a/n: I only realized it now, my first chap should just be a prologue but since, I’m dumb, I forgot to be smart sometimes. XD this one is longer than the first then the 3rd chapter is too short but i will try to add something to make it longer. I'm already working on chapter 4 of this story. just to let you know, this is my fave so far then the 4th chap that i am currently working on b/c i'm a fluffy girl (fluff, fluff, fluff)  >_^

You will finally meet Zai Zhong here~~~ yey! again, i'm not good in english so forgive my grammars and wrong doings you may find while reading and one more warning: i am greasy and this chapter is probably cheesy hehehe... enjoy!

 

 

 

Chapter I_2: I Got You Under My Sky

 

 

 

Still in Ancient China…

 

 

Zai Zhong ran with all his might, scurrying through the streets bared feet and not minding how hurt his feet is feeling at the moment because he will be in much more pain if he stayed at the place he had ran away from to.

He was certainly a slave. A thing that breathes and never talks and now have finally come to his senses to run away from the slave house he was in. His master is cruel. He had been punched and kicked and get punched again, over and over by his master because he can’t seem to be a toy slave for the lords and merchants that comes and go from the slave house every day.

Zai Zhong couldn’t seem to holdout being held and every time a man touches him, he runs away making his master mad at him every single time. He couldn’t decipher as to why he hated the touch of the men who had bought him over night and came back the next day to complain about how rude he was with them; while, he felt warmed when the man who he had bumped into gripped his skinny arms tight. And, when their eyes met, Zai Zhong shivered at the intensity of feelings surging up from his stomach up to his ribcage, making its way to his heart and, pounding it hard the man could probably hear it from inside him.

The man’s dark eyes and his warm hands felt different from the men that had touched Zai Zhong and he couldn’t understand why it does when they are all the same: big and rough; strong and scary. But, there is one thing that differs him from the rest: it was his warmth. The men whose hands had crawled over Zai Zhong’s arms and thighs, going up and upward were always felt cold and their eyes that are full of lust disgusted him the most while this man, who he couldn’t leave his eyes away from are the opposite of every disgusting men Zai Zhong hated all through his life.

It took the two of them to separate when someone cleared his throat and it came from a beautiful man wearing a green dress and has a long, silky blonde hair.

The man who Zai Zhong had bumped also cleared his dry throat and he has once again mesmerized by the fact, as he began to run his eyes to study the man from head to toe; the tall man is wearing an expensive red silk robe, has a handsome face and lovely dark eyes and, overall, Zai Zhong concluded that this man in front of him is visually expensive and sounds expensive too; the handsome man made him forget to blink for a moment until he realizes a familiar voice getting louder by the minute made him startled and shaken in fear.

With a quick response from his body, he quickly hid behind the man and he was thankful his back is broad enough to hide his whole body. Zai Zhong then gripped the man silk robe and shuts his eyes firmly when the owner of the voice stops and pants in front of them.

 

“Give me the boy, young man.”

 

Zai Zhong finally heard his master’s voice up close and so, he shuddered that made the man who unintentionally hid him stiffened up.

 

“Why? Is he yours to keep?” said the man and Zai Zhong’s heart began beating irregularly once again upon hearing the man’s deep voice.

 

“Yes. He’s my slave.” His master said in between pants. “Now, give him up. I know he’s hiding behind you.”

 

“How much is he?”

 

Zai Zhong’s eyes burst open upon hearing the man’s words. He lifted up his head and he met the man’s nape and he had never seen a beautiful nape in his entire life. Ever.

 

“My Lord, what are you doing?”

 

The man who cleared his throat earlier finally spoke and Zai Zhong’s attention went to the beautiful man with blond hair and he gasped when their eyes meet and Zai Zhong saw astonishment mixed with amazement in his eyes.

 

“I’m asking you, how much is your slave?”

 

Once again, Zai Zhong shivered by the man’s firm words and he decided to peak through the small gap between his dress and sleeves and saw his Master’s shocked expression on his bearded face.

