How ominous? The night was still so young, yet the playful moon has already decided to abandon this city, leaving it well within the comforts of the shadows. [Oh, but it may be better for the city to be shrouded in the dark tonight. There is after all, far too many curious incidents taking place right now] an amused but equally frustrated Meng Su thought to herself. Her eyes kept observing one of the main causes, Liu Ding Yiu. [My darling Ding Yiu, you’re such an instigator of unpredictability as usual. And that means, effort] Meng Su continued to silently think.

As though catching onto Meng Su’s dissatisfaction, Liu Ding Yiu finally turned to address her, “What is it?”

Meng Su looked at Liu Ding Yiu for a moment. Liu Ding Yiu is a daughter of the prominent wealthy merchant family. Though her position within the family has always been contested due to her not being the birth child of her current step-mother, original owner of the family business. Liu Ding Yiu’s father had remarried into his current wife’s family sometime after Ding Yiu’s birth mother was mysteriously murdered. [And to uncover the truth about your mother’s death] Meng Su smiled, [Ding Yiu, you even dare to get involved in the underworld business like this].

“Ah, my Ding Ding, must you even ask?” Meng Su finally replied. “You’ve just bought off some slaves from that hateful underworld merchant, with almost all our money. Are we having a massive party I was unaware of?”

“You’re talking nonsense,” Ding Yiu said, “Come and help me release all of them.”

Meng Su twirled the umbrella in her hand and obediently followed Ding Yiu towards the small locked warehouse, currently imprisoning the slaves. It’s been quite some time since Liu Ding Yiu has set foot into the underworld business. She’s so far survived quite well, but Meng Su nevertheless worries for her. Liu Ding Yiu remains a decent person despite the dealings and tricks she has played within the underworld. Such as tonight, even to Meng Su’s frustration, she has done another good deed by buying and freeing some slaves that were most likely kidnapped or taken by force by the underworld merchant.

CLICK. Ding Yiu had unlocked the door with the keys. A small creaking sound swiftly followed as she pushed open the door. Already oozing from within its cold walls was a stench of filthiness. Meng Su and Ding Yiu could only very faintly see clumps of body huddling, chained, or lying on the floor from the weakly flickering candlelight in the furthest corner of the room. Ding Yiu took a step into the filthy confinement. Almost at the exact same time, a shadowy figure hiding behind the door had lunged forwards towards Ding Yiu. The action was fast. But Meng Su reacted faster by hitting that outstretched hands holding the broken shard, with her umbrella, otherwise Ding Yiu would’ve been hurt.

“Ahh…” the shadowy attacker cried as Meng Su knocked them to the floor with her umbrella.

Meng Su stepped in front of Ding Yiu, facing the attacking slave. “Why are you attacking us? We’ve only just arrived you know.”

“Die, you evil people,” the attacking slave yelled, getting back up to attempt another attack.

“We’re here to set you free,” a very calm Liu Ding Yiu shouted, making sure she could be heard loud and clear.

Her words seemed to have worked as the attacking slave froze on the spot. The other more timid and scared slaves in the room also turned their gaze towards Ding Yiu. Only one thing was on their minds – is what this person said – true?

“D-did you say,” a very scared young boy in the corner voiced.

Ding Yiu pushed the door open to its fullest and stepped to the side. “Exit is this way. Do as you please. We won’t stop or hurt any of you.”

The slaves in the room glanced nervously at one another, not understanding the current situation.

“What schemes are you playing at now?” the slave who attacked demanded.

Annoyed, Meng Su lightly grabbed the slave’s shirt and pulled them towards her. Short hair, skinny build, and an annoying pair of watery glaring eyes. “Now little boy,” Meng Su spoke, “Stop being rude to us. We’re just here to open the door and give you a chance to escape.”

“C-can we really go?” one slave questioned.

“You’re really setting us free,” another called out.

Ding Yiu tapped the door with her hand a few times, a little impatient. “You can either leave or not leave. I can’t control what you do. However,” her tone became serious, “if you are leaving, then head north. Don’t go south. The underworld merchant who imprisoned you all is staying in an inn south.”

No more needed to be said. An unforeseen hope had been given to these desperate people and they waited no longer to embrace this chance. The slaves, even the most physically weak and struggling ones now dashed towards their freedom.

Watching as the other slaves were really set free, the one Meng Su called a little boy felt tears running from his eyes. But those tears quickly stopped as he suddenly got very distressed. “Let go, woman,” he shouted, “Let go.”

“So rude,” Meng Su complained, “I’ll let go when you apologize.”

“LET ME GO NOW,” the young boy demanded again, “PLEASE BEFORE ITS TOO LATE…”

“Meng Su,” Ding Yiu spoke.

“Until he apologizes,” Meng Su repeated again.

The young boy became more desperate, his emotions running high. “I don’t have time for this. My mother… they took my mother. She’s with the others. I need to rescue her.”

“What about your mother?” Meng Su questioned, her grip loosening slightly.

“My mother was taken away with a few other women by those bastards,” the little boy spoke up, “I need to find her.”

“So that’s the reason you were attacking anyone opening the door,” Ding Yiu realized, “you just wanted to find your mother.”

“That’s not the issue here,” Meng Su pointed out, “we’ve been cheated. We bought off all the slaves they had, but they took away a few of them behind our backs.”

“What?” the boy gasped hearing Meng Su say that. “You bought…us…”

Meng Su let go of the boy. “Yes, well,” she pointed at Ding Yiu, “she was the one who paid a god load of money for you lot of slaves.”

The boy turned to Ding Yiu, “but you set everyone free.”

Ding Yiu nodded, an extremely faint smile on her face, “that was always my intention.” She approached the boy, “returning freedom to all the slaves I bought tonight is my intention. That includes your mother.” She outstretched her hand to him, “let me help you.”

The boy couldn't help but stare at Liu Ding Yiu before him. He could faintly make out her striking features in the dimly lit space. She appeared to be even younger than himself yet, her collected expression calmed even him. Now captivated by those soul-piercing eyes of Ding Yiu, the boy reached out to take her hand as though in a trance.

