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It was ubiquitously agreed upon amongst the populace of the city that Hongyuan was one of the most lively districts there was. With its lush alleyways filled with small shops and restaurants that bathed in the glow of the lanterns above, it radiated liveliness and warmth in a way unseen in most other areas of the city. However, it was no secret that its sweetest fruits laid not with the people, but the ones ruling over them.
To any outsider, Hongyuan’s courts would seem the most luxurious place imaginable, their crimson walls filled with indulgences and wealth of the highest degree. The type of location only the highest-ranked city dwellers could squeeze into, scuttling under the feet of the nobles and famous faces of the district. To them, it was a city of miracles.
But to Zigong, it was a forest.
The sly fox had long become accustomed to its winding halls, opaque jade pillars as thick as tree trunks, and the elegantly boorish inhabitants that lunged at each others’ throats the first chance they got. Nudging away a tray of most likely poisonous treats with her crimson-tipped fan, she wore a pleased smile as she waded through the crowd, each step taken with poise and grace—a shimmering piece of jade, reflecting the atmosphere of the crowd around her in a way that pleased them. Safe. Comfortable. Invisible.
Perfect.
For the time being, it was a calm and ordinary night, the ambience of converse not yet giving way to screams or fighting. Bit by bit, the tension in her shoulders began to melt away as those darting eyes under lustrous lashes slowed, her gait slowly steering away from the bustling crowd. Transitioning between courtesies flawlessly as she weaved through the mountain of people, she arrived at a shadowy corner at the end of a corridor, snapping open her fan and speaking.
“Enjoying the view, Zilu?”
No answer.
The talking of the crowd continued somewhere in the distance, and Zigong continued in a soft, almost chastising voice. She knew the heishou was there. She knew she was listening.
“You needn’t worry about me, you know…my hand is calloused from playing the game of courts. There are a thousand checkmates I have planned out. I will not be endangered.”
There was a pause. Then, slowly, two gloved hands emerged from the shadows, sliding under her dark hanfu and wrapping snugly around her waist. Unbid, a soft gasp escaped from her throat.
“All the nobles in this court have a heishou. It’s only fitting…that you receive one as well, Zigong.”
The deep melodic voice filled Zigong’s ears, and her smile faltered, the mask of winter giving way to spring. It took more willpower she’d have liked to admit to not look back at the amber eyes above her—the shadows, shifting on the walls, were always watching. Always poised to strike.
“A sword and a pen with one stroke…” She chuckled. “Truly, Zilu, you spoil me.”
“I’m simply fulfilling my commitment to our master.” The warm leather on the shadow’s thumb brushed gently against Zigong’s stomach, an action still not comparable to the softness of the voice. “It was his order…although, I was the one who suggested it.”
“Oh? And what was the reason for taking such initiative, Zilu?”
“Following the direction of my heart, fulfilling the sensation of love…I am completing his teachings.”
Zigong raised her fan, covering her scorching face. Why does she have to be so—? “Zilu, that’s…that’s enough.”
“Hm? I’m simply reciting the lessons we were taught.” The voice purred, and the palm was moving more flagrantly now, stroking her torso. Suddenly, Zigong’s thoughts drifted to what they would do once they were back home. “Has it reminded you of something? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten all about it…?”
“Unlike you, I actually pay attention to the lessons.” Zigong huffed. “It’s not fulfilling the sensation of love, it’s taking actions that demonstrate love and care for others. You’re mixing it up.”
“Am I not doing the same still, Zigong?”
“...” Biting her lip, Zigong tried to concentrate, to focus on anything but the hands stroking her gently. Total failure. She exhaled. “Fine. Fair.”
“But really, Zigong.” The hands stopped after a few seconds, and the voice lowered to a tone of concern. “You should inform me when you are going to such events. Admittedly, you are a capable fighter, but…even then, I worry of what would happen if you suffered a coordinated heishou ambush.”
“I would go blind before I ever let a heishou get within forty meters of me undetected, Zilu. I’m not a heishou pack leader like you, but still…” She rested her palm on the covered hands, stroking them gently. “I will be fine. And plus…”
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the distance, and Zigong watched in thinly veiled disgust as a drunken noble sauntered through the corridor giddily, surrounded by prostitutes of varying ages. Behind him, two of his friends followed, their hands wandering wantonly over the young women's bodies as they continued in a drunken stupor, awakening flocks of servants that ran in their wake like flamingoes, crimson faces drenched in sweat.
Anxious, Zilu looked at Zigong’s face, and it was just as she expected. A flaw in the otherwise pristine expression she wore, a crack that reached deeper than any normal observer could know. Only Zilu could see the unease, disgust—the fear, one so foreign the strong, crafty woman she knew.
Her voice was bitter and sharp as she continued.
“The heishou packs aren’t half of the animals that these nobles are.”
There was silence, a shadow looming over them that wasn’t casted by the dim lanternlight on the walls. Gingerly, the arms on her waist squeezed tighter.
It wasn’t a secret between them what Zigong had experienced before she was taken into the Jia family, the things she was forced into just to survive on the streets. Things whispered tearfully over lantern-lit nights, low enough for only them to hear. Things that Zilu knew were tormenting her when she occasionally cried during her sleep, and she’d hug Zigong and give her kisses as if giving apologies in the cruel world’s stead. She’d clawed her way into the court herself with tooth and nail, and yet—
—No matter how far she walked, there were some things that could never be left behind.
Gingerly, one hand raised from her torso, and its pointer and middle finger slid into Zigong’s mouth as it tugged at her cheek gently. Warm breaths materialised on the side of her neck as Zilu emerged from the darkness, nestling her head in the nook of her neck. By now, the shadows in the walls had dispersed, their eyes turned elsewhere, leaving just them two. Them two, and no one else.
“My love…” Zilu purred, resting her lips on her skin.
“Ah…thilu…” Zigong pouted, her voice muffled by the fingers in her mouth. No matter how much she tried to deny it, it was a strangely welcome sensation—one she’s never denied Zilu as a way to show her affection. “You’ll thruin…my…thakeup.”
“I’m sorry you have to deal with these imbecilic nobles.” Zilu continued speaking into her shoulder. “You deserve…a better assignment. One fit for your talent and intellect.”
“Mmmm…I thknow.” Zigong smiled, resting her head on Zilu’s. Rarely could they be so tender in public, and this night was a rare and welcome exception, an excursion hidden from prying eyes. “But I will see it through anyway. As master commands.”
Gingerly, Zilu removed her fingers, and gave Zigong a last peck on the cheek before releasing her. “I will follow you,” she assured. “If anyone dares lay a finger on you, I will decapitate them in an instant.”
“I appreciate it, Zilu. Although there are less…straightforward methods.” Feeling a twinge of disappointment at the absence in her mouth, Zigong licked her lips and continued. “I—”
Her words were interrupted by a blood curling scream somewhere in the palace. Soon after was the the sound of pandemonium and racing footsteps. Sighing, Zigong left the corner, walking at a brisk pace towards the sound of the commotion, and Zilu wordlessly stepped back into the shadows.
Not even a chance to say goodbye…
Forcing back a pout, Zigong smiled brightly as she walked, her mind already racing for ways to pacify whatever situation had befallen the court. Or, at least, to salvage what was left.
She sighed, snapping open her fan and raising its tip to her lips.
Back to work.