Su Hauling

Xiaowen woke up the next day with an ache in his back and his wounds pulsating. His eyes slowly opened and he adjusted to the daylight that beamed through his window. The sunlight tickled his eyelids and he could already feel slight comings of sweating dampen his skin.

He stretched his back and crossed his legs. His mind immediately returned to focus after a few seconds of morning drowsiness. He turned his nose to the garden where he gave it a gentle smile, taking a minute to look at it before his mind began to wander.

He immediately began to think of his brothers and then that line of thoughts eventually led toward Su Hauling, a maid that his brother loved or more accurately his eldest brother's first love.

"Su Hauling…" Xiaowen mouthed, "Zheng Qing… Eldest Brother… Master of the sword." He pulled himself up gripping the arm rests firmly and gently coddling himself to his feet. "I have something you want." The thought brightened his mood immediately .

He could barely wait for the day anymore. After a brief bath and a few select maids and servants entering his room to dress him he left.

…

Su Hauling had woken up earlier than Xiaowen and looked over her shoulder just as the day began. As she reached the hallways she was looking over her shoulders and peering behind obscure pillars.

Her friend's two maids had noticed this behavior long ago. Yet, they chalk that up to the master returning and his cruel temperament especially toward Hauling. His eyes always seemed to grow red when he looked at her…

They gently took her by the shoulder and hefted her between a sandwich. One dipped their head in front of hers and spoke lightly with enough reassurance to calm her down, "The master should've changed as of late… He came back home and instead of the hell we were waiting for, he gently went to his room and grabbed a change of clothes!" She inticulated her words inelegantly but with enough pizzazz to pass it off as elegant speech.

The other nodded affirmatively, giving her an encouraging nudge, "Hauling! You shouldn't be so worried anymore. The master can change! Definitely!"

Hauling nodded along to her friends encouraging words and walked along a tight rope as they dragged her along to do their typical work schedule which involved cleaning clean things and waiting for orders from the young prince.

Hauling kept nodding. Her eyes though were distant as if she couldn't believe what they had said. She knew without a doubt that the second prince would never change especially after what had happened that day. Then came the years of abuse…

It wasn't her fault… It couldn't have been her fault… He deserved to die because of the abuse that's right. Her eyes cast a faint glance to the ceiling as if she was desperately seeking to look into the sun and then just begin to forget.

However, with another sharp tug she was forced from her idling and compelled into her work.

…

Xiaowen had asked a butler where Su Hauling was and the butler cowered and bowed his head with extreme hospitality and led the wandering wolf toward where he saw Hauling fast.

Xiaowen was led around a few corners before he locked his eyes on the back of Haulings head. Her hair was pitch black and fell down her black. It was uniquely cleaner than the other maids and her body seemed to be more delicate also as if she was raised like a wallflower.

The butler opened his mouth to call Hauling but Xiaowen with a raise of his hand cut him off and told him to get back to work.

He took his time watching her work; his eyes had glanced at her friends and their interactions with Hauling and then to Hauling's odd behaviors. She was jolty looking around herself half of the time. He had to take a step backward and hide behind a corner in order to better observe her without being caught.

He felt this was the right course of action somehow. To watch her and see what she does. He even thought of something unexpectedly, a time to use his qi.

He willed it into the tips of his fingers. He had a small smirk on his face as he watched her kneel down and begin to dust the edges of furniture. He then pointed his index finger at her and watched as a quick dart of dark qi buried itself in her back.

Her eyes immediately shot open. Her intense stares began to go on for longer periods of time. She would openly stare into the air and watch the corners intently.

Xiaowen smiled at the fear she was generating. It was increasing at rapid speeds. Each second longer that his black qi lingered on her skin and he felt it dwindling, Her fear would increase. Then the more Qi he gained.

It was a continuous cycle, one which he liked. He wondered what would happen if he shot an even larger volume of the black qi toward her would she go insane? Would she seek the nearest balcony and throw herself off?

Xiaowen felt true feelings of happiness come from within the depths of his heart as if the previous owner's soul enjoyed the sight of watching her suffer. What did she do to you? Xiaowen pondered.

He stepped out from the corner and quickly approached her. His hand seizing her shoulder and twisting her around.

She let out a shrill shriek of surprise and her fear spiked about 10x. Xiaowen couldn't help but smile as black qi now poured out of her like a geyser.

"Oh…" Xiaowen recovered and feigned being worried, "You look feint… you should rest."

"I–I.. I–I" She seized moving under his persistent gaze and incoherent squeals came from her mouth as she attempted to answer.

The maids turned around and saw Hauling. Their eyes turned on each other and with a simple glance they turned to their work, sealing their minds to the squealing and the animal-like words that came out of her mouth.

"Hauling would understand…" They mouthed to each other.

Hauling tried to get away from him, twisting her shoulder out of his grasp and collapsing on the ground heavily. Xiaowen followed her form, grabbing her by the waist and by the back of the neck and acting like he stopped her from falling.

"You.. are not okay. Are you?" Xiaowen stopped his fun by pulling away the black qi he stored within her.

"I'm fine!" She immediately spat out. She pulled herself away from him and backed away quickly.

A plain expression played on Xiaowens face bordering on the line of disappointment, "No, thank you master for saving me from falling?"

"What? I–I'm I–" She paused and took a deep breath, "Thank you, Master… Thank you for saving your clumsy servant from falling." She took a deep bow at the same time.

"You're no fun." He shook his head, "You were so scared of me earlier as if you were guilty of something…"

"You're imagining things… I was… Shocked by how abruptly you grabbed me master and fell down…" She kept her eyes glued to the ground. Her shoulders were trembling.

"So I was the one who caused your fall?" Xiaowen asked.

Hauling immediately shook her head and attempted to explain herself. "What?! N–No, Mas-"

Xiaowen cut her off, "Stop it. You've already made your point quite clear… I've become so scary that you've become frightened of me."

Xiaowen folded his arms, "Although it is hard to admit I've become too attached to you." Xiaowen shook his head ruefully as he spoke, "It would bring you no greater joy if I relinquished you from my staff and had the first prince pick you up right?"

"That is something that I would never want!" Su Hauling fell to her knees and clasped her hands as if she was about to pray.

Xiaowen watched her curiously, "It would do you better if you answered me honestly. If I had to pick a day to speak truthfully, today is the day I've forgotten most things…" His dancing eyes playfully were redirected toward the other maids who were watching and gave them a slight smile.

They swung their heads back into their slots like weasels and the maid that knelt in front of him paused and became quiet like a mouse. Xiaowen watched her waiting for her to choose an answer.

"If I were you… I'd be truthful today… Perhaps, we should continue this little discussion in my room. If you need to tell me something that prying eyes shouldn't be listening to…" Xiaowen suddenly knelt and gently wrapped his fingers on her chin and pulled her in close his mouth touching her ear.

Her eyes immediately shot open. Does he know?

"I can't seem to remember…A gosh darn thing that day… Perhaps, it made me more sensitive." Xiaaowen suddenly included toward the end.