"Good," Ding Yiu said. "Meng Su, it appears we will be having a party after all. But with Mr Merchant."

Meng Su said nothing and led the way out. She recognized that silent, angry aura about Ding Yiu and knew things would be taking a more amusing turn. A rather dry night, but like a proper 'lady', Meng Su loved opening her flowery patterned umbrella to cover herself from the skies. She also angled it to make it less obvious she was observing the boy that tagged along. The boy had pulled himself back together, acting slightly more composed than their initial interaction. [Hmm, this boy may not be so bad], Meng Su eyed him up and down, [though he does give off a strange 'girly' feeling].

Unknown to Meng Su, she wasn't the only one observing. The boy quietly following Meng Su and Ding Yiu was also making mental judgements. He noted the blabbermouth with the umbrella was called Meng Su. She definitely wasn't the friendliest, but there was no denying she was one exceptional mature beauty. Meng Su was wearing a rather lavish, silk fitted dress that enhanced her curves and endowed figure. [Well, nothing more to say about that woman] the boy thought as he kept glancing towards Ding Yiu. [I wonder what her name is?] Compared to Meng Su, Ding Yiu was much younger. And for what she has done so far, the boy couldn't stop developing a sense of gratitude towards her. [I want to thank you].

It wasn't long before the three began to hear the voices of the underworld merchant's men. Laughter and banter came from the small inn in a short distance ahead. This time though, Meng Su wasn't quick enough to stop the boy from charging in like a suicidal chicken. He literally bolted towards the inn shouting his mother’s name.

"What are we going to do?" Meng Su queried, seeing the situation was now out of hands.

Ding Yiu confidently followed after the boy, who somehow managed to knock a few of the merchants guard to the ground and rush inside. Meng Su sighed and followed swiftly.

"M-Mi Hou," one of the merchants men shouted, clearly recognizing the two as they leisurely stepped inside.

"Oh heavens," Meng Su muttered, seeing the boy already detained on the floor by three guards. He had a massive bruise on his cheek too.

"Did you say Mi Hou?" another man repeated, turning to look at Ding Yiu, "why are you here?"

[Mi Hou?] the boy looked towards Ding Yiu, [Your name is Mi Hou?]

Ding Yiu spoke loud and clearly, "I'm here to close the business deal with your boss."

And before another word could be spoken, Meng Su moved. Her actions were so immediate and elegant, it appeared she was dancing through the room, but with each step she took towards the other side, one man falls to the floor unconscious. The boy watched amazed. It was in three breath takes that the room was silent.

Taking the opportunity, the boy got onto his feet and quickly ran towards the bedrooms where he came face to face with the underworld merchant that kidnapped, imprisoned and sold them. He still had three guards with him. They had only just gotten out of one of the bedrooms.

"Where's my mother?" the boy shouted in rage.

The underworld merchant, unaware Ding Yiu and Meng Su was here, took his time to adjust his dishevelled clothes. He licked his lips, "Your mother? Inside there, dead. Shame because she had a decent body for a good ramming session."

There was no time to process anything more. The word 'dead' was all that mattered to the boy as he ran straight into the bedroom. [Please don't be true] he chanted in his mind, [be alright]. But his heart froze at the sight of his dead mother, her body covered in bruises. There were a couple of other corpses of women near his mother as well. He knelt beside his mother, gently hugging her. "Mother, it's me... I came for you," he said as his shaking arms wrapped tighter around his mother's body. "Speak to me. Say something... please," the boy pleaded. There was no response. The boy cried, tears falling out his eyes uncontrollably. "Why? Why did this happen to us? Mother," he cried. [It’s not our fault], he looked at his mother, [I'm sorry I'm so weak. If I... I was stronger...] The boy stared out the room, realizing that monster was getting away, but his grief and pain was making it hard for him to move. [Help] he thought, [Help me! Stop him]. Ding Yiu's face suddenly came to his mind and then he heard loud painful shrieks outside. It sounded like the merchant.

The boy forced himself to leave the bedroom and go back outside. Shocked. The three guards and the underworld merchant all lay on top of each other like sacks of rice. They were unconscious but still breathing. [It's them. They did this], the boy thought, turning to look at his saviours. Speechless. To the side, Meng Su and Ding Yiu were busy looting the money and valuable goods from the Merchants luggage. [Where did they get this stuff from? No, when did they have time to do all this?]

"Oh, little boy," Meng Su said noticing him watching them. "Did you find your mother?"

The mention of his mother triggered him. He ran towards the pile of goods Meng Su was sorting, grabbed the gold plated dagger and headed towards the underworld merchant. "Thanks to you, she's now dead," he screamed, raising the dagger in the air, "DIE! YOU MONSTER. GO TO HELL!"

A strong grip met with the boy's wrists before the dagger reached the merchants flesh. The boy glared at Ding Yiu, who dared to stop him. "Let go. This has nothing to do with you. I'm grateful you set us free, grateful you got me here but..."

Ding Yiu ignored the boy. She exerted strength into her grip, hurting him so much that he had to release the dagger. Meng Su stood watching as Ding Yiu then slapped the boy across the face.

"Foolish and pathetic girl," Ding Yiu condemned, "you're mother won't be able to rest in peace if you turned into a monster like him. Don't throw away your mother's efforts to protect you."

"G-girl," Meng Su uttered, surprised. "He... is a girl?"

Ding Yiu tilted her head, "didn't you know she was a girl? I thought you called her boy to make fun of her short hair and boyish attitude."

Meng Su was gobsmacked. She placed a hand on her forehead, fully embarrassed. Now that she recalled, the girl never admitted to being a boy. But she also didn't say anything either. [Damn you] Meng Su silently thought, [so embarrassing].

The girl fell to her knees, crying again. "Even if you say that, even if I understand, I can't just let him go like this. What he did... what he did..." she clenched her fists, wanting to be determined again to take his life.

Ding Yiu knelt down besides the girl, "you're right. That monster needs to die. But it doesn't need to be you who does it." Ding Yiu grabs the dagger, "there are other ways."

