Part 2, Chapter 13

Living for the moment

Ch 13

Xun looked behind her, but the tent was gone. Not unexpected she supposed, but still unnerving. She turned to look at Leng Zai, but he was gone as well. She hadn’t even felt him let go of her hand. Xun stood alone in the bustling crowd. Peering about her she caught sight of Leng Zai’s back and she hurried to catch up to him. Pushing her way through the crowd of people she saw him following a girl through a brightly lit door way. Music and merrymakers spilled the other way through the entry and onto the street.

By the time Xun had fought her way through the crush of people and into the main room she had lost track of Leng Zai. Panicking slightly she scanned the room for him, finally spotting him at a table off to one side. He had a girl on either side of him, one was pouring him wine the other offering him food. Xun was livid. How could Leng Zai come here right after that strange encounter? Wasn’t he worried? She was worried. Xun marched over to his table.

“Leng Zai! What are you doing?”

“I felt bad after we came out of the tent. She offered to make me feel better,” he gestured to one of the girls draped over him. “Now I have food and drink and company. This is much nicer.”

The girl looked up at Xun through kohl rimmed eyes, “I’ve never had a mortal before,” she giggled. 

Hollow man. No past. No future. Only the moment. Xun thought she understood what the Sea Witch had been trying to tell them.

“Leng Zai if you don’t come with me right now I will be very angry with you,” she said.

Leng Zai stood up without hesitation. 

The girls at the table protested and Xun threw several ingots on the table. “That should cover it. Come on, Leng Zai.” Taking his hand she led him unresisting back outside. When they stood a little away from the crowd Xun dropped Leng Zai’s hand and looked at him curiously. “Why did you follow me so easily? Weren’t you having a good time?”

Leng Zai gave her the sweetest smile she had ever seen. “Yes, but you being mad at me hurts more than the pleasure of being with other people. Only being with you makes me feel warm inside.”

Xun blushed. Sometimes talking with Leng Zai was like speaking with a child. Everyone else she knew hid their emotions inside, only Leng Zai was this honest and open about everything. Xun supposed that since even if he felt shame or embarrassment it would only last for a moment and then be gone, there was no penalty to saying exactly what he felt or thought. She wasn’t sure if that was bravery or stupidity, but right now she wished she had a little of it so she could give him a proper reply. Looking around she saw a stall selling small lanterns.

“Wait here,” she told him.

Leng Zai nodded and Xun wound her way to the stall. Her remaining stash of money was small, she shouldn’t have shown off covering Leng Zai at the brothel, but she thought she had enough. At the stall she had chosen, on the highest shelf, she saw two little matching lotus lanterns hung from sticks so they could be carried. She bought them from the stall owner and started to return to Leng Zai, who she could see waiting for her where she had left him.

“Xun’er!” A joyful voice called out. A hand on her elbow spun her around. 

“Yu’bo!” She said happily, greeting her cousin. “If you’re here than Yu’luo can’t be far away!” 

“Right!” Said a teasing voice as an identical man stepped up to join them. “We missed you, cousin!”

Yu’bo and Yu’luo were the son’s of her father’s brother. The two families had been close when Xun’s father had been alive and the twins had been her playmates before she and her mother had gone to live in the palace. 

The twins had followed in their uncle’s footsteps and gone into the business of transporting goods. Famous for being able to get anything from anywhere the twins ran the best procurement shop in the city. Xun grinned, sometimes fate was very, very good to her.