Between the lines

Really

Little Bone retreated to her chambers and Tom heard no news of her for hours.

"I'm hungry." He complained to Zhu Ran who was trying to read some old manuscripts. Well, he wasn't actually reading, but thinking about the events of the day while using the reading as an excuse to be left alone.

Tom had put his brains to work with those manuscripts but he couldn't decipher a thing and eventually gave up.

"I'm not your servant. You can fetch the food yourself." Zhu Ran snapped, pretending to be caught in whatever he was reading.

"But there's no food to fetch," Tom answered.

"Then cook."

"There are no ingredients I can use to prepare something."

"Then go and catch something."

"What do you mean by "catch something"? Like hunting a rabbit?"

"Where do you think meat comes from? Now, let me read."

"What about the queen? Who will prepare the food for her?" Zhu Ran lifted his eyes from the book. He hadn't thought about that. In fact, he hadn't thought about what he was going to eat, least of all what he was going to serve Hu Qiangu.

" I doubt she feels like eating."

"But we can't let her starve, can we? What food does she like?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You are her servant."

"I deal with troops and fighting. Not food." Zhu Ran replied furiously. Then an idea crossed his mind. "Do you cook well?"

"I've never cooked."

"How did you get food then?"

"From the canteen. I don't have parents and I grew up in an orphanage."

"What's a canteen and orphanage?

"Orphanage is a place where children without parents are taken care of. They live, study, and eat. Do everything there. There are some people who take care of them, but they aren't very nice. At least, they weren't with me. The other kids have always gotten nice stuff. I hate that place. I can't wait to be old enough and to never have toreturn there."

"But at least you had food and a place to sleep." Zhu Ran commented. "I had none. Until I entered Chang Liu and became a disciple. I would have been happy there if I hadn't channeled all my energy into plot and revenge. The only reason I wanted to be powerful was to be able to kill Mo Yan. I was an exceptional student back then, but, in the end, it served me to nothing."

"Hogwarts was similar to me. I finally found a place where I was accepted and admired. I'm the top of my class. Most of my professors consider me brilliant. I even create some sort of order and I'm the leader, but...I want more. I want to see all those who'd made me suffer begging mercy on their knees. I want them to feel as humiliated as I did. That will make me happy."

"She won't allow us to have revenge."

"I know. She won't kill a fly. And they treat her like vermin. If only I had her power. I would teach them how to bow in front of a superior. What do you think she's going to do next?"

"Why did you save her?"

"Why did you?" Tom questioned back.

"Because you suggested it. "

"And you agree."

"If she dies, I'll be killed by Chang Liu. I'm safe here. What about you?"

"I'm not strong enough to rule the world and, I guess, I'm safe here. I can learn a lot from you and the others. Maybe, she will teach me so spells someday, if I play my role well."