Why Do You Want to Meet The Emperor? (1)

"Box … never show…."

"Go to … emperor…."

Murmurs continuously escaped from the exhausted Shao Chen's mouth. He kept muttering the messages from Yao Meilin so that he won't forget them because he realized that he had a very short memory.

For days he ran aimlessly until he finally lost all of his strength. His body was limp because he had not eaten for several days.

He fell for several times and rose again so that his body was in a very chaotic state – full of dust and mud. His feet were scratched and the hem of his clothes was slightly torn. In this state, he really looked like a beggar.

The people around him immediately avoided him because he had his hair cut off. They thought he was a despicable person who deserved a miserable life so no one wanted to help him.

'Ah … I'm tired … I'm thirsty ... I just want to die … but I can't….' his mind kept complaining but he kept walking.

Suddenly, he stumbled and fell again. He tried to get up but couldn't. He didn't want to give up so that he crawled forward on the dirty road.

"Box … never…." He continued to mutter the messages even though his voice could barely come out.

His vision began to blur.

'Shit! I have to meet the emperor! But … who is the emperor?' he thought, confused. He kept thinking about it but got no answer.

He was also a fool so it did not occur to him to ask other people for an answer. But of course, he didn't give up.

'Where?' he thought. His vision became increasingly blurry.

The last thing he heard was a girl's voice before his vision turned dark.

'What should … I do … to …emperor…?'

*****

Shao Chen looked at the unfamiliar ceiling which was so simple compared to the ceiling in Yao's residence. He got his body up which felt very heavy and found himself on a simple wooden bed which was very hard.

"Ah! Sisters, he is awake!" a little girl, who looked around 16 years old, exclaimed. She stood in front of the door frame which was only covered by hanging a worn cloth.

Shao Chen stared blankly at her and when he regained his senses, there were already two additional girls who looked older than the little girl but could not possibly be over 25 years old. They were staring at him while standing next to the bed.

"Where is this?" Shao Chen finally asked after felt that he needed to open up the conversation otherwise he felt uncomfortable with the girl's gaze in silent.

"You are in our house," the oldest girl said.

"Who are you?" the middle girl asked.

"Are you a despicable creature?" the youngest girl asked.

Shao Chen only could stare at them in confusion with an open mouth. The series of questions and statements confused him. Not yet finished processing the first statement, other question had been told so that the earlier statement instantly vanished from his brain.

The three girls didn't understand the meaning of Shao Chen's reaction and started waving their hands in front of his eyes. However, Shao Chen didn't blink a single time making them even more confused.

Shao Chen suddenly gasped, making the three also startled, and took a few steps back. They thought the man was very dangerous so that the oldest immediately stood in front of her sisters to protect them.

"Could you repeat your words at a slower pace? I couldn't understand if you talk too fast," Shao Chen begged.

The three girls blinked several times. 'His response was so slow!' The three thought simultaneously. They had never seen someone like this until now.

At last, they repeated their words at a slower pace.

Shao Chen finally nodded then answered, "I am Shao Chen and I am not a despicable creature, I am human."

The girls bursted out laugh at his strange answer.

"Of course we know that you are a human!" the oldest exclaimed in between her laughter.

Shao Chen just looked at them in confusion. He didn't know what was very funny.

After being satisfied with the laugh, the youngest repeated her question more clearly. "I asked whether you are despicable because of your hair."

Shao Chen felt that there was nothing strange about his hair. He examined it but still didn't find anything strange.

The youngest tried to be patient because seeing this man's very slow response, she realized that this man was not very smart.

"Your hair is short," she explained again, try to be more clear.

Shao Chen took some time to process the statement and finally understood. When he got into this body, his hair was long and become short after he cut it off. He remembered the two elders who were very sad and angry when they found about what had he done.

Remembering them, Shao Chen became sad. "I cut it because it was hot," he answered honestly.

The three widened their eyes in shock and after a while, they laughed again. Their laughter was so ridiculous that Shao Chen was prompted to laugh too and made his expression became so stupid that the girls laugh even louder. Hearing that, Shao Chen laugh became louder too.

The laughter lasted for several minutes until they hold onto their aching stomach. They even had to rest for a while because of this.

Shao Chen sighed. His body was getting tired but his face, which had been flat for all of the time, was finally able to bring out a smile. Even though it looked stupid but it was better.

At the same time, he suddenly recalled the messages from his mother. "Ah! I must go to meet the emperor!" he exclaimed, intending to run out of the house, but the girls immediately held him back.

"Your body is still weak! You need more rest!" the middle girl scolded.

"Why did you want to meet the emperor?" the oldest girl asked.

"I…." Shao Chen opened his mouth but he could not tell them anything. He realized that he did not know what his mother wanted him to do after meeting the emperor.

The girls waited patiently while Shao Chen racking his brain. This was the first time he had to work his brain so hard that his head began hurting.

"If…."