Xuelei, Tears of Blood

Chapter 21 - Replies

Xuelei's hand poised a moment hovering above the white parchment. He had dipped the tip of the soft writing brush in the little pot of thick black ink. He paused, composing his thoughts before starting to write. The slender ink brush moved and danced smoothly on the white surface as he formed words in reply.

Dear Captain Shang,

Thank you for your kind words but there is no life debt to be repaid. Please do not misunderstand, my life is my own and I am quite happy with it.

XueHua

Xuelei let the ink dry before folding the paper and stuffing it into an envelope. It was short and concise. Hopefully, it would not get him into trouble when the Mistress read it before it made its way to the Captain. She demanded absolute loyalty, there would be hell to pay if she caught even a hint of disloyalty.

The next letter was more difficult. Ting Ting was a nice girl but he could not afford any friends. Friends were a liability and dangerous for his survival.

What about MeiHua? Shut up.

Xuelei was curious but also wary of Lady Lay's friend. In the end, survival instinct won. Fooling scared girls who were too intent on their own misery was much easier than trying to fool an adult woman in broad daylight. He was not about to let an adult female scrutinise his disguise at close range. That would be very unhealthy and could definitely shorten his planned long lifespan.

Dear Ting Ting,

Thank you for your concern, I am much better now. I hope you too will soon recover fully. Please convey my regrets, I will not be able to meet your mother's friend.

XueHua

He placed the letter in another envelope and wrote Lay Ting Ting's name on it. He left the letters on the Mistress's empty table. She would see them later and ensure that they reached the recipients, after she had read them of course.

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That evening, Xuelei was summoned again by the Mistress. This time she did not invite him to sit, there was no tea. When he arrived, Jin was already in the room. He could feel the tension in the room.

Jin stood quietly to the side, waiting for her command. His face gave nothing away but Xuelei read his stance. His body language gave him away. He was not happy.

Xuelei approached the Mistress and greeted her, alert and ready for trouble. She acknowledged him with a tilt of her head.

"At first light tomorrow morning, Jin will accompany XueHua to the Lay mansion." She looked at him pointedly and continued. "There, you will meet with the Lady's friend and talk with her. Find out what she wants. Do not linger. Come back and report."

Xuelei saw his letter addressed to Ting Ting next to her. It had been torn into two. He kept a stoic expression but bowed in respect, accepting the task. He did not have much of a choice, obedience had been instilled into all of them.

"Yes Mistress."

"I want to know who she is and want she wants."

"Yes Mistress," the two young men said in unison.

"Dismissed."

It was a dangerous mission and she knew it. He could easily be exposed. She was risking his life because she was curious.

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When they were out of the room, they walked quietly until they reached the common room.

Jin glanced at Xuelei. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" Jin asked.

"No, not that I know of. Why?"

"She ..." Jin lowered his voice, " ... seemed anxious, agitated, I can't describe exactly how it was in the room before you came in."

"Why should she be worried. It's just another job. The Mistress is curious about this woman that's all."

"Curiosity, is that a reason to send us on such a risky mission?" Jin mused aloud.

Xuelei didn't answer. He didn't need to, everyone knew the Mistress' odd attitude towards him.

"Yeah, the question is. Who is this woman? Why is the Mistress so affected by her?"

Xuelei stopped in his tracks. He looked thoughtful.

"What? What is it?" Jin back-tracked to his brother.

"Jin, we have to be careful. I think it's someone from her past. I think the Mistress knows this person."

Jin stood rock still. Talking about the 'past' here was dangerous. Mentioning it in passing was okay but no one was to have any links to their past, they were all to live in the present. Links to the past might affect their decisions and judgements during missions. The 'future' was also a forbidden subject. They had no future, their lives and future belonged to the Master and Mistress.

"This woman, who is she?" asked Jin.

"I don't know. In her previous letter, Ting Ting said she was her mother's good friend. She thought Ting Ting's description of me was similar to someone she has been searching for."

"Searching for? But you are only sixteen and you don't know her. It can't be you."

"Yeah, I doubt it's me. The Mistress probably just wants confirmation."

"Let's go prepare. We leave at first light."

Jin shook his head. He had a bad feeling about this mission.