1 Two Souls

Argh!

That was the first sound Li Chen made after waking up!

He raised his hand as slowly touched his aching head. The previous night he had been too upset after quarrelling with his wife and went to try the move he had been studying for a few days.

He tried to slowly remember what happened but the last thing that comes to his mind is him getting dizzy and falling down with a large thud. He stood up and stretched his aching body and made his way to the tiny bathroom that was connected to the small room he occupied.

The time was 4 am and Li Chen had to wake up and make breakfast for everyone in the large house. 

You are probably thinking that Li Chen is a maid but you have it all wrong!

Li Chen was married to the Gu family and had become the family maid for the past 5 years. Everyday he thought about walking away from all of this but he couldn't bear the thought of sleeping under the bridge since he had nothing.

Li Chen was orphaned at 2 months old when both his parents died in a car crash and since then he lived from relative to relative until he made his way to the orphanage at the age of 12. When he turned 18 he started doing odd jobs to help out at the orphanage and that is when he met by chance Old Madam Gu. 

The Old Madam had suffered a stroke in an alley and Li Chen helped her out and they became close from that day on. A year after the incident, the old woman insisted that Li Chen marry into her family, marrying her granddaughter. At first Li Chen was happy thinking that his days of being poor were finally over but something unexpected happened.

Old Madam Gu passed away 3 months later after suffering a heart attack, leaving Li Chen in a very awkward and toxic environment.

Li Chen shakes his head as his mind drifted to the past and hurriedly washed his face and went to the kitchen.

"Why are you up so late, you know what Madam will say if she finds out" That was Auntie Lui, the old woman who had worked as the head chef for the Gu family for two decades. She was literally the only person left who genuinely cared for Li Chen in the large house.

"Good morning Auntie Lui, I overslept… Is there anything you would like me to assist you with?" Li Chen said with a bitter smile on his face.

The old woman sighed and said, "You know you are on laundry duty today, so start with that then quickly come to grab something to eat"

"Will get into it right away… by the way you look extra beautiful today"

Auntie Lui chuckled and turned to walk away.

"Laundry duty. No way!

"Hmmm," Li Chen said, confused.

Auntie Chen turns back and says, "What?"

"Did you say something Auntie?"

"No! Stop daydreaming and get to work"

"There is no way I am doing some else's laundry"

Li Chen looked around trying to find the source of the voice but saw no one. He shook his head and went to the laundry room to start his chores.

"Make me understand something you idiot… Why are we doing laundry?"

"Who said that?" Li Chen was now getting really confused.

"Are you starting to lose your marbles, do you need to be admitted to an asylum?" That was the voice of Gu Hua, his brother-in-law.

Li Chen raised his head slowly for a brief second before proceeding with his work.

"I am talking to you, who said you are allowed to ignore me?"

"I am sorry" Li Chen answered with his head lowered.

"Who is this brat talking to like this… Punch his face right now!"

"What?" Li Chen felt a new feeling in his body, it was a strong urge to fight back that he has never felt before. And the voice he kept hearing made him confused.

At that moment, Gu Hua threw his undies at Li Chen's face and said, "I need them washed clean and dry before the end of the day, those are my lucky undies and I need them tonight"

Li Chen felt something fighting to take control of his body and before he knew it…

PA!

A strong punch landed on Gu Hua's face!

"Don't ever do that again you little brat… Otherwise I will make sure you never see the light of another day"

Li Chen took a few steps back whilst holding his mouth in shock.

"How dare you punch me… And who are you to talk to me like that?"

"I am sorry brother-in-law… I.. I don't know what got over me" Li Chen tried to explain while stuttering. In his mind he was also trying to make sense of what happened but he figured that he had to pacify the angry man in front of him first.

"Just you wait and see how mom and dad deal with you after this" Gu Hua said the words while holding his bleeding nose and walked out the wash room.

Li Chen dropped his body to the floor and held his head in complete confusion.

"Who are you, why are you in my head?"

"You finally realise that I am in your head… You have to be the slowest person in the world you know"

Finally realising that the voice was in his head, Li Chen closed his eyes and decided to have a conversation with the strange voice in his head, he didn't want anyone seeing him talking to himself like a mad man.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my head? And how did you get there?

"One question at a time please!"

"I need answers and I need them now!"

"Okay fine, you can call me God of War and I come from 2000 years ago"

"What!?"

"You don't have to ask loudly I am in your head and I can hear you loud and clear"

"Ho..How did you get inside my head?"

"Well I am sure you must have figured that I died a long time ago"

"What do you mean you died? Does that mean I am also dead?"

"You just confirmed that you are stupid, I just told you that I come from 2000 years ago and you think I have been alive since then?"

Realising that he had asked a stupid question, Li Chen tried to calm down and started asking the question once again.

"How did you get inside my head?"

"Since we have established the fact that I died… Let me just say… I had some unresolved issues and my soul kept wondering around for the past thousands of years waiting for a perfect vessel"

"And what makes me a perfect vessel for you?"

"I still haven't figured that out as well since you are a good for nothing who washes other men's underwears"

"Then why are you here?"

"I guess there is something about you… something that can help me resolve my issues so my soul can be free"

"That means I am stuck with you until then?"

"Unfortunately we are stuck from now on"

"Since you said you are the God of War does that mean you can fight?"

"What does the word War mean in your era?"

"Hey since you need my body you have to be a little nice, and don't ever control me like that again otherwise we will be homeless."

"Our memories have not yet connected so I don't know these people and that brat was disrespecting us"

"I know but we have to accept it if we want to go to bed with full stomachs and a roof over our head right?"

"Whatever!"

The conversation between Li Chen and God of War was interrupted by a loud shout coming outside the door of the laundry room.

"Li Chen! Open this door right this instant!" That was the annoying voice of Madame Gu, Li Chen's mother-in-law or should we say monster-in-law.

Li Chen stood up slowly and made his way to the door. He could feel drastic changes in his body and even though he still had to get used to such a feeling, he was no longer confused after getting a briefing from God of War.

"How dare you lay your stinking hands on my son?" Madame Gu said the moment Li Chen opened the door.

"Come here right now so you can get your punishment"

Li Chen looked Madam Gu dead in the eyes and Madam Gu was startled by the glinting light in Li Chen's eyes. She couldn't describe it but she was sure that murder was written all over them.

Madame Gu left and Li Chen slowly followed her to the living room.

In the majestic living room, the whole Gu family was seated… Waiting for Li Chen.

Li Chen scanned their faces and stood in front of them with a blank expression.

"I talk, you shut up!" The husky voice of God of War sounded in his head.

Master Gu stood up and raised his hand to punch Li Chen but he moved so fast that even he was confused by it.

"Who told you to dodge?" Master Gu was fuming with rage as tried to balance his footing so that he wouldn't fall.

"And who told you to punch me?" Li Chen was still not used to the words coming out his mouth that were not in his thoughts but chose not to fight it. He didn't want to look like a mad man.

"See dad, I told you he is losing his mind" Gu Hua said.

"You brat, that punch was not enough for you?"

Gu Hua closed his mouth in that instant and glared at Li Chen with anger and hatred.

"Mum, Dad.. I told you long ago that I should divorce this good for nothing. I don't know why Grandma hated me so much to make me marry such a man. Now he is going crazy. What will people say about me?" Gu Liang, Li Chen's wife, said with watery eyes.