Chapter Text
That night.
That night, when Hua Cheng was five, everything went to ruin.
His life used to be peaceful. Despite being the son of a maid, he was still well-provided by the Xie family whom he served. Ever since he could remember, he was the Xie family's son's valet. Xie Lian, darling of the heavens, was his master.
It may be bad, but Hua Cheng had always had a crush on Xie Lian since he was little. He wasn’t sure when it became a ‘crush’, but Hua Cheng had always held Xie Lian dearly in his heart. Call it puppy love if you want, but the him now and the him then would willingly sacrifice his life for Xie Lian.
“Hong Hong,” Xie Lian had called him softly one day while they were in the gardens, watching the sun set, turning the sky a flaming orange. “What do you want to do when you grow up?”
Hua Cheng rubbed his chin thoughtfully. His eyes trailed to Xie Lian. Xie Lian, who was illuminated by the warm glow of the sun, a hint of a smile gracing his lips.
“I will go wherever Master Xie goes.”
Xie Lian sighed, tapping Hua Cheng’s nose. “You can’t do that! Mother says that even Hong Hong should have ambitions, and it is my duty to make sure you are happy too!”
In a low whisper, Hua Cheng muttered to himself, “Being by your side is the greatest happiness.”
Little did he know that that happiness would be robbed away from him.
At that time, Hua Cheng had no idea who they were and why they came. He only knew that the Xie household was no longer safe.
It was night time and the moon was in full glow. Outside, the crickets were languidly singing and the wind sighed as another day came to an end. Hua Cheng himself had just given Xie Lian a good night’s kiss, a gentle whisper of ‘good night’ passing his lips to his beloved master. However, just as he straightened up, the door slammed open with a bang, startling both Xie Lian and Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng froze as he saw who was standing on the threshold. It was his mother, but her maid uniform, always so clean and pure, was slashed everywhere and doused in blood. Her hair was a mess, tears running down her face and sobs wracking her body.
“Mama!” Hua Cheng yelled.
Hua Cheng rushed over to his mother’s side in an attempt to steady her. But with his tiny, five year old body, he might as well have supported a collapsing tree.
His mother fell on the ground, still sniffing and sobbing. Even so, she tried to quell them down, Hua Cheng could tell.
“Hong-er ah…” she hiccuped. “They’re coming…you must take…young master Xie…to a safe place…”
“Mother, what are you talking about?” Hua Cheng demanded fearfully. What was happening? Why was his mother crying? What is going to happen to Xie Lian?
He was speechless when he was suddenly pulled into his mother’s embrace. He could smell the blood on his mother’s clothes this close, but she was still so warm; so warm and full of love, even though she was shaking.
“Hong-er, know that mama loves you a lot.” She says that every day, but why does the meaning of her words weigh so much at this moment? “They’re coming, you must go.”
Who knows when, Hua Cheng too had begun to cry. Gripping his mother’s blood-stained uniform harder, he choked out, “Ma-”
Just as he did, though, he was shoved away forcefully. He hadn’t processed what had just happened when BANG.
Stumbling, Hua Cheng fell on his butt.
His mother’s smile was frozen as blood blossomed from her chest. Eyes widening in dread Hua Cheng yelled, “Mama!”
However, she responded no more. The great tree finally crashed, unmoving, as blood spilled like wine.
No…nononononoNONONO-
“MAMA!!” he screeched.
From behind him, a hand covered his mouth and he gasped, struggling with all his might. He will not- he will not stand by for this- he will kill every single one of them- how dare they-
“Shhh, shhh, calm down. I know it’s painful, but please, calm down.”
Upon hearing the familiar, soothing voice of Xie Lian’s, Hua Cheng stopped struggling. A new wave of tears spilled from his eyes. He tried to stop them, rubbing at them incessantly, but once they started they wouldn’t stop.
But Xie Lian didn’t say anything, which Hua Cheng was grateful for. To see him in such a sorry state, he was more than embarrassed.
Instead, Xie Lian pulled him onto his feet. After giving a quick prayer to his mother, Xie Lian dragged him along the dimly lit hallway and together, they ran for dear life.
