At dawn, the street was still dark and there were no streetlights. Only the faint light of daybreak allowed her to dash around blindly.
"You little bastard, if I catch you, I'll kill you."
Who was he calling a little bastard? If she weren't afraid that cursing back would reveal she was a woman, she would have already snapped.
She kept running while unstrapping the backpack on her back and threw it behind her. It was too heavy and she couldn't carry it any longer. Without the backpack, she could run faster.
Wen Haozhou glared at the slippery figure ahead who moved like a loach and signaled his servants to cut her off from both sides.
After surrounding her, two large servants blocked Aenwyn's path.
"Let's see where you run now."
"I'm not running anymore," she said in a low voice. First move in women's self-defense, a straight punch and side kick. Second move, aim for the groin and eyes, clean and swift.
"Aaaghhh!" came a shrill scream.
The one who fell blocked the path and got kicked aside by Wen Haozhou. "Useless trash."
With a few quick and ruthless moves, Aenwyn broke free and turned into a dark alley nearby.
When she passed the alley entrance, she noticed a few stinking wooden buckets by the roadside.
Her eyes gleamed under the dim light and she let out a quiet laugh. "Here's a little gift for you."
She stopped, took a few steps back, and when her pursuers arrived, she kicked the buckets into the air.
Thud, thud, thud. The buckets hit the ground and flung filth everywhere.
"Nice one!" If her modern-day martial arts coaches could see her now, they'd cry tears of joy.
"Ow, ow, ow!" They couldn't stop in time and tumbled into a pile.
"What is this?" Someone touched the filth with one hand, it was yellowish and whitish. "Damn it, I'm going to kill that brat."
"Ugh…" someone even vomited.
Wen Haozhou, a bit behind, got splashed on one foot by what was left in the bucket.
He was beyond furious, his face twisted with rage and his voice now full of menace. "I'll break your bones piece by piece."
He screamed wildly, "What are you all standing around for? Chase him down! Go!"
Aenwyn pressed her lips together and kept running. She wasn't the kind of girl who froze in fear. She had faced danger many times before, and if she were scared, she wouldn't be stranded in this strange world today.
In a place with no hope, she could only fight for herself.
Her strength was nearly gone, her breathing so heavy her chest hurt. She managed to shake off her pursuers at a crossroads but didn't even have time to celebrate before realizing she had run into a dead end.
With no other choice, she found a corner and hid. Her back was against the wall, behind her was the shouting of the furious man.
"I'll count to three. If you come out yourself, I'll let you die in one piece."
Aenwyn's heart pounded like a drum.
"Not coming out? You've got guts. Haven't met someone like you in years."
Wen Haozhou walked closer with a cold laugh. "How should I deal with you? Oh right, I'll sell you to Chunfeng Courtyard first, let you get used and abused by everyone, then slice you up piece by piece."
He was getting closer and closer.
Aenwyn's face turned pale. She pulled out a dagger and flexed her wrist.
"Search the place! This is a dead end. Let's see where he runs now."
Sweat dripped from her face like rain, forming little puddles at her feet.
Just as she was about to be found, a pair of small black hands grabbed her wrist. She trembled all over.
"Shh." In the darkness, a pair of wolf-like bright eyes stared back.
Zhu Liu dodged her blade and cursed in a low voice. "Almost got stabbed by you."
"Come with me."
Aenwyn finally saw it was a boy behind her, about nine or ten years old.
He only reached her chest, his hair was messy like straw, and he wore a few scraps of torn clothes over his bony frame.
The boy's eyes were bright and his white teeth showed as he grinned. "Hurry up. Or do you want to get caught?"
What was this?
There was no time to think. With chaos behind her, she followed the boy as he led her through twists and turns, finally escaping from a hidden alley.
By the time the danger passed, it was nearly dawn.
"We're here," Zhu Liu said as he looked her up and down, clearly pleased with who he had brought back.
Aenwyn let out a sigh of relief. She had run so hard her lungs hurt. When she reached the destination, she collapsed on the ground, coughing violently.
A chipped ceramic bowl was handed to her. It was filled with water. Her voice hoarse, she accepted it. "Thanks."
Though her throat was rough from coughing, her voice still had a soft feminine tone.
Zhu Liu's eyes lit up. "Your voice is really nice, sounds just like a woman."
"…," Aenwyn looked down at the bowl of not-so-clean water, then drank it in one go. She waited till she caught her breath, then slowly pushed herself up.
Then she purposely lowered her voice. "Really? Everyone says that."
Aenwyn: "But, have you ever seen a woman?"
"How could I? Our Citong Town is so poor, there's never been a woman here." Liu looked hopeful. "If one day I could just see a woman, that would be amazing."
"You're just a kid, thinking about women."
The house was bare and small. Aenwyn sat cross-legged. "Where is this place?"
"This is Qionghua Alley, my home." Liu stared at her with curious eyes, then suddenly plopped down next to her. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"Do I really not look local?" Aenwyn raised an eyebrow. Her head and face were wrapped up, only her eyes showing. And he could tell from that?
Liu laughed. "Your accent is different."
What he didn't say was that her awkward way of speaking sounded like someone who just started learning the language here. So not only was she not local, she was probably from very far away.