The girl looked at Ding Yiu. Just like before, there was a strong desire in her to trust Ding Yiu, a strong instinct telling her this person is right. "Help me," the girl asked, her voice more assertive than her shaken expression.

"What are you planning?" Meng Su instantly asked. She didn't whinge or play around this time. She too wanted to exact revenge for this girl.

Ding Yiu stood up, "Meng Su, you take care of the scene here. Then help this girl take her mother's body to a safe place."

"And you?" Meng Su questioned.

"I'm going to lure this monster's rightful killer to the scene," Ding Yiu shouted as she hurried away.

Meng Su and the girl watched Ding Yiu disappear.

"I," the girl began.

"Just call me Meng Su," Meng Su stated. "But what does she mean by rightful killer?" She kept pondering on what Ding Yiu meant. Then it clicked and a worried expression quickly crossed Meng Su's face.

Coincidental or perhaps fate. On this restless night, to the north of the same drama-ridden city was none other than the second prince of the kingdom, Xia Qian Ping. His small accompanying army and servants trooped orderly down the path, as Prince Ping sat quite consciously in his sedan. It was very distant but he could make out noises. It unsettled him. And his nerviness proved spot on as his sedan came abruptly to a stop.

"What's going on?" Prince Ping asked.

"Your highness, there are quite a few people running towards our way," one servant replied, "they all appear to be slaves, from their attire."

"T-there's a lot more of them," a guard shouted, "be careful."

Prince Ping stepped out of his sedan, curious to see what the commotion was. It was quite a sight. There were much more 'slaves' than expected, all running vaguely towards their direction. If they continued on this path, they would be headed towards the harbour. All of them had one similarity though, a smile on their face. [What's going on?] Prince Ping wondered. He motioned for one of his guards to catch a fleeing slave.

The caught man immediately knelt on the floor from fear and began begging for his life.

"We're not going to hurt you," the guard stated, "I just want to know what's going on? Why are you all running?"

The man didn't dare look up at first, replying truthfully, "we've just been set free. We all just want to go home."

"Set free?" the guard repeated, "You're all slaves then?"

"Wrong," an older man shouted approaching them. "None of us here are slaves. We were kidnapped, taken by force from our village by an underworld merchant."

"We were imprisoned for days," a slave woman nearby shouted, "we didn't do anything wrong. We don't deserve this. Let us go." She bravely pushed the guard towering over the man away to help him.

"Woman, how dare you attack me?" the guard shouted, reaching for her.

"Stop!" Prince Ping commanded, at the same time another very authoritative voice called out.

Very swiftly a figure had invaded the space between the slaves and the guard. It was a young girl. Her cloak making a light flutter from her sudden movements. She was breathing quite heavily, yet when she spoke, her voice was clear, "you leave them alone."

"Girl, it's you," the old man said, recognizing Ding Yiu. "You're the one who saved us."

"Yes," Ding Yiu said, not looking away from the guard, "If any of you are thankful towards me, leave."

"Thank you," the three slaves uttered, taking her advice to leave.

"Girl, you..." the guard began.

Ding Yiu immediately bypassed the guard. She pushed him so abruptly that he lost his balance, falling to his bottom. None of the other guards or servants even imagined that this young girl would be so brave and bold in her actions. When they knew, it was too late. Liu Ding Yiu had grabbed onto Prince Ping's clothes, pulling him rather close to her. "Help me!" she demanded in that same authoritative tone. "You're not an ordinary person. If my information isn't wrong, you are the second prince, Xia Qian Ping."

Xia Qian Ping glared at the girl before him. He was so shocked he didn't know how to react at first. Never had he met a girl in his life who would dare speak to him in such a rude manner. [Who are you?] he wondered. Her actions weren't bold, they were offensive and begging for punishment. [No one can treat me like this!] he wanted to declare, but he remained silent for now, taking in this mysterious girl's face. [A face I will remember]. Simply as she had a face that matched her feral nature. A confident expression upon a face of not a beauty, but rather whose features were quite attractively defined. And a pair of sharp eyes that simply draws someone in unnoticed. Even the anger in Qian Ping's own eyes seem to fade away when met with her demanding gaze. Despite so, Qian Ping could sense her desperate need for his help. Her hands may be gripping his clothes but they were slightly shaking. Qian Ping simply can't bring himself to ignore a cry for help over his own anger.

"Let go," Qian Ping said, as calmly as possible to mask how angry he was with her. "If you don't show me respect, I won't listen to you."

Liu Ding Yiu listened to Prince Ping and released him from her grip. Immediately the nearby guards took hold of her.

Over at the south side of the city, Meng Su had managed to tie up the underworld merchant together with his three lackeys all naked, and had placed them in the room where the three dead women lay. She covered the three women carefully with the scumbags’ clothes. Of course, Meng Su didn't forget to make the finishing touches by dipping a finger into the blood, then writing the words 'Payment taken, Empress' onto the belly of the naked merchant. She then hurried out to the girl, who was waiting for her. The girl was carrying her dead mother's body on her back.

"Shall we go?" Meng Su sang, quite merrily as she heaved a massive bag of goods onto her own back. There was still two bags of loot left. With her umbrella in one hand, Meng Su could only take one more bag. She quickly shot the girl a meaningful look, "hey girl, care to..."

The girl simply started to walk away, "I won't take it. I'm not having anything that belongs to that monster."

Meng Su pouted. Though she knew better than to protest or say anything. [What more can I say when you're carrying your dead mother on your back like that?] Meng Su thought. [Tonight has turned out to be quite morbid. I don't think I like this]. Meng Su picked up her pace, walking in front of the girl but making sure she was following. [She's been rather quiet since Ding Yiu left], Meng Su noticed, [should I try to make conversation?]

"Where are we going?" the girl broke the silence first. "W... where is Mi Hou?"

