antique pieces from ages. The old man disappeared into another room, leaving Yuhan all alone to fend for himself.
"Brother, Yuhan!" A sweet angel-like voice resonated in the atmosphere. Yuhan couldn't help but feel his heart tightened.
A young girl rushed up to him with a smile on her face. Her arms wrapped around his, "Where have you been, brother Yuhan? I missed you." Her rosy lips pouted as she fluttered her eyelashes at him. " You are going to play with me today, right?" Her coquettish voice continued as she snuggled her body closer to him.
Yuhan nodded, trying to keep himself from trembling. "Y-yes."
Suddenly the girl's beaming face changed. The gaze shifted to a sneer of disgust, her hands letting go of his arms. "Is playing with me boring? What with that lamea** reply?" Her voice mocked. As her hands grabbed a vase from behind her, throwing it directly at him.
The expensive vase hit straight at Yuhan's right side of the face before shattering into the floor. As blood trickled down his forehead, Yuhan lowered his head, "I am sorry." He apologized, gulping down every bit of feeling.
As long as he keeps quiet and takes her tantrums, he can be less of a burden to his grandmother. He just needs to deal with it for a few hours more and then his grandma will be paid enough.
"Sorry?" Shu Lan scoffed at his words. "Did you forget you are a toy my grandpa bought for me? What's the point of keeping a toy that can't even do its job well, huh?" Shu Lan grabbed his hair, forcefully shaking his head.
Yuhan kept quiet, not refuting her question. His quietness only further irked her. Shu Lan glanced at the old sword put on the wall. Her eyes sparked as an idea concocted in her mind. She let go of his hair.
"Go get me that sword." She instructed, her arms folding. Her eyes never leave Yong Yuhan. Yong Yuhan knew it wasn't going to add any worse than what he had gone through. He complied with her request, bringing the sword from the wall and handing it to her.
Shu Lan took out the old rusted sword from its sheath with an evil smirk on her face, "You know in olden days when slaves didn't listen to their masters, a sword is stabbed from downwards till it's point come out from the other side. I always wondered how it would look in real life."
Yuhan gulped, unconsciously stepping back from her, knowing well she wasn't just messing around with her words.
"Let's play a game, brother Yuhan. If you dodge my attacks till dinner is ready, I will forgive you." The sweet angelic voice returned as swiped the sword at him at full force.