His gaze stopped briefly on Aenwyn's slender pale hand.
"You're from Xichuan, right?"
Xichuan? Where is that?
After a pause, when Liu thought she wouldn't answer, Aenwyn said, "I'm from Huaguo."
As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears. She tilted her head back to stop them from falling.
Liu was confused. Huaguo? Where's that? He'd only heard of Xichuan, since people from there often tried sneaking over.
"Then you probably don't have an identity tag?" Liu asked, staring at her with suspicion.
That again, identity tag? Do men have those too? Like ID cards?
"Is it important?"
"Yes. Without a tag, you can't go anywhere. They'll catch you and turn you into a slave." He puffed up proudly. "I'm a good citizen, not a slave."
Aenwyn's expression darkened. Looks like this place has strict registration laws.
"I lost mine before. Is there a place to get it replaced?" she asked casually, but her eyes were fixed on him.
By now, the sun was up. Light filtered through the broken roof, scattering across the room. Liu's eyes were bright and pure, soft like water.
"Your eyes are really pretty," Liu said in a daze.
Aenwyn smiled and knocked his head lightly. "Nonsense." Nonsense that was true. But she couldn't just blind herself.
These eyes really were a big problem. Maybe she'd find a way to hide them later, Aenwyn thought.
"So, little Liu, do you know where to get a new tag?" she asked again. Earlier, she heard him call himself Liu.
Liu jumped like a cat whose tail was stepped on. He snapped, "I'm not your little brother."
"And anyway, there's no replacement. If you lose your tag, you're a slave." He sighed, frowning. If he couldn't pay the head tax by the end of the month, he'd also be dragged to the slave market to be branded.
Luckily, he already had a plan. Liu looked at Aenwyn with a strange expression.
Aenwyn thought he was worried about her. She smiled. "It's fine. Rules are made by people. There's always a way."
"There's a way, yes. Just need a big pile of silver." Liu wanted to end the topic. He said casually, "You rest on my bed for now. I'll go find some food."
Aenwyn looked at the straw pile he pointed at. That was the bed?
She really didn't want to lie down.
"Then thank you, little Liu. Sister cough I'll repay you someday." She hadn't paid back his earlier kindness, now she owed him more. Aenwyn gave a bitter smile.
"I said stop calling me that." Liu stomped. "You're so skinny and weak, who's the little brother here, huh?" He opened the broken door and got ready to leave.
"Don't run off again," he said, turning back before leaving.
Maybe thinking his words sounded harsh, he added, "It's safe here. I'm just worried that the Wen family's young master is still looking for you."
Aenwyn couldn't help but laugh. "Go on then. I'll wait for you to come back." She had a cousin about Liu's age in the modern world too, just as mischievous.
Once he was gone, Aenwyn hugged her knees and sat there. She started wondering how Indigo would react once he found out she'd run off.
Yue Residence.
"Zhongshu, she left on her own." Indigo's face was so dark it could drip ink. He looked like he was about to explode. "Was I bad to her?" he asked coldly.
"Young master, don't be like this." Zhongshu tried to calm him. "Miss Ruchu isn't from here. Maybe she just went out to explore for a few days."
"Hah." Indigo was furious. "Ungrateful woman." He knew very well what dangers she could face out there alone.
"I should've tied her up and kept her home."
Indigo ground his teeth. "Find her. Everyone, go search." She dared to run? Hopefully no one tried to sell her off.
"Start with Changle Pavilion," he said. Hopefully no one touched what was his. If they did.
Changle Pavilion, Spring Breeze Courtyard.
By day, the Spring Breeze Courtyard had shed its nighttime glamour and was calm and elegant. Winding hallways led through the garden, with drooping willow trees. Inside, the rooms were lavishly decorated, their doors mostly shut.
This is where the young men lived? Liu wondered.
"Stop staring. You don't even know what kind of place this is," the servant leading him snapped, fierce and rough.
Liu quickly looked down and said nothing.
After waiting in the front hall for a while, a man came in. It was Madam Rong, the madam here.
"You said someone wants to sell someone to me?" Madam Rong yawned as she walked over. Her walk was smooth and swaying, wearing male robes instead of women's clothes.
Her makeup was thick and neat. She looked sharp and capable.
Liu glanced up timidly and then lowered his head again. "Yes, it's me."
"Sell you?" Madam Rong raised an eyebrow and looked him over with a critical eye. He was skinny, but acceptable. Self-sellers were her favorite kind.
"No, not me." Liu quickly shook his head.
Madam Rong gave him a mocking look. "Then who are you selling? Older brother? Younger brother? Nephew?" So young and already this ruthless. In this world, women were rare. Having a relative was already lucky.
"Let's be clear. I don't just take in any random person," she said.
"Uh, it's my older brother," Liu stammered.
"For how much?"
"One hundred taels," Liu said.
Madam Rong laughed coldly. "What, some beauty beyond compare? Is it a woman?"
"He's even better-looking than a woman," Liu said, lifting his head. His black eyes were bright and serious.
Even though he hadn't seen the person's face under the mask, he just knew they were beautiful.
"Let me see him first."
"Wait, I only want 50 taels. Give the other 50 to him," Liu said.
Madam Rong gave him a look, stood up. "Let me see him. Come, lead the way."