 

“Fi—fifty copper coins—“

“—make it a hundred.” The man interrupted and took out something on his right sleeve and threw it in the awaiting hands of Zai Zhong’s still shocked master.

 

“Now go away.”

 

“I will, my lord. Thank you for your generous payment.”

 

Zai Zhong’s master then scurried away through the crowd and he sighed in relief but it was brief when he remembered it was not over yet.

 

What did he run into now?

 

….

 

What exactly did he do?

 

Yun Hao does not seem to understand his actions earlier. He completely wasn’t in his own pace back at the capital. He could not have explained the sudden rush of uncertain feelings that covered him while the beautiful boy was in his arms. It’s as if he was under some sort of a spell. Yun Hao believed he was because no matter how he rationalizes his thoughts and words back earlier, he was definitely not the Yun Hao that he was earlier. he definitely wasn't in the right state of mind. It was a different person back there and even though he knew it was him who spoke and gave the man a hundred copper coins without thinking hard, he believed he was under some magic given by the beautiful boy who had hid himself on his back and gave him shivers to his spine.

That beautiful boy. Definitely his eyes are mesmerizing with all the glitters of tears in his eyes and a couple drops stayed on his long eyelashes both up and down; that cute nose and those full lips that you could absolutely not be able to resist and, Yun Hao gulped as he imagined it once again. He also cannot forget his pale neck and y shoulders; and those pair of legs; Yun Hao absolutely went insane and another side of him he didn’t know went out from a deep sleep inside of him and took over. Even though the boy was dirty and he was only wearing an oversized shirt and nothing more, Yun Hao can still visibly see how beautiful the boy is. Without thinking rationally, he bought the slave, causing Xien speechless and Heechul raised an eyebrow upon seeing them with an extra package when they returned but then without opening his mouth to question him at the moment, helped the boy to get cleaned up.

 

…

 

Yun Hao paces back and forth in the room he had stayed yesterday and a sliding of the doors and closing it made Yun Hao turned to face who went inside his room unannounced.

 

“I called but you didn’t answer back my lord, so I assumed I can enter your room. Forgive me.”

 

Xien, who seemed to have read his thoughts bowed his head and waited for his reply and Yun Hao walked straight to his eunuch and lifted up his chin to face him.

 

“Where is he?”

 

Xien smiled but it vanishes quickly before Yun Hao can comprehend in his head what was that for and said his reply to his young lord.

 

“Lord Heechul’s servants are personally attending him at the moment, my lord.” He said.

“You don’t have to worry.” Xien added.

 

“I-I’m not worried!” Yun Hao answered in defense, tone raised high that made Xien chuckled out loud.

 

“It seems that my lord has a side of him that I have never know of until now.” He commented making Yun Hao blushed; the young lord sighed and exasperatedly sat at the edge of his luxurious bed, emotionally tired from the crazy feeling that he felt for the first time after meeting the slave.

 

“What do you think happened back there, Xien? Because honestly, I didn’t know I had a different side of me that I don’t know of either.” Yun Hao sighed once again.

 

Xien, who was observing his young lord after the surprise turn of events earlier was thinking of things he needed to say to when his young lord should ask him questions just like now but, for some reason, he was still quite unsure of what running through his head at the moment but he fired a constructive comment to him anyway. His young master needs some sort of resolution at the moment and he is a righteous man that his young master trusts and his young lord needs right now. Though at the moment, he isn’t as righteous as he believes himself so.

 

“Do you know the story of the Red Strings, my lord?”

 

“Red Strings?” Yun Hao lifted up his face and curiously looked at his eunuch with a smile on his always poker face, face.

 

“Yes, my lord.” Xien nodded and started his story.

“It was believed that there are invisible red strings attached to each fated pair’s little fingers and no matter what it won’t be cut or tangled up. It will forever be tied for all eternity. It won’t be gone even until death, as death itself can not interfere with strong fate. Over and over, the red string will always be bind to each other’s fingers and that string will always find its other end of string no matter what form it takes.”

 

“And?” Yun Hao is still confused. He couldn’t find the answer he has been looking for in Xien’s story.

