Chasing You (Arcs 1-7)

My Dear Emperor (VIII)

As soon as Bao Bao returned back, he found that Xu XiuLan was already asleep. He stretched his arms and legs. He would go out and investigate while his host sle- Then Bao Bao finally remembered what kind of place this was and his face turned pale as his mouth was in the shape of an 'o'. No wonder the name of the place sounded funny at first. Bao Bao was even more reluctant to leave and stood in place for a few minutes before he convinced himself that his host would be safe and took off.

---

When Xu XiuLan had awoken it was already mao hour¹. His body's natural clockwork was currently at work right now and had awakened him. A knock came at the door, "Biyue² it's time to get up."

The person's voice was very mellow and childlike. From his memories it was just one of the workers alerting him. He responded, "Thank you, You Du."

You Du couldn't help but blush at hearing his name be called. He he was wearing a pale blue robe and had a youthful appearance. Hearing the footsteps retreat, Xu XiuLan stood up and reached his arms out as he tried to make his way over. After tripping and bumping into a million things, Xu XiuLan had finally reached to where the door was. He reached down and picked up the tray of food. His nose wrinkled at the smell of something else beside aroma of food that was present. He retraced his steps and walked back to his bed.

Sitting down he picked up the small bowl that was on the side of the tray. He lifted up the cup and placed it to his lips. In one motion he drunk the concoction of poison unhesitantly. Even if he did not want to drink it, it was mandatory to. They would often check if any of the workers had drinked it or not. The original also hadn't mind, so he in turn acted within bounds of the character.

Tasting the aftertaste of the concoction of poison he frowned and dabbed his lips with a white cloth. Lead, mercury, and arsenic. It was a formula that the doctors gave out as a form of contraception. Everyone in the establishment was made to drink this solution in order to avoid any unnecessary accidents. After drinking the solution, he felt his stomach hiss in anger at him and he decided to not eat afterwards. He left the tray in the same place where the original had always left it and stood up.

He felt his balance slip and he landed on knees and hands. He was feeling light headed and nauseous at the moment. He shifted over to and sat down as he waited for the sensation to pass by. After he tried to standing up again with caution this time. He could already feel the tiredness seep into him. Xu XiuLan knew that it was not the body but his soul that was too weak.

He found the small basin of water and the towel that was brought in alongside the tray of food and carried it in his hands. Xu XiuLan made his way over and stumbled a couple of times before he reached where his outer garment, vanity mirror, and makeup assortments were at. He rubbed the middle of his brows, though he had slightly better senses it was only useful for things that were moving.... Not these inanimate objects. It also seemed like the body in which he transferred in was quite troublesome due to the lack of sight.

Xu XiuLan listened to the silence that pervaded the room. Without Bao Bao here, he felt a little empty and lonely. He had gotten used to their presence by his side and conversing with him about mundane things, even if it was mostly one sided with Bao Bao doing majority of the talking.

Yesterday night he hadn't removed his makeup and looked like a 'mess', but he could still make the rest of the workers in the establishment feel as if they were dirt.

Xu XiuLan could only estimate and imagine how things were in his brain as he got ready. He combed his lavish hair and repinned them to how he remembered it being yesterday night. One by one, he stuck in the buyaos and other hairpins. This was the longest he had ever spent combing and fixing his own hair, it took even longer than when he had done his silver hair from the second world.