He had grown accustomed to these hauntings. Even in death, the pair of them wouldn’t leave him be. They attached to him like blood-sucking leeches sucking out his soul. They were a part of his life now, a twisted reminder of his past deeds. He chuckled softly, lifting the cup of wine to his lips and taking a slow sip. "Don’t look at me like that. If you keep scowling you will have wrinkles," he said, his tone mocking. This was what his mother worried about most. She would sit in front of a bronze mirror gently pulling at her temples to get rid of the fine lines.
"Oh, by the way," he said excitedly sitting up straight, "I have been trying to capture your soul in the underworld so we can finally be reunited. Doesn’t that sound fun? Preventing your reincarnation is the least I can do. Just in case you know... in your next life you decide to screw up another of your children."
The wind howled through the room, carrying with it ghostly screams that made the candles flicker. His mother’s eyes burned with resentment. "I should have never birthed you you bastard," she hissed, her voice echoing with an ominous energy.
Xiang Yu laughed the sound cold and mirthless. "Tell me something new," he retorted, his eyes gleaming with malice. As if on cue, another figure materialised in the steam. His father, with a gaping hole in his chest and bloody gashes all over his body, stood on the other side of the bath. It seemed even in death they didn’t like each other. Xiang Yu’s amusement only grew. "Ah, it seems we have a full house tonight," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is this an intervention or something?"
The ghostly figures remained silent, their eyes filled with resentment and rage. Xiang Yu leaned back, his twisted smile never faltering. "Well, if you are here to torment me, you will have to do better than this," he taunted, raising his cup in a mock toast his twisted smile reflecting in the rippling water. "To family reunions."
But before he could take a sip, something cold and clammy gripped his ankle, yanking him down with a force that took his breath away. Startled, he was submerged, the murky bathwater turning into a suffocating prison. He felt like he was drowning, an unseen weight pressing him deeper into the abyss. Yet, even as his chest burned and his vision darkened, he smiled, embracing the sensation.
Just when he thought he would succumb to the darkness, a familiar voice pierced through the haze, filled with anxiety. "Master! Master!... Master!" Mei’s voice called out, desperate and urgent. His spirit seemed to snap back into his body, and he found himself gasping for air, his eyes flying open.
He was never underwater. In fact, he was still lying in the bath, the steam swirling around him. Mei knelt beside him, her face pale with worry. "You fell asleep," she said, her voice trembling. "Your face was ashen. I shook you, but you wouldn’t... you wouldn’t wake up. I was so scared."
Xiang Yu took a deep breath his gaze staring into the space. This had happened before, these moments where he seemed to drift too far into the darkness, scaring the girls. He reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Mei’s shoulder. "I’m fine," he said, his voice steady. "it was just a bad dream."
Mei nodded, though her eyes remained filled with concern. "I placed your clean clothes behind the folding screen," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Thank you," Xiang Yu replied, his tone gentle. "You can go back now."
Mei hesitated, her hands trembling as she stood up. She glanced back at him one last time before closing the door behind her. As she walked away, her mind raced with worry. If anything happened to their master, what would become of them? He was their only relative, the only one who genuinely cared for them. She took in a shaky breath before putting on a fake smile so as not to worry her twin.
Xiang Yu slipped into his clean robe, the fabric cool against his skin. As he walked back to his room, the chilly wind blew through his hair, drying it as he moved. The night air was crisp, carrying the scent of the forest and the distant sound of nocturnal creatures. When he entered his room, Lian was already waiting, her eyes lighting up as she saw him. "Master, come sit," she beckoned, patting the chair in front of her. Xiang Yu who was used to this obliged, sitting down his gaze glancing at Mei to check if she was okay. She wasn’t talking much. She didn’t even argue with Lian about which brush to use. The pair began to brush his hair, their hands moving with practised ease.
Mei tried to conceal her emotions, glancing at Xiang Yu’s complexion. She sighed in relief seeing that it had returned to normal. Lian, unaware of her master’s recent episode, chattered excitedly. "Master, you should consider King Yao’s daughter. What is her name again? Agh, I didn’t even ask," she suggested. "Never mind her name. I think that fox demon would make a good mother for us."
Since when did he become a father? He was still too young to have big kids like them, okay?
Mei chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Our new mother could take us shopping and make cakes for us," she added, her voice light.
Lian nodded enthusiastically. "And she can tell us stories!"
Xiang Yu interjected, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "I can tell you stories."
The twins simultaneously shook their heads, their voices in unison. "Your stories are scary! We want romantic ones with princesses and princes."
"With happy ever afters. Master, your taste in stories is so bad. Last time, you said the princess fell over the cliff, and that was it. I cried for a week," added Mei traumatised by him.
Lian continued to braid his hair, her fingers deftly weaving the strands. "We should test her," she said, her tone playful. "If she is as nice as sister Dan Dan then she is hired."
Xiang Yu, "..." Why did he feel like they were behaving more like pimps than matchmakers?
Knowing how things could escalate fast with these two his expression turned serious. "No," he said firmly. "There will be no testing of any kind. I don’t like her, okay?" He put his foot down, his voice leaving no room for argument.
The twins exchanged a glance, their playful demeanour subdued by his tone. They nodded, understanding that this was a boundary they could not cross for approximately ten minutes. While he was fast asleep, they were in their bedroom discussing taking their master to the lantern festival and, if all fails, a brothel. Maybe, just maybe he could find a lovely lady and they would also get what they want. If Xiang Yu knew about their sinister plan he would have refused to leave the demon realm.