QT: Against My Will

“Mind telling me about it?” He pressed his forehead against hers, “Or else, I’m going to put the blame on that Zhao Rong. I don’t know what your plans are with him, but stealing his mask and identity is not a problem for me.”

Giggling, she hugged him back; Bing Shi knew that she was not alone. The bond they shared was like a bridge. It allowed her to set foot outside the protective walls to explore the wast world on the other side. The thought of him kept her warm in the coldest of times, helping her to separate the reality from the dream. “Did you know that many religions didn’t allow the victims of r?pe to start their spiritual path as nuns? The rules were so unfair; nobody wanted to accept me...”

Xuan Mu let out a muffled groan, the answer he dreaded the most, “The old rules are here to be changed.”

“Yes... Fortunately, a group of nuns from a remote nunnery took me in.” Bing Shi gave him an Eskimo kiss by rubbing their nose together, assuring him that she was fine with her calm and peaceful temperament, “I learned how to fight, and obtained a sect leader’s position after his retirement. With a bald head, I never felt manlier,” she giggled, “But my condition was worse than now. I couldn’t get anywhere near a man.”

Xuan Mu caressed her hair tenderly. When needed, one had to be stronger for the other. And here she was, taking care of him again when it should be the opposite. As a vengeful person, he wouldn’t give up until he found that rapist’s soul. All the harm it caused to Bing Shi, he’d repay it tenfold. “Aren’t you hungry?” he asked after a while. Massaging her flat tummy; he was about to support her up when she hooked her arm around his neck.

“No princess carry. I want to be a koala,” her hoarse voice waned in the air.

“Bing Shi, I need to go outside to grab some food,” he quickly supported her bottom so she could wrap her legs around his torso.

“There are some sweet potatoes in my bag,” she muttered.

.....

“Your stomach needs something warm and... I don’t like sweet potatoes.”

“But...” Bing Shi looked at him as if it was the end of the world, “I miss you already.”

“...” Sighing, he indulged her in a deep kiss. “Good?”

Bing Shi licked her lips as if she just got a sample of a high-end beverage, “Yum, exactly to my tastes. Passionately hot with a little hint of longing.”

“Stop turning me on with your words. Just kissing a fourteen years old body is making my skin crawl.” Xuan Mu seated her at a chair and wrapped her with a woolen blanket into a Matryoshka doll, laughing at her puffed cheeks. Life was serious as it was, and she liked to spice the mood up with whatever she found funny. Sometimes it’d get a bit frustrating; he couldn’t stay angry for long. He called out to a servant who returned with simple dishes – two bowls of duck congee with a plate of boiled cabbage and eggs.

“Shall I order Hasan to adopt you?” asked Bing Shi. It would create an opportunity for Xuan Mu to establish a standing in the country.

Xuan Mu shook his head, “We’ll need a backdoor in case someone decides to destroy your business.”

“Mm, I thought about what type of Hosts would HQ recruit. As long as Fei Lan is not provoked, she won’t retaliate against my innocent Tianshies, would she?

“If she’s truly Guan Fei as I think, then no. She didn’t hold back when tarnishing yours and your family’s reputation.”

Both continued to eat in a composed way. The quietness grew so deep that they could hear their own steady rhythm from within. The danger was lurking in the dark; they could not let their guard down. It won’t be long before they separate again. In case one of them failed, the other could step up and back up the other. It has always been like this. As long as they got each other’s back, they will overcome any obstacles.

To find one’s joy, there were some things one had to learn the hard way...

· · — · ???· — · ·

Should Bing Shi change the world into matriarchy, by drugging all men with Ru Quan’s poison? It might stop war, but not the upcoming hate between men and women. She couldn’t keep men weak forever, and most women were not ready for such a drastic change. Imagine the revenge and oppression seeking disaster. The situation might worsen.

Establishing democracy was like asking for a hundred years war. Just look at the nowadays ‘democracy’. There had to be something better. She needed a structure that would function properly even after her disappearance. A strong base that would help her maintain peace, by firstly changing the image people had of women in the society. But she couldn’t just let Tianshies go to school and let them become nurses, teachers, doctors, etc.; going to school was forbidden.

She wasn’t seeking equality but compassion. She, alone knew how power was needed to keep things in order, to accomplish something, she had to show that she was something more compared to others, which destroyed the main point of equality.

· · — · ???· — · ·

After the debut, the guards at the front gate kept themselves busy with checking the guest’s invitations and membership cards. Those who had none were denied any access to “Eliaros”. Rather than a brothel, it could be described as a hotel, with a spa and various shops, from pottery, tobacco, ink brushes, to tailors shops.

As soon as a man stepped inside, he’d be treated like a king, starting to act as one; he’d not hold back with his spendings. Sitting on the most comfortable chairs, eating only the best food, drinking the best wine, the hostesses would make sure he’d feel special, valued, and treasured like nowhere else, giving him an emotional value that objects couldn’t.