 

“I thought it was just some sort of man-made fairytale but, I, apparently have witnessed that that fairytale came true today.” Xien said, giving a knowing look at his young lord.

 

“Meaning…” Yun Hao said, standing up from his feet. “There are red strings attached to us and saying we’re a fated pair? That young boy and I? Seriously, Xien? Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” he shouted but, it didn’t waver Xien’s smile.

 

“Though I haven’t seen it yet,” He then glances at Yun Hao’s fifth finger opposite of his thumb on both sides and, then back at the young lord. “I saw a red glow, though it was brief but, nonetheless, true my lord.”

 

Xien then placed a hand over his shoulder before he went out of his room to give him some time to think but before he could do so, Yun Hao was startled at the clap of a man now leaning on the frame of the door and finding Heechul wearing a smug smile on his face.

A smug wouldn’t suffice now that Yun Hao took a closer look when Heechul walked closer to him, eyeing him face to face. It was a devilish smile. A devil that he is. Truly.

 

“Remember last night, when you said you wouldn’t buy a grade A slave from me?” Heechul asked, an evil smirk lurking at the side of his lips and Yun Hao scoffed when Heechul places his hands in between his shoulders.

 

“Yes, I remembered but I did not buy him from you just to make it clear.” He replied, jaw clenching at his evil friend.

 

“Nonetheless, you bought one.” Heechul noted. “That makes all your words crumbling down, my lord.” He mocked.

 

“Where is he?” Yun Hao asked, changing the topic because he can’t seem to have something to fire back at the merchant. It would seem that he has lost for the very first time in a battle field of words with Heechul. Yun Hao accepted that fact since he can’t seem to deny that what Heechul had said is true. Though, it hurts his pride. Really.

 

“He’s been taking care of carefully, Yun.” Heechul smirks and suddenly pulled him to a hug. “Don’t worry.” he whispered.

 

“Where did you find such a precious gem anyway? His caliber is exceptional and can beat my grade A's slaves except for his tainted body though.” Heechul said once he pulled away and looked at him with amusement in his eyes.

 

Yun Hao brows furrowed. “Tainted?”

 

He knew the boy’s body is full of dirt but what does Heechul meant by 'tainted'?

 

“He seems to be a battered slave from his former master.” Heechul’s facial expression changes into a pained one and Yun Hao was surprised that the merchant is capable of giving care for a slave though he sells one at that.

 

With Heechul’s note, Yun Hao didn’t give a damn when Heechul called out his name to stop him from rushing out of his room and went to look for the slave he just bought and with a dim expression on his face, he excused everyone who was inside the room he had found the boy was in. he closes the door behind him, slapping the sliding doors with a loud thud making the boy whose facing his back on him startled in surprise.

Yun Hao then observed the boy’s back and then and there, he was once again mesmerized by the boy. He was wearing a see-through black lace dress robe that accentuates his pale skin and his short brown hair. Yun Hao almost gasped as his eyes stared at that beautiful nape and wishes to it with his own tongue and brush his lips with it, making the boy shudder from his touch.

 

For a moment there, Yun Hao could not believe where his thoughts suddenly ran off to. He shook away the dirty thoughts and walked towards the boy who has his mind go crazy.

 

 

….

 

 

 

“The boy must stay here, Lord Heechul.” Xien finally spoke after a moment of silence; a good ten minutes after Heechul came inside the room he was staying at. Heechul eyed him curiously.

“That is, for the time being.”

 

“What exactly are you thinking, huh?” Heechul asked, full of amusement.

 

First, he was amused at how his childhood friend, Yun Hao was acting up and he didn’t even reprimand his words he said to him earlier and now, his eunuch is now speaking with uncertainty. It’s as if they had left their souls in his house and has lost it somewhere and never to return to their bodies after going out to buy presents for Yun Hao’se sister Ji Ye.

 

“As you can see, my lord’s thoughts are now scrambled up like beaten eggs—“ he then cleared his throat when Heechul chuckled and then continued, “—and if we were to bring the boy back home, it would mean to lose the kingdom his father had built for the two of them and his people.”

