Chapter 6 (1/2)

Fate had pushed her into the ditch, she told herself. She had to climb out.

This terrible predicament did not give her any chances to be full of remorse or to be anxious. If she did not pull herself together, she might not be able to survive the night.

She raised her blackened hands and picked up a wooden stick, slowly starting to write on the ground.

Zhuge, Wei, Mu, Jue, Che. At this word, her brows started to furrow. It started to darken outside, and the woodwind instruments playing within the palace grounds could be heard. Among the rustling, waves of laughter could also be heard. She silently recollected her thoughts for awhile and finally penned down the last word: Yan.

In the main hall of the Zhuge palace, everyone was toasting each other. Yan Xun's right eye twitched all of a sudden. He scrunched up his beautiful brows and turned slowly, gazing deep into the complete darkness.

The night was pitch black. With jackdaws soaring high in the sky, this turbid and ugly empire was rotten from the core.

The old was destined to be destroyed, with the new order coming in its place, rising from the ashes.

Even with the wounds on her body hurting terribly, Chu Qiao still forced herself to stand up and run rounds around the small firewood room, occasionally stopping to use her hands to massage her skin in case she froze to death in this dilapidated hut.

The drum signifying that it was 3 a.m. rung, and a window that was around the height of a person was being pushed open. Then, a small head popped into view. Chu Qiao was stunned. Raising her head, she saw a pair of bright eyes carefully check the surroundings of the room. After seeing Chu Qiao, a look of happiness flashed through his gaze. He held his index finger to his lips, asking her to not make a sound. He then nimbly jumped into the hut.

The boy quickly ran towards her, opening his arms, and pulled Chu Qiao into his arms. He choked a little, but comforted her with determination, ”Yue Er, don't be scared, the fifth brother is here.”

The boy was skinny and was not very old either. He looked like he was between eight and nine years old. He was wearing gray field clothes that did not fit him very well, making him seem skinnier than he already was. His stature was not fully grown and was merely half a head taller than Chu Qiao. However, his facial features and outlines seemed to have endured many hardships. He held the child tightly in his arms and patted her back, continuously repeating, ”Don't be scared, the fifth brother is here.”

Unknowingly, Chu Qiao's eyes filled with tears. Beads of tears rolled uncontrollably down her face, soaking his rough clothes. She did not know whether it was her body's natural reaction or her own true emotions, but in this strange, foreign, and cold night, this frail but warm hug was too precious.

The bright, clear moonlight shown through the slightly opened window, shining on the small bodies of the children. Within the cold four walls, the only little warmth came from the heart. The boy's small body was like a tough mountain. In this frigid night, even though he might have been shuddering in fear, he still hugged his sister firmly, holding her tightly in his arms.

”Yue Er, are you hungry?” The boy released her from his hug and carefully wiped off the tears on Chu Qiao's face with his blackened fingers. He smiled and said with glee, ”Guess what brother brought you?”

The boy took out a little cloth bag from the back and sat down on the floor, neatly opening the bag. The aroma of the food drifted into the air instantly. He lifted his head to see that Chu Qiao was still standing and was puzzled. Raising his brows, he said, ”Sit down.”

It was a coarse porcelain bowl with the blue and white decorations on the side already discolored from rubbing, and there were a few tiny holes at the mouth of the bowl. It was filled to the brim with rice, along with vegetables piled on top of it. There was not much oil, but its aroma was just as good. The boy took a pair of chopsticks and wedged them into Chu Qiao's hands, rushing, ”Quick, eat.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and shoved her mouth full of rice. All she tasted was saltiness, due to the taste of her tears. Her throat was choked but she continued munching like a robot, occasionally sobbing in tears.

The boy looked straight at Chu Qiao. Every time she opened her mouth, he would open his too, as if he was teaching her how to eat. When she swallowed her food, he would grin from ear to ear, causing his eyes to turn into slits.

As her chopsticks were fiddling in the bowl, they poked into something. Picking it up, it was actually a piece of braised pork that was still warm.

That piece of meat was the size of a thumb and was a little burnt on the side. It was half fatty and half lean, but in a dark cold night like this, it was so tempting.

A noise suddenly rumbled. Chu Qiao raised her head from the bowl, looked towards the boy, and saw that he was awkwardly rubbing his tummy. Purposely putting on a nonchalant front, he said, ”I just finished dinner, I'm not hungry.”

Chu Qiao passed the chopsticks over and said,”You have it.”

The boy shook his head instantly. ”Our dinner today was especially good. The fourth young master allowed us to add dishes. Braised fish, sweet and sour ribs, vinegar fried pork, steamed duck, there were so many dishes. I ate so much I may throw up, I don't think I can have any more food.”

Chu Qiao stubbornly raised her chopsticks and said, ”I don't like to eat fatty pork.”

The boy remained dazed for a while, looked at Chu Qiao, then diverted his gaze onto the piece of braised pork. He unknowingly swallowed his saliva. After a while, he finally reached for the chopsticks she offered, and carefully bit off the fatty portion of the meat. He then passed the lean pork back to Chu Qiao. Laughing in glee, revealing his row of white teeth, he said, ”Yue Er, now you can eat.”

A pang of emotions hit her and she hurriedly lowered her head. Tears swirled in her eyes, but she managed to hold them in.

After a while, she raised her head slowly and smiled at the boy. She opened her mouth and devoured that piece of meat, munching and grinning at the same time.

”Yue Er, is it delicious?” His eyes shone as if they were stars in the galaxy.