The Tale Of Mei Xiang

第六章 (Chapter 6)

第六章

Everything was quiet and the silence unnerved me. 

After spending the day in the palace, my ears had grown used to the chatter of the maids and eunuchs. Back home, only the sound of crickets were heard and the rustling of the maids bringing the buckets of water to my room. 

I had my hair undone and it now flowed freely against my back. My body wasn't constricted by the many layers and was only covered by a thin red silk dress. Tonight, the wind was cold and strong and I felt slightly bad for having the servants carry heavy hot buckets of water to my room so I could bath. 

The sound of the bucket dropping onto the floor snapped me out of my thoughts and I stood up. Forgetting what I was currently wearing, I stepped outside my room to see what had happened. My heart felt heavy when I saw one of the servants lying on the floor, the water all spilt. 

I hurried over and turned the fallen bucket upright. Placing my hands on the servants shoulders, I helped him get up and made sure he was stable on his feet before letting go. "Are you alright?" I asked, my eyes searching his body for any visible signs of injuries.

The blush on the servants face went unnoticed by me as I was busy looking for marks on his body. "I'm fine, xiaojie. I'm sorry for spilling the water."

He just fell down but he was concerned about spilling the water? I stopped in my actions and looked at him in disbelief. Now that I had a good look at him, he looked barely 15 and his hands were already so calloused. 

"It doesn't matter if the water is wasted. Did you hurt yourself?" I questioned, feeling quite disturbed that he had placed the task he was assigned to do over his own self. 

He shook his head. "If xiaojie has no more questions, I should go back to work." 

I didn't say anything and watched as he picked up the bucket, his cheeks looking a bright pink. I was staring at the spot where the water was split that I jumped when I heard him greet the 4th Prince. Instantly, my eyes searched for his face and it wasn't long before I spotted him. 

He was standing near the opening to my room, this time not accompanied by anyone. He dismissed the servant and his eyes met mine. It piqued my curiosity when the corners of his lips turned upwards and his eyes held amusement. 

So, I followed his eyes down to my dressing and a wave of embarrassment washed over me. It was inappropriate for me to wear such a thin and kinda revealing clothing in front of men. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks when I looked at him again. 

"Greetings, 4th Prince," I said and bowed. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

He walked closer to me until he was right in front of me. Since he hadn't said anything, I was still curtseying to him and my head was lowered. "You have quite an outfit on. Is it a new trend that I do not know of?"

"No, your highness. I was getting ready to bath so it seems like your highness caught me at the wrong time," I replied in a clipped tone. 

I jumped when I felt his cold hands gripping my arm. "Stand up. There's no one here. You don't need to keep up with all the formalities."

He helped me stand and I quickly distanced myself from him when he let go of my arm. "Thank you, your highness. If you do not need anything, please excuse me for I would like to bath."