The Red Mole Prophecy : A Concubine's Rise (BL)

Chapter 14 : When Dawn Breaks, Sorrow Remains

The next morning, Su Ling slowly opened his eyes, groggily taking in his surroundings. He was met with a pounding headache and a gnawing sense of hunger. He tried to recall the events of the previous day, but his memories were hazy. As he sat up, his stomach growled loudly, protesting the emptiness within. He hadn't eaten anything the day before, and now his body was paying the price. Su Ling's eyes scanned the room, searching for something - anything - to alleviate his hunger. His gaze fell upon a small table near the window, where a steaming bowl of porridge and a plate of steamed buns had been left for him. With a mix of relief and desperation, Su Ling stumbled out of bed and made his way to the table. He devoured the food in mere moments, savoring the warm, comforting flavors.

As he ate, his mind cleared, and memories from the previous day began to resurface.

He had been sold like a mere trinket by his own flesh and blood, his father and stepmother, for a paltry sum of 200 taels of silver. The buyer, a mysterious young master, sought to claim him as a concubine, a mere plaything to satiate his desires. The very thought filled Su Ling's heart with revulsion and his soul with shame.

He finished his breakfast, pushed the bowl away, and stood up, his eyes fixed on the door as he stepped out of the room.

Su Ling's thoughts were a tangled web of emotions as he strolled along the winding path to the pond, its tranquil surface mirroring the turmoil within. The weight of his servitude hung heavy on his heart, sold as he was to a wealthy family as a concubine to serve the whims of a young master. The thought churned his stomach with anxiety, like a tempest brewing in the depths of his soul. As he walked, he caught a glimpse of himself in a reflective surface, and his eyes widened in dismay. His reflection showed a young man disheveled and worn, eyes sunken like the darkest recesses of a forgotten well. "Perhaps they have forgotten me," Su Ling thought, a fleeting glimmer of hope rising like a phoenix from the ashes. "Maybe I can fade into the background, a leaf on a forgotten branch." But deep within, he knew it was a fragile hope, for he had been brought to this household for a purpose, a purpose that would soon unfold like a lotus blooming in the morning dew.

Drifting into a melancholic reverie, Su Ling's gaze wandered across the desolate courtyard, his heart heavy with sorrow. The once-manicured gardens now lay neglected, weeds sprouting through the cracks in the stone pathways like nature's own lament. The air was thick with the scent of decay and abandonment, a morbid perfume that clung to his skin. As he sat on the stone bench, the coolness of the stone seeped into his bones, mirroring the chill of his loneliness. Su Ling felt like a leaf blown away from its branch, lost and disconnected from the world. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he thought of his past life, his family, and his friends. Had anyone remembered him, or was he forgotten like the courtyard itself? The oppressive silence was a palpable force, swallowing all sound, leaving only the echoes of his memories. Su Ling's breath caught in his throat as he struggled to hold back his emotions. In this moment, he felt like a ghost haunting the ruins of his own life, searching for a sense of belonging and purpose in a world that seemed to have moved on without him.

The memories of that fateful night came flooding back, like a dark tidal wave crashing against the shores of Su Ling's mind, threatening to consume him whole. He relived the agony, the terror, and the helplessness as his world was shattered into a million pieces, leaving him with scars that refused to heal. His body trembled, and his soul felt like it was being torn apart all over again, the wounds reopening with a ferocity that left him breathless. The tears he had been holding back finally broke free, streaming down his face like a river of sorrow, as he mourned the loss of his former self. Su Ling felt like a broken porcelain vase, fragile and useless, beyond repair, a mere shadow of the person he once was. The cruel words of his stepmother echoed in his mind, "You're a broom star, bringing disaster everywhere you go." Su Ling couldn't shake off the feeling that she had been right all along, that he was indeed cursed, destined to suffer and bring misfortune to those around him. As he wept, Su Ling felt like he was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to find a lifeline to cling to, his heart heavy, his spirit crushed, and his future bleaker than ever.