 

“Because the boy would probably distract Yun Hao’s determination and all his cool act that he had built ever since he was a child?” Heechul raised a curious brow, making a point.

 

“Not probably but absolutely that would happen, Lord Heechul.” Xien replied, this time, he found his certainty that has gone on and off during this visitation.

“But I’m not speaking ill of the boy. He is definitely the fated pair for my lord.” He followed up.

 

“And, you’re saying to me that this is not the time for Yun Hao to be distracted therefore, leaving the boy in my care for the time being just like you said?” Heechul asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And, what if I don’t cater to your words, Xien. What will you do about it?” Heechul stated, piercing his gaze at his childhood friend’s eunuch who does seem to be spilling unrighteous words at him at the moment.

 

…

 

When Zai Zhong was guided to a large house that was owned by the great Kim Heechul from the Kim family line who comes from a popular line of merchants in the country and then his eyes almost popped out from his eyes when he finally knew who his savior was: It was none other than Lord Yun Hao of the South. Jung Family is known for their elegant jewelries that they sell for a huge sum of money. Even some merchants can’t afford to buy one; what more to a slave who hasn’t had any? Like him.

Without opening his mouth to speak, he watches as Yun Hao, the man who had bought him from his now former master directed the servants who scatters away hurriedly and one of them pulled him and he turn his head to look at his savior as he was being dragged away but his eyes didn’t look his way that made him a bit sad. And then, Zai Zhong watches as the man opens his lips once more, talking although he couldn’t hear what he was saying but he knew who he was talking to: the great Lord Heechul and, his line of vision faded once they turned to a corner.

 

…

 

 

He didn’t have time to comprehend what is currently happening to him right now; not because he’s not smart and dumb; he knew how to write and speak because he sometimes snuck out during daytime to go to a nearby school and learn under a peach tree just outside the tall wall of the school building. But, because he couldn’t have grasped to understand the reality he is in at the moment yet.

Zai Zhong let the servants whose attending him took off his only clothes, an oversized shirt and touch him all over. They bathe him, scrubbed off the dirt from his body and wiped him dry afterwards. It didn’t end there and they dressed him up, they have slid a pair of shoes on his bare feet that has not have one all his life and he find it very uncomfortable but he doesn't have the heart to complain about it; they also combed his hair and even applied light powder on his face.

The servants were almost done preparing him when they scattered away in an instant a loud thud startled him. Then and there, Zai Zhong knew there was another presence inside his room and he shivered once he felt the familiar gaze from a certain person staring at him.

He shuddered when rough yet soft feeling of long fingers swiftly travel to his nape, his exposed see-through dress back down to his arms and it stops as it tangles in between his own ones. Zai Zhong can feel the loud beating of his heart and it is so loud that his ears deafened. A hot breath on his ear awakened him and he shivered once again at the unfamiliar touch, tingling his sensation on every part of his sensitive body.

The hot breath of the person who entangles his fingers onto Zai Zhong’s own ones once again spoke near his ear and, blushingly he turns around, untangling his fingers halfheartedly because it feels like home but, what is home to Zai Zhong anyway? He didn’t have a single idea what home is but, the man’s fingers and touch made him feel all these beautiful feelings he has never thought would ever feel in his life. And he thinks of a home filled with warmth.

 

“Face me.”

 

Zai Zhong could feel his cheeks getting hot when he heard that whisper and though he doesn’t want to and is contented at his current place at the moment, he expired a sigh then turns around, head bowing low as he couldn’t face the man who just made his heart almost burst out of his ribcage earlier and still is. God, he’s blushing hard!

 

Now what will he do at this moment? Oh, he wants to hide somewhere.

 

 

….

 

 

Yun Hao was once again dumbfounded by his actions. Clearly, he couldn’t seem to stop himself and let his fingers ran to that beautiful boy’s nape, back, shoulders, tracing him; familiarizing his senses to that gorgeous body; and down to his arms and finally found its rightful place: entangling his long fingers to the boy’s pale ones. He felt the boy shuddered and his heartbeat increases its crazy beat once again, the boy must’ve felt his pounding heart from his back.

