- Li Xun -

He was distracted.

Halfway through his work, his eyes would wander to the spot where a certain someone was supposed to be standing, but only to find it empty.

He knew he made a promise to his sister, but he was worried.

Could anyone blame him for feeling a little lonely when his friend was abducted almost everyday by his sister?

Ling Yao was his friend too, but he was a man of few words. He was far too dedicated to his job of protecting Li Xun that he often addressed him with heavy formalities. Regardless of his constant reminders to speak to him casually — at least when they were alone — his words ended up falling on deaf ears.

He found it more comfortable to speak to Long'Er, and often let his guard down around him.

Now, that was taken away from him too.

Royals were often admired and fawned upon, but in truth, they were lonely people.

He buried himself in his work. When he needed a break, he hid himself away in one of the garden pavilions, hoping that none of his subordinates would disrupt his rest there. He settled at the white stone table, sipping his tea and reading a book that he had brought along.

He didn't make it past the fifth page before something – or rather someone – leaped over the wall several metres away. His eyes flickered towards the intruder and their gazes met. Recognising the person, he stood up immediately.

"Long'Er?" he gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Likewise, surprise lit in the boy's eyes. He placed a finger on his lips. His eyes darted behind him and back to Li Xun, trying to deliver a silent message – one which he understood immediately.

Long'Er was running away from a certain someone.

And Li Xun could easily guess who that was.

Snapping his book close, he rose to his feet and waved him over. "Come, I know a good hiding spot."

Dismissing his own servants, they fled from the garden and away from the desperate cries and footsteps that chased them. They ran through courtyards and past a few halls, before ending up in one of the storage rooms that held all the herbs and spices. They shut the doors behind them and shuffled to the back of the room.

Along the way, Long'Er almost tripped on one of the earthen pots on the floor. If not for Li Xun's quick reflexes and steadying him by his shoulder, he might have fallen hard.

Li Xun pulled him behind one of the shelves at the far corner. As they listened hard for any noises coming from the outside, he peered down at his hand that was still clutching Long'Er's arm.

A sudden peculiar thought crossed his mind.

For a man, Long'Er's arm was fairly thin. Moreover, after several interactions, he couldn't help but noticed how the boy's hands were smaller and slender than his own. Whereas most men would have bulging veins running across their arms, the skin above Long'Er wrists were oddly smooth.

Hm, strange.

They stood still for a couple of minutes in silence, but no one came for them. Long'Er exhaled and shut his eyes in relief, leaning against the shelf for support. He hadn't noticed that Li Xun was still clutching his hand. Frowning at him.

"So," he spoke so suddenly that he startled him, "what did my sister do to you this time?"

Long'Er rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "She wanted me to try the food she had cooked for me. Again. Honestly, I swear the food she makes is the best poison in the world."

He chuckled lightly. "Agreed. I feel sympathy for the person marrying her in the future."

Long'Er tilted his head curiously. "It's strange," he remarked. "I've neglected my duty for the past few days and yet you didn't raise any objection whenever Her Highness whisked me away. Why is that so?"

At this, Li Xun could only avert his gaze. "For no particular reason. She told me one of her guards fell ill and needed a temporary substitute..."

Hold on, what was he saying?

Even that sounded like a terrible excuse to his own ears.

Long'Er lifted a brow suspiciously. "You sold me to your sister, didn't you? You knew how she felt about me?"

Guilt was written all over his face. All he could offer was a sheepish, roguish grin. "I'm sorry. Blood runs thicker than water. I've no choice but to agree to her request, especially when she almost bled my eyes and ears with her whining and puppy eyes."

Long'Er buried his face in his hands. "You've no idea the horrors that I had to experience."

"Such as?"

His bodyguard lifted his head somewhat begrudgingly. "For instance..." he began saying but there was a brief silence as he recalled. A shudder ran through his body and he shook his head vigorously. "Forget it."

"What is it?"

"It's...nothing."

Li Xun observed his expression, his discomfort and embarrassment peeking through. "Do you not fancy my sister?" he asked quietly. "Does Li Xue not attract your attention? She is of royal status, not to mention beautiful and wealthy. There are several men lining up and asking to court her, but she chose you instead. Do you not consider courting her?"

