16 Lunar New Year (II)
My heart was beating loud,
It's as if I was in a cloud,
In the heavenly noise of the crowd,
Should I say I'm proud?
***
THE YEAR 1904, a century away from the present time.
Qing Long halted abruptly from what he was doing as the robes on his ankles flowed. He licked his lips a little as he fastened the blow on the candle before clearing his throat. Althea furrowed her eyebrows a little as she was waiting for an answer.
Qing Long tilted the corners of his pinkish lips a little and said, "I need to protect you, that's all."
He was calm as he said that, no tone of malice and doubt was heard in his voice. She swallowed as she raised her eyebrows while Qing Long pocketed in the candle inside his robes. He doesn't want to take a step forward while he connected his gaze towards Althea.
The crowd was still walking past ahead of them, countless people were enjoying the festivity that was being brought upon the Emperor of the Qing Empire. They were being ignored, as they were just normal peasants that will come on the way, and they were not worthy of any respect or even kneel.
Qing Long was still breathing fast in his place as his heart was beating louder than usual. He put his hands behind his back in a decent way as Althea widened her eyes a little and she averted her eyes downwards. She turned her heel around as she blushed in embarrassment while she was knuckling her fists, gripping on her satin robes.
Qing Long followed her and grabbed a hold of her wrists quickly. She removed it rashly as she turned to him while hissing. She glared into him as she snapped, "I said don't touch me, right? Don't even come near me again, I don't even know you."
Qing Long busted out sarcastically as he mumbled, unbelievably, "Who saved you from the rain earlier? Who saved you from being caught by the generals, who were spotting illegal entrants in the Qing Empire, didn't you know that?"
Althea froze at her place as she raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to one side. She shook her head as Qing Long snickered at her and mumbled, "Didn't you know that I was trying to hide you because you can be killed?"
"Why? Am I an illegal entrant here or this body had embedded my present time soul?" Althea asked as Qing Long furrowed his eyebrows more. He gritted his teeth as he raised it again and was puzzled about what she was trying to say.
Althea faced him with a mocking face and continued, "I am not from here, as I know. It's not my duty to follow you and it's not an order to protect me. I am not in the mood to play with you, Your Majesty. I would rather be alone than being with someone whom I didn't know."
She turned her heel around as Qing Long didn't even bother to raise his hands to grab it. Althea didn't turn her head back around to see what he was doing as she went inside the square. She was looking around the people who kept on getting back and forth towards the feast in front of the hall. The banquet was refilled by different cuisines that were being brought upon the countless cooks who stormed outside of the kitchen hall.
Althea didn't want to observe them as far as she could go, but she just went to the corner of the hall. She was dazing once again from reality as she didn't realize that she was in a deserted area, with no person could be seen, and she planted a fleeting look by the walls that were painted red. It served the hall as a security from the outsiders although the biggest hole of it was someone could jump in.
She was looking by the far side and depth of the clouds when someone barged the back door open. She shot up a glance towards the other side as she saw someone flailing around, wearing a headdress and merchant robes. Althea widened her eyes when he saw a man hugging the bottle in his chest, flailing around, and she furrowed her eyebrows.
The man's skin was smooth, almost white like he was been dipped on a bucket full of milk and similar to a vampire's skin, and his eyes were squinted. Althea couldn't grab the opportunity to know what he looked like, and she just wanted to stay at the corner, hidden from him. The man limped around, drunk, while he turned towards the corner of the hall.
Althea gaped at her place and took a step back. She stepped on a rock and squealed as she caught her balance, but the man was jolted up awake and was astonished when he heard that noise. Althea raised her two arms with the satin robes flowing on her heels, the moonlight radiating through the back part of the hall. She licked her lips as she gritted her teeth underneath and was frozen in her place.
The man narrowed his eyes as he opened his eyes wide and swallowed. He let the bottle smashed on the floor as he gaped and was alarmed by the fact that he had seen it. Althea turned her heel around to escape from the happenings but she was surprised when the man called him.
The man only has upturned eyes, blue in color, just like Althea's, medium and refined nose that made it pointed when observed on the side, and his full lips were circled like an O. Althea halted abruptly as she slowly turned her head to look to the man while he was gaping. The shards of the alcohol bottle were scattered all over the lawn as the man started to walk on top of it.
He was tall, Althea was only standing a foot high from his shoulders. His jawline was refined, and he had smooth and pinkish skin, probably because he was now drunk.
Althea was stunned as she turned her body to the man. She creased her forehead as she didn't know what she would say. She didn't know what to do as the man stopped a few distances away from her. When the man grabbed a hold of her face, Althea avoided his touch instantly, but the man was fast.
The tears quickly dripped down from his cheeks in a matter of minutes and he draped his hands-on Althea's waist. The man rapidly inched his face closer to Althea's lips, and she was stupefied when she felt the man's lips to her. The man moved both of his hands on her waist as Althea opened her eyes widely.
Qing Long followed Althea as much as he could because he was afraid of what will happen. He stopped midway from the corner of the hall, on the backside, and saw two people kissing each other. He parted his lips open but he noticed that it was Althea, kissing another man, and he swiftly turned around to close his eyes.
The man moved his lips in pleasure on Althea's sweet lips and she was driven by her lust. She felt her lips molding with a strange man that she doesn't know and she closed her eyes. She responded with the kiss she received as it was her first time, and hastily put her arms around the man's neck. The man was not dumbfounded by what he was experiencing as both of them kissing each other.
Qing Long knuckled his fists as he walked away and bit his lip.
Althea's mind lit up, realizing that the man she was kissing right now doesn't have any form of acquaintance with her. She unclasped her hands after a long time and pushed the man to the floor. She covered her mouth as the man grunted in pain. The man just laughed at the way she pushed him as she wiped her lips with the underdress of her robes.
The man stood up as he chuckled and mumbled, "What's with you, Ying Yue? Didn't you miss me?"
The man's eyes were brimming with tears once again as Qing Long threw something by the side of the river. He picked up a stone once again and threw it with all his might. He was angry by the thought of Althea being with the Crown Prince, and how he could not explain what was happening.
He swallowed as he clenched his jaw rigidly. He puffed his cheeks out of rage.
In the meantime, Althea's puzzled face showed and she mumbled, "Me? What did you just call me? I'm sorry, sir, I don't know you. And you just---"
She cackled sarcastically as she shook her head out of disgust. The man's smile vanished from thin air as he observed how she laughed. He tilted his head to one side as he noticed that there was no recognition in her eyes. Althea looked at her while gritting her teeth out of disbelief.
"You did not know me? I am the Crown Prince, Li Lei Jie," he introduced himself with emotionless eyes as Althea shot up a glimpse towards her.
