chapter 2:

Yuenghon leaned closer to yuan's face, handing him a small pouch "don't wander like that again alright ? Not everyone is like me ...some can harm such innocence..."

Yuan grabbed the pouch with his hands, nodding with a genuine smile, "you...truly is beautiful, I saw you for the first time, I always wanted to meet you...I'll remember you my Lord ..." He smiled, yuenghon's heart raced.

He was never complimented in his whole life, did this child who ruined his banquet for the evening just made him...a bit vulnerable and promised to remember him?

He asked "don't you find me scary yuan ?" yuan gave a small giggle "nope...there's nothing so scary about you, you are just a bit too tough, but it's fine..."

He shook his head, suppressing his small faint smile and nodded, "mhm got it now go yuan, it's late, return to your house..." Yuan nodded and ran back to his parents..

Though the parents looked relieved, neither yuenghon nor the generals knew or expected what awaited for yuan at home...

On the carriage back home, the woman, liang melin, his stepmother , twisted his ear, slapping him again ,"aren't you an ungrateful little trash...what did you think about running off like that huh !" Yuan's eyes were glassy but he didn't complain.

"M-mother, I'm sorry but...I'm never ungrateful and I love all of you—" he got interrupted.

"SHUT UP ! Just wait till we get home, see what happens..."

His stepfather, lian wenzhao, pinched the bridge of his nose sighing, "huh...such an embarrassment, we were about to be shamed so bad, " he glared at yuan once,

As the carriage stopped , as he was about to get down he was pushed by his siblings, which caused him to fall and the sharp stones scratched his knees and palms

melin dragged him inside wenzhao following behind, wenzhao ushered his own children in their rooms, "my sweeties, go to your room for tonight, we have some talks with your little brother", then lead yuan to his room.

Melin stripped his shirt open baring his back as he reached the room facing the wall his eyes already tearing up and his hands shaking.

She handed wenzhao a thin whip...yuan knelt holding his breath, clutching his pants tightly, then came the first hit..."A-ah !"...he winced but melin shut him up taunting him "shut up you foolish boy ! What did you think about it ! You deserve this !".

The hits followed till his back was black and blue with angry looking welts, after that melin threw him out of the room, he staggered to his room, his back protesting to move, blood trickling down as he cried silently, but as he sat on his mattress, he took out the small pouch from his pockets....he hadn't seen it yet...*the pendant*

a gift from the emperor, he remembered everything, that stoic sharp face, emotionless eyes which held tiredness and upon seeing yuan it turned to interest.

He looked outside , already thinking when he could meet the emperor again , he smiled at himself wondering what he could get...

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