Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT) novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Xiang Yu's ill-fitting mask

Xiang Yu got up from the ground, determined to keep his mother by his side. It was she who brought him into this world. He didn't choose to be here in the first place so how could she just abandon him? It was fine if she wasn't going to be a mother to him but he wasn't about to let her leave him behind.

His patched washed-out clothes clung to him like a second skin, their seams straining against his frail frame. He straightened the fabric, ignoring the unravelling hem and the chill that seeped through.

His fingers brushed against the strands of hair plastered to his forehead, damp from the sweat laced on his skin. With a quick tug, he pulled them back the red haze that had clouded his vision receding. His eyes returned to their natural hue, a honey-light brown.

He practised his smile his lips curving upward naturally. It felt foreign, like an ill-fitting mask. But he would wear it well for the rest of his life. With a final glance at the starry sky, Xiang Yu stepped out of the forest, his back straight.

The brothel's lanterns flickered, casting a dim glow on the worn wooden floor. Xiang Yu slipped through the entrance with a smile so bright that the courtesans he met on the way couldn't help but praise him.

When he reached his mother's room where she entertained clients he knocked on the door softly. Soon his mother's soft voice came through allowing him to enter. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of him.

"Are you done throwing a fit?" she asked her voice like a whip-crack, slicing through the air. "Don't let it happen again," the threat in her voice unmistakable.

Xiang Yu nodded his head in agreement with a grin, the expression stretching his cheeks until they hurt. "Mother," he said, emphasising the word, "I brought you something... for your birthday."

He placed the longevity peach wrapped in oil paper on the side plate on the kang table before taking out a red velvet drawstring pouch with the pendant inside.

"What's this?" she asked unable to hide the disdain in her eyes. She opened the pouch and took out what was inside.

Her gaze fell on the jade pendant. It was not comparable to the expensive jewellery she had accumulated over the years. It was a simple piece, its green hue unremarkable. Suspicion clouded her eyes. "Did you steal this?! Who did you steal it from?"

Xiang Yu wasn't surprised by her reaction at all. How could she not think that when all the money he ever made fell into her hands? Even while working for butcher Jong he had to hide it because the moment she found out she would take all the money he had.

While she was gone he snuck into her room and knelt by her bed. He was looking for the secret compartment where she kept her valuable things underneath the floorboard. She thought he didn't know about it but there was nothing about his mother that he didn't know.

His fingers traced the worn edges and with a skilful twist, he lifted the floorboard revealing the hidden compartment. Inside was a small wooden box, its lacquer chipped and corners frayed. It was locked but it was easy to temper with.

He surveyed the room, moonlight filtering through the curtains. His gaze stopped at the hairpins scattered on the dressing table.

He chose a jade pin with its tip worn from years of use. With a skilled hand, he inserted it into the keyhole. The mechanism gave way and the lock clicked open.

Xiang Yu's breath hitched as he opened it. Inside the box were jewellery, pretty trinkets and at the bottom were love letters.

Some of the letters were old. They were from all the men who had fancied her over the years but he wasn't interested in those. He wanted the most recent ones. He happened to read one of them and when he read the contents his heart froze. It happened to be about him.