Meng Su stopped for a moment, eyeing the girl. [Hmm, you actually heard and noticed that Ding Yiu is referred to as Mi Hou] Meng Su noted, [Mi Hou is Ding Yiu's underworld alias]. "Don't worry girl," Meng Su assured, "Mi Hou will be fine. She may be young, but it's not her first day surviving this world. You'll be surprised the more you get to know her."

"Is Mi Hou her real name?" the girl asked directly. Slowly, she is getting used to being around Meng Su despite them still be strangers. "It's just... Mi Hou stands for 'honey Empress' doesn't it? A peculiar name."

Meng Su let out a laugh, "It is a weird name, it suits her just fine." She composed herself, "the 'Mi' in her name actually means secret, though it sounds like honey. There are people who call her honey empress rather than secret empress." [And Ding Yiu gets annoyed with the mix up too] Meng Su kept the thought to herself.

"Is she a bad person?" the girl directly asked again. "Are you a bad person?"

Meng Su replied seriously, "that is for you to decide."

Meng Su stopped as they reached quite a tall hill, a little distance away from the inn. There were many bushes and trees around so they were perfectly hidden on such a shady night. What mattered was, they had the best view of the inn looking down from this spot. "Now girl," Meng Su said sitting down with the loot, "watch as revenge is served."

The girl didn't know what to expect when Meng Su said that. She had asked for Mi Hou's help after accepting to not take action herself. Though, the weight of her mother's body on her back seemed to remind her that she must see justice take place tonight. [How though?] the girl kept thinking, [what could Mi Hou do?]

Then it happened. The girl watched as royal guards started arriving at the inn. It wasn’t long before a frightened underworld merchant appeared outside, trying desperately to escape. He swung around a sword provoking the nearby guards to react. Three royal guards immediately thrusts their swords into his body. The underworld merchant was no longer breathing.

Tears swelled up in the girl’s eyes as she watched. “So it’s all over now,” the girl whispered, sensing closure to her pain and anger as the merchant dropped dead to the ground.

“Is that a satisfactory revenge for you?”

The girl and Meng Su turned to the voice coming from behind. It was Ding Yiu. Meng Su instantly wrapped her arms around Ding Yiu, glad she was back. The girl wiped her tears and nodded, a smile slowly forming on her face.

Some minutes later, Prince Ping finally arrived at the inn. His royal guards informed him of the situation, highlighting the fact that the criminal was already tied up upon their arrival. When they attempted to take him, he somehow managed to free himself and caused a commotion, leading to his death.

“Empress?” Prince Ping questioned, “You’re saying most of the criminal’s goods and money has been taken as well.”

“Yes, your highness,” the royal guard replied. “Should we investigate into this ‘Empress’?”

“No,” Prince Ping immediately stated, “It won’t be necessary. We shouldn’t get any more involved with this underworld business.” He took a look around the scene. "Make sure to properly bury the dead women. Take the remaining goods."

The guards swiftly followed the prince's command. Several more minutes later the scene was cleared. Nothing more was to be done. It was only natural to leave the place, however Prince Ping found himself constantly observing the surroundings. He wasn't ready to leave yet. He was looking for her. [Where are you?] Qian Ping wondered, frustrated. The girl who demanded him to help earlier had somehow managed to run away. He initially assumed she was headed here, but looks like he was wrong. There was no mention or sign of her anywhere. [Why aren’t you here? Where did you go? After all the fuss you made to ask for my help], Qian Ping kept questioning in his mind, livid. [Damn girl, just wait until I find you].

On the outskirts of the city, Meng Su and Ding Yiu had just finished helping the girl bury her mother. They paid their respects, ready to part ways. As Meng Su and Ding Yiu turned to leave, the girl called out.

“Wait,” she shouted, “you’re leaving?”

“We’ve done everything we can,” Meng Su pointed out. “No reason to loiter around here.”

“Take care,” Ding Yiu said, “you’ll be fine now.”

The girl watched as Meng Su and Ding Yiu started to leave. [This is it], she told herself. [I’ve got to make my decision now. If I let them leave I may never meet them again]. The girl took a few steps after them, “Mi Hou, don’t go!”

Both Meng Su and Ding Yiu stopped.

The girl took a deep breath, her body quivering from nervousness, or perhaps excitement. “Please take me with you.”

Meng Su swivelled around to stare shockingly at the girl. “What did you say?”

[Don’t be afraid], the girl chanted in her mind, [I’ve already decided]. She took another step forward, [this is what I want to do]. “Please take me with you,” the girl repeated more sternly.

“Little girl, you must be mistaken,” Meng Su began, “Us helping you was kind of from a whim. It meant nothing. You don’t have to be grateful or repay us in anyway.”

“This isn’t about me wanting to repay you,” the girl said clearly, “I am grateful for what you’ve done. But I…“ The girl took another deep breath, “I want to help you Mi Hou. Let me serve you.”

“Serve me?” Ding Yiu finally spoke, “I’m curious where that idea came from. You don’t even know who I am.”

“Does it matter?” the girl challenged, "who you are? Whether you're a good or bad person, it doesn't matter."

"Are you aware of what you're saying?" Meng Su questioned.

"Yes," the girl continued, "it doesn't matter because I will find out for myself."

Ding Yiu turned her face slightly towards the girl, "in other words, besides feeling indebted towards me for what I've done for you tonight, you're just curious about me." Ding Yiu shook her head, "these are very bad reasons for you to decide to follow me."

"You may be right," the girl admitted. "But it's also because I can't see myself anywhere else in this world."

Ding Yiu now turned to confront the girl, "interesting."

Meng Su almost dropped her sack of goods hearing Ding Yiu say that word. It could only mean one thing - trouble. Trouble specifically for her.

The girl felt hopeful hearing Ding Yiu's response. Though it wasn't a direct acceptance, she didn't say 'no' either. She quickly took the chance, "thank you Mi Hou."

Meng Su leaned in towards Ding Yiu, "are you really accepting this girl? We don't even know who she is?"

"I was born in the small village, north from this city. My dad died when I was five and I've always been living with my mother since then," the girl quickly blurted out, overhearing Meng Su's queries. "My mother and I lived off helping the village physician pick and prepare herbs. We ended up here after our village was raided by the underworld merchant. You know what happened afterwards."

