37 A'Hong's Story (1)

That night, Kesi slept better than she ever did. There were no nightmares, no jolting awake, and no tossing and turning.

Whether it be the constant warmth seeping through her body or just the presence of someone by her side who did not want to plunge a knife into her heart, she woke up when the sun was already high in the air.

With both arms tightly wound around Mu Luming's forearm, she used him as a cuddling pillow. The pillows from this era was nowhere near the softness she was used to, and Mu Luming's slightly squishy body was just the right cuddling device.

Stretching her arms, she nearly smacked him straight across the face.

"Hey!" Groggily, he flipped over in bed, half-kicking her in protest.

"Rise and shine, little kid. How do you feel about this fully automated alarm clock?" She accidentally slipped.

"Automated… clock?" His attention suddenly perked up, his eyes wide.

"Nevermind…"

—

Sleep truly was the magical cure for many ailments, Kesi thought as she looked for A'Hong in the Eastern Palace. Not-surprisingly, after a good night's rest, she could actually see the world around her and walk around without feeling terribly sore.

Ah yes, sleep truly does wonders.

Now that she was fully awake, more than anything, she knew that she had something to do. And after the conversation with Mu Luming the night before, she convinced herself to approach the mission from a new lens.

Maybe she should actually try saving A'Hong instead of only doing the bare minimum to "save" him in terms of Death's contract.

And maybe, she could really pay off some of the blood debt from the past lifetime and wipe away the speckles of blood.

Scanning around, she finally found A'Hong sweeping up a corner of the garden. With brisk strokes, he brushed the dirt away from the mossy steps. And soon, he cleaned out a little clearing.

He was different as he worked. Gone was the usual scatterbrained and jumpy composure, replaced instead with an efficient and determined expression.

"Oh, Nanny Rong!" Seeing her approach, he set down the broom to the side, greeting her with a bright smile.

He had recovered quite well from the encounter with the mirror, and he tried to act as if it had never happened in the first place. "What a bright day it is today! Wouldn't you agree?"

But both of them knew that something had indeed happened the day before, so there was almost a thin sheet of ice between the two of them. And despite A'Hong's best efforts, he wasn't that skilled at hiding his emotions.

"Yes, yes it is."

"Hard at work?"

"Yup! I want to make sure the yard is all swept up for the Crown Prince! Wouldn't you say that I'm doing a good job at it?" Beaming, he gestured to the fruits of his hard work.

"Did you do a lot of work before when you were at home?"

A'Hong paused slightly. "Yes, yes I did."

Kesi waited for the normally chatty A'Hong to spill out more details about his past, but much to her surprise and somewhat disappointment, he only gloomily picked up the broom and began silently sweeping again.

"Do you like it here more at the palace or at home?"

Little did she know, she was driving more invisible daggers into his heart.

She was used to straightforward manipulation, and never before had she tried to actually get to know someone for the sake of getting to know them better. So despite all of her skills with words, she found herself with a full toolkit but none of the right instructions.

"Nanny Rong, is there something you're trying to ask me?" His voice was quiet, more sensitive than the high-pitched squeals that she was used to. "You of all people should know…"

She looked at the young eunuch, as if seeing him for the first time.

"I'm not as dumb as people think me to be." He offered a small smile, his words soft, almost like a gentle spring air had touched upon the surface of a still pool of water. "I have to keep on telling this over and over again, but I'm really not."

"I didn't mean it that way." A bit ashamed, Kesi turned her head.

She was here to save him, she reminded herself, not bring up self-questioning.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

"A'Hong! I have an important letter for you!" An unfamiliar young eunuch suddenly appeared at the door, dropping off a yellowed piece of parchment, disappearing as fast as he appeared.

With shaky hands, A'Hong took the parchment, and he looked like he wanted to drop the paper into water so that he would never have to read its contents.

His fingers tensed, almost as if motioning to crumble the letter, but they never made the move. Sighing, he handed it over to Kesi.

"Nanny Rong, just like before…" He pulled her into his living quarters, a medium-sized flat with a row of beds. Perhaps it was because only one had a faded blanket on it, but the room seemed a lot bigger than it actually was.

Kesi only looked confused.

"Nanny Rong…" He started talking, but he stopped himself. "Is your memory faulty again?"

Not sure what other excuse to say, Kesi only nodded.

A sad little smile crept up the side of his face, but it was soon replaced by a cheerful one.

Despite whatever emotions dominated his mind at the given time, he immediately switched over to a cheerful disposition. "No worries, Nanny Rong! Your memory will be all fine in the long scheme of things! So don't you fret now! And until then, I can just keep on reminding you!"

A wave of mixed emotions crashed for Kesi. What terrible crime could this warm-hearted little eunuch ever create to warrant him a reincarnation with a bloody execution?

"As before, you've always read my letters from home for me," he pointed to the slightly crumbled piece of paper. "I can't read after all, so you'll have to do the honors."

Only, Kesi knew that there was a major issue. She couldn't read their language either.