Bound By Silence [BL]

Chapter 7: Kindness is Unnerving

Days passed quietly in the palace, but the silence was deceptive. Rumors swirled through the ornate halls like a hidden current, impossible to miss but difficult to trace. Xiao Dan, despite his best efforts to blend into the background, had somehow become the center of attention. His presence at Zhi Peng's side had not gone unnoticed.

The maids whispered behind their sleeves as they scurried through the corridors, their eyes flicking toward Xiao Dan with a mix of curiosity and envy. Eunuchs bowed their heads in respect whenever they passed him, but there was a wary tension in their movements, as if they feared him yet couldn't look away. And then there were the concubines.

The emperor's harem, once a place of whispered rivalry and quiet maneuvering, had erupted into a battlefield of jealousy. The women, dressed in their resplendent robes of silk and adorned with jade and gold, cast their sharp gazes in Xiao Dan's direction, the tension between them almost palpable. While they had fought amongst themselves for Zhi Peng's favor before, a new target had emerged—and it was him.

To them, Xiao Dan was nothing more than an outsider, a man with no rank, no prestige, and no understanding of the world he now inhabited. Yet somehow, in a matter of days, he had managed to gain what none of them could: the emperor's undivided attention.

The concubines whispered furiously amongst themselves, huddled in the shaded courtyards of the palace, their eyes narrowing in disdain whenever Xiao Dan passed by. Though Xiao Dan could not understand their words, he felt their eyes on him, the weight of their disdain bearing down on his shoulders. He did his best to avoid their gaze, keeping his head down and his steps quick whenever he was sent to perform tasks.

But it wasn't enough. The concubines, determined to reclaim their positions of favor, began scheming. At first, it was small things—misplaced items, a dish broken just as Xiao Dan carried it to Zhi Peng's chambers, a maid purposely bumping into him in the hallways. Xiao Dan, confused and frustrated, could feel something was off, but he couldn't figure out why things kept going wrong.

One afternoon, as Xiao Dan was carrying a tray of wine to the emperor's study, one of the concubines, a particularly beautiful woman with dark eyes and lips painted a striking red, crossed his path. She smiled sweetly as she approached, her silken robes whispering against the stone floor.

"让路," she murmured, her tone sickly sweet as she walked toward him. Xiao Dan frowned, not understanding her words but sensing the malice behind her smile. He stepped to the side, but just as she passed, her hand shot out, knocking the tray from his hands.

The delicate wine cups shattered against the floor, the deep red liquid spreading across the stone like blood. Xiao Dan's heart sank as he stared at the mess, his hands trembling slightly. He knew this was bad. He knew this was trouble.

The concubine gasped dramatically, her hand flying to her mouth in mock shock. "你做了什么？" she exclaimed, her voice loud enough to catch the attention of passing servants. Soon, a small crowd had gathered, their whispers growing louder as they watched the scene unfold.

Xiao Dan's pulse quickened, panic rising in his chest. He bent down quickly to clean the mess, his fingers scrambling to pick up the shards of broken glass, but the concubine was not done with him yet.

"你就是这么对待皇上的吗？" she continued, her voice filled with accusation as she glared down at him. Though Xiao Dan couldn't understand her words, the venom in her tone was unmistakable. She wanted him to fail—wanted him to suffer.

Just as Xiao Dan fumbled with the last of the broken cups, a shadow fell over the group. The murmurs died down, replaced by the oppressive silence that only one person in the palace could command. Zhi Peng had arrived.