He didn’t know why he did that and, he should be mad and asked the boy about his bruised body but, Yun Hao has no idea what he was doing at the moment. He needs to clear his head and fast!

 

“Face me.” He whispered to the boy’s ear once his composure came back from his senses but soon went straight to paradise when the boy shivered from his voice. His voice. This boy is definitely very sensitive and Yun Hao’s lips formed a smirk but quickly faded upon remembering what he intends to do to the boy when he went to look for him after all the contemplations and dos and don’ts as he paces back and forth in his room earlier.

 

When the boy turned around without facing him, his back was completely exposed from him though to see and the boy’s nape is as red as an apple and Yun Hao concluded that the boy is blushing at the moment. And, hard at that.

Yun Hao’s heart starts to beat ecstatically again and any moment from now on would his heart burst out of his chest from beating so loud if he didn’t thread carefully… from now on.

And so, Yun Hao cleared his throat to wake himself up from being dazed at the boy’s beauty and took a step back to draw the line that he was supposed to do the very first time that they have met. But, when the beautiful boy looked up with him with confused look and a lovely pout on his face, he could almost feel the walls he was supposed to build began crashing down and before he could go back to his spot earlier, changing his mind, he clenches his hands firmly, telling his body to stop while he could muster himself to stop his own body to move on its own.

 

A sniff coming from the boy woke him up from fighting to his inner self and sanity.

 

“What’s your name? Do you have one?” Yun Hao asked, diverting his attention to the boy’s hands now fidgeting in front of him. God! He badly wants to touch his hands once again.  And, feel electrified by lovely emotions he could feel for the first time.

 

“Zai Zhong.” Finally, Zai Zhong’s voice came back and though it came out a bit hoarse and tired, Yun Hao’s reply made his heart leap from its place inside his chest.

 

“That’s a… beautiful name you have.” Yun Hao replied and the boy’s face lit up and smiled at him and Yun Hao bet he can see glitters and stars right now.

 

But once again, it quickly vanishes when Yun Hao remembers for the nth time what was his purpose in clearing the room and leaving the room with just the two of them.

He then closes the gap he created once again and pulled Zai Zhong’s wrists up and gaze at him intensely making the younger hissed from the sudden tight grip. With that hiss, Yun Hao softened up and lessen his grip a little though, tight still.

 

“Heechul said you have bruises in your body. Did your former master did them to you?” He firmly asked, emphasizing the word former to the younger.

 

Zai Zhong’s eyes enlarges and Yun Hao’s face dimmed a little darker making the latter gasped out loud.

 

…

 

The word surprise wouldn’t suffice Zai Zhong’s enlarged eyes as he stares back at Yun Hao whose face gets dimmer by the minute.

Well, he couldn’t hide his bruises to Yun Hao anyway. What’s there to deny?

 

“Y-yes…” he mumbled as he lowered his head and bow.

 

Yun Hao’s grip on his wrists softened up and his hands move from his wrists to his hands and firmly hold them and squeezed them tight and Zai Zhong couldn’t count how many times his heart beats from Yun Hao’s touch. And now, his firm words of promise made his tears fall one by one. Endlessly.

 

….

 

 

“You,” Yun Hao said while holding the boy’s hands firmly. “From now on, no one can harm you. As long as I’m here, no one can do such horrible things to you.”

 

And Yun Hao must keep his promise because upon seeing the beautiful boy’s crying face, he promised on his parents’ grave that he will do anything as long as this boy is safe inside his arms.

 

 

“I’ll protect you.”

 

 

….

 

 

a/n2: and there goes the famous line.. i didn't intend to have that at the end but while writing it, it somehow swung that way (yunjae's famous promise line if not, one of the many, many...) idk. when i wrote the last paragraph, i thought it would be good to add that and so i did. hehe.. i hope you like it. feel free to comment down below. you have to subscribe to my story though. and b/c i am cunning, i decided to do that. *evil smirk*