Colder than Ice

  She pointed her fingers shakily ''what are you doing here'' the headmaid demanded angrily.

 '' I was told by a maid to sweep the cleaning room'' she was confused was she not the one who asked her to.

 She marched forward to her giving her a hard slap on her face '' Lies, kneel and wait there till i get back'' the headmaid ordered.

  Li Guang held her face as she knelt, her face stung 'what did i do again' it was like the universe were against her.

 When the headmaid came back she was still furious ''Hey you, you will go to the garden at the back pick all the dry leaves, weed all the grasses i want it done before morning now get out''

  She stood up without complaint, it was already dark outside, when she got to the garden it was a mess, Fenfang came over she felt bad for her

  ''Sorry Li Guang, Dingbang likes putting people in trouble and she is high ranked than us after headmaid nobody can speak up or against her''

 ''It's fine Fenfang, i wasn't aware she was like that'' she signed.

 ''I really wish to help you, but i am going to get into trouble'' Fenfang said moving her head to the direction where Dingbang was at a corner watching.

 Li Guang agreed ''You are nice Fenfang, you should go now, goodnight''

  ''Goodnight''.

  She used the moon light to work on the garden, she started picking out the weeds it pained her burnt palms but she beared it.

 Since the garden was very large at the back and it looked like it had been abadoned, vast with some trees, she got exhausted she didn't even have dinner, Fenfang had been her savior today if she had not given her food earlier, she would have probably died of hunger, it remained to gather and pack out the uprooted weeds and dead leaves when she fell asleep.

  Her name was faint in her ears, when she opened her eyes it was day, she saw Dingbang looking down on her with a smirk on her face.

  ''The headmaid has sent for you'' she grinned evily.

 She was in so much trouble, she didn't realise when she fell asleep.

  When she got to where the headmaid was, she saw other maids lined up even Fenfang had a concern face but she could not say anything to her.

  ''Did she finish her work'' the question was directed to dingbang by the headmaid.

 ''Not at all, everywhere is still littered and disorganised'' Dingbang reported.

 ''I am very sorry, i didn't know when i fell asleep i will make sure to complete it this morning without it affecting my today's work'' she pleaded.

 ''Nonsense, raise your dress'' the headmaid commanded picking up the prepared cane.

  When the first strike hit her, her eyes turned red but she didn't let the tears surface, she was not going to cry, she was given thirty strikes but she didn't move even through her legs were in intense pain that you could see her skin peeling with blood driping down from the wound.

 She left out a wimper when two more strikes hit her ankle on her left leg, her legs gave out, she was shaking all over her hands clampsed with sweat even her forehead, her legs were in intense pain she couldn't touch it even still.

  ''All of you this is what you get for disobeying'' the headmaid said mercilessly.

  The message was clear because one could see evident fear over their faces.

 ''Now go complete the job and when you are done wash the clothes, dingbang give her the clothes by the well side'' she instructed her voice strict and harsh. she continued when she saw nobody leaving

  ''What are you all waiting for, get to work'' she shouted at them, everyone scurried away.

  Li Guang stood up with shaky legs , she leaped slowly with the right leg which was less painful, she wasted no time in gathering and packing away the weeds even though her leaping restricted her movement she bared the pains in her legs.

 when she was done with the garden, she smelled of blood and sweat, she immediately went to the well side to wash the clothes that had already been dumped there for her.

  While she was beating the clothes, the burn on her hands started bleeding on the clothes, no matter how many times she washed away the blood when she got back in beating the clothes more blood poured out staining the clothes.

 ''What happened to you hands'' she had a calm but cold voice that felt like ice.

 When she raised her head up, she heart skipped a beat when she saw the lord, he was standing all tall with the sun shining on him, the light breeze waving his black hair slightly away from his eyes.

  She remembered she was asked a question she stood up to bow ''Good afternoon my lord'' when she saw Ji yan behind the lord she also gave him a bow, Ji yan responded her greeting with a small smile of reassurance.

  ''I had burnt it'' she responded to the question her eyes were casted down.

 He said nothing, he glanced at her hands. The ribbon she had used to tie her hair that had loosed got blown by the breeze.

 ''Go pick it'' he said flicking his head to the ribbon that was a little bit away from her.

 She hesititated, when she saw he was not going anywhere, she tried walking normally but her ankle shot pain to her when she added her weight to it, she hissed in pain.

  ''What happened to your legs'' he questioned again his voice thick and calm.

More sweat came on her forehead, she didn't want to get into more trouble if she spoke against the maid, but it was the lord she want to get into big trouble for getting lies.

 She didn't know what to say or do, while she was in a dilemma on what to say she heard him speak.

 ''Raise your dress'' his voice cold instructed.

 Her heart hammered in her chest, what did she just hear, everything wrong with that statement. when her eyes met his it was colder than his voice, there was no light just dark poles of magnet that looks like it could read ones soul.

  She was to rebut but when she saw Ji yan shaking his head behind the lord she kept her mouth shut.