"And your name is?" Meng Su prompted.

"My name is-"

"Enough," Ding Yiu interrupted before the girl could go further. "I don't want to know your name."

The girl panicked now, "are you going to reject me?"

"No," Ding Yiu finally said. "I won't stop you from following me if that’s what you want. But," Ding Yiu walked towards the girl, "if you decide to serve me, then I will give you a new name." She lifts the girl's chin up so their eyes meet, "throw away your past and live by me with your new name. Is that something you can do?"

The girl couldn't say anything. Her thoughts were blank as the only thing in her vision were Ding Yiu's probing gaze. She felt tested. She was under pressure. But she managed to nod definitely to Ding Yiu's question.

"I'm a difficult, often unpredictable and strangely confusing person," Ding Yiu said letting go of the girl. "You won't be living a fun nor carefree life around me."

"It's fine as long as I can survive," the girl retorted, her mind already made up, "name me."

Ding Yiu couldn't help but smile. She's actually starting to like this girl. "Wan Xin," Ding Yiu eventually decided.

"Err," Meng Su let out a tiny cry. "Wan Xin, as in 'thousand letter'? Can't you come up with a better name?"

Ding Yiu pouted. “I quite like the sound of Wan Xin.”

The girl laughed, “nice to meet you. My name is Wan Xin.”

Meng Su leaned towards the girl this time, “are you sure you want to take that name? There’s still a chance to change it.”

Ding Yiu ignored Meng Su. Her tone became serious, “listen Wan Xin. Before you officially serve me, I want you to stay with Meng Su for a year.”

“What?” both Meng Su and Wan Xin shouted at the same time. They turned to look at one another.

[I didn’t expect this], Wan Xin honestly thought. [Would I get along with Meng Su alright?]

Meng Su on the other hand let out a long sigh. [I knew trouble was coming my way. I sensed it when Ding Yiu thought this was ‘interesting’]. She sighed again, “fine with me.” [At least I don't hate this girl... well Wan Xin now].

"I-" Wan Xin uttered, not knowing what to say.

"It's essentially a year for you to cool your head," Ding Yiu explained, "if in a years’ time, you still want to serve me then come and find me. At that time, Meng Su will let you know my real name and identity."

"I didn't ask out of impulse," Wan Xin voiced, "I've thought about this clearly. I know what I'm doing."

"But I need to be certain," Ding Yiu spoke over Wan Xin. "I need to be certain you are sincere. That you don't secretly have any ulterior motives." Ding Yiu then smiled stating, "In my world, one can't ever be too careful."

Meng Su looked at Wan Xin assuring her, "don't worry Wan Xin. I'll look after you properly this year." She then evilly beamed at Ding Yiu, "and if I find Wan Xin to be insincere, I can kill her right?"

Ding Yiu nodded, still smiling, "permission granted."

Hearing this, a cold sensation seemed to have run down Wan Xin's back, causing her to quiver. Strangely though, she wasn't scared. "I understand," Wan Xin said, "please properly take care of me Meng Su."

It was Meng Su's turn to pout now, "I already said I would." Meng Su then shot Ding Yiu an 'I've changed my mind, help me' look.

Ding Yiu stopped herself from laughing at Meng Su's expression. She knew full well that Meng Su was annoyed this had suddenly happened. [Oh well, I can't do anything now], Ding Yiu thought amused, [it's also about time I switched back too]. "I'm leaving," Ding Yiu announced, noticing it was now very late into the night. She turned to make her leave, "we'll meet soon then Wan Xin."

"Yes," Wan Xin replied, "I will find you in exactly a year." [I'll prove to you my decision tonight is final], Wan Xin silently mouthed, unable to look away from Ding Yiu's slowly fading figure.

After Ding Yiu had fully disappeared into the night, Meng Su pouted again, "so heartless. You didn't even say goodbye to me. Who knows when I'll next see you?" She glanced towards Wan Xin, her new pastime for the year. She quickly dumped a sack of goods onto Wan Xin, getting her attention. "Wan Xin my dear, you better not get too captivated by this version of Mi Hou."

Wan Xin blinked at Meng Su, not understanding her words.

"Wilfully decisive with a playful charm," Meng Su went on, "is this version of Mi Hou's most attractive nature. But the other Mi Hou..." Meng Su stopped, deciding to tease Wan Xin who was listening intently, "well you'll soon find out."

Wan Xin furrowed her eyebrows, knowing full well Meng Su was mocking her. [This year could be a very, very long year], she braced herself, ready to take on this frivolous woman.

1 year later…

Seasons change, months pass by and days were lived out as usual. Today was precisely 1 year after. An exhilarated Wan Xin was dashing through the capital city, her long hair, which was braided into a twin tail circle bobbed on her shoulders as she clutched onto her luggage. "Ah, I'm late, I'm late," Wan Xin muttered, "if only Meng Su wasn’t nagging me." But her excitement had overridden any annoyance she felt today. Finally, she will meet her again. [It’s been a year but my decision hasn’t changed], Wan Xin reflected. “I’m here to see you as promised Mi Hou. No, your real name is…” Wan Xin eventually stopped outside the doors of her destination, “Liu Ding Yiu.” Although, as Wan Xin ogled at her destination, there was undeniably a sense of disbelief. Never could she have imagined Liu Ding Yiu to be here. Wan Xin breathed heavily, as she stood in front of Ping Tian Palace, the residence of Xia Kingdom’s second Prince – Xia Qian Ping.

“Absolutely unacceptable,” a livid woman in her late 40s bellowed into Wan Xin’s face. She had a rather mean expression formed with her chubby cheeks. Her eyes rolled up and down judging the guilty-looking newcomer. This woman was called Madam Xiong, the head maid in charge of Ping Tian Palace and Wan Xin’s new boss. “It’s your first day here and you’re already late. That means I can’t be expecting good things from you.”

“I’m extremely sorry,” Wan Xin bowed her head apologetically, “There really is no excuse. I will work hard to prove myself. Please give me a chance Madam Xiong.”