Ah, how ironic. It should be him pulling Xie Lian along, not the other way around. He was Xie Lian’s valet, he should be the one protecting him. Thus once he got a grip on himself, he ran faster, so that now he was the one leading Xie Lian.
Now that they were outside of the room, they could see that there were intruders inside the house; a lot of them too. They were unruly and noisy, killing every single person they encountered without mercy. Hua Cheng gulped, wondering what Xie Lian was thinking of all this. The master and mistress surely wouldn’t be spared of this. Hua Cheng prayed with all his heart that at least they got away.
Unfortunately, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng failed to.
They were so close to the exit, but who knew, not even the alternate exit was safe.
Hua Cheng stood protectively in front of Xie Lian as they faced the intruders. Hua Cheng picked up a bloodied knife that littered the floor, gripping it tightly.
The intruders, there were five of them, laughed. Hua Cheng stiffened.
“Move!” Hua Cheng growled, but because of the trembling in his voice, it came out more as a squeak.
“How cute,” one of the intruders cooed. “Hey, boss, what do we do with these two kiddos?”
The five intruders made way for another man. This man wore an eerie half-crying, half-smiling mask. His white suit was barely splattered with tears of crimson. Hua Cheng gritted his teeth. Was this man only sitting aside while the slaughtering occurred? Or was he so powerful that no one could so much as even touch him?
This man was bad news.
Behind this man followed another twenty or so men. There was no way they could escape, they were surrounded-
The inky eyes behind the mask seemed to glitter in amusement, watching Hua Cheng struggle internally.
“You may go.”
Hua Cheng faltered. He was…willing to let them go?
“Master Xie, let’s-” he began.
But right before his eyes, Xie Lian was snatched away by the masked man.
“I was only talking about you, little boy,” the masked man said.
With a resounding crack, the masked man easily broke Xie Lian’s arm like a cracker.
Hua Cheng could only watch with fright. An unholy scream filled the large hall, followed by crazed laughter.
Rage filled every cell and fiber of Hua Cheng’s body. He was not going to lose Xie Lian. He was going to make these bastards pay.
“Don’t touch him!” he roared.
With all his power, he lunged at the masked man, ready to bury the knife into any part of his body. However, before he could so much as reach the masked man, he was pushed against the ground, gasping as the knife flew out of his hand.
Try as he might to kick and punch, his hands and legs were locked into place by one of the intruders. When it seemed fruitless, Hua Cheng shrieked wildly at the masked man.
“DON’T YOU TOUCH HIM, YOU HEAR ME? LET HIM GO OR I’LL KILL YOU ALL!”
Take me instead , was what he didn’t say. Anything…anything but Master Xie…
“Tch,” the masked man sneered. “Tape his mouth shut.”
Turning to Xie Lian, the masked man purred, “Now then, what’s your name, boy?”
After that, it was all a haze to Hua Cheng. He barely remembered the slicing of sword on pure, jade skin, the pleading, choked cries of his beloved, crudely mingled with the insane laughter of a madman filling his ears, driving him crazy with heart-wrenching pain and blood-boiling fury.
The last thing he could remember that awful night was swinging a bloodied knife wildly, bodies of intruders strewn lifelessly around him, while he himself dared not to look at the demised body of his beloved.
He, too, screeched at his own uselessness until his voice was hoarse. Frustratingly, no matter what he did, the masked man was too skilled, dodging his every swing.
“You’ve got talent, little boy, but I’m afraid, I have other matters to attend to.”
Within a blink of an eye, the masked man had appeared beside him. Hua Cheng was too slow to react. With a single chop on his neck, Hua Cheng was striked into the ground.
No…it was too soon…he still hasn't killed the masked man…
But as the cold, blood-soaked floor slowly embraced him into slumber, he could only shakingly reach out an arm to the mangled body of his master, his beloved. A single, lonely tear fell from his eye, a consolidation of emotions that he had failed to convey.
I’m sorry, Master Xie
.