"That is absolutely impossible," Long'Er stated his feelings firmly. "I do not have any interest in her at all."

"Why?"

A weary sigh escaped from him. "Do not get me wrong, I do think the princess is a brave girl who is willing to make an effort in getting someone to acknowledge her. However, I only like her as a friend, not romantically wise. I have no intention to court her."

His eyes widened slowly as realisation dawned on him. "Do you like someone else?"

Long'Er was startled, denying his words quickly. "You're wrong, Your Highness. No one has caught my eyes."

Li Xun couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had a hunch that the boy was lying. "Who's the lucky lady who has caught your attention? Perhaps someone in the palace? A maid? I mentioned before that I would give you anything since I owe you my life. Tell me the name and I'll arrange a meeting for you with the lady."

And yet, his persistence was met with declination. Long'Er shook his head quickly, but the look in his hazel eyes morphed into something else – determination. He made a startling request that Li Xun would never expect him to say.

"How about you bring me into the Office of Administration?"

***

Fifteen minutes later, they found themselves in a room with shelves of books that reached the ceiling. They contained several records of transactions, monthly deliveries and listings of the many departments that were operating in the palace.

He turned towards Long'Er, puzzled at his odd request. "Why did you wish to come here?"

The latter lowered his head, ashamed. "Compared to the others, I know nothing about the ministers and officials in the palace. I wish to educate myself by learning their names and faces so that I won't embarrass myself if I were to ever encounter them."

"Oh, you could've asked me. I would have introduced you to them."

"I didn't wish to trouble a busy man like you."

"Silly. I wouldn't mind setting some time aside for a friend."

A shadow clouded over Long'Er's eyes, but it was soon swept away like the wind. He stepped forward, searching through the shelves and rifling through the documents quickly. Urgently. It wasn't the behaviour of a curious guard who was looking to study. It was more than that.

Li Xun trailed behind slowly, casually fingering the edge of some books. He knew the boy's true intention wasn't as simple as he had said.

"So, what exactly are you searching for?"

Long'Er stilled instantly, his steps coming to a halt. Even if Li Xun was staring at his back, he could sense his hesitation as clear as day.

Eventually, he admitted.

"To tell you the truth, I'm looking for a name."

"You're looking for a person? Who is it? Maybe I might know the person."

However, Long'Er answered his question with one of his own. "Are you good at keeping secrets, Your Highness?"

Li Xun was thrown off by his guarded tone. "If you wish," he said, "I promise to keep your secret safe with me and take it to my grave."

The conviction in his words was unwavering. Long'Er exhaled loudly, loosening the tension in his shoulders. "I apologise, but it's just that I do not wish for this past of mine to implicate others. Neither do I know what I want to do if I ever find the person I'm searching for."

"Whoever this person is, he or she must have an important role in your life."

"Yes."

Li Xun withdrew slowly, easing towards the exit. "I understand, and I respect your feelings. Likewise, if you don't wish to tell me, I'll leave you alone to attend to your business."

Astounded, Long'Er spun around, his irises swirling with disbelief and confusion. "You don't ever believe for a second that I might be lying to you about my motive for coming here? Maybe I'm not looking for a person, but I'm just planning to steal some records from one of these shelves?"

Li Xun simply shook his head.

"Never. And I believe that you won't break my trust. Even if you do, I don't think you would resort to doing something like this so publicly and revealing your plans to me? You're smart and I'm certain you're aware of the punishment that awaits such a criminal."

The boy remained stunned. When he couldn't find words to respond to this, Li Xun simply smiled and left the room to attend to his own affairs.

A couple of hours later, he returned to the Office of Administration. The night had fallen, but his bodyguard had yet to return. And according to the palace servants, Long'Er did not return to his own quarter too.

He wasn't in trouble, was he? After all, Li Xun did inform the officials that he had granted permission to the boy to have a look at the records.

His worry soon diminished when he spotted him at the workbench. Stacks of documents were placed around the table, surrounding the sleeping boy. Fatigue had caught up to him. His head was lying on top of his folded arms, his eyes closed.

Li Xun crept closer, uncertain if he should wake him up. This was when he noticed the mask that Long'Er usually wore had slipped off slightly, revealing the right side of his face and the smooth, porcelain skin below.

There were no burn marks.