Somewhat satisfied with Wan Xin’s apology, Madam Xiong took a step back. “Leave your luggage here. This is the bedroom for common maids in the palace. Since you’re a newcomer, you’ll be stationed here.”

Wan Xin immediately placed her luggage on top of an empty bed.

“Follow me,” Madam Xiong instructed, marching out the bedroom towards the inner parts of the palace. “I’ll only say things once so pay attention.”

Wan Xin nodded, staying close to Madam Xiong and trying her best to listen, but she soon lost concentration admiring Ping Tian Palace. It was purely majestic. Each step was a delightful sight of an elegant structure, which left it’s viewers in awe. Even the stone bridges that connected the blooming gardens was designed with smoothly chiselled images. [Incredible], was the only word Wan Xin could think of as she wondered within this luxurious palaces’ walls.

“Were you paying attention?” an irritated Madam Xiong questioned.

“Yes Madam Xiong,” Wan Xin lied. A year ago she wouldn’t be so accustomed to lying with a natural face. However, after living with Meng Su for such a long time, it was inevitable that she had picked up some bad habits. [That woman is just an immoral influence], Wan Xin frowned, mentally seeing an image of Meng Su, [though it can’t be helped considering her position in the underworld]. Wan Xin begins to recollect her time with Meng Su, particularly their latest conversation regarding Liu Ding Yiu.

“The reason Ding Yiu gets involved in the underworld business is to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death,” Meng Su tells, “her interference and rising reputation earned her the alias identity ‘Mi Hou’.” Meng Su paused a few seconds so Wan Xin could take this in. “Mi Hou is an underworld information broker. Her main business is in the trade of knowledge. The range of people she deals with isn’t limited to only those who operate in the underworld. You really do need to be alert around Ding Yiu when she’s striking deals.”

“I understand,” Wan Xin voiced. “I wasn’t expecting Mi Hou… I mean Liu Ding Yiu to be a simple person.”

“Indeed she isn’t,” Meng Su agreed, “I haven’t even started on her personality yet. She-“

“Has Xiaojie found out any clues to her mother’s death yet?” Wan Xin directly asked.

[You’re already calling Ding Yiu your Xiaojie], Meng Su noticed [so eager]. “Unfortunately not,” Meng Su confessed, “her mother’s death is shrouded in mystery. The only clue we know is the murderer’s identity.” Meng Su twirled her umbrella, “an assassin from an annihilated clan that once thrived in the underworld.”

Wan Xin remained silent, deep in thought. [An assassin. Then someone hired to kill Xiaojie’s mother], Wan Xin tried to think, [but what’s the reason and motive? This must be why Xiaojie is trying to find answers in the underworld].

“That’s all you need to know about Ding Yiu as Mi Hou in the underworld,” Meng Su went on, “her real identity is the eldest daughter of Merchant Liu. The Liu family is surprisingly wealthy and influential to a degree.” Meng Su sighed, “but Ding Yiu’s upbringing hasn’t been the smoothest. Stepmothers can be evil.”

“So I’ll be entering the Liu mansion as a new maid to find Xiaojie,” Wan Xin confirmed. “I guess I’ll just naturally become Xiaojie’s personal maid.”

Meng Su started twirling her umbrella again. She was suddenly fidgety. “It’s not the Liu mansion you need to enter.”

“It’s not?” Wan Xin repeated, “oh, is Xiaojie doing some business in the underworld then?”

“Nope,” Meng Su shook her head. “Mi Hou hasn’t really been active recently. It was a couple of months ago that I last saw her.” Meng Su started to fidget again, “you see…well the other version of Ding Yiu…” She paused for a bit, “the other Ding Yiu has got herself a new life now so...”

Wan Xin frowns at Meng Su, aggravated by her ambiguity and confusing words. “Where is my Xiaojie now?”

“Ping Tian Palace,” Meng Su informed, “residence of Prince Ping.”

“Why would Xiaojie be there?”

A mischievous smile spread on Meng Su’s face, “Ding Yiu married Prince Ping. She’s now 2nd Princess Consort Liu.”

“WHAT?” Wan Xin couldn’t stop herself from yelling in shock.

Meng Su had a smirk on her face seeing Wan Xin’s reaction to the news. “Honestly, I don’t know the details either but that’s not important right now.” Meng Su switched to her serious tone, “listen Wan Xin, when you first meet Ding Yiu in Ping Tian Palace, stay calm and do not be shocked or confused if Ding Yiu doesn’t seem like herself.”

Wan Xin blinked at Meng Su, not really engaged with what she was saying or about to say. The sudden news that Ding Yiu had married the second prince of the kingdom was already too much.

Meng Su kept speaking, “Liu Ding Yiu may not remember who you are. She may act differently and behave strangely. There’s a chance her looks and style is also weird. But don’t worry. That’s because the person you are meeting is Xiao Yiu.” Meng Su quickly nudged a small red pouch into Wan Xin’s hand, “if you get stuck, open this pouch. I’ve written the best method to get into contact with our version of Ding Yiu.”

Wan Xin stared at the mini red pouch in her hands. She was lost for words and thought.

“Some things are just harder to explain than for you to see yourself,” Meng Su stated, “just remember, there is more than one Liu Ding Yiu, but both are Liu Ding Yiu.”

[And what the hell does that mean], Wan Xin frowned remembering Meng Su’s final words of importance before they parted ways this morning. [Meng Su didn’t sound like she was joking when she said all those confusing things. What did she mean by there is more than one of Xiaojie?] Anyway, Wan Xin exhaled, shaking those memories from her head as she focussed back on the present. This was the reason why she’s currently a new maid in Ping Tian Palace, dealing with a not so friendly Madam Xiong.

When they arrived at their destination, Wan Xin immediately felt disappointed. It was the laundry house.

“Work diligently,” Madam Xiong ordered, “I shall check your progress this evening.”

"I'm working here?" Wan Xin spoke up, "But I was hoping to serve consort-"

"You, serving one of the consorts' of this palace?" Madam Xiong briskly closed in on Wan Xin cutting her off. She snorted, "in your dreams. I get your dirty thinking." Using her short, chubby finger, Madam Xiong jabbed Wan Xin's forehead, "you want to butter up to Consort Zhou and then get exclusive treatment as her maid. Not happening." Madam Xiong pointed at the piles of washing, bellowing, "now get to work."

Wan Xin rubbed her forehead, watching an angry Madam Xiong stomp her way out of the laundry house. [Who cares about serving Consort Z... whatever the name was], Wan Xin sulked, [how am I ever going to meet my Xiaojie, Ding Yiu like this].

"Hey newcomer," a nearby maid called out, "you're pretty ambitious, requesting to serve a consort on your first day here."

Wan Xin looked at the young maid who merrily skipped over.

The maid put out her hand, a smile on her face, "my name is Yuyu. What's yours?"

"Wan Xin," Wan Xin answered taking Yuyu's hand for a brief shake. At least she is friendly, unlike grumpy Madam Xiong. [Time to get some useful information], Wan Xin now smiled. "I was quite silly to have asked. I'm clearly not experienced. Yuyu, please give me more guidance in future."

Yuyu was flattered by Wan Xin's comment. "I will do my best to tell you everything I know. But I'm not too skilled myself either." Yuyu's cheeks turned a light shade of pink saying, "I've been working in Ping Tian Palace for three years now and I'm still based in the laundry house."

"Yuyu, would you tell me more about the master and mistresses of Ping Tian Palace?" Wan Xin quickly changed the topic. "Relationships here are just so complicated."

Yuyu let out a laugh, "I'm not surprised. Prince Ping does have a few consorts so it can get difficult for us servants at times. I'll start with Prince Ping since he's the master and owner of Ping Tian Palace."

"Ah, he's probably less difficult to serve than some of the consorts," Wan Xin quickly interrupted, "tell me about the consorts first." [If only I can directly ask about Liu Ding Yiu without sounding suspicious], Wan Xin pondered, [then I won't have to waste time listening to all this crap].

"Sure," Yuyu agreed, thinking Wan Xin kind of had a point. "I'll start with Consort Zhou because she's the most important one."

Wan Xin held back a frown, [no. She is really not important].

"Consort Zhou married Prince Ping not so long ago," Yuyu began, "although she doesn't hold the highest title or rank out of all the Prince's wives, she is his most beloved and favoured. She lives in the second biggest, most luxurious Lihua palace residence, close to the Prince's Zheng residence. Consort Zhou is also-"

"Who are the other consorts?" Wan Xin interrupted again, having heard enough trivia already.

"There's also Consort Tong and Consort Mu," Yuyu moved on. "They get on well with the Prince but clearly not as favoured as Consort Zhou."

"Is that all?" Wan Xin urged. [Stop telling me irrelevant facts].

“There’s also the Second Princess Consort,” Yuyu slowly said, “in theory she’s supposed to be the Prince’s main wife, holding this highest title and rank over the other consorts…” Yuyu went quiet.

“Is she called Liu Ding Yiu?” Wan Xin directly asked. Her patience clearly used up.

Yuyu nodded, “you’re well informed.”

Wan Xin’s attention was switched on, “so what is the Second Princess Consort like? Where is her residence?”

“Wan Xin, if you’re thinking of trying to earn favour with the Second Princess Consort, I suggest you give up now,” Yuyu advised, “she’s the most hated person in Ping Tian Palace.”

“Oh,” Wan Xin uttered. [How unexpected. What has Xiaojie done? Is she planning something?]

“It’s no secret the prince despises her. He even wants to take the ‘Second Princess Consort’ title and bestow it upon Consort Zhou instead,” Yuyu went on, “that’s why even we servants don’t consider her as a true Second Princess Consort. We call her Consort Liu to put her on the same level as the others.”

“Surely she wouldn’t allow such treatment from us servants?” Wan Xin queried.

“Consort Liu has no real authority here,” Yuyu tells, “she doesn’t even have her own palace residence. She lives in a small garden hut somewhere to the side. No servants serve her either.”

“What?” Wan Xin exclaimed. [This is outrageous. How can she be treated this way?] “The Prince would allow such treatment of her?”

“Prince Ping hates her,” Yuyu confirmed, “I heard there was an incident involving Consort Zhou. But even without any incident, Consort Liu…” Yuyu dropped her voice into a whisper, “she has such an unpleasant appearance, and everyone just ignores her and sometimes pretends she doesn't exist.”

"That's going too far," Wan Xin expressed.

Yuyu whispered again, "it really isn't. She does look rather ugly. You'll know what I mean when you see her."

[This is ridiculous], Wan Xin thought, turning her back towards Yuyu. She breathed quickly and heavily, trying hard to restrain her anger from bursting out. [My Xiaojie Liu Ding Yiu may not be a classic beauty, but her looks are definitely charming and above average. How can these people think she is ugly? I'm not going to even start on the heinous way they treat her]. Wan Xin closed her eyes for a few seconds, composing herself. The more she thought through Yuyu's words, the more lost she was. It made no sense. For a character like Liu Ding Yiu who manages to prevail in the underworld, how can she end up in such a pathetic and pitiful state here? [Something isn't right], Wan Xin concluded, [the only way for me to understand anything is to see Xiaojie]. Wan Xin turned to face Yuyu again, forcing a polite smile, "thank you for all this Yuyu. You've been a great help. I'll see you around."

"You're welcome," Yuyu said before her eyes went wide. "Wan Xin, what are you doing?"

Wan Xin was dashing out the laundry house. "There's something I need to do," Wan Xin shouted back, running off as fast as she could.

"Wait," a concerned Yuyu called out, but it was too late. Wan Xin had disappeared. "Oh no. Wan Xin, you'll get into trouble with Madam Xiong. What should I do?"

And Yuyu was correct. In the early evening when Madam Xiong revisited the laundry house to find Wan Xin missing, she was raging to the point where she could start a fire with her breath. "Wan Xin, you disrespectful, ungrateful, incompetent brat," Madam Xiong thundered, "I will have you punished severely."

"Achoo," Wan Xin sneezed, feeling a strange shiver down her back. Someone must be talking about her. Though, the sudden chill she felt could also be from her nightmarish surroundings. She was so upset, angry and confused by what Yuyu had told her, she forgot to ask for directions to Consort Liu's hut. She spent most of the day wandering through the gardens, searching until she ended up here. "Hmm," Wan Xin inhaled as she stood before what she believes is her destination, but hopes isn't. She was staring at a garden hut, a good distance away from the main palace and other residences, which was shrouded by overgrown grass and some old wrinkly trees. The hut itself looked abandoned. There were broken windows hung slanted, decorated with spider webs and thick dust. "Surely, she can't be here," Wan Xin muttered. But she saw no other garden huts or building around. "Might as well take a look," Wan Xin decided. She didn't bother knocking, not expecting anyone to be inside anyway. The door creaked open. There was faint light coming from a hole on the roof above so Wan Xin could faintly make out some basic furniture inside. It looked less dusty than outside. Wan Xin took a few more steps into the hut. CREAK. Wan Xin turned around.

"AHHHHH!" Wan Xin screamed, falling onto her butt. The queer looking girl who was standing right behind her gave her a fright. Most importantly, this girl's appearance was so unique, it caught Wan Xin off guard.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked, moving forwards to help Wan Xin.

[This girl's face really does look queer], Wan Xin swallowed, gawking at the girl. She had very thick, bushy eyebrows that appeared wonky and asymmetrical at a glance. Her cheeks were bright red like a baboon's bottom, whilst her lips were a peculiar orangey shade. She also had a strikingly big mole in the middle of her forehead, between her nose and left eye, and another mole bottom right of her lips. All this was accompanied by her messy twin tail hair. [Wow], Wan Xin just couldn't say anything.

"Are you hurt?" the girl softly asked.

Wan Xin felt embarrassed and quickly got up. "I'm fine. I'm sorry. I didn't know there was someone in here."

"Don't worry," the girl smiled, "Are you lost? Judging from your clothes, you seem like a maid. But if you've wandered all the way here, you must be a newcomer."

[This girl is surprisingly perceptive], Wan Xin noted. "Yes, well," Wan Xin began, "I was looking for Consort Liu."

The girl's eyes widened, surprised, "you were looking for me?"

Wan Xin paused, staring hard at the girl. She must've misheard. "I said I was looking for Liu Ding Yiu, the Second Princess Consort."

The girl pointed to herself, "I am Liu Ding Yiu."

Wan Xin felt herself stop breathing, her mind stopped functioning and her world paused. [What? This is.... impossible]. Wan Xin looked away from the girl. [Calm down and think], Wan Xin told herself as she started pacing up and down the small cramped hut. She sneaked a glance at the girl claiming to be Liu Ding Yiu. She was just nervously standing there like a rock, watching Wan Xin. [Impossible], Wan Xin thought. No way was this girl the same Liu Ding Yiu she was searching for. This was not 'Mi Hou'. Wan Xin has seen Mi Hou's real face and it was nothing like this. [Then what's going on?]

"Have you heard of the name 'Mi Hou'?" Wan Xin questioned.

The girl shook her head, "I'm afraid not. Is she a character from a play?"

Wan Xin rolled her eyes. [She can't be Liu Ding Yiu. There must be a mistake]. "So the most plausible conclusion is either one, they have the same name," Wan Xin started to talk out loud. "Meng Su messed up and Xiaojie was never in Ping Tian Palace to begin with. Second plausible conclusion, Meng Su lied to me. But there's no reason for her to do that. Third plausible conclusion, I should get out of here and look for answers."

"Excuse me," the girl timidly voiced, catching Wan Xin's attention. "I'm not sure what's going on, but it's late into the day and..." she raised her voice slightly, "you're welcome to stay with me."

Wan Xin took a peek outside and indeed it got darker since the sun had set for the day. Wan Xin nodded, feeling this girl wasn't too bad. "I'm Wan Xin," she introduced. "You are-"

"You can call me Consort Liu," Consort Liu replied.

"Thank you Consort Liu," Wan Xin thanked. [Though you really don't look like a Consort at all. Your clothes are of a fine quality but very plain].

Consort Liu couldn't help but smile. It had been a while since someone had properly interacted with her. She didn't know who Wan Xin was but she was happy Wan Xin seemed like a nice person. [She appears to be a maid], Consort Liu thought, [I'm surprised she ended up here. No one ever comes by this place anymore. I'm glad she's staying. At least tonight I won't be alone].

Wan Xin held onto her growling stomach. She hadn't eaten since morning and the hunger had finally hit her. "Consort Liu," Wan Xin said, "you wouldn't happen to have some food?"

Consort Liu let out a giggle, "of course I do."

Half an hour later, Wan Xin was biting into some roasted sweet potatoes that Consort Liu had cooked herself. She also got them some apples to crunch on. All the time Consort Liu had a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry this is all I can offer you," Consort Liu apologized, "I hope it's at least filling."

"Don't worry. These are just fine," Wan Xin honestly said. She was born in a small village and led quite a commoner’s life until she met Liu Ding Yiu and Meng Su. Sweet potatoes was actually one of her regular meals back in the day. Wan Xin obviously didn't mind eating this.

"I'm really happy today," Consort Liu stated, "I didn't think I'd get to eat sweet potatoes with someone like this."

Wan Xin sneaked a glance at Consort Liu. Remembering what Yuyu had told her, she did feel sympathy for her. [It's true her looks are quite... different, but she seems like a kind person], Wan Xin judged, [shame no one gives her a chance]. "Oh, Consort Liu," Wan Xin said, her fingers reaching for Consort Liu's forehead, "you've got some dirt here."

"Thank you Wan Xin," Consort Liu smiled, letting Wan Xin wipe away the dirt.

Wan Xin froze. "Err," she quickly looked at her fingers and back at Consort Liu's forehead. Her mole was gone.