Chapter 34: Learn when to stop
Han Luo led Anning away from the grand halls without saying a word. The further they walked, the quieter the Yun residence became. The lively atmosphere from outside slowly faded behind them until even the sounds of people speaking became distant. There were no lanterns hung in long rows and there were no servants rushing around with trays or guests laughing amongst themselves.
This side of the residence was a tad bit cold and looked like something they had abandoned. Fire torches had been fixed along the walls to at least brighten the corridors, but this casted shadows across the floor.
Anning looked around uneasily, the entire place was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t because this part of the residence was ugly, no.
It was because it gave off this eerie vibe that made her feel... weird.
And after today, Anning knew she could no longer see empty places the same way. She glanced at Han Luo’s back as he continued walking ahead of her with his usual calm expression.
The man looked totally unbothered, as though walking through dimly lit hallways toward mysterious destinations was a normal thing.
Anning frowned, she genuinely couldn’t understand why Wanqing had brought her here if this was where she was going to end up.
What was the point?
Why didn’t she just leave her in the carriage?
At least there she wouldn’t have to feel like some abandoned puppy being dragged from place to place.
She increased her pace slightly until she was walking beside Han Luo.
"Uhm, Hi..." She drew out quietly.
No response. Anning bit on her lower lip before adding, "I kind of don’t like places like this."
Still no response.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"I mean... doesn’t it feel strange? Why is it so quiet here? And why do I suddenly feel like we’re walking into some horror movie scene? Not that you’d understand what that is buy—"
"Enough." Han Luo cut her off sharply and that made Anning stop speaking immediately.
She stared at him, feeling a little surprised.
Han Luo stopped walking, he slowly turned around and for the first time since she’d met him, he had a look of irritation on his face.
"Anning, this isn’t the time for this." He began, his brows drawn together as he looked directly at her.
"You’ve spent the entire day making the young miss angry and drawing attention wherever you go and now you’re fidgeting around in the middle of the Yun residence while the young miss is there, alone!"
His voice remained low but the frustration behind every word was unmistakable.
"You need to understand your place and learn when to stop. Young miss brought you here despite how you act and now she’s alone in that gathering, while i’m here escorting you. If anything goes wrong while I’m gone, what do you expect me to do?"
Anning stared at him blankly as he spoke. Han Luo exhaled quietly before turning around and continuing down the hallway.
For several seconds, she remained standing where she was and then, blinked.
"Wow." She blurted out before she could stop herself.
Because that was all she could think. She slowly lowered her eyes. Maybe she had gotten too comfortable lately.
Maybe somewhere along the line she had forgotten that Han Luo wasn’t actually her friend.
She tilted her head to the side as she stared at his back.
That quiet man with a scar on his face who barely spoke and followed Wanqing around like some loyal guard dog. Yes, she was definitely stupid.
What exactly had she been expecting? That he would suddenly become best friends with her?
She let out a small scoff before glancing around her. She couldn’t shake off this feeling or explain it but it felt like someone was watching her.
Her eyes slowly moved around the hallway, taking in the shadows. The corners that were completely shrouded by darkness.
But she couldn’t find anything, maybe she was even imagining things at this point.
"Walk faster! I need to return back to the young miss." Han Luo said from where he stood ahead of her.
Anning looked back, even though he had spoken, he didn’t turn around. She swallowed hard before quietly hurrying after him.
The two continued walking for a while before finally stopping in front of an old wooden door. Anning froze at the sight.
The thing looked like one strong kick would have it collapsing. The wood was dark and even seemed a bit wet, from where she stood, she could see mold already forming across a few parts.
She slowly looked toward Han Luo, then back at the door, then Han Luo again.
"You seriously want to leave me here?..." She asked softly.
Han Luo looked toward her briefly before nodding toward the guard standing beside the door.
"I don’t have a choice." He said, shrugging slightly.
That was it, he gave her a small nod before turning and walking away.
Anning slapped a hand over her forehead as she stared at his retreating figure.
"Oh just kill me!"
She let out a small huff, before approaching the door which was pulled open for her by one of the guards. Without saying another word, she stepped inside.
The moment she entered, Anning paused. Because, this wasn’t what she’d expected.
At all.
A long wooden table sat at the center of the room with various strange snacks arranged neatly across it alongside several large jugs that were probably filled with drinks. Around sixteen servants occupied the room. Some stood together speaking quietly while others remained by themselves.
And strangely enough, every single person in the room had a goblet in hand.
Anning lips stretched into a small smile at the sight, looks could really be deceiving.
The room itself was surprisingly clean and well maintained. Lanterns hung across the wall, casted warm light around the space and despite the old exterior, everything inside had been arranged carefully.
At that moment, she decided to forget everything that happened today and Han Luo, very important.
Because after everything she’d been through today, she wanted something sweet.
Without hesitation, Anning walked toward the table and grabbed one of the goblets. When she stared into the cup, she was a tad bit disappointed that it was a bit rusted... but she could still make use of it.
She picked up one of the jugs and poured some of its contents inside the goblet. When she placed the jug back on the table, she stared at the clear liquid that was now in her cup.
"The heck is this?" She asked herself, staring at the clear liquid with a frown on her face.
"I see you’re new here." A voice suddenly said.
Anning turned around and standing beside her was a girl with pale blonde hair that rested neatly behind her shoulders. Under the lantern light, her green eyes looked almost familiar.
These green eyes were a few shades darker than hers, but either way, she was beautiful.
And far too well dressed for a servant.
Anning took a small step backward and then gave her a small smile. "Um...yeah. I’m Lin Anning."
The girl nodded lightly, her eyes then dropped to the goblet Anning had in hand.
"That’s alcohol." She explained.
"I’m sorry, what?" She blurted out, making the girl chuckle slightly.
"My name is Yuelan. I serve the imperial princess." She paused. "And you?"
Anning lowered her goblet slowly before saying, "Oh...I work for the young mistress of the Gu family."
Yuelan’s smile slowly disappeared and for the first time since walking over, she had